14 10 430 https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/1/277/GlenkensGazette130.pdf 3dd77177babb39329fe696351d371288 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette 130 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Glenkens Gazette Description An account of the resource <p>Find out more about the Gazette: <a href="https://glenkens.scot/gazette-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Glenkens Gazette home page</a> If you would like to submit an article or take out an advert, please email the editor Sarah Ade: <span>&nbsp;</span><a href="mailto:glenkensgazette@hotmail.com">glenkensgazette@hotmail.com</a></p> <p>The Glenkens Gazette is a member of, and regulated by <span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.impressorg.com/">Impress</a>.</p> <p>The Glenkens Gazette is an initiative of Glenkens Community &amp; Arts Trust (SC032050) and represents the voice of the community (not necessarily the views of GCAT).</p> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document GLENKENS GAZETTE News from Balmaclellan, Carsphairn, Corsock, Crossmichael, Kirkpatrick Durham, Laurieston, Mossdale, New Galloway, Parton and St John’s Town of Dalry June/July 2022 ISSUE 130 Land Use in the Glenkens We live in the Glenkens; perhaps we have been here for generations, or perhaps we have only recently arrived. Regardless of timescale, the Glenkens is the place we call home, and where we find our sense of family and of community. Everyone has an interest in the land around us, whether it’s members of the community using spaces for recreation and amenity, farmers utilising the land for agriculture, or industry such as forest and wind interests. Another aspect which is becoming more and more influential is land use in response to the climate and biodiveristy crises. The BBC Scotland programme, Landward, recently had a focus on Galloway which gave a snapshot of the impact the surge of farmland sales to institutional investors is having. Farmland is being bought in order to plant trees for carbon capture and carbon credits, resulting in skyrocketing prices outpricing local buyers as well as changes to the landscape itself when farmland is turned into blanket forestry plantations. The Glenkens is traditionally a hill farming area, renowned for its Galloway cattle and blackface sheep. In the 1930s huge changes took place with the creation of the hydro system. Then, post-WW1, the Forestry Commission began to plant Sitka spruce to replace trees utilised in war efforts. Our human landscape is a constantly evolving one, changing in response to society’s needs and demands; we cannot expect it to stay static. However, we do have a responsibility to make sure that decisions made today which impact the world around us create the best outcome for future generations. So how do we allow change to happen while ensuring communities continue to thrive and are empowered in their landscape? We need the tools to enable our communities to be listened to by governing bodies and the people in charge of land use policies affecting us all. Here in the Glenkens, where land use is changing so rapidly, we need this before it’s too late. In this issue we look at Local Place Plans and how community councils can have an input, ensuring the people’s desires and needs for land use in the community are recorded and will be considered by the local authority, and therefore developers. Will Local Place Plans have an influence, will it be soon enough and what can we do now? In other parts of the British Isles, communities have responded strongly to rapid afforestation, such as the Save Leitrim campaign in Ireland and a 17,000 strong petition requesting changes to a scheme at Frongoch Farm in Cwrt-y-Cadno, Wales (see p22). A Glenkens Community & Arts Trust (GCAT) initiative Del to y ivered ou than r door sup po ks to Gall rt from owa y Gl the Sch eme ens We have articles from local residents who are keenly feeling the loss of their wild spaces; voices from community groups liaising with the commercial forestry sector to enable a community voice in planting policy; views from a professional forester; and articles by local trusts and groups which are emerging in a bid to gain community footing among the corporate bodies who control more and more of the land around us. Included are perspectives from advocates for Galloway as a National Park, as well as information on international mining interests scoping in the Glenkens and what this may mean for us. Small scale woodland management, and the potential for woodlots and woodland crofts or smallholdings, are considered. Local food production is looked at – the demand is increasing, but will we lose the ability to produce food through losing our farms, and our farmers? And we delve into forestry policy and try find out how effective the plantations spreading across our hills actually are in fighting the climate crisis. In this issue of the Gazette, we don't have space to include all perspectives if you feel an issue hasn't been covered and have a piece you would like to submit, please get in touch. To read this issue's land use focus, turn to page 15... www.glenkensgazette.co.uk Glenkens Gazette page 2 New Faces for Balmaclellan Stores Balmaclellan has recently welcomed new owners to Balmaclellan Stores in the heart of the village. Debbie Murdoch who took over as shop manager from her parents six years ago has handed over to Jackie and Chris Wells. Balmaclellan Community Council chair Martin Warnock presented flowers and cards to Debbie on behalf of the village to thank her for all her hard work over the past six years - especially during lockdown when the shop continued to provide essential support to the community. Debbie received a British Empire Medal for services to the community during this time. Jackie and Chris and family have moved up to the Glenkens from Kent to start their new life as shopowners. Martin presented a welcome card and flowers from locals who are delighted to see the shop continue as the hub of village life. Debbie has been working with them during a handover period while they adjust to their new life in the village and meet all the regular customers. Gill Warnock New owners Jackie and Chris outside the shop in Balmaclellan. SCOTTISH ALTERNATIVE GAMES SET TO RETURN After missing two years because of the pandemic, the Alternative Games will be back on Sunday 7 August! Since moving from Parton in 2001, the popular event had been held on the first Sunday in August every year until the Covid outbreak prevented New Galloway’s 20th staging of the Games in 2020. Again in 2021, plans were thwarted by the continuing pandemic restrictions but thankfully now, as we slowly return to something like normal, we will finally celebrate the 20th Alternative Games in New Galloway - and we look forward to seeing everybody there! The event is organised by a small committee and we greatly appreciate all of the willing volunteers who turn out to help on the day with the set-up/take down. We would also appreciate additional help on the organising committee too. If you would be willing to help out, please get in touch on bjedgar19@gmail.com or 01644 420 374. News from WriteOn WriteOn, the online offspring of the Glenkens Writing Group, has launched a monthly blog and is starting to return to live in-person meetings. WriteOn evolved from the book project Writedown*, published in 2020, in which the Glenkens Writing Group group recorded early experiences of lockdown. Looking back on the book now, I’m struck by how strange it all seemed to us then, and how quickly we’ve become used to a very different world. Although there are no current plans for a further book, the new monthly blog will publish on a rolling basis the work of WriteOn’s 25 members - ranging from fiction and poetry to memoir and travel writing and much else besides. You can access the blog at www.writeongalloway.wordpress. com or you can find us via the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust website www.gcat.scot We currently have space for new members, and when there are no spaces we keep a waiting list. If you’re interested in joining you can email me at writeongalloway@gmail.com *Writedown is available from CatStrand priced £7 (£9 incl p&p). Margaret Elphinstone Glenkens Gazette page 3 CLIMATE CHANGE PANEL Four young people from Dalry - Elizabeth Stevenson (12), Laya McCallie (12), Keshet Lamb (10) and Daniel Williamson (12) attended the Climate Change Panel for Dalry Residents. 15 members of the community, made up of 11 adults and four young people, met in Dalry Town Hall to discuss ideas for how Dumfries & Galloway can become net zero by 2025. Dr Jamie Hamilton from the Community Chartering Network, who organised the event, said: “All the adults in the room were bowled over by the intelligent and articulate contribution of the young citizens to the complex discussion and outcomes, which would have been much the poorer without them.” Here Laya and Elizabeth give an overview of the discussion: The term net zero means achieving a balance between the carbon emitted into the atmosphere, and the carbon removed from it. Carbon is emitted through things like power stations and exhaust fumes from cars. Carbon is removed through things like forests, peatland, sea plants and grasslands, where the process of photosynthesis absorbs carbon. At the meeting, many points were brought up by young and older residents about conditions within the village. Some of the points raised were: • school funding and school transport. Young residents experienced that teachers were bringing up the fact that they couldn't supply certain class materials because they had not been returned and that they could not buy any more due to the budget. • young residents were also concerned with the fact that their bus to school had stopped picking some of them up, and one had difficulty getting in because her family was having car troubles. • forestry; people expressed their frustration on the fact that the trees that were being planted were bad for the environment, and that people were getting kicked out of their houses for space for trees to be planted; this made most people at the panel believe that companies just bought land to plant trees, look good and make money without checking if it would be good for the local people and environment or not. • younger people weren't getting drawn to the area because some houses had little or no wifi. We enjoyed the meeting, and I think all the young participants felt happy because we felt that we were being listened to. Pictured above is the event, with the table which included the young Dalry citizens at the back. Our Covenanter Heritage Some two years ago Dalry Town Hall, with support from Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership and the Glenkens & District Trust, commissioned a video called Dalry and the Glenkens Rising. This told the story of a local rising against religious persecution, that started in Dalry in 1666, and its cruel aftermath. This became part of the Covenanting movement. The plan has always been to show the video within Dalry Town Hall to attract visitors to the Glenkens and to encourage interest in our heritage. Unfortunately, Covid restrictions delayed this aspect of the project until this year. What we now hope to do is to show the video between 2pm and 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the summer. But to enable this we need a small group of volunteers willing to join a rota to be present within the hall during these periods. Some training will be provided in setting up the projection equipment, but it is really no more complicated than a home video system. Equally, there is no expectation that volunteers will be historians – the video explains it all. If you are interested in helping with this project, please contact me on 07776 034 260 or at jamescreid@ hotmail.co.uk Jim Reid Glenkens Gazette LING are thrilled that, after interviewing some really excellent applicants, we have made three fabulous appointments. page 4 First, we have a Project Manager to oversee the renovation and refurbishment of the Town Hall - Ronnie Bradford. Secondly, we have an Events, Activities and Inclusion Manager - Angie Bradford. Angie will take the place of Neil Paterson, but with a wider brief and a two-year position. Angie comes to us from Ferry Friends, with Creetown Initiative, who will miss her sorely. And, yes, you probably spotted that the Bradfords are a couple; completely separate interview panels, no overlap in decision-making - just two excellent, separate appointments. And last, but Loch Ken Trust Summer Plans The Loch Ken Trust is a new charity, set up to support Loch Ken and the surrounding communities. Overseen by a Board of Trustees, the Trust runs the Loch Ken Ranger Service and the Boat Registration Service, helping users and stakeholders around the Loch. Power Boat Registrations are handled by the team at the Loch Ken Marina, who can be contacted for more details. The Loch Ken Ranger Service, led by Ken Scott, is working to support responsible access and compliance with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. To get in touch, email lktranger@ protonmail.com or call 07918 300889. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Trust or to find out more about their work, visit www. lochken.org.uk. LAUNCH OF THE DRAGON BOATS We are pleased to announce the launch of dragon boats on Loch Ken on 24 July - save the date! Before this date we need to have some fully trained helms who are prepared to go on a rota and we are offering training dates at the Galloway Activity Centre (GAC), on either Saturday 16 or Sunday 17 July. There is no cost attached to the training, and up to six people can be trained each day so it really is first come first served. Senior instructor, Andy, from the GAC will be our trainer. The day will start at 9am until midday on theory/safety, etc. After an hour’s break for lunch each participant will helm under supervision, finishing at 4pm. On completion of this training you will be ready to helm. In the afternoon only we will also need people to be paddlers from 1pm to 4pm, to enable our trainee helms to practice. Please contact our secretary Joyce on pflssw@gmail.com if you are interested in training and/or paddling either days. Paddlers for Life by no means least, we have a Youth Activities and Development Worker Olivia Donald; Olivia brings a wealth of experience and will work closely with Cat at the Catstrand. All three seem delighted to be joining us and we are very pleased indeed to be welcoming all three. Our thanks go to Architectural Heritage Fund, the Scottish Government’s Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, and GDT and the Blackcraig Community Fund, respectively, for the grant funding that underpins these appointments. Grant giving bodies like these provide us and our community, not just grant funding that makes things possible, but also a wealth of advice, support and learning opportunities which is much appreciated. Bob Glaister, LING Dear Kenmure Dog Walkers, Can anyone walking a dog around Kenmure Castle grounds please remember to keep it on a lead at all times. Today a dog which was not on a lead attacked and mauled a sheep and we had to inform the farmer. Luckily we managed to get the dog off the sheep but it was a horrible situation, and there were also lambs in field. Thank you, A Concerned Resident Glenkens Gazette page 5 GAVIN'S UKRAINE FUNDRAISER Gavin McGhie and his brother Frank walked non-stop round Clatteringshaws Loch, a 60-mile round trip, to raise funds for people in need in the Ukraine. "I would like to thank everyone for their kind donations", said Gavin. "Especially a huge 'thank you' to my beautiful wife Melissa for the posters and all her help, and a great big thanks to our good friend Steve Grimshaw for his support round the challenge and bacon rolls and coffee at 2am at Glentrool! And thanks to the Gazette for sharing this, and to readers for contributing!" A grand total of £3,500 was raised and sent to the Humanitarian Appeal for Ukraine. Gavin and Frank at the end of their walk holding the Ukranian flag. Open Garden The gardens at Balmaclellan House were opened again on Sunday 24 April under Scotland's Gardens Scheme (SGS). The weather was glorious and there were more than 130 visitors in attendance over the day, with just under £1,000 raised for charity. This year the proceeds were split between SGS and Glenkens Community & Arts Trust, with the latter providing a team of volunteers to assist with the teas and washing up on the day. Thank you to all who helped out, especially Ian and Anne who spent most of the afternoon by the sink! The formal garden, which is based on the design of the Balmaclellan Mirror, was particularly popular this year and it was great to have a bronze replica of the mirror on loan from The Smiddy 07709 144 299 - wood burners - multi-fuel stoves - open fires - Agas - Rayburns - birds nest removal with CCTV inspection - certificates issued - feel free to call for advice - Find me on Facebook Rook discord as wings, a black cloud, descend to roost. Leafless trees blur in failing light, evening gives way to night. Winter dusk is that magic time of things half seen, where sounds from far seem near. Birds finally settle, harsh voices fall silent among untidy nests. in Balmaclellan for visitors to see. A further copy of the mirror is currently on display in the Stewartry Museum in Kirkcudbright, in an exhibition running in tandem with the Galloway Hoard exhibition which runs until 10 July. Plant sales, courtesy of Billy Orr of Blackthorn Nurseries, were also popular, as was the display of classic and sports cars. The lovely weather allowed people to linger and socialise whilst enjoying the views and having cups of tea, something which has not always been easy over the last few years. Alan Smith David Tallontire CHIMNEY SWEEP Covering the Glenkens & further afield Settling 唀瀀栀漀氀猀琀攀爀礀Ⰰ 䰀漀漀猀攀 䌀漀瘀攀爀猀Ⰰ 䘀愀戀爀椀挀猀Ⰰ 䌀甀猀栀椀漀渀猀 刀攀昀椀氀氀攀搀 䘀爀攀攀 䔀猀琀椀洀愀琀攀猀 吀栀攀 圀漀爀欀猀栀漀瀀Ⰰ 䴀漀渀礀戀甀椀攀Ⰰ 䌀漀爀猀漀挀欀⸀ 䐀䜀㜀 ㌀䐀夀 眀眀眀⸀䠀愀爀爀椀猀ⴀ唀瀀栀漀氀猀琀攀爀礀⸀挀漀⸀甀欀 ㄀㘀㐀㐀 㐀㐀 㔀㈀㤀 by Anne Micklethwaite #Tossers There will be an update on the #Tossers campaign featured last edition in the August/September issue of the Gazette. In the meantime, remember to send in your examples of #tossers to glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk Glenkens Gazette page 6 Spring Fling's 20th Year Nearly 100 artists and makers are ready to welcome back the public for Dumfries and Galloway’s annual open studios event. A total of 96 participants from all parts of the region will throw open their studio doors and welcome in the public between 2-5 June for Spring Fling. Visitors can get behind the scenes of artistic practice, learning about their processes and inspirations, and have the opportunity to buy a piece of art direct from the artist. This is the 20th Spring Fling and will mark the first full in-person event since the pandemic. Catherine Corfield, who moved to St John’s Town of Dalry last year, is one of the artists participating for the first time. “I’m so excited to be part of such a prestigious event - it brings so many people to the region and has huge artistic importance. I’m really looking forward to being able to talk to people in person; it’s something I have really missed during the pandemic.” Catherine, who is a landscape oil painter, will be Dalry-based landscape artist Catherine Corfield holding her is on the Pink Route for this year's Spring Fling event. open studios event at the CatStrand in Dawdry near Kirkpatrick Durham; New Galloway where she currently Jo Gallant, Pete Machell and Geoff has her work on display and where Forrest near Mossdale; and Fitch & she works as the CatStrand Youth McAndrew, Amanda Simmons and Arts Coordinator. Natalie Vardey near Corsock. Some other Spring Fling artists in To find out more about the event and around the Glenkens are Adam visit www.spring-fling.co.uk Booth, Pamela Grace and Clare ULTRASOUND PREGNANCY SCANNING Dairy & Sucklers; Ageing, Twin & Barren Detection. Trailer system includes triplets, marking and shedding. Pregnancy and number of pups. For bookings and info: Duncan Kennedy 07860 474001 dk@passcan.co.uk www.passcan.co.uk Glenkens Gazette page 7 STEERING FOR CHANGE The Glenkens & District Community Action Plan (CAP) Steering Group held its first full meeting in early May. The key role of the steering group is to be the custodian of the Glenkens & District Community Action Plan, and the Terms of Reference of the group can be found on www.glenkenstrust.org. uk. The steering group is supported by Helen Keron, the executive manager at the Glenken Community & Arts Trust, and the bulk of the meeting was spent reviewing progress against the Plan and agreeing the areas of focus going forward. The Glenkens and District Trust also provided an update about their funding strategy and plans, so that the local context that the Community Action Plan sits in is continuously updated. The steering group was pleased to see progress by community groups on a number of projects highlighted in the CAP, including the development of a community-wide communications tool led by GCAT, a youth work project led by Local Initiatives in New Galloway and the plan for a distribution network for local produce, led by Propagate. They also noted the recent publication of the Loch Ken Plan by the Loch Ken Trust, which reinforces many of the priorities of the Community Action Plan. Fiona Smith, Interim Chair of the CAP Steering Group said: “It was great to come together as the full group for the first time. We are all aware that the CAP is very ambitious and will take time, energy and funding to progress, so we agreed we should encourage realistic planning and timescales for these important projects and priorities. Having said that, becoming a Carbon Neutral Community is a particular priority at present, with the main challenge being how to balance short-term delivery with really ambitious projects.” Helen, together with the new GCAT ‘Connecting in Communities' team, is planning to get out and about over the next few months to meet as many local organisations as possible to discuss the Community Action Plan and the priorities within it. The Steering Group decided that a Glenkens Forum on the topic of Food and Farming would be an important next step, and that will be planned for the summer. Pictured are members of the newly formed CAP Steering Group. Inner Peace Reiki REIKI BY SANDRA MAYSON IPHM REIKI MASTER PRACTITIONER Is your pet feeling stress, anxiety or pain? Reiki can help restore their body’s natural ability to heal and create balance. Distance or face to face sessions for both humans & animals. Gillespie Gifford & Brown LLP Solicitors and Estate Agents Dumfries & Galloway 01556 503744 www.ggblaw.co.uk All legal advice Offices in Castle Douglas, Dalbeattie Kirkcudbright and Dumfries Get in touch with Sandra on 01644 440218, email innerpeacereiki@btinternet.com Full PPE & Insured Approved Therapist Glenkens Gazette page 8 GLENKENS MUSINGS The CatStrand Youth Players When I started to work/volunteer at the CatStrand nearly six years ago, I never knew how popular and successful the youth players had been. I only joined in my late teens because I went through a little dark period and was looking for a way out of it. And I’m so glad I did because I can honestly say it is the most fun I have ever had. The SCDA Festivals that happen annually, (apart from 2020-2021 due to Covid) are always a fun and rewarding time. I have been involved with them since 2018 under the watchful eye of award-winning directors Zoe Kirkpatrick and Brian Edgar. When this year’s festival date was set, I was happy to just be behind the scenes, helping Brian as the director. I was stunned and honoured when Brian asked if I’d like to try. The play we decided to Produce is ‘Lockdown’ by Douglas Craven. Set in a dark classroom, eight students sit in an “official” lockdown, (note: not the ones we’re used too!) not knowing if it's just a drill or an actual emergency. When a hysterical first year bolts from the classroom and the teacher rushes after them, the remaining students are left alone to decide if it’s safer to stay or run. So far with this production we have had amazing success! In the District round at The Fullarton in Castle Douglas, we picked up four awards The Youth Players team in rehearsal at the CatStrand. which we are very grateful for. The next round at the not hesitate to contact the CatStrand, Western Divisional final in Brian or myself - Youth Players is open Dunoon, we also did really well, being people aged from 12 to 18. placed first and now being sent to A massive thank you to all the represent the west at the Scottish Youth cast and crew of ‘Lockdown’ and for Final in Bathgate on 11 June. everybody's support towards us. CatStrand Players is such a great Thank you again to Brian for giving me time and such a laugh. It brings people together and gives a distraction a chance! We all hope we do you, the Glenkens from a problematic world. If you would like to get involved with the players and the South West, proud in June. in any shape or form or would like James Wallace some more information, please do Talking Murder in Dalry Meet four successful crime authors talking about their inspirations and how they turn a simple idea into gripping page turners. Having spent twenty-seven years in the Metropolitan Police, Ian Robinson is now a full-time writer. Seven of his crime novels have been published and Rubicon was optioned with the BBC for a six-part TV series. Ian is published by Fahrenheit Press and The Book Folks of London. Jackie Baldwin sets much of her work in Dumfries and Galloway and was a solicitor in Dumfries for twenty years. , was published Her debut crime novel, by Killer Reads, Harper Collins in 2016. The second in the series , was published in 2018 with the third, John Dean, a former journalist who specialised in crime for much of his career, is the creator of the DCI John Blizzard and DCI Jack Harris series of novels inspired by the northern cities of his working life and the wild countryside of his Scottish home. He is published by The Book Folks of London Ann Bloxwich is a lifelong fan of crime fiction who started writing after attending her first crime writing festival in was Harrogate. Her debut novel published by Dark Edge Press in the summer of 2021. Dalry Town Hall Friday June 24 at 7.30pm Tickets £10 Booking details available from www.dalrytownhall.co.uk Dalry will support National Crime Reading Month in June by staging an 'In Conversation With…' event featuring crime writers Jackie Baldwin, Ian Robinson, Ann Bloxwich and John Dean. National Crime Reading Month is an initiative developed and run by the Crime Writers’ Association, and is staged this year in collaboration with The Reading Agency. It aims to bring new books to existing readers and attract new readers to one of the most popular and best-selling genres. The Dalry event will take place in Dalry Town Hall, at 7.30pm on Friday 24 June. Many Gazette readers may be familiar with Ian Robinson as he has been featured in previous editions, having previously been based in the Glenkens. Ian spent 27 years working in the Metropolitan Police and is now a fulltime writer. Seven of his crime novels have been published and Rubicon was optioned with the BBC for a six-part TV series. Ian is published by Fahrenheit Press and The Book Folks of London. Ian said: "When I first moved to Scotland, I wrote in The Clachan Inn while my daughter was at the local playgroup. It’s an honour to be invited back to Dalry for National Crime Reading Month." Tickets for the event are £10 and are available from www.dalrytownhall.co.uk – follow the link to DTH Promotions. For more information please contact John Dean on 07889 554 931, and to find out more about National Crime Reading Month visit www.thecwa.co.uk Glenkens Gazette page 9 CatStrand Highlights There is plenty to look forward in the CatStrand Arts programme as we move into the summer months - here’s some of the things I am most looking forward to - I hope to see you there! In The Weeds: An Tobar and Mull Theatre, Friday 3 June A gothic thriller about who gets to claim ownership of the land we all live on. Exploring island identity and our troubled relationship with the natural environment. The Galloway Agreement: Ken Bridge Song Suite, Sunday 12 June, Dalry Town Hall This is a special concert launching a programme of Ken Bridge bicentenary Watson Birdsong Day, Saturday 25 June, Dalry Town Hall A day dedicated to Donald Watson and bird song. Events include a birdsong and landscape walk, the birdsong recording studio, the book launch of Jackdaws and Other Friends, and culminates in The Conference of Birds concert with Peter Cowdry SongWave Choir: Songs of the Summer, Sunday 25 June, Crossmichael Church Castle Douglas based choir, SongWave, known throughout the region for their uplifting and entertaining performances, present a concert based on songs of community, friendship, changing seasons and the many cycles of life. Peter Renwick, Arts Culture and Heritage Manager, CatStrand An Tobar and Mull Theatre will present In the Weeds on Friday 3 June. events. Including the premier of Wendy Stewart’s Ken Bridge Song Suite which takes The River Ken, The Crossing, and the life of engineer John Rennie as inspiration. For full listings and details of events visit www.gcat.scot or pick up a CatStrand brochure from retail outlets in and around the Glenkens. CATSTRAND EST 2007 A GLENKENS STREAM OF ARTS & EVENTS CATSTRAND JUNE HIGHLIGHTS The CatStrand Young Creatives have a brilliant summer programme lined up, with events and activities for ages ranging from five to 25. 1ST James Yorkston Jon Thorne & Ranjana Ghatak’s Music crosses the worlds of Indian Classical, Jazz and Folk music. Expect new pieces exploring the beauty of sacred vocal music played with a new flavour and excitement.. Some of the exciting things on offer during June and July are: - A Youth Beatz Excursion, which is an accompanied trip to the Youth Beatz festival. 3RD - Stomping Ground Creative are hosting a Music in Film workshop over six weeks. - A Drama Rama Workshop led by CatStrand's youth worker, Cat, who will take children on a fun, creative adventure to a magical land, exploring through role-play, drama, movement and storytelling. - Eco Art Forest School sessions - led by Kay from Irose Studio, children will gather materials outdoors and learn how to make their own art materials such as ink, paint, and painting tools before returning to the Catstrand to make their own art. For full information, please visit the CatStrand website at www.gcat.scot or take a look at the CatStrand programme. YYorkston, Thorne & Ghatak 7:30pm, CatStrand 9TH In The Weeds: An Tobar and Mull Theatre 7:30pm Caststrand 24TH & 25TH Award-winning writer and performer Skye Loneragan brings her fragmented portrayal of motherhood, sisterhood and experience of loved ones debilitating mental illness. 25TH A gothic thriller about who gets to claim ownership of the land we all live on. Exploring island identity and our troubled relationship to the natural environment. 12TH The Galloway Agreement - Ken Bridge Song 7:30pm, Dalry Town Hall This is a special concert launching a programme of Ken Bridge bicentenary events. Including the premier of Wendy Stewart’s Ken Bridge Song Suite Watson Birdsong Day Various times, Dalry A day dedicated to Donald Watson and Bird Song. Events include a Birdsong and Landscape Walk, the Birdsong recording Studio, The book launch of Jackdaws and Other Friends, and Culminates in The Conference of Birds Concert with Peter Cowdry Bancroft & Lyne 7:30pm , CatStrand Heralded as a ‘must see’ act at a recent Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, New York they have performed at many venues and festivals around the UK, Europe and North America. Though This Be Madness Fri 7:30pm, CatStrand Babes in arms performance Sat 10:30am, Catstrand 25TH SongWave Choir: Songs of the Summer Crossmichael Church , 3:00PM Castle Douglas based choir, SongWave, are known throughout the region for their uplifting and entertaining performances present a concert will be based on songs of community, friendship, changing seasons and the many cycles of life. Glenkens Gazette Threave Landscape Restoration Project page 10 FIRST YEAR HIGHLIGHTS Smart Cows, Grazing & Access • Over 6000 metres of fencing removed • 1 Herbivore Impact Assessment completed • Archaeological Surveys completed over entire site Dam Busters, Ponds & Scrapes e De er Riv • 14 Belted Galloways trained and wearing the collars 2021 saw the start of the National Trust for Scotland’s Threave Landscape Restoration Project, with the re-establishing of natural processes and habitats across the 80 hectare Threave Nature Reserve at Kelton Mains near Castle Douglas. The river has been reconnected to the wetlands, hardy native cattle are grazing the land, with fences and non-native trees being removed. The site aims to become a restored woodland-wetland ecosystem, self-sustaining and self-adapting to Scotland’s changing climate. Have a look at what we have done in our first year and if you have any queries or want to get involved, get in touch… • 35 metres of Embankment removed • 735 metres of drains filled in • 7.3 hectares of wetland created • 160 metres of drystone dyke removed • 1 bird hide moved • 15 ponds & Scrapes • 31 soil samples taken • 2415 metres of new grass paths around Kelton Mains Wilder Woods Threave Castle Mill Burn Restoration • 4.4 hectares of non-native conifers/commercial plantation removed Wetland reconnected to river • 16,000 trees ordered and ready for planting • 158 Alder Planted • 6 ‘kickers’ Installed • 147 Rowan Planted • 1 heavily poached section re-profiled • 397 Aspen trees planted • Year 1 invertebrate surveys completed • Year 1 fish surveys completed • 1 brash feature installed • 3 v-shaped flow detectors installed • 2 owl boxes installed River Dee Kelton Mains Farmhouse Cas Dougtle las 2 mil es PROJECT IN FOCUS Glenkens Gazette page 11 Mammals in the Garden Are there wild mammals in your Galloway garden? Help us find out! as a shy mammal, is at home in many urban watercourses. Yet we rarely see our mammal neighbours, mainly because they are active during the night, whilst we are asleep. Which wild mammals share your living spaces, possibly more than you think?! to monitor wild mammals whilst you sleep. The equipment will be automatically triggered to record when an animal is detected close-by, and the information collected will assist local and national conservation projects. There are more than 60 species of wild mammals resident in The project is funded through Scotland and, discounting those the Galloway Glens ‘Our that live in Heritage’ the sea, the Small Grants majority of scheme. The them are found scheme is close to human overseen by habitation. Anna Harvey, A project Galloway led by South Glens West Scotland Administrator. Environmental Anna said: Information “The ‘Wild Centre Mammals (SWSEIC) at Home’ is seeking project is an volunteers in opportunity for the Galloway people to find Glens area A badger in a Stewartry garden captured with an infrared night camera. out about any willing to wild visitors host an infrato their Ken/ red camera If you live in the Ken/Dee Dee gardens or open spaces, or a bat detector to better Valley, between Carsphairn while also improving our wildlife understand our wild neighbours and Kirkcudbright Bay, and records by supplementing and their distribution. would like to find out about SWSEIC’s database of sightings. your wild neighbours, now Remote Highland Glens and This is ‘citizen science’ in action! is your opportunity. Contact wilderness areas are certainly A big thank you to the National Peter Norman from South important for wildlife, but there Lottery Heritage Fund for West Scotland Environmental are more species of mammal in supporting this great project.” Information Centre (SWSEIC) our towns, villages and gardens. on pnorman@swseic.org.uk to A number of infrared clips Some wild mammals, especially borrow an infra-red camera or have already been filmed and bats, actually live in the same a bat detector, together with published. Visit the SWSEIC buildings as us. Red foxes expert assistance from SWSEIC. channel on www.youtube.co.uk reach their greatest population Both pieces of equipment can to see clips – some expected density in towns and cities, and be set up in your garden or local sightings and some quite even the otter, often thought of greenspace and left unattended unexpected! Sponsored page, working in partnership W W W. G A L L O W AY G L E N S . O R G Glenkens Gazette page 12 On the Trail of a Broken Shoe Ten years ago John Nelson rode into the Highlands on a Clydesdale horse, following in the footsteps of an ancestor’s pursuit of his stolen horse. Now, after continuing his research into that little known story and many other tales, John has published the beautifully produced book On the Trail of a Broken Shoe. It is available locally at Crossmichael Shop, CatStrand in New Galloway, Tarff Country in Dumfries, Smarts bookshop in Castle Douglas, Gallovidia Books in Kirkcudbright and Old Bank Books in Wigtown. SOPHIE'S POEM Spring is Here Flowers blooming all around, Plants growing in the ground, Leaves growing on the trees, Everywhere there are bees In this tranquil spring all around me, I wonder how this came to be, In this peace, this order, this calm, I’m surrounded by so much charm Birds chirping in the wood, Piglets rolling in the mud, Blue skies everyday, All grey clouds have gone away I wish to be for evermore, Here standing on this forest floor, For evermore my ears ringing, With bees buzzing and birds singing By Sophie Roberts Glenkens - Producers' Market Shop online: www.ballardsbutchers.co.uk Email: shop@ballardsbutchers.co.uk Tel: 01556 502 501 Free Local Delivery Tues & Fri (orders over £20) Wide Variety of Local Produce Butcher Meat Fruit & Veg Milk & Bread Available to order 2nd Saturday Monthly Dalry Town Hall, 10am-1pm - 4th June & 9th July - NB change of date for June only Fresh vegetables, baked goods, preserves, bread, fresh meat, smoked products, real ale and artisan gin, chocolates, fresh pasta, handmade crafts and cards, plants and more... Want to know what’s going on? Then visit www.dalrytownhall.co.uk Glenkens Gazette page 13 Watson Birds Branches Out A significant number of Donald Watson’s paintings were exhibited at Fingask Castle in Perthshire during their annual Fingask Follies event. Using the excellent printing services of Small Print in Castle Douglas, three A3 sized posters, six A4 posters, 12 letter cards and six postcards are available for purchase at the CatStrand shop and at various Watson Bird events. Roger Crofts Pictured below is the Fingask Castle exhibition of Donald Watson's paintings. The paintings shown were a number that had been found during a review of Donald Watson's archive - now superbly framed by Leo Blamire in Castle Douglas - along with a variety of his other paintings. Having the project showcased in this manner means that Watson Birds, our new trails, etc, will reach a much wider audience, and hopefully bring more people to the Glenkens. Many people have been asking for cards of Donald Watson’s paintings. CROSSMICHAEL HERITAGE CENTRE Crossmichael Heritage Centre re-opened its doors on the 1 June. The heritage centre, which was opened originally by Ted Cowan and Lizanne Henderson, will be open each Wednesday and Friday afternoon between 1.30pm and 4.30pm - do drop in to see the excellent local history exhibition. PUBLIC MEETING There will be a public meeting in Dalry Town Hall on Thursday 23 June at 7pm to discuss the management/ ownership structure of the town hall. Residents of the Parish of St John’s Town of Dalry are invited by the Dalry Town Hall Management Committee to attend a meeting at the above time and place to discuss and vote on the proposal: “That the building and grounds of Dalry Town Hall be acquired by a charitable body namely Dalry Town Hall SCIO from the present historic Trust, Dalry Town Hall Trust, through such legal means as are appropriate” Note: A SCIO is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation and the proposed move is explained in the article on page 32. J Reid, Vice Chair, Dalry Town Hall Management Committee Kindling available Family and friends coming to stay? Short of space? Cosy country cottage available (sleeps 4) Call Fiona on 01644 420 227 www.covenanters-holidaycottagescotland.co.uk Glenkens Gazette page 14 Ted Cowan and Local Music My first introduction to Ted was through a book he edited called The People’s Past: Scottish Folk, Scottish History (1980). At the time I was a research student, doing fieldwork in the Glenkens, and quickly discovering that by asking questions about music-making I was also learning a great deal about local history. Many historians are thirled to the written record as a primary source of information. For Ted, however, songs and stories were just as important to an understanding of history, revealing a great deal about people’s view of themselves and the times they lived in. He had a particular interest in ballads, a type of song that tells a story: another of his books is called The Ballad in Scottish History (2000). I love to sing ballads, and I shared the stage with Ted several times. Ted passionately wanted to see D&G better known and understood. He asked me to contribute a chapter on music and dance to the book Dumfries and Galloway, People and Place c.17001914 (2019). He especially wanted me to include the local version of the ballad ‘Lord Ronald’, which was written down by William McMath of Airds of Kells in the late 19th century. We had good fun launching that publication at Wigtown Book Festival. In recent years Ted was instrumental in encouraging me to revisit, share and write about my research in the Glenkens. For example, I have greatly enjoyed taking part in the work of groups like ‘The Glenkens Story’, ‘Ken Words’, ‘Carsphairn Heritage Initiative’ and ‘Dalry Heritage Group’. Tributes to Ted in the last issue of the Gazette all conveyed what good company he was. We both, I think, actively sought opportunities to engage with audiences outside academic settings. He was one of several local contributors at a Ken Words event for Logan Paterson, and as I recall his performance of Logan’s humorous poem McSkimming’s Flaughterin' Spade had everyone in stitches. It was my impression that he delighted in being a participant in, as much as an observer of, local culture. To put it another way, as others have noted, while Ted was happy to initiate and be the ‘front man’, he also liked to be in the audience. On my last visit to Ted, I discussed plans for a new book about local music and dance. Typically generous, he offered to help in any way he could, and I left with a renewed sense of purpose and enthusiasm. While he is greatly missed, I have no doubt that Ted’s contribution to the Glenkens and its folk will continue to make an impact in the years to come, including for myself. Not least because, in his own words, folk tradition "enables us to catch the echo of the people’s past across the wide valleys of Time". Ted and Jo giving a presentation on ballads in Dumfries in 1986. Jo Miller An Evolving Conversation with the Hill A summit book or summit register is a traditional way of recording visitors to the top of a mountain. The book on Waterside Hill is tucked away in an inobtrusive, weatherproof canister at the cairn where, as well as noting their presence at the summit, visitors are invited to take in their surroundings and relate something of the experience. These personal reflections will provide a layer of information and nuance that explores sense of place over a long period, with people offering thoughts in the course of their everyday wanderings, special visits, or long-distance walks, but always in their own time. The summit box will be available until 23 September 2022, and the first hundred arrivals who open it to write, or draw, in the register will find a small token left for them to take in return for their musings. The tokens, prepared by Morag Paterson, consist of a traditional photograph of Waterside hill made into a postcard which offers a memoir of the hill now, and a small reproduction of a monoprint, presented on a plantable card impregnated with wildflower seeds, which gestures back towards the village and an ongoing wildflower planting project taking place this summer. A parallel summit box will be also be left at a location in Dalry, beginning with the old phone box, to allow contributions from different people, and engaging with Waterside Hill from a different vantage point. Some tokens will also be available in the phone box. Jane McBeth will be caretaker of the books until the autumn, when she and Morag will gather them in and add their own reflections. The registers will then travel from place to place in the community where they can be read and enjoyed. Although the project is initially for a sixmonth period, the intention is to continue replacing the book on the summit cairn over the coming years to create an ongoing record of the changes on the hill, and how people experience and reflect on this change in the landscape. The summit box, where walkers can leave their comments, is nestled into the cairn at the top of Waterside Hill. This project concept has been developed by Morag Paterson (artist) and Jane McBeth (Ken Words) in association with Glenkens Community & Arts Trust and funded by Creative Scotland. Jane McBeth Land Use in the Glenkens Glenkens Gazette page 15 Communities for Diverse Forestry With land sales accelerating by the day and new commercial forestry schemes expanding rapidly across the Glenkens, we wanted to give you an update on what Communities for Diverse Forestry (CDF) have been doing. We’re lobbying at both a local and national level for new woodland creation to be a mixture of tree species. This is important not only from a visual perspective, but also due to the fact that well structured, mixed forests offer habitat for more species and can be more resilient to pests, diseases and climate change, therefore providing a response to the climate and biodiversity emergency which monoculture plantations do not. We’re calling for meaningful community engagement that fully explores Sense of Place and incorporates invaluable local expertise re access routes, archaeological features, cultural history and resident flora and fauna, etc. Protecting our peatlands and open habitats is also important, and we’d like to see joined up thinking around cumulative proposals that ensures these habitats are connected rather than swallowed up. Peat is one of our most important carbon stores and it’s important that we don’t release that carbon unnecessarily by planting trees in the wrong places. Timber and forests are a valuable resource, provide jobs and have the potential to provide long term carbon sequestration when used in buildings. However, planting on peat, burning it for electricity in large scale power stations and churning out short shelf-life products has the opposite effect. We’re contributing to a group response to the UK Forest Standard review and recently spoke at a fringe event at the Scottish Labour conference organised by the Woodland Trust. The event was chaired by Claudia Beamish and Colin Smyth MSP was also on the panel. In February we had a virtual meeting with Màiri McAllan, the minister for environment and land reform, which gave us the chance to present our concerns to the government directly. We were very clear that we need urgent help to develop a more holistic view when woodland targets are rolled out as the current ‘gold rush’ threatens to displace both people and nature. We’ve also had two meetings with the CEO of Confor, Stuart Goodall, which we hope have already led to positive action being put in motion with respect to community engagement, and maybe even cumulative impacts. Over the last year we have compiled a set of free guidelines that walk a community through how a woodland creation application consultation works and how, when, and why they can engage with developers. Scottish Forestry recently confirmed that they appreciate our initiative on this and that the minister is keen to ensure Communities for Diverse Forestry are fully engaged and consulted with respect to principles and engagement around responsible land use. We plan to roll out some FREE training sessions on forestry engagement for individuals and communities over the coming months. Please get in touch if you would be interested in attending at commsdiverseforestry@gmail.com Morag Paterson, CDF Pictured: Top - Cairnsmore of Carsphairn, newly planted; over 900 hectares of new Sitka spruce dominant plantations have been consented in Carsphairn over a one-year period. Above: Land owned by Duchrae Estates, Dalry, which is due to be planted. The community don't feel there was sufficient local engagement, and the sign reflects increasing anti-Sitka sentiment due to the dramatic rise in local plantations (photograph submitted by a Gazette reader). WHAT IS REGENERATIVE FARMING? Glenkens Gazette A quiet revolution is happening in agriculture across Scotland and the rest of the UK. Words like ‘regenerative’ and ‘agroecology’ are making their way into policy frameworks that will pave the way for new farm payments after 2024. But what do these words mean? And how can farmers learn more to get ready for the changes ahead? In a nutshell, regenerative and agroecological systems are farming with nature. Valuing biodiversity, reducing inputs and maximising soil health through changes in management from what we think of as ‘conventional’ - for example introducing holistic planned mob grazing, reducing ploughing and tillage, valuing diversity in the pasture. Regenerative systems are about supporting your underground livestock, so that they do all the hard work increasing fertility and structure! It’s economical, profitable and offers huge benefits in terms of carbon sequestration, water management and more. The Regenerative Farming Network is open to all farmers and food producers across D&G, South Ayrshire and East Ayrshire. Already at 140 members, this peer-to-peer knowledge exchange page 16 group organises farm walks, talks and film screenings to support transitions to more sustainable naturebased farming practices. You don’t have to be an expert, or even (yet) implementing regenerative practices – just have a curious and open mind and willingness to find out more. The Glenkens has a rich and diverse farming heritage. A patchwork of small family owned or long term tenanted farms sits alongside larger estates and holdings. The majority of our local farming is sheep and beef cattle. Vegetables used to be produced in fields around Dalry, and perhaps could be again; there's certainly a demand for it. Our mix of uplands and lower lying land create opportunities for different soil distribution and habitat types. Our uplands are good for grazing livestock, but also offer potential for agroforestry and increased native broadleaf tree cover, such as birches, rowans, hawthorns, willows and hazels. When done properly, this tree mix is compatible with grazing livestock, providing shelter, fodder and nutrients. The Regenerative Farming Network for South West Scotland already counts some local Glenkens farmers amongst its members. New members are always welcome, and more info can be found at www.dgsustainablefoodpartnership.org/ regenerative-farming-network and there is also a Facebook group; just search for Regenerative Farming Network South West Scotland To read more about regenerative farming check out the Groundswell website at www.groundswellag.com/principles-ofregenerative-agriculture Abi Mordin Vision for land use and land management in the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere in 2050 The Biosphere is a diverse, mixed and integrated living and working landscape. It supports a wide range of innovative low carbon and biodiversity friendly landbased activities including farming, forestry, tourism, and nature conservation. The Biosphere is recognised internationally as a region that demonstrates how sustainable development is good for people, the environment and the local economy. The Biosphere is an excellent place to live and work. Better digital and physical infrastructure, public transport and affordable low-carbon timber housing will support the local economy, making the Biosphere an attractive and pleasant home for all age groups. Employment opportunities and accessibility retain those who have grown up locally and stimulate inward migration from folk who left the region and outsiders charmed by the Biosphere's reputation as an attractive and innovative rural community. The Biosphere has a strong identity. Natural and cultural heritage sites and local traditions and culture are respected and celebrated, strengthening sense of place and inspiring local arts and culture. Pride and knowledge of natural and cultural heritage drives the Biosphere's reputation for nature-based tourism, traditional crafts and local art, and regional food which provide an important contribution to the Biosphere's economy. Land uses are integrated to provide multiple benefits and support biodiversity and carbon storage. Environmental protection upheld and conservation targets are achieved. Degraded peatland is restored, and existing forest plantations restructured to increase biodiversity and amenity value. Any additional woodland is carefully considered to maximise benefits (climate mitigation, biodiversity, jobs, timber, and recreation opportunities) and avoid negative impacts on the open landscape character and local infrastructure. Local food, timber and energy provides many local needs. Less imported food and timber reduces carbon emissions from transport and support local employment. A local circular economy maximises value and environmental standards and minimises waste. Energy needs are met with local community and household renewable energy generation. Mixed ‘productive’ woodlands provide quality timber, including native hard woods that support local industries. This vision was developed in a participatory process of two workshops and a web-based survey with a diverse group of stakeholders in the Biosphere as part of the EIT Climate KIC funded FORLAND R project.. For further information contact marc.metzger@ed.ac.uk illustrations by Cooperation, collaboration and consensus help achieve integrated land use. Regional partnerships identify priorities and help translate national priorities into what is needed and suitable for the Biosphere. Where there are competing land use demands, changes are properly guided, scrutinised, assessed and justified to ensure that the future outcome is greater than before. Regulations, incentives and support are aligned to favour mixed and integrated land use that provides multiple social, environmental and economic benefits. Forest Research Farming in a Changing Landscape Glenkens Gazette page 17 by Patrick Laurie The speed of land use change in Galloway is extraordinary. In what seems like no time at all, extensive areas of traditional hill farming country have gone to commercial forestry, and given the time delay between approval and delivery of new forest projects, it’s hard to grasp the enormity of what’s coming next. When I travel to other parts of the UK for work, it’s hard to convey a sense of these dramatic changes to people who have not seen it with their own eyes. In the same way, when visitors come here to see what’s happening, many are staggered by the transformation currently unfolding in the hills. In 2010, it wasn’t unusual for hill grazing in Galloway to be bought and sold at around £850 per acre, but in recent months the same acre of land might cost seven or eight thousand pounds. Major commercial investors are battling to buy our land, and as we approach a period of uncertainty for hill farming, it’s easy to see why many farmers are taking the opportunity to sell up and get out. The average age of a farmer in Scotland is 57, and it’s fair to say that many Galloway farmers are treating the sale of their land as an unexpectedly generous windfall in advance of their retirement. That makes sense, and it’s hard to blame people for selling now. But it also means that it’s almost impossible for younger farmers to get a foot on the ladder. Land is hard to get hold of at the best of times, but when so much of it suddenly vanishes Patrick Laurie with one of his Galloways, photograph by Polly Pullar. into forestry, it’s like the future is being switched off. In many ways I blame the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for this mess. Several decades of supportive subsidy drove farmers to follow a single thread of income through sheep, even as those animals became less financially viable. There’s no doubt that sheep are part of the answer for hill farming systems, but it’s never sensible to place all your eggs in a single basket. Leaving the CAP, it’s no wonder that some farmers are feeling panicked – they’ve been driven into a specialised business that seems horribly uncertain, but while sheep farming as we know it today seems like an ancient practice, it’s actually quite a recent creation. Even fifty years ago, parts of most hill farms were cropped for cereals and root crops and many had pigs or cattle of some kind. The uplands used to offer a far more diverse mixture of revenue streams, but these have steadily eroded down to one. The traditional model was more diverse, but there is an even wider range of options for modern hill farming. Hill farmers can run their sheep and cows alongside renewable energy, sustainable timber production and tourism. We’re working towards a system that will pay for hill farms to store carbon in peat, and it’s likely that future subsidies will provide proper support to protect and conserve our fantastic upland biodiversity. We have the potential to build a really bright, diverse and exciting future for hill farming in Galloway which will dramatically boost local communities. It’s an exciting place to work, but as land continues to sell at exclusive prices to pension companies and green investors from across the world, it’s getting harder to see how we’ll ever be able to realise the true potential of our hills. Land Use in the Biosphere What is a The underlying ethos of the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere is sustainability. For the Biosphere sustainability is about “Thinking Global, Acting Local” it’s about dealing with the needs of the local environment, the local economy and our local society in a balanced and even-handed way. We extend this to our approach on land use too. We believe the Biosphere can support an environment that is good for production of food and fibre, that can help alleviate the impacts of climate change, can enhance and celebrate our rich natural and cultural heritage, can provide new employment opportunities and a place for the health and wellbeing of local people and visitors to the region. For us that landscape is a mosaic of integrated land uses, where people work together to shape a future that doesn’t just benefit us here and now but will also ensure that future generations will be able to meet their own needs. Ed Forrest, G&SE Biosphere Director • The Galloway & Southern Ayrshire (G&SA) Biosphere have created a Sense of Place Toolkit, which is available on their website for anyone to use. This may be helpful for communities to help focus on what areas are valued by members of the community, and to help people identify what’s special about their area. To find out more visit www. gsabiosphere.org.uk and search under ‘Business in the Biosphere’ and then ‘Business Resources’. Woodlot? A woodlot allows local people to rent and manage an area of woodland from a landowner on a longterm basis. The Scottish Woodlot Association encourages woodlots in Scotland using a similar model to how woodlots are run in Canada, where this has been common practice for decades. To find out more you can visit the Scottish Woodlot Association on Facebook or Twitter @ ScottishWoodlotAssociation TREES, CARBON OFFSETTING Glenkens Gazette page 18 It would seem whether fighting in the name of the fatherland, the motherland or the homeland, that one word - land - has probably been at the back of every conflict since mankind could wield a club. Land is a dear and precious thing and people everywhere instinctively see keeping control of their territory as key to their survival. Well, everywhere, it seems, except Scotland. The blue and yellow flag Ukrainians proudly fight under is said to depict their farmed heritage and its landscape, and I read recently that the Ukrainian people have a great affinity for the soil and land, much of which comes from memories of the Holodomor, a famine that killed 3.5 million Ukrainians in the 1930s. This was a man-made famine which occurred within the breadbasket of Europe and was caused by the political doctrines of far off city-bound politicians who thought they knew best about how farming should be organised. One of the most disturbing stories I've heard with regard to the effect of propoganda and media influence recalls relatives in Russia refusing to believe family members in Ukraine as to the extent of Putin’s 'special operation'. I imagine, though, that these people are not 'bad' people - just ones who choose to believe the official narrative. Facts are paramount, but even in our world where free speech is taken for granted, facts sometimes get buried in mountains of information or are simply ignored by popular narratives, reinforced again and again in a media that instinctively knows it is good business to tell consumers what they want to hear. I would contend “tree planting is good for the environment” is one such popular narrative that few in the media or corridors of power seem able to see past. Even bodies that should know better, like the National Farmers Union, fall into the trap of talk of “integrating farming and forestry”. Those concerned about the amount of land being lost to forestry in places like Galloway must stop talking of integration; and stop using the language of compromise. As a representative of RSPB put it so well, “all the forest industry wants is just a little bit more land, and after that, all they will want is just another little bit more land” and so on. They just keep chewing away at Scotland to try to satisfy the insatiable demand of their clientele, or the new breed of corporate investor trying to offset their businesses’ responsibilities (and guilt) for the harm they have done - and continue to do - to the planet. It doesn’t matter if it is one of the few larger areas of open farmland so crucial for conserving hard-pressed ground nesting birds like the curlew - the (probably a more useful assessment of timber requirements) Scotland actually produces double the timber of the European average on this per capita basis - all in a country where more than half the land area is totally unsuitable for forestry. Furthermore, according to the National Forest Inventory, Scotland timber production is set to soar to 12 million metres cubed by 2030. So in just eight years time Scotland will be producing around three times more timber than the European average on this per capita basis. To add context, further consider that Europe (the UK included) is a net timber exporter (30 million metres cubed surplus) produced from a vast and growing timber resource felled at a very sustainable 73% of annual incremental forest growth. Further, Europe currently burns 112 million metres cubed of roundwood, and could burn more, such is its abundance. In addition to this, Europe burns tens of millions of tonnes of waste wood, all of which could be recycled into useful products like particleboard, but using this type of wood efficiently is simply not needed, such is the abundance of virgin timber. All this is set in a world where roughly half of all timber produced annually is burned, the burning of which constituting around 4-5% of all anthropogenic warming (Jacobsen 2010) in soot effects alone. Note that this still excludes the global warming effect of all the emissions of CO2, methane and nitrous oxide also emitted at combustion. As we’ve established, facts are paramount, so for those believing the idea that planting trees is a valid climate mitigation strategy, please consider the following: There have been very few actual measurements of soil carbon changes following afforestation of organo-mineral soils (shallow peat) in the UK uplands (Reynolds 2007). However, one such study by Edinburgh University researchers of a Sitka spruce forest at the Forestry Commission’s (FC) study site at Harwood Forest in Northumberland (on soils very similar to much of the Glenkens) recorded a massive 134 tonnes per hectare loss over the first 40 year rotation, which is a similar amount to the carbon accumulated in the trees. “The current climate change mitigation strategy is built around tree planting that will see the destruction of farmland and...the loss of habitats, flora, fauna and people, all to be replaced by foreign-owned carbon-offset Sitka forests that don’t actually offset carbon or slow global warming at all, but actually contribute to it.” supposed “panda of UK conservation” – or land backing directly onto the thousands of acres of the Galloway Forest Park; it just all gets ‘integrated’, ie covered in Sitka spruce. Planting under current legislation is a one-way street whereby when land gets planted, it cannot come back out of trees for the foreseeable future. Environmental bodies like NatureScot and SEPA have been gagged and neutered by concordant agreements with Scottish Forestry that they have been forced to accept by an urban-bound government that ‘knows best’. And what does it know best? That at around 18%, Scotland’s forest cover is lower than the European average, and to them this lack of ‘being average’ is something that must be corrected by state doctrine. Scotland has a land area of 7.8 million hectares and a population of five million and, despite much of the country being unsuitable for forestry, Scotland still produces around 8.5 million metres cubed of timber annually. By comparison, Europe as a whole has a land area of 620 million hectares (excluding Russia), has a population of 627 million and produces 542.5 million metres cubed of timber (State of Europe’s Forest Report 2020). If you do the maths, Scotland by land area currently produces 25% above the European average, and by population AND THE LOSS OF OUR LAND Glenkens Gazette This soil carbon loss throughout the rotation was then followed by a further additional large soil carbon loss at clearfell which was followed by a slow soil carbon recovery through the second rotation, reaching a balance 80 years after initial planting (Zerva and Mencuccini 2005). Other studies, also at the FC Harwood Forest site, have shown additional significant nitrous oxide warming emissions equivalent to 10% of the cooling effect of the growing trees (Ball et al 2003). In a very similar study, Benanti et al (2014) found the net effect of the land use change from wet grassland to Sitka spruce forest also reduced the assumed CO2 global warming amelioration capacity by 10% through the release of nitrous oxide. This loss of soil carbon during the first Sitka rotation, followed by a gradual recovery during second rotation as recorded by Zerva and Mencuccini, is backed up by the Forest Research Study Venguelova (2018), and this loss and slow recovery in the second rotation appears to be the Forest Research official line on this point. However, given Scottish Government’s commitment to a ‘net zero’ date of 2045, the 50–60 years or so that this 134 tonnes soil carbon per hectare is lost to the atmosphere (and the global warming feedback effects it brings) needs to be carefully considered, in addition to several other global warming effects from afforestation such as the change in surface albedo (or reflectivity) that’s caused by the change in land cover from open ground to conifer forest. In the briefing note, Morison (2019), written by James Morison, head of UK Forest Research (and a ‘go to’ advisor to the UK’s Climate Change Committee), the albedo effect is described as a “substantial component of the net climate change effect of afforestation” and the range of “25 to 45%” is offered as “the likely reduction in the cooling effect by the carbon stored in the trees by the warming effects of the albedo change caused by tree planting in the UK”. Therefore, even at its lowest value, this warming effect is the equivalent of the release into the atmosphere of 37.5 tonnes of carbon per hectare in a typical Sitka forest situation. Adding these afforestation warming page 19 effects of soil carbon loss, forest nitrous oxide emissions and albedo change effects together comes to an equivalent warming effect of over 180 tonnes of carbon per hectare by the year 2062 for a forest planted today. Set this against 150 tonnes of carbon per hectare stored in the trees over the same time frame – though this carbon may also eventually be be released back into the atmosphere after harvesting by burning these trees as biomass fuel – in a Europe which currently has hundreds of millions of cubic metres of timber surpluses to our requirements, what else are we going to use it for? It should be noted all these figures come from either Forest Research/Forestry Commission or from research conducted at their study sites; if their research is correct, the planting of more forests in the Glenkens will in actual scientific fact impede, not help, Scotland reach its 2045 net zero target. It may be hard to believe the figures could get any worse, but if trees from these local forests are burned as biomass - or it displaces trees elsewhere from their market that are then burned as biomass - the energy debt to transport, dry and process this wood for burning as a fuel is estimated by the Food and Agriculture Organisation and others to be around 25% of the total energy value. So even if biomass fuel is used instead of fossil fuel in this process, this means for every three hectares burned as biomass an additional hectare (with all its inherent 180 tonnes of carbon cost/debt) needs to be grown just to ‘fuel’ the whole process, meaning the potential effect isn’t of 180 tonnes of carbon being released by 2061 but the equivalent of 240 tonnes of carbon being released into the atmosphere for every hectare of biomass fuel delivered to the burner (which when burned loads another 130 tonnes or so of carbon per hectare into the atmosphere), ie 370 tonnes carbon from every hectare of Sitka harvested from the Glenkens come 2062. Or convert that 370 tonnes carbon into CO2 equivalents - a release of 1,356 tonnes CO2 per hectare. This is what is actually happening according to the forest sector’s own research. All this and, say, a long haul airline perhaps based in Australia boasting it is helping the environment in its purchase of carbon credits in Scotland (I’m told this is actually the case for land near Dumfries) while it continues to blast aviation fuel into the upper atmosphere on a daily basis. However, in reality, their supposed offset forest in Scotland is actually pumping another 1,356 tonnes CO2 per hectare into the atmosphere over its first 40-year rotation. The current climate change mitigation strategy is built around tree planting that will see the destruction of farmland and upland bird habitats that’s already well under way (eg 5,000 breeding curlew pairs and many, many more lost from Galloway and Border hills alone - RSPB). It is a ‘strategy’ that will not only oversee rural depopulation and the end of a farming tradition and occupancy of the land that stretches back five or six thousands years, but will ‘help’ cause local extinction of birds such as curlews, plovers, skylarks and black grouse. It is a strategy for the loss of habitats, flora, fauna and people, all to be replaced by foreign-owned carbonoffset Sitka forests that don’t actually offset carbon or slow global warming at all, but actually contribute to it. Finally, almost everyone I speak to seems to think to go against the popular narrative around tree planting - to go against Scotgov doctrines and to turn around its forestry bandwagon - is a nigh on an impossible task. However, if the current system is to be halted or even slowed down then the facts must be heard - and the Glenkens Gazette seems as good a place as any to start this much needed process! James Ramsay Pictured is James with his sheep up on the hill with plantation forestry and wind turbines in the background. WOODLAND CROFTS AND FAMILY FORESTRY Glenkens Gazette Some years ago, I attended an interesting forestry workshop at which a local forester outlined the history of a particular woodland. page 20 intensity of management than a more remote forester? The answer lies in multiple benefits - to the crofter. The crofter derives not just a degree of income from his woodland, but it is also for him a place to live, grow food and fuel, and carry out other business activities. Not all of his work in the woods needs to be remunerated directly. Enhanced knowledge of the woodland However, he then went on to confess built up through time on site allows an - if that is the right word - that he had attention to detail which maximises the only managed to visit the wood once opportunity to add value. Integrated with in the previous 18 months. Many in silviculture, other uses of the woodland the audience were slightly taken such as grazing or tourism aback by this, but to me it was not activities, add economic value a surprise. You only have to ‘do the to the woodland beyond simply maths’ to realise that this is the its production of fibre. And the current reality: fewer foresters than intimate knowledge of the forest in the past, with ever more things to held by the working woodland do, trying to cover ever larger areas crofter, and his frequency on of country. site, enable management for Many would not see this as biodiversity of the highest level. an issue, but rather evidence By making woodland of enhanced efficiency. With management a part of people’s improved information technology lives, rather than a waged - computer-based mapping and subactivity only, we allow more compartment databases, brought to be done for less money, together in sophisticated GIS whether that is provided systems - the ‘forester’s footprints’ through timber income or grant are perhaps less critical to forest support. You might call that management now than they once Ros and Rab Nash, woodland crofters at Cogle Wood ‘sweat silviculture’- analogous were. Croft, Caithness ©WoodlandTrust/JohnMacPherson. to the ‘sweat equity’ invested by Many would agree, however (not self-builders in their homes. least foresters themselves), that If family forestry characterised it would be desirable to be able Though published several years ago, by woodland crofts – and other to spend more time in the woods, the steering group report still remains emerging models such as woodlots - is enhancing their local knowledge, which one of the best-argued cases for unquestionably a good thing, then we would improve management, leading woodland crofts we have. Its strength surely need much more of it. In practice, to better benefits being delivered. But lies in its hard-headed focus on public a significant expansion of family forestry until someone finds a way to increase benefits: woodland crofts are worth in Scotland would only require a small management input without adding to having, because they can deliver fraction of existing woodland - a fraction costs, is this just wishful thinking? more. These potential benefits were which will be more than offset by the Maybe we are approaching the issue grouped under the usual economic, planned increase in woodland area under in the wrong way. Arguably, a model environmental and social headings. One Scottish Government targets. And one already exists where high levels of in particular is worth quoting here in area where woodland area is rapidly management input can be sustained respect of my earlier remarks. Woodland increasing is the south of Scotland – but without incurring crippling costs. We crofts, the report considered, had the there’s a problem here. may not be all that familiar with it yet potential to: “Derive economic benefits It is at present only legally possible to in Scotland, on account of the way our from local intensive management of create new crofts (including woodland forest industry has developed in the areas of forest that may be difficult to crofts) in the Highlands and Islands. past, but it is common the world over, achieve with remote management on an However, Scottish Ministers have the where it is better known as ‘family extensive basis”. power to designate new areas for croft forestry’. Various definitions for this can Though economic benefits were creation and have used this power in be found but the one I like particularly is, highlighted in that statement, the past, though currently there is no “small scale forestry, based on personal environmental and social ones could policy to do so again. The legislation involvement and strong stewardship just as easily have been included too, involved is very simple, so this ultimately values”. as highlighted elsewhere in the report. comes down to a question of politics - so In considering how family forestry can The key point is the recognition that if you think woodland crofts would be deliver more for less, it is worth looking local intensive management can bring a welcome diversification to the local closer at one model of family forestry additional benefits, which may be forestry scene, you’ll need to give your that we do have, which now enjoys the difficult to achieve under conventional MSP a call… support of the Scottish Government management models. woodland crofts. Jamie McIntyre Why, then, might a resident woodland This support was the culmination crofter be able to justify a greater For further information visit www. of many years of discussion and woodlandcrofts.org patient promotion of the concept by its proponents, and followed a comprehensive ‘official’ examination of the issues. The study was delivered by a steering group tasked by the Scottish Government with examining “whether, and how, national forest estate (NFE) land might be used to create new crofts under crofting legislation”. Though the given focus was the NFE, the report actually addressed the general principles involved and as such its conclusions regarding the benefits of woodland crofts could be applied much more widely. WHO SHOULD DECIDE ON LOCAL LAND USE? Glenkens Gazette The current approach to land use in rural Scotland is unbelievably outdated. It is centralised in government departments and agencies. It is fragmented to suit different purposes that are all too often in conflict with each other. It fails to link all of the government’s environmental, climate change, economic and community benefit targets. And the consultations of local interests are often a sham, with decisions imposed inspite of our representations. Oh dear, it has to be better than this! What is needed? First, leave the decisions to informed local communities, including local farmers and managers of land, to deliver outcomes which will benefit local natural environments, local landscape and amenity, and of course local communities. We have the ingredients for making decisions better than remote interests with no 'on the ground' knowledge. We have a perfectly good national framework - the Land Use Strategy. And this is encouraging the development of Regional Land Use Strategies. We have a world class ethical basis for looking after the land and how each interest group has both rights and responsibilities in taking this forward - the Statement of Land Rights and Responsibilities approved by the Scottish Parliament. Its roll out is being led by the Scottish Land Commission. We have the challenge of delivering a new basis for supporting food production following Brexit, and the promise of a new incentive scheme in 2024. We have also the promise of new environmental legislation on the same timescale. Locally, we are well advanced. We have an excellent local framework - the Glenkens and District Community Action Plan with staff employed to facilitate its achievement. We have an excellent enabling mechanism - the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Partnership, which has already led local discussions on land use. We have local understanding of the global and national imperatives for use of the land; there is nothing to stop us deciding for our ourselves. Of course, we need to be sure that the newly elected local councillors and our Holyrood representatives are fully supportive of our efforts. And we do need the support of the national 'powers that be' in future-proofing decisions and actions to favour a mutually supportive contribution to providing local social and economic benefits, redressing climate change, improving biodiversity and landscape amenity. What do we want to achieve? That is page 21 Surely we want more of this (above) and not more of this (below)... not for me to prescribe. However, I am sure there are ingredients shared by the majority of local interests. For example, farming which produces wholesome food for local, as well as wider, consumption on land that provides jobs for future generations, provides shelter for animals through tree planting, that sequesters carbon and improves soil structure, soil biodiversity and the look of the landscape. Roger Crofts Wind Farms and the Glenkens Are you aware of what is happening in the Glenkens? Before long, every hilltop between Dalmellington in the northwest, Sanquhar in the northeast and Parton in the south will be covered with giant wind turbines. The approach of the Scottish government to planning permission for onshore wind farms in the area is relentless. Even on those occasions when the Dumfries & Galloway Council has the resources to address developers’ applications, the government rides roughshod over them. Although almost everyone would agree that it is crucial to cut carbon emissions and to strive one way or another for net zero, a balance has to be struck between that and other interests, such as tourism on which the fragile economy of Dumfries & Galloway depends. Our landscape and environment are important to all of us. Dumfries & Galloway has already done far more than its fair share towards green energy, indeed to such an extent that it is a massive exporter of power from the region, largely to England where demand is greatest. By contrast, onshore wind farm development in England depends on the consent of the local communities affected: consent which is almost never forthcoming. There is no need for this headlong rush to cover the hills with wind farms. Even now the grid lacks the capacity to transmit all of the power produced by those which are operational, let alone those which are planned, and ends up having to make huge constraint payments to the wind farm operators. Moreover, back-up is required for times when the wind does not blow; with the government currently setting its face against fossil fuels and conventional nuclear power, some alternative is still needed. Before onshore development proceeds further, there needs to be a comprehensive investigation of the relative merits of other sources of green energy, particularly offshore wind and small nuclear reactors (SMRs – classified as green by the EU), and of the damage which onshore wind farms do to our livelihoods, particularly to tourism. The problem is that once built, an onshore wind farm will almost certainly never be dismantled: the damage is irreversible. In the meantime, it is essential that the voice of local communities in the areas affected is heard. If you want your voice to be heard, contact Save Our Hills Dumfries & Galloway through at www. saveourhillsdumfriesandgalloway.co.uk or find us on Facebook. Iain Milligan, Chairman, Save Our Hills Dumfries & Galloway COULD NATIONAL PARKS PLAY A ROLE IN LAND USE CHANGE? Glenkens Gazette page 22 The land use of the Glenkens and wider Galloway is undergoing change at a pace and scale that has not been seen since the creation of the Forest Park. is no presumption that in the event of conflict the first aim will take precedence. You can view the full wording of the purposes at www. gallowaynationalpark.org Like much legislation, the National Parks (2000) Act makes no specific reference to climate change or the biodiversity Many of these pressures for change crisis, though this may be are national with ‘nature recovery’ and considered in the current ‘climate change’ as the headlines, but review of the national with many more acting locally and in planning framework. some cases dramatically. The Act already allows National parks in Scotland were only considerable scope to include them and enacted in 2000, with the first two intentionally provides the flexibility to being created soon after (Loch Lomond tailor the national park to more closely & Trossachs and Cairngorms). Scottish reflect local circumstances, aided by a national park legislation differs from management board where local elected that south of the border. It shares the representation is in the majority. aims of ‘conserving and enhancing National Parks influence land use in the natural and cultural heritage’ their area in one of four broad ways: and ‘promoting understanding and 1) Through the production of a National enjoyment of the special qualities’ but Park Plan. adds two further aims - ‘sustainable 2) Through encouraging and assisting use of the natural resources of the area’ land managers to deliver the vision set and ‘promote sustainable economic out in the Plan and directing them to and social development of the area’s possible funding incentives for this. communities’. Uniquely in Scotland there 3) As the planning authority it can control inappropriate development. 4) Through a Ranger service which helps manage access and visitor conflicts. National Parks don’t have a different planning system to the rest of the country but My name is Kavita Sharma. I am a PhD student at ETH are using the same Zürich, researching tree planting in Scotland. You can help system to deliver me with my research by letting me know your thoughts the more targeted and views on forestry developments in the Glenkens. vision agreed in the Please send me an email on kavita.sharma@usys.ethz.ch, National Parks Plan. call or message over WhatsApp, or send an SMS to 0041 1788 616 140. Share Your Views What do you think of forestry development in the Glenkens? Both positive and negative views are welcome, including what landscape changes mean for you, ideas for improving consultation or anything else you consider important. All comments would be held confidentially, and all responses will be anonymized if used in reports or papers. Once my research is completed, I will submit a summary of the findings for publication in a future edition of the Glenkens Gazette. The ‘carrot and stick’ approach above is not designed to produce ‘a one size fits all’ solution. It is more effective in practice than it appears on paper, in part because a significant amount of rural land use is influenced by various forms of government incentives. It provides more and new alternatives to land managers on what they might do with the land where these options deliver the aims of the National Park. The ‘Cairngorms Connect’ and ‘Great Trossachs Forest’ projects are examples of this being carried out at a landscape scale through collaboration with many land managers in a way not seen outside National Parks. Perhaps the biggest, though possibly least tangible, influence that a National Park can have is the certainty of the future vision for the area. Many rural land use changes are long-term and the rewards gradual. Over the last 70 years, new National Parks have been created in the UK and existing ones extended but none has ever been disbanded. A National Park won’t solve all of Galloway’s challenges but, done well, it can make a really positive contribution to a vibrant and sustainable future for the area. Rob Lucas Pictured is farmer Robert McTurk with Carsfad Loch and Glenkens hills in the background. In other parts of the British Isles, communities are responding in a variety of ways to the rapid rise in afforestation. A couple of examples are the Save Leitrim campaign in Ireland, the inception of which is explained on their Facebook page as being "founded by a group of like minded people... to fight for the survival of our rural communities which are being decimated by the relentless subsidised afforestation programme". Another campaign which gained a lot of media attention was a 17,000 strong petition requesting changes to a scheme at Frongoch Farm in Cwrt-y-Cadno, Wales, where a Londonbased firm had bought four farms in the area with the intention of planting them as a carbon offset for their clients. How Could Mining Impact Us? Glenkens Gazette An Australian mining company's prospecting has raised concerns of toxic pollution, radioactive release, ecological damage and the destruction of historically and culturally important sites and protected habitats in the Glenkens. Walkabout Resources/JDH Exploration have secured Crown licences from the Scottish Government to prospect for minerals within three areas of Galloway centred around Newton Stewart, Gatehouse of Fleet and New Galloway. Walkabout has been drilling 200 metres down through the water table into galenarich rock looking for gold and silver, as well as minerals associated with renewable technologies. Galloway has a history of mining across the region, being rich in copper, lead (galena, wolfanite, etc), silver, gold, zinc, arsenic and other rare earth metals. However, metal sulphide mining is notoriously difficult and comes with significant unavoidable environmental impacts and risks to health from minerals which are toxic and cumulative in the body. Water courses are particularly vulnerable page 23 to pollution of drinking water supplies, rivers and marine areas. Thousands of tonnes of earth and rock would need to be blasted, removed and processed; again, often with hazardous processing to remove the mineral from the ore, eg mercury amalgamation. There is a very real risk of radioactive release of uranium, thorium and strontium as the rock in Galloway is exceptionally heavily metamorphosed and extremely hard, and therefore blocks short wave microwave signals, trapping radioactive molecules within the rock structure. Walkabout/JDH have focused on old mine sites and spoil heaps, surveying areas around Glentrool, Talnotry, Blackcraig and Pibble Hill. They have conducted drilling at Blackcraig/Palnure over the past year and have recently begun to survey in the Glenkens. Walkabout have to date not conducted themselves well in terms of community engagement. They have been in Galloway since 2018, and only late last year did it become wider public knowledge due to a local resident in Blackcraig publicising the fact. In the current climate, there needs to be stronger policy for sustaining intrinsic geological substructures and the biodiversity of ecosystems of rocks, rivers, marine life and water courses, and although not required, the company have chosen not to adopt the Scottish model for community consultation. Mine sites are difficult and challenging for local communities on a social, environmental and financial level. If there is to be mining in Galloway, there needs to be an open dialogue between all parties - national government, local government, business interests and communities. Mining is paradoxical as there is a need for minerals in various capacities to facilitate the transition to zero carbon, and for many consumer goods. The war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, that has lasted for 20 years and claimed five million lives, has been driven by mining for the minerals which run our mobile phones, electronics and cars. Is it right that we, in Scotland, continue to offload our responsibilities; out of sight out of mind? Or do we look at alternatives where mining isn’t needed, instead 'mining' waste consumer electronics or furthering developments in zinc or sodium ion or carbon batteries, etc. Mining in Galloway needs to be very carefully considered in social, economic, cultural, historical and environmental terms. The Galloway Mines Action Group has been established to ensure that these discussions take place at the highest level, that proper evidence-based research informs the decision making, and that Galloway is protected from irresponsible mining. Chris Helson, Galloway Mines Action Group The Galloway Mines Action Group can be found on Facebook, as well as another local group called Galloway Against Mining. Pictured is a map of areas with Crown prospecting licences © JDH Exploration this can be viewed at www.jdhscotland.com Perspective from a Forester Glenkens Gazette We asked Tom Clark, Forest Manager for Czernin-Kinsky, a Dalrybased commercial forestry company, to give us an insight into current changes to the forest sector. With regard to the way Government targets on planting are being rolled out, what are your thoughts on how this is being progressed? Government targets for tree planting and forest expansion are ambitious and perhaps unsurprisingly, as a professional forester, I would broadly support the mission to increase forest cover. The annual targets have been met for the last few years now, so on that basis alone, the conclusion must be that forest expansion is on target. However, I appreciate that the devil is in the detail and there can be more to it than simply the number of acres planted. Is this sustainable, in terms of land use balance? Scotland definitely has room for more forest. However, we must be extremely careful that this forest expansion takes place only in areas of least value to the agricultural sector and the communities it supports. The recent spike in land values, which is largely being driven by the demand from corporate and institutional interests to offset their carbon emissions, is leading to better and better farms being identified for woodland expansion as the price per acre becomes comparable to that of the poorer quality land. In my view, this situation which is being turbocharged by Scottish Government incentives and indirect funding via the National Investment Bank, is as naïve as it is unsustainable and is leading to a page 24 rapid and irreversible change in rural demographics, concentration of land ownership into fewer hands, and raises justifiable concerns surrounding food security and agricultural critical mass. Should communities have more say and if so, how? Communities currently have a mechanism to influence, consult with, or oppose new woodland creation schemes via Scottish Forestry’s (SF) public consultation process. This system I believe works reasonably well, however given the number of schemes now on the system, some community councils are finding it difficult to fully assess each proposal within the 28 day timescale. Perhaps a longer consultation period would be of benefit to allow communities enough time to fully weigh up each proposal would be of benefit. I also see no harm in visitors to the SF website being able to access outline woodland designs, scoping maps, etc which are currently only available on request. Foresters also need to improve their engagement with communities gone are the days of sticking a scheme into the system and hiding behind the state regulator. We need to be known, approachable, able to communicate our aims effectively, and willing to make some compromises where appropriate, something that I concede the industry has failed on in the past. Put simply, we need to be part of the community. As an established forestry manager in the area, how do you see new planting schemes in terms of the future of the area - can you see how things could potentially be done better/differently? New planting schemes will continue to come on stream in the coming years. The increasing age demographic of hill farmers coupled with decreasing relative returns from farming and increasing returns from timber long-term will likely see that trend continue. In Galloway we have the combination of a perfect Valuing Our Peatlands For some, peatlands may not seem the most attractive of places. However, at the Crichton Carbon Centre we’re passionate about these 'squadgy' landscapes, the life they support, and the climate benefits they provide. Over the next 18 months, the Peatland Connections project will be raising awareness of the importance of these landscapes through integrating science with art and creative engagement approaches to connect and re-connect us to our Galloway peatlands. Over the course of the project we will be commissioning artists, co-delivering a series of citizen science projects focusing on water quality and peatland climate, nearby industrial processing facilities, a skilled labour resource and suitable land for planting which makes it a very attractive proposition for commercial forestry. In my ideal world, I’d like to see existing landowners consider planting some trees as part of their farm or estate businesses, a scaled grant system favouring smaller landowners would help this. This would help build the link between forestry and farming as well as keeping a working population near the forests and engaged with them, as opposed to being owned, managed and profited from remotely. The company I represent owns around 12,000 acres of mostly commercial forestry in the Glenkens. This directly supports six well paid, permanent jobs as well as approximately seven full-time equivalent contract jobs in a remote rural area. We all live locally, many of us putting kids through schools and spending money in the local economy. We have run a successful apprenticeship scheme in the past and will soon be advertising for a six-month internship programme in association with the Galloway Glens Partnership. It is in our interest to hire locally and reinvest as much locally as possible. I would like to think this is a good example of how forestry can be of real tangible benefit to rural areas. ecosystems, organising walks and talks with a variety of experts, and co-developing a decision making tool. The overall aim is to reconnect local rural communities, scientists, land managers and policy makers to land use decision making in order to realise a more sustainable and climate resilient future. To find out more visit www. peatlandconnections.com/blog and https://www.carboncentre. org/blog Kerry Morrison, Peatland Connections Project Officer Navigating Land Use Changes from a Small Business Perspective Glenkens Gazette When I came to live in the beautiful Glenkens, six years ago, I was quite unprepared for the speed and scale of local land use change, and the affect this would have on my ability to set up in business. Despite being self-employed for 40 years I had never before felt the need to inspect planning applications, let alone participate in a public planning inquiry. My dive into the public planning system was a fascinating journey, albeit a time-consuming one. Setting up a new business requires a great deal of planning but it is unusual for a micro land based start-up to also have to become a registered lobbyist. The sheer scale of land use change in the Upper Glenkens is extremely challenging, compounded by the tag-along politics. We chose our property for its potential to contribute page 25 to the local community as a rural economic hub; as a place that has the capacity to accommodate many types of enterprise. With a peaceful natural beauty, proximity to the Southern Upland Way and availability of additional rental grazing for our 30 Highland cows, the business model was very clear. Within days of moving in it became apparent that all was not well, and that massive land use changes had been wreaking havoc on the community for decades. Pasture for grazing was in short supply, usurped by forestry operations. To make matters worse the plantations had become havens for all manner of agricultural predator. Within two months we discovered all the local beauty spots and great trails were to be filled with wind turbines and within 18 months we were told that our additional grazing ground was to be sold for plantation. Our original business model was crushed. Six years on, we are now working on our seventh land-based business model, and one which will hopefully be immune to what is going on around us. Each of our previous business ventures had been viable but each relied heavily on honest political exchange to mitigate the effects of very dominant government policy. Net zero, carbon credits, Brexit, Covid-19 and the sequestration of the public road network to serve the sole needs of government partners have been the reasons for the collapse of viable business models. The demise of the Upper Glenkens' economic vitality is not for the want of effort from those who live there. This area has more potential to grow as a strong remote rural economy than anywhere else in Scotland. The decline is a measure of the government’s obsession with big politics, global agendas and handouts to economic elites. Gardeners who set aside areas for large ornamental bushes are not concerned with the natural and organic regeneration of micro species. Rather they enjoy the fact that the stronger plants act as a kind of weedkiller. Once the government has done its thing and planted its garden, I sincerely hope there will be a little space left for us. Fiona Clubb, Carsphairn the people and natural habitats of the area. Irrespective of whether we are for or against the proposals, once they are being built, we need to make sure every opportunity is taken to get maximum local return and benefit. to host footpaths and other amenities. Upper Urr Environment Trust There is more development proposed in the Upper Urr catchment in the next ten years than was undertaken in the last 50. From windfarms to forestry, whether we like it or not, the area is going to be changing - both in terms of landscape character and use, but also the simple cash investment that will be made into the area. Land prices continue to skyrocket with all but the most wealthy or investment funds prevented from purchasing property when it comes to market. The role of the Community Council is clear; to represent local views and opinions on these developments. However, once the developments are consented - what then? There is a role for a local organisation to make sure that anything being built or impacting our landscape delivers the most local benefit to The Upper Urr Environment Trust (UUET) has been set up to fulfill this role. Initial activities have included: • Dialogue and agreement with a proposed forestry development which will include a dedicated piece of community managed space, a site able • The Trust has also secured funding from the Corsock & KPD Community Council Blackcraig Microgrant scheme to purchase river temperature monitors to monitoring changes and areas of risk for the river ecosystem • Exploring the potential for riparian native tree planting in the catchment to combat the effects of climate change • Upper Barr Farm near Corsock came up for sale and UUET lodged an interest with the agent. Ultimately it was sold to an unknown buyer but the Trust remains alive to the opportunity of land purchase. • UUET has registered as a SCIO (SC051592) If you would like to get involved email uuet.scotland@ protonmail.com Founding Trustees of UUET Pictured: The current view from Glaisters woods looking over at Blackcraig ridge and windfarm - but what landscape will our children be looking at in years to come? A Farmer's Take on Rewilding Glenkens Gazette The concept of rewilding seems to be everywhere. With its potential to address the twin crises of global warming and biodiversity loss, that’s understandable. And who wouldn’t be excited by what’s now happening - for example, on the Threave Estate? But is that re-wilding (they graze cattle)? What exactly is re-wilding anyway, and how would it affect our present agriculture-dominated landscape, especially here in the Glenkens? I have a small (75 acre) livestock farm near Crossmichael with sheep and Galloway cattle. We are organic. We have planted hedges and 12 acres of trees (native broadleaves), and made ponds. We have hay meadows full of yellow rattle (it parasitises grass, so encouraging a greater diversity of plant species). I’m a member of several conservation organisations as well as the Nature Friendly Farming Network and the Regenerative Farming Network for South West Scotland. I have read and learned from Isabella Tree, George Monbiot and other re-wilders. Why, then, do I feel ambivalent about the idea of rewilding? If rewilding means withdrawing from chunks of land and turning them over to ‘nature’, this sits within a deeply embedded way of thinking that assumes a dichotomy between ‘man’ and ‘the natural world’. According to the biblical account, God gave us ‘dominion’ over the rest of creation. Although this binary structure has since mutated through a variety of shapes at the hands of Renaissance, Enlightenment and Romantic thinkers, the basic framework remains: human beings (Society, Culture, Reason) on one side; nature (whether resource, wilderness, solace or inspiration) on the other. (I’m over-simplifying – and probably being Eurocentric as well; but for better or worse, something like this model now drives the entire world system.) But since Darwin, we have known that human beings are not separate from the rest of life but an intrinsic part of the evolutionary process. The discoveries of genetics make clear that we share most of our DNA with other species (including insects and plants). And we know that our bodies are home to billions of bacteria and fungi, and depend on them for our health. At the same time, ecologists have discovered that there seem to be vanishingly few (perhaps no) page 26 human capacities that are not shared to some extent by other species, including communication and social organisation (and this also extends to insects and plants). Life on earth forms a holistic system, within which homo sapiens is but a single thread. If we don’t find a way of living within this web that treats it as a self-sustaining community, we shall surely perish. There are some parts of the world where setting aside really large areas for rewilding may have value – parts of the Scottish Highlands may fall into this category. But in most of Scotland, rewilding is likely to fall victim to the binary trap, with chunks of ‘nature’ interspersed with areas of conventional farming. There are several reasons why this would be problematic: • Nowhere in the world is now free from the effects of human activity; human withdrawal is impossible. • Insects, birds, mammals, even seeds don’t respect farm boundaries. Ecological health requires supportive habitat at landscape scale. • We still need to produce food. If withdrawing from substantial areas of land implies ever greater intensification of production, this will be ecologically counterproductive. • Above all, if we continue to evade the need to find a way of living responsibly within the ‘web of life’, exploitation and damage – affecting ourselves as well as the rest of life – will carry on. Cashing in ‘natural capital’ – as in the current carbon credit scam that is powering the explosion in commercial afforestation in Scotland – is no substitute for finding a place in an ecological community. A holistic response would require suitable financial support for farming, replacing the old EU system. England appears to have chosen the binary route I have criticised above. ‘Public money for public goods’ is going largely into ‘rewilded’ areas while at the same time farmers are encouraged to go high-tech and intensify even more on the rest of their land. (The rocketing prices of synthetic fertiliser, diesel and livestock feed – much of it sourced from imported ingredients from ecologically sensitive areas – might suggest that further intensification is a dead end.) The Scottish Government is still developing and consulting on a new framework, due to come in 2026, but seems to be focused on a more across-the-board, whole-farm approach that continues to support food production but increases the proportion of support going into biodiversity enhancement and greenhouse emissions reduction. This is a good start – though so far the proposals are far from sufficiently radical in my view. To come close to what is needed would demand a coherent framework of change in social as well as agricultural policy areas: • A large-scale shift towards regenerative farming methods; ecologically healthy soil is fundamental. • Social policies that ensure everyone can afford and has access to nutritious, goodquality, sustainably produced food. • A shift in diet towards a reduction in consumption of meat and dairy, and an increase in fruit and vegetables; and an appropriate response from food producers. • Support for local and community-based food supply chains with the aim of cutting food miles, boosting food security and enhancing the local economy. • Radical land reform, aiming to reduce average farm holding size, which, alongside large-scale investment in training and financial support for new entrants, would boost the numbers of land workers; less capital intensity, more labour intensity – a healthy social ecology is an intrinsic part of a healthy web of life. This is a challenging agenda, not least for farmers, especially in South West Scotland where pretty much all of us are livestock farmers. Is it do-able? I don’t know. But I do believe that without it, the future of food production here is bleak and the future of the web of life even bleaker. For more information about regenerative farming, see the article on the second page of this Land Use section. Richard Middleton Richard farms at Lochhill Farm, Crossmichael. Pictured is part of Lochhill Farm with some of the new woodland in the background, with Erncrogo Loch and in the distance Screel and Bengairn. Turn to the back page of this edition for details of ' Land Use Conversations: A Glenkens Future', an online event where you can get involved in the conversation about land use in the Glenkens. Glenkens Gazette page 27 The Optimistic Environmentalist Technology, Gadgets & Gizmos - Part Two... Get the most out of your batteries by treating them carefully. Different battery chemistries need handling differently. For instance, mobile phones usually have a lithium-ion battery. For maximum battery life always run the battery down to 20% before then charging it up to around 80%; allowing the battery to go out of this range makes it less efficient. As batteries begin to lose capacity after a certain number of cycles, make sure that you don't stick it on to charge for a little bit, just because you've got 20 minutes spare, but run it down and then charge to 80% each time. Don't forget, batteries contain valuable minerals so don't throw them in the bin, take the them to the Council's household waste sites for recycling. There have been many fires because people leave their chargers plugged in but unused for many hours; only plug them in when you need them - it's safer and saves power. Look for equipment that can be mended or upgraded, eg have the batteries replaced (look at www.ifixit.com for repairable/upgradeable devices and how to do it). Change components and don't automatically get a new piece of technology just because your contract has run out and you've been offered it. Only buy technology that meets your needs rather than getting a 'bigger and better' bit of equipment just because you can. Be clear to a shop assistant what you need the technology for and don't be persuaded to buy extra bits just because the seller is pushing it hard. Buy equipment that is flexible for your changing needs. Fairphone produce a mobile which is made to minimise impact on the environment – replaceable glass, aluminium casing not plastic, upgradable, etc. For instance, you can remove the camera, the screen and the battery (yes, it's not glued in!). To encourage you to repair bits to prolong the lifespan of the phone, they even send you a screwdriver which fits. Pass on or recycle equipment that you don't want any more, eg list it on Freecycle, sell on ebay, etc. Funded by electrical equipment manufacturers, www. recycleyourelectricals.org.uk covers reuse and repair as well as recycling of electricals. Don't always buy new when secondhand is good enough; sometimes you can buy better items that are secondhand rather than paying brand new prices. Lobby companies to produce equipment that uses less power and can be mended or upgraded, and demand clear, truthful and verifiable information about how the equipment is recycled at the end of life, not just thrown into landfill. If equipment is not made to last or is difficult to mend on purpose - in-built obsolescence - tell the company and publicise to other customers or websites to put pressure on companies. Contact politicians to ask how laws and regulations are to be changed to encourage, motivate or force companies to create products and services that allow for reuse, ability to mend or upgrade, and for responsible recycling or disposal. Encourage people in your local area to share equipment and technology; pass on what is not wanted any more; maybe form groups to make it easier to recycle products en masse; share ideas and think of ways that equipment can be used in different ways or sold to locals or tourists. For instance, some creative companies in Britain are using components from unused devices for alternative uses or decorative items e,g. circuitboard notepads. Denise MacDonald-Kiernan Fancy foraging? Above are some of the amazing edibles growing around Galloway at this time of year, courtesy of Mark Williams of Galloway Wild Foods. Why not see what you have growing around you? Glenkens Gazette page 28 sponsored by If you would like to list something on this page, please get in touch on 07727 127 997 or glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk FREE Lovely chair, needs some repair to the basketwork on one side and perhaps a craftsperson to freshen up the embroidery. Glassfronted cabinet is fine but needs the lock reset in order to close properly. Someone handy with a chisel looking for a place to display the family treasures perhaps?! Other items also including bedside cabinets, coffee tables and books on cats. Contact Rhoda on 07484 296 868. Brown sideboard. Please collect. Contact: Annikki 01644 460 640 Garden 'strawberry’ net available for any keen gardener. It stretches, so measurement is dodgy but say approximately 14m x 3m. It is two pieces joined together so could be separated. Please collect. Contact: 01644 430 293 or 07770 830 727 Children’s slide, 2.5m long. NOT freestanding – suitable for tree-house or similar. Can deliver. Contact: 01556 670 691 Horse manure, rotted and fresh, no weed killers used. Dig your own from a large heap, bring sacks or trailer. Contact: 07889 229 340 WANTED Miniature Painting. By mistake I gave away a miniature painting on an easel to the Dalry Charity Shop. It's only about two inches high. Did you by chance buy such a painting from the shop in April? I would dearly love to have it back as it was painted by a relative. Cost reimbursed plus a reward and my undying thanks. Contact: Paul on 07973 174 342 Chest freezer. Contact: Tony on 07507 704 821 Old lawn mowers/strimmers/ other small machinery. Non-runners/broken welcome. Contact: 07845 562 217 King size mattress, 2-seater sofa, water butt, outdoor bench, outdoor table & chairs. Contact: Sarah on 07453 858 505 or saraheathomas@gmail.com HOME WANTED IN THE GLENKENS We are seeking to buy a home with 2-3 bedrooms and 3-5 acres of land, somewhere in the Glenkens. Anywhere and any condition considered please help us to stay in the Glenkens! Contact: Abi and Bruce on 07340 531506 or abi@mordin.net Glenkens Gazette page 29 sponsored by Villagers in Parton volunteered their time to plant a new community woodland in the village. Around 30 people of all ages turned out on Sunday 3 April and between them they planted over 300 saplings in the field behind the village hall. The trees have been chosen to provide a mix of native species suitable for the location with space left in the middle for picnics! A lovely chance to catch up with all our neighbours and also create a woodland for future generations to enjoy. A special thank you to Paul Murray and Barbara Turnbull for organising and providing the saplings and expertise. Thank you too to Penny and Bridie for keeping everyone supplied with tea and cake. Pictured are some of the village's dedicated tree planters. Tom Marshall Glenkens Gazette page 30 GLENKENS PLACE-NAMES: PART XVI I was recently reading an article in a place names journal which referred to Tom a’ Mhòid in Glenlyon and I was struck by the correspondence with our own Tormoid Knowe, near Brockloch north of Carsphairn.