281 February 2018 - Gryffe Advertizer

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GryffeAds 

February 2018 No.281 

Winter Riverside Houston by Matt Johnston 

your LOCAL community magazine February 2018 No. 281 

A community magazine delivered FREE to homes in the Gryffe area

2 

the advertizer 

March ‘18 Issue: 

th • 

Deadline: 16 FEBRUARY 

th • 

Delivery: 27 FEBRUARY 

April ‘18 Issue: 

th 

• Deadline: 16 MARCH 

th 

• Delivery: 27 MARCH 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

this service or for a free quotation. 

This month 

It seems like such a long time ago since I penned my December column. 

At that time I suggested we keep our Christmas lights on a little longer 

into the month of January to help get us through the dark winter evenings, 

and I am delighted to see that a number of you joined in. It really did 

seem to help. 

At our offi ce we’ve now recovered from our broadband meltdown just prior 

to Christmas. It is great to be back online and I will never again complain 

about poor broadband speed, well for a while anyway. It is amazing just 

how dependent we have become. I’m so grateful it wasn’t our home 

service which was affected over the holidays; teenage meltdown is not 

pretty! 

We’ve had some very good feedback on the new look of the magazine. 

We hope to keep tweaking things to improve the product we bring to you 

all each month. We’re also open to your suggestions (polite please!). 

The roads once again are a hot topic of conversation. Deafhillock 

Roundabout seems to be resolved, apart from one car totally misjudging 

and ending up right in the middle. I’m still trying to fi gure out just how 

they managed that! 

The A761 out of Bridge of Weir towards Brookfi eld is fi nally getting the 

drainage sorted out, along with resurfacing. The detours are not ideal, 

being the Kilbarchan Road which is narrow and rutted in places, or the 

Houston Road which also has a random scattering of holes set to catch 

people out. All the roads seem to be particularly bad this winter. 

Staying with potholes, social media has been very benefi cial. Real-time 

warnings are being posted as new potholes open up. And those who are 

unfortunate enough to hit a virtual chasm, resulting in severe wheel/tyre 

damage, have been able to confi rm with other Facebookers as to when 

these holes were fi rst reported and whether there is any liability on the 

Council’s part. 

Still on potholes, I vaguely recall a long number of years ago that the 

Council had their own Roads Team. They maintained the roads, verges 

and ditches. Things seemed to be better back then. Nowadays, it seems 

the norm to allow the byways to deteriorate to a point beyond maintenance 

and repair, which then becomes a major rebuild and resurfacing project. 

Nostalgia kicking in or sadly, an element of truth? 

Bollards again! Back in December, I sent in a complaint to Renfrewshire 

Council’s “roads reporting page” regarding the crumbling traffi c island as 

you leave Bridge of Weir towards Kilmacolm. This appears to have been 

hit so many times that all that’s left of the refl ective uprights is now little 

black stumps. Either fi x it, or just take it away, it is impossible to see at 

night and clearly presents a real danger to road users. 

Finally, more new build houses! We just heard last week that Gladman 

are back on the scene with a proposal for Quarriers Village. However, 

on reading the Councillors’ submissions this month, there seems to 

be a movement towards a more cohesive and sensible review of these 

continued greenbelt planning applications. Cllr Audrey Doig comments, 

“The Council has agreed to revise how it looks at planning applications 

and now wants a more streamlined approach which will give more 

weight to the Local Development Plan, and make it easier for Councillors 

to oppose controversial planning applications. This should also make it 

easier to defend the integrity of greenbelt land.” Hopefully common sense 

will prevail and developers will be encouraged to consider “brownfi eld” 

sites fi rst and foremost. Greenbelt release should only 

be considered as an absolute last resort. 

Rona 

deadline date for our march issue - Friday 16th February - You don’t want to miss it!! 

02-07 NEW INDEX_281 FEBRUARY18.indd 2 25/01/2018 17:52:41

february 2018 t: 01505 613340 e: info@advertizer.co.uk 

3 

Contents 

local news.............................................................4-13 

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

on the road .............................................................. 12 

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

what’s on ............................................................14-21 

finance & tech ....................................................22-27 

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

IT blog. ..................................................................... 22 

legal blog ................................................................. 25 

local history ............................................................. 26 

pet news .............................................................28-29 

pet blog .................................................................... 28 

outdoors..............................................................30-35 

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

school news ........................................................46-51 

sport news ..........................................................52-55 

sporting blog ........................................................... 54 

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

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

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

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

deadlines dates ....................................................... 59 

pick up a copy ......................................................... 60 

Contact us 

1st Floor, Neva Place, Bridge of Weir PA11 3PN 

t: 01505 613340 m: 07731 923970 

e: info@advertizer.co.uk w: www.advertizer.co.uk 

@GryffeAds 

Open Tuesday to Thursday 9am-4pm; Friday 9am-12:30pm 

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. 

@GryffeAds www.advertizer.co.uk 


4 


Paisley awarded £250,000 

lottery cash to help build 

town as visitor destination 

Plans to cement Paisley’s place as a key visitor destination within Scotland 

have been given a £250,000 cash boost by the National Lottery. 

The money follows a successful application by Renfrewshire Council and 

will be used to help local cultural and heritage groups work together to 

showcase the town’s unique story to potential visitors. 

It’s part of a £2.4m investment announced through the National Lottery’s 

Great Places scheme, to be shared between nine projects across 

Scotland. 

The Great Places scheme aims to allow communities to use their unique 

heritage to shape their futures, and tackle wider issues such as poverty, 

employment, health and education. 

Paisley’s project will bring local people and organisations together to build 

new partnerships and capacity within the local cultural and heritage sector 

to improve the visitor experience. 

The funding will also support the development of digital skills to promote 

Paisley and Renfrewshire’s cultural and heritage story to existing and new 

audiences. 

The project will start later this year and run until 2020, and a partnership 

of public sector, business, community and voluntary groups will be pulled 

together to run it. 

It will support the new destination brand and website for the town - due to 

be revealed in February. 

Renfrewshire Council Leader Iain Nicolson said: “We are delighted with this news 

and thank all at the Heritage Lottery Fund for their support. 

“Paisley’s bid to be UK City of Culture 2021 did a huge amount to raise our profi le 

as a destination and make people aware of what the town has to offer, as part 

of a wider plan to use the power of our unique culture and heritage to transform 

the area’s future 

“That helped us manage a big increase in the numbers of visitors to Renfrewshire 

attractions over the past few years - 1.7m in 2016, up 25%. 

“We want to grow that further, by showing off what sets us apart to bring new 

footfall to the town, and building on Paisley’s growing reputation as a key venue 

within Scotland for events and culture. 

“This money will help groups across Renfrewshire who have a stake in that to 

work together, equip them to promote the town and themselves, and be ready to 

welcome visitors when they arrive.” 

for more details visit www.greatplacescheme.org.uk/scotland 




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 



6 


Glasgow Airport Launches Public 

Consultation on Proposals to 

Modernise Airspace 

On Monday 15th January Glasgow Airport launched a 

13-week public consultation for feedback on proposals 

to modernise the airspace currently being used by 

aircraft fl ying to and from the airport. 

The airspace change proposals are part of the UK Future 

Airspace Strategy (FAS), an industry-wide initiative driven 

by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). 

A key part of the FAS involves the removal of groundbased 

navigation aids across the UK and using stateof-the-art 

satellite navigation systems in their place. 

The ground-based navigation aid which are currently in 

use at Glasgow Airport (and has been in use since the 

1980s) to guide air traffi c is set to be decommissioned 

by our air traffi c control provider, NATS, in 2019. 

The move to satellite-based navigational systems will 

help reduce the amount of time planes queue, both in the air and on the ground, and will reduce the 

overall CO2 and fuel emissions currently being produced by 21%. 

Mark Johnston, operations director at Glasgow Airport, said: “The fl ight paths used at Glasgow Airport 

have not changed in over 50 years and, as is the case with the wider UK airspace infrastructure, they 

are simply no longer fi t for purpose. We now need to ensure the way we manage our airspace matches 

the advancements that have been made in aircraft technology. 

“Modern aircraft are now equipped to use satellite navigation meaning they can fl y more effi cient, 

reliable and direct routes. In moving to this new system, not only will we be able to improve the 

punctuality of fl ights, we will be able to reduce the amount of fuel burn from aircraft at Glasgow by over 

4,000 tonnes. To put this in perspective, this is the equivalent amount of fuel an A320-200 aircraft 

would require to operate 1,370 fl ights between Glasgow and Frankfurt. This in turn will allow us to 

reduce CO2 emissions by 21% (12,910 tonnes). 

“It is important to stress we will only make changes to the arrival or departure fl ight paths once we 

have considered the views of all those who respond to the airspace change consultation. We will host a 

number of drop-in sessions over the course of the coming months and all views will then be presented 

to our regulator, the CAA, before the necessary approval can be granted.” 

Mark Johnston added: “We are fully committed to growing the airport responsibly and modernising 

our airspace will help us achieve that. It is important that our communities and stakeholders are fully 

involved in this modernisation process and we would encourage people to participate.” 

Further information on the airspace consultation, including how to respond, can be found at www. 

glasgowairport.com/airspace 

The airport is required to publish an updated noise action plan every fi ve years and will be undertaking 

a parallel 13-week consultation process on a draft plan to gather feedback. The noise action plan sets 

out proposed measures to manage and mitigate the impact of aviation-related noise. 

Following the completion of the public consultation, Glasgow Airport will produce a fi nal version of the 

Noise Action Plan document which will incorporate a record of responses and how they have been 

taken into account. 

The deadline for submissions is 13th April 2018. 

Information on the Noise Action Plan can be found at www.glasgowairport.com/community/noise 

deadline date for our march issue - Friday 16th February 

- You don’t want to miss it!! 



7 

Johnstone first for free wifi 

Johnstone is the fi rst town centre in Renfrewshire to get free, public wifi 

in outdoor locations. Wifi can now be accessed in streets surrounding 

the Johnstone Town Hall, as far as Quarry Street, William Street, Church 

Street and the High Street. It is also available in public buildings across 

Johnstone, including the town hall and community library, as well as in 

Houston Square. 

The initiative is part of a £1 million project to bring 

free, public wifi to Johnstone, Paisley and Renfrew 

town centres. 

Renfrewshire Council leader, Councillor Iain Nicolson 

said: “Back in November, we made a commitment to 

the people of Johnstone that they would be the fi rst 

community in Renfrewshire to get outdoors public wifi in their town centre. 

“I’m delighted that we have delivered on this commitment and look forward to 

seeing Johnstone residents and visitors enjoying the benefi ts that free public wifi 

offers. 

“Giving all members of the community equal access to the internet via free public 

wifi is an excellent way to tackle the problem of digital exclusion which can affect 

low income earners, older adults and people with disabilities. 

“It also provides everyone with the same level of access to important information 

such as health advice and online education, as well as the ability to communicate 

instantly with others. Ultimately, the installation of free public wifi in the town 

centre will help Johnstone to become a better connected society.” 

The wifi was installed by service provider Boston Networks, paving the way 

for further expansion into multiple indoor and outdoor locations across 

Johnstone. 

Chief Executive of Boston Networks Scott McEwan said: “We’re delighted to 

deliver the fi rst public wifi service to Johnstone town centre. 

“Using the very latest wireless technology, our experienced engineers worked 

with Renfrewshire Council to enhance the user experience by offering seamless 

connectivity into even the most diffi cult to reach areas. This means visitors and 

residents can benefi t from fast and free internet access across from the town 

centre.” 

Paisley and Renfrew are due to have free public wifi in outdoors locations 

across their town centres by Spring-2018. 



8 


Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park by Fariba Wiseman 

St. Vincent’s Hospice nears 

Pearl Anniversary 

In 2018, St. Vincent’s Hospice will be celebrating 

30 years of care for all as they mark their Pearl 

Anniversary with a special Ceilidh Ball taking place 

at the Hilton Glasgow on Friday 2 February 2018. 

As part of the event, the Hospice are offering 

limited opportunities for businesses, groups and 

individuals from throughout the community to become Pearl Sponsors: 

high profile sponsors to help deliver vital care and support for individuals 

and families affected by life limiting conditions. 

Chief Executive of St. Vincent’s Hospice, Kate Lennon, said: “For close 

to 30 years our team of specialist, dedicated staff, have been delivering 

palliative and end of life care, as well as supporting families and loved 

ones during some of the most difficult times of their lives. 

“What we have accomplished during this time has been incredible, but it 

has only been possible thanks to the continued generosity of countless 

sponsors and donors, who have given up their time, money and effort for 

our services. 

“2018 is going to be a celebration of all of how far we have come, the lives 

we have touched as well as a look to the future, and we want you to be a 

part of that by becoming one of our Pearl Sponsors.” 

By becoming a Pearl Sponsor, you will receive a table at the Ceilidh Ball, 

and will be presented with a limited edition, collectable gift as a token of 

your support. You will also be featured in the programme for the evening, 

and across a variety of promotional and digital channels throughout the 

12 months. 

Kate added: “Our Fundraising team will work with your business or group 

to maximise the benefit of your participation and help raise your profile 

across Renfrewshire as a supporter of St. Vincent’s Hospice and a vital 

partner in helping us treat more patients than ever before.” 

For more information about Pearl Sponsorship, please contact: Louise. 

Strachan@svh.co.uk. 


08-13 NEW LOCAL NEWS_281 FEBRUARY18.indd 8 25/01/2018 17:29:25


9 

For those who don’t know me, my name is Adele Houston and I have just 

launched my flagship boutique salon in Kilmacolm. 

Formally internationally trained, I moved to Kilmacolm just over 5 years 

ago to start up on my own. Five years later, my business had grown so 

much that I was able to have my own wee place! When I’m not with 

clients in the salon, I’ll be travelling the country 

for all my gorgeous brides, getting to work in 

some amazing locations! 

Launching her own business within the salon is 

Gemma Erroch, a well known local stylist with a 

huge following. 

We are both looking forward to welcoming 

clients old and new for a bespoke experience in 

a relaxed, forward thinking environment and 

you are all encouraged to bust a move in our 

very cool disco loo. 

To book please call 01505 873338 



10 


Optical Blog 

by Kerry Taher, New Vision Opticians 

Specs appeal! 

With the wide range of stylish and affordable frames on the market, there has 

never been a better time to update your look with a new pair of specs! 

If you’re buying new spectacles this year, here are the key eyewear trends that 

you need to know about. 

Coloured frames remain popular, especially green and multi-coloured 

designs. Anyone looking for a more subtle update to their look will find many 

classic styles now have a flash of colour on the front or the side to highlight 

the style. 

Metal frames that are slim and lightweight in design have a minimalistic yet 

fashionable look. There are lots of different brands on the market that have 

a retro look influenced by the 40’s, 50’s, 60s and 70s! 

Acetate frames are lightweight, strong and made from the highest quality 

plastic material. There are beautiful, coloured acetate frames on the market 

where colour mixes are used to create new looks. 

Classic plastic frames in tortoiseshell, brown and black still remain 

popular. Material combinations are strong for the season ahead, giving 

designers a chance to be creative with size, contrast and interesting colour 

combinations. 

Wood is now an established eyewear material, which is great news for more 

eco-friendly consumers. Also look out for more recycled material such as 

buffalo horn. 

With so much choice available, it’s no surprise many people now own more 

than one pair of frames! 

Please call us at the practice on 01505 614700 if you would like any more 

information. 




11 

Soroptimists International 

President’s Appeal 

Women, Water and Leadership 

Members of Soroptimist International of Paisley raised £300 at a silent 

auction towards the recently launched International Appeal which will 

support projects that educate, empower and enable women and girls 

ensuring they have the capacity, experience and education needed to 

manage water resources and gain careers in water related professions. 

The funds were raised by a silent auction when members contributed 

unwanted gifts and other items, then enjoyed bidding against each other 

for the items they wanted! 

By uniting the four Soroptimist Federations, the President’s Appeal hopes 

to reach the goal of raising £350,000 over two years, and to have improved, 

sustainable, accessible and affordable water products and services on five 

continents. 

The first project to be supported is ‘Improving access to agricultural 

information, clean energy and water to achieve better food security for 500 

women farmers in Kenya, Africa’. 

Through training and capacity building, the women will be exposed to better 

and modern farming structures, helping them move on from subsistence 

farming – growing crops and raising livestock sufficient only for one’s 

own use – to commercial farming, and will be supported throughout the 

transition. 



january 2018 

12 


SEE A POTHOLE? REPORT IT! 

12 

Call 01475 717171 

Report online at 

https://myaccount.inverclyde.g 

ov.uk/site/inverclydewss/home 

/Pothole 

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 

Winter Driving 

Prepare for the winter by keeping your vehicle well maintained before you 

take to the road. Reduced daylight hours and the possibility of inclement 

weather place additional demands on all road users. 

Take special care that brakes, tyres, lights, batteries, windscreens and 

wiper blades are in good condition and well maintained. In addition, washer 

bottles need to contain an additive to stop the water from freezing. 

When did you last check your tyres? Tyres should be checked weekly 

to ensure they are legal and at the correct pressure (check the vehicle 

handbook). The minimum legal tread depth for cars is 1.6mm across the 

centre ¾ of the breadth of the tread around the entire circumference (1 

mm for motorcycles). They should also be checked for bulges, cuts or tears 

which will weaken the tyre. Failure to maintain your tyres could lead to a 

maximum of £2,500 fine and 3 penalty points per tyre. 

Windscreens, wiper blades and windows must be kept clean and free 

from defects. Make sure it is properly demisted and clear of snow and ice 

before you drive. Low sun can make it difficult to see and a dirty, greasy or 

damage windscreen can make this worse. 

In wet weather stopping distances will be at least double those required for 

stopping on dry roads. Aquaplaning can be a frightening experience. This 

is where a wedge of water builds up between the front tyres and the road 

surface. The safest solution is to remove the pressure from the accelerator, 

allowing the vehicle to lose speed and the tyres to regain their grip. 

Keep well back from the road user in front in icy or snowy weather. Stopping 

distances can be ten times greater. When the roads are icy, drive at slow 

speed in as high a gear as possible; accelerate and brake very gently 

High-sided vehicles are most affected by windy weather. Motorcyclists and 

cyclists can easily be blown off course particularly in open stretches of 

road exposed to strong crosswinds. 

When driving in fog use dipped headlights so other drivers can see you. 

Fog lights can only be used when visibility is seriously reduced to less 

than 100 metres but they must be switched off if visibility improves. Be 

prepared for a bank of fog or drifting patchy fog ahead. Even if it seems to 

be clearing, you can suddenly find yourself in thick fog. 

Avoid driving in icy or snowy conditions unless your journey is essential. 

If you do, we recommend you take an emergency kit of: scraper, de-icer, 

torch, first aid kit, jump leads, shovel, warm drink and emergency food in 

case you get stuck or break down. 

Further information 

• Traffic Scotland - http://www.trafficscotland.org/ 

• Transport Scotland - http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/ 

• Ready Scotland - http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Justice/publicsafety/ready-scotland 

For more information or advice please contact the Road Safety Unit on 

101 

A guide to travel warnings 

Travel conditions are graded at four levels by police and transport officials 

depending on the severity of the weather. 

Stage 1: Normal operations - no severe weather. 

Stage 2: Travel with caution - police advise people that conditions for road 

travel may be hazardous. 

Stage 3: High risk of disruption for road journeys - police advise that 

there is a high risk of disruption for road journeys. Travellers are likely to 

experience significant delays. 

Stage 4: Avoid travelling on the roads - journeys should be avoided. Severe 

delays expected. 

What the weather warning colours mean 

Yellow: Severe weather expected. Yellow means you should plan ahead 

thinking about possible travel delays, or the disruption of your day-to-day 

activities. 

Amber Be prepared for disruption. There is an increased likelihood of bad 

weather affecting you, which could potentially disrupt your plans and 

possibly cause travel delays, road and rail closures, interruption to power 

and the potential risk to life and property. 

Red: Extreme weather is expected. Red means you should take action now to 

keep yourself and others safe from the impact of the weather. Widespread 

damage, travel and power disruption and risk to life is likely. You must 

avoid dangerous areas and follow the advice of the emergency services 

and local authorities. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-42730725 

Help us keep you & the local area moving this winter. 

Follow us on facebook & twitter @GryffeRoadwatch and if you 

spot or know of any road works, flooding, ice or blockages let us know! 

You can send us a message via facebook or twitter or post a wee 

comment on Gryffe Roadwatch or The Advertizer’s page. 



2 


The Masquerade Ball 

Ardgowan Hospice will be holding their annual 

fundraiser at Greenock Town Hall on Saturday 10th 

March 2018. 

Tables of 10 are £550 and includes a Sparkling 

Reception, Celebrity Host, Live Music, a three course 

menu, Silent Auction, Live Auction, DJ and much 

more. 

Running from 7pm until late - Unveil yourself at midnight.... if you choose! 

To book your table, call Alex Mula on 01475 558888, email fundraising@ 

ardhosp.co.uk or visit www.ardgowanhospice.co.uk 

Glasgow Goes Green 

On Friday 16th February 2018, from 1pm to 8pm, Glasgow University 

Environmental Sustainability Team, Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow 

Caledonian University and University of Strathclyde will host a Festival 

promoting local and sustainable lifestyle. 

Held at The Art School, GSA Students’ Association, 20 Scott Street, 

Glasgow G3 6PE, you will be able to find university societies and social 

enterprises engaging in activities that will give you new insight into living 

and loving a local life. 

You’ll be able to meet groups like Wood Recycling Glasgow, GU’s bike hub, 

beekeepers and even gamers for wellbeing. You can come and sew your 

ripped clothes back together, get your bikes fixed and eat rescued (but 

still delicious) food, all while listening to good music. There will be artists 

from dancers, to painters and musicians. Everything for the good of our 

environment and health. 

More info at 

https://www.facebook.com/events/231249187417214/ or 

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/glasgow-goes-green-tickets- 

42052942483 

Dental Blog 

by Sheila Macintyre, Practice Owner, 

Kilbarchan Dental Practice 

Choosing the Right Dentist 

13 

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

family. 

If you have children, your choice can shape their attitude towards going to the 

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

will offer “Child smile” care to offer specialist advice and treatment designed 

to ensure good dental health and awareness. Make sure you are happy with 

your dentist’s “chair-side” manner – remember, there’s nothing stopping you 

changing dentist at any point. 

Personal recommendation is really useful but do make sure you compare like 

with like. If you have children, ask friends with kids. Similarly, if you or a family 

member is nervous about visits to the dentist maybe ask someone who feels 

the same. Nowadays you can also have a look at any online reviews and social 

media pages. 

It makes sense to ensure that the practice you are considering offers all the 

services you want. Some will just offer basic or selective treatments whilst 

others offer a full range of specialist services such as the cosmetic dentistry 

and sedation for nervous patients that we have seen increased demand for. 

The physical environment is important and modern new dental centres will 

usually have the latest equipment. A well designed spacious practice can still 

be friendly and welcoming and our younger patients love our kids’ playroom. 

Good dentists often have thousands of patients so check that there is a 

sufficient team of fully qualified dentists for the size of the practice. Customer 

care is important and the better practices will always try and meet your needs 

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

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

Spend some time investigating the best options 

available to you and be prepared to travel a bit 

- patients come to us from across Renfrewshire, 

Greater Glasgow and even further afield! 

If you have any queries about any areas of dental 

health visit us at Kilbarchan Dental Practice, call 

01505 704969 or click www.kilbarchandental.co.uk 

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



14 


February 

MO N 15 TH JA N - SA T 

17 TH FEBRUARY 

Art Exhibition for St 

Vincent’s Hospice 

The Bridge, Main Street, Bridge of 

Weir 

We are pleased to host an art exhibition in 

aid of St Vincent’s Hospice. Please come 

along to support this local charity. The 

Bridge also boasts an extensive selection 

of Greetings Cards, essential Stationery 

items, a drop in café, ever-changing 

exhibitions and sales of used books. 

WED 31 ST JA N U A R Y 

Monte Carlo Classic Rally 

Paisley - various venues 

The Monte Carlo Classic Rally will kick 

off the new year with up to 80 vintage 

vehicles expected to leave for France in 

the only UK start leg of the international 

event 

TH U 1 ST FEBRUARY 

Outlook 

Kidston Hall, High Street, Kilmacolm 

2pm to 4pm 

Toe tapping entertainment with Archie and 

Willie on Accordions, Graham on Drums. 

FRI 2 ND FEBRUARY 

Art on a Postcard 

Kilmacolm Community Centre, 

Lochwinnoch Road, Kilmacolm 

6pm to 9.30pm 

Pick up a postcard sized masterpiece for 

a reasonable price! Buy your Valentine 

a unique gift. Creators range from 

celebrated Scottish artists to talented 

amateurs. Proceeds to the design 

and construction charity Orkidstudio. 

orkidstudio.org 

West Renfrewshire Young Farmers 

Presents their 

Annual Variety Concert 

“Wartime Mates and Factory Gates” 

Thursday 8th – Saturday 10th 

February 2018, Port Glasgow Town 

Hall, Curtain up at 7.30pm 

Dance to follow Saturday night 

performance at Kilmacolm 

Community Centre 

Contact Iain Ritchie for tickets on 

07510 636352 

FRI 2 ND FEBRUARY 

Natural History of the 

Glasgow Botanic Gardens 

McMaster Centre, Donaldson Drive, 

Renfrew 7.30pm 

Paul Matthews will deliver an illustrated 

talk entitled’ Natural History of the 

Glasgow Botanic Gardens’. All welcome. 

FRI 2 ND FEBRUARY - 

FRI 2 ND MA R C H 

Carrick Nights 

Carrick Centre, Main Street, Houston 

8pm 

Alison (soprano) and Sacha (guitar) 

perform a variety of Spanish, Latin 

American, French, Italian, Contemporary 

and Scots Song repertoire. Ticket Prices 

(single concert): Adults £12, Children/ 

Student £5. Call 01505 229597 or e mail 

thecarrickcentre@gmail.com 

SA T 3 R D FEBRUARY 

Kilbarchan Agricultural 

Show Whist Drive 

Kilbarchan Guide Centre, Barn 

Green, Kilbarchan 7.30pm 

Price £5 per person, includes 

refreshments. Contact Aileen on 07766 

221369 for further information. Everyone 

welcome. 

TH U 8 TH FEBRUARY 

Sòlas Bereavement Group 


2pm to 4pm 

Sòlas Bereavement Group 

SUN 11 TH FEBRUARY 

Valentine Seasonal Crafts 

The Cut Visitor Centre, Cornalees 

Bridge, Greenock 1pm to 3pm 

Love is in the air…use willow to create 

your very own heart wreaths and take 

home your own baby oak tree to nurture 

and love before bringing it back to plant 

in the Park. For more information look 

and book online or tel 01475 521458. 

£10 per person 


TnT Bird Ringing 

Demonstration 

Muirshiel Visitor Centre, Calder Glen 

Road near Lochwinnoch PA12 4LB 

10am to 12.30pm 

A chance to see our native woodland 

birds up close and literally ‘in the hand’ 

while they get their identification rings. 

Please note morning only today. For more 

information tel: 01505 614791 

MO N 12 TH FEBRUARY 

Carers Meeting 

Strathgryffe Medical Practice - 

(Ranfurly), Kilmacolm Road, Bridge 

of Weir PA11 3PS 7pm 

Strathgryffe Medical Practice invites its 

patients to a carers meeting. The topic will 

be Emergency & Future Planning. 

