306 MARCH 20 – Gryffe Advertizer

Next deadline - Wednesday 11th March
Gr
john stevenson - obituary
On 6th February Erskine Curling Club were
greatly saddened to learn of the death of one
of its Honorary Life Members John Stevenson
at the age of 91. Known around the world for
his commitment and support for the sport of
curling, John joined Erskine Curling Club in
1950 serving as President on several occasions
and remained an active and popular member
of the club despite recent ill health.
John is probably best known for creating the
Greenacres Curling Rink above Howwood in
1979 as a home for many local curling clubs
and regularly hosting international and
Scottish curling championships. When not
playing with Erskine, John was an enthusiastic supporter and coach to many players
with a particular enthusiasm to help younger players including most notably Rhona
Howie who went on to become Olympic champion in 2002.
In addition to his curling, John was an award winning beef farmer and committed
family man supported by his wife, Helen, who died four years ago, and his children
Matthew and Elizabeth.
He will be sadly missed by many across the curling world but will
be fondly remembered for his passion and commitment for the
sport he loved and leaves a lasting legacy in terms of both the
Greenacres facility and the many curlers who benefitted from his
support and friendship.
Campbell McLundie, President, Erskine Curling Club
6
How to take care of your eyes
by Kerry Taher, New Vision Opticians
“You can eat with false teeth but you can’t see with false eyes” highlights just how
important our eyes are. As a population, we are living longer than ever before so we
need to keep ourselves in the best condition possible, including our eyes.
Of course, some things we can’t do much about eg inherited genes, but we can make
things better or worse depending on how we live our lives.
By doing the things we all know we should be doing (healthy lifestyle, balanced diet,
regular exercise), we will be delaying or preventing some of the serious eye conditions
related to high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes. Simple things such as wearing
UV-protecting sunglasses will also reduce the damage done to the eyes such as cataracts,
eyelid disease and macular degeneration.
Protecting the eyes makes sense regarding DIY & gardening tasks, but should also be
considered for sports. Cycling, to protect from loose stones or insects hitting the eyes.
Squash, rugby, football etc to prevent direct impact (eg a squash ball is just small enough
to fit between the protective bones surrounding the eye and can cause particularly
serious injuries).
Helping the eyes when there is visual stress eg dyslexia – precision tinted overlays can
make a huge difference to someone’s life.
When glasses don’t help: options include prescription swimming goggles, contact
lenses for gymnastics or golfing in the rain, or taking supplements to help those with
dry macular degeneration.
Having regular eye tests is therefore essential. Not just to discuss the best options, but
also to test for any potentially sight-threatening diseases – a lot of them don’t affect
your sight until it’s too late. As always, prevention is better than cure.
For further information, please call us at the practice: 01505 614 700.
Paisley & District U3A Monthly Meetings
This self help education organisation for older people meets on the first Thursday of the
month in the Salvation Army Hall, Mill Street, Paisley. Tea and coffee served from 1.30pm
with presentations beginning at 2.15pm. Some dates for your diary:
5th March: Bob Will - The Big Dig at Paisley Abbey Drain 2019 ..... The story so far
2nd April: Mary Moran : The Charity Mary’s Meals
7th May: Philip Caine, Author “Barrow to Baghdad & back again.”
4th June: Joyce Bunton: The Body as Energy. Healing Body, Mind and Spirit
2nd July: Emma Louise Livingstone (and “Serge” the dog) Dog Trust Talk
For more details visit our website: https://u3asites.org.uk/paisley/welcome
School Age Payment
Eligible families are being encouraged to
apply for the School Age Payment before
applications close on 29th February.
The one-off £250 Payment is currently
open for families with a child born between
1st March 2014 and 28th February 2015. It
can be used for anything from educational
toys to travel, or after school activities.
Parents who have deferred their child’s
entry to school from August 2019 to
August 2020, or those home schooling,
should still apply before the closing date
on 29th February. If an application is
made after this time it will be too late.
Visit mygov.scot or call 0800 182 2222 to
find out more or apply.