That Ilk Bearsden and Milngavie

Y O U R U L T R A _ L O C A L G U I D E T O B E A R S D E N & M I L N G A V I E
J A N - F E B 2 0 1 9 I S S U E N O . 0 1

P A G E F O U R | J O U R N E Y

P A G E 4
FOREWORD
How That Ilk. started and what it is
about.
P A G E 6
COORIE IN
Keep well and cozy in the long and
dark winter months.
C O N T
E N T S
P A G E 8
SURVIVING THE WINTER
A local Spaniard's guide to a
wholesome Mediterranean diet in a
cold Scottish climate.
P A G E 1 0
LOCAL ART GUIDE
Interview with Bearsden illustrator Inky
Design.
P A G E 1 4
A YEAR OF SMALL CHANGES
A new project from a team of doctors
living locally and promoting lifestyle
medicine
P A G E 1 6
BEARSDEN AND MILNGAVIE
MEN'S SHED
Charity highlight: a project tackling
loneliness in men that changed the
face of the Pagoda at King George's
Park.

A L O C A L
M A G A Z I N E
L I K E A
W A R M
H U G
I moved to Bearsden exactly five years ago and settling in a
new area can be a painful process but I could not have
wished for a warmer, friendlier community for myself and
my family.
I remember one morning walking down the street with my
son who was still in a stroller and someone I kind of knew
from school opened the door and invited us in for a cup of
tea. It was so touching, so heart warming for someone to
just open their home unprompted and unplanned and
allow us, virtual strangers in!
The kindly gesture came at the moment when I was
contemplating a lonely walk home with not many exciting
plans for the day and not many people to talk to.
P A G E F O U R | T H A T I L K .

First issue's
theme: A guide to
keeping well
and cozy in winter
And this is just one of the many examples of simple, kind
gestures of solidarity and friendship that make the larger
community of Bearsden and Milngavie a wonderful place
to live.
Not only that, but I have met inspiring individuals, some of
them I now humbly call friends, who are talented,
inspirational, enterprising and have a wicked sense of
humour.
The idea of this magazine came about as a thank you. I
wanted to facilitate an uplifting mirror for the people
sharing this wonderful geographical space with a message
of unity and hope, at a time of more general discord and
uncertainty. Just a wee reminder of who we really are, all
the people I have come to consider of the same ilk.
A special mention to talented photographer Karené
from Simply Pause Photography who kindly allowed me
to use her photo of Schaw House Bearsden for That Ilk's
First cover.
InaP.
PS Want to feature in the next That
Ilk. issue? Send me your story,
project, charity or event at
ina@biscottidigital.co.uk.
P A G E F I V E | T H A T I L K .

HYGGE,
LAGOM,
COORIE.
N O W I S T H E T I M E F O R S E L F C A R E
I find the dark winter months after the
holidays the most challenging with long dark
nights and days of bad weather. Our bodies
crave sunshine and with all the celebrations
behind us, the eerie quiet can be sadness
inducing. So I have put together a few items
on my January list to keep me upbeat and
well. Hope they inspire you too!
P A G E S I X | T H A T I L K .

A guide to
keeping well
and cozy
Channel Marie Kondo’s spirit of gratitude and love
for your home. The Japanese guru of tidying up has an
inspiring method of approaching house work – so if
you find yourself spending more time indoors, use it to
tackle your wardrobe. The results are gratifying and
might give you a new respect for your home and
belongings. You can watch her reality series on Netflix
for more details or more locally speak to professional
organiser Katie from Better Organised in Milngavie
(More on that on page 12).
Go outside. Fresh air is good for the brain, heart and
soul. I sometimes struggle to find a pleasant enough
excuse to go out, so I have built a route I love, through
the woods that ends with the perfect cup of coffee. So
on the days I don’t want to go out, even though I
should, that stimulates me enough to drag myself out.
If you lack the motivation, then follow A Year of Small
Changes for getting inspired to a healthy lifestyle (more
on the project on page 14).
Coorie in and enjoy your more quiet hobbies.
Gabriella Bennett wrote a book called The Art of
Coorie: How to Live Happy the Scottish Way in 2018
and finally caught up with all the other seasonal buzz
words like hygge and lagom coming from. So embrace
the cold when outside and coorie in for some much
needed R&R when inside, perhaps with a book from
local Indie Authors World - two written by Bearsden
authors are up for grabs on page 13.
Spend time with friends and family. Loneliness is
one of the biggest problems in modern society and
cause of mental health issues. So make a purpose out
of gathering with folk over dinner or just a cup of hot
chocolate, make plans, take the time to make a call or a
visit. In the evening, ban mobile phones, take the board
games out and enjoy simple human companionship
with the family. Or visit the Bearsden and Milngavie
Men's Shed (more on page 15).
P A G E F O U R | J O U R N E Y
P A G E S E V E N | T H A T I L K .