TUE 13 TH FEBRUARY 

Shrove Tuesday Coffee 

Morning 

St Fillan’s Church Hall, Moss Road, 

Kilmacolm 10am to 12noon 

There will be lovely freshly made pancakes, 

home baking, raffle and various stalls. 

Tickets £3. 

 

Kilbarchan Beekeepers 

Kilbarchan Steeple Hall, Steeple 

Square, Kilbarchan 7.30pm to 10pm 

Products of the Hive, Christine Matthews: 

You can come along and find out more 

about Honeybee husbandry and related 

topics. 

TH U 15 TH FEBRUARY 

Outlook 


2pm to 4pm 

S.S.A.F.A – the Armed Forces Charity. 


14-21 NEW WHATS ON_281 FEBRUARY18.indd 14 26/01/2018 13:28:32


15 

FRI 16 TH FEBRUARY 

Glasgow Goes Green 

Glasgow - Art School 1pm to 8pm 

A Festival promoting local and sustainable 

lifestyle. You will be able to find university 

societies and social enterprises engaging 

in activities that will give you new insight 

into living and loving a local life. Meet 

groups like Wood Recycling Glasgow, 

GU’s bike hub, beekeepers and even 

gamers for wellbeing. You can come and 

sew your ripped clothes back together, 

get your bikes fixed and eat rescued (but 

still delicious) food, all while listening to 

good music. There will be artists from 

dancers, to painters and musicians. 

More info at https://www.facebook.com/ 

events/231249187417214/ or https:// 

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/glasgow-goesgreen-tickets-42052942483 

 

Kilmacolm & Port 

Glasgow Agricultural 

Society Whist Drive 



7.30pm 

Light Supper - tickets £4. 

FRI 16 TH - SA T 17 TH 

FEBRUARY 

Sweeney Todd - Carrick 

Players 

Kilbarchan Performing Arts Centre, 

8 Steeple Square, Kilbarchan 7pm 

(Fri) & 1pm (Sat) 

The Carrick Players invite you to A Sketch, A 

Sandwich and A Swally when they present 

Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet 

Street. Tickets £10 (includes a drink and 

a sandwich) available from Bobbins or find 

The Carrick Players on Facebook. 

SA T 17 TH FEBRUARY 

Paisley Abbey Recitals 

Paisley Abbey, Abbey Close, Paisley 

12.30pm 

Cloister Café with baking from 10am 

Equale Trombones directed by Ronnie 

McNiven. £5 at the door 

WED 21 ST FEBRUARY 

Tartan Walk 

Castle Semple Visitor Centre, 

Lochlip Road, Lochwinnoch 11am 

A Scottish themed singsong around 

Lochwinnoch. Wear your ‘see you Jimmy’ 

hat! Allow 2 hrs, less if it is wet! For more 

information tel: 01505 842882 

WED 21 ST FEBRUARY 

Kilmacolm Horticultural 

Society Winter Lecture 



7.30pm 

Our guest speaker is Mrs Carol Rowe, 

who will speak on her favourite subject 

of ‘Fruit and Vegetables at KILARDEN”. 

The lecture is followed by refreshments 

and chat. Everyone welcome. 

 

Embroiderers’ Guild, 

Bridge of Weir Branch 

Freeland Church, Main Street, 

Bridge of Weir 2pm 

Toni Hanley, the popular and renowned 

local textile artist and tutor makes a 

welcome return to our branch to inspire us 

with her talk on “Containers”. Members 

and visitors very welcome. Contact: 

fionna.p@ntlworld.com 


Bardic Supper 

Westburn Church, Nelson Street, 

Greenock 7.30pm 

ClannGàidhlig will be holding their annual 

Bardic Supper (think Burns Supper, but 

with a different poet). Tickets are £15, 

which includes a 2-course meal. Places 

are limited and must be booked in 

advance - by e-mail on fios@clanngaidhlig. 

org, or by phoning Alasdair on 0780 591 

8509. We are privileged to have as 

our speaker Eilidh Cormack, Mòd Gold 

Medallist. Her subject for our Bardic 

Supper will be “Niall ‘Gow’ Peutan agus 

Teàrlach a’ Phost: buaidh nan òran air 

coimhearsnachd”. 


Swan Chat 


Lochlip Road, Lochwinnoch 

1pm to 2pm 

Let’s talk swans! Get to grips with these 

elegant birds, feed them & find out some 

fun facts. For more information tel: 

01505 842882 



16 

SA T 24 TH - SUN 25 TH 

FEBRUARY 

RYA Powerboat Level 2 



9am to 4pm 

A comprehensive course to enable you 

to gain your powerboat licence. Practical 

on the water activities with overnight 

homework! For more information look 

online and book ASAP. £150 


Yearn Stane Project – 

Woodland Management 

Muirshiel Visitor Centre, Calder Glen 

Road near Lochwinnoch PA12 4LB 

1pm to 3.30pm 

You’ll need waterproof clothing, stout 

footwear and a packed lunch. Tools and 

gloves will be provided. Please contact 

us to notify your interest. Contact: 

Peter Livingstone : peter@eadha.co.uk 

: 07968745197 www.eadha.co.uk : 

facebook: Eadha Enterprises : twitter: 

eadhaaspen 


Corlic Hill Guided Walk 

Old Largs Road, up from Whinhill 

Golf Course 10.30am 

Check out the ironage round houses on 

this 10km walk with the Rangers, come 

dressed for hill walking. Allow 3-4 hrs. For 

more information book your place online 

or tel 01475 521458. Free 

MO N 26 TH FEBRUARY 

Stargazing Evening 



7pm to 9pm 

An astronomical exploration with Coats 

Observatory Staff For more information 

look and book online or tel 01505 

842882 

TH U 1 ST MA R C H 

St Columba’s School 

Open Day 

St Columba’s School, Duchal Road, 

Kilmacolm 9am to 3pm 

Junior School, Knockbuckle Road, 

Kilmacolm PA13 4EQ and Senior School, 

Duchal Road, Kilmacolm PA13 4AU There 

is no better way to experience the true 

atmosphere of St Columba’s School than 

to come and see it for yourself. Open 

Day provides the perfect opportunity 

for prospective and current families to 

see our Early Years, Junior and Senior 

Schools in action. Please do come along 

from 9am-3pm and let our pupils show 

you what makes St Columba’s so special. 

www.st-columbas.org 


Local Lepidoptera - Some 

Butterflies and Moths of 

Glasgow 

McMaster Centre, Donaldson Drive, 

Renfrew 7.30pm 

Richard Sutcliffe will deliver an illustrated 

talk entitled’ Local Lepidoptera - Some 

Butterflies and Moths of the Glasgow 

area’. All welcome. 



Carrick Nights - Kentigern 

Quartet + Maria Wilson 

and Accompanist 

Carrick Centre, Main Street, Houston 

8pm 

Works by Beethoven, Haydn, Brahms, 

Mendelssohn, Dvorak, Britten and 

Ravel. Recent performances include 

Glasgow cathedral, St Mary’s Cathedral, 

the BBC Club at City Halls, Renfield St 

Stephen’s, and the Drake Chamber Series 

in Glasgow. Come along and enjoy a 

varied selection of music. Ticket Prices 

(single concert): Adults £12, Children/ 

Student £5. Call 01505 229597 or e mail 

thecarrickcentre@gmail.com 

SA T 3 R D MA R C H 

Curry and Quiz Night 

Scout Hall, Kilmacolm 7.30pm 

Tickets £10 which includes your curry. 

There will be a bar on the night selling 

beer, wine, spirits, prosecco and soft 

drinks. There will be great food, quizzing, 

music and maybe even some dancing! We 

always appreciate the support. Money 

raised goes to help support our local 

scouts activities, Kilmacolm Scouts. 

Doors open at 7pm. 

SUN 4 TH MA R C H 

Concert by Paisley Abbey 

Choir 

Paisley Abbey, Paisley 7.30pm 

Director George McPhee, Orchestra led by 

Mark Wilson. Tickets available from the 

Abbey Shop or at the door 0141 889 7654 

info@paisleyabbey.org.uk www. 

paisleyabbey.org.uk £15 (£5 student) 




17 

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 



18 

Carrick Nights 


EVERY MO N D A Y 

Lochwinnoch Community Walk 

The Cross, Lochwinnoch 10.30am 

This event will not take place on public holidays. 

FitSteps with Jennifer 

Quarrier’s Village, 6:30pm 

Tel: 07709 340675 for further information 

Pilates Class 

Kilellan Halls Houston 6.15 - 7.15 & 7.30 - 8.30. 

For more information or to book a place call Katie 

on 07972 474965 

Gryffe Voices Community Choir 

Freeland Church, Bridge of Weir 8pm to 9.45pm 

Join us to sing pop, rock, folk, show tunes, gospel. 

Contact gryffevoices@gmail.com 

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. 

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 TH U R S D A Y 

Weekly Volunteer Group 

Castle Semple, Lochwinnoch 12.30pm - 3.30pm 

Conservation Volunteers - adult group. 

Newcomers always welcome. 

EVERY FR I D A Y 


Bishopton Community Centre 2pm - 3.15pm 

A fun, no pressure choir singing feel good songs. 

EVERY SA T U R D A Y 


Greenock Cut Visitor Centre 10.30am - 2.30pm 

Conservation Volunteers, adult group. Newcomers 

always welcome. 

EVERY SU N D A Y 


Castle Semple, Lochwinnoch 10am - 12noon 

Youth Volunteer Group - age 14 - 18 years. 

Newcomers always welcome. 

Houston Litter Crew 

Co-op Car Park 10am – 11.45am 

All volunteers welcome and all equipment 

supplied. 

2N D & 4TH WEDNESDAY 

BoW Senior Citizens Club 

Cargill Hall 7 - 9.15pm 

Tea, biscuits & a raffle each meeting along with 

entertainment. Contact Sheila Patterson for 

further information on 01505 690521. 

1ST & 3RD TH U R S M O N T H L Y 

‘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. 

regular updates @GryffeAds 

2N D WEDNESDAY M O N T H L Y 

Inverclyde Carers Outreach 

Cargill Centre, Kilmacolm 11am - 2pm 

Email enquiries@inverclydecarerscentre.org.uk 

or call: 01475 735180. 

2N D TH U R S D A Y M O N T H L Y 

Sòlas Bereavement Support Group 

Kidston Hall, Kilmacolm. 2pm - 4pm. 

3RD FR I D A Y M O N T H L Y 

Hearing Aid Clinic 

The Bridge, Bridge of Weir 1 - 2pm 

Hearing aid batteries and hearing aid checks. 

2N D SA T U R D A Y M O N T H L Y 

‘Brunch & Browse’ 

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

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

L A S T FR I D A Y M O N T H L Y 

TheTerrace 

St Machar’s Ranfurly Church Hall 

Soups, sandwiches, tea/coffee, biscuits. £4. 

L A S T SA T U R D A Y M O N T H L Y 

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 

2N D THU & L A S T SAT 

Paisley Cross 

10am - 2pm Tel: 01655 770217 

2N D SUN 

Kip Marina, Inverkip 

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

Visit our shop and website to view 

our extensive range of fairly traded 

goods with UK wide delivery. 

HAMPERS - FOOD - GIFTS - CARDS 

TOYS - JEWELLERY - ACCESSORIES 

Shop Fair Trade 

instore: 

7 Gauze Street, Paisley 

open: 10am-4pm Tuesday – Saturday 

(open Mondays @ Christmas) 

online: 

www.rainbowturtle.org.uk 

contact tel: 0141 887 1881 

email: info@rainbowturtle.org.uk 

All concerts will take place in the Carrick Centre, Main Street, Houston 

commencing at 8.00pm. 

Friday 2nd February 2018 

Alison McNeill & Sacha Savaloni 

Alison (soprano) and Sacha (guitar) perform a variety of Spanish, Latin 

American, French, Italian, Contemporary and Scots Song repertoire. They 

have performed recitals in Spain and throughout Scotland at various 

prestigious events and are passionate about expanding and enriching 

the repertoire for voice and guitar and transcribe a lot of music for their 

performances. 

Friday 2nd March 2018 

Kentigern Quartet + Maria Wilson and Accompanist 

Violinists Barbara Downie and Feargus Hetherington, violist Nicola Boag 

and cellist Jessica Kerr bring their collective experience in chamber music, 

working at home and internationally with leading British Orchestras and as 

educators to this ensemble. Their repertoire includes works by Beethoven, 

Haydn, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Dvorak, Britten and Ravel. Recent 

performances include Glasgow cathedral, St Mary’s Cathedral, the BBC 

Club at City Halls, Renfi eld St Stephen’s, and the Drake Chamber Series 

in Glasgow. 

Maria Wilson (soprano) runs Starlight Youth Music Theatre group in Paisley. 

Tonight is her night to perform, come along and enjoy a varied selection of 

music. 

Ticket Prices (single concert): Adults £12, Children/Student £5. 

Option to have a meal in our Café at 6.30pm prior to the concerts, but early 

booking recommended as space is limited. (2 courses £15 – BYOB) 

Should you wish more information or to request tickets please call 01505 

229597 or e mail thecarrickcentre@gmail.com 

We are grateful to Enterprise Music Scotland , through funding provided by 

Creative Scotland, for their award of a grant to help make these Concerts 

a reality. 

Thomas Coats Memorial Choral 

Society 

Musical Director Andrew Nunn 

Do YOU enjoy singing? 

Come and sing with us for our 2018 concert? 

Would you like to sing some of the great classical choral works with an 

orchestra and professional soloists? 

Find it diffi cult to commit to a full year season in a choir? 

TCMC might be just the thing for you! 

We rehearse from January to March each year and perform a concert with 

an orchestra and professionals from Royal Conservatoire of Scotland 

Our past repertoire includes the wonderful requiems by Verdi, Mozart and 

Brahms 

Rehearsals are hard work but fun and led by the very talented Andrew Nunn, 

our musical director. 

Rehearsals take place in the hall of Coats Memorial Church on Tuesdays 

at 7.30pm 

This year we will again be performing in the wonderful surroundings of 

Paisley Abbey. 

OUR PROGRAMME 

Mozart - Mass in C minor 

Handel-Coronation Anthems (Zadok 

the Priest & The King shall rejoice) 

CONCERT 

our concert will be on Sunday 18th 

March 20 I8 at Paisley Abbey 

Want to join us? Interested in coming to a concert? Want more information 

or to join our mailing list? 

Phone: 01505 816110 Mob: 07990 975970 Email: coatschoral@btintenet. 

com 

Visit our web site: www.thomascoatschoral.org.uk www.facebook.com/ 

coatschoral 

www.thomascoatschoral.org.uk a charity registered in Scotland SC003075 




19 

Absolutely Wonderful! 

Spinning Yarns Around the World at Kilbarchan Performing Arts Centre with 

storytellers Anne Pitcher, Michael Kerins and Maori, Joe Harawira. 27th 

October 

That was the verdict on Kilbarchan’s fi rst storytelling evening “Spinning 

Yarns around the World” at the Kilbarchan Performing Arts Centre with a 

trio of talented tale weavers - Maori storyteller Joe Harawira, international 

multi-award winning Scotsman Michael Kerins and talented local teller 

Anne Pitcher. Due to ill health, Celtic harpist Alissa Murray was unable to 

be there, instead Joe Harawira wove the magic of both Maori and world 

music and song around the audience as well as telling some wonderful 

Maori stories. The event was part of the Scottish International Storytelling 

Festival on Tour and was a great success. Audience members commented 

about the variety and contrast of the storytellers “These stories were all 

so rich and wonderfully told. Travelling the world is a great theme that 

shows how storytelling is universal. I am a New Zealander, so of course 

Joe Harawira’s stories resonated but equally so did the Japanese, Russian, 

Italian and Scottish stories.” “Great combination of variety. Loved the 

suspense and the punch lines. The songs were very moving. Rapport with 

the audience was very good.” “Such a glorious range of stories – bridging 

cultures. Well done!” 

Joe Harawria at Kilbarchan Primary 

School explaining about his Maori 

tattoos ‘Ta Moko’. October 26th 

developing understanding between the two cultures. 

A Maori New Zealander, Joe Harawira, 

has been described as “The most 

travelled and experienced Maori 

storyteller in the world”, and was one 

of the guest international storytellers at 

the Scottish International Storytelling 

Festival. He was also a keynote speaker 

at the fi rst ever “Global Gathering” of 

storytellers held in Edinburgh and then 

came to Kilbarchan Primary School for 

the day at the invitation of local teller 

Anne Pitcher. All the school pupils 

and Community Nursery children were 

enthralled with Joe’s Maori stories, 

songs and dances. The whole school 

had engaged in exploring Maori culture 

prior to his visit and many projects were 

ignited by their experience of meeting 

Joe at their school. Links are being 

formed between Newmarket Primary 

School in New Zealand’s North Island 

and Kilbarchan, with the hope of 



20 


Pre Festival 

Sunday 11th: 

Come & Try Lindy Hopping Bowling 

Club, 1 to 3pm £5, book in advance 

Festival starts 

Tuesday 13th: 

Small Fezzes Concert ‘ANNIE’S SONG’ 

McKillop Hall (bar), 7.30pm Free - 

Donations to Corseford School 

Wednesday 14th: 

Official Opening Lochwinnoch Library 

(invitation only), 7pm Free, Charity St 

Vincent’s Hospice 

Thursday 15th: 

Christopher Brookmyre McKillop Hall, 

7.30pm £4/£5.50 

Friday 16th: 

A Buddy Good Laugh McKillop Hall 

7.30pm £10/£8 Bar and raffl e 

Photography Exhibition Opening 23 

Main St (invitation only), 7pm to 9pm 

Free entry, donations to St Vincent’s 

Billy Hampson Corner Bar 9pm Pub 

night 

Saturday 17th: 

Photography Exhibition 

23 & 37 Main Street, 10am to 5pm, 

Free entry, donations to St Vincent’s 

Craft Fair McKillop Hall1 to 4pm Free 

entry 

Susie Lamont’s Pupil Concert 

Lochwinnoch Parish Church 4pm - 6pm 

Free entry, donations to the Red Cross 

Laura McDonald & Rose Room 

McKillop Hall, 7.30pm £10/£8 Bar 

and Raffl e 

Sean’s Session Corner Bar, 9pm, Pub 

night 

Sunday 18th: 

Photography Exhibition 

23 & 37 Main Street, 1pm - 4pm, Free 

entry, donations to St Vincent’s 

Sing for St Vincent’s LCS Lochwinnoch 

Parish Church, 2pm - 4pm, Donations, 

Everyone welcome 

Come & Try Samba Drumming 

Percussion Calder Church, 2pm & 

3pm £5 adult £3 children 

RSNO Brass Quintet Matthew 

McAllister Lochwinnoch Parish 

Church, 7.30pm, £4/£5.50 

‘ 

Monday 19th: 

Badger the Mystical Mutt Author 

Event Lochwinnoch Primary School 

Accordion Orchestra & Gospel Choir 

McKillop Hall, 7.30pm £4/£5.50 

Tuesday 20th: 

Witches’ Brew McKillop Hall, 11am 

Free entry 

Rock Choir & Witches’ Brew 

Lochwinnoch Parish Church, 7.30pm 

£4/£5.50 

Wednesday 21st: 

Glasgow Theatre Guilds Musicality 


£4/£5.50 

Thursday 22nd: 

Calder Drama Society McKillop Hall 

7.30pm £4/£6 bar 

Jammin’ at The Junction £20.95 and 

£24.95 

Friday 23rd: 

Calder Drama Society McKillop Hall, 

7.30pm £4/£6 bar 

Jammin’ at The Junction £20.95 and 

£24.95 

Southpaw Three Churches, 9pm 

Saturday 24th: 

Corinne Hutton McKillop Hall, 

10.30am £4/£5.50 

Craft Fair McKillop Hall, 1 to 4pm, 

Free entry, tea &coffee 

Krafty Kids McKillop, 1 to 4pm £3 

Drop in 

Rock Night ‘Howlin’ Radio’ & Willie 

Gamble McKillop Hall, 7.30pm £4/£6 

Bar and raffl e 

Graham McIver Brown Bull, 9pm Pub 

night 

Sunday 25th: 

Come & Try Pottery McKillop, 10am to 

4pm £5 book in advance 

Come & Try Felting McKillop, 10.30am 

- 12.30pm £5 book in advance 

Mixed instrument Workshop 

McKillop, 10.30am - 12.30pm £5 book 

in advance 

Ukulele Workshop McKillop, 1pm - 

3pm £5 book in advance 

Arts Festival Finale Concert 


£4/£6 

Calder Drama Society 

Thursday 22nd and 23rd March 

Calder Drama Society Comedy ‘Lady Loversley’s Charter’ by our own Felix 

Lando (John Dolan)! McKillop Hall 7.30pm £4/£6 bar/raffl e 

Sponsored by Miller Biofuels 

It is the year 1878. Constance‘s honeymoon to Lord Clifford ends abruptly 

when they return home prematurely to Murkleston Hall. Immediately on 

their return Clifford receives orders to join his military unit which is destined 

to fi ght in South Africa. Clifford’s closest friend Dr. Henry Livingstone is in 

love with Constance, but since her marriage she has spurned his advances. 

One day she is down by the river and falls in, fortunately being rescued by 

Mellors, the new gamekeeper and is immediately attracted to him. Shortly 

after this, there is an investigation which could lead to fraud charges being 

brought against her. Repair work on the Murkleston House which seems 

to have been going on interminably uncovers an age old parchment which 

pertains to a Charter which could solve Constance’s fi nancial problems. 

There is also a priceless pendant which has gone missing and only Aunt 

Matilda knows of its whereabouts but unfortunately she cannot tell because 

she is slightly dead. Enter a Medium, who is asked to locate the missing 

pendant which all builds up to a thrilling and surprise ending. 




Get Your Dancing Shoes On 

The OIR Dance Group meet on a Monday at 1.30pm in the Clark Memorial 

Hall, Largs. Dancing consists of Ballroom, Sequence, Old Time and 

Scottish. 

All new members are made welcome, so dust off your old dance shoes 

and come along and join us, come alone or bring 

a partner. 

Contact: Bill Alexander 01475 522043 or Archie 

Adams 01475 649008. 

Renfrewshire unveils dates for 

2018 events programme 

21 

Renfrewshire 2018 Major Events! 

Paisley and Renfrewshire are in line for another bumper year of major events 

– after dates were revealed for the 2018 programme. 

Selected highlights of the 2018 events programme are: 

• The Monte Carlo Classic Rally will 

kick off the new year with up to 80 

vintage vehicles expected to leave 

for France in the only UK start leg of 

the international event [31 Jan] 

• Paisley Food Festival will return 

as a two-day 

event for the 

fi rst time on 

Friday and 

S a t u r d a y 

27 and 

28 April, running alongside 4-day 

Renfrewshire CAMRA’s Paisley Beer 

Festival [25/28 April] 

• The British Pipe Band 

Championships 

come once 

again to St 

James Playing 

Fields [19 May] 

Renfrewshire Council Leader Iain 

Nicolson said: “With bigger events 

in the 2018 programme it is shaping 

up to be the best year yet.” 

• Sma’ Shot Day – one of the world’s 

o l d e s t 

w o r k e r s 

f e s t i v a l s 

– and the 

multi art 

form Weave 

programme will take over Paisley 

town centre [7/8 July] 

• A massive outdoor production of 

Pagliacci by Scottish Opera comes to 

Seedhill Playing Fields this July, with 

members of the community joining 

the chorus alongside professional 

singers [26 – 29 July] 

• Two cultural highlights not to be 

missed this autumn: September 

sees the return of Renfrewshire 

Doors Open weekend, followed by 

the area’s fl agship arts festival The 

Spree in October 

[12/21 Oct] 

[15/16 Sept] 

• Winter brings the popular Paisley 

Halloween Festival followed by the 

town’s explosive 

F i r e w o r k s 

extravaganza! 

[26/27 Oct] [3 

Nov] 



22 


Financial Blog 

by Carl Melvin, Affluent Financial Planning Ltd 

Saving Lifetime Allowance Tax by 

using the “small pots” rules 

The Government will tax you if they think your pension benefi ts are too 

generous. This tax is based on your overall pension wealth and is known 

as the Pension Lifetime Allowance or LTA. It particularly affects those with 

a large fi nal salary pension and/or where your pension benefi ts exceed 

£1Million (£1,030,000 from April 2018). The tax is very punitive at 55% tax 

on the excess above the LTA (or 25% if you take benefi ts as income, which 

is then subject to income tax). 

However, there is a little-known quirk in the pension legislation that can help 

you to avoid or reduce the LTA tax you pay. It’s called the “small pots” 

rule and exploits the fact that small pension pots can be taken without the 

value being tested against the LTA. This is not available if you have Fixed 

Protection. 

Let’s use an example 

Mary is 60 and has a fi nal salary pension with an LTA value of £1,030,000 

and a small personal pension fund of £30,000 with an insurance company. 

She is therefore over the LTA and would suffer a tax charge of 55% on 

the £30,000 excess amount. Using the small pots rule she could do the 

following; 

• Split the £30,000 into 3 small pension pots of £10,000 each 

• She can draw benefi ts from the 3 small pots and avoid being tested against 

the LTA 

• This leaves her LTA allowance of 100% intact and when she takes her fi nal 

salary benefi ts she will be within the allowance and avoid paying any LTA 

tax 

• By using the small pots rules, she has saved 55% of £30,000 = £16,500 

saved in tax. 

So, if you are close to the LTA or over it with an undrawn pension fund, you 

be able to benefi t from this option. 

This information is not fi nancial advice. If you require advice you should 

consult a professional adviser. The fi rst meeting is normally free and there 

is no obligation. 

Call us for a FREE fi nancial review on 01505 59 50 60 or HYPERLINK 

“mailto:info@affluentfp.co.uk”info@affluentfp.co.uk. Alternatively, pop into 

the Affluent office opposite Amaretto restaurant on Main Street, Bridge of 

Weir. HYPERLINK “http://www.affluentfp.co.uk”www.affluentfp.co.uk 

IT Blog 

with Colin Fyfe of Colcom 

The recently discovered machine processor vulnerability named 

Meltdown and its cousin Spectre have been in the news. Discovered 

in June last year, the bugs relate to process developed back in the in 

the 90’s that has remained a core function of modern computing and 

data processing. 

Combined these bugs affect virtually every modern computer, including 

smartphones, tablets and PCs from all vendors and running almost 

any operating system. Such is the disruption that these vulnerabilities 

could potentially wreak that Microsoft, Apple and other software and 

hardware manufacturers are doubling down on fault-fi xes and patches 

to address the issue and the related ripples that will inevitably occur 

as a result. 

You cannot beat a good analogy, I was looking for one online relating 

to this fault - that could best sum up the machine process to me. I liked 

this tweet. 

“You know how we finish each other’s...” 

“Sandwiches?” 

“No, sentences. But you guessed ‘sandwiches’ and it was in your 

mind for an instant. And it was a password. And someone stole it 

while it was there, fleeting.” 

“Oh, that IS bad.” 

(@shanselman) 

These bugs underline the necessity to update your computers, whether 

they be iPhones, Windows based laptops or Android mobiles. Before 

long, hacker’s toolkits will contain the tools to manipulate these fl aws. 

This comes at a time when updates are already giving out all sorts of 

grief so remember, wherever you work; be kind to your IT department, 

they didn’t ask for this! 

NEW YEAR - NEW BUSINESS! Want to start a business but not sure 

where to turn or how to do it? 

