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2014. His research focusses principally on the bioavailability and bioactivity of dietary polyphenols in fruits, vegetables and their derived products.
He is currently a Fellow of the Distinguished Scientist Fellowship Program at King Saud University in Riyadh and has honorary appointments at the University of California and the University of Glasgow.
The meeting is open to all U3A members. Coffee is available from 10.40am and there is a charge of £2 towards the cost of room hire.
For more information about the U3A in Helensburgh see u3asites.org.uk/ helensburgh.
Ceilidh in Rhu
Rhu Village Hall is set to play host to a family ceilidh to raise money for the Rhu Church Tower Appeal.
The BYOB event takes place on Saturday, April 20 at 8pm (doors open at 7.30pm).
The music will be provided by the West Coast Ceilidh Band, and tickets are priced £15 for adults and £5 for children aged 5-18.
For more details and to book tickets contact Margaret Mortimer on 07860 383177 or Lesley Barton on 07584 084229.
Community council
Helensburgh Community Council’s next meeting takes place at the Helensburgh and Lomond Civic Centre on Thursday, April 25 at 7pm.
The community council holds open, public meetings once a month to discuss important issues, and is actively involved in reviewing licensing and planning applications.
HCC is a non-political organisation representing local residents on issues affecting Helensburgh.
For information contact Sarah Davies by emailing sarahdaviesde@yahoo.co.uk.
Helensburgh beach clean
The next Helensburgh Community Council beach clean takes place on Saturday, April 27 at 10am.
New volunteers are always very welcome to join the HCC regulars. Meet at the pier slipway and bring suitable gloves.
Even if you can only manage 30 minutes come along, it all makes a difference.
For more details email Sarah Davies on sarahdaviesde@yahoo.co.uk.
Table top sale and fun day
Booking is now open for Hermitage Academy PTA’s table top sale and family fun day at the school on Saturday, April 27 from 11am-3pm.
Tables can be booked on Eventbrite - see tinyurl.com/hermitagePTAtabletopsale - at £12.50 for a single table or £25 for a corner table (plus booking fee)
The PTA event is a great mix of stalls selling everything from cupboard clear outs to handmade artisan crafts. With over 60 stalls under one roof, there’s something for all tastes and budgets plus lots of family fun, including bouncy castles, fairground games, and candyfloss.
Entry is free. Table hire proceeds will go back to supporting school clubs. Contact ptahermitageacademy@gmail.com for more information.
Dorian Choir
The Helensburgh Dorian Choir is holding a special 75th anniversary concert, ‘What A Wonderful Word’, on Friday, May 3.
Featuring a string quintet and the Hermitage Primary School choir, the concert takes place at the Helensburgh United Reformed Church at 7.30pm.
Tickets (£15 for adults £10 for students, free for under 12s) are available in advance from the Ardardan Farm Shop, Destination Helensburgh, The Scandinavian Shop and from choir members. Refreshments are included.
Dance Scottish
Last weekend the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society’s Helensburgh branch had our Day School and Dance in Helensburgh Parish Church.
It was the last event of the season and a sell-out for both afternoon and evening events.
On the afternoon we had Dave Hall, a well known Scottish country dance teacher based in London, putting 64 dancers through some interesting dances and brushing up on technique accompanied by Martainn Skene, an award winning accordionist - a great afternoon.
In the evening we had 85 dancers for the social dancing with music provided by the Marian Anderson Trio.
Dancers came from far and wide - as far south as Cardiff and north to Aberdeen and nearer to home Fort William , Crinan, Ayrshire and the greater Glasgow area.
For the visitors it let them see Helensburgh in a beautiful but very windy day.
Our next Branch event is our AGM at Helensburgh Parish Church on May 9. Other events that some local dancers will attend will be the Teachers Association of Scotland dance and workshop in Bridge of Allan, as well as events in Kilmarnock, Glasgow, the Millport Weekend and, nearer to home, the Cove and Kilcreggan class afternoon dance on May 24.
This is sold out with 90 booked and a waiting list of about 20. This is another local event that helps our local tourism.
As always more info, reports and photos can be found on the branch website at rscdshelensburgh.co.uk.
Fun First sessions
Parent and toddler sessions run by Helensburgh-based charity Fun First are held throughout the Helensburgh and Lomond area on the following days and times.
Monday: St Modan’s Church Hall, Rosneath 10am; Helensburgh Library (baby and toddler funtime session) 10am.
Tuesday: Cardross Library (funtime session for 0-5 years) 1.30pm.
Wednesday: Gibson Hall, Garelochhead 10am (0-5 years funtime session, followed by ‘stay and play’).
Thursday: Victoria Halls, Helensburgh 10am (fitness, for children aged 18 months to 5 years).
Friday: Helensburgh Community Hub 9.45am (0-5 years), followed by a cuppa and chat.
A donation of £2 per session is suggested; there are cash and cashless options available.
Fun First also runs baby massage and mum-and-baby yoga classes in blocks throughout the year.
Email contactfunfirst@gmail.com for further information about the sessions or the ‘Fun First’ and ‘Fun First Babies’ pages on Facebook, where you can also message the charity direct.
Village hub in Cardross
The Village Hub is on at Cardross Parish
Church Halls on a Monday and Wednesday from 10am till 2pm.
Please pop in for morning coffee/tea and home-baking or at lunch time for homemade soup and a sandwich. It is a warm place to meet and make new friends, and there is a library of books to swap and read. All are welcome.
Ceilidh and sequence dancing
Ceilidh and sequence dancing classes run by Helensburgh couple Sue and Jim Browne take place each Monday night in St Patrick’s Church Hall, Strathleven Place, Dumbarton from 7.30-10pm.
Do come along and bring your friends and make new ones while keeping active and having fun, or just relax, enjoy the music, watch the dancers and have refreshments at the bar.
For more information, contact Sue and Jim on 01436 268236 or 07990 578912.
Lunch club
The Helensburgh Lunch Club is urgently in need of volunteers to help run the vital community service.
The lunch club is supported financially by Argyll and Bute Council and meets in the United Reformed Church hall in West Princes Street, serving a two-course lunch to service users every Monday and Thursday and soup and a sandwich on a Friday.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, either cooking or serving, either on a regular or occasional basis, and on any or all of the three days, contact Marjory Barrington on 01436 820484.
Tartan Harmony
If you like singing, why not join Helensburgh’s own Tartan Harmony choir?
The group is a ladies’ a capella (unaccompanied) choir and sings in four part harmony. Rehearsals are held every Thursday from 7.30-9.30pm at the Helensburgh Parish Church Hub in Colquhoun Square.
For more, email tartanharmony@gmail.com or send a message to the choir’s Facebook page (facebook.com/TartanHarmony).
Book Nook at the Hub
The Book Nook at the Helensburgh Community Hub is open on Mondays from 2-5pm, Tuesdays from 10am-2pm, Wednesdays from 10am-4pm and Saturdays from 10am-1pm.
There are lots of books for children and adults as well as jigsaws with plenty of great bargains to be had. Donations of books and jigsaws in good, clean condition are also welcome.
All funds raised from item sales go towards the Dolly Parton Imagination Library programme, which gifts free books to children in Helensburgh from 0-5 years each month, as well as the upkeep of the Hub and the development of future projects, activities, and events.
Call 01436 678088 to find out more or see the ‘Helensburgh Community Hub’ page or the ‘Book Nook at The Hub – Helensburgh’s secondhand community bookshop’ page on Facebook.
The column for clubs and organisations across Helensburgh and Lomond. Email details of your group’s regular or occasional events to editorial@helensburghadvertiser. co.uk. Deadline is 1pm Monday.