S U R V I -
V I N G T H E
W I N T E R
A Spanish Guide
to Wholesome Food
Recent news have covered the fact that the
Spanish diet seems to be behind the longevity
and health so we asked a local Spaniard for
tips and tricks on maintaining a Mediteranian
diet in the harsh Scottish winter.
Please introduce yourself, Gema!
I am Spanish and came to Scotland 20 years
ago to study at University in Edinburgh. I lived
there for 8 years before I moved to Glasgow
and then Bearsden. I am a Modern Language
teacher in a private school. I’m married to a
Scotsman and we have two girls.
What are your main principles to feeding
yourself and family on a daily basis?
We strive to have 5 pieces of fruit and
vegetables a day although we don’t always
manage it (especially at the weekend!). We
have 3 main meals and 2 snacks per day.
Regarding drinks, in Spain we do not really
have diluting juice and children tend to drink
water or milk.
As for me, I drink milky coffee and water
during the week. At the weekend I have some
white or red wine at night.
P A G E EF IOG HU T R | TJ HO AU T RI NL K E.
Y

It is hard to keep your intake of seasonal
fruit and veg during winter – how do you
do it?
I batch cook some staples such as chilli,
bolognaise, chicken or fish pie at the weekend
to heat up during the week when time is more
tight. I like to cook things from scratch as this
is a family tradition (my parents had a
restaurant and my mum was a cook) and
hardly ever buy any ready meals. I always
cook with olive oil, although in the last few
years I’ve started using butter to cook certain
things.
we hardly ever
buy any ready
meals
Kids are notoriously hard to please when it
comes to eating more fruit and veg. How
do you keep your girls excited about
healthy eating habits?
In the winter months we eat a lot of oranges
and apples and in the summer we prefer
strawberries, blueberries and melon. The
children always have fruit as their snack and
they are allowed one sweet per day after
school (this is variable and difficult to
enforce… especially during the holiday period
but we usually get back on track during term
times!).
The girls always have a lot of raw vegetables
for lunch, together with a sandwich. I cook the
same thing for everyone at dinner and they
eat a good helping of compulsory vegetables
every night. Sometimes I hide a lot of
vegetables in a lasagne or a Bolognese with
various degrees of success!
What are your fridge staples – food items
that don’t miss from your household at
this time of year?
In our fridge there is always a lot of fresh
vegetables such as peppers, carrots and
mange tout. There is always fish, mainly
salmon and prawns; lean mince beef and
chicken. We also love pulses in all their forms
and, as a good Spaniard, I love bread!
What is a go to recipe with Spanish roots
that your family enjoys over and over
again?
My go to Spanish staple is chickpeas with rice
and paprika. The girls devour them, they are
really cheap and extremely easy to prepare. I
also make Spanish omelette and meatballs
regularly.
P A G E N I N E | T H A T I L K .
P A G E F O U R | J O U R N E Y

L O C A L
An interview with
artist Inky Design
We still love carefully handmade artwork, despite our
affection for technology and social media. That is why
talented illustrators like Ingrid from Inky Designs
flourish in our leafy neck of the woods.
Tell us a bit about yourself, Ingrid!
I’ve been brought up in Orkney and the North of
Scotland but have lived in Glasgow for over 20 years
after falling in love with the West End, the tenement
buildings, the Glasgow people and their wonderfully
honest sense of humour.
A R T
G U I D E
I moved to Bearsden with my family 4 years ago, to be
closer to the countryside and for the peace you get
away from the city.
Arts and crafts have always been a part of my life. I
studied design at college going onto Gray’s School of
Art in Aberdeen to complete my degree in design and
illustration and over the years have been involved with
illustrating, making my own range of handmade cards,
organising art workshops in schools and coordinating
community based arts projects.
P APG AE G E F OT EU N R | TJH OA UT RI LN K E.
Y

my art teacher
called me Inky
and it sort of
stuck
Have you always been interested in Art?
Yes, as a child I was always doodling,
colouring in and art was my favourite subject
at school along with creative writing. My art
teacher at school called me Inky as a
nickname short for Ingrid and it sort of stuck.
My business is called Inky Designs and some
of my friends and family call me Inky. I
especially love colour, I feel confident putting
colours together, in my art and in my clothes
and home.
Tell us about your interest in creating
illustrations of local houses!
I’ve always loved drawing buildings for some
reason, I came across Lowry’s work when I
was young, which depicted urban landscapes,
people and buildings. As I grew older I was
really inspired by Ronald Searle who did ink
drawings of Parisian buildings and people. I
find Parisian style flats and buildings the most
beautiful and when I moved to Glasgow’s
West End I thought there was something
similarly romantic about the Glasgow
Tenements.
What is your creative process like?
I usually start with a photo, but the angle has
to be right, not any old photo will do, I need to
be able to see the composition in a photo so I
can recreate that on the page. I use pencil to
sketch on a stretched canvas onto
watercolour paper and then start drawing
with an old-style ink dip pen with Indian ink,
then watercolour.
Whose artistic work inspires you?
I am in awe of many famous artists, but what
really excites and inspires me is the work of
the talented illustrators I follow on Instagram
from around the world. I find the quality and
talent of these artists so exciting. The subject
matter and work is so fresh and relevant and
modern. Many of them use their own original
artwork and then scan and edit it on the
computer, but there is something lovely about
creating a traditionally made artwork in these
days of everything being done on computer.
If someone would like to order a bespoke
piece of art, what should they expect?
I usually have a 6-week lead in time for
commissions and can be contacted at
inkyrose@hotmail.co.uk or by mobile on
07954577058 to discuss a commission. An A4
commission is typically £60 and A3 is £80.
This inspired me to start drawing them in pen
and ink and then painting them in
watercolour. I started illustrating houses a few
years ago, first I did my own and then people
started to ask me to do wedding venues and
their own houses or their families' house as a
gift, something to keep which had personal
meaning.
P A G E F O U R | J O U R N E Y P A G E E L E V E N | T H A T I L K .

L O C A L
B U S I N E S S
S P O T L I G H T
I’m Kate Galbally, a Milngavie-based
professional organiser & PA. Whatever your
organisational challenge – from hands-on
decluttering to paperwork management, ad
hoc admin support or assistance with a house
move or change of business premises. I can
help you to simplify your space, manage your
time and replace chaos with clarity!
I am a proud member of the Association of
Professional Declutterers & Organisers
(APDO) and am proactive and resourceful with
a positive, friendly manner. I’d love to work
with you to help you make the most of your
precious time and space, so that you’re free to
focus on the things that really matter to you.
P A G E F O U R | J O U R N E Y

B O O K C L U B
W I T H I N D I E
A U T H O R S
W O R L D
Are you a writer and ready to publish your book? Do
you want to produce a top quality professional book
but don’t know where to start?
Indie Authors World, a local business with international
reach is the right place to start. They know just what it
takes to publish great books. If your book is fiction,
non-fiction, for children, business or personal
development or anything else we can help you.
WIN two books
by Bearsden
authors!
Indie Authors World can take the headache out of selfpublishing
by producing your book for you or teaching
you all the tools and techniques you need to do it by
yourself. When you join us, you become friends and
part of a supportive and encouraging Indie Authors
community.
Most importantly, you will always keep 100% of the
royalties generated by your work.
Survival skills are techniques that a person may use in
order to sustain life in any type of environment. These
techniques are meant to provide basic necessities for
human life which include water, food, and shelter. The
skills also support proper knowledge and interactions
with animals and plants to promote the sustaining of
life over a period of time.
Survival skills are often basic ideas and abilities that
ancients invented and used themselves for thousands
of years.
Outdoor activities such as hiking, backpacking,
horseback riding, fishing, and hunting all require basic
wilderness survival skills, especially in handling
emergency situations. Bushcraft and primitive living are
most often self-implemented, but require many of the
same skills.
P A G E F O U R | J O U R N E Y

A Y E A R O F
S M A L L
C H A N G E S
keep active and
healthy during
the cold months
It’s winter again. It’s cold, damp, occasionally icy. If
last year is anything to go by there’s a possibility
you’ll wake up one morning and have to dig your way
out of the front door. The journey to work is in
darkness. The journey home from work is in
darkness. Christmas is over – you’ve eaten and drunk
to the best of your ability. At this time of year all you
want to do after a day at work is have dinner, get into
your pyjamas and snuggle up in front of the TV inside
your cosy house. There’s no doubt it’s more difficult
to stay physically active over the winter. But at the
same time, it’s still so important.
P A GP E A GF E OF UO R U| R TJE OE N U R| NT EH YA T I L K .

Perhaps we can help motivate you by
reminding you of the health benefits of
physical activity. There are so many of them.
If you are physically active your overall risk of
dying goes down, your risk of heart disease
and type 2 diabetes reduces. Your risk of
various cancers including breast and bowel
cancer goes down. For the elderly population
there is less chance of breaking a hip or of
developing dementia. In terms of mental
health, you are less likely to develop
depression.
find a friend to
work out with for
motivation
And if despite knowing all the benefits of
being physically active you are still struggling
to get going, consider other strategies that
might help.
Find a friend who also wants to increase their
activity level and agree to encourage and be
accountable to each other. Even better, do an
activity together.
Alternatively, there’s good evidence that
writing down your intention increases the
chance that you’ll do it – so work out when’s a
good time for you to be active and put it on
your calendar or in your diary. Leave
whatever kit you need lying out in
preparation, so there’s less risk of changing
your mind while you search for it.
You don’t even need to leave the house –
there’s an infinite number of potential activity
ideas available to you for free on Youtube –
everything from yoga to HIIT, much of it
requiring little in the way of equipment. So
start 2019 the way you mean to continue. Get
yourself moving towards a healthier you. Take
a look at our website for more ideas about
small, manageable changes you can make to
improve your health, or follow us on
Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
A Year of Small Changes is a project founded
by a local group of medical doctors, a
dietician and a personal trainer who each
have a keen interest in promoting lifestyle
medicine as an evidence based means of
preventing, improving, managing and
treating lifestyle related diseases.
P A G E F O U R | J O U R N E Y P A G E F I F T E E N | T H A T I L K .

M I L N G A V I E
A N D
B E A R S D E N
M E N ' S
S H E D
tackling men’s
mental health
issues
Society’s expectations can be harmful for men
and boys. The rigid requirements of masculinity
present a narrow view of being a man, and it can
be hard for men to be seen to express their
emotions. This is one factor driving the mental
health issues that affect many men, and suicide
is still sadly the biggest killer of men under 45.
P A G E F O U R | J O U R N E Y
Jo Swinson visited the Milngavie and Bearsden Men’s Shed in October 2018

The old eye sore of the Pagoda in King
George's Park is no longer. Having gone
through a fantastic refurbishment project,
visiting the building shows the incredible
community behind it. The now refurbished
space has been fully equipped with donations
from the local community and the work of
volunteers.
The Men’s Shed is housed in the formerly
disused Pagoda at King George V Park in
Bearsden and is run by volunteers.
Membership is free to men, over 18-years-old,
with a connection to Milngavie, Bearsden or
East Dunbartonshire.
Its aim is to create a workshop and generalpurpose
recreation space where members
can meet and complete personal projects.
Members also undertake projects for the
benefit of the community and any profits go
towards the running costs of the building.
The Men’s Shed provides a community space
for men to connect, converse and create, for
the benefit of men’s mental health and
wellbeing.
just pop in and
say hello!
Hamish Livingstone, Secretary for the
Milngavie and Bearsden Men’s Shed, said:
“This is a place for men to meet, chat, have a
cuppa with like-minded people while gaining a
renewed sense of purpose and belonging.
“Shedders” share skills to work on individual
or group projects. It has been proven that
membership contributes considerably to
members’ physical health and mental
wellbeing.
“We would like to encourage any interested
men to visit and find out the benefits of the
Men’s Shed.”
The Men's Shed is open weekdays from 10am
to 4pm. Find out more about the project on
Facebook - simply search for Milngavie and
Bearsden Men's Shed.
P A G E F O U R | J O U R N E Y
P A G E S E V E N T E E N | T H A T I L K .

J O I N
T H A T
That Ilk. Issue 1 has been a work of love and it
would be wonderful to see it taken through
following issues with the help of the
community it was created for.
I L K .
So please get involved in the project! Here is
how:
Tell us your story! If you live locally and
would like to share your experience, project
or business idea, please
Contribute with local news, opinions or
events
Nominate a charity or local cause that you
would like to see featured!
More importantly, share this magazine with
your friends and family to give more reach
to the special projects and people featured.
Get in touch: ina@biscottidigital.co.uk.
P A G E E I G H T E E N | T H A T I L K .
P A G E F O U R | J O U R N E Y

P H O T O -
G R A P H I C
F L A I R
Hi, I’m Karené, a professional photographer
based in Bearsden. With 18 years of
photography experience and a passion for
small independent businesses and artisans, I
am here to help you look more professional
and stand out. I create a collection of images
that capture your story - your product, your
people, your spaces
- and are versatile enough to use on websites,
social media and print media.
I create beautiful images that freshen up
established businesses & get new businesses
noticed. I believe that when your images are of a
high quality, people know your business is valuable
too. Have a look at my website and then let’s chat
about how I can help you.
P A G E F O U R | J O U R N E Y

A D V E R T I S E
W I T H U S
Get in touch ina@biscottidigital.co.uk
P A G E F O U R | J O U R N E Y