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RSVP WALKING GROUP
Walk leaders with the Retired and Senior Volunteer Programme organise and lead three walks every week, starting at various places across Stirling and Clackmannanshire on Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get extra exercise and have a chat along the way, contact Anne Marie on 07935 911156 for more details.
HANDYPERSON SERVICE
Handyperson volunteers carry out small/minor maintenance jobs in older people’s homes in the Stirling, Bridge of Allan, Dunblane, Callander and Clackmannanshire areas. The service is co-ordinated by registered charity Volunteering Matters. There is no charge and donations are gratefully accepted. Volunteers welcome. For details during the current climate call 01259 928088.
COUNCIL ON DISABILITY STIRLING
The office in Cameronian Street is open and available for all disability related work or enquiries. During the pandemic, COD continues to operate successfully by phone for all types of benefit form completion and follow up work to tribunal if required. Whilst COD is not yet offering face to face appointments, the situation is monitored continually and staff look forward to re-introducing this as soon as it is practicable. A wealth of information on services can be found on the website at www.councilondisability. org . All updates on face to face reopening will also appear here. Please phone 01786 462178 or 07521 186159 or email advisor@ councilondisability.org.
ROCKTALK
Stirling’s talking newspaper for the blind is free to visually impaired members of the community. Contact Mike Milne at enquiries@rocktalk.org.uk or 01786 816673.
NEURO CENTRAL
Neuro Central aims to ensure that people in Scotland who live with neurological conditions, as well as their carers and families, have access to high quality services, therapies, information and support in a friendly, relaxed environment so nobody has to feel alone. Meetings are held on the first and third Monday of the month at Stirling County Cricket Club from 11am-1pm. Precautions will be taken to ensure, as far as possible, the safety of our members, volunteers and therapists. Further information is on the Facebook page, by calling 07526 281747 or on the website ‘neurocentral.org.uk.’ As usual, everyone welcome. If you would like a cuppa, please bring your own cup.
ALZHEIMER SCOTLAND
Contact dementia advisor Donna Paterson at dpaterson@alzscot.org, 01786 8311 or 07733 302772.
TOWN BREAK
The charity group supports people with early to moderate stage dementia to live well. For more information in the current climate, contact 01786 641841 or email admin@townbreakstirling.org.
STIRLING CITY CHOIR
The choir is now on its summer break. Rehearsals resume on Tuesday, September 6 at 7.30pm at Park Church when the choir will be getting ready for the Christmas Concert as well as planning ahead for next year’s Spring Concert - a performance of Mendelssohn’s Elijah. New members always welcome. More information on www.stirlingcitychoir. org.uk twitter: @stirling_choir Facebook: Stirling City Choir”
FORTH VALLEY TOP TOES
Part of the Braveheart Association non-profit charity providing personal footcare service to adults who are unable to cut their own toenails. Cost is £15 per session which covers overheads and the customers’ nail care kit. It offers basic nail clipping and filing every six-10 weeks by a team of trained NHS approved volunteers but do not provide other podiatric treatments. The clinic meets at the Bellfield Centre, Stirling Community Hospital, Livilands Gate, Stirling on Thursdays from 9am-12.30pm. To book an appointment contact the Forth Valley Top Toes team on 07596 375674/01324 633505 or email louise.bleazard@nhs.scot.
STIRLING LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY
The 2021/22 season meetings are being held online, via Zoom. Meetings are held on the last Thursday of each month at 7pm. Registration details can be found on the current season section on the webpage. Online tutorials are available on the Zoom website. For more details on the society, please visit the About Us page.
STIRLING POETRY SHARING GROUP
The group is restarting on the first Thursday of the month from the new time of 11.30am to 12.30pm in the Smith Art Gallery, Dumbarton Road, Stirling. All are welcome to come along to share and enjoy poetry being read aloud. Bring a couple of poems of any era or style if you wish to read, or just come along to listen. If you wish to hear a particular poem read, but do not wish to read yourself, the group will provide a willing reader. The Smith Cafe is open from 11am for the sale of refreshments. Further details from 07464 602207. Future Thursday dates are June 2, July 7, August 1 and September 1.
THE ARTS SOCIETY STIRLING AND FORTH VALLEY
On Thursday, May 19 at 11am at the Albert Halls, Stirling, freelabce curator, lecturer and writer Joanna Banham will give a talk entitled A Decorative Art: History of Wallpapers. The history of wallpaper is a long and fascinating subject that dates back to the 16th century and encompasses a huge range of beautiful patterns created both by anonymous hands and by some of the best-known designers of the 19th and 20th centuries. This lecture explores the history and development of this product from earliest times up to the present day. Please allow time to check in for the lecture. Anyone is welcome to join, for further information please visit the website: www.theartssocietystirling.org. uk or contact Membership Secretary by e-mail: artssocsfvmembership@gmail. com
OCHILS MOUNTAINEERING CLUB
Decent weather over the weekend saw club members out hillwalking in the borders, Glencoe and Glen Orchy. Some scrambling on the Curved Ridge of the Buachaille as well. With the longer evenings the climbers in the club are arranging some outdoor climbing at local crags at Cambusbarron, Kips crag, Limekilns and Dollar quarry. Plans are being made for a club alpine trip to Switzerland in the second half of July. The club photo competition is on Wednesday, June 1 at the Stirling County Cricket Club starting at 8pm. The next day trip is on Sunday, May 15. Details on website. There is a new members meet at the club cottage on July 1-3. It’s a great way for folk interested in joining the club to meet existing members and get involved with the club activities. There are membership incentives for those wishing to join the club. Please see the website for further details. Details of forthcoming weekend meet at the Roybridge campsite at the beginning of June are on the Club website, at www.ochils.com, or check out Ochils Mountaineering Club on Facebook for current activities.
STIRLING FOLK CLUB
Guests on Monday, May 16 are Johnston and Gordon. Euan Johnston and Andrew Gordon have been friends from the Scottish music scene for many years before getting together as a duo in 2016. Never taking themselves too seriously, their guitar and bodhran rhythms display their passion for Scottish and Irish music. You can catch them in concert at 7.30pm in Stirling County Rugby Club on Causewayhead Road. Tickets are £9 at the door.
INNER WHEEL OF STIRLING
President Judith Vaughan-sharp welcomed Dr Murray Cook, Stirling Council archaeologist and Open Night speaker, and also the many members and guests at The Court Hotel, Bridge of Allan, the new meeting venue. Dr Cook’s presentation “Why Stirling is amazing”, explored, in fascinating style, little known facts about this amazing city. Did you know it will be 900 years old in 2024 or that The Smith has the oldest Scottish football and curling stone? Or that Stirling city walls are the best preserved in Scotland? That the Church of Holyrood witnessed the coronation of James 1V - the same James who founded the King James’ Bible? And that the first powered flight in Scotland in 1909 by the Barnwell brothers, Harold and Frank, were Stirling’s answer to the Wright brothers? The flight took place in a field in the shadow of the Wallace Monument, travelling 80 metres at a height of four metres. This was a presentation packed with facts in an easy and entertaining style, our appreciation reflected in member Sandra Kerr’s vote of thanks. All proceeds from the raffles, along with donations before, during and after the meeting, raised nearly £1000 towards support for Ukraine and its peoples. Inner Wheel locally and internationally, is committed to continuing that support.
CARSE OF STIRLING ROTARY CLUB
Last week saw members gather at Oscars Wine Bar in the Stirling Arcade. The club likes to have regular social evenings and the latest was a great success thanks to Oscars’ fantastic hospitality. The food and drink was first class and a return visit is definitely on the cards. Additionally, last Tuesday saw members of the club helping P3 and P4 of Braehead Primary School with a community litter pick in their local area. It’s always rewarding to get involved with local projects and help make the Stirling area a nicer place to be. Rotarians enjoyed spending time helping staff and pupils and they look forward to their next collaboration. Work is still being done on the preparation for the annual Kids Out Day at Bridgehaugh on Wednesday, June 1 with only a few short weeks left until the big day. Plans are going well and special thanks are due to Eddie Cramb and Jimmy Muirhead for their particularly dedicated efforts to date. Anyone who would like more information on helping people, both locally and abroad, can either pay a visit on a Wednesday to the Golden Lion Hotel at 6.30pm or get in touch through social media channels by searching for ‘@carserotary’.
THE ROYAL NAVAL ASSOCIATION
The RNA will hold a meeting tonight (Friday) at 7pm in the British Legion Club, Dundas Street, Grangemouth. All RN/ RM more than welcome to come along. For any more information please contact James on 01786 609770.
SCOTTISH ROCK GARDEN CLUB
The club’s flower show will be held in the Victoria Hall, Dunblane tomorrow (Saturday) from noon till 3.30pm. Entry is free. Several top plant nurseries will be there selling many rare and unusual plants for the garden. This is the first SRGC show in Dunblane since 2019 as Covid necessitated cancelling all the planned shows scheduled for 2020 and 2022. Exhibitors are expected from all over the country. Enquiries to show secretary Sam Sutherland at scsutherland@hotmail. co.uk.
BRIDGE OF ALLAN AND DUNBLANE ROTARY CLUB
There was a warm welcome for Pamela Mackie who spoke to the club about the work of Rubber Chicken Theatre Dunblane’s performing arts family. Pamela, the theatre’s Creative Director, and her team have been producing shows as well as teaching and supporting the performing arts across Dunblane for 16 years. The theatre started with some 50 children; it now has 180 enthusiastic participants aged from four years to adulthood. As Pamela explained, they welcome anyone with an interest in the arts. The theatre operates as a social enterprise, linking with several local charities, organisations and schools to give access to the arts. It provides drama classes, workshops, a community choir, and produces shows with opportunities (on and off stage) for small children through to retired adults. Participating in these activities not only provides enjoyment and fulfilment, it acts as a means of confidence building. While the theatre does charge for taking part in its activities, if ability to pay is an issue the theatre has a flexible policy: to date it has made available 968 free hours. With a tradition of providing regular shows, the arrival of the pandemic was a real blow. However, after serious consideration they took the decision not to close. In the event, they were able to offer shows by a combination of performing outdoors in Dunblane’s Holmehill (when this was allowed), and digitally recording and then broadcasting shows. This latter process involved recording each performer individually and then, as Pamela described it, ‘stitching those individual files together to create a show’. Easy to say, perhaps, but, as she pointed out, performers were in different countries and the ultimate performance required a huge number of files to be stitched together before the show could be broadcast. The outcome of this hard work was, however, greatly appreciated, including considerable admiration from America. The theatre takes its shows to a variety of locations in the UK and has travelled to Europe to take part in the Europe Junior Festival. It is particularly proud of achieving not one but two Guinness World Records for the fastest production of a theatrical show. On the first occasion, the theatre succeeded in starting the performance after 11 hours and 59 minutes. That time having then been beaten by a Spanish company, they pulled out all the stops in February to gain their second world record with the amazing time of nine hours and 59 minutes, involving a cast of 130. And now, Pamela suggested, their need is for more space and more volunteers. They have two challenges: to register as a charity, and to find a larger venue. Thanking Pamela, Stewart Strathdee reflected on the amazing achievement of the theatre and the enthusiasm and professionalism that has been evident in its work. Club meetings are held in the Westlands Hotel, Dunblane at 6.15pm on Thursday. Non–members are welcome; anyone wishing to attend should contact the club secretary Stuart Brown at secretary@dunblanerotary.org.uk. The club programme can be found on the website: www.dunblanerotary.org.uk or on. Facebook: www.facebook.com/ dunblanerotary.