District News
\Kinross (cont)
entry is bring along a National Lottery ticket. Please bring along up to five friends and they will also get in free. Blythswood Care Collection Tuesday, December 4, McDiarmid Park, Perth 11.30am –1.15pm. Driver’s mobile number 07989344770. Kinross Day Centre Thursday, December 6, Christmas fayre 1.30–3.30pm, 60+, £1 entry includes tea/coffee. Raffle, gifts and stalls. For more information call the centre on 01577 863869. Milnathort Filmhouse Saturday, December 8, The Greatest Showman, 8pm (doors open 7.30pm) in Milnathort Town Hall. Over 18s only, BYOB. Tuck shop with movie snacks and soft drinks. Tickets: adults £6, concession £4 book online at www. milnathortfilmhouse.com or pay at the door. Kinross-shire Historical Society Monday, December 10, meeting in Kinross Parish Church, Station Road, Kinross at 7.30pm. Speakers are Professor David Munro MBE and Jim Paterson on ‘Oor Ain Game O’Curlin’, the 350 year story of Kinross Curling Club. Probus club A presentation on WWI entitled ‘1918 – What happened?’ was given by Andy Middlemas. Louis McGuffie, a young lad from Wigtown, who had signed up and more than played his part in the war leading up to 1918, overpowered a German gun position on September 28 that year. He lost his life in the war and his mother went to London, with a heavy heart, where she was presented with his Victoria Cross. Andy recalled this incident and the fact that it was repeated up and down the country. Young men fighting for their country but also for their friends and family. The German spring offensive came as a surprise to the Allies and from March to July the German forces made impressive advances, pushing back the allies for miles. But it was not to last, Germany was running short of manpower and they overstretched their supply lines. The Allied counter was decisive and the 100 days to follow would lead to the end of WWI. With greatly improved tactics, new mechanical transport such as tanks and the element of surprise the Allies made rapid advances with 20 to 30 miles covered in the first four days. The Americans joined the battle in July and the battle of St Mihiel was a bloody introduction to the war, with a whole battalion lost. When the end came there was a flood of emotions. Initial joy followed by sadness for lost comrades and strangely the guilt of survival. From the 700,000 Scots who took part there were 174,000 who never came back and 74 Victoria Crosses awarded. It wasn’t just those who took part who were affected, every community in the land suffered losses. The vote of thanks was given by Jim Ferrier.
\Newburgh
Bonus ball The winner of last weeks TICC bonus ball was Helen Williamson on number 10. Oddfellows The next meeting of the Oddfellows will take place at 7.30pm on Thursday, December 6 in the Masons Hall. All Brethern are duly invited. Thursday Club Last week club members and friends had a fine day out to Livingston where the malls were all nicely decorated for Christmas. With all the chatter and laughter on the coach returning home it was obvious that everyone had enjoyed their day out. The day was finished off with a lovely meal at the Victoria Hotel in Kirkcaldy. Thanks to Flo for all the organising and Steven From Earnside Coaches for all the care shown to the party. Next week we join up with our friends from the cafe club for our annual Christmas party where the entertainment is by Katie Adamson and friends. The group meet again in 2019. Food bank Many thanks to all who have donated to the food bank appeal. Over 400 items have been received so far and will be taken to Cupar food bank next week. Closing date for donations is tomorrow. Christmas fair Santa will be visiting the TICC Christmas Fair tomorrow at 10am. All welcome. All the usual stalls and any donations will be very welcome. Whinneybank Cat Sanctuary Carol Grey, a lovely lady who adopted a Whinnybank cat a few years ago, sadly passed away recently. Her partner is keeping the cat. She left the funeral collection to Whinnybank, for which we are very grateful. We are also very grateful to Joyce from St Andrews who filled our Newburgh shop on Friday with cat scratch posts, carriers and food. We have had lots of food donated recently – thank you to all – the ferals love to have a variety of food to choose from. We have catnip mice for sale in our shops, made by kitten Linda they are filled with lots of catnip – cats love them so they would be perfect Christmas pressies. The Christmas windows have been done in both our shops – one of the Newburgh windows features our super Christmas raffle prizes, tickets are available now. Thanks go to Newburgh Football Club for their kind donation of books.
\Luncarty
Church The service this Sunday is in Stanley. On Monday, December 3, the Christmas Lunch Club meeting will be held in Luncarty Church
Methven SWI recently celebrated its 95th anniversary with a special event and Mrs Betty Pearson was on hand to cut the cake and members enjoyed a meal at the Methven Arms Hotel
Murthly
SWI President Gaye Sissons welcomed everyone to the November meeting. Alistair Chalmers gave a most interesting talk on Branklyn Garden, and then showed slides of some of the exotic plants and shrubs there. Competitions: The Jenny Dow Memorial Bowl, for flip flop mitts, Christine Lord. Monthly competition: pot plant, Muriel Graham, flower of the month, Christine Lord.
\Pitcairngreen
SWI Audrey Michie, president, opened the meeting and introduced Ali McKay from the British Heart Foundation who told his story from birth with a heart defect to receiving a heart transplant and the transformation this has made to his life. Competitions: Three heart shaped biscuits - 1st Isobel Stewart, 2nd Helen Coventry, 3rd Audrey Michie. Fancy egg cup - 1st Helen Coventry, 2nd Audrey Michie, 3rd Lorraine Macnamara. Village lunch The last village lunch of the year takes place in the village hall on Monday between noon and 1.30pm. It will be our Christmas
\Pitlochry
Astronomy class Astronomy Club with Pamela Foster starter class six weeks: Wednesday, January 9 - February 13, 7-9pm at Pitlochry Pavillion (£50). Learn how to navigate your way around the constellations, how the solar system formed, what makes the aurora glow, the birth and death of stars, and much more. Continuing class six weeks: Wed 20th Feb - 27th March at Pitlochry Pavillion (£50) A six-week course on astronomy, designed to either follow on from the six-week taster sessions or be taken on its own. Both courses will include practical observing and class-based activities. You will have the opportunity to learn more about both our own solar system and the wider universe and how the solar system formed; what makes the aurora glow; the birth and death of stars, and much more. Further information from pitlochryaea@gmail.com Pitlochry and Moulin Community Council Please note that as from January 2019, PMCC will meet on the second Monday of the month and not the second Wednesday as previously. The date of the January meeting is Monday, January 14 and not January 7 as stated in the minute of the November meeting. Football Vale of Atholl FC sponsored by RW Bell Building Services. The club had a free week last Saturday. This Saturday they are away to Auchterarder in the third round of the Ashleigh Cup. Training continues in the Atholl Leisure Centre on Wednesdays at 7pm, anyone interested can attend those sessions. Pitlochry Flower Club The December meeting of the club will be on Wednesday, December 12 in the Pitlochry Hydro Hotel. Christmas lunch will be served at noon for 12.30pm, followed be the demonstration at 2pm. If you wish to attend the lunch please notify Linzee Lindsay. The club is pleased to welcome back Linda Soutar as the demonstrator. She has chosen ‘season of magic’ as her subject and club members are asked to bring their own little bit of magic to the competition which is entitled ‘show stopper’. New members and guests are always welcome. Call Linzee Lindsay on 01738 710777. Blair Atholl Senior Citizens The Christmas party this year is in the Atholl Arms on Monday, December 10 6pm for 6.30pm. All retired residents are welcome to attend, please contact Mairi MacLeod 01796 481220 or Janet Murdoch 01796 481265 to if wishing to attend. Transport to and from the venue can be arranged.
\Scone
Bridge Results for Thursday, November 22. North/South - 1. B Leith/A McIntyre 62.2%, 2. G Reid/J Mitchell 53.5%, 3. M and B.Watson 53.1%. East/West - 1. R Garden/A Young 61.5%, 2. J Christie/B Pow 57.1%, 3. J and I Strachan 53.2%. The Scone Bridge Club meets every Thursday in the RDM Institute and new members are always welcome. For more information, please ring 551864. SWI Speaker, Martin Payne showed slides and talked about the World Heritage Site, The Lost City of Angkor in Cambodia which was most enlightening. Competition results: Gingerbread - G. Brown. Holiday Story-A Laing. Flower of the month E Crichton. Scone and St Martins Parish Church The whole parish service on Sunday is in Scone New Church at 9.45am and will be led by Rev Bob Sloan. Coffee/tea will be served in the Balformo Road Hall following the service. The 1st Scone Company of The Boys’ Brigade is holding a
\Rattray
SWI President Muriel Brown congratulated the members of the Rattray one team who came third in the group’s Ruralolympics held at the town hall. Muriel then introduced Simon Fairclough of Persie Gin Distillery who gave a fascinating insight into the history of distilling gin and his entrepreneurship in setting up the Persie Gin Distillery near the Spittal of Glenshee. Simon then taught members how to nose the flavours of his different Persie gins including his new Labrador Gin and then how to taste them with and without the different types of tonic water. After sampling, members were not surprised to learn that Persie Gins have won national gold and silver awards: a truly “gintastic” evening. Canapes: 1st Anne Simpson, 2nd Kathleen McCormick. Coaster any craft: 1st Margaret Reed, 2nd Margo Murray, 3rd Elaine Anderson. Flower of the month: Anne Simpson.
\St Madoes
St Madoes and Kinfauns Parish Church Sunday’s gift service starts at 10.30am. Please bring an unwrapped gift for a child. Wednesday’s Bible study group meets at 11am. All are welcome. Next Friday, December 7, the annual ‘tree in the park’ switchon is at 6.30pm at the Christmas tree in Semmidoes Garden. Everybody is welcome. Following this, at about 6.50pm, Walk through Nativity is at the Madoch Centre. Meet sheep, wise men and angels and stroke the donkey. Followed by hot chocolate. All events are in the Madoch Centre, unless otherwise stated. Further details at www.stmadoeskinfauns.com, on Facebook at stmadoesandkinfaunsparishchurch or contact us by e-mail at stmadoeskinfauns@hotmail.com
\Stanley
Church The service this Sunday will be held in Stanley Village Hall at 10am. All welcome. Bowling club Lottery winning numbers this week were 8, 12, 15 and 19. No winner. Prize money next week £391.
\Strathearn
Brass Central Strathearn The band held its Annual Concert in St Andrews Church Hall on Thursday, November 22 along with the development band. There was a good attendance to hear both bands play a variety of music. The senior band kicked the night of and then to end the first half the development band played the pieces they were going to play at the Scottish Youth Brass Band Festival. During the interval the raffle was drawn and many prizes won. The second half continued with the senior band playing music from films. Sunday, November 25 saw the development band along with 23 other bands take part in the Scottish Youth Brass Band Festival. The band played in the novice section and won a bronze award. December sees us into the Christmas Carols. Firstly at Crieff Late Shopping night on December 6, we will be playing in James Square from 6.30pm till 8pm, then again in James Square on Saturday, December 8 from 1-3pm and Crieff Choral Group will be joining us for some carols on Saturday, December 22 sees us play for the shoppers at Tesco Extra, Crieff Road, Perth, 3-5pm. The committee and both bands wish all our friends in the Strathearn area a happy Christmas and ‘guid New Year’ and look forward to entertaining you in 2019.