Business Gateway Renfrewshire can give you 

practical help, advice and support for new and growing 

businesses in Scotland. Contact us on 0141 530 2406 

or on Facebook www.facebook.com/bgrenfrewshire/, or 

visit the website at www.yourbusinessgateway.co.uk 


22-27 NEW BUSINESS_281 FEBRUARY18.indd 22 25/01/2018 14:50:01

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24 

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 fl oor 

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 

INTERNATIONAL SERVICE - 

Nomination for 

Rotary Award 

The Gryffe Valley Rotary Club’s nomination 

of Olivia Giles OBE for a Rotary International 

in Great Britain and Ireland Community 

Champion Award has been endorsed by 

the West of Scotland District 1230 and 

submitted to the national judges. 

Olivia, originally from Brookfield, who is a quadruple amputee as a 

consequence of meningitis, recognised the desperate plight of similarly 

disabled people in Africa where lack of mobility restricts access to 

education and employment and leads to social exclusion. In 2008 she 

set up a charity - “500 miles” - to help amputees in Malawi and Zambia 

be fi tted with artificial limbs. 

She works unpaid and has raised 

more than £2.5M to date; recruited 

and trained staff at three locations; 

and overseen growth. Through 

Olivia’s determined efforts, 

already more than 6000 patients 

have been given their mobility 

and currently 150 patients/month 

are being treated! 

Annual Burns Supper 2018 

The Gryffe Valley Rotary Club 

2018 event, held at the River 

Inn, was a great success 

and raised almost £3,000 for 

Rotary’s charity work. The 

Haggis was piped in by Rotarian 

Ron Aitchison and addressed 

with great aplomb by Past 

President Ian Jackson. 

The company enjoyed a fi ne 

meal including a Haggis starter 

and a main course of Braised 

Shoulder of Beef. 

Alan Gordon provided both the 

Immortal Memory and a superb 

rendition of Tam O’Shanter. 

Alastair Patrick gave a very 

amusing Toast to the Lassies 

and Morag McIntosh was his 

equal in her response. 

The musical entertainment was once again Amy Lewis and Alan 

Macdougall and very well received. 

President-elect Andrew Macleman thanked Jason and his staff at the 

River Inn for their excellent service, Past President Alan Bowie for his 

chairing of the event, the speakers and entertainers and, last but not 

least, those present for braving the weather and for their generosity. 




Legal Blog 

by Isabella McKerrow, Affinity Family Law 

25 

Why Every Adult Should Have 

A Power Of Attorney 

As we head towards old age and face the prospect of becoming mentally 

and physical infi rm, it is sensible to have a Power of Attorney “POA” in 

place. However, an adult could become physically or mentally infirm at 

any age as a result of illness or trauma. Every adult should consider 

having a POA in place, given they are inexpensive and unlike a will do 

not have to be reviewed every few years. 

A POA can ensure that the financial affairs and personal welfare of 

the adult will be looked after by someone they trust. An adult who is 

mentally capable may grant a POA for various purposes and for however 

long. There are two types: Continuing, relating to property and assets 

or fi nancial affairs of the granter. This can be used at any time for 

convenience and remains effective on subsequent incapacity: Welfare, 

relating to personal welfare decisions ensuring the family are involved 

and preventing the Local Authority making decisions if the granter 

becomes incapable. It can be stipulated that welfare powers are not 

granted unless a GP certifies the adult mentally incapable. A combined 

POA can be granted with both continuing and welfare powers. 

The advantages of having a POA are that it enables speedy and 

appropriate intervention. It avoids the adult’s family the problems that 

arise when an individual loses capacity such as it being impossible to 

manage their financial/ business affairs or deal with their property. The 

welfare POA prevents the Local Authority moving an incapable adult into 

a care home without the family’s consent. Granting a POA also avoids 

the lengthy, complicated and expensive process of applying to court 

for a Guardianship Order, which may only grant limited powers and may 

have to be renewed by further expensive court applications every three 

years. 

When should I register for VAT? 

You must register for VAT with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if 

your business’ VAT taxable turnover is more than £85,000. 

When you register, you’ll be sent a VAT registration certificate. This 

confi rms: 

• your VAT number 

• when to submit your fi rst VAT Return and payment 

• your ‘effective date of registration’ - this is the date you went over 

the threshold, or the date you asked to register if it was voluntary 

You can register voluntarily if your turnover is less than £85,000, unless 

everything you sell is exempt. You’ll have certain responsibilities if you 

register for VAT. 

From the effective date of registration you must charge the right amount 

of VAT, pay any VAT due to HMRC, submit VAT Returns and keep VAT 

records and a VAT account. 

You can also reclaim the VAT you’ve paid on certain purchases made 

before you registered. 

While you wait for registration, you can’t charge or show VAT on your 

invoices until you get your VAT number. However, you’ll still have to 

pay the VAT to HMRC for this period. 

You should increase your prices to allow for this and tell your customers 

why. Once you’ve got your VAT number you can then reissue the 

invoices showing the VAT. 

You should get a VAT registration certificate within 14 working days, 

though it can take longer. It’s sent either to your VAT online account or 

by post - if an agent registers you or you can’t register online. 

You need to provide details like your turnover, business activity and 

bank details. Your registration date is known as your ‘effective date of 

registration’. You’ll have to pay HMRC any VAT due from this date. 

You don’t need to authorise an agent to register you for VAT. 

https://www.gov.uk/vat-registration 



26 

LOCAL 

history 


The Smeall Family Bible 

One of the Forum's most interesting recent enquiries came from Barbara 

Triplett-Decrease from Michigan. What followed was truly remarkable. 

Barbara had acquired an old family Bible, printed by Mark Baskett in 

1763, with births and marriages of a Paisley family surnamed Smeall / 

Smail. The earliest entry was the birth of James Smeall on 23rd March 

1761. James was the eldest of a family of eight children born between 

1761 and 1783. A later family member, Thomas Smeall, married Jane 

Watson in Thread Street, Paisley, in 1820. Their son, Robert Smeall, 

born in Paisley in 1830, emigrated to America and married Sarah 

Lawson (b 1845) in Stonnington, Connecticut, in 1866. The last of the 

many entries in the Bible is the birth of Thomas and Jane’s third child in 

Stonnington in 1873. 

The Bible itself, being a Baskett Bible, 

is of some historical signifi cance. The 

Baskett family were printers to the King 

John Baskett, said to be ‘the greatest 

monopolist of Bibles that ever lived’, 

set up in business in Oxford in 1713. 

His earliest published Bible sells today 

for up to £40,000. After John’s death 

in 1742, his sons Thomas and Richard 

took over the business. In 1761, his 

grandson, Mark, continued business until 1769 when he sold out to 

another printer. Baskett Bibles were published in Oxford, London and 

for a short time in Edinburgh. 

Barbara had attempted to fi nd descendants of the Smeall family in 

Canada and U.S.A., without success. Because the family could not be 

traced, she was keen that the Bible should be returned to Paisley and she 

sent it to the Forum. One of our members, Peter Crawford, contacted 

Paisley Heritage Centre staff, who were keen to accept the Bible and 

offered to have it rebound. On 19th September, 2016, Barbara visited 

Paisley and, at a ceremony held in Paisley Heritage Centre, she formally 

presented the Bible to Provost Anne Hall. The beautifully rebound Bible 

is now an item in Renfrewshire Archives collection. 

© 2018 Helen Calcluth, Renfrewshire Local History Forum 

The Forum’s next archaeology lecture will take place in the Shawl 

Gallery in Paisley Museum at 7.30 pm on Thursday, 8th February. Our 

speaker is Bob Will of GUARD Archaeology. His topic is the Recent 

Archaeological Investigations at the Site of Partick Castle. Visitors are 

most welcome to attend. 

The Johnstone History Society 

The Johnstone History Society’s February meeting will take place on 

13th in the Masonic Hall Collier Street at 7.30pm. Our speaker will be 

Judith Bowers from Glasgow Museums and her talk will be on Britannia 

Panopticon this should be a very interesting evening. Our January 

meeting was very good and we all learned a lot about how whisky was 

fi rst distilled. Despite seasonal weather we had very good attendance 

of members and visitors who were all made very welcome . 

The Museum continues to open Wednesday Friday and Saturday 

between 10.30am and 4pm. We stock a wide range of books and 

publications and still have a few of the Johnstone calanders for sale 

at £7. Just added to our books is a Johnstone Guide compiled by the 

Business Consortium and this can be obtained free of charge. Any of 

the other books can be purchased online at johnstonehistory.org and 

may be paid for via PayPal. 

LEAP 

Switch and save in 2018 

Thermal Imaging detects where you're losing 

heat in your home 

Just where is the heat escaping from in your home? 

How can you pin point this heat loss? Contact the 

LEAP energy team at energy@myleapproject. 

org for impartial advice and information on home 

heat loss and how it’s best dealt with, or to book 

your home energy check in February, call LEAP on 

01501 612 034/ 842 530. Make your home warmer 

and cosier this winter. 

Feeling the pinch with increasing 

energy costs over the winter? 

How’s about considering ways to 

reduce your home energy bills? 

Switching your energy supplier for 

your home or business could save 

you up to £260 a year! Our LEAP team will give you impartial advice 

and information to save you hassle, time, effort and money. Call us on 

01505 842 530/ 612 034 or email energy@myleapproject.org. We can 

also arrange for you to pop into a LEAP office with your energy bills 

to find out more about your home energy usage. If you have recently 

switched to a new energy supplier, let us know what you aim to save on 

your home energy bills and how the process was for you. 

Join LEAP Car Club now and receive £25 worth of fee driving 

“Reliable cars there when I need them.” 

LEAP Car Club offers 

convenient, 24/7, not-forprofit 

community car hire and 

can help you cut the costs of 

driving. Cars can be hired for 

as little as an hour or for as long 

as you want. The Car Club has 

helped members by allowing 

them to sell additional cars or to 

not have to buy one. What our 

members say: 

“For someone who does not own a car it's 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 




27 

Rotary Club of Gryffe Valley 

Speaker Meetings At The River Inn 

Wednesday 10th January - Sharon Kane, CEO 

of Funding Neuro, guest of Don Robb, spoke 

about the work of the Glasgow-based charity 

Funding Neuro (www.fundingneurocom). 

The charity was founded by Bryn Williams 

(aka Wobbly Williams) who was diagnosed 

with Parkinson’s Disease in 2007. It funds 

neurological research and has focussed on 

a novel delivery system, catheter-based and 

fitted using a software guided robot, which 

pierces the blood/brain barrier and allows 

medication to be delivered exactly to where it 

is needed in the brain. Trial results are very promising for Parkinson’s Disease and the possibilities 

for treating all neurological conditions, including Alzheimer’s Disease, Motor Neurone Disease, 

MS and brain tumours (DIPG and Glioblastoma) are remarkable. Sharon’s excellent talk was 

well illustrated by her slides and by a video which showed the tremendous improvement in four 

Parkinson’s patients after treatment. Members asked numerous questions and many were 

convinced that this is a charity they would like to support. Stop press: At its meeting on 17th 

January the club decided that Funding Neuro will be the beneficiary of the proceeds from the 

2018 Gryffe Valley 10K Run! 

Wednesday 17th January - Andrew McMillan, guest of Iain Robertson, spoke on “Sport 

and Refereeing”. Andrew was born in Paisley and a former policeman. His interests include 

bowling and Burns. He has been 

an amateur referee for 30 years, 

winning many awards, including 

Honorary Membership of Paisley/ 

Renfrewshire referees. Taking 

full advantage of his background, 

Andrew was able to give a very 

interesting and amusing talk 

peppered with numerous funny 

anecdotes and facts about the rules 

of football which are actually set by 

a board (the IFAB) on which the 

home nations’ football associations 

(England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland) 

have four places and FIFA have four. 

EVENT PLANNER 

The following events have been confi rmed: 

Wednesday 24th January: 

Speaker Meeting at the River Inn - David 

Atkinson on “PR, Communications and 

Social Media” 

Wednesday 14th February: 

Valentines Dinner at the River Inn for 

members and partners. 

Monday 12th March: 

Primary School Quiz. Parents and friends 

welcome. 

Sunday 15th April: 

Charity Musical Lunch at St Columba’s 

school. Tickets from Club members. 

Sunday 29th April: 

Annual 10K run. Save the date and spread 

the word! 

Saturday 19th May: 

Rotary Charity Car Wash at Beaton Bros 

Funeral Directors 

Bridge of Weir Guides get their gloves 

on for winter 

What can you do with your socks to 

keep you warmer this winter? Well, 

wear a couple of pairs for a start on a 

cold winter’s morning. But the Guides 

from 1st Bridge of Weir group, went a 

step further and upcycled their spare 

socks to create fingerless gloves to 

keep their hands warm too! For more 

information on upcycling, energy saving 

and waste reduction workshops, contact 

LEAP at info@myleapproject.org or call 

us on 01505 612034/ 842530 to book a 

workshop for your group. 



28 


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. 

Give a Dog a Bone opens new 

permanent home 

The Glasgow charity which helps unite rescue dogs with elderly owners opened a new permanent base in 

the south side of the city on the 22nd January, that will create more opportunities in terms of the work they 

can do. 

Give a Dog a Bone was first started in November 2013 and to date has found new homes for nearly 200 

dogs. The charity, founded by Louise Russell, also provides financial support for the new owners, many of 

whom want companionship but are worried about the cost. 

Give a Dog a Bone has enjoyed incredible successes in its first four years and the work carried out has seen 

Louise awarded the Prime Minister’s Point of Light Award and the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s 

‘Community Award’. 

Among the new projects planned at their permanent home are a permanent pet food bank for people who 

are struggling to feed their dog, sessions for seniors with an occupational therapist, and yoga for seniors 

as well. They are also planning regular ‘meet the rescue’ events, where charities who have dogs up for 

adoption can bring them in. 

Give a Dog a Bone relies on your donations and needs your support to help run their new base in the south 

side when it opens. 

To donate and find out more about the charity’s work, visit their website http://www.giveadogabone.net/ 

Glasgow’s animals 

need blankets 

The Scottish SPCA is appealing 

to animal lovers in Glasgow to 

donate blankets for animals in 

their Glasgow Animal Rescue and 

Rehoming Centre. 

They ask that people do not donate 

old duvets or pillows as the animals 

can easily tear these apart. 

Blankets can be handed 

anytime between 10am and 

4pm Wednesday to Monday into 

the centre which is located at 

125 Kinnell Avenue, Cardonald, 

Glasgow G52 3RY. 

Pet Blog 

by PetVets 

Why Do We Vaccinate 

Cats? 

Vaccinations protect against infectious diseases 

which can be fatal. 

Vaccinations protect your cat against: 

1. Feline Panleukopenia Virus 

A virus spread through faeces and urine. It can survive in the environment 

for a prolonged period. Symptoms include lethargy, inappetance, fever, 

seizures, vomiting and diarrhoea. It is frequently fatal. 

This virus can also spread to the foetus in pregnant cats and can cause 

abortion or damage to the brain of the kittens. 

2. Feline Herpesvirus (cat flu) 

Spread by discharge from the nose, eyes and saliva of an infected cat. 

The virus can also survive in the environment. Symptoms include fever, 

sneezing, discharge from the eyes and nose, conjunctivitis, ulcers on the 

surface of the eye and/or on the tongue, abortion in pregnant cats. 

An infected cat may not show any outward sign of illness but can act as a 

‘carrier’ passing the infection on to others. 

Cats are infected for life and may suffer flare ups after stress or illness. 

3. Feline Calicivirus (cat flu) 

An air-borne virus. Symptoms include fever, inappetance, discharge from 

the nose/eyes, sneezing and severe mouth ulcers. More severe strains can 

lead to pneumonia. Cats that recover can become carriers 

4. Feline Leukaemia virus 

A virus spread by saliva and nasal 

secretions. It can also be transmitted 

to kittens via milk. Symptoms 

include poor body condition, poor 

coat, anorexia, recurrent infections, 

gingivitis (inflammation of the gums), 

diarrhoea and jaundice. Infection 

can also result in leukaemia and 

anaemia or lymphoma. 

Kittens can start their vaccinations 

from 9 weeks old, with a second 

vaccination 3-4 weeks later. Kittens 

should not mix with other, potentially 

unvaccinated, cats until their primary 

vaccine course is complete. 

Booster vaccinations are required 

every year. 


28-29 NEW PETS_281 FEBRUARY18.indd 28 25/01/2018 15:20:32


Re-homing Pets 

Can you offer a home to any of our featured pets? 

Ian - 8 y/o male cat 

Ian has come into the branch through no 

fault of his own, and is looking to find his 

“forever” family. He will be timid and shy for 

the first few days in his new home, but once 

settled, is a friendly, curious cat who purrs away happily 

when being petted and made a fuss of. He loves being 

Ian 

brushed and enjoys playtime. Ian is looking for an adult 

family that has no children or other pets so 

he can be spoiled. 

Kylo - 2 y/o male domestic short-hair 

Kylo is a bit shy at first but once he relaxes he is a wee 

darling. Kylo needs access to a garden away from a 

busy road and could possibly be homed with other pets Kylo 

and older children only. 

Cardyke Farm, Langmuirhead Road, Auchinloch, Glasgow G66 5LD - Telephone 

0141 779 3341 

Stuart - male Guinea Pig 

Stuart is a bit of a shy boy 

who was found as a stray and is now looking for his 

forever home. He isn’t used to being handled much 

Stuart so he will need a new owner who will have the time 

and patience to allow him to come out of his shell. As Stuart is a long 

haired guinea pig he will require regular grooming to prevent his hair 

from matting and getting dirty. Stuart could be rehomed with other male 

guinea pigs providing he gets on well with them and is introduced to 

them in the correct way. 

Noella 

Noella - female Crossbreed 

Noella is a gorgeous girl who was found as a stray and is 

now looking for her forever home. She is full of character 

and a joy to be around. Noella likes to have a good nosy 

at whatever you are up to and is always after some treats 

or veg. 

To contact the centre about any animals, please call 03000 999 999 or visit 

www.scottishspca.org/rehoming 

Chip - 2 to 5 y/o male Lakeland Terrier 

Chip is a typical wee terrier who isn’t a little 

lap dog. He loves to be on the go, playing 

with toys and exploring. He would benefit 

from living in a quiet home with few visitors. Chip can live 

Chip 

with people aged 16 years and over and needs his own 

secure garden to practice his training in. Chip needs an 

owner who is experienced with terriers and who is around for most of 

the day initially but he can be left for a few hours and is house trained. 

Chip needs to be the only dog in the home and cannot live with cats. 

Chip needs a few meets at the centre to build a relationship before 

going to his new home. 

Tipsy - 2 to 5 y/o female English Springer 

Spaniel 

Tipsy would like to have someone around for most 

of the day to build a relationship and assist with any 

training needs. Tipsy can live in a home with children Tipsy 

over the age of 16 years. She must live with another 

dog as having another dog in the home lets her come out of her shell. 

She could not live with cats though. We would prefer an active home 

that have experience with spaniels. A quieter home would be best 

suited to her to let her settle. Tipsy would love a garden to play in so we 

are looking for a home with a secure private garden and a 5ft fence. 

Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre, 315 Hamilton Road, Uddingston, Glasgow, G71 

7SL. Open: 12noon - 4pm (inc weekends); 12noon- 7.30pm on Tuesdays; closed: 

Wednesdays 

lð§¥‡þÐœ 

ÐœðŁ 

lð§¥ 

29 

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 

We can also put updates on our website 

& Facebook. There is no charge for this service! 

Looking for a new career? 

Would you like to work from home with hours to suit you? Do you love 

dogs? 

Then this is a great opportunity to buy an established and extremely 

successful home based business with a proven healthy annual 

turnover. 

The Barking Mad franchise in this area is for sale. 

At Barking Mad we arrange for dogs to stay with very special host 

families while their owners are away on holiday. 

Dog, customer and host are happy which makes a very positive and 

satisfying work day. 

For more information, contact Faye Carruthers at Barking Mad on 

07734 942366 or 01505 690391. 

Local Animal Rescue 

appeals for help 

There is a rescue centre at Mid Gavin in Howwood which takes care of 

a variety of animals. Currently they care for 30 horses, most of which 

have been abandoned or are unrideable, along with a number of cats, 

dogs and rabbits. 

However, all this comes at a cost in both time and money. The charity 

is looking for help from volunteers giving their time, and for donations 

to pay for food an vet bills. Volunteers can help with the general day 

to day tasks, but they are also looking for people who can carry out 

maintenance work, along with fundraising and event promotions. 

The charity doesn’t need people experienced with horses particularly - 

enthusiasm is key and supporters can help however they can. Those 

living further afield can sponsor an animal. 

There will be a number of fundraising events coming up and 

anyone who would like to get involved should contact the charity at 

animalrescueglasgow@gmail.com or visit the facebook page at 

facebook.com/ASARCharity/ 


28-29 NEW PETS_281 FEBRUARY18.indd 29 25/01/2018 15:20:37

30 


Touch of Frost by Ronnie Logan 

Gryffe Camera Club 

Woodland 

February is the month for Snowdrops. Take a stroll through the forest, 

especially down Paradise Path. The snowdrops cover the forest floor. 

There are two species of snowdrop that grow here, Galanthus Nivalis 

and Galanthus Nivalis ’Flore Pleno’. 

Garden 

Dotted along the front of the border are various types of snowdrop 

(Galanthus) and snowflake (Leucojum). Another highlight seen again 

at intervals along the front of the border are various types of hellebore 

including Helleborus orientalis (Lenten Rose). 

The white berries of Gaultheria mucronata (formerly Pernettya mucronate) 

are particularly conspicuous against their small dark green leaves. 

Events 

Every Sunday in February 1-3pm you can join the Rangers for a 40- 

minute walk to explore the carpet of snowdrops in the woodland. 

Snowdrop Sales 

We are now taking bookings for our Snowdrops ‘in the green’. In the 

green means once the Snowdrops have finished flowering we will dig 

them up as per orders. Tubs of flowering Snowdrops on sale soon from 

£5.50 and Posies from £2.50. 

Prices are: 

Galanthus nivalis (singles) 

25 bulbs for £10.50, 50 bulbs for 

£17 and 100 bulbs for £28 

Galanthus nivalis ‘Flore pleno’ 

(Doubles) 

25 bulbs for £13, 50 bulbs for £21 

and 100 bulbs for £35 

You can place your order in our Visitor Centre or call on 01475 540505. 

Bulbs available from mid-March onwards. 

Membership 

Our winter family membership is £34.50 and is valid from now till March 

2018 

Tea Room 

The Tea Room is open every weekend, public and school holidays 11am 

till 4pm. They offer homemade cakes, soups, light lunches, hot & cold 

drinks and ice cream. 

We hope to see you soon. 

Tamar, Head Ranger 

Kilmacolm Horticultural 

Society 

The winter lecture for 

February will be held in the 

New Community Centre, 

Kilmacolm, at 7.30pm on 

Wednesday 21st February 

2018. Our guest speaker 

is Mrs Carol Rowe, who will 

speak on her favourite subject of ‘Fruit and Vegetables at KILARDEN”. 

The lecture is followed by refreshments and chat. Everyone welcome. 

RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch 

Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th 

We have joined forces with RSPB Lochwinnoch help with the Big 

Garden Birdwatch. This is a national wide bird survey to help to identify 

which species of birds are doing well in numbers, those that aren’t and 

how we can help them. 

Walk with our Ranger Team to the hotspots to identify and count the 

bird species that live here on the estate. 

You can also collect the RSPB identification charts from Visitor Centre 

throughout the day for a self-led walk. 

“The Big Garden Birdwatch is a brilliant citizen science project, and 

has given the RSPB loads of data about our garden birds for the last 

39 years. Over half a million-people counted the birds in their garden 

or local green space last year and in 2018 we’re hoping for even more! 

Going along to an organised event can give you the knowledge and 

confidence to identify the birds you might see before you go home, put 

your feet up and count your own garden birds! For your free Big Garden 

Birdwatch pack, which includes a bird identifi cation chart, plus RSPB 

shop voucher and advice to help you attract wildlife to your garden, 

text BIRD to 70030 or visit rspb.org.uk/birdwatch.” Hannah Sharratt, 

Warden, RSPB Lochwinnoch 

deadline date for our march issue - Friday 16th February 

- You don’t want to miss it!! 

30-35 NEW OUTDOORS_281 FEBRUARY18.indd 30 25/01/2018 15:30:22


Yearn Stane Project – Tree 

Planting Event at Muirshiel 

Eadha Enterprises is organising a woodland management and community 

tree planting event as part of our Yearn Stane Project and is looking for 

lots of volunteers to help make a difference. (http://www.eadha.co.uk/ 

news/328_yearn_stane_project_launched) 

We will be planting a few hundred of 

our native aspen saplings along the 

banks of the River Calder at Muirshiel. 

In addition, we will join with volunteers 

from Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park to 

do some planting within the Cample 

Burn Enclosure. We are grateful for 

the support of Hunterston Estates 

in this project which is likely to take 

place later in the spring. More details 

will follow. In advance, we will be 

removing tree tubes and stakes from 

established young woodland at Muirshiel for re-use in this project. 

Eadha is working to restore riparian woodland across Ayrshire and 

Renfrewshire. (www.eadha.co.uk/projects/332_ayrshire_riparian_woodland_ 

project). Riparian woodland is the name given to woodland growing 

along riverbanks. This type of woodland, which typically comprises of 

water loving species such as aspen, willow, and alder is very important 

for maintaining the quality of aquatic ecosystems and therefore helps 

to support healthy fi sheries and can help mitigate against fl ooding. 

Unfortunately we have lost the vast majority of our riparian woodland. 

There are good examples on the lower reaches of the River Calder. 

The 17 hectare Cample enclosure (NS 308625) was erected as part 

of the Juniper Conservation project led by Clyde Muirshiel Regional 

Park on Hunterston Estate to create a livestock free area to regenerate 

juniper which has greatly diminished across the Renfrewshire Hills due 

to muirburn and sheep grazing practices. A number of juniper saplings 

propagated from cuttings at Barnbrock and Lochwinnoch Community 

Garden have been planted within this enclosure over the years. The 

aspen planting will introduce another rare species enhancing the 

botanical diversity. 

Eadha’s Yearn Stane Project seeks to initiate landscape scale ecological 

restoration projects across the Renfrewshire Hills. The “Yearn Stane”, is 

a feature to be found near Irish Law which derives its name from the old 

word for Golden Eagle “earn”. This was a perch for golden eagles and 

provides a hint of what we have lost. The potential social and economic 

as well as environmental benefi ts could be enormous in terms of ecotourism, 

environmental education, volunteering and employment training 

etc. 

DETAILS: Woodland Management 

WHEN: Sunday Feb 25th 2018. Event will run until 3.30pm. 

WHERE: Meet at the Muirshiel Visitor Centre car park at 1pm. 

WHAT TO BRING: Waterproof clothing, stout footwear. Tools and gloves 

will be provided. 

Please contact us to notify your interest. Peter Livingstone, peter@ 

eadha.co.uk, 07968745197, www.eadha.co.uk, facebook: Eadha 

Enterprises, twitter: eadhaaspen 

BoW Horticultural Society 

Angela Smith (Propagation), 18th January, 2018 

Angela Smith, formerly of Angela’s Flowers, Bridge of Weir, gave an 

informative and entertaining presentation on a wintry January evening. 

Angela’s talk about the Community Outreach work of the Royal 

Horticultural Society (RHS) in Scotland highlighted “Greening the Grey” 

projects in communities across the West of Scotland, particularly in areas 

of deprivation or need. 

Angela gained her early horticultural experience at home, gardening with 

her Dad. She then trained with Renfrewshire Council and was based at 

the Central Nursery, Hawkhead Road. Further experience working with 

children and young people from Mary Russell and Kibble combined with 

Floristry courses at Langside College and running the fl ower shop was all 

good preparation for her current role as the Community Outreach worker 

for the RHS which involves training and community work. One of our 

members, Clare, is a volunteer with the RHS Community Outreach and 

has already worked with schools in our area. 

