282 March 2018 - Gryffe Advertizer

the advertizer
2
April ‘18 Issue:
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• Deadline: 16 MARCH
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• Delivery: 27 MARCH
May ‘18 Issue:
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• Deadline: 13 APRIL
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• Delivery: 24 APRIL
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
The fi rst lambs are in the fi elds and a wee bit of sunshine
breaks through the window as I write this. Thoughts of
Spring and not long to go till the warmer days, a part of
this is the clocks changing at the end of March (Sunday
25th). “Spring Forward, Fall Back” is how I remember
which way to go!
Watching the Winter Olympics, I got very nostalgic to the
days of my youth when I played at Greenacres Curling Club.
There was a vibrant and enthusiastic young curlers group
who met on Sunday mornings. One of the curlers was none other than Rhona
Howie, the Olympic Gold Medal Winner and I played against her on a number
of occasions. By tracking down a few posts on the internet, I managed to fi nd
some friends from those days, plus some footage of a prizegiving back in the
80s which I have shared to my facebook page. It’s wonderful looking at all the
faces (and the fashions) again.
Driving out of Kilmacolm towards Bridge of Weir please take care when
passing the “Beeches Road” junction at the fi rst Knapps carpark, but even
more so at the second Knapps lay-by. My daughter had to brake suddenly
last week - she was approaching the second lay-by when she was confronted
by someone trying to turn right to go back towards Kilmacolm. On speaking
to others this is not an uncommon occurrence and the issue has now been
raised with Inverclyde Council. While we await their feedback, if exiting the
second lay-by surely it’s more sensible to make a left turn and swing round
at the top of the Quarrier’s Road to make your way back to Kilmacolm. Of
course, neither option is ideal but the latter offers better sight lines and is
therefore safer.
The Scottish Government and Road Safety Scotland have launched a
campaign for all road users – “In Town, Slow Down”. Research has revealed
that over a third of people in Scotland rush through town if they’re running
late and over half admit to taking risks such as jumping amber lights and
travelling over the speed limit, just to be on time. This also applies to the open
road, with some drivers taking incredible risks with ill-judged overtaking or
pulling out into traffi c, all just to save a few minutes (I suppose that leads on
from my previous paragraph). And how often have we caught up with these
same drivers by the time we get to the next set of lights?
And not restricted to the roads, I followed a debate on facebook last month as
a cyclist complained that he was knocked from his bike by an “uncontrolled”
dog on the “Cycle-Track”. I put both terms in quotes as the fi rst is possibly
subjective, although I’m sure those involved in the incident might disagree,
and the second is certainly a misinterpreted colloquial term. The former
Railway Line is in fact a “Shared Use Path” with user’s guidance available on
various on-route signage, or from Sustrans at www.sustrans.org.uk/what-youcan-do/cycling/cycling-safety-and-rules/advice-using-shared-use-paths
Sustrans manage these routes and the name stands for “Sustainable
Transport”, i.e. not motorised. Sustrans encourage active travel: walkers,
cyclists, wheelchair users, parents with prams/small people on or off bikes,
dog walkers, horse riders, etc. For this to work effectively, in simple terms, all
users of Shared Paths have responsibilities for the safety of all others they
are sharing the space with. Over the years I’ve enjoyed this facility as a parent
with little ones, a dog walker with dogs on and off the lead and as a cyclist;
on each occasion trying to apply the appropriate level of caution, control and
awareness of others, and apologising if I was ever remiss. With all the best
intentions accidents still happen and I hope the cyclist, the dog and the owner
are all fully recovered and once again enjoying our open spaces.
The sun is still shining through the window, so hopefully by my next column, I’ll
be looking out the barbeque and dusting down the garden chairs.....
.....or will I be shovelling snow again? Brrrr!
Rona
deadline date for our april issue - Friday 16th March - You don’t want to miss it!!