* The word tom, ‘hillock, knoll’ doesn’t occur in the Galloway place-names so Tormoid is the closest Gallovidian Gaelic equivalent I guess. Tòrr also means ‘hill, mound etc’. The Gaelic term mòd means ‘assembly, meeting, court etc’ so Tom a’ Mhòid and Tòrr a' Mhòid ‘the knoll of the assembly’. JSNS states: The knoll (Tom a’ Mhóid) was investigated in 2017 and 2018 during the Early Christian landscape of Glen Lyon project, and analyses showed that the striking topography of the site was mostly due to natural sediments deposited from the nearby mountainside. Traces of quarrying activities conducted at the top of the knoll likely contributed to the sediments found in the excavation trenches further down the slope. There were also indications of attempts at levelling up and   creating   a   platform;   however   these   could   not   be   verified   (Busset, Maldonado and Kasten 2019a; Busset, Maldonado and Kasten 2019b, 14). While the archaeology could not confirm human intervention on the shaping of the knoll, this does not diminish its striking appearance. On the contrary, it seems natural that such a prominent feature supports further the choice to hold political or religious assemblies at this place, as discussed above. The Glenkens Tormoid is also quite a striking natural mound. It is situated on a bend on the northern bank of the Polcorroch Burn, Pol Corrach, ‘steep or N ew Galloway Golf Club Founded Foun ded 1902 www.ng www.n g gc.co.uk - 01644 420737 Buggies now available for hire VISITORS AND NEW MEMBERS WELCOME angry burn’ in a gap between two areas of Sitka spruce. Could this place also have been an ancient assembly site? If so what kind of assembly and for what purpose? Alan James has pointed out to me that mòd in Scottish Gaelic seems to correspond to Old English (ge-)mōt, and, judging by the senses in Dwelly (Scots Gaelic Dictionary), referred very specifically to meetings of an official, judicial kind – baron courts, etc (except for the specialised sense of a music and poetry competition). This specific meaning of mòd would seem to preclude one potentially promising line of enquiry: that the assembly refers to a mustering of the tainchel, ‘beaters’ (a Scots term derived from Scots Gaelic timcheall, ‘surround’). Timcheall is probably found in the Glenkens place-name Knocktinkle, a small knowe overlooking Dalarran Holm and with a great view to the Rhinns of Kells (although note Markús’s reservation in respect of early forms on the PlaceNames of the Galloway Glens website). My suspicion is that Tormoid may be another of these gathering places for hunters is to some extent supported by the existance of the hill-name Craigencolon. This is the hill just north of the place-name Eldrick (from eileirg, ‘deer trap’), and given that proximity, it might be expected that the name could reflect hunting in the area. Craigencolon may be derived from Creag nan Còmhlan, ‘rock of the bands, bodies of people, circle, company, groups or troops’. This would fit well with the name being a reference to the tainchell. Many helpers would have been required to drive the deer to the eileirg. It may be noted however that the PGG website prefers Creag a’ Chuilinn, ‘rock of the holly’, as the derivation for Craigencolon. Reverting to the narrower definition of mòd then, are there any indications in what is now the upper part of Carsphairn parish of centres of judicial authority that might have generated the place-name Tòrr a’ Mhòid? Well, close by is marked on the OS map Brockloch Moat, just to the east of the Carsphairn Lane. There is also a Lamford Moat a bit further north. However at page 63 in the Inventory of Monuments in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright 1914, it states: "Mote', Brockloch.-The O.S. map indicates a mote here. This is a long natural gravel ridge or moraine on which there are no indications of defenses". Also stated is: "Mote’ - Lamford. The mote marked by the roadside here is a natural mound, and though a broken section on the top discloses a few stones, laid there by the hand of man, there are no indications of any defenses whatsoever". Lamford itself is another hunting placename, being derived from Scots Gaelic longphort, a word originally meaning 'ship harbour’ but coming to mean ‘enclosure’ or ‘encampment’. In a record dated from 1645 Lamford or Over and Nether Lang Foordes was mentioned together with a place called Darnsekall. This is the modernday Darnshaw, over the other side of Lamford Hill near Waterhead . This may be derived from Scots Gaelic Doire nan Sgall, ‘copse of the heroes’, or even Doire nan Sgàill, ‘copse of the ghosts’. I have been told by a neighbouring resident, Liz Holmes, that Darnshaw is now deserted, its roof having apparently been removed thirty or so years ago. As Alan James has highlighted the relationship between Scots Gaelic scál, ‘a man, champion, hero’ and Scots Gaelic scáil, ‘shade, shadow, ghost’ in Scottish and Irish Gaelic usage is a bit confusing – basically, they’re the same word, Middle Irish scál, which the Dictionary of the Irish Language sv scal reckons was primarily used for supernatural beings, later for (super)humans. There is even a sense recorded in Scotland as ‘calf’ (Forbes in Dwelly) however I guess this was probably just an optimistic name for a bull-calf, ‘champion male’. The Gaelic word sgal, ‘ghost, spectre’, may be cognate with the English words ‘shy’ and ‘scare’1. These proposed connections will go back thousands of years to the common Indo-European roots of the Celtic and Germanic languages. Michael Ansell, Cars Fèarna * Places of Belief In Medieval Glen Lyon and Beyond: Onomastic and Archaeological Perspectives by Anouk Busset and Sofia EvemalmGraham, University of Glasgow. Journal of Scottish Place-Names Studies, No14. Glenkens Gazette page 31 THE BATTLE OF RULLION GREEN Many readers will have heard of the Pentlands Uprising, which should more correctly be known as the Glenkens Uprising according to the late Professor Ted Cowan. But as a reminder (very briefly)... In November 1666, four men attempted to rescue an old man being tortured by soldiers in St John’s Town of Dalry. The incident escalated and resulted in a rebel Covenanter army marching on Edinburgh. The rebel army were met by government troops at a place called Rullion Green, near Penicuik, and this resulted in the battle of Rullion Green in which the rebels were defeated. There is a memorial at the site of the battle and I had long promised myself a visit, which I finally managed in March. The photographs show the memorial, a close-up of the explanatory plaque and a view of the battlefield with Edinburgh in the background. A number of articles have been written about this period of history and several of these were published in the Glenkens Gazette and can be found online. Paul Goodwin Connecting in Communities After the retirement of Brian Jones and Chris Jowsey from our Connecting in Communities (CiC) project, the team is finally back up to full strength! We have two new team members - Lisa Ridley as Project Leader and Jo Jackson as Activity Officer. They will join Fiona Limbrey who remains in post as Volunteering and Capacity Building Officer. It’s great to see the team back in place, and I know that Lisa and Jo are looking forward to hitting the ground running for the final year of CiC delivery. Gordon McAdam Plumbing & Heating 22 Kirkland Street St John’s Town of Dalry 01644 430 393 07834 321 789 Lisa joins us from the Met Police, where she was a Police Officer, having previously been a Police Staff Investigator. Prior to that, she was a Senior Area Youth Worker for Hertfordshire County Council for 21 years, where she worked in partnership with regional and other organisations to support her teams to deliver various youth-based projects. She now lives in Mossdale and is looking forward to getting to know the Glenkens communities. L-R Lisa Ridley, CiC Project Leader, and Jo Jackson, CiC Activity Officer, with Helen Keron, Jo took early retirement Executive Manager of GCAT from teaching drama in Kirkcudbright Academy in the area, and she’s got loads of great 2019. Since then, she has ideas for that, so do look out for been supporting individuals within those new plans from June. the community, as well as supply Thanks as ever to the Big teaching. She lives in Kirkcudbright, Lottery, who core-fund Connecting but will be well known to some in Communities, to the Postcode of you from her support of the Lottery for supporting the activity CatStrand Arts programme. programme and to the Blackcraig Lisa’s main objective for the year Wind Farm Community Benefit fund, is to work with local organisations administered through the Glenkens across the Glenkens and district to and District Trust with Foundation really understand the needs of our Scotland, for supporting and communities so that we can plan for extending the project. Their support what we need to do across the area means that we can put on a lot of in 2023 and onwards. She’ll also be our CiC activities for free or low cost, working closely with me to move and is very much appreciated. the Community Action Plan forward, along with Fiona. Meanwhile, Jo will be putting on a series of activities targeted at different groups across Helen Keron, Executive Manager, GCAT Glenkens Gazette page 32 SCHOOLS' VISIT TO THE GAC S2 and S3 pupils from Castle Douglas High School and Dalry Secondary attended the Galloway Activity Centre (GAC) to enjoy a range of outdoor experiences. The activities on offer included archery, laser tag, the giant swing, paddle boarding, windsurfing, sailing and kayaking. The pupils had a great time and, as always, were a credit to their school. Liam Fleming, Physical Education/ Pupil Support Teacher Should Dalry Town Hall Become a Charity? Dalry Town Hall is a fine old building, built in 1858 and enhanced at the end of the 19th Century. It was founded by a group of local benefactors and constructed on a piece of land called the Kirk Knoll, part of what was known as the Moat Park, probably named from the adjacent motte and bailey structure overlooking the River Ken at this point. The plot was granted by John Eden Spalding and the Spalding name continues in the village in the name of the nearby Spalding Bowling Club. He and others: James Alexander, Thomas Barbour, Rev Samuel Blair, Wellwood Maxwell and David Cowan, formed a Trust to hold the building and HOUSE REPAIRS JOINERY Semi-retired Furniture Maker & Builder in GLENKENS AREA ...special rates for inclusion of tea, cake and friendly banter... Call Pete on 07970 462 088 its environs in trust for the inhabitants of Dalry and the public generally. The Trust continued by virtue of agreement amongst the existing Trustees as to the appointment of suitable newcomers to join the Trust whenever needed – particularly as numbers were diminished by death. It appears that the Trustees originally managed the hall directly but at some point a Committee of Management was needed and nowadays the present Management Committee operates under a Deed of Trust from 1964. Today the committee is the active partner in running the hall, with the current trustees being more or less silent partners. Decisions as to maintenance, activities, fundraising, hiring, accounts, etc all lie with the Management Committee. The trustees are now a number of separate individuals and the Trust is no longer a coherent body, having no formal structure, office bearers, meetings, bank account or decision making procedure. Nevertheless, the Trust remains the effective 'owner' of the hall, albeit on behalf of the larger community. In recent years this historic arrangement has placed the Management Committee at a disadvantage as it is not the owner of the hall and surrounding land. Thus, it cannot seek funds for significant works or developments on a building it does not own. The committee is aware that a proportion of funders will not provide grants to bodies other than charities and in many application forms, the first question is “Do you own the property?” Additionally, the trustees (and probably the committee as well) carry unlimited liability for any debts that might arise. In 2005 the Scottish Government brought forward legislation that created bodies named Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisations or SCIOs. A SCIO is a legal form unique to Scottish charities that can enter into contracts, employ staff, incur debts, own property, sue and be sued. It also provides a high degree of protection against liability. Moreover, the trustees must submit themselves to annual re-election and the SCIO can therefore be viewed as more democratically accountable than a historic trust. Since its establishment, many organisations have been created within this form of charitable structure and many existing bodies have transitioned to it to take advantage of the greater freedoms and protections it allows. The Dalry Town Hall Management Committee would like to see the hall move to becoming held by a SCIO, to allow it the freedom to develop the hall for the benefit of the community. The 1964 Deed suggests a mechanism for doing so. As a first stage, this requires that a Public Meeting be held in the hall and a vote be held indicating the approval and support of the community for such a move. Consequently, Dalry Town Hall SCIO (SC049437) was formed some two years ago to pursue this course of action. However, Covid intervened, and it is only now that progress can be made. A Notice of Public Meeting (p8) has been published to allow those who are interested in the future of Dalry Town Hall to discuss and vote on this move. J Reid jamescreid@hotmail.co.uk Glenkens Gazette After a three year Covid hiatus, the annual St Margaret’s Guild Plant & Bake Sale took place at the beginning of May at the church in New Galloway. This was very successful, raising over £620 for Dumfries and Galloway Blood Bikes, the charitable organisation set up by local volunteers to deliver essential blood and urgent medical supplies between NHS hospitals and healthcare sites in Dumfries and Galloway. Christine Rankin, chair of the St Margaret’s Guild, said: "It was wonderful to get back to having a social event in the church and being able to chat with people face to face, whilst raising money for a popular local charity". guild directs the fundraising and social activities and were delighted to welcome back the Balliol Singers, postponed from April 2020 due to the pandemic. Their concert, entitled Paella and Pasta: Musical Nourishment from Spain and Italy, was held at the church in early May. It was a real pleasure to listen to live music again whilst raising money for Guild funds. St Margaret’s is currently without a priest but there is an ongoing advertisement in the Church Times and it is hoped that a suitable applicant will come forward and be appointed. Meanwhile the vestry is most grateful to the team of visiting clergy enabling St Margaret’s to hold a Service every Sunday at 10.30am. Nicolette Wise Pictured below is the fundraising Plant & Bake Sale. There was also a one-prize raffle in aid of Ukraine for a tower of chocolate treats. This raised £150 and the lucky winner was Eva Pennington. Although relatively small, the congregation at St Margaret’s has always been committed to outreach in Dumfries and Galloway and beyond. The Glenkens Hustings Prior to the last local authority elections, Glenkens Community & Arts Trust hosted a hustings meeting at CatStrand on the evening of 25 April. Given that there were a number of new faces amongst the candidates, this was considered necessary so that the Glenkens electorate could see and hear from those putting themselves forward to represent us. Six out of the seven candidates attended and a lively session ensued in front of a large audience. Following the election Dougie Campbell (Independent), Andy McFarlane (SNP) and John Denerely (Scottish Conservative and Unionist) were elected for the Dee & Glenkens ward. WINDY STANDARD WIND FARM - FAMILY FUN OPEN DAY Come and visit Windy Standard Wind Farm and take part in a fun filled family open day! Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 June from 10am to 3pm Attendees will gather to be transported to the wind farm from the bottom of the access track. At the top they will be taken on a magical, and educational, tour of the wind farm site before retiring for complimentary lunch and refreshments in our marquee. The team will be on hand to talk about all things wind power before the event draws to a close and everyone is returned safely to the bottom of the hill by 3pm. To book visit www. windystandardwindfarm.co.uk For further information email communities@fredolsen.co.uk or call 07435763900. Advertisement St Margaret's Fundraising page 33 Glenkens Gazette Boosting biodiversity, businesses and community benefits page 34 Advertisement With 14 turbines, Quantans Hill Wind Farm will add around 90MW to Dumfries and Galloway’s homegrown electricity capacity, as well as battery storage. As a Vattenfall project, this major investment has also been designed to deliver tangible economic, biodiversity and community benefits to the local area around Carsphairn and across South West Scotland. The planning application expected to be submitted in the summer identifies potential for: Protecting habitats and improving biodiversity • Extensive habitat improvement measures – net gain for biodiversity • New native broadleaf trees to be planted and 145ha heathland restored • Peatland restoration – enough to cover 190 football pitches • Carbon emission saving of around 4 million tonnes Enhanced outdoor access and protecting heritage • 15km of new sign-posted, accessible tracks through restored habitats • Visitor sign-posting and additional pathways created • Improved access to and understanding of important WW2 crash site and other features of historical interest A major green investment in local communities • Building on our approach at South Kyle Wind Farm, maximising local jobs and supplier opportunities • New apprenticeships to be created • Estimated £7million boost to local economy • Up to £16million community benefits package with flexible, community-led approach Find out more about the Quantans Hill Wind Farm proposal and Vattenfall’s local approach by visiting: www.vattenfall.co.uk/quantanshill Data from Quantans Hill Environmental Impact Assessment Report (2022), Natural Power et al; and Vattenfall. Images top & bottom from Lee Williams for Vattenfall’s Pen Y Cymoedd Wind Farm in South Wales. Glenkens Gazette GLENKENS GLASS RECYCLING POINTS • Balmaclellan Stores, Balmaclellan page 35 Sports in Dalry Outdoor Bowls (from April) - for details contact Fiona Ramsay on 01644 430 587 Table Tennis (available 24/7) Snooker (available 24/7) • Memorial Hall, St Michael's Road, Crossmichael Indoor Bowls (October to March) Badminton (available 24/7) For details for table tennis, snooker, indoor bowls and badminton contact Gary Blissett on 01644 430 521. • Kirkland Street, St John's Town of Dalry CROSSMICHAEL THERAPY CENTRE • New Galloway, Carson's Knowe Car Park - Your Health is Important - • St David Street, Kirkpatrick Durham For details of other recycling points visit www.dumgal.gov. uk/wasterecycling - follow the ‘Recycling Points in the Community’ link. There is also a ‘Find My Nearest’ tool that enables you to find a range of local services, including recycling points. 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To make an appointment call 07786 079 845 or email info@matthewpajo.co.uk For more information visit www.matthewpajo.co.uk Psychological Therapy Amber Dunlop-Pajo has spent over 20 years working as a psychologist and has attained a Bachelor Psychology (Hons) and Master Psychology (Health) and is a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society. Amber specialises in Women’s Health as well as depression, stress, anxiety and has a focus on health psychology. Contact Amber on 07389 713 106 or info@gallowaycounselling.co.uk For more information visit www.gallowaycounselling.co.uk Crossmichael Therapy Centre, The Old School, Crossmichael, DG7 3AP 1/4 PAGE: 9cm w x 13cm h, £81.90 (+ 25% off with series discount) 1/2 PAGE: 18cm w x 13cm h, £151.20 (+ 25% off with series discount) FULL PAGE: 18cm w x 27cm h, £252 (+ 25% off with series discount) Call 07727 127 997 VAT Reg. No. 882 8361 87 THE STEWARTRY VETERINARY CENTRE CASTLE DOUGLAS SURGERY HOURS GLENKENS MEDICAL PRACTICE DALBEATTIE SURGERY HOURS General Medical & Dispensing Services FOR APPOINTMENTS AT BOTH SURGERIES OR IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY The Surgery High Street New Galloway Mon-Fri 2.00-2.30 pm & 5-6 pm Mon-Fri 8.30am-6pm Sat 2-2.30 pm Mon, Wed, Fri 3-3.30 pm Tues & Thurs 6-6.30 pm  01556 502263 VETERINARY SURGERY OAKWELL ROAD CASTLE DOUGLAS  FOR APPOINTMENTS CALL 01644 420234 Glenkens Gazette The Community Kindness Cupboard outside Dalry Library has home baking in every Thursday. page 36 WHERE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB LISTINGS Dumfries & Galloway! What's Going on @DGWGO on Facebook; What's Going On Glenkens @WGOGlenkens on Facebook; Glenkens Gazette @GlenkensNews on Facebook – once on the page for any of these, use the search function to look for jobs. The Glenkens' largest employer, Natural Power Consultants Ltd, also have a jobs page - www.naturalpower.com/uk/careers KEY GLENKENS CONTACTS LOCAL DOCTORS’ SURGERY Glenkens Medical Practice - 01644 420 234 COMMUNITY CONTACTS • Balmaclellan: Martin Warnock 07939 261 391 • Carsphairn: Liz Holmes - 07718 358 160 • Corsock: Julie Garton - 07769 647 702 • Kirkpatrick Durham: Heather 07551 639 629 • Crossmichael: Richard Middleton 01556 670 691 • Dalry: Graham West - 01644 430 503 • Mossdale: Shop - 01644 450 281 • New Galloway: Hayley Edgar 07741 656 601 • Parton: Erica or Brian - 01644 470 277 FOOD DELIVERIES • Galloway Foodbank - 07730 788 335 • Hidden Veg - www. openfoodnetwork.org.uk/hiddenveg/shop • Ballards Butchers - 01556 502502 (they also deliver groceries) • Grierson’s Butchers: 01556 502 637 • Henderson’s Butchers: 01556 502 654 • Mitchell’s Greengrocers: 01556 502 077 • Fleet Fish: order before 1pm on Mondays for delivery the following week. Delivery days can be found when ordering at www.fleet-fish. co.uk or call 07966 103 912 • Roan’s Dairy - 01556 620 374 LOCAL COMMUNITY GROUPS Balmaclellan Community Trust: Contact Julia Higgins at julia.higgins55@outlook.com Glenkens Community Shop: Contact Liz Lewis on 07530 804 217 or drop by the shop on Main Street, Dalry CatStrand: Contact Fiona Limbrey at fiona@catstrand. com or 01644 420 374 or pop in to the CatStrand Local Initiatives in New Galloway (LING): Contact Ros Hill at ros.hill@rathanhouse.co.uk Schools: Visit the school office or call Dalry Primary on 01644 430 105 (for Nursery/ELC too), Dalry Secondary on 01644 430 259 or Kells on 01644 420 340 Dalry Communities Properties Trust (DCPT): Contact Gary Blissett at garyblissett51@gmail.com or 01644 430 521 Carsphairn Heritage Initiative: Contact Karen Hall at carsphairnhi@gmail.com Dalry Town Hall: Contact Lesley Blissett at lesleyblissett52@gmail.com Glenkens Community Centre: Contact Gary Blissett at garyblissett51@gmail.com New Galloway Community Enterprises (NGCE): Contact ngce5000@gmail.com or pop into New Galloway Community Shop Carsphairn Community Woodland Open Day Sunday 12 June All Welcome Come along and see what's been happening in Carsphairn's new community space! To find out more email carsphairncw@gmail.com Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership (GGLP): Contact McNabb Laurie at mcnabb.laurie@dumgal.gov.uk If you would like to add your community organisation to this list please get in touch with the Gazette - contact details are on the back page. CHURCH TIMES CHURCH OF SCOTLAND: Sunday Services Balmaclellan: 11am - 5 June & 3 July Carsphairn: 11am - 12 June & 10 July Kells: 11am - 19 June & 17 July Dalry: 11am - 26 June & 31 July Special Services Communion, 10 June, 11am, Carsphairn Church. Quiz Night, Friday, 17 June, Dalry Town Hall. Presentation to minister followed by light buffet lunch, Sunday 31 July, 12.30pm, Dalry Town Hall Local Church of Scotland congregations can be accessed on YouTube or can be emailed. Contact David on 01644 430 380 for paper or email copies, or simply for a chat. SCOTTISH EPISCOPAL CHURCH: St Margaret's Church, Kenbridge Road, New Galloway, DG7 3RP Sundays: 10.30am Sung Eucharist, followed by coffees/teas Visitors are always welcome - for further information, including directions, please see our website www.stmargaretsnewgalloway.org or call our vestry secretary, Christine Rankin, on 01644 420 259. Glenkens Gazette page 37 GALLOWAY COMMUNITY TRANSPORT www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org email gct@catstrand.com phone 01644 420374 mobile 07841 512449 June - July 2022 Regular Services GK2 Glenkens-Castle Douglas (Tesco) Wednesday Evenings Out (Registered Route) Return 19:00 19:05 Dalry (Underhill) New Galloway 21:15 21:10 19:15 Mossdale 21:00 19:25 Laurieston 20:50 19:30 19:37 Townhead of Greenlaw Castle Douglas (Market St) 20:47 20:37 19:40 Castle Douglas (Tesco) 20:35 Booking not required Glenkens to Newton Stewart Fortnightly - Tuesday mornings Outward Pickups: Dalry (Underhill) 09:30 New Galloway (Town Hall) 09:35 CatStrand) 09:37 To Merrick Leisure Centre and Aldi Return Pickup Newton Stewart (Aldi Car Park) 11:30 Return fare £3.50 Advance booking required. Member Hire GCT has 16-, 15-, and 8-seater minibuses and a fully wheelchair accessible electric car available for hire by community organisations. For information about membership and terms and conditions of hire see the GCT website or phone 07841 512449. GCT Ebike Club If you are interested in joining the GCT Ebike Club please see https://www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org/gctebike-club phone 07704 662925 or email jon@catstrand.com EXCURSIONS 18 June 2022 Saturday THE MACHARS GARDENS A leisurely drive to Wigtownshire and visits to two private gardens full of interest and colour. Lunch at the Isle of Whithorn. Pickups: Dalry (Underhill Bus Stop) 0900, New Galloway (CatStrand) 0910, Castle Douglas (Market Hill Car Park) 0935, Kirkcudbright (Harbour Square Bus Stop) 0950, Gatehouse (Spar Shop Bus Stop) 1005 Admission £5. Fare £7 23 July 2022 Saturday THE LAKELAND GARDEN To Pooley Bridge, a leisurely scenic drive beside Lake Ullswater and over Kirkstone Pass with a lunchtime stop in Bowness-on-Windermere. Pickups: Dalry (Underhill Bus Stop) 0830, New Galloway (CatStrand) 0840, Kirkcudbright (Harbour Square Bus Stop) 0905, Castle Douglas (Market Hill Car Park) 0925, Dalbeattie (Craignair St Bus Stop) 0945, Dumfries (Wickes Car Park) 1000 Admission £5. Fare £12 For more info please see the website: https://www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org/excursions Drivers Needed Galloway Community Transport needs your help to provide a wide range of community transport services across the Stewartry and beyond. MINIBUS DRIVING Minibus drivers with D1 (101 or by test) are needed to do volunteer and paid driving for our wide range of member community groups. PATIENT TRANSPORT We also urgently need drivers with their own cars for our patient transport service. Our volunteer patient transport drivers receive a generous mileage reimbursement and the satisfaction of providing a vital service to vulnerable people in our communities. Interested? Email gct@catstrand.com or phone 07841 512449 Glenkens Gazette page 38 What's On June/July JUNE Wed 1, Yorkston, Thorne & Ghatak, 7:30pm, CatStrand Thu 2 to Sun 5, Spring Fling Open Studios, see p6 Fri 3, In The Weeds: An Tobar and Mull Theatre, 7:30pm, In The Weeds: An Tobar and Mull, CatStrand Fri 3, In The Weeds: An Tobar and Mull Theatre, 7:30pm, In The Weeds: An Tobar and Mull, CatStrand Sat 4, Producers Market, 10am-1pm, Dalry Town Hall, see p12 Thu 9, Glenkens Writer's Cafe, 7pm, CatStrand Wed 8, Film: Dune, 7:30pm, Dalry Town Hall Thu 9, Bancroft & Lyne, 7.30pm, CatStrand Fri 10, GB Ultras registration and start, Dalry Town Hall Sat 11, Resuscitation and Defibrillation: an open introduction, 10.30am12noon, New Galloway Town Hall Sun 12, Carsphairn Community Woodland Open Day - all welcome Sun 12, The Galloway Agreement presents the Ken Bridge Song Suite (marks the start of the Ken Bridge bicentenary celebrations), 7.30pm, Dalry Town Hall, tickets from CatStrand Sat 18, GCT Bus Trip The Machars Gardens, see p37 Thu 23, Public Meeting, 7pm, Dalry Town Hall, see p13 Fri 24, Crime Writers Evening, 7.30pm, Dalry Town Hall, see p8 Fri 24, Though This Be Madness, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sat 25, Youth Beatz Trip, 11am–6.30pm, 12yrs+, 9am pickup CatStrand, see Young Creatives, see p9 Sat 25, Donald Watson Bird Event, all day drop-in from 10am, Dalry Town Hall Sat 25, Watson Birdsong Day: Birdsong and Landscape Walk, 10am-12noon, Dalry Town Hall Sat 25, Watson Birdsong day: Birdsong Studio, 2pm, 45 Main Street, Dalry Sat 25, SongWave Choir: Songs of the Summer, 3pm, Crossmichael Church Sat 25, Watson Birdsong day: Jackdaws and Other Friends - Book Launch, 6.30pm, Dalry Town Hall Sat 25, Watson Birdsong Day: The Conference of Birds Concert , 7pm, Dalry Town Hall Sat 25 & Sun 26, Windy Standard Family Open Day, 10am-3pm, Carsphairn, see p33 Sat 25, Though This Be Madness - Babes in Arms performance, 10.30am, CatStrand Thu 30, Land Use Conversations – a Glenkens Future, 7-8.30pm, online event, see back page Thu 30, Kirkcudbright Writers' Cafe, 7pm, Selkirk Arms JULY Sat 2, ICAT 22 (Industry Community and Alternative Technology) event, 1.305.30pm, Community Centre, Cotton St, Castle Douglas, for info contact 01644 420 361 Sun 3, J George Murphy Duo, 6.30pm, The Clachan Inn Mon 4, 11 & 18, Music in Film Workshop, 5.307.30pm, CatStrand, New Galloway, age 12–16 Tue 5, MaMa - Family Workshop, 2pm, CatStrand Tue 5, MaMa–by Cosmic Dance, 7pm, CatStrand Sat 9, Producers Market, 10am-1pm, Dalry Town Hall, see p12 Mon 11, Dance the Beach Life, 10am–2pm, CatStrand, New Galloway, age 3–7yrs Wed 13, Drama Rama Workshop, 11am–12noon, CatStrand, New Galloway, age 6-9 Wed 13, Play in a Day Drama Workshop, 12–4pm, CatStrand, New Galloway, age 10+ Thu 14, Ken WordsGlenkens Writers' Cafe, 7pm, CatStrand Mon 18-Fri 22, DG Dance week, 10.30am–3.30pm, CatStrand, New Galloway, age 11+ Tue 19, Collagraph Printmaking Masterclass, 10am–2pm, Smiddy, Balmaclellan, age 10-16 Tue 19, Canvas; Beginners Art Workshop, 2.30–5pm, The Smiddy, Balmaclellan, age 13+ Fri 22, ‘Up My Street’ Art Workshop, 10am-12pm, The Smiddy, Balmaclellan, age 10+ Sat 23, GCT Bus Trip The Lakeland Garden, see p37 Sun 24, Launch of Dragon Boats on Loch Ken, see p4 Glenkens Gazette page 39 REGULAR EVENTS Balmaclellan Village Hall: Tuesday Afternoon Teas, first Tues every month, to book email julia.higgins55@outlook.com Glenkens Crafters, Wed 10am2.30pm, for info contact Julia Higgins on 01644420297 Books in Balmaclellan Community Library, Mon 6-7pm, Wed 10am–12.30pm & Sat 10.30am-12.30pm Glenkens Art Group, Thur afternoons, contact Tom Leach on t_leach1@sky.com Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn: Craft Group, Fri 10am12noon,includes tea & coffee, Lagwyne Hall Bairn Banter; family stay & play session, 0-7 years, Sat 10-11.45am, Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn CatStrand, New Galloway: Margaret Morris Movement: Health Play (age 3-7), Mon (during term time), 3.454.30pm Margaret Morris Movement: Children’s Grades & Youth Dance (age 8-15), Mon (during term time), 4.30-5.30pm Youth Volunteers (age 11-16), monthly, 5.30–7.30pm Scriptless Drama Club (age 11-19), Tue, 5.30–6.30pm Newton Stewart Bus Service to Tesco, Wednesday evenings A Chance to Dance, Thu biweekly, 6–8pm Dance Weekenders (age 12+), Sat - monthly, 1–4pm Art Explorers, Sat - monthly, 10-11am (age 5–8) & 11.15am– 12.30pm (age 8–12) CatStrand Youth Players, meet weekly to work on festival plays and an annual pantomime, contact briangm@catstrand.com New Galloway Town Hall: on Facebook KMANews or kmabrian@gmail.com Gentle Yoga, Fri 5.45-6.45pm, contact kathyr64@hotmail.co.uk Informal Family Badminton, (net and racquets but no line markings), New Galloway Town Hall, contact Ros on 07749 249 781 Dalry Library: Random Writers (age 12+), Thu bi-weekly, Dalry Library, 3.45–5pm Dalry Town Hall: Crafty Corner with tea & biscuits, Mon 2-4pm, contact Kristina on 07789 680468 LING Lunches, Tue, Elevenses 11am & lunches from 12.302pm. No need to book, contact Ros on 07749 249 781 Sports Evenings with indoor bowling and table tennis, Tues 7-9pm, drop in or contact Ray on 01644 420 438 Tai Chi, Wed 10.3011.30am, includes coffee & biscuits, contact Ju-lie gentletaichigroup@gmail.com Tai Chi, video-led instruction, Mon, 2-3pm, contact lesleyblissett52@gmail.com Wee Messy Crafters, Wed, 1-2pm, contact weemessycrafters@gmail.com Zumba, Wed 6.30-7.20pm & 7.25-8.15pm, contact samantha. rushton@hotmail.co.uk booking essential Martial Arts, Thur 5.30-6.30pm (children) & 7-9pm (age 6 and up), contact Brian or Nancy Glenkens Producers Market, 2nd Sat each month, 10am1pm, contact lesleyblissett52@ gmail.com Dalry Library & Customer Service Centre Main Street, Dalry, Tel: 01644 430 234 or 01556 502 643 Tuesday: For books and other walk-in services: 2-5pm Friday: For NEC Bus Pass and Blue Badge appointments and PCs: 11.30am – 12.30pm; for books and other walk-in services: 1 -4.30pm. Appointments can be booked in the library or on 01387 260 196. Dog Training, Tue, 7pm, contact Eric Broadhurst 07831 590 822 Film Nights, Wed, see listings opposite CatStrand Singers, Thu, 11am-12.30pm, contact anne. chaurand@btinternet.com Song Share, 1st Friday each mont, 8-11pm, contact anne. chaurand@btinternet.com Various: Crossmichael Heritage Centre Open Wed & Fri, 1.30-4.30pm USEFUL NUMBERS: ● Pot-hole Hotline: 0845 276 0000 ● Police, non-emergency: 101 ● Doctor: 01644 420 234 ● NHS 24: 08454 24 24 24 ● D&G Council: 030 33 33 3000 Glenkens Gazette page 40 Results of Housing Survey The Glenkens housing survey is now complete. The survey, carried out by South of Scotland Community Housing (SOSCH), was commissioned by the Glenkens and District Trust (GDT), based upon findings contained in the Community Action Plan. This type of survey - a Housing Needs and Demand Assessment (HNDA) - is the key that unlocks funding support for community-led housing. This survey looked at the 10 communities within the GDT area. The aim of the survey was to produce data for individual communities and community organisations, who could then explore the potential for community-led housing solutions using the survey findings to underpin the start of any future project. In total there were 146 responses to the survey with most responses coming from four communities: Balmaclellan, Carsphairn, New Galloway and Kells, and St John’s Town of Dalry. Some key concerns highlighted were the lack of rental housing available, as well as affordable housing to buy, due to issues such as competition from buyers purchasing second homes, houses becoming short-term holiday lets, and the difficulty in securing affordable land for self-build opportunities. The knock-on effects of these issues were suggested in comments on how school rolls were falling, and that the vitality and sustainability of communities was being affected. With the ongoing trend of homeworking, many respondents felt that workspace within the home and workshops within/ alongside/in proximity to affordable housing was required. Future housing projects should consider how it might address the demand for such spaces. Another key element was energyefficiency. The survey results highlight the need for low-energy homes that are affordable to run, whether redeveloping existing property or new build. Respondents highlighted the need for more energy efficient homes, with over 50% of respondents indicating that fuel inefficiency was a factor in their homes not meeting their needs. By considering this through measures such as higher levels of insulation, triple glazing, etc, this would address both climate change and the rising cost of energy, to combat the increasing levels of fuel poverty. Going forward, communities can use the survey as evidence of community engagement for community-led housing grant funding as well as providing local level information on the need and demand for different types, size and tenure of housing. For further advice and information please contact SOSCH at www.sosch.org You can read the full report at www. glenkenstrust.org.uk/news GDT will also consider how best to use this report and ensure it is circulated to all relevant groups and individuals, hopefully gaining some momentum in addressing the numerous issues raised. Fiona Smith, GDT Land Use Conversations: A Glenkens Future 30th June, 7-8.30pm This Online event brings together a panel of local & national land use experts, organisations, artists and most important of all…you, to learn more about land use discussions and how we can all input our thoughts. Join us for a stimulating discussion & to share your views. Book your free online ticket, search on Eventbrite.co.uk for ‘Galloway Glens’ Event organised by local artists Leeming & Paterson, in partnership with the Galloway Glens Scheme. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Submit events, activities, news stories, cartoons, reviews, tips & techniques, fiction, photos, ads or ideas... Contact Sarah Ade on 07727 127 997 or glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk Editing & Design: sarah.ade@gmail.com AUG/SEP COPY DEADLINE: 5 JULY The Glenkens Gazette is an initiative of the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust, a Registered Scottish Charity No. SC032050  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. 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For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Glenkens Gazette Description An account of the resource <p>Find out more about the Gazette: <a href="https://glenkens.scot/gazette-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Glenkens Gazette home page</a> If you would like to submit an article or take out an advert, please email the editor Sarah Ade: <span>&nbsp;</span><a href="mailto:glenkensgazette@hotmail.com">glenkensgazette@hotmail.com</a></p> <p>The Glenkens Gazette is a member of, and regulated by <span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.impressorg.com/">Impress</a>.</p> <p>The Glenkens Gazette is an initiative of Glenkens Community &amp; Arts Trust (SC032050) and represents the voice of the community (not necessarily the views of GCAT).</p> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document GLENKENS GAZETTE News from Balmaclellan, Carsphairn, Corsock, Crossmichael, Kirkpatrick Durham, Laurieston, Mossdale, New Galloway, Parton and St John’s Town of Dalry August/September 2022 ISSUE 131 FREE ORDER LOCAL FOOD ONLINE! There is now a way to order locally-produced food online - and have it delivered direct to your door! The ease of use of today's online supermarket shopping, accentuated in our rural areas during the pandemic, means that convenience really is king when it comes to buying food, and it's tough to offer this service when it comes to shopping local. However, here in the Glenkens we've managed it with the creation of the Glenkens Food Hub. The knowledge that this is something people wanted came from the Glenkens Community Action Plan research which identified the need for a single point for ordering local and sustainably produced food. (You can view the action plan at www. glenkenstrust.org.uk/communityaction-plan). What could be better than knowing you're supporting your friends and neighbours in their food business, and that the food you are buying is as fresh as can be; from just round the corner grazed, grown or made - and having it delivered straight to your door? The food hub offers a hyper-local food chain solution giving food sovereignty to those who produce, distribute and consume our food. It also helps tackle the The Glenkens Food Hub in action - Abi, Tamsin and issue of greenhouse gas Linda prepare boxes to be delivered to local customers. emissions present in long, global supply chains. This benefits the community Friday 2 September or 16 to 20 by improving health and wellbeing, September for delivery Friday 23 reducing social isolation and building September. community wealth. To order, or to sign up for the hub's The hub is currently a collective of 12 newsletter and hear about future local producers, all within 30 miles of dates and new producers, visit https:// the Glenkens. The August food hub is openfoodnetwork.org.uk/glenkens-foodopen 12-16 August for delivery on hub/shop Friday 19 August. Turn to page 4 to see the current The September food hub moves list of local producers... to twice a month, and you can order from 26 to 30 August for delivery Glenkens Food Month is Back This year's theme is 'Celebrating Our Local Food’ and we're looking forward to working with organisations and food businesses across the Glenkens to create a mouthwatering programme of events. ceilidh and much much more – all culminating in live music accompanied by fresh local food at the Ken Bridge Hotel on the 24 September to tie in So far on the calendar is a plant & produce swap, a local food feast and film screenings that will really make you think about where our food comes from. There will be a fungi forage, community ‘glut’ tables, burger & beer at the CatStrand, the Balmaclellan A Glenkens Community & Arts Trust (GCAT) initiative with celebrations for the bicentenary of the Ken Bridge. The GCAT Connecting in Communities team is delighted to be taking over the baton of organising the September food month from New Galloway Community Enterprises and is looking forward to building on the excellent work done over the last three years by community engagement workers Sam Rushton and Hayley Edgar. Propagate remains a key partner, with their focus on healthy and resilient food systems (Propagate are also a key partner in the Glenkens Food Hub initiative - see article above). Look out for more information about the Glenkens Food Month from early August we look forward to seeing you there! The Connecting in Communities Team www.glenkensgazette.co.uk Glenkens Gazette page 2 The Land Use Conversation Last issue's Land Use Focus drew together a selection of pertinent local land use issues highlighted by some excellent authors, sparking much discussion. Continuing the land use conversation and trying to figure out how the Glenkens can ensure a community voice in a changing world - and fast - there are a number of strands on the horizon. There is an opportunity for the Glenkens to participate in the process of creating the Scottish Government's vehicle for communities to be involved in land use decisions, Rural Land Use Partnerships (RLUPs) - see p12 for more on this - but will the creation of this system be in time to support the Glenkens with the pace of current land use change? Another strand is community ownership of areas of land. Carsphairn now has its own section of woodland in community ownership, through the recent acquisition of a portion of Muirdrochwood forest by Carsphairn Community Woodland Ltd (see pages 10-11 and 25 for further information on CCW). Can our communities become more active in land ownership? The Glenkens & District Community Action Plan's priority of a community farm and community food production is an area which is also being looked into. Is there a way that the community can purchase land which can then be held in stewardship and used for the benefit of our communities in order to support local food production? Are there other ways our communities can become the key stakeholders they need to be in the land use decisions which will affect all our futures? These are some of the questions being asked, and hopefully we'll find some answers soon. NB Apologies to the authors of the articles on the page opposite as this page was omitted in error from the printed version of last issue's Glenkens Land Use Focus. GALLOWAY IS NOT ALONE On 30 June, the Galloway Glens Scheme and Leeming & Paterson hosted an online event that allowed us to hear from speakers working on a local and national level, all with an interest in how land use is managed and influenced in Galloway. We heard that the South of Scotland has been selected as a pilot for a Regional Land Use Partnership (RLUP), highlighting timescales and what this could achieve. The Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere gave an overview of how land use can be set in the wider debate of sustainability, and we heard how art can help us better understand our relationship with land use. The event also included a presentation from Andrew Thin, chair of the Scottish Land Commission, talking about how we can influence land use legislation in Scotland. All the speakers contributed different angles to the debate, and I am very grateful for their time, and for the questions and input of the audience. Since the event, one overall point has stuck with me: Galloway is not alone. The concerns being raised in our area, from ‘off-market’ land transactions and local owners being priced out from purchase, through to community disengagement and unintended consequences of emerging global carbon markets, are actually being felt across the whole of Scotland. These challenges are not unique to Galloway. The Scottish Land Commission play a vital role. They have the ear of Scottish Ministers, they compile input from across the country and try to fix what people tell them is wrong. It just so happens that the week after the event a Scottish Government consultation was launched entitled ‘Land Reform in a Net Zero Nation’. This is looking ahead to the proposed new Land Reform Bill which has a stated aim to "ensure that the public interest is considered on transfers of particularly large-scale land holdings, and we will aim to introduce a pre-emption in favour of community buy-out where the public interest test applies…" The new consultation wants to know your answer to a range of questions including: • Is a ‘large-scale’ landholding one that is more than 3,000 hectares in size, or should it be smaller? • Should large-scale landowners be required to undergo a ‘public interest test’? • Should this measurement be applied to the seller or the buyer of the land? • Should an owner be required to notify community groups in advance of their intention to sell land? While hearing the speakers on the night I realised that Galloway’s challenges are woven into our national story. We are not alone but sometimes we are seen further from the land use change ‘frontline’ than we should be. The best way we can address this is by inputting the voices of Galloway into the ‘Land Reform in a Net Zero Nation’ consultation paper. Search for it online and submit your views before 25 September. If "decisions are made by those who show up" then this is our chance. McNabb Laurie, Galloway Glens Scheme WHO SHOULD DECIDE ON LOCAL LAND USE? Glenkens Gazette The current approach to land use in rural Scotland is unbelievably out dated. It is centralised in government departments and agencies. It is fragmented to suit different purposes that are all too often in conflict with each other. It fails to link all of the government’s environmental, climate change, economic and community benefit targets. And the consultations of local interests are often a sham with decisions imposed in spite of our representations. Oh dear, it has to be better than this! What is needed? First, leave the decisions to informed local communities, including local farmers and managers of land, to deliver outcomes which will benefit local natural environments, local landscape and amenity, and of course local communities resource owners. We have the ingredients for making decisions better and involving us. We have a perfectly good national framework - the Land Use Strategy. And this is encouraging the development of Regional Land Use Strategies. We have a world class ethical basis for looking after the land and how each interest group has both rights and responsibilities in taking this forward - the Statement of Land Rights and Responsibilities approved by the Scottish Parliament. Its roll-out is being led by the Scottish Land Commission. We have the challenge of delivering a new basis for supporting food production following Brexit and the promise of a new incentive scheme in 2024. We have also the promise of new environmental legislation on the same time scale. Locally, we are well advanced. We have an excellent local framework - the Glenkens and District Community Action Plan with staff employed to facilitate its achievement. We have an excellent enabling mechanism - the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Partnership which has already led local discussions on land use. We have local understanding of the global and national imperatives for use of the land. There is nothing to stop us deciding for our ourselves. Of course, we need to be sure that the newly elected local councillors and our Holyrood representatives are fully supportive of our efforts. And we do need the support of the national powers that be in future-proofing decisions and actions to favour a mutually supportive contribution to providing local social and economic benefits, redressing climate change, improving biodiversity and landscape amenity. What do we want to achieve? That is not for me to prescribe. However, I am sure there are ingredients shared by the page 3 Surely we want more of this (above) and not more of this (below)... majority of local interests. For example, farming which produces wholesome food for local, as well as wider, consumption on land that provides jobs for future generations, provides shelter for animals through tree planting, that sequesters carbon, and improves soil structure, soil biodiversity and the look of the landscape. Hopefully, this a good starting point. Roger Crofts Wind Farms and the Glenkens Are you aware of what is happening in the Glenkens? Before long, every hilltop between Dalmellington in the northwest, Sanquhar in the northeast and Parton in the south will be covered with giant wind turbines. The approach of the Scottish government to planning permission for onshore wind farms in the area is relentless. Even on those occasions when the Dumfries & Galloway Council has the resources to address developers’ applications, the government rides roughshod over them. Although almost everyone would agree that it is crucial to cut carbon emissions and to strive one way or another for net zero, a balance has to be struck between that and other interests, such as tourism on which the fragile economy of Dumfries & Galloway depends. Our landscape and environment are important to all of us. Dumfries & Galloway has already done far more than its fair share towards green energy, indeed to such an extent that it is a massive exporter of power from the region, largely to England where demand is greatest. By contrast, onshore wind farm development in England depends on the consent of the local communities affected: consent which is almost never forthcoming. There is no need for this headlong rush to cover the hills with wind farms. Even now the grid lacks the capacity to transmit all of the power produced by those which are operational, let alone those which are planned, and ends up having to make huge constraint payments to the wind farm operators. Moreover, back-up is required for times when the wind does not blow; with the government currently setting its face against fossil fuels and conventional nuclear power, some alternative is still needed. Before onshore development proceeds further, there needs to be a comprehensive investigation of the relative merits of other sources of green energy, particularly offshore wind and small nuclear reactors (SMRs – classified as green by the EU), and of the damage which onshore wind farms do to our livelihoods, particularly to tourism. The problem is that once built, an onshore wind farm will almost certainly never be dismantled: the damage is irreversible. In the meantime, it is essential that the voice of local communities in the areas affected is heard. If you want your voice to be heard, contact Save Our Hills Dumfries & Galloway through at www. saveourhillsdumfriesandgalloway.co.uk or find us on Facebook. Iain Milligan, Chairman, Save Our Hills Dumfries & Galloway Glenkens Gazette Revisiting Our History We all know we live in an old part of an old country. Every day we can walk by ruins of old buildings or ageing monuments to people long dead. Our graveyards are ancient; full of tumbled stones and eroding carvings. Cobbles still line some of our streets and break their way up through the tarmac on others. The forests around us have grown up and around villages that most of us have no idea ever existed. Have you ever walked by those ruins, or stopped to catch your breath by one of those monuments, and wondered "what is its story?" Have you ever squinted to read that old engraving and wondered "who was this person really?" Armed with little more than a pile of books from the Local Collection at Dalry Library and my mobile phone, I’ve set out to answer these questions in a new series of videos called Galloway Retold. My aim is to bring the stories of Galloway into the digital age in bite-sized, accessible and entertaining pieces. Starting with the story of Kenmure Castle, I will be releasing one video a week over the summer, and maybe beyond, on my YouTube channel. With thanks to Dumfries Libraries and Archives, these will be available on Facebook, through the new Dumfries & Galloway Heritage Service page, and the page 4 Dumfries & Galloway Libraries Twitter page. Search YouTube for ‘Galloway Retold’ to find my channel directly! Angela Miller Glenkens Men's Shed Dalry Arts & The Shed has been very busy over the last month or two. We recently constructed over 100 nesting boxes for pine martens in conjunction with the Dumfries & Galloway pine marten group. These are now being installed over a large area hopefully in time for next year's breeding season. The Shed members did an excellent job giving their time and expertise for free. The Shed also hosted the third Dumfries Men's Shed network meeting in June. Unfortunately the attendance was down due to the rising Covid rates. However, the Sheds that did attend - Moffat, Newton Stewart and Dalbeattie - were very impressed by how well-run, well-equipped and tidy our Shed was. The food, provided by members and by Connecting in Communities, went down very well and our thanks go to all those who contributed, particularly to Chris Jowsey who, under trying circumstances, kept the event on track. Tom Leach Crafts Fair Dalry Town Hall will be hosting an Arts & Crafts Fair on Sunday 28 August from 11am to 3pm. The fair will have a diverse range of handcrafted pieces of work from a selection of artists, designers and crafters from across the region. Our aim is to establish the Dalry fair as a 'mustsee' attraction in the area - we hope to see you there! Lesley Blissett Glenkens Food Hub Producers Continued from front page... Abi Mordin runs Hidden Veg, a small market garden in Balmaclellan, growing seasonal vegetables, herbs, and fruits. Tom van Rooyen bakes delicious bread, pastries and more at Earth’s Crust Bakery in Castle Douglas. The Ethical Dairy cheese is produced at a forward thinking, sustainable, carbon negative farm whose model is based around treating the animals, the land, their environment and the people who work there with respect and kindness. Irene McCreath is a local farmer and goat aficionado. She produces the most wonderful preserves, both savoury and sweet, from her garden produce, to accompany the delightful duck eggs from her farm. Gillian Smith is a busy farmer, with many interests, with a passion for Zwartbles sheep. She is also an adept chef and cooks up wonderful treats from her courtyard. Barnbarroch organic farm belongs to the McConnell family near Newton Stewart focusing on nature friendly, organic farming to bring you sublime beef products. Suie Fields in Auchencairn is a smallscale family farm, providing fresh and nutritious food, including grass-fed Highland beef, outdoor reared saddleback pork, eggs, fruit and veg. Low Auldgirth is a family run steading, using traditional methods and heritage breeds to farm the land in a way that enriches the environment. They produce slow grown, quality farm products that capture both passion and place. Beans’ Greens is a new venture for Lisa, offering broccoli, radish, sunflower, and pea microgreens. Grown in the Cairn Valley from organic seeds, the microgreens are full of nutrients, some boasting forty times more than their fully grown counterparts. Galloway Scottish Pasta is the brainchild of Andrew and Margaret from the Smiddy Tearooms in New Galloway. They make a slow dried, artisanal pasta from wheat flour, milled in Kirkcaldy, and organic oat flour grown, and milled in Aberdeenshire, with a pinch of Ayrshire sea salt. Baile Curraich, near Dalbeattie, is owned by ex-forces Francis and Luke, who works in social care. They run a small farm, rearing rare and native breeds, in particular Shetland Cattle for both beef and to preserve the breed. They farm with wildlife and conservation in mind. All beef is 100% grass fed, even in winter when they are fed indoors on the farm’s summer grass. Scone Mad is based at Carsphairn Tearooms. Enthusiastic Lindsay makes wacky flavour scones, using local ingredients. Are you feeling hungry yet..? We are looking for more local producers within a 30-mile radius of the Glenkens so do tell us if you produce food which is sustainably grown or made, and would like to be involved in the hub’s online marketplace. Please spread the word amongst the Glenkens community and if possible help those less technically minded to place orders online (www.openfoodnetwork. org.uk/glenkens-food-hub/shop). Lesley Atkins Glenkens Gazette #Tossers Update Reporter - Angelica Sprout WARNING - this article contains graphic images and language some may find distressing Since the last edition there have unfortunately been further recorded sightings of tossing of all kinds. Good people from across the area have been phoning in to report accounts of #tossers but, whilst there is mounting evidence that they are actively operating in the area, we are yet to have a confirmed and verifiable sighting. And as we delve into their secretive world it is becoming increasingly apparent that there are various different sub-species of #tosser, many of whom mingle openly and with little remorse with the normal people of our community. After careful examination of the scattered detritus they leave behind, we are starting to formulate theories with respect to a few distinct #tosser subspecies. #thefurtivetosser - the average #tosser does not like to be observed; it is as if they actually know they are doing wrong. Initial investigations suggest that the majority are remarkably furtive in Dear Gazette, Having read Ted Leeming's comments in the April/May issue of the Gazette about #tossers, I thought maybe I should highlight the #aquatossers; that is the people who think it's ok to toss their rubbish into the nearest waterway – be it loch, river or burn. Lame excuses (when risking a black eye, I have mentioned to page 5 nature, quietly going about their business knowing just how unpopular they are. #theprofessionaltosser - one avenue of exploration is that there are a few persistent offenders that repeatedly cause a material amount of the problem. Without wishing to be alarmist, we are increasingly pursuing a theory that there may even be a small number of professional #tossers in our area who are not only extremely proficient at what they do but are repeat offenders. #thecompleteunrepentanttosser - once unthinkable, it is now thought that the worst #tosser of all may have entered our community and be active across the Glenkens. Belligerent and unrepentant, one preliminary study even suggests they blame others for their actions. Whilst initial evidence appears strong as to their existence it is inconclusive and we will keep you posted as the picture builds. We appeal to everyone to send in photos of any evidence you may see of #tossers. Please do be careful in approaching #tossers though as, from what we can gather, they can present unpleasant and erratic behaviour. We also don't know if tossing is contagious, so keeping a healthy distance is recommended. However, honking your horn and gesturing from the protection of your car may be ok, with the recommended approach being to take a note of their number plate and report the sighting to the police. The Gazette is keen to applaud any voluntary activities relating to the inevitable clean-up required once a #tosser enters an area. Such community spirit is essential to help undermine their activities, but will also help keep our beautiful area clean. We hope to run a special feature on #tosser clean-ups in a future edition and look forward to receiving any images and observations you may have (Gazette email can be found on the back page). culprits that their actions really are not acceptable) include “the rain will wash it away” and “it's all natural stuff, it can't do any harm”. The burn into which the gable end of my house is set regularly sports an interesting array of garden waste, disgarded vegetables and orange peel, along with plastic bags and food wrap. A garden ornament has joined them recently too, as well as other decaying, smelly items. Anyone going for a refreshing early morning dip in the river, where this lot inevitably ends up, risks emerging festooned with a load of old gunge that someone has jettisoned further upstream. Our waterways and the wildlife they support are precious – let's not treat them as rubbish tips. Sue Wiseman Industry, Community and Alternative Technology Event An interesting and informative Industry Community & Alternative Technology (ICAT22) event was held in Castle Douglas Community Centre in July. There were a number of tables where attendees could join in discussions on key issues impacting our area. Abi Mordin, from Propagate, facilitated a discussion which focused on local food production and food security. There was a discussion on community ownership of land led by Linda Gillespie. A conversation on the potential of locally generated energy from renewables was facilitated by Jeremy Sainsbury, and there was also a table considering how to influence decision makers and planning policy led by Carolyn Yates. The final hour of the event was taken up by a Q&A session with Paul Rogers, Professor of Peace Studies, who covered lots of of the current big issues surrounding the climate crisis and consequential geopolitical instability and migration concerns. Feedback from all discussions were that participants felt them to have been highly worthwhile. The event was facilitated by the Castle Douglas Development Forum (CDDF). If you would like to find out more about this event and its outcomes, or future events of a similar nature, please get in touch with Carolyn Yates on CDDF Chair Carolyn Yates at cddfchairperson@gmail. com or 01556 503 739. Abi Mordin from Propagate sharing ideas about local food production with members of her working group. Glenkens Gazette page 6 Connecting our Communities As I approach the end of my fifth week in post as project leader for Connecting in Communities (CiC), I just wanted to say a big "thank you" to everyone who has welcomed me and the rest of the new CiC team into our new roles. The team has been busy so far going into the Glenkens and district to meet people and deliver programme flyers for the activities coming up this month. Together with Fiona Limbrey, CiC's community development officer, and activity officer, Jo Jackson, we continue to build a community-based project that reaches the needs of our local organisations, friends and neighbours. We are busy pulling together a fabulous new programme for August, leading into a scrumptious September Food Month 2022. Fiona has been busy liaising with volunteers; we continue to need support from people to help with everything from CatStrand events to gardening or driving the community transport bus. If you feel you could give a little bit of time, Fiona would love to hear from you! Jo’s activity programme has launched, with everything from life drawing to drumming to guided walks. See the page opposite for details of upcoming events and activities. I have begun to venture out into The CiC Team (left to right) - Jo, Lisa and Fiona. the wider Glenkens and district to get a firmer understanding of what the needs are for the future of community development for 2023 and beyond. If you have any suggestions for shaping the future of the Glenkens and district, I would love to hear from you on lisa@ catstrand.com, or drop in at the CatStrand for a chat. I am really looking forward to the Ken Bridge bicentenary celebrations, with plans well underway for a host of activities and events for all ages. These include an afternoon of talks presented by the Glenkens Story on ‘Crossing the Ken: Bridges, Fords and Ferries’ and the Ken Bridge ‘Crossing the Water’ parade - family fun with storytelling and puppet making, with a lovely finale with Mark Zygadio’s water organ - to find out more visit www.gact.scot Thanks must go to Dave Paterson for the use of the Ken Bridge Hotel garden, to DRAX for lighting up the bridge, as well as to the team that has produced such a fabulous programme of events. Special thanks to John Crallan for steering the project to where it is today, Mike Brown for creating the flyers and Martin Warnock, Willie Jardine and Jamie Murdoch for clearing shrubbery around the bridge. Finally, thank you to Marcus Maxwell who has kindly allowed us to use his sheds and land to celebrate this historic occasion. September brings the return of Glenkens Food Month. This will be a celebration of our local growers and producers, showcasing the great food produced in our area. If you have any foodie ideas you’d like to explore and put into the Food Month programme, please contact me - I’d love to hear your ideas! Lisa Ridley, CiC Project Leader THE NOURISHING SPACE HEALTH COACHING LIVE A LONG LIFE WELL Switch from this to that to feel well! Ready to make a change? Get in touch... 07587122151 lesley@thenourishingspace.co.uk www.thenourishingspace.com Glenkens Gazette page 7 FREE ACTIVITIES AUGUST ACTIVITY PROGRAMME All these activities are FREE & open to people with no experience or some experience. All equipment will be provided. The activities will run in small groups so BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL PHOTOGRAPHY IN FOCUS Expert tuition to bring your photography knowledge and skills into focus Tuesdays: 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th: 10am-12pm The Smiddy, Balmaclellan plus ‘out in the field’ MUSIC MATTERS Bring rhythm into your life with upbeat drumming and Ukulele workshops Ukulele: Wednesdays: 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st: 7pm-8.30pm The Smiddy, Balmaclellan ARTistry Develop your creative skills in life drawing Thursdays: 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th: 10am-12.30pm The Smiddy, Balmaclellan WELLBEING - LIFE SKILLS FOR ALL Introduce Mindfulness to your life and discover how it helps to live in the present. Stay for a cuppa, scones and chat after (included) Thursdays: 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th; 11.00am-12.00pm CatStrand, New Galloway WELLBEING - YOGA FOR MEN Suitable for beginners, gentle introduction to physical and mental benefits Fridays: 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th: 2pm-3pm The Smiddy, Balmaclellan ACCESSIBLE ART FOR WELLBEING Free fortnightly workshops focusing on exploring Art and it’s intrinsic relationship to Health and Wellbeing FREE art workshops across the Glenkens, visiting Dalry, Crossmichael, Kirkpatrick Durham 19th August Crossmichael Village Hall 10.00 -11.30am 26th August Kirkpatrick Durham Village Hall 10.00 -11.30am 19th, 26th August 12.30 -2.00pm Dalry Town Hall GUIDED NATURE WALKS Guided Nature walks in a variety of stunning locations. Sundays: 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th: timings 2pm-4pm A light late lunch will be provided. Transport is available, booking essential in order to plan pick-up points in the Glenkens Please do get in touch to find out about our glorious weekly locations. For more information and to book please call us on 01644 420 374 11am-4pm or book online at www.gcat.scot/project/cic/ Glenkens Gazette page 8 Dalry Birdsong Day GLENKENS Watson Birds HELP FOR and Planet Birdsong LIFEBOATS organised a number of events in Dalry. Peter Cowdrey took a group along the river levee to identify bird song. Despite the gusty wind, we heard a good range of bird song - chaffinches both Bird watching on the river levee listening for songs. young and older, red books from Donald Watson’s kites, whitethroats, collection and the recently printed sand martins, a hobby and postcards and letter cards. In others. As a result, a number of the evening we were treated people subjected themselves to to outstanding musicianship by attempting to sing a specific bird brother and sister duo, Peter and song, helped by a spectrograph. Liz Cowdrey on piano and violin Operated by Peter Threipland, a respectively. Pieces by classical good representation was achieved composers along with Peter’s own of various bird songs, including compositions, based on sound curlew. recordings of bird song, formed It was pleasing to have a number the programme. of people visiting Dalry Town Roger Crofts Hall in the afternoon to purchase The Glenkens RNLI fundraising group ran a successful two-day fundraising Cakes & Plants sale in Dalry. A large selection of plants and seedlings, and a mouth-watering selection of home baking, helped us to raise over £620 for the Kirkcudbright lifeboat group. The committee would like to thank everyone who so generously supported this event, and they would also like to thank Hair by Jayne who allowed use of the space outside the salon for the sales tables. Glenkens folk have always been keen supporters of the Lifeboats, who are our fourth emergency service but receive no funds from the government and must rely on volunteers. The RNLI Kirkcudbright office reports that fundraising is still well down following the Covid lockdowns and so they were particularly delighted to receive the pay-in from the Glenkens. CatStrand Café Open 11am till 4pm 7 days a week Come along for our delicious home baking. Light lunches also available 11.30am-2.30pm Walkers, cyclists, bikers and dogs all very welcome! Open Friday evenings in August from 4pm till 9pm with live music in the bar. (bar open with tea, coffee and snacks also available) Glenkens Gazette page 9 Over August and September a busy programme of events has Some of the creations which will be present at the Crossing the Water family event. been arranged to mark the bi-centenary of the Ken Bridge's completion. There is a real diversity including poetry, exhibitions, a delve into the history of the bridge, folk music sessions and the appearance of a kinetic sculpture water organ. Ken Bridge 200 Exhibition - new photography using the Ken Bridge as a subject, alongside a delve into the historical archive, old photographs, newspaper articles and maps. Water Organ by Mark Zygadlo Water Organ is an intriguing kinetic artwork built on an eighteen foot catamaran. Crossing the Water: A Parade of Stories, Music and Characters Over the Ken Bridge - A family-friendly celebration of 200 years of connecting the Glenkens with puppet making, storytelling and a parade. Lighting Up the Bridge - Live music, partying and the new bridge lights will be switched on. Ken Words Autumn Story Ceilidh - River crossings have always been meeting points for sharing news and stories - a relaxed evening, sharing stories in 'open floor' session. Crossing the Ken: Bridges, Fords and Ferries - Speakers include L Bruce Keith, author of Bridgescapes: Scotland's Bridgebuilding Heritage on how the bridge was built and the people who built it; David Bartholomew on crossing the Ken before the bridge; Archie McConnel on the story in maps and Michael Ansell on folk memories of the bridge. Under the Bridge - Folk Session from 5pm. BBQ from 6pm, with locally sourced food (part of Glenkens Food Month book food tickets). 7.30pm, Galloway Agreement outdoor concert. Peter Renwick, CatStrand These events have been supported by the Year of Stories 2022 Community Stories Fund, delivered in partnership between VisitScotland and Museums Galleries Scotland, with support from National Lottery Heritage Fund. They have also been made possible by support from DG Ltd’s Regional Arts Fund, Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership, Loch Ken Trust and Glenkens District Trust. Many thanks to all the Glenkens community groups who have contributed to this diverse and exciting programme. More on p38. For full details of events visit www.gcat.scot or pick up a CatStrand brochure from retail outlets around the Glenkens. CatStrandEST.2007 AUGUST & SEPTMEMBER ULTRASOUND PREGNANCY SCANNING Dairy & Sucklers; Ageing, Twin & Barren Detection. Trailer system includes triplets, marking and shedding. Pregnancy and number of pups. For bookings and info: Duncan Kennedy 07860 474001 dk@passcan.co.uk www.passcan.co.uk SUMMER CEILIDH REFUGEE SETTLEMENT FUNDRAISER FRI 5 AUG 7:30 DALRY TOWN HALL ARCTIC WINDS PART 1 : NIGHTLANDS THU 11 AUG 7:30 THE FALLEN ANGELS OF THE MOINE THU 18 AUG 7:30 CATSTRAND TOM BANCROFT'S IN COMMON SUN 28 AUG 7:30PM CATSTRAND SMITH & MCCLENNAN SAT 10 SEP 7:30 CATSTRAND FOUR HANDS ONE PIANO: THE LISNEY BRIGGS DUO FRI 16 SEP 7:30 CATSTRAND PICTISH TRAIL THU 22 SEP 7:30 CATSTRAND UILLEANN DUO: SAT 24 SEP 7:30 CATSTRAND PROJECT IN FOCUS Glenkens Gazette page 10 Muirdrochwood Forest Wildlife Hide is Ready! Muirdrochwood Forest, near Carsphairn, has been a hive of activity since ownership passed to Carsphairn Community Woodland (CCW) last year. In March 2021, more than four years of work by the local volunteers of CCW finally paid off with ownership taken of part of Muirdrochwood Forest. The group have wasted no time, with a timber processing shed and equipment installed, car park, walking routes being created on the site and opportunities for volunteer activities in the woodland. beautiful landscape.” The hide was built by Adam Murray, from Thick & Thin Lumber Company, based near Beattock. Adam added: "The timber that was chosen was locally sourced European larch, planted in 1948. Working on the project was good fun due to the planned in August/September (see page opposite). Faith Hillier, Biosphere Community Officer, was at the launch event and said: “This is a beautifully constructed hide, with a stunning view of the landscape. We are looking forward to bringing school children here to learn about the wildlife of the Muirdrochwood Forest and it’s a fantastic location for the future community events we’re planning to hold in partnership with experts on red squirrels, pine martens, fungi and the night sky.” CCW are very grateful to funders of the land acquisition, Scottish Land Fund, Carsphairn Renewable Energy Fund Ltd and a discount for public benefits from Forestry and Land Scotland, and also to South of Scotland Enterprise (SoSE), who funded the development costs of the forest. A highlight of recent work has been the installation of a new Members of the Galloway Glens team and the GSA Biosphere For anyone octagonal wildlife hide. join members of CCW outside the new wildlife hide. planning a visit, the This hide was created Muirdrochwood Forest using funds from CCW car park is on the B729 and the Galloway shape of the structure, and it was towards Carsphairn from the High Glens Scheme, supported by partners great to see the project through from Bridge junction (postcode: DG7 3TE), including the Glenkens Red Squirrel design to milling of the timber to The ‘what three words’ location for Group and the Galloway & Southern construction. It was also enjoyable the site is remit.breed.chestnuts. Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere. In July, for the midges to have a fresh source the hide was officially opened with a For more information, follow of food…” gathering of project partners at the Carsphairn Community Woodland on Bob Peace, from Glenkens Red hide. Facebook or visit www.carsphairn/CCWL Squirrel Group, commented: "I David McMillan, Chair of Carsphairn If you would like to join CCW as a am really pleased to have been a Community Woodland, said: “CCW member (if you live in Carsphairn part of this project - the resulting members have all commented on Community Council area) or as a hide is way beyond my original what a lovely addition the hide supporter (if you live further afield), expectations". is to the woodland and that it's details are on the website or you can A series of events in the hide are a very fitting building in such a email carsphairncw@gmail.com Sponsored page, working in partnership W W W. G A L L O W AY G L E N S . O R G autumn wildlife bonanza Glenkens Gazette page 11 at muirdrochwood’s new wildlife hide Muirdrochwood, near Carsphairn, is a woodland now owned by the community! Carsphairn Community Woodland (CCW) is running a number of exciting strands of work on the site. The Glenkens Red Squirrel Group and the Galloway Glens Scheme have been working with CCW to install a fabulous new wildlife hide which is now open. To celebrate its installation, a series of free events have been planned with the Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere team which explore the biodiversity of Galloway and welcome you to the wildlife hide and wider Muirdrochwood forest site! 31st august 9:30pm-11:00pm – darkness and stars Galloway was the first ‘Dark Sky Park’ designated in the UK. Star expert and Freelance Ranger Elizabeth Tindal will guide us through some stars and constellations, talking about science and stories! Format: In-Person public event, booked via Eventbrite 2nd september 9.30am-2.30pm – welcome to your forest Children from Dalry & Kells Primary Schools will take part in a range of activities, linked to ecology, biodiversity and science as well as meeting a cryptozoologist/storyteller, introducing the community woodland and fostering a sense of curiosity and love of the natural world. Format: Schools will visit the site, not a public event. 7th sep 6-7:30pm – life as a squirrel or pine marten Glenkens Red Squirrel Group and Dumfries and Galloway Pine Martin Group will share their knowledge of Red Squirrels and Pine Martins on the Muirdrochwood Forest site. Hear about their habitat, life and behaviour. Format: In-Person public event, booked via Eventbrite 14th sep 6-7:30pm –what is the difference between fungi and mushrooms, and what can you eat? Join Peter Norman from the South West Scotland Environmental Information Centre (SWSEIC) to find out more about the diversity of Fungi within the forest and the function it performs in its biodiversity. Format: In person event, book via Eventbrite. Bookings for Public events handled through www.eventbrite.co.uk, search for ‘Galloway Glens’ For any further info about the events, the hide or planning your visit to the wider site, contact info@gallowayglens.org’ Glenkens Gazette page 12 Regional Land Use Partnerships After the fantastic reception last issue's Land Use Focus received within our communities, we are delighted to report that the Glenkens has been selected as one of two areas to take part in a community engagement project linked to the pilot Regional Land Use Partnership (RLUP) being created for the South of Scotland. The community learning programme linked to the RLUP is designed to help communities get their voice heard in this process, as a key stakeholder. The programme, run by the Social Enterprise Academy, will start with two webinars entitled ‘Lighting a Spark’ on the 25 and 30 August. These events are open to RLUP residents from across Scotland, and present an opportunity to learn from inspirational land use speakers and share ideas on how local land is used. The programme will continue with six online sessions just for the Glenkens communities and a final in-person ‘connecting with the RLUP’ meeting. The SoS RLUP seeks to bring together all of the people and organisations with an interest in land use in order to create a Regional Land Use Framework by the end of 2023 that will ‘prioritise land use change that delivers climate change objectives and improves biodiversity’. These will start at the end of September and continue to the end of November. The plan for these is to bring the community and other key stakeholders together for constructive discussions about how to move forward to a place where national and local interests are balanced and all voices are heard. The feedback will then inform how the regionwide RLUP can also achieve these aims on a larger scale. As we know, time is of the essence for the Glenkens with respect to land use change, but this chance to engage with the RLUP mechanism can only help us get our voices heard. The webinars and community sessions will be open to all, and as wide a range of people as possible are welcome. If you have a view on land use in the Glenkens – from forestry, farming and wind farms to mining, flood prevention and biodiversity – or if you have no view but would like to know more, look out for more information on all these sessions and please participate. You can help to give the Glenkens a voice in this key conversation that affects us all. See page opposite for details of how to participate in the community learning programme. Glenkens - Producers' Market Shop online: www.ballardsbutchers.co.uk Email: shop@ballardsbutchers.co.uk Tel: 01556 502 501 Free Local Delivery Tues & Fri (orders over £20) Wide Variety of Local Produce Butcher Meat Fruit & Veg Milk & Bread Available to order 2nd Saturday Monthly Dalry Town Hall, 10am-1pm - 13th August & 10th September ...fresh vegetables, baked goods, preserves, bread, fresh meat, smoked products, cheese, Galloway pasta and artisan cider, chocolates, handmade crafts, gift cards, plants... * Save Fuel - Shop Local * Want to know what’s going on? Then visit www.dalrytownhall.co.uk Glenkens Gazette page 13 Regional Land Use Partnerships’ Community Learning Programme Lighting a Spark 25 & 30 august 2022 | 2 Online webinars • Learn from inspirational land use speakers from across Scotland Following these introductory webinars, the programme will deliver a series of online sessions with local communities in four pilot Regional Land Use Partnership areas to:  Explore ways to help tackle climate change and encourage wildlife through land use change  Identify sustainable land-based opportunities for local people though open and collaborative sessions  Give voice to communities’ needs and wishes by developing a shared vision for future land use To register, please scan the above QR code. For more information please contact Janet Bromham, Project Manager, janet@socialenterprise.academy SocEntAcademy www.socialenterprise.academy/scot Glenkens Gazette page 14 Meikle Millyea Curiosities The Ordnance Survey Name Book of 1849 mentions a large and irregularly shaped stone situated near the centre of Meikle Lump on the north-east side of Meikle Millyea. It declares that it was one of the most noticeable 'rocking stones' in the south of Scotland, having been so nicely poised that a slight wind put it in motion. It adds: "By some mischance or other it has lost its equilibrium and has not rocked any these many years past." Some visitors fooling around had clearly knocked it off its rocker! It would seem that it was a popular late 18th century tourist attraction while still able to rock in the wind. Francis Grose climbed up to it in 1790 and produced a fine drawing of it which was later published in his 1797 book The Antiquities of Scotland. He called it the Laggan Stone and wrote: "This huge stone, which is so poised as to be moveable with a small exertion of force, stands near the summit of a high ridge of mountains, called the Kells Rins. The particular hill on which it is situated is called Mullae, and the stone itself is called the Mickle Lump; near it is a small pool of water which covers about half a rood of land. The dimensions of this stone are, its greatest length eight feet nine inches, its height five feet one inch and a half, its circumference twenty-two feet nine inches." He may have been wrong in also giving the stone the name "the Meikle Lump", as later this name was given to the ridge on which the stone lies. On the other hand this may have been a local name for the large stone. I climbed up to see if I could locate it a few weeks ago and I am sure I found it at grid reference NX 52739 83567; it certainly seems to be the right shape (see photo). However, given the dimensions of the stone Grose gives, I would judge that the figures he places alongside the stone are too small - and David Tallontire CHIMNEY SWEEP Covering the Glenkens & further afield 07709 144 299 - wood burners - multi-fuel stoves - open fires - Agas - Rayburns - birds nest removal with CCTV inspection - certificates issued - feel free to call for advice - Find me on Facebook the pool of water adjacent to the stone is much smaller than half a rood. Just below the ridge on which the former rocking stone stands, and nestled into the hill just south of the dyke, is the remains of a small dwelling. Simpson in his 1841 book Traditions of the Covenanters recounts the adventures and close calls that covenanter Roger Gordon of Largmore had as he tried to avoid capture by the government soldiers. Simpson writes the following, referring to a time Roger escaped from the dragoons one night when they surprised him at Largmore: "He then repaired, with all convenient speed, to his accustomed hiding-place in one of the lofty ranges of the Galloway mountains, called the Mill or Meaul ae. A place of greater solitude than this can scarcely be found, and a retreat which, in the night season, it was impossible for the troopers to find." His name for the mountain is a bit garbled, and to my mind this is clear evidence that he was attempting to write down stories that had been shared with him orally; but I’m sure he is referring to Meikle Millyea. Roger held Clenrie as well so it would make sense that he Top: Francis Grose’s 1790 drawing of the rocking might have built a refuge on the higher reaches of stone. Middle: recent photograph of the Rocking his own land where he Stone. Above: suggested covenanter refuge. would have been unlikely to have been troubled by soldiers. In 2020, when If this is indeed Roger’s shelter, it could climbing the mountain with the family, I well be that he built it not far from the came upon the ruins of this small building Rocking Stone because the latter was high, high up on the shoulder of the well known to local folk and it would have mountain. I only noticed the ruin when I helped his fugitive friends to find the was almost upon it, and he would have shelter and join him there. You can find it likely camouflaged it with heather and at grid reference NX 52963 83404. have given it a turf roof so that it would David Bartholomew have been even less visible in those days. Glenkens Gazette page 15 The Optimistic Environmentalist Making the Most of Our Food and Garden: Part 1 Around a third of food produced in the world per year (about 1.3 billion tonnes) is thrown away. Use-by dates are there for safety eat until and on the date shown but not after or it could be unsafe. Best before date, sometimes shown BBE (best before end) shows the date that the manufacturer says the quality of the food will be maintained; it does not mean that food is unsafe to eat after this date and the food will often still be good enough to eat so don't automatically throw it away without checking it. Try not to get too enthusiastic and over-buy food, only to throw it away because you didn't get around to eating it. Don't just bin it - compost it; preferably either in your garden or a neighbour's or friend's. Just remember that no meat or dairy produce should be composted, and neither should anything that has been cooked. According to the Royal Horticultural Society, every 1kg of home-made compost saves over 100g fossil CO2 emission - most non-organic nitrogen fertilizer is made from fossil gas. So try to use natural products like manure, chicken pellets or home compost. Using home compost can save more than 5.1kg per gardener every year, not to mention the goodness you can put back into your garden or someone else's. When weaning your baby, use fresh food or a small amount of your meal; liquidise it and put in ice cube trays and freeze. You can then heat up as many cubes as you need so your baby can have an appropriately sized meal with a variety of tastes in it. As well as this being cheaper, it saves packaging from single-use jars or cartons of food, prevents too much waste from uneaten parts of jars, etc, and it is usually healthier. Baby foods are notorious for having a high sugar content. Whilst different sources quote different figures, between 50% and 80% of food consumed in the UK is imported. The differences seem to hinge on, for example, whether tea that is processed in the UK (but grown overseas) is an import or not! Importing food and repackaging it in the UK is common. Thus, eat seasonal food that is locally sourced, as much as possible, if not at least from Scotland or the UK. This should mean that the food is fresher when you get it and is therefore richer in vitamins, eg vitamin C breaks down over time. More local seasonal food will generally keep the carbon emissions lower than if the food is forced out of season in heated greenhouses or has travelled a long way. eg apples in cool dark places wrapped in paper, or preserving fruit and veg in jams, chutneys or carefully frozen. Christmas dinner with home-made red currant jelly made from garden-grown fruit is a joy, and have you tried white currants (which I've never seen for sale in a supermarket) with a dash of sugar on pancakes? You will never look back! Use herbs to make flavours more exciting. They can be grown in pots in the kitchen or plant them in the garden preferably near to the house for easy access. Expand the variety of local fruit and veg that you have by exchanging food with friends and neighbours. Set up a food network to exchange spare or unwanted fresh, tinned or packeted ingredients or full dishes to reduce waste - you may even experience foods or dishes that you haven't had before. Some people are better at growing certain crops or have a particularly large crop of something that they can't use. For instance, when we lived in Yorkshire, for a number of years we got blight on tomatoes, either in the garden or in the greenhouse, so whilst Richard can grow them well elsewhere, we just could not grow them there; however, we never had carrot fly as we lived high up where it was windy, so our carrot crop was great - good for exchanging the excess. Some networks around the UK swap food and jobs, eg someone will make a loaf of bread for some potatoes, someone would take a dog for a walk while someone makes a rhubarb chutney or apple and blackberry crumble maybe with fruit from their garden. Expand the variety of local fruit and veg that you have by exchanging food with friends and neighbours. Have a go at growing what you can; it often tastes better and could give you a sense of satisfaction or interest in your food (it's particularly important for children to understand where their food comes from and how much effort goes into growing it). When growing fruit and veg, plant a variety so that you spread out your crops throughout a season and have a variety of crop types. For instance, potatoes can be early, mid or late season, salads can be grown in winter as well as summer, different berries, raspberries and apples, etc, crop at different times. Learn how to make the most of these crops by storing them, If time, space or money are at a premium, think about growing fruit rather than veg. Veg growing can be hard work whilst most fruit plants, once established, will grow and produce fruit for years - often even with abject neglect. Denise MacDonald-Kiernan Gordon McAdam Plumbing & Heating 22 Kirkland Street St John’s Town of Dalry 01644 430 393 07834 321 789 Glenkens Gazette Colourful Times at Dalry Primary School Dalry Primary school children had a fun afternoon experimenting with natural dyes. Children from the P3/4/5 class got an option to choose an exciting activity during one of their Friday afternoon '31Time' sessions when they had a visit from Miriam, of Midge Porter Design. Miriam explained how natural dyes are sourced, processed and applied after which the children got to dip-dye their own wool yarn and fabric samples. Using extracts from common household foods such as red cabbage, tea, and onion skins, the children also used dyes from flowers and tree barks. Miriam then explained how by altering the pH of the dye bath it was possible to change the dye colours, sometimes quite significantly. Using vinegar and bicarbonate the children were amazed as the dye colours changed before their eyes! One of the children wanted to go straight home and dye some wool from the sheep on his family farm. Miriam took the dyed samples home to rinse and dry them before returning to show the children the range of colours they had achieved. Then followed a crafting session where the children had a go at crocheting, weaving and sewing using the wool fabric and yarn samples. It was all great fun and the enthusiasm of the children was wonderful to see. There was a suggestion of trying tiedyeing next time! The dyeing session was very kindly funded by a grant award from the Glenkens Community shop in Dalry. Pictured: above right pupils amazed by colour changes created in the dying process. Right - the finished colours of yarn. Gillespie Gifford & Brown LLP Solicitors and Estate Agents Dumfries & Galloway 01556 503744 www.ggblaw.co.uk All legal advice Offices in Castle Douglas, Dalbeattie Kirkcudbright and Dumfries page 16 Glenkens Gazette page 17 Dalry Secondary School Trip Dalry Secondary School enjoyed a whole-school trip to Kirkcudbright in June, including our new S1s who were on their transition visit to the school that day. We set off from Dalry at 9am, arriving in Kirkcudbright just before 10am when we split into two groups – S1/2 went to visit the Dark Sky Centre whilst S3/4 went to investigate the Viking Hoard at Kirkcudbright Galleries. After an hour and a half there was a short break and then we swapped venues. At Kirkcudbright Galleries we had the opportunity to find out more about the Viking Hoard – how it was discovered and the information it revealed – as well as an opportunity to handle replica objects before visiting the exhibition to see the real thing! This was followed by a session writing our names in the anglo saxon runic alphabet, creating lino cuts of these before printing them. The Dark Sky Centre enabled us to explore the past, present and future all in one place – an out of this world experience! We could be star-gazers, astronauts, scientists, explorers and in the planetarium we journeyed into space together; quite a shock to come back down to earth and adjust to the bright sunshine outside. Pupils and staff enjoyed a picnic lunch in the Soaperie Gardens and a quick explore of the town before heading back to Dalry. We had a thoroughly enjoyable day – our first whole school trip since 2019 – and our thanks go to everyone involved for giving us such a good time. Sue St Joseph Pictured: left - Brodie star-gazing. Above - teachers Mr Collins and Mrs Johnston play at being astrronauts (photo by Laya McCallie, S2). Young Athletes Show Prowess Dalry Secondary School's sports day showed the prowess of lots of the Glenkens' young athletes. Overall Sports Champion of the day was Charlie Moore, who won the Carmichael Cup after a strong showing in a number of events. Dante Newbery collected the Goodwin Shield on behalf of Goodwin House after his own strong performance. A big well done to both boys as well as all the other participants for making it a competitive and enjoyable event. A "thank you" also goes to staff for helping with the running of events. Family and friends coming to stay? Short of space? Cosy country cottage available (sleeps 4) Call Fiona on 01644 420 227 www.covenanters-holidaycottagescotland.co.uk Four of our pupils competed for Dalry at the Regional Athletics Competition - Charlie Moore in the 100 metres and long jump, Crawford King in the shot put, Oscar Benson in the 100 metres and long jump and Karol McDonald in the 800 metres. As always the boys were a credit to the school. Liam Fleming Pictured: Top right - (left to right) Charlie Moore (S2), Crawford King (S3) and Oscar Benson (S1). Bottom right - Dante Newbery with the Goodwin Shield and Charlie Moore with the Carmichael Cup. 