The second part of Angela’s presentation was a demonstration of various 

propagation techniques. She showed us seed sowing using a fi nely milled 

seed compost to which she had added some perlite. Using her own, 

homemade, pot shaped pressing board, a fl at surface was produced on 

top of the compost and mixed salads were sown. At this time of the year, 

these need to be kept on a warm windowsill or in a heated greenhouse. 

We also learned how to split and repot pots of supermarket herbs as 

well as how to make Kokodamas. Apparently, Kokodamas are, “all the 

rage” and they are made by applying moist potting compost around the 

roots of small plantlets such as Chlorophytum or Spider Plants. This is 

followed by sphagnum moss which has to be kept moist and the whole 

thing is tied and held together with string to which beads may be added 

for decoration. 

During tea, members had a chance to make their own Kokodamas, sow 

seed and pot on herbs. A very “hands on” conclusion to a very interesting 

and enjoyable evening. 

Members can look forward to The Elmer Wallace Memorial Lecture on 

Thursday 8th February when Louise Bustard, describes ‘Some Gardens 

of The Emerald Isle’. The gardens of Ireland are renowned for their 

verdant greenery and fl ourishing plant life so we have a treat in store. 

You don’t have to be a member to come along to our monthly meetings. 

If you are thinking of holidaying on the Emerald Isle and want to preview 

some of the gardens there, or just want to escape our Scottish winter, 

please come along to The British Legion for 8p.m. On Thursday, 8th 

February and join us. Likewise, there is an open invitation to our own, 

“Gardener’s Question Time” which will take place on 8th March – time 

enough to be thinking of your horticultural problems! 

31 



32 


Welcome to Scotland’s largest Regional Park 

Vote for us in Bags of Help! 

The Greenock Cut Conservation Volunteers have 

been shortlisted in the Tesco Bags of Help campaign 

for January and February at Tesco Greenock and Port 

Glasgow stores. We’re looking to get more litter picking 

equipment to help with our quarterly BeachWatch 

volunteer events. This helps identify national threats 

to our coastline so pop your token in our box! 

Pedal the Park! It’s now just over 9 weeks to go until 

Pedal the Park 2018. It’s on Sunday 22nd April and 

your £20 entry fee includes a goodie bag and a third 

of the price going to our charity partner CLIC Sargent 

in Scotland. 

Conservation Bioblitz @ Greenock Cut: The 

Greenock Cut Conservation Volunteers have been 

awarded just under £10,000 to do some specialist 

conservation and Bioblitz focussed events in 

conjunction with the Ranger Service. There will be 

one event a month, look online now for more info and 

like the new project facebook page of the same name 

for updates. 

Walking Festival Save the Date: Coming this May is 

our first ever Clyde Muirshiel Walking Festival! We will 

have guided walks for all levels and it is the result of a 

new partnership with the local Ramblers groups. Put 

26-28th May in your diary now. More news coming 

soon. 

Conservation Volunteers: The volunteers have an 

active programme of tasks for over the winter period 

including Rhododendron clearance in Parkhill Wood. 

Greenock Cut’s group meet 10.30am – 2.30pm every 

Saturday and Castle Semple on Thursdays 12.30 – 

3.30pm with the odd full day session. 

Ride 63 Community Cycle Club: Occasional 

weekend rides through the winter, see facebook 

group page for info or post if you have some free time 

and would like a ride. Contact the club by emailing the 

secretary ridesixtythree@gmail.com for a membership 

form and ride info. 

Tag-n-Track Project update 

It’s time for the monthly roundup from the Tag-n-Track 

Ranger Hannah Riley. TnT is funded by Heritage 

Lottery Fund, Greater Renfrewshire and Inverclyde 

LEADER and Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park. 

Project News 

Happy New Year from the Tag-n-Track team! We 

hope that 2018 will bring more exciting developments 

for our gulls. All our gulls have now left the UK and 

they are in various countries including France, Spain, 

Portugal, Morocco and Western Sahara! Our gulls 

are due to come back to their breeding sites around 

February/March time so before we know it they will 

hopefully all be back 

in Scotland. For now 

though we will round 

up what two of our 

gulls have been up 

to over the festive 

season. Gary, one 

of our gulls caught 

on the Police Station 

roof in Greenock, 

has made it to 

Portugal after being 

in England since 

the 2nd of August. 

He is our second bird to fi rst travel through Spain 

to get to Portugal, instead of going down the coast. 

Interestingly, as you may remember from last month’s 

update, the only other gull to travel this way was PC 

Bobby, who was the other gull caught on the Police 

Station roof. Gary left England on the 7th of December 

and travelled through Brittany and was in Spain by 

the 9th of December. Apart from Flyback travelling 

though Brittany in July, a lot of our gulls that have 

migrated later on in the winter have gone this way, 

instead of straight into Spain or Portugal. By the 26th 

Gary had travelled over land through Spain and was 

heading over the border in to Portugal. He is currently 

hanging around a nature reserve near Lisbon. 

The second gull we would like to update you on is 

Archie. He is one of the gulls caught in Lochwinnoch 

and was named by the Brown Bull pub in Lochwinnoch. 

Archie is again one 

our late migrators. 

He spent much 

of his time in 

Scotland around 

Kilmarnock before 

finally deciding to 

leave on the 30th 

of November. 

He arrived in 

Cornwall on the 

1st of December. 

On the 10th of 

December Archie 

looked like he was 

heading straight 

over the Bay of 

Biscay and into 

Spain however, 

he did a loop round and went towards the coast of 

France instead. He is still in France and is currently 

hanging around Soulac-sur-Mer which is north of 

Bordeaux. Archie is one of only fi ve of our gulls to go 

to France and he is the only one to go to this region. 

To keep up to date with the project and to fi nd out 

more check out www.clydemuirshiel.co.uk/things-todo/widlife/tag-n-track/teamgull/ 

or at www.facebook. 

com/TagnTrack/ 

Gull adoptions 

Looking for that something different or are you 

interested in supporting our gull project? We are 

offering gull adoption packs where you can sponsor 

one of the gulls for £25 and in return you will receive 

an adoption certificate, factsheet, monthly email 

updates, your name on our website and a fl uffy gull to 

call your own. Look for details on our website or email 

tnt@clydemuirshiel.co.uk to fi nd out more. 

Event News 

Come along and meet the TnT Team at Muirshiel for 

a Bird Ring Demonstration. It is a chance to see our 

native woodland birds up close. Please pop in and 

say hello anytime time between 10am – 12pm. 

More Info… 

Details can be found on the Park’s website www. 

clydemuirshiel.co.uk/tag-n-track or by emailing tnt@ 

clydemuirshiel.co.uk. The Project also know 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 

fi nding out more about the project and its fi ndings 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. 




Gryffe Camera Club 

New Camera for Christmas? If you are interested in joining a Camera 

Club, just pop along to one of our Club Nights. We meet every Wednesday 

Night at The Carrick Centre, Houston between 7.30pm and 10.00pm. See 

our website – www.gryffecameraclub.co.uk We are also on Facebook 

www.facebook.com/Gryffe-Camera-Club 

Since the last issue we have had a packed agenda. The poor pre- 

Christmas weather severely reduced the size of the audience when our 

own Matt Johnson treated us to ‘A Little Bit of Everything’, covering his 

extensive trips to the Far East and Europe. Now we know why he does 

so well in the Club Competitions. 

The fi nal Club Evening of 2017 was the Christmas Party. We were 

entertained with a ‘Christmas Quiz’ hosted by MC Roger, which was 

thoroughly enjoyed. Undoubtedly, the answer of the night was to the 

question ‘What does ‘MF’ stand for. ‘Massey Fergusson’ was the reply, 

whereas the actual answer was ‘Manual Focus’ – we are after all a 

Camera Club! Congratulations to the eventual winners - ‘The Originals’, 

the oldest, or is that most senior members of the Club?! 

League Competition 3 is unique in the Gryffe syllabus in that the entries 

are judged twice - internally by the Club members before Christmas, and 

by an external judge after Christmas. It is always interesting to compare 

the two sets of results. This year Clive Watkins gave us his verdict on 

our endeavours. 

The winners as judged by the Club members were: - 

A Prints 

1st Matt Johnson 

2nd Pat Allan 

3rd Pat Allan 

Mono Prints 

1st Andy Stark 

=2nd Matt Johnson 

=2nd Matt Johnson 

Digital A 

1st Bill Crookston 

2nd John McConnellogue 

3rd Malcolm Martin 

The winners as judged by Clive Watkins were: - 

A Prints 

1st Matt Johnson 

2nd Pat Allan & 

Andy Stark 

3rd Pat Allan & Tim 

Bailey 

Mono Prints 

1st Andy Stark 

2nd Matt Johnson 

3rd Pat Allan & Tim 

Bailey 

Digital A 

1st Malcolm Martin 

2nd Malcolm Martin 

3rd Bill Crookston & 

John McConnellogue 

Digital B 

1st Chris Arthur 

2nd Chris Kyle 

3rd Rhona Miller 

Digital B 

1st Ronnie Logan 

2nd Rhona Miller 

3rd Chris Arthur 

Looking at someone else’s holiday snaps is not usually the most appealing 

way to spend an evening. But the holiday snaps of club member Andy Stark 

are somewhat different. In August 2016, along with nine friends and family 

members of the Craig Dhont Climbing Club, he walked around the Mont 

Blanc Massif - 119 miles in 10 days including the ascent of the equivalent 

of 9 ‘Munros’. In between all the walking, climbing (and drinking), he also 

recorded the adventure in more than 5,000 photographs! His excuse 

for taking so many - ‘every time you turned a corner there was another 

spectacular view’ His presentation took us on the same amazing journey. 

It is easy to reel off superlatives when viewing Award Winning Robert 

Quig’s photos, but you rather quickly run out of them. Those who braved 

the icy weather were treated to his presentation ‘The Wild West’ – many 

stunning photos of the landscape, fl ora and fauna of the West Coast of 

Scotland from Ayrshire to The Assynt. 

Upcoming speakers are Neil MacGregor with ‘Bits & Pieces’ on 31 January; 

David Hay with Composition in the Greek Islands on 21 February and Mark 

McColl who returns on 28 February with his stunning Aurora and Astro photos. 

We also have two competitions – the annual George Simpson Trophy which 

this year is held at Greenock Camera Club on 2 February and a GDPU League 

tie at East Kilbride Camera Club on 5 February. 

Langbank Camera Club 

January’s club print 

competition topic was 

‘Environmental Trash’. 

Entries submitted depicted 

many different aspects of 

what might be considered 

as environmental trash. The 

winning entry was awarded 

to James Goodall for his 

photograph of “Foggy Root”, 

an image captured at the small 

its closure in 1982. Third place 

was awarded to George Steele for 

his photograph “Retyred” taken 

within the Inverclyde area. At this 

meeting we covered aspects of 

camera operation and the impact 

of settings on the final image. We 

also featured a short introduction to 

photo management and backup. 

33 

beach area called Spreads 

near Erskine. The runner up 

was Derrick McPherson for his 

photograph of “Broken Bridge” 

taken at Little Duck Key, Florida, 

USA. The bridge is the original 

Seven Mile Bridge which was 

built for the Florida East Coast 

Railway in 1912 and converted 

for motor vehicles in 1935 until 

Our Projected Digital Image (PDI) evenings include short tutorials to help 

get the best out of your camera, whether it be getting to grips with menu 

settings or post processing before printing or displaying. 

The main February meeting will take place as usual on the second 

Monday of the month, 12th February, with the PDI meeting on 

26rd February. The print competition topic for February is “Silhouette”. 

The theme for the February PDI competition is “Framed”. Club meetings 

are held in Langbank Church Halls, Langbank. 

Visitors are always welcome to our friendly club nights. Membership of 

the club is only £10 for the first year so please come along. If you wish 

to find out more about Langbank Camera Club, please contact Derrick 

McPherson at langbankcc1@gmail.com. 



34 

Kilmacolm Camera Club 

In December, we held another internal league competition. The subject 

was “Memorable Buildings”, judged by Gill Williamson, of Eastwood 

Photographic Society. 

In the Print section, Billy Blair 

came fi rst, with “Black Rock 

Cottage,” Bill Ham came second, 

with “Wemyss Bay Station” and 

John Watson was third, with “High 

Rise, Havana.” Jane Robertson 

(“Lincoln Cathedral”), Bill Ham 

(“Matthias Church, Budapest”) 

and John Watson (“Underground 

Petersburg,” respectively. Bill 

(“Lutheran Cathedral, Helsinki”), 

John (“Avila Cathedral”) 

and David Walker (“Glasgow 

Cathedral Interior” and “Glasgow 

Cathedral Ceiling”) all received 

Highly Commended awards. 

A special mention to John Watson 

and “the old fox,” Bill Ham, for 

Good fun, with some festive food 

and wine! 

We also had an excellent 

talk from Neil MacGregor, of 

Kirkintilloch Camera Club, on 

“Nature in Landscape.” His 

enthusiasm shone through 

during his talk on wildlife and 

nature, with Scotland displayed 

in wonderful landscapes, 

accompanied by a description of 

how he approached the images, 

timing, repeat visits, filters and 

exposures. His knowledge of 

Water Reserve, Seville”) all 

received Highly Commended 

awards. 

In the Digital section, Bill Ham 

was first, with “Kibble Palace,” 

John Watson came second, 

with “Syracuse Cathedral” 

and John and Bill shared third 

place, with “Harpa, Reykjavik” 

and “Catherine Palace, St 

their expertise at architectural 

photography. A selection of 

winning images is shown here. 

We ended 2017 with our usual 

quiz and party evening. The quiz 

was compiled expertly by Gordon 

McGibbon, with a wide selection 

of general knowledge questions 

(and some fearsome anagrams!). 

the wildlife he captures with 

his lens was inspiring. He gave 

valuable tips of how to deal with 

the idiosyncrasies of ptarmigans, 

capercaillies, snow buntings, 

hares and deer. 

There’s plenty more on show for 

the rest of the season. Come 

along and see for yourself. 

Venue: Kilmacolm New Community Centre, Room 1.01; Tuesday 

evening, time 7.30 (October to March) 

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

Website: clikpic.com/kilcamclub/ 

PCPC 


“The Borbasket Trophy 2017/2018” 

Last month at the McMaster Centre in Renfrew, Paisley Colour held its 

annual competition for the Borbasket Memorial Trophy. 

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

with the first image in each set either a table top, a portrait or a still 

life photograph. Judging the competition were last year’s winner of the 

trophy, Charles Hamilton and the winner of last season’s Henderson 

Trophy, Mike Cruise. 

Charles and Mike in turn gave a considered critique to each of the 26 sets 

entered. They pointed out the difficulties they encountered in judging 

fellow club members’ work and also the difficulties they had in selecting 

the top sets as there were many options vying for ranking positions. 

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

was made to Frank McColum for his set of images including “Jack and 

Ice” and “The Feed”. 

In the advanced section for the Borbasket 

Trophy Charles and Mike awarded 4th place 

to Guy Phillips for his set including portrait 

“Biggles” and fighter plane “Red 8”. 

The 3rd place set was by Neill Ross and 

his set included the best portrait in the 

competition “The Eyes Have It” as well as 

images “Golden Girl” and “Crossing the 

Line”. 

Runner up this year was Tom Clark and his 

set included the best still life image in the 

competition “Broken Garlic” as well as “Start 

of Winter” and “Frozen Morning”. 

The Borbasket Trophy winner for 2017/2018 was Duncan McEwan for his 

outstanding set including “Forest Mist”, “On the Shore” and the superb 

portrait “Young Aristocrat”. Duncan’s portrait was judged as the best 

image in the competition. 

Club meetings on Thursday evenings continue at the McMaster Centre throughout 

the winter and spring months and include further competitions as well as lectures 

on themes such as African wild life, sub arctic landscape and art photography 

to which visitors are always welcome. For further details about PCPC and 

updated members galleries please view: www.paisleycolour.co.uk 

Looking for someone local? 

advertizer.co.uk/clients 

www.advertizer.co.uk/clients 




Diaporama 

As usual, both Ronnie and 

David’s shows were diverse 

and interesting with music from 

many genres, from the 60’s to 

the present day. 

35 

R o n n i e 

began the 

evening with 

a visit to 

the Spanish 

hillside town 

of Ronda 

with views of the famous Puente Nuevo, 

which straddles the incredible EL Tajo 

gorge, and of the town and bullring. 

This was followed by a very unusual show 

called ‘Staying Inside the Lines’. His 

photos were of pages from a Colouring 

for Adults book, which he had coloured in 

in his own inimitable style including one done in Partick Thistle colours. 

Next were two shows featuring transport. ‘Bikes’ was about the charity 

motorbike ride in aid of Erskine Hospital and ‘Glasgow’s Clockwork 

Orange’ had photos of Glasgow’s subway stations above and below 

ground. 

‘James Logan’ was a tribute to his grandfather who was an excellent 

Glasgow amateur photographer and used photos which he had taken of 

Glasgow during his life, including one of a subway station Ronnie had 

also photographed. 

Next we travelled to Culzean Castle to see the castle and grounds taken 

during a camera club trip. This was followed by a skit on Brooklyn ninenine, 

an American sit-com, called ‘Erskine nine-nine’ and featuring his 

family. His final contribution was 

‘Marbella’ - memories of his 

holiday created by his phone. 

David could not be with us, 

unfortunately, but we were 

delighted that he sent us 

his contributions. He used 

photographs taken in previous 

years supplemented by borrowed 

images. 

His first show was ‘Finlaystone’ 

and we were treated to the 

history of the house and 

estate before seeing it at its 

glorious best in springtime. 

‘A picture of You’ was, for 

those who remember the 

60’s, a tribute to the Jo Brown 

and The Bruvvers song 

accompanied by photos from 

Spain mixed with those of 

friends. 

‘Clyde Swim’ was his second recording of the annual Clyde swim with 

photos of participants and winners. 

‘Distaff Holidays’ was a very interesting record of family history for his 

children. It was mainly about his father in law, who was a gifted amateur 

painter, and featured the many canvases he painted on family holidays 

in Carradale. 

‘It’s Late’ by Ricky Nelson and ‘San Miguel’ by Lonnie Donegan were 

both tribute sequences and a bit of fun. 

His final show was ‘The Unquiet Grave’ 

which featured photos taken at a 

Burns’ Farewell enactment in Greenock 

Cemetery. 

Our next meeting will be held in the Carrick 

Centre Houston on Monday 12th February 

with shows from Hugh and Gerry. You will 

be very welcome to join us. 



36 


Sunset at Castle Semple by Carolyn Craig 

bishopton, langbank & bridge of weir 


Bridge of Weir 

SWI 

On Thursday 1st 

February we will 

welcome a speaker from 

Glickman’s sweets, and look 

forward to tasting some of the 

products. We meet at 7.15pm 

for 7.30 at the British Legion and 

visitors will be made welcome. 



Elderly Forum 

The next meeting of the Forum 

is on Tuesday 13th February 

in the RBLS Hall at 3pm when 

the Summer Outing will be 

discussed together with any 

Other competent business. 

June Reid from Benefi ts Take 

up offi ce attended our meeting 

in January and explained about 

the changes to benefi ts. We are 

hoping to have a Councillor at 

our March meeting and we look 

forward to a good attendance. 


The Clydebank 

Citadel Band 

.... Returns by popular demand 

St Machar’s Ranfurly Church 

Sunday 28th January 2018 

at 3pm 

£5 including refreshments 

Varied programme featuring 

some Scottish pieces for Burns 

Season. Tickets available at 

church or from Morven 612286 

bishopton, langbank 

& bridge of weir 

The Bridge 

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

for all the birthdays and celebrations expected in 2018. 

POST OFFICE – all types of Insurance, Savings products and Mortgages 

are available through the Post Offi ce. Please ask Donald, Anne or Stuart 

for an information leafl et. Our unique identifi cation code is provided on all 

leafl ets. Use of this code allows The Bridge to earn income on all completed 

transactions. 

STATIONERY 

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

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

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

posting all in one go. 

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

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

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

send your love in 2018! Our cards have been rearranged as we now have a 

new card display unit courtesy of LOCHNAGAR CAFE. 

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

village where you can meet others, have a tea or coffee and enjoy a chat with 

our volunteers. It is a bright, warm, welcoming place where hopefully you will 

feel at home. We look forward to catching up soon. 



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. 



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 7pm - 

9.15pm. 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. 


SWI Langbank 

We had our Christmas party in 

December and Santa 

delivered gifts. 

In January we hosted 

a Scottish Quiz Night 

with a traditional haggis supper. 

Our February evening is on 

Thursday 15th February at 

7.30pm. 

The competitions are Matrimony 

Jam, Handwritten Family Tree 

and a family wedding picture. 

Our local family history expert, 

Margaret White will explain 

how to fi nd out more about our 

ancestors. 

All visitors will be made very 

welcome. 

Your Ward 11 Councillors ... for Bishopton, Langbank & Bridge of Weir 


36-45 NEW VILLAGE_281 FEBRUARY18.indd 36 25/01/2018 16:10:45


37 


Let's hear from our Councillors 

Natalie Don reports: 

ROADS: I have had many residents contacting me about a range of issues. I 

appreciate that the roads and potholes seem to be the main cause of concern 

for many residents. Resurfacing work is now being carried out on the A761 at 

the entrance to Bridge of Weir and hopefully by the time of printing, this will be 

completed. I also continue to push for improvements to be made to various 

other roads within the ward which have come to my attention, including but 

not limited to; Ferry Road in Bishopton, Kilbarchan Road and Houston Road 

in Bridge of Weir and Dennistoun Road in Langbank. I do hope that by the 

time you are reading this, some improvements have been made. 

SCHOOLS: Last month I attended Langbank Community Council where a 

number of issues were brought to my attention including the school bus pick 

up/drop off point, deterioration of roads and dampness in the school. The 

dampness issue is of high concern and as previously reported, measures 

have been taken within the school in an effort to tackle the problem. A review 

visit will take place in March to ensure that conditions are improving and I will 

keep local residents informed of the outcome of this. 

JOINT ISSUES: I also recently met with Councillor Chris Curley for Inverclyde 

Ward 1, Inverclyde East, to discuss certain issues which relate to each of our 

wards. Chris and I considered various issues but most notably, the public 

transport links between Kilmacolm, Bridge of Weir and our neighbouring town 

centres as well as possible improvements to cycle links and routes between 

the different areas. I am very much looking forward to working with Chris in 

the future to see how we can benefi t the people within our respective wards. 


Bridge of Weir Community Council 

The Bridge of Weir Community Council’s fi rst meeting of 2018 will be held in 

the Cargill Hall on Tuesday the 6th of February at 7pm. 

The Planning Convener will give an update on the Bull’s Garage Planning 

Application. We will hear details of a further planning application lodged by 

Westminster Home’s for the vacant land on Maxwell Place adjacent to the 

Hope Hall. 

The meeting will consider the consultation document on the proposed new 

fl ight path proposals for Glasgow Airport. 

Included in the Roads of Interest will be timescales for further works at Barochan 

Road, this time to provide a slip road intro the new housing development. The 

Community Council will ask for as little disruption to traffi c as possible. 

We have asked the Police to provide information on the procedure for having 

abandoned cars and vans removed from our streets. 

Our projects team will report on the programme for planting Aspen Tree’s in 

suitable locations throughout the village, as well as an update on the Ladeside 

upgrade project. 

In late December we welcomed the introduction of the exercise equipment to 

Ranfurly Park a project lead by our Fund Raising Committee. 

The winner of the Christmas Hamper drawn at the Light’s Switch on event was 

Gordon Fraser of Kilmacolm Road Gordon was delighted to receive the prize. 


Please add your 

community hall 

details to our list 

- email to info@ 

advertizer.co.uk 

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kilmacolm & quarriers 

38 



Stephen McCabe reports: 

IC BUDGET: The Council’s budget consultation closes on 11th February and I would encourage you, if you 

have not already done so, to have your say. Details of how you can respond to the budget consultation are 

available on the Council’s website at www.inverclyde.gov.uk/yoursay and the budget simulator can be found 

at https://inverclyde.budgetsimulator.com. You can email any comments you have to yoursay@inverclyde. 

gov.uk. 

The budget simulator is an online survey tool that allows you to make choices on how you would balance the 

Council’s budget. We have set out 40 areas of budget cuts and increases to charges totalling over £8m and 

are asking people as part of the consultation to identify up to £5m of their preferred options. 

There are no easy options on the list. All the savings proposals will adversely impact on the local community, 

be it through a loss of jobs and a reduction in service or through increased charges. The views you express 

will help inform the fi nal shape of the Council’s budget, which will be decided at a special meeting of the full 

Council on 15th March. I would also encourage you to lobby our local and regional MSPs, particularly the 

Cabinet Secretary for Finance Derek Mackay, for a better deal for the Council so that the level of savings 

we need to make is reduced. 

FLOOD PREVENTION: At the Environment and Regeneration Committee on 18th January an update was 

given on the planned fl ood prevention works in Kilmacolm and Quarriers. The fi rst phase of works in 

Kilmacolm to address the fl ooding at Gilburn Road/Market Place is likely to be an upgrade of the existing 

culvert between Market Place and Smithy Brae. There is no fi rm timescale for the works to start, although 

I would hope it would be during the course of this fi nancial year. 

The Council’s consultant is fi nalising the design of a scheme for dealing with fl ooding from the Gotter Water 

at Quarriers. This will involve the construction of a culvert to divert water that collects in the fi eld West of 

Craigbet Avenue, and results in fl ooding to property, back into the Gotter Water. 

Christopher Curley reports: 

IC BUDGET: The Inverclyde budget consultation process runs until the 11th of February. Although the 

Scottish Government settlement is better than hoped, possible savings have been identifi ed to balance the 

budget and can be found in the “your council, your say” section of the Inverclyde Council website. Councillors 

have not agreed any of these savings as yet and we want to hear your views on these savings before making 

budget decisions in March. I would again encourage everyone to take part in the consultation. 

PLANNING: I note the proposal of application notice by Gladman Developments with respect to the 

proposed housing development at Carsemeadow in Quarriers Village and I will be attending the formal 

public exhibition on the 8th February between 2pm and 8pm at Sommerville Weir Hall. 

PETITIONS COMMITTEE: This met on the 1st February for the fi rst time in a number of months. I am vice 

convenor of this committee which hears petitions in relation to council services, affording Inverclyde’s 

citizens a direct route of engagement in the policy development process of the Council. More information 

can be obtained on the Council’s website if you are interested in raising a petition. 

David Wilson reports: 

PLANNING: The application for housing at Knapps and North Dennistoun has, I understand, attracted some 

1000 objections. Planning offi cers will read all of these and acknowledge them. They will be able to glean 

the most popular reasons for objecting to the scheme. Statutory consultation with some dozen bodies will 

also be conducted. Matters require to be concluded in four months. The MacTaggart and Meikle proposal 

for West of Quarry Drive is expected soon, and the one by Gladman for Carsemeadow in Quarriers Village 

takes place on Thursday 8th February 2018, 2pm - 8pm at Sommerville Weir Hall, Faith Avenue, Quarriers 

Village, PA11 3TF. 

IC BUDGET: We have gone out to consultation on possible budget savings. It is important that we get a 

steer from our constituents. What might seem important to councillors is not necessarily agreed by the 

public. We have managed to maintain front line services over the past eight years but things are getting 

tighter. I meet often with English councillors and there is little doubt that Councils South of the Border have 

suffered much greater cuts to their budgets than us in Scotland. The extra £1600 pa per head via the 

Barnett Formula gives us a considerable advantage over the English Regions. 

GOLF CLUB: Mrs Jane McDonald has been elected as the fi rst woman to be Captain of The Kilmacolm 

Golf Club. The Club was formed in 1891 and the Ladies section in 1898. I spoke, while Captain, at the 

100th anniversary of the Ladies section in 1998, and even then the Ladies did not have equality. Progress 

indeed. I can now add Jane to a list of my bosses, which includes Ruth, Theresa and my wife. 

ROADS: We have entered into a Roads Authorities Shared Service with West and East Dunbartonshire 

Councils. Audit Scotland have concluded that increased collaboration and shared services should be the 

way forward for all councils. Time will tell on this one, though our appropriate director envisages savings. 

FLOODING: Consultants continue to investigate fl ooding from the Glenmosston Burn and its effect on 

Gillburn Road and Market Place. Consideration is being given to the attenuation fl ows up stream in Glen 

Moss. 



Outlook 

‘OUTLOOK’ is a social 

community group in 

Kilmacolm, that was created 

to welcome everyone, young 

and old, to come to share 

friendship and fellowship 

together. It is led by the Community 

Issues team of Kilmacolm Old Kirk. The 

group meets in Kidston Hall on 1st and 

3rd Thursday afternoons monthly, from 

2pm to 4pm. The programme includes 

invited speakers, afternoon tea, items of 

community issues for discussion, dates for 

your diary, plus entertaining activities. 

PROGRAMME 

February to May 2018 

1st Feb Toe tapping entertainment 

with Archie and Willie on 

Accordians, Graham on 

Drums 

15th Feb S.S.A.F.A. – the Armed 

Forces Charity 

1st March William Kean – Organist, 

Pianist and Photographer 

– Scottish Favourites on piano 

and violin 

15th March Gentle Keep Fit with Grace 

– Back by popular demand 

5th April Heartstart. Morag Thow 

– demonstration of simple 

skills that save lives 

19th April Holidays with Charlotte 

– Travel Actually 

3rd May Stories of a Councillor with 

David Wilson 

17th May Clydeside Singers – favourite 

singalongs 

The OUTLOOK team of Margaret Cook, 

Sandra Crawford, Andrea Hargreaves, 

Gordon McGibbon, Rae McPhee, Heather 

Mutch, Catriona Miller, Judy Adams and Jill 

Russell invite you to Come along, bring a 

friend, spread the word that OUTLOOK is for 

fellowship and friendship. 


Kilmacolm Girl 

Guiding Spring Fayre 

Saturday 10th March 10am - 12:30pm 

St Columba’s Church Hall 

Come along and support our local Rainbows, 

Brownies and Guides at the Girl Guiding 

Daffodil Spring Fayre. Crafts, Tombola, 

Easter Eggs, Home baking, Mother Day’s 

Gifts, Bacon rolls and more.. Adults £2.50 / 

Children £1.50 - refreshments included. 

Your Ward 1 Councillors ... for Inverclye East (includes Kilmacolm & Quarriers) 




39 


PLANNING: Public Exhibition 

Thursday 8th February 2018, 2pm - 8pm at Sommerville Weir Hall, Faith 

Avenue, Quarriers Village, PA11 3TF 

On 12th January 2018, Gladman Developments 

Ltd made a Proposal of Application Notice relating 

to a proposed new housing development on land 

at Carsemeadow, Quarriers Village. There follows a 

12 week public consultation period from that date, 

and Gladman Developments Ltd will be holding a 

formal public exhibition in Quarriers Village on 8th 

February when indicative development proposals 

will be available for viewing. 


Councillor Nelson Tackles Parking 

It has become clear that many of 

the parking disc zone signs required 

to make the zones compliant with 

the Traffi c Signs Regulations and 

General Directions Act are not in 

place in Inverclyde. 

Without the required signage in 

place it renders a disc zone area 

of the decriminalised parking 

enforcement scheme approved 

for Inverclyde by the Scottish Ministers on the 6th of October 2014 legally 

unenforceable. 

Clearly the Council and its representatives should not be issuing parking 

tickets for disc reasons within an area where the statutory disc zone signage 

is not in place. 

Quite why the parking enforcement team leader has failed to ensure that the 

compliant signage in the disc zones in Inner Greenock, Gourock and Kilmacolm 

is not in place remains unclear at this stage. 

I have written to Roisin Dillon, the 

parking enforcement team leader, to 

put to her the fact that many of the 

parking disc zone signs required to 

make the zones compliant with the 

Traffi c Signs Regulations and General 

Directions Act are not in place in 

Inverclyde. I have inquired what 

control measures she put in place at 

the outset of the scheme in order to 

ensure that the disc zone signage was 

compliant. 

I believe that motorists have been unjustly served with parking tickets for 

disc offences in those areas where the compliant signage is not in place. I 

have asked what steps will now be taken to apologise to motorists and refund 

them? 

I have also raised my concerns that the time for a motorist to obtain a parking 

disc is being limited to just 10 minutes by the parking attendants when it was 

stated at committee by the 

former Head of Roads that 

motorists would be given 

ample time to obtain a disc. 

Such a short period of time 

being imposed is unfair, 

especially to those who are 

elderly, pregnant or have very 

young children where this 

could clearly be considered 

discriminatory under the 

Equality Act.” 


Kilmacolm Taxis Celebrates 10 years 

It’s just over 10 years since Gordon McDonald and his wife Anne took over 

the Kilmacolm Taxis business back in December 2007. 

Gordon said, “I can’t believe where the 

time has gone, but as they say, time 

fl ies when you’re enjoying yourself. 

It’s a business which is very much 

dependent on a relationship of trust; 

many of our customers comment 

on the fact they feel confi dent in 

our care. We like to provide a more 

personal service, something which 

bigger companies are not able to do 

as effectively, and that seems to work 

well with local villagers as they get to 

know our regular drivers. 

We very much appreciate our many 

loyal customers over the last 10 years 

who have gone on to recommend us 

to friends and family, and we are looking forward to continuing those strong 

relationships. Here’s to the next 10 years. 


Any details 

we've missed? - 

email them to 

info@advertizer. 

co.uk 



40 


Shrove Tuesday 

Coffee Morning 

The Annual Shrove Tuesday 

Coffee Morning this year will be 

on Tuesday 13th February 10 - 12 

noon in St Fillan’s Church Hall, 

Moss Road Kilmacolm. There will 

be lovely freshly made pancakes, 

home baking, raffl e and various 

stalls. Tickets £3. 




Kilmacolm Community Council 

Inverclyde Council could have an estimated funding gap of £10.2m by 2019/20 unless it fi nds ways of reducing 

expenditure and increasing revenues before then. They have a budget consultation that runs from 15th January until 

11th February 2018 and are seeking the views of residents, the business community and anyone else with an interest 

in Inverclyde on balancing the council budget. 

The council has set out forty areas of suggested budget cuts and increases to charges totalling over £8m and is asking 

people as part of the consultation to identify up to £5m of their preferred options. The community can have their 

say online through the budget simulator at https://inverclyde.budgetsimulator.com/ where the budget options are 

outlined. 

Inverclyde Council hosted a ‘drop in’ event between 4pm and 8pm in the Kilmacolm Community Centre on Tuesday 

16th January where more information was available and the opportunity to express comments. 

The Kilmacolm Community Council will discuss, with the participation of the community, the suggested options at their 

meeting on January 30th 2018 and will frame a formal response to Inverclyde Council. Members of the community 

are encouraged to attend this and any other meeting of the Kilmacolm Community Council. 


Guide Hut to 

Hire 

A great venue with easy access 

near to the village centre. 

Newly refurbished main hall, 

with additional kitchen facilities 

and outdoor area. Perfect for 

children’s parties, weekly classes 

and one off special occasions. 

Anyone wanting to hire the Guide 

Hut please contact Roz on 07584 

359007. 


Kilmacolm 

Surgeries 

Every 4th Monday PC 

Jamieson, the local 

neighbourhood offi cer, will hold a 

surgery in the Community Centre 

between 10.30 - 11.30am. 

Please pop in and see him if you 

want to share any concerns or 

need advice. 

 

| 

The Kilmacolm Community Council submitted to Inverclyde Council their objection to the planning application for the 

proposed residential development on the land at the Knapps and North Denniston submitted by Gladman Developments 

Limited. The response can be viewed at http://www.kilmacolmcc.co.uk 

A ‘community spend’ budget of £70,000 is available for community inspired village centre improvements and added 

facilities for Kilmacolm and Quarriers Village The Kilmacolm Community Council is requesting that members of the 

community or community groups submit suggestions for improvements or additional facilities that will enhance village 

life in Kilmacolm and Quarriers Village. Suggestions should be addressed to secretary@kimacolmcc.co.uk 


Curry & Quiz 

Night 

Saturday 3rd March 2018 

The Annual Kilmacolm Scout 

Curry and Quiz Night will be 

on Saturday 3rd March 2018. 

Tickets are £10 which includes 

your curry. There will be a bar 

on the night selling beer, wine, 

spirits, prosecco and soft drinks. 

There will be great food, quizzing, 

music and maybe even some 

dancing! So get a team together - 

max 8 people per team - or better 

still 2 teams and order your 

tickets from Maureen on 01505 

872094 or any of the scout 

leaders. We always appreciate 

the support. Money raised goes 

to help support our local scouts 

activities. 


Whist Drive 

Kilmacolm and Port Glasgow 

Agricultural Society. Friday 

16th February 7.30pm. New 

Community Centre Kilmacolm. 

Light Supper - tickets £4. 


Do You Want To 

Improve Your 

Bridge? 

Classes resume 

on 

Tuesday 

evenings starting 

27th February in 

Kilmacolm Community Centre 

7pm - 9pm. 

There will be a lesson on a specifi c 

topic each evening followed by 

discussion and play for the rest 

of the time. 

A detailed list 

of lessons is 

displayed in the 

Centre 

Notice 

Board. 

Further information call 01505 

872345. 




41 

kilbarchan - howwood - lochwinnoch - elderslie 

Kilbarchan Parish Church 

Kilbarchan Parish Church Tots’ Club 

The club takes place on Mondays from 9.15am - 11.30am in the church 

hall and is run by a group of volunteers from the church. We are delighted 

to welcome tots from birth-3 years, along with their accompanying adults. 

There is a huge variety of toys and bouncy castle for the tots and enjoyable 

company with tea/coffee for the adults. The cost remains £1 for adults. 

Kilbarchan Parish Church Drama Group. 

Rehearsals are now underway for the next production “The Vicar of Dibley”, 

a series of scenes adapted into a 2 act comedy to be performed on Thursday 

- Saturday 26th - 28th April. More information about tickets in the next 

Advertizer but please note the dates. 

Kilbarchan Parish Church Boys’ Brigade are holding a Coffee Morning and 

Craft Fair on Saturday 17th February in the church halls - off Steeple Square 

- from 10am - 12noon. All welcome. 


Kilbarchan Parish Messy Church 

Our second Messy Church of 2018 takes place on 

Saturday 17th February in the Church Halls, 

Steeple Square from 4pm - 6pm. Our theme will 

be ‘Love’ and we will explore this through crafts, 

story and song. All young people will be made most 

welcome. Just remember to bring an adult along with 

you. We close by all sitting down to eat together and catching 

up with friends, old and new. 

Would you know what to do in an Emergency? 

New Dates for 2018!! 

♥ Every week in Scotland, 70 people suffer cardiac arrest. 

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

Service following a cardiac arrest. 

♥ Only one in 20 people will survive. 

♥ Without resuscitation, cardiac arrest is always fatal 

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

Heartstart courses are free of charge and it only takes two hours to learn the 

skills which may someday save a life: 

♥ Recovery position 

♥ CPR and using an Automated External Defi brillator (AED) 

♥ Heart Attack 

♥ Choking 

♥ Serious bleeding 

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

752814 to book onto one of our courses: 

Tue 20th February 7-9pm The Boarding House Howwood 

Wed 28th March 7-9pm Masonic Lodge Lochwinnoch 

Tue 17th April 7-9pm The Boarding House Howwood 

Wed 23rd May 7-9pm Masonic Lodge Lochwinnoch 

Tue 19th June 7-9pm The Boarding House Howwood 


The Old Library Centre 

Did you know that in the Old Library Centre we have many archive photos of 

the village? These are available for members of the public to look through 

in the centre. They are divided into categories of School Days, Lilias Day 

and General and Group scenes. Why don’t you come in and have a look at 

the history of the village; it really is fascinating. Alternatively, you may have 

some old photos of your own that you would be willing for us to copy and add 

to our collection. Do come in and have a chat about it. 

Some places have opened up on the Thursday afternoon FABS class 

(exercise class for over 60’s). If you are interested phone the Old Library 

Centre, or just come along to the class. The fi rst one is free. 

All our other classes are running as usual, Yoga, Pilates, Bridge Club, 

Craft Group, Book Group and First Love Music (music and movement for 

toddlers). 

You can also come in to use the computers. We offer photocopying, 

laminating and faxing facilities all at very competitive prices. 

The Old Library Centre is a registered Scottish Charity and is ran by 

volunteers. For more details please phone 01505 706070, email kipcokil@ 

hotmail.com or visit our website www.kipcokil.com 


Gryffe Scottish Country Dancing Club 

Our club Christmas party night was a great success with almost 50 dancers 

attending to dance to the music of Shona and Susan MacFadyen. 

Holidays over, we are now embarked on our spring term with Thursday 

night classes running up to Easter, 8pm in the Kilbarchan Guide Centre. 

Experienced and new dancers will be most welcome to come along and join 

in for a sociable, fun evening of dancing and music. £3 per class. 

Contact Les Lambert 01505 704398. leslambert08@gmail.com 


Elderslie Kirk Guild 

Elderslie Kirk Guild will meet on Wednesday 14th February at 7.30pm in the 

Church Hall when Vivienne MacDonald will provide a “Valentines Day” talk 

and slideshow, and on Wednesday 28th February, when Richard Woods will 

talk on the guild project Mission International “Haiti”. All welcome. 

kilbarchan, howwood, lochwinnoch & elderslie 



42 





Andy Doig reports: 

BUILDING WORKS: I have been supporting residents in the Kilnknowe Cottages area of Howwood who are worried 

about the extensive piling which developers, MacTaggart and Mickel, are having to undertake to remediate the site 

across from the Cottages. In any new development some disruption is to be expected but I have contacted the Head 

of Planning at Renfrewshire Council to articulate my concerns given that previous planning applications for that site 

had been refused due to extensive mineworkings in the area. 

CYCLE CHARITY: I have recently met Lochwinnoch resident, Mr Steve Forbes, to discuss how I can support his 

aim to form a local group of the Cycling Without Age charity. This charity encourages bands of volunteers to use 

tri-shaw cycles to support people like dementia sufferers to still get outdoors and to go for leisurely cycles in a safe 

environment. As a life-long cyclist since the age of 4yrs old I am very keen to support Mr Forbes in what is a brilliant 

project and if you feel you might like to volunteer and help Mr Forbes, please call me on 07534 148224. 

MAKAR: Village communities like Kilbarchan, Lochwinnoch, and Howwood, have many creative and artistic groups 

locally. Some months ago Kilbarchan Children’s author, Jack Hastie, who is a member of Lochwinnoch Writers 

Group, came to me with an idea that Renfrewshire should have its own Makar, or local Poet Laureate. At the last 

full council meeting Cllr Eileen McCartin and I proposed this idea and it was agreed unanimously that this voluntary 

post should be created. 

Derek Bibby reports: 

WARD CLOSURE AT RAH: On the Advertizer deadline, the shocking news came through that the Health Minister 

had approved the closure of the Children’s Ward at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. This is a betrayal by the Scottish 

Government of those parents who have fought for six years against the threat of closure and the decision will have 

signifi cant implications for families with sick children in our villages and across Renfrewshire who, will have further 

to travel for treatment. 

WINTER WEATHER: We are still in the depths of winter, and during the cold and freezing weather in recent weeks, 

and due to icy conditions, I have had reports of some of our older residents unable to get out of their homes and 

streets. This is unacceptable. A long term plan for responding to the situation of sustained periods of winter weather 

in our villages and outlying areas needs to be set out. The provision of grit bins, and adequate amounts of salt, is 

just one aspect of planning not only for the remainder of this winter, but also for the future. I have had reports of 

empty grit bins in Kilbarchan and Howwood. Action to ensure that this is not repeated needs to be taken. 

BIN COLLECTIONS: Another consequence of the bad weather post Christmas, has been disruption to bin collections. 

This has highlighted one of the implications of the Council’s decision to reduce the frequency of grey bin collections 

to every 3 weeks. Some residents with families have reported grey bins overfl owing at the end of the current 2 week 

cycle, and for them this reduction will be problematic. Households will also receive a second recycling bin and for 

many the issue will be space to accommodate it. It is clear that these changes which have already been approved, 

have not been thought through, and it is unacceptable that the views of residents have not been sought on an issue 

which affects every household in Kilbarchan, Howwwood and Lochwinnoch. I will continue to press for a public 

consultation to take place prior to implementation. 

HERITAGE FUND: Paisley may not have been successful in its City of Culture Bid, however funding is still available 

from the Councils Culture Heritage and Events Fund. This funding must not be confi ned to Paisley, and the villages 

need to be equal benefi ciaries. The deadlines for the next two rounds of applications are February 10th and May 

10th respectively. 

Bill Binks reports: 

BROWNFIELD SITES: At the recent Communities, Housing & Planning Policy Board meeting, we were advised of 

the Renfrewshire Vacant and Derelict Land Strategy for 2018. The objective was to prioritise the development of 

Brownfi eld and previously used land to encourage sustainable economic growth, enhance places and meet housing 

needs across Renfrewshire. It remains a priority to reuse and redevelop land across Renfrewshire and is monitored 

on an annual basis. It goes without saying that this system reduces the need to consider green fi eld sites for 

possible development. I hope over the next few weeks to list all the identifi ed sites within ward 9 and present them 

to the appropriate community councils for interest and discussion purposes. 

FLY TIPPING: Did you know that Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) research paper (May 2017) asserted that in Scotland 

fl y tipping was estimated to cost at least £11million of tax payers money on clearance, disposal and enforcement 

activities. The Audit, Risk and Scrutiny Board set up a review to assess the extent of fl y tipping in Renfrewshire. 

The Lead Reviewer will liaise with those invited to present to the Board on this topic in March and will ensure that 

members have an opportunity to consider any questions they may wish to explore further. So this is your opportunity 

to help out. If you know of any regular fl y tipping sites or incidents in your area then please let us know. 

DAY CENTRE CLOSURE: I am deeply concerned that the issue of the proposed closure of the Whitehaugh and West 

Lane Gardens Day Centres has still not been resolved to the satisfaction of the users and carers, who rely on these 

facilities, and have no wish whatsoever to have to look elsewhere for a similar service. We as elected representatives 

of this Council voted unanimously to retain these two centres at our Council meeting on the 30th August last year. 

Despite this overwhelming support, the IJB (an unelected body) refuse to even consider our proposals and are intent 

on forging ahead with the closures without consideration. We must continue to fi ght this decision and would value 

your continued support. 


Howwood W.I. 

Tuesday 20th 

February: 

Why I Chose Nursing 

By Margaret Linnie 

Competition: Beanie Hat for 

Premature Baby Donated to 

Hospital 

Hostesses: Nan Robertson & 

Agnes McKay 

Vote of Thanks: Margaret 

Jamieson 

New members will be made very 

welcome. For further information 

please contact Irene MacTaggart 

on 01505 704800. 


Charity Bulbs 

and Plants for 

Sale 

In support of the roof fund at St 

Mary’s 

What could be nicer than a 

splash of early spring colour on 

your doorstep? Bring your own 

container and come and plant it 

up with us, choosing from a wide 

range of fl owering plants and 

colourful spring bulbs suitable for 

indoor and outdoor use, window 

boxes and rockeries: Alternatively 

pick out your favourites and take 

them away to plant at home. 

A variety of odd pots will also 

be available, as will some pots 

already planted up. 

All the plants and bulbs supplied 

will fl ower during March and April 

and fi lled containers will make 

ideal presents for Mothering 

Sunday (March 11th) and Easter 

(April 1st). The plants will be 

available from February 24th. 

Contact Viola McGrowbag 07756 

935923 to book a day and a time 

to visit to suit you and 

to get directions, 

as there is limited 

parking. 

Minimum charge 

of £3 with 

all money 

going to the 

St Mary’s Port 

Glasgow Roof 

Fund. 

Coffee, Tea and 

Biscuits available. 

Your Ward 9 Councillors ... for Kilbarchan, Howwood, Lochwinnoch & Elderlsie 





Lochwinnoch 

Arts Festival 

2018 

supporting St Vincent’s 30 years 

of care and support 

In tribute to St Vincent Hospice, 

- an organization that has cared 

for and supported many people 

in and around Lochwinnoch for 

the past 30 years - the Festival is 

hosting a number of fundraising 

events. One not to miss is 

"Everyone should come to Sing 

for St Vincent’s" (No talent or 

experience required!). 

Sing for St Vincent’s 

with 

Lochwinnoch Choral 

Society 

Sunday 18th March 

Parish Church 

2pm to 4pm 

Everyone welcome let’s make 

this a huge event!! 

We invite you to help fi ll the 

Parish church, to join with the 

Lochwinnoch Choral Society 

and really raise the roof! We'd 

love the whole community to 

join together and sing for St. 

Vincent's and help this fantastic 

charity celebrate 30 years of 

service to our community. 


Kilbarchan 

During the month of February, 

the group has 2 meetings. The 

fi rst is a joint meeting with guests 

from Houston and Bridge of 

Weir groups, with a speaker, the 

Archivist from Quarriers. The 

following meeting is on the topic 

“The Wives of Famous Johns or 

Williams” and should be lighthearted 

and interesting. We 

would be delighted to welcome 

new members, please phone 

703786 for more information or 

see the website: www.nwr.org.uk 


Calling On all previous Miss Lilias’ to help us 

celebrate 50 continuous years of Lilias Day 

It’s 50 years since a committed group of parents revived modern day Lilias 

Day after a lapse in the annual event during the war and post war years. To 

celebrate we are calling on all previous Miss Lilias’ to join the 2018 Lilias 

Day parade and to feature in this years brochure. We already have our very 

fi rst Miss Lilias, Fiona Jackson (nee Liddel) on board and looking forward to 

meeting many more of you. 

If you were a previous Miss Lilias, or know anyone who was, please get in 

contact with us at info@liliasday.co.uk. 

We are also looking for nominations for this years Miss Lilias. Please send 

your nominations to the above email address telling why you, or the person 

you are nominating, would make a great Miss Lilias. The closing date for 

nominations is the 1st March. 

Other important dates on the Lilias Day calendar: 

Historic Parade costume fi tting - 12 - 2pm, Sunday 11th March, The Old 

library Centre, Kilbarchan. Take part in one of Scotland’s oldest historic 

parades. From Habbie Simpson to the boy who lay the foundation stone of 

the Statute of Liberty, the Lilias Day parade tells the story of the rich history 

of the village. 

Stall holders booking evening - 7 - 9pm, Tuesday 13th March, The Old 

Library Centre, Kilbarchan. Secure your pitch at one of the best fundraising 

events in the area. Each year Lilias Day raises tens of thousands of pounds 

for local organisations and charitable causes. 

Lilias Day - Saturday 2nd June 

Keep up to date with all the latest news on this years event and Lilifest by 

visiting our website www.liliasday.co.uk 


Scottish Country Dance Classes 

Tuesdays in the McKillop Hall, Lochwinnoch at 7.30pm. 

We always have great fun and it's good exercise too! Phone Lorna Black 

01505 843048 for more info. 


Lochwinnoch SWI 

The February meeting 

of Lochwinnoch SWI 

is on 21st February 

at 7.30pm in the 

McKillop Hall. Julie Scott from 

Morrison’s Supermarket is giving 

a talk on “Fruit and Vegetables”. 

Some new ideas on our Five-a- 

Day will be most welcome after 

the excesses of the Festive 

season! 

There is a warm welcome to 

all members and friends. For 

further information contact 

Elma Richmond at 843193 or 

richmond32@tiscali.co.uk 


The Third 

Lochwinnoch 

Golf Club Tea 

Dance 

The third free Tea Dance 

in support of Lochwinnoch 

Dementia Friendly Village will 

be on Friday 2nd March 2pm till 

4.30pm. Come and dance, sing 

and have fun with the fantastic 

‘Music Box’ and enjoy a lovely 

afternoon tea from Janice and her 

team! Donations at the event!! 

For more info contact Morag on 

07868752814 


Winners of the 

Christmas 2017 

Odd Men shop 

windows were 

Chloe and Lucy Runciman 

Watch out for the next competition 

at the 2018 Arts Festival £20 

token for La Dolce Vita chip 

shop!! 

43 



Knitting Bee 

Meets fortnightly on a Tuesday from 

7pm to 9pm at Knit Knax, 37 High Street 

Johnstone, also weekly Thursday from 2pm 

to 4pm. 

Contact: Pamela 07743 156738 or email 

bknitting@hotmail.co.uk. 



houston, crosslee & brookfield 

44 


Crafty Friends 

Crafty Hobbies is what we do 

Come and join our Crafty crew 

Come & learn some Crafty 

makes 

Followed by some tea and 

cakes 

We meet the 1st and 3rd 

Thursdays in the month at 

7.30pm in the Carrick Centre 

Houston. No previous craft 

experience necessary. We are 

just a group of ladies who enjoy 

making things! Contact - Lorna 

Cairns 612844 or Shirley White 

610721. 


New Sewing 

Class 

Got a sewing machine but never 

used it or just lost confi dence? 

Do you want to know how to 

raise/lower a hem or change a 

broken zip? We might just have 

the solution. A new SEWING 

CLASS has started in the Village 

Hall Library on a Tuesday evening 

from 7 - 9pm. Come along and 

learn essential techniques every 

Beginner or Refresher Sewer 

should know. £10 per class. 

Places for 6-week block must 

be booked in advance. Contact 

brookfi eldvpa@gmail.com for 

more information or to book a 

place. 


Houston & 

Killellan Kirk 

World Day of Prayer 

This year the World Day of 

Prayer will be held in Houston 

and Killellan Kirk on Friday 2nd 

March at 7.30pm. Everybody will 

be made most welcome. 


Parlez Vous 

Francais 

French Conversation group meets 

every Wednesday from 9.30am 

till 12noon at Fox & Hounds. 

Informal tuition same venue 2pm 

- 4pm. Phone 01505 871 343, 

07463 570464 or email avril. 

forbes2015@outlook.com 

H.O.S.T. The Carrick Centre, Houston 

(Houston Old School Trust) 

Monday to Friday 

Woodlands Out of School 

01505 615438 

Coffee Shop 

Mon - Fri 9am - 4.30pm | Sat 9am - 4pm 

MONDAY 

Yoga (Weekly) @ 1pm - Mary Laidlaw 01505 229112 | Diaporama 12th 

@ 7.30pm | Young Farmers 12th / 19th @ 7pm | Sewing Group (Weekly) 

@ 10am - 12noon 

TUESDAY 

Paint Pot Tots (Weekly) @ 10am - Dawn Campbell 07789 262350 | Galaxy 

Dance (Weekly) @ 4pm - 7pm | Yoga (Weekly) @ 7pm - M/s Lawson 01505 

613690 | Councillor Surgery 1st Tues (6th) @ 6.45pm – 7.30pm | WRADS 

27th @ 7.30pm (MH) 

WEDNESDAY 

Big Kids Little Learners (Weekly) @ 10am – 11am - Janine Neil 07870 

697010 | Gryffe Melody Makers 7th / 21st @ 7pm | Community Council 

21st @ 7.30pm | Gryffe Camera Club (Weekly) @ 7.30pm | Galaxy Dance 

(Weekly) @ 4pm – 7pm 

THURSDAY 

Gryffe Quilting Group (Weekly) @ 1.15pm - 3.15pm (15th - 10am) | 

Primary Colours (Weekly) @ 3.30pm – 4.30pm | Crafty Friends 1st / 15th 

@ 7.30pm | Folk Club (weekly) @ 8pm - iaintdawson@gmail.com 07786 

078952 | Baby Massage 1st @ 12.30pm - 2.30pm 

FRIDAY 

Yoga (Weekly) @ 10.30am M/s Lawson 01505 613690 | Big Kids Little 

Learners (Weekly) @ 1pm – 2pm Janine Neil 07870 697010 | Galaxy 

Dancing (Weekly) @ 3.30pm - 7pm (early fi nish 2nd) | M.P. Surgery Gavin 

Newlands 2nd Fri (9th) @ 12.30pm – 1.30pm | Carrick Nights Spring 

Concert Fri 2nd @ 8pm 

SATURDAY 

Galaxy Dancing (Weekly) @ 9.30am - 5pm | Councillors Surgery 1st Sat 

(10th) @ 11.30 – 12noon 

SUNDAY 

Baptist Church (Weekly) @ 11am and 6pm 

Booking enquiries to: 

Ian Simpson 01505 612203 Bill Haddow 01505 690693 

Stewart Scally 01505 674277 

hostbooking@outlook.com or The Coffee Shop 



Houston 

& Killellan 

Agricultural 

Society 

The A.G.M. Of Houston and 

Killellan Agricultural Society will 

be held on Monday 5th February 

at 7.30pm in the Carrick Centre, 

Main Street, Houston. 


Houston & 

Killellan Kirk 

Carnival 

Saturday 12th May 

Once again it is time to start 

thinking about this years Carnival 

and we can reveal that the 

theme will be BLUE PLANET. The 

organizers of the Carnival are 

exploring different ideas for stalls 

and entertainment .More details 

will be in next months Advertiser. 


Who, Why, How? 

Are you interested in discussing 

who we are, why we are here, 

predestination or free will, 

western philosophy versus 

eastern philosophy? We meet in 

Fox and Hounds once a fortnight. 

Contact 01505 871343 or 

07463 570464 or email avril. 

forbes2015@outlook.com. 


Houston & 

Crosslee SWI 

On Wednesday 

14th February we 

are looking forward 

to our annual meal 

out which this year will be in 

The Houston Inn. At our March 

meeting to be held on Wednesday 

14th we will hear all about The 

Paisley Thread Museum. 

We meet in the Compass Centre, 

South Street, Houston on the 

second Wednesday of the month. 

Please come and join us, you will 

be made very welcome. If you 

wish further information please 

contact, Arlene MacKay on 

07932 459994. 

Your Ward 10 Councillor ... for Houston, Crosslee, Brookfield & Linwood 




45 


Brookfield News 

WILMA CONNELL RODGER BUCHANAN MALCOLM: 26th July 1930 – 26th December 2017 

We were sad to learn of the death of Mrs Wilma Malcolm who passed away peacefully at home on Boxing 

Day. A long time resident of Brookfi eld and wife of Mr Donald Malcolm, Wilma was born at Linhead Farm, 

Uplawmoor, the fourth of six children born to Andrew and Wilma Buchanan. She remembered the war 

vividly, watching the bombing of Clydebank with her dad from the top of the farm. The farm also used 

prisoners of war as labour and she had many stories from those days. 

Wilma was the only one of the girls to leave the farm to work. She was always brilliant at arithmetic, having 

a brain like a calculator and learned shorthand, typing and bookkeeping so went to work at the market, 

which she loved. She remembered getting a pink jumper, a blue jumper, pink and blue socks and a grey 

skirt and feeling very sophisticated or the ‘bees knees’ as she recounted. 

Their social life revolved around the Young Farmers where all fi ve girls met their husbands, Donald Malcolm 

being the only non-farmer. They married on 23rd January 1957 and Wilma got a taste of things to come as 

their honeymoon was spent travelling around Lancashire where Donald spent hours bartering for lorries, 

while she stayed in the car reading. A pattern that continued when their children were born as most of 

their family holidays were spent in Blackpool during the Glasgow Fair so they could visit friends and Donald 

could buy lorries. 

It was during one of these holidays that the family of six got into a lift with Tessie O’Shea, a music hall star 

of impressive proportions, who tried to sell Donald her diet book. She then turned to Wilma asking if she 

was famous as she thought she recognised her, to which an awe struck Wilma replied the immortal words, 

“Not I, I am but a simple housewife!” 

Wilma had her four children - Wilma, Walter, Andrew and Marion - within four years, which must have been 

hard work especially as when one got ill, they all did. Mumps all round in St Andrews, Chickenpox times 

four when Andrew was just a baby etc etc. In those early years, she was a full time wife and mother with 

few other interests apart from regularly visiting her parents and her sisters. The Buchanan girls were close 

knit and Granny Buchanan did the rounds of staying with her daughters only moving to the next when all 

the grandchildren where she was staying had a new knitted jumper! 

The business in the early years revolved in and around the family home, and as the family grew, employees 

became friends and were in and out of the house all day. Even in retirement, many of these old friends 

still called in to visit. 

As the children got older and she had a bit more time, Wilma spread her wings becoming more involved with 

other mums in the village. She tried different classes but then discovered her love of and skill at curling, 

which became a real passion. Donald had to get used to dinner in the oven, or worse - microwave! 

Donald & Wilma were best friends as well as husband and wife, as all great marriages are. When Donald 

died in 2003, she really struggled to adjust and to fi nd meaning and purpose without him. 

The onset of dementia in the past few years actually healed some of her grief and she enjoyed the odd 

little outing. She loved going to Nardini’s in Largs for ice cream and although she sometimes had diffi culty 

remembering her children’s names, she knew every farm and who had lived there on the route home 

through Dalry, Stewarton and Uplawmoor. 

Since having a stroke last May, the family were aware that Wilma gradually disappeared from them and 

they found it heart breaking to watch such a vibrant, smart, busy woman, loving mother, mother in law 

and grandmother fade away. Like Donald before her though, there were always glimmers of the feisty, 

capable woman in language only her husband could have taught her. Her carers especially were treated 

to her colourful expletives and yet they all loved caring for her. The family are indebted to these women 

who allowed Wilma to be at home and to die in her own bed surrounded by all that she loved, as she 

wanted to do. 

CHUCKIE LANE 

Those residents who frequently use Chuckie Lane will have noticed how much improved it is. The initial 

work was instigated by Virgin Media who agreed to make good following the installation of the superfast 

broadband cables up the centre of the lane which provided the most direct route to reach the houses in 

Sandholes Road and The Beeches. The surface was reinstated to a higher standard and the banks of the 

burn, which were slowly collapsing, were shored up with Gabion baskets to prevent any further erosion. 

The only residents of the Lane, Jill and Ian Campbell decided to further enhance the look by the removal 

of a hawthorn hedge, thereby making the Lane wider and improving access. Additional improvements 

included painting the fence, installing decorative stonework and the planting of fl agpole cherry trees and 

which should look splendid in the spring! Jill and Ian would like to thank Virgin Media, local contractor 

Sam Lamb and his team for all their time, energy and hard work and Andrew Malcolm for his interest and 

generously supplying the stonework materials. 

Community Information Event 

A Community Information Event will be held in the Village Hall on FRIDAY 23 FEBRUARY from 2pm – 4pm. 

Come and fi nd out useful information from various local agencies and services. Afternoon teas. 

Facebook: brookfi eldvillage.org Twitter: @Brookfi eldVPA e-mail: brookfi eldvpa@gmail.com 


Let's hear from our 

Councillors 

Audrey Doig reports: 

SPEEDING: Members of Houston Community 

Council asked me to lobby Renfrewshire 

Council to conduct a speed survey due to 

concern raised about speeding in the Brierie 

Hills area of Crosslee. I am pleased to report 

that the council offi cers have now given me 

the results which showed that there was an 

average speed of 20mph in the northbound 

direction, and an average speed of 29mph in 

the southbound direction. While both fi gures 

are within the legal speed limit the latter 

one is only just, so I would strongly urge all 

drivers to travel with caution, and give due 

regard to both other drivers and pedestrians 

in the Brierie Hills area. 

PLANNING: Planning remains a high concern 

for many in the Houston, Brookfi eld, and 

Crosslee area who cherish their unique local 

character. Some good news on the planning 

front is that the Council has agreed to revise 

how it looks at planning applications and 

now wants a more streamlined approach 

which will give more weight to the Local 

Development Plan, and make it easier for 

Councillors to oppose controversial planning 

applications. This should also make it easier 

to defend the integrity of greenbelt land. 

Join a community 

clean up 

Community and local groups play a vital role 

in keeping our towns, villages and countryside 

clean and tidy. 

Renfrewshire Council are co-ordinating these 

in the Team up to Clean Up campaign. If you 

are having a community clean up, please 

let them know via the dedicated number on 

0300 300 1375 which operates between 

11am-10pm (Sun-Thurs) and 1pm-12am (Fri/ 

Sat) 

If you would like to coordinate your own 

community clean up please contact RC and 

they will provide you with: 

• waste bags 

• litter pickers 

• high-vis vests 

• protective gloves 

• graffi ti removal kits 

• and arrange to remove all of the litter 

after it has been collected. 

IMPORTANT: Needles (Sharps) 

Please note that members of public, or Clean 

Up Teams should NOT pick up needles. If a 

needle is found, please contact the Wardens 

Service on 0300 300 0300 detailing the 

location and they will arrange for safe 

removal. 

Litter picking at certain locations may be 

dangerous so please ensure that you have 

considered the steps that you need to take 

to keep volunteers safe. Remember you may 

need to seek approval of the landowners 

before carrying out a clean up. 




46 


Renfrew Speakers Club-Grand Final 

S3 Youth Speech Competition Grand Final 

This took place recently in the Normandy 

Hotel Renfrew and was again organised by 

the Renfrew Speakers Club. The winners and 

runner ups from schools in Renfrewshire, East 

Renfrewshire and Inverclyde in their respective 

Council Competitions took part in a Grand 

Final to battle it out to win the coveted John 

Richardson Quaich. 

For the Grand Final the teams were given a 

choice of Topics. The winning team was Team 

4 from Gryffe High School in Renfrewshire who 

chose to speak on: AI (artifi cial Intelligence) 

is developing very quickly for example in 

driverless cars. How do you think AI will affect 

our lives in 10 years’ time? 

Gryffe High School take hold of Quaich Trophy 

They are shown in the photograph from left to right; Claire Creighton, East Renfrewshire Council’s Education 

Quality Improvement Officer, next to her is the Chairperson David Brennan, then the Main Speaker holding the 

Quaich-Ewan Mitchell, followed by Sarah Feechan who carried out the Vote of Thanks and then on the RHS 

Peter Macleod, Renfrewshire Council’s Director of Children’s Services. 

In describing the Competition Teams’ efforts Graham McLachlan, Renfrew Speakers Club and a previous 

President of the British Association of Speakers Clubs said, “It is becoming more and more difficult to get a job 

and the person who stands out will get the job. The standard was extremely high. Public Speaking, this ability 

to converse takes everything.” 

The Chief Judge Hunter Wilson, Renfrew Speakers Club, complimented the Teams saying, “They should be 

proud of themselves in their achievements and there was hope for the country; they had been helped by the 

support of parents and teachers. The speeches were well researched and delivered.” 

Items of importance were: team work, any combined team effort this was what counts, clarity, pausing with brief 

stops and avoiding what appears to be a West of Scotland problem of speaking too quickly and what was worth 

watching was the voice dropping off by not using your notes effectively. 

The bar has been raised all the time. The bad news for the Judges is, however, the Competition has been very 

tight. The Competition Chairman Bill Leeming, Renfrew Speakers Club said it had been a wonderful contest with 

very high standards. 

The John Richardson Quaich Trophy had been donated by the late Beth Richardson of Renfrew Ladies Speakers 

Club in memory of her late husband. Each year the previous winners, in this case St Columba’s High School, 

Gourock and their teacher Anne Devlin was presented with an Ice Wedge Trophy commemorating their previous 

winning of this Quaich Trophy. 

All parties were winners and as a token of appreciation they would be awarded a Gift Voucher. Bill Leeming gave 

a Vote of Thanks to all who had taken part in the Completion and particularly to all of our Sponsors who were the 

3 Local Authorities, DYW West –Developing the Young Workforce and Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce as 

without their fi nancial backing it would not be possible for us to run these Competitions. 

Duchal Nursery School 

We’ve had a great start to the year beginning our “people who help us” 

topic, learning about all the different people that help us in our every day 

lives. We have our own Duchal Hospital in our imagination corner, with 

many doctors and nurses helping out the willing patients. Hopefully when 

our local GP and practice nurse come in for their visit they will be impressed 

with their young trainees!! 

New Entries to Duchal: We are now beginning to offer places for the new 

intake for August 2018. If your child will be of nursery age after the summer and you are looking at your pre school 

options, please do get in touch to have an informal look around. With our extended hours (8.15am – 3.30pm 

daily) offering greater fl exibility of care and our purpose built facilities, Duchal nursery, is a fantastic place to begin 

your child’s pre-school education. Please take a look at our website for more information – www.duchal.com and 

fi nd us on Facebook. If you would like to come and visit the Nursery and meet the teachers please contact us on 

01505 874358 or email info@duchal.com. 

We are looking forward to celebrating Chinese New Year at the beginning of the month – which usually involves 

lots of messy fun with chopsticks – wish us luck!! 


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. 




Houston Toddlers 

Church Hall, Main Street, Houston 

Pop along and see us from 9.30am - 11.30am 



9.15am - 11.40am 




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. 


46-51 NEW SCHOOLS_281 FEBRUARY18.indd 46 25/01/2018 14:29:34


Lochwinnoch Primary School 

Lochwinnoch Primary School had a very busy and cheerful festive 

period. 

We organised our very first Christmas Fayre and there was a great 

turnout! We raised lots of money from games, class stalls and a raffle 

and visitors were treated to tea, coffee and mince pies after they had 

fi nished their shopping. The raffle prizes were all kindly donated by 

local businesses and we just wanted to say a massive thank you to 

everyone who helped with donations or with organising the fayre. 

The second last week of term saw us all turn up to school in our 

pyjamas and we had a Christmas movie afternoon as a special festive 

treat. It was so funny to see all the children in their onesies and they 

enjoyed watching Elf together and eating the popcorn kindly provided 

by the Parent Council. 

We also enjoyed a school talent show where we had a variety of acts 

performing. 

This included guitar playing, singing, piano playing, dancing and even 

one boy who played the chanter! The talent at Lochwinnoch Primary 

School is just endless. 

Primary 6 managed to achieve their Playmakers Award last term. 

They have been working closely with active school coaches, learning 

the skills needed to help set up clubs and coach younger children. 

This will hopefully help them to gain more responsibility in school and 

help to provide sporting opportunities for the younger children. 

Kilmacolm Primary School 

It has been a busy start to 2018 at Kilmacolm Primary School with lots 

of fun and exciting events to start the new school term. We started the 

year with a BANG and a BOOM as the school held science focus week. 

During the week each class studied a different aspect of science as well 

as participating in daily hands on science experiments. Primary 4 were 

busy creating electric circuits where they were connecting batteries, 

bulbs and switches. Primary 1 were learning about the fi ve senses, 

Primary 6 were investigating the respiratory system and Primary 7 

have been learning about the water cycle, carrying out evaporation 

and condensation experiments. The pupil’s favourite experiments 

were the chemical reactions, we loved adding water to a vitamin C 

tablet then watching the resulting explosion! The whole school has 

really caught the science bug and we can’t wait to learn more! 

Our extra-curricular school clubs have restarted and there is a wide 

range of activities to keep everyone fit and active. There are different 

clubs taking place every lunchtime and after school, so if you fancy 

taking part in Tae-Kwando, Basketball, Athletics, Football, Gymnastics, 

Golf, Dance or Netball come along. Good luck to the KPS athletics team 

who are competing in the Inverclyde Schools Athletics competition. 

A new addition to our school is our Cooking Classroom. We now have 

5 fabulous portable cookers and a wide range of cooking utensils. All 

classes have been learning about food hygiene and preparation. We 

have been learning about food allergies and food intolerances, ensuring 

we keep everyone safe when we are cooking. Primary 6 were keen 

to test drive our new equipment and they donned their aprons to chop 

vegetables, grate cheese and created delicious sandwiches. Everyone 

can’t wait to get cooking. 

P4-P7 attended the Beacon Pantomime Snow White, this was funded 

by our fantastic PTF. We had a brilliant time and were delighted when 

two cast members, Jane McCarry and Mark Cox visited our school. 

47 

Aye Write! Is back from 15th - 25th March with an amazing line-up and 

more venues than ever before. 

Among the authors appearing at Aye Write! This year are a pre-festivals 

return to Glasgow for Ruby Wax before Sir Chris Bonington, Peggy 

Seeger, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Robert Peston, Maggie O’ Farrell, 

Val McDermid, Brett Anderson, Professor A.C. Grayling, Evan Davis, 

Shami Chakrabarti, Graeme Obree, Jo Swinson all discuss their latest 

work and Neil MacGregor, formerly director of the British Museum gives 

the Tannahill Lecture. 

Composer Sir James MacMillan, Lawyer Aamer Anwar, Scotland’s 

Makar Jackie Kay and Dr Adele Patrick all discuss “The books that made 

me”. Also returning are Aye Tunes, Aye Con and Aye Write! Introduces. 

In total, well over 200 authors will be taking part in Aye Write! 2018. 

Wee Write! Family Days will be held on 3rd and 4th March for the young 

book worms in your life! 

Aye Write! Venues include The Mitchell Library, Glasgow Royal Concert 

Hall, the Centre for Contemporary Arts, the Glasgow Film Theatre, City 

Halls, Glasgow University and Tramway. 



48 

Scottish Tales Enthrall Thai 

School 

Sharing Scotland’s rich culture through story as well as song and dance, 

with people in other parts of the world, has always been a passion of 

Kilbarchan based Traditional Arts & Culture Scotland storyteller Anne 

Pitcher. So when she was asked to share some of Scotland’s stories 

and culture with an entire Primary School in southern Thailand, she 

leapt at the challenge. 

Although Thailand’s culture is very different from that of Scotland, the 

whole school from the youngest children in the Kindergarten to the 

older ‘Pratom’ pupils in the upper school, embraced the experience 

with enormous enjoyment and enthusiasm. Anne had the privilege of 

providing an hour and a half of storytelling training for some of the staff 

too. 

She told stories in a traditional Scottish kilt, with a back drop of the 

St Andrew’s and lion rampant flags, tartan bunting made from material 

donated by Houston’s kilt makers in Paisley and pictures of different 

Scottish scenes. Anne also brought with her, many puppets and props, 

including a child sized Scottish fairy puppet, a Broonie, which delighted 

the pupils. 

Each class heard traditional Scottish stories and also joined in with 

Scottish songs and dances. Having asked for advice about storytelling 

in Thailand from Dr Wajuppa Tossa, an eminent storyteller and retired 

university professor, she suggested that Anne have a translator on 

the day, even though all pupils learn English in the school. Jane Ting, 

wife of the Depute Head, who is bi-lingual, did an outstanding job of 

translating although she had never ever done anything like that before. 

Anne brought a taste of Scotland with her, giving the school of a book 

of traditional Scottish stories, some of which she had told, a Highland 

dancer doll, Scottish shortbread and the tartan bunting. 

The school Director, Jinaporn Sangthong, gave Anne gifts of a locally 

made batik sarong and a jacket from northern Thailand saying “The 

children will never forget their experience of Scottish stories, song and 

dance – it was a wonderful day for both pupils and staff” Anne enthused 

“It was just amazing to see all these young Thai children and staff, 

so wholeheartedly enjoying Scottish culture – I’d love to share that 

experience with children in other parts of the world too!” Let’s hope she 

gets a chance to do that in the future. 

Save our Kilmacolm 

Playgroup 


Bishopton Scout Group 

This was our busiest year with 252 Christmas trees picked up and 

recycled thank you all for your support. 

Thanks also to Hamilton Brothers Bishopton who provided the chipper 

again this year for recycling the trees. 

We expanded into new areas this year adding Houston and Bridge 

of Weir which led to uplifts in Quarriers, Brookfi eld and 1 out at 

Kilmacolm 

The money raised will go to providing adventurous activities within the 

Explorer section (14 to 17 year olds) of Bishopton Scouts 

Bishopton Scout Group run all sections from Beavers on to Cubs then 

Scouts on to Explorers and finally Network. 

If you have a young person wanting to join the adventure or you want 

to join in with the adventure by volunteering to help please get in touch 

and we can advise on section age groups and how you can make a 

difference by being involved with Bishopton Scout Group 

Contact our Group Scout Leader Iain Fyfe for more information. gsl@ 

bishoptonscouts.org.uk 

If you would like more information about Sections or Groups within 

the Renfrewshire District please contact the District Commissioner Ian 

Hunter dc@renfrewshirescouts.org.uk 

Thanks again for your support ~ Bishopton Explorers 

Gryffe High School 

Active Communities 

Firewalk 

On Saturday the 14th 

January, seven pupils 

and Miss Rowan took part 

in a Firewalk ran by the 

organisation Headstrong 

to raise money for 

Active Communities. All 

participants took part in 

a workshop focused on 

identifying thoughts that 

lead to negative feelings and trying to overcome these. Pupils were 

faced with the challenge of breaking a wooden arrow using their necks! 

The night culminated with pupils walking over coals at a temperature of 

600 to 800 degrees Celsius. It was a fantastic night of overcoming fear 

and celebrating in success. The money raised will go towards Active 

Communities new health hub in Johnstone which looks to improve the 

wellbeing of those in Renfrewshire by offering support and encouraging 

people to get involved in the local community. 

S6 pupil Alex Evans who took part said ‘overall the fi rewalk experience 

was really rewarding, as not only did we learn ways to tackle fear and 

have a sense of achievement, but I also know that the achievement 

will go to help others’. 

Miss H. Rowan on behalf of the Citizenship Committee 

These smiling faces 

do not know that their 

beloved playgroup may 

be weeks away from 

closure. Running for 

almost half a century 

this wonderful village 

asset has helped thousands of children gain confidence in their first 

steps towards nursery. Unfortunately staff shortages mean that this 

wonderful village asset may not last until Easter. Committee members 

are eager to hear from anyone who might be interested in the position 

of Senior Playleader. A management level in childcare is desirable but 

an SVQ level 3 is a start. Hours are 12 a week. Please send your CV 

to ronacakes@gmail.com – or alert anyone else you know who might 

be interested. See our advert in the classified section. 




49 

St Columba’s School 

A Musical Celebration 

Last month St Columba’s School, Kilmacolm, hosted their biennial Musical 

Celebration at Greenock Town Hall. With performances from our choirs, 

soloists, jazz band and pipe band, to name but a few, this wonderful 

community event showcased the musical talent at St Columba’s and 

certainly blew the audience away. St Columba’s would like to thank EDF 

Energy and David Wilson Homes for their kind sponsorship allowing over 

£2,000 to go towards the St Columba’s Foundation. 

Ski Trip 

At the beginning of January some pupils enjoyed a trip to Alpendorf, Austria, 

to practice their skiing. Whether it was taking on black runs, admiring the 

wonderful views of the Alps or visiting the historical city of Salzburg, it is safe 

to say a wonderful time was had by all! 

Senior VI Get Motivated 

Senior VI enjoyed a motivational weekend in Drymen on the 13th and 14th of 

January. This weekend offers challenging team-building tasks and ensures 

that pupils will be more than ready to embrace all opportunities that come 

their way upon leaving St Columba’s. As well as team-building activities 

there was a Murder Mystery Dinner and former pupils came along to speak 

to Senior VI and share their experiences of life after St Columba’s. 

Open Day: Thursday 1st March, 9am-3pm 

Ranked fourth in the Sunday Times league table of top Scottish Independent Secondary Schools in 2017, St Columba’s School is renowned for its fi rst 

class education and academic excellence. 

With representation on the Scottish Hockey team, the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and the Scottish Debating Team, St Columba’s leads the 

way both in the classroom and on the field. It is with dedicated teaching, mentoring and pastoral care that every pupil can aspire to greatness. 

Our size is also our strength. With around 700 pupils aged 3-18, each child is known by name and recognised as an individual. 

There is no better way to experience the true atmosphere of St Columba’s School than to come and see it for yourself. Our Open Day provides the 

perfect opportunity for prospective and current families to see our Early Years, Junior and Senior Schools in action. Please do come along from 9am- 

3pm and let our pupils show you what makes St Columba’s so special. 

 

wraparound care from 7.30am-6pm financial assistance dedicated coach service 

www.st-columbas.org 



50 

Houston Toddlers 


Lovely to see old and new faces at toddlers since we started back in January. We are all busy making new 

friends and enjoying having fun while its pretty miserable outside. 

We have some valentines crafts on offer on the 8th February so come along to make something special for 

someone special! 

We welcome all children age between 0 - 4 years old, together with their parents, grandparents or carers to 

join in with the games, crafts and play on offer every Thursday. The children can enjoy playing, making friends 

and of course snack time while the adults can catch up with a cuppa. 

We meet between 9.30am - 11.30am so come along when you are ready to the West Hall, Main street 

Houston PA67EL (next to the Carrick centre) ~ We look forward to meeting you all! 

Houston Primary School 

Scotland Street School 

The pupils of Primary 6 have been learning about the Victorians and 

to enhance their learning, Mrs. Conaghan, Miss Brown and Miss 

Adam arranged a trip to Scotland Street School. The pupils made 

comparisons with the classrooms 

and the teachers, and are very glad 

to be attending Houston Primary in 

the present day. 

Maths Whizz 

Lewis Edge of Primary 5 took part 

in the Sumdog online challenge to 

complete 1000 math questions in 

a week. He did this and scored an 

amazing 968 achieving an overall 

4th place within Renfrewshire. Well 

done! 

Solar Lamps 

Last year Houston Primary School 

donated £400 to purchase solar lamps for pupils in Zambia. They 

are now on their way to a school in Mwandi and should arrive by 

February. 

This means that there is now 

sufficient lighting for each pupil in 

years 9 and 12 to study. We aim 

to support this worth while cause 

again this year. 

Happy Reading! 

Pupils at Houston Primary School 

and Nursery are being encouraged 

to nurture a lifelong love of books and reading through a new 

challenge set by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. 

The challenge will encourage children to read as many books as 

possible each year from a selection chosen by a special panel of 

academics, experts and teachers, with the First Minister’s chosen 

book taking the fi rst place on the list. 

The pupils in P4-7 will record their reading progress in a reading 

passport and be encouraged to write a short review of the books 

they read. 

In the Nursery the pupils take a book home to read each week. 

For every story read they place a ping pong ball in their group jar 

and then they count them to see which group has read the most 

books. 

Bridge of Weir Primary 

The festive season is always 

busy in school and this year 

was no exception. Hopscotch 

Theatre Company put on an 

impressive pantomime for the 

whole school and all stages had 

great fun at their class parties 

(Santa even managed to fit in 

visits to the nursery, P1 and 2 

despite his busy schedule!). 

Our Christmas jumper day raised lots of 

money for the St Vincent’s Hospice and 

Primary 7 pupils showed real Christmas 

spirit by writing personal seasonal stories 

for their P1 buddies. 

Our Christmas Celebrations may seem 

like a distant memory but we wanted 

to say a huge “well done” to all of the 

Primary 1 to 3 pupils who sang their 

hearts out in our nativity and “thank you” to everyone who came along, 

provided costumes and helped in so many different ways. Primary 4 to 7 

also deserve credit for the very high standard which they achieved singing 

a real mix of challenging, unusual and entertaining Christmas songs. 

There’s nothing quite like Christmas in a primary school! 

We are very proud of two of our Primary 3 

pupils whose artwork was selected for the 

Inspired exhibition at Paisley Museum & Art 

Galleries. This annual event showcases 

the best artwork from school pupils across 

Renfrewshire and will run until 15th April. 

Anya and Elena created their work during art 

classes with Mrs Devine who accompanied 

them to a special preview reception for all the 

exhibitors. This was a really special event 

and the girls were very excited to attend. 

As part of their learning in Health and Wellbeing Primary 2 pupils visited 

our local Tesco store in Linwood where they took part in a Food Trail to 

help them understand about the importance of a balanced diet They went 

shopping for healthy foods (although they had to put the items back!) and 

Cara and Connor in Primary 2b both agreed that the best part was getting 

to eat the fruit kebabs they made themselves. Many thanks to all of the 

staff at Tesco for facilitating this very worthwhile visit. 

Strawberry Field Out of School Care 

We have had a very busy December with lots of Christmas activities, with our theme being I saw 3 ships go sailing by. We made our own ships and 

displayed them outside along with all our Christmas decorations. We also had a visit from Santa at our party and all got a nice present. Over the next few 

weeks we will be concentrating in fi nding out about Historic Houston with a variety of activities and visits planned. 

Staff will be getting training on Physical activity and well-being which will further provide us with skills for getting children of all abilities to take part in, 

and overcome any barriers to getting active. The training will also look at further benefi ts for physical activity in terms of developing children’s skills and 

attributes and will look in more detail at resources and activities promoting inclusion, self-awareness and goal-directed behaviour. 

If you wish to enquire about our Out of School Care please call us on 01505 615315 or alternatively email sam@sfnursery.com 




51 

Pupils have their 

say in Hearty 

Lives initiative 

Young people are having their say on the 

food on their plates by helping develop 

healthier high school menus. 

The health peer education project Hearty 

Lives is being delivered across all 11 

Renfrewshire secondary schools by Paisleybased 

charity Active Communities. 

Each school has appointed a teacher as a 

co-ordinator who works with a group of senior 

pupils to promote healthy eating and to make 

improvements for their fellow students. 

The project is funded by Renfrewshire 

Council’s Tackling Poverty Fund and school 

catering staff have met regularly with the 

groups to develop high school menus. 

A healthier breakfast service has been 

introduced to phase out traditional fi lled rolls 

in favour of choices such as toast, poached 

eggs and fruit, as well as reducing the size 

and availability of home baking options. 

Healthy food choices are now more 

prominently displayed at serving areas with 

catering staff encouraged to ‘nudge’ pupils to 

make healthier choices. 

At Johnstone High School, catering staff have 

also being working with the School Nutrition 

Action Group to offer taster sessions to 

pupils and parents, as well as reviewing the 

food choices on offer at break times. 

Catering Manager Kerry O’Donnell said: “We 

had excellent feedback on the quality of food 

served in the canteen from the parents who 

attended the food taster session and we’re 

regularly reviewing the food choices on offer 

to help pupils to make healthier choices.” 

Plans are also underway for outdoor seating 

in the school’s quadrangle area to encourage 

pupils to buy a healthy meal and stay on 

site. 

First year pupil Alexis Malone, 12, said: “I 

came to the taster session with my family 

and we had the opportunity to taste different 

healthy foods which are now available from 

the canteen. Tasting the different foods has 

encouraged me to eat healthier foods at 

break and at lunchtime.” 

The school’s Hearty Lives coordinator Ainsley 

Brown said: “The healthier school meals 

initiative is one of the main projects that 

our Young Health Ambassadors have been 

involved in and it has been very successful 

in encouraging all of our students to make 

healthier food choices.” 

Student Rachel McGhee said: “Young 

Health Ambassadors were responsible for 

fi nding out the nutritional facts of different 

foods and then for creating nutritional 

themed displays within the canteen which 

make our fellow pupils aware of the health 

benefi ts of certain foods.” 

Similar work is being carried out in all high 

schools with work experience also being 

offered in some school kitchens. 

Renfrewshire Council is also working in 

partnership with West College Scotland to 

deliver a bespoke Cooking Skills training 

course open to all catering staff and 

designed around the school menu. 

Young people ready to showcase year 

of youth-led events 

Renfrewshire’s young people are gearing up for an amazing celebration of youth this year. The Year 

of Young People 2018 is a year-long programme of events and activities that will put a spotlight on the 

talents and contributions of young people. 

The national-themed year is being delivered by the Scottish Government, working in collaboration with 

VisitScotland, EventScotland, Young Scot, Children in Scotland, Scottish Youth Parliament, Creative 

Scotland and YouthLink Scotland. 

Young people have already been involved in the planning for the celebatory year, which focuses on 

culture, education, health and wellbeing, enterprise and regeneration, equality and diversity, and 

participation. 

Councillor Jim Paterson, Renfrewshire Council’s Convener of Education and Children’s Services, said: 

“Renfrewshire already has a positive platform for young people to get involved in their community 

and this year will be a fantastic celebration of all they have already achieved as well as what young 

people can do. Having an effective youth voice that is listened to by decision-makers in Renfrewshire 

is important. Their voices matter and young people have already made signifi cant changes that make 

their lives better.” 

Renfrewshire Council’s youth services team are working alongside key partners and young people to 

create and develop a series of exciting opportunities to get involved in and show young people in a 

positive light. Councillor Paterson added: “Young people are very creative and we know that they have 

great ideas that bring communities together. During the Year of Young People, we will be supporting 

young people to take creative control of community events in the area.” 

For more information on the Year of Young People, visit http://yoyp2018.scot and https://young.scot/ 

renfrewshire. 

Walking challenge will take Bishopton 

Primary pupils around Scotland 

P7 pupils have started the year with an ambitious challenge – to walk 

their way around a virtual Scotland. 

This fantastic undertaking, part of the national School Daily Mile 

campaign, is designed to improve children’s physical, social, emotional 

and mental health. Pupils have previously taken part in three School 

Daily Mile challenges – brisk walking, running and walking a lap 

alternatively and non-stop running. 

The venture not only keeps them fi t but also takes pupils on a journey 

of Scotland’s cultural history. As pupils total up the miles they have 

walked or ran they compare them with various locations around 

the country. They could fi nd themselves at the Kelpies, the Wallace 

Monument, or for exceptionally energetic or wanderlust among them, 

even John O’Groats! 

Inverclyde School Catchment 

Consultation underway 

A consultation has started on school catchment areas. Inverclyde Council education service is 

highlighting that the changes address ‘minor anomalies’ in catchment areas expected to affect as 

few as 12 pupils across Inverclyde 

The proposed changes have come about because of a move to a new online mapping system being 

developed by the council. In the consultation proposal document, the council highlights: “At present 

the school catchment areas for every Inverclyde schools are defined by listing all of the streets and 

addresses within a given catchment area. This is known as the street list. These street lists were 

originally compiled from historical maps of catchment areas.” 

Inverclyde Council’s education convener, Councillor Jim Clocherty, urged residents and parents 

to have their say in the consultation. He said: “Although this consultation doesn’t propose major 

changes to catchment areas and addresses minor anomalies highlighted by new technology, it is 

important that residents, parents and others with an interest who may be affected by this fi nd out 

more and have their say. 

“The council’s education service has already written to every address affected by this proposal 

to alert them to this. The full consultation proposal, maps of the affected areas and a copy of the 

questionnaire are available online at the council website for anyone to view and download.” 

It is estimated that the minor alterations being proposed would affect around 12 pupils across 

Inverclyde. The closing date for consultation responses on this consultation will be Tuesday 20th 

February 2018. 

There will be two public meetings where residents and parents can find out more. They will be 

held on Wednesday 7th February 2018 in Notre Dame High School at 6.30pm and on Thursday 8th 

February 2018 in the Port Glasgow Community Campus at 6.30pm. 

The full consultation document, maps and questionnaire are available at the consultation section of 

the council website at www.inverclyde.gov.uk/yoursay 



52 


Bridge of Weir United 

December was a busy month 

of fundraising for the children. 

We were pleased to be able 

to go round with the Bridge 

of Weir Festival Committee’s 

much loved Santa Wagon, 

raising a grand total of 

£475.75 for the club. The 

kids had a tremendous time 

running around giving out 

(and occasionally eating) sweeties while rattling the collection cans. A big 

thank you to the Festival Committee, and also to the coaches/parents who 

helped herd the children on the night! 

In the same week, some of the children and parents took part in a charity 

collection at Ibrox Stadium to raise funds for Ivy Rose Summers. Ivy Rose 

is a 5 year old girl who has cerebral palsy and needs stem cell treatment in 

the US. Ivy’s parents, originally from Bridge of Weir, need to raise £162,000 

in order to fund the treatment, which is currently not available in the UK. 

Rangers FC were kind enough to allow fundraising before a match, and we 

are delighted to hear that over £4000 was donated by generous supporters 

on the day. Rangers informed Ivy Rose’s parents that this was by far the 

highest amount ever raised from a bucket collection at a game! For more 

information, or to donate, please visit Ivy Rose’s fundraising page at https:// 

www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ivyrosesummers 

The new season is upon us. Bridge of Weir Utd currently have teams for 

children born in 2007-2010, with new players always welcome to join. We 

are also running training sessions for children born in 2011 and 2012 but at 

the moment don’t have enough children to register teams, or any coaches to 

take charge of the teams. We would also be willing to start a 2013 team, but 

again need players and coaches. If your child would like to play in any of the 

age ranges, or if you would like to volunteer as a coach and/or fi rst aider, we 

would be pleased to hear from you. This does require a regular commitment 

of a couple of hours a week during the season, but it is incredibly rewarding 

as you see the children develop. Any coaching/fi rst aid/child protection etc. 

courses would be fully funded by the club, as would any kit required. If you 

would like further information please contact Joe Gibson on 07514 671904 

or Ronnie Palin on 07584 275743. 

Ranfurly Castle Golf Club 

The Weather, once again, reared it’s head and caused the cancellation 

of the Ladies Section AGM. 

F o r t u n a t e l y , 

Saturday 20th 

January saw a let 

up in the snow and 

41 ladies braved 

the icy conditions 

to attend the 

rescheduled 

meeting. 

Out going Captain, Pamela MacKenzie, recounted the events of 2017 

while thanking her committee for all their support throughout the year 

before handing the Badge of Office to the incoming Ladies Captain - 

Marion Munro. Taking over proceedings, 

Marion introduced her Vice Captain for the year 

- Jan Macnab - who was warmly welcomed by 

the meeting. 

The Prizes for 2017 were then presented 

by Pamela - Gillian Donaghy Bronze Club 

Champion, Alison Templeton Bronze Knockout 

Champion, Allison Murray Silver Knockout 

Champion and Club Champion - Marion Munro. 

Marion then gave a vote of thanks to all and 

in particular she mentioned her caddy Jan who, 

on Finals day, had kept her calm and grounded 

in such a big match. 

The evening of 9th January was the Junior 

Section AGM presided over by Jack Snell. 

Angus Frood was presented with the Trophy as 

Junior Champion for the 3rd year in a row while 

Ramsay McLeod was presented with the Trophy 

for overall winner of the 6 hole Sunday Medals. 

Congratulations to both. 

We are all looking forward to better weather 

and getting back onto the Golf Course! 

Counting Down to the Biggest Bubble Rush 

Make one of your new year resolutions a fun one you can do with family and friends. It’s time to register for the foam-fi lled 

Bubble Rush and support your local hospice. The not to be missed event is taking place at Bellahouston Park on Sunday 6th 

May and is the biggest Bubble Rush event in the UK. 

Bubble Rush is an event full of laughter. Thousands of people are showered in multi-coloured bubbles and foam as they make 

their way along the 5k route. All the ‘bubblers’ have a great day out and, at the same time, raise valuable funds for hospice care. Last year over £11.5k 

was raised for Ardgowan Hospice to support those patients living with a life limiting illness and their families in the community of Inverclyde. 

It is not a race and is aimed all ages. Hospice supporters can run walk or toddle around the route. 

Alex Mula, Events and Fundraising Coordinator at Ardgowan Hospice, said, “Bubble Rush was a sell out last year as families jumped at the idea to 

try something new. The event makes everyone smile and have a good time together. It is the perfect way to inspire all ages to get fi tter and take on 

challenges in 2018. We encourage you to register now to get your chance to be ‘bubbled’ this year. “ 

Adult tickets (16+) cost just £20 and juniors (4-15) can enter for £10, anyone under 4 can enter for free and a family ticket (2 adults and 2 juniors) can enter 

for £50. To sign up to Bubble Rush to support Ardgowan Hospice, visit http://www.princeandprincessofwaleshospice.org.uk/event-article/family-events/ 

bubble-rush or for more information please contact Alex on 01475 558888 or email fundraising@ardhosp.co.uk 


52-55 NEW SPORTS_281 FEBRUARY18.indd 52 25/01/2018 14:40:31


53 

Active for Ardgowan 

It’s now February and many good intentions may have fallen by the 

wayside, but a way to feel better and resolve to get fi tter and support the 

hospice is to take part in the Active for Ardgowan appeal. 

Adding some ‘active’ time to your day can boost your mood and help you 

feel better. Active for Ardgowan is for everyone. It appeals to people 

training for a challenge. It also suits those who want to make a positive 

change in 2018 by adding something active into their day. This could 

include getting off the bus a stop earlier, taking the stairs or leaving the 

car and walking to the shops. Any money saved you can donate to the 

Hospice. 

Ardgowan Hospice is inviting Inverclyde to sign up to an activity and gain 

sponsorship for a very worthy cause. Families can get involved with the 

Bubble Rush on May 6th – this is frothy and fun and only 5k that can be 

walked or ran. 

Scotland is brimming with other active challenges, all of which can be 

run, swum, walked or cycled in 

aid of the Ardgowan Hospice. 

Details of events are featured 

on the Hospice’s website 

https://ardgowanhospice.org. 

uk/support-your-local-hospice 

Alex Mula, Events and 

Fundraising Co-ordinator, 

Ardgowan Hospice said: “I 

have signed up for the Men’s 

10k in Glasgow to raise money 

for the hospice and it also 

means I will get out and train in 

all weathers.” 

If you want more ideas or 

information about how to take 

part in Active for Ardgowan 

please contact Elaine McNeill 

on 01475 558899 or email 

elaine.mcneill@ardhosp.co.uk 

Ann-Marie Fry, Alex Mula (yellow top) & 

Raymond Bain. 



54 

Kilmacolm Golf Club - Ladies 

Despite freezing conditions (-4) 34 ladies turned up to play in the 

Annual fun Christmas Cracker competition dressed in fabulous Merry 

Festive outfi ts and hats. The greensomes competition was over 7 

holes (too icy to play any more!) and the very worthy winners were 

Maggie McKean and Morag Turner with a fabulous 19 stableford 

points; in second place was Sharen Wilson and Moira Boyle and in 

third place was our new Club Captain (first lady) Jane McDonald and 

Irene Hicks. The ladies retired to the club house where delicious party 

/ festive food and mulled wine was served by our fabulous new chef 

Richard, the wonderful Roz and the willing and very able bar and 

kitchen staff. 


Howwood Curling Club 

Come & Try on 7th March 

Howwood Curling Club are always looking for new members to join our 

friendly curling club which meets at Greenacres, near Howwood. It is a 

great way to keep fi t and socialise with people in a friendly atmosphere. 

Current club members come from Renfrewshire, Glasgow and North 

Ayrshire. We are now looking for new players to play for the 2018/19 

season. 

We have organised a Come & Try session on Wednesday 7th March 

at 8.30pm at Greenacres Curling Club. Anyone who is interested is 

welcome to come along and try out curling. No experience is necessary. 

Everyone is welcome, whatever your age or ability. We will provide a 

qualifi ed coach to give you the tuition you need to try out curling. You 

will also meet with our club members and get to play. We will invite you 

to our closing bonspiel for the 2017/18 season on the 28th March if you 

continue to be interested following the Come & Try. 

All the equipment you need will be provided. The cost on the night for 

ice is £6. 

Please contact Lachie Carmichael (see below) if you wish to attend - 

lachiedcarmichael@hotmail.com 01294 823643 

Sporting Blog 

by Lesley Handley 

Reasons why you should… 

There are so many different types of training and exercise that I thought 

I would go over some of the reasons why you should do certain things. 

I plan on doing this over the next few issues so keep reading to fi nd out 

about why you should do certain types of training. Not all types of training 

suit everyone so individually you may be suited to certain things. 

REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD LIFT WEIGHTS… 

 

Essentially you will burn more calories. The physical act of lifting 

weights burns calories, but it also actually causes you to burn more 

calories daily even when resting. Boosting muscle mass means you 

body needs a lot more energy to maintain this, resulting in you burning 

more calories throughout the day. 

 

Many other things in your life will improve as a result. Boosting 

muscle mass translates into everyday activities and you will start to 

fi nd that carrying the shopping, picking your children up, cleaning the 

house, playing football with your kids all becomes a bit easier for you. 

 

Reduced stress. Physical exercise releases endorphins which make 

you feel good. Strength training has been shown to decrease tension 

and anxiety, thereby also making it a great de-stressor. 

 

Stronger bones. Strength training can help improve the health and 

strength of your bones and connective tissue by increasing bone 

density. As you get older this can be of great benefi t as it can help to 

prevent osteoporosis and small fractures. 

 

Improved posture. Lifting weights and training your whole body allows 

the strength of your body and range of motion overall to increase. This 

can assist in maintaining a more upright posture and a stronger core 

allowing you to stand taller. 

For all the other benefi ts of lifting 

weights and to read the full article 

head over to the FitSmart Fitness 

Facebook page (@fi tsmartfi tness). 

Lesley 

For more information or advice on 

personal training contact me on 

0773 627 4925 or e-mail lesley@ 

fi tsmartfi tness.co.uk. Or visit www. 

fi tsmartfi tness.co.uk to fi nd out about 

my online training system. 


Adult Jazz Class 

Bridge of Weir, 10am 

Tel: 01505 690757 for further information. 

Zumba Light 

St Fillan’s Church, Kilmacolm, 10am. 

Tel: 07505 126416 For More 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 

Old Skool Step Class 

Freelands Church (Opposite Amaretto), 6.30pm. 

Tel: 07505 126416 For More Information. 

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 

Hatha Yoga 

Tweedie Halls, Linwood, 10 - 11am 

Classes available to all levels. Tel: 07968 207272. 

Pilates classes 

St Machars Church Hall, Bridge of Weir 

9.30am & 10.40am. Kilmacolm community 

centre 6.30pm. 

Tel Yvonne 07786 224367 or yvonne@ 

clydephysiotherapy.co.uk 

Boxercise 

Kidston Hall, Kilmacolm, 6pm - 7pm 

£4 booking reqd 

Tel: 07983 557832 www.sifi tness.co.uk 

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 

Hatha Yoga 

Large Hall, St Columba Church, 6.30 - 8pm 

Classes available to all levels. Tel: 07968 207272. 


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 

Falun Dafa practice 

Port Glasgow Library 17:00 - 19:00 

With five gentle exercises, Falun Dafa is an ancient 

self-cultivation practice based on the principles of 

Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. 


Callanetics 

Brookfield Village Hall, 9.15am & 10.30am 

Adult Tap Lessons 

Cargill Centre, Kilmacolm, Evening 

Call Gail Ashley on 07415 701667 for details 

EVERY TUESDAY 

Bridge of Weir Walking Group 

Outside the Co-op, BoW, 10.30am 

1 hour walks. Call Senga on 0141 842 3000. EVERY SU N D A Y 

Gryffe Badminton 

Strathgryffe Tennis Club, 8pm 

Football Training 

Johnstone High School, 6pm - 9pm 

Call Ali on 07775 578795 for details. 

info@advertizer.co.uk 01505 613340 

 

Birkmyre Rugby Club, Kilmacolm 

Youth Rugby Section, 11am - 1pm 

www.pitchero.com/clubs/birkmyre 




55 

Sustrans Big Pedal 2018 

Sustrans Big Pedal is the UK’s largest inter-school cycling and scooting 

challenge inspiring pupils, staff and parents to choose two wheels for 

their journey to school. 

Sustrans Big Pedal will run for 10 days from 23rd April to 4th May and is 

open to individual classes as well as whole schools. 

What is the challenge? 

On each day, schools compete to see who can record to get as many of 

their pupils, staff and parents cycling or scooting to school. Your school’s 

best fi ve days will determine your fi nal position, but you can log journeys 

on all ten days if you wish. 

For schools unable to take part in the main event we have a one-day 

challenge, which can include cycling and scooting activities in the school 

day as well as on the journey to school. 

Fundraising superhero day 

To celebrate the fi nale of the challenge there is also the option to join 

our superhero fundraiser day. All money raised will help us to enable 

thousands of children to walk, cycle or scoot every day – making the 

school run safer and healthier. 

Jo Pavey MBE asks runners: 

‘What’s Your Resolution?’ 

British athlete and ‘Supermum’, Jo Pavey MBE is 

calling on everyone in Glasgow to make their New 

Year’s Resolution to sign up for a Stroke Association 

Resolution Run. The charity is hosting one of its 

runs at Glasgow Green on 11th March 2018 

and everyone is welcome! 

The 43-year-old long-distance runner and World, 

European and Commonwealth medallist, has 

teamed up with the charity to encourage people to 

take part in a 5k or 10k Resolution Run. 

Jo Pavey said: “You don’t have to be a medalwinning 

athlete to take on a Resolution Run for the Stroke Association. 

These events are ideal for people who are putting on their trainers for 

their first charity run, through to more experienced runners. The added 

bonus is that the funds you raise will help even more people recover 

from a devastating stroke. 

“As a mother juggling the demands of being a full-time athlete, I know 

how tricky it can be to find the time to train. I often push a buggy on 

my training runs and clock up miles on the treadmill whilst the kids are 

in bed. The Stroke Association offers support every step of the way to 

help you reach your New Year goals. So make a resolution that counts 

this year and sign up today.” 

Three runs will be held in Scotland from 25th February – 11th March, 

with runners able to choose their distance. The events are open to all 

ages and abilities, and participants can run, jog or walk their way to the 

finish line. 

Kirsty Scott, Community and Events Fundraising Manager at the Stroke 

Association, in Scotland said: “A Resolution Run is exactly that – a 

resolution for the New Year that counts. It’s the ideal event for families 

and friends in Glasgow who want to do something fun together while 

getting more active in 2018. Over 120,000 people in Scotland are living 

with the effects of stroke and many are in need of support. By signing 

up to a Resolution Run, each runner will help us ensure that we can 

continue to help stroke survivors and their families as they rebuild their 

lives.” 

Entry fee is just £16. All runners receive a technical running t-shirt 

and medal. For more information about entering or volunteering at 

the Resolution Run, visit http://www.stroke.org.uk/resolution, email 

resolution@stroke.org.uk or call 0300 330 0740. 



56 

HEALTHCARE/ 

BEAUTY 


BUSINESS 

TRADES AND SERVICES 

CHILDCARE 

Houston registered 

childminders. For an 

informal chat to find 

your best childcare, call 

Elizabeth Waddell T: 

01505 614925 

Kilmacolm/Quarriers area 

registered childminders. 

P/time or F/time 

vacancies for u-5’s and 

after school. 

T: 01505 873839. 

MISCELLANEOUS 

TUITION 

SITUATIONS VACANT 

PROPERTY 

TRADES & SERVICES 

PROPERTY & HOLIDAY HOMES 

CARS FOR SALE 

Black & White ads only 

Lineage: up to 20 words £13.00* 

Boxed ad: £7.50* per column cm 

Photo: add £7.50* (colour) 

*all prices subject to VAT 

PROPERTY TO LET 


56-59 NEW CLASSIFIED_281 FEBRUARY18.indd 56 25/01/2018 15:34:27


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. St Mary’s Episcopal 

Church is a small, lively and 

mature Christian community. 

We are united by our belief in 

Jesus, the One in whom God fully 

revealed Himself and through 

whom we have life in all it’s 

fullness. Come and worship 

with us. Our main Service is held 

on Sundays at 10am. A warm 

welcome awaits you. Contact: 

Rev. Heller G. 01505 872961 

www.heartlandsec.org/BoW 

S t M a c h a r ’ s R a n f u r l y 

Church: 

Sunday 4th Februar y 

10.30am - Communion 

Service with Junior Church 

and 7pm Joint Evening 

Communion, Sunday 18th 

February 10.30am - All 

Age Service, Monday 5th 

2.30pm - Guild meeting; 

Life Style, speaker Karen 

Carruth, Monday 19th 

2.30pm - Guild meeting; 

‘ I am a J.P.’ speaker Jim 

Hair, Friday 23rd 12 noon 

- The Terrace Lunch Club – 

everyone welcome 

Hope Hall: Sun 1pm Sunday 

School, 4.30pm Gospel 

Ser vice; Mon 6.30pm 

Investigators for Kids, 8pm 

Bible Study and Prayer. 

ELDERSLIE 

Elderslie Kirk: Sunday service 

ever y week at 11am. 

Minister - Rev. Robin Allison. 

A l l we l c o m e . We e k l y 

meetings:- Monday Club 

every week from 12noon - 

2.30pm. Light lunch and a 

varied activity programme. 

Midweek Fellowship will 

meet ever y Wed from 

10.30am for Tea/Coffee 

followed by a short Service 

of Worship at 11am. 

HOWWOOD 

Howwood Parish Church. 

Minister Rev May Bell. 

Sunday Service and Sunday 

School. 10am each Sunday. 

Prayer meeting held at 3 

Bowfield Way, Howwood, 

7.30pm on Tuesdays. 

HOUSTON 

Houston and Killellan: The 

services will be led by Rev 

Ian Bell unless otherwise 

s t a te d . S u n d ay 7 t h 

February - 11am Morning 

Worship, Sunday 14th - 

11am Morning Worship, 

Sunday 21st - 11am 

Morning Worship, Sunday 

28th - 11am Morning 

Worship. 

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: 

‘Abbotsfield’, St. Fillan’s, 

Main St, Houston, PA6 

7EL. T. 01505 612046. E. 

parish@stfillan.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 

KILBARCHAN 

Kilbarchan Parish Church in 

February: Services continue 

at 11am each Sunday 

throughout Februar y, 

conducted by Rev. Stephen 

Smith. The Sacrament of 

Holy Communion will be 

observed on Sunday 25th 

at 11am and 2pm. We 

continue to support the 

Paisley Food Bank each 

Sunday. Sunday School 

and the Crèche will meet in 

the hall from 10.45am each 

week. The Session meets 

on Thursday 8th in the 

small hall. The Midweek 

Fellowship continues on 

Wednesday mornings with 

coffee at 10.30am and a 

short service of worship 

at 11am in the small hall. 

Mary’s Meals-Kilbarchan 

Parish Church-as a result 

of donations in Advent, the 

sum of £938, with added 

Gift Aid over £1100, a 

magnificent sum for this 

very worthwhile charity and 

thanks to the generosity of 

other donors, this sum will 

be doubled. ALL WELCOME 

TO ANY OF OUR SERVICES. 

For further information 

about the church and the 

organisations, please visit 

Kilbarchan Kirk online: 

www.kilbarchan-kirk.btck. 

co.uk 

KILMACOLM 

Kilmacolm Old Kirk: Church 

o f S c o t l a n d ( C h a r i t y 

no. SC009291). www. 

kilmacolmoldkirk.org. 

uk. Minister Rev. Dr Peter 

McEnhill (01505 873174). 

Morning Worship – Sundays 

11am. All Welcome. Tea/ 

coffee served in Session 

House after service. Sunday 

School and Crèche available. 

Sòlas Bereavement Group, 

2 n d T h u r s d a y e a c h 

month at 2pm in Kidston 

Hall.Kilmacolm Old and 

Kilmacolm St Columba are 

having United Services at 

11am. During the month of 

August, they will be held in 

St Columba Church. 

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. 

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. 

Rosary Tuesdays 6.30pm. 

P r a y e r g r o u p m e e t s 

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 

S u n d ay a t 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! www.heartlandsec. 

o r g / K L M / i n d e x . h t m l 

Contacts: Revd. Heller G.P 

01505 872961 / Maureen 

Russell (Pastoral Assistant) 

01505 872905. 

LANGBANK 

Langbank Parish Church: 

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: Mary Jane 

Bird. Sunday 11am: Morning 

Worship and Sunday School. 

All welcome. 

C a l d e r U n i t e d F r e e 

C h u r c h : ( C h u r c h 

Street, Lochwinnoch) 

Sunday: 11am Morning 

worship with Sunday 

S c h o o l a n d C r è c h e . 

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 

6.30pm 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! 

A Place 

for Love 

57 

Since soon 

Valentine’s Day 

will be hard to 

avoid in the 

shops I thought 

I would take my 

cue from that. 

When it comes 

to Saint Valentine we associate him mostly with 

romantic love. In fact, when we talk about love, 

we tend to think about romantic love in the fi rst 

instance, and perhaps love of family as a close 

second. But can love be found elsewhere? 

In my attempt to set out some reasons for coming 

to and being part of a church, I want to refl ect on 

the church as a place for love. The only reason 

why the Christian church exists is because of 

God’s love for people and his desire to dwell with 

them. To make this relationship possible, God 

sent Jesus into the world. 

According to John’s gospel (chapter 3 verse 16) 

‘God so loved the world that he gave his one and 

only Son, so that whoever believes in him shall 

not be lost but shall have eternal life.’ Jesus loved 

his followers by laying down his life for them, and 

instructed them in turn to love one another. In fact, 

love was to be their distinguishing characteristic. 

Jesus said (in John 13:34-35) “A new command I 

give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, 

so you must love one another. By this everyone 

will know that you are my disciples, if you love 

one another.” 

Now of course, if you have at any time been 

part of a church community you may well know 

examples of a lack of love or of people getting 

hurt by comments or actions of others. You may 

know people who profess to be Christian, but who 

you find lacking in love. Perhaps you’re it! 

However, I also know countless examples of 

people’s selfless love and service given in 

churches, both to those in and outside the church. 

I have been on the receiving end of such love and 

over the years in different places have experienced 

friendships, across the generations and between 

people of different walks of life. Although it’s not 

always easy to live and work and pray together, 

the faith and the love of Christ binds us together 

and helps us to love and forgive one another. 

Of course, as with any relationship: the more you 

put in, the more you get out. So why not try for 

yourself how the church can be a place of love! A 

place to experience the love of God for you and a 

place to practice love of others. 

Rev Hanneke Marshall, St Machar’s Ranfurly 

Church 



58 

ITEMS FOR SALE 

BABY EQUIPMENT 

Travel cot - £12. Mothercare 

white wooden junior bed ( 

mattress not included) - 

£30. Fisher Price baby 

bouncer with vibrating 

seat and mobile - £18. All 

from smoke free home 

and very good condition. 

Lochwinnoch. Tel: 07970 

683678 

Baby Bjorn Baby Carrier 

Original. Good Condition. 

Smoke and pet free home. 

£10. Tel: 01505 872800. 

Mothercare high-chair. 

Rarely used for grandchild. 

Like new. Smoke and 

pet free home. Donation 

£10 to £20. Tel: 01505 

872717 

Fisher Price Discover & 

Grow Jumperoo. Like 

new. Bouncy and in full 

working order. Smoke 

and pet free home. £20. 

Tel: 07765 550180 

Angel care baby monitor. 

£15. Tel: 44 7985 

482211. 

Toilet trainer seat, white, 

VGC, £2.50 each (have 

two). Tel: 07720 299588. 

Travel cot. Very Good 

condition. £15. Tel: 44 

7985 482211. 

Potty Chair Mothercare 

red & pink, VGC, £5. Tel: 

07720 299588. 

CLOTHES & SHOES 

Tap shoes pink junior size 

9/10 & 10/11. £8 each. 

VGC. Tel: 07720 

299588. 

Pink Leotard, good 

condition, size 00. £5. Tel: 

07720 299588 

Houston Primary school 

uniform clothing, assorted 

blazer, fleece, waterproof 

jacket, white blouses, 

polo shirts, skirts, tie etc. 

Tote box full. £10 the lot. 

Tel: 07876 585391 

Black Jazz skirts, never 

used, junior size 

Medium. £10. Tel: 07720 

299588. 

Lily and Jack Snowsuit, 

3-6 months. Excellent 

Condition. Smoke and 

pet free home. £8. Tel: 

01505 872800. 

Black Jazz shoes, good 

condition, junior size 

11/12. £8 Tel: 07720 

299588. 

Navy Snowsuit, 3-6 months. 

Good Condition. Smoke 

and pet free home. £5. 

Tel: 01505 872800. 

2 x Gro Bag Sleeping Bags 

0-6 months, 2.5 togs. 

Good Condition. Smoke 

and pet free home. £7 

each or both £12. Tel: 

01505 872800. 

Mothercare Snowsuit, 9-12 

months. Good Condition. 

Smoke and pet free home. 

£8. Tel: 01505 872800. 

Hunter Wellies size 8 olive 

colour. Never worn. £25.00 

Tel: 01505 329075 

HOUSEHOLD & GARDEN 

Qualcast Quiet Garden 

Shredder, Model 

SDS2810. As new 

condition, used only 

once. Full instruction 

booklet. £80. Tel: 07913 

760023. 

Solid oak oval gate leg table, 

barley twist legs, stripped 

and clear varnished, 

1.5m x 1m, will seat 4 

+ 2, can deliver locally, 

£50. Tel: 07876 585391 

Triple dressing table mirror 

as new. £15. Tel: 44 7985 

482211. 

Recliner chair, swivel, as 

new, fabric, beige, with 

footstool. Could deliver. 

Cost £280 sell for £55. 

Tel: 07986 812483. 

2 & 3 brown leather sofa, 

good condition. £150 or 

any offer considered. Tel: 

07940 127136. 

Lawnmower & Strimmer. 

£30 o.n.o. Tel: 07940 

127136 

Limed Oak Corner Cabinet, 

Rennie Mackintosh style. 

£30 o.n.o. Tel: 07940 

127136 

Limed Oak Hi-Fi Unit, 

Rennie Mackintosh Style. 

£20 o.n.o. Tel: 07940 

127136. 

Conservatory furniture, 

brown with cream 

cusions. Two seater, two 

armchairs, two tables with 

glass tops. £150. View 

and pick up in Houston. 

Tel: 01505 690002 

Silver plated spoons set of 

12 new. £20. Tel: 07856 

610671. 

Schreiber black dining 

table: W180cm, H75cm, 

D100cm. Good condition 

- £40. Collection required. 

Tel: 07792 019011. 

ELECTRICAL & GAS 

Stereo - record/CD/tape 

player £50 Tel: 07714 

674243 

Stereo: Record, CD & Tape 

Player. £50. Tel: 07714 

674243. 

Prolex Electric Grill and 

oven. New condition. £15. 

Tel: 07866 404070 or 

01505 614053 

Berry free standing electric 

stove. Coal effect , flame 

effect. Good working 

order. Dimensions; 

27.5cms deep, 53cms 

wide, 61cms high. £40. 

Tel: 07913 760023. 

Russel Hobs Microwave, 

Red new condition. £25. 

Tel: 07866 404070 or 

01505 614053 

Russel Hobs Kettle, Red 

new condition. £10. Tel: 

07866 404070 or 01505 

614053 

Russel Hobs Toaster, red 

new condition. £10. Tel: 

07866 404070 or 01505 

614053 

Brass coal effect electric fire 

as new. £50.00 Ono. Tel: 

01505 329075. 

PETS 

Bunny hutch & 5 foot run - 

good condition. £50 o.n.o. 

Tel: 07940 127136. 

SPORTS 

Figure skates white Graf 

Bolero, junior size 12 (EU 

size 31), VGC, £25. Tel: 

07720 299588. 

Girl junior bike pink without 

stabilisers, VGC. Suitable 

age 4-6 yrs old. £20. 

Tel: 07720 299588. 

Figure skates white Riedell 

junior size 10, good 

condition, £10. Tel: 07720 

299588. 

Toddler Bicycle helmets 

(44-48 cm) pink (have 

2), suits appr. 1-5 yrs 

old, GC. £2.50 each. Tel: 

07720 299588. 

Clicgear 14 compartment 

Cart Bag - 6 months old. 

£50. Tel: 01505 842950 

TOYS/GAMES/DVD 

Smoby Rosy Doll, 63 cm 

long, in good condition 

with clothes. £10. Tel: 

07720 299588. 

Dolls Wooden Cradle white 

in good condition. £10. Tel 

07720 299588. 

Peppa Big DVDs - 8 in 

total for £5. Tel: 07720 

299588. 

X Box One for sale 

unwanted xmas gift with 

games. £100. Tel: 07831 

152086. 

Air Hockey table 6ft 

immaculate condition. 

£50. Tel: 07831 152086. 

OTHER ITEMS 

Domestic Steel Tower 

Scaffold. 4 feet x 4 feet 

base section for 18foot 

6 inch working height. 4 

outriggers and 4 locking 

castors. Good condition. 

New cost £475, selling for 

£180. Tel: 07735 776661 

Projector slides, 

approximately 400 with 

views of Kilmacolm and 

other areas. Offers 

welcome. Tel: 01505 

328598. 

Hankook Optimea brand 

new tyre and Alloy twin 

spoke 235/55 R18 suit 

Kia sportage. £80. Tel: 

07866 404070 or 01505 

614053 

Vintage amber necklace. 

£60. Tel: 07856 610671. 

Bosch drill/driver 18V Brand 

new (charger, battery ) 

£220. Offers Welcome. 

Tel: 07856 610671. 

2016 Higher Past Papers: 

Modern Studies & 

Business Management 

- £5 each. Tel 01505 

615055 

Brand new steel car wheel 

6JX15H2 and new Jinyu 

tyre 185/60 R15. Stored 

as spare wheel only. £80. 

Tel: 07736 067169. 

WANTED ITEMS 

Old British or foreign 

coins wanted. Pennies, 

farthings, anything. 

Willing to pay if valuable. 

Contact: 07787 887268. 

Old records Wanted 45`s 

& LP`s CASH Paid. Tel: 

07710 777571. 

Cash paid for Music CDs (a 

few or a lot). Tel: 0141 882 

5594 or 07765 115347. 

Westclox Big Ben alarm 

clock. Call 07756981917 

Local lily grower requires 

the use of a greenhouse/ 

polytunnel in Kilmacolm 

area in return for light 

gardening duties. Tel: 

Vince 01505 872082. 


FREE CYCLE 

White Ikea corner desk 

and dark gray Ikea office 

swivel chair with armrests. 

Free. Pick up in Houston. 

Tel: 01505 690002 

Girl toddler bike without 

stabilisers, good 

beginners bike. Tel: 07720 

299588. 

CONTENT OF THE GRYFFE ADVERTIZER 

CANNOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT PRIOR 

CONSENT FROM THE PUBLISHER - The Gryffe Advertizer is 

a magazine published by The Gryffe Advertizer Ltd 

Advertising throughout The Gryffe Advertizer: 

Definitions: “Standards” means the British Code of Advertising Practice 

and the provisions of any law applicable to advertising including, but not 

limited to, the Trade Descriptions Act, 1968, the Consumer Credit Act 1974, 

the Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988, the Financial 

Services Act 1986, the Business Advertisement (Disclosure) Order 1977 

and all amendments and replacements. 

It is hereby agreed that: 

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acceptance of these Conditions of Acceptance of Advertising. 

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Standards. 

• Insertion of Advertisements and/or Editorial is strictly at the discretion 

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Editorial throughout The Gryffe 

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The opinions of the Contributors to this 

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Accountants & Financial 

Affluent Financial Planning . . 22 

CLA Accountancy Services Ltd . . 14 

Fergusons CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 

Fiona Christie Accounting Serv . . 17 

Martin Aitken & Co Ltd . . . . . 26 

Stewart Independent Financial . . 1 

Architectural Services 

Casa Homes & Gardens Architect . . 7 

Grid Design Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Art, Gifts & Flowers 

Freelance Florist . . . . . . . . . 15 

Rosemary Beaton Painting Schoo . . 19 

Automotive Services 

AK Vehicle Rental . . . . . . . . . 1 

ARC Fleet Services . . . . . . . . . Bk 

Collins Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 

Gryffe Garage Motor Engineers . . 12 

Bathrooms 

Affordable Luxuries . . . . . . . 7 

G Woods Bathrooms . . . . . . . . . 6 

Instyle Kitchens & Bathrooms . . 17 

Bedrooms 

Burndale Workshop . . . . . . . . . 5 

Blacksmith & Metalwork 

McLaughlan Metal Fabrication . . 8 

Building Services 

A O’Hare - Building Services . . 5 

B Hughes Builders - Houston . . 6 

BOW Stone Works . . . . . . . . . . . 32 

Bridge of Weir Roofing . . . . . 4 

Clippens Roofing . . . . . . . . . . 3 

DJD Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 

I & J Building & Roofing Serv . . 2 

James Kerr Joiner . . . . . . . . . 11 

JBC Joiners and Builders . . . 11 

KC Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 

Kilellan Roofing . . . . . . . . . . 14 

M Addison Joiners & Builders . . 3 

MBS Roofing & Building Contrac . . 11 

Old Mill Chimneys . . . . . . . . . 21 

Plaster Master . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 

SMG Roofing & Building Contrac . . 2 

SW Scott - Joiners & Builders . . 15 

Taylor Made Joinery . . . . . . . . 11 

Thomas McMaster & Son Ltd . . 47 

Business Services 

Laptop and PC Repairs . . . . . . 25 

Catering 

Karen Rankin Catering . . . . . . 17 

The Pavilion Tearoom . . . . . . . 14 

Cleaning & PowerWash 

CleanDryCarpets . . . . . . . . . . . 8 

Come Clean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 

DS Cleaning (Windows) . . . . . . 16 

Eclipse deep clean . . . . . . . . . 14 

Fastclean Scotland . . . . . . . . . 15 

Gryffe Roofing Services . . . . 6 


Nutech Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Platinum Cleaning Services . . 5 

Coffee Shops 

Bernie’s Cafe Deli . . . . . . . . . 14 


Computer, IT & Web 

Carness Consulting Ltd . . . . . 25 

ColCom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 

Computer Repairs . . . . . . . . . . 1 


Driveways 

A&G Driveways . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 

BY CATEGORY 

Driving Instructors 

AL Stewart - Driving Instruct . . 15 

Paul Ferguson - Confidence . . 7 

Education 

St Columba’s School . . . . . . . . 49 

Electricians 

Delta Electrical Services . . 9 

GasMan Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 

JDPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 

Lamont Electricians . . . . . . . . 3 

MAS Electrical & Security . . 2 

Russell Milne Electrician . . 5 

Fencing 

Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 


Firewood & Logs 

LJX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 

Miller BioFuels Ltd . . . . . . . . 17 


W B Smith & Son . . . . . . . . . . . 35 

Funeral Services 

Beaton Brothers . . . . . . . . . . . 21 

John Roach Funeral Directors . . 41 

Garage Doors & Gates 

Powerdoors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 

Garden Service & Design 

3D Garden Design . . . . . . . . . . 31 

A Peebles Landscape Contractor . . 35 

Apple Tree Garden Design . . . 30 


Craig Kennedy Gardening . . . . 33 

DJD Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 

DMG Garden Services . . . . . . . . 32 

Garden Services . . . . . . . . . . . 34 

Glenmoss Landscapes . . . . . . . . 33 


M&M Garden Services . . . . . . . . 32 

MJ Lawnmowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 

R Williams Tree Surgeon & Grou . . 33 

W B Smith & Son . . . . . . . . . . . 35 

West of Scotland Landscape . . 30 

Gas & Heating Services 

C Hunter Plumbing Heating Gas . . 8 

DMA Gas & Oil Services . . . . . 4 

GasMan Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 

I D Plumbing & Heating . . . . . 24 

Jack Murphy Plumbing & Heating . . 6 

Phoenix Gas Services . . . . . . . 1 

Glazier 

1on1 Double Glazing . . . . . . . . 3 

Cloudy2Clear Windows . . . . . . . 5 

JayBee Double Glazing Repairs . . 11 

TD Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Hairdressers & Barbers 

Adele Houston . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 

Arlene Mitchell Hair & Beauty . . 40 

Nix Hairdressing . . . . . . . . . . 39 

Health, Beauty & Fitness 


Bluewater Dental . . . . . . . . . . 25 

Decorus Beauty . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 

Ferringtons Hypnotherapy . . . 10 

FitSmart Fitness . . . . . . . . . . 54 

Kilbarchan Chiropodists . . . . 41 

Kilbarchan Dental Practice . . 13,Bk 

LaserLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 

Linda Stewart - Slimming World . . 15 

New Vision Opticians . . . . . . . 10 

NLP Positive Changes . . . . . . . 11 

Scott Isaksen Fitness . . . . . . 55 

Sole Solutions Podiatry . . . . 40 

Home Hardware 

Gibb Stuart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,15 

Home Improvements 

Alvic Sliding Wardrobes Ltd . . 7 


Conservatory Conv & Windows . . Bk 

Orchard Flooring . . . . . . . . . . 24 

Home Interiors 


Highland Style Living . . . . . . 15 


Home Security 

Brookfield Alarms Ltd . . . . . . 6 

Joiners 


CLH Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 

DJY Joinery Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . 41 



JDPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 


McGowan Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . 15 




TD Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Woodburn & Beattie Joiners . . 17 

Kilt & Dress Hire 

Henderson’s Kilts . . . . . . . . . 8 

Kitchens 







Leisure & Recreation 

Ranfurly Castle Golf Club . . 53 

Strathgryffe Tennis & Squash . . 55 

Locksmiths 

Arco Locksmith . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 

Elliott Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 

Painters & Decorators 

A Gallagher Painter&Decorator . . 16 

Colin Docherty Painter Decorat . . 8 

David Kennedy Decorator . . . . 3 

James Martin - Painter & Decor . . 3 

John H Barney . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 

John Morgan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 

M&E Painters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

Ranfurly Decor . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 

Pest Control 

RED Pest Control . . . . . . . . . . 4 

Pet Services & Training 

Barking Mad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 

Bridge of Weir Dog Walking . . 28 

PetVets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 

Smart Dog Grooming . . . . . . . . . 29 

Suzanne’s Grooming Pad . . . . . 28 

Plasterers 

Bryan Slaven Slater & Plaster . . 8 




Plumbers 



GasMan Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 



JDPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 

Shower Expert . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 

Property, Sales & Let 

Corum Property . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 

Hames Estates . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 

Kingsley Wood & Co Solicitors . . 1 

Lind Letting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 

Removals 

@ease Removals & Transport . . 37 

The Right Move . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 

Restaurant & Bars 


Retail 

Gibb Stuart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,15 

The Bridge, Bridge of Weir . . 36 

The Sourcery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 

R o o fi n g 












Solicitors 

Affinity Family Law Experts . . 25 


Special Occasions 

ABC Taxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 

Sports Clubs & Events 


Stoves 


Taxis & Minicoach hire 

ABC Taxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 

Johnstone TOA Taxi Co . . . . . . 12 

Tiling 

Gordon James Ceramic Tiler . . 15 

Scott Russell . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 

Travel Agents 

Travel Actually . . . . . . . . . . . 3 

Tree Surgeon 

Branch Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 


Kenmore Tree Care . . . . . . . . . 31 

LJX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 

W B Smith & Son . . . . . . . . . . . 35 

TV & Satellite 

Derek McBride Aerials . . . . . . 10 

Kieran Turner Aerial&Satellite . . 3 

Upholstery Services 




P Thomson Upholstery . . . . . . . 27 

Window Cleaners 




Matthews Cleaning Services . . 15 

Window, Consv & Repair 



TD Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

ADVERTIZERS - A TO Z 

@ease Removals & Transport . . 37 


3D Garden Design . . . . . . . . . . 31 

A Gallagher Painter&Decorator . . 16 


A Peebles Landscape Contractor . . 35 

A&G Driveways . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 

ABC Taxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 

Adele Houston . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 

Affinity Family Law Experts . . 25 

Affluent Financial Planning . . 22 


AK Vehicle Rental . . . . . . . . . 1 

AL Stewart - Driving Instruct . . 15 

Alvic Sliding Wardrobes Ltd . . 7 

Apple Tree Garden Design . . . 30 

ARC Fleet Services . . . . . . . . . Bk 

Arco Locksmith . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 


B Hughes Builders - Houston . . 6 

Barking Mad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 

Beaton Brothers . . . . . . . . . . . 21 


Bluewater Dental . . . . . . . . . . 25 

Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 

BOW Stone Works . . . . . . . . . . . 32 

Branch Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 

Bridge of Weir Dog Walking . . 28 


Brookfield Alarms Ltd . . . . . . 6 




Carness Consulting Ltd . . . . . 25 


CLA Accountancy Services Ltd . . 14 

CleanDryCarpets . . . . . . . . . . . 8 

CLH Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 


Cloudy2Clear Windows Glasgow . . 5 

ColCom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 

Colin Docherty Painter Decorat . . 8 

Collins Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 

Come Clean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 

Computer Repairs . . . . . . . . . . 1 

Conservatory Conv & Windows . . Bk 

Corum Property . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 

Craig Kennedy Gardening . . . . 33 

David Kennedy Decorator . . . . 3 

Decorus Beauty . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 

Delta Electrical Services . . 9 

Derek McBride Aerials . . . . . . 10 

DJD Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 

DJY Joinery Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . 41 

DMA Gas & Oil Services . . . . . 4 

DMG Garden Services . . . . . . . . 32 



Elliott Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 


Fergusons CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 

Ferringtons Hypnotherapy . . . 10 

Fiona Christie Accounting Serv . . 17 

FitSmart Fitness . . . . . . . . . . 54 

Freelance Florist . . . . . . . . . 15 


Garden Services . . . . . . . . . . . 34 

GasMan Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 

Gibb Stuart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,15 


Gordon James Ceramic Tiler . . 15 

Grid Design Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Gryffe Garage Motor Engineers . . 12 


Hames Estates . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 

Henderson’s Kilts . . . . . . . . . 8 



59 





James Martin - Painter & Decor . . 3 



JDPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 

John H Barney . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 

John Morgan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 

John Roach Funeral Directors . . 41 

Johnstone TOA Taxi Co . . . . . . 12 

Karen Rankin Catering . . . . . . 17 


Kenmore Tree Care . . . . . . . . . 31 

Kieran Turner Aerial&Satellite . . 3 

Kilbarchan Chiropodists . . . . 41 

Kilbarchan Dental Practice . . 13,Bk 



Lamont Electricians . . . . . . . . 3 


LaserLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 

Lind Letting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 

Linda Stewart - Slimming World . . 15 

LJX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 


M&E Painters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

M&M Garden Services . . . . . . . . 32 

Martin Aitken & Co Ltd . . . . . 26 

MAS Electrical & Security . . 2 

Matthews Cleaning Services . . 15 


McGowan Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . 15 


Miller BioFuels Ltd . . . . . . . . 17 

MJ Lawnmowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 

New Vision Opticians . . . . . . . 10 

Nix Hairdressing . . . . . . . . . . 39 

NLP Positive Changes . . . . . . . 11 

Nutech Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . 2 


Orchard Flooring . . . . . . . . . . 24 

P Thomson Upholstery . . . . . . . 27 

Paul Ferguson - Confidence . . 7 

PetVets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 

Phoenix Gas Services . . . . . . . 1 


Platinum Cleaning Services . . 5 

Powerdoors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 

R Williams Tree Surgeon & Grou . . 33 


Ranfurly Decor . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 

RED Pest Control . . . . . . . . . . 4 

Rosemary Beaton Painting Schoo . . 19 

Russell Milne Electrician . . 5 

Scott Isaksen Fitness . . . . . . 55 

Scott Russell . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 

Shower Expert . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 

Smart Dog Grooming . . . . . . . . . 29 


Sole Solutions Podiatry . . . . 40 

St Columba’s School . . . . . . . . 49 

Stewart Independent Financial . . 1 

Strathgryffe Tennis & Squash . . 55 

Suzanne’s Grooming Pad . . . . . 28 



TD Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

The Bridge, Bridge of Weir . . 36 


The Right Move . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 

The Sourcery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 


Travel Actually . . . . . . . . . . . 3 

W B Smith & Son . . . . . . . . . . . 35 

West of Scotland Landscape . . 30 

Woodburn & Beattie Joiners . . 17 

March ‘18 Issue: 

th 

• Deadline: 16 FEBRUARY 

th 

• Delivery: 27 FEBRUARY 

April ‘18 Issue: 

th 

• Deadline: 16 MARCH 

th 

• Delivery: 27 MARCH 

Bishopton: 

Woodrow’s Store, 

Library 

Bridge of Weir: 

Gibb Stuart, Bernie’s 

Cafe, Lochnagar, The 

Bridge, Library (Cargill 

Hall) 

Erskine: 

Garden Centre, Library, 

Sports Centre, 

Swimming pool 

Pick up a Copy 

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, 

Post Office, Campbell’s, 

Newsagents, Bobbins, 

Old Library Centre 

Langbank: 

Finlaystone Visitor 

Centre 

Kilmacolm: 

Newsagent, Cross Café, 

Gibb Stuart, Library, 


Lochwinnoch: 

Keystore, Library, 

Dolce Vita, 

Castle Semple Centre 

Quarriers: 

Three Sisters Bake 



60 t: 01505 613340 e: info@advertizer.co.uk 

Distributed to: 

• Bishopton 

• Bridge of Weir 

• Brookfield 

• Elderslie 

• Houston 

• Howwood 

• Kilbarchan 

• Kilmacolm 

• Langbank 

• Lochwinnoch 

• Quarriers 

Pick up a Copy 

Bishopton: 

Woodrow’s Store, 

Library 

Bridge of Weir: 

Gibb Stuart, Bernie’s Cafe, 

Lochnagar, The Bridge, 

Library (Cargill Hall) 

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, 

Post Office, Campbell’s, 

Newsagents, Bobbins, 

Old Library Centre 

Langbank: 

Finlaystone Visitor Centre 

Kilmacolm: 

Newsagent, Cross Café, 

Gibb Stuart, Library, 


Lochwinnoch: 

Keystore, Library, 

Dolce Vita, 

Castle Semple Centre 

Quarriers: 

Three Sisters Bake 

1 2 3 4 5 6 

7 

8 

01+60 COVER_281 FEBRUARY18.indd 60 25/01/2018 16:33:03

281 February 2018 - Gryffe Advertizer

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