\Callander

\Aberfoyle

Walk in the park Led by trained volunteers. Lasts 15 minutes to one hour. Next walk is Monday, April 23. Meet at Woollen Mill car park 10.20am for Lodge Forest Visitor Centre walk (car share, dementia friendly). Contact Cathy Scott on 01877 330055 or email cathy.scott@lochlomond-trossachs. org. Strength and balance For older adults, Mondays in the Forth Inn 12.15-1pm, followed by 10-minute walk. Yoga and mindfulness Classes in Memorial Hall, Mondays 7.30-9pm. St Mary’s Scottish Episcopal Church Holy Communion on Sunday at 11.15am, all welcome. Contact Rector Richard Grosse 01877 382887. Parish church Service on Sunday will be at the usual time of 11.15am with worship being conducted by Mr Dan Gunn.

\Balfron

Adult fitness Dance-based exercises and routines on Thursdays from 7-8pm in Balfron Campus studio. Take a mat, cost £5.50. Contact Yasmin on 07979 856837 or email yasmin@throthegrapevine.co.uk. Community Cafe The cafe is open every Tuesday at 2pm in Balfron Bowling Club. Company and home baking. Wheelchair access available. Film society Tonight (Friday) Strathendrick Film Society will be showing the multi-award winning Tea with Mussolini with Dames Maggie Smith, Judi Dench and Joan Plowright. The film starts at 7.30pm in Balfron High School Theatre. Non-members as always are welcome, cost £5; doors open at 7pm – tea and coffee available for early comers. Parish Church Sunday worship will be led by Mr Ian Armstrong at 11.15am. Churchgoers are encouraged to arrive at the church before 10.45am as Buchanan Street, Cotton Street and Dunmore Street will be closed from 10.50am for the Balfron 10K. Tea/coffee will be served before the service. Prayer group meets on Tuesday, April 24 at 7pm in the church rooms Lunch club is from noon on Thursdays. Concert Balfron Community Singers concert is being held tomorrow (Saturday) at 7pm in the church. Admission is adults £4 and children £2 and tickets are available from any choir member, Balfron Library or McFarlane’s. will be led by Rev Scott Brown, all welcome. Advance notice is given regarding the service on Sunday, April 29. This service will be led by the Interim Moderator Rev Dr Russell Moffat. At the end of this service a committee to oversee the appointment of a new minister will be appointed. A good attendance at this service and meeting would be appreciated. Walk in the park Led by trained volunteers. Lasts 20 minutes to one hour. Next walk is Tuesday, April 24. Meet in Ancaster Square at 10.20am for 10th birthday celbration walk, Brigend and Meadows (dementia friendly). Followed by tea/coffee and scones in The Old Bank, cost £3.85. Summer walks every Wednesday, meeting at 7pm in Ancaster Square. Various routes : 20-45 minutes (dementia friendly). Contact Cathy Scott on 01877 330055 or email cathy. scott@lochlomond-trossachs.org. Strength and balance For older adults, Tuesdays in the fire station, 2-3pm. Concert On Sunday, April 22, Callander Kirk presents a concert by Syrian classical guitarist Ayman Jarjour at 3pm. Admission free. Donations to Forth Valley Welcome, sanctuary for refugees in the heart of Scotland. St Andrew’s Scottish Episcopal Church Holy Communion at 10am on Sunday and Wednesday. All welcome. Contact Rector Richard Grosse 01877 382887. Car boot sale The annual car boot sale at St Joseph’s Church begins on Saturday, May 6 from 9am-4pm and will run every week until September. To book a spot call 01877 330357. Callander Kirk Early worship on Sunday at 10am in the kirk hall led by the Rawson family (Mark 4). Morning worship is at 11.15am in Callander Kirk and Time for Silence is at 8pm, also in the kirk. Tomorrow (Saturday) Messy Church takes placee from 10.30am-12.30pm in the kirk hall. It’s a chance for families to have fun, relax, explore faith and enjoy a meal together. Everyone welcome. Teapot Cafe is open in the kirk hall library on Wednesdays from 10.30am-noon. Offers of help be much appreciated.

\Croftamie

Walk in the park Led by trained volunteers. Meet outside the Winnock Hotel, Drymen on Thursdays at 10.20am. Email fran.crumley@ lochlomond-trossachs.org for more details.

\Doune, Deanston

Bridge club Wednesdays, 7.15pm in the Red Lion Hotel. Keep fit Mondays, 7-8pm in the Rural Hall. Aerobics and legs/bums/ tums, suitable for beginners to advanced. Cost £5. Young at Heart Low-impact dance fitness classes for 50 year-olds and over on Tuesdays in the Rural Hall from 9.30-10.15am and Thursdays from 10-10.45am. Contact Janice on 07565 182259.

\Drymen

Walk in the park Led by trained volunteers. Meet outside the Winnock Hotel, Thursdays at 10.20am. Email fran.crumley@lochlomondtrossachs.org for more details. Art club The annual exhibition and sale of paintings takes place this weekend (April 21-22) from 10am5pm in the village hall. Admission is free and refreshments are available. The club meets on Wednesday afternoons in the village hall. At the exhibition visitors are invited to vote for their favourite painting, with thewinner receiving the coveted Wendy Shuker Prize. History society Members’Night featuring short talks by members, will include a topical talk by Jim Leiper who sailed as a watch-keeping engineer on MV Empire Windrush in 1948. The talks will be preceded by cheese and wine from 7.15-7.45pm and will be followed by the AGM. Non-members welcome, and they will be charged £2, and will have the option to leave before the AGM. The meeting will be held on Thursday, April 26 in the village hall. Bowls Buchanan Arms Bowling Club will open for the new season tomorrow (Saturday) at 2pm for 2.30pm. All welcome, new and old members, or anyone wishing to take up bowls for the first time. Bridge Results from April 12: NS 1 Irene Hardie and Jean Aitken; 2 Betty Laing and Margaret Neufeld; 3 John McGregor and various partners. EW 1 Barbara Ross and Margaret English; 2 Jean Cameron and Sheila Jackson; 3 Trish Duncan and Gill Cameron. Senior citizens Twenty-six members gathered in Drymen Village Hall on Tuesday, April 17 for the club’s AGM. Mary Ronald remains as president, Linda More as secretary and Sheena McAllister kindly agreed to become the new treasurer. Margaret Gibb retired from the committee after many years and was thanked for her cheerful service to the club. The committee remained as Ruby and Tommy Doyle, Trish McKay, Agnes McQueen and Jim Miller, with the welcome addition of Cathy Mair. After the business part of the meeting was concluded a game of musical bingo was enjoyed, as was the cuppa and blether which followed. The last event of this year is a coach trip to Largs on Tuesday, May 8. At present the coach is full, but any member who wishes to go but does not yet have their name down should still contact Linda on 01360 660706 so that a reserve list may be drafted. Church Sunday service is at 11.30am, come along early and enjoy coffee and fellowship before the start of the service. Community council The AGM of the community council will be held in Drymen Village Hall on Tuesday, May 1, at 7.30pm. This will be followed by ordinary business. A warm welcome is extended to all members of the public. SWI news At the meeting on Thursday, April 12, members were given an informative and interesting talk by Emma Martinelli, Community Engagement Officer at RSPB Loch Lomond at Gartocharn. The talk and slides shown were enjoyed by everyone and all learned a lot about the RSPB site and the many varieties of birds and wildlife which can be seen there. The site is open to the public with woodland walks and many opportunities to observe the birds and animals. The vote of thanks was given by Mary Callan who thanked Emma and told her that now that she had confirmed that the site was open to the public and shown what was available there that many would be keen to visit. Competitions: Uncooked traybake - 1 Cathy Mair; 2 Mary Callan; 3 Isobel Craig. Councillor’s surgery Councillor Graham Lambie will be in the village hall on Tuesday, May 1 at 7pm.

\Fintry

Church The service on Sunday will be at the usual time of 9.30am and will be led by Mr Iain Armstrong. A creche is available and tea/coffee will be served after the service.

\Gargunnock

Young at Heart Low-impact dance fitness classes for 50 year-olds and over on Tuesdays in the community centre from 10.45-11.30am. Contact Janice on 07565 182259. Talk The Whale and the Broch - 6000 years of Gargunnock History! That’s the title of a free event to be held in Gargunnock Kirk at 10am tomorrow (Saturday). Murray Cook, Archaeologist at Stirling Council, will give a talk and then a guided walk of the old kirkyard and Keir Hill. Coffee, tea and home baking afterwards. Councillor’s surgery Councillor Robert Davies will be in the community centre on Monday, April 23 at 7pm. Church The service on Sunday at 10.30am will be conducted by Rev. Lynne Mack. SWI news At the meeting on Tuesday, April 17, members enjoyed an excellent evening with mosaics artist Jaine Marriott. An interesting talk was followed by the chance to design and make small pieces. Competitions: An item of coloured glass - 1 Tina Peek; 2 Janette Wilson; 3 Grace Smellie. Three pieces of rocky road - 1 Kathleen Sinclair; 2 Maureen McLaughlin; 3 Jessie Wyllie. Next meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 15 at 7.30pm in the community centre. There will be a business meeting and flower arranging demonstration.

\Gartmore

Circle dance Group meets every second Thursday of the month in Gartmore Village Hall, 2-4pm. Jumble Sale/Coffee Morning Event takes place on Saturday, April 28 from 10am-noon in the village hall. Donations of good second-hand, clean clothing; toys; bric-a-brac all accepted. Please drop off at the hall on Friday, April 27 between 4-5pm or from 9am on Saturday. Entry £3 includes tea and coffee. Church Sunday service at 10am led by Rev Scott Brown will include the Sacrament of Baptism. All welcome.