唀瀀栀漀氀猀琀攀爀礀Ⰰ 䰀漀漀猀攀 䌀漀瘀攀爀猀Ⰰ 䘀愀戀爀椀挀猀Ⰰ 䌀甀猀栀椀漀渀猀 刀攀昀椀氀氀攀搀 䘀爀攀攀 䔀猀琀椀洀愀琀攀猀 吀栀攀 圀漀爀欀猀栀漀瀀Ⰰ 䴀漀渀礀戀甀椀攀Ⰰ 䌀漀爀猀漀挀欀⸀ 䐀䜀㜀 ㌀䐀夀 眀眀眀⸀䠀愀爀爀椀猀ⴀ唀瀀栀漀氀猀琀攀爀礀⸀挀漀⸀甀欀 ㄀㘀㐀㐀 㐀㐀 㔀㈀㤀 Did you know..? We have a Self Service Laundrette behind the community shop Open 8am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and from 9am to 3pm on Sundays Glenkens Gazette page 18 Uncovering the Secrets of Scotland's Only Industrial Ghost Town Hidden in the hills near to Carsphairn are the remains of an entire mining village built at Woodhead in the 1830s - deemed as Scotland's only example of an industrial 'ghost town'. The site of Woodhead lead mine was operational from 1838 till 1873 under the control of a reputably philanthropic landowner, Colonel MacAdam Cathcart. It is a rare example of a ‘total production’ unit in Scotland, using the cutting-edge equipment of the time to carry out all the processes of lead production from mining the ore through to exporting high quality lead pigs and even some silver. The machinery was powered by water and water alone, with a myriad of lades still traceable across the site. In the 1840s, Woodhead was producing up to 900 tons of lead a year. And for every ton of lead, they were also getting around 18 ounces of silver: enough for the Colonel’s wife to make communion cups from it for donation to the local church. The smelted lead was carried by horse-drawn carts up for storage in Dalmellington, before being taken to Ayr for sale and shipment. Alongside this fully integrated mining complex, Cathcart also constructed a ‘model village’ to house the miners and their families, with a school and library Some of the ruins at Woodhead, photographed by Will Dunbar. to educate their children. By 1851 there was a population of 301 staying in the village, pulling in mainly skilled miners from Wanlockhead and Leadhills. As the mine’s output started to fall dramatically throughout the 1850s however, the miners started to leave. Some went to Dalmellington, while others headed further afield to mines in America and Australia. The mine closed in 1873, but some of the housing remained in use for self-employed forestry workers until as late as the mid-1950s. Today, the site survives as a complex of ruinous structures spread out across a hillside to the northwest of Carsphairn. And its significance is recognisable in its designation as a legally protected scheduled monument. Following in the footsteps of earlier surveys carried out in 2002 and 2008, Can You Dig It, the community archaeology project of the Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership, is leading a group of volunteers to undertake a historic building survey of some of the upstanding structures. Joined by local historian Anna Campbell, Can You Dig It will train volunteers on how to create detailed photographic and written records which will further add to our knowledge of this site before any more is lost. Woodhead is unique in Scotland with the remains of a planned village, metal mine and smelt mill, and this site with its combination of social and industrial archaeology may be the country’s only example of an industrial ghost town. For many years there has been a call for more detailed archaeological research of the site and the Galloway Glens’ Can You Dig It project is taking up the challenge. To find out more, or get involved, visit www.gallowayglens.org/projects/ community-archaeology-programmecan-you-dig-it BEM for Community Service This year Debbie Murdoch, who ran the Balmaclellan shop during the pandemic, received a British Empire Medal (BEM) in recognition of her work for the community. Balmaclellan residents wanted Debbie to receive the recognition they felt she deserved for all her hard work and support of members of the community during coronavirus pandemic. Debbie said: "I feel very honoured and proud to have been awarded my BEM, I have thoroughly enjoyed being a big part of the community and miss everyone dearly. I didn’t feel I was doing anything special, so it was a huge shock." Pictured: Debbie Murdoch being presented with her BEM by HM Lord Lieutenant of the Stewartry, Lord Sinclair. Glenkens Gazette page 19 WARS, ALLIES AND REFUGEES Apologies for this simplistic summary of history, but I thought that shifting allegiances make an interesting tale... The battle of Waterloo was fought in 1815, where Britain and our allies Germany defeated the French. A memorial to the battle and our allegiance with Germany stands proudly on a hill above New Abbey. The oldest civic war memorial in Scotland is in Balmaclellan. It records five men from the parish who died in the Crimean War (1853–1856) where Britain was allied with the French (our former enemy) against the Russians. Moving forward to the first World War (1914–1918), now we are again allied with the French, this time against our former ally Germany. During this period, refugees from Belgium came to the UK and one family at least found refuge in a house in New Galloway (I would be pleased to receive information about the refugees in New Galloway if any readers have any). Russia (formerly our enemy) now became our ally and fought against the Germans although Russia left the war early (in 1917) to deal with their own internal problems. In the second world war (1939–1945) we were again allied with the French (former enemies) and the Russians (former enemies) against the Germans (former allies). Ukraine was partly occupied by Germany and partly by Russia at this time, and Ukrainians who fell into the hands of the British were put into prison of war camps if they had been forced into the German army, or handed back to the Russians if they had been conscripted into the Russian army. Ukrainian prisoners of war (ex-German army) were put into a prison camp near Lockerbie. They were treated well and many settled there after the war as they did not want to go back to Ukraine under Russian occupation. There is still a Ukrainian chapel on the site of the POW camp and a significant number of locals can claim Ukrainian descent. Of course there were refugees in the Glenkens in the form of evacuees and records show that there were eighty evacuee children on the roll of Dalry school in 1940. Now move forward to 2014. Britain, France and Germany (who have all fought each other at one time or another) are all members of NATO and therefore allies. Ukraine is now an independent country whose independence was agreed by Russia when the Soviet Union broke up in 1991. But Russia now invades Crimea (which is part of Ukraine). Finally, to the present day. Russia has invaded other parts of Ukraine (whose independence it guaranteed) and refugees are fleeing Ukraine in large numbers to find (hopefully temporary) homes, across Europe. Some of these refugees have now found places of safety in the Glenkens. Whatever the shifting allegiances of the great powers; whatever the occupation of one country by another; the Glenkens provides a place of refuge in time of need. Paul Goodwin farmers keeping animals and growing crops in settled communities. Builders of stone circles and burial chambers reflected changing religious practices and beliefs. Successive waves of immigrants left their traces in rock art or the remains of hut circles. Then came artisans, often far-travelled - working with bronze and later with iron. Smiths forged art in precious metals. Defence, and prestige, required crannogs and hilltop fortifications. Romans left traces of great camps and fragments of forts. Missionaries brought Christianity and created the splendours of Whithorn and carved stone crosses. They attracted the pilgrims who joined the travellers and merchants and invaders, often from faraway places. They left many traces of their lives and as many puzzles and mysteries. The 9th century Galloway Hoard, discovered in the last decade, with its diversity of artefacts and far-flung connections, well illustrates the complex story of peoples who have lived on this land before us. Join us at the Early Peoples of Galloway conference at the CatStrand on Saturday 3 September (10am to 4pm) and discover “ten thousand years of history in a day". Visit https://gcat.scot/event/theglenkens-story-the-early-peoples-of- galloway for the full programme and to make a booking, or call 01644 420 374. Tickets £30 (Students £20) for the full day including coffee and buffet lunch. Ten Thousand Years in a Day Who were the travellers riding over the site of your garden? Who were these armed bands camping in the valley you see from your window, or the people hunting wild cattle where today you go shopping? Who were here, in our daily places, in the deep deep past? Since the glaciers melted over 10,000 years ago, many peoples have lived in what we know as Galloway. Now, in an ambitious day of discovery, the Glenkens Story history group is staging the Early Peoples of Galloway conference, bringing together eight experts to describe the people who lived here and the worlds they inhabited, from the retreat of the ice until the year 1000 AD. The first to arrive were hunter gatherers and fishers with tools and weapons of wood and stone, moving from camp to camp as the seasons changed. Slowly they gave way to Mike Brown & Michael Ansell, The Glenkens Story News Flash Overcoming Hurdles at New Galloway Town Hall The discovery of some dry rot at the head of the main staircase caused great consternation just as Local Initiatives in New Galloway (LING) were on the point of taking ownership from D&G Council. At this point in time, however, we are optimistic that asset transfer can proceed on the understanding that the council will act urgently to rectify the matter at no cost to us. Even better, we are advised that the hall is safe to use as long as we close off the main staircase and make use of the back stairs. The Upper Hall will operate on restricted numbers until such time as both exits are available again. LING Trustees Glenkens Gazette page 20 GLENKENS PLACE-NAMES: PART XVII Personal names are sometimes found in our Glenkens place-names. There is a peculiar set of these in the valley of the Blackwater of Dee, apparently commemorating one individual. Boddon’s Folly is shown on the OS 1st edition map of 1852 as already in ruins. It was located south-east of Loch Stroan near Red Scar Island in the Dee and is now engulfed in conifer forestry. The OS Name-Book entry for this location (OS1/20/81/51) states: The ruins of a house on the farm of Bennan it was built by a man named Boddon who occupied about eight acres of moorland by a sublet contract off the farm of Bennan, the speculation of his building a house on so small a quantity of barren moorland was looked upon as a foolish speculation which finally became a failure, it is now a roofless ruin and known by the given name. close to a marked bend in the river called the Loop of Lanebreddon (Lòin Bradan - ‘salmon burn’). The ford appears to be partly formed from an island in the river there. OS Name-Book entry for this location (OS1/20/48/4) states: A stoney ford across the Black Water of Dee. Situate a little west of the conflux of Curnelloch Burn. A man called Boddon was drowned in it, hence the name. It seems as though these names are commemorating an individual called Boddon, who appears to have had a particular connection with islands in the Black Water of Dee. Are there any other clues to his identity? Well, a Helen Boddon is recorded in the census of 1841 in the parish of Kells - presumably she was connected to the Boddon in our place-names - and a Robina Boddon died age 81 at Dalry in 1919. The family name is unusual in Scotland and the Boddon family is not now present locally, to my knowledge? ‘descendant of Buadán (an ancient Irish personal name, older form Buatán); an old Ossory surname’ in his book Irish Names and Surnames, 1923. The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names of Ireland (Muhr and Ó hAisbéil 2021) suggests this name was possibly derived from the Gaelic word buad - ‘talent, victory’. Early bearers of the name include Donochow (Donnchadh) O Bodan in 1599. In his book A Dictionary of Irish Saints Pádraig Ó Riain mentions (pp 85-90) several early saints of the name Baodán. He comments that the name assumed many forms including Baoide, Baoithín, Baoth, Dobhaodóg and Buadán. He derived this name from Gaelic baoth, now meaning foolish but historically denoting someone innocent or guileless. The saints of this name (or variants thereof) are listed as: Baodán of Cluain Annobhair, Kildare Baodán of Cluain Mac Nóis, Offaly Baodán of Lann Léire, Louth Baodán of Ceall Ua Scóba, Galway Baodán of Meathas Truim, Longford Baodán of Rubha Baodáin, Kildare Baoithín of Inis Baoithín, Wicklow Baoithín of Iona, a close blood relation of St. Columba, his alumnus and constant companion. Baoithín of Teach Baoithín, Westmeath. It seems as though these names are commemorating an individual called Boddon, who appears to have had a particular connection with islands in the Black Water of Dee. Are there any other clues to his identity? A well-known and signposted spot on the Raiders’ Road between Bennan and Laggan o’ Dee is Boddon’s Island. This is situated about 600m upstream from the deserted clachan called Clachrum (An ClachDhruim - ‘the stone ridge’) just south of a rise in the ground known as Knowe Happle (for Cnoc a’ Chapaill - ‘hill of the horse’). The OS Name-Book entry for this location (OS1/20/81/32) states: A small island in the Black Water of Dee belonging to the farm of Gairloch – this island was rented by a man called Boddon, hence its name. Gairloch is probably from An Geàrr Log - ‘the short hollow’. Much further up the Black Water of Dee, about a kilometre from the outlet of Loch Dee, are Boddon’s Steps. This crossing over the Dee is quite N ew Galloway Golf Club Founded Foun ded 1902 www.ng www.n g gc.co.uk - 01644 420737 Buggies now available for hire VISITORS AND NEW MEMBERS WELCOME George Black in his magisterial book The Surnames of Scotland mentions the surname Bodden. It is instructive that all his examples of this name come from Kirkcudbrightshire, one Gilbert Boddane witnessing an instrument of sasine at Bordland of Laik in 1552, John and William Boddane recorded as masters of families in Buittle in 1684 and John Boddane recorded in a place called Meiklehalf in 1688. Boddane/ Boddan seems very much to have been a Galloway surname. Black goes on to speculate that the surname might derive from the lands of Bowden in Roxburghshire but notes that all the instances of the name are from Kirkcudbrightshire, implying doubt. Donald McWhannell, in the book Galloway: The Lost Provice of Gaelic Scotland (forthcoming) mentions that the late 13th Century Ragman Roll contains the seal of one Patricii d’Gilboian or Gilbochyn (Mac Giolla Baoithein - ‘son of the servant of Baoithen’) along with another seal of Patricii mak G——, also given as MacGilboian. This is a Galloway name meaning ‘son of the devotee of (Saint) Baoithen’ Given the Galloway provinance of the Boddane surname a Gaelic origin alternative derivation should be considered. The Rev Patrick Woulfe mentions the name Ó Buadain So it seems that the unfortunate Boddan of the Black Water of Dee placenames, who perhaps was ruined when his holding failed and drowned further up the river, may have been a representative of an old Galloway and Glenkens family of Ó Buadain or Mac Giolla Baoithein. If the analysis above is correct then we may add Boddan to the considerable list of local Gaelic family names such as the incomplete sample below: Sloan, Ua Sluagháin Agnew, Ua Gnímh Adair, Ua Dáire Carson, Acarson, Ua Crosáin Acoueltan, Ua Comhaltáin Ahannay, Hannay, Ua hAnnaigh or Ó hÉanna (?) Milligan, Amuligane, Ua Maolagáin Cannan, Ua Canannáin Heron, Ua hEaráin or Ua hEaradháin (?) Roan, Ua Ruain Ua means ‘grandson’ or more generally ‘descendant of’. It manifests itself in Irish surnames as O’ or A. In Galloway it was usually anglicised as A as in Acarson, Aheron, etc. Over time the A prefix dropped out of use in the anglicised form of the names. Michael Ansell, Cars Fèarna Glenkens Gazette page 21 THE KEN BRIDGE STORY The River Ken defines the Glenkens: it also divides it. Crossing the often turbulent Ken safely and reliably has preoccupied local people and travellers for centuries. Success finally came in 1822 with the opening of John Rennie’s magnificent 5-arch granite bridge which is being commemorated this year. As part of the the Ken Bridge bicentenary celebrations (see p9), the Glenkens Story is presenting Crossing the Ken: Bridges, Fords and Ferries on the afternoon of Saturday 24 September. It will set the scene by describing the state of communications in the Glenkens before the completion of the bridge and the haphazard reliance on fords and ferries and bridges that washed away. Our guest speaker, L Bruce Keith, will then take up the story of Rennie and the bridge of 1822. “John Rennie, an East Lothian farmer’s son, was a stalwart of the Scottish Enlightenment,” says Bruce, who is the author of Bridgescapes, the recently published story of Scotland’s bridge building heritage. “He was one of several eminent Scottish engineers whose genius, coupled with attention to detail and practical intuition, produced a legacy of outstanding bridges. “Rennie's Waterloo Bridge in London was acclaimed when it opened as ‘the noblest bridge in all the world’. Although it was replaced last century we can still gaze in wonder and pride at many of his surviving bridges including, in southern Scotland, those at Kelso, Musselburgh and Newton Stewart. The Ken Bridge, one of his final commissions before he died in 1821, is A-listed and has been described as ‘an architectural gem, one of the most elegant bridges in south-west Scotland’.” Bruce will describe the challenges the Ken crossing posed and how Rennie and the men who worked with him overcame them - at the second attempt. In other contributions, Archie McConnel of the Dumfries Area Mapping Project and David Bartholomew will describe the earlier river crossings and Michael Ansell will discuss folk memories and local tales of the bridge. L Bruce Keith, historian of Scotland’s bridges, will speak at the Glenkens Story event on 24 September. Share the stories of our famous bridge at the CatStrand 2-4pm on Saturday 24 September - tickets are £12 from www.gcat.scot or phone 01644 420 374). Post-Covid Fun for Cub Scouts We started our pack meetings in April, following the awful Covid pandemic, and Leaders were delighted to welcome Cub Scouts from all over the Glenkens. We were off to a flying start with a scavenger hunt, and then we had lots of platinum jubilee activities. The Cubs made and posted beautiful celebratory cards to Her Majesty and crowns were decorated for a celebratory banquet. The jubilee banquet was great fun, with Cubs dressing up in their best clothes, enjoying a table laden with goodies generously provided by parents. We were delighted when Drew Low, our Galloway Area President for the Scouts, joined us at the banquet. Always a favourite activity for the youngsters is a sausage sizzle, which went down a treat as usual. There were of course some sausages burnt, some half-cooked and sent back for finishing off, and some covered in ash, but the kids had a great time, finishing off with toasted marshmallows. On the final night before the holidays, the Cubs were challenged to make a model boat and we took them over to the park to sail them in the burn. A few Cubs got a bit drookit by the end but never the less great fun was had! Hannah, Doug and I would like to welcome on board Ben Wells, a young Leader who has joined the team. Ben recently moved to Balmaclellan from Kent, and has already made an impact in the Pack. On a sad note, we say farewell to Heidi, who has been our group treasurer for many years, as well as all the extras she did for us - we appreciated her time very much, and wish her and her husband David well in their next venture - “Good luck" and "thank you”. We are having a table-top sale at the Alternative Games on 7 August – if you have any toys, jigsaws, bric-a-brac, children's books, teddies, etc that you would care to donate, please hand them in to Heather. Yours in Scouting, Heather, Hannah, Doug and Ben Pictured are Cubs decked out in their finery, enjoying the jubilee banquet. Glenkens Gazette page 22 sponsored by If you would like to list something on this page, please get in touch on 07727 127 997 or glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk FREE Footjoy golf shoes, black, size 9. Good condition, just outgrown them. Contact: Nigel on 07774 778 872 Four single beds. Contact 01644 430 380 Modern oak headboard for single bed, pine dressing table and stool, 3 mismatched bedside tables. All been stored in garage so need painting, varnishing or waxing. Contact: Alan on 07769 680 938 Horse manure, rotted and fresh, no weed killers used. Dig your own from a large heap, bring sacks or trailer. Contact: 07889 229 340 WANTED Double bed size divan base with drawers. Contact: 01644 460 673 Miniature Painting. By mistake I gave away a miniature painting on an easel to the Dalry Charity Shop. It's only about two inches high. Did you by chance buy such a painting from the shop in April? I would dearly love to have it back as it was painted by a relative. Cost reimbursed plus a reward and my undying thanks. Contact: Paul on 07973 174 342 Chest freezer. Contact: Tony on 07507 704 821 Old lawn mowers/strimmers/ other small machinery. Nonrunners/broken welcome. Contact: 07845 562 217 King size mattress, 2-seater sofa, water butt, outdoor bench, outdoor table & chairs. Contact: Sarah on 07453 858 505 or saraheathomas@gmail.com HOME WANTED IN THE GLENKENS We are seeking to buy a home with 2-3 bedrooms and 3-5 acres of land, somewhere in the Glenkens. Anywhere and any condition considered please help us to stay in the Glenkens! Contact: Abi and Bruce on 07340 531506 or abi@mordin.net September 2022 Celebrating our Local Food Glenkens Gazette page 23 sponsored by eBike Rental Scheme Takes Off The Galloway Community Transport (GCT) eBike rental scheme has got off to a great start with lots of Glenkens residents taking advantage of the opportunity to tour our beautiful countryside with a bit of extra assistance. The bikes are very easy to use, and Jon from GCT will give each new member of the eBike club a full induction into how to use them. As a membership scheme, the project is designed to show people the benefits of ebike riding for their health and for the environment, and it is open to everyone in the Glenkens. Ebike riding is really a lot of fun and suits all ages and fitness levels – so if the hills of Galloway have stopped you getting out and about on your bike, this could be perfect for you. Why not find a friend and give it a go! Thanks as ever to our funders, Cycling Scotland and the Energy Saving Trust, for their support in purchasing these bikes and allowing us to offer this scheme to the Glenkens. The cost is £20 to join for the year, and then a day’s rental of the bikes is currently just £2 - an introductory price, thanks to our funding for the scheme. So what are you waiting for? Get in touch with Jon at jon@ catstrand.com and come and have a go! Pictured: GCT eBike scheme members getting to grips with the bikes outside CatStrand in New Galloway - photo by Ian Biggar. Glenkens Gazette page 24 Barwhillanty Garden Barwhillanty Estate welcomed visitors for an open garden event in May. "It was a wonderful celebration of nature, the outdoors and bringing people together showcased sunshine, artisan pizzas, yoga on the lawn and a taste of aerial yoga to finish," said estate owner Oscar Yerburgh. Joining the move towards local food production, Barwhillanty is offering home-grown veg boxes. Collection is every Thursday from the Estate Office, from 2-4pm, and you can order online at www. barwhillantyestate.co.uk Pictured is a selection of some of the homegrown goodies available. SEASONAL LOCAL FOOD PROMOTES BETTER HEALTH Our lifestyle can affect between 70-90% of our health outcomes. Our genes only account for 10-30% of our health, depending on which diseases we may succumb to. What we eat is one of these lifestyle factors. A balanced diet, limiting ultra-processed foods and focusing on real, whole foods with lots of plants can make the difference between good or poor health. This can work whatever way of eating you subscribe to, from vegan through to carnivores. Changing how we think about food, and buying from local producers, can alter our eating behaviour to benefit our health. It doesn’t have to be at the expense of our enjoyment of food - far from it. We can appreciate food more which tastes delicious and we know the provenance of. Here are four reasons to eat local, in-season food! Fresh tastes best Locally grown fruit and vegetables, harvested within 48 hours, taste better. Happy meat and dairy animals, reared on conservation-led farms, grazed outside in diverse grassland, have a more delicious and intense flavour. If it tastes better, you’ll likely eat more of this good produce, and not want any of those ultraprocessed foods. More nutrients for your money Ripe and fresh fruits and vegetables contain the most nutrients. The minute they are picked, their plant cells begin to shrink and their nutrients diminish. Supermarket produce is grown and processed with its shelf life in mind, and not its nutritional benefits. These products are picked early, when nutrient load is lower, and then transported long distances and stored for weeks, and sometimes months, before arriving on supermarket shelves. What farm animals are fed on, you eat too, in their meat, dairy or egg produce. When they have access to natural crops, grown in healthy soil, they eat more nutrients. This improves the nutritional value of the finished produce. Mother nature knows best Farmers can only grow what their local conditions will support. Before transporting goods over long distances became commonplace, we had no option but to eat seasonally. As a result, we based our meal choices on the ingredients we had available. Luckily, the natural cycle of produce is perfectly designed to support our health. Building a lifestyle around seasonal food supports the body’s natural healing processes. Abundant leafy greens in spring, help our bodies detox after a winter of pickled veg and cooked carbohydrate and protein rich foods. While in summer, water-dense fruits like berries, tomatoes and cucumber keep us hydrated. Nature knows best and provides us with what our body needs. Longevity coach Lesley Atkins enjoying a bowl of home-grown strawberries. Follow the diversity diet Eating seasonal local food helps to achieve a diverse diet. Assortment in our diet, especially when eating plants, is crucial for our gut health and therefore our overall physical and mental health. To do this, we need to opt for a wider range of plant varieties and heritage stock that are not available in supermarkets, but our local farmers do provide. Our foraging and hunting ancestors used to eat hundreds of different plants and animals. Now, we only consume around 0.1% of the possible edible plants on the planet. The latest science encourages us to eat at least 30 different plants per week. However, I would like to challenge you to eat 300 different plants in a year! How can you get access to great local products? Firstly, I’d encourage you to grow your own, as you’ll also get the benefits that gardening brings. Local seed and plant swaps can get your collection going. Secondly, Hidden Veg and the Glenkens Food Hub online are great places to shop. Local markets also give you the chance to speak directly with producers, you can ask what varieties they are growing and check if they are using sustainable and organic methods. Lesley Atkins Lesley Atkins is a Glenkensbased health & longevity coach at The Nourishing Space - www. thenourishingspace.com Glenkens Gazette page 25 Youth Players Make the Scottish Final Since the very beginning, although we have had great successes at the district and divisional rounds, the CatStrand Players and Youth Players have never made it to a Scottish Final - ever. But at last, after six very long, sometimes stressful but very enjoyable months, the CatStrand Youth Players finally made it to the SCDA Youth Final 2022. From start to finish with our production of ‘Lockdown’ by Douglas Craven, myself, Brian and the entire cast and crew have loved every single second, and to get to a Scottish final for the first time ever was the icing on the cake! After winning the Western Final at Dunoon in March, it seemed a long wait until the big final but the date soon rolled around and we set off to the Regal Theatre in Bathgate, where we were up against two other competing teams. Representing the Northern Division was Blairgowrie Youth with their performance of ‘Down Came the Rain’ by Burgess Clark, and from the Eastern Division was St Kentigern’s Academy Youth Theatre with their play ‘Platform Party’ by Alan Richardson. All three plays, while being so different in topic and direction, were enjoyable and interesting pieces of theatre. The adjudicator for the final was the experienced Alasdair Hawthorn, and he said that he thoroughly enjoyed all three productions and was extremely impressed with the high standards from all of them, each one ably demonstrating why they were all worthy of their place in the final. Members of CatStrand Youth Players, pictured with Unfortunately, there SCDA adjudicator, were thrilled to receive second could only be one winner place with the group's performance of 'Lockdown'. at the end of the day and he awarded first place are very proud to have represented to Blairgowrie Youth Players for their the Stewartry District at the Western poignant performance of ‘Down Came Final six times now and then, this the Rain’. It was an excellent piece of year, finally representing the Western theatre and they were certainly worthy Division at the Scottish Final for the winners, and we were absolutely first time. We hope to be back soon! delighted to come a close second! So that is the end of the festival The adjudicator really enjoyed season - until next year that is! our play, saying that he liked how Congratulations again to all the the tension built up and he could cast and another huge thank you to really sense it spreading through the everybody who has helped in any way audience. All in all, he told us we had with the Youth Players, particularly to produced a memorable play with very all those who travelled to Bathgate current and poignant subject matter and Dunoon to support us; it was very and we should all be very proud of much appreciated. We really couldn’t ourselves. have done it without you. We all thoroughly enjoyed the We’ll be having a wee break now journey we took with ‘Lockdown’, before we start rehearsals on 4 performing in all three rounds of September, ready for our annual panto the SCDA Youth Festival, and loved which will be on stage on 9, 10 and 11 meeting all the other competing December. Hope to see you there! teams at Dunoon and Bathgate. We James Wallace Carsphairn Community Woodland Open Day Carsphairn Community Woodland (CCW) held a successful open day in June at Muirdrochwood Forest, with a good attendance from both locals and supporters from further afield. The visitors came to view progress in the woodland and hear about the projects that have been undertaken so far and what CCW's plans are for the future. Carsphairn Community Woodland would like to say a big "thank you" to their supporters - without support from members from the local community, organisations and individuals, we would not have been able to reach the point we are at now. There are various activities organised over the summer - take a look at pages 10 and 11 to find out more. The CCW Team Glenkens Gazette page 26 Meeting Our Glenkens Councillors Andy McFarlane, SNP Over the next few issues of the Gazette we'll give our new Dee & Glenkens Ward councillors a chance to introduce themselves, starting with Andy McFarlane who says: I have a great belief that none of us achieves much without the help of others. We rely on parents, friends, partners, colleagues, and others to get through our daily lives. It is no different when working in the public sector, which I did as a police officer for 30 years. I worked in a great variety of roles, but those that I enjoyed most were where I, working with others, made a difference to our communities. It is my belief in my ability to work effectively with others to deliver good things for our communities, and make a difference, that inspired me to put myself forward for election. Because we are living through difficult times, it is even more important that we maximise our resources, people, property and financial, and I will work with communities and council staff to do so at every opportunity. My hope is that I can demonstrate that I will work hard to deliver for all of the people and communities of Dee and Glenkens. I will listen, acknowledge, and work with the communities to address their issues wherever it is appropriate. I am eager to better understand how we can work together to tackle poverty, and particularly child poverty. I believe that every child deserves to have the best opportunity to do well in life. We as adults must work to make that happen. We also need to encourage wider participation within our communities. It is for each community to drive their ambitions for their area, and I want to join them and help them achieve whatever goals they set for themselves. The more that members of communities get actively involved, the greater the ambition and the greater the achievements that are possible. I will do whatever I can to support community involvement and participation, as a means of improving Lockdown Reflections An opinion piece by Barry Bryan-Dixon To be honest, I didn't find the whole lockdown situation too gruelling, and it certainly doesn’t seem like two years ago that it all started. What did take me by surprise were the news broadcasts of case numbers and deaths on a daily basis, which was all very depressing. I watched the news every day to keep up with things, which lasted for about six months or so, and it was all doom and gloom with very little or no good news. I found that I was feeling down more than usual, so I cut my listening to the daily news down to three days a week, but that didn't seem to work. It was time to make another decision; do I stop watching the news altogether, or do I cut it down even further to one day a week? I turned it over in my mind for a couple of days and then one morning I came across BBC Scotland - low and behold, news headlines along with other information until around 7pm when normal programmes started. So any time of day I could tune in and get my headlines - there and then I decided to stop watching the news altogether, jot the headlines down daily to keep myself up to date, then every three days or so enter them into my 'Covid Lockdown Diary'. Not watching the news was the best decision I ever made; it relieved much of the pressure of my anger and anxiety attacks, depression and mood swings, bringing them back to a manageable level. I'm usually pretty adept at managing things - if I feel moody or depressed, I watch something lighthearted or funny, like Tom and Jerry or Road Runner, and I have a good library of comedy films and TV shows. My friends help me a great deal too; I couldn’t manage without them. the lives of all of those within our communities. Lastly, the council is often the subject of criticism but I would like to say that, in my short time in post, I have seen the hard work and application of employees in the council, and I have been grateful for their support and guidance. If you would like to get in touch with Andy you can email andy.mcfarlane@ dumgal.gov.uk or call 07795 927 009. So we are almost back to normal now, and the only thing I have difficulty with is my mask. If I go into a shop I feel obliged to wear it, even though I don’t have to. In fact, I feel guilty if I don’t - I suspect that these feelings will wear off eventually, or I certainly hope they will. As I said in my previous article, Corona Virus Comparisons (printed in Issue 118, June/July 2020) our situation will be similar to post-WW2; it may have taken 40 years but we did it then, and I'm sure with a bit of common sense and empathy the government should be able to get their priorities right and sort things again this time too. So I am back to watching the news every day and it’s OK. I might shout at the TV every so often when someone says something I think is stupid or I disagree with, but that is healthy isn’t it? The next pandemic, in another hundred years or so, I think will be more powerful and destructive, although I hope I'm wrong. I noticed that the NHS is compiling a register with Covid and flu together, which suggests to me an annual jag for Covid is to come... Glenkens Gazette page 27 A Carsphairn Lass: Part I Recollections by Betty McNally... I moved to Stroma, Carsphairn, with my parents and sisters in 1935, when I was seven years old. The house was built by the Galloway Water Power Company now absorbed into Scottish Power. We were the first inhabitants of it. It was built on the hillside, no shelter, no trees; just what the herds call 'blaw grass' and heather. When I was at Stroma there was no electricity in the house - that didn’t come until about 1955. We had to use candles in the bedrooms and an Aladdin lamp in the kitchen, with a paraffin heater in the bathroom and the kitchen had a black range. There were three bedrooms. When my family moved to Stroma we made a rockery round the house, as well as a lawn and a large vegetable garden and Mum had her flowers too. When the winters were bad, which was often, my Dad and I used to cut peat. It was hard work, but it kept the range nice and warm. When it was blowing a blizzard, the snow came through the doors. If it was a bad snowstorm, we had to take a shovel with us to dig our way through to the telephone which was in the porch at the front door. Snow also blew in through the slates and we had to take it out in buckets before the ceilings were brought down. During the rationing my Dad, Ada Coltart (nee Grierson) who lived at Drumjohn, across the road from Stroma, and myself walked to Dalmellington to get the rations, seven miles there and seven miles back. I remember going one day when the snow was up to the telegraph wire, and we had to walk in Dad’s footsteps in case we went into a snow drift. In the winter months my mother, my sisters (Effie and Margaret) and I used to make rag rugs and we also cut up cardboard boxes and used the cardboard to make dart boards which we sold to a shop in Dalmellington. Dad worked for the Galloway Water Power Company. His job was going round the Loch Doon intake and valve at Drumjohn, checking the reading and he also went to Bow Burn and the Deugh. His transport was a motorbike and sidecar. There was a spring of clear water called 'The Whiskey' down the road to Dalmellington at the last corner on the right hand side. One day Dad stopped there for a drink of fresh water before he returned to Loch Doon. When he reached the loch, he found an adder had crawled up his sleeve – luckily he got it out without any trouble. After a number of years Dad got a van and when he went to Dalmellington, which was a very busy mining town, the residents would call out “Here’s Ernie the Watter Man”. Every Monday he brought a lady, Mrs McHugh down from Dalmellington to visit the McCutcheon family at Meadowhead. One severe winter the Murdoch family, who were at Waterhead, found that the Deugh had flooded and then frozen, and the pressure of the ice was causing the walls of the house to crack and break up. A helicopter was called to help Dad and some volunteers rescue the family and livestock - it was all reported in the local paper. When Bob Grierson killed the pig at Drumjohn we kids used to see it hanging on the only tree by the house. The Grierson’s had two daughters, Mary, who married Wattie Bryden from Dalmellington, and Ada, who married Davie Coltart from Dalry. Ada went into the NAAFI during the war. She was a wonderful cook, learning it all from her mother. There was a family called Britten who lived at Brockloch Cottage, and they had a boy and a girl. We all went to school together in the Lawrence’s school car. There was also a family called Rae, who walked over the hill from Knockengorroch to meet the car at Brockloch. When I went to school, Miss Dougan was our teacher. She was very strict and shouted at us a lot (she also shouted at adults.) There was a tin shed in the playground which was used by Miss Miller, the dentist. We had lots of entertainment in the hall at which Miss Dougan got us to sing and do plays. She also took us to singing festivals at Kirkcudbright and Castle Douglas. Our school trips were to Sandyhills for games and a picnic. We were all given a bag with a small sandwich, a sugar bun and a bottle of milk in a cardboard container with a straw. I remember Mother giving me a sixpence to go buy something at the wee shop. One time I brought a pair of 'silver' candlesticks. Mum had them on her dressing table for years; they were her pride and joy. When Miss Dougan left Carsphairn to go to Shawhead I was the oldest girl in the school and got to go to Alexander’s store in Ayr with her, where she bought a fireside chair with the money that had been collected for her leaving. Evacuees from Clydebank came to school and brought their own teacher. We didn’t understand their language, songs or their games and we didn’t like it... Submitted by Frank McHugh, shared courtesy of the Doon Valley Gazette Glenkens Gazette page 28 A CASE FOR FOREST CROFTS The success of Carsphairn Community Woodland Ltd’s acquisition of part of the woodland of Mardrochit (Muirdrochwood) prompts the question as to whether, if a larger area of the woodland was purchased, there could be potential for the creation of forest crofts or smallholdings. A scheme such as this would be excellent for enabling housing for local residents and encouraging engagement with the land, but would be doubly appropriate given that this woodland contained the Muirdrochwood Forest Holdings - a smallholding in the middle of the wood - when the forest was originally established by the Forestry Commission. Previously there were The neglected former holding of Druim an Easa, many such Castlemaddy Forest; could new life be breathed ‘crofts’ in back into these abandoned crofts? the Galloway forest, but most have Could an expanded Mardrochit been sold-off or abandoned over the community acquisition pave the years. way to this tradition being reestablished? Michael Ansell Parton Photo Competition Parton Village Hall held a photo competition with entries submitted during April for display in the hall over the Jubilee weekend. The theme this year was 'trees' to tie in with the recent community woodland planting and we had 54 entries with lots of interesting interpretations of the theme. out where the pictures had been taken! The winners were Sheila Nelson and Graham Dawson chosen by a popular vote at the Jubilee picnic. Congratulations to Sheila and Graham and thank you to everyone for the support and the entries. The aim was to encourage people to get out and explore the area and think creatively but it was particularly lovely to be able to put on a display in the hall this year and see everyone taking time to look around, discuss their favourites and try to work Pictured: Winning photographs by Sheila Nelson (below right) and Graham Dawson (below left). Glenkens Gazette THE CERTIFICATE It’s an oft-told joke: "I left school with one certificate – 25 metres breast-stroke". But that doesn’t apply to me, I’m not that good a swimmer. I always pride myself that I can get from anywhere in the pool to the nearest edge. But I did leave school with just the one certificate and it has taken me over half a century to appreciate the value of the certificate and the story behind it. To set it in context, the year was 1968 and I was soon to leave a grotesque comprehensive school of 1800 pupils in a ‘New Town’ and run off to join the Army at the tender age of just fifteen years and two months. Best thing I ever did, and that was a full year before I was due to take (and probably fail) my O levels. My English teacher (Mr Davis - a Welshman) had a very clipped, even staccato, way of speaking. One spring day he tasked my class with writing a poem. Now I was a cocky young so-andso, and I resented being told when to write poetry. I had always considered poetry writing a personal thing for when I was in the mood (not that I wrote many poems – and looking back, they were usually rubbish anyway). But my nose was ‘out-ofjoint’ and I thought to myself that I would show him! I wrote a poem about a school teacher, which riffed mercilessly on Mr Davis’ mannerisms, and handed it in fully expecting to get detention for my cheek. Without my knowledge, he entered it for a school poetry competition (which I did not even know existed) and I was amazed when he told me that it had won. I was presented with a certificate and I had to read the poem aloud in an assembly of my year group of several hundred pupils and teachers. Everyone there must have realised that it was about him. Why would he do that? Why would he set himself up? Bravery… he saw something in me, and did what he could to encourage it. As my long, varied and (mostly) successful career was beginning to draw to a close in 2014, for some reason I began writing…fiction, poetry, memoir and more. Looking back, that certificate gave me the confidence that I COULD write. I now humbly submit that old poem, A Lesson, that I wrote as a fourteenyear-old, in memory of the late Mr Davis. Paul Goodwin Ling Lunches are Back Did you know LING lunches are on again? Every Tuesday, our lovely and welcoming volunteers open New Galloway Town Hall doors between 12.30pm and 2pm to provide scrumptious homemade soups and sweets, all at a very reasonable price. Everyone of any age is very welcome, whether on your own, with friends or as a family. No need to book, just come along and try LING lunches out! Until recently, our lunches were provided by Dawn of local company Love to Eat, and we are so grateful to her for the excellent food she provided over the years. However, Dawn has decided to step back and take a bit more time for family and other things, and we are very excited to have Jax of Fabby Cakes, another Glenkens business, providing our lunches. Do pop in to try her equally wonderful cooking. LING were extremely lucky to be awarded funding from Glenkens Community Shop to purchase lovely new tablecloths, which we now use during lunches. LING would like to say a huge thank you the shop (if you haven’t visited Glenkens Community Shop it's well worth a visit - it’s on Main Street, Dalry). If you'd like more information or to support LING in any way - ideas, suggestions of events and activities that you would like to see happen throughout the Glenkens, and/or you can volunteer occasionally - please email me (Angie, LING's new Community Inclusion Manager) at communityinclusion.ling@ gmail.com or message us though our Facebook page @Local Initiatives in New Galloway. We look forward to hearing from you! Angie Bradford page 29 A Lesson Hey boy! Yes you! Just lolling around, Just give it back And turn around. Oh boy! Hey you! Sit up straight. What a mess, A slovenly state. Low marks! Again! You’re getting worse, Have I to act As mother and nurse? What’s this? At me! Who made this dart? Never again Or you’ll properly smart. Sit down! Sit still! That’s not a cue, That bell’s for me And not for you. Mark! Stand up! Go to the head, Go on, get going, You heard what I said. Hey boy! Yes you! Didn’t you hear? Have I to clip you Round the ear? Ah well! And now the lesson’s passed, It’s time to prepare for another class. I am determined to make these smart, On the backsides’ll do for a start. THE CLACHAN FAIR Is anyone is interested in reinstating the Clachan Fair? If so, please contact Jane Metcalf at bella54@ btinternet.com at the earliest convenience. Otherwise monies raised from the previous Fair will be donated to charity. Glenkens Gazette page 30 CARSPHAIRN CRAFT GROUP After keeping the going through the pandemic with virtual sessions, Carsphairn Craft Group finally had our first in-person meeting in two years. The group had managed to keep going over lockdown via Zoom, but crafting through a screen just isn't the same. It was so good to be able to meet up again properly, and on our first meeting back we even had a lady join us all the way from Gatehouse, who got to know us through a Facebook group. We had cake and coffee and not much crafting was done as everyone was just so happy to be together again. Since then, we have had a lovely outing to New Lanark and a yummy coffee and cake at Garrion Bridge Garden Centre. In the first week in July we used a buddy system in which those who could crochet buddied-up with those who couldn't, which led to a fun and fruitful morning. The next July workshop was held in Carsphairn Community Woodland, where members learned about natural dyeing. We have other workshops planned throughout the year, including Worldwide Spin in Public Day which we will be holding a day late on Sunday 18 September, from 10am, in Lagwyne Hall - feel free to pop in and learn the amazing art of spinning! It's wonderful to be back up and running, and I'd like to thank Gail for all her hard work over the years that the group has been running, and it's a real joy and an honour to be taking up the reins in organising the group, and to see how much the group has grown since Covid. Carsphairn Craft Group meet every Friday from 10am to 12noon(ish) in Lagwyne Hall. The coffee is always on the boil, and new members are always welcome, both from within the community and from further afield. Maggie Pictured is the craft group at the CCW workshop on natural dyeing (left) and some of the resulting wool colours (above). Making Mouths Matter in Schools Local dentist and yoga practitioner, Maria Papavergos, is working to raise awareness about oral health in local schools. "My mission is to educate schoolchildren in our area about oral health, with my project 'Making Mouths Matter in Schools'," says Maria. She continues: "I have been talking to the children in Crossmichael, Gelston and Auchencairn primary schools about the importance of their mouths and how they connect to their bodies." Maria set up the initiative as she felt that there is a real lack of understanding in how best to support oral health as part of our overall health. She believes that a good start is to get kids to understand for themselves about making healthy choices, as this will lay the groundwork for healthy choices for a lifetime. Having worked with Unilever brand Zendium previously, she knew they had a holistic perspective of the mouth and the body as a microbiome - a forward-thinking approach to oral health similar to her own. Maria approached the brand and they agreed to support the project by supplying toothpaste. "I began by making approaches Maria teaching the children at Crossmichael to schools across the region, Primary School about their oral health. starting with my daughter’s school at Crossmichael. The sessions so diseases such as cardiovascular disease far have gone really well with lots and diabetes are all linked to oral health. of good questions, even from the very Lifestyle choices that can lead to good young children," says Maria. oral health are so important - one in The hope is that through promoting four children in Scotland have a cavity the success of the campaign locally the before they start school, and so much initiative can be rolled out nationally discomfort could be avoided just through with other dentists getting on board and better education in this area - it's very engaging with schools in their area. preventable. So what can we do starting today to "My aim is to help children understand enable better oral health in our children, that it’s not just about brushing your and ourselves? teeth; your mouth is a gateway to "I feel there is a misunderstanding of overall health." what is damaging to teeth," says Maria. To find out more visit Maria's website "Dried fruit, raisins, smoothies…these at www.thelifestyledentist.co.uk or are all considered healthy, but are not if you would like to book a visit for healthy for teeth. Snacking is a key your child's school email maria@ factor in dental decay. Also, gut health, thelifestyledentist.co.uk immune health as well as systemic Glenkens Gazette page 31 Deciding the Future of the Glenkens Community Centre The building on Kirkland Street, Dalry, known as the Glenkens Community Centre, was constructed in 1878 as the new school and continued as such until the 1930s. After the war it served a number of functions but, during this century, its main purpose has been a community centre. Following the threat of closure by Dumfries & Galloway Council, the building was acquired in 2017 by Dalry Community Properties Trust (DCPT) under the Right to Buy Legislation. It then continued as a base for various user groups, including Brightstars Childcare, until early 2020 when Covid forced its closure. The DCPT was primarily set up to deal with this initial purchase, but is now established as a registered charity, which enables it to deal with possible future acquisitions on behalf of the village and residents. As we are now entering a phase where Covid restrictions are easing, it is an appropriate time to consider the future of the centre. Unfortunately, during the last two years many of the user groups have relocated or ceased to operate altogether, as in the case of Brightstars, and the trustees have been forced to take a long, hard look at where this leaves the centre. The conclusion is that there are only three realistic options: Option 1 is to attract new user groups back and operate in much the same manner as previously. However, this would require setting up a new management committee to deal with the day to day operations, and any income is unlikely to cover the ongoing costs, such as insurance and maintenance, in the short term. Option 2 would be to find a single user and let the building on a long lease. This would be a more secure path than Option 1, but in both cases a certain amount of capital expenditure would be required to bring the toilet block up to modern standards. Option 3 would be to sell the building and use the funds generated to acquire other assets in the village for the benefit of the community. In order for the residents to have their say on this important issue it has been decided to have a public meeting in Dalry Town Hall on Thursday 29 September at 7pm. Attendees will have the opportunity to vote on their preferred option, and this will give the trustees an insight into public opinion and allow them to decide on the way forward. Anybody with questions and/or opinions can contact the chairman of DCPT at garyblissett51@gmail. com prior to the meeting. WOOL GATHERING In autumn 2021 Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere launched The Wool Gathering, an initiative to promote the versatility of local wool and its diverse potential as a sustainable resource. This year the Biosphere has been awarded funding from the Blackface Breeders’ Association, support which will drive the project forward and raise awareness that sheep farming is integral to both our heritage and our regional economy. Scotland’s first Biosphere was designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 2012 and covers more than 5,200km² of the south-west region, including hill grazing throughout the Glenkens. Across much of the Biosphere blackface sheep are the dominant breed, with a history that stretches back into the mists of time. First mentioned in monastery records of the 12th century, blackface sheep are hardy animals that thrive on upland pasture, even in inclement weather. Today their wool is typically sold for use in the carpet and mattress trades in the UK and Europe, and wastage in sale and processing is high. Use of blackface wool in clothing has been in decline since the trend towards cheap man-made materials overtook the historic appreciation for hardwearing woollen garments that are locally made. As the impacts of the climate crisis become more acute, suppliers and consumers are seeking creative ideas to make the systems that produce our food, fibre and fuel much more robust. The Biosphere’s remit as a UNESCO designation is to promote sustainability in enterprise alongside environmental education and research, and to test solutions to some of the most critical challenges of our time. With the funding that the breeders’ association provides the Biosphere’s plans are now being progressed: British Wool is helping the project source 1,000kg of Blackface Fine no.1 725 produced within the Biosphere region, and following scouring (cleaning) Knitlab North will create and test prototype items of outerwear. Through their partnership the Biosphere and the breeders’ association hope to demonstrate that the potential of blackface wool is much greater than its current uses suggest, and that in time far fewer fleeces will go to waste. The Wool Gathering is just one of many projects aimed at supporting and celebrating ‘Biosphere life’ across the whole region including, of course, Blackface sheep at this year's Carsphairn Show. the Glenkens, an area that sits at the heart of this UNESCO designation. During 2022 the Biosphere’s Land Use & Biodiversity team are starting a land managers’ group that will meet regularly to share experiences and reinforce the local connections which are especially critical at a time of nationwide policy changes and global financial crisis. The Biosphere’s Proud Supporter and Certification Mark schemes – both of which are free to join – continue to promote sustainable communities and the micro and SMEs which bring such incredible diversity to our local economic landscape. Members based in the Glenkens cover a range of sectors, from food and drink at The Clachan in Dalry to the creative textiles of Midge Porter Design, growing and learning at Galloway Flowers, outdoor adventuring at Galloway Activity Centre, and shepherd’s hut holidays at Garroch Glen. More information visit www. gsabiosphere.org.uk or email info@ gsabiosphere.org.uk Tamara Fulcher Glenkens Gazette Thank You, Lyndsay page 32 The last thing Lyndsay Wright would ever want is to be the centre of attention, for a fuss to be made... But, on behalf of the old Wright's Shop team and the community she served – for more than eight years, unfailingly – I dare to venture a public "thank you, Lyndsay, for everything" and the heartfelt wish that she may have good health to enjoy many years of adventuring. Jane McBeth Pictured: Raising a glass to Lyndsay, third from the right, at Wright's Shop Christmas meal out at Carlo's in Castle Douglas. A PLEA FROM A LOCAL TAXPAYER I am a taxpayer living in the Glenkens. I am concerned that a number of people in the area are not claiming everything that they are entitled to and this upsets me, especially with the rising cost of fuel. If you are on a low income, please check to see if there is anything you could claim, especially Pension Credit or Universal Credit. People who live elsewhere in UK are claiming their entitlement and I just want to make sure that those who live here are claiming what my taxes are helping to fund. If a married couple has one who is a taxpayer and the other not – claim marriage allowance by contacting your tax office. Anyone under 22 or over 60 is entitled to a free bus pass – contact the local library. If you receive Pension Credit or Universal Credit you should be eligible for the Social Tariff on your Broadband – they rarely advertise this so if this applies to you, phone them up and make a noise, it could save you £250 per year. A Glenkens taxpayer Youth Activities in the Glenkens LING Glenkens Youth Activity Group held its first youth group night in June, and was delighted that 21 young people, aged between 10 and 15, came along from all over the Glenkens. Are you stuggling to afford to heat your home with the rising cost of living? The Hub, in Dumfries, may be able to help – get in touch on 01387 269 161 or info@ thehubdg.org.uk The group starts up again on 15 August for sports, outdoor activities and opportunities to relax and meet up with friends outside of school. Through the summer holidays over 50 young people aged between seven and 14 will take part in two-day Outdoor Adventure and Filmmaking Fun sessions. These will run in partnership with CatStrand Young Creatives and are funded by D&G Council Amazing Summer with support from the Loch Ken Trust. Thanks go to Kells and Dalry Primary Schools and Dalry Secondary School for letting us promote the activities through school channels. For more information, or to be included in the youth activities email or WhatsApp group, please contact Olivia at youthwork.ling@gmail. com, text 07719 708 668 or visit @localinitiativesinnewgalloway on Facebook. Pictured: Young people participating in a youth session in New Galloway Park, enjoying the sunshine. Glenkens Gazette page 33 BUSINESS in the SPOTLIGHT Valerie and I have been married for 32 years this year. We've got two kids (not that they're kids anymore) - Caitlin who is 27 and Ciar who has just turned 23. We took the plunge to move here in August last year after years of thinking about having our own business. I had been driving HGVs for a large supermarket for 27 years and Valerie was a pupil support asisstant at a local primary school for 22 years and it was high time for a change. So we sold our family home in Lochgelly, Fife, and moved to a flat in Dunfermline for six months while we decided what to do. Things seemed to drag on forever but, in early 2022, we finally caught sight of the light at the end of the tunnel when we made the decision to buy the shop. We all passed our initial Post Office training before taking over the business, but to be honest it was only scratching the surface of learning. The keys were officially handed over in April this year and we are thoroughly enjoying everything about the community in Dalry. Everyone has been really friendly and helpful, even correcting us when we've undercharged them! Generally we're quite chatty people and enjoy being that "wee bit nosey", so we love a bit of banter in the shop. We don't have any plans to make major changes to the store. We'd perhaps like to evolve it to include some sort of hot food availability and snacking options, maybe even a nice coffee machine. How could I forget about Tibo, our over-friendly 'cockapoo'. We bought him from a family prior to moving here, and he's been keeping us entertained ever since. No point in making life too easy! We'd like to say a huge thanks to Lyndsay for making it as stress-free a handover as possible, to Isobel, Jane, Susan and the girls who work in the shop for all their help and support, and to the whole town of Dalry for making us feel part of the community from day one. Hopefully we'll be serving this community for a good few years to come, so we'll get to know many more of our Glenkens locals. Bill, Val, Caitlin, Ciar and Tibo WINDY STANDARD WIND FARM - OPEN DAY FUN - We would like to thank everyone that attended the Windy Standard Wind Farm Open Day on Saturday 25 June. We hope they had as much fun as we did taking part in the celebrations and seeing first-hand wind energy in action. Visitors to the wind farm were met by Rowanbank Environmental Arts & Education, a social enterprise that creates magical outdoor experiences. They really were magical in their costumes! They joined everyone on the coaches and provided a potted history of the wind farm alongside a fantastic performance to the top. At the top of the hill everyone was met with refreshments in the marquee before taking part in some games and a treasure hunt in and around the turbines. After enjoying a delicious spread provided by Carsphairn Tearooms and an adrenaline-fuelled safety demonstration, we retired back down the hill heading for home. It was a great day out for both adults and children and we are sorry that the weather stopped it from running again on the Sunday. Keep in touch: communities@ fredolsen.com / 07435 763 900 Advertisement In this edition we'll be getting to know the new owners of Wright's Shop in Dalry. Glenkens Gazette page 34 Glenkens Jubilee Celebrations The sun came out in Dalry for the treasure hunt around the village which the children enjoyed, even though a few got lost on the way! Lots of residents decorated their houses with bunting and flags, and it was fun to see the competitive spirit alive and well in Dalry. The winner of the 'Best Dressed House' received a sweety bouquet and a new flag for their collection. The town hall, decorated with lots of bunting and flags made by the children from Dalry Primary School, was the venue for a ‘bring your own’ picnic. There was a magician to wow the public and lots of old-fashioned games to play such as 'tin can alley' and 'guess the name of the corgi!' A great time was had by all. Picture: Winners of Dalry's Jubilee Best Dressed House were Jim and Elizabeth Gourlay (Elizabeth pictured here). Carsphairn Community Council organised a get-together for the community to celebrate the Queen's platinum jubilee. After the dearth of communal activities owing to the Covid pandemic, it presented the ideal opportunity for Carsphairn residents and guests to enjoy together not only a delicious buffet supplied by Carsphairn Tearooms but also some excellent music from the Kilmarnock Concert Brass. The event was held in Carsphairn's community garden decorated with flags, bunting and balloons, and to top it off, the weather was perfect. The Communty Council would like to give thanks to those volunteers who helped set up and dismantle chairs, tables, gazebos and miles of bunting to make the event such a success. Parton Village Hall arranged a canoe outing on Loch Ken for adventurous villagers as part of the jubilee celebrations. Canoes and a safety boat were hired from Galloway Activity Centre giving everyone a chance to take part even if not a regular paddler. Eight boats launched from Parton and headed up the loch, under the viaduct for a picnic on Green Isle where Paul Hodson provided entertainment with stories about the history of the islands. The wind picked up for the return journey making it slow going but everyone made it back safe and sound. Overall an enjoyable day out, a great way to catch up with neighbours whilst seeing the village and the loch from a different perspective. Local Initiatives in New Galloway, New Galloway Community Enterprises and New Galloway & Kells Community Council hosted a Jubilee Jamboree in New Galloway park, with support from CatStrand Arts for the musical elements. It was followed by a fabulous ceilidh in the town hall featuring the Shore Road Band. Wonderful afternoon teas were provided by Dawn of ‘Love to Eat’ and food for the ceilidh featured pie and beans, thanks to Margaret Watson, followed by amazing platinum jubilee trifles made by David Briggs. The highlight of the afternoon was undoubtedly the pet show, with lots of happy rosette winners. Thanks go to the more than 30 volunteers who supported the event - through their hard work it all came together, and the sun smiled on us. Glenkens Gazette GLENKENS GLASS RECYCLING POINTS • Balmaclellan Stores, Balmaclellan page 35 Sports in Dalry Outdoor Bowls - for details contact Fiona Ramsay on 01644 430 587 Table Tennis (available 24/7) Snooker (available 24/7) • Memorial Hall, St Michael's Road, Crossmichael Indoor Bowls (October to March) Badminton (available 24/7) For details for table tennis, snooker, indoor bowls and badminton contact Gary Blissett on 01644 430 521. • Kirkland Street, St John's Town of Dalry CROSSMICHAEL THERAPY CENTRE • New Galloway, Carson's Knowe Car Park - Your Health is Important - • St David Street, Kirkpatrick Durham For details of other recycling points visit www.dumgal.gov. uk/wasterecycling - follow the ‘Recycling Points in the Community’ link. There is also a ‘Find My Nearest’ tool that enables you to find a range of local services, including recycling points. ADVERTISE IN THE GAZETTE (price per issue incl VAT) SMALL: 6cm x 6cm, £37.80 (+ 10% off with series discount) Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine is probably best known for its treatment of pain. However, they can be used to treat a broader variety of conditions, from achy joints to anxiety, skin troubles to insomnia, acupuncture could help change the way you manage some of life’s health challenges. Matthew Pajo has been studying and practising Chinese medicine for over 25 years and has attained a Bachelor Health Science and Master Applied Science in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine. As a highly skilled and trusted clinician, Matthew uses safe, effective, and natural treatments that can bring relief from acute and chronic conditions. Matthew is a member of the British Acupuncture Federation and the Association of Acupuncture Clinicians. To make an appointment call 07786 079 845 or email info@matthewpajo.co.uk For more information visit www.matthewpajo.co.uk Psychological Therapy Amber Dunlop-Pajo has spent over 20 years working as a psychologist and has attained a Bachelor Psychology (Hons) and Master Psychology (Health) and is a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society. Amber specialises in Women’s Health as well as depression, stress, anxiety and has a focus on health psychology. Contact Amber on 07389 713 106 or info@gallowaycounselling.co.uk For more information visit www.gallowaycounselling.co.uk Crossmichael Therapy Centre, The Old School, Crossmichael, DG7 3AP 1/4 PAGE: 9cm w x 13cm h, £81.90 (+ 25% off with series discount) 1/2 PAGE: 18cm w x 13cm h, £151.20 (+ 25% off with series discount) FULL PAGE: 18cm w x 27cm h, £252 (+ 25% off with series discount) Call 07727 127 997 VAT Reg. No. 882 8361 87 THE STEWARTRY VETERINARY CENTRE CASTLE DOUGLAS SURGERY HOURS GLENKENS MEDICAL PRACTICE DALBEATTIE SURGERY HOURS General Medical & Dispensing Services FOR APPOINTMENTS AT BOTH SURGERIES OR IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY The Surgery High Street New Galloway Mon-Fri 2.00-2.30 pm & 5-6 pm Mon-Fri 8.30am-6pm Sat 2-2.30 pm Mon, Wed, Fri 3-3.30 pm Tues & Thurs 6-6.30 pm  01556 502263 VETERINARY SURGERY OAKWELL ROAD CASTLE DOUGLAS  FOR APPOINTMENTS CALL 01644 420234 Glenkens Gazette The Community Kindness Cupboard outside Dalry Library has home baking in every Thursday. page 36 WHERE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB LISTINGS Dumfries & Galloway! What's Going on @DGWGO on Facebook; What's Going On Glenkens @WGOGlenkens on Facebook; Glenkens Gazette @GlenkensNews on Facebook – once on the page for any of these, use the search function to look for jobs. The Glenkens' largest employer, Natural Power Consultants Ltd, also have a jobs page - www.naturalpower.com/uk/careers KEY GLENKENS CONTACTS LOCAL DOCTORS’ SURGERY Glenkens Medical Practice - 01644 420 234 COMMUNITY CONTACTS • Balmaclellan: Martin Warnock 07939 261 391 • Carsphairn: Liz Holmes - 07718 358 160 • Corsock: Julie Garton - 07769 647 702 • Kirkpatrick Durham: Heather 07551 639 629 • Crossmichael: Richard Middleton - 01556 670 691 • Dalry: Graham West - 01644 430 503 • Mossdale: Shop - 01644 450 281 • New Galloway: 07741 656 601 • Parton: Erica or Brian - 01644 470 277 FOOD DELIVERIES • Galloway Foodbank - 07730 788 335 • Hidden Veg - www. openfoodnetwork.org.uk/hiddenveg/shop • Ballards Butchers - 01556 502502 (they also deliver groceries) • Grierson’s Butchers: 01556 502 637 • Henderson’s Butchers: 01556 502 654 • Mitchell’s Greengrocers: 01556 502 077 • Fleet Fish: call 07966 103 912 to find out about Glenkens delivery days • Roan’s Dairy - 01556 620 374 LOCAL COMMUNITY GROUPS Glenkens Community Shop: Contact Liz Lewis on 07530 804 217 or drop by the shop on Main Street, Dalry Glenkens Scout Group: Contact Heather McIntosh on 01644 420 375 Local Initiatives in New Galloway (LING): Contact newgallowaytownhall@gmail.com Dalry Communities Properties Trust (DCPT): Contact Gary Blissett at garyblissett51@gmail. com or 01644 430 521 Dalry Town Hall: Contact Lesley Blissett at lesleyblissett52@gmail.com Glenkens Community Centre: Contact Gary Blissett at garyblissett51@gmail.com New Galloway Community Enterprises (NGCE): Contact ngce5000@gmail.com or pop into New Galloway Community Shop Balmaclellan Community Trust: Contact Julia Higgins at julia.higgins55@outlook.com CatStrand: Contact Fiona Limbrey at fiona@ catstrand.com or 01644 420 374 or pop in to the CatStrand Schools: Visit the school office or call Dalry Primary on 01644 430 105 (for Nursery/ELC too), Dalry Secondary on 01644 430 259 or Kells on 01644 420 340 Carsphairn Heritage Initiative: Contact Karen Hall at carsphairnhi@gmail.com Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership (GGLP): Contact McNabb Laurie at mcnabb. laurie@dumgal.gov.uk If you would like to add your community organisation to this list please get in touch with the Gazette - contact details are on the back page. CHURCH TIMES CHURCH OF SCOTLAND: SCOTTISH EPISCOPAL CHURCH: Sunday Services St Margaret's Church, Kenbridge Road, New Galloway, DG7 3RP Balmaclellan: 11am - 7 Aug & 4 Sept Carsphairn: 11am - 14 Aug & 11 Sept Kells: 11am - 21 Aug & 18 Sept Dalry: 11am - 28 Aug & 25 Sept Special Services Communion, 21 Aug, 11am, Kells Church. Harvest Thanksgiving, 2 Oct, 11am, Balmaclellan Church. Harvest Lunch, 2 Oct, 12noon, Balmaclellan Village Hall Sundays: 10.30am Sung Eucharist, followed by coffees/ teas Visitors are always welcome - for further information, including directions, please see our website www. stmargaretsnewgalloway.org or call our vestry secretary, Christine Rankin, on 01644 420 259. Glenkens Gazette page 37 GALLOWAY COMMUNITY TRANSPORT www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org email gct@catstrand.com phone 01644 420374 mobile 07841 512449 August - September 2022 Regular Services GK2 Glenkens-Castle Douglas (Tesco) Wednesday Evenings (Registered Route) Out 19:00 19:05 19:15 Dalry (Underhill) New Galloway Mossdale Return 21:15 21:10 21:00 19:25 19:30 19:37 19:40 Laurieston Townhead of Greenlaw Castle Douglas (Market St) Castle Douglas (Tesco) 20:50 20:47 20:37 20:35 Booking not required Glenkens to Newton Stewart Fortnightly - Tuesday mornings Outward Pickups: Dalry (Underhill) 09:30 New Galloway (Town Hall) 09:35 CatStrand) 09:37 To Merrick Leisure Centre and Aldi Return Pickup Newton Stewart (Aldi Car Park) 11:30 Return fare £3.50 Advance booking required. Member Hire GCT has 16-, 15-, and 8-seater minibuses and a fully wheelchair accessible electric car available for hire by community organisations. For information about membership and terms and conditions of hire see the GCT website or phone 07841 512449. GCT Ebike Club If you are interested in joining the GCT Ebike Club please see https://www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org/gctebike-club phone 07704 662925 or email jon@catstrand.com EXCURSIONS 24 August 2022 Wednesday THE BORDERS GARDEN Portmore Garden, Eddleston, Scottish Borders Our journey starts with a drive to Moffat for a coffee break, followed by a scenic drive through Upper Tweeddale to Peebles for a leisurely lunchtime stop which allows time to explore this interesting market town. Portmore is a 1.5 acre walled garden designed with taste and flair. The selection of colours in the planting is impressive. The glasshouses are full of tender plants displaying their own colours in full summer. The gardens contain an Italianate grotto, rose beds, borders and water garden. Plants for sale. Refreshments available. Partially wheelchair accessible. Pickups: Dalry (Underhill Bus Stop) 0900, New Galloway (CatStrand) 0910, Kirkcudbright (Harbour Square Bus Stop) 0935, Castle Douglas (Market Hill Car Park) 0955, Dalbeattie (Craignair St Bus Stop) 1015, Dumfries (Wickes Car Park) 1030 Admission £6. Fare £10 For more info please see the website: https://www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org/excursions Drivers Needed Galloway Community Transport needs your help to provide a wide range of community transport services across the Stewartry and beyond. MINIBUS DRIVING Minibus drivers with D1 (101 or by test) are needed to do volunteer and paid driving f or our wide range of member community groups. PATIENT TRANSPORT We also urgently need drivers with their own cars f or our patient transport service. Our volunteer patient transport drivers receive a generous mileage reimbursement and the satisf action of providing a vital service to vulnerable people in our communities. Interested? Email gct@catstrand.com or phone 07841 512449 Glenkens Gazette WHAT'S ON page 38 August/September AUGUST www.openfoodnetwork.org. uk/glenkens-food-hub/shop Thu 8, Ken Words: Glenkens Writers' Café, 7pm, CatStrand Fridays in August, CatStrand: Live Music in the Bar, 4-9pm Sat 27, Great Corsock Show, Corsock Village, see back page Sat 10, Producers Market, 10am-1pm, Dalry Town Hall Fri 5, Fundraising Ceilidh, Dalry Town Hall, peter@ catstrand.com Sat 27, Under the Bridge Story Telling Parade, 1-5pm, New Galloway to Ken Bridge Thu 11, Ken Words: Glenkens Writers' Café, 7pm, CatStrand Sat 27, Mark Zygadlo’s Water Organ, 12noon-5pm, Ken Bridge Thu 11, Arctic Winds Part 1: Nightlands, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sun 28, Mark Zygadlo’s Water Organ, 10am-5pm, Ken Bridge Fri 12-Tue 16, Glenkens Food Hub open for orders, www.openfoodnetwork.org. uk/glenkens-food-hub/shop Sun 28, Arts & Crafts Fair, 11am-3pm, Dalry Town Hall Sat 13, Producers Market, 10am-1pm, Dalry Town Hall Fri 30, RLUPS Community Learning Programme, see p12&13 Sat 13-Sun 14, GB Ultras Elite Runners, Dalry Town Hall Thu 18, Arctic Winds Part 2: The Fallen Angels Of The Moine, 7.30pm, CatStrand Fri 19, Accessible Art for Wellbeing Workshop, 1011.30am, Crossmichael Village Hall & 12.30-2pm, Dalry Town Hall, see p7 Wed 24, GCT Bus Trip: The Borders Garden, see p37 Thu 25, RLUPS Community Learning Programme, see p12&13 Fri 26, Accessible Art for Wellbeing Workshop, 1011.30am, Kirkpatrick Durham Village Hall & 12.30-2pm, Dalry Town Hall, see p7 Fri 26-Tue 30, Glenkens Food Hub open for orders, Sun 28, Tom Bancroft's 'In Common', 7.30pm, CatStrand Wed 31, Darkness & Stars, 9.30-11pm, CCW, see p10 SEPTEMBER Glenkens Food Month, look out for posters and on Facebook Fri 2, Welcome to Your Forest, 9.30am-2pm, CCW, see p10 Sat 3, The Glenkens Story: The Early Peoples of Galloway, 10am-5pm, CatStrand Wed 7, Six Feet, Three Shoes, Dalry Town Hall, peter@catstrand.com Wed, Life as a Squirrel or Pine Martin, 6-7.30pm, CCW, see p10 Sat 10, Smith & McClennan, 7.30pm, CatStrand Wed 14, What is the Difference Between Fungi and Mushrooms, 6-7.30pm, CCW, see p10 Fri 16, Four hands One Piano: The Lisney Briggs Duo, 7.30pm, CatStrand Fri 16-Tue 20, Glenkens Food Hub open for orders, www.openfoodnetwork.org. uk/glenkens-food-hub/shop Thu 22, Pictish Trail, 7.30pm, CatStrand Fri 23, Steve Turner, 7.30pm, The Smiddy, Balmaclellan Sat 24, Steve Turner: Song Accompaniment Workshop, 11am, The Smiddy, Balmaclellan Sat 24, The Glenkens Story presents 'Crossing the Ken: Bridges, Fords and Ferries', 2pm, CatStrand Sat 24, Uilleann Duo 'Underarmed' album launch, 7.30pm, CatStrand by Sun 25, closing date for responses to 'Land Reform in a Net Zero Nation' consultation paper, see p3 Sun 25, Firelight Trio, 2pm, CatStrand Thu 29, Public Meeting: The Future of the Glenkens Community Centre, 7pm, Dalry Town Hall, see p31 Glenkens Gazette page 39 REGULAR EVENTS Balmaclellan Village Hall: Tuesday Afternoon Teas, 1st Tues each month, to book email warburton. julie@googlemail.com Glenkens Crafters, Wed 10am12noon, for info contact julia. higgins55@outlook.com Books in Balmaclellan Community Library, Wed 10.30–12.30 & 5.307pm; Fri 5.30-7.30pm; Sat 10.30am -12.30pm (tea & coffee available on Sat). Balmaclellan Blether: 3rd Thu each month. For info contact warburton. julie@googlemail.com Glenkens Art Group, Thu 2-4pm, for info contact t_leach1@sky.com Easiobics: Tue & Fri 9.30-10.30pm, contact mlfagan@live.co.uk Circuits: Sat 8-9am, contact John 07544 713 586 Kettelbells: Mon & Tue 6-7pm, contact John 07544 713 586 The Smiddy, Balmaclellan: Photography Workshops, Tuesdays in August, see p7 Music Workshops, Wednesdays in August, see p7 Life Drawing Workshops, Thursdays in August, see p7 Mindfullness Workshops, Thursdays in August, see p7 Yoga for Men, Fri in August, see p7 Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn: Craft Group, Fri 10am-12noon, includes tea & coffee, Lagwyne Hall Bairn Banter; family stay & play session, 0-7 years, Sat 10-11.45am, Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn CatStrand, New Galloway: Margaret Morris Movement: Health Play (age 3-7), Mon (during term time), 3.45-4.30pm Margaret Morris Movement: Children’s Grades & Youth Dance (age 8-15), Mon (during term time), 4.30-5.30pm Youth Volunteers (age 11-16), monthly, 5.30–7.30pm Scriptless Drama Club (age 11-19), Tue, 5.30–6.30pm Newton Stewart Bus Service to Tesco, Wednesday evenings A Chance to Dance, Thu bi-weekly, 6–8pm Dance Weekenders (age 12+), Sat monthly, 1–4pm Art Explorers, Sat - monthly, 1011am (age 5–8) & 11.15am–12.30pm (age 8–12) CatStrand Youth Players, meet weekly to work on festival plays and an annual pantomime, contact briangm@ catstrand.com New Galloway Town Hall: Wee Messy Crafters, Wed, 1-2pm, contact weemessycrafters@gmail.com Zumba, Wed 6.30-7.20pm & 7.258.15pm, contact samantha.rushton@ hotmail.co.uk - booking essential Martial Arts, Thur 5.30-6.30pm (children) & 7-9pm (age 6 and up), contact Brian or Nancy on Facebook KMANews or kmabrian@gmail.com Gentle Yoga, Fri 5.45-6.45pm, contact kathyr64@hotmail.co.uk Informal Family Badminton, (net and racquets but no line markings), New Galloway Town Hall, contact Ros on 07749 249 781 Dalry Library: Random Writers (age 12+), Thu biweekly, Dalry Library, 3.45–5pm Dalry Town Hall: Tai Chi, video-led instruction, Mon, 2-3pm, contact lesleyblissett52@gmail. com Dog Training, Tue, 7pm, contact Eric Broadhurst 07831 590 822 Film Nights, Wed, see listings opposite CatStrand Singers, Thu, 11am12.30pm, contact anne.chaurand@ btinternet.com Song Share, 1st Friday each month, 8-11pm, contact anne.chaurand@ btinternet.com Crafty Corner with tea & biscuits, Mon 2-4pm, contact Kristina on 07789 680468 Glenkens Producers Market, 2nd Sat each month, 10am-1pm, contact lesleyblissett52@gmail.com LING Lunches, Tue, Elevenses 11am & lunches from 12.30-2pm. No need to book, contact Ros on 07749 249 781 Various: Sports Evenings with indoor bowling and table tennis, Tues 7-9pm, drop in or contact Ray on 01644 420 438 Tai Chi, Wed 10.30-11.30am, includes coffee & biscuits, contact Ju-lie gentletaichigroup@gmail.com Dalry Library & Customer Service Centre Main Street, Dalry, Tel: 01644 430 234 or 01556 502 643 Tuesday: For books and other walk-in services: 2-5pm Friday: For NEC Bus Pass and Blue Badge appointments and PCs: 11.30am – 12.30pm; for books and other walk-in services: 1 -4.30pm. Appointments can be booked in the library or on 01387 260 196. Crossmichael Heritage Centre Open Wed & Fri, 1.30-4.30pm Cub Scouts, Wed 6.15-7.30pm, Scout Hall, New Galloway Guided Nature Walks, Sundays in August, 2-4pm, see p7 USEFUL NUMBERS: ● Pot-hole Hotline: 0845 276 0000 ● Police, non-emergency: 101 ● Doctor: 01644 420 234 ● NHS 24: 08454 24 24 24 ● D&G Council: 030 33 33 3000 Glenkens Gazette The Return of the Great Corsock Show page 40 Saturday 27 August is a date for all diaries, with the return of the Great Corsock Show! This much-loved Stewartry tradition returns after a Covid-induced absence, with the always popular baking and produce categories and activities including the scarecrow competition, tombola and cake sale - everything necessary for a great day out. Leaflets with all categories and information have been distributed around the Corsock area, and copies are also available from the porch of Corsock Hall or online at www.corsockhall.wixsite.com/ home/post/the-great-corsock-show-2022 Organisers are looking for donations for the raffle/tombola and would be very grateful for baking donations to the refreshments area too. If you can help, either with a donation or on the day itself, please get in touch on greatcorsockshow@ hotmail.com Also, keep an eye on the CorsockHall Facebook page for updates. See you there! The Corsock Show Team 20th GAMES IN NEW GALLOWAY SH THE SCOTTI E ALTERNATIV 2 GAMES 202 FEATURING: THE GIRD 'N' CLEEK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - SNAIL RACING - TRACTOR PULL - TOSSIN' THE SHEAF HURLIN' THE CURLIN' STANE - TUG O' WAR - PIPE BAND CLASSIC CAR SHOW - BAR - BARBECUE ...AND MUCH MORE! SUNDAY 7TH AUGUST Admission 2PM £6 Adult/£4 Senior Citizens/£1 Child AT NEW GALLOWAY PARK PROFITS SUPPORT LOCAL CHARITIES AND GOOD CAUSES. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Submit events, activities, news stories, cartoons, reviews, tips & techniques, fiction, photos, ads or ideas... Contact Sarah Ade on 07727 127 997 or glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk Editing & Design: sarah.ade@gmail.com OCT/NOV COPY DEADLINE: 5 SEPT The Glenkens Gazette is an initiative of the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust, a Registered Scottish Charity No. SC032050  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. 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For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Glenkens Gazette Description An account of the resource <p>Find out more about the Gazette: <a href="https://glenkens.scot/gazette-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Glenkens Gazette home page</a> If you would like to submit an article or take out an advert, please email the editor Sarah Ade: <span>&nbsp;</span><a href="mailto:glenkensgazette@hotmail.com">glenkensgazette@hotmail.com</a></p> <p>The Glenkens Gazette is a member of, and regulated by <span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.impressorg.com/">Impress</a>.</p> <p>The Glenkens Gazette is an initiative of Glenkens Community &amp; Arts Trust (SC032050) and represents the voice of the community (not necessarily the views of GCAT).</p> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document GLENKENS GAZETTE News from Balmaclellan, Carsphairn, Corsock, Crossmichael, Kirkpatrick Durham, Laurieston, Mossdale, New Galloway, Parton and St John’s Town of Dalry October/November 2022 ISSUE 132 FREE The Clachan Inn Cooks Up Culinary Excellence Award Dalry's Clachan Inn has been awarded the AA Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence 2021-22. The AA Rosette award scheme, introduced in 1956, was the first nationwide strategy for assessing the quality of food served in restaurants and hotels in the UK. The AA team of inspectors has a wealth of experience gleaned through visiting venues across the length and breadth of the country, so when an award is made, it carries a lot of weight. The Clachan is one of just seven establishments in south west Scotland to hold one of these prestigious awards and be recognised in the AA Guide, where it is ranked in fifth place (visit www.leadingrestaurants.co.uk/data/ best-restaurants/dumfries-and-galloway for more on this). Laura Burnie, who owns and runs the pub along with partner Phil Papworth, said: "It’s a really huge achievement that we are so proud of. We would like to give credit to our amazing and talented staff who work alongside us and without whom we wouldn't be where we are today. "The award has been a very welcome boost after having had to navigate our way through two years of the pandemic, which in this The Clachan Inn Kitchen Team - from left to right are Jim industry has been challenging to Banner, Phil Papworth, Martin Templeton, say the least! We Xander Foster and Robbie Thomson. were hugely wellsupported by our are just so pleased to still be able to local communities and beyond when all be here on the other side of it all doing we were able to offer were takeaways, what we love!" for which we are really grateful, and we KEN BRIDGE BICENTENARY The bicentenary of the Ken Bridge was marked in style, starting on Saturday 27 August with a full day of celebrations. The Ken Bridge was designed by engineer John Rennie and completed 200 years ago, permanently linking the communities of the Glenkens and forming an iconic Glenkens landmark. The Ken Bridge lluminated by new lights installed by DRAX for the bicentenary celebrations, photographed by David Warren. A Glenkens Community & Arts Trust (GCAT) initiative Some 150 people of all ages gathered in the sunshine for a parade with giant puppet dragons, birds and airplanes. The parade travelled from New Galloway to the Ken Bridge, with local storyteller Anne Errington weaving tales along the way. Continued on page 3... www.glenkensgazette.co.uk Glenkens Gazette SONGWAVE CHOIR After more than two years of being unable to do what they love best, Castle Douglas-based SongWave Choir are finally performing again. Chair of the choir, Jo Gallant, summed up the thoughts of all the singers: "After two very difficult years it was so lovely to be singing again for real, and to real people. We’d particularly like to express our thanks to the CatStrand for embarking on a joint promotion with us and to the community of Crossmichael for all their support and for the sumptuous spread of refreshments for choir and audience alike." page 2 Kate Howard, the choir's new musical director, expressed her delight at how well the concerts were received, saying: "It’s an honour and a pleasure for me to have been asked to take over such a talented group of singers who never fail to give of their best." Formerly known as the Feral Choir, the renamed ensemble sings songs from all over the world, interspersed with related readings on subjects ranging from the plight of refugees to the joys of childhood in summer. Having resumed rehearsals in September, SongWave are now working towards their winter concerts, which are planned for the weekend of 16-18 December. To be kept up-to-date with future events you can sign up for their newsletter at www.songwavechoir.org.uk Cath Ingham The choir pictured outside Crossmichael Church after their debut post-pandemic performance. Crunch Time for Pylon Scheme An opinion piece... Glenkens has been threatened with a new pylon scheme for over six years. At last, a public inquiry into SPEN’s overhead proposal from Kendoon to Tongland on a new route begins on 1 November. No thanks to D&G Council, though. Last year officials recommended councillors "raise no objections". SPEN had submitted a Landscape & Visual Impact Assessment but the Council failed to carry out its own review, yet said it was in broad agreement and problems affecting landscapes had been addressed. People living in Glenkens disagreed and insisted the adverse effects were so great as to be unacceptable. Close on 900 objections were submitted during the consultation period, many demanding that the most sensitive stretches of the line go underground. The pylons question will eventually be decided by ScotGov, but the local planning authority is a consultee and was wrong to tell councillors to keep quiet. Fortunately, after being contacted by campaigners, councillors forced a discussion and this led to the inquiry. There are, of course, many technical issues involved, but the more straightforward objections include: • Ignoring the Holford Rules, which require SPEN to avoid areas of highest amenity value and follow the existing route which had been there for over 80 years. The public expect established principles like Holford to be followed. SPEN cite the presence of an SSSI at the spot where the existing line crosses Loch Ken as an excuse for ignoring Holford and abandoning the present route. • SPEN is owned by Spanish energy giant Iberdrola, whose own Environmental Policy puts respect for the environment at the centre of the group's energy and business planning. SPEN, by choosing the ugliest option and pushing it through some of our most gorgeous and iconic countryside, make a nonsense of their parent company's policy pledge. • Scottish Ministers, in their Scoping Opinion, told SPEN to consider alternative measures such as undergrounding. SPEN subsequently admitted that undergrounding is technically feasible and environmentally preferable, so why wasn't this their default position from the start? It would have fulfilled Iberdrola’s environmental promise, reduced impact on the environment, prevented lasting damage to Galloway’s tourism, and (probably) won the approval of local communities. SPEN say it would cost £96 million more. But the operator would benefit from lower maintenance, higher transmission efficiency and immunity to storm damage. Elsewhere in the country power lines are going underground but SPEN are resisting best practice and planning to cut a swathe though the Galloway Hills Regional Scenic Area with huge steel pylons that will forever blight the pristine landscape awaiting National Park designation. • The accompanying works programme, which is scheduled to last a full five years (and possibly longer), and the traffic management plan will hit New Galloway especially hard. This smallest of Scottish royal burghs hopes to become a gateway to the new national park and has struggled for decades to recover from economic decline. More than a quarter of a million construction vehicle movements – as many as 264 a day – will be shifting stone, removing timber and importing concrete and steelwork. Although banned from the high street, large numbers of construction HGVs will thunder through the normally peaceful village centre on the A712. SPEN’s Environmental Impact Assessment has been criticised as inadequate and flawed, as have other aspects of their proposal. They seem determined to inflict on us an unsightly above-ground scheme in order to maximise their bottom line for the benefit of Iberdrola’s foreign shareholders. If allowed to do so, they will cause immense harm to future tourism on which Galloway and the rest of the region depend, weaken our already fragile local economy and discourage the inward investment needed to prosper. What’s more, they will violate the high aesthetic standards expected in an area bidding for National Park status. Galloway's communities can expect to pay dearly in years to come for this exercise in corporate greed. Please visit www. gallowaywithoutpylons.org/ for further information. Stuart Littlewood Glenkens Gazette page 3 Continued from front page... Upon arriving at the Ken Bridge, Mark Zygadlo’s 'Water Organ' played music based on the speed and turbulence of the river waters through bellows mounted on an 18foot long catamaran. People picnicked, paddled, danced to a silent disco and created their own bridges out of cardboard bricks in a fantastic community afternoon. In the evening people gathered at the Ken Bridge Hotel for the buildup to the Ken Bridge light switch on. There was food and music before the countdown to the illumination which created a glorious display in The parade with giant puppet dragons, walking the gathering dusk. Many thanks to everyone involved from New Galloway to the Ken Bridge. in this fantastic celebration, in particular the volunteers who worked so hard and Drax, who took full ownership of the spectacular bridge lighting. Funding for the community and arts events came from DG Unlimited, the Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership, the Loch Ken Trust and the Blackcraig wind farm community benefit fund through the Glenkens & District Trust and Foundation Scotland. The programme was also supported by the Year of Stories 2022 Community Stories Fund, which is delivered in partnership between VisitScotland and Museums Galleries Scotland with support from National Lottery Heritage Fund. Peter Renwick, CatStrand Arts Manager Glenkens Schools Woodland Visit Carsphairn Community Woodland, at Muirdrochwood Forest, near Carsphairn, was host to children from Dalry and Kells primary schools. This was part of their series of autumn Wildlife Bonanza events, supported by the Galloway Glens scheme, which were being held to encourage the local community to visit and feel a connection to the site. Children enjoyed a range of activities including wildlife walks, tree planting and tales from a crypto-zoologist. The overall Bonanza programme consisted of three public events and the school visit. The first public event was Darkness & Stars, followed by Life as a Squirrel or Pine Marten and finishing with Fungi and Mushrooms. For anyone planning a visit to the woodland, the Muirdrochwood car park is on the B729 towards Carsphairn, by the High Bridge junction (postcode DG7 3TE with ‘what three words’ location remit.breed.chestnuts). Glenkens school children in the wildlife hide at Carsphairn Community Woodland with storyteller John Wheeler. To find out more visit Carsphairn Community Woodland on Facebook. If you would like to join CCW visit www. carsphairn/CCWL or email carsphairncw@gmail.com CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR DOG PLEASE The children at Dalry Primary School are fed up of the dog mess on the school field. Today one of the children slipped on the field and got covered in dog mess. We are asking the people who bring their dogs onto the school field not to, please. We would also ask people to pick up their dog's poo around the village. Our class will be making signs to put up around the village to ask people to clear up their dog's mess. Kai and Archie (P6) Glenkens Gazette page 4 UNLEASH YOUR CREATIVITY The 20-yearold Glenkens Art Workshop is in danger of folding through lack of numbers. Our membership is down to an average of five per week, which has left us reliant on the generosity of grant providers to continue functioning. We are a small, friendly group with different levels of ability. Each member works on their own project in various media. The group meets on Thursday afternoons from 2-4pm at Balmaclellan Village Hall. Please come along! Rekindle your artistic abilities for only £3 a session with tea/coffee and biscuits thrown in. Tom Leach t_leach1@sky.com to support our village hall volunteer committees, working towards ensuring the sustainability of our community and public spaces. should see some concrete movement on those fronts soon. CAP Priorities Get Moving In line with the Glenkens Community Action Plan priorities, work on a communications hub website for the Glenkens and wider district is underway. The aim is to create a one-stop shop for Glenkens residents and visitors that will highlight events, job vacancies and volunteering opportunities, as well as signpost to existing community websites. Another project that hopes to show the strength of everyone working together is an asset network. This aims Both these projects are supported by the Blackcraig wind farm community benefit fund, through the Glenkens & District Trist and Foundation Scotland. The CAP Steering Group met again in August and determined that the current focus for longer-term projects should be around Energy Efficiency and Land Use. These are important topics, and I am currently working out how we can best add value to the many enthusiastic and effective grass roots projects out there. Other important CAP topics are childcare, housing and local jobs, and we The Glenkens Community & Arts Trust has a leadership role in delivering the CAP, but for success we need to see its delivery happening through a variety of different organisations. Local Initiatives in New Galloway is already doing great work on the Youth Activities strand of the CAP, and Propagate is working hard on local food elements. If you have any other ideas, I’d love to hear from you! Helen Keron, Executive Manager, GCAT helen@catstrand.com To see the action plan visit www.glenkenstrust.org.uk/ community-action-plan Glenkens Gazette page 5 Education & Training Fund Glenkens & District Trust (GDT) and Foundation Scotland have announced a new Education & Training bursary fund for people living in the Glenkens and district area. GDT Trustees are keen to spread the word that this new fund is not just for school leavers but for anyone aged 16+ resident in the fund’s area of benefit who is looking for support with the costs of accessing training or education opportunities – be that people who are re-training mid-career, returning to work after a gap, or entering further and higher education or an apprenticeship. The fund has been created to help support access to opportunity and improved livelihoods, in line with the existing Community Fund and Community Action Plan priority 'An Economically Flourishing Community'. This new fund feels more relevant than ever as we face rising living costs and a potential recession and associated impacts on employment. As with the Blackcraig Wind Farm Community Fund, the area covered by the new bursary scheme is defined by the Community Council areas shown on the map to the right. Grants are available for both short courses (capped at £1,000) and multiyear courses, up to a maximum of three years and £3,000 (£1,000 per year of support sought). Travel, subsistence and childcare costs can be supported, and a range of course types will be considered including driving qualifications, if these can be demonstrated to help contribute to accessing a training or education opportunity. Applicants will be asked to demonstrate how they arrived at sums being sought – it’s important to read the guidance on the fund’s webpage before starting an application. People with bursaries will be asked to report back on how they used the grant and what difference it made. For more information about the new fund go to https://tinyurl.com/ GDTbursaryinfo The above map shows the GDT fund area of benefit. From Geology to Theology Many people may have assumed that David Bartholomew, minister of the four Glenkens churches for the last 28 years, had always been a Church of Scotland minister, but this in not the case. The clue to another side of this modest and unassuming man is in his title of 'Dr'. However this is not a doctorate in theology but in geology. Brought up in Edinburgh and schooled at Edinburgh Academy, David was initially unsure what to study at university but picked geology as he felt that resonated with his love of the outdoors and the natural world. After a brief time calling himself an atheist, the Christian faith became meaningful to him in his last year at school. Whilst at St Andrews University he joined a bible study group and spent several years helping out at the Church of Scotland summer missions in Ayr. His time at St Andrews was followed by an MSc in mineral chemistry at Birmingham and then several years studying for a doctorate at Leicester University. This took him to remote Patagonia for three months and, on returning to Britain, he brought back two tonnes of rocks which were shipped via the Panama Canal – some of which have now found a home in the rock garden at their cottage in the Borders! David and Heidi outside the Manse in Dalry. On gaining his doctorate in 1984, David was unsure of his path. He toyed with the idea of working for an oil company but didn’t feel the fit was right for him. He was delighted when a letter to the Geological Survey of Zimbabwe resulted in a job offer, leading to work on the mineral resources of Zimbabwe and field mapping. His strong faith and desire to serve God also led him to help out at a church in Harare by teaching Sunday School, and he also offered to help at a Scripture Union camp on an island in Lake Kariba where one of the other leaders was Heidi… After nearly five years working in Zimbabwe, he felt a strong call from God to train for the ministry and this took him to Aberdeen University and his fourth degree – Bachelor of Divinity. During this time he and Heidi corresponded with one another until Heidi, who was working for Coopers and Lybrand by this time, engineered a one-year posting to Aberdeen which allowed their friendship to develop further. They became engaged and then, in August 1992, were married in Harare. After their honeymoon they spent a month in Mozambique helping with a mission to street kids. The pull of a rural life led David to apply to be minister in the Glenkens, where he was ordained minister in 1994 – and retired in 2022. In the same way that his love for God remained strong during his years as a geologist, so his connection to the earth continued during his years as our minister. Following encouragement from one of his elders, Roger Godfrey, he took up metal detecting in 1997 and became an enthusiastic metal detectorist, meeting several other detectorists in the area. He had met Derek McLennan before and had asked for the opportunity to join him detecting on church land at Balmaghie where he and his friends had made some interesting finds. Derek invited him to join him there on 1 September 2014, along with Mike Smith, the minister of the New Life Community Church in Castle Douglas. This was the day when Derek discovered the Galloway Hoard. David wonders if the stars aligned in some way for the hoard on church land to reveal itself to the trio, two of whom were ministers. He describes the “heart-stopping moment” when they discovered the richly decorated early Christian cross. In retirement, David plans to continue metal-detecting, although he accepts that nothing will ever quite match up to the September 2014 find! Nicolette Wise See back page for an article on David's retirement... Glenkens Gazette page 6 CatStrand Singers Book Launch Things have been very exciting in the world of the CatStrand Singers. Over the last two years the group has been working on a book of music, local history and anecdotes with accompanying CD, called Singing the Galloway Glens. The songs are in a variety of styles, from traditional to modern. All have been written and/or arranged by Nicola Black. Nicola has crafted newly commissioned songs, some from her own fertile imagination, some from poems and fragments of writing from writers, based on the area, its people and wildlife. There are also some arrangements of well loved, familiar Galloway songs. The songs include some from weel kent characters not with us any more, Tommy Edgar MBE, Bunty Scott and Logan Patterson, as well as present local writers Christine Rae and Debra Hall, as well as members of the Ken Words writers group. "I can’t wait to share these songs with my choirs and singing group," said Kate Howard, choir leader and composer. The CD and book will be available at local outlets and via choir members. You can hear harmony versions of the songs by the CatStrand Singers by buying a CD or download at www. singingthegallowayglens. bandcamp.com Also available on the website is a download of harmony parts for the songs which can be found in the 'merchandise' section. There will be a small initial fee and after that they are free to copy for choirs to use. The CatStrand Singers have been meeting for twelve years and are a selfselecting group. There are no auditions and anyone can join. They’re always happy to welcome new members. The project has been supported by the Galloway Glens scheme and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The first performance of the songs will take place at CatStrand on the afternoon of Sunday the 16 October at 4pm. Glenkens Gazette page 7 CatStrand Highlights It seems that summer has flown by in a blink, as has my first year in post as arts, culture and heritage manager at CatStrand. However, not to worry, we have plenty to warm your cockles as the winter nights draw in. We are delighted to have secured another year of funding for our arts programme from Creative Scotland, making it 15 years in a row! We were awarded our full request, which is a testament to the huge amount of work by many people that goes into creating and delivering the Arts Programme, plus the quality of the acts that CatStrand attracts. So back to what's on...the National Theatre of Scotland have included us for two dates on their tour of May Sumbwanyambe’s play Enough of Him, based on the life of Joseph Knight, an African man who lived as a slave in Scotland in the 1700s. This performance will be captioned to improve accessibility for all. Paragon will host a one-day conference called All In about access and inclusion in the arts at CatStrand in early October. This will be a day of sharing experience and best practice, with a good element of performance included. We have more theatre in the form of Downs With Love, a funny and uplifting story of a love triangle between Beth - a young woman with Down’s Syndrome her carer Tracy, and Mark who plays the guitar in the pub. Jordan & Skinners' The Time Machine: A Radical Feminist Retelling promises a bold and irreverent reimagining of HG Wells science fiction classic. The day before the show the company will lead a theatre workshop, open to all. On Tuesdays from October through to December, New Galloway-based writer Dr ULTRASOUND PREGNANCY SCANNING Dairy & Sucklers; Ageing, Twin & Barren Detection. Trailer system includes triplets, marking and shedding. Pregnancy and number of pups. For bookings and info: Duncan Kennedy 07860 474001 dk@passcan.co.uk www.passcan.co.uk Sarah Thomas invites you to join her in the Icelandic tradition of Kvöldvaka. This tradition was born of winter nights when the days were short and work still to be done, but satisfied a thirst for literature and imagination. The sessions will be based around weekly live readings of Sarah’s ecological memoir The Raven's Nest, with the audience invited to knit, darn, spin, mend or draw whilst listening. If music is more your taste, we have you covered with gigs from world-class jazz saxophonist Tommy Smith, jazz duo Bancroft & Lynne, genre-crossing harpist singer and composer Esther Swift, the soonto-be folk legend that is Kris Drever, and finally Fraser Fifield and Graham Steven’s folk instrumentation & jazz guitar. The long-established Glenkens choir CatStrand Singers are also returning to the CatStrand fresh from the launch of their new album (see article on opposite page). Take a look at the What's On section on p34 or the ad below for more events or pick up our brochure, visit www.gcat.scot or join our mailing list for full details. Peter Renwick PROJECT IN FOCUS Glenkens Gazette page 8 Leaving a Lasting Legacy The Galloway Glens Scheme is working to ‘connect people to our heritage’, while boosting the local economy and supporting sustainable communities. It has been quite a ride, but there is no getting away from the fact that our delivery phase ends in September 2023 – in essence we only have a year left! Over the last four years it feels like the Galloway Glens Scheme has increasingly found where it fits in the local funding and community development network. We are an example of the Biosphere ‘In Action’, and what can happen when the amazing qualities of our region are harnessed to draw down national funding on a scale and with a focus to make a difference. Much discussion is underway about what happens when we go in September 2023, and working to maximise the legacy of the scheme. What do we mean by ‘legacy’? Legacy varies from who is going to look after the 'bricks and mortar' projects supported, through to who is going to make sure publications and partnerships generated from work undertaken are retained. Many projects supported through the Galloway Glens Scheme have a natural legacy partner – for instance National Trust for Scotland, Loch Ken Trust or Glenkens Community & Arts Trust. Other aspects to our legacy might suit our bigger and longer-term partners at the Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere. Over the next year you might notice us toning down the Galloway Glens ‘brand’ and beefing up the visibility of partners through our output. One positive to our departure is that we know we are going, and can plan accordingly. We want to leave partners and local communities keen to get involved in a similar initiative in the future. We are also working to measure the impact of the scheme. Yes, this means number of people at events, using footpaths and attractions supported, but also some of the harder to measure points, such as total spend with Dumfries & Galloway Businesses, increased confidence and knowledge about the local heritage. It is easier to count how many people were at an event than it is to work out if the event was actually enjoyable or useful. Some of the unintended positive consequences of the Galloway Glens Scheme have actually been the most rewarding – a local supplier we used going on to bid for work with other departments in Dumfries & Galloway Council, innovative approaches used in supported projects being adopted by others on the national stage. How we best capture and evidence these to support the development of future schemes will be key. As we step into our last year of operation, the scale of support received from so many places really hits home. From the funding from National Lottery Heritage Fund and partners such as Drax, the owners of the Galloway Hydro Scheme, through to the time and enthusiasm of volunteers working on projects. Onwards, the last 12 months beckon, and we have plenty still to do… The Biosphere Explorers project engaged children with the outdoors: Below left, children from Dalry Primary School plant trees at the Carsphairn Community Woodland. Below right, enjoying a Crichton Carbon Centre walk near New Galloway. Sponsored page, working in partnership W W W. G A L L O W AY G L E N S . O R G The Galloway Glens Team Working towards OUR CLIMATE & BIODIVERSITY FUTURE Glenkens Gazette The Galloway Glens Scheme is working really hard with partners to play our part in tackling the Climate & Biodiversity challenges that we all face, changing habits and reducing consumption. Dumfries & Galloway Council has set the ambitious target of being a net zero carbon region by 2025. With the COP26 Climate Change Conference taking place in Glasgow, this is a chance to review milestones from within the Galloway Glens Scheme so far... More than 12,000 electric vehicle miles travelled carsphairn 1,400 page 9 We’re all in this together, contact us with any queries you may have on climate or biodiversity and we will help or point you in the right direction. hectares of Galloway landscape under active management Supporting the Loch Ken Trust’s ʻLOCH KEN PLAN’, dalry aligning work around Loch Ken with all 17 of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals overseeing the THE CLIMATE READY KEN PROJECT, loch ken ‘Galloway Footsteps’ events committed to 1,900 fewer pieces of single-use plastic and a saving of tonnes of carbon Supporting National Trust for Scotland’s ground-breaking ʻTHREAVE LANDSCAPE RESTORATION PROJECT’ John Muir awards achieved, educating young people in the natural world castle douglas 11,000 The Galloway Glens Scheme is an initiative of the Council’s Environment Team. designing an adaptation toolkit for the Loch Ken community in the face of climate change native trees planted across the region by March 2022 Dedicated projects to support 3 of the Biosphere’s 37 school sessions undertaken by the Kirkcudbright HIGH FOCUS SPECIES PRIMARY FUNDER: THE GALLOWAY GLENS SCHEME IS OVERSEEN BY A PARTNERSHIP BOARD, INCLUDING: CRICHTON CARBON CENTRE’S ‘Biosphere Explorers’ education project Keep up to date with our latest news: WWW.GALLOWAYGLENS.ORG Glenkens Gazette page 10 Glen Gravel/Glen Glyde Wigtown is Book Town, Kirkcudbright is Artists Town and Castle Douglas is Food Town. When you are a town it seems easy to find an identity and many of us enjoy the reputations that each of these towns enjoy, but when you are a Glen…what then? You might argue that Dalry is Bird Town with the newly signposted Watson Trail, but I started to wonder if there is an identity in Glenkens that transcends one town or village; a collective identity. After all there is no question that the titles of Book Town, Artists Town and Food Town draw in revenue and investment. The answer I found was almost 100 miles north of New Galloway, in Aberfoyle... gravel! Aberfoyle has become known in cycling circles as Gravelfoyle. Gravel, for the uninitiated, is the middle ground between mountain biking and road riding; and it is quite a big middle ground. With trails ranging from well-groomed gravel paths to descents that rearrange your skeleton with vibration, gravel riders come in all shapes and sizes from those who appreciate a quiet ride in nature to thrill seekers looking to push the boundaries of what is possible on a bike. So perhaps your question is, if there is a Gravelfoyle why does Scotland need a Glen Gravel? It is a good question, and one worthy of an answer, but the Glenkens secret weapon is not gravel but glide. The Glenkens cycling landscape is equally well placed to deliver you at the coast on roads raced in the British Cycling national road cycling championships and Tour of Britain. Glenkens provides a Jekyll and Hyde experience for cyclists from the rolling roads by Loch Ken to bone-jarring escapades in the Galloway Forest Park; the sheer variety of riding to be had caters for most, if not all, and for those it doesn’t cater for we find ourselves flanked by the 7Stanes mountain bike trails. So why us? Well, to tell the truth, Gatehouse of Fleet has already hosted the first Raiders Gravel event sponsored by big bike brand Canyon, but it wasn’t big events that made Gravelfoyle. The Gravelfoyle destination brand and waymarked trails are a project operated by a local community interest company. The organisation is owned and operated by cycling enthusiasts local to Aberfoyle. Their aim was to develop a cycling-related infrastructure, grow participation and deliver the Trossachs as a cycle tourism hot spot, and most importantly to make cycling a key economic driver for the area. Cycling in Aberfoyle has been a boost for not only hospitality, but also independent bike shops, guides, community shops and beyond. All it takes for the Glenkens is a few keen bodies to start mapping routes to build momentum in establishing a reputation as the gateway to some spectacular rides both on and off road. Of course, you may not want to share the Jekyll and Hyde secret of Glenkens gravel and glyde, but if you fancy mapping some routes maybe we can start a movement? Alastair Lamb, alastair.l.lamb@gmail.com LOOK BEFORE YOU COOK With the Gazette's emphasis on growing your own fruit and vegetables and vegetable swapping and sharing, I thought other gardeners might find the following (true) cautionary tale amusing. Many years ago I worked in a college to the north east of London and each morning I gave two of my colleagues a lift to work. One of them, Joy, was a keen gardener and liked to grow vegetables so inevitably A D TIMBER SEASONED FIREWOOD FOR SALE HARDWOOD SOFTWOOD KINDLING LOCAL DELIVERY 07884262533 07787416460 the conversation often turned to what we were growing and eating. One morning it was brocolli. I told her that we had grown some really nice, dense heads of brocolli but couldn't cook them whole because they were occupied by big, squidgy green caterpillars which needed evicting. “We don't have that problem,” announced Joy confidently. “In all the years we've grown it I've never spotted a caterpillar on brocolli.” I had noticed that Joy wore glasses in the office but not outside so I asked, “Do you wear your glasses for cooking?” “No, of course not,” she replied, “I know all my recipes off by heart.” “Next time you cut a head of brocolli,” I suggested, “Put your specs on, cut it into small pieces and inspect it to see what's inside.” “Alright,” she agreed, “but I won't find anything. We just don't get caterpillars in ours.” A few days later I pulled up at the usual spot to find Joy looking a bit green about the gills. As she settled into the car her only words were, “I shall never, ever eat brocolli again!” Sue Wiseman Glenkens Gazette page 11 The Optimistic Environmentalist Making the Most of Our Food and Garden: Part 2 As well as for growing food, the garden is good for relaxing in, shading, playing in, or giving us visual or sensory stimulation whilst we're there or through pictures or perfumes. Make the most of your garden. For instance, use rose hips for drinks and salads; or elderberry flowers for fresh summer drinks or home-made wine. Herbs have multiple uses from cooking, scenting the home and healing eg mint for cooking and to make a tea to soothe the stomach or just enjoying; lavender for salads, scenting pillows or your home, or making an essential oil to treat infections. As well as decorations for the home, plants have uses eg willow for building barriers, structures for shelters, and furniture. Hedges are good for birds and insects and can separate spaces and make corridors. A food hedge is good for your kitchen and looks decorative. Remember these spaces are also home to many different living creatures and plants and their needs should be considered too. Giving the right amount of nutrients and water to the soil and plants is important. Use organic fertiliser by growing clover or comfrey, for instance, and learn how to apply these appropriately to the garden or compost. If you buy compost, use peat-free; peat bogs soak up carbon from the air and hold it in like a carbon sink, so are vital to our battle to reduce carbon. Use rainwater collected by you because it contains fewer chemicals than drinking water, eg no chlorine. Use plants that are good for pollinating insects such as open 'single' flowers for bee access and buddleia, loved by moths and butterflies. Install structures that will help everyone to coexist such as boxes for birds, bats, insects and other animals, or cages to keep your fruit protected whilst allowing animals to eat the rest. Reduce negative impacts - use organic or natural pesticides and leave small areas untouched for insects to use, in turn feeding birds. Plant varieties that are more pest or disease resistant. Put cardboard under trees or biodegradable membrane on soil so weeds can't grow through, or use a weed wand to burn weeds on a path. Encourage helpful species into your garden to reduce those you don't want hedgehogs, frogs and toads all eat slugs and snails. Buy encarsia formosa for your greenhouse, a harmless almost invisible wasp which kills white fly (www.rhs. org.uk/prevention-protection/biologicalcontrol-garden). Companion planting is the close planting of different plants that enhance each other's growth, protect each other from pests, help with pollination and provide habitat for beneficial insects. For instance, plant basil or onions with peppers, or peas or beans with potatoes. Be creative. Just because something is labelled as a weed does not mean that you can't use it for its beauty in a flower arrangement. However, be careful that you understand the plants so that you don't introduce weeds into your garden by mistake or poisonous plants where it would not be safe for children or animals. If you want to send flowers that aren't home-grown, buy UK-grown cut flowers rather than imported ones; this can save up to 7.9kg carbon per bunch. Use electric gardening tools such as battery-driven rather than petrol. If 21% of UK gardeners who use petrol power tools switched to green energy, it would save enough carbon to drive around the planet 29,820 times. Denise MacDonald-Kiernan Glenkens Gazette page 12 GLENKENS YOUTH GROUP The Glenkens Youth activity group is meeting on Monday evenings from 7-8.30pm at Dalry Community Centre this autumn. To tie into the Glenkens Food Month the young people have enjoyed decorating and eating cupcakes and truffles, as well as playing basketball, table tennis, board games and chilling out together. The activities in these sessions are based on the suggestions of the young people themselves so please share your ideas and I will do my best to put them into action. In October we will be making decorations for our Halloween party, and during the October holidays two day trips are planned - one to Dumfries to take part in a Mostly Ghostly Ghost walk and one to Flip Out Trampolining in Glasgow. The Glenkens Youth sessions are supported by Blackcraig wind farm community benefit fund, through the Glenkens & District Trist and Foundation Scotland, and are open to all Glenkens young people aged 11-19 (see poster on p30 for more details). Glenkens Youth activities, including the park meet-ups and the hugely popular Outdoor Fun & Filmmaking sessions held over the summer, are a response to the requests from local young people and families for more opportunities for young people in the area to get together and do sports, outdoor and youth-led activities. These activities wouldn’t have been possible without the help of a group of amazing volunteers who have given up their time for free to help out - a massive thank you goes out to all of them. Feedback from volunteers is that they enjoyed their time with the Glenkens Youth Gillespie Gifford & Brown LLP Solicitors and Estate Agents Dumfries & Galloway 01556 503744 www.ggblaw.co.uk All legal advice Offices in Castle Douglas, Dalbeattie Kirkcudbright and Dumfries We are looking for people to be part of a small team to look at youth provision in the Glenkens area and how we can take it forward. You could be a parent, carer, young person or represent an organisation. This would be minimal commitment - if you’re interested, please get in touch with Mary on 07967 959 511. group and would like to take part again. If you would like to help out at any of our sessions or would like to find out more please