\Killearn

\Aberfoyle

Walk in the park Short walk led by trained volunteers (around 45 minutes). Meet on Monday, April 24 at woollen mill car park at 10.20am for car share to Lemahamaish. Contact Cathy Scott on 01877 330055 or email cathy.scott@lochlomondtrossachs.org. Strength and balance For older adults every Monday in the Forth Inn 12.15pm-1pm, followed by 10-minute walk. Yoga and mindfulness Classes in the Memorial Hall, Mondays 7.30-9pm. Contact Gillian on 01877 387201 or 07738 225996. Parish Church Service on Sunday will be at the usual time of 11.15am and will be conducted by the Rev Drew Barrie, Interim Moderator during the vacancy. The church has recently appointed a locum minister, Rev Dr Valerie Allan, who will start on May 9. This appointment will allow a degree of continuity during the vacancy. Messy Church People are asked to note the change of venue for the forthcoming Messy Church. It will now be held at Buchlyvie on Sunday, April 30 and not Aberfoyle as previously intimated. St Mary’s Scottish Episcopal Church Sunday at 11.15am is Holy Communion. All welcome. Contact Rector Richard Grosse 01877 382887.

\Balfron

Bowling club Community cafe Tuesdays from 2pm. There is a small library and patrons can bring along knitting/sewing/crafts. Church Sunday worship will be led by Ian Armstrong at 11.15am. Tea and coffee will be available in the church rooms before the service at 10.45am. Prayer meeting on Tuesdays at 7pm; lunch club on Thursdays from noon and Cosy Cafe is on Fridays from 6pm. An ecumenical worship event to complement the architectural them of the Alexander Greek Thomson Festival will be held in Balfron Church on Sunday at 5pm. All welcome.

\Blanefield

Walking group Every Thursday, 2-2.45pm, alternate weeks between Blanefield and Killearn. Call 07557 439111.

\Buchlyvie

Yoga In the village hall on Wednesdays, 9.30-10.30am. Contact Gillian on 01877 387201 or 07738 225996. Otago Adult strength and balance class, Tuesdays 11.30am-noon in the village hall, cost £2. For more info call 01786 448308.

\Callander

Walk in the park Short walk led by trained volunteers. Lasts 15-45 minutes. Meet on Tuesday, April 25 at Ancaster Square at 10.20am for car share to Bracklinn Falls. Contact Cathy Scott on 01877 330055 or email cathy.scott@lochlomond-trossachs. org. Strength and balance For older adults every Tuesday in the fire station 2-3pm, followed by 10-minute walk. Bridge Club Play takes place in the Waverley Hotel at 6.50pm every Wednesday. Winners from April 19: NS E Nicolson and M O’Keefe; EW L Sutherland and D Hunter. Concert Callander Kirk Junior Choir will take to the kirk hall stage to perform “Oink! .... a pig of a tale” on Sunday, April 23 and Monday, April 24 at 7pm. Tickets priced £5 for adults and £3 for school children aged 16 and under are now available from the junior choir team. St Andrew’s Scottish Episcopal Church Holy Communion on Sunday and Wednesday at 10am. All welcome. Contact Rector Richard Grosse 01877 382887. Kirk Early worship at 10.00am in the kirk hall is led by David Warnock (John 20 v 19-31). Service at 11.15am in the kirk, conducted by Rev Elinor Gordon and Time for Silence at 8pm in the kirk. The Teapot Cafe is open in the kirk hall library on Wednesdays from 10.30am-noon. Offers of help will be much appreciated.

\Doune, Deanston

Bridge club Meets on Wednesdays at 7.15pm in the Red Lion Hotel. For more info contact Irene on 01786 841785 or Derek on 01786 842224. Intermediate classes are on Tuesdays from 7-9pm in Kilmadock Information Centre. Call Susan on 01786 842684 or 07778 506406 or email susan.wilson37@tesco.net. Keep fit Classes on Mondays, 7-8pm in the Rural Hall. Aerobics and legs/ bums/tums, suitable for beginners to advanced. Cost £5. Coffee morning 1st Kilmadock Brownies are having a coffee morning tomorrow (Saturday) from 10amnoon in the Rural Hall. Entry £1.50 includes tea/coffee and home baking. There will be a raffle (donations welcome), baking table, bric-a-brac, etc.

\Drymen

Bridge Results from April 13: NS 1 Maureen McKeand and David Amon; 2 Carol Jones and Jeff Hornby; 3 Joy Kirkland and Betty Laing. EW 1 Margaret Neufeld and John McGregor; 2 Anne McLachlan and Barbara Ross; 3 Laurie and Jane Crawford. Senior Citizens’ Association At the AGM on Tuesday, April 18, May Boyle stood down and was thanked for her many years of faithful service on the committee; Trish Mackay was voted on in her place. Other than that there was little change with all office bearers and committee members unanimously voted back on for another year. The formal part of the meeting was followed by an informal session of musical bingo, taxing the members’ memories to identify the name, original artiste and year of release of various songs from the 50s and 60s played on keyboard. The trip this year is to Oban on Monday, May 15, leaving the Square in Drymen at 11am, with high tea in the Royal Hotel in Oban and back home in Drymen by approximately 8.15pm. Any member wishing to go who has not already got their names down please call Linda on 01360 660706. Concert The B Flats will hold their annual spring concert in Kilmaronock Millenium Hall, Gartocharn on Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6. Doors open at 7pm and the concert begins at 7.30pm; tickets are £8 for adults and £4 for under 16s (all profits go to charity). Tickets are available from choir members or by calling Linda More on 01360 660706. Local History Society The society’s Members’ Night is always a popular night. This year it will be held on Thursday, April 27 in Drymen Village Hall and the highlight of the evening will be the launch of a collection of poems by “The Drymen Poet”, Sam Henry who after service in the Black Watch lived in Drymen from the 1880s until his death in 1909. Two of the society’s members, Mary Bruce and Jenny Riddle, spent many hours trawling through old editions of The Stirling Observer in Stirling Central Library and Stirling Archives to find these poems and copy them by hand. These ladies have since died, but the history society has taken up the task of publishing Sam’s poems for a new generation to enjoy. Descendants of Sam Henry who live in Drymen will be present as guests. The meeting will be preceded from 7.15-7.45pm by cheese and wine and the book launch will be followed by two short talks by members. Visitors will then be given the opportunity to leave before the society’s AGM. Non-members welcome, admission £2. Art exhibition The annual Drymen Art Club exhibition and sale of paintings in Drymen Village Hall will be open to the public tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday, April 23 from 10am-5pm. Admission is free and tea and coffee are available. Visitors are invited to vote for their favourite painting. The artist of the framed painting with most votes will receive the coveted Wendy Shuker Prize.

\Fintry

Kirk Service on Sunday is at the usual time of 9.30am will be conducted by Rev Allan Dunnett, Creche available, all welcome.

\Gargunnock

Church The service on Sunday at 10.30am in the community centre will be conducted by Rev Lynne Mack. Circle dance group Second Thursday of every month in Gartmore Village Hall, 2-4pm. All the dances are taught first. Contact Romma Clements 01877 382956/Maria Miller 01259 220679. Thornhill Players Tickets are still available for the Players’ next production “Murder On Cue” by Robin Jennifer Miller. Performances will be held in Gartmore Village Hall tonight (Friday) and in Thornhill Community Hall tomorrow (Saturday), both starting at 7.30pm. Please note this play contains adult references. To pre-book tickets or for further information call Marilyn (01877 330511) or Charlotte (01786 850288). Walking group Every Thursday, 2-2.45pm, alternate weeks between Blanefield and Killearn. Call 07557 439111. Otago Active adults strength and balance class, Tuesdays from 9.30-10am and 10.10-10.40am in the church hall, £2. Contact Active Stirling on 01786 448308. Bridge club Results from Tuesday, April 18 (Championship) are: 1 Margaret English and Irene Hardie; 2 Jane and Lawrence Crawford; 3 David Amon and Willie Robertson.

\Killin

Walk in the park Short walk led by trained volunteers lasting around 45 minutes although shorter walks available on request. Meet Wednesday, April 26 at 10.20am in Capercaillie for River Dochrt/old railway walk. Contact Cathy Scott on 01877 330055 or email cathy.scott@ lochlomond-trossachs.org. Strength and balance Exercise class for older adults every Wednesday in the Killin Hotel from 1.30-2.30pm, followed by 10-minute walk.

\Kinlochard

Yoga and mindfulness Class is held in the village hall on Tuesdays from 7.15-8.45pm. Contact Gillian on 01877 387201 or 07738 225996.

\Kippen

Used stamps Heather Dunlop, 10 Oakwood, collects used stamps to aid a charity for the blind. Leave a narrow margin of paper round the stamps and hand them to Heather or leave them for her in McNicoll’s. Otago Active adults strength and balance class, Wednesdays 9.4510.15am in the church hall, £2. Contact Active Stirling on 01786 448308. Toddlers Bring babies and toddlers to the village hall every Thursday from 10.30am to noon. Flower Show Schedules will soon be available for the 116th Annual Flower Show in the village hall on Sunday, August 20, at 12.30pm. Cappuccino Chatter Church House, Wednesdays, 10.30-11.30am. Vintage Anyone interested in classic or vintage motor cycles should come to Rhubarblime, Main Street, on Sunday, April 30 from 9-10.30am when 20-30 motorcycles will take part in a social run. Interested parties can have a look at the bikes, take photos and speak to the bikers. Tennis Club Seasonal activities start soon and the spring coaching session begins tomorrow (Saturday) for 10 weeks. The club has free intro sessions. Details on www. kippentennisclub.org.uk. MSP surgery Dean Lockhart MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife will be holding an advice surgery in the village hall today (Friday) from 1-2pm. Church Rev Ellen Larson Davidson will lead the service on Sunday at 11.15am. All welcome. Solar Pumps The congregational Lenten project supporting Malawi Fruits raised the sum of £353 plus some Gift Aid and reached the target to buy one solar water pump and well on the way to buying a second pump. Wee Whist Winners of the monthly Wee Whist in the Reading Room last Wednesday were: Ladies 1 Ina Young, 2 and consolation Betty McAllister. Gents 1 Georg McLaren, 2 Fiona Clark. Consolation Dianne Louttit. Aggregate winners 1 George McLaren, 2 Agnes Yuill, 3 Fiona Finnigan. After a summer break the next Wee Whist will be on September 13.