\Menstrie
Festive ceilidh Victoria Hall’s annual festive family ceilidh takes place on Wednesday, December 28, from 7.3011.30pm. Music by Jack Delaney’s Band. Tickets, costing £10 (children under 12 free), are available from Smallprint, Beech Road, telephone 01786 824376. Take your own bottle. Free Church Sunday’s services are at 11.30am with Kidz Club and creche plus evening service at 6.30pm. Prayer and Bible study meet on Thursdays at 7.30pm. More information from John Caldwell at 01786 821264 or email johndunblanefc@ gmail.com. Men’s breakfast at Choices Coffee Shop, Main Street, on the third Saturday of every month at 8am. More info from Alasdair Lunan 07886 216593. Dunblane Christian Fellowship Celebration service every Sunday at 10.30am. Kids’ Church, creche available. Chatty Crafters every Tuesday from 10am-1pm. Mother, baby and toddler group every Tuesday from 2-4pm. Thirst get-together for high school pupils every Tuesday at 6.30pm. Home groups/prayer meetings through the week. Contact Duncan Strathdee on 07789 912259 for details. Watchnight service is at 11.30pm in DCF and Christmas Day celebration is from 10-10.45am. Walking group Free health walk with trained leaders every Wednesday from 10.30am. Meet in front of Dunblane Cathedral. BB The BB will hold a foodbank collection for Startup Stirling on Thursday, December 22, from 4-7pm at St Blane’s Church Hall. Contatc 01786 823192 or email info@dunblanebb. org.uk for details. The collection at the carol service on Sunday raised £378 for Christian Aid. Tonight (Wednesday) the BB Band will play Christmas music and carols at Forth Valley Royal Hospital for patients, staff and visitors. Music will be from 6-8pm. They will also be at FVRH on Wednesday, December 21, at the same time. Tonight is also the Anchor Boys’ Christmas party and their final meeting before the holiday. Junior Section Christmas party is on Friday from 6.15-7.45pm and Company Section will meet as normal on Friday (7.45-10pm) and Sunday (7.30-9pm). For more information call 01786 821387 or info@dunblanebb.org.uk. St Blane’s Church On Sunday the Nativity service will be held at 10am. Tea and coffee will be served in the hall afterwards. The choir carol service will be held in St Blane’s at 6.30pm. The manse phone number is 01786 825324. Cathedral The midweek service will be held tomorrow (Thursday) at 11am. This short service takes place in the choir area of the cathedral. On Sunday the 10.30am service will incorporate the Sunday school Christmas presentation. Following the service tea and coffee will be served in the hall, where the Traidcraft stall will be open. On Sunday at 6.30pm a service of Nine Lessons and Carols will be held in the cathedral. From December 19-23 at 4pm there will be a series of short matinee concerts in the cathedral. Each concert will last 45 minutes. Some of the concerts will be organ-only. On Thursday, December 22, the performers will be a cellist and pianist from New Zealand. On Friday, December 23, a number of musicians from Dunblane Cathedral Choir will perform on a variety of instruments. The end-of-term services for the local schools will be held next week, with Newton Primary on December 20 at 10am, Dunblane Primary at 10am on December 21 followed by Dunblane High School at noon. St Mary’s Episcopal Church The Young Church Nativity play will take place during Sunday’s 10.30am service. The nine lessons and carol service will take place on Sunday at 4pm, followed by mulled wine and mince pies. The craft group will meet in the committee room at 2pm on Monday, December 19.
\Fallin
Fallin Information Exchange Support and advice on alternate Wednesdays from 9.30am-noon.
\Fishcross
Wee County Walkers A walk takes place every Tuesday, meet 2pm at Cats Protection League premises. Gaelic Parent and Child Group For children aged up to five meets Tuesdays 10am-noon in Menstrie Parish Church Hall. Cost £1.50. Wee County Walkers Meet Sundays at 2pm in Dumyat Centre car park. See www.weecountywalkers.wordpress.com. Blarlogie and District SWI The next meeting will be the party night tonight (Wednesday) at 7pm. Bring a cup. Menstrie Parish Church On the third week of Advent the third candle, for joy, was lit. Five new elders were ordained and admitted to the kirk session. Gifts taken to the service will be taken to The Gate and Women’s Aid. On Sunday there is an all-age service featuring Nativity at 11am and Time to Remember service at 3pm.
\Plean
Bookbug Sessions are every other Monday in the library from 11.1511.45am for babies and pre-school children.
\Raploch
Credit Union The collection point for Cornton and District in Raploch Campus is open as usual on Tuesday and Thursday from 11am-2.30pm. Office closes for the festive holiday from December 22-January 5. Walking group Free health walks with trained leaders, Mondays from 11-11.45am, meet at the front entrance of the community campus. Contact Tricia on 07557 439111. Ochil Centre Every Monday 10.30am to noon, Messy Mondays toddlers playgroup. The Tuesday Club for the over 60s runs from noon-2pm - lunch with tea/coffee free. Every Wednesday 11am-noon, Stay and Play parent toddler group. Bingo every Wednesday and Sunday, eyes down 8pm. Saturday, December 17, is the Ochil Centre Christmas fair. Tuesday, December 20, is the senior citizens’ Christmas lunch, tickets free from Ochil Centre. For more details call 01786 450011. St Mark’s Parish Church Home Group and St Mark’s@Sainsbury’s end for the year on Wednesday, December 20, at 5.30pm. The Christmas singalong is today (Wednesday) from 2-3pm in the small hall. On Friday, December 16, Raploch Primary School Christmas service begins at 9.45am, with Christmas songs and the No Strings Attached puppet show. Sunday is the Nativity gift service and anyone taing a gift should state whether it is suitable for a boy/girl and age. In the afternoon the church will join Allan Park South Church for some carol singing at the foot of King Street from 3-5pm. Sunday evening praise and prayer is 6pm and will be the last until the New Year. On Christmas Eve there is a Christingle service in the church from 7-8pm. Watchnight service begins at 11.15pm in the church. Christmas Day service will be held at 11am. On Sunday, January 1, there will be a service to welcome in the New Year with a singalong.
\Riverside
Parant is Paiste Gaelic Parent and child group for children up to age five meets on Mondays from 10am-noon in Riverside Primary School. £1.50 per session (includes snack). Call 07805 704884.
\St Ninians
Walking group Free health walk with trained leaders, Thursdays from 11.30am-12.15pm, meeting at the library in the Mayfield Centre. Contact Tricia on 07557 439111. Civil Defence Club Two sessions of bingo every Wednesday and Sunday, eyes down 8pm. Entertainment on Saturday from John Gilmour plus bingo at 8pm. Community Church Christmas service at 4.30pm in the Mayfield Centre. There will be no services on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. School enrolment St Ninians Primary School P1 enrolment days will be held at the school on Monday, January 9, from 9am until noon and Tuesday January 10, from 1-3pm. Advice Citizens Advice Bureau outreach team is available every Wednesday at Hillview Community Centre, Cultenhove Place, from 1.304pm. No appointment necessary. St Ninians Old Parish Church The Christmas family service on Sunday at 10.30am will be conducted by Rev Gary McIntyre. The service will include the Nativity and a baptism. Tea, coffee and mince pies will be served in the parish hall following the service. St Ninians Primary School Christmas service will be in the church on Wednesday, December 21, at 10am. There will be a service in Eccles Court on the afternoon of Wednesday, December 21, at 2.30pm. St Ninians UF Church On Sunday the service at 11am will be an all-age Christmas service conducted by Rev Martin Keane. Evening service at 7pm will be a Christmas praise service conducted by Mr Keane.
\Throsk
Community centre Cash bingo every Wednesday, doors open 7pm, eyes down 7.30pm.
\Tillicoultry
Wee County Walkers Meet Saturdays, 10.30am near the Nike outlet at Sterling Mills in Cochrane Hall car park. See www.weecountywalkers. wordpress.com.