get in touch. I am always keen to hear about what young people in the area would like to do, including older young people who may be interested in volunteering or opportunities to build skills - you can contact me at youthwork.ling@gmail.com or phone/ text 07719 708 668 to join the Glenkens Youth Whatsapp group for information on all local youth events and activities. Olivia Donald, LING Youth Activity & Development Worker Pictured are young people decorating cakes at a Glenkens Youth session. Glenkens Gazette page 13 Ukranians in the Glenkens It can’t have escaped many people’s notice – the tragedy occurring in Ukraine. Nor, that there are now Ukrainians living amongst us in the Glenkens. People from Ukraine very much like their privacy and are unlikely to wish to speak about their life in Ukraine or the war, so in this article I won’t be naming any individuals or describing the events causing them to be here. Likewise, my comments are from what I have read and heard from hosts across southwest Scotland. In a previous article I wrote about how the people of the Glenkens have opened their homes to those fleeing oppression from the time of the Covenanters, to the two World Wars and now Ukraine. To my knowledge, in the Glenkens we currently have six adults and seven children with a further two adults and one child expected soon, in five family groups. Several of the children are now at school in Dalry. As a host of a family of three, I can tell you that I have yet to meet or even hear of a Ukrainian who plans to settle here. They want to return to their homeland as soon as it is safe. To this end some are holding on to their jobs in Ukraine and working remotely, and at the same time seeking and finding work in Scotland. Their Ukraine earnings becomes a pittance when they bring it to Scotland because of the awful exchange rate, that and their incredible work ethic explains the desire and need for a second job. Many are keeping their children enrolled in schools in Ukraine and children are doing their Ukrainian schoolwork remotely in addition to attending schools in this country and everyone is doing what English lessons they can. Some Ukrainians arrived in Scotland with little more than the t-shirts on their backs, and with clothes and footwear unsuited to the Scottish climate. The generosity of people in the Glenkens is worth the making of a film in itself. Without even asking, toys, clothes and donations of money have arrived but most touching of all are the small gifts that come with love, a home-made jar of jam, a baked desert or a cake. I don’t want to name any of the generous individuals but the charity shop in Dalry has been a big help with free clothes and toys, and a grant towards transportation costs. Both Mabie Farm Park and the Creetown Rock and Gem Museum have given free admission – I must admit that I am sometimes brazen in asking for a discount on my guests’ behalf, it means that what money we have can go that bit further. I am fortunate that I had spare rooms and was ‘up for’ a project following the death of my wife Betty in January. I expected that this would be my own effort, but how wrong I was. Friends, neighbours and parents of children at the school have rallied around to make my guests feel welcome and a larger circle of friends have given their time to help Ukrainians in the Glenkens with improving their conversational English (both parents and children). As to the bureaucracy and total incompetence of government officials, well – I could write a book. Suffice it to say, that seven weeks after arrival, we are still missing most of my family’s entitlement due to errors and delays in the system and our story is unfortunately far from unique. One surprise is that language is not the biggest handicap; that honour goes to cultural differences. I could not have imagined how it would be to share a house with people with such a different way of living. In Ukraine they have communal heating which is fixed price so turning up the heating a few degrees or long showers cost nothing over there. I have put my big foot in it more than once by failing to anticipate our differences. Another shock for them is how poor our health and dental services are compared with what is available in Ukraine. But having said all that, everyone can be part of the solution. If you see a Ukrainian walking around in the Glenkens (with or without their host), please introduce yourself and offer some basic conversation – this will help their English. Suggested topics: the weather (as always), traffic, price of food, local recipes, where have they been in Scotland, local events and even good places to forage for wild food. Let us hope that they soon get what they want – to return to a peaceful Ukraine. Slava Ukraini! Paul Goodwin SOPHIE'S POEM The Beach The waves, they dance In joyous ways They loop and swirl and prance Oh how I wish I were the sea So others could feel at one with me The birds, they fly Up in the sky They dive and flap and cry Oh how I wish I were a bird So I wouldn't have to speak a word The sand, it glimmers In the sun It blows and shines and glimmers Oh how I wish I were the sand So I to could be a heaven on land The Beach, it glows In the setting sun It's calming, relaxing, peaceful Oh what fun it'd be To spend a day at this heavenly and beautiful sea Glenkens Gazette page 14 ...News from the Banks of Loch Ken... The Loch Ken Ranger Service is leading the way as one of the first community-led ranger services in Scotland. The Ranger Service was set up by the Loch Ken Trust in April 2021 in a bid to protect and care for our natural environment. The Loch Ken Ranger Service covers both land and water activities. Our newest land ranger, Leanne Pumpr, was appointed in June with a post generously funded by the NatureScot’s Better Places Fund. OUR NEWEST LAND RANGER, LEANNE PUMPR, TELLS US A BIT ABOUT HERSELF water. At two-and-a-half he already has his priorities right! I started my career later in life and went back to study after having my children and gained a foundation degree in Creativity for Young Children. I have managed a family centre and worked in partnership with education, health care, social care and the RAF. We moved to New Galloway just over three years ago, closely followed by our expectant daughter and my mum (so much for our peaceful lives!). I worked with Capability Scotland as Child and Family coordinator and as part of my role I delivered and developed presentations within schools on the importance of wearing a cycle helmet; not just for cycling, but numerous sporting activities. I assisted Ken Scott and Mary Smith on the Loch Ken Trust education events and it ignited my passion further to be part of protecting our environment. Inspired by Ken and his font of knowledge, and spending time around the loch, has led me to where I am today. What do you love most about your role as land ranger? Being outdoors and being part of improving and sustaining the environment for future generations ‘Be Respectful of the What is your advice anyone planning to environment and toexplore and wild camp in and around Loch Ken? leave no trace’ I spent most of my childhood on a pair of water skis or on our cruiser on the local rivers down south.These days my pursuits are walking with our pack of hounds, paddle boarding, keeping fit and gardening. I have a passion for the outdoors and an interest in sustainability. My family consists of myself, Guy (whom you may start to see around volunteering alongside me), our two grown-up children and three grandchildren. Our grandson is an avid adventurer and is happiest trekking through the woods or being in the Describe what your job involves… Patrolling the loch, welcoming and educating visitors on responsible access, chatting to lovely people, clearing any rubbish left behind, working in partnership with landowners, hosting educational events and lots more. No two days are the same! Look at the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. Check notice boards around the loch for fire risk information. Be respectful of the environment, leave no trace and always fully extinguish campfires. To find out more about the work of the Loch Ken Trust visit www.lochken.org.uk Pictured: Above - Leanne adventuring with her grandson. Below - Leanne with fellow Loch Ken Ranger, Ken Scott. Glenkens Gazette page 15 10,000 Years of Galloway History in a Day BOOK LAUNCH After having been twice-delayed by the pandemic, The Early Peoples of Galloway conference scheduled for 2020 finally took place in September. Once again the CatStrand was sold out for a Glenkens Story event attracting an enthusiastic audience from near and far. Our eight expert speakers took us through 10,000 years of history in a day. Richard Tipping provided a breathtaking over view of the period as hunter gatherers arrived on the land stripped bare by ice. Dramatic events followed in succeeding millennia. Aurimė Bočkutė introduced us to the Mesolithic world of hunter gatherers and the challenge of interpreting scant evidence such as flint workings and shell middens (which also included human knuckle bones!). Andrew Nicholson, D&G’s own archaeologist, galloped us through the local record of finds, from the prehistoric to Roman times, revealing the rich heritage of our region. Several of his cup-and-ring mark finds were discovered when he sat on a carved rock by chance to enjoy a picnic. David Parsons interpreted the complex shifts of languages as different people moved through the area and the legacy left in place names - one of our best tools for interpreting the deep past. Ronan Toolis introduced us to the age of the early Britons and the Kingdom of Rheged whose capital might well have been at Trusty’s Hill at Gatehouse of Fleet. Adrián Maldonado introduced us to the ‘late antiquity’ period which saw early Christian settlement in Scotland. The four conference sessions were chaired by Michael Ansell, Lizanne Henderson, Margaret Elphinstone and David Bartholomew. David introduced the final lectures, covering the burial of the Galloway Hoard, by explaining that he had been present when a detectorist companion made the discovery on historic church land. Orla Craig explained that her PhD research was examining the significance of the location, pursuing a theory that the area around Balmaghie was a “debatable land” and centre of an ecclesiastical power struggle. Alex Woolf rounded up the conference with speculation on who was really in power in what is now Galloway at the end of the first Christian millennium. Staging the conference was a major challenge but the CatStrand staff and volunteers rose to the occasion and the In 2018 the Glenkens Story staged a conference titled Galloway: The Lost Province of Gaelic Scotland. A book of the proceedings - with the same title - was published on the day of this year’s conference with the first copies on sale. The book was edited by Michael Ansell, Ronald Black and the late Ted Cowan. It is published by John Dewar Publishers and is available from CatStrand priced £19.99. Glenkens Story, along with the speakers and attendees, greatly appreciated the warmth and efficiency of the welcome and the high standard of catering. The success of the conference was also a tribute to the inspirational contribution by the late Ted Cowan to the planning of the event. Mike Brown & Michael Ansell, Glenkens Story Steering Group Glenkens Community Shop Latest Grants The Glenkens Community Shop is pleased to have made its second round of grants since life has, more or less, returned to normal. Recipients included Loch Ken Dragon Boats, Clachan Crafters (a new group starting September in Dalry), Balmaclellan Heritage Group, LING, Youth Group Sports, Community Café, Dalry, Dalry Community Cupboard, Lorna Willock's Health & Weight classes (also new this autumn, based in Dalry), LING Community Inclusion Activities, Ken Words Writers Group and Dalry Film Club. We’re so pleased to be able to give out grants again, and will welcome applications for the next round. The closing date for this is Saturday 26 November and application forms will be available in the shop from the end of October. Grants are for sums of up to £500. Applicants should be either interest groups based in the Glenkens or individuals with projects which will benefit the Glenkens community. As you can see from the list, these are many and varied! The shop is now open three full days a week – Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays - from 10am to 4pm. Do drop in sometime, we’d love to see you! The Community Shop Team Linda Garretty from the St Margaret's Guild manning the tombola at the Alternative Games which raised £250 for the local Food Train (see p27 for article on this year's Games). Glenkens Gazette CatStrand Xmas Panto CatStrand Youth Players are delighted to bring a very busy and successful year to a close with their latest panto Sinbad Sails Again by Paul Reakes. The drama season lasted much longer than usual this year with the unprecedentedly successful run of the Youth Players’ production of Lockdown which reached the Scottish Final at Bathgate in June, finishing in second place. After a short break over the summer months, rehearsals are already underway for the popular page 16 Christmas pantomime which will take to the stage on Friday 9, Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 December. Sinbad Sails Again is a brand new script by our favourite panto author Paul Reakes: it promises to be another hilarious show! The storyline is almost like a sequel to the famous stories of Aladdin and Sinbad with both characters taking centre stage in the plot which involves Crossbones the pirate and his henchmen as the baddies and even Abanazar reappears from his exile to join in with the skullduggery. Sinbad’s mother Semolina and his brother Ali plus a few of their friends including Molly the monkey Lunch at Kitty's add to the chaos but of course the Genie of the Lamp reappears to sort everything out and he ensures that everything ends happily ever after! Tickets will go on sale soon and be sure to book early to avoid disappointment as they will sell out very quickly! The Youth Players Successful Late Night Openings The CatStrand late-night openings on Fridays through July and August were a huge success, enjoyed by many. New Galloway Town Hall’s LING Lunches have moved across the road to Kitty’s Tea Room. A huge thank you to Sylvia for her kindness and generosity towards supporting LING and our community. We’ll be there while the renovations are in process at the Town Hall. Lunches will still be served on Tuesdays between 12.30pm and 2pm. The everchanging menu will be displayed in the window and on LING’s Facebook. Angie, LING’s Community events and activities inclusion manager, and our volunteers look forward to seeing you all there! The LING Team The sharing platters were a highlight, as were the varied musical accompaniments. It was also a great chance to showcase our new bar, installed over the summer by NDH Joinery thanks to a very kind donation. It’s an excellent addition to our café and displays our fine selection of drinks to great effect! As the autumn draws in, we will be moving to monthly late openings instead of weekly, and the dates for your diary for the next few months are: 16 October – along with a Men’s Shed Quiz Night 4 November – along with a Youth Open Stage Night 1 & 2 December –along with our Xmas Shopping Nights Do feel free to come for a drink and hang out, even if you’re not coming to the events. Thanks to all who came along this summer, we did enjoy having you, and we hope to see you all again this autumn. Brian Edgar David Tallontire CHIMNEY SWEEP Covering the Glenkens & further afield 07709 144 299 - wood burners - multi-fuel stoves - open fires - Agas - Rayburns - birds nest removal with CCTV inspection - certificates issued - feel free to call for advice - Find me on Facebook N ew Galloway Golf Club Founded Foun ded 1902 www.ng www.n g gc.co.uk - 01644 420737 Buggies now available for hire VISITORS AND NEW MEMBERS WELCOME Kindling available Glenkens Gazette page 17 OLD FRIENDS I learned to use a sewing machine when I was five; my mother taught me to make clothes for my toys, and the memory is still sharp after seventy years. For my generation this was a crucial skill; my friends and I started making our own clothes in our early teens, and it progressed from there. Our machines followed us through life, marking important times: soft furnishings for a new house, baby clothes, dresses and toys, repairs and renewals. My mother taught me on an old Singer hand-cranked machine, heavy and slow, but sturdy - it had already come through the female line for three generations, with my mother having acquired it from her Great Aunt Maud. I progressed to a brand-new Bernina in 1972, to make curtains for our first house. It was top of the range at the time; I wanted it to last… It did last - half a century of family service - but I was devastated when, in the middle of lockdown when I needed it most, it developed its first problem and became unusable. Worse still, I had run out of people prepared to service my ‘vintage’ machine, my old friend. Last year, people might have witnessed an old lady doing a dance of joy in New Galloway High Street. There, in a window near the post office, was an old Singer, and on it a notice offering to mend and restore old sewing machines. John Johnes offers this service for pre1980s machines. My Bernina was saved! John found parts on the internet, gave it a thorough overhaul and had it back to me within a week. John donates all fees to the New Galloway Town Hall Restoration Fundraiser Appeal and has so far raised over £1,000, which attracted match funding from the UK Government Community Ownership Grant Fund. John also restores and re-sells antique and vintage machines, and has some fine examples, mostly hand-cranked Singers. They are beautiful objects in their own Family and friends coming to stay? Short of space? Cosy country cottage available (sleeps 4) Call Fiona on 01644 420 227 www.covenanters-holidaycottagescotland.co.uk right and non-sewers have also bought them, just to enjoy their presence. Chatting with John and his wife, Catrin, this ‘presence of an old family friend’ seemed to be a recurring theme. Catrin’s 1937 Singer Singer sewing machines were made at Kilbowie, Clydeside was passed down from 1884 until the factory closed in 1980. This beautiful to her from her 1929 Singer 99K is typical of the robust construction and grandmother and mother; the handle ornate decoration. The oldest machine to pass through of the hand-cranked John’s hands was an 1897 Singer 128K and its owner is machine worn smooth delighted to have it back in working order. by three generations. She finds the family line going from my great-great Aunt associations and Maud, through six generations. Another gentle rhythms soothing in times of client has bought a Singer to give for her stress. niece’s 21st birthday, to launch her into a John’s clients had similar affectionate fashion course at Kings’ College, London. stories to tell. They value the continuity, Hopefully, these will be the foundation for and the family memories brought by the ‘Old Friends’ of the future. using it: making bunting for a family Annie Graham wedding, transforming a new kitchen with bright curtains, a quilt for a first-born, John Johnes can be contacted at making garden cushions during lockjjohnes@gmx.com or 07731 548 626. down… Several people also mentioned how their machines enable them to re-cycle and reuse materials. This was secondnature to my generation, and we are anxious to pass on these skills of selfsufficiency and conservation. Happily, several of John’s clients are passingon to next generations. Catrin has taught her daughters and Cllr John Denerley laid a wreath at Carsphairn War Memorial in I have been memory of the late Queen Elizabeth II on Friday 16 September. teaching my Pictured are Cllr Denerley (centre) with a group of villagers who great-niece, attended to pay their respects to our late sovereign. keeping the 唀瀀栀漀氀猀琀攀爀礀Ⰰ 䰀漀漀猀攀 䌀漀瘀攀爀猀Ⰰ 䘀愀戀爀椀挀猀Ⰰ 䌀甀猀栀椀漀渀猀 刀攀昀椀氀氀攀搀 䘀爀攀攀 䔀猀琀椀洀愀琀攀猀 吀栀攀 圀漀爀欀猀栀漀瀀Ⰰ 䴀漀渀礀戀甀椀攀Ⰰ 䌀漀爀猀漀挀欀⸀ 䐀䜀㜀 ㌀䐀夀 眀眀眀⸀䠀愀爀爀椀猀ⴀ唀瀀栀漀氀猀琀攀爀礀⸀挀漀⸀甀欀 ㄀㘀㐀㐀 㐀㐀 㔀㈀㤀 Did you know..? We have a Self Service Laundrette behind the community shop Open 8am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and from 9am to 3pm on Sundays Glenkens Gazette page 18 sponsored by If you would like to list something on this page, please get in touch on 07727 127 997 or glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk FREE Double synthetic fibre duvet, not much used. Machine washable. Contact: Sue on 07563 718 011 Used kitchen units available from 24 October. Contact: Gerry on 07952 507 108 Supermarket trolley style barbecue on wheels, little used. Brand new bike tyre, Kenda Desert, size 50-559 26x1.95. Contact: Alan on 07769 680 938 Magimix spiraliser attachment, came as a special offer, never used. Contact: sandjharvie@ gmail.com WANTED Computer monitor/flat screen TV for use with Xbox/Playstation. Contact: Sarah on 07727 127 997 Double bed size divan base with drawers. Contact: 01644 460 673 Miniature Painting. By mistake I gave away a miniature painting on an easel to the Dalry Charity Shop. It's only about two inches high. Did you by chance buy such a painting from the shop in April? I would dearly love to have it back as it was painted by a relative. Cost reimbursed plus a reward and my undying thanks. Contact: Paul on 07973 174 342 Chest freezer. Contact: Tony on 07507 704 821 Old lawn mowers/strimmers/ other small machinery. Nonrunners/broken welcome. Contact: 07845 562 217 FOR SALE Wooden fire surround, 56in wide, 49in tall, as new condition. Offers around £100. Contact: 07521 902 567 HOME WANTED IN THE GLENKENS We are seeking to buy a home with 2-3 bedrooms and 3-5 acres of land, somewhere in the Glenkens. Horse manure, rotted and fresh, no weed killers used. Dig your own from a large heap, bring sacks or trailer. Contact: 07889 229 340 Anywhere and any condition considered please help us to stay in the Glenkens! Contact: Abi and Bruce on 07340 531506 or abi@mordin.net Youth Intern We are really excited to welcome our new intern, Phoebe Watt, to the CatStrand Arts Team. Phoebe's background is film, having done a degree in Film and Media before studying a Masters in Film Curation, and she will be working with us for the next six months. Phoebe has previously volunteered with the youth-led Climate Crisis Film Festival, and during her Film Curation degree she also worked with the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival. Both festivals aim to challenge audiences’ perspectives on complex issues such as climate change and mental health, particularly by illuminating the diverse range of underrepresented voices of those who are impacted. Phoebe says: "I’m so excited to be joining the team and really looking forward to getting involved. I would like to increase younger audiences’ engagement with cinema and the arts through diverse programming that reflects the concerns and interests of my generation." This role is supported by The Holywood Trust’s core support of the CatStrand Young Creatives programme and by the Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership. Peter Renwick and Cat Campbell, CatStrand Glenkens Gazette page 19 sponsored by Meet the Producers Glenkens Food Hub coordinators, Lesley and Tamsin, were delighted with the event held at New Galloway Town Hall in September as part of Glenkens Food Month. The community had the opportunity to come and talk to producers about how they grow, farm or make their products. All the producers are based within 30 miles of the Glenkens and operate in an environmentally friendly and humane way, with a focus on rare breeds and using local ingredients. Abi from Hidden Veg had a delicious beetroot salad and kale pesto to taste. Hidden Veg follows agro-ecological and permaculture principles and aims to produce no waste and to offer affordable produce. Francis from Baile Curriach, a small farm near Dalbeattie, came to talk about their rare breed Shetland cattle. They are passionate about preserving this breed and manage them in a sustainable way, with the cows and nature at the forefront. The herd are purely grass fed, producing high quality beef which tastes how beef used to taste! Beans Greens is a radically simple, yet innovative, set-up. They grow healthy, tasty microveg from organic seeds in peat-free compost. The Glenkens Food Hub 'Meet the Producer' event at New Galloway Town Hall. Some of these greens have forty times the pastries, savouries, and cakes he offers. nutrient density of their fully grown equivalent! They can be Galloway Pasta were the most local scattered on salads, sprinkled on soup, of our producers, with Andrew making mixed into an omelette, added on top of the pasta at The Smiddy café on the High your cheese-on-toast and much more. Street in New Galloway. Ruth from Low Auldgirth Steading A selection of cheeses was also available joined us from her regenerative, organic to try, kindly donated by another Glenkens small holding near Thornhill. They work Food Hub producer, The Ethical Dairy. with traditional breeds of pigs, such as We are having a festive 'Meet the Oxford Sandy and Black, and Ryeland and Producer' tasting event at the end of Gotland sheep, from which they also sell November, date TBC. Follow us on the wool and fleeces. Facebook, sign up to our newsletter or Tom from Earth’s Crust Bakery in look out for posters for more details. Castle Douglas has been baking and www.openfoodnetwork.org.uk/glenkenscatering for a long time, and does so in food-hub/shop Tamsin and Lesley a thoughtful and considered way. This is The Glenkens Food Hub is supported highlighted in the ingredients he chooses, by the Blackcraig wind farm community the healthful and tasty sourdough bread benefit fund, through the Glenkens & selection, and in the wide range of District Trist and Foundation Scotland. Glenkens Gazette page 20 One Hundred Skylarks, and More... What a difference it made leaving the French windows open and letting evening birdsong, on the cool air after rain, into the Smiddy as we launched 'Over Holm and Hill - a Year Poetry-walking a Birdscape'. The exhibition, which ran from 25 June to 22 July, was the creative culmination of a seasonal cycle of poetry walks on the ‘Donald Watson Bird Walk’ in the countryside around Dalry, led by local bird expert Chris Rollie and Ken Words project co-ordinator, Jane McBeth. The walks, and accompanying writing workshops in Dalry Town Hall, prompted a richness of original material which was curated in a sequence that wrapped round the walls of the gallery space, giving viewers both pleasure and pause. If you missed the exhibition, you can catch up with it in January in the café gallery at Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries. Meanwhile, throughout October Ken Words have another poetry-walk inspired exhibition on the walls – this time in the CatStrand Gallery. ‘Polmaddy and the Rhinns - The Beholding Eye’ runs from 3 to 29 October and invites viewers to reflect on the way we come to understand and perceive this landscape. If you have any queries about either exhibition, please contact project co-ordinator Jane McBeth at jane. kenwords@gmail.com Ken Words is a Glenkens Communities & Arts Trust project, supported by the Galloway Glens and Creative Scotland funding. The Glenkens Scouts The Glenkens Cub Scout Pack were delighted to receive a 'thank you' letter from the Queen's ladyin-waiting in response to the platinum jubilee celebratory cards we made for Her Majesty. The Cubs would like to thank you for supporting our stall at this year's Alternative Games by donating and buying; we raised £78.70. It was amazing to have the Games revived after Covid, and to see so many people having fun and making old and new friendships. A lot of work goes on beforehand to make it such a success, and we thank everyone involved, even though James did promise I would win the Grand National Snail Race - maybe next year James! (See article on p27 for more on the Games). We are on the lookout for two Beaver Leaders if anyone is interested. I am sure Diana and Tim, if available, would help you get started. Beavers are between the ages of six and eight. Heather, Hannah, Doug & Ben Pictured to the right is the letter received from the Queen's lady-inwaiting. TOWN HALL TRANSFER FINALISED Local Initiatives in New Galloway (LING) is delighted to announce that it has now taken asset transfer of New Galloway Town Hall from D&G Council. The building is held in trust for the benefit of the community – both those resident in New Galloway and Kells and across the wider Glenkens. Our thanks to the Council for their support over the several years it has taken to bring this about. There was a last-minute hiatus when dry rot was identified, but the council have guaranteed to treat, repair and restore and are working impressively fast and collaboratively with LING to coordinate the work taking place in the hall – and to maximise our capacity to stay open for activities at the same time. Now that we have ownership of the building, the grant funding we have secured (totaling over £300,000) can begin to be released to us, with the planned renovations and refurbishment taking place between now and Christmas. Thanks go to the several grant-funding bodies who have been so patiently waiting for asset transfer to finally be achieved. Their encouragement, advice and support, in some cases over many years, has been invaluable to us. They include: The UK Community Ownership Fund; The Glenkens and District Trust; The Garfield Weston Foundation; The National Lottery Community Fund; The Pilgrim Trust; The Architectural Heritage Fund; The Winnifred Ann Kennedy Trust; The Robertson Trust; The Galloway Association of Glasgow; The Hugh Fraser Trust; and the Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership Scheme. Anne Glaister Glenkens Gazette page 21 The villages of the Glenkens sit among some of the highest conservation value areas in southwest Scotland. The landscapes and incredible biodiversity of this region were recognised internationally in 2012 with the award of ‘UNESCO Biosphere’ status to more than 5,200km² of Galloway and Southern Ayrshire. In the decade since its designation, the Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere (GSAB) has been working to widen understanding of our local environments and how we can approach climate change impacts and the global nature crisis. Alongside this remit GSAB aims to help local people connect with the exceptional natural beauty that lies on our very doorsteps. Out and About in the Biosphere fall. He says: "I am one of the project support officers and have been in the role since July. I recently graduated with a First Class BSc (Hons) in Wildlife Conservation Management from SRUC and am an avid biological recorder and amateur photographer in my free time. For anyone who hasn’t done so before I recommend taking a closer look at some of the Biosphere’s marvellous moths!" The best way to observe moths is to create or buy a moth trap. The charity Butterfly Conservation provides an excellent and easy-to-follow guide; simply google ‘budget bucket moth trap Butterfly Conservation’ and voilà your new hobby as a lepidopterist has begun. Several exciting moths have grass verges. Many of the upland species of dragonfly can be observed in autumn including the golden-ringed dragonfly, common hawker and black darter. For the avid enthusiast, the nationally vulnerable azure hawker can be found at the southernmost part of its UK range in remote blanket bogs in the Galloway hills. There are records of azure hawkers at Silver Flowe, one of the Biosphere’s Core Areas – this highlights the value of our UNESCO designation for threatened species. Now to glorious galls. Autumn provides perfect conditions to find galls. A gall is in essence a benign tumour, created as a reaction of a plant’s tissues to damage from a feeding or egg-laying insect or fungus. One of the commonest ones to find is the ubiquitous oak marbled gall which, as the name suggests, grows on oaks, and these were once used to dye leather and cloth. The bedeguar gall is a spectacular sight to behold and grows on dog rose, caused by a group of wasp larvae. Finally, look for the oak knopper gall, a colonist from the 1960s which chemically induces acorns to mutate to provide a safe space for the larvae to develop. As the colours of autumn evolve around us it is almost instinctive to be drawn to the big visual dramas of our changing seasons, but there is plenty to discover in the micro world below. The Biosphere team includes specialists in land use and biodiversity who are working with farmers, landowners, and landbased enterprise across the Glenkens and beyond, encouraging the adoption of nature-friendly practice in land management. Among the Biosphere’s projects and partnerships are those designed to support our essential pollinators – bees, butterflies, beetles and more – creatures with brief and precious lifespans. As the colours of autumn evolve around us it is almost instinctive to be drawn to the big visual dramas of our changing seasons, but there is plenty to discover in the micro world below. Malcolm Haddow is one of the newest members of ‘Team GSAB’ and shares here some of the smaller natural treasures we might spot in the Glenkens as days shorten and leaves begin to been recorded in the Glenkens: among our autumnal species, look for the canary-shouldered thorn, august thorn, large wainscot, frosted orange and green-brindled crescent. Moths have undergone a marked decline in recent decades and by recording moths in your local area you can contribute knowledge to national databases, help track trends in populations, and play a part in achieving the Biosphere’s objectives in conservation. From marvellous moths we move on to dashing dragonflies! As vegetation begins to die back we are provided with ideal conditions to watch dragonflies. One of the last species to emerge, the migrant hawker, has only recently colonized Scotland. It readily breeds in any unpolluted standing water. Watch for migrant hawkers on patrol over vegetation at woodland edges and along Autumn is a prime time to watch local wildlife and I hope we have inspired you to appreciate some of our smaller denizens. If you find any of the species mentioned above, please record them on iRecord or iNaturalist as it has never been more important to monitor our local wildlife than now. The Biosphere’s Land Use & Biodiversity team is available to advise on projects large or small including garden areas, community green spaces, and farming or land-based businesses. They are contactable at mary@gsabiosphere.org.uk with more information available at www. gsabiosphere.org.uk Pictured, left to right: canary-shouldered thorn moth; bedeguar gall; Migrant Hawker dragonfly © Malcolm Haddow. Glenkens Gazette page 22 Community Plea to Save School Dumfries and Galloway Council is proposing, subject to the outcome of the statutory consultation process, to discontinue education provision at Carsphairn Primary School, reassigning its catchment area to that of Dalry Primary School. The community of Carsphairn want the school to maintain its 'mothballed' status, leaving the opportunity for the school to open if enough children wish to attend. “We are currently in a 'catch 22' with the children presently in Carsphairn school catchment going to either Dalry, Kells or Moniaive primary schools due to the fact that Carsphairn isn't currently an option and, furthermore, it has proved impossible for parents to enrol their child in Carsphairn,” says Liz Holmes, Carsphairn Community Council chair. She goes on to say: "There are children in Carsphairn who wanted to attend Carsphairn school after it was mothballed but found it impossible. At a meeting held in February 2019 it was agreed to temporarily mothball the school from August 2019, and that if new pupils arrived then they could request to be enrolled at the school, dependant on there being availability of suitable staff. This has clearly not been the case, as parents have been unable to enrol their child at Carsphairn school, which means that we were given misleading and incorrect information at this meeting." Carsphairn Community Council is currently working with South of Scotland Community Housing to create affordable housing in Carsphairn, either in or north of the village, within the next few years. The aim is to regenerate the community of Carsphairn through a number of strands, one of which is family housing. Having a school is key to the sustainability of the village and outlying areas in terms of its appeal to families, especially due to its remote location. Owing to the pandemic, there has been a trend of people moving to more rural areas like the Glenkens and there will almost certainly be a demand for our school as this trend continues." Liz goes on to say: “Continuing to have the school mothballed would give the community the opportunity to regenerate, and it appears to cost the Council very little to keep the school in a ‘mothballed’ state. We would appreciate support from anyone who would like to submit their views on the Members of the community have a petition running to gather support to keep the school open which has already gathered over 300 signatures - visit www.change.org to sign. matter, and which may help prevent the school closure.” To submit your views, or find out more, visit dumgal. gov.uk/consultations or email statutoryconsultation@dumgal.gov.uk before 5pm on Friday 4 November. Glenkens - Producers' Market Shop online: www.ballardsbutchers.co.uk Email: shop@ballardsbutchers.co.uk Tel: 01556 502 501 Free Local Delivery Tues & Fri (orders over £20) Wide Variety of Local Produce Butcher Meat Fruit & Veg Milk & Bread Available to order 2nd Saturday Monthly Dalry Town Hall, 10am-1pm - 8th October & 12th November - ...fresh vegetables, baked goods, preserves, bread, fresh meat, smoked products, cheese, Galloway pasta and artisan cider, chocolates, handmade crafts, gift cards, plants... * Save Fuel - Shop Local * Want to know what’s going on? Then visit www.dalrytownhall.co.uk Glenkens Gazette page 23 A Carsphairn Lass: Part II Recollections by Betty McNally When the war broke out there were lots of soldiers around and planes flying over us. We saw many crashes in the areas. There was one in the glen towards Dalmellington where 11 British soldiers were killed and one in Loch Doon where a Czech pilot was killed. Parts of that plane were moved to the Aviation Museum in Dumfries. At night there were a lot of German planes going over to bomb Clydebank. One night we were coming home from the pictures in Dalmellington, the heather and grass round our house was all on fire. This was caused by German bombers dropping incendiary bombs after a bombing raid. we encountered a carry-on at Lagwyne. The army had staged a mock battle and had “blown up" the bridge over the Deugh, but they had built a Bailey bridge over the river so we could get to school. I remember twelve men from the Home Guard guarding the bridge as it was rumoured that the Germans were coming. I remember the Show at Carsphairn on the first Saturday in June. There were lots of animals and birds, hens, bantams, and pigeons in the McMorran’s byre. There was a man who lived in a warm room above where the cows were. I think it was the Randall sisters who had the hotel at that time. The hall was well used with concerts and whist drives. I remember the Popplewells, the owners of the Gaiety Theatre in Ayr, coming to judge a beauty competition. My sister was first, I was second and Jean Kirk was third. We were all very pleased. It was a really busy place with people coming down from Ayr and Glasgow. To me that was a long, long way. My birthday was on Christmas Day and Mum always gave the family a party. I always wanted a bike, but my parents said they couldn't afford one. There was one in a shop window in Dalmellington, and I watched that bike for weeks. On Christmas morning I came downstairs and there was the bike in the livingroom. I burst into tears – I was 14 and that was the first time I found out there was no Santa! Lots of children and mothers came to stay in Carsphairn during the war. Our The Home Guard marching along Carsphairn's main A713 road When I left during the war, courtesy of the Carsphairn Archive. evacuees, a school, I went mother with to work with three wee the Campbells boys, came We went to the village every at the Holm and then I went to from Clydebank but there were Sunday to the Sunday School. train as a nurse at Seafield Hospital two boys from Jersey at Drumjohn. We had only one bike between in Ayr. After that I went to work When all the tanks were about, my mother and me, so we took it at Lamloch, looking after the my mother spent her time on the in turns to ride it or run behind. McMillan children. I got married to girdle making scones and pancakes The Church service was held after William McNally in 1948 in Dalry for everybody. In return we would Sunday School, so we stayed for it. get chocolate and rations from the We were scared of Mrs Sievewright, Church. The service was conducted by both Reverend Mullo Weir, soldiers. Just before Christmas the minister’s wife, who always the Dalry minister, and Reverend one year, one of the Churchill wore a large hat and sat in the Sievewright. William was Dalry tanks crashed near Stroma. It front pew. When Mr Sievewright born-and-bred and he had been in went upside down and six men was away during the war, Mr Tidd the army throughout the war. I was were inside it. They were rescued came by bus from Glasgow to take 18 when I got married and moved and came to Stroma. We thought the weekly service. into the house that my husband that they might have to spend Carsphairn was a very busy little bought for us. Christmas with us, but they were village. We had two shops - Mrs collected before it. Submitted by Frank McHugh, shared Blyth’s and Lawrence’s. The Post courtesy of the Doon Valley Gazette Going to school one morning Office and hotel were also busy. Glenkens Gazette CiC Autumn Update The Connecting in Communities (CiC) team at Glenkens Community & Arts Trust (GCAT) has been continuing to deliver an exciting and diverse programme of events aimed at bringing people together across the Glenkens and wider district. A current highlight is the new Wellbeing Road Shows that are running in various locations in the area and aim to be a onestop shop for improving wellbeing. You can see the full October programme on the opposite page at www.gcat.scot and on our social media channels. As well as our regular programme, September was a busy month as the team partnered with the Biosphere in delivering Carbon Literacy training, supported the GCAT team effort on the Ken Bridge 200 celebrations and took over the baton of Glenkens Food Month from New Galloway Community Enterprises. Some fabulous events there that we hope you enjoyed – and do look out for the next ones coming. The more behind-the-scenes work of CiC lies in supporting volunteers and volunteer organisations, and we are THE MEN'S SHED The Men's Shed has appointed a social secretary, Walter Starritt, who is busy trying to organise activities to get Shed members out and about. So far we have arranged a Quiz Night at the CatStrand on Friday 14 October at 7.30pm. Please come along - nonShed members are very welcome. We are looking to hold an open day on Saturday 2 October between 10am and 3pm for potential new members to come and have a taste of making things that we can sell at the CatStrand Christmas Shopping Nights on the 1 and 2 December. This will be linked with a barbecue for those who have worked up an appetite - if we can find a chef... page 24 looking forward to a joint project with New Galloway & Kells Community Council to get information about the local help available to us all over the winter out to outlying households, amongst other ideas and other organisations. We’ve also been continuing our work on assessing what the community development needs for the Glenkens and district will be in 2023+, and how CiC can support those. There are some clear emerging themes from the work so far, such as lifelong education and skills, community arts and community engagement, but if you have other thoughts and ideas, we’d love to hear from you on lisa@catstrand.com. We aim to have a draft plan available for review early in the New Year so that we can work on implementing it before the current phase of CiC ends in June 2023. Lisa Ridley, CiC Project Lead Walter has provisionally booked a venue for hosting the Men's Shed Christmas meal. We are going to Nikos, in Castle Douglas, on Friday 16 December at 7.30pm. We are hoping for plenty of support from Shed members and partners, and will try to arrange transport. Other suggestions have been a Golf Day, and visits to the Sulwath Brewery and/or the Bladnoch Distillery. Other suggestions welcome! Please keep an eye on the Glenkens Mens’ Shed Facebook page for more activities as they are arranged. For further information you can contact me at Leach at t_leach1@sky.com Tom Leach Photo of the Issue ...Sponsored by the Stockbridge Mac & Cheese Co This issue’s winner is Susan Currie with a lovely photo of Buddie among the bluebells. Susan wins two portions of mac and cheese from our competition sponsors, the Balmaclellanbased Stockbridge Mac & Cheese Co. Company owner and competition judge, Hannah Gould, said: "We love Buddie in the bluebells - it made us smile!" To enter you can send in any photograph taken in the Glenkens to glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk Glenkens Gazette page 25 FREE ACTIVITIES OCTOBER ACTIVITY PROGRAMME All these activities are FREE & open to people with no experience or some experience. All equipment will be provided. Most activities will run in small groups so BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL - see contact details below PHOTOGRAPHY IN FOCUS LGBT + FRIENDLY ‘ SAFE SPACE CAFÉ ’ Tuesdays: 4th, 11th, 18th & 25th | 10am-12pm The Smiddy, Balmaclellan plus ‘out in the field’ Expert tuition to bring your photography knowledge and skills into focus Saturday 15th | 5pm - 7pm CatStrand Café Drop by for an informal early evening of drinks, snacks and conversation UKULELE WORKSHOPS CHAIR YOGA Wednesdays: 5th, 12th, 19th & 26th | 6pm-7.30pm The Smiddy, Balmaclellan Bring rhythm into your life with our informal Ukulele workshops Fridays: 7th, 14th, 16th, 21st & 28th | 2pm - 3pm The Smiddy, Balmaclellan Suitable for beginners, gentle introduction to physical and mental benefits. ARTistry OCTOBER’S AUTUMN WALK IN NATURE Thursdays: 6th, 13th, 20th & 27th | 10am -12.30pm The Smiddy, Balmaclellan Develop your creative skills in life drawing Contact Leto: letosef@yahoo.com Sunday 23rd 10.00am-12.30pm Meeting at Dalry Town Hall. Easy to moderate walk to Mulloch, spotting autumnal birds and early winter visitors. PLAY READINGS PUDDING CLUB Thursdays 6th & 20th | 7pm-9pm The Smiddy, Balmaclellan Come and dip your theatrical toes into a fun evening of play reading, sampling a variety of characters and dramatic situations, in a friendly and welcoming space. Monday 24th | 6.30pm-8.30pm CatStrand Cafe Bring along your favourite Autumnal or Halloween style pudding, share flavours and recipes. OPEN MIC NIGHT Thursday 13th | 7pm - 10pm CatStrand Performers free / Audience £5 includes a tot of whisky on arrival for Dutch Courage! IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS OF WHAT ACTIVITIES YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPENING IN YOUR COMMUNITY, PLEASE DO GET IN TOUCH AND WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO MAKE THEM HAPPEN BOOKING ESSENTIAL For more information or to reserve your place, please call the CatStrand on 01644 420 374 between the hours of 11am - 4pm, or email jo@catstrand.com Glenkens Gazette page 26 Can You Help Save the MUGA The Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) beside Dalry School is partway through an asset transfer, but needs more hands on deck to take things forward. Would you be willing to give some time to pursuing the next stage of the transfer from the Council to the Dalry Community Properties Trust, getting the MUGA fit for use once the transfer is completed and/or organising user groups once it's up and running? The MUGA is a brilliant asset to the communities of the Glenkens with a full size court suitable for tennis, basketball, badminton or other games, floodlights for dark winter evenings, and a great space for the schools to utilise. Meetings of a working group can be held in person or by Zoom, to suit members, but we do need enough people willing to help - let's secure this space for the Glenkens communities into the future! If anyone is interested in supporting the MUGA, please either call Angie Bradford on 07766 476 125 or email Sarah Ade on sarah.ade@gmail.com CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK Introducing D&G Scottish Communities Climate Action Network's (SCCAN) new regional network co-ordinator, Steven Clark: Like the teams from Galloway Glens, the Loch Ken Trust (LKT) and many of your readers, I know time is of the essence and that there's a lot of work to do in the face of climate change. For my part, that means building a critical mass of community-led groups on the SCCAN network, all doing their bit for resilience - or as Barney from the LKT eloquently rephrased it, to create 'Future Ready Communities'. A strong DG Network within SCCAN would help facilitate better communication and let community groups know that they aren't striving in a vacuum, by enabling the sharing of best practices for a multitude of climate action initiatives. There is a world of people out there trying to make their communities more 'Future Ready' and SCCAN has the capability to bring them together. Check out the SCCAN website, sign up for our newsletter or feel free to get in touch with me at steven@ scottishcommunitiescan.org.uk for further information. Steven Clark Glenkens Churches Interim Moderator Following David Bartholomew’s retirement, the position of minister for the parish of 'Balmaclellan, Kells and Dalry with Carsphairn' is officially vacant. This means that the local presbytery appoints an interim moderator to oversee the preparations for a new minister to be recruited. My name is Mark Smith and I am Minister for Dunscore with Glencairn & Moniaive – the other side of those hills - and I have been invited to take on the interim role. I will be acting as moderator (chair) for the Kirk Sessions and working with them to put in place what is needed for the parish to call a new minister. I also oversee the Sunday worship, ensuring that, as far as possible, there is cover for the planned services during the vacancy. I will also make arrangements for baptisms, weddings and funerals during the vacancy. We do hope to be able to appoint a locum minister later in the year, who will take the majority of services. There is a lot of paperwork to do, lots of checks to be carried out, and some negotiations to pursue as the four congregations are looking to become one (union) and a new partnership (union or linkage) with Crossmichael, Parton & Balmaghie with Corsock & Kirkpatrick Durham will need to be investigated. The future for many rural parishes in our region is under review and more congregations will have to share fewer ministers, so the church will have to find imaginative ways to work. Watch this space! As you can see in the Church Times section on p32, Sunday worship continues in our local churches – do support them, come along and see what really goes on. We have managed to ensure that all the usual Remembrance Sunday events and services happen this year and the kirk sessions are working on plans for Christmas too. My wife, Debbie, and I live in Wallaceton (half-way between Dunscore and Moniaive) with our elderly cat (Lily), a young tortoise (Dori) and a mad ginger puppy (Lottie). Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions on 01387 820 475 or mark.smith@ churchofscotland.org.uk Mark RS Smith Pictured above are Mark and Debbie with their dog Lottie. Glenkens Gazette page 27 SOLWAY CREDIT UNION What It Is and How You Can Benefit A Gazette reader asked if we could do an article about Solway Credit Union and how joining could benefit people here in the Glenkens so here it is! What if a bank, instead of being focused on profit, was focused on you? Solway Credit Union (SCU) was set up in 1999 by a group of local people interested in promoting thrift; namely, encouraging better ‘financial health’ through regular saving and low cost loans. SCU provides a range of practical, affordable and straightforward financial services to everyone living or working in our Common Bond area of Annandale & Eskdale, Nithsdale and the Stewartry. Current membership includes a number of folk from the Glenkens – and the SCU is looking to actively grow in visibility and activity across the region, addressing any perceptions that it is only for people in Dumfries. The SCU benefits from all of the usual government-backed safeguards as members of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, but with one very big difference in how it operates: the principle of a credit union is that you can join a membership society that is run by, and exists to support, its members not shareholders - and it is not seeking to make a profit. The SCU currently offers a Share Account, Junior Saver for children up to 16, a simple Loan Account for those wishing to borrow, and Payroll Deduction for regular savings. Savings and Loans are protected by free life assurance provided by CUNA Insurance Group. Anyone living or working in the Stewartry can join the SCU. The core product offered is a loan of up to three times the savings you have with the Union, with interest charged at only 1% per month - much lower than credit cards. Aside from the core work of providing reasonable and helpful financial products, the SCU has also undertaken a range of financial education workshops in local schools – including Dalry school – seeking to instil good financial practice and savvy into our region’s schoolchildren. Based in an office in Dumfries, the SCU runs a website with information and allowing member deposits and withdrawals www. solwaycreditunion.co.uk SCU will also be launching a new app in the next 12 months, giving members the full range of banking options through their phone. If you think any of the Solway Credit Union’s services would be of interest to you, please do get in touch, and we are also always looking for members to join the board of trustees. SCU administrator, Anne, is available for any queries on info@solwaycreditunion. co.uk or 01387 267200 or you can follow Solway Credit Union on Facebook and Twitter. McNabb Laurie Return of the Alternative Games Finally, New Galloway was able to once again host the Games after a two year enforced absence during Covid. First held in Parton in 1977, the popular event is now celebrating its 45th anniversary and attracted record crowds to New Galloway Park on Sunday 7 August. Many regular participants returned and were joined by lots of willing newbies keen to experience some of the unique events for the first time. The reigning Gird ‘n’ Cleek World Champion, Arthur Harfield, had been patiently waiting to defend his title and had even appeared on TV with Susan Calman during his reign. However, he was assured of some feisty competition with several other former champions present, and the heats provided some great entertainment for the spectators. When it came to the final, the audience was in for a surprise as young Elizabeth, winner of the Primary Girls final, became the youngest ever World Champion. The Tractor Pull attracted a large number of entries, as did the Quad Bike Pull for the juniors, with both young and old showing their strength and some impressive times recorded. The Mungo Bryson Memorial Trophy for the men’s Tossin’ the Sheaf competition was retained by George Dempster, and the ladies' Tossin’ the Sheaf saw Dawn Spernagel retaining the gold. The ever-popular Snail Racing attracted a big crowd with curious punters rolling up to support, encourage and even bribe the snails in each of the three races during the afternoon. The Classic Car Show was well supported once again and attracted a very impressive lineup of vehicles. The Connecting in the Communities project organised a miniCommonwealth Games for the younger competitors which was very popular, and there were stalls with local produce for hungry, or thirsty, punters. After 45 years, the Alternative Games continues to be enjoyed by locals and visitors of all ages and this year welcomed competitors and spectators from as far afield as South Africa, Slovakia, France and Canada. The organisers would like to thank everyone who helped to make the Games a success once again and everyone who came along to spectate and compete on the day. Brian Edgar Spectators seated in the natural amphitheatre of New Galloway Park watching the Tractor Pull, photographed by Eric Broadhurst. ...I heard that someone tried to cheat in the snail race by removing the shell. Apparently he thought it would make the snail faster, but it just made it more sluggish... Anon Glenkens Gazette HEDGEHOG ALERT If a hedgehog is out during the day, it is in need of help; big or small, they should not be out in daylight hours. Alison, who runs a local hedgehog rescue centre, has a plea for Glenkens residents: "If you see a hedgehog out in the day, don’t wait for tomorrow - please act straight away and help the hedgehog's life. At this time of year there are late litters who will not have had enough time to put on the weight they need to see them through the cold winter (they need to weigh at least 600g). "Please pick them up and keep them warm and dry until they can be collected - call me any time on 07722 516 514 and I'll come and get them." page 28 Glenkens Treasures An idea for a new section Glenkens Treasures - has been suggested by a Gazette reader inspired by David Bartholomew's 28 years' service to the communities of the Glenkens and his part in finding the Galloway Hoard treasures. The theme is that there are many people in our communities who often go "above and beyond" in helping others – checking in on elderly neighbours, helping at community events, raising money for good causes; the list is endless. We would like to celebrate this kindness to others through the Gazette and ask readers to get in touch to nominate people they feel fit the bill. So please tell us who you would nominate, and why, giving your own name and contact details, and we'll be in touch. You can email glenkensgazette@hotmail. co.uk or drop written nominations in to the CatStrand, marked Glenkens Treasures. Glenkens Gazette page 29 BUSINESS in the SPOTLIGHT Tarnia Hrynczyszyn qualified as a massage therapist in 2006. After a pause in her training, Tarnia's passion was rekindled in 2017. She says: "Whilst training for my first trail marathon I sustained a series of injuries which spurred me on to studying massage in a more in-depth way, to help me gain an understanding of what was causing my injuries and how I could continue to progress with running." Tarnia qualified in Sports and Remedial Massage with the Western School of massage at the Caledonian University and also studied with the highly acclaimed Western School of Massage. "I aim to continue my studies next year, taking their advanced remedial training courses," says Tarnia. Glenkens Sports & Remedial Massage is the name of Tarnia's business, through which she offers a range of treatments, specialising in sports massage techniques which can help reduce injury time, relieve pain and improve range of movement. A service of mobile appointments is available during the week within the Glenkens area, or appointments can be booked for Mondays and Sundays in Castle Douglas. Tarnia goes on to say: "I believe in keeping my prices at as reasonable a rate as possible as I truly believe massage is good for people's overall wellbeing, with daily stress having a way of manifesting itself in the form of aches and pains." To find out more or make an appointment call 07410 623 408, email glenkenssportsmassage@gmail.com or visit Tarnia's Facebook page @Glenkens Sports & Remedial Massage. Our proposals to repower the first phase of Windy Standard Wind Farm would see the removal of 36 turbines and up to eight wind turbines erected in their place. As a result, we have been focusing on the decommissioning process and identifying solutions to repurpose or recycle the blades. We have formed a partnership with Ayrshire based 360 Safety and Training. As a local provider of specialist safety and technical training to the wind industry, we hope to work together to incorporate repurposed turbine components into the delivery of wind turbine training courses. The partnership allows us to contribute components to a local company and support the training of a local workforce, all whilst ensuring that our repowering proposals are helping to give turbine components a new lease of life. Further information can be found at www. windystandardwindfarm.co.uk. Keep in touch: communities@fredolsen.com / 07435 763 900 Advertisement WINDY STANDARD WIND FARM Glenkens Gazette CPR Training in New Galloway Following a very well-attended first CPR and defibrillator training session, a further session is being offered on Saturday 15 October. This will provide a more in-depth introduction for those new to it all, with an opportunity for some hands-on practice and tuition. The session will be run by Christine Rankin and Dr Elizabeth Kelly, from 10am to 12noon at New Galloway Town Hall, and there will be coffee and biscuits available. Please note that places are limited to 12 so if you are interested in attending, please contact Christine Rankin at dalgowantraing@aol.com or 01644 420 259/07749 212 201. GLENKENS YOUTH Coming up this Autumn.. Ages 11-19 YOUTH MEET-UPS Mondays 7.00 - 8.30pm Dalry Community Centre Sports, food, crafts, table-tennis, a space to meet friends September: 5th, 12th (19th - Cancelled), 26th October: 3rd, 10th FREE OCTOBER HOLIDAY TRIPS Monday 17th: Mostly Ghostly Tour, Dumfries Monday 24th: Flip Out trampolining, Glasgow Booking essential! Book at tinyurl.com/GYoctober Monday 31st October 7.00 - 8.30pm, Dalry Town Hall Music, games, hot dogs.. To join the Glenkens Youth Whatsapp group for updates or for more info message Olivia on 07719 708 668 LING Youth Work is funded by Glenkens & District Trust to help young people in the Glenkens access sports, outdoor and youth-led activities and have a say in the community. . For info contact Youth Activity & Development Worker Olivia Donald at youthwork.ling@gmail.com Veg, bread, cakes, pies, preserves meat, eggs, cheese, pasta, scones & more! page 30 Watson Bird Update Please check out our new website at www.watsonbirds.org You can now also buy postcards, letter cards and small posters of Donald Watson’s paintings in the shop at CatStrand. In the Watson Room at the Smiddy in Balmaclellan, you will find a display of most of the books that Donald wrote or illustrated - please feel free to visit. Roger Crofts McMillan Coffee Afternoon Thursday 6 October 2pm till 4pm at Hair by Jayne, Dalry - Great raffle prizes All welcome - will be great to see you! KNOCKVENNIE HALL At a village hall meeting, the current crisis in energy and the cost of living was discussed in light of how the hall might have additional benefits to our community. Knockvennie Hall serves the community of the Urr Valley between Bridge of Urr and Corsock and Parton. The villages have their own halls, so Knockvennie is often thought of as a village hall without a village. We have publicised the new snooker club which now has two good quality tables housed in the refurbished interior of the hall. We are offering a ‘heat bank’ where folk in the area who might be experiencing financial difficulties (or not) are welcome to access the hall to socialise, make tea or coffee and have a blether, game of cards or play some dominos; relax in a warm place, meet folk. If you would like to access the Hall please contact Jonathan (01556 650 187), Jerry (01556 650 505) or Andrew (01556 690 677) and we can arrange to open up for you. We are still looking for snooker players - table hire is currently £4 per hour. Please contact one of the above to arrange a visit and try the tables out. Andrew Pyle THE NOURISHING SPACE HEALTH COACHING LIVE A LONG LIFE WELL Shop online for seasonal, local, good food. openfoodnetwork.org.uk/glenkens-food-hub/shop Order from midday Friday to midday Tuesday for delivery or collection the following Friday 14 - 18th Oct 21st Oct 28 - 1st Nov 4th Nov 11 - 15th Nov 18th Nov 25 - 29th Nov 2nd Dec Delivery within the Glenkens or collect from Dalry Follow us on Facebook or get in touch for more information lesley@propagate.org.uk | 07587122151 Struggling with menopause? Get in touch to see how I can help! 07587122151 | lesley@thenourishingspace.co.uk Glenkens Gazette page 31 FREE COURSE Alastair Lamb, who lives in Dalry, has been working on a brand new online course with his company, The Dream Clinic. "The aim is to unleash the people with an idea or dream to make our world a better place," says Alastair. He continues: "We'd like to start at home so are giving away 100 free places to Gazette readers." You can take a look at the course and get the discount at www.udemy.com/ course/delivering-big-ideas-by-the-dreamclinic/?couponCode=GLENKENS22 or if you want to know more email alastair.l.lamb@gmail.com Glass Recycling Points • Balmaclellan Stores, Balmaclellan • Memorial Hall, St Michael's Road, Crossmichael CROSSMICHAEL THERAPY CENTRE - Your Health is Important - Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine is probably best known for its treatment of pain. However, they can be used to treat a broader variety of conditions, from achy joints to anxiety, skin troubles to insomnia, acupuncture could help change the way you manage some of life’s health challenges. • Kirkland Street, St John's Town of Dalry Matthew Pajo has been studying and practising Chinese medicine for over 25 years and has attained a Bachelor Health Science and Master Applied Science in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine. • New Galloway, Carson's Knowe Car Park As a highly skilled and trusted clinician, Matthew uses safe, effective, and natural treatments that can bring relief from acute and chronic conditions. • St David Street, Kirkpatrick Durham ADVERTISE IN THE GAZETTE (price per issue incl VAT) SMALL: 6cm x 6cm, £37.80 (+ 10% off with series discount) Matthew is a member of the British Acupuncture Federation and the Association of Acupuncture Clinicians. To make an appointment call 07786 079 845 or email info@matthewpajo.co.uk For more information visit www.matthewpajo.co.uk Psychological Therapy Amber Dunlop-Pajo has spent over 20 years working as a psychologist and has attained a Bachelor Psychology (Hons) and Master Psychology (Health) and is a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society. Amber specialises in Women’s Health as well as depression, stress, anxiety and has a focus on health psychology. Contact Amber on 07389 713 106 or info@gallowaycounselling.co.uk For more information visit www.gallowaycounselling.co.uk Crossmichael Therapy Centre, The Old School, Crossmichael, DG7 3AP 1/4 PAGE: 9cm w x 13cm h, £81.90 (+ 25% off with series discount) 1/2 PAGE: 18cm w x 13cm h, £151.20 (+ 25% off with series discount) FULL PAGE: 18cm w x 27cm h, £252 (+ 25% off with series discount) Call 07727 127 997 VAT Reg. No. 882 8361 87 THE STEWARTRY VETERINARY CENTRE CASTLE DOUGLAS SURGERY HOURS GLENKENS MEDICAL PRACTICE DALBEATTIE SURGERY HOURS General Medical & Dispensing Services FOR APPOINTMENTS AT BOTH SURGERIES OR IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY The Surgery High Street New Galloway Mon-Fri 2.00-2.30 pm & 5-6 pm Mon-Fri 8.30am-6pm Sat 2-2.30 pm Mon, Wed, Fri 3-3.30 pm Tues & Thurs 6-6.30 pm  01556 502263 VETERINARY SURGERY OAKWELL ROAD CASTLE DOUGLAS  FOR APPOINTMENTS CALL 01644 420234 Glenkens Gazette The Community Kindness Cupboard outside Dalry Library has home baking in every Thursday. page 32 WHERE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB LISTINGS Dumfries & Galloway! What's Going on @DGWGO on Facebook; What's Going On Glenkens @WGOGlenkens on Facebook; Glenkens Gazette @GlenkensNews on Facebook – once on the page for any of these, use the search function to look for jobs. The Glenkens' largest employer, Natural Power Consultants Ltd, also have a jobs page - www.naturalpower.com/uk/careers KEY GLENKENS CONTACTS LOCAL DOCTORS’ SURGERY Glenkens Medical Practice - 01644 420 234 COMMUNITY CONTACTS • Balmaclellan: Martin Warnock 07939 261 391 • Carsphairn: Liz Holmes - 07718 358 160 • Corsock: Julie Garton - 07769 647 702 • Kirkpatrick Durham: Heather 07551 639 629 • Crossmichael: Richard Middleton - 01556 670 691 • Dalry: Graham West - 01644 430 503 • Mossdale: Shop - 01644 450 281 • New Galloway: 07741 656 601 • Parton: Erica or Brian - 01644 470 277 FOOD DELIVERIES • Galloway Foodbank - 07730 788 335 • Glenkens Food Hub - www. openfoodnetwork.org.uk/ glenkens-food-hub/shop • Ballards Butchers - 01556 502502 (they also deliver groceries) • Grierson’s Butchers: 01556 502 637 • Henderson’s Butchers: 01556 502 654 • Mitchell’s Greengrocers: 01556 502 077 • Fleet Fish: call 07966 103 912 to find out about Glenkens delivery days • Roan’s Dairy - 01556 620 374 LOCAL COMMUNITY GROUPS Glenkens Community Shop: Contact Liz Lewis on 07530 804 217 or drop by the shop on Main Street, Dalry Glenkens Scout Group: Contact Heather McIntosh on 01644 420 375 Local Initiatives in New Galloway (LING): Contact newgallowaytownhall@gmail.com Dalry Communities Properties Trust (DCPT): Contact Gary Blissett at garyblissett51@gmail. com or 01644 430 521 Dalry Town Hall: Contact Lesley Blissett at lesleyblissett52@gmail.com Glenkens Community Centre: Contact Gary Blissett at garyblissett51@gmail.com New Galloway Community Enterprises (NGCE): Contact ngce5000@gmail.com or pop into New Galloway Community Shop Balmaclellan Community Trust: Contact Julia Higgins at julia.higgins55@outlook.com CatStrand: Contact Fiona Limbrey at fiona@ catstrand.com or 01644 420 374 or pop in to the CatStrand Schools: Visit the school office or call Dalry Primary on 01644 430 105 (for Nursery/ELC too), Dalry Secondary on 01644 430 259 or Kells on 01644 420 340 Carsphairn Heritage Initiative: Contact Karen Hall at carsphairnhi@gmail.com Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership (GGLP): Contact McNabb Laurie at mcnabb. laurie@dumgal.gov.uk If you would like to add your community organisation to this list please get in touch with the Gazette - contact details are on the back page. CHURCH TIMES CHURCH OF SCOTLAND: Sunday Services Balmaclellan: 11am - 2 Oct, 6 Nov Carsphairn: 11am - 9 Oct, 13 Nov Kells: 11am - 16 Oct, 30 Oct, 20 Nov Dalry: 11am - 23 Oct, 27 Nov Special Services Harvest Thanksgiving (11am) & Lunch (12noon), 2 Oct, Balmaclellan Village Hall Communion, 23 Oct, 11am, Dalry Church Remembrance Sunday, Carsphairn (10.30am in the church), Balmaclellan (11am at the war memorial), Kells (11am at the war memorial), Dalry (12noon at the war memorial) SCOTTISH EPISCOPAL CHURCH: St Margaret's Church, Kenbridge Road, New Galloway, DG7 3RP Sundays: 10.30am Sung Eucharist, followed by coffee/tea Visitors welcome - for information, including directions, please see our website www.stmargaretsnewgalloway.org or call our vestry secretary, Christine Rankin, on 01644 420 259. Glenkens Gazette page 33 GALLOWAY COMMUNITY TRANSPORT www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org email gct@catstrand.com phone 01644 420374 mobile 07841 512449 October - November 2022 Regular Services GK2 Glenkens-Castle Douglas (Tesco) Wednesday Evenings (Registered Route) Out EXCURSIONS 1 October 2022 Saturday Return 19:00 Dalry (Underhill) 21:15 19:05 New Galloway 21:10 19:15 Mossdale 21:00 19:25 Laurieston 20:50 19:30 Townhead of Greenlaw 20:47 19:37 Castle Douglas (Market St) 20:37 19:40 Castle Douglas (Tesco) 20:35 Booking not required Glenkens to Newton Stewart Fortnightly - Tuesday mornings Outward Pickups: Dalry (Underhill) 09:30 New Galloway (Town Hall) 09:35 CatStrand) 09:37 To Aldi Return Pickup Newton Stewart (Aldi Car Park) 11:30 Return fare £3.50 Advance booking required. Member Hire THE TRANQUIL GARDENS Acorn Bank House & Garden, Temple Sowerby, Cumbria Explore the working watermill and discover the house and the industrial history of the wildlife grounds. Plants for sale. Refreshments available. Admission £9 (NTS members free) AND Larch Cottage Nursery, Melkinthrope, Cumbria Plants for sale. Refreshments available. Fare £10 SOLD OUT. Please phone the CatStrand (01644 420374) if you wish to be on the waiting list in case of any cancellations. __________________________________________ 15 October 2022 Saturday The Creative Crafts Autumn Show with Creative Crafts for Christmas SECC, Glasgow The Creative Craft Show is a haven for knitting, cross stitch, paper crafting, jewellery & dressmaking and stitching enthusiasts, offering all the very latest supplies, ideas and innovations in the hobby world! You’ll find everything from kits, charts and patterns to fabrics, yarns, threads and buttons plus opportunities to gain advice from industry experts. Admission £11 at the venue; discount for online booking Pickups: 0800 Kirkcudbright (Harbour Square Bus Stop); 0825 Castle Douglas (British Legion, Market Hill); 0835 Crossmichael (Shop); 0900 New Galloway (CatStrand); 0910 Dalry (Underhill); 0925 Carsphairn (Shop) Fare £10 For more info please see the website: https://www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org/excursions GCT has 16-, 15-, and 8-seater minibuses and a f ully wheelchair accessible electric car available f or hire by community organisations. For inf ormation about membership and terms and conditions of hire see the GCT website or phone 07841 512449. GCT Ebike Club If you are a local Glenkens resident and are interested in joining the GCT Ebike Club please see https://www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org/gctebike-club phone 07704 662925 or email jon@catstrand.com Drivers Needed Galloway Community Transport needs your help to provide a wide range of community transport services across the Stewartry and beyond. MINIBUS DRIVING Minibus drivers with D1 (101 or by test) are needed to do volunteer and paid driving for our wide range of member community groups. PATIENT TRANSPORT We also urgently need drivers with their own cars for our patient transport service. Our volunteer patient transport drivers receive a generous mileage reimbursement and the satisfaction of providing a vital service to vulnerable people in our communities. Interested? Email gct@catstrand.com or phone 07841 512449 Glenkens Gazette WHAT'S ON page 34 October/November OCTOBER Fri 2 to 30, Chair Yoga, 2-3pm, Smiddy, Balmaclellan Sat 2, Men’s Shed Open Day, Men’s Shed, Balmaclellan, 10am-3pm, see p17 Mon 3, Dalry Community Council meeting, 7pm, Dalry Town Hall Tue 4 to 25, Photography in Focus, 10am-12pm, Smiddy, Balmaclellan Tue 4 to 25, Tai Chi, 10am-12pm, New Galloway Town Hall Tue 4 (for 6 weeks), Digital Art Drawing Course, 4.30pm, Smiddy, Balmaclellan Wed 5 to 27, Ukulele Workshops, 6pm-7.30pm, Smiddy, Balmaclellan Thu 6 to 28, 10am -12.30pm, Smiddy, Balmaclellan Thu 6 & 20, Play Readings, 7-9pm, Smiddy, Balmaclellan Thu 6, Chance to Dance, 6pm, Smiddy, Balmaclellan Fri 7, John Fenner: Joie de Vivre Jazz, Lochinvar Hotel, 8pm Fri 7, Paragon presents All In, 9.30am- 4.30pm, CatStrand Fri 7, Tommy Smith, 7.30pm, Crossmichael Church Sat 8, Glenkens Producers Market, Dalry Town Hall, 10am-1pm Sat 8, Art Explorers, 10am, Smiddy, Balmaclellan Sun 9, Carsphairn Community Woodland Rural Skills & Crafting Day, 11am-3pm, Muirdrochwood Forest Mon 10, Young Creatives Ambassadors, 5pm, CatStrand Mon 10, Dalry Town Hall Management Meeting, 7pm, Dalry Town Hall Thu 13, Open Mic Night, 7-10pm, CatStrand Thu 13, Ken Words: Glenkens Writer's' Cafe, 7pm, CatStrand Fri 14, CatStrand Late Night Opening with Men’s Shed Quiz Night, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sat 15, LGBTQ Friendly ‘Safe Space Café’, 5-7pm, CatStrand Café Sat 15, CPR & Defibrillator Training, New Galloway Town Hall, booking essential - see p30 with Youth Open Stage Night, 7.30pm Sat 15, GTI Bus Trip: Creative Crafts Autumn Show, Glasgow, see p33 Sat 5, Art Explorers, 10am, Smiddy, Balmaclellan Sun 16, CatStrand Singers: Singing the Galloway Glens, CatStrand, 4pm, see p6 Sun 6, High Tea Tunes Special: Esther Swift, 2pm, CatStrand Wed 19, Film Night: King Richard, 7pm, Dalry Town Hall, refreshments available, book at www.gcat.scot or email jimcreid@hotmail.com Thu 20, Bancroft & Lyne, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sat 22, Art Explorers, 10am, Smiddy, Balmaclellan Sat 22, Community Café, 10am12pm, Dalry Town Hall Sun 23, Autumn Walk in Nature, 10am-12.30pm, see p25 Tue 25, Pudding Club, 6.30-8.30pm, see p25 Wed 26, Cutting Edge Theatre: Downs With Love, 7.30pm, CatStrand Fri 28, Performance Collective Stranraer present Unsupervised Adulting, 7.30pm, CatStrand Mon 31, Halloween Party, 4.306.30pm (under 11s) & 7-8.30pm (1119yrs) Dalry Town Hall, see p3 Mon 31, Young Creatives Ambassadors, 5pm, CatStrand NOVEMBER Tue 1, Random Writers, 4.30pm, Dalry Library Tue 1 & Wed 2, National Theatre of Scotland Presents: Enough of Him by May Sumbwanyambe, 7.30-9pm, CatStrand Wed 2, Film Night: Biggest Little Farm, 7pm, Dalry Town Hall, refreshments available, book at www. gcat.scot or email jimcreid@hotmail. com Thu 3, Chance to Dance, 6pm, CatStrand Fri 4, Song Share, Dalry Town Hall, 8-11pm Fri 4, deadline for comments on the consultation for closure of Carsphairn School must be submitted to statutoryconsultation@dumgal.gov.uk before 5pm, see p22 Fri 4, CatStrand Late Night Opening Mon 7, Dalry Community Council Meeting, 7pm, Dalry Town Hall Tue 8, Devising Physical Theatre by Jordan & Skinner, 7-9pm, CatStrand Wed 9, The Time Machine: A Radical Feminist Retelling, 7.30pm, CatStrand Thu 10, Ken Words: Glenkens Writer's' Cafe, 7pm, CatStrand Thu 10, Kris Drever, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sat 12, Glenkens Producers Market, Dalry Town Hall, 10am-1pm Mon 14, Dalry Town Hall Management meeting, 7pm, Dalry Town Hall Wed 16, Film Night: Operation Mincemeat, 7pm, Dalry Town Hall, refreshments available, book at www. gcat.scot or email jimcreid@hotmail. com Thu 17, Chance to Dance, 6pm, CatStrand Sat 19, Ensemble Hesperi: Concert, 7pm, CatStrand Sat 19, Ensemble Hesperi: Playing Sessions, 11am & 2pm, CatStrand Sat 19, Art Explorers, 10am, Smiddy, Balmaclellan Sat 19, Community Café, 10am12pm, Dalry Town Hall Fri 25, Fraser Fifield & Graeme Stephen, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sat 26, Random Writers, 2pm, Wigtown Festival Company, CatStrand Sat 26, closing date for Glenkens Community Shop grants, application forms available at the shop from end Oct, see p15 Sun 27, Christmas Arts & Crafts Fair, Dalry Town Hall, 11am-3pm, see p28 Mon 28, Young Creatives Ambassadors, 5pm, CatStrand DECEMBER Sun 4, Christmas Fayre, Sunday, Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn Thu 1 & Fri 2, CatStrand Late Night Opening with Xmas Shopping Nights Glenkens Gazette page 35 REGULAR EVENTS Balmaclellan Village Hall: Tuesday Afternoon Teas, 1st Tues each month, to book email warburton. julie@googlemail.com Glenkens Crafters, Wed 10am12noon, for info contact julia. higgins55@outlook.com Books in Balmaclellan Community Library, Wed 10.30–12.30 & 5.307pm; Fri 5.30-7.30pm; Sat 10.30am -12.30pm (tea & coffee available on Sat). Balmaclellan Blether, 3rd Thu each month, contact warburton.julie@ googlemail.com Glenkens Art Workshop, Thu 2-4pm, contact t_leach1@sky.com Easiobics, Tue & Fri 9.30-10.30pm, contact mlfagan@live.co.uk Circuits, Sat 8-9am, contact John 07544 713 586 Kettelbells, Mon & Tue 6-7pm, contact John 07544 713 586 Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn: Craft Group, Fri 10am-12noon, includes tea & coffee, Lagwyne Hall Bairn Banter; family stay & play session, 0-7 years, Sat 10-11.45am, Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn CatStrand, New Galloway: Margaret Morris Movement: Health Play (age 3-7), Mon (during term time), 3.45-4.30pm Margaret Morris Movement: Children’s Grades & Youth Dance (age 8-15), Mon (during term time), 4.30-5.30pm Youth Volunteers (age 11-16), Mon monthly, 5.30–7.30pm Scriptless Drama Club (age 11-19), Tue, 5.30–6.30pm 6+), contact @Facebook KMANews or kmabrian@gmail.com Newton Stewart Bus Service to Tesco, Wednesday evenings Gentle Yoga, Fri 5.45-6.45pm, contact kathyr64@hotmail.co.uk A Chance to Dance, Thu bi-weekly, 6–8pm Informal Family Badminton, (net and racquets but no line markings), New Galloway Town Hall, contact Ros on 07749 249 781 Dance Weekenders (age 12+), Sat monthly, 1–4pm Art Explorers, Sat monthly, 10-11am (age 5–8) & 11.15am–12.30pm (age 8–12) CatStrand Youth Players, meet weekly, contact briangm@catstrand.com New Galloway Town Hall: Please note that, during ongoing works in the town hall, entry will be through the back emergency exit door and some activities will be transferring elsewhere. Crafty Corner with tea & biscuits, Mon 2-4pm, contact Kristina on 07789 680 468 Glenkens Youth Activity Group, ages 11-19, Mon 7-8.30pm, currently held at Glenkens Community Centre, Dalry, see p30, contact Olivia on youthwork.ling@ gmail.com or text 07719 708 668) LING Lunches, Tue, 12.30-2pm. No need to book, currently held at Kitty's Tea Room, opposite NG Town Hall, contact angie on communityinclusion. LING@gmail.com Sports Evenings, indoor bowling & table tennis, Tues 7-9pm, drop in or contact Ray on 01644 420 438 Tai Chi, possibly suspended during works, contact Ju-lie on gentletaichigroup@gmail.com Wee Messy Crafters, Wed, 1-2pm, contact weemessycrafters@gmail.com Zumba, Wed 6.30-7.20pm & 7.258.15pm, contact samantha.rushton@ hotmail.co.uk - booking essential Martial Arts, Thur 5.30-6.30pm (beginners & tots) & 7-9pm (age Dalry Library & Customer Service Centre Main Street, Dalry, Tel: 01644 430 234 or 01556 502 643 Tuesday: For books and other walk-in services: 2-5pm Friday: For NEC Bus Pass and Blue Badge appointments and PCs: 11.30am – 12.30pm; for books and other walk-in services: 1 -4.30pm. Appointments can be booked in the library or on 01387 260 196. Dalry Library: Random Writers (age 12+), Thu biweekly, 3.45–5pm Glenkens Book Group, last Friday of each month, 2pm, call June to book on 01644 420 361 Dalry Town Hall: Tai Chi, video-led instruction, Mon, 2-3pm, contact lesleyblissett52@gmail. com Dog Training, Tue, 7pm, contact Eric Broadhurst on 07831 590 822 Song Share, 1st Friday each month, 8-11pm, contact anne.chaurand@ btinternet.com Various: Crossmichael Heritage Centre, open Wed & Fri, 1.30-4.30pm Cub Scouts, Wed 6.15-7.30pm, Scout Hall, New Galloway Glenkens Community Shop, open Wed, Fri & Sat, 10am- 4pm Knockvennie Hall Heat Bank & Snooker Club, contact Andrew on 01556 690 677 Outdoor Bowls, Dalry, contact Fiona Ramsay on 01644 430 587 Table Tennis, (available 24/7), Dalry Snooker, (available 24/7), Dalry Indoor Bowls, (October to March), Dalry Badminton, (available 24/7), Dalry For details for table tennis, snooker, indoor bowls and badminton contact Gary Blissett on 01644 430 521. USEFUL NUMBERS: ● Pot-hole Hotline: 0845 276 0000 ● Police, non-emergency: 101 ● Doctor: 01644 420 234 ● NHS 24: 08454 24 24 24 ● D&G Council: 030 33 33 3000 Glenkens Gazette page 36 END OF AN ERA On the last Sunday in July, over 100 faithful folk from all the Glenkens churches gathered together in Dalry Church for the Revd Dr David Bartholomew’s last service before his retirement. David has served for 28 years as Church of Scotland Minister for the Glenkens, which includes the churches of Balmaclellan, Carsphairn, Dalry and Kells. The uplifting service, albeit bittersweet, was enriched by the Glenkens Choir, led by organist and choir master, Geoff Davidson. David and Heidi moved to the manse in Dalry in 1994, where their children Fiona, Jamie and Stuart were all born, raised and schooled. During the service, David reminisced about his time in the Glenkens starting with his first communion service at Dalry which was followed later in the day by a dash to the Cresswell for daughter Fiona’s birth. He and Heidi were so touched by how delighted his new congregations were to have a family in the manse – they received over 200 cards which they still have today. David stressed that he had always tried to be a minister to the whole population of the Glenkens, not just church members – one parishioner pointed out afterwards that “David has always been there for everyone” whether regular church goers or not. As well as baptisms, weddings and funerals, there have been prayer groups, Alpha courses, Sunday Schools, children’s holiday clubs, and social events such as Quiz Nights and Beetle Drives. Members from each of the four churches gave personal tributes, which included memories such as the Easter dawn services, Carols by Candlelight, and an appreciation of David and Heidi having dedicated such a huge part of their lives to the Glenkens communities. On a lighter note, it was remembered that at a ‘Carsphairn’s Got Talent’ evening, David provided an entertaining turn as the Revd I M Jolly! Other personal touches during the service included a prayer and blessing written by Alan Sidaway, and David leaving the church to a farewell march specially composed for the occasion by Geoff Davidson. The service was followed by a large gathering in Dalry Town Hall with presentations and a buffet lunch. Gerald Bell's words of appreciation were followed by a presentation by Ian Knox, Session Clerk, of gifts from church members and the community which included a framed picture of the Holy Linn. On behalf of Carsphairn church, Irene McCreath also presented a gift and lastly Marion Bone presented a bouquet of flowers to Heidi who has supported David throughout their time in the Glenkens. Interim Moderator, Revd Mark Smith (see article on p26), then said Grace and the buffet lunch was served, allowing folk to mingle, chat and reminisce. When the Covid pandemic hit our shores, the various lockdowns included all places of worship. David and Heidi David in Dalry Church giving his last service before retiring. rose to the challenge and started recording and filming services which were uploaded onto YouTube and available to all. Heidi’s technical and photographic skills provided a stunning backdrop of the 800sq kilometres of the Glenkens, accompanied by inspirational music, while David led the services with prayer and Bible readings. As well as providing spiritual sustenance to Glenkens church goers, these videos allowed the beauty of the Glenkens and Galloway to be shared across the whole world. There are now over 100 services on the church YouTube channel for the years ahead, a truly magnificent legacy for us all from the couple. Glenkens Church Community Here at the Glenkens Gazette, we extend our best wishes to David and Heidi as they embark on retirement in the Borders. We would also like to thank David for donating his archive collection of Gazettes, which date right back to the first edition, to us. These will be available for members of the community to peruse - please get in touch if you would like to look through our past editions. Gordon McAdam Plumbing & Heating 22 Kirkland Street St John’s Town of Dalry 01644 430 393 07834 321 789 WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Submit events, activities, news stories, cartoons, reviews, tips & techniques, fiction, photos, ads or ideas... Contact Sarah Ade on 07727 127 997 or glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk Editing & Design: sarah.ade@gmail.com DEC/JAN COPY DEADLINE: 5 NOV The Glenkens Gazette is an initiative of the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust, a Registered Scottish Charity No SC032050 The role of the Gazette is to represent the voice of the community and does not represent the views of GCAT.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette 132 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GG_132 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Glenkens Gazette Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource GCAT Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2022 Description An account of the resource Editor: Sarah Ade https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/1/280/GlenkensGazette133.pdf eb620ab0c7ffbbc5928d43d50191736f Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Glenkens Gazette Description An account of the resource <p>Find out more about the Gazette: <a href="https://glenkens.scot/gazette-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Glenkens Gazette home page</a> If you would like to submit an article or take out an advert, please email the editor Sarah Ade: <span>&nbsp;</span><a href="mailto:glenkensgazette@hotmail.com">glenkensgazette@hotmail.com</a></p> <p>The Glenkens Gazette is a member of, and regulated by <span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.impressorg.com/">Impress</a>.</p> <p>The Glenkens Gazette is an initiative of Glenkens Community &amp; Arts Trust (SC032050) and represents the voice of the community (not necessarily the views of GCAT).</p> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document GLENKENS GAZETTE News from Balmaclellan, Carsphairn, Corsock, Crossmichael, Kirkpatrick Durham, Laurieston, Mossdale, New Galloway, Parton and St John’s Town of Dalry December 2022 / January 2023 ISSUE 133 Eli's Hair Raiser Dalry Secondary School pupil, Elizabeth Stevenson, has a new look after a charity event to help raise money for the Little Princess Trust. Elizabeth volunteered to have her long hair cut to help raise money for this special charity, and has so far raised £415. Her hair has been donated to make real hair wigs for young people who have lost their hair, either through treatment for cancer or other conditions that have caused hair loss. Eli said: "I decided to have my long hair cut to help raise money for this special charity. My hair will be donated to make real hair wigs. In particular I wish to raise awareness of how cancer can affect children and young people. I am raising money in memory of close family members affected by cancer, and also in tribute to Alex (better known as TechnoBlade) and Edd Gould - both YouTubers who sadly lost their young lives to cancer." To donate please visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ eli-stevenson FREE Pictured Right: Eli with her long hair. Below: left - Eli's mum, Miriam, helping with the hair cut. Middle - look at all that hair! Right - Eli outside Blackburn's hairdressers in Castle Douglas with her brand new look. Citizens Advice Outreach Service Dumfries & Galloway Citizens Advice Service (D&GCAS) will be providing a face-to-face outreach clinic at community venues across the Glenkens. Once a week for the next two years, D&GCAS will offer general welfare and debt advice and signposting to other sources of help and support. Provision of this service has been made possible through funding from the Blackcraig Wind Farm Community Fund administered by Foundation Scotland in partnership with Glenkens and District Trust. This is of particular importance given that the rising costs of energy and other household necessities are hitting those from rural areas particularly hard. D&GCAS is working with the Glenkens Communities & Arts Trust’s Connecting in Communities team to identify suitable locations for the delivery of the project and recruitment for the new adviser post is underway. In accessing this award Phil Stewart, chief executive officer of D&GCAS, A Glenkens Community & Arts Trust (GCAT) initiative commented: "Our objective in growing our service reach into the Glenkens is to ensure that no one is left behind when it comes to accessing the advice, support and assistance that they need during these very challenging times. We find that living in a rural location often exacerbates the issues faced." Until the project begins Glenkens residents can access existing provision in the Parish Church Halls, Queen Street, Castle Douglas. This service is open on Wednesdays from 10am-4pm for drop-ins (closed 12.30-1pm) and Fridays from 10am4pm for appointments only (closed 12.30-1pm). You can call 0300 303 4321 or email info@dagcas.org to book an appointment. www.glenkensgazette.co.uk Glenkens Gazette page 2 Have Your Say on the Future of Glenkens Forestry It has been announced by Environment Minister Mairi McAllan that a public consultation on future grant support for forestry is to take place in early 2023. The aim is to seek views on the evolution of the Forestry Grant Scheme and find ways to improve the delivery of the Scottish Government’s priorities for Net Zero, biodiversity, community wealth building and the economy. Morag Paterson, who is on the forestry sub-committee for Dalry Community Council and also a founding member of Glenkens-based group Communities for Diverse Forestry (CDF), gives us an overview of how this could impact us and why we need to have our say: We very much welcome the announcement on the public consultation reviewing the forestry grant. In addition, measures will be put in place by spring to enhance public involvement in woodland creation proposals within the existing scheme, for which CDF have been positively campaigning on for over the last two and a half years. The necessity for improving community engagement is backed-up by three recent reports, including the State of the Biosphere and a paper commissioned by the James Hutton institute. We must take a balanced approach when increasing tree cover, using a more diverse range of species including within commercial forests - to enhance biodiversity and habitat connectivity and build resilience from future threats from pests, disease, and climate change. We also must safeguard important species like curlew and black grouse through appropriate site choices and prioritise protecting our peatlands. With overall commercial afforestation targets heavily focused in the south of Scotland, rural communities must get involved with shaping suggested improvements to the Forestry Grant Scheme. We hope to see some partnership between environmental organisations, supporters of multifunctional forestry and community-led initiatives working together to facilitate responses. We need as much input as possible for the review. Unfortunately, we are hearing that people find this type of consultation inaccessible and difficult to navigate, and there is a strong feeling of disenchantment with how recent regional and national consultations have been delivered. With this in mind, Dalry Community Council is keen to support anyone who would like advice with regard to responding to the consultation, as it is crucial that there is a high level of community feedback see contact details in panel below. Dundeugh Forest Long Term Management Plan is open for consultation this December and Mackilston has just had an application for forestry re-submitted. Dalry Community Council would like to hear from anyone who has comments or suggestions with regard to these proposals or would like to get involved with the Forestry Grant Scheme consultation at sjtdalrycc@gmail.com or 07917 102 693. Blackcraig Wind Farm Winter Round The Glenkens and District Trust, working in partnership with Foundation Scotland, is delighted to announce a further ten awards made from the Community Fund in its winter round, with a total sum awarded of £126,362. The trustees are always pleased to see applications spanning the full range of the fund’s strategic priorities but in this round there was a notable concentration of applications focused on providing benefit to the youngest members of our community. This felt particularly vital to trustees as the cost of living crisis starts to impact on family budgets and opportunities. Grants included £12,965.93 to support Scottish Childminding Association to recruit, train and support five new childminders in the Glenkens, increasing local childminding provision and early learning and employment options for local families; £1,000 to Crossmichael and Parton Playgroup to hire a minibus once a month for a year, enabling nursery children to get out and explore their local area and natural environment; £350 for Springholm Nursery to buy a laptop to assist with an outdoor education project photographing natural materials and putting them under the microscope; £1,310.40 for Springholm Parent Council to enable primary children to access ranger-led outdoor education sessions at Loch Ken; and finally £3,026 for Crichton Carbon Centre to promote ‘Biosphere Explorers’ resource packs that will help increase local primary school pupils' understanding of climate change, biodiversity and sustainability. On this crucial issue of climate change trustees were pleased to issue the first award of a larger, multi-year grant, in the form of £45,000 over a period of three years to the Galloway Fisheries Trust (GFT). This is to support a project delivering tree planting around streams in the upper Urr area which aims to protect waterways from the impact of rising temperatures, enabling habitats to remain viable for instream species through shading, and helping to maintain good water quality, as well as preventing erosion and encouraging biodiversity by helping to connect fragmented landscapes by acting as wildlife corridors. This project builds on the first phase of work by GFT which the fund had also supported. Once again trustees were pleased to see that the priorities identified in the Glenkens & District Community Action Plan (CAP) published in 2020 are now starting to come to fruition in the shape of developed projects which are being taken forward by a range of local community organisations. To enable the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust to continue their leadership role across the CAP they received an award of £25,000. Congratulations to all the successful applicants. For more information on the fund, including the availability of the new Education & Training bursaries, visit www. glenkenstrust.org.uk Glenkens Gazette page 3 Affordable Community Homes Coming to Balmaclellan The old filling station site in the centre of Balmaclellan, just opposite the Smiddy, has changed ownership. The Pamela Young Trust (PYT) has purchased the site with a view to constructing community housing. PYT chair, Steve Davie, said: “The recent Housing Needs and Demand Assessment commissioned by the Glenkens District Trust underlined the gap in local affordable housing, and this is borne out by the length of our waiting list. Whilst it may be some time before building can start, we are excited about adding to our list of affordable properties for local people”. Across rural Scotland, communities are facing challenges that impact upon their vitality, resilience and future sustainability. Carsphairn Community Council are keen, at this stage, to understand the manner in which suitable housing supply is impacting their community. Working with South of Scotland Community Housing (SOSCH), they have launched a Housing Survey – part of a wider localised Housing Needs and Demand Assessment that can be used to inform future decision-making. SOSCH is a registered charity who support communities in exploring affordable, community-led housing solutions which address local need, to build sustainable, rural communities across the south of Scotland. Community-led homes give individuals and families opportunities to live, and work, within their communities in an affordable way with secure tenancy options. Community-led housing is about communities taking charge in addressing housing issues to provide strong and resilient communities that might not be possible through the mainstream provision of housing alone. SOSCH have already supported a number of communities in Dumfries and Galloway to plan and deliver community-owned safe, secure, low-energy affordable homes. The Scottish Government supports rural community-led housing and development, At this stage PYTs plans are embryonic, but the intention is to create properties that will provide attractive, affordable and environmentally sustainable homes whilst enhancing the aesthetics of Balmaclellan village centre. Planning permission is in place for two houses but PYT will be looking carefully at the latest research on building homes fit for the 21st century before deciding on plans. In the short-term, PYT plan to clear the site in order to provide temporary parking for local residents, and those visiting the Smiddy. New Housing in Carsphairn Issues such as a lack of new homes being built, rising house prices and development costs, a lack of affordable housing, energy costs, second home ownership and properties entering the short-term holiday market combine to limit opportunities for those who live and work in our rural communities. Lack of housing options will impact upon the sustainability of local service provisions – local schools, shops and support – particularly to our ageing population in Dumfries and Galloway. However, communities across Southern Scotland are working to identify and provide local solutions to these challenges. Carsphairn is one such community - a de-population trend has already impacted upon the school, with the Local Authority currently undertaking formal consultation on its future following its mothballing two years ago. particularly through the Rural Housing Fund. SOSCH assist communities to access this funding and a Housing Survey is a key first step in this process. So, if you live in Carsphairn and are in need of more suitable housing - or have a connection to the community and would like to relocate or are interested in living in the Carsphairn area - please complete the Carsphairn Housing Survey by scanning the QR code below or visiting www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ CarsphairnSurvey. You can also call South of Scotland Community Housing on 07743 4467 21 if you are not online and require a paper copy. The survey will run until 9 January 2023. In addition, SOSCH are also keen to hear about any prospective opportunities for new housing supply and are seeking any information relative to suitable development land or existing empty properties (housing or non-housing) in the local area. Should you be aware of any such opportunities, please contact Alison Gordon, South of Scotland Community Housing at alison.sosch@ outlook.com Carsphairn Community Council Pictured is the view of Carsphairn village and the hills beyond, taken from above Lagwyne Cottage. Glenkens Gazette page 4 BUSINESS in the SPOTLIGHT Galloway Scottish Pasta is a brand new venture for Andrew and Margaret, who some readers may be familiar with as they have run the Smithy Café in New Galloway for the last five years (see article on back page). "A comment from someone during the Glenkens Food Month about food miles incurred when eating pasta made us wonder if we could make pasta from as locally-produced flours as possible. We also wanted to make a pasta that was distinctly Scottish and not just made in Scotland," says Andrew. Experiments began, with mixtures of wheat and oat flour, and the couple found that organic Aberdeenshire oat flour gave the pasta a different colour and texture to traditional pasta, although it did make it more difficult to produce. “From the start, we had wanted to slow-dry the pasta as that was the best way to retain its original flavours and texture; it also made it easier to store and extended the shelf-life. It became apparent, however, that the weather in Scotland in winter is not ideal for slow-drying pasta!" Andrew continued. This lead to the creation, in early in 2022, of a humidity-controlled room within The Smithy cafe, where visitors can now see the pasta being made and dried. Galloway Scottish Pasta is available to buy at local shops in New Galloway, Balmaclellan and Dalry, as well many other outlets throughout Dumfries & Galloway, from F&O Larder in Stranraer, Harris & Co in Castle Douglas to The Wee Shop in Moffat. You can also buy it online at www.gallowaypasta.co.uk and through the Glenkens Food Hub (see ad on p30 for how to use the Hub). To find out more about Galloway Pasta follow them on Facebook @gallowayscottishpasta Glenkens Producers' Market WRIGHTS STORE & POST OFFICE DALRY DALRY DALRY SWEET TREAT SATURDAY DALRY INFORMATION FRESH CREAM CAKES AVAILABLE TO ORDER OPENING HOURS MONDAY – FRIDAY 7.30am – 5.30pm SATURDAY 8.30am – 5pm SUNDAY 8.30am – 3pm LOCAL SUPPLIERS DALMELLINGTON COUNTRY BUTCHERS 2nd Saturday Monthly Dalry Town Hall, 10am-1pm - 10th December & 7th January ...fresh vegetables, baked goods, preserves, bread, fresh meat, smoked products, cheese, artisan cider, chocolates, handmade crafts, gift cards, plants... * Save Fuel - Shop Local * UPPER DULLARG EGGS MITCHELLS FRUIT & VEG SWEETCAKES BAKERY GLENKENS HONEY COMPANY CREAM O GALLOWAY GALLOWAY LODGE PRESERVES IRVINGS BAKERY SCOTTISH GALLOWAY PASTA GLENKENS HONEY COMPANY Want to know what’s going on? Then visit www.dalrytownhall.co.uk POP IN FOR A CHAT AND A BROWSE Glenkens Gazette page 5 Festive Feasting with the Glenkens Food Hub A year after its launch, the Glenkens Food Hub is now a fully-fledged part of shopping in the Glenkens, offering a convenient way to buy local produce. Lesley, who works with the Food Hub, says: "If you haven’t tried a shop with us yet, now is the time! With Christmas in mind the focus this month is on meat for festive feasts. Whilst the Hub loves its veg, the meat offered comes from regeneratively farmed animals within a 30-mile radius of the Glenkens, and is exceptionally tasty and ethical; food which you can eat with a clear conscience." practices to produce nutritious and tasty food locally, while increasing soil health and carbon uptake and providing space for nature to thrive. We believe that, rather than being a key driver of climate change and biodiversity loss (and soil loss for that matter), agriculture has the potential to be an important part of the solution. We also believe that people have a right to have access to healthy food free from chemicals, which are not only harmful to our soil and ecosystems but also to our health. We endeavour to have a positive impact on the land and maintain an absolute respect for all creatures, domestic and wild.” The Hub stocks produce from four farms - Low Auldgirth Steading, near Thornhill and Suie Fields, near Auchencairn both offer a selection of pork, lamb, and beef while Barnbarroch Naomi, Katy and Finn from Suie Fields organic farm, near Wigton, and Bailie Curriach, near Dalbeattie, both gave us a few words on their farming specialise in grass-fed beef. ethos, which we feel encapsulates Here are some favourite choices for the ethos of all our Hub producers: the festive season to inspire you to eat “Our aims are to explore regenerative local for those holiday celebrations. Without a doubt the favourite at Low Auldgirth is 'pigs in blankets'. They find their way onto the dinner plate, the buffet table and even into a festive breakfast. Simply wrap their high-meat content, deliciously tasty sausages in bacon and slow-roast in the oven to bring out the best of the flavour. They highly recommend using their dry cured streaky bacon as the extra fat really A favourite at Barnbarroch is their home-grown adds to the flavour or, grass-fed beef Wellington wrapped in mushrooms, for an interesting twist, prosciutto and puff pastry. THE NOURISHING SPACE HEALTH COACHING LIVE A LONG LIFE WELL and more like this? See ad below for how to order from the Glenkens Food Hub online. If you would like to shop at the Hub but don’t have access to a computer please call Lesley on 07587 122 151 to book a time slot to place your order over the phone. od hu nkens f e s t i v e fo gle b Want to feel less like this try their smoked bacon. Suie Fields would recommend their Highland beef topside roasting joint, roasted in the slow cooker with lots of herbs and veg for a melt-in-the-mouth dish. Luke and Francis at Bailie Curriach highlight their Shetland beef sirloin, salmon cut, slow roasted in the oven with all the trimmings. For Christmas at Barnbarroch they will be having a luxurious beef Wellington using a mouth-watering cut of their own grass-fed, Galloway beef wrapped in mushrooms, prosciutto and puff pastry. Delicious! Barnbarroch farm has been certified organic for over twenty years and, as producers of high-quality beef, they love nothing better than sharing their own produce with family and friends. Christmas is the ultimate time to celebrate quality. Whilst turkey may be traditional, locally grown, sustainable, high welfare beef, lamb and pork could work just as well for this year’s festive feast? Buy all your favourite local produce here this Christmas openfoodnetwork.org.uk/glenkens-food-hub/shop orders open 12pm Wednesday 14th December orders close 10pm Sunday 18th December delivery/collection Tuesday 20th December Get in touch to see how I can help! 07587122151 | lesley@thenourishingspace.co.uk within the glenkens or collect from dalry don't have a computer? call to book your phone order slot - 07587122151 Glenkens Gazette page 6 New Galloway's Community Shop As the festive season approaches, staff at New Galloway Community Shop have been stocking up in the hope that they can help take a little of the stress out of your Christmas shopping. Last-minute gifts, Christmas dinner essentials, items for the post-Christmas clean or those last-minute bits and pieces... Whether it's meat, vegetables, local produce or household essentials, New Galloway shop has regular deliveries arriving throughout the week. If there is anything specific you need, you can ring up or pop in and and order it. Sometimes it’s a struggle to find that last-minute gift or stocking-filler, but the shop has been stocking up on a range of seasonal items to suit budgets, which can also be gift-wrapped. This year New Galloway shop are also raising funds for Marie Curie, thanks to a talented local resident who has donated hand-knitted snowmen and reindeer. The shop will be operating extended hours to coincide with the Catstrand Christmas Shopping Nights on Thursday 1 and Friday 2 December, as well as during the Christmas Lights Parade on Sunday 4 December, and will be closed on Christmas day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day to allow staff a well-deserved break. New Galloway shop is a community owned and operated enterprise (owned by New Galloway Community Enterprises - NGCE) that relies on your custom to thrive and survive. NGCE would like to say "thank you" for your continued support in 2022. The shop also offers volunteering opportunities which would be a great opportunity for a young person just starting out to gain handson experience and to learn key skills, and also great to put on a CV. Or if you have recently moved to the Glenkens, and perhaps would like to meet some more people, volunteering is a great way to make new friends - get in touch to find out more at ngce5000@ gmail.com or call 01644 420 620. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy 2023 from everyone at New Galloway Community Enterprises! Pictured: Below - one of the shop's Christmas hampers filled with local goodies. Bottom - the welcoming interior of New Galloway Community Shop. Stewartry Food Train The local Food Train, based in Castle Douglas, has received a boost to its funds thanks to local fundraising efforts. The guild at St Margaret’s church in New Galloway ran a tombola stall at the Alternative Games in August, raising a sum of £460 for the Stewartry Food Train. Jiff Hyde, development officer at the Food Train, said: “With costs rising in every direction, we really appreciate this contribution from St Margaret’s Guild. All the money raised enables us to support older people who wish to remain in their own homes by providing grocery shopping and delivery, help with small household jobs, a befriending service and Meal Makers, a neighbourhood meal sharing service. We are so grateful to St Margaret’s for their donation, as well as to our wonderful volunteers who deliver our services.” Glenkens Gazette page 7 Galloway Community Transport Bids a Fond Farewell to Glen Glen Murray is retiring from the role of Galloway Community Transport Manager at the end of December. He has been in this post for some eight years, having been with Glenkens Community & Arts Trust (GCAT) prior to this appointment. For almost all of that time, he was the only member of staff working on what was then called the Glenkens Transport Initiative (GTI) and put some quite Herculean amounts of work into transforming that organisation into what it is today. From the start, when there was just one minibus, the fleet has grown to three minibuses plus the operation of three Council-owned buses, an eCar and the range of ebikes that it boasts today. From 2019, when Galloway Community Transport (GCT) was re-born as its own SCIO, it has been able to fundraise and take on contracts in a way that it couldn’t before. GCT is still very much a core GCAT project and a critical part of the GCAT family. From such modest beginnings GCT is now a key transport provider in the Glenkens and beyond running registered bus routes, school bus runs and patient transport services, as well as accommodating registered usergroups and organising recreational trips. As Glen approaches his well-deserved retirement, it is just as well that he has been joined by two new(ish) members of the GCT team. Jon Betts joined as administrator last November and will be stepping up as GCT manager from January. The administrator role was back-filled by Sue McMinn in October, and between the three of them, they are working hard to achieve a smooth transition to ‘life after Glen’. GCT wouldn't be where it is today, and indeed couldn’t run, without its pool of paid and volunteer drivers – their contribution to the success of GCT cannot be overstated. It is also supported by a Trustee board, whose advice I know Glen always appreciates. Glen leaves GCT on something of a high – it is known regionally and nationally as a gold standard Community Transport Organisation, and we have very recently found out that we have received full grant funding to cover the cost of an additional minibus – this time a fully accessible electric one - putting GCAT and GCT’s aims of net zero operations one step closer. Glen at the wheel of one of the minibuses in the GCT fleet. So, we wish Glen all the very best for this next phase of his life, and hope that he takes with him proud memories of all that he has achieved with Galloway Community Transport while he sails off into the sunset! We look forward to working with Jon and Sue as they consolidate and build on Glen’s success. Helen Keron, GCAT Executive Manager Glenkens Gazette page 8 Glenkens Archaeology: Chapelyard The Chapelyard site, situated halfway between Dalry and Knowehead, has had a fascinating and complex history which has remained formally un-investigated…until now! The ‘Can You Dig It’ community archaeology team investigated this multi-phase site that stretches from a possible medieval chapel through to the ruins of a post-medieval farming settlement. While nothing remains of the chapel, the site was tested for any surviving traces or medieval finds. At the same time, the remains of adjacent farmstead ruins were surveyed, and it appears they date from at least the 17th right through to the 19th century. Claire Williamson, archaeologist from the Can You Dig It project, would like to thank everyone who took part in this project. Jan Hogarth, Galloway Glens Education & Community Engagement Officer Pictured: Below left - Joan and John managed to get down to the foundations of one of the structures and even got a few bits of 19th/20th century pottery along the way. Below right - Geoff, Sheila, John and Joan investigate a possible small rectangular structure just to the east of the enclosure. Community Woodland Fun Carsphairn Community Woodland held another enjoyable open day in October. Despite the weather there was a great turnout and those attending enjoyed participating in the activities on offer, with the more energetic folk tackling the climbing wall provided by the Galloway Activities Centre. Children were able to enjoy various activities including a coconut shy, a fairy trail and ‘roll the stone into the crocodile’s mouth’! Photos show some of the demonstrations and activities that took place. Pictured are visitors getting involved with demonstrations of spinning and weaving, crook making, archery and, for the most intrepid, Galloway Activity Centres climbing wall. Glenkens Gazette page 9 THE GALLOWAY GLENS SCHEME – OUR APPROACH £4 MILLION SPEND RECORDED THROUGH THE SCHEME TO DATE 90 ATTENDEES 9 NEW OR REFURBISHED BUILDINGS SO FAR ON ‘GO WILD’ OUTDOOR EDUCATION CAMPS 23 MILES OF IMPROVED FOOTPATH, INCLUDING 4 NEW BRIDGES 4 YEARS DALRY POSITIONS WITH PARTNERS SO FAR As we approach the end of the Scheme in September 2023, we look at headline achievements so far and try to summarise the approach taken. We are an initiative of the Dumfries & Galloway Council’s Environment Team. Many thanks as always to all partners and funders, without whom none of this would be possible… CARSPHAIRN 11 INTERN The Galloway Glens Scheme is five years of co-ordinated and focussed activity in the Ken/Dee valley, seeking to ‘connect people to their heritage’ while boosting the local economy and supporting sustainable communities. CLATTERINGSHAWS OF THE NATIONALLY ACCLAIMED ‘CAN YOU DIG IT’ COMMUNITY ARCHAEOLOGY PROJECT LAUNCHED THE SOUTH OF SCOTLAND TREE PLANTING GRANT SCEME IN D&G SUPPORTED THE LOCH KEN TRUST NOW RUNNING ONE OF THE FIRST COMMUNITY-LED RANGER SERVICES IN SCOTLAND LOCH KEN >30,000 MILES 27 AWARDS MADE TRAVELLED BY TAGGED GREENLAND WHITE-FRONTED GEESE THROUGH THE SMALL GRANTS SCHEME OUR APPROACH Identify challenges facing communities and work in partnership to design solutions Establish a relationship with partners and then trust them to deliver A ‘place-based’ approach – breaking barriers between topics and sectors, with a focus on the Ken/Dee Valley Draw funding from the national stage to be spent in D&G Use our time-limited nature to our advantage, encouraging momentum and urgency CASTLE DOUGLAS ‘NATURE POSITIVE’ HEADLINE PROJECTS SUPPORTED UP AND DOWN THE VALLEY >2,500 PROJECTS SUPPORTED INCLUDING THREAVE LANDSCAPE RESTORATION PROJECT, PEATLAND CONNECTIONS AND THE BLACK WATER OF DEE HABITAT RESTORATION KIRKCUDBRIGHT 35 ENTRIES IN THE PLACE NAMES DATABASE >75% OF SPEND IS WITH D&G BUSINESSES PRIMARY FUNDER: Glenkens Gazette Calling All Crafters! A new community craft project is planned to commence in the new year. Angie Bradford, in her role as LING events, activities and inclusion manager, and Miriam Stevenson, of Midge Porter Design, are proposing a year-long multi-textile craft project which will hopefully result in a combined community wall hanging that will tour the Glenkens. The working title is 'Inspiring Glenkens'. The idea behind the project is to bring together the talents of the community craft groups of the Glenkens in a single project. As there seem to be quite a few new faces in the area, Angie and Miriam also thought it would be a nice way of helping people feel involved with their new home, and to introduce them to the existing craft groups in the region. Miriam said: “We thought that 'Inspiring Glenkens' would be a good title to encourage established local crafters to share what inspires them about our beautiful and diverse region and for new residents, who maybe don't know as much about the area but have been inspired to come and live here, to express themselves creatively”. There are several active craft groups in the Glenkens, all of which are very welcoming and encourage crafters to bring their own projects to work on and to share ideas and tips with other members. The groups also offer the opportunity to try out new crafts. 'Inspiring Glenkens’ plans to reach out to new and existing members of craft groups in order to create a combined community craft project. Textile panels for the wall hanging would be created, either individually or as teams, with crafters using any textile craft medium they like. The aim would be to meet every three to four months to show and discuss progress, and for people to get to know each other (if they don't already). An application for funding for the project, if successful, will be split between local craft groups in Balmaclellan, Dalry and Carsphairn. For further information, interested parties can contact Angie at page 10 communityinclusion.ling@gmail.com or Miriam at midgeporterdesign@ btinternet.com If you would like to take part you would be made most welcome - details of the craft groups involved are: Balmaclellan – Glenkens Crafters: Balmaclellan Village Hall, Weds 10am12pm. Contact: Julia Higgins Julia. higgins55@outlook.com Carsphairn – Carsphairn Craft Group: Lagwyne Hall, Fri 10am– 12pm. Contact: Maggie Phillips at carsphairncraftgroup@gmail.com Dalry – Clachan Crafters: Glenkens Community Centre, Thurs 2-4pm. Contact: Sarah McAdam at minimac01644@gmail.com Carsphairn Shout Out for Memories of Donald Watson Watson Birds is currently producing a book about Donald Watson, the local bird artist, writer and conservation campaigner who lived in Dalry for over 50 years. As editor, I have commissioned contributions covering all aspects of Donald's life from those who knew him well; the artist, the scientist, the man of the Glenkens, the family man and the conservation campaigner. If you have any memories or tales of Donald please let me know as I would love to include local anecdotes. Please get in touch with me by letter at 6 Eskside West, Musselburgh, EH21 6HZ, by email at roger.dodin@ btinternet.com or by phone on 07803 595 267. I look forward to hearing from you, Roger Crofts Carsphairn’s branch of the SWI is a small, social and active group who enjoy sharing A beautiful tapestry, which was a experiences Carsphairn SWI millenium project, and skills, as which was recently moved into the well as learning main section of Lagwyne Hall so it can be appreciated by everyone. new ones. Membership of the SWI is available to all women in Scotland and there is an emphasis on friendship and inclusiveness. Within the SWI, preserving traditional skills remains important. However, these are added to by the introduction of new experiences and ideas, we like to move with the times. We extend an invitation to anyone who would like to join us. You will be made very welcome and could come along as a visitor in the first instance, to see if you enjoy it. To find out more please call 01644 460 577. Glenkens Gazette page 11 The Optimistic Environmentalist Rubber, Bakelite and an Eco Friendly Christmas This section has been inspired by readers' questions on the recyclability of bakelite and rubber. Pure rubber is a natural product made from sap; this 'green' rubber can be melted down and remoulded and will biodegrade over a long time. However, most rubber is mixed with chemicals and metals that improve particular features, eg hardness, durability and elasticity. This type of rubber is therefore reused rather than recycled. Estimates vary but globally we produce in excess of two billion worn-out tyres per year - the largest percentage of rubber used. Tyres can be recovered (remoulds) to prolong their life. Some children's play areas use old tyres for children to clamber in and out of or to hang from trees or use as a seat on swings. They can also be used in your garden or public places for barriers or to grow plants in. There are companies that cut up used rubber to make things like mouse mats, cup stands or clothes. Rubber is ground up to make playground, fitness or running track flooring, mats, shoes, garden mulch, sports turf, livestock pens, and mixed into road hardcore. Reclaiming and reusing rubber uses far less energy than producing new rubber, decreasing the demand on plantations, deforestation and impact on water, soil and animal habitats. According to www. asm-recycling.co.uk, recycling four tyres reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 323 pounds (about 147 kg). Much of our waste rubber goes into landfill, but this does not apply to tyres which must be repurposed or exported. Bakelite is a plastic made from synthetic chemicals. It was used more in the 30s and 40s. Now it's only used in homes for cooking handles on pots and utensils because it does not get hot or soften when heated. It is mostly used for brake pads, wire insulation and related automotive components. It is difficult to recycle because it does not lend itself to remoulding when heated and releases many harmful chemicals. There is a limited interest in trying to recycle bakelite as a carbon source for iron and steel-making, but in general this plastic goes to landfill. Some Eco Christmas Ideas • Gifts with as little plastic as possible • Cuddly toys often have plastic beads inside but don't say this; to be sure, make them yourself or get a friend to • Wooden toys with FSC certification (a standard which guarantees that trees are replaced responsibly); broken parts can then be composted but only if the paint or varnish is safe • Board and computer games they can teach children and adults about environmental issues and solutions whilst having fun eg www. chaostheorygames.com and www. thegoodlifegame.co.uk • A beekeeper's course, suit or other equipment • Seeds, eg wildflowers and other insectattracting plants • Peat-free compost • Electric gardening tools • UK flowers, eg www.gallowayflowers. co.uk • Wind up equipment, eg a radio • Bamboo or organic cotton bedding • Products with clear green credentials, eg www.ethicalconsumer.org, www. theecoshopuk.com • Make your own Christmas crackers containing paper hats, surprising eco facts and ideas about actions that the recipient can do • Use wrapping paper and tape that is recyclable (a lot of Christmas paper isn't) • Wrap parcels in paper and cardboard, trying to minimise use of plastic bubblewrap, jiffy bags, etc. It is better, though, to reuse or pass on rather than just throw away • Support environmental charities as presents, eg Friends of the Earth, Green Peace, World Animal Protection, WWF, RSPB, Sea Shepherd. Many send information packs containing stickers and posters, or newsletters to interest the whole family explaining their work • Have a competition with your family or friends to create tasty recipes with Christmas leftovers Denise MacDonald-Kiernan Gordon McAdam Plumbing & Heating 22 Kirkland Street St John’s Town of Dalry 01644 430 393 07834 321 789 Glenkens Gazette page 12 The Battle of Stirling Bridge Dalry Secondary S1 students took part in a re-enactment of Scotland’s first war of Independence - the Battle of Stirling Bridge using the school grounds as their outdoor theatre. Their drama was scripted by Mrs Warren and explored how, on 11 September 1297, Andrew Moray and William Wallace defeated the English forces of John de Warenne and Hugh de Cressingham near Stirling, on the bridge over the River Forth. After bringing the story to life through drama they then tried their hands at journalism, producing their own excellent newspaper reports of the battle to display in the classroom. Perhaps some future journalists are emerging in Dalry - watch this space… Pictured left are S1 pupils re-enacting the battle, with history teacher, Mrs Warren, having been fatally wounded. The pupil article above, written in 'news' style, is by Molly and Rosa. Dalry School Basketball Team Dalry Secondary got off to an incredible start in this season's regional basketball matches. There were two games, one against Castle Douglas High School and the other against Dumfries High School, and the Dalry Secondary team won both. The wins become even more impressive when you take into account the fact that both of of the other schools have well over ten times the number of pupils that Dalry Secondary has (CD has 550 students and Dumfries has around 800, compared with Dalry's 45), highlighting the level of skill of the Dalry players. Since the start of the last school session, a number of pupils have really taken to the sport and improved immeasurably, with five pupils now playing competitively for Ayr. To further support the team the school are looking to purchase a new basketball kit so the boys really look the part at their games. Any fundraising/community donations would be very welcome! If you would like to donate, either hand donations in to the school office or you can make a payment to Friends of Dalry School (bank details are Friends of Dalry School, sort code 80-06-11, account number 00322693) or to get in touch with FoDS visit them on Facebook @Friends of Dalry School. Pictured below are members of Dalry Secondary's basketball team raring to go before the November matches, from which they came away victorious. Glenkens Gazette page 13 Schools and the Community Traditionally the 'friends of the school' are parents of pupils who attend that school. It makes good sense - after all, it's the children of those parents that benefit from the fundraising and social events that are often seen as the core business of a 'friends of the school' group. The wider community often holds less interest in the role of a school, but I feel that rural communities need to challenge that norm to retain a thriving existence. Friends of Dalry School (FoDS) was set up some years ago in order to provide a fundraising body for Dalry school, which includes both the primary and the secondary school. The organisation is a registered charity, so is able to apply for funding and benefit from opportunities such as reduced tax that the school or parent council would not be able to access. But why, once your children have flown the nest or you are living an independent single life, would you take an interest in Friends of Dalry School? The truth is that there are many motivators. Estate agents across Scotland will tell you that schools are a 'top 3' consideration for house buyers - so a flourishing school with great opportunities adds to your house value. As well as benefiting local homeowners on a financial level, schools also impact a community's overall health and wellbeing, having traditionally been one of the pillars of a community along with churches, post offices and, some might say, the public houses. Schools, however, hold a unique position in maintaining a balanced, multigenerational community. Schools enable our communities to regenerate. The Office for National Statistics shows that ageing households not only have fewer members but they often need less and spend less which, in turn, reduces opportunities for business which reduces opportunity for employment which reduces migration to the area which reduces opportunities for business, which reduces…well you can see where this goes. On the social side, the multigenerational nature of our rural communities is what enables them to thrive, and has been shown to be one of the healthiest ways to live. Communities where residents of all ages interact supports cultural traditions and values – as well as new innovations and technology – being shared between generations, which helps build a sense of personal and community identity and safety while encouraging tolerance. Members of a healthy, mixed-age community have been shown to possess a more positive, confident outlook as a result of interacting with a broad spectrum of ages, while social barriers are broken down. can’t expect an education department in Dumfries and a head teacher in Castle Douglas to see what we see; they don't live here. We need to ensure that the assets we know are here are utilised to their full potential. Becoming a Friend of Dalry School is not just about donating money, although that does help to access opportunities. It is about creating a strong network and supporting the school through time, energy and sharing a united vision. It's singing Dalry Secondary School's praises to all and sundry so people are aware of what an asset it is, both for our children and for the wider community. Through the school, we can create a work force suited to the needs of our communities. If our young people are nurtured and supported and are raised with a love of the Glenkens and a real sense of place, there is a strong likelihood that they will stay in the area, or return from worldly adventures to start families back where they grew up. FoDS is a place where you can bring whatever you have and make a difference. We should look at the future with ambition. Dalry Secondary School can thrive and be a centre of excellence in rural education. An easy way to support the schools is to set up a monthly donation - please get in touch for bank details. FoDS is also registered at www.giveasyoulive. org.uk where you can login and each time you make a purchase at many regular sites like Amazon and Tesco, an amount is donated to FoDS - so it doesn't even cost you anything! To find out more, or get involved, visit the Friends of Dalry School Facebook page - the more people who join FoDS, the more our shared vision for our schools, and our community, grows! Members of a healthy, mixed-age community have been shown to possess a more positive, confident outlook as a result of interacting with a broad spectrum of ages, while social barriers are broken down. It is these benefits, rather than improving your house price, that I hope will motivate you to become a Friend of Dalry School - supporting our community school supports us all, helping our wonderful Glenkens to continue to thrive into the future. What's Great About Dalry Secondary At the risk of sounding like a certain president, let's “Make Dalry Great Again” - or indeed remind people that it is great, as it's often the things closest to home that get overlooked. Let's make Dalry Secondary the school of choice for those in the Glenkens. Dalry’s rural position is seen by some as a reason to dismiss it, but in truth it is a strength. The benefits go far beyond a high teacher-to-pupil ratio. Its location on the edge of the Forest Park opens up unique opportunities. It’s proximity to renewable energy schemes, forestry and agriculture brings rich opportunities for both business and education if we can capitalise on them. And I haven’t even touched on working with eco-tourism or cycling initiatives, and all the other exciting projects and developments under way as we speak. We, as a united Glenkens community, Alastair Lamb, parent of children in Dalry Primary and Secondary Schools Glenkens Gazette page 14 Farewell to Ranger Ken The Loch Ken Trust has bid a fond farewell to Ranger Ken Scott. Ken was the trust’s first ever Loch Ken Ranger and paved the way for us as one of the first community-led Ranger Services in Scotland. Over his eighteen-months of employment Ken has patrolled the loch over 200 times and responded to over 166 incidents including dirty camping, campfire damage, wildlife crime, pollution and fly-tipping, often working in conjunction with partner agencies such as D&G Council Community Safety team, D&G Council Access Officer, Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Police Scotland Wildlife Crime team. Education sessions were a very important part of Ken’s work and funding enabled him to host lochside events for a number of local schools. Ken said: "It’s very exciting that our next generation are growing up with the knowledge to help them look after this beautiful environment." Ken’s commitment to his work has ensured our beautiful Loch has been better cared for, enabling everyone to enjoy our natural world responsibly. Local landowners commented on the vast reduction of antisocial behaviour and rubbish left on their land since Ken took up his position in April last year. Ken was instrumental in the setup of our Visitor Management Plan and his friendly presence around the loch will certainly be missed by all. Ken educating local school children on safe and sound lochside protocol. The Loch Ken Trust would like to thank Ken for all the amazing work he has done over the past eighteen months and wish him all the best for the future. Our most recently appointed Ranger, Leanne Pumpr, will continue with patrols around the Loch. The Loch Ken Trust Team Connecting Community Spaces Through New Asset Network A new network is being set up in the Glenkens and district to support town hall and village hall committees. Thanks to funding from the Blackcraig Wind Farm Fund, Becca Nelson has just started in post with Glenkens Communities & Arts Trust as the Glenkens asset network facilitator. Becca will be hosting bi-monthly network meetings for all interested parties with an additional day a week to move some of the actions forward which are flagged up at these meetings. Becca said: “I am looking forward to meeting everyone and getting the network going. The committees do such good work already, I’m excited about how I can help them and how we can perhaps achieve even more by working together.” Becca will be introducing herself around the area throughout November and December, with a view to having the first network meeting in January. If you would like to get in touch with Becca before then you can email becca.glenkens. anf@gmail.com Galloway Sorting Tender Many readers I'm sure will be aware of the old railway which ran from Dumfries to Stranraer and Portpatrick, known as the Paddy Line. Its stations included Castle Douglas, Crossmichael, Parton, New Galloway (actually at Mossdale) and Gatehouse of Fleet. The line carried passenger traffic and freight, but also an important part of its business was to take a 'sorting tender'. This was a small post office sorting facility where letters and packages were sorted by post office staff on the move, so that they were ready for immediate delivery when they reached their destination. The Galloway Sorting Tender ran from 1871 to 1904 when the name changed to Galloway Sorting Carriage and then from 1930 to 1940 it was known as Galloway TPO (Travelling Post Office). An example of one of these carriages is preserved in the National Railway Museum in York, although the preserved example was never used on the Paddy Line - a photo of the interior is included below. On 31 December 1935, the sorting carriage was involved in the Ken Valley derailment. Two postmen were injured and the carriage was destroyed. Stamp collectors sometimes come across examples of Victorian stamps that bear the cancellation which was used on board ‘Galloway Sorting Tender’ - the example below is from 1872. Paul Goodwin Glenkens Gazette page 15 The Glenkens Kvöldvaka A wonderful Icelandic winter tradition has been unfolding in the Glenkens: the kvöldvaka (‘evening wake’). It is brought by New Galloway based author Sarah Thomas, whose new memoir The Raven’s Nest, is set in Iceland’s rural and rugged Westfjords region. Dating back to a time when the majority of Icelanders lived on farms, in the winter months, when the days became short and outdoor work was made impossible by darkness, the household would come inside. After the rökkurstund - an hour or so of relaxation in the twilight hour - a single fish oil lamp would be ritually lit, and the kvöldvaka would begin. The household would share in the light of that lamp, and as they continued the necessary wool work of knitting, darning and spinning, someone would read aloud to them - the sagas, poetry, the scriptures. Even in times of scarce resources and deepest poverty, everyone could share in a story and become literate, and this gave rise to the nation of book lovers Iceland is today. "Kvöldvaka is a wonderful tradition I witnessed when I spent several years living in Iceland, and became part of a family of sheep farmers and fishermen. I decided to use it as a way to share my new book which is about those people and that place," says Sarah. She continues; "Being read aloud to in this way as an adult is very special. It is relaxing, transportive and convivial in a way we rarely get to experience. I invite audiences to bring their knitting and mending to do as I read, and in a strange way this ‘creates time’. You complete that darning you never get around to, whilst hearing a story, and you get some alone time in your mind whilst being in company. Jólabókaflóð ('Christmas Book Flood'). It is tradition for everyone to receive a book for Christmas and part of Christmas Day is spent reading, so November onwards sees a flurry of book buying - a fine tradition! Why not gift a copy of The Raven’s Nest to a loved one this Christmas? It’s dark outside, so come coorie in by candle glow and lamplight and be read to. And if you wish, bring your knitting and mending! Glenkens Kvvöldvaka is part of the CatStrand Arts Programme and is also supported by the Galloway Glens Scheme. It will continue for the following dates: 29 November at CatStrand, 6 December at The Smiddy and 13 December at CatStrand, on a 'pay what you feel'basis. Signed copies of The Raven's Nest are available at the readings and Sarah will be happy to inscribe them for you. The book is also stocked in the CatStrand shop as well as all good bookshops and online. Being read aloud to in this way as an adult is very special. It is relaxing, transportive and convivial in a way we rarely get to experience. "At my readings, jumper armpits have been mended, mittens made, embroidery done. In some ways, this combination of handiwork and story is the most profoundly human thing we can do. We are wired for it. Perhaps that’s why it feels so calming. In an increasingly fractious world this feels like a valuable thing to offer. Since June, I have toured with The Raven’s Nest through Iceland and the UK doing this at music festivals, literature festivals, bookshops, art galleries, village halls, and - a particular highlight - the Royal Botanical Garden in Edinburgh for Book Week Scotland." Another Icelandic bookish phenomenon begins at this time of year: the Ukranian Lessons? My name is Graham and I am resident in the Glenkens. I am retired and do a little voluntary work at the primary school in Moniaive. I have had a broad experience during my working life and the last 12-15 years I have mainly worked with young children in the 3-11 age group; incidentally this has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my life. Ever since the war in Ukraine started I have been wondering what I can do to help, aside from donating some money to an account set up by the Ukrainian Army. I have decided that next summer (July/ August), during the summer holidays, I will make a trip to Ukraine in my van along with my dog Ivy. My plan is to fill the van with enough supplies to help set up a small kindergarten and primary school. In conjunction with the staff at Moniaive primary school and playcare centre I will make a list of things to take. I am limited to what I can take as it all has to fit in my van. I will publish a list and start fundraising early next year. At the moment I am asking the Ukrainians who are resident in Glenkens for help. Mainly I would like to learn some basics of the Ukrainian language and alphabet. I am able to pay a small amount to anyone who can help. Thanks in advance, Graham Firewood for Sale Carsphairn Community Woodland From ï Free local delivery ï Enquiries to: Tel: 07710 124 255 Carsphairn Community Woodland Limited is commi�ed to acquiring, developing and managing local woodlands in a sustainable and environmentally sound way for the long-term benefit of the local community. Firewood for Sale Website: www.carsphairn.org/CCWL Company Limited by Guarantee SC591976 Carsphairn Community Woodland From Glenkens Gazette page 16 On the Trail of a Good Story The Glenkens Story's motto has always been "Sharing Our History" and this will be the focus of the history group's first meeting in 2023. John Nelson lives near Crossmichael and has a deep interest in local and family history. One of his family's stories became the focus of John’s book, On the Trail of a Broken Shoe: The True Story of the Last Man Hanged in Scotland for Horse Stealing. Since publishing the book in early 2022 John has spoken to many audiences about the story, the journey it inspired and the light it sheds on Galloway’s rural past. But how does someone take a family story and share it with a wider audience? The Glenkens Story has invited John to talk about how he set about "Sharing Our History" and how the book itself came about. In conversation with historical novelist Margaret Elphinstone, John will describe how he took a family tale, gathered facts from friends and relatives, visited archives and records, polished his story-telling skills in creative writing classes and went on to publish, negotiating the hazards of marketing and the vagaries of the book trade. Every family has something to contribute to the total of local history. This is a story of how individual stories can be shared. This event will be held on Sunday 22 January from 2-4pm at CatStrand, New Galloway. For tickets, priced £8, call 01644 420 374 or visit www.gcat.scot Mike Brown Hallowe'en in the Glenkens This year hallowe'en in the Glenkens was great fun, with lots of guising going on as well as a party in Dalry Town Hall. LING (Local Initiatives in New Galloway) joined forces with Friends of Dalry School (FoDS) to put on a halloween party for children and young people in the area, which was a great success. Kids enjoyed a range of hallowe'en-themed party games, starting with fun for the wee ones from 4.30-6.30pm, and then more activities suited to older children from 7-8.30pm. Activities included decorating biscuits, pin the smile on the pumpkin, musical monsters, 'mystery boxes' with horrorfilled contents, dooking for apples, turning people into mummies and eating ring biscuits on strings. The young people also enjoyed David Tallontire CHIMNEY SWEEP Covering the Glenkens & further afield 07709 144 299 - wood burners - multi-fuel stoves - open fires - Agas - Rayburns - birds nest removal with CCTV inspection - certificates issued - feel free to call for advice - Find me on Facebook hanging out together and listening to hallowe'en music, as well as eating a range of halloween-themed snacks from 'dead finger' hot dogs to 'raw meat' and 'sick' crispy cakes to 'eyeball' jelly - and, of course, lots of sweets! LING would like to say a big thank you to FoDS for organising the party, in particular to Julie and Sarah for all their hard work - the young people had a great time. On the theme of Hallowe'en, children also enjoyed guising in the Glenkens villages, and in New Galloway the McGaws and the Joneses outdid themselves once again with well thought out, terrifying themes perfect for the intrepid guiser...definitely not for the faint hearted! For more on LING youth events, see p30, and there is an ad on the back page of this issue for a youth worker if that's something which may be of interest to you or someone you know. Family and friends coming to stay? Short of space? Cosy country cottage available (sleeps 4) Call Fiona on 01644 420 227 www.covenanters-holidaycottagescotland.co.uk A Glenkens young person accepts the iced ring challenge at the Dalry Town Hall LING/FoDS hallowe'en party. 唀瀀栀漀氀猀琀攀爀礀Ⰰ 䰀漀漀猀攀 䌀漀瘀攀爀猀Ⰰ 䘀愀戀爀椀挀猀Ⰰ 䌀甀猀栀椀漀渀猀 刀攀昀椀氀氀攀搀 䘀爀攀攀 䔀猀琀椀洀愀琀攀猀 吀栀攀 圀漀爀欀猀栀漀瀀Ⰰ 䴀漀渀礀戀甀椀攀Ⰰ 䌀漀爀猀漀挀欀⸀ 䐀䜀㜀 ㌀䐀夀 眀眀眀⸀䠀愀爀爀椀猀ⴀ唀瀀栀漀氀猀琀攀爀礀⸀挀漀⸀甀欀 ㄀㘀㐀㐀 㐀㐀 㔀㈀㤀 Glenkens Gazette page 17 The Life of the Atlantic Salmon The Atlantic salmon has a complicated life. Their lifecycle of breeding in freshwater before going to sea to grow before returning to their home river to breed is taught at schools across the country. Atlantic salmon face challenges that would be unsurmountable to many fish. This is due to the different osmotic challenges the two environments pose; in freshwater the fluids in the fish will be saltier than their environment and water will try and flood in, the reverse is true in saltwater. For a young salmon, about to embark on its journey to sea, it must change its physiology from that of a freshwater fish to a marine fish. The switch, called smoltification, puts huge stresses on the fish. To add to that stress, whilst the fish is undergoing this change it must negotiate its way down a river from its home grounds to the sea; on the Dee this is a journey of up to 30 miles. Within the river, the migration is relatively passive; fish wash down, riding the current during elevated flows. In areas of still or very slow-moving water they cannot just ride the current, however, and they must swim; this swim involves the highest risk. Diminutive in size (typically less than 15cm) they are a tasty snack for many predators such as pike, trout, cormorant and otters, which abound in the slower water. Anything that likes a fishy supper likes a tasty smolt! Towards the end of the ice age, the first of the Dee salmon entered the river. They found a river that had a small number of lochs and, in the lower reaches, sections of slow flowing water, but in the main access was a breeze and the habitat for rearing their young was superb. The Dee became the most prolific salmon river in southwest Scotland and the spawning grounds in the Ken, from New Galloway upstream, were some of the most important areas for them. In the early 20th century, power within the river Dee was identified and one of the biggest hydroelectric schemes in the world was constructed. Dams were constructed throughout the river creating large expanses of new ‘stillwater’; still water that predators abounded in. Flow was controlled, blunting the small rises in water that the fish relied upon to migrate out the river. The natural outlets to lochs were replaced by concrete walls and turbines turbines that the fish would have to pass through. Salmon were considered, but our knowledge of their needs was scant. Upstream migration of fish was provided, but little thought was put into the needs of the fish leaving the river. 100 years on we understand salmon in greater detail. In 2021 Galloway Glens, DRAX, Galloway Fisheries Trust and the Dee District Salmon Fisheries Board came together to embark on a piece of ground-breaking research to investigate the issue and get a better understanding of what’s going on. We captured a small A map of the smolt listening stations along the number of smolts upstream of migration route; red dots are receivers, yellow Dalry and implanted some tiny stars are smolt trap-and-release sites (Polharrow acoustic tags within them. These and Coom burns) and black lines are man-made tags go ping at frequent intervals impoundments (Earlstoun and Tongland dams, with unique pitches. Throughout Glenlochar barrage). the Dee system we placed several receivers which recorded the fish as they passed on their also noted that 2021 was a very good way downstream. From this we could year nationally for smolt migration with determine where and when the losses elevated flows in the spring happening occurred. at the right time and with the right The work went better than expected and frequency. These results are a snapshot we managed to determine that 58% of in time, and in a year when conditions for the smolts leaving the Upper Dee would smolt migration were excellent. Further make it to the estuary. The mortality work needs to be done to determine at dams was lower than expected with what would happen in other years when 88% of fish making it through past the migration is trickier. barriers, passing through the turbines A detailed summary can be seen on the under generation, even when alternative Galloway Glens website. routes were available. Overall, the pattern Galloway Glens would like to thank of migration was similar to that found in DRAX, Galloway Fisheries Trust, The other rivers with a natural flow. It was Dee District Salmon Fisheries Board and Glasgow University for assistance in this project as well as, of course, the National Heritage Lottery without which none of this work would have been possible. Nick Chisholm N ew Galloway Golf Club Spalding Bowling Club Well done to all the winners at spalding this season! Spalding held its annual prize giving at Lochinvar Hotel, Dalry. Another good season was had by all with this year's Gents Champion being John peacock and Ladies Champion Kate Bone. Founded Foun ded 1902 www.ng www.n g gc.co.uk - 01644 420737 Buggies now available for hire VISITORS AND NEW MEMBERS WELCOME Glenkens Gazette page 18 sponsored by If you would like to list something on this page, please get in touch on 07727 127 997 or glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk FREE MDF-type computer desk with split level surfaces for monitor and keyboard. It has recesses for CDs/DVDs on either side and shelves underneath for scanner, printer, etc. Dimensions are 144cm high x 100cm wide x 65cm deep. Contact: 01644 430 103. Perennial plants, come and dig them up and take them away; everything must go. Contact: sandjharvie@gmail. com Amazon Fire7 tablet (no charger) for email, kindle books, internet, movies, etc. Trust Slimline small drawing tablet (no stylus). Box of computer bits & bobs cables, routers, etc. Two large paper guillotines, suitable for office. 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Contact: HOME WANTED IN THE GLENKENS Reiki Master Praconer     Full PPE and insured WANTED  Glenkens Gazette page 19 sponsored by The Nature of the Games We Play I began the year intent on two things that I’d not done before. One was to record the broad habits of our (Dalry) jackdaws or ‘Jaikies’ throughout the year, to answer some basic questions beyond their obvious sociability and habit of nesting in lums. I have done this. Secondly, in the light of a grandfatherly realisation that many children don’t have the deep connection with nature that many of my generation had, I resolved to make seasonal recollections of my own outdoor activities as a boy. I have done less well on this, but an autumn request for this article provided a fruitful opportunity. Summers were usually a blur of all sorts of street games, especially football in days of no cars parked on my street. Nature took a back seat except for making dens in stacked hay, ‘dookin’ and ‘paidlin’ in the burn on hot days, and catching minnows or ‘beardies’ in bottles. A few rasps were picked but mostly missed, so short is their season and so busy we were. However, the return to school and shorter days brought more focus to our time. Reps from Delrosa went round the classes with sacks encouraging us all to gather ripe rosehips for their (delicious) rosehip syrup. The rewards were very worthwhile and would often amount to a tanner or even a shilling or two. Of course, rosehips and doghips were well known to us as ‘itchy pooders’, which have to be experienced to be believed. Essentially, the skins were peeled off and sometimes eaten, recalling apples, while the hairy seeds or ‘pooders’ were deployed behind the shirt collar of some poor unsuspecting pal. Frantic removal of shirts and ‘pooders’ ensued. Pea shooters were also employed around this time, though I don’t recall peas ever being used, but rather rowan berries shot through the hollow stalks of umbellifers, with strips of plastic insulating tape forming mouthpieces for the lucky ones who could procure these. Playgrounds and public spaces were littered with rowan berries and rosehip skins, with some, for shame, even finding their way into school corridors. The bramble and nut seasons followed closely, with whole families involved in the former. Bramble jeely was a standard in school play-and-pit-pieces, and indeed on homemade scones. A few of the avant-garde dabbled with bramble and elderberry winemaking and indeed this was annual in the café-owning Italian families. To avoid disappointment, most nuts were gathered too early, unripe green husks discarded along the way, but for those who knew a secluded hazel shaw the extra wait was worthwhile. Chestnuts or ‘chessies’ - ‘conkers’ down south - were scarce and generally very wee in my boyhood upland parish of New Cumnock. were exotic and unheard of – were from certain farm fields. As the date approached word spread around the school as to just where the biggest and best were to be found, with accompanying tales of irate farmers and narrow escapes. My most memorable and narrowest escape happened as a small group of us returned through a ‘tumshie’ field from Knockshinnoch Lagoons with armfuls of bulrushes (reedmace) for vase decorations, together with several huge ‘tumshies’. We were spotted by the farmer – a noted livewire – who stopped on the road as we left his field. He was raging and ordered us all into the back of his vehicle, including my mongrel dog, Dusky. I was first in and slipped across the back seat, opened the far door and jumped out with the dog. We were soon over a dyke and running across the burn to the scheme and safety. I was glad I did because the other three and another dog were taken directly to the police station, which was closed and so they were all locked up in a dark farm shed for an hour or two. This would have completely freaked me out, and still does a bit on recollection. I can’t remember if the police came to our door on that occasion or not, though I would have regretted it if they had. By Hallowe’en, of course, street bonfires were already constructed in anticipation of Guy Fawkes’ night. Some were huge and often had internal chambers or dens where sentries could spend time guarding against thieves of combustibles, or even those who would ignite a neighbouring street’s pile. So, into November and bonfires ebbed, flowed and burned as the feuds developed. Mostly, no real harm was done beyond an early fire, but I do remember one near tragedy when a bonfire was prematurely lit with several unaware sentries in an internal den of breadboards, and it was always a relief to see the street’s labours and pride win through to the 5th, when interstreet harmony was restored. Thus, these autumn months and their natural products were enmeshed in our youthful lives and that connection with the natural world – the real world – was instilled in us all. Every passing week sees something new in nature and, whilst we didn’t see it all, we saw enough to celebrate in our games and pass-times that lit a passion in our eyes and a glow in our dreams. Chris Rollie ...these autumn months and their natural products were enmeshed in our youthful lives and that connection with the natural world – the real world – was instilled in us all. Nevertheless, we tried and a ‘drookin’ in vinegar was one of the common tricks employed to secure a hardened ‘bully’ three of four, though I’m not sure it ever really made much difference. One or two lucky ones were somehow able to cross the border to Drumlanrig in Dumfriesshire, where the legendary ‘chessies’ were reputedly like apples. Gooseberries or ‘gudjucks’ as we knew them had already been plundered and during these earlier forays the plum and apple crops in the few walled gardens were noted for later. Owners were aware of this, of course, and successful raids had to be planned with cunning and precision, in contrast to the wild back garden raids around the housing scheme where I was born and grew up. Strawberries were early, scarce and usually too close to the houses to risk, and so it was that ‘tumshies’ (turnips) were the standard loot. Although I revelled in the thrill of the chase, I never really warmed to their raw taste and texture, though some of the more adventurous growers had sweet snowball ‘tumshies’ and they were just about palatable. The biggest and best ‘tumshies’ for Hallowe’en lanterns – pumpkins Glenkens Gazette page 20 Protecting the Hearts of Our Communities Here in the Glenkens and neighbouring communities, our hearts are being better protected thanks to the Loch Ken Trust (LKT). The LKT has funded new publicly accessible defibrillators and heated boxes in which to house them to six Loch Ken communities, as part of their ‘Protecting Our Heart’ project. The project is part of the Loch Ken Plan, which aims to make Loch Ken the world’s first ‘Future Ready Community’. In a rural area like ours the wait time for an ambulance can be lengthy, and the survival rates for heart attacks are lower than the national average. Since we are unlikely to see extra ambulances in the area, the Trust decided to expand the network of existing defibrillators to provide better coverage. There are now defibrillators in installed at Forrest Estate, Dundeugh, Glenlochar, Clarebrand, New Galloway, Crossmichael and Mossdale. The project was funded by a grant secured from the National Lottery’s Awards For All programme and supported by the Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership Scheme. LKT officer, Barney Fryer, said: "This is a hugely important project for us at the Loch Ken Trust as it is all about looking after the health and wellbeing of the people in our communities." Sharon Fishwick, of Dundeugh, said: "The residents of Dundeugh have been trying to get a defibrillator installed in our remote village for years. We would like to thank the Loch Ken Trust for their continued support as we take ownership of our defibrillator." Please watch this space for details of cardiac training which will be available in the near future. To find out more about the work of the Loch Ken Trust please visit www. Lochken.org.uk Pictured above: Loch Ken Trust Officer Barney Fryer with Dundeugh residents Sharon Fishwick and D Aitken, alongside the newly-installed defibrillator at Dundeugh. Harvest Festival Speech 2072 Dear People, it’s my turn to welcome you to our Glenkens Harvest Feast. You’ve all contributed to this spread. There are some new faces since last year. A few have just come into this world and probably aren’t listening. Others have taken a long, difficult road to reach us at last. Welcome, all of you! Some friends are gone since last year. We miss them all. We’ll pause while I read their names… Nothing’s certain. We’ve known hunger. We’ve known danger. We’ve lost people we love. When the signal’s live we hear similar, or worse, stories from across the world. We’ll never meet those others, but we stand in solidarity with them all. Together we live frugally and work hard, but today is our autumn feast. Everyone can eat their fill. Everyone deserves thanks. Let’s remember who made all this possible: You hill farmers who know this land like the back of your hands, who care for the herds who roam our hills. If it wasn’t for you we wouldn’t only be hungry; we wouldn’t know the sound of a curlew, a lapwing or a black grouse. All of you who protect our woods and wetlands. Look at the wild harvest in all its glorious colour spread out before us. Think of the trees that sprang from seeds which stayed hidden in the soil through the worst of times. You farmers, fishers, growers and foragers who look after our meadows, lochs and rivers and who brought in this delicious food today - just smell that barbecue - don’t worry - only a few words to go now... You brave souls who’ve made it here from lands destroyed by drought and floods, or devastated by war. Without your skills and hard work we wouldn’t be here today. Above all, we thank those who made the change, way back in the 2020s. The ones who refused to let our good earth vanish under sitka spruce. Who protested against the cow factories, the flattened fields, the lost woodlands, the lakes of slurry and poisoned water courses. Who dared insist that the land belongs to those who live on it. Who ensured that against all the odds we would cherish our soil, our trees and flowers, our birds and insects and animals, all these beings who came here as the ice melted and whose rightful home this has been for twelve thousand years. Who believed that vibrant communities, healthy farms and other-than-human lives mattered more than any money ever minted. If it wasn’t for those courageous people - those honoured ancestors of all of us, wherever we were born - we wouldn’t be here today. They knew that in a dangerous world food won’t fly your way forever. If they hadn’t stood up for our soil, our land and our people there’s no way we could survive here now. Therefore we remember them. They lived in an uneasy comfort we can’t begin to dream of, but they had the wit to think of us. So raise your beakers and let’s drink to the brave rebels of the 2020s! MNE From the Bookroom Glenkens Gazette page 21 In the summer I walk about in the garden, or up and down the hills, but in the winter I board my mind’s vessel and set out through the surging pages of books. Books in grim wintertime serve as both Vitamin D and a passage to other worlds. The colder the weather, the darker the days, the warmer and brighter I like my books. So this year, as the solstice approaches, I’ve pulled a present off the shelf I’ve had stored up for over a decade. That is, By the Sea, a novel by Abdulrazak Gurnah. It throws me through time and space, linking me first to where I was when I acquired the book. That is, Palestine, a hotel in east Jerusalem to be precise, in spring 2009. I was there for ‘Palfest’, the Palestine Festival of Literature, in the company of several wonderful writers, including Abdulrazak, who has since won the Nobel Prize for Literature. The hills of the West Bank, like the rest of the Levant, experience bracing cold in the winters. It snows as much there as it does in Galloway. Fortunately, therefore, this novel links me also to Oman, on the Tropic of Cancer, where I lived for five years. Not that the novel is set in Oman. It’s set mainly in Zanzibar, on Africa’s east coast, but Zanzibar was once – from the late 17th Century to the 1960s – the capital of the Omani Empire. Based first on slaves, then on cloves, the empire was rooted in the monsoon trade winds which blow east to west in the last months of the year, across the Indian Ocean to Africa, and then west to east in the early months of the new year, from Africa to the Arabian Gulf, Iran and India. (The English word monsoon derives from the Arabic word for season – ‘mousem’.) In Zanzibar and similar ports a new culture was made from the mixing of several. The language – Swahili – encapsulates it: Bantu in structure, Arabic, Persian and Bantu in vocabulary. There were plenty of Swahili speakers in Oman – a bright, hot, very friendly country, blessed with blue skies, blazing smiles, giant Connecting in Communities (CiC) is keen to get the word out about two new groups which have just been launched. ‘Menopause Really Matters’ is a friendly group which meets monthly, with the aim to create an environment in which members can nurture and support each other in a safe space, where people can talk and improve their quality of life. We will also be inviting guest speakers each month to provide relevant information and advice. Our first meeting was warmly received and hugely enjoyed. One attendee said; “It was wonderful to be in a welcoming environment to meet, talk and laugh with new friends about shared experiences.” If you would like to come along, contact either lesley@ thenourishingspace.co.uk or jo@ catstrand.com or call 01644 420 374 to book in or find out more. CiC is also excited about a new 'From the Bookroom' is a new section where Glenkens-based author, Robin Yassin-Kassab, will take readers on a journey through some of his favourite books. Robin is author of the novel The Road From Damascus and co-author of Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War. In the summer I spend every spare moment outside, but in the winter I retreat to my bookroom, light a fire, and generate some verbal heat. turtles, and frankincense trees. It’s impossible to sum up By the Sea in a few sentences without doing it an injustice. Instead, I suggest you explore for yourselves this complex family drama teased out in retrospective conversation between migrants. It’s a tale of memory and loss, of love and arbitrary injustice, of imprisonment and exile. And it dances continually between worlds, from the east African coast to the chilly southern English seaside. So these are two extra locations to hold in my mind – alongside Jerusalem, Palestine; Muscat, Oman; and the Glenkens, Galloway – as I sail this bookroom towards the light, towards the lengthening days of a coming new year… Robin Yassin-Kassab Illustration of Robin speaking at an event by artist and author Molly Crabapple. Community Drama Club which will launch in February 2023, and we are keen to hear from anyone aged 18+ who would be interested in performing and/or supporting, with a view to working on productions to be performed around the region. If you want to return to an interest in theatre, or to newly unleash your inner thespian, please get in touch to find out more about this exciting new community group which is free and open to all. The cntact person is Jo at jo@catstrand.com or 01644 420 374. CiC are most grateful to funders Blackcraig Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund, administered by the Glenkens and District Trust and Foundation Scotland, and the National Lottery, whose contributions help make all our activities possible. Jo Jackson, CiC Activity Officer Glenkens Gazette Christmas in New Galloway Everyone from across the Glenkens is invited to New Galloway's Christmas celebrations. The Christmas lights parade, led by piper Ian Wemyss, will begin at New Galloway Golf Club car park and make its way down the High Street at 5pm. Please arrive at the car park by 4.40pm, where there will be hot chocolate and mince pies to keep you warm while you listen to carols by Kells school pupils (children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult). In anticipation of the parade, please could High Street residents have your outdoor Christmas lights switched on by 5pm on Sunday 4 December. If you need assistance putting your lights up do get in touch on 07766 476 125 or email communityinclusion.ling@ gmail.com - thank you! For more on New Galloway's Christmas celebrations there will be a brochure available from the end of November. We would like to thank all volunteers and supporting organisations who have helped to provide this year's New Galloway Christmas celebrations. Let the festive fun begin! Angie Bradford, LING Community Events & Activity inclusion Manager page 22 Urr Valley Garden Club The Urr Valley Garden Club reconvened in April, after a two year pause, and have so far enjoyed an illustrative talk covering the history of Threave, a visit to The Lost Gardens of Arbigland and also a visit to Luckie Hargs garden in Bainbridge. From October through to March monthly meetings are held at Haugh of Urr Village Hall on the third Thursday of the month at 2pm. The Winter Programme for 2022/23 is as follows: • Thursday 15 December: Christmas Capers • Thursday 19 January: My expedition to Vietnam, by Richard Baines, Curator at Logan Botanic Gardens • Thursday 16 February: An illustrated talk on Alipine Plants, by David Lawson • Thursday 16 March: An illustrated/practical talk on Propagation, by Nadine Stotten-Thom, Garden Instructor from Threave • AGM Thursday 20 April: AGM followed by Garden Design with Owen Harlow, formerly of Threave Annual Membership remains at £10; subscriptions run from 1 April to 31 March. The guest fee is £3 per person. New members are always welcome; if you are interested please contact 07977 050 971 or 07971 105 626. Glenkens Gazette page 23 ...News from the Banks of Loch Ken... Protecting our planet is very important to The Loch Ken Trust. In order to make our planet better we have to know where we are right now. Our Baseline Ecosystem Assessment project forms a key part of the Loch Ken Plan. We will be hosting a range of activities over the year ahead to really understand the state of the ecosystem that is Loch Ken. Loch Ken and the surrounding area is a paradise for wildlife watchers. It’s a colourful place – look out for red squirrels amongst the trees and red deer silhouetted on the skyline. The loch is home to a wintering flock of Greenland white-fronted geese. This population represents one of only a handful of wintering flocks on mainland Scotland. Also frequenting the loch are otters, red kites and ospreys. The activities will range from professional scientific studies, through to bio-blitzes and other forms of ‘citizen science’. We will also be hosting visits from schools across the region and higher/further education students. One of our objectives is to produce a short-list of ‘priority’ species, across air, land and water that we can track as a proxy for overall ecosystem health. Salmon, for example, are a great indicator of overall ecosystem health. ‘Be Respectful of the environment and leave no trace’ A significant area of the loch is designated a Special Protection Area for this species - the highest level of protection awarded to birds in Europe. These species will form the basis for a programme of ongoing scientific monitoring for The Loch Ken Trust and the wider community. They will also guide the work of the Loch Ken Ranger service to protect, restore and improve our environment. PROTECTING OUR NATURAL WORLD Our natural environment is under pressure like never before in human history. Whether it is the effect of climate change, or the growing biodiversity crisis, it has never been more important to understand what is going on in our ecosystem and to conserve, protect and restore our natural habitats. GET INVOLVED... We would love YOU to be involved in this project! Is there a particular area that interests you? Please get in touch lktoffice@protonmail.com we'd love to hear from you! Photographs © Ken Scott Glenkens Gazette page 24 Dear Gazette, I captured this image of the Remembrance Day one-minute silence at New Galloway war memorial. It reminded me of something out of a Thomas Hardy or Brontë novel… Ros Music for Midwinter As we head into the depths of winter, SongWave community choir will bring you songs from many lands An added attraction in the evening and traditions that bring Hall. performance will be the Dumfries & Galloway Clarsach Society led by Wendy warmth and heart to PRESS RELEASE Stewart. the season. From Shchedryk, a Twelfth For immediate release chance to join in too! Taking into account the current financial constraints on many people, tickets Music for Midwinter Joyous and upli5ing songs and readings for the darkest Under musical director Kate Howard night carol from the Ukraine, to Laula, are priced at ‘pay what you feel’ with a the choir will be performing two part a oflullaby the year. from Estonia; from Arise and minimum of £5. concerts in the Glenkens on Saturday Hail, an English West Gallery carol, to To find out more and be kept up17 December; at 3pm they will be in As weIn head into the depths of winter, community choir will bring you songs fromvisit www. Freenship’s Name, fromSongWave the singing to-date with future events Crossmichael Church and at 7.30pm many of lands tradi;ons that bringWillie warmth and heart to the season. theand Border Shepherd Scott, songwavechoir.org.uk they will be in Kirkpatrick Durham Village there’s something for everyone and a Under musical director Kate Howard we will be performing two concerts in the Glenkens on Saturday December 17th. At 3.00 we will be in Crossmichael Church and later in the day, at 7.30, the loca;on will be Kirkpatrick Durham Village Hall. An added aIrac;on in the evening will be the Dumfries and Galloway Clarsach Society led by Wendy Stewart. Photo of the Issue From Shchedryk, a TwelLh night carol from the Ukraine, to Laula, a lullaby from Estonia; from Arise and Hail, an English West Gallery carol, to In Freenship’s Name, from the singing of the Border Shepherd Willie ScoI, there’s something for everyone and a chance to join in too! ...Sponsored by the Stockbridge Mac & Cheese Co... Taking into account the current Þnancial constraints on many people tickets are priced at ‘Pay what you feel’ with a minimum of £5. This issue’s winner is Andrew McCluckie with a striking shot of his collie dog, Jasper, paddling under the Loch Stroan viaduct. To be kept up-to-date with future events, sign up for our newsletter and find out how to book tickets for these concerts visit the website www.songwavechoir.org.uk Ends For further information please contact: Cath Ingham at mamacath@me.com phone 07763124001 Andrew wins two portions of mac 'n' cheese from our competition sponsors, the Balmaclellan-based Stockbridge Mac & Cheese Co. Company owner and competition judge, Hannah Gould, said: "What a shot! The composition is lovely, with the circular frame highlighting the dog. We felt it was just right for the season - reflections of a crisp autumn/winter day in the Glenkens." To enter you can send in any photograph taken in the Glenkens to glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk Glenkens Gazette page 25 Connecting in Communities December 2022/ January 2023 Activity Programme ARTistry - Life Drawing Classes Thursdays - Dec 1st, 8th & 15th / Jan 12th, 19th, 26th 10am-12.30pm The Smiddy, Balmaclellan - £7.50 Contact: Leto Seferiades letosef@gmail.com 07763 235888 Glenkens Pub Quiz Nights Sunday Dec 11th | 7pm The Clachan Inn Dalry Thursday Jan 12th | 7pm The Ken Bridge Teams of 4/6 - £1 per person Contact: Chris Jowsey on necjj00@btinternet.com 07925 914681 Chair Yoga Fridays - Dec 2nd, 9th & 16th / Jan 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th 2pm-3pm The Smiddy, Balmaclellan By donation, suggested £5 Suitable for beginners, gentle introduction to physical and mental benefits. Contact: Kath on kathry64@hotmail.co.uk 07720 949430 Boccia Club Wednesdays - Dec 14th & 11th Jan | 2pm-3pm Catstrand FREE Indoor Boules in the CatStrand Auditorium An inclusive afternoon of fun indoor bowling, suitable for all abilities, all welcome Contact: jo@catstrand.com Call 01644 420374 Menopause Really Matters Mondays - Dec 5th & Jan 9th |7pm - 8pm The Smiddy, Balmaclellan. A supportive & informative group. Advice, guest speakers and friendly network guaranteed. Donations to ‘The Menopause Charity.org’ Contact: Lesley Atkins lesley@thenourishingspace.co.uk 07587 122151 Open Mic Night Thursdays - Dec 15th & Jan 12th 7.30pm-10pm CatStrand Performers free / Audience - £5 includes a tot of whisky on arrival for Dutch Courage! Or Mulled Spiced Apple Juice. Contact: Alan McClure alanmcclure70@hotmail.com Art For Wellbeing Mondays & Tuesdays - Dec 5th, 6th, 12th, & 13th / Jan 9th, 10th 16th, 17th, 23rd, 24th, 30th & 31st By donation for art materials Mondays | 1.30pm-3pm Crossmichael Memorial Hall Tuesdays | 10.30am-12pm Dalry Town Hall, Tuesdays | 1pm-2.30pm Kirkpatrick Durham Village Hall Tuesdays | 2pm-3.30pm Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn Contact: jo@catstrand.com / 01644 420374 Glenkens Ukes (Ukuele Workshops) Wednesdays - Dec 7th & 14th / Jan 4th, 11th, 18th 25th 6.30pm-8pm The Smiddy, Balmaclellan - £3.00 Dec 14th FREE Festive Sing A Long | 7pm-9pm Contact: Brian Jones on briantjjones@gmail.com 07760 884113 Photography in Focus Tuesdays - Dec 6th, 13th Jan 10th, 17th, 24th & 31st | 10am-12pm The Smiddy, Balmaclellan plus ‘out in the field’ Expert tuition to bring your photography knowledge and skills into focus. Contact: ianbiggar@btinternet.com 07799 372052 LGBTQI + Film Night in association with SAFE SPACE CAFÉ ‘Carol’ Saturday - Dec 17th | 7pm ‘Tangerine’ Saturday Jan 14th | 7pm CatStrand, New Galloway £6 / U 26 £4 After film drinks, snacks and chats in the CatStrand Café All welcome Contact: jo@catstrand.com / 01644 420374 Pudding Fan Club Monday - Dec 19th | 6.30pm-8.30pm CatStrand Café FREE EVENT Please bring along your favourite flavoursome Autumnal style pudding, share flavours and recipes. (or just come to enjoy the puds on offer) Contact: jo@catstrand.com / 01644 420374 Afternoon Tea and Table Top Games with Fabby Cakes Thursday 26th Jan | 2.30pm-4.00pm Dalry Town Hall. All welcome to share warm welcoming space, hot drink, delicious cakes and fun games! Contact: jo@catstrand.com / 01644 420374 All bookings through email: jo@catstrand.com or call 01644 420374 Visit: www.gcat.scot/CiCActivityProgramme unless otherwise specified If you have any ideas of what activities you would like to see happening in your community, please do get in touch and we will do our best to make them happen! Contact jo@catstrand.com or call 01644 420374 Glenkens Gazette page 26 Youth Players Xmas Panto It’s panto time again... oh yes it is! CatStrand Youth Players, supported by a few of the older members, have been working hard at rehearsals since September to bring this year’s panto to the stage. Our behind-the-scenes crew have also been busy making scenery and props. The cast and crew have had great fun working on Sinbad Sails Again, a brand new script by our favourite author Paul Reakes and everyone is proud that the shows on Friday 9, Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 December will be the world premiere production (see Diary on p30). The story incorporates a few familiar characters and starts in Aladdin’s palace one year after his wedding to his princess. Abanazer is still in exile on a desert island and as Sinbad returns from his latest voyage he is immediately recruited to help Aladdin find his famous magic lamp which gets stolen by some mysterious characters who trick their way into the palace. The usual songs, mayhem and laughter ensue as the baddies are pursued around the world. Could there be a happy ending? You’ll just have to come along to find out! At the time of going to press, tickets were selling very fast but there might still be a few left if you are lucky... The principal roles in the panto feature Megan Oliver as Sinbad the Sailor, Fiona Edgar as Aladdin, Ella Campbell as Zara, Lorne Johnstone as Jasmine, Ruby Harfield as Semolina Sinbad, Dante Newbery as Ali Sinbad, Laura Edington as Abanazer and James Wallace as Crossbones the Pirate. As soon as Sinbad has sailed again it will be straight into rehearsing for the 2023 Youth Drama Festival with the aim of repeating the successful run to the Scottish Final earlier this year. We’ll have more news on that in the next edition. The Youth Players Come and Help Us Shape Community Activity Across the Glenkens and District You are cordially invited to a gathering of valued partners and friends of ‘Connecting in Communities’   Monday 5th December sessions at 4–5:30pm and 7–8:30pm Balmaclellan Village Hall As the current round of funding for Connecting in Communities nears its conclusion, we’d love to hear the views and aspirations of residents and organisations about the future of community development in the Glenkens into 2023 and beyond.   Come along for a glass of mulled wine or spiced apple juice and share your knowledge, experiences and ideas with us! Please RSVP advising on your attendance and at which session to: lisa@catstrand.com or 01644 420374 or call into the Catstrand, New Galloway A D TIMBER SEASONED FIREWOOD FOR SALE HARDWOOD SOFTWOOD KINDLING LOCAL DELIVERY 07884262533 07787416460 Glenkens Gazette page 27 Glenkens Treasures * Paul goodwin * In the last issue, we announced a new section – Glenkens Treasures - where we can celebrate the many people in our communities who go 'above and beyone' in helping others. We are delighted that the first Glenkens Treasure nomination is Paul Goodwin. Paul is well known to Gazette readers due to all his work with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, with regular Gazette contributions on the wars, war memorials and plane crashes in the Glenkens. Paul has also taken some of the stories of local servicemen and women to our schools as well as to the wider public. Paul volunteered at Dalry School for years, offering his skills in IT and running after-school clubs for students. More recently, Paul volunteered to host a Ukrainian family and has gone ‘above and beyond’ in helping them, and other Ukrainians living locally, settle into the community. Congratulations to Paul, and thank you for all your kindness to others. Please get in touch if you have someone to nominate for our Glenkens Treasure section; tell us who you would nominate, and why, giving your own name and contact details, and we'll be in touch. You can email glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk or drop written nominations in to the CatStrand, marked Glenkens Treasures. Woodland Apprentice Carsphairn Community Woodland’s apprentice is supporting all aspects of forestry work at Muirdrochwood Forest. The community took ownership of the woodland in March 2021. This change in ownership, enabling the community to reshape the woodland to benefit all, ties into a broader ambition for the woodland to support local jobs and training opportunities. The first training role is underway, with Phoenix Lord part-way through his pre-apprentice position, working on a variety of forestry management tasks around the site. Phoenix joined Carsphairn Community Woodland in June following a sixweek forestry work experience at the woodland, in conjunction with Tarff Valley and has been working on a whole range of activities through the summer. His contract runs until December 2022. Phoenix said: “I have enjoyed my experience at Carsphairn Community Woodland. I have learned a lot of valuable skills which is a great advantage for my future as I continue my forestry career.’’ Phoenix is being managed day-to-day by Andy, the Muirdrochwood Forestry Supervisor and Mentor. Andy said: “Phoenix has shown a keen interest in all aspects of forestry activities and also flora and fauna. In the woodland he has been a great help, tackling all tasks put in front of him and he has come on a lot in his time here. I have no doubt he will be a great asset wherever he goes next.” Carsphairn Community Woodland see the use of the site as a focus for local jobs and skills training as a vital part of the organisation’s work. Phoenix’s Six-Month role is being funded in partnership between Carsphairn Community Woodland and the Galloway Glens Scheme, using their award from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Jan Hogarth, the Galloway Glens Education & Community Engagement Officer, added: “One of the main aims of the Galloway Glens Scheme is to encourage and support the next generation to be able to plan their working lives here in Galloway. The efforts of the volunteers at Carsphairn Community Woodland are already yielding real work experience and training opportunities, congratulations to all involved.” For anyone planning a visit to the woodland, the Muirdrochwood Forest car park is on the B729 near the High Bridge of Ken junction (postcode DG7 3TD), and the ‘what three words’ location for the site is remit.breed.chestnuts. For more information about the wider Muirdrochwood Forest site follow Carsphairn Community Woodland on Facebook or visit www.carsphairn/CCWL or email carsphairncw@gmail.com Glenkens Gazette page 28 Meeting Our Glenkens Councillors Dougie Campbell, Independent I was privileged to be re-elected as your councillor in May and I’m really looking forward to continuing to represent and support the Glenkens community. It’s fair to say, however, that we have some significant challenges ahead of us, due to factors such as Brexit, recovery from Covid and now of course, the cost of living crisis which is impacting on us all. Following the election, the first task for our newly-elected councillors was to form an administration to oversee continued delivery of vital services such as waste collection, roads maintenance and social work services. I joined a new group of seven independent councillors from across the region and, without our collective support, none of the major political parties would have been able to form a majority administration. After a period of negotiations with all parties, the new Independent Group agreed to form an administration with Labour and SNP colleagues. This new administration, described by the media as a ‘Rainbow Alliance’, has adopted a very different approach to that of the last five years, which means Council plans for the next five years, including annual budgets and spending programmes will be developed with the participation of all councillors. It’s a new way of doing business, but it was selfevident that we all recognised that the cost of living crisis will be the defining issue for the Council over the course of the difficult years ahead. I very much hope this collaborative approach will ensure we are in a stronger position to protect and modernise vital services. During my campaign to be elected as your independent councillor, I maintained that we needed to take party politics out of council decision making, always seeking to do the best for people living and working here. And, with the challenges ahead, I don’t think that’s ever been more important. I’ve taken on new responsibilities, and have been appointed Vice Chair of the Finance, Procurement & Transformation Committee and, Chair of Stewarty Area Committee, which means I’ll be closely involved in the decisions that directly affect the Glenkens. Although no longer Environment Champion, the Council has agreed that the environment should be every councillor’s priority and has re-established our Climate Emergency Cross Party Working Group. We recognise that the deteriorating Greetings from the Manse After the solemn drama of the start of November (All Saints’ Day, Bonfire Night, Remembrance) we have two weeks’ rest before…yes, you’ve guessed it...Advent! If you’re already sick of tinny carol music, jingly bells, corny TV adverts and garish displays everywhere, read on. It might just help you have the best Christmas ever... Would you like to hear the Christmas story more clearly; to have a real sparkle in your decorations; for your lights to push back the mid-winter darkness? It has been said that failing to plan is planning to fail. With Christmas, failing to prepare will strip the hope, peace, joy and love from the celebrations and ruin the New Year to come. So it’s time to start getting ready. That’s what Advent is about. We are reminded of the truth behind the festival. Advent enriches Christmas by allowing us to seek God’s Hope, Peace, Joy and Love in our lives so that they can fill our celebrations as they filled the stable all those years ago. In our worship and reflections we will be revising what we already know – that Jesus gave up everything to come into this world to show us true Hope, true Peace, true Joy and true Love. The familiar words of carols and readings become clearer above the jingly bells. The candles outshine the tinsel. The dirty, smelly stable out-sparkles the tinsel. The gifts we give carry more value. The lights push back the darkness like never before! This Advent, join us on the great Adventure (see what I did there?!) into Christmas ... and beyond! Whatever form your celebrations take – carol-singing, mad light displays, panto, giving gifts, Christingle, over-indulging in food and drink, opening presents on the big day, etc – enjoy them. What we celebrate is amazing...awesome...lifechanging! May God Bless you at this Blessed time of year. Rev Mark RS Smith, Interim church moderator for the parishes of Balmaclellan, Kells, Dalry and Carsphairn condition of our roads and public transport in Dumfries & Galloway are issues people are concerned about, and we’ve asked council officers to draw up proposals to address these challenges. I’ll update you on this in subsequent issues of the Glenkens Gazette. As always, my priority as your local councillor will be to support the Glenkens. We’ve come through the Covid pandemic which has been an incredibly difficult period for everyone, and I’m sure that the community spirit demonstrated throughout will again hold us in good stead for the challenges ahead. If you want to speak to me about any council related issue I can be contacted at dougie.campbell@dumgal.gov.uk or 07388 956 558. LOST ITEM By mistake I gave away a miniature painting on an easel - about two inches high - to the Dalry charity shop. Did you by chance buy it from the shop in April? I would dearly love to have it back as it was painted by a relative. If you could return it, I would happily provide a reward and my undying thanks! Paul, 07973 174 342 LING Trustees, along with employees Angie and Ronnie Bradford, Olivia Donaldson and Claire Dean, would like to wish all LING members, volunteers, friends and families and the whole of the Glenkens community a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New year! page 29 WINDY STANDARD WIND FARM AN UPDATE We are pleased to be moving forward with our plans to repower the first phase of Windy Standard Wind Farm, which would see the removal of 36 turbines and eight turbines up to 200m to tip erected in their place. It is expected that we will submit our proposals to the Scottish Government in the very near future. Upon submission everyone will have the opportunity to comment on the proposals. Further information will be available at www.windystandardwindfarm.co.uk If consented, our proposals will bring forward many benefits, including: • Delivering sustainable and creative uses for decommissioned materials in the region, creating local jobs and supporting a circular economy • Supporting the training of wind turbine technicians in Dumfries & Galloway • Providing over £8m in community benefit throughout the lifespan of the project • Generating 49MW of clean electricity We will notify local residents and stakeholders when our plans are submitted. In the meantime, please do keep in touch at www.windystandardwindfarm.co.uk / communities@fredolsen.com / 07435 763 900. Gillespie Gifford & Brown LLP Solicitors and Estate Agents Dumfries & Galloway 01556 503744 www.ggblaw.co.uk All legal advice Offices in Castle Douglas, Dalbeattie Kirkcudbright and Dumfries Advertisement Glenkens Gazette Glenkens Gazette GCAT Needs You! The Glenkens Community and Arts Trust AGM is coming up in the New Year, and we are seeking nominations for three new Trustees. If you appreciate the work that we do, whether its our Arts programme, CatStrand Young Creatives, Connecting in Communities, Galloway Community Transport, the Glenkens Gazette or the Community Action Plan, consider joining our Board. It’s a friendly group that meets every two months to provide strategic oversight and good governance for our ever-evolving organisation. You don’t need any particular skill sets other than the commitment to think hard about what GCAT needs and how you could help – although this time, we are looking particularly for people with an interest in numbers and spreadsheets! But we need Get into the Christmas Spirit Singing popular Christmas carols, and listening to traditional readings, is a great way to get into the Christmas spirit by reminding us of the simple joy of the Christmas story. On Sunday 18 December, at 6pm, St Margaret’s Church in New Galloway are holding their Carol Service to which all members of the community, and any visitors, are welcome. Following the service, the St Margaret’s Guild will be serving mulled wine, and spiced apple ale (nonalcoholic) as well as a selection of festive nibbles. page 30 three new people, so do apply if you have more general skills. If you’re interested getting right to the heart of the community in this voluntary role, contact Helen Keron for an informal chat on helen@catstrand.com by 18 December. Looking forward to hearing from you! Helen Keron, Executive Manager McMillan Fundraiser The Macmillan Coffee Afternoon held at Hair by Jayne raised an amazing £820. "There was a great turnout! Next year we will hold it in the Town Hall so folk can stay and chat," says Jayne, continuing; "I would like to share the thanks we received from the Macmillan donations team; a lovely letter, thanking everyone involved for their support." There will be a Christmas bake stall outside Jayne's salon on Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 December where funds raised will go to Dalry Film Club. Glenkens Gazette page 31 Join the CatStrand Boccia Club Connecting in Communities (CiC) have started a Boccia Club once a month at the CatStrand. Boccia is an indoor boules activity which is accessible to all ages stages and abilities. The club meets on the second Wednesday of the month from 2-3pm, with a post-game cuppa and cake afterwards in the CatStrand café. Jon, who approached CiC to introduce the idea of a Boccia Club to the Glenkens, Glass Recycling Points • Balmaclellan Stores, Balmaclellan • Memorial Hall, St Michael's Road, Crossmichael • Kirkland Street, St John's Town of Dalry • New Galloway, Carson's Knowe Car Park • St David Street, Kirkpatrick Durham ADVERTISE IN THE GAZETTE (price per issue incl VAT) explains: “Everyone is most welcome - all abilities, no barriers. Come and join us to have a lovely sociable afternoon playing boccia.” CiC and Jon are hoping to build the activity into The Glenkens & District Boccia Club with opportunities to have inter village matches and tournaments. If you enjoy Boules, would like to make new friends and help us build our team, please contact Jo at jo@catstrand.com or call 01644 420 374 to find out more. Jo Jackson, CiC Activity Officer CROSSMICHAEL THERAPY CENTRE - Your Health is Important - Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine is probably best known for its treatment of pain. However, they can be used to treat a broader variety of conditions, from achy joints to anxiety, skin troubles to insomnia, acupuncture could help change the way you manage some of life’s health challenges. Matthew Pajo has been studying and practising Chinese medicine for over 25 years and has attained a Bachelor Health Science and Master Applied Science in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine. As a highly skilled and trusted clinician, Matthew uses safe, effective, and natural treatments that can bring relief from acute and chronic conditions. Matthew is a member of the British Acupuncture Federation and the Association of Acupuncture Clinicians. To make an appointment call 07786 079 845 or email info@matthewpajo.co.uk For more information visit www.matthewpajo.co.uk Psychological Therapy Amber Dunlop-Pajo has spent over 20 years working as a psychologist and has attained a Bachelor Psychology (Hons) and Master Psychology (Health) and is a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society. Amber specialises in Women’s Health as well as depression, stress, anxiety and has a focus on health psychology. SMALL: Contact Amber on 07389 713 106 or info@gallowaycounselling.co.uk For more information visit www.gallowaycounselling.co.uk 1/4 PAGE: Crossmichael Therapy Centre, The Old School, Crossmichael, DG7 3AP 6cm x 6cm, £50 9cm w x 13cm h, £108 1/2 PAGE: 18cm w x 13cm h, £200 FULL PAGE: 18cm w x 27cm h, £332 Please get in touch further details including small business/ charity rates and series discounts. Email glenkensgazette@ hotmail.co.uk or call/ WhatsApp 07727 127 997 VAT Reg. No. 334 0905 24 THE STEWARTRY VETERINARY CENTRE CASTLE DOUGLAS SURGERY HOURS GLENKENS MEDICAL PRACTICE DALBEATTIE SURGERY HOURS General Medical & Dispensing Services FOR APPOINTMENTS AT BOTH SURGERIES OR IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY The Surgery High Street New Galloway Mon-Fri 2.00-2.30 pm & 5-6 pm Mon-Fri 8.30am-6pm Sat 2-2.30 pm Mon, Wed, Fri 3-3.30 pm Tues & Thurs 6-6.30 pm  01556 502263 VETERINARY SURGERY OAKWELL ROAD CASTLE DOUGLAS  FOR APPOINTMENTS CALL 01644 420234 Glenkens Gazette The Community Kindness Cupboard outside Dalry Library has home baking in every Thursday. page 32 WHERE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB LISTINGS Dumfries & Galloway! What's Going on @DGWGO on Facebook; What's Going On Glenkens @WGOGlenkens on Facebook; Glenkens Gazette @GlenkensNews on Facebook – once on the page for any of these, use the search function to look for jobs. The Glenkens' largest employer, Natural Power Consultants Ltd, also have a jobs page - www.naturalpower.com/uk/careers KEY GLENKENS CONTACTS LOCAL DOCTORS’ SURGERY Glenkens Medical Practice - 01644 420 234 COMMUNITY CONTACTS • Balmaclellan: Martin Warnock 07939 261 391 • Carsphairn: Liz Holmes - 07718 358 160 • Corsock: Julie Garton - 07769 647 702 • Kirkpatrick Durham: Heather 07551 639 629 • Crossmichael: Richard Middleton - 01556 670 691 • Dalry: Graham West - 01644 430 503 • New Galloway: 07741 656 601 • Parton: Erica or Brian - 01644 470 277 FOOD DELIVERIES • Galloway Foodbank - 07730 788 335 • Glenkens Food Hub - www. openfoodnetwork.org.uk/ glenkens-food-hub/shop • Ballards Butchers - 01556 502502 (they also deliver groceries) • Grierson’s Butchers: 01556 502 637 • Henderson’s Butchers: 01556 502 654 • Mitchell’s Greengrocers: 01556 502 077 • Fleet Fish: call 07966 103 912 to find out about Glenkens delivery days • Roan’s Dairy - 01556 620 374 LOCAL COMMUNITY GROUPS Glenkens Community Shop: Contact Liz Lewis on 07530 804 217 or drop by the shop on Main Street, Dalry Glenkens Scout Group: Contact Heather McIntosh on 01644 420 375 Local Initiatives in New Galloway (LING): Contact newgallowaytownhall@gmail.com Dalry Communities Properties Trust (DCPT): Contact Gary Blissett at garyblissett51@gmail. com or 01644 430 521 Dalry Town Hall: Contact Lesley Blissett at lesleyblissett52@gmail.com Glenkens Community Centre: Contact Gary Blissett at garyblissett51@gmail.com New Galloway Community Enterprises (NGCE): Contact ngce5000@gmail.com or pop into New Galloway Community Shop Balmaclellan Community Trust: Contact Julia Higgins at julia.higgins55@outlook.com CatStrand: Contact Fiona Limbrey at fiona@ catstrand.com or 01644 420 374 or pop in to the CatStrand Schools: Visit the school office or call Dalry Primary on 01644 430 105 (for Nursery/ELC too), Dalry Secondary on 01644 430 259 or Kells on 01644 420 340 Carsphairn Heritage Initiative: Contact Karen Hall at carsphairnhi@gmail.com Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership (GGLP): Contact McNabb Laurie at mcnabb. laurie@dumgal.gov.uk If you would like to add your community organisation to this list please get in touch with the Gazette - contact details are on the back page. CHURCH TIMES CHURCH OF SCOTLAND: Sunday Services Balmaclellan: 11am - 4 Dec, 1 Jan Carsphairn: 11am - 11 Dec, 8 Jan Kells: 11am - 18 Dec, 15 Jan Dalry: 11am - 11am Dalry 25 Dec, 22 Jan Special Services Carols by Candlelight, Sun 18 6.30pm, Balmaclellan Church. Children's Christmas Party, Sat 17, 5pm Carsphairn Church. Watchnight Service, Sat 24, 11.30pm, Carsphairn Church. SCOTTISH EPISCOPAL CHURCH: St Margaret's Church, Kenbridge Road, New Galloway, DG7 3RP Sundays: 10.30am Sung Eucharist, followed by refreshments Christmas Services: Carol Service, Sunday 18 December, 6pm. Christmas Day - Sung Eucharist, 10.30am. Visitors welcome - for information, including directions, please see visit www.stmargaretsnewgalloway.org or call our vestry secretary, Christine Rankin, on 01644 420 259. Glenkens Gazette page 33 GALLOWAY COMMUNITY TRANSPORT www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org email gct@catstrand.com phone 01644 420374 mobile 07841 512449 December 2022 - January 2023 Regular Services GK2 Glenkens-Castle Douglas (Tesco) Wednesday Evenings (Registered Route) Out Return 19:00 Dalry (Underhill) 21:15 19:05 New Galloway 21:10 19:15 Mossdale 21:00 19:25 Laurieston 20:50 19:30 Townhead of Greenlaw 20:47 19:37 Castle Douglas (Market St) 20:37 19:40 Castle Douglas (Tesco) 20:35 Booking not required Glenkens to Newton Stewart Fortnightly - Tuesday mornings Outward Pickups: Dalry (Underhill) 09:30 New Galloway (Town Hall) 09:35 CatStrand) 09:37 To Aldi Return Pickup Newton Stewart (Aldi Car Park) 11:30 Return fare £3.50 Advance booking required. Member Hire FREE BIKE WORKSHOPS IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY FOR ADULT LEARNERS BIKE FAMILIARISATION, SHORT LOCAL JOURNEYS AND CONFIDENCE BUILDING WORKSHOPS LEVEL 1: SATURDAY 3rd DECEMBER 10:00-11:00 GLENKENS MEDICAL PRACTICE CAR PARK, NEW GALLOWAY SAFE TRAINING AWAY FROM THE ROAD * BIKE SAFETY CHECKS * ROAD SAFETY TECHNIQUES * HELMETS AND EQUIPMENT ARE AVAILABLE TO BORROW LEVEL 2: SATURDAY 10TH DECEMBER 10:00-11:30 GLENKENS MEDICAL PRACTICE CAR PARK, NEW GALLOWAY RECAP ON LEVEL 1 SESSION * SHORT LED RIDE AROUND NEW GALLOWAY LEVEL 3: SATURDAY 17TH DECEMBER 10:00-11:30 GLENKENS MEDICAL PRACTICE CAR PARK, NEW GALLOWAY RECAPS ON LEVEL 1 & 2 SESSIONS * LED RIDE FROM NEW GALLOWAY TO DALRY JANUARY DATES: 7th / 14th / 21st FREE! ADVANCE BOOKING AND REGISTRATION IS ESSENTIAL. EMAIL: JON@CATSTRAND.COM OR CALL 07841 512449 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GALLOWAY COMMUNITY TRANSPORT AND CYCLING UK GCT has 16-, 15-, and 8-seater minibuses and a fully wheelchair accessible electric car available for hire by community organisations. For information about membership and terms and conditions of hire see the GCT website or phone 07841 512449. Glenkens eBike Club If you are a local Glenkens resident and are interested in joining the Glenkens eBike Club please see our webpage: https://www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org/ebikes phone 07841 512449 or email jon@catstrand.com Drivers Needed Galloway Community Transport needs your help to provide a wide range of community transport services across the Stewartry and beyond. MINIBUS DRIVING Minibus drivers with D1 (101 or by test) are needed to do volunteer and paid driving for our wide range of member community groups. PATIENT TRANSPORT We also urgently need drivers with their own cars for our patient transport service. Our volunteer patient transport drivers receive a generous mileage reimbursement and the satisfaction of providing a vital service to vulnerable people in our communities. Interested? Email gct@catstrand.com or phone 07841 512449 Glenkens Gazette WHAT'S ON page 34 December/January DECEMBER See CiC programme on p25 runs until 9 Jan, Carsphairn Community Housing Survey, see p3 Thu 1 & Fri 2, CatStrand Christmas Shopping Nights & New Galloway Shop late night opening, 6-9pm, see p6 Fri 2, Song Share, 8-11pm, Dalry Town Hall Sat 3, Community Café; 10am-1pm, Dalry Town Hall Sat 3, Christmas Craft Fair, 11am3pm, Mossdale Village Hall Sat 3, Zoë Bestel, Kate Kyle & Eilidh McGrath, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sun 4, New Galloway Christmas Lights Parade, 4.30pm Golf Club car park, see p22 Sun 4, Corsock Craft Fair, 11am3pm, Corsock Village Hall Mon 5, Connecting in Communities: Community Discussion, sessions at 4–5:30pm and 7–8:30pm, Balmaclellan Village Hall, see p26 Tue 6, The Raven's Nest: kvöldvaka, 7pm, The Smiddy, Balmaclellan Tue 6, Art for Wellbeing, 10.30am12noon, Dalry Town Hall (continues on January 10,17,24 and 31) Wed 7, Glenkens Church Guild Coffee Morning, 9am -12noon, Dalry Town Hall Wed 7, Dalry Film Club: Sorry We Missed You, 7:30pm, Dalry Town Hall Thu 8, Ken Words- Glenkens Writer's' Cafe, 7pm, CatStrand Fri 9 & Sat 10, Panto: Sinbad Sails Again, 7:30pm, CatStrand Sat 10, Glenkens Producers Market, 10am-1pm, Dalry Town Hall Sun 11, Panto: Sinbad Sails Again, 2pm, CatStrand Sun 11, The Furrow Collective We Know By The Moon, 7.30pm, CatStrand Tue 13, The Raven's Nest: kvöldvaka, 7pm, CatStrand Wed 14, Passing Through, 7.30pm, CatStrand Thu 15, Open Mic Night with Alan McClure, 7.30pm, CatStrand Thu 15, Urr Valley Garden Club Talk: Christmas Capers, 2pm, Haugh of Urr Village Hall Sat 17, Songwave Choir: Music for Midwinter, 3pm at Crossmichael Church and 7.30pm at Kirkpatrick Durham Village Hall, see p24 Sat 17, LGBTQ+ Film Night, 7pm, CatStrand Sun 18, Carol Service, 6pm, St Margaret’s Church, New Galloway Sun 18, CatStrand Christmas Grotto, drop-in between 11am-3pm Wed 21, Dalry Film Club: Downton Abbey - A New Era, 7.30pm, Dalry Town Hall Thu 22, Midwinter Ceilidh with Whirligig, 7.30pm, Dalry Town Hall Sat 31, Dalry Community Hogmanay Party, details tbc, Dalry Town Hall JANUARY Sat 7, Glenkens Producers Market, 10am-1pm, Dalry Town Hall Wed 11, Dalry Film Club: Our Ladies, 7.30pm, Dalry Town Hall Thu 12, Ken Words- Glenkens Writer's' Café, 7-9pm, CatStrand Sat 14, LGBTQ+ Film Night: Tangerine, 7pm, CatStrand Thu 19, Urr Valley Garden Club Talk: 'My expedition to Vietnam' by Richard Baines, Curator at Logan Botanic Gardens, 2pm, Haugh of Urr Village Hall Sat 21, Community Café, 10am -1pm, Dalry Town Hall Sun 22, The Glenkens Story: On the Trail of a Good Story, 2-4pm, CatStrand, see p16 Sun 29, Clachan Folk Sessions, 5-7pm, The Clachan Inn, Dalry LING lunches are a community project, and are currently being served at Kitty’s, opposite the New Galloway Town Hall, from 12.30-2pm each Tuesday. Everyone in the Glenkens is very welcome - if you haven't got access to transport, why not give the public bus a go? It stops off at 12.30pm in New Galloway and leaves at 1.30pm; just enough time for you to meet, chat and eat! Glenkens Gazette page 35 REGULAR EVENTS Balmaclellan Village Hall: Tuesday Afternoon Teas, 1st Tues each month, to book email warburton. julie@googlemail.com Glenkens Crafters, Wed 10am12noon, for info contact julia. higgins55@outlook.com Youth Volunteers (age 11-16), Mon monthly, 5.30–7.30pm Balmaclellan, contact kathyr64@ hotmail.co.uk Scriptless Drama Club (age 11-19), Tue, 5.30–6.30pm Informal Family Badminton, (net and racquets but no line markings), New Galloway Town Hall, contact Ros on 07749 249 781 Boccia Club, 2nd Wed of the month, 2-3pm Newton Stewart Bus Service to Tesco, Wednesday evenings A Chance to Dance, Thu bi-weekly, 6–8pm Books in Balmaclellan Community Library, Wed 10.30–12.30 & 5.307pm; Fri 5.30-7.30pm; Sat 10.30am -12.30pm (tea & coffee available on Sat). Dance Weekenders (age 12+), Sat monthly, 1–4pm Balmaclellan Blether, 3rd Thu each month, contact warburton.julie@ googlemail.com CatStrand Youth Players, meet weekly, contact briangm@catstrand.com Glenkens Art Workshop, Thu 2-4pm, contact t_leach1@sky.com Easiobics, Tue & Fri 9.30-10.30pm, contact mlfagan@live.co.uk Circuits, Sat 8-9am, contact John 07544 713 586 Kettelbells, Mon & Tue 6-7pm, contact John 07544 713 586 Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn: Carsphairn SWI, 3rd Thu of the month, 7.30pm,Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn Craft Group, Fri 10am-12noon, includes tea & coffee, Lagwyne Hall, contact carsphairncraftgroup@gmail.com Bairn Banter; family stay & play session, 0-7 years, Sat 10-11.45am, Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn CatStrand, New Galloway: Margaret Morris Movement: Health Play (age 3-7), Mon (during term time), 3.45-4.30pm Margaret Morris Movement: Children’s Grades & Youth Dance (age 8-15), Mon (during term time), 4.30-5.30pm Art Explorers, Sat monthly, 10-11am (age 5–8) & 11.15am–12.30pm (age 8–12) New Galloway Town Hall: During ongoing works entry may be through the back door and some activities transferring elsewhere call 07749249781 to check. Men's Monday Morning Coffee, Mon 9.30-11am Glenkens Youth Activity Group, ages 11-19, Mon 7-8.30pm, currently held at Dalry School Gym Hall, contact Olivia on youthwork.ling@gmail.com or text 07719 708 668 LING Lunches, Tue, 12.30-2pm. currently held at Kitty's, opposite NG Town Hall, contact Angie on communityinclusion.LING@gmail.com Sports Evenings, indoor bowling & table tennis, Tues 7-9pm, drop in or contact Ray on 01644 420 438 Tai Chi, 10.30-11.30am, contact gentletaichigroup@gmail.com Zumba, Wed 7-8pm, contact samantha. rushton@hotmail.co.uk - booking essential Martial Arts, Thur 5.30-6.30pm (beginners & tots) & 7-9pm (age 6+), contact @Facebook KMANews or kmabrian@gmail.com Gentle Yoga, Fri, transferred to Dalry Library & Customer Service Centre Main Street, Dalry, Tel: 01644 430 234 or 01556 502 643 Tuesday: For books and other walk-in services: 2-5pm Friday: For NEC Bus Pass and Blue Badge appointments and PCs: 11.30am – 12.30pm; for books and other walk-in services: 1 -4.30pm. Appointments can be booked in the library or on 01387 260 196. Dalry Library: Random Writers (age 12+), Thu biweekly, 3.45–5pm Glenkens Book Group, last Friday of each month, 2pm, call June to book on 01644 420 361 Dalry Town Hall: Tai Chi, video-led instruction, Mon, 2-3pm, contact lesleyblissett52@gmail. com Dog Training, Tue, 7pm, contact Eric Broadhurst on 07831 590 822 Song Share, 1st Friday each month, 8-11pm, contact anne.chaurand@ btinternet.com Various: Crossmichael Heritage Centre, open Wed & Fri, 1.30-4.30pm Cub Scouts, Wed 6.15-7.30pm, Scout Hall, New Galloway Clachan Crafters, Glenkens Community Centre, Dalry, Thurs 2-4pm, contact 07500 861 041 or minimac01644@gmail.com Glenkens Community Shop, open Wed, Fri & Sat, 10am- 4pm Knockvennie Hall Heat Bank & Snooker Club, contact Andrew on 01556 690 677 Outdoor Bowls, Dalry, contact Fiona Ramsay on 01644 430 587 Table Tennis, (available 24/7), Dalry Snooker, (available 24/7), Dalry Indoor Bowls, (October to March), Dalry Badminton, (available 24/7), Dalry For details for table tennis, snooker, indoor bowls and badminton contact Gary Blissett on 01644 430 521. USEFUL NUMBERS: ● Pot-hole Hotline: 0845 276 0000 ● Police, non-emergency: 101 ● Doctor: 01644 420 234 ● NHS 24: 08454 24 24 24 ● D&G Council: 030 33 33 3000 Glenkens Gazette page 36 Smithy Awarded Travellers' Choice Third Year Running The Smithy in New Galloway has been recognised by Tripadvisor as a Travellers’ Choice award winner for a third year running. The award celebrates businesses that have received great traveller reviews on Tripadvisor over the last 12 months and recognises those businesses whose reviews place them in the top 10% of restaurants worldwide. As challenging as the past year was for the hospitality trade, The Smithy stood out by consistently delivering positive experiences to their customers. Margaret and Andrew, owners of The Smithy, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have received this award as it is based on the positive feedback left by customers of both the food and service that they receive at The Smithy. "This has been a year where we have had to adapt and evolve to cope with the challenges that have come our way and it is pleasing that the changes have been well received by our customers. This award was made possible by the hard work of our staff and the great service and quality of produce that we receive from our suppliers. "Next year will be another challenging year for hospitality businesses and we thank all of our customers for their continued support. We would also like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy and healthy Christmas and New Year.” A proud Andrew and Margaret in their cafe with their 2022 Tripadvisor award. Launch of the Gazette Hub The Gazette is excited to announce that the Glenkens Communications Hub project, offering an online resource for news, events, information, history and much more, is nearly ready to go. This project was set in motion through the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust following-up on the need highlighted by Glenkens residents in the Community Action Plan, and has been enabled through funding from Blackcraig Wind Farm Fund and the Galloway Glens Scheme. In light of this, we are looking for a digital editor to work one day a week on maintaining the Gazette Hub and social media presence. This will initially be a year-long freelance post, but with a view to continuing longer-term. Please get in touch at glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk if this is something you would like to find out more about. And be ready for the next edition of the Gazette as it will have a fresh new face, aligning with its fresh new online presence! www.blairtempleton.com 07795170927 massagebt@outlook.com Blair Templeton Massage Practitioner @Facebook 19 Townhead Crescent, Dalry, DG7 3UR WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Submit events, activities, news stories, cartoons, reviews, tips & techniques, fiction, photos, ads or ideas... Contact Sarah Ade on 07727 127 997 or glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk Editing & Design: sarah.ade@gmail.com FEB/MAR COPY DEADLINE: 5 JAN The Glenkens Gazette is an initiative of the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust, a Registered Scottish Charity No SC032050 The role of the Gazette is to represent the voice of the community and does not represent the views of GCAT.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette 133 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GG_133 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Glenkens Gazette Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource GCAT Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2022 Description An account of the resource Editor: Sarah Ade https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/1/281/GlenkensGazette134.pdf a684489a0a6db3cd7cfac0d44ce83cd9 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette 134 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Glenkens Gazette Description An account of the resource <p>Find out more about the Gazette: <a href="https://glenkens.scot/gazette-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Glenkens Gazette home page</a> If you would like to submit an article or take out an advert, please email the editor Sarah Ade: <span>&nbsp;</span><a href="mailto:glenkensgazette@hotmail.com">glenkensgazette@hotmail.com</a></p> <p>The Glenkens Gazette is a member of, and regulated by <span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.impressorg.com/">Impress</a>.</p> <p>The Glenkens Gazette is an initiative of Glenkens Community &amp; Arts Trust (SC032050) and represents the voice of the community (not necessarily the views of GCAT).