Around county
Standing, from left, at Perth Burns Club’s annual dinner are David Hamilton, Ali Abercrombie, Bob Abercrombie, Sandra MacDougall, Stewart MacDougall, Iain Mackintosh and piper Bob Hamilton. Seated, from left, are Professor Kirsteen McCue, club president Jim Calderwood and Brenda Calderwood. ●Pic: Richard Allan 3.15pm at the Scott Street church. There will be games, crafts, music and drama. For further information or to book a place, phone Kayla Lewis on 07801 563205 or Pam Bostock on 01738 625828. Alternatively, email inspireyouthproject@yahoo.com. The closing date for registration is Monday, February 12.
Perth Speakers’ Club
President Jim Reid welcomed members and guests to the Burns Supper evening on January 25 at the Salutation Hotel. Music was provided by Patsy Reid and Lorna Johnson. Cameron Horne gave the ‘Address to the Haggis’. Ewen Anderson presented the ‘Immortal Memory’. Hugh Mackenzie gave the ‘Toast to the Lasses’ with Hilda Reilly making the ‘Reply’. Bill Farquhar recited ‘Holy Willie’s Prayer’, and Sidney Coleman told of the judge and the keekin’-gles. Rodger Scott gave the vote of thanks. The next meeting will be on Thursday, February 8, from 7.30pm, at the Salutation Hotel. All welcome.
Perth St John’s Probus Club
On Tuesday, January 23, vicepresident Colin Fawcett introduced Janet Reay from Perth’s Trading Standards department, who gave a very informative talk regarding ‘Scam Awareness’. She spoke first about letters advising that you had won a large amount of money in a lottery draw or a sweepstake, or that someone had fallen heir to money and wanted, with your help, to invest it in some business venture. She next spoke about unsolicited telephone calls advising that there was a virus on your computer or from your bank asking you to divulge your personal details for some problem that had arisen with your account. This is usually followed by a reassuring suggestion that you phone your bank direct when in actual fact the phone line is still open to the scammer. There is an increasing amount of such calls and in virtually every case they originate from abroad. Telephone numbers can be cloned to appear as if they were originating locally when in fact they are not. Even website contacts can be changed to make it look as if they are the genuine source. Unfortunately quite a surprising number of people, especially those with dementia or other such problems, can be very susceptible to the very slick manner in which the scam is delivered and can be tricked into losing large sums of money. Her advice was to be very aware of such calls and if they persist to contact Trading Standards. Colin McKenna proposed the vote of thanks to Janet. The next meeting, which is the annual general meeting of the club, will be on Tuesday, February 6.
Perthshire Art Association
The next syllabus evening on Thursday, February 8, will feature a demonstration in the art of portrait drawing by popular local artist Hugh Maxwell. This meeting will be held in the Lecture Theatre in Perth Museum and Art Gallery from 7.30pm. Members are free. Non-members are £5 on the door. For more information, see www. perthshireartassociation.org
Perthshire Writers
Perthshire Writers next meets on Tuesday, February 6, at 7.30pm in the Conference Room at Perth Fire Station for a ‘Mills and Boon Tribute Night’.
New members and enquirers are always welcome. Any of the club’s Tuesday meetings are a great opportunity to come and see what the group is all about. For more information see Facebook, www. perthshirewriters.co.uk or search Twitter for ‘@PerthshrWriters’.
Strathearn Burns Club
Strathearn Burns Club held its 119th annual Burns Supper at Crieff Golf Club, and it turned out to be a memorable evening for food, music , poetry and speeches. The scene was set by young piper Wallace Mackie, who led Morven Gourlay and her haggis in to be confronted by Stewart McBain. Stewart’s address to the proud beast was a masterpiece of delivery and diction, convincing the company that they could eat nothing better for their health and strength. Chairman Bill Clark welcomed the company and guest performers, and introduced singing by Alison Hunter
Tay Probus Club
On January 24 under the title of ‘Private Small’ members were taken on an extraordinary journey by speaker Alan Imrie. Whilst Session Clerk of the Crown Court Church of Scotland in Covent Garden, London, Alan was preparing for the annual Christmas Communion service when among a collection of books he came across a small St John’s Gospel with a pencilled attribution to one Samuel J Small. Intrigued, Alan embarked on a quest that took the story from England to South Africa, Canada, France and back to Canada. From public sources freely available through the Canadian authorities Alan discovered that Samuel Small was born in England in 1877 and served the British Army in the Boer War. Following emigration by his family to Canada he joined the Canadian forces and embarked at New Brunswick in 1915 headed for England and training with British troops prior to moving into France. It was during this period that he must have left his testament in the Covent Garden church. Samuel died on September 28, 1916, during the assault on Thiepval Ridge in the Somme. Although he has no marked grave in Flanders his name is recorded on the memorial to all Canadians who fell there in the ADANAC cemetery. Anxious to trace any relatives and return the gospel to them, Alan obtained a photograph of Private Small and contacted a local newspaper in New Brunswick who suggested he write an article to accompany the picture. A very quick response came when Samuel’s granddaughter Carolyn contacted Alan and arrangements were made for the book to be sent to her. In 2011 this was presented by a local dignitary to Samuel’s daughter Annie, then in her 100th year, and she was pictured in the newspaper holding the precious book.