</p> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document GLENKENS GAZETTE News from Balmaclellan, Carsphairn, Corsock, Crossmichael, Kirkpatrick Durham, Laurieston, Mossdale, New Galloway, Parton and St John’s Town of Dalry February/March 2023 ISSUE 134 FREE Community Push to Revive Glenkens Sports MUGA A community bid is being made to bring a sports pitch back to life. A steering group of Dalry Community Properties Trust is looking to take on the multi-use games area (MUGA) near the school. This would enable the use of the facility - which has been closed for over eight years due the growth of moss and algae on the surface - by local groups, schools, individuals and businesses. Sarah Ade from the group said: “We have had a great response from the communities of the Glenkens to our shout-out asking who would use the MUGA. For a successful application for transfer of the space from D&G Council to community ownership we have to illustrate a strong case for community use and community benefit. The feedback we have had will lend the application a lot of weight. There have been suggestions ranging from wheelchair basketball to walking football to tennis and ebike training. The space is really versatile, and the community are once again excited to be able make use Members of the community along with some of the Dalry Secondary School basketball team in front of the Glenkens MUGA © Jim McEwan/The Galloway News of one of our key Glenkens assets. "We have a really active group of young people who play basketball and it would be a brilliant place for them to practise. The school has a basketball team which would utilise the space, as well as using it for other sports." Becca Nelson, the new Glenkens Asset Network Facilitator, said: "I'm delighted to see the groundswell of support for getting the MUGA back into use as a community facility, and am looking forward to supporting the team of volunteers in their efforts to achieve this." Anyone who would like to comment on what the pitch could be used for should email glenkens-muga@outlook.com Biosphere Team Set Tenants Face Sights on Dalry as Glenkens Eco Office Site Eviction The Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere’s plans for a sustainable office space at St John’s Town of Dalry are gaining momentum. Architects from Prospus Group, who have a base in Dumfries, have been appointed and work on the Biosphere’s new hub will begin in the first half of 2023. The site earmarked for the development is 0.3 Ha of council-owned land at Underhill, which would be leased to the Biosphere over 20 years. In accordance with UNESCO’s sustainability ethos, the office will be a low carbon building sympathetic to the natural environments in and around Dalry, with a light ‘footprint’ on the ground. As well as creating a workplace to house the Biosphere’s team of eleven full-time staff, options to create meeting rooms, exhibition space and co-working areas that local people can access are also being explored. Continued on p10... A Glenkens Community & Arts Trust (GCAT) initiative Nine tenants in private rented accommodation in the Glenkens have been given notice to quit. News was confirmed as the Gazette went to print. The owners of the Kenmure Steadings south of New Galloway have announced they are selling six properties. The tenants, some of whom have lived on the site for over 20 years, have been told that they have eight to twelve weeks to find somewhere else to live. New Galloway & Kells Community Council is writing to the landlord seeking a meeting to discuss the issue. The Gazette will carry further details in the next edition. See other housing news pages 8 & 9... www.glenkensgazette.co.uk Glenkens Gazette page 2 Carsphairn Primary School Receives Temporary Reprieve Following the recent consultation for closure of Carsphairn Primary, Dumfries & Galloway Council's Learning and Education Directorate is recommending that the Education Committee vote on 28 March to continue the current mothballed status for up to two years. Carsphairn Community Council (CCC) question the period of two years which appears not to follow the relevant clauses of the Education Act 2010. Although CCC are cautiously pleased that a case could not be made to close the school at this time, mothballing rather than reopening the school means that children who wish to learn at their local school will continue to be forced to travel to Dalry. This means a potential journey of 20 miles to Dalry and back in all weathers, if resident in the Upper Deugh valley, where it is currently likely a primary school child will settle in the near future. Liz Holmes, chair of CCC, said: "We are glad that firstly the schools inspector who assessed the closure report felt that the case for closure had not been adequately made, and secondly that the the Learning and Education Directorate seem to have recognised that Carsphairn's affordable housing project, led by the South of Scotland Community Housing group and aimed at regeneration of Carsphairn community, should bring young families with children to settle in Carsphairn. "These children will have the undeniable right to be educated in their local school in their local community [not one at least ten miles away]." CCC would like to thank all the residents, parents, and pupils who took the time to respond to the consultation, and who demonstrated overwhelming support to re-open the school. They would like to remind Carsphairn-based families who are completing forms to enrol their children in school/ nursery to place Carsphairn School as their first choice on the form, despite its current mothballed status, as this clearly shows the desire for the school to re-open. Liz continued: "CCC will continue working with the community and D&G Council to try and save the school, encourage more young families to move to Carsphairn and help us to ensure the long term sustainability of our community." Ever Considered a Spring Career in Childminding? Flower If so, could 2023 be the Fundraiser year to make it happen? SCMA staff and find out more. Creche facilities will be available. There is currently an exciting opportunity for residents of the Glenkens looking to set up as childminders. Eligible candidates will be supported in becoming registered childminders by accessing a host of free benefits including: • Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA) induction support programme • Tailored and personal support sessions from SCMA’s dedicated Childminding Development Support Officers • SCMA policy toolkit comprising guidance and templates • Start-up package of training courses: Business Side of Childminding, Child Protection in a Childminding Setting and Parental Involvement • On completion of registration with the Care Inspectorate and HMRC, a £1,000 start-up grant You can find out more about the process at a nocommitment Information Event at the Smiddy in Balmaclellan on 27 Feb – just drop in any time between 4-6pm to meet Glenkens Community & Arts Trust’s Connecting in Communities (CiC) team is supporting the SCMA in this campaign, as part of their grant from the Blackcraig Community Benefit Fund. You can stay abreast with what's happening through thier website at www.gcat.scot, the CiC Facebook, by email at jo@catstrand. com or keep your eyes peeled for posters around the Glenkens for more details. Fiona Limbrey, Connecting in Communities SWSRnR, a charity raising funds to support veterans back into work, is trying to sell 2,500 spring flowers to raise £5,000. Robin Hood, who runs the charity, said: "D&G Council has given me a shop in Midsteeple, Dumfries, rent-free until Easter to help me sell the plants - I've sold almost 200 in total so far. Raising £5,000 would fund two HGV licenses for unemployed local veterans, enabling them to get back into work." You may have come across Robin undertaking his other main fundraising activity of pulling charity mascot Jock, a giant wooden statue of a soldier, around the country. "Over the last seven years I have pulled our mascot over 2,000 miles, and the money raised has got 68 veterans back into work," says Robin. So if you happen to be shopping in Dumfries town centre, why not swing by the Midsteeple for some lovley spring flowers in support a worthy cause. Glenkens Gazette page 3 After an exciting few months in development, the new ‘Glenkens Hub’ website and social media channels are moving into a testing phase prior to launch in the spring. weather and areas of interest to Glenkens and district residents. In addition, the website will have a Glenkens-wide events calendar, where organisations can upload upcoming events and activities, plus notifications of local jobs, volunteering opportunities and housing needs. It will also host a wealth of local interest articles, some gleaned from the Gazette backcatalogue and some kindly donated by the Galloway Glens Scheme. So They will be an evolution and an all in all, your one-stop-shop for all amplification of the familiar Gazette things Glenkens! print editions, bringing you regular To help make this happen, we have digital updates on local news, recruited Gail Challis to the role of Glenkens Hub digital editor, supporting Sarah Ade in her ongoing role of Glenkens Gazette editor. Gail lives outside Carsphairn, where she is very active in the community and has a wealth of experience of creating and running community websites. Sarah and Gail will be working behind the scenes through February and March to get the website and social media channels ready for their launch with the April/ May edition of the Gazette. We’re also taking the opportunity to spruce up Gazette Editor, Sarah Ade (left) with newly the Gazette brand. appointed Glenkens Hub Digital Editor, Gail Challis. This Glenkens Hub project has been made possible by funding from the Blackcraig Wind Farm community benefit fund, administered by the Glenkens & District Trust and Foundation Scotland, and from the Galloway Glens Scheme. Thanks go to them as well as to the Gazette subcommittee, who keep the Gazette on the straight and narrow and have been invaluable in the development of this further project. The Glenkens Hub was inspired by the request of the communities as part of the Glenkens and District Community Action Plan and we hope that you find it both enjoyable and informative – just like the Gazette! Gail said: "I'm delighted to be on board and excited to be able to deliver a much needed communication hub for the Glenkens. In the next few weeks we'll be starting beta testing to make sure everything works as it should ahead of the launch in April, when we'll be asking readers to try out the site and give us feedback." For more information or to help with the beta testing phase you can contact Gail on glenkenshub@hotmail.com Helen Keron, Glenkens Community & Arts Trust Executive Manager Crossmichael Cosy Corner Situated in Crossmichael Church Hall, the Cosy Corner is now open every Tuesday afternoon from 1pm until 5pm, providing a warm and welcoming place to spend the afternoon, meet people, make new friends and enjoy reading, chatting and playing board games. Free beverages and a biscuit await and everyone is welcome, whatever their age or interests. Volunteers are keen to get people involved, so do drop in and stay for as long or short a time as you want. And if you have any ideas about anything else the Cosy Corner could do to support the community, we would love to hear from you. For any further information please phone 07889 016 963. Anne Carstairs Glenkens Gazette page 4 opportunities; firstly, meeting twice monthly in a ‘Warm Space’ at the CatStrand auditorium to take part in fun drama games and activities and share light refreshments supported by the Co-op. No previous experience is necessary to take part in this informal and friendly club, which is open to all aged 18+. At Connecting in Communities (CiC) we have completed our community consultation into future plans to connect the communities of the Glenkens through fun and exciting initiatives. I was delighted to meet more than 100 people from the communities of the Glenkens, all giving their views and comments on how they see community work in the Glenkens in 2023 and beyond. This feedback will be collated into a Glenkens Review Community Report - watch this space! Also, this month the CatStrand will have the first of what will become regular outreach sessions from Citizens Advice Scotland where you can get confidential advice on everything from how to read a smart meter to help with bills and what benefits you may be entitled to. In other news, CiC are pleased to announce a flurry of new activities for 2023. You can find a full timetable of activities for Feb/Mar on page 29, but just to whet your appetite here is a taste of what's on offer... A monthly Spanish Dance class where you can develop skills while keeping fit learning the flamboyant and fascinating steps associated with Spanish dance. Breeze Cycle Rides for ladies and their children is launching on the last Saturday in March; we are delighted to be collaborating with British Cycling ‘Let’s Ride’ to bring this exciting opportunity to the Glenkens. Another new introduction to our programme is a monthly Tea Dance with music ranging from the 1940s to the 1980s. Our entertainer will provide music and songs to dance to through the decades, so dust off your dancing shoes and get in touch to book your place on the dance floor. A monthly Games Night at the CatStrand starts on Friday 24 February, where the bar will also be open. There will also be indoor boules, board games and card games for friends and families to enjoy, relax and do something different together in a welcoming, warm space. No need to book for this evening of fun social games, just turn up on the night. Last but not least, coming in before the curtain falls, is our newlyformed Glenkens Community Drama Club. The club has two dramatic Then the Glenkens Community Drama Group opens its doors to parents and carers with primary school aged children, meeting on the last Sunday of the month at The Smiddy in Balmaclellan. An engaging family atmosphere lends itself to the art of theatre making through fun and informal drama games. This is an ideal opportunity to engage in the important social activity of play and make-believe in a supportive, informal and welcoming environment. Thank you to all our activity leaders and attendees for their enthusiasm and commitment to help make our events so successful, and thank you as well to our funders, the Big Lottery and the Blackcraig Wind Farm, for supporting our efforts in this. The Glenkens Food Month partnership have begun planning an exciting feast of events for September 2023 – if you’re interested in being involved, or have some ideas, pop along on 6 February to Balmaclellan Village Hall at 6pm or get in touch with Lisa. For further information on any of the above please get in touch on lisa@catstrand.com or 01644 420 374 - I look forward to hearing from you! Lisa Ridley, GCAT Connecting in Communities Team Leader Dalry Good Neighbours Club Good Neighbours groups have a long history in Dalry; it started as The '73 Club, which went on to become Guid Neighbours, then it faded out and resurfaced in the 90s as the Good Neighbours Club. In its last incarnation it was a very popular group with people coming from as far afield as Laurieston, Crossmichael, Carsphairn, Balmaclellan and New Galloway as well as, of course, from Dalry. The group would like to thank the Glenkens Community Shop for a grant towards the initial rent of the venue for their sessions, which will run at the Glenkens Community Centre on Tuesday afternoons from 2-4pm. With a varied programme promised over the coming weeks and months, why not come along and join in the fun - have a chat and a cuppa, make new friends and catch up with old ones. Watch out for our yellow posters around the Glenkens advertising the coming programme of events. Have you any suggestions for an afternoon session? We are all ears! There are possibilities for transport to be provided back to Balmaclellan and New Galloway if needed, as public transport could be used to get to Dalry by 2pm - just enquire (there would be a small charge for this service). For more information please contact Sarah on 07500 861 041 or Michelle on 07795 613 148. Some of the activities happening at the Dalry Good Neighbours Club in February are: Tuesday 7 - Games Afternoon Tuesday 14 - Kate Kaye; Memories of Childhood Holidays Spent in Dalry Tuesday 21 - Eddie McGaw; Talk and DVD on his Missions to Give Aid to Kids in Kenya Tuesday 28 - Who/What do you think this is? Photo Quiz There will be tea, coffee, biscuits and chatter every week - hope to see you soon! Sarah McAdam Glenkens Gazette page 5 Remembering Jamie Blore Shopkeeper Jamie Blore served the local community for over 32 years before passing unexpectedly at his home in Mossdale on 20 August 2022. Jamie’s journey began in the Midlands, raised by a loving family. Shortly after leaving school, he started work with British Telecom. This led to a formative year working in Norway, a land which he would love for the rest of his days. From here, Jamie took a position as executive engineer in Birmingham Sorting Office for the Royal Mail. It was this part of his story that introduced him to his beloved partner, Annie. After 25 years' work with the Post Office, Jamie desired a better quality of life. He took voluntary redundancy, which opened the door for Annie and himself to travel north, rooting themselves in the picturesque village of Mossdale in 1989. The village would become their “little piece of heaven”, which Jamie would cherish and nourish for the rest of his days. community; this was his world, one of kindness and kinship. A warm welcome would greet all who met him, whether stopping to buy from the shop or asking directions, he always had time to chat and help. People short on change, or in need, would be comforted by Jamie’s reminder they can take what they need, and drop the money off next time. Jamie went above and beyond, whether keeping people informed about power shortages, sorting out stray cows, lost dogs, broken down cars, the list was endless. To Jamie nothing was too much trouble, just part of the service. For many years, he was an active member of the village hall committee, dedicating his time to nurture and protect one of the village's most important assets. Anyone passing through Mossdale would be greeted by a smile and a wave, regardless of whether he was cutting grass or blissfully enjoying his paradise. Jamie leaves behind his beloved partner Annie, and their two children Emma and Dylan. The family thank you for the love and support that continues to bring them much comfort. Jamie, his family, his shop, and his Jamie touched many lives and will Clive Reginald Brayshaw MBE: 1943–2022 a regular reader at St Margaret’s New Galloway (Scottish Episcopal Church) and he served for many years on their Vestry, including a stint as Vestry Secretary. be missed dearly. Whether a friend or a stranger, if you were lucky enough to meet him, you will have glimpsed kindness and community in its purest form. Dylan Blore In Memory of Clive Brayshaw Clive Brayshaw, of The Hill, Balmaclellan, died in November last year after a short illness. A Major in the Royal Artillery, who was awarded an MBE following a difficult tour of Northern Ireland in the 1970s, Clive first lived in Morayshire after retiring from the Army. After meeting Jane Douglas through their joint involvement with SSAFA, they married in 2000 and settled in the Glenkens. He had a successful picture framing business and was also much involved in the community, including both the local churches. Having trained as a Lay Preacher when in Morayshire, he became He also attended services at Balmaclellan Kirk and for many years led the Remembrance Sunday commemoration at the Balmaclellan War Memorial. He had a keen sense of humour (visitors arriving at The Hill are greeted by a sign saying ‘Caution – you are now leaving the nanny state’) and he and Jane were renowned for their generous hospitality and kindness to friends, neighbours and newcomers to the area. taken from the Eulogy by William Douglas Glenkens Gazette page 6 Meeting Our Glenkens Councillors John Denerley, Scottish Conservative & Unionist Local Councillor John Denerley has said a huge "thank you" to everyone who voted for him in the council elections on 5 May 2022. Reflecting on his election, John said: "It was a real pleasure getting to meet so many local people over the election campaign, and to understand the issues most important to you. It is a privilege to be the first deaf Conservative Party member elected in the UK using British Sign Language, and I am humbled and grateful to be given the opportunity to serve my local community having lived here for 20 years." John wants to make positive changes to the local area helping to make greener and sustainable decisions for future generations. He continues: "I care about the things that make the Dee and Glenkens ward so special and promise to be an active and accessible Councillor for everyone. I will be holding regular surgeries so anyone who wants to meet face-to-face to discuss any local issues can do so easily and I can also be easily contacted at any time by phone or email. If I can ever be of any assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch with me using the contact details. "I believe that we need to bring more jobs to our communities through improved transport infrastructure and better communications. It is time that Dee and Glenkens got the support it deserves from all levels of Government, and I will work hard to ensure we get our fair share of backing which will allow us to prosper." If you'd like to get in touch with Councillor Denerley please phone 07721 507 134 or email john. denerley@dumgal.gov.uk for an appointment. New Priest for St Margaret's The Bishop of Glasgow and Galloway, the Right Revd Kevin Pearson, has officially announced the appointment of the Revd Dawn Matthew as joint Priest-in-Charge of St Margaret’s New Galloway and All Saints’ Challoch. Dawn and her husband Nick will be moving into the Rectory in New Galloway in early February and, following the Licensing Services on 18th, she will start her public ministry at the end of the month. Both Vestries are delighted with the news and are looking forward to welcoming Dawn and Nick to their congregations and communities. Dawn says, “I am very much looking forward to moving to the Glenkens and working with both churches to serve God together in our communities; sharing our faith and loving others as God loves us. With my husband Nick, and our family, we are excited to be moving to Dumfries and Galloway, a part of Scotland that has become very dear to our hearts over the past few years. We have visited many times in our VW Campervan!” Dawn’s interests include music, walking, wild swimming and home-baking. Bishop Kevin says, “We are happy to welcome Dawn into the life of our Diocese after her service to the people of St John the Evangelist, Hinckley, in the Leicester Diocese, where she led them through the pandemic experience with wisdom, prayerfulness and calm pragmatism. Her experience of community engagement and managing community projects will be of value to us all.” A Tale o’ Guid Friday and Ayont The world premiere of a newly-composed choral work will take place on Easter weekend in Dalry Church. Geoff Davidson, former BBC singer and London-based musician, has written a Passion recounting the Death of Jesus of Nazareth which relates the story from the arrest in Gethsemane to his death on Calvary. A second part recounts the resurrection story. The Glenkens Church Choir will underpin the action with local baritone Robert Lind playing Jesus and, in the second part, Nicola Junor plays Mary Magdalene. Stalwart of Dumfries Musical Theatre Company, Roy Stairmand, speaks the part of the evangelist who tells the story, and Dr Simon Davidson plays Pontius Pilate. The performance will be on Saturday 8 April at 7.30pm, and is conducted by Geoff Davidson. Geoff describes the music as dramatic, vivid, emotionallycharged and moving with “big” tunes, with his orchestrations contained in two Yamaha keyboards. The text is taken from William Lorimer’s Scots translations of the gospels which are gutsy, raw and, at times, unbearably sad. Entrance to this unique event will be free but there will be a collection on exit for the church’s charity, the Abbas Rest Orphanage in Malawi. Geoff Davidson Glenkens Gazette page 7 BUSINESS in the SPOTLIGHT painful existence simply my fate?! Advanced Massage Practitioner Bringing pain relief, deep relaxation and individualised healing to people since 2001 My intention with every person who comes to see me for massage is to be sideby-side with you on your unique journey towards personal wellness and health. My own journey with massage began in October 2001; having experienced historical sports injuries, car crashes and chronic pain for years, I was asking myself how I could recover enough to enjoy life - or was this To cut a long story short, I decided to look ‘outside the box’ and this new perspective resulted in me completing a Remedial Massage Course in Bury at The Northern Institute of Massage (a highly-regarded teaching institution). I gained knowledge and hands-on training from renowned professionals and opened my mind and body to a world where meaningful improvements, and sometimes recovery, were possible. In 2015, after sensing an inner desire to upskill, I went back to The Northern Institute and completed their Advanced Remedial Massage Course. This experience not only transformed my practice as a Massage Therapist, but it also helped change me as a person. I gained advanced knowledge and techniques from experts at the top of British and Japanese Massage, British Physiotherapy, and Osteopathy. Having honed my professional massage and mobilisation practice, my intention in every session is to better understand your problems and the relevant barriers to healing, and to listen to your personal goals. I have expanded my toolkit to include professional mobilisation techniques, turning what would be a deeply relaxing massage into an actively therapeutic experience where more complex injuries and trauma are addressed. To my mind, moderate to severe pain is not a requirement of massage, nor to the healing process; where there is excess pain there is contraction and mistrust, leading to resistance. My philosophy is to do no harm and to foster safety and trust where we collaborate on what occurs in every session. I am aware that not everyone who presents for massage can fully heal and recover: each person is unique and some of you are learning to live with chronic or progressive conditions/injuries. What I can promise is that within our therapeutic partnership, we will optimise your capabilities and perhaps even exceed your previous expectations of what your body/mind system can achieve. As I continue in my professional practice, learning something new every day, I hope to keep helping people from all walks and stages of life to heal and relax. This ability to deeply relax is, for some of us, a neglected skill and a key element in long-term recovery, health, and wellbeing. Alongside you, For contact details see below... A D TIMBER SEASONED FIREWOOD FOR SALE HARDWOOD SOFTWOOD KINDLING LOCAL DELIVERY 07884262533 07787416460 N ew Galloway Golf Club Founded Foun ded 1902 www.ng www.n g gc.co.uk - 01644 420737 Buggies now available for hire VISITORS AND NEW MEMBERS WELCOME Advanced Massage Practitioner Blair Glenkens Gazette page 8 Shout-out for Sites Do you own land or redundant buildings in and around Carsphairn? The right sort of housing is crucial to any thriving community, and underpins many of our aspirations for the Glenkens. Despite the current challenges, there are lots of exciting plans afoot for community housing all across the area - come along to a Housing Forum at 7.30pm on Thursday 9 February at The Smiddy, Balmaclellan, to hear about those plans and what other communities have done with new builds and retro-fits. South of Scotland Community Housing (SoSCH) will be there to report back on the Housing Needs Survey that the Glenkens & District Trust commissioned, and the Pamela Young Trust will be there too. Come along to find out more and share any ideas/thoughts you have! Helen Keron, Executive Manager, GCAT If so, South of Scotland Community Housing (SOSCH) would like to hear from you! SOSCH are at present working with Carsphairn Community Council to identify buildings and sites which may be considered suitable to develop community-owned affordable housing for local needs. To assess need and demand for affordable housing in Carsphairn, the Carsphairn Housing Survey is open and will close mid-February. Please follow the link to the survey to complete: www. surveymonkey.co.uk/r/CarsphairnSurvey If you have buildings or land you may consider would be of interest, then you can leave your contact details on the survey form and SOSCH will be in touch. If you would like to discuss further, please get in touch with Alison Gordon at SOSCH on alison.sosch@outlook.com or 07743446721. For further information on community-led affordable housing please visit www.sosch.org HOME WANTED IN THE GLENKENS We are seeking to buy a home with 2-3 bedrooms and 3-5 acres of land. Anywhere and any condition considered - please help us to stay in the Glenkens! Contact Abi and Bruce on 07340 531506 or abi@mordin.net Glenkens Gazette page 9 Technically Homeless Back in late June, mud oozes up, covering my spangled sandals and sliding between my toes. Rain pours steadily down on us – my two oldest daughters and me. Despite the weather, there’s excitement in us, bubbling up. "I really think this might be the place, Mum." "We could be happy here." "This is it!" we poked our heads into each classroom in turn. "Do you have somewhere to live then?" asked the headmaster. Well no not yet, not exactly – my parents live out near Dalbeattie, in the same familiar farmhouse I grew up in and we’re going to move in there, just for a few weeks. It's easier to house hunt when you’re local, instead of spending hours trawling the internet from Aberdeen. There wasn’t a lot online anyway so I figured housing and jobs are done the rural way here – word of mouth and connections. My Dad used to have an office in Dalry – he was manoeuvring daily. We have spent our time phoning estate agents, farmers, land owners, writing to people and responding to tip offs - "it’s a bit of a long shot but…" And the answer is always "no". No housing. Nothing to rent. Doesn’t meet the government standards. Your family is JUST TOO BIG. It’s not that I feel unwelcome – people are friendly and good and seem to want us to stay. There just isn’t anywhere. Carsphairn School is mothballed, and no children can swoop in and save it. Because they’d effectively be homeless. I was told about a wee place – it’s for sale though, not to rent. It's not too expensive. I think £365,000 was the asking price but it’s been about for a while so they might take less… We could buy a nice big campervan and live in it. Except its minus seven degrees outside and we’re just not THAT hardy. We could wait for a council house. Except we’re eligible for a house with five bedrooms and there isn’t one. Their voices ring out, full of expectation. I peek out from under the hood of my rain coat. Looming above us - Queen Mary’s Castle. It’s crumbling and roofless, and, coming out of the rain, it looks dark and uninviting. "What, here??" I’m a bit more of a realist. "No! Not here, exactly. Just this area." We’ve come to Dumfries and Galloway to scout out the schools. Spent the last few days touring all the high schools, all dressed up – hoping the children might find one they want to go to, and we can leave the endless car-park concrete expanse of Aberdeen. And two hours before we drive back up the road, we came to Dalry High School. Note to self – must type in ‘St. Johns Town of’ before the name Dalry as I almost booked in to see a wee place in Edinburgh. This might become slightly irritating when using Google, but I am willing to overlook it. They loved Dalry Secondary School. Both did. I was a bit sceptical at first glance but clearly one shouldn’t judge a place on the vintage of its pebble dash alone. The headmaster was welcoming and relaxed and spoke about the pros and cons of a small rural school. He showed us round and when we realised it was actually impossible to get lost, my eldest got really excited. All those fears that have haunted the final year of primary school vanished and she was relaxed and interested. I could see she was going to be able to learn here and grow into a strong young person. I could see the teachers were good, and the other children looked curious and shy as the ranger for the Southern Upland Way for years – maybe he knows of some folk I can ask. Anyway, I was confident that we’d find somewhere to live. The writhing flapping problem of finding a good (not terrifying) high school was surely more of a challenge and that had turned out to be quite easily solved. Well. If I only had a couple of pennies to rub together. Or maybe a few hundred thousand pounds. Or a flat to sell, in London. But I don’t. I’ve got an SVQ in health and social care and my partner is a gardener but flashing those papers doesn’t get you a mortgage anymore. We both have work so that’s something. We could pay rent on a place - quite easily. If there was one. We could squeeze into that tiny little place in New Galloway, except they don’t take dogs (who’d get a dog!?). We could buy a nice big campervan and live in it. Except its minus seven degrees outside and we’re just not THAT hardy. We could wait for a council house. Except we’re eligible for a house with five bedrooms and there isn’t one. Anything under five bedrooms would be overcrowding because of the ages and genders of the children (I’m told). I thought gender was a thing of the past anyway. I’m told by the Stewartry Homeless Officer that rental properties are like pigeon’s eye teeth. And so here we are, seven months later. Still looking for a place to live. We still stay in the crumbling farmhouse where I grew up with my parents, whose whole lives have been invaded by four grandchildren, a cat with six kittens and two dogs who chase the resident pet rabbits. All sorts of bad things have happened to the MUD situation in the yard now that there are four cars So herewith a plea to someone – I don’t even know who. The first minister? A local councillor perhaps. Or a secret stash of cash. Or a small organisation or idea for generating change. Please build some houses. Affordable. To rent. Or renovate something, anything. A barn, a shack, a hovel. And please change the laws back, so landlords can rent their properties again. We could really do with a home. And we would really like to live in the Glenkens. And we’re not the only ones… Harriet Whitty Glenkens Gazette Continued from front page... The Biosphere is committed to keeping the local community involved in the office design and development as it continues through the year and will be hosting a drop-in session on Wednesday 8 February at Dalry, with the opportunity to view potential architectural designs, speak to the Biosphere’s director and officers about the project, and meet representatives from the partners involved. The land at Underhill area is already used by local dog walkers and children for light recreation but the Biosphere team would like to know more about how locals currently use that space. What are your ideas on how it could be used in the future? How can we celebrate the associations between people and nature? How can we use the UNESCO Biosphere designation to help champion St John’s Town of Dalry? The village has been a designated ‘Biosphere Community’ since 2019 and already offers so much to visitors looking for a place to stop and explore, including Mulloch and Waterside hills, the Watson Bird Trails and the Southern Upland Way. The Biosphere and project partners are examining how to use Underhill’s incredible views across the Glenkens to the Rhinns of Kells (in the core of the Biosphere) to reflect the relationship between people and the land. Work on access to the office’s outdoor space, and the interpretation within, will be led by the Edinburghbased company Bright; their recent projects include the Rhins of Galloway Coastal Path, the Great Tapestry of Scotland, and public engagement for our neighbouring UNESCO Biosphere at Dublin Bay. The Galloway & Southern Ayrshire Biosphere was awarded £1.9 million in funding by South of Scotland Enterprise in 2020 to support the next five years of operations, a relationship that continues in the office project. The planning application for the development at Underhill will be submitted to Dumfries & Galloway Council in the spring, with activity page 10 Out and About in the Biosphere to commence on the ground soon afterwards if permission is approved. The Biosphere is partnering with St John’s Town of Dalry Community Council to ensure consultation on the office project continues to be as accessible as possible to local people, who are invited to get in touch with either organisation at any time with queries or concerns. Public consultation will be facilitated both in-person and online in the weeks and months ahead, beginning with a dropin session on 8th February from 2pm onwards in Dalry Town Hall. All residents are warmly invited to attend. Morag Paterson, on behalf of the Community Council, says: “We are looking forward to working with the Galloway & Southern Ayrshire Biosphere as they bring their plans forward to create a headquarters in the centre of Dalry. Having the offices of a UNESCO organisation in our village should be a real boost, both for locals and visitors to the area.” Ed Forrest, the Biosphere’s director, says: “Our Partnership Board, officers and I are delighted to be moving forward with our new eco-office in the Biosphere’s 10th anniversary year. It’s an exciting time for our region as sustainability comes to the fore in public policy, private enterprise, and tourism initiatives such as Scotland’s UNESCO Trail. It’s also an incredibly challenging time, in terms of land use, economic wellbeing, and keeping our communities connected and our heritage alive. We sincerely hope the Biosphere’s presence in St John’s Town of Dalry will provide active, tangible support in all these areas for many, many years to come.” More information about Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere is available at www.gsabiosphere.org.uk For any queries about the office development or public engagement process, please contact the Biosphere via info@ gsabiosphere.org.uk or the Community Council via sjtdalrycc@gmail. com Pictured: Left- the area covered by the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere. Top - the Biosphere team. Glenkens Gazette page 11 Thinking Differently About Our Forests In a world of consultations, feedback deadlines and community engagement, trees can sometimes be seen as a bewildering topic. The Fantastic Forest Festival is a chance to approach the question of tree cover from new perspectives. How do we interact with trees, what benefits do they give us, what are the more intangible connections we have with our woodlands? The festival consists of 11 public events, supported by a Leeming & Paterson Artist’s Residency and a strand of school-based activities. These combine to give an opportunity for people of all interests and ages a chance to think differently about trees, forests and woodlands in Galloway. The events include the chance to hear from tree champions, such as the author Guy Shrubsole who will be talking on 15 February about his search for the Lost Rainforests of Britain. Separately, Peter Norman from South West Scotland Environmental Information Centre and Malcolm Haddow from the Biosphere both have events that explore the recording and identification of local indicator species – trees and more helping attendees increase their tree knowledge and contribute their findings to the wildlife records. The Glenkens premiere of Riverwoods: An Untold Story in the Catstrand on 8 February is a chance to watch this award winning and highly acclaimed film telling the story of Atlantic Salmon and the complex relationship between fish and forest. This will be followed by a panel discussion from experts and enthusiasts about the main themes in the film, with a chance to put your questions to the panel. On the 24 February, Dalry Town Hall hosts an event called ‘Imagining our Future Woodlands’ which seeks to push further on the question of what we need from Galloway’s future woodlands. This event is led by GCAT’s ‘Watson Bird’ project and will bring together a range of local and national experts to consider our local issues in the context of national policy. Throughout the festival, Leeming & Paterson will be leading an Artists' residency, exploring creative ways of engaging widely on the topic of woodlands in Galloway, outside the normal engagement channels. This includes two artist-led walks on 28 January and 26 February. Aside from these events, look out for postcards and opportunities to input across the Glenkens and surrounding area. I am excited by what is in store. It feels like a chance to remind ourselves why we like trees and the range of services and benefits they provide. Galloway is playing a very important part in the national land use and commercial planting discussions. I hope one outcome of the festival is that a wider range of people engage in this discussion and we all feel able to have a say on the future for trees in Galloway. The events are being organised by a wide range of partners, see poster on the next page for details. To find more information and to book your tickets, search www. eventbrite.co.uk for ‘Galloway Glens’. See you there… McNabb Laurie Glenkens Gazette page 12 A RANGE OF PARTNERS ARE COMING TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE THE FORESTS AND WOODLANDS OF GALLOWAY. HOW CAN WE BETTER UNDERSTAND AND ENGAGE WITH THE TREES IN OUR LANDSCAPE - THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE! 27 January Launch of Festival & Exhibition in CatStrand 28 January Can’t See the Woods for the Trees 04 February The Biosphere’s Most Wanted 08 February Riverwoods: Do fish really grow on trees… 11 February Investigating Galloway’s Native Woodland Launching the festival and an exhibition of work by Donald Watson & Leeming & Paterson which will be on display at the Catstrand for the coming month. 7.00pm @ Catstrand, no tickets required. Drinks & nibbles upon arrival. A friendly gathering with creative conversations and artist talks from Leeming & Paterson, exploring our woodland habitats. 10am-1pm @ Balmaclellan Smiddy. See Eventbrite for full info + book ticket. Learn about the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere’s Most Wanted Project which aims to use citizen science to record local rarities using our phones, followed by a step-by-step tutorial and demonstration on how to use the iNaturalist app. 10.00-11.30 @ Dalry Town Hall, tickets via Eventbrite After watching the critically acclaimed and award-winning film together, an expert panel will discuss and answer any questions. 7.30pm film starts @ Catstrand, tickets via Eventbrite. An introduction to the native woods of Galloway for anyone who would like to get involved in their conservation, whether through recording their wildlife, researching their history or campaigning for their protection. Presented by Peter Norman from SWSEIC. 10am-12noon, followed by a walk. Tickets via eventbrite. Guy Shrubsole, author of ‘Lost Rainforests of Britain’ talks about his recent work and why the word ‘rainforest’ matters. 15 February The Lost Rainforests of Britain 18 February ‘Spruce Plucking’ World Championships 22 February National Trust for Scotland: ‘Treetastic’ at Threave Nature Reserve A day celebrating Trees on the Threave Nature Reserve, home to the Threave Landscape Restoration Project. Winter Tree ID workshop, creative tree crafts, tree folklore and storytelling, a tree trail, and tree planting. 10am-3.30pm. £3.50 per person, booking via ‘Threave Garden and Estate’ on eventbrite. 22 February The Future of Woodlands in Dumfries & Galloway How has Southern Scotland’s tree cover changed through history, why our woodlands were originally established and how this is changing. 24 February Imagining our Future Woodlands Join us for conversations with a variety of different voices and communities of interest – local and national - as we consider Galloway’s future woodland interests and ambitions. 26 February A Walk in the Woods 7.30pm, Online event, tickets via Eventbrite. If Spruce self-seeds in the wrong place, could it be plucked? A fun opportunity to get out onto the hillside, irrespective of the weather. See channels for more info. Starting 2pm, See Galloway Glens channels channels for more info and how to take part! 7.30pm, Hybrid event – in Balmaclellan Smiddy or Online, tickets via Eventbrite. 10.30-3pm @ Dalry Town Hall, tickets via Eventbrite. An artist-led, immersive walk in the woodlands with Leeming & Paterson, with a chance to look back at the activity of the festival. 10am-1pm, tickets via Eventbrite. ALL TICKETS FOUND ON EVENTBRITE.CO.UK BY SEARCHING ‘GALLOWAY GLENS’, UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED. A partnership initiative, including: Glenkens Gazette page 13 RSELF & BE PART OF THE FESTIVA U O Y S S E L E X PR The Fantastic Forest Festival is an event for everyone and we would really like to hear from as many people, of all ages, as possible. Every idea is important to us and we would love to hear your voice. Let’s make a noise! TAKING PART IS EASY Simply let us know, in words and pictures, your thoughts in the space above. The following prompts may help but anything goes ✿ Imagine your perfect future Forest – for nature, climate and people ✿ How do different types of woodland, or individual trees, make you feel? EXPRESS YOURSELF - Individual words, poems, statements, pictures, paintings, graffiti …anything goes. Go wild. Use your imagination!!! Everything you think of is valid and all thoughts will be completely anonymous. Our artists in residence, Ted Leeming and Morag Paterson, will use these responses to inspire their final artistic outcomes. Simply take a photo of this page on your phone including your ideas and email them to fantasticforests@gmail.com If you prefer to submit your original ideas, please feel free to use a blank sheet of paper and submit it to the boxes we have located in shops and community buildings throughout the Glenkens. Glenkens Gazette page 14 Feedback Sought on Castlemaddy Forest Plan Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is looking for feedback on its proposed ten-year plans for the forests it looks after in the area south of Carsphairn. “This is a great opportunity for local people to come along and speak to us about our outline plans for these forests but also for us to get some feedback. “There are a lot of competing demands on forestry and balancing all of the factors involved is quite a complex process. “We usually find that local As part of a regular forest management people are always interested process, FLS is revising the Castlemaddy to know what is happening Land Management Plan (LMP), which in their local forests and covers an area of 2,826 hectares and it’s always good to get includes Carminnows, Dundeugh, their insight and comments Marscalloch and Polmaddy forests. 8 February from 2pm to 8pm, and Dalry on the things that are Village Hall on Friday 10 February The long-term vision for the area important to them. from 2pm to 8pm. features a mix of actions that include “Hopefully, everyone who has an interest maintaining sustainable timber Anyone who is unable to attend can look will be able to make it to one of the two production, restoring ancient woodland, through the documents online and either1 ‘drop in’ events in February and share Clatteringshaws advert 57 x 120.pdf Clatteringshaws advert 57 x 120.pdf 1 28/10/2014 16:31:16 managing of the historic environment and send any comments or queries to the their thoughts.” conserving biodiversity and water quality. email address provided, or can complete The drop-in sessions are booked for Carol Finch, FLS Forest Planner, said: Carsphairn Village Hall on Wednesday the survey on the page. C M Y CM MY Tell us about it Tell us about it We are reviewing the Forest We are reviewing the Forest Plan for Castlemaddie and we want to know what you think. What’s special about this place? How do you use it? What do you think of our plans? Please come along to our public drop in M Y CM MY What’s special about this place? How do you use it? What do you think of our plans? Please come along to our public drop in CY CY CMY CMY K C Plan for Castlemaddie and we want to know what you think. Wednesday 8th February 2023, 2pm to 6pm Lagwyne Village Hall Carsphairn forestryandland.gov.scot K Friday 10th February 2023, 2pm to 6pm Dalry Village Hall Dalry forestryandland.gov.scot 28/10/ Glenkens Gazette page 15 Carsphairn Community Woodland Look Back on 2022 Thinking back over our first operational year at the community woodland, it has certainly been action packed! A little over a year ago we commenced work, firstly felling the diseased larch and created a site for the yard and shed. Stone was then laid and the shed went up in March thanks to funding from South of Scotland Enterprise. We took on staff, Andy and Phoenix, who have proved to be a great asset, running the woodfuel enterprise, alongside the many tasks they undertake in the woodland. The wonderful wildlife hide funded partly by Galloway Glens Scheme (thanks for all your input!) was completed and has been a big hit with everyone. We have held a number of open days, well supported and showcasing a range of rural craft workers, various walks and talks and have even managed to fit in a willow weaving workshop and beginners’ woodwork classes. More to follow in 2023! Many thanks to everyone who has supported us; it's been a great year and there are further exciting developments afoot to look forward to in 2023... watch this space and see you all at Muirdrochwood soon! If you would like to know more or have any suggestions, including workshops you would like to see take place at the community woodland, please email: carsphairncw@ gmail.com To order firewood, details are in the ad below. The CCW Team Reiki Master Praconer     Or would you like to experience a Reiki session for general balancing/ issues with life Distance or face to face sessions for you Firewood for Sale or your pet Carsphairn Community Woodland   ï Free local delivery ï  From Enquiries to: Tel: 07710 124 255 Carsphairn Community Woodland Limited is commi�ed to acquiring, developing and managing local woodlands in a sustainable and environmentally sound way for the long-term benefit of the local community. Website: www.carsphairn.org/CCWL Company Limited by Guarantee SC591976   Full PPE and insured Approved Therapist Reiki can help to restore the body’s natural ability to heal and create balance.  Glenkens Gazette page 16 sponsored by ReConnect Festival Solutions to Climate Anxiety ReConnect is a 4-day festival of film, discussion and nature-based workshops, seeking responses and solutions to climate anxiety. The festival will take place from 2-5 March, and the full programme is available at www.gcat. scot The 2021 census reported that 75% of adults in Britain feel worried about the impact of climate change. 84% of young people worldwide are concerned about climate change, with over 50% navigating feelings of sadness, anxiety, powerlessness, anger, helplessness or guilt. These are natural, rational responses to the climate crisis. But they can impact our everyday lives and overwhelm us to a point of inaction, causing us to withdraw from the climate movement during a vital time. ReConnect Festival aims to address these increasing feelings of climate grief and anxiety, empowering audiences with resilience and a sense of agency in response to the climate crisis. We’re particularly interested in exploring the connections between nature connectivity, arts engagement, and personal wellbeing. We believe a deeper connection with the arts and nature can ground and energise us, strengthening our sense of self, community and place. This is vital to our personal wellbeing and, in turn, our ability to engage with the climate movement effectively. Thus, at the heart of the festival is a focus on restoring and nurturing connections – to others, to nature, and to ourselves - through a programme of film screenings, discussions and creative naturebased workshops. The Programme of agency, empowerment and resilience. We have joined with Crichton Carbon Centre, Propagate and 2050 Climate Group to bring together a range of post-screening activities including a ‘Letters to the Earth’ workshop, discussions and a panel of local young climate leaders. I hope this can be a really valuable and nurturing weekend for people of all generations, but particularly the young people who are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis. Complementing the film programme, we’ll have creative naturebased workshops that will encourage us to tap into our imaginations and reconnect with our natural environment though art. As a way of encapsulating the spirit of ReConnect we’ll be closing the festival with an open mic night, themed around nature, climate change and eco-anxiety. We encourage anyone to come along who has a piece of music, poetry or storytelling which explores their relationship with any of these themes. It’s an opportunity to really connect with our creative spirits as a way of navigating our feelings around the climate crisis within a loving, connected environment that will have grown throughout the weekend. I hope this can be a really valuable and nurturing weekend for people of all generations, but particularly the young people who are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis. We have a really exciting programme planned, with three special film screenings that will allow us to connect with the stories of those on the frontline of the climate crisis. We aim to provide audiences with the tools and space to process their emotional responses to climate change, instilling them with a sense Phoebe Watt, CatStrand Visual Arts, Live Events and Creative Learning Intern Phoebe’s internship at GCAT is supported by the Galloway Glens Scheme and The Holywood Trust. Glenkens Gazette page 17 sponsored by If you would like to list something on this page, please get in touch on 07727 127 997 or glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk FREE Several dozen willow stems, average length 6ft, ready for planting. Ideal for creating willow fedges, arbors and garden features. Steel garden bench, 1.4metres long, requires painting. Contact: 01644 420 267 Office chair, typical style with wheels and various adjustments. Maroon seat and back. Television/Hifi Table, 5 Glass shelves with black upright stands. CATHERINE@CATSTRAND.COM Approx 110(l) x 45(w) x 75(h)cm. Shelves can be removed. In very good conditions. Contact: Ted on 07887 736 887 WANTED Perennial plants, come and dig them up and take them away; everything must go. Contact: sandjharvie@gmail.com Chest freezer. Contact: Tony on 07507 704 821 Horse manure, rotted and fresh, no weed killers used. Dig your own from a large heap, bring sacks or trailer. Contact: 07889 229 340 Double bed size divan base with drawers. Contact: 01644 460 673 Old lawn mowers/ strimmers/other small machinery. Non-runners/ broken welcome. Contact: 07845 562 217 Glenkens Gazette What a year it has been for the Loch Ken Trust! Our Annual General Meeting was held in November, and it was great to reflect on all our achievements throughout 2022. The launch of the Loch Ken Plan in May 2022 was a key event for the Trust. The Plan is based around the United Nations Global Goals, and if you haven’t had a chance to read it yet you can download online at www. lochken.org.uk/lochkenplan page 18 ...News from the Banks of Loch Ken... This year funding allowed us to hold several events including ClimateReady Ken, Dark Skies, Leave no Trace and Ranger Cookout. Funding also allowed loch side, ranger-led education sessions for all the local primary schools which were very well received. Another highlight of the year was the completion of our defibrillator project. The Loch Ken Trust together with Awards for All have now installed six external defibrillators in heated boxes around the loch. In September this year we embarked on our environmental baseline assessment study which will include ongoing scientific monitoring for the Loch Ken Trust and the wider community. The studies will also guide the work of the Loch Ken Ranger Service to protect, restore and improve our environment. Watch this space for exciting events and projects scheduled for next year! 2022 also saw the Trust take part in many volunteering projects including helping with the Ken Bridge bicentenary preparations and helping out with a local primary school project. The Visitor Management and Infrastructure Plan were also major developments. As one of the first communityled ranger services in Scotland we have ensured that Loch Ken has been better cared for. Our rangers Ken Scott and Leanne Pumpr have worked hard patrolling the loch and building relationships with loch users and landowners. Ken Scott retired at the end of October and we would like to thank him for all his great work. Ranger Leanne is continuing with reduced patrols over the winter. Lots of training and development has taken place, including a site visit to Loch Lomond to seek advice from an established ranger service. We have hosted several college and university visits to our beautiful Loch Ken and promoted responsible use of the countryside. Chairperson Mungo Bryson said: "We are very proud of all that the Loch Ken Trust has achieved in the community over the course of the year, and we would like to thank all our friends and members for their continued support." Our AGM minutes, chairperson's report and finalised accounts can be viewed at www.lochken.org.uk We would love YOU to join us! Membership is free and details can be found at www.lochken. org.uk/membership Pictured: Left - Barney from the Loch Ken Trust with Lisa Simonaitis and the new defibrillator which has been installed at the Forrest Estate. Top - Loch Ken from a kayak (taken by Ken Scott). Below - former Loch Ken Trust Ranger, Ken Scott, running a workshop for local school children. The Loch Ken Trust Team Glenkens Gazette page 19 The Optimistic Environmentalist How the Sea Helps Us Breathe: Marine Photosynthesizers Oxygen makes up 21% of Earth's atmosphere. Scientists estimate that 50-80% of the oxygen production on Earth comes from the ocean. The majority of the produced oxygen is from oceanic plankton - drifting plants, algae, and some bacteria that can photosynthesize i.e. they use carbon dioxide, water and energy from the sun to make food for themselves, releasing oxygen in the process. They're invisible to the naked eye, but produce more oxygen than the largest redwoods. Land plants start appearing in the fossil record 470 million years ago, before dinosaurs, but the ocean was producing oxygen for billions of years before that. The oldest known fossil is from a marine cyanobacterium, a tiny blue-green photosynthesizer that was releasing oxygen 3.5 billion years ago. Today, another cyanobacterium, Prochlorococcus, is the smallest photosynthetic organism on Earth and is the most abundant. It is estimated to be responsible for producing 20% David Tallontire CHIMNEY SWEEP Covering the Glenkens & further afield 07709 144 299 - wood burners - multi-fuel stoves - open fires - Agas - Rayburns - birds nest removal with CCTV inspection - certificates issued - feel free to call for advice - Find me on Facebook of the oxygen in the atmosphere. One in every five breaths you take, you owe to Prochlorococcus - a higher percentage than all of the tropical rainforests combined. Amazingly, scientists only discovered this super-abundant photosynthesizer in 1988! Under a microscope, you can peer inside this filamentous red algae. The thin, hair-like filaments are only one cell wide. The pigment phycoerythrin, makes the red colour, and along with green chlorophyll, allows the algae to undergo photosynthesis. Most marine photosynthesizers have to live in the "photic zone" - the layer at the top of the ocean that is illuminated by sunlight to a depth of about 200 meters (656 ft) below the surface. It's difficult to put a depth limit on it, though, because photosynthesizers keep taking photosynthesis down farther than we thought possible. 886 ft below the ocean's surface, you would barely be able to see light, but a type of red Family and friends coming to stay? Short of space? Cosy country cottage available (sleeps 4) Call Fiona on 01644 420 227 www.covenanters-holidaycottagescotland.co.uk algae, Corallinales, photosynthesizes down there. The red colour of Corallinales comes from a pigment which enables it to absorb blue and green light, just about the only light that filters down there. Calculating the exact percentage of oxygen produced in the ocean is difficult because the amounts are constantly changing. Scientists can use satellite imagery to track marine photosynthesizers. They measure the chlorophyll so estimating the amount of photosynthesis occurring, but this cannot tell the whole story. The amount of plankton changes seasonally and in response to changes in the water's nutrient load, temperature, and other factors. Studies have shown that the amount of oxygen in specific locations varies with time of day and with the tides. It's important to remember that although the ocean produces at least 50% of the oxygen on Earth, roughly the same amount is consumed by marine life. As on land, marine animals use oxygen to breathe, and both plants and animals use oxygen for cellular respiration. Oxygen is also consumed when dead plants and animals decay in the ocean. This is particularly problematic when algal blooms die and the decomposition process uses oxygen faster than it can be replenished. This can create areas of extremely low oxygen concentrations (hypoxia), often called dead zones, because the oxygen levels are too low to support most marine life. Denise MacDonald-Kiernan 唀瀀栀漀氀猀琀攀爀礀Ⰰ 䰀漀漀猀攀 䌀漀瘀攀爀猀Ⰰ 䘀愀戀爀椀挀猀Ⰰ 䌀甀猀栀椀漀渀猀 刀攀昀椀氀氀攀搀 䘀爀攀攀 䔀猀琀椀洀愀琀攀猀 吀栀攀 圀漀爀欀猀栀漀瀀Ⰰ 䴀漀渀礀戀甀椀攀Ⰰ 䌀漀爀猀漀挀欀⸀ 䐀䜀㜀 ㌀䐀夀 眀眀眀⸀䠀愀爀爀椀猀ⴀ唀瀀栀漀氀猀琀攀爀礀⸀挀漀⸀甀欀 ㄀㘀㐀㐀 㐀㐀 㔀㈀㤀 Glenkens Gazette page 20 Dalry School Basketball Team Dalry Secondary School basketball team was thrilled with the level of community support they received. The team would like to thank Natural Power Consultants Ltd, the Galloway Glens Scheme and Terry from Lion Removals for their offers of funding. Members are very excited about choosing their kits and hopefully in the next edition of the Gazette they will have arrived and there will be a photo of the team. Above right is a table showing the Junior League positions - the letters along the top stand for Games Played, Wins, Losses, Points (for wins), Points For (scored in game), Points Against (scored in game) and Points Difference (between points scored and conceded in game). Liam Fleming, PE Teacher & Coach Experimenting with Light and Colour Children in Primary 5-7 at Kells Primary School took part in a STEM workshop in which they had a great time investigating light and colour. The children experimented with red, blue and yellow torches. They enjoyed creating secret messages using colour and were challenged to use several Sewing for Fun Students from Dalry Secondary have been learning new skills and developing their fine motor skills. Sewing has taught them about patience in a subtle but very effective way. Their new skills can also be put to use to help them mend clothes and become more conscious consumers in the future. They can also put their new skills to use to create unique handmade gifts. Everyone becomes a winner as sewing encourages mindfulness and reduces stress and anxiety. Pictured are some of the creative uses pupils turned their new sewing skills to. mirrors to bounce light in six different directions. Margaret Heuchan Glenkens Gazette page 21 New Faces at Glenkens Youth Group LING are pleased to welcome Sarah Kirk as our new Youth Activity and Development Worker, and Ben Wells as Youth Work Assistant for our Glenkens Youth sessions and trips. Sarah takes over from Olivia Donald, who is heading off to have her first baby – Olivia’s done a fantastic job establishing a popular weekly youth meet-up session in the Glenkens for young people aged 11 and over, and delivered a great range of free trips and activities during sessions and in the holidays. The Glenkens Youth posts are funded until May this year by Blackcraig Windfarm Community Fund administered by Glenkens and District Trust and Foundation Scotland, with additional funding from the D&G Council Stewartry Area Committee. Glenkens Youth started in response to needs identified by Glenkens young people and our aim is to see it develop into an independent, long-term youth service for our area – if you’d like to be involved, let us know! Mary, Chair, Local Initiatives in New Galloway (youthwork.ling@gmail.com) CatStrand Youth Players' Panto Success "A triumph!’ ‘Exceptionally good, better than most professional pantos." "What a night, the best one yet!" "The cast were all great and the show was hilarious." "Fantastic fun, can’t wait for 2023!" These were just some of the comments written by audience members as they left the latest CatStrand panto, Sinbad Sails Again by Paul Reakes. The show played to three packed houses in December and was thoroughly enjoyed by the audiences and the cast alike. The brand new script by our favourite panto author was definitely one of his best yet and the cast had great fun rehearsing it from September onwards. Now firmly established as a mainstay of the CatStrand arts programme, this was the twelfth annual panto and its popularity was underlined by the fact that tickets were largely sold out several weeks beforehand. The story started one year after Aladdin’s marriage to Princess Jasmine but everything wasn’t quite turning out to be "happy ever after," particularly after a disguised Captain Crossbones and his henchmen steal the magic lamp! Aladdin recruits Sinbad the Sailor to chase down the pirates and retrieve the lamp and the adventure begins! A superb rendition of A Whole New World by Aladdin (Fiona Edgar) and Jasmine (Ella Campbell) provided a perfect opening to the show and set the scene for what was still to come. Captain Crossbones (James Wallace) and his sidekicks Sam (Naomi McCreath) and the hapless Percy (Stanley Harfield) were subjected to lots of boos as they carried out their skullduggery but also provided lots of comedy too, not least when Crossbones led a hilarious and energetic performance of the song Jump. Megan Oliver played Sinbad with great aplomb and ably helped by Zara (Lorne Johnston) and Molly the Monkey, cutely played by Rosie Spernagel, they tracked the baddies down to a remote desert island. With the magic lamp now back in the possession of the evil Abanazar (Laura Edington), they managed to save the day and retrieve it with the assistance of islander Aloa (Sanna Gilbert) and the local knowledge of a friendly Gorilla (Izak Entwhistle). Once they were able to finally rub the lamp and summon the Genie (also played in fine style by Izak Entwhistle), everything could be sorted out and once again everyone would live happily ever after! Of course, a panto wouldn’t be a panto without a dame, as the song says "there is nothing like a dame" and there certainly is nothing like a dame played by Ruby Harfield! She really made Semolina Sinbad larger than life and together with her son Ali Sinbad (Dante Newbery) they led the comedy scenes with great skill to the constant delight of the audience. Their hilarious take on I Want to Break Free, with Ali in the Freddie Mercury role will live long in the memory. A production such as this takes a huge amount of work behind the scenes too and the new Behind the Scenes Crew, led by Cat Campbell, worked hard for several months making props and scenery and their clever creations definitely helped to set the various scenes throughout, none more so than the giant Sea Serpent’s head which appeared in a cloud of smoke to herald the end of Act One! The songs, music and sound effects are always a major part of any panto and this year more than ever and that was all down to the skill of Simon Davidson as Musical Director. The costumes are a key component too and Sue Lindsay worked hard to pull together the wardrobe of over 30 costumes for the show. The show was directed by Brian Edgar who praised the cast for their skill and commitment and thanked everyone for their hard work in bringing the show to the stage and the audiences for their incredible support once again. The CatStrand Players now move on to the Festival Season and hope to emulate the unprecedented success of last year when we took two plays to the Western Finals with the Youth entry making it all the way to the Scottish Final. This year we have three plays in rehearsal for the festival, two in the Youth Section and one in the Open Festival. The youth plays are – Rabbit by David Foxton (directed by Cat Campbell) and Tell Me Another Story, Sing Me a Song by Jean Lenox Toddie (directed by James Wallace) and the Open entry is Feeding the Ducks by Michael Park (directed by Brian Edgar). The plays will be staged at the Stewartry District Festival at The Fullarton in Castle Douglas over the weekend of 2-4 March and then will be staged at CatStrand on Friday 10 March. Glenkens Gazette page 22 Fun With the Cub Scouts The Glenkens Scout Group has been delighted to receive a cheque for £320 as a donation from the Carsphairn Community Trust's Christmas Fayre. Steve Cowley, treasurer of the Trust, popped into our Pack meeting on a very cold night to give us the cheque. Carsphairn hall was beautifully decorated, and the place was humming. Stalls laden with gift ideas. A real feeling of community spirit. Thank you again for your kindness. The Cub Scouts visited the CatStrand Youth Players panto Sinbad Sails Again (see page 21). Absolutely fantastic and thoroughly enjoyed by all. Well done to everyone involved! with sgraffito (a technique of cutting/scraping through the thin layer if white slip into which the clay has been dipped to reveal the darker clay behind) designs which were fired and brought back in time for them to give as Christmas gifts (pictured). Heather & Hannah At the end of November the Cubs decorated clay tiles Glenkens Producers' Market WRIGHTS STORE & POST OFFICE DALRY DALRY DALRY SWEET TREAT SATURDAY DALRY INFORMATION FRESH CREAM CAKES AVAILABLE TO ORDER OPENING HOURS MONDAY – FRIDAY 7.30am – 5.30pm SATURDAY 8.30am – 5pm SUNDAY 8.30am – 3pm LOCAL SUPPLIERS DALMELLINGTON COUNTRY BUTCHERS 2nd Saturday Monthly Dalry Town Hall, 10am-1pm - 11th February & 11th March ...fresh vegetables, baked goods, preserves, bread, fresh meat, smoked products, cheese, artisan cider, chocolates, handmade crafts, gift cards, plants... * Save Fuel - Shop Local * UPPER DULLARG EGGS MITCHELLS FRUIT & VEG SWEETCAKES BAKERY GLENKENS HONEY COMPANY CREAM O GALLOWAY GALLOWAY LODGE PRESERVES IRVINGS BAKERY SCOTTISH GALLOWAY PASTA GLENKENS HONEY COMPANY Want to know what’s going on? Then visit www.dalrytownhall.co.uk POP IN FOR A CHAT AND A BROWSE Glenkens Gazette page 23 Boosting biodiversity, businesses and community benefits Protecting habitats and improving biodiversity • Extensive habitat improvement measures – net gain for biodiversity • New native broadleaf trees to be planted and 145ha heathland restored • Peatland restoration – enough to cover 190 football pitches • Carbon emission saving of around 4 million tonnes Enhanced outdoor access and protecting heritage • 15km of new sign-posted, accessible tracks through restored habitats • Visitor sign-posting and additional pathways created • Improved access to and understanding of important WW2 crash site and other features of historical interest A major green investment in local communities • Building on our approach at South Kyle Wind Farm, maximising local jobs and supplier opportunities • New apprenticeships to be created • Estimated £7million boost to local economy • Up to £16million community benefits package with flexible, community-led approach The Planning Application for Quantans Hill Wind Farm is being submitted to the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit imminently. To view and respond to the Planning Application please visit www.energyconsents.scot where you will also find confirmation of the period in which responses may be submitted (likely to be until late March).* You can also find out more about Vattenfall’s proposals at: www.vattenfall.co.uk/quantanshill Data from Quantans Hill Environmental Impact Assessment Report (2022), Natural Power et al; and Vattenfall. Images top & bottom from Lee Williams for Vattenfall’s Pen Y Cymoedd Wind Farm in South Wales. *Details correct at time of going to print 19.01.2023 Advertisement With 14 turbines, Quantans Hill Wind Farm will add around 90MW to Dumfries and Galloway’s homegrown electricity capacity, as well as battery storage. As a Vattenfall project, this major investment has also been designed to deliver tangible economic, biodiversity and community benefits to the local area around Carsphairn and across South West Scotland. The planning application identifies potential for: Glenkens Gazette page 24 Photo of the Issue ...Sponsored by the Stockbridge Mac & Cheese Co... This issue’s winner is Robin Hood with a view over Loch Ken taken from his garden. Robin wins £10 voucher redeemable at the new Stockbridge Mac & Cheese Co premises at the Old School on Brooke St, Dumfries. Company owner and competition judge, Hannah Gould, said: "We are very excited to now have a cafe in Dumfries! We're open Tuesday till Saturday from 11am to 5pm with 7pm closing on Thursdays and Fridays. We serve all homemade goodies - traybakes, brownies, salads, burgers and of course mac 'n' cheese. Every Thursday we do all-you-can-eat mac 'n' cheese too. We are based in the Old School with lots of other lovely, independent small businesses. So come see us!" To enter you can send in any photograph taken in the Glenkens to glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk From the Bookroom Glenkens Gazette In 'From the Bookroom' Glenkensbased author, Robin Yassin-Kassab, will take readers through some of his favourite books. Robin is author of the novel The Road From Damascus and co-author of Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War. I pretended to read James Joyce’s Ulysses when I was a student. I know this from my old copy of the book, in which one-word notes qualified by question marks (like ‘Homeric parallel?’), in my youthful, spidery handwriting, are placed seemingly randomly against the text. But I didn’t really read this famously difficult book, not in full. I didn’t have time. And most of us will never have time, because now we are attuned to immediate gratification, addicted to the dopamine hit. Our thoughts come more rapidly than ever, but are reduced in range as a result. “Ulysses” was written before sound bites and tweets, and reading it is the task at least of a slow Galloway springtime. It’s one of the rare books you could actually survive on if shipwrecked on a desert island. It refers to, mimics, satirizes, or converses page 25 with so many other texts that it feels like the Ur-text or Originary Book from which all others proceed. Almost all the tools and tricks of the contemporary novel were worked out first here. But where most novels will exploit one unusual method, “Ulysses” uses many. Each chapter is a different kind of experiment; each therefore stands in itself as a novel – in the literal sense of ‘novelty’ and ‘innovation’. This is what makes the book difficult. The reader can’t relax for a moment. Just when he thinks he’s worked out what the book is doing, it decides to do something else. It’s a babbling fool of a book. It is literary LSD, very seriously mind-expanding. But there is method in its madness. There’s a plot, and relatable characters. Believe it or not, there’s a great sense of humour too. All this is accessible to most people if they take the time, and follow the following advice: First, don’t try so hard to understand. Which is certainly easier said than done. We’ve been trained since school to extract information from text, to reduce each paragraph into a summary as we go. If we can’t easily do this, we feel lost. But think of this analogy. In a bar you hear bits of several nearby conversations as well as the conversation you and your friends are having, and you hear the voice in your head, the inner commentary, judging, regretting, remembering, worrying. The words you hear spark associations with other words. There’s the song playing on the stereo, plus the song now playing in your head that it reminds you of. You don’t need to understand everything to fully experience and enjoy this scene. Second, read the text aloud. Listen to it. Enjoy its music. We don’t refuse to listen to jazz because we can’t follow the storyline. Likewise, we don’t give up on Picasso or Rembrandt because we’re not sure of their positions on Irish politics. Third, laugh. This often follows naturally from reading it aloud. If you heed these pointers you’ll eventually find that, as when learning a language, at a certain point it becomes much easier. Next you’ll be grappling with “Finnegans Wake”… Robin Yassin-Kassab Gordon McAdam Plumbing & Heating 22 Kirkland Street St John’s Town of Dalry 01644 430 393 07834 321 789 Glenkens Gazette page 26 Kenmure Castle: Witness to Galloway's History Kenmure Castle, the most famous of the Glenkens castles, stands just south of New Galloway and has been touched by much of Scottish history. It was a Balliol stronghold in the wars of independence and was a refuge for Mary Queen of Scots on her flight from Scotland and was sacked by her enemies. It was sacked again by Cromwell for supporting the Royal cause and after the Jacobite uprising the 6th Viscount Kenmure was beheaded in the Tower of London for backing the rebels. Robert Burns predictably was a guest - on his way to Kirkcudbright. On Sunday 26 February The Glenkens Story local history group will present an afternoon of talks at the CatStrand on the castle and the people in its history. Janet Brennan-Ingils, castle historian and author, restorer of Barholm Castle and former chair of the Scottish Castles Association, will speak on the history of Kenmure. For much of its history the castle has been held by the Gordon family. Major General (retd) James Gordon, the present owner, will Kenmure Castle in the 18th century by give a personal Francis Grose, died 1790 account of the Gordon family's will discuss the origin of the name close links to the castle’s eventful history. ‘Kenmure’ which looks straightforward Completing the afternoon’s programme, the muir of the Ken - but all may not be local place names expert Michael Ansell as it seems. Air Crashes Near the Glenkens Regular readers of the Gazette will know that I wrote a series of articles* on Air Crashes in the Glenkens. As these were well received, I thought readers might be interested in a few nearby air crashes, mostly in the Stewartry. I will begin with one of the saddest tales, from Dundrennan. On 18 July 1944 a Bristol Beaufighter (serial JL 893) crashed on a house in the village killing the crew of two; Sgt Pilot E M Young and Navigator Flight Sergeant H A Wiles. Also killed were four of the Hamilton family in the house; parents James and Georgina along with children Henry and Agnes. The sole survivor was daughter Georgina (known as Ina) who was badly injured. There are stories of the sound of the aircraft circling, presumably looking for somewhere to land, before the crash. Until 2010, there was no memorial to this tragedy when one was at last unveiled beside the parish church. Daughter Ina attended the unveiling on the 66th anniversary of the tragedy. In the photograph, Ina (then Wood) is the lady in the blue jacket, the lady beside her is Jean Brown who was the driving force behind getting the memorial erected (see photo). Near Loch Skerrow or, more accurately, in the woodland to the West of the site of the Little Water of Fleet Viaduct, stands a crude mortared cairn surrounded by twisted remnants of an air crash. I had heard rumours of the crash site but very little was known. In August 2008, together with Bob Peace, a fellow member of Galloway Mountain Rescue Team, we visited the site to photograph it and record the exact position. Research over several months, assisted by members of Dumfries & Galloway Aviation Museum, determined that this was the site of a crash of an RAF Typhoon serial JR 439 on 18 March 1944. Canadian Pilot Kenneth Osborne Mitchell of 440 Squadron was killed in the crash at just twenty-two years of age and he is buried in Ayr cemetery. At the time, 440 Squadron were based at Prestwick and in training prior to moving down to Kent to combat the V1 flying bombs. The story of the crash site is that it was only discovered when local workers were called to investigate a power outage in the area caused by the aircraft crashing into cables; and the story of the cairn is that the pilot’s parents had requested some form of memorial at the crash site. Efforts to contact the family in 2008/09 were unsuccessful. It should be noted that, in 2008, there was nothing at the site to show what had happened there, or when; just the cairn and wreckage. I decided that the memorial should remain anonymous no longer and, in fine weather on 18 March 2009 (the 65th anniversary of the crash), with a small group, I revisited the cairn and placed a plaque on it giving details of the crash and the pilot who died. Present on the day were members from the Dumfries & Galloway Aviation Museum and my late wife, Betty. The plaque also bears the phrase ‘until the day break, and shadows flee away’ which is the same as his parents chose to have inscribed on his gravestone (bottom right photo). Please note that removal of any item from a military crash site would be a criminal offence. To be continued… Paul Goodwin * Issues 89, 95, 100 and 112 Glenkens Gazette page 27 GLENKENS PLACE NAMES In commemoration of the near completion of John Paterson’s splendid new house at Barskeoch, I intend to look at some placenames recorded on the Plan of the Enclosures of Earlstoun and Barskeoch belonging to John Newal Esq. area would seem to be a spur off what is now Waterside Hill. This is shown as Knockengig which is possibly for Gaelic Cnoc na Dìge - ‘Hill of the ditch’. However it may be that Knockengig was actually the earlier name for the Fairy Knowe. There is a Gaelic word digh, one meaning of which is ‘fairy knowe’ so Cnoc na Dighe - ‘hill of the fairy mound’ - is a possibility. The Gregg map shows that there was a pool in the River Ken at the foot of the Fairy Knowe called the Dalreoch Pool. This is now subsumed under the hydro loch but it was in the river just north of where the Earlstoun Burn used to enter the River Ken. In pre-hydro days the area to the north of the Earlstoun Burn and to the east of the Ken was shown on the Ordnance Survey map of 1853 as being formed of three large flat enclosures, evidently some of the best land on the estate. Going by the name of the contiguous pool (Dalreoch), this flat riverside area was called in Gaelic An Dail Riabhach - ‘The Brindled Holm’. It is now completely under the waters of Earlstoun Loch. valley’. This is the same word as in County Cavan, Ireland. Barskeoch itself is one of two bàrr place-names on the property of Mr Newal. Bàrr means ‘the top of anything’ often applied to a minor hill-top of no great elevation, especially in Galloway and Argyll. In the case of Barskeoch the derivation will be Gaelic Am Bàrr Sgìtheach - ‘the hawthorn hill’. The other bàrr name is shown on the map as Barchuck. This is shown on the OS 1st edition 6’’ map of 1853 as Barchock. This is an interesting placename and probably represents Gaelic Bàrr Seabhaige ‘hawk hill-top’, perhaps (according to Dwelly’s Dictionary) specifically referring to the Peregrine This map was drawn by James Gregg Falcon. The Gaelic word seabhag is in 1779 and is available on the National in fact a borrowing into Gaelic of the Library of Scotland website. English word ‘hawk’. This plan has been discussed several Between Barchuck and the River Ken times previously in seminars organised is marked as the Pulharrow Park on by the Dumfries Archival Mapping Gregg’s plan. This is from the Polharrow Project (DAMP). It is a remarkable Burn which joins the Ken close to the map in its detail, showing a well laid north end of the park. Polharrow is out estate, already largely enclosed probably to be derived from Gaelic Poll and improved. Previous na h-Airbhe - ‘burn of the discussions have tended boundary or wall’ - perhaps to focus on the details of referring to the Deil’s Dyke the estate layout of parks which I suggest formed the and woodlands (a fair bit of eastern boundary of the royal which is now of course under hunting Forest of Buchan. Earlstoun Loch). Therefore There is a pool in the Ken I want to focus on some where it runs along the of the unremarked Gaelic Pulharrrow Park. This is origin place-names on the marked on Gregg’s plan as plan to consider what the The Lin. Linne is the Gaelic names meant and where they word for a pool so this are located in the modern could have been a Gaelic landscape. coining however the word To understand the layout of was borrowed into Scots so the plan one has to remember it may have been named in that the main road from Dalry that language. In Scots the to Ayr passed well to the meaning could sometimes be west of the existing A713. It a pool or the waterfall above is still clearly visible on the a pool. The hillock on the east First Edition Ordnance Survey side of the river at The Lin The south part of Gregg’s 1769 plan of Earlstoun 6’’ to the mile map published was called Lin Know by Gregg & Barskeoch showing Knockengig and Tarhastan. in 1853 and although it is and Craig Linn on the OS map less clear on aerial survey of 1853. Lin Know is Scots photography it can still be whereas Craig Lin could be An Dail Riabhach is one of several followed. Gaelic Creag na Linne - ‘rock of the pool’ Gaelic dail ‘holm’ names in the - which describes it exactly. Starting at the south, the old road to Glenkens, from south to north Ayr can be picked up where it leaves the To finish it is interesting to note a Dalarran, Dalry, Dalreoch, Dalbonniton, modern A762 just south of Craiggubble new place-name has been created near Daltallochan, Dalshangan and Wood. This wood is so named from a the north part of Gregg’s estate plan Dalquhairn. conspicuous rock face there and stands when a new house was recently built Breoch Park was a large wooded for Gaelic Creag na gCapall - ‘crag of the on part of the lands of Barskeoch Farm. enclosure on the east side of the River horses’. This is Inverharrow, a pleasing name Ken opposite Barskeoch farmhouse. in character with the place- names Moving north two hills are marked on Again it is now under-water. The name surrounding it and conveying the correct Gregg’s plan just south of the lands of most likely derives from Gaelic Am meaning (all be it in anglicised spelling) Earlstoun and Barskeoch. One is named Bruach - ‘bank of a river’ for its location: Inbhir na h-Airbhe - ‘the as Terhastan and this seems to be mouth of the (poll) Harrow’. West of Barskeoch was what used what is now known locally as The Fairy to be a separate farm of Cavan. This Knowe. Terhastan would appear to be Perhaps John’s new house should is situated between Barskeoch and Gaelic Tòrr Ùisdein, for ‘Wee Hughie’s be called Am Bàrr Sgìtheach? Just a Hannaston. This will be derived from hill’. thought... Michael Ansell Gaelic cabhan - ‘a hollow, cavity, shallow The other hill marked in the same Glenkens Gazette page 28 WINDY STANDARD REPOWERING PLANS SUBMITTED Advertisement Fred. Olsen Renewables has applied to the Scottish Government for permission to repower Windy Standard Wind Farm, north east of Carsphairn. The plans would see the removal of 36 turbines and eight wind turbines up to 200m to tip erected in their place. We would like to thank everyone that has taken part in the public consultation and encourage them to visit the website www. windystandardwindfarm.co.uk to view the application documents and learn more about how to have their say. Windy Standard Wind Farm was one of the first to be built in Scotland in the 1990s. We are committed to continuing this legacy and to ensuring that the project delivers for the economy and for communities locally – as well as helping to address wider issues such as wind turbine blade recycling. The repowering proposals bring forward a raft of opportunities, including: • Delivering over £7m in community benefit funding • Supporting students at Dumfries and Galloway College Gillespie Gifford & Brown LLP Solicitors and Estate Agents Dumfries & Galloway 01556 503744 www.ggblaw.co.uk All legal advice Offices in Castle Douglas, Dalbeattie Kirkcudbright and Dumfries • Re-using the turbine blades locally - creating bus shelters, bike racks or even a playpark! Anyone with questions on the plans is encouraged to get in touch with the team by emailing communities@ fredolsen.com or calling 07435 763 900. Glenkens Gazette page 29 Connecting in Communities February 2023/ March 2023 Activity Programme Pudding Fan Club FREE EVENT Monday 13th Feb Honey Valentine | 6.30pm - 8.30pm Monday 27th March Ukraine Easter Bread | 6.30pm - 8.30pm CatStrand Café Contact & booking details see below Photography in Focus Tuesday 7th & 21st Feb / 14th & 28th March 10am -12pm The Smiddy, Balmaclellan plus ‘out in the field’ Contact: Ian Biggar: ianbiggar@btinternet.com 07799 372052 Visit:https://gcat.scot Click on CiC Activity Programme Glenkens & District Community Drama Group FREE EVENT Tuesdays - February 7th / February 21st / 7th March / 21st March | 7pm - 9pm The CatStrand, New Galloway 7th March’s venue The Smiddy Balmaclellan Family Drama Group on Sunday 26th February / 26th March 2pm-3.30pm at The Smiddy Balmaclellan Contact & booking details see below Menopause Really Matters Monday 13th Feb & 13th March | 7pm - 8pm The Smiddy, Balmaclellan. Donations to ‘The Menopause Charity.org’ Contact: Lesley Atkins: lesley@thenourishingspace.co.uk 07587 122151 Visit https://gcat.scot Click on CiC Activity Programme Art For Wellbeing Every Tuesdays Dalry Town Hall, Kirkpatrick Durham Village Hall Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn Contact for dates times booking details see below Glenkens Ukes (Ukuele Workshops) Every Wednesday | 6.30pm-8pm The Smiddy, Balmaclellan - £3.00 Contact: Brian Jones - briantjjones@gmail.com 07760 884113 Visit https://gcat.scot Click on CiC Activity Programme Café & Bar Open Night Saturday25th March | 7pm - 9pm Bar and Café Open for drinks and Light Snacks BRING FRIENDS MEET FRIENDS, MAKE FRIENDS Contact & booking details see below ARTistry - Life Drawing Classes Thursdays |10am-12.30pm The Smiddy, Balmaclellan - £7.50 Contact & booking details: Leto Seferiades letosef@gmail.com 07763 235888 Visit https://gcat.scot Click on CiC Activity Programme Boccia Club Indoor Boules FREE EVENT Wednesday 8th Feb & 8th March | 2 pm-3pm Catstrand FREE Contact & booking details see below Rat Pack Tea Dance Friday 17th February | 7.30pm-8.30pm Dalry - £3.50 Friday 31st March | 7.30pm – 8.30pm Catstrand - £3.50 Contact & booking details see below Glenkens Pub Quiz Nights Sunday 26th Feb | 7.30pm The Clachan Inn Dalry Thursday 23rd March | 7.30pm The Ken Bridge Hotel Teams of 4/6 - £1 per person: Takings go to charity Contact & booking details see below The CiC Games Night FREE EVENT Friday Feb 24th, March 24th | 7pm-9pm The CatStrand, New Galloway Indoor boules, & board games Bar Open Contact & booking details see below Spanish Dance Classes FREE EVENT Saturday 25th March | 10.30am -11.30am 10.30am - 11.30am CatStrand, New Galloway Contact & booking details see below Breeze Cycle Rides for Females FREE EVENT Saturday 25th March | Time TBC Meet at St John’s Town of Dalry Car Park Registration essential on www.letsride.co.uk Contact & booking details see below No Logo Productions Presents: Make-Up SAFE SPACE CAFÉ Saturday 25th February 7pm CatStrand, New Galloway, Bar Open Contact & booking details see below All bookings through email: jo@catstrand.com or call 01644 420374 or Visit https://gcat.scot Click on CiC Activity Programme unless otherwise specified If you have any ideas of what activities you would like to see happening in your community, please do get in touch and we will do our best to make them happen! Contact jo@catstrand.com Glenkens Gazette page 30 Dalry's Entry for the Turner Prize...? (to be sung to the tune of Away in a Manger) In Midtown's Location, At the top of Dalry, There's an art installation, That catches the eye. It started as a pothole, Then workmen in turn, Broke through to the culvert, That channels the burn. The buses edge round it, The lorries squeeze past, There's a fence that surrounds it, And the hole's now quite vast. So D&G Council, Send men every day, Who nod their heads sagely, Then go on their way. I view it each morning, Outside my front door, I don't think they'll fix it, Till May '24. Now people in aircraft, Look down from the sky, At our art installation, Down here in Dalry. by Sue Wiseman Glass Recycling Points • Balmaclellan Stores, Balmaclellan • Memorial Hall, St Michael's Road, Crossmichael • Kirkland Street, St John's Town of Dalry • New Galloway, Carson's Knowe Car Park • St David Street, Kirkpatrick Durham ADVERTISE IN THE GAZETTE (price per issue incl VAT) CROSSMICHAEL THERAPY CENTRE - Your Health is Important - Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine is probably best known for its treatment of pain. However, they can be used to treat a broader variety of conditions, from achy joints to anxiety, skin troubles to insomnia, acupuncture could help change the way you manage some of life’s health challenges. Matthew Pajo has been studying and practising Chinese medicine for over 25 years and has attained a Bachelor Health Science and Master Applied Science in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine. As a highly skilled and trusted clinician, Matthew uses safe, effective, and natural treatments that can bring relief from acute and chronic conditions. Matthew is a member of the British Acupuncture Federation and the Association of Acupuncture Clinicians. To make an appointment call 07786 079 845 or email info@matthewpajo.co.uk For more information visit www.matthewpajo.co.uk Psychological Therapy Amber Dunlop-Pajo has spent over 20 years working as a psychologist and has attained a Bachelor Psychology (Hons) and Master Psychology (Health) and is a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society. Amber specialises in Women’s Health as well as depression, stress, anxiety and has a focus on health psychology. SMALL: Contact Amber on 07389 713 106 or info@gallowaycounselling.co.uk For more information visit www.gallowaycounselling.co.uk 1/4 PAGE: Crossmichael Therapy Centre, The Old School, Crossmichael, DG7 3AP 6cm x 6cm, £50 9cm w x 13cm h, £108 1/2 PAGE: 18cm w x 13cm h, £200 FULL PAGE: 18cm w x 27cm h, £332 Please get in touch further details including small business/ charity rates and series discounts. Email glenkensgazette@ hotmail.co.uk or call/ WhatsApp 07727 127 997 VAT Reg. No. 334 0905 24 THE STEWARTRY VETERINARY CENTRE CASTLE DOUGLAS SURGERY HOURS GLENKENS MEDICAL PRACTICE DALBEATTIE SURGERY HOURS General Medical & Dispensing Services FOR APPOINTMENTS AT BOTH SURGERIES OR IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY The Surgery High Street New Galloway Mon-Fri 2.00-2.30 pm & 5-6 pm Mon-Fri 8.30am-6pm Sat 2-2.30 pm Mon, Wed, Fri 3-3.30 pm Tues & Thurs 6-6.30 pm  01556 502263 VETERINARY SURGERY OAKWELL ROAD CASTLE DOUGLAS  FOR APPOINTMENTS CALL 01644 420234 Glenkens Gazette The Community Kindness Cupboard outside Dalry Library has home baking in every Thursday. page 31 WHERE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB LISTINGS Dumfries & Galloway! What's Going on @DGWGO on Facebook; What's Going On Glenkens @WGOGlenkens on Facebook; Glenkens Gazette @GlenkensNews on Facebook – once on the page for any of these, use the search function to look for jobs. The Glenkens' largest employer, Natural Power Consultants Ltd, also have a jobs page - www.naturalpower.com/uk/careers KEY GLENKENS CONTACTS LOCAL DOCTORS’ SURGERY Glenkens Medical Practice - 01644 420 234 COMMUNITY CONTACTS • Balmaclellan: Martin Warnock 07939 261 391 • Carsphairn: Liz Holmes - 07718 358 160 • Corsock: Julie Garton - 07769 647 702 • Kirkpatrick Durham: Heather 07551 639 629 • Crossmichael: Richard Middleton - 01556 670 691 • Dalry: Graham West - 01644 430 503 • New Galloway: 07741 656 601 • Parton: Erica or Brian - 01644 470 277 FOOD DELIVERIES • Galloway Foodbank - 07730 788 335 • Glenkens Food Hub - www. openfoodnetwork.org.uk/ glenkens-food-hub/shop • Ballards Butchers - 01556 502502 (they also deliver groceries) • Grierson’s Butchers: 01556 502 637 • Henderson’s Butchers: 01556 502 654 • Mitchell’s Greengrocers: 01556 502 077 • Fleet Fish: call 07966 103 912 to find out about Glenkens delivery days • Roan’s Dairy - 01556 620 374 LOCAL COMMUNITY GROUPS Glenkens Community Shop: Contact Liz Lewis on 07530 804 217 or drop by the shop on Main Street, Dalry Glenkens Scout Group: Contact Heather McIntosh on 01644 420 375 Local Initiatives in New Galloway (LING): Contact newgallowaytownhall@gmail.com Dalry Communities Properties Trust (DCPT): Contact Gary Blissett at garyblissett51@gmail. com or 01644 430 521 Dalry Town Hall: Contact Lesley Blissett at lesleyblissett52@gmail.com Glenkens Community Centre: Contact Gary Blissett at garyblissett51@gmail.com New Galloway Community Enterprises (NGCE): Contact ngce5000@gmail.com or pop into New Galloway Community Shop Balmaclellan Community Trust: Contact Julia Higgins at julia.higgins55@outlook.com CatStrand: Contact Fiona Limbrey at fiona@ catstrand.com or 01644 420 374 or pop in to the CatStrand Schools: Visit the school office or call Dalry Primary on 01644 430 105 (for Nursery/ELC too), Dalry Secondary on 01644 430 259 or Kells on 01644 420 340 Carsphairn Heritage Initiative: Contact Karen Hall at carsphairnhi@gmail.com Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership (GGLP): Contact McNabb Laurie at mcnabb. laurie@dumgal.gov.uk If you would like to add your community organisation to this list please get in touch with the Gazette - contact details are on the back page. CHURCH TIMES CHURCH OF SCOTLAND: Sunday Services Balmaclellan: 11am - 5 Feb, 5 Mar Carsphairn: 11am - 12 Feb, 12 Mar Kells: 11am - 19 Feb, 19 Mar Dalry: 11am - 26 Feb, 26 Mar For further information email Rev Mark Smith at mark.smith@churchofscotland.org.uk SCOTTISH EPISCOPAL CHURCH: St Margaret's Church, Kenbridge Road, New Galloway, DG7 3RP Sundays: 10.30am Sung Eucharist, followed by refreshments Visitors welcome - for information, including directions, please see visit www.stmargaretsnewgalloway.org or call our vestry secretary, Christine Rankin, on 01644 420 259. Glenkens Gazette page 32 GALLOWAY COMMUNITY TRANSPORT www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org email gct@catstrand.com phone 01644 420374 mobile 07841 512449 February 2023 - March 2023 Regular Services GK2 Glenkens-Castle Douglas (Tesco) Wednesday Evenings (Registered Route) Out Return 19:00 Dalry (Underhill) 21:15 19:05 New Galloway 21:10 19:15 Mossdale 21:00 19:25 Laurieston 20:50 19:30 Townhead of Greenlaw 20:47 19:37 Castle Douglas (Market St) 20:37 19:40 Castle Douglas (Tesco) 20:35 Booking not required Glenkens to Newton Stewart Fortnightly - Tuesday mornings Outward Pickups: Dalry (Underhill) 09:30 New Galloway (Town Hall) 09:35 CatStrand) 09:37 To Aldi Return Pickup Newton Stewart (Aldi Car Park) 11:30 Return fare £3.50 FREE BIKE WORKSHOPS IN FEBRUARY FOR ADULT LEARNERS BIKE FAMILIARISATION, SHORT LOCAL JOURNEYS AND CONFIDENCE BUILDING WORKSHOPS LEVEL 1: SATURDAY 11th FEBRUARY 10:00-11:00 LEVEL 2: SATURDAY 18th FEBRUARY 10:00-11:30 LEVEL 3: SATURDAY 25th FEBRUARY 10:00-11:30 ALL SESSIONS WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE GLENKENS MEDICAL PRACTICE CAR PARK IN NEW GALLOWAY FREE! ADVANCE BOOKING AND REGISTRATION IS ESSENTIAL. EMAIL: JON@CATSTRAND.COM OR CALL 07841 512449 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GALLOWAY COMMUNITY TRANSPORT AND CYCLING UK Advance booking required. Member Hire GCT has 16-, 15-, and 8-seater minibuses and a fully wheelchair accessible electric car available for hire by community organisations. For information about membership and terms and conditions of hire see the GCT website or phone 07841 512449. Glenkens eBike Club If you are a local Glenkens resident and are interested in joining the Glenkens eBike Club please see our webpage: https://www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org/ebikes phone 07841 512449 or email jon@catstrand.com Drivers Needed Galloway Community Transport needs your help to provide a wide range of community transport services across the Stewartry and beyond. MINIBUS DRIVING Minibus drivers with D1 (101 or by test) are needed to do volunteer and paid driving for our wide range of member community groups. PATIENT TRANSPORT We also urgently need drivers with their own cars for our patient transport service. Our volunteer patient transport drivers receive a generous mileage reimbursement and the satisfaction of providing a vital service to vulnerable people in our communities. Interested? Email gct@catstrand.com or phone 07841 512449 We would like to thank Glen Murray, who has now retired from his role of GCT Manager, for all his hard work over the last several years, and wish him all the best in his retirement! GCT is now managed by Jon Betts, with support from the GCT Administrator, Sue McMinn Glenkens Gazette page 33 Keeping Our Homes Secure A local resident has been in touch to voice concern about the first burglary in Dalry for some time. In December a house in Dalry was broken into. The burglars went in through the back, breaking the glass conservatory doors and then glass patio doors. It happened around 5pm. The resident thinks they must have disturbed the burglars. They had gone through drawers in the bedroom but nothing was missing. "If you have a predictable routine, try to vary this so you don’t become vulnerable," said the resident. "Perhaps just check in on your neighbours, and keep an eye on their homes and if there is any strange activity. I just wanted to let villagers know to be vigilant over winter, ensuring curtains are closed when lights are on, etc." Community Police Constable, Chloe Ellis, said: "Thankfully house break-ins are very uncommon in this area. It is of note that the two house break-ins we had within the Stewartry of late did not occur through the night. As such, it is important that everyone is vigilant for any suspicious or unknown vehicle or persons in the area, day or night." To find tips on keeping your home secure visit www. scotland.police.uk or, if you have any concerns or questions stop in and chat to Chloe - she's at Dalry Police Station when the police car is parked outside. Alternatively, you can call the Castle Douglas Police Office on 01786 289 070 or 101 for nonemergencies. Glenkens Community Spaces The Glenkens Asset Network - now called Glenkens Community Spaces - held its first meeting in Balmaclellan Village Hall on 23 January, which was a resounding success. The Asset Network arose from the Glenkens & District Community Action Plan, which highlighted how important all our community spaces are. The voluntary committees do a fantastic job of looking after them, and this Network is designed to help them in that work. Becca Nelson, in the new role of Network Facilitator, has one day a week to support them and their priorities over the next two years, thanks to windfarm funding. If you missed the meeting but would like to know more, contact Becca on becca.glenkens.anf@ gmail.com Glenkens Gazette WHAT'S ON page 34 February/March JANUARY Sat 28, Samson Sounds, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sun 29, Clachan Folk Sessions, 5-7pm, The Clachan Inn FEBRUARY See p29 for Feb/Mar CiC events listings 27 Jan-26 Feb, Fantastic Forest Festival, see p12 Wed 1, Dalry Film Club: Elvis (12), 7.30pm, Dalry Town Hall Fri 3, CatStrand Burns Supper, 7.30pm, CatStrand Mon 6, Glenkens Food Month 2023 Ideas Session, 6pm, Balmaclellan Village Hall, see p4 Tue 7, Dalry Good Neighbours Club: Games Afternoon, 2-4pm, Glenkens Community Centre, Dalry, see p4 Wed 8, Biosphere Office Plans dropin session, 2pm onwards, Dalry Town Hall, see p10 Wed 8, Forestry & Land Scotland: Castlemaddy Forest Plan dropin session, 2-8pm, Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn, see p14 Thu 9, Ken Words- Glenkens Writer's' Cafe, 7-9pm, CatStrand Thu 9, Glenkens Housing Forum, 7.30pm, The Smiddy, Balmaclellan, see p8 Fri 10, Forestry & Land Scotland: Castlemaddy Forest Plan drop-in session, 2-8pm, Dalry Town Hall, see p14 Sat 11, Glenkens Producers Market, 10am-1pm, Dalry Town Hall Sat 11, GCT Bike Workshop Level 1, see p32 Tue 14, Dalry Good Neighbours Club: Kate Kaye; Memories of Childhood Holidays Spent in Dalry, 2-4pm, Glenkens Community Centre, Dalry, see p4 Wed 15, Dalry Film Club: Top Gun Maverick (12), 7.30pm, Dalry Town Hall Fri 17, Fara, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sat 18, GCT Bike Workshop Level 2, see p32 Tue 21, Dalry Good Neighbours Club: Eddie McGaw; Talk and DVD on his Missions to Give Aid to Kids in Kenya, 2-4pm, Glenkens Community Centre, Dalry, see p4 Fri 24, Games Night, CatStrand Fri 24 - Sun 26, UpSkills: Filmmakers, 10-5pm, The Smiddy, Balmaclellan Sat 25, GCT Bike Workshop Level 3, see p32 Sat 25, Community Café, 10am1pm, Dalry Town Hall Sat 25, NoLogoProductions Presents: Make-Up, 7pm, CatStrand Sun 26, The Glenkens Story - Kenmure Castle: Witness to Galloway's History2-4pm, CatStrand Mon 27, Find Out About Childminding drop-in, 4-6pm, creche facilities available, The Smiddy, Balmaclellan Tue 28, Dalry Good Neighbours Club: Who/What do you think this is? Photo Quiz, 2-4pm, Glenkens Community Centre, Dalry, see p4 Tue 28, Battle of the Bands closing date for applications, see p16 MARCH Wed 1, Lizabett Russo, 7.30pm, CatStrand Wed 1, Dalry Film Club: Grow Your Own (12), 7.30pm, Dalry Town Hall Thu 2, ReConnect Festival: The Ants and the Grasshopper + Young Leaders Panel, 7pm, CatStrand Fri 3, ReConnect Festival: All That Breathes + Letters to the Earth Workshop, 7pm, CatStrand Sat 4, ReConnect Festival: ‘Reimagining Landscapes’ Painting Workshop, 2-4.30pm, CatStrand Sat 4, ReConnect Festival: Gather + Discussion with Propagate, 7pm, CatStrand Sat 5, ReConnect Festival: Bundle Dyeing and Hapa-Zome, 10-1pm, CatStrand Cafe Sun 5, ReConnect Festival: Open Mic Night, 7.30pm, CatStrand Tue 7, Hannah Rarity, 7.30pm, CatStrand Thu 9, Ken Words- Glenkens Writer's' Cafe, 7-9pm, CatStrand Sat 11, Glenkens Producers Market, 10am-1pm, Dalry Town Hall Wed 15, Dalry Film Club: Phanton of the Open, 7.30pm, Dalry Town Hall Fri 17, Dark Sky Jazz: Euan Stevenson and Konrad Wiszniewski, 7.30pm, Catstrand Sat 18, Dark Sky Jazz: Nimbus Sextet, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sat 18, Community Café, 10am1pm, Dalry Town Hall Sun 19, Dark Sky Jazz: Matt Carmichael & Fergus McCreadie, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sun 26, Clachan Folk Sessions, 5-7pm, The Clachan Inn, Dalry APRIL Sat 1, Battle of the Bands, CatStrand, see p16 CATSTRAND CAFÉ & SHOP WINTER HOURS Once again we’d like to thank all of our customers for their support over 2022 - our shop and café had a very busy year and we appreciate the support very much. Please note that we are currently operating our winter hours and are open Tuesday to Saturday (inclusive), 11am4pm. The café will be serving teas, coffees and home baking throughout the day and lunch will be available from 11.30am2.30pm. The café and shop will be closed on Sundays and Mondays with regular classes and events already arranged for those days still going ahead as normal; however, please note that café facilities will generally not be available. We will return to sevenday opening from Sunday 19 March. The CatStrand Team Glenkens Gazette page 35 REGULAR EVENTS Balmaclellan Village Hall: Tuesday Afternoon Teas, 1st Tues each month, to book email warburton.julie@ googlemail.com Glenkens Crafters, Wed 10am-12noon, for info contact julia.higgins55@outlook. com Books in Balmaclellan Community Library, Wed 10.30–12.30 & 5.30-7pm; Fri 5.30-7.30pm; Sat 10.30am -12.30pm (tea & coffee available on Sat). Balmaclellan Blether, 3rd Thu each month, contact warburton.julie@ googlemail.com Glenkens Art Workshop, Thu 2-4pm, contact t_leach1@sky.com Easiobics, Tue & Fri 9.30-10.30pm, contact mlfagan@live.co.uk Circuits, Sat 8-9am, contact John 07544 713 586 Kettelbells, Mon & Tue 6-7pm, contact John 07544 713 586 The Smiddy, Balmaclellan: Digital Art, (age 11+), Tue 4.30-5.30 Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn: Carsphairn SWI, 3rd Thu of the month, 7.30pm,Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn Craft Group, Fri 10am-12noon, includes tea & coffee, Lagwyne Hall, contact carsphairncraftgroup@gmail.com Bairn Banter; family stay & play session, 0-7 years, Sat 10-11.45am, Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn CatStrand, New Galloway: Margaret Morris Movement: Health Play (age 5-8), Mon (during term time), 3.45-4.30pm Margaret Morris Movement: Youth Grade (age 8-15), Mon (during term time), 4.30-5.30pm Young Art Ambassadors (age 11+), Mon bi-weekly, 4.30-5.30pm Boccia Club, 2nd Wed of the month, 2-3pm Newton Stewart Bus Service to Tesco, Wednesday evenings Dramarama, (age 6-10), Wed 4.305.15pm Up Skills: 3D Animation, (age 15+), Wed 6-8pm Young Writers Cafe, (age 12+), Wed 6-7.30pm, monthly A Chance to Dance, (age 12+), Thu biweekly, 5.30-7pm VAN: Peer Review Sessions, (age 16+), 7-9pm, monthly Dance Weekenders (age 12+), Sat monthly, 1–4pm Art Explorers, (age under 10), Sat biweekly 10-11am Sat Art Club, (age 10-15), Sat bi-weekly 11.15am-12.30pm Creative Portfolio Development, (Age 15+), Sat monthly CatStrand Youth Players, meet weekly, contact briangm@catstrand.com New Galloway Town Hall: Due to work on the building please confirm activities are running on 07749 249 781 or newgallowaytownhall@gmail.com Men's Monday Morning Coffee, Mon 9.30-11am Glenkens Youth Activity Group, ages 11+, Mon 7-8.30pm, Dalry School Gym Hall, contact youthwork.ling@gmail.com or 07719 708 668 LING Lunches, Tue, 12.30-2pm. currently held at Kitty's, opposite NG Town Hall, currently suspended due to a burst pipe - contact communityinclusion.LING@ gmail.com Sports Evenings, indoor bowling & table tennis, Tues 7-9pm, New Galloway Scout Hut, contact Ray on 01644 420 438 Tai Chi, 10.30-11.30am, suspended, contact gentletaichigroup@gmail.com Zumba, Wed 7-8pm, suspended, contact samantha.rushton@hotmail.co.uk booking essential Martial Arts, Thur 5.30-6.30pm (beginners & tots) & 7-9pm (age 6+), suspended, contact @Facebook KMANews or kmabrian@gmail.com Gentle Yoga, Fri, transferred to Balmaclellan, contact kathyr64@hotmail. co.uk Informal Family Badminton, (net and racquets but no line markings), New Galloway Town Hall, contact Ros on 07749 249 781 Dalry Library & Customer Service Centre Main Street, Dalry, Tel: 01644 430 234 or 01556 502 643 Tuesday: For books and other walk-in services: 2-5pm Friday: For NEC Bus Pass and Blue Badge appointments and PCs: 11.30am – 12.30pm; for books and other walk-in services: 1 -4.30pm. Appointments can be booked in the library or on 01387 260 196. Glenkens Community Centre, Dalry: Dalry Good Neighbours Club, Tue, 2-4pm, contact Michelle on 07795 613 148 Schools Out, Wed 3-4.30pm, kids & parents after-school social club, contact Michele on 07940 313445 Clachan Crafters, Thu 2-4pm, contact Sarah on 07500 861 041 Yoga For All, Fr 9.15-10.15am, contact Amy on 07733 111 466 Friendship Group, Sat (excluding Glenkens Producers Market days), 1011.30am, contact Anne on 01644 430 052 Table Tennis/Badminton, available to hire by arrangement, contact Sarah on 07500 861 041 Dalry Library: Random Writers (age 12+), Thu biweekly, 3.45–5pm Glenkens Book Group, last Friday of each month, 2pm, call June to book on 01644 420 361 Dalry Town Hall: Tai Chi, video-led instruction, Mon, 2-3pm, contact lesleyblissett52@gmail.com Dog Training, Tue, 7pm, contact Eric Broadhurst on 07831 590 822 Song Share, 1st Friday each month, 8-11pm, contact anne.chaurand@ btinternet.com Various: Cosy Corner, Tue, 1-5pm, Crossmichael Church Hall, contact Anne on 07889 016 963 Crossmichael Heritage Centre, Wed & Fri, 1.30-4.30pm Cub Scouts, Wed 6.15-7.30pm, Scout Hall, New Galloway Clachan Crafters, Glenkens Community Centre, Dalry, Thurs 2-4pm, contact 07500 861 041 or minimac01644@gmail.com Glenkens Community Shop, open Wed, Fri & Sat, 10am- 4pm Knockvennie Hall Heat Bank & Snooker Club, contact Andrew on 01556 690 677 Outdoor Bowls, Dalry, contact Fiona Ramsay on 01644 430 587 Snooker/Indoor Bowls, contact Gary on 01644 430 521 USEFUL NUMBERS: ● Pot-hole Hotline: 0845 276 0000 ● Police, non-emergency: 101 ● Doctor: 01644 420 234 ● NHS 24: 08454 24 24 24 ● D&G Council: 030 33 33 3000 Glenkens Gazette page 36 Glenkens Gazette Delivered to Outlying Homes If you live in an outlying property in the Glenkens, you may have met our new friendly delivery driver, Gary Eddington, as he popped a Gazette through your mailbox. Soon Gary will have the Glenkens Gazette logo visible on his pick-up, so you will be sure to recognise him when he's out and about. We are thrilled that we have secured funding through Fred Olsen Renewables and the Galloway Glens Scheme to deliver copies of the Gazette door-to-door to the outlying areas of the Glenkens. The push for this came from the response we had during Covid, when we received grant funding from various sources to have the publication delivered door-to-door to every household through Royal Mail. What we found to be the main WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Submit events, activities, news stories, cartoons, reviews, tips & techniques, fiction, photos, ads or ideas... Contact Sarah Ade on 07727 127 997 or glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk benefit of this was that households out of the villages, who may not otherwise pick up a Gazette, or even be aware of it, were able to feel connected to the wider community, find out what was going on, etc. Also in these more trying times, it is invaluable to have a regular, trusted someone pop by and say "hi" every few weeks, who can potentially signpost people to helpful resources if they are struggling with rural isolation, heating their home, or anything else that might be more pronounced when living in a rural situation. Editing & Design: sarah.ade@gmail.com APR/MAY COPY DEADLINE: 5 MAR The Glenkens Gazette is an initiative of the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust, a Registered Scottish Charity No SC032050 The role of the Gazette is to represent the voice of the community and does not represent the views of GCAT.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette 134 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GG_134 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Glenkens Gazette Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource GCAT Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2023 Description An account of the resource Editor: Sarah Ade https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/1/282/GlenkensGazette135.pdf 5c50b17cfcb0c36678bb22b74b45914b Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette 135 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Glenkens Gazette Description An account of the resource <p>Find out more about the Gazette: <a href="https://glenkens.scot/gazette-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Glenkens Gazette home page</a> If you would like to submit an article or take out an advert, please email the editor Sarah Ade: <span>&nbsp;</span><a href="mailto:glenkensgazette@hotmail.com">glenkensgazette@hotmail.com</a></p> <p>The Glenkens Gazette is a member of, and regulated by <span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.impressorg.com/">Impress</a>.</p> <p>The Glenkens Gazette is an initiative of Glenkens Community &amp; Arts Trust (SC032050) and represents the voice of the community (not necessarily the views of GCAT).</p> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document April/May 2023 ISSUE 135 Dalry School Raise £1,000 for Earthquake Relief P upils, staff, parents and friends of Dalry Primary and Secondary Schools have raised close to £1,000 to support children affected by the recent earthquake in the Middle East. INSIDE THIS ISSUE CatStrand Youth Players Win Big at Drama Festival ...see page 23 The money raised at the schools' fund raising day will be sent to ‘Mary’s Meals’ earthquake appeal. The charity already works in Syria providing meals for children. Following the earthquake their partner organisation there has been able to respond quickly in the provision of food aid. It costs £19.15 to feed a child for a whole school year. "A huge thank you to everyone who supported this event,” says Sue St Joseph, one of the teachers who organised the FREE event. “We had a fantastic day! As well as raising funds for the earthquake appeal, it was great to be able to have a community event in school again after so long. So good to see you all; so good to have the primary and secondary pupils working together; but best of all, so good to see the young people enjoying themselves whilst raising funds for such a good cause." Members of the community browse fundraising stalls manned by pupils in fancy dress If you would like to contribute, donations can be handed in or posted to the school at Kirkland Street, Dalry DG7 3UX. Cheques should be made payable to 'Dalry School'. Knockengorroch Festival's 25th Anniversary Turn to page 2 to find out more... Glenkens Hub: New Site for News T his April sees the launch of the brand new Glenkens Hub website. As the Gazette's online and up-to-the-minute sister publication, the Hub offers events listings, betweenissue news articles, a community noticeboard, local business directory, useful information such as shop opening times, amenities and visitor attractions, details of groups and organisations and more. But this is still a work in progress and what we really need is your help. We need you to visit the Hub and have a look around - tell us what you think. Have we covered everything? Is it easy to navigate? Do you have any suggestions? Please visit www.glenkens.scot and contact Hub editor, Gail, with your views at glenkenshub@hotmail.co.uk We look forward to hearing from you! The Glenkens Gazette Team Help Carsphairn Heritage Centre Celebrate 30 Years Get in touch to be included in the "30 for 30" exhibition... Page 11 News from the communities of Balmaclellan, Carsphairn, Corsock, Crossmichael, Kirkpatrick Durham, Laurieston, Mossdale, New Galloway, Parton and St John’s Town of Dalry GAZETTEnews Knockengorroch Festival's 25th Anniversary Glenkens Gazette K nockengorroch in Carsphairn is Scotland’s longest running greenfield festival. This year it celebrates 25 years, featuring an array of amazing acts from across Scotland and the world as well as some very special initiatives to celebrate its quarter of a century birthday! page 2 delighted to announce a brand new commission. The Real Merlin Project is a Knockengorroch commission to create new music inspired by the truth behind the myth of the character Merlin. According to mythology, 'Myrddin' was a poet to a Welsh king. In the year 573, at a battle near Carlisle, the talking to the birds, the beasts, his apple tree and his little pig. In the twelfth century this character was recast and more commonly known as Merlin, King Arthur's wizard. The music creation, featuring vocals in four languages, Northumbrian pipes, harp, guitar, percussion and piano will take place online, with Taking place from 25-28 May the festival’s 25th year will feature an enhanced line-up, welcoming back acts from its very first event in 1998 alongside exciting new artists from Scotland, the UK and beyond. Festival, as part of the 25th anniversary celebrations, before touring the UK and Ireland in July and September. In the coming months Knockengorroch will be announcing a new communityled food growing venue and further special events. A new transport initiative, kindly supported by Dumfries & Galloway Major Events Strategy Fund, will provide a regular shuttle bus service from Carsphairn to the site, to relieve the amount of traffic travelling to the festival. Acts include the 11-piece French dub collaboration Zentone (High Tone + Zenzile), Scottish trad pioneers Old Blind Dogs, the energetic and infectious Cut Capers, Malian powerhouse Rokia Kone and Glasgow’s international superstars Mungo’s Hi Fi. The event is expected to sell out this year but tickets are currently available. For those who can prove residence in Carsphairn, Dalry, New Galloway or Balmaclellan, locally priced tickets are available to buy over the counter at Carsphairn shop. This year vehicle tickets must also be bought in advance to gain entry to the site. The site comprises eight venues, family activity areas and camping sites, all set amongst the Carsphairn hills. The festival asks all locals where possible to leave their cars behind and catch the shuttle bus in from Carsphairn. As well as the enhanced lineup, with more names to be announced, Knockengorroch is king was killed and Myrddin went mad. In his madness, he acquired the gift of prophecy and lived as a wild man in the Southern Scotland Forest, Can You Help Carsphairn SWI? M any of you will have seen the wall hanging in Lagwyne Hall in Carsphairn. It represents a rich part of Carsphairn’s heritage in needle work and was created by women of the area together. Annikki Lindsay co-ordinated the piece to commemorate Carsphairn Scottish Women's Institute's 60th Anniversary in 1997. Its thirty five panels were done individually then brought together by Annikki to musicians gathering twice in Corsock for in-person rehearsals. The piece will be performed live for the first time at Knockengorroch For further information visit www.knockengorroch.org.uk form the wall hanging you now see. We have been looking into the people and the stories behind each panel. By talking to people we have been able to identify a number of the panels and establish their creator. However, there are still panels which we are yet to learn about. The purpose of this gathering of information is to put together a short pamphlet to accompany the wall hanging which reminds us now and in the future of the people and stories behind the panels. If you can tell us anything about one or more of the numbered panels, please get in touch by emailing carsphairnswi@gmail.com or phoning Christine on 01644 460 577. Christine Whipp Pictured is the hanging with each panel numbered for easy identification GAZETTEnews Glenkens Gazette page 3 Citizens Advice Glenkens Drop-ins WE WILL BE AT THE CATSTRAND FROM 10AM TO 4PM EVERY 2ND TUESDAY FROM TUESDAY 4TH APRIL D umfries and Galloway Citizens Advice Service will be holding drop-ins across the Glenkens on a fortnightly basis. Initially these will be every other Tuesday at the CatStrand, New Galloway, 10am till 4pm, from Tuesday 4th April. "We can offer help with benefits, employment, housing, debt, energy, consumer and more," says outreach advisor Fiona. There will also be outreach sessions at Castle Douglas Citizens Advice Bureau, 3 St Andrew Street, on Wednesdays from 10am to 12.30pm and 1pm to 4pm for appointments and a drop-in service, and Fridays from 9.30am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 4pm for appointments only. To arrange an appointment at any of these Castle Douglas sessions please call 0300 303 4321 or email info@dagcas.org Plant and Bake Sale Fundraiser Galloway Glens: T with emergency medical services through the provision of helicopter ambulances. All proceeds from the sale will be for Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance who assist the Scottish Ambulance Service Teas, lots of homebaking and a large selection of plants – herbaceous, annuals, vegetable and salad seedlings – will be available from 10am to 12 noon. his year’s Plant and Bake Sale at St Margaret’s, New Galloway ,will be held on Saturday 29 April. Glenkens Cub Scouts T he Glenkens Cub Scouts celebrated Burns Night with a table laden with Scottish food. T he Galloway Glens Scheme has been supporting a whole range of projects up and down the Ken/Dee Valley over the last five years, trying to ‘connect people to our heritage’ while boosting the local economy and supporting sustainable communities. How did we do? All feedback - positive and negative – is welcomed as we aim to compile the results of the scheme and look to build on this for future initiatives. The Cubs were challenged to entertain the Leaders with either a Scottish poem, song or instrument and we were not disappointed. We are running a short public survey and one lucky person who completes the survey will win a £50 delicatessen voucher. Please do complete it www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/R3XGV36 - the deadline for completion is Friday 28 April. Thank you, McNabb Laurie, Galloway Glens Team Leader Freya played the recorder and recited a poem titled Street Talk. Danny also played the recorder and recited The Hen's Lament. Elliot played the guitar. Bella had a poem – My Wee Doggie. Caitlin sang Gallowa' Hills and had a lovely poem called My Cuddy. Leo gave us a tune on the mouth organ and recited My Wee Rid Motor. To finish off, a parent read a story called Clan Mingan. The Cubs would like to say a huge "congratulations" to Cub Leader Bagheera on being awarded Maker of the Year at the UK Heritage Crafts Awards. The Glenkens Cub Scout pack are very proud of your achievements – well done! How Did We Do? [Bagheera - Hannah McAndrew - is a local potter and you can read more about her award on page 22.]. Pictured is a card which the Cubs all signed to congratulate Bagheera. Heather Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEnews page 4 Glenkens Community Shop Needs You! T he Glenkens Community Shop opened nearly eleven years ago, and is flourishing. So much so that we need a few more volunteers! Over this time the Community Shop has given out nearly £70,000, helping to support many groups and individuals who play such a vital role in our Glenkens community. We can only open, with anything approaching our preCovid availability, with more volunteers. Even if you can offer one three-hour session a month that would be really helpful. We’re an exceptionally friendly group. We welcome volunteers of all ages and this could be a perfect opportunity to gain some practical experience for school leavers and provide references where required. Shifts are three hours long, and usually involve biscuits. New volunteers are always paired with those with experience, and we usually have at least two people on at any one time. If you’re interested just pop into the shop for a chat with current volunteers and pick up an application form. Or you can phone 07904 678 599 to find out more or to leave an email address and we will email an application form to you. All of us volunteers really enjoy our time in the shop – it’s a great way to meet people and serve the community and also support some of the incredibly varied groups and projects in the Glenkens. At our funding allocation meeting on 29 of November 2022 we were able to disburse funding totalling £6,905 to the following individual and group applicants: Sean Campion, Balmaclellan Village Hall Trust, New Galloway Junior Golf Club, Miriam Stevenson, Caitlin Constantine, Spalding Bowling Club, Friends of Dalry School, Dalry Friendship Group, The Glenkens Choir, LING, Dalry Community Group, Loch Ken Trust, Mossdale Painters, Dalry Good Neighbours Club, Glenkens Community Centre Management Committee Grant distribution happens twice annually and we welcome applications for the next round of funding. The closing date for this is 31 May 2023 and application forms will be available in the shop or by phoning 07904 678 599. Grants are for sums of up to £500, and applicants should be either interest groups based in the Glenkens or individuals with projects which will benefit the Glenkens community. Hope to see you soon, The Glenkens Community Shop Volunteer Team Community Shop Opening Times Mon, Tue & Thu 10am-1pm Wed, Fri & Sat: 10am-4pm Glenkens & District Trust Seeks Trustees T he Glenkens & District Trust (GDT) is looking for new trustees to support its work distributing Community Benefit Funds. GDT distribute funds to support groups in the Community Council areas of Balmaghie, Balmaclellan, Carsphairn, Corsock & Kirkpatrick Durham, Crossmichael and District, St Johns Town of Dalry, Dunscore, Glencairn, New Galloway & Kells Parish and Parton. Since 2019 145 grants have been awarded to community groups across the area of benefit. This is a rewarding volunteer role that will help shape the direction of GDT as it continues to ensure that funds coming into the area have the greatest possible impact, both now and in the future. When asked about his reasons for volunteering, Matthew Sheddon, an Independent Trustee, said “GDT appealed to me because I get to see and enable many exciting community projects, transforming community benefit monies into opportunities to generate long-term prosperity.” GDT wants the Trustee group to be diverse and inclusive and are keen to have people from across the area of benefit represented. They are particularly interested in hearing from people with a background in finance or community development, and people of working age, but anyone who is passionate about giving their time to serve the community and engage actively with GDT’s purposes is sure to thrive in the role. To find out more, request a copy of the Trustee recruitment pack or to arrange an informal chat about the role with a current Trustee, please contact Chris at info@glenkenstrust.org.uk GAZETTEnews Glenkens Gazette page 5 Houston, We Have Lift In! N ew Galloway Town Hall at long last can boast a state-of-the-art lift, bringing us up to date with a newer, more accessible world. Ronnie Bradford, Local Initiatives In New Galloway (LING) project officer, can vouch for having actually ridden up and down in it. The rest of us will have to wait a little longer, but it is such an exciting milestone to have reached. As Ronnie put it when he talked to a packed house at our AGM, so far we have been taking things apart in the Town Hall. Now we are beginning to put things back together – but better than before. There is so much activity, but many delays, and we are behind schedule. We’re T he Connecting in Communities (CiC) team at Glenkens Communities & Arts Trust (GCAT) have been continuing to deliver a diverse programme of events aimed at bringing people together across the Glenkens and district. You can see the full April/ May programme on page 32, on www.gcat.scot and on our social media channels. There are lots of new activities to try – if you fancy your hand at dancing there's The Rat Pack Tea Dance on 14 April and a new Spanish Dance Class on 22 April. Or if you're a mum with kids in tow, how about getting out and about with Breeze Cycle Rides on 29 April? Our CiC games activities now working on an assumption of opening up in May with a series of community events, culminating in a Ceilidh. In June, we have a wonderful offer from Geoff Davidson to stage a fund raising concert for us. This will be an event not to be missed. At Glynne Shackleton’s suggestion, we’re going to be placing a time capsule in the building and the children at Kells Primary have already produced some writing for us for us to include. Suggestions of other things to include in a time capsule are very welcome, so please put on your thinking caps, and write us a poem, find an old photograph, or have a rummage. We’d love to include a wide range of interesting and unexpected mementos to be re-discovered many years hence. Ann Glaister include the ever-popular CiC Games Night at the CatStrand (where the bar will be open), the Boccia Club (indoor boules) and the Glenkens and District Community Drama Group is now up and running. Family Drama takes place on the last Sunday of the month at the Smiddy, and Menopause Really Matters is a welcoming support group that has an informative guest speaker each month. something you might like to apply for, you can find the job ad on the back page or visit www.gcat.scot/jobs Or come along to the Pudding Fan Club at the CatStrand on 24 April where the wonderful Mr Pook and his team will be demonstrating vegan and veggie puds. The more behind-the-scenes work of CiC lies in supporting volunteers and volunteer organisations. This area is now headed by volunteer extraordinare Martin Warnock, so for any ideas, thoughts or to volunteer your time please contact him on martin@ catstrand.com Our Glenkens Pub Quiz Nights are proving very popular - they often sell out now, so do book in advance for a fun social evening. As well as our regular programme we are busy planning the Glenkens Food Month, for which the theme this year is celebrating ‘Foods for All’ - get in touch to get involved! We are supporting the Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA) to recruit potential childminders in the area (see p7 for more info). We were thrilled to hear we received funding from Third Sector Dumfries & Galloway from their Community Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund for a year’s worth of community activities in the area. We are recruiting for a Community Activities Officer so if this is Dancers enjoying a previous Tea Dance in Dalry Town Hall Finally, my work on the Glenkens and District consultation report is at an end and I will be feeding back my findings at an event later in April – date still to be confirmed. I’d like to give a heartfelt "thank you" to our funders for their continued support of Connecting in Communities - the Blackcraig Wind Farm through Foundation Scotland and the Glenkens & District Trust and the National Lottery - you’ve been instrumental in enabling CiC to be the success it is today. You can find the full CiC programme of activities for April/May on page 32, or for further information email jo@ catstrand.com, call 01644 420 374 or visit www.gcat.scot/ cic-learning-and-wellbeingworkshop-programme Lisa Ridley, Connecting in Communities Project Lead Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEnews page 6 Energy Efficiency Report Commissioned T he aim of making community buildings in the Glenkens more sustainable has taken a step forward. This is thanks to a grant awarded to Glenkens Communities & Arts Trust from the Scottish Government's 'Community Led Vision' fund to carry out energy efficiency assessments on 11 community halls in the area. Engineers from Natural Power Consultants visited the buildings in early March to meet with representatives of the management committees alongside Glenkens Community Spaces Network Facilitator, Becca Nelson, who has been coordinating the project. As well as giving advice on the day, the NPC engineers will create a report for each building, detailing the best ways to improve the efficiency of the buildings and giving all the technical rationale behind it. There will also be similar work done on some typical houses in the area, to advise homeowners/landlords. Findings will be presented at a public event in late April. It is expected that the report will provide all the technical detail required when community venues then apply for capital funding to implement the suggestions. By assessing so many buildings at the same time, it also presents the opportunity to approach contractors collectively in order to make the work more attractive and perhaps more economical. This work on energy efficiency fits well with the aims of the Glenkens Community Spaces Network, a group created, thanks to funding from the Blackcraig wind farm, in order to support the management Glenkens Producers' Market committees of community venues in the Glenkens by finding ways in which to work together to reduce costs and duplication of effort. Becca commented: "Our meetings allow the opportunity for Management Committee members to share successes and discuss issues, and it's been great to see the beginnings of a support network springing up. I hope that this new report will also take some of the load off them and help them make the step change in capital improvements in energy efficiency." Natural Power engineers with members of Mossdale Village Hall management committee after completing energy assessment If you are involved with running a community venue and have not yet heard from me yet, please do get in touch - becca.glenkens.anf@gmail. com) - to find out more. The next Network meeting will be Tuesday 23 May. Hope to see you there! Becca Nelson, Glenkens Community Spaces Network Facilitator WRIGHTS STORE & POST OFFICE DALRY DALRY DALRY SWEET TREAT SATURDAY DALRY INFORMATION FRESH CREAM CAKES AVAILABLE TO ORDER OPENING HOURS MONDAY – FRIDAY 7.30am – 5.30pm SATURDAY 8.30am – 5pm SUNDAY 8.30am – 3pm LOCAL SUPPLIERS DALMELLINGTON COUNTRY BUTCHERS 2nd Saturday Monthly Dalry Town Hall, 10am-1pm - 8th April & 13th May - ...fresh vegetables, baked goods, preserves, bread, fresh meat, smoked products, cheese, artisan cider, chocolates, handmade crafts, gift cards, plants... * Save Fuel - Shop Local * UPPER DULLARG EGGS MITCHELLS FRUIT & VEG SWEETCAKES BAKERY GLENKENS HONEY COMPANY CREAM O GALLOWAY GALLOWAY LODGE PRESERVES IRVINGS BAKERY SCOTTISH GALLOWAY PASTA GLENKENS HONEY COMPANY Want to know what’s going on? Then visit www.dalrytownhall.co.uk POP IN FOR A CHAT AND A BROWSE GAZETTEnews Men's Shed What's Happening at the Men's Shed Opening Times Glenkens Gazette I t is with a heavy heart that the Men’s Shed has accepted the resignation of founder, Brian Jones from the committee. Brian has recently taken retirement from the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust and as a result has found himself busier than he has ever been! We are pleased that he will remain as a member but he will be sorely missed on the management committee. The Shed membership has been hit since Covid and the committee have taken steps to attract new people. The first step has been to extend our opening hours to include the first and third Saturday mornings in the page 7 month for those who work. We have also arranged with the Glenkens Art Workshop to support the group through hosting their weekly meetings at the Shed on a Thursday afternoon - any budding artists are welcome to come along! Our 'social secretary', Walter, is investigating social outings for all interested members and their partners. More details to follow on our Facebook page and website - you can find us on Facebook @ The Glenkens Men’s Shed or at www. glenkens-mens-shed. org.uk The Shed is currently in negotiation with the Pamela Young Trust for the renovation of some benches in Dalry Park. If anyone is interested in this community Local Childminding Training Extended The Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA) is embarking on the second phase of a major campaign to recruit new registered childminders in the Glenkens. The special campaign is kindly supported by Blackcraig Wind Farm Community Fund, Foundation Scotland and Glenkens & District Trust. If you are looking to get back into work, or are thinking of a starting a rewarding new career, please visit www.childminding.org/childminder-recruitment to find out more about becoming a professional childminder and the personalised support package we can put in place to help. Leanne Paton project, please get in touch. We have applied for a grant from Age Scotland to upgrade our pillar drill, purchase a router table and some stools. We also have a replacement milling machine which means our metal working room is being used much more frequently. We have been given the use of Bill Wiseman’s portable forge, and he is hoping to hold a demonstration session in the coming months. Why not pop along to the Shed for a visit? We're situated behind the old Smiddy in Balmaclellan. Enjoy a tea/coffee and a biscuit put the world to rights and see what goes on - we'd love to see you! Tom Leach, Secretary Glenkens Men's Shed MONDAY 9.30am - 12.30pm WEDNESDAY 9.30am - 12.30pm Wood Carving 2-4pm Come along and work on any project you want - our resident expert Bill is on hand with advice THURSDAY Art Group 2-4pm Work on your own creation in any medium in a friendly environment FRIDAY 9.30am - 12.30pm SATURDAY 9am - 12noon GAZETTEhousing Glenkens Gazette page 8 Forum Reveals Scale of Glenkens Housing Needs S ome 40 people attended the Glenkens Housing Forum in early February to hear the results of the 2022 Housing Needs Survey and the options for housing in the Glenkens. The event at the Balmaclellan Smiddy, hosted by the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust and supported by the Glenkens District Trust, included a presentation from South of Scotland Community Housing (SoSCH) on recent innovations in rural housing. principally because of heating costs, lack of space and the poor condition of the buildings. Insecurity of tenure was also mentioned. Other key findings revealed that half of those responding knew of someone leaving a household through lack of suitable accommodation. Two in five believed they would be in need of new housing in the next five years, and, in an interesting insight into work patterns, two thirds had need for a workspace at home. This could include yard or shed spaces as well as home offices. The HNDA concluded there was a need for housing that is This is exacerbated by the post-Covid surge in demand for second homes, a shrinking private rental market and the unintended consequences of energy efficiency legislation and its impact on the rental sector. Alan Smith, spoke on behalf of the Pamela Young Trust (PYT) which owns 22 properties in the Glenkens which are available for rent to anyone with a Glenkens connection. There is currently a waiting list of 27*. In a typical year, few, if any, houses become available as PYT tenants tend to stay very longterm. As properties become vacant energy efficiency measures are installed but this can be difficult and expensive in older traditional properties. The PYT has several ideas at the feasibility study stage including erecting three homes on a brownfield site purchased in Balmaclellan and the potential development of former hydro houses at Glenlee, currently owned by SPEN. The availability of housing The Glenkens in the Glenkens is extremely Housing limited and is affecting the Needs and Demands Assessment sustainability of communities. (HNDA) was carried out between November 2021 and March 2022. Despite Covid restrictions on public events, 146 responses were received from a population of 3,000 - a return of some 5%. The report included a survey of local employers and a review of housing association waiting lists. A quarter of those replying (27%) said their current housing didn't meet their needs, affordable, fuel efficient and low cost to run, whether redeveloping existing properties or new build. The availability of housing in the Glenkens is extremely limited and is affecting the sustainability of communities. The challenges for the Glenkens, like all rural D&G communities, includes the shortage of housing with affordable running costs for rent or purchase. N ew Galloway Golf Club Founded Foun ded 1902 www.ng www.n g gc.co.uk - 01644 420737 Buggies now available for hire VISITORS AND NEW MEMBERS WELCOME Mike Staples, chief executive of SoSCH, gave an inspirational presentation of what has been achieved in other communities in creating highquality community housing by repurposing old buildings or creating new-builds. This includes imaginative re-use of derelict land or buildings such as hotels and even an old police station. It became clear that there are many sources of advice available. There are also funding sources for developments which meet all the criteria expected of a modern energy efficient project. But the other ingredients include time - three years appeared to be the minimum time scale and five years more typical between idea and the key in the door - and there have to be people with time, expertise and energy locally to foster the initiative and then engage with other agencies, experts and funders. A full report of the event is available on the new Glenkens Hub website at www.glenkens.scot or for more information contact Mike Staples of South of Scotland Community Housing at mike. sosch@outlook.com * by the time of going to press the figure had risen to 29. Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEhousing page 9 Evictions in the Glenkens F our weeks before the Glenkens Housing Forum reported on the scale of the local crisis (see opposite page) the urgency of the issue was highlighted by eviction notices being served on a group of nine local residents. The tenants, occupying five houses and flats at the Kenmure Steadings, south of New Galloway, were phoned by the landlord’s agent on Friday 13 January and told they would shortly receive eviction notices the following week. Letters giving notice of eight or twelve weeks were subsequently issued though some of the tenants are questioning the process used. The Scottish Government, shortly afterwards, extended the current embargo on most categories of evictions until the end of October, giving the tenants more time to consider options. The tenants had had no indication that the landlord, Major General (ret’d) Jamie Gordon, had been planning to sell the properties. Some of the tenants had just completed improvements at their own expense and with the landlord’s approval. Major General Gordon told the Galloway News that he had “…not taken the decision lightly.” He went on to say “…the raft of legislation and standards the Scottish Government has brought in means it is becoming too difficult and expensive for me to provide the standard of accommodation as required by law.” New Galloway and Kells Community Council, on behalf of the tenants, arranged a Zoom meeting with the landlord. At the council’s February meeting, attended by the tenants and numerous supporters from the community, it was reported the the landlord had agreed to consider any proposals for a community purchase of the property but had made clear he wanted a quick sale. In the course of a discussion among councillors and public at the meeting, the tenants were advised to move quickly to seek expert advice and wider support for their case from politicians and relevant organisations. On 13 March the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust facilitated a meeting of tenants and local groups and experts to discuss further action. It was reported that the youngest three members of the nine had decided to leave the area since they saw no potential options in the short term. The remaining six led by Steve Petch and Andy Fletcher have pursued numerous sources of information and are working to identify some organisation which could act as a vehicle for a purchasing initiative. Steve Petch subsequently approached local MSP Finlay Carson for support. Mr Carson has written to the landlord expressing the hope that a community buy-out could be arranged. The Community Council has written to the landlord seeking an indication of the price he would be asking for the properties. No replies have been received at the time of going to press. Eviction Rap No warning in the morning: a teatime call Nothing to prepare us for imminent fall No “sit down love” no “brace yourself pet” No “didn’t see this one coming, I’ll bet” No “regret to inform you” no “sorry for your plight” Entire neighbourhood evicted? Wait, this can’t be right? Encroaching numbness, stunned disbelief Moments of anger dissolving in grief Suffocating panic, anxiety soaring Where once we had lives, we have instead tears pouring Chaos, uncertainty, and nowhere to go Not in this economy, and housing crisis woe To find ourselves homeless? Utterly shocking Letting agent smug, condescending and mocking Unlucky for some? Isn’t that what they say? But Friday the 13th? Could have picked a better day? Look not for compassion: it’s not theirs to give Indifferent to the hell in which they’ve forced us to live These are our homes: our hearts reside here Our tiny community united in fear Mercilessly mercenary, how can this be? Expendable, pocket-money commodities are we? Money talks for sure, but listen: we scream Circumstances dire, heartbreaking and obscene Too heartsick to eat, too frantic to sleep If only we could find a way: our homes to keep? This poem was written by one of the evicted tenants shortly after receiving the phone message GAZETTEpeople Glenkens Gazette page 10 St Margaret's New Priest Settles In T he Reverend Dawn Matthew and her husband Nick, together with their family, have now settled into the Rectory in New Galloway. Dawn says; “Although we’ve only been here a few weeks, we’re already beginning to feel like part of this wonderful community and we look forward to playing our part in that welcome and community spirit in the times to come”. As well as St Margaret’s, Dawn will also be ministering to All Saints’ Challoch and a joint and viable service plan is being considered by all concerned. In order for Dawn to be present in both churches every Sunday, there will be some changes in service times, initially on a trial basis. After Easter, it is advisable to check www. stmargaretsnewgalloway.org or the noticeboard outside the church, for up-todate information. Another service offering being considered is a midweek gathering on Wednesday mornings. This would be an informal and simple shared group. If anyone would be interested in joining or finding out more, please call Dawn on 01644 420431. included the presentation of symbols of ministry to Dawn by members of the congregation and community. And after the service, the St Margaret’s Guild hosted a tea party enjoyed by all in attendance. The Licensing Service for Dawn took place recently with the Right Revd Kevin Pearson, Bishop of Glasgow and Galloway, officiating. The service New Locum Minister for Glenkens Churches M ost folk will be aware that the Glenkens Churches (Dalry, New Galloway, Balmaclellan and Carsphairn) have not had a full-time Minister due to retirement since August 2022. Whenever possible within the Church of Scotland, at the request of the sessions and congregations, a Locum is appointed during the Vacancy to help ensure there are regular Sunday services, do pastoral cover – which includes such events as funerals, weddings and baptisms – school services and any other relevant event which requires the presence of ‘The Meenister’. Those who have been able to attend any of the churches since the first Sunday of Advent, 27 November 2022, will have already seen that the position of Locum has been ‘filled’, by me. ‘Me’ being Rev Pam Bellis – an OLM (Ordained Local Minister) within the Church of Scotland, who moved to Kirkcudbright in October 2021. Since arriving in the post, I have been trying to find my way about the Charge, and get to know different people on my travels. Taking regular services, up to and including Christmas ones which included all the local schools attending the church for the first time since before the dreaded pandemic, as well as, sadly funerals of local folk. Those who have already met me have as likely met my sidekick – Aria, an eight-year-old black Labrador. She enjoys being in the car, and in church when logistics allow. As those who have already met her, well you know she loves meeting folk. I have ‘done’ ministry in a number of guises for more years than I care to think about – both in Scotland and England – ranging from formal church services to different chaplaincies – including hospitals, schools and since November 2021 as one of the Veterans Chaplains in Scotland. VCS finally came live then (as with so much, the pandemic delayed its start-up) - and I was one of the initial 12 deployed – currently 18 of us – throughout Scotland. An initiative started by padres who had seen active service and now fully endorsed by the MOD, various main stream churches, the Scottish Government and various relevant charities. Things being as they are within the churches, and I’m referring here not just to the Church of Scotland (Scotland’s national church) but other denominations, there seems to be not enough full-time Ministers to fill all the current vacancies. This means that someone filling a ‘temporary’ role such as I am cannot say – ‘oh, as the Locum I will only be here a few months’ – it’s very much a case of the future of the Glenkens Charge being in God’s hands. In the meantime, I will continue doing Sunday services, and other pastoral services as required, be they in one of the four churches, or visiting homes and schools. In the immediate future this means of course Easter, for we are currently travelling through Lent. This year we will be able to be present at all four churches over the Easter weekend, one way or another - you can find service times in the Church section on page 31. Your Minister may have retired but the work of the church continues. As Christians we are not promised an easy life – but as Christians we know we have been promised Eternal Life. I hope and pray, as we move through these changing times, while the cogs of the church turn to a position where the congregations are able to ‘Call’ a new minister for the Parish, that I will get to meet more of you along the way, journeying to build up Christ’s church where we live, work and pray. Rev Pam Bellis, 07751 379 249, pam@bellisconsultancy.co.uk Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEpeople page 11 The Adventures of Kenside Polo K enside Polo is a pedigree English goat born and bred in the Glenkens, and she's gained quite a name for herself over the past year. "Polo was used as part of the publicity advertising the 2022 Royal Highland Show and to launch their new app," says Polo's owner, Irene McCreath, from Polquhanity Farm outside Carsphairn. Polo won the Sharpeyed Salver, presented by the breed society (English Goat Breeders Association) for the most points gained at shows in 2022. "We had a pretty good year with the shows, both live and online. Our big lad, Zorro, was Best Male and reserve overall in the EGBA National Show too." Pictured is Polo in front of Edinburgh Castle. Next issue we'll see what else Polo visited on her big day out in Edinburgh...it sounds like quite an adventure! New Faces for LING Gazette Deliveries L ING is delighted to welcome two new recruits - Jackie Wells and Zoe Thomas. Jackie will be our new Community Inclusion Worker, taking over from Angie Bradford. Angie is still very kindly helping out occasionally, but has been head-hunted to work more hours in Dalry School. Jackie has launched straight into her role with great enthusiasm. Some of you will know her already from Balmaclellan shop. She is working with us as we ready ourselves for re-opening the Town Hall as soon as possible and in the meantime is re- establishing LING Lunches as a first priority. We are very pleased indeed to be able to have her with us. She will be working closely with and supporting Zoe Thomas, who takes up the role of Community Hub Host, as we start up a 'warm hub' session using Kitty’s as our initial venue until the Town Hall becomes available. Again, we are delighted to have Zoe, who applied for the post, having worked as a volunteer at LING Lunches. Many thanks to those others who enquired about or applied for the positions and we’ll hope to be keeping in touch. Pictured below are Jackie Wells (left) and Zoe Thomas (right). If you live rurally in the Glenkens, you may well have met Gary Edington, our Gazette delivery driver. Thanks to funding from Fred Olsen Renewables and the Galloway Glens Scheme, we are able to deliver to Gazettes to outlying households across the area. So if you see him, say "hi"! First Lamb of 2023 First lamb of the year born in Carsphairn parish was at Polquhanity Farm on 22 February 2023, photo taken by Billy McCreath of Polquhanity Farm, Carsphairn. Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 12 In Pursuit of a Land Use Vision B ack in October 2022, the Glenkens was selected to take part in a Community Learning Programme (CLP) around Land Use, sponsored by the South of Scotland Enterprises (SOSE) as part of the South of Scotland Regional Land Use Partnership. The Community Learning Programme was delivered by the Social Enterprise Academy to the Glenkens and three other regions across Scotland, and aimed to help each community understand their Vision for land use in the area and to make sure that all voices were heard in the process. It started with two nationwide webinars, which provided great inspiration about what communities across Scotland are doing in the way of land use, and then continued in each region with six online sessions aimed at understanding the local issues and teasing out a Vision for the area. They were open to all, and about 30 people took part for the Glenkens series. This then culminated in an event at the end of January for all CLP participants, Community Council representatives, representatives of national agencies, the Biosphere, SOSE and the Sottish Government Land Use team. The visitors to the area were given a tour of the land use changes currently happening in the Glenkens, and then the groups came together to review the draft Vision and work up local, regional and national Recommendations for what they saw as necessary to make the Vision a reality. It was a most constructive and positive session, well facilitated by the Social Enterprise Academy and hosted at the CatStrand by GCAT. The next steps are to finalise the Vision and Recommendations based on feedback from this event. This will be done by a small Working Group and the final Vision and Recommendations will be published in the next Gazette. It is hoped that the final version of the Vision will be adopted by the Glenkens and district Community Action Plan Steering Group as a useful addendum to Attendees at the Land Use evening event at the CatStrand the Community Action Plan. You can find the final-draft Vision and Recommendations on the new Glenkens Hub website www.glenkenshub. co.uk under Resources. Feedback, until the middle of April, is most welcome - email helen@catstrand.com Helen Keron, Executive Manager, GCAT Funding Appeal by Pylon Opponents G alloway Without Pylons (GWP) is a local action group set up to "protect our beautiful part of Dumfries and Galloway from being blighted by 118 giant pylons over 32.5 kilometres, running between Glenlee and Tongland". Here is an update from Paul Swift, Chair of GWP: This pylon line, proposed by Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN) - who are owned by the Spanish energy conglomerate Iberdrola - cuts through the Galloway Forest Park close to major tourist attractions such as the Queensway Crossing, Raiders Road, Loch Stroan, Otter Pool, Red Kite Trail, Kennick Burn (and the ancient beech avenue), the Bennan, Slogarie and Laurieston Forests and Barstobrick. Dumfries & Galloway Council objected to their planning application so the application went to a public inquiry. The Public Inquiry, which lasted for six weeks, ended on 30 November and was a mammoth undertaking for everyone concerned. Our two legal experts were brilliant and worked incredibly hard in preparation for the Inquiry, during the Inquiry and since, preparing their final submissions to the Scottish Government. We agreed on a fee of £10,000 for both but, owing to circumstances out of their control, they did a lot more work and we have paid them £15,000 to date. One of the reasons for the extra workload was that Dumfries & Galloway Council, who objected to the application which triggered the Public Inquiry, withdrew seven days before the Inquiry started. This created more work for everyone else. Just to put how reasonable our experts' charges are it into context, the Council's legal bill just for preparing for the Inquiry was almost £70,000. GWP was originally tasked to submit their final submission by 9 January 2023 but the Scottish Government, since the Inquiry finished on 30 November, has published four major reports and has stated “Parties are invited to provide comments on how, if at all, this document affects their case to the inquiry and its relevance to this proposal”. The publications are (a) National Policy Framework 4, (b) Scottish Government Onshore Wind Policy Statement 2022, (c) Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan and (d) Scottish Biodiversity Strategy to 2045. Our two experts, especially our planning/power generation consultant, will now have to do a great deal more work. The amount of work was illustrated when SPEN’s legal team asked for a seven-week extension stating they wouldn’t be able to complete the work in time. This has been agreed and the completion date is now 13 April. The 'David vs Goliath' analogy has just increased but, with your help, we can complete the last part of the process which will give us a good chance of success. If you feel strongly about ensuring local voices are heard in order to preserve this unique corner of Galloway for future generations, please consider helping our cause with a donation. It will be very much appreciated by GWP, the local communities and tourists who enjoy visiting our beautiful area. To donate visit https:// gofund.me/c1a7653d or pay directly to Galloway Without Pylons, Bank of Scotland, 8022-60, 23761760 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 13 Stroanpatrick Restoration Project M y parents bought the old schoolhouse at Stroanfreggan in the 1960s, when the school closed. They lived there during their retirement and four generations of our family have come regularly for holidays, gatherings and a quiet place to rest, walk or work. Land use and the local community have changed enormously over the past sixty years. Farms in the area that used to rear sheep and some cattle are now given over to forestry and more recently wind turbines, but Stroanpatrick, the farm surrounding the schoolhouse on all sides is still a sheep farm, with the Southern Upland Way running through it. The news that Stroanpatrick might be sold for commercial forestry reached us while the whole family was assembled for birthday celebrations last summer, so we put our heads together to think how we might save it. But why did we think it needed 'saving'? For what alternative land use? And how does one 'save' 585 hectares of rough sheep grazing? Could we find a buyer who shared our vision of how the land could be used? If forestry companies were interested then we probably needed to act fast, so we wrote a proposal and have contacted a number of potential buyers. Stroanpatrick was last sold in 2004 for under £900 per hectare. The current price for rough grazing land is three times higher than this, but forest land is about ten times higher. International investors are interested in buying land in Scotland as a safe asset with a good return on investment and are also interested in services (eg carbon offsetting) that the land may provide. What would be lost and who are the losers if land use changes? Land value depends on what it produces (agricultural products, timber), the services that it provides (eg storage and flow of water and carbon) and its amenity (wildlife, biodiversity, landscape value, open space for walking) and heritage (eg monuments, archaeology). Owners earn money from the produce (private goods) and from the increase in asset value, but the services, amenity and heritage are mainly public goods (ie we all benefit). Change in use (eg from rough grazing to forestry) can increase the land value enormously, but such private gain may be at the expense of public loss. Owners decide how their property is used and public loss is not generally compensated, although some damage to public goods is regulated (eg drainage should not cause flooding, water resources, carbon emissions from deep peat and historically or archaeologically sensitive areas should be protected). How does this all affect our aims for Stroanpatrick and why hasn’t it been snapped up by a forestry company over the last six months, while we try to find a buyer? The two neighbouring forestry businesses have been advised that less than 20% of the area could be planted with conifers, because of peat and sensitive archaeological areas. What about a wind farm? Two applications (Longburn) have been rejected, most recently in May 2019, on the grounds of adverse impacts on the landscape, historical heritage and visual amenity. The Reporter wrote that her rejection "highlights the value of conserving any remaining areas of less modified open land which have remained unaffected by commercial forestry.” There are three notable aspects to this judgement: 1) it is based on the value of public goods 2) it implicitly rejects a change of land use to commercial forestry and 3) there is no similar process for judging loss of public goods in relation to commercial forestry. Our vision for 'saving' Stroanpatrick is based on sustainable stewardship of the natural assets of the land for the benefit of the owners, the local community and the enhancement of biodiversity, carbon stocks, amenity and our common heritage. It is not unreasonable to use the term 'saving', because most of these would be at risk from commercial afforestation. You are welcome to read our proposal, which includes contact details, at http://u.pc.cd/KN4otalK Keith Brander Above - Looking north across Stroanpatrick Left - Stroanpatrick ridge Gordon McAdam Advanced Massage Practitioner Plumbing & Heating 22 Kirkland Street St John’s Town of Dalry 01644 430 393 07834 321 789 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 14 Trees, Trees and More Trees... Through the Eyes of a Tree Surgeon I t's remarkable when you look around at the fine array of amazing tree species that we have in Galloway. From ancient oaks to towering firs and pines, the different layers of trees in our woodlands, the under storey and the canopy working together to shelter the land and its inhabitants. For centuries the woodlands have been worked and managed, the cutters felling the trees, horses extracting the timber and it being sent to the local sawmills, a valuable resource for the local area. Taking care of trees in our stunningly beautiful Galloway lands has always been an honour and a joy, not to say hard work. That rewarding feeling of a good day's slog in the woods or swinging around on a rope with a chainsaw is as much pleasure as it is work. I particularly like this time of year in the woods as it’s still cool, a good place to sweat, laugh and generally be. It's a chance to catch nature's moments first hand, something that seems to be in decline. When working in the countryside or town, it is always good practice to check for any protection orders on individual trees and to get permission for tree work in a conservation area. Dumfries & Galloway has 36 of the latter. We must always be environmentally considerate when working with trees: after all trees are an essential part of our eco system, a habitat for wildlife and our actions will have an impact on that. With that in mind, we always carry out environmental tree work operations sensitively. As well as good health and safety and best practice ways of working, we try to be as safe, light-footed and as efficient as possible. It never ceases to amaze me how many enormous, exotic, and giant trees there are dotted around Galloway, and quite often in gardens large and small. Sometimes close to buildings, these old-school beauties stand high up in the winds and often have sturdy buttress roots above ground to brace the trunk against the prevailing wind forces. If these trees are growing on stony ground they can sometimes be shallow rooted and susceptible to movement. This can potentially be spotted by observing around the base of the tree after strong winds for signs of ground disturbance. Remember that trees grow slowly and spend many years building up these defences, so are unlikely to blow over in the next storm. Observing that storm Arwen came in from a northerly direction and not from our usual westerly weather pattern, was a possible factor in the downing of so many trees that just weren't ready and prepared for it. Other things to keep an eye out for are fungus or fruiting bodies on the tree and signs of dieback and disease. It's true to say that trees have been under attack in recent years. phytopthora romoran, a fungus that kills larch trees as well as others and ash dieback disease have certainly helped to change the local landscape so far. Richard working on trees in the Garroch Walled Garden Always consider the impact of removing a tree as once it's gone, it's gone. In some cases this is the only option, but often there are other options available that are suited to certain trees. This could be a reduction or a pollard, be it a little or a lot. autumn and winter for various different reasons and that’s why being environmentally sensitive when carrying out tree work operations is even more necessary during nesting bird season or even best delayed until the back end. Tree work was always traditionally carried out during Richard Kirsch, Glenkens Tree Surgeons The Boat Registration Scheme will now operate from the Loch Ken Holiday Park, Parton, next to the public slipway. Please call 01644 470 282 or email office@ lochkenholidaypark.co.uk to arrange to register your boat. All craft with an engine of any type, including electric outboards, MUST be registered before being taken on to Loch Ken. Proof of valid insurance must be shown for all boats with engines over 6hp. Full details of annual/daily fees, and the rules and regulations can be found at www.lochken.org.uk The Loch Ken Trust would like to thank Martin Smee and the Loch Ken Marina for running the scheme for the last three years. All Change for Loch Ken Boat Registration T he new season is nearly upon us and, due to changes in circumstances, the Loch Ken Trust have put new arrangements in place for the Boat Registration Scheme on Loch Ken. The Loch Ken Trust Team GAZETTEenvironment Learning to Love Loch Ken Glenkens Gazette E ducating our future generations on how to care for and protect our environment has always been a top priority for the Loch Ken Trust (LKT). It is vitally important to us that children are equipped with the knowledge to enjoy our beautiful environment responsibly and enjoy all that nature and the outdoors has to offer. In February the first of this year’s environmental education sessions was held at the Galloway Activity Centre. Activities were designed by students from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) in collaboration with Loch Ken Ranger, Leanne Pumpr. The students are currently working on a wildlife and conservation course which aims to provide them with real-life experience of working with communities and managing natural heritage. The sessions were given the thumbs up by the Primary 5 and 6 children from Crossmichael Primary, who were the first to take part. The fun and engaging activities included scavenger hunts, squirrel den building, mini ecosystems and food webs. The weather was perfect for the school kids page 15 to enjoy a day of outdoor learning and fun in stunning surroundings, with tasty packed lunches provided by the Thistle Inn, Crossmichael. Ely Blyth, Teaching Instructor at SRUC Barony Campus, said; “This has been a fantastic opportunity for our students to gain skills in education, resource development and working with communities, in a genuine, real-life setting. The students have produced some amazing sessions and have really enjoyed the chance to work with the Loch Ken Trust and Crossmichael School. We got very lucky with the weather and the students delivered sessions on responsible camping, wildlife around the loch and the ethics behind land use in fun and engaging ways. Overall, a brilliant day!” None of this would have been possible without funding received through Inspiring Scotland from the Scottish Government’s Rural and Island Communities Idea Into Action Fund. Thanks also to a generous donation from Drax Group, the owners of the Galloway Hydro Scheme, that will enable us to roll out delivery of these activities to local schools in the summer term. Drax Group Head of Community, Shona King, said: “We’re proud to help fund the Loch Ken Trust’s valuable work which promotes our shared values of protecting the natural environment and providing educational opportunities. It’s so important that children and young people can access areas of natural beauty in order to learn about biodiversity and ecosystems, hopefully sparking a future interest in conservation.” If you are interested in the work of the Loch Ken Trust why not join us? Full details on our website www.lochken.org.uk Lindsay Stewart, LKT Support Officer Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 16 sponsored by What is Rewilding? W ith the loss of habitat being a major factor in the decline of biodiversity, particularly in rural areas, the concept of rewilding is quite a progressive approach to conservation. A key element is that people can incorporate this on a personal level, which can make a difference to local ecosystems. Rewilding is a conservation approach that involves restoring and protecting natural habitats and wildlife to their original state, allowing ecosystems to function without human intervention. The goal of rewilding is to bring back biodiversity, improve ecosystem health, and support the survival of threatened or endangered species. Rewilding often involves reintroducing native species that have been lost or extirpated from a particular area, such as large predators like wolves or lynxes. This can help restore natural ecological processes and improve the overall health and resilience of the ecosystem. Rewilding can also involve the restoration of natural processes like fire or flooding, which can create habitats for a variety of species. Rewilding can be controversial, as it can sometimes conflict with human interests such as agriculture, forestry, and rural development. However, many conservationists and scientists see rewilding as a crucial tool for restoring degraded ecosystems and mitigating the impacts of climate change. Beavers play a vital role in ecosystem functioning by creating and maintaining wetlands, providing critical habitats for various plant and animal species. Wetlands also act as natural water filters, helping to improve water quality and reduce the impact of flooding. European beaver gnawing leaves in the water © Galloway Wildlife Conservation Trust By reintroducing beavers to areas where they have been lost, we can help restore ecosystem functioning and improve biodiversity. Additionally, beavers can provide substantial economic benefits through ecotourism, recreation and valuable ecosystem services such as flood control. restore degraded ecosystems, improve biodiversity, and provide essential ecosystem services. Food for thought for the Glenkens perhaps? John Denerley Overall, the European beaver is an important species for rewilding efforts and can help to John runs the Galloway Wildlife Conservation Trust and can be contacted at conservation@ gallowaywildlife.org.uk The Fantastic Forest Festival Shone a Light on Woodlands in the Glenkens T he first ever Fantastic Forest Festival took place in February, with the woodlands of the Glenkens taking centre stage in many of the 12 festival events. This included artist-led walks, presentations and the first Spruce Plucking World Championships! Hundreds of attendees took part across the whole suite of events, all with the aim of better engaging with, understanding and appreciating our woodlands. Within ongoing and vital discussion about planting proposals, national targets and consultations, the festival provided an opportunity for people to celebrate our trees, forestry and woodlands in all their forms. Whether it was searching for rainforests or discussing our future timber needs, the festival tried to have something that appealed to all. Outputs from the festival include the artist residency which was underway, content for an upcoming edition of the Geographer magazine, an exhibition of the school pupils’ tree drawings and also discussion with the Scottish Parliament about presenting the findings to a relevant committee. The whole festival came about only thanks to the simply brilliant enthusiasm of partners, particularly Leeming + Paterson, the Watson Bird Project, South West Scotland Environmental Information Centre and the Crichton Carbon Centre. I am grateful to them all, and also to everyone that attended an event. McNabb Laurie Winning photograph of the Fantastic Forest Festival photo competition, taken by Diane Schofield Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 17 sponsored by If you would like to list something on this page, please get in touch on 07727 127 997 or glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk FREE Brabantia ironing board. Width at widest point is 48cm, total length is 1m 63cm. Contact: sheilamackay56@ yahoo.co.uk Jerome Russell hair dye, Pro Colour 3.0 Darkest Brown, 12 brand new packs; won them at Christmas, free to a good home. Contact: 07932 864 422 Horse manure, rotted and fresh, no weed killers used. Dig your own from a large heap, bring sacks or trailer. Contact: 07889 229 340 WANTED Acoustic guitar, (doesn't have to be free). Contact: 07727 127 997 Double bed size divan base with drawers. Contact: 01644 460 673 Researching Community Heat Networks L ocal company Natural Power Consultants Ltd, who are based at Forrest Estate, outside Dalry, were recently commissioned to look into the feasibility of a community heat network for the Crichton Estate. The focus was to provide heat via low carbon sources and connect to the nearby local NHS campus, Dumfries & Galloway College, local housing and various private mixed-use enterprises surrounding the estate. A number of low carbon sources of heat accessible to the estate were asessed, including capturing heat from the Dumfries Basin Aquifer, a local, shallow source of groundwater that has high potential to provide quality heating to the proposed network. Is a community heat network something which could be looked into for our Glenkens communities? In the Doon Valley, research is being done into demonstrating whether it would be feasible to convert excess wind energy into useable stored heat in old coal mine shafts. Currently a huge amount of wind energy is wasted as the National Grid can't utilise it but it still gets paid for through curtailment payments. This lost energy equates to GW-hours of heat that could potentially be stored and distributed directly to local heat networks. With the rising cost of living, especially for heating our homes, perhaps small-scale community heat networks for our villages are a potential worth investigating for an affordable future. Sarah Ade Chest freezer. Contact: Tony on 07507 704 821 Old lawn mowers/strimmers/other small machinery. Non-runners/broken welcome. Contact: 07845 562 217 FOR SALE Dark Wood Coffee Table with two Drawers - £50. 120cms x 60cms. Height 45cms. Contact: 07766 745 198 Oak Finished wooden fireplace surround, in good condition - £50 ono. Contact: 07521 902 567 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 18 Turning Ideas into Action Delivering the Loch Ken Plan is all about turning the Loch Ken Trust’s ideas into practical action on the ground (or water!). Our Baseline Ecosystem Assessment project involves really getting to know, in detail, what state our natural environment is in right now. Once we know where we stand, we can start to develop projects to restore and enhance our ecosystem. We see ourselves as guardians of Loch Ken, so we want to be able to say that the loch’s ecosystem is actually improving, thanks to our hard work. The Loch Ken Ranger Service, which Staff and students on the Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) Wildlife & Conservation Management course will be working with the Loch Ken Ranger Service to develop and design engaging outdoor activitity sessions. These sessions will help us engage and enthuse our community to gather scientific data on the state of our ecosystem. Cath Seeds, Senior Lecturer at SRUC’s Barony Campus, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be involved with this project. Over the last few years we have built a great partnership with the Loch Ken Trust. It is a brilliant project for our students to be involved in.” is at the heart of our community engagement, relies on the support of funders and partners to bring our projects to life. Below you can see how we are working co-operatively with partners from the public, private and voluntary sectors to progress our Baseline Ecosystem Assessment. Drax plc are the current owners of the Galloway Hydro Scheme which runs the length of the Ken-Dee river valley, with Loch Ken at its heart. Since our Scottish Government funding only covers the design and development of the activity sessions, Drax stepped in to fund the delivery. Thanks to the Drax funding, we will deliver a session to each of our local schools this summer. Drax Group Head of Community, Shona King, said: “We’re proud to help fund the Loch Ken Trust’s valuable work which promotes our shared values of protecting the natural environment and providing educational opportunities.” None of this exciting work could happen without the support of our funders. The work highlighted here is supported through Inspiring Scotland by the Scottish Government Rural and Island Communities Ideas into Action Fund Galloway Fisheries Trust is a well established, local environmental charity carrying out convservation, education, research and fisheries management work across the region. They will be holding ‘citizen science’ sessions to gather data on the state of the fish stocks in Loch Ken. How and where we spend our money really matters. Part of our funding is to purchase waterproofs, to ensure that visiting school groups always have suitable clothing for outdoor activities. We are buying them from Tarff Agricultural Merchants; a local business, which is also a cooperative. Tarff was actually the first agricultural co-op in Scotland, when it was formed in 1903. Buying from small local firms, helps keep money in the local economy. Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 19 The Optimistic Environmentalist Why We and the Planet Need Whales in their bodies. Chemicals are transferred from mothers' bodies to their foetuses through the womb and in the milk when breastfeeding. This is a contribution to increased mortality; female killer whales did live to their 80s, males to their 60s, but now are dying in their 20s This is their prime breeding age, thus affecting future numbers of healthy births. W hales behave in ways that humans understand and value. Whales are impressive mammals, having superb physical agility, speed and intelligence, with a brain twice that of ours. They have many traits that are relatable to by humans such as being sociable and live in families (pods), looking after their offspring and help with each others' young, practising cooperative feeding, they communicate in their own language - via grunts and a variety of songs that are particular to given pods that can be heard across oceans - helping them keep in touch with each other and find pod members eg their young. Whales swim for thousands of miles, visiting different parts of the world throughout the year. They may meet up with other pods in certain areas, where they use songs, body language, splashing, jumping and individualised fin markings to track each other down. Whales are good for the sea Through their contribution to nutrient circulation, whales improve the sea, bringing nutrients from deep in the ocean to the top when alive and adding to the nutrients on the seabed when they die. Studies have shown that numbers of whales, krill and plankton rely on each other; since the moratorium on commercial whaling, populations of all three have increased simultaneously - when scientists fertilised plankton, krill and whale numbers also increased. Plastic pollution - discarded from land, by ships, etc - cuts into, tangles around and can grow into parts of the whale. Smaller bits of plastic, including plastic that has been ground up by the sea, builds up in the whales' bodies, clogging their veins, arteries, and vital organs. What can we do? Reduce our use of oil and diesel. Buy less plastic including less packaging, cosmetics and cuddly toys with plastic beads in them. Difficulties faced by whales Scientists have found that whales are not disturbed by natural noises like underwater earthquakes, ignoring and working around them. However, they find unnatural noises frightening such as those made by ships, air guns used to look for gas and oil and human building, eg laying cables, windfarms. These sounds make communicating and navigating difficult or impossible for whales. Increasingly, crowded seas make it hard for whales to navigate safely. They are regularly hit by ships, which have grown in size and number. Ships often don't see the whale or are too big to manoeuvre out of the way quickly. Like land animals with human vehicles, whales don't realise they have to move and are confused by the artificial noise. They also don't understand our 'sea lane' layouts! There has been a loss of habitat due to massive shipping increases, gas and oil drilling, wind and wave structure, harbours, etc. There has been a loss of food for example, plankton and krill numbers are falling significantly due to changes in the sea (see below). The acidity of the sea is rising through chemical and oil leaks, explosions, accidental spills from ships and manufacturing, or planned releases into the water courses. This kills food for the whales and builds up Buy local products so that items are not moved around the world as much. Always recycle - don't drop litter and clear beaches up. Join organisations that help to clean up or reduce negative impacts in the sea, help the affected animals and work with governments and agencies to improve their work eg RSPB, WWF, World Animal Protection, Greenpeace, Sea Shepherd, Friends of the Earth. Write to companies to ask them to use shipping which use modern technology that reduces noise, petrol and diesel and discard less waste. Write to MSPs/MPs to ask them to improve legislation regarding companies, shipping, etc. responsibilities and standards. Denise MacDonald-Kiernan Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 20 THE GALLOWAY GLENS SCHEME – OUR APPROACH £4 MILLION SPEND RECORDED THROUGH THE SCHEME TO DATE 90 ATTENDEES 9 NEW OR REFURBISHED BUILDINGS SO FAR ON ‘GO WILD’ OUTDOOR EDUCATION CAMPS 23 MILES OF IMPROVED FOOTPATH, INCLUDING 4 NEW BRIDGES 4 YEARS DALRY POSITIONS WITH PARTNERS SO FAR As we approach the end of the Scheme in September 2023, we look at headline achievements so far and try to summarise the approach taken. We are an initiative of the Dumfries & Galloway Council’s Environment Team. Many thanks as always to all partners and funders, without whom none of this would be possible… CARSPHAIRN 11 INTERN The Galloway Glens Scheme is five years of co-ordinated and focussed activity in the Ken/Dee valley, seeking to ‘connect people to their heritage’ while boosting the local economy and supporting sustainable communities. CLATTERINGSHAWS OF THE NATIONALLY ACCLAIMED ‘CAN YOU DIG IT’ COMMUNITY ARCHAEOLOGY PROJECT LAUNCHED THE SOUTH OF SCOTLAND TREE PLANTING GRANT SCEME IN D&G SUPPORTED THE LOCH KEN TRUST NOW RUNNING ONE OF THE FIRST COMMUNITY-LED RANGER SERVICES IN SCOTLAND LOCH KEN >30,000 MILES 27 AWARDS MADE TRAVELLED BY TAGGED GREENLAND WHITE-FRONTED GEESE THROUGH THE SMALL GRANTS SCHEME OUR APPROACH Identify challenges facing communities and work in partnership to design solutions Establish a relationship with partners and then trust them to deliver A ‘place-based’ approach – breaking barriers between topics and sectors, with a focus on the Ken/Dee Valley Draw funding from the national stage to be spent in D&G Use our time-limited nature to our advantage, encouraging momentum and urgency CASTLE DOUGLAS ‘NATURE POSITIVE’ >2,500 PROJECTS SUPPORTED INCLUDING THREAVE LANDSCAPE RESTORATION PROJECT, PEATLAND CONNECTIONS AND THE BLACK WATER OF DEE HABITAT RESTORATION KIRKCUDBRIGHT 35 HEADLINE PROJECTS SUPPORTED UP AND DOWN THE VALLEY ENTRIES IN THE PLACE NAMES DATABASE >75% OF SPEND IS WITH D&G BUSINESSES PRIMARY FUNDER: GAZETTEschools Glenkens Gazette page 21 Dalry School Basketball Team Continues Its Winning Streak I n February Dalry Secondary Basketball team played away at Dumfries Academy. The team won 41-7 after two quarters. Dumfries picked up some injuries so the Dalry team agreed to cut the competitive fixture short and continue with a friendly game, with Dumfries fielding some senior players in their squad. In a much tighter game, Dumfries opened up an early 10-0 lead, after which Dalry switched to a zone defence, shutting Dumfries out for the rest of the game and scoring 12 points in a row. Dalry won the fixture 1210 in what was another excellent performance from the boys. Keep your eyes peeled for the results of the Regional Finals held at Dalbeattie - will Dalry continue their winning streak? Liam Fleming, Coach The Dalry team in their brand new kits, sponsored by Dalry-based company Natural Power Dalry Primary Update Carsphairn Primary C hildren in Dalry Primary have been busy this term. We had a 'Health in Winter session' at the Galloway Activity Centre, which included climbing and archery. On the day the children also had opportunity to be on the loch in canoes and to cook lunch, learning about air miles and food sustainability. Thank you to the Galloway Glens Scheme for supporting this. We had a whole school trip to the Science Centre in Glasgow along with Kells Primary, also kindly funded by the Galloway Glens Scheme. In school we have been having some STEM sessions. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. The children were set challenges and have to design, build and present their findings to the rest of the children. Finally, our Primary 7 children have been learning cycling skills through a Bikeability course. This has been running since the February break and it's wonderful to see how their skills and confidence have increased. Paul Scrimshaw T o satisfy the demand for education at Carsphairn school, Carsphairn CC believe the school should be re-opened and the mothballing halted. Travel times for some children in the Carsphairn catchment area to the proposed alternative at Dalry school involve unacceptably long travel times, as long as one hour depending on how far north of the village the child lives. Furthermore, children are not supervised on the school bus, a further unacceptable situation for young children travelling on their own on the bus to Dalry school. Some of the points made in the consultation for Carsphairn school closure were inaccurate, and ignored both some of the clauses in the Education Act 2010 and the statutory guidance for the closure of rural schools. The Education and Learning committee meet on 28 March to consider the results of the consultation and we hope they will come to the right decision to re-open the school to support the sustainability of the community, and not mothball it for a further two years as recommended by the Education and Learning Directorate. The ongoing plan for affordable housing will bring young families to the area whose children require, and have a right to, schooling in their local community. Carsphairn Community Council GAZETTEarts Hannah McAndrew Wins Heritage Craft Award Glenkens Gazette page 22 C orsock-based slipware potter, Hannah McAndrew, has won the prestigious UK Maker of the Year Award at the UK Heritage Crafts Awards. The award is sponsored by the Marsh Charitable Trust and winners were announced at a prestigious winners’ reception at the House of Lords. The result of the award and a £1,000 cash prize was revealed at the ceremony, opened by Heritage Crafts’ co-chair Jay Blades MBE. After serving an apprenticeship with Dumfriesshire slipware potter, Jason Shackleton, Hannah has been running her own workshop since 2003. She draws influence from the ancient British folk heritage of country pottery, whose makers demonstrated extraordinary, intuitive skill, a high benchmark to which she aspires. Her ‘This is England’ charger was accepted into the permanent collection of Centre of Ceramic Art at York Art Gallery, in 2021. This piece, made as a response to the racist abuse during the Euro 2020 football tournament, raised £9,000 for FareShare UK and was featured on the national news. At this year's Heritage Craft awards Hannah saw off competition from fellow finalists hat maker Rachel Frost and lettercutter Fergus Wessel. Hannah McAndrew and husband Douglas Fitch with Jay Blade (centre), CoChair of Heritage Crafts (and presenter of TV programme 'The Repair Shop' Let the Battle Commence... W e're looking forward to an evening brimming with exciting new talent at the CatStrand Young Creatives' Battle of the Bands. This will be an opportunity for emerging young local musicians under the age of 25 to perform at the CatStrand, with the winning acts going on to perform at Knockengorroch Festival in May. Bands battling will be... Come along and support local young musicians! Book your tickets now at www.csyoungcreatives.com/ whats-on - Deodand - High Priestess - Jodie Rae - Benjamin - Haynes - Ella Campbell - Rhelm - Artful Migration Artists-in-Residence G lenkens-based artists Ted Leeming and Morag Paterson have been given a residency to study the nightjar, one of Scotland's most unusual birds. The project will enable the artists to spend time on site at Lochar Mosses and explore this elusive species, which appears to be thriving in the region. The residency, funded by Moving Souls Dance and Creative Scotland, is the third in a programme of three residencies which have been developed by Upland and Moving Souls Dance since 2017. Each residency has offered artists a unique insight into the migratory birds of Dumfries & Galloway through partnership working with local nature reserves and the opportunity to create new, high-quality artworks in response for public display. Little is known of the nightjar's migratory journey, which provides an opportunity for new research with the project partners, Forestry and Land Scotland and RSPB Scotland. The nightjar has secretive behaviour and an almost supernatural reputation, being only visible at night. Morag and Ted said: “Nightjars are a fascinating species and the source of many myths - their Latin name translates as 'milker of goats'. In folklore, people believed that nightjars fed on the milk of nanny goats, probably due to their nocturnal proximity to livestock. The birds make an annual migration from Africa to Scotland and back, and we’re looking forward to delving more into this route and some of the stopover points." Ravens by Leeming + Paterson The residency will culminate in the creation of new work to be exhibited in October 2023. For more information on project please visit www. weareupland.com/projects Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEarts page 23 Success at the Stewartry Drama Festival A fter a brilliant three-night Stewartry Drama Festival, CatStrand Players are polishing up eight trophies and celebrating after finishing 1st and 3rd in the Youth Festival and 2nd in the Open Festival. After this roaring success, the CatStrand Players went on to represent the Stewartry District at the Western Final in Dunoon with their winning plays where Rabbit placed second in the Youth category and won the trophy for ‘Best Stage Presentation’ in the Western Division youth final. A massive congratulations to all our young actors who did so well! We look forward to returning to Dunoon on 17 March, and hope to be able to report more good news then. Catherine Campbell Above - Youth Players directors Brian Edgar, Catherine Campbell and James Wallace with this year's Drama Festival trophies. Left - more wins at the Western Final in Dunoon. Carsphairn Family Film Screening I n February there was a successful family film screening by Carsphairn 'Young Deciders' in the village hall. Carsphairn ‘Young Deciders’ is a group of volunteers who formed to help coordinate the planning of activities and events for school-aged children and young people in the parish, funded by Foundation Scotland. Following some casual meetings, the young people of Carsphairn chose to run a series of movie afternoons as a preferred avenue to spend the funds provided. In April 2022 a screening of Encanto was put on at the Lagwyne Hall, which was a huge success. Following on from this the group arranged another movie matinee in February 2023. There was a great turnout of all ages, engaging the people of Carsphairn village and the wider community through this inclusive, intergenerational event. The movie chosen was Disney's Strange World and was screened by Driftwood Cinema, who hire and operate cinematic equipment in the area. With a plentiful supply of free popcorn and juice provided for the kids plus tea/coffee and biscuits for the grown-ups, the afternoon was fun for all the family. Thanks go to Driftwood Cinema, the dedicated volunteers of the Carsphairn Community Council and local children’s group Bairn Banter, who all helped organise and oversee the afternoon's activities. Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEarts page 24 Galloway Violin Studio String Workshop T he Galloway Violin Studio hosted its first workshop in three years on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 February. The event was held in Parton and organised by local violin/ viola teacher and director of the Galloway Violin Studio, Cate Howard. Guest teachers were Margaret Parkin, a Suzuki violin/viola teacher from Oxford and Ellen Martin, a Suzuki cello teacher from Ayr. Together with Cate, they delivered a wonderful two days of music-making to over 20 young string players from Dumfries and Galloway, Ayr, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Participants received individual masterclasses and on Saturday morning, they took part in a group class and Chamber Orchestra in Parton Village Hall. The group class played Suzuki violin repertoire and the Chamber Orchestra played an extract from The Snowman by Howard Blake and the Canzonetta from Mendelssohn’s String Quartet Op 12. This music was challenging, but also inspiring for the young musicians. The standard of playing achieved in such a short period of time was amazing and a credit to both students and teachers. The atmosphere in the village hall was friendly and supportive and many commented on the warm sense of community. Many thanks to Parton Village Hall Committee and to Barfil Charitable Trust and Co-op for their generous donations without which the event would Above - a group class held in Parton Village Hall Left - one-to-one teaching in a masterclass with Margare not have been possible. If you are interested in finding out more about violin lessons at the Galloway Violin Studio, please contact Cate Howard at chowardsasc@gmail.com Gilian Hodson Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEarts page 25 GAZETTEarts From the Bookroom Glenkens Gazette In 'From the Bookroom' Glenkensbased author, Robin Yassin-Kassab, takes readers through some of his favourite books. Robin is author of the novel The Road From Damascus and co-author of Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War. In the last issue I wrote about Ulysses – a particularly difficult book which requires time and an attitude shift to make easy. So this time I’ll talk about writing which, though of the highest literary quality, makes easy reading almost from first glance. That is: the short stories of George Saunders – in four collections so far. The stories divide roughly into two types. The first could be called suburban sci-fi, or surreal comic horror, almost in the genre (to switch media) of Black Mirror or Squid Game. Their protagonists are trapped inside simulations. They might have had their memories wiped so as to better perform their corporate task. They might work in a strip bar or some other controlled ‘entertainment’ MATTHEW PAJO Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine - pain management - women's health - men's health - fatigue - sleep - stress - anxiety - needle-free laser acupuncture- The Old School, Crossmichael info@matthewpajo.co.uk 07786 079 845 page 26 environment. The title story of the collection, Civilwarland in Bad Decline, for instance, is set in a historical theme park (Civilwarland) in which desperate employees are plagued by unruly ghosts. Ghoul is set in a sprawling network of underground theme parks, an enclosed world in which ‘monitors’ blow whistles to summon the costumewearing, role-playing staff to kick to death other staff who have broken the rules. The most serious infringement is to say aloud that no customers have ever visited the attraction, and never will. Everybody knows this truth, everybody must nevertheless continue in role. It’s a metaphorical sketch of the human condition. It’s also, indirectly, very political, a dark satire of increasingly authoritarian times. (Interestingly, the only story of his I don’t much like – Love Letter – is the only one which is obviously, straightforwardly, literally political – although I do agree with its politics.) So those are the first type. The second type are less fantastical, though still weird. Instead of sci-fi, they use a brutal realism of emotional dysfunction. Mother’s Day, for instance, skewers the self-deception, cruel parenting, and desperation of two unloved egos. Two women who were shared, and neglected, by one man, now deceased. The writing is devastatingly honest in its character analysis but somehow also gentle and compassionate. The reader empathises with these egos – and sometimes the egos even manage self-transcendence. Mother’s Day ends in one woman’s death, when she is able to slough off her troublesome self, and move on to new things. This conclusion feels somewhat Buddhist (as does the title of Saunders’ Booker Prize-winning novel Lincoln in the Bardo, which I haven’t yet read) and that’s probably because Saunders is himself a practising Buddhist. In interviews he talks of his meditative approach to writing, arriving at the desk without any preconceptions or purposive agenda, but listening to each line, allowing the story to develop itself. The stories which develop themselves through the medium of George Saunders are very funny, and at the same time deadly serious. They are inventive and profound, but also compulsive. Each line pulls you irresistibly to the next, to new surprises, tragedies or jokes. The words slip into you and accumulate as irresistibly as the progress of spring, the greening of the hills, and the coming-to-leaf of our Galloway trees. Robin Yassin-Kassab Amber Dunlop-Pajo Health Psychologist - women's health - stress - depression - anxietyThe Old School, Crossmichael info@gallowaycounselling.co.uk 07389 713 106 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEhistory page 27 Carsphairn Heritage Centre - 30 for 30 H elp us celebrate 30 years of the Carsphairn Heritage Centre. The Carsphairn Heritage Initiative is putting together a new "30 for 30" exhibition to celebrate the end of Carsphairn Heritage Centre's 30th year, and we need your help to nominate items for the exhibition. We're looking for items that mean something to members of the community, no matter how humble or grand the item. It might be a photograph of a place, a letter, a postcard, or artefact which interests you, or just a random item which makes you smile. There are plenty to choose from, 3258 to be precise! If you'd like to help, it's simple: 1) Use the QR code or go to carsphairn.org/ CarsphairnArchive 2) Browse the Online Inventory, use the search function or have a look through the Collections and Exhibitions for ideas. 3) Let us know which item you've chosen; every item has an unique code (identifier) or copy the link to its page. 4) Tell us why you've chosen it; Pen and ink drawing of Carsphairn Heritage Centre by local artist, Robin Ade a sentence or two will do but feel free to write more if you wish. 5) Email your nomination to us with your name at: carsphairnhi.archive@gmail. com We hope you will enjoy browsing the archive and selecting something amazing. The items will be assembled into an exhibition for the Heritage Centre's Easter Open Weekend on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 April and will be available online in perpetuity from April. Gail Challis The Amazing Story of Galloway's Vanishing Horse T he Galloway garron or Nag was a famous breed of Galloway horse, now extinct but with a unique international legacy. This remarkable breed, recorded by Defoe and Shakespeare, was held in the highest regard across the country and beyond but it appears to have vanished without trace. Dr Miriam Bibby is an archaeologist, historian and journalist with a specialist interest in the history and archaeology of the horse and its relationship with humans. She has been researching Galloway’s unique breed of horse, what it was like, what happened to it, and its impact on the equine world. She will share her findings with The Glenkens Story in her talk, 'The Galloway Nag: Galloway's Gift to the World' at the CatStrand at 2pm on Sunday 23 July. Tickets, at £10 (U26 £4), are available from www. gcat.scot or call the CatStrand on 01644 420 374. Sadly no one thought to paint the Galloway Nag and it was extinct by the time of photography arrived. The only readily available image is from a book on agriculture by William Youatt which matches some of the contemporary descriptions. GAZETTEhistory Glenkens Gazette page 28 The Nature of the Games We Play (part 2) C ontinued seasonal recollections of boyhood outdoor activities... Winter, of course, was punctuated and in some ways dominated by the Christmas and New Year festivals, though I believe that celebration of the former has grown, whilst the latter has diminished, in south west Scotland since I was a boy. Like today, as Christmas approached, house decorations began to appear, especially multicoloured paper bells, chains and more elaborate concertina items as wall hangings, often with big illuminated rose pink stars between windows and curtains or cream-coloured blinds (Venetian blinds came later). former could be just a few yards long in back gardens, on pavements (!) and untreated roads, whilst serious sledging was undertaken on the grassy slopes of playgrounds, fields and banks. There was often a mild competitive edge to sliding, with the more fleet-footed vying to out-do each other for style and distance, although ice, like water, can be a great leveller and poise and elegance were oft found where least expected. Some, like myself, led with the left foot, others with the right, but most had great fun, regardless of their method, shape or size. latter often disappeared as abruptly and mysteriously as they had come. No great skill was acquired in this, but we soon got to know hares, stoats and, my personal favourite, the long, linear single track of the fox or Tod Lowry as they were sometimes called by the 'aul anes'. Of course, snow is a rarity in these parts now, and seldom lasts for long even when it does lie. From memory, spring rarely came early and March was often very cold and windy. However, longer days encouraged early evening activity outdoors to the increasingly confident songs of skittery felties (mistle thrush), mavis (song thrush) and blackies (blackbirds). Willow and hazel catkins were cut for mothers’ spring vases, while April weekends allowed more time for gathering posies of primroses from the wooded banks and violets from the fields. How perfectly beautiful they looked in a shallow dish on the kitchen table or window ledge; delicate blue violets surrounded by pale yellow primroses - and how welcomed they were, too. I always felt for these magnificent creatures, which had come so far upstream only to be caught, killed and eaten... Nature provided holly and ivy, which some had in addition to a tree (mostly synthetic), but life was largely lived indoors in wet and stormy weather, as it is today. However, frost and, joy-of-joys, snow, encouraged an outdoor exodus of the young. Frost alone was more common and the longer it prevailed the more celebrated it became, with ever lengthening forays into the countryside in search of pristine ice for breaking and other play. Icicles were a delight and so refreshing, even to those who normally turned up their noses at drinking water without Creamola Foam, Sunfresh, Tree Top, Ribena or other squash additives to the tumbler. In extreme winters with prolonged frosts the burns and lochs froze over and, of course, encouraged more dangerous pursuits, and many a good day was curtailed by going through the ice and over the wellies. The first snow saw snowmen appearing everywhere; snow women were always scarcer and more transient. Snowball fights were everywhere, while the gloaming saw wee groups gathering to make mischief by snowballing windows to encourage rage and, with luck, a chase. I recall a certain street etiquette sparing older folk, recently-bereaved or otherwise stricken households from this unkindness. The irascible and taciturn were most often targeted as reliable sport, though sometimes several houses in the same street were struck at once, just for the extra kick. Perhaps surprisingly, I don’t ever remember a window being broken and no lasting harm was done, however annoying it must have been for grow-ups. However, the communal climaxes of prolonged snow and ice in the mining schemes were slides and sledging. The Home-made sledges, some with runners fashioned at the pithead, were quite common, as were bread boards procured from shops’ back yards. These came in two sizes, the longer ones carrying several young sledgers, although three generations were often involved in the fun, breath turning to mist in the cold. Together with dogs running loose and barking for joy, the whole comprised a winter scene like some Bruegel painting. Remember chilblains? The sun had clos’d the winter-day, The Curlers quat their roaring play, And hunger’d Maukin taen her way [hare] To kail-yards green, While faithless snaws ilk step betray Whare she has been. Burns: The Vision Many older boys and indeed men were keen fishers of trout and could increasingly be seen along the burns as the season progressed. In my youth, both salmon and sea trout also had spring runs, entering the Nith from the Solway and heading up into headwaters in east Ayrshire. Afton Water, a tributary at New Cumnock, was favoured by both fish and some became highly skilled in various (illegal) methods of catching these, including at times with the rod. I always felt for these magnificent creatures, which had come so far upstream only to be caught, killed and eaten, but tradition dies hard and some families had hard times. It was about this time that stanks and ponds were visited to collect frog spawn and even a few newts, which were all kept and fed in old sinks and such like in back gardens. One soon learned to give them wee bits of mince (protein) for the taddies to become frogs, otherwise they simply became monstrous taddies with no hint of frog about them. Beyond my village the scene was more Farquharson RSA, with sheep turning round to gauge how frightened to be at one’s approach. It was always a joy to discover and follow animal and bird tracks in the snow, though of course the Sprouting hawthorn buds, so-called bread and cheese, were eaten in some parts of the country, but never in mine, and while once or twice I came upon the hidden tapping of birch sap for wine-making by continentals, this was generally unusual. In more recent years on an Estonian island, I was given a glass to try but was rather disappointed despite giving it every chance to impress. Continued over the page... Glenkens Gazette Continued from previous page... Wild spring nourishment included pignuts – we called them grun (ground) nuts. Spring flowers on old pasture often included these conspicuous creamcoloured umbellifers, indicating the presence of the nutty prize below. These were usually consumed without proper washing beyond a quick dicht on the fresh green sward, but they didn’t seem to do us any harm, though I now wonder how much of their earthy flavour was imparted by soil. Finally, we come to the excitement of the bird nesting season, a great highlight of the boyhood calendar, as indeed it still is for me. Improvements in agriculture, especially draining and silage, were fast reducing the numbers of breeding peasies (lapwings) around my village, but the early spring collecting of eggs for the plate was still practised extensively in the mining communities. Peasie eggs are simply delicious, scrambled or in omelettes, and though now understandably protected by law, I have fond memories of eating them. Gull eggs were sometimes collected for baking, but never in our house, though I do remember an occasional whaup (curlew) egg or two reaching the kitchen table. In more recent times egg collecting rightly became an abhorrent and socially page 29 unacceptable practice, and indeed as an employee of the RSPB part of my job in early years was to assist the police in detecting and prosecuting rare-bird eggthieves. While I never knew any serious collectors, like many schoolboys I kept a modest egg collection and each spring over several years had great fun adding to this. Only one egg from a clutch was taken (serious collectors usually took entire clutches and indeed often multiple clutches of the same species). I soon grew out of the habit and indeed now wonder that I could have taken any. However, like very many ornithologists of my own and earlier generations, there is no doubt that my deep interest in and love of birds was stimulated at an early age by bird nesting in spring, and to this day I still marvel at the unique beauty of birds’ eggs, but always in their rightful place, the nest. Guilt, hypocrisy, regret and embarrassment are never easy sentiments to deal with, however trivial their origin may seem to some. Whilst not excusing myself Gillespie Gifford & Brown LLP Solicitors and Estate Agents Dumfries & Galloway 01556 503744 www.ggblaw.co.uk All legal advice Offices in Castle Douglas, Dalbeattie Kirkcudbright and Dumfries nor wishing to be excused for boyhood taking of eggs, I do appreciate my current seasonal connections with the natural world – the real world – and recognise the importance of bird nesting in spring in nurturing this from an early age. I don’t feel alone in this, but I do realise how privileged some of us are in having these lifelong connections with nature. "Nature’s gifts to all are free" - Burns Chris Rollie, Dalry Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation Glass Recycling Points • Balmaclellan Stores, Balmaclellan • Memorial Hall, St Michael's Road, Crossmichael • Kirkland Street, St John's Town of Dalry • New Galloway, Carson's Knowe Car Park • St David Street, Kirkpatrick Durham USEFUL NUMBERS: ● Pot-hole Hotline: 0845 276 0000 ● Police, non-emergency: 101 ● Doctor: 01644 420 234 ● NHS 24: 08454 24 24 24 ● D&G Council: 030 33 33 3000 ADVERTISE IN THE GAZETTE (price per issue incl VAT) page 30 Job Vacancies Natural Power has three home-based positions open at the moment – Senior Ornithologist (closing date 7 Apr), Construction Project Manager (closing date 7 Apr) and Senior Ecological Modeller (closing date 6 Apr). For information on these jobs visit www.naturalpower.com/uk/ careers Glenkens Community & Arts Trust has a vacancy for a Community Activities Officer - see back page Inclusivity Training Sessions ThursͲFri 20Ͳ21st April (venue tbc) Are you a practitioner/ group / workshop leader or small venue and want to find out about making your service and sessions more accessible to people to people with a range of additional needs This may be the training for you and Its FREE.  Thursday we will cover: Friday we will cover supporting people:  Hearing and visual impairments (Aids/ Devices and Apps);  with Mental Health issues;  Creating accessible documents/ formats; People who identify as LGBTQ; Autism Spectrum Disorders; Easy read  An opportunity to discuss scenarios, strategies and best practice.  Talk from a local venue on getting Accessibilty right.   The days will be a mix of information sessions and workshops, and are being led by experts in the field– from Visibility Scotland, The Hard of Hearing group, to Dumfries and Galloway’s Chief Educational Psychologist and their Autism lead, LGBTQ and practical advice from The Cample_Line venue and their journey.  If you would like to come along please express your interest by email to catherine@dgvoice.co.uk or calling/ texting 07897 876181.  SMALL: We are limited to 40 places. Thank you. 6cm x 6cm, £50 DG Voice is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity.  Registered Company Number (Scotland): SC327973. Charity number: SC030187 1/4 PAGE: 9cm w x 13cm h, £108 1/2 PAGE: 18cm w x 13cm h, £200 FULL PAGE: 18cm w x 27cm h, £332 Please get in touch further details including small business/ charity rates and series discounts. Email glenkensgazette@ hotmail.co.uk or call/ WhatsApp 07727 127 997 VAT Reg. No. 334 0905 24 THE STEWARTRY VETERINARY CENTRE CASTLE DOUGLAS SURGERY HOURS GLENKENS MEDICAL PRACTICE DALBEATTIE SURGERY HOURS General Medical & Dispensing Services FOR APPOINTMENTS AT BOTH SURGERIES OR IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY The Surgery High Street New Galloway Mon-Fri 2.00-2.30 pm & 5-6 pm Mon-Fri 8.30am-6pm Sat 2-2.30 pm Mon, Wed, Fri 3-3.30 pm Tues & Thurs 6-6.30 pm  01556 502263 VETERINARY SURGERY OAKWELL ROAD CASTLE DOUGLAS  FOR APPOINTMENTS CALL 01644 420234 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation page 31 KEY GLENKENS CONTACTS LOCAL DOCTORS’ SURGERY Glenkens Medical Practice - 01644 420 234 COMMUNITY CONTACTS • Balmaclellan: Martin Warnock 07939 261 391 • Carsphairn: Liz Holmes - 07718 358 160 • Corsock: Julie Garton - 07769 647 702 • Kirkpatrick Durham: Heather 07551 639 629 • Crossmichael: Richard Middleton - 01556 670 691 • Dalry: Graham West - 01644 430 503 • New Galloway: 07741 656 601 • Parton: Erica or Brian - 01644 470 277 FOOD DELIVERIES • Galloway Foodbank - 07730 788 335 • Glenkens Food Hub - www. openfoodnetwork.org.uk/ glenkens-food-hub/shop • Ballards Butchers - 01556 502502 (they also deliver groceries) • Grierson’s Butchers: 01556 502 637 • Henderson’s Butchers: 01556 502 654 • Mitchell’s Greengrocers: 01556 502 077 • Fleet Fish: call 07966 103 912 to find out about Glenkens delivery days • Roan’s Dairy - 01556 620 374 LOCAL COMMUNITY GROUPS Glenkens Community Shop: Contact Liz Lewis on 07530 804 217 or drop by the shop on Main Street, Dalry Glenkens Scout Group: Contact Heather McIntosh on 01644 420 375 Local Initiatives in New Galloway (LING): Contact newgallowaytownhall@gmail.com Dalry Communities Properties Trust (DCPT): Contact Gary Blissett at garyblissett51@gmail. com or 01644 430 521 Dalry Town Hall: Contact Lesley Blissett at lesleyblissett52@gmail.com Glenkens Community Centre: Contact Sarah McAdam on minimac01644@gmail.com New Galloway Community Enterprises (NGCE): Contact ngce5000@gmail.com or pop into New Galloway Community Shop Balmaclellan Community Trust: Contact Julia Higgins at julia.higgins55@outlook.com CatStrand: Contact Fiona Limbrey at fiona@ catstrand.com or 01644 420 374 or pop in to the CatStrand Schools: Visit the school office or call Dalry Primary on 01644 430 105 (for Nursery/ELC too), Dalry Secondary on 01644 430 259 or Kells on 01644 420 340 Carsphairn Heritage Initiative: Contact Karen Hall at carsphairnhi@gmail.com Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership (GGLP): Contact McNabb Laurie at mcnabb. laurie@dumgal.gov.uk If you would like to add your community organisation to this list please get in touch with the Gazette - contact details are on the back page. GLENKENS CHURCH TIMES CHURCH OF SCOTLAND Sunday Services Balmaclellan: 11am - 2 Apr, 7 May, 4 Jun Carsphairn: 11am - 9 Apr (Easter Sunday), 14 May Kells: 11am - 16 Apr (Communion), 30 Apr, 21 May Dalry: 11am - 23 Apr, 28 May (Communion) Special Services (other than noted already above): Fri 7 April - Good Friday service 7.30pm Kells church. Sat 8 April - Performance of The Passion (A Tale o' Guid Friday), 7.30pm, Dalry Church. Sun 9 Apr, Dawn Service & Breakfast, 7.30am, Balmaclellan War Memorial & Village Hall. For further information contact Rev Pam Bellis on 07751 379 249 or pam@bellisconsultancy.co.uk SCOTTISH EPISCOPAL CHURCH St Margaret's Church, New Galloway, DG7 3RP Palm Sunday: 10.30am Sung Eucharist, Canon Barry Gilbert presiding Easter Day: 10.30am Sung Eucharist, Revd Dawn Matthew presiding All friends and visitors welcome. After Easter, the Sunday service times are likely to change so please check website or noticeboard outside the church. For further information, please call Dawn Matthew on 01644 420 431 or visit www. stmargaretsnewgalloway.org Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation page 32 GAZETTEinformation Glenkens Gazette page 33 GALLOWAY COMMUNITY TRANSPORT www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org email gct@catstrand.com phone 01644 420374 mobile 07841 512449 April 2023 - May 2023 Regular Services GCT EXCURSIONS GK2 Glenkens-Castle Douglas (Tesco) Wednesday Evenings (Registered Route) Out Return Glasgow Shopping and Culture Saturday 6 May 2023 19:00 Dalry (Underhill) 21:15 19:05 New Galloway 21:10 19:15 Mossdale 21:00 Visit this exciting City to enjoy a day shopping or 19:25 Laurieston 20:50 19:30 Townhead of Greenlaw 20:47 visiting the museums and galleries. Drop offs at 19:37 Castle Douglas (Market St) 20:37 19:40 Castle Douglas (Tesco) 20:35 Booking not required Glenkens to Newton Stewart Fortnightly - Tuesday mornings Outward Pickups: Dalry (Underhill) 09:30 New Galloway (Town Hall) 09:35 CatStrand) 09:37 To Aldi Return Pickup Newton Stewart (Aldi Car Park) 11:30 Return fare £3.50 Advance booking required. Member Hire Bothwell Street and Silverburn Shopping Centre. Gardens of Excellence: Corsock House Sunday 28th May 2023 Corsock House garden includes an amazing variety of designed landscapes, from a strictly formal walled garden, through richly planted woodlands full of different vistas. For more info on both these trips, please visit our website at: www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org/excursions or email: gct@catstrand.com for updates GCT has 16-, 15-, and 8-seater minibuses and a fully wheelchair accessible electric car available for hire by community organisations. For information about membership and terms and conditions of hire see the GCT website or phone 07841 512449. Glenkens eBike Club If you are a local Glenkens resident and are interested in joining the Glenkens eBike Club please see our webpage: https://www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org/ebikes phone 07841 512449 or email gctjon@catstrand.com Drivers Needed Galloway Community Transport needs your help to provide a wide range of community transport services across the Stewartry and beyond. MINIBUS DRIVING Minibus drivers with D1 (101 or by test) are needed to do volunteer and paid driving for our wide range of member community groups. PATIENT TRANSPORT We also urgently need drivers with their own cars for our patient transport service. Our volunteer patient transport drivers receive a generous mileage reimbursement and the satisfaction of providing a vital service to vulnerable people in our communities. Interested? Email gct@catstrand.com or phone 07841 512449 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation page 34 WHAT'S ON April/May APRIL Sat 15, Mambo Jambo and Alan McClure, 7.30pm, CatStrand See p32 for CiC April/May events Tue 18, Citizens Advice Drop-in, 10am4pm, CatStrand Sat 1, Battle of the Bands, 7.30pm, CatStrand, see p23 Thu 20, Open Stage with Alan McClure, 7.30pm, CatStrand Tue 4, Citizens Advice Drop-in, 10am4pm, CatStrand Thu 20 & Fri 21, DG Voice Inclusivity Training Sessions, venue tbc, see p29 Wed 5, Dalry Film Club: The Lost King, 7.30pm, Dalry Town Hall Fri 21-Tue 25, Glenkens Food Hub Open for Orders, openfoodnetwork. org.uk/glenkens-food-hub/shop Fri 7 - Tue 11, Glenkens Food Hub Open for Orders, openfoodnetwork. org.uk/glenkens-food-hub/shop Sat 8, Happiness Collectors, 11am & 12.30pm, CatStrand Sat 8, Mike & Ruthy of The Mammals, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sat 8, Bairn Banter's Easter Egg Hunt, 10am, Carsphairn School Playground, see p7 Sat 8, Glenkens Producers Market, 10am-1pm, Dalry Town Hall Sat 8, A Tale o’ Guid Friday and Ayont, 7.30pm, Dalry Church, admission free, donations Abbas Read Orphanage, Malawi. Sat 8 & Sun 9, Carsphairn Heritage Centre's Easter Open Weekend, see p26 Tue 11, Vanishing Point Unplugged presents SPIN!, 7.30pm, CatStrand Tue 13, Ken Words Writers Cafe, 1pm, CatStrand David Tallontire CHIMNEY SWEEP Covering the Glenkens & further afield 07709 144 299 - wood burners - multi-fuel stoves - open fires - Agas - Rayburns - birds nest removal with CCTV inspection - certificates issued - feel free to call for advice - Find me on Facebook Sat 22, Patrick Monahan: Classy, 7.30pm, CatStrand Mon 24, Kiki Dee & Carmelo Luggeri: The Long Ride Home Tour, 7.30pm, CatStrand Wed 26, Dalry Film Club: Mrs Harris Goes to Paris, 7.30pm, Dalry Town Hall Sat 29, Dalry Police Station Drop-in, 11am-12.30pm Sat 29, Plant & Bake Sale, 10am12noon, St Margarets Church, New Galloway, see p3 MAY Tue 2, Citizens Advice Drop-in, 10am4pm, CatStrand Fri 5 to Tue 9, Glenkens Food Hub Open for Orders, openfoodnetwork. org.uk/glenkens-food-hub/shop Family and friends coming to stay? Short of space? Cosy country cottage available (sleeps 4) Call Fiona on 01644 420 227 www.covenanters-holidaycottagescotland.co.uk Sat 6, GCT Bus Trip: Glasgow, see p30 Sat 6 - Mon 8, Carsphairn Coronation Weekend Thu 11, Ken Words Writers Cafe, 7pm, CatStrand Sat 13, Glenkens Producers Market, 10am-1pm, Dalry Town Hall Sun 14, Lulo Rheinhardt & Yuliya Lonskaya, 7.30pm, CatStrand Tue 16, Citizens Advice Drop-in, 10am4pm, CatStrand Wed 17, Dalry Film Club: The Courier, 7.30pm, Dalry Town Hall Fri 19 - Tue 23, Glenkens Food Hub Open for Orders, openfoodnetwork. org.uk/glenkens-food-hub/shop Sun 21, Vri, 7.30pm, CatStrand Tue 23, Glenkens Community Spaces Network meeting, see p6 Thu 25 - Sun 28, Knockengorroch Festival, Knockengorroch Farm, Carsphairn, see p2 Sun 28, GCT Bus Trip: Corsock House, see p30 JUNE Sat 24, SongWave Choir Summer Concerts, 3pm, Dalry Town Hall 唀瀀栀漀氀猀琀攀爀礀Ⰰ 䰀漀漀猀攀 䌀漀瘀攀爀猀Ⰰ 䘀愀戀爀椀挀猀Ⰰ 䌀甀猀栀椀漀渀猀 刀攀昀椀氀氀攀搀 䘀爀攀攀 䔀猀琀椀洀愀琀攀猀 吀栀攀 圀漀爀欀猀栀漀瀀Ⰰ 䴀漀渀礀戀甀椀攀Ⰰ 䌀漀爀猀漀挀欀⸀ 䐀䜀㜀 ㌀䐀夀 眀眀眀⸀䠀愀爀爀椀猀ⴀ唀瀀栀漀氀猀琀攀爀礀⸀挀漀⸀甀欀 ㄀㘀㐀㐀 㐀㐀 㔀㈀㤀 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation page 35 REGULAR ACTIVITIES Balmaclellan Village Hall Tuesday Afternoon Teas, 1st Tues each month, to book email warburton.julie@ googlemail.com Glenkens Crafters, Wed 10am-12noon, for info contact julia.higgins55@outlook. com Books in Balmaclellan Community Library, Wed 10.30–12.30 & 5.30-7pm; Fri 5.30-7.30pm; Sat 10.30am -12.30pm (tea & coffee available on Sat). Balmaclellan Blether, 3rd Thu each month, contact warburton.julie@ googlemail.com Glenkens Art Workshop, Thu 2-4pm, contact t_leach1@sky.com Easiobics, Tue & Fri 9.30-10.30pm, contact mlfagan@live.co.uk Circuits, Sat 8-9am, contact John 07544 713 586 Kettelbells, Mon & Tue 6-7pm, contact John 07544 713 586 The Smiddy, Balmaclellan Digital Art, (age 11+), Tue 4.30-5.30 The Men's Shed, Balmaclellan Opening Times: Monday, 9.30am - 12.30pm Wednesday, 9.30am - 12.30pm, Wood Carving, 2-4pm Thursday, Art Group, 2-4pm Friday, 9.30am - 12.30pm Saturday, 9am - 12noon Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn Carsphairn SWI, 3rd Thu of the month, 7.30pm,Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn Craft Group, Fri 10am-12noon, includes tea & coffee, Lagwyne Hall, contact carsphairncraftgroup@gmail.com Bairn Banter; family stay & play session, 0-7 years, Sat 10-11.45am, Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn CatStrand, New Galloway Margaret Morris Movement: Health Play (age 5-8), Mon (during term time), 3.45-4.30pm Margaret Morris Movement: Youth Grade (age 8-15), Mon (during term time), 4.30-5.30pm Young Art Ambassadors (age 11+), Mon bi-weekly, 4.30-5.30pm Citizens Advice Drop-ins, every other Tue from 4th April, 10am-4pm Boccia Club, 2nd Wed of the month, 2-3pm Newton Stewart Bus Service to Tesco, Wednesday evenings Dramarama, (age 6-10), Wed 4.30-5.15pm Up Skills: 3D Animation, (age 15+), Wed 6-8pm Young Writers Cafe, (age 12+), Wed 6-7.30pm, monthly A Chance to Dance, (age 12+), Thu biweekly, 5.30-7pm VAN: Peer Review Sessions, (age 16+), 7-9pm, monthly Dance Weekenders (age 12+), Sat monthly, 1–4pm Art Explorers, (age under 10), Sat biweekly 10-11am Sat Art Club, (age 10-15), Sat bi-weekly 11.15am-12.30pm Creative Portfolio Development, (Age 15+), Sat monthly CatStrand Youth Players, meet weekly, contact briangm@catstrand.com New Galloway Town Hall Due to work on the building please confirm activities are running on 07749 249 781 or newgallowaytownhall@gmail. com Men's Monday Morning Coffee, Mon 9.30-11am Glenkens Youth Activity Group, ages 11+, Mon 7-8.30pm, Dalry School Gym Hall, contact youthwork.ling@gmail.com or 07719 708 668 LING Lunches, Tue, 12.30-2pm. currently held at Kitty's, opposite NG Town Hall, contact communityinclusion.LING@gmail. com Sports Evenings, indoor bowling & table tennis, Tues 7-9pm, New Galloway Scout Hut, contact Ray on 01644 420 438 Tai Chi, 10.30-11.30am, suspended, contact gentletaichigroup@gmail.com Zumba, Wed 7-8pm, suspended, contact samantha.rushton@hotmail.co.uk booking essential Martial Arts, Thur 5.30-6.30pm (beginners & tots) & 7-9pm (age 6+), suspended, contact @Facebook KMANews or kmabrian@gmail.com Gentle Yoga, Fri, transferred to Balmaclellan, contact kathyr64@hotmail. co.uk Informal Family Badminton, (net and racquets but no line markings), New Galloway Town Hall, contact Ros on 07749 249 781 Glenkens Charity Shop Opening Times: Mon, Tue & Thu - 10am-1pm Wed, Fri & Sat - 10am-4pm Glenkens Community Centre Dalry Good Neighbours Club, Tue, 2-4pm, contact Michelle on 07795 613 148 Schools Out, Wed 3-4.30pm, kids & parents after-school social club, contact Michele on 07940 313445 Clachan Crafters, Thu 2-4pm, contact Sarah on 07500 861 041 Yoga For All, Fr 9.15-10.15am, contact Amy on 07733 111 466 Friendship Group, Sat (excluding Glenkens Producers Market days), 1011.30am, contact Anne on 01644 430 052 Table Tennis/Badminton, available to hire by arrangement, contact Sarah on 07500 861 041 Dalry Library Main St, Dalry, Tel: 01644 430 234 Random Writers (age 12+), Thu biweekly, 3.45–5pm Glenkens Book Group, last Friday of each month, 2pm, call June to book on 01644 420 361 Library Opening Times: Tue, 2-5pm, for books and other walk-in Fri, 11.30am-12.30pm for NEC Bus Pass and Blue Badge appointments and PCs, and 1-4.30pm for books and other walkin services: Appointments can be booked in the library or on 01387 260 196. Dalry Town Hall Tai Chi, video-led instruction, Mon, 2-3pm, contact lesleyblissett52@gmail. com Dog Training, Tue, 7pm, contact Eric Broadhurst on 07831 590 822 Song Share, 1st Friday each month, 8-11pm, contact anne.chaurand@ btinternet.com Various Cosy Corner, Tue, 1-5pm, Crossmichael Church Hall, contact Anne on 07889 016 963 Crossmichael Heritage Centre, Wed & Fri, 1.30-4.30pm Cub Scouts, Wed 6.15-7.30pm, Scout Hall, New Galloway Clachan Crafters, Glenkens Community Centre, Dalry, Thurs 2-4pm, contact 07500 861 041 or minimac01644@gmail. com Glenkens Community Shop, open Wed, Fri & Sat, 10am- 4pm Knockvennie Hall Heat Bank & Snooker Club, contact Andrew on 01556 690 677 Outdoor Bowls, Dalry, contact Fiona Ramsay on 01644 430 587 Snooker/Indoor Bowls, contact Gary on 01644 430 521 Glenkens Gazette Join the Glenkens Walkers M y name is Jackie, and I originally had the idea for of creating a walking group to help me get to know the area better and meet new people. I’ll be walking from the Catstrand each Wednesday morning, and it would be great to have some company. If you’ve got a route in mind I’d happy to tag along - I don’t mind what the walk is like; muddy, off-road, on road or around town. I love using the AllTrails app. It has both a free and premium option and is great for plotting your walks and looking for walks in the area. A walk I went on recently was the Mossdale Kite Trail, which is a 2.5 mile circular route. AllTrails says: "...This trail is great for birding, hiking, and walking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. "The route starts off along a wide gravel path before turning right and into open farmland. There may be loose cows in this area so care should be taken. Then it's through a gate and the path narrows to a very overgrown trail. "There's a lovely spot by the loch for a snack and to take a few minutes to chill." I pretty much agree with the write up from AllTrail. As far as it being a challenging walk, page 36 as an overweight, unfitish 40-something I didn’t find it especially hilly or long but I guess I’d say the challenge is the terrain at times. There is a car park at the start of the walk with room for maybe 10 cars Hope to see you at the CatStrand next Wednesday at 9.30am for some more exploring! Vsit the Glenkens Walkers Facbook page for routes and photos of our walks. Jackie Jackie has just been recruited as LING's new community inclusion worker - see page 11 for more on this. Mossdale Kite Trail as viewed on the AllTrails app 25th — 28th MAY CELEBRATING with the FINEST MUSIC from the CELTIC DIASPORA & ACROSS THE GLOBE, deep in the GALLOWAY HILLS ZENTONE (High Tone + Zenzile) / THE LANGAN BAND DOWDELIN / SOLO BANTON / OLD BLIND DOGS / MARINA P SHEELANAGIG / MUNGO’S HI FI SOUND SYSTEM ´ / CUT CAPERS YIDDISH TWIST ORCHESTRA / THE DRYSTONES / ROKIA KONE SUBHIRA QUINTET / AKRAM ABDULFATTAH / AN DANNSA DUB & many more names still to be announced. www.knockengorroch.org.uk/tickets WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Submit events, activities, news stories, cartoons, reviews, tips & techniques, fiction, photos, ads or ideas... Contact Sarah Ade on 07727 127 997 or glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk Editing & Design: sarah.ade@gmail.com JUN/JUL COPY DEADLINE: 5 MAY The Glenkens Gazette is an initiative of the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust, a Registered Scottish Charity No SC032050 The role of the Gazette is to represent the voice of the community and does not represent the views of GCAT.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette 135 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GG_135 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Glenkens Gazette Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource GCAT Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2023 Description An account of the resource Editor: Sarah Ade https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/1/283/GlenkensGazette136.pdf 97f7be73e45fc1bb65767df9bd832c0c Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette 136 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Glenkens Gazette Description An account of the resource <p>Find out more about the Gazette: <a href="https://glenkens.scot/gazette-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Glenkens Gazette home page</a> If you would like to submit an article or take out an advert, please email the editor Sarah Ade: <span>&nbsp;</span><a href="mailto:glenkensgazette@hotmail.com">glenkensgazette@hotmail.com</a></p> <p>The Glenkens Gazette is a member of, and regulated by <span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.impressorg.com/">Impress</a>.</p> <p>The Glenkens Gazette is an initiative of Glenkens Community &amp; Arts Trust (SC032050) and represents the voice of the community (not necessarily the views of GCAT).</p> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document June/July 2023 ISSUE 136 World record price for Glenkens Galloway bull A Corsock farming family have set a world record for the price of a Galloway bull. The Finlays, from Blackcraig, Corsock, secured a world record price of 26,000 guineas for Blackcraig Dyker born and bred on their Corsock farm from home-bred stock. According to farmer John Finlay the average price of a good Galloway bull is between 4,000 and10,000 guineas. (A guinea is used in livestock sales and is equivalent to £1.05, or a pound and a shilling). Two years ago the Finlays secured a world record price for a Galloway cow - Blackcraig Fay – who sold for 12,500 guineas. The record prices reflect the growing FREE INSIDE THIS ISSUE Turn to pages 18-19 for our Glenkens Volunteer Week centre spread! popularity of the Galloway breed as a meat producer and a friend of the environment. Left to right - John, Ann, Iain, Katy and daughter Isla with their recordbreaking bull, Blackcraig Dyker Bairn Banter joins ...page 6 Continued on P6 - why Galloways are great for the land Music world mourns Nicola Black D umfries & Galloway is mourning the sad loss of one of its best loved musicians, Nicola Black, who died suddenly on 25 March. Nicola was well known throughout the region and beyond and was an extremely talented musician, singer, songwriter, teacher and a great supporter of the performing arts in general throughout the country. More than 400 people processed through her home village of Kirkpatrick Durham to attend her funeral service. Hundreds more from across the world watched the service online. Many more tributes to her have flowed in from all over the world since her sudden death and this overwhelming support has been a great comfort to her husband Blackie and the family. A Glenkens Land Use Vision ...see page 7 She was best known in the Glenkens as a performer, workshop leader andaudience member at CatStrand and was also the much loved leader of theCatStrand Singers and host of Open Stage events. Nicola was also a great advocate for spoken and sung Scots language and over the past year she released the albums Squatter o’ Bairnsangs with her band and Singing the Galloway Glens with the CatStrand Singers. ...see P17 A weekend of musical history ...pages 25 & 28 News from the communities of Balmaclellan, Carsphairn, Corsock, Crossmichael, Kirkpatrick Durham, Laurieston, Mossdale, New Galloway, Parton and St John’s Town of Dalry GAZETTEnews Glenkens Gazette page 2 Spring fundraising at St Margaret’s T he St Margaret’s Guild is delighted to report on a series of successful fundraising events. A project to help traumatised children in Ukraine has now been completed. Sufficient funds were raised to put together 50 Play Therapy kits which are now on their way to Ukraine. Guild member Sarah Watson, a trained and experienced Play Therapist, explained: “Each kit contains specific items with a therapeutic value, they’re not just toys. They are packed in easily transportable bags with an explanation in Ukrainian as to how to use the kits, and a card with a signed message letting them know that someone is thinking of them and holding them in mind.” The Guild is grateful to all who contributed and helped with this worthwhile project. During March, the Guild once again held several Lent Lunches. Hosts welcomed many friends from the Church of Scotland, as well as the St Margaret’s congregation, for soup and rolls, followed by cheese and biscuits, and coffee or tea. The lunches are enjoyable social occasions but through donations also raise funds for a variety of good causes. This year over £850 was raised for JDRF (Junior Diabetes Research Foundation), Scottish Egg-cellent Easter fun L ocal Glenkens children’s group Bairn Banter, along with Carsphairn Heritage Centre, organised an eggcellent fun-filled weekend of free Easter-themed activities. Children of all ages from across the Glenkens gathered in eager anticipation for an Easter egg hunt in Carsphairn Primary School playground. Once all the eggs had been found, the fun continued with a children’s egg and spoon race followed by a very competitive adults' race! Having built up quite an appetite, the group moved on to Lagwyne Hall for hot cross buns, fruit, teas/coffees and other refreshments provided by Bairn Banter volunteers. Alongside Easter eggs provided by Bairn Banter, South Kyle windfarm also donated chocolate eggs for the children Autism and MOOL: Dumfries & Galloway Refugee Action. Lastly, the St Margaret’s annual Plant & Bake Sale took place on Saturday 29 April. Luckily the weather held for what was a very busy morning with sales of many plants, vegetable seedlings and annuals; two tables laden with delicious home-baking and many folk were able to stay and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and cake. Bumper profits of £602 have now gone to Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance. SCAA responds, on average, to two time-critical emergency callouts every day and with no government funding, they rely on fundraising and donations to fuel their lifesaving flights. to enjoy. After the wholesome refuel, families then visited the wonderful and educational exhibition that was displayed at Carsphairn Heritage Centre. Children were able to enjoy egg decorating while learning about some traditional dyeing methods from times gone by; different flowers, beetroot and even onion skins were common ways of making Children decorating Easter eggs at Carsphairn Heritage Centre colourful Easter eggs before the times of modern paints and felt-tip pens! Melissa Ade Dalry Town Hall celebrates funding success D alry Town Hall is pleased to announce success in obtaining two awards for energy improvement. Until recently the hall was held by a historic trust. However, this type of ownership has restrictions, particularly on the level and sources of funding available. About a year ago a public meeting resulted in a vote for a transfer to a charity structure, namely to become a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO). As was outlined at the meeting the first aim of the new body under a board of trustees would be to seek improvements in the hall’s use of energy. Following an energy survey by Business Energy Scotland, application was made through Local Energy Scotland for funding to the Scottish Government CARES fund. However, the fund can only provide 80% of the needed cost and so a second application was made to Blackcraig Windfarm Community Fund through Foundation Scotland for the remainder. Importantly, the measures identified sit well in line with the Community Action Plan developed by the Glenkens District Trust - so both funding sources are mutually supportive. The hall is now thrilled to announce that both applications have been successful and will provide an additional heat pump and radiators to enhance the comfort of users, a destratification fan to drive warmed air from the high ceiling back down, photovoltaic panels on the roof and battery storage, and low energy lighting within the hall to further reduce energy usage. The project will be underway over the next year. Hall trustees are very grateful to all funding bodies involved in providing the opportunity to make these improvements possible. J Reid Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEnews page 3 Glenkens coronation celebrations C arsphairn Community Council organised a Coronation Garden Party for Carsphairn residents. A delicious buffet, tea, coffee and soft drinks from Carsphairn Tea Rooms kept everybody fueled up and we all enjoyed being entertained by the Kilmarnock Concert Brass. N Everyone had a great time, especially the children. The weather, in spite of a dubious forecast, turned out very well with lots of sunshine that was enjoyed by everyone. ew Galloway held a picnic in the park to celebrate the King's coronation. The event was a great success with over 30 volunteers helping out - a true community event; thank you to all who helped make this such a great day. The weather was kind to us; all week we watched the Met Office and thankfully this time around it was wrong! We had wonderful cake and pasties, which went down a storm. Then there was our cake competition - we had some great entries. The skill our bakers and decorators have is quite incredible, it must have been a difficult decision for the judges. P arton Village Hall organised a picnic and games to celebrate the coronation of Charles III. During the event we took the opportunity to capture a community photograph and for a bit of fun many people took the opportunity to dress up taking inspiration from some photographs of the village from the coronation of Edward VII in 1902. Of course, we mustn't forget the generous donation of cakes from the Dalry Coronation Screening event - we sold the cakes to raise funds for a Ukrainian charity. The pet show was well received; I did note there were no ducks this year! Then there was the raffle, with great prizes and even better callers. Special thanks go to Reverend Dawn Matthew and the volunteers of St Margaret's who provided tea, coffee and face painting too. We also had representation from Propagate and the Biosphere team helping to make the day great. Thanks everyone Jackie Wells D alry Community Council put on a free event celebrating King Charles' Coronation and bringing residents together to watch history in the making. Dalry Town Hall was the venue, displaying the live screening with their amazing surround sound. Every seat was taken with free tea, coffee and cake being enjoyed. Lots of red, white and blue outfits were worn, matching the wonderful bunting around the hall with thanks to the kids from Kells and Dalry primary. One resident said: "It was so lovely on Saturday in the town hall. What a lovely thing to do." We shared the weekend celebrations with New Galloway, sharing posters, cakes and the primary schools bunting! Our thanks go to all those who volunteered their time with special thanks to the Dalry Community Cafe team - Vicki, Fiona and Linda who did their magic running the kitchen. GAZETTEnews Glenkens Gazette page 4 One door closes, another opens... V ery sadly and after seven years of excellent work, Glenkens Community & Arts Trust’s ‘Connecting in Communities’ (CiC) project has come to an end. We remain most grateful to the National Lottery Communities Fund, the People’s Postcode Trust, the Galloway Glens and the Glenkens and District Community Fund, administered by Foundation Scotland, for their support of this project over the years – it has made a big difference to many people’s lives. I hope Brian, Chris, Fiona, Lisa and Jo are very proud of what they achieved through it – not least of course the Glenkens Men’s Shed, which continues to thrive. The good news is that we can continue to offer some activities in the community through our new ‘Together in the Glenkens’ project, funded by the Scottish Government through Third Sector Dumfries & Galloway to support health and wellbeing in the area. Jo from the CiC team was successful in the open application process for overseeing this, and so you will see more of her big plans for this year-long project shortly. Our other CiC members, however, have left for pastures new. After a very busy 11 months with us, including supporting the Ken Bridge 200 celebrations and Glenkens Food Month 2022, Project Lead Lisa Ridley has published her final report into Community Engagement in the Glenkens and has now started a great new job at Mossburn Community Farm. Fiona Limbrey left as well in April for an excellent role as an FLS Ranger, and we wish them both the very best and hope to see them out and about around the Glenkens still perhaps participating in some of our Together in the Glenkens activities! Helen Keron, GCAT Executive Manager Glenkens Cub Scouts T he bowling club has been sharing our hall while New Galloway Town Hall is being renovated. Rory suggested the Cubs might like to give bowling a try, so Rory and Davy kindly came along to show them what to do. What a fun time the youngsters had - the Cubs thoroughly enjoyed the game. Thank you both! We had two very special visitors recently, pet lambs brought in by Elliot and Cole. Elliot's lamb was two weeks old and Cole's lamb was 10 days old. They were well behaved and so adorable. The Cubs were challenged to creating an Easter egg theme. My goodness what thought and presentation went into the competition. We were blown away with all the creations. Some of the themes were an underwater scene with dolphins, and octopus and sharks; Captain America; bird house, Pokemon; eggstreme sports; Minions and a farm scene, to name just a few. Well done Cubs! On 3 May we had a celebration banquet for King Charles III and Queen Camilla's coronation. The Cubs invited their parents and our district president, Drew Low. A special Scouting coronation badge was presented to each Cub. To raise funds for the group, the Cubs are planning a table-top sale at the Alternative Games in August. If you have any brica-brac, toys, games, jigsaws, unwanted gifts, baking, jams, tablet, etc please hand them in to Heather or bring them to the Scout Hall between 6.15 and 7.30pm on a Wednesday evening (until the end of June). Heather and Hannah, Cub Scout Leaders Top - a packed table at the coronation banquet. Elliot (left) and Cole (right) proudly show their lambs to the rest of the group Jo Jackson, formerly of CiC, now overseeing the Together in the Glenkens project Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEnews G lenkens & District Trust, working in partnership with Foundation Scotland, is delighted to announce a further seven awards in its spring round, with a total sum of £158,966 awarded. Every funding round has its own flavour, and in this one we saw strong representation of two of the key priorities from the Glenkens & District Community Action Plan, an Asset Rich Community and an Economically Flourishing Community. Balmaclellan, Dalry and Kirkpatrick Durham communities all received awards to support improvements in their facilities which will in turn also help make these spaces more sustainable, either through energy efficiency measures or by improving the facilities on offer, helping the halls attract users and income to maintain these key community assets. The GDT Trustees were delighted to see all of the applicants making positive reference to participation in the Glenkens Community Spaces Network and expressing a desire to share knowledge and expertise to support this work. This approach is encouraged: our community benefits from groups working page 5 Spring round funding awards constructively together. If you are involved in your hall then you can contact the Glenkens Community Spaces Network coordinator on becca.glenkens.anf@gmail. com The other strong theme coming forward in this round related to enterprising community organisations, notably significant awards to some of our well-known local social enterprises as well as several awards supporting the maintenance of local jobs and job opportunities, meaning more than ten paid roles will be supported by Trust funding in this round. New Galloway Community Shop received £30,000 over three years to retain local employment opportunities and support the sustainability of the shop; and the Glenkens Food Hub, run by Propagate Community Interest Company received £23,975 to support the continued delivery of the popular local food hub in the Glenkens area while the service redevelops its business model and expands its area of operation to increase access to the Hub, participating producers and its overall sustainability. Other supported projects involving paid roles included £22,333 awarded to Glenkens Community & Arts Trust (GCAT) Ltd to enable young people’s activities for the next two years. GDT had previously funded this popular and successful initiative through Local Initiatives in New Galloway, which worked closely with GCAT who run a complementary programme called Young Creatives. Based on this experience, LING and GCAT agreed that GCAT would now take over both strands of youth work going forward. The provision of youth activity was highlighted in the Community Action Plan as a priority and this latest award helps GCAT build on the good work done to date. The Loch Ken Ranger Service has gone from strength to strength and become recognised as a valuable service across the area. GDT provided some initial funding two years ago which enabled the Loch Ken Trust to test this service. GDT has now made its most significant award to date - £60,000 over three years to the Loch Ken Trust for the ranger service, which will provide stability and certainty of funding provision for this key local initiative. Finally, the Education and Training Fund is proving to be a helpful source of support for local residents - it was set up in autumn last year to provide bursaries supporting local people to access education and training opportunities, and which was felt by trustees to be particularly relevant during the ongoing cost of living crisis. Since August seventeen individuals have accessed grants amounting to just over £21,000. A further allocation of £20,000 has been made to this Fund in order to make this support available to people on an ongoing basis. Congratulations to all the successful applicants. For more information on the fund visit www.glenkenstrust.org.uk Fiona Smith, Chair, GDT Considering the future of Parton Kirk P arton Community Council has commissioned two reports looking at options for the future of Parton Kirk and considerations for creating a centre celebrating the links of the village and kirk to the scientist James Clerk Maxwell. One report looks at the context for the centre within the local area whilst the other looks at the potential financial viability of the centre. Both reports are available to read on the Glenkens hub at: https://glenkens.scot/reportsresources-archive/parton-kirk-reports We hope that these are useful for the community to understand the opportunities and challenges for the kirk and would welcome feedback. Tom Marshall Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEnews page 6 World records for Corsock cattle Continued from front page... John Finlay explains what makes the family farm at Blackcraig special. "My grandfather started our Galloway herd at Blackcraig, 80 or 90 years ago. Around 10 years ago we bought the neighbouring Corse Farm, where my son Iain and his family now live. This allowed us to grow our own silage, and to increase the herd from 30 to 150 cattle. And we run blackface sheep too.” The family also farm Scottish blackface sheep and have enjoyed success in the ring here also with their top price being a tup which sold for £36,000. When asked if he has plans for explanding the farm in the future, John is quick to say that the family are happy with what they've got. "If you get bigger you have to hire someone and its justifying them financially," says John. "Blackface sheep and Galloway cattle are easy care, easy calving and easy lambing, not needing too much staff. It’s just family that works on our farm – my son Iain and I full time, and my wife Ann and my son’s wife Katy sometimes too. Occasionally we’ll hire someone part-time, but most often it’s just us.” Changes in land use across the area, especially in the Glenkens, is something at the forefront of everyone’s minds at the moment. For upland farmers, this issue is of real concern. “I’m not against planting trees, just now all of a sudden we’re getting to the stage where we’re just about overdoing it. Once land is put to trees, you’ll never put it back to farming. We’re getting shorter on food, and it’s a shame taking so much land out of production for food. "We used to have black grouse, but now we’re completely surrounded by trees and we don’t have them anymore. It would be better if we could have it so people plant small parts of their farm, rather than whole blocks of ground. You can plant ground and use it as a shelter belt – we’ve got small parts on Blackcraig. "The 'be all and end all' of it is that, from a financial point of view, you’re a lot better off planning trees than farming it – planting trees as an investment as it’s so grantaided. If you graze breeds like blackface sheep and Galloway cattle, it helps keep things in balance, supports native trees and wildlife, and our peaty ground stores carbon too.” Bairn joins Banter C arsphairn's popular 'stay and play' children's group, Bairn Banter, is stepping out and joining Barnardo's flagship fundraiser,The Big Toddle. The group is hosting a sponsored ‘toddle’ with a safari theme around the village of Carsphairn. "All ages are welcome to join us on this roar-some adventure!" says Bairn Banter organiser, Melissa Ade. She continues: "Our goal is for as many people to come along for this sponsored walk and help raise donations to reach our fundraising target of £300, which would make a huge difference to the children supported through the Barnardo's charity." If you would like to participate get in touch at bairnbanter@ outlook.com or 07979 492 791 for either an individual or a family sponsorship form. The walk will begin at Carsphairn's Lagwyne Hall at 10am on Saturday 17. Children and adults are encouraged to dress up as any animal that they wish. To donate visit Bairn Banter's Just Giving or Facebook pages online. Get ready for the Great Corsock Show P lanning is now underway for the Great Corsock Show on Saturday 26 August. With all of the classic produce and craft categories, open to all, the day also includes a barbecue, a café, tombola, raffle and a range of fun activities for all ages. The full programme and list of categories are available for collection from the porch of the Corsock Hall, from local shops or online at the Corsock Village Hall website (https:// corsockhall.wixsite.com/home). The judge’s challenge this year is to make four cupcakes with the theme ‘seasons’ and the show also includes the return of a couple of categories from previous years. McNabb Laurie, a member of the Show committee added: “The rumours are true: Lemon Curd is back on the Great Corsock Show programme. Come mid-July, I suspect you will struggle to buy lemons anywhere west of Eaglesfield. "From potatoes to needlework, and from scones to homemade alcoholic drinks, we have it all. Do look out for a copy of the leaflet or pick one up from the porch of the village hall when you are next passing through, and we hope to see you in Corsock on the last weekend of August.” GAZETTEenvironment Glenkens Gazette Creating a Land Use Vision for the Glenkens L and use in the Glenkens and district - whether forestry, farming, wind farms, housing or business - has been on many people’s minds for some time now. You may remember our Gazette feature on local land use this time last year. Since then, the speed of change to our landscapes seems to have accelerated at an everincreasing pace, so when the Glenkens were selected as a focus area for the South of Scotland ‘Regional Land Use Partnership’ pilot project, the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust was pleased to help facilitate community discussions around the topic. page 7 It was a great evening with lots of constructive conversations between some of the many people who value our land. Since then a working group has refined the feedback from that evening into a final draft Vision that can be condensed into one vital concept - that everyone who takes value from our land returns it. Huge thanks must go to everyone on the working group who have given up so much of their time and knowledge to get us to this point, particularly Morag Paterson of Communities for Diverse Forestry. We see this Vision in action every day in the Glenkens, Vision and the associated recommendations are intended as the first step to creating a balance in Glenkens land use where all voices are heard, respected and valued. review by the working group, and we will then have a Final Vision that we hope will be adopted as an addendum to the Glenkens & District Community Action Plan. This is the final stage of We would be grateful if you could take a few minutes to have a read through the draft Vision and get in touch with your comments - positive thoughts as well as constructive criticism! ...that everyone who takes value from our land returns value to it. Led by the Social Enterprise Academy, a series of webinar and open online discussion events culminated in a Glenkens event in late January that sought feedback on a draft ‘Vision for Land Use in the Glenkens’ and some associated recommendations for action. whether by well-managed forestry, sustainable farm management or the projects funded by wind farm community benefit payments - but we also see land use changes that affect us all but don’t add value to our local communities. This community review and endorsement for this Vison. Do have a look - you can find it on the Glenkens Hub at www. glenkens.scot/land-use or scan the QR code above - and please feed back any comments to me at helen@catstrand.com by 19 June. I shall collate them for Thanks again to all who have contributed to this process so far, and we hope that the majority of you will see your concerns and views reflected here. I look forward to hearing from you! Helen Keron, GCAT Executive Manager How clean is our water? T he Loch Ken Trust (LKT) has received funding from Inspiring Scotland to commission a water quality study on Loch Ken. The study, which is the first of its kind ever to be carried out on the loch, is being undertaken by Galloway Fisheries Trust. LKT's Barney Fryer said: “Throughout this year we are working on our Baseline Ecosystem Assessment Project, trying to find out the state of the Loch Ken ecosystem right now. This will help us figure out how we can start to restore and enhance our natural environment. It’s fantastic to see people from the community coming out to get involved. We will have loads more events over the year. Keep an eye out for more information on our website at www. lochken.org.uk” A community water sampling event was held at the Ken Bridge. Alyx Rhodes and Emilie Wardhaugh from Galloway Fisheries Trust demonstrated the water sampling process. Community water sampling session held by Galloway Fisheries Trust to demonstrate the water sampling process. They also explained the differences in two samples they had collected from opposite sides of the Loch, and what the aquatic invertebrate communities can tell us about the quality of the water. conditions, from the samples collected it is already clear that there is a difference between the East and West sides" Alyx said: "Invertebrate communities can reflect the quality of water due to the different tolerances to different A full report will be published when the data has been collected and analysed. Please look out for details at www.lochken.org.uk Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 8 The Optimistic Environmentalist Reducing your home energy bills - Part One T his is part of a series of articles giving you ideas on how to reduce your bills. In light of climate change, it concentrates on electricity usage, but some of the quick tips can still be helpful to other users. Whatever you're ideology is though, there is no doubt that using renewable resources will ultimately cut your costs. Think about your home, business or community building and what you do there. Heat loss estimates vary but the figures below are a guide for an uninsulated building. Consider: floors – up to 25% heat loss walls – up to 35% heat loss attics – seals around hatches roof – up to 25% heat loss windows & doors – up to 15% heat loss pipes - what are the above made from ie do they keep heat in, what insulation do they have, etc How to make your electricity system most efficient or cheap, and how can you generate power? How do you make the most of your heat and how do you generate it? These articles start you looking with some ideas about techniques and technology that could help. For an in-depth survey of your building, you can ask the Energy Saving Trust (www.energysavingtrust.org. uk) which advises households, businesses and owners of community buildings. They provide free advice on how to improve the building's insulation, damp reduction, energy consumption and energy generation and how to get grants or loans towards the work. They may ask for photographs or other information from you to improve their advice. They give you a detailed report for you to consider later. Some technology I have mentioned are not part of their remit but give you ideas about the amazing opportunities there are out there. It is not an exhaustive list though. Don't assume you have to change everything all at once. Think about what you do, when and how, so you know what changes will have the biggest impact. Little changes can reduce bills, leaving you time to save up for bigger ones. The articles to follow have sections on 'Tips that can be done easily or cheaply', 'Large or more long-term tips' and 'Generating Income'. The first section, which we'll cover here in Part One, is extremely important - 'Insulation'. Insulation Insulation is the most important thing that you could do for your home or building - there is no point generating heat if it escapes before you can reap the benefits. Thus, take time to think about this from top to bottom of your home or building. The cheapest or easiest insulation ranges from draught excluders put under or around doors, draft excluder strip, heavy curtains with liners for doors and windows and brushes under front and back doors and on letter boxes. Make sure you buy new or second-hand curtains that you can wash, as many are dry-clean only (bad for the environment and bad for your pocket). Quick, cheap or longterm work includes replace leaky areas like windows and doors, or filling in holes or walls, floors, etc. Other more expensive or long-term work which has a big impact ranges from insulating your loft, your walls and above or below your floors – just be certain to deal with any damp problems first. Denise MacDonald-Kiernan In the photograph below, the difference between insulated and uninsulated roofs can be clearly seen - escaping heat (and thus money) through a roof is seen visually by melted snow. Supporting our garden birds I t’s the height of the nesting season and few things are more rewarding than watching our garden birds building nests and feeding their young, and then seeing the fledglings start to fly. Sadly, since we started recording our garden birds with the British Trust for Ornithology nearly fifteen years ago, we’ve seen significant declines, sometimes total disappearances, in many once common species. With wild habitats under increasing threat our gardens are more vital refuges than ever before. Trees, hedges, brushwood, hidden corners around sheds and outhouses can all be nesting sanctuaries for beleagured garden birds. This makes springtime the season for a truce, and not the time for cutting hedges or clearing quiet pockets of undergrowth, where hedgehogs may also be rearing their young. Cutting hedges in the spring exposes hidden nests to predators and sunlight. Most gardeners know this, but sometimes powerful hedge cutters or heavy strimmers drown out the birdsong. It’s disruptive for all the birds, who mark out their territories with song, and catastrophic when their nests are only inches from a loudly rotating blade. Our garden birds are in dire need of all the sanctuary they can get. Can I just put in a plea on their behalf to hold off these vital habitats at least until the nesting season is over? Margaret Elphinstone Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 9 THE GALLOWAY GLENS SCHEME – OUR APPROACH £4 MILLION SPEND RECORDED THROUGH THE SCHEME TO DATE 90 ATTENDEES 9 NEW OR REFURBISHED BUILDINGS SO FAR ON ‘GO WILD’ OUTDOOR EDUCATION CAMPS 23 MILES OF IMPROVED FOOTPATH, INCLUDING 4 NEW BRIDGES 4 YEARS DALRY POSITIONS WITH PARTNERS SO FAR As we approach the end of the Scheme in September 2023, we look at headline achievements so far and try to summarise the approach taken. We are an initiative of the Dumfries & Galloway Council’s Environment Team. Many thanks as always to all partners and funders, without whom none of this would be possible… CARSPHAIRN 11 INTERN The Galloway Glens Scheme is five years of co-ordinated and focussed activity in the Ken/Dee valley, seeking to ‘connect people to their heritage’ while boosting the local economy and supporting sustainable communities. CLATTERINGSHAWS OF THE NATIONALLY ACCLAIMED ‘CAN YOU DIG IT’ COMMUNITY ARCHAEOLOGY PROJECT LAUNCHED THE SOUTH OF SCOTLAND TREE PLANTING GRANT SCEME IN D&G SUPPORTED THE LOCH KEN TRUST NOW RUNNING ONE OF THE FIRST COMMUNITY-LED RANGER SERVICES IN SCOTLAND LOCH KEN >30,000 MILES 27 AWARDS MADE TRAVELLED BY TAGGED GREENLAND WHITE-FRONTED GEESE THROUGH THE SMALL GRANTS SCHEME OUR APPROACH Identify challenges facing communities and work in partnership to design solutions Establish a relationship with partners and then trust them to deliver A ‘place-based’ approach – breaking barriers between topics and sectors, with a focus on the Ken/Dee Valley Draw funding from the national stage to be spent in D&G Use our time-limited nature to our advantage, encouraging momentum and urgency CASTLE DOUGLAS ‘NATURE POSITIVE’ >2,500 PROJECTS SUPPORTED INCLUDING THREAVE LANDSCAPE RESTORATION PROJECT, PEATLAND CONNECTIONS AND THE BLACK WATER OF DEE HABITAT RESTORATION KIRKCUDBRIGHT 35 HEADLINE PROJECTS SUPPORTED UP AND DOWN THE VALLEY ENTRIES IN THE PLACE NAMES DATABASE >75% OF SPEND IS WITH D&G BUSINESSES PRIMARY FUNDER: Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 10 What makes the Glenkens special to you? B eing one of the newer Loch Ken Trust (LKT) board members I thought it would be good to find out what my fellow Trustees like about the Glenkens. In light of this, the Trust decided that we'll use our sponsored page over the next few issues of the Gazette to give each of our trustees the opportunity to tell us what makes the Glenkens special to them. Making me go first wasn’t quite what I had in mind though, but somebody has to start, so here I go! When I crest the hill coming south on the A713 and get my first sight of Screel way off in the distance I know at that moment that I’ve come home. It doesn’t matter how long I’ve been away, even if it’s only been five minutes, seeing this beautiful and special corner of Galloway always makes me feel the same: I am home. I’ve been marching about this area for more than 35 years and have seen more places worth telling you about than you have time to spare. I do particularly like Cairn Edward; it’s Just such a great name for a hill. But one of the most special things to me is the stretch of the River Dee at Crossmichael. This is where I first learned properly about boats and boating and also loads of local history from the old boys and worthies of the village. Together this has given me a passion for being on the water and for protecting its heritage, which extends to keeping people right on what it should be called. Living in a house called Deeview gives me strong opinions on this - call the water down here Loch Ken and village pride will lead to a long and in-depth chat on why you are wrong. Still, whatever it is called this is home and where my heart is. Ed Hex Below from above Glenlochar looking north across the Dee to Crossmichael, Balmaghie and on to the beautiful Galloway Hills (with Galloway’s three Cairnsmores marked). Middle - looking back to Crossmichael across the Kirkland Loop bay on the River Dee. Left - Winter by the water at Crossmichael. Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 11 Managing our future woodlands W atson Birds and the Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership jointly held an excellent workshop in February in Dalry Town Hall. Some three dozen folk attended representing many interests – community, environment, farming, forestry and landscape. The purpose was to look forward collectively at what changes were needed to improve the role of woodlands and forests. We set ourselves two questions: 1) How do we positively balance the needs of the differing land use interests in redesigning existing forests/woodlands and planning new ones? 2) What practical recommendations would you make that could help deliver this? We agreed the need to move from confrontation to dialogue and from consultation to engagement of all parties central government and its agencies, local councils, the industry and communities of interest nationally, regionally and locally. The headlines from the day’s discussions were: • More trees in all forms are part of our global future. The issue is not just more commercial forestry, but also more individual trees and woods planted with the full range of native species. Dense Sitka spruce plantations are past and superannuated says forest industry specialist and wants the industry to accept this in practice. • More sensitive approaches to planting and management of woodlands and forests are urgently needed, with a greater variety of species and a greater variety in the layout of planting, and more environmental and community sensitive management of woodlands and forests. The forestry and timber industry needs to be less defensive and make greater effort in recognising the issues that others are concerned about it and address them in a positive manner. • Greater recognition that landscape, scenery, beauty and amenity is needed in decisions about planting and management of trees, woods and forests as these issues are important for people and for communities. • Decision makers should actively increase greater engagement of all communities as part of active dialogue locally and nationally. The emphasis must be on meaningful engagement not just on consultation about planting proposals but throughout the cycle of decision making on woods and forests management. • Scottish Government should develop a more innovative regime for forest and woodland expansion and management with new and novel funding as well as moving out of silos of thinking and action in defending traditional sectors to more integrated policy and action. • Trees should be built into future farming. This requires a regime change in government and attitude change within the farming community. Among the suggestions for consideration were: divert government grant aid from commercial tree planting to provide income stream for farmers for investment in trees; use a public interest test to stimulate on-farm tree planting similar to that for biodiversity in the National Planning Framework; rebalance planting grant to 50/50 conifer/ broadleaf; bring forestry down the hill, therefore creating woodland opportunities on farms for better animal and human health and business. • Education about trees, woods and forests at secondary and tertiary levels needs new approach to recognise need for integration into the environmental systems context, including a new curriculum at National 5 and Higher to embrace this. At further education level, need greater focus on skills offers and apprenticeship schemes. • Opportunity for state-owned Galloway Forest Park to better reflect the wishes of Scotland's people, by starting a 30 year transition away from being an 80% spruce forest, to being a more diverse forest with majority native woodlands and broadleaves. Many other points were made in discussion and can be found summarised on www.rogercrofts.net Roger Crofts Pictured above left is land owned by Duchrae Estates, Dalry, that was up until recently actively used for grazing sheep. The plea not to plant the hills with Sitka spruce in this image (which was taken for the Gazette's Land Use Focus in the June/July 2022 issue) illustrates poignantly the sentiment of the local community that there was insufficient engagement with regard to this, and many other, local plantations. Above right is a photograph of the same land taken this spring, planted with Sitka spruce and lost for a lifetime to anything but commercial forestry. This transformation starkly illustrates the speed of change in Glenkens land use - many new plantations of blanket forestry have appeared across our area over the the last 12 months, significantly reducing open moorland and altering potential for exisiting and future land use. The cumulative effect of this process on biodiversity, peatlands, tourism and local livelihoods is unknown, highlighting the imperative for discussions on land use in the Glenkens to be had now. Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 12 sponsored by A regenerative revolution in farming K nowledge-sharing between farmers is well evidenced to support learning, through peer to peer support – the opportunity to share what works, and what doesn’t. This is the approach taken by the Regenerative Farming Network in South West Scotland. Led by farmers, for farmers, the RegenFarm Network (as it’s known to its members) is an informal group for anyone with an interest in knowing more about regenerative farming. For some farmers this comes after years of reading and researching, and trying out some ‘different’ things; others are completely new to regenerative farming and just sticking their toe in the water. Abi Mordin is a market gardener based near Balmaclellan. She’s part of the sustainable food collective Propagate, and is the group organiser. She describes the RegenFarm Network as “an open door for anyone curious about sustainable and regenerative agriculture”. What do we mean by regenerative? The RegenFarm network tries to present information and ideas around building healthy living soils, high nature value farming, holistic management and grazing systems, reducing inputs through biological and integrated management, and other topics of interest. Huw Connick, a farm and land manager working across South West Scotland, joined the Soil Health Group about a year ago. He says: “Every now and then people or groups of people come into your life at the right time. When I joined the Soil Health Group just about a year ago it came at the good time for me. As someone who works professionally in land(s) management, the group, and individuals within it, have stimulated my thinking, encouraged me by their examples, challenged me to keep thinking differently and expanded my mind and Contented mob-grazed cattle at Laurieston Hall Recent walks have included Baile Curraich near Dalbeattie where the group looked at grazing systems and nature-based solutions. Upcoming walks include Lochill near Crossmichael, where the emphasis will be on farmland birds. Irene McCreath farms near Carsphairn. She points out that "even though we have a diverse range within the group, eg from shore level to hill tops, things still have a similarity which makes one person’s results and findings more relevant and relatable. For some of us it is lack of mains water and how to try and manage both grass AND access to water. For others it’s dealing with the sheer amount of rainfall in this area. All of it is useful and encouraging." “an open door for anyone curious about sustainable Further involvement can include and regenerative agriculture” attending monthly Farm Walks and other meet-ups including film screenings and socials. Dig a bit deeper and you can join the Soil Health Group. This smaller group consists of around 20 farmers who share access to the SoilMentor platform – a space to log results from hands-on soil testing, such as infiltration rates and earthworm counts. The Soil Health Group also has a WhatsApp, and a weekly Zoom call – often with invited experts who provide short presentations and join the conversation. The Soil Health Group is also actively participating in Scotland-wide networks to engage with MSPs and Policy Makers developing the new Scottish Agriculture Bill. knowledge base – all in a safe and nonjudgmental environment. "A lot of the people in the group practice what they talk about and don’t just talk about it - there is engrained passion to regenerate land and not do harm.” One of the best ways to engage with the RegenFarm Network is through attending one of their Farm Walks. These are often on members’ farms – folk keen to get input and feedback from others into their ideas while also sharing what they have learnt. That the discussions, the walks and the members are all locally based is seen as being important to group members. The RegenFarm Network is free to join, and open to all types of farmers and food producers. Members include beef cattle, sheep and dairy farmers, as well as market gardeners. More information and a sign-up link is available via the website at www.dgsustainablefoodpartnership. org/regenerative-farming-network – this includes access to an ever-growing resource library, podcast recordings featuring voices of some members, and more on the Soil Health Group. New members are welcome at any time. Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 13 sponsored by If you would like to list something on this page, please get in touch on 07727 127 997 or glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk FREE Double/threequarter bed, dressing table, wee chair and two wee tables. Contact: Dorothy on 07760 824 342 WANTED Single bed and mattress. Contact: Anita on 07547 301 321 2 office chairs, both with castors, one red fabric without arms and one black faux leather with. Contact: Ted on Acoustic guitar, (doesn't have to be free). Contact: 07727 127 997 07887 736 887 Double bed size divan base with drawers. Contact: 01644 460 673 Horse manure, rotted and fresh, no weed killers used. Dig your own from a large heap, bring sacks or trailer. Contact: 07889 229 340 Chest freezer. Contact: Tony on 07507 704 821 Old lawn mowers/strimmers/other small machinery. Non-runners/broken welcome. Contact: 07845 562 217 The Upper Urr Environment Trust L ast year saw the Upper Urr Environment Trust (UUET) get some exciting projects off the ground. Back in November we installed some temperature loggers in the Urr using Blackcraig/GDT microgrant money and calling on the expertise of Galloway Fisheries Trust (GFT). The loggers will help monitor the increasing water temperature associated with climate change and tie in with the wider Marine Scotland survey which covers many Scottish rivers. We also applied for a grant from Inspiring Scotland which was successful! The main aim was to carry out some riparian planting (planting trees next to the river), but also to have a wildflower area near Corsock and start a website for UUET. March saw us get 680 native trees in the ground with thanks to a supportive landowner, lots of volunteers who braved the rain and with the help of GFT. These will shade the river whilst enhancing the habitat in and out the river. We completed the small wildflower area with help of some local families - hopefully we can share photos of the area when it's in bloom in the next Gazette (or look out for them if you're driving through Corsock) along with our latest activities and details of our new website. We should also be hosting a river survey day which are always Left - tree planting in March. Above - families enjoy creating the new wildflower area on the way into Corsock village. great fun and generate some really interesting results so watch this space! Joe Seed Birds, bees and butterflies A small group of bird, bee and butterfly enthusiasts in Dalry gained funding through the Dalry Community Council Microgrants to purchase around 360 wildflower plants. We have planted these in three plots around the village. Our aim is to promote biodiversity through creating food for pollinators such as bees and butterflies, as well as other insects. The three areas are in the Dalry Library garden, by Dalry Secondary School car park and near the school sign and the grassy corner of Kirkland street and A713. We have informed the council so they don't cut those areas and leave them to grow, and we welcome anyone to help look after the areas, add seeds or plants or just enjoy their beauty. We have chosen small areas initially to see if wildflower planting will work in our community as it can be unsightly to some and more difficulty to maintain than grass. If anyone wishes to know more about our project or would like to help contact Michele Owen m.kennedy46@hotmail.co.uk Michele Owen Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEschools page 14 Dalry Secondary basketball team crowned regional champions D alry Secondary School's basketball team has been crowned the new regional champions after defeating Dumfries High in the finals. The team consists of three S3 and five S2 players - Jamie and Joe McIvor, Charlie Moore, James Ade-MacRae, Alex Smith, Joel Lamb, Karol McDonald and Oscar Benson. Their win is made even more impressive when you consider that Dumfries High has a school roll around 20 times greater. Team coach and PE teacher, Liam Fleming, said: "The boys played brilliantly the whole way through - they were in a league of five teams, won every league game played and then the Final. In the winning game, the score was 44-43; a member of staff who has been involved in the regional game for a while saying it was the best Junior Final they had ever seen! "Over the past 18 months, after having some interest in the sport outside school recreationally, and after having done it in PE, a group of pupils become highly invested in in it and play every break and lunch as well as attending the Basketball Wider Achievement Group on a Wednesday afternoon. Of the eight players in this year's Junior squad, seven play with Ayr team Ayr Storm. "I'm not sure if Dalry has ever won a Regional Competition in a team sport before and when you consider the size of the school compared to others, the boys have done incredibly well." Dalry School basketball team celebrate their victory pictured, left to right, are Alex Smith, Karol McDonald, Oscar Benson, James AdeMacRae, Jamie McIvor, Joe McIvor, Charlie Moore and Joel Lamb Glenkens schools football success D alry and Kells primaries' football teams took part in this year's Paul Jones Tournament at the Threave Rovers football ground in Castle Douglas. Both teams played brilliantly, with the Kells team taking home the tournament's Teamwork trophy. As with Dalry Secondary's basketball win (above), the results are all the more impressive considering that other Stewartry schools can field three teams of P7 pupils. Our wee Glenkens schools should be very proud of their sporting achievements - well done to everyone involved!! Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEschools page 15 Education on tour - the Bud Bus I n March, Poppy Scotland’s travelling museum came to Dalry to give both the Secondary and Primary school a tour. It was in the form of a huge bus. We saw how the inner workings of Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory worked and how it makes its poppies. We also saw how the charity helps people involved in the armed forces (past or present) by supporting them in mental health, housing, employment and mobility. Dalry Secondary school itself raised £2,225 for the 1918 centenary of WW1 in 2018/19 so we were eager to see how the new factory was getting on and hope to get our invitation soon to get a tour of the factory and see our school name on the plaque. In the factory 50 million poppies, 10,000 wreaths, 60,000 Remembrance symbols and 40,000 stem poppies, among other remembrance items, are made per year. The process of the assembly is done by hand which students got a taste of on a smaller scale by being able to assemble their own. The museum also had displays including a wreath found well preserved in a loft in a church in Ayrshire in a box hidden by sunlight which stopped it from losing colour, a faded framed poppy bunch with an excerpt of ‘In Flanders Field’ saying: Take up our quarrel with the foe, To you from failing hands we throw the torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die; we shall not sleep, Though poppies grow In Flanders fields. This was signed with Lady Haig’s own signature and a death penny which was given to the family of a recently deceased relative that died in the war. We also learned there were different poppies from different countries. For example, the poppy in France is blue like a cornflower and the poppy from Belgium is in the form of a daisy. There were pictures on the wall of Lady Haig and others which were interactive - like Harry Potter ones at Hogwarts - and told us more of the History of the Poppy and lots of other interactive things to listen to. Pupils from Dalry Secondary S2 class outside the Bud Bus Poppy Scotland annually raises over £3.5 million for people in Scotland who are part of the armed forces community those still serving, veterans and their families. Eli Stevenson, S2 News from Kells Primary School H ector McCulloch, who is in Primary 7 at Kells, has continuously raised funds over the years for the Hands Up Foundation which provides support for children in war-torn Syria. Recently he handed out Smartie tubes to all the children in Kells Primary to collect change, and has raised over £100. Well done Hector and the children at Kells Primary! Children in the Primary 5,6,7 class chose three books each to add to our school library. When they arrived everyone was very happy - Ellie says "it is so exciting!" Baillie says "it's great to have new books which we chose!" Happy reading! Margaret Heuchan GAZETTEpeople Glenkens Gazette page 16 The Adventures of Kenside Polo W e were first contacted by Erin at Represent PR firm just over a year ago, on behalf of The Royal Highland Show for their marketing campaign for 2022. They were looking for a friendly goat and handler to “bring the countryside to the city” in the form of a goat having a day out in Edinburgh. We thought, why not, could be a bit of fun and with Billy’s experience in TV and film work, we were sure we could deal with any requests they had. So on Tuesday 31 May we set off for Edinburgh with Polo in the trailer aiming to be at Queen’s Drive near Holyrood Palace around 6pm. We arrived sort of on time but failed to properly negotiate the one way system and had to drive back around a second time. Once parked up, we met the photographer and the ladies from Represent and spent the next couple of hours walking around parts of Edinburgh with a goat. Polo crossed and recrossed the road on a zebra crossing at the foot of Arthur's Seat, causing more than one head to turn with passing motorists and pedestrians – lots of camera phones were out also taking pictures as folk just couldn’t quite believe their eyes. She posed in front of the Scottish Parliament, took a stroll round to Holyrood Palace and keeked through the gates. Such a good girl, quite a lot of this was done off the lead, just by voice commands. Once the photographer was happy with these two locations, Polo was loaded back into the trailer and we drove further into the centre of the city to get the pictures at Edinburgh Castle. This is the point where I was very glad Billy was driving as, following the PR ladies, ended up having to turn around in a very tight street when we found the road they wanted to use was closed due the up-coming Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Safely unloaded once more, the photographer took many more pictures of Polo from lots of different angles, lying on the floor for the one seen in the last edition of the Gazette. The ladies had brought along a variety of props including a selection of 2022 rosettes and Polo got to wear a first prize one. Sadly when she went to The Royal Highland Show a few weeks later, she didn’t win a red rosette. But her picture was in and on lots of their publicity material, including the Polo and Irene in front of the Scottish Parliament, and below by Arthur's Seat catalogues, the show maps, on big posters around the show field and in the press in the run up to the Show advertising both the show and the new RHS app so she was probably the most recognisable goat there. We have kept the copy of The Scottish Farmer newspaper with her on the front cover as it may never happen again. Irene McCreath, Polquhanity Farm, Carsphairn Medal for service to brass banding A joint concert by Kilmarnock Concert Brass and the cooperation band at the Howard Centre in Kilmarnock on Saturday 20 May was the setting for the presentation of a brass banding long service award by the Scottish Brass Band Association (SBBA) to Carsphairn resident Kath Martin. Kath is celebrating over 50 years in banding, having joined the Rochdale Metropolitan Youth Band in 1971, firstly on baritone and then euphonium. Subsequent spells with Middleton Band in Greater Manchester and the Lancashire Fusiliers Band were followed by membership of Irwell Forge Band in Bury, Lancashire, Goodshaw Band in Rossendale and neighbouring Haslingden & Helmshore Band. On moving to Dumfries & Galloway in 2008, she signed up with Dunaskin Doon Band on cornet and tenor horn and also played with Dumfries Town Band before joining Kilmarnock Concert Brass in 2018 where she has played cornet, horn and now baritone. Kath Martin was presented her life membership medal by SBBA secretary Tom Allan GAZETTEpeople Glenkens Gazette page 17 Remembering Nicola Black Continued from front page... Nicola was born in Edinburgh but spent her early years in Shetland where her early musical memories were made. By the time she was at school she had moved with the family to Kirkcudbrightshire where she spent the rest of her life. Her early ambition to be a nurse was hampered by ill health and she had to reluctantly give up after a few years as a student nurse. However, nursing’s loss was music’s gain and she was able to devote more time to developing her incredible musical talent. Members of the CatStrand Singers collated all of their individual tributes together, some of their messages follow: “Nicola shone a powerful light for music and friendship, all of us were very fortunate to know her.” “Like many others, I was convinced I couldn’t sing but Nicola was so encouraging and patient – next thing I knew I was singing in Icelandic and Gaelic.” “You will be in every song because of how you gave song back to me. Your belief, your strength, your courage all meant so much to me. Shine on.” “Sixty five years of thinking I couldn’t sing but you showed me I had a voice.” The heartfelt reaction to Nicola’s untimely death only serves to underline how much she meant to so many people and she will be sorely missed by her family and her many friends. However, the legacy that she has left is truly amazing and ensures that she will live long in the memories of those who were lucky enough to know her. As another tribute said, “It has been a privilege to know you Nicola. Thank you I always loved the beauty of the fact that Nicola White and Andrew Black fell in love and got married. It's so perfect storybook perfect. And, to me, they were a storybook couple, so dedicated to each other. And Nicola was a storybook character - larger than life. Which I think is why her death has shocked people so deeply - she was so very alive; it seems impossible that she suddenly isn't. Her incredible passion for life and love of music gave Nicola a unique fire that seemed MATTHEW PAJO Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine - pain management - women's health - men's health - fatigue - sleep - stress - anxiety - needle-free laser acupuncture- The Old School, Crossmichael info@matthewpajo.co.uk 07786 079 845 for all the years of singing together, for your encouragement, your songs and the joy you gave us.” Brian Edgar, CatStrand to draw people to her. She was admirably tolerant and accepting of people others often found difficult, or who were on the margins for one reason or another. She made people feel heard and supported, and was also able to deal with almost any situation that arose through her positive outlook and 'gift of the gab'. Her can-do attitude - and, of course, Blackie at her side, supporting her always in fulfilling her dreams - enabled her to lead such an active, full life, even as she became less mobile and her health deteriorated. Most of us ablebodied folk with less mettle would think twice before heading to a festival for late nights and chaos, or taking a caravaning trip. But Nicola took it all in her stride. She was a beacon - a shining light that radiated out, touching hearts and minds all over Galloway, Scotland and beyond. Her wonderful sense of humour and ability to laugh at life, and herself, and make the very most of each moment is what stays with me. And I hope it helps me to enjoy every moment too, as I think for so many of us time goes by and we don't really inhabit our 'now'. For me, at least, I'll try to take a leaf out of Nicola's book and seize the day. Who knows how long we've got... Sarah Ade Amber Dunlop-Pajo Health Psychologist - women's health - stress - depression - anxietyThe Old School, Crossmichael info@gallowaycounselling.co.uk 07389 713 106 GAZETTEpeople Glenkens Gazette page 18 THANK YOU VOL T T and the age range of helpers is wide. T here is absolutely no way we could do any of the things we're doing without the willing help of so many people. Sometimes it's help with moving chairs, or it might be helping with LING Lunches, tidying up in the Town hall, putting up or taking down a gazebo or two, baking cakes for a fund-raising event, helping out with admin or bookkeeping tasks, a bit of clearing up and cleaning. The options are endless It's the range of willingness that's so lovely, from people who are happy to say, "just ask, any time, and I'll help if I can" to others who will make a commitment to a particular task and will turn up reliably to carry it out. It's the community that makes things happen. LING only exists at all because so many people are part of everything we do. We could not be more grateful for all the help and support given so readily by so many. It's truly amazing. A very big thank you to everyone who lends a hand so willingly. A fantastic team of drivers at Galloway Community Transport (GCT) has been helping to provide vital transport for individuals and groups in the Glenkens and beyond since 2001. Starting life as Glenkens Transport Initiative, GCT has evolved to meet the transport needs in the Glenkens and beyond over the last 22 years. GCT now provides patient transport, rural school bus services, and regular services to Newton Stewart and Castle Douglas for shopping. It can also provide minibus hire for schools, Ann Glaister he Gazette would like to say a huge “thank you” to the many Thanks go to our tir our proof readers, help distribute copi T he Glenkens Food Hub would like to thank all their volunteers – without you we wouldn't be able to get delicious, locally-produced food out to residents. If you would like to get involved we'd love to have you! volunteers who publication wh Lesley Atkins he Glenkens Hub has been live for less than two months, but already we're had so many contributions from volunteers. You've and ad amazin Thanks it witho cross the Glenkens many of the A core organisations that support our communities are run by, or have help from, volunteers. Our Community Councils - the official voice of our communities - are run by dedicated teams of volunteers. In our schools, staff often go above and beyond their paid roles in order to provide opportunities for young people and support the community, such for the fundraising afternoon held by Dalry School for the Syrian earthquake appeal. Organisations such as the Glenkens & District Trust have a Board of dedicated volunteers working away in the background to ensure our communities receive the funding they are entitled to in a fair and proper manner. The list goes on... So, if you have even a little time to spare, why not support your community and volunteer? It would be very much appreciated! B airn Banter would like to thank all of the parent volunteers and families that make our ongoing Saturday morning sessions so much fun! Melissa Ade young peoples’ organisations and special interest groups, as well as put on excursions, which provide opportunities for travel and socialising. All of this enables members of our community to enjoy activities and events which people with access to much better public transport links might take for granted. GCT is both a pleasure and a responsibility. A pleasure because the minibuses provide a service to the community which gives much pleasure to passengers both old and young. A responsibility because we carry the most valuable cargo; people. It enables us as drivers to use our driving skills, which is something I enjoy." GCT now has three minibuses, with two of these being wheelchair accessible, and an electric car. Excitingly, the team are awaiting delivery of a 16-seater fully accessible electric bus in June! This will help GCT to do its bit for the environment, as well as ensuring that GCT continues to have a fleet of safe and reliable vehicles. GCT Patient Transport Service drivers generously use their own vehicles to take patients to appointments and their mileage expenses are reimbursed. Stephen Bullock, a GCT driver of many years, explained why he feels the driving he does makes a difference: ‘’Driving for One patient said recently: "The service is an absolute lifesaver, and the conversation and laughter we have on the way make it a lovely journey." Beverley McLean, a driver for the GCT Patient Transport Service said, ‘‘As a new driver, it has been enjoyable and rewarding. Our patients really appreciate C arsphairn Heritage Initiative Trustees would like to thank... • our dedicated team of transcribers for making the Archive accessible to everyone • our wonderful stewards for ensuring we can have the Heritage Centre open as much as possible • our fantastic members who have an interest in Carsphairn's heritage and all the work we do CHI Board the service and support the drivers provide, especially when their circumstances are difficult. Being a patient’s driver means so much more to them than simply transport and is certainly a positive experience for both of us." GCT simply would not be able to operate without the amazing contribution made by our dedicated team of volunteer drivers. We’d like to use Volunteers’ Week to thank them one and all. And if you’re thinking you'd like to be part of that team, please get in touch with Jon, GCT manager, at the CatStrand by phone, in person, or via the website: gallowaycommunitytransport.org. All training can be given if you’re the sort of person who enjoys helping other people. Please do get in touch, we’d love to hear from you! Jon and Sue, GCT GAZETTEpeople Glenkens Gazette page 19 LUNTEERS! o have made the hat it is today. reless Steering Group, the volunteers who ies of the Gazette, those You can find contact details for many local groups and organisations on page 31, or visit the Glenkens Hub at www.glenkens.scot - the Community Directory in the Local Resources section - or scan this QR code. who helped with the creation of the new Glenkens Hub website, our contributors (without whom we'd have no content!), our advertisers, sponsors and funders, GCAT for all the support and of course our readers thank you all! Sarah Ade e told us about events, passed on news stories dded notices to the board, as well as sharing some ng photos for the Hub gallery. s to everyone who has contributed; we couldn't do out you all! Gail Challis C ongratulations Crossmichael community - YOU now own the Memorial Hall! After more than two years of planning, preparation and unavoidable delays Crossmichael Community Trust (CCT) and the Memorial Hall Committee have finally managed to get the deal sealed. On 25 April the building changed hands with the hall committee passing ownership to the CCT. We would like to thank the current hall B ehind every successful organisation there is an extraordinary volunteer team. Thank you to the team of volunteers at Balmaclellan Hall who have helped to transform the hall and organised the many events held at the Hall over the past year. Thank you for your professionalism, timely assistance, and exceptional organisation skills - we couldn’t have done this without you. At the same time we have had D alry Town Hall is one of the wonderful rural assets of our community, the maintaining and running of which happens thanks to the organisation, teamwork and commitment of a small band of dedicated volunteers. The committee wish to offer a BIG "thank you" to all those who have been involved in organising W here would our little shop be without our wonderful band of volunteers who are willing, often at short notice, to drop everything and help out. Our growing list of volunteers is testament to our success, and the article in the last Gazette brought a number of new faces for which we're very grateful. committee and all their predecessors for the last 70 years who have looked after and cared for the hall so that we can carry on using and enjoying it today. With the purchase of the hall by the CCT only one thing has changed: it is no longer owned FOR the community, it is now owned BY the community. will advertise and let everyone know the date as soon as it is set. There are also lots of improvements to be made to the hall and CCT would very much appreciate everyone's thoughts, ideas and help to make this happen. If you have any suggestions or skills to share please let the Trust know. To recognise this amazing achievement we are organising an official hand-over ceremony. We would really like as many people to come along as possible and we Thank you so much to all the volunteers on both sides who worked so hard to make this happen. Helen Crowther, Glenkens Community Shop, Dalry Ed Hex, Chair, Crossmichael Community Trust to say good bye to two of our volunteers, good luck and a massive thank you goes to John and Michelle who are moving on to pastures new. Please contact us via the Balmaclellan Village Hall Facebook page if you would like join our team of volunteers or to get involved helping at the village hall. Your help would be greatly appreciated even if you only have a little time to spare or can only help on an ad hoc basis. Julia Higgins regular events such as the Producers Market and Film Nights, and particularly this last year the new Community Café initiative, to name but a few. We are always looking for new recruits to join us. There is no age restriction, as was highlighted by the young Royals George, Louis and Charlotte who got involved with their local Scouts group on the Big Help Out day over the Coronation weekend. Lesley Blissett I wanted to say a big thank you to you all. We very much appreciate all your hard work on our behalf. Also to the GCAT staff who all do a fair amount of volunteering for us in their nominal free time! T hank you to all our volunteers! At GCAT but also all round the Glenkens. I know for a fact that GCAT couldn’t work without its volunteer stewards, bar staff, receptionists, gardeners, drivers, coordinators and Board and subcommittee members – so as we celebrate Volunteers Week 2023, A s Glenkens Community Spaces facilitator I would like to highlight the fantastic work carried out by the management committees of all of our town and village halls and community centres. They put in many hours of work behind the scenes to ensure that the communities across the Glenkens have access to local venues for events, celebrations, social clubs, But I also know that across the Glenkens, probably more than 300 people routinely volunteer their time, whether on boards or to run groups, to keep an eye on their neighbours or to our keep public spaces smart. That’s at least 10% of our population, and is a big part of why this area is such a great place to live, work and play – so thank you all! More power to your elbow! Helen Keron sports activities and various clubs and classes. Many of our management committees would be delighted to welcome in new volunteers to get involved – and volunteering is a great way to meet new people, learn new skills, and give back to the community. If you would like to find out more, contact details for all our community spaces can be found on the Glenkens Hub Community Directory. Becca Nelson Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEarts CatStrand Young Creatives C atStrand Young Creatives has been awarded funding for an exciting new musicmaking project, Young Music Makers. The project is part of the Scottish Government’s Youth Music Initiative (YMI), administered by Creative Scotland. Young Music Makers is a yearlong project that offers good value private and group music lessons in ukulele, guitar, piano and keyboard. We will also be running music 'taster' workshops for families, singing and vocal lessons, and musical technology workshops. Young Music Makers goes beyond just music lessons as now we can also offer young local musicians the opportunity to develop their skills and kickstart their musical career through mentoring, group workshops, performances and collaborative projects. We believe that building a community of young musicians is essential for their growth and success. As part of the Young Music Makers project, we have been joined by 22-year-old Morgan Love, who will be working with Cat Campbell, the Young Creatives programme lead, to deliver the project. Cat says: “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome our new music intern Morgan, who page 20 will be a valued member of the Young Creatives team in running the music school and various other exciting projects we have planned throughout the year. “Our mission to provide exceptional musical experiences to children and young people in the Glenkens and beyond has been made possible through this generous funding from YMI Creative Scotland and the Holywood Trust, and we can’t wait to see the positive impact this programme will have on the community.” As well as the launch of the new music project CatStrand Young Creatives has several other projects running, including the Young Critics programme, Young Writers Café, Dance Steps and regular drama clubs, CatStrand's Youth Arts Coordinator, Cat Campbell (left) with music intern Morgan Love musical theatre, dance classes and art clubs for children and young people aged between five and 26. For full details, see www.csyoungcreatives.com Battle of the Bands showcases youth music talent A t the end of April CatStrand Young Creatives hosted an exciting Battle of the Bands event, in collaboration with Knockengorroch festival. Fourteen young musicians competed for the prize of a 40-minute slot at this year's Knockengorroch festival, which will be the event's 25th anniversary. The evening attracted young musicians from all over Dumfries & Galloway and proved to be a resounding success, with a sell-out crowd in attendance and many of the young performers enjoying their first-ever live performance experience. The event was testament to the incredible musical talent and diversity within the region and showcased the passion and creativity of our young people. showcase their skills. Knockengorroch festival organisers had a difficult time selecting two winning acts as each performer brought something unique and special to the stage. Ultimately, Castle Douglas High School band Rhelm and singer-songwriter Jodie Rae were successful in securing their spots at the festival in May, while plans are currently being made to work with three other young musicians as part of the CatStrand Young Music Makers project to help them develop their careers as musicians (see article above). "The success of this event is evidence of the important role that music can play in bringing communities together and in supporting the development of young people. We hope that this event will inspire more young people to pursue their passion for music. Cat Campbell, CatStrand Young Creatives programme lead, said: “Congratulations to all of the participating performers and look forward to seeing their continued growth and success in the music industry. We could not be prouder of the incredible talent on display at this event and we were thrilled to be able to provide these young performers with a platform to "Thanks as ever to the Holywood Trust for their support of this and all our CatStrand Young Creatives activities." So if you went to Knockengorroch festival, we hope you enjoyed the performances of the talented Rhelm and Jodie Rae! Winning acts at the Battle of the Bands, Jodie Rae (top) and Rhelm Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEarts page 21 Another prestigious award for local photographer Duncan McNaught L ocal photographer Duncan McNaught has landed another prestigious national award, taking first place in the Botanical category in the Scottish Nature Photography Awards 2022. His photograph titled Autumn Beech took first prize, with two more of his images being shortlisted; Dew Drops on Crane Fly in the Scottish Wildlife Portrait category and Wood Anemone in the Scottish Botanical category. Duncan said: “I'm blessed where I live to be surrounded by trees and, when I took the winning shot, I'd ventured out early one morning into the grounds of Kenmure Castle, outside New Galloway. A light mist had formed overnight creating the most moody scene in front of me, and some of the beech trees had hung onto their golden leaves - it was these and the soft light that drew me to take the photograph. I feel it shows the sense of calm I experienced that morning, with no-one around; just me and my camera, which I love to do often. I am absolutely thrilled to have taken first place, as well as to have two short-listed photographs." To see more of Duncan's work you can visit his Facebook page @DMcNaughtPhotography or he has generously allowed the Glenkens Hub to provide his photographs in our Gallery section for local not-for-profit use at www.glenkens.scot/ glenkens-gallery Above - Duncan's winning entry, 'Autumn Beech'; below left - 'Dew Drops on Crane Fly'; right - 'Wood Anemone' Record season for CatStrand Players C atStrand Players are taking a well earned break after a record breaking festival season, although occasional meetings through the summer might be necessary to polish the ten trophies that adorn the cabinet! Our two plays in the Youth Festival won five trophies between them at the Stewartry District with ‘Rabbit’ going on to the Western Divisional Final in Dunoon where it was placed second and also won the trophy for best stage presentation, narrowly missing out on a second consecutive appearance at the Scottish Final. We wish Kirkintilloch Youth Players all the best in the final at Nairn in June. In the Open Festival, ‘Feeding the Ducks’ won three trophies at the Stewartry and also progressed to Dunoon where it was up against very strong competition and gained very high marks but wasn’t placed in the top three. Everyone involved in the plays this year had a great time and enjoyed performing at The Fullarton, CatStrand and at The Queen’s Hall in Dunoon and we look forward to defending all of our trophies next year and hopefully progressing to the Western Finals for the eighth time and maybe even making it to the Scottish Final again. The next performance dates for your diary will be 8, 9 and 10 December for the annual CatStrand Panto - look out for further announcements soon! Rehearsals will start on Sunday 3 September at CatStrand and there will be limited spaces available for new members. The ‘Behind the Scenes’ crew will also be starting to plan the scenery and props around then too so if you would rather be backstage then please watch out for further info on the CatStrand Young Creatives website. Brian Edgar GAZETTEarts Glenkens Gazette page 22 From the Bookroom In 'From the Bookroom' Glenkens-based author, Robin Yassin-Kassab, takes readers through some of his favourite books. Robin is author of the novel The Road From Damascus and co-author of Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War. T he most frequent guest to my bookroom is Aarni – whose name is the name of a guardian spirit in Finnish folklore, and who was born on the summer solstice. Today she’s helping to write this piece. Aarni – of the Hidden Road and Dalry school – is a very fitting visitor because she is a bookworm extraordinaire. “I enjoy reading,” she says, “because it gives me an escape and I can ignore everything else. It also makes you more clever and increases your vocabulary. And the bookroom is very cosy. It’s the perfect place to read. That’s why I like reading in my bed – because it’s so cosy.” Sometimes we use the bookroom as a study zone. Topics we’ve touched on include the ancient Sumerian civilization, places like Pakistan, Turkey and Zanzibar, the Syrian Revolution, the Second World War, Buddhism and meditation. We’ve talked about language families and the history of languages – why it is, for example, that in English we use Anglo-Saxon words like pig, sheep and cow to refer to animals but French words like pork, mutton and beef to refer to meat. We’ve also done a great deal of art together, both abstract and representational, using pencil, crayons, pens and paint. Under the influence of our friend and mentor Paul of Manchester (father of Aarni’s close friends Ruby and Rafah), we’ve used clay to make sculptures of animals and people. As for reading – Aarni’s favourite is Harry Potter, which she usually listens to on audiobooks. But in the bookroom her tastes are expanding. She and her brother Unti love the tales of Noggin the Nog and his evil uncle Nogbad the Bad – the best of which, we agree, is The Ice Dragon. And we’ve read Charles Kingsley’s classic Victorian children’s story The Water Babies. We’ve enjoyed stories suitable for both children and adults, like The Godson, a religious fable by Leo Tolstoy, and some of the fairy tales of Hermann Hesse. Aarni has also successfully grappled with more difficult texts usually considered to suit only adults. These include the poem Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll, which is crammed full of neologisms, and The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner by Coleridge. Together we read the easy summary version of Macbeth in Tales from a Grandfather by Sir Walter Scott (a book, strangely enough, which once belonged to my grandfather), but we read the witches’ famous ‘double double toil and trouble’ speech in Shakespeare’s original. Aarni read Donald Barthelme’s short story Some of us had been Threatening our Friend Colby – a hilarious exercise in irony – with no trouble at all. She also read a section of Joyce’s Ulysses, and confirmed that she’d understood the style by writing her own stream of consciousness passage, which contained a duck and Harry Potter. I’ve already mentioned Aarni in two essays published in a journal which looks like a book (The Critical Muslim). But she doesn’t know the people who read that, and wants to be locally famous. So here she is in the Glenkens Gazette. £1,000 raised at Passion premier T he world premiere of Geoff Davidson’s The Passion was performed at Dalry Church on Easter Saturday. complemented the role of Jesus with impressive authority and there were high points of emotion as the Christ was bereft of accompaniment at his death but triumphant in his victory following the resurrection. A capacity audience of over 150 people enjoyed a dramatic performance in Scots of the new choral work from the Glenkens Parish Choir with church members taking the spoken roles of Pontius Pilate, the high priest Caiaphas and choir members reading Peter, Judas and ‘Doubting’ Thomas. Nicola Junor used her beautiful soprano to highlight responses to the various events and, as Mary Magdalene, brought her stunning interpretative power to a gripping climax as she met Jesus in the Garden at the entrance to the tomb. The power and tension of the trial before Pilate was clearly defined and the anger of the baying mob Robert Lind’s beautiful baritone brought magnificently to life. The performance was underpinned with conviction and clarity by Roy Stairmand as the Evangelist who was completely at home in the Scottish language used to relate the tragic events. The final uplifting choruses to each part were gloriously delivered by the Glenkens choir, punching well above their usual weight and treating us to a concert that will live long in the memory. Financial donations from the audience amounted to a few pounds short of £1,000 and this will be sent to the Abba’s Rest Orphanage in Malawi. Geoff Davidson Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEarts page 23 Summer of love with SongWave A udiences in the Stewartry are in for a treat as SongWave Community Choir brings an eclectic mix of songs depicting love in all its glory to the region. Titled “Love is....: Songs of Love, Loss and Hope”, the concert will include music from classic 1950s doo-wop to haunting ballads from the Georgian Caucasus and Croatian barbershop. The choir will explore love's many dimensions, including its beauty, heartbreak and hope. They will also perform a range of Scots and Gaelic folk songs. Led by the talented Kate Howard, the choir promises to deliver a captivating and heart-warming experience with their joyful a cappella performances. “We're thrilled to bring Songs of Love to our Summer Concerts in the Stewartry," said the choir's chairperson Jo Gallant. "The choir has been working hard to prepare for these concerts, and we're excited to share our passion for music with the local community.” SongWave will be performing at Dalry Town Hall on Saturday 24 June at 4pm, with tickets available through CatStrand. There will also be concerts at Kirkpatrick Durham Village Hall on Friday 23 June at 7pm, and Gatehouse of Fleet Parish Church on Sunday 25 June, as part of the Big Lit Festival. Tickets are £8, which includes refreshments, and there are concessions available. To find out more or book tickets please visit www.songwavechoir. org.uk Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEarts page 24 GAZETTEarts A' the way to Galloway Glenkens Gazette O n Sunday 4 June at 3pm there will be a concert in Dalry Town Hall to launch a new album of local traditional songs and tunes by local musician, Jo Miller - A' the Way to Galloway. The musicians are Jo Miller (song and fiddle) and Amy Geddes (fiddle and viola), both originally from Dalry, along with Wigtownshire singer Robyn Stapleton and Jo’s husband, Steve Sutcliffe (concertinas) and son Neil Sutcliffe (piano, accordion and concertina). You will hear older repertoire such as William Nicholson’s Braes of Galloway - thought to be the source of the wellknown Gallowa' Hills - along with more recent compositions such as Robbie Murray’s Toon o Dalry, and Buchts o Knockreoch by Logan Paterson of New Galloway. Jo has been researching the music of the Glenkens since the 1980s. She says: "I’m delighted to be sharing these songs and tunes, which all have a personal association for me. This music has thrived in intimate environments like homes, rural schools and small halls, and the musical arrangements and performances on the album recreate that intimacy. The album also includes the spoken word, birdsong and singing for dancing - an aural landscape which not only evokes the former life of the Glenkens and its people, but also points toward its lively music culture in the present." All are welcome for this special concert. There will be Project Unspoken T his July, Leticia Sanchez and Anders Rigg will be bringing Project Unspoken to the CatStrand. During the week, their team of international guests tell a story of dance and music, one that bonds the artforms in a journey of exploration and connection. Project Unspoken opens up the communication that exists between dance and music, drawing out its essence to create pieces of performance that are in part improvisation, part choreography. This method of working is one that Leticia and Anders have been developing for the last few years. The importance of communication between people and cultures is more important now than ever. They believe that this page 25 work helps towards achieving this goal. This CatStrand residency is the culmination of this phase of the project and will feature both a public workshop (Mon 17 July) and performance of the work (Sat 22 July). The workshop is open level and the artists encourage both musicians and dancers of any experience to join. Tickets are available at the CatStrand or on www.gcat.scot Wendy Niblock opportunities to participate, CDs for sale and refreshments on hand! Tickets are £5 (£2 concession) from CatStrand (visit their website at www.gcat.scot or call 01644 420 374). This event is supported by Creative Scotland. Pictured left to right are Neil Sutcliffe, Amy Geddes, Jo Miller, Robyn Stapleton and Steve Sutcliffe GAZETTEarts An extraordinary family tale Glenkens Gazette T here are many stories about the link between Dumfriesshire and the Caribbean, and about Robert Burns becoming a tax collector. These are brought to life in the posthumous publication of Hall Windows by Lindsay Crofts which allows the story to be accessible to all. Narration is by Helen Hall, the spinster daughter of Alexander Hall and Ann Burn, timber merchants in Fisherrow in East Lothian. Helen lived in a flat in London Street in Edinburgh’s New Town where she reminisces about the extended families and all of those who married into it, and others who came to benefit from their page 26 contact with them. Opening a window into each member of the family’s life, Lindsay Crofts has created a family history with a difference. No wonder the subtitle of the book is 'The Life and Times of an Extraordinary Scots Family'. Lindsay Crofts and her husband Roger bought a home in St John’s Town of Dalry 15 years ago and have greatly enjoyed time spent there, making so many friends and hopefully contributing to the area especially through the Watson Birds project. Sadly, Lindsay died in March 2021 after a long battle with secondary breast cancer. Donald Watson exhibition moves to CatStrand T Hall Windows is available on payment of a donation of at least £10 to the charity Mary’s Meals - www. justgiving.com/fundraising/ RogerCrofts and copies can be obtained from Roger Crofts on 07803 595267 or roger.dodin@btinternet.com he permanent Watson Birds exhibition has moved from The Smiddy, in Balmaclellan, to the CatStrand. It is now located at the end of the corridor, to the right as you head towards the CatStrand cafe. The current focus is on Donald Watson’s depiction of forestry, along with the display of his authored books and some of the books he illustrated, his painting table, easel and his tweed jacket. WRIGHTS STORE & POST OFFICE DALRY DALRY DALRY SWEET TREAT SATURDAY DALRY INFORMATION FRESH CREAM CAKES AVAILABLE TO ORDER OPENING HOURS MONDAY – FRIDAY 7.30am – 5.30pm SATURDAY 8.30am – 5pm SUNDAY 8.30am – 3pm LOCAL SUPPLIERS DALMELLINGTON COUNTRY BUTCHERS UPPER DULLARG EGGS MITCHELLS FRUIT & VEG SWEETCAKES BAKERY GLENKENS HONEY COMPANY CREAM O GALLOWAY GALLOWAY LODGE PRESERVES IRVINGS BAKERY SCOTTISH GALLOWAY PASTA GLENKENS HONEY COMPANY POP IN FOR A CHAT AND A BROWSE GAZETTEhistory The Galloway garron in Galloway place-names Glenkens Gazette T he Glenkens Story is hosting a talk by Dr Miriam Bibby on the famous 'Galloway nag', or garron, on Sunday 23 July at the CatStrand. Miriam will discuss what is known of the history of this local horse and what became of it. The horse was, of course, ubiquitous until quite recently as the main power source on farms. I thought it would be interesting to have a look around the Glenkens for any evidence of place-names incorporating references to it. Near Dalry we have Craiggubble Wood on the south-east slope of Waterside Hill. This is derived from Gaelic Creag a’ Chapaill ‘rock of the mare, colt, or horse broken to the bit’. In Old Gaelic capall refers more frequently to a draught horse as opposed to the word ech, now each - a saddle-horse, chariot-horse’. page 27 Both each and capall are obvious cognates of Latin equus and caballus. There are several rocky crags on Waterside Hill which could refer to the capall in question. Another Glenkens capall placename is Knowe Happle, a small hill just north-west of Loch Stroan; Loch na Sroine - ‘loch of the nose’ - referring to Stroan Hill. Knowe will be a translation of cnoc so the whole is Cnoc a’ Chapaill - ‘hill of the mare'. This is the same specific as found in the place-name Glenhapple in the Cree Valley, from Gleann a’ Chapaill - ‘valley of the mare’ - and the nearby Kirhobble; Ceathramh a’ Chapaill - ‘the quarterland of the horse’. Sometimes a landscape feature could be named through a vague resemblance to the shape of an animal. Such might be the case in respect of the Fallincherrie Scar, a steep gairy on Craigtarson; A’ Chreag Tarsuinn - ‘the athwart crag’ - a western spur from the summit Gillespie Gifford & Brown LLP Solicitors and Estate Agents Dumfries & Galloway 01556 503744 www.ggblaw.co.uk All legal advice Offices in Castle Douglas, Dalbeattie Kirkcudbright and Dumfries of Corserine; A’ Chroisrinn - ‘the cross point’. Fallincherrie could represent Faill an t-Searraich ‘precipice of the foal’. The young horse in question might be a large rock which is noticeable on the otherwise smooth hillside below the gairy and above the modern forestry edge. The term each does not seem to be present in place-names in the Glenkens, so we must be content with draught-horses and foals and leave the show ponies to others. Each does occur quite frequently in Galloway, often in the anglicised form Auchness; each-innis ‘horse-meadow’. The other element that features in local place-names referring to horses is gearran - ‘a gelding’ - hence the Scots term garron. In Scots the meaning is a ‘small, sturdy horse, used especially for rough hill work, an old wornout horse’. Gearran is formed from the verb gear - ‘to cut’ - and this word provides the Gaelic name for February, An Gearran Auchindrane Sawmill: a descendent of the Galloway Garron at work? - ‘the cutting’ - a time when the animals would be gelded. Gearran is found in the placename Balgerran; Baile Gearrain - ‘horse farm’ - north-east of Crossmichael. Possibly this was a farm that specialised in the breeding of the Galloway nag. Maxwell mentions in PlaceNames of Galloway (p15-16) that Balgerran was the site of the Kelton horse fair. Michael Ansell Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEhistory page 28 The musical history of the Glenkens T he Glenkens Story’s annual history conference tackles a completely different subject this autumn when it addresses the musical history of the Glenkens and provides an excuse for a hectic weekend of music making. The day-long conference at CatStrand on Saturday 7 October - Music-Making in the Glenkens: Past, Present and Future - will include an overview by Jo Miller drawing on her extensive research into local musical traditions. Christopher Wright will discuss Galloway music in the School of Scottish Studies Sound Archive, and the relative lack of representation. Anna Campbell will delve into the archives of the Carsphairn Heritage Group, unearthing stories of some of the musical families in the area. Presentations will be illustrated by live and recorded music, video and pictures. The day will conclude with an open discussion involving speakers and audience, chaired by historian and singer Lizanne Henderson, addressing not only the preservation of our musical tradition but how it can thrive and develop. Later on the Saturday afternoon visiting musicians will combine with CatStrand Young Creatives to provide a 'Wee Hoolie' of songs, stories and dancing for families and younger children. The day will be buttressed by two landmark concerts. At CatStrand on Friday 6 October Jo Miller and friends will present A’ the Way to Galloway (see article on p25). On the Saturday night there will be a gathering in Dalry Town Hall compered by Brian Edgar - 'Gaither roon folks an this story I’ll tell' - celebrating the rich variety of music-making still flourishing in the Glenkens and neighbourhood. Mike Brown From Brockloch to South Carolina I n the later medieval period, many of the remote farms in the Upper Glenkens were tenanted by members of Clann Mhic a’ Mhaoilein – The MacMillans. A number of MacMillans still live in the Glenkens and surrounding areas but almost all the farms have passed into other hands or succumbed to commercial forestry. A wheen of the MacMillans must have emigrated as well and the story of the return to Galloway - from South Carolina, in the USA - of the descendants of one line is given here. Firstly, to consider the origin of the clan. In West Highlands Notes and Queries (2015, no 28, p 4-14) Ronnie Black discusses the name MacMillan. He explains that at the surname’s root is maol, earlier máel (‘bald, tonsured’). In forms like maol, maolan and maoilean, the word became a noun - ‘a baldy, a monk’. It is also what lies behind the English form MacMillan: Mac a’ Mhaolain, Mac a’ Mhaoilein (‘the Son of the Monk’). Black points out that: "As monasticism was widespread in the middle ages, we would expect any or all of these names to appear spontaneously in different parts of Scotland without there being any necessary genealogical connection between them, and such is indeed the case". This has not stopped theories of the connection of the Glenkens MacMillans with other parts of the former Gàidhealtachd – origins from the Loch Tay and Knapdale areas being favourite. Be that as it may, Robert MacMillan was born at Brockloch, north of Carsphairn (Am Broclach - ‘the badger warren’), in 1756. He took a lease on Palgowan (Pol Gobhainn - ‘the smith’s burn’) in the valley of the Water of Minnoch from where his son, Thomas, emigrated in 1820 to Camden, West Virginia, USA. Descendents of Thomas determined to commemorate the 200th anniversary of his emigration by walking from Palgowan to Brockloch to mark the occasion, but were stymied by the Covid outbreak in 2020. Undeterred, on 28 April 2023, Mike Saxton set off on a route which entailed crossing the two largest mountain ranges in the Galloway Highlands - The Awful Hand of the Merrick and the Rhinns of Kells. He climbed the slope of Benyellary (Beinn an Lolaire ‘mountain of the eagle’) to the summit of The Merrick (Am Beinn Mheurach - ‘the fingered mountain’), down past Loch Enoch (Loch an Aonaich - ‘loch of the mountain plateau). From there he descended the valley of the Pulskaig (Pol Sgitheige - ‘hawthorn burn’) between Mullwharchar (Maol Fhearchar - ‘Farquhar’s bald hill’) and the ridge of Craignairny (Creag na h-Airne - ‘rock of the blackthorn’), Dungeon Hill (An Daingean ‘the fastness’) and Brishie (Am Briseadh - ‘the broken place). Mike then had to negotiate the dense Sitka plantations north of Backhill of the Bush before gaining the heights of Craigtarson (A’ Chreag Tarsuinn - ‘athwart crag’) and then zig zagged up to the summit of Corserine (A’ Chroisrinn - ‘the cross point’). From there he proceeded up Carlin’s Cairn and over Meaul (Am Meall - ‘the lump’) before camping for the night beside the lochan on the approach to the summit of The Bow. The skies cleared to leave a starry first half of the night but morning dawned in dense fog with visibility less than 70 metres. This led Mike astray and, instead of continuing to the Corran of Portmark (An Corran - ‘the crescent’) and thence to Brockloch via Black Craig, he followed an ATV track and ended up on the shore of Loch Doon (Loch an Duin - ‘loch of the castle’ or Loch a’ Bhealaich - ‘loch of the pass’). Eventually, Mike came across a forestry track that led him back over the ridge to finally arrive at the home of his family’s Top - sunset at Mike’s campsite on the slopes of The Bow. Above - Sarah, May and Mike (left to right) looking content after arriving at Brockloch ancestors at 11am the following day. Mike did the walk solo but he was accompanied on his trip by his wife May and daughter Sarah. Congratulations are due to him for what was quite an epic hike! He mentioned that he found the worst part being the infamous Galloway purple moor-grass tussocks and intervening potholes. It is as well he did the walk before midgie season in a month or so! Michael Ansell Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation page 29 F red. Olsen Renewables submitted the application to the Scottish Government earlier this year for permission to repower Windy Standard Wind Farm, northeast of Carsphairn. Advertisement AN UPDATE FROM WINDY STANDARD We are pleased with the response so far. We have received feedback, which is broadly positive, from our statutory consultees such as Historic Environment Scotland and NatureScot, amongst others, and hope that the final comments will come in soon. Visit our website www.windystandardwindfarm.com for further information on how you can have your say, or go straight to the Scottish Government portal www.energyconsents.scot and search for application reference number ECU00003324. We really appreciate the comments from local residents too. If you haven’t yet done so, you can still have your say on the plans. If you have any questions, please do get in touch with the team – we are happy to help! You can email us at communities@fredolsen.com or call 07435 763 900. Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation Glass Recycling Points • Balmaclellan Stores, Balmaclellan • Memorial Hall, St Michael's Road, Crossmichael • Kirkland Street, St John's Town of Dalry • New Galloway, Carson's Knowe Car Park • St David Street, Kirkpatrick Durham Job Vacancies Up-to-date job and volunteering opportunities can be found online at the Glenkens Hub on www.glenkens.scot Freelance Group Leaders (art, dance, tai-chi, exercise), see p29 Carer Vacancy (part time), Carsphairn area. 2 hours per morning (ideally 8-10am), 3 to 4 mornings a week. Contact : 07870 935 480 - visit glenkens.scot/ jobs-and-volunteering/carer-vacancy-part-time for further info. Glenkens Youth Group Deliverer. Freelance 2-year contract with GCAT to support and develop the Glenkens Youth Group for S1-S5s. 7 hours per week, including Monday evenings. For full job details and how to apply visit www.gcat.scot/jobs. USEFUL NUMBERS: ● Pot-hole Hotline: 0845 276 0000 ● Police, non-emergency: 101 ● Doctor: 01644 420 234 ● NHS 24: 08454 24 24 24 ● D&G Council: 030 33 33 3000 ADVERTISE IN THE GAZETTE page 30 Gordon McAdam Plumbing & Heating 22 Kirkland Street St John’s Town of Dalry 01644 430 393 07834 321 789 Advanced Massage Practitioner (price per issue incl VAT) SMALL: 6cm x 6cm, £50 1/4 PAGE: 9cm w x 13cm h, £108 1/2 PAGE: 18cm w x 13cm h, £200 FULL PAGE: 18cm w x 27cm h, £332 Please get in touch further details including small business/ charity rates and series discounts. Email glenkensgazette@ hotmail.co.uk or call/ WhatsApp 07727 127 997 VAT Reg. No. 334 0905 24 THE STEWARTRY VETERINARY CENTRE CASTLE DOUGLAS SURGERY HOURS GLENKENS MEDICAL PRACTICE DALBEATTIE SURGERY HOURS General Medical & Dispensing Services FOR APPOINTMENTS AT BOTH SURGERIES OR IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY The Surgery High Street New Galloway Mon-Fri 2.00-2.30 pm & 5-6 pm Mon-Fri 8.30am-6pm Sat 2-2.30 pm Mon, Wed, Fri 3-3.30 pm Tues & Thurs 6-6.30 pm  01556 502263 VETERINARY SURGERY OAKWELL ROAD CASTLE DOUGLAS  FOR APPOINTMENTS CALL 01644 420234 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation page 31 KEY GLENKENS CONTACTS LOCAL DOCTORS’ SURGERY Glenkens Medical Practice - 01644 420 234 COMMUNITY CONTACTS • Balmaclellan: Martin Warnock 07939 261 391 • Crossmichael: Richard Middleton - 01556 670 691 502502 (they also deliver groceries) • Dalry: Graham West - 01644 430 503 • Grierson’s Butchers: 01556 502 637 • New Galloway: 07741 656 601 • Henderson’s Butchers: 01556 502 654 • Parton: Tom - 07835821976 FOOD DELIVERIES • Carsphairn: Liz Holmes - 07718 358 160 • Galloway Foodbank - 07730 788 335 • Corsock: Julie Garton - 07769 647 702 • Glenkens Food Hub - www. openfoodnetwork.org.uk/ glenkens-food-hub/shop • Kirkpatrick Durham: Heather 07551 639 629 • Mitchell’s Greengrocers: 01556 502 077 • Fleet Fish: call 07966 103 912 to find out about Glenkens delivery days • Roan’s Dairy - 01556 620 374 • Ballards Butchers - 01556 LOCAL ORGANISATIONS/GROUPS Glenkens Community Shop: Helen Crowther on 0790 467 8599 or drop by the shop on Main Street, Dalry Higgins at julia.higgins55@outlook.com Glenkens Scout Group: Contact Heather McIntosh on 01644 420 375 Schools: Visit the school office or call Dalry Primary on 01644 430 105 (for Nursery/ELC too), Dalry Secondary on 01644 430 259 or Kells on 01644 420 340 Local Initiatives in New Galloway (LING): Contact newgallowaytownhall@gmail.com Dalry Communities Properties Trust (DCPT): Contact Gary Blissett at garyblissett51@gmail. com or 01644 430 521 CatStrand: Contact info@catstrand.com or 01644 420 374 or pop in to the CatStrand Carsphairn Heritage Initiative: Contact Ben Ade at carsphairnhi@gmail.com Dalry Town Hall: Contact Lesley Blissett at lesleyblissett52@gmail.com Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership (GGLP): Contact McNabb Laurie at mcnabb. laurie@dumgal.gov.uk Glenkens Community Centre: Contact Sarah McAdam on minimac01644@gmail.com Glenkens Food Hub: Contact Lesley Atkins on lesley@propagate.org.uk or 07587 122 151 New Galloway Community Enterprises (NGCE): Contact ngce5000@gmail.com or pop into New Galloway Community Shop If you would like to add your community organisation to this list please get in touch with the Gazette - contact details are on the back page. Balmaclellan Community Trust: Contact Julia GLENKENS CHURCH TIMES CHURCH OF SCOTLAND Sunday Services Balmaclellan: 11am - 4 Jun, 2 Jul (communion), 6 Aug Carsphairn: 11am - 11 Jun, 9 Jul, 13 Aug (communion) Kells: 11am - 18 Jun, 16 Jul, 13 Aug (communion) Dalry: 11am - 25 Jun, 23 Jul, 30 Jul For further information contact Rev Pam Bellis on 07751 379 249 or pam@bellisconsultancy.co.uk SCOTTISH EPISCOPAL CHURCH St Margaret's Church, New Galloway, DG7 3RP Weekly Services: Sun, 5pm: Holy Communion - Revd Dawn Matthew. Refreshments available before and after the service. New Additional Services: Tue, 11am: Informal Midweek Service with refreshments and chat. Wed, 7.30-8pm: Zoom Evening Prayers. Please contact Dawn for the link. For further information, please call Dawn Matthew on 01644 420 431 or visit www. stmargaretsnewgalloway.org Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation page 32 This forest and you - tell us about it We are reviewing the Land Management Plan for Castlemaddy and we want to know what you think. What’s special to you about this place? How do you use it? What do you think of our plans? Come and have your say at our community walk. Tuesday 6th June, 5.30-7.30pm - Polmaddy Walk Tuesday 6th 5.30-7.30pm Meet at Polmaddy carJune park for2023, a walk along the Pack Road Meet at Polmaddy car park for a walk Thursday 8th June, 5.30-7.30pm - Dundeugh Walk along Meet at Dundeugh car parkRoad, for a walkPolmaddy round Dundeugh Wood the Pack Tel: 0300 067 6900 Email: enquiries.south@forestryandland.gov.scot forestryandland.gov.scot GAZETTEinformation Glenkens Gazette page 33 GALLOWAY COMMUNITY TRANSPORT www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org email gct@catstrand.com phone 01644 420374 mobile 07841 512449 June 2023 - July 2023 Regular Services GCT EXCURSIONS GK2 Glenkens-Castle Douglas (Tesco) Wednesday Evenings (Registered Route) Sunday 25th June Out Return 19:00 Dalry (Underhill) 21:15 19:05 New Galloway 21:10 19:15 Mossdale 21:00 19:25 Laurieston 20:50 19:30 Townhead of Greenlaw 20:47 19:37 Castle Douglas (Market St) 20:37 19:40 Castle Douglas (Tesco) 20:35 The Grand Estate Garden Penrith & Dalemain House and Garden, Cumbria We spend the late morning, and take lunch, in the delightful market town of Penrith. After lunch we take the short journey to Dalemain House and Garden. An artists plantswoman’s garden, with knot garden, historic orchard, herbaceous borders, terraces and semiwildflower gardens. Woodland walks. Café available. Entry to gardens: £10:50 (£8:50 for seniors) Bus Fare: £15:00 Booking not required Glenkens to Newton Stewart Fortnightly - Tuesday mornings Outward Pickups: Dalry (Underhill) 09:30 New Galloway (Town Hall) 09:35 CatStrand) 09:37 To Aldi Return Pickup Newton Stewart (Aldi Car Park) 11:30 Return fare £3.50 Advance booking required. Member Hire Sunday 30th July The Natural Gardens Moffatt & Craigieburn and Waterside Gardens We take a leisurely drive to the scenic town of Moffatt, where an early lunch can be purchased from the many eateries. We then travel to Craigieburn Garden, a beautiful and varied plant lovers garden in a natural setting. A short walk then takes us to Waterside Garden, a plantsman’s delight and home to woods, riverside walks and 3 acres of floral planting. Refreshments available in Village Hall. Entry to gardens: £8:00 Bus Fare: £15:00 For more info on these trips, please visit our website at: www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org/excursions GCT has 16-, 15-, and 8-seater minibuses and a fully wheelchair accessible electric car available for hire by community organisations. For information about membership and terms and conditions of hire see the GCT website or phone 07841 512449. Glenkens eBike Club Discounted eBike hire available to local residents: £5:00 per day £15:00 per weekend (Fri-Mon) £20:00 per week (Mon-Fri) https://www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org/ebikes email gctjon@catstrand.com Drivers Needed Galloway Community Transport needs your help to provide a wide range of community transport services across the Stewartry and beyond. MINIBUS DRIVING Minibus drivers with D1 (101 or by test) are needed to do volunteer and paid driving for our wide range of member community groups. PATIENT TRANSPORT We also urgently need drivers with their own cars for our patient transport service. Our volunteer patient transport drivers receive a generous mileage reimbursement and the satisfaction of providing a vital service to vulnerable people in our communities. Interested? Email gct@catstrand.com or phone 07841 512449 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation page 34 WHAT'S ON June/July JUNE Sun 4, A' the Way to Galloway, 3pm, Dalry Town Hall, see p25 Tue 6, 5.30-7.30pm, Polmaddy Walk: The Pack Road, see p32 Thu 8, Ken Words: Writers’ Café, 7pm, CatStrand Thu 8, Ross Ainslie, Ali Hutton & Jenn Butterworth, 7.30pm, CatStrand Thu 8, 5.30-7.30pm, Dundeugh Walk: Dundeugh Wood, see p32 Sun 11, Forest Wildlife Family Fun Day, 11am-3pm, Carsphairn Community Woodland, Muirdrochwood Forest Wed 14, Dalry Film Club: The Outfit 7.30pm, Dalry Town Hall Sat 17, Midsummer Ceilidh With Whirligig, 7.30pm, Dalry Town Hall Sat 17, Bairn Banter's Big Toddle, 10am, Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn, p6 Sat 17, Glenkens Producers Market, 10am-1pm, Dalry Town Hall Glenkens Land Use Vison - visit the Glenkens Hub at www.gcat.scot/landuse or scan the QR code on p19. Please feed back any comments to helen@ catstrand.com by 19 June Thu 22, Open Stage, 7.30pm, CatStrand Fri 23, Songwave Choir, 7pm, Kirkpatrick Durham Village Hall Sat 24, SongWave Choir, 4pm, Dalry Town Hall Sun 25, GCT Bus Trip: The Grand Estate Garden, Cumbria, see p33 JULY Fri 7, Blue Giant Orkestar, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sat 8, Glenkens Producers Market, 10am-1pm, Dalry Town Hall Thu 13, Ken Words: Writers’ Café, 7pm, CatStrand Mon 17, Project Unspoken Workshop, 4-7pm, CatStrand, see p25 Sat 22, Sanchez Rigg: Project Unspoken, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sun 23, The Glenkens Story : The Galloway Nag, CatStrand, see p27 Sun 30, GCT Bus Trip: The Natural Gardens, Moffat, see p33 Submit Glenkens Food Month events by 30 June, see 36 (back page) For more events & activities visit the Glenkens Hub at www.glenkens.scot/calendar N ew Galloway Golf Club Founded Foun ded 1902 www.ng www.n g gc.co.uk - 01644 420737 Buggies now available for hire VISITORS AND NEW MEMBERS WELCOME David Tallontire CHIMNEY SWEEP Covering the Glenkens & further afield 07709 144 299 - wood burners - multi-fuel stoves - open fires - Agas - Rayburns - birds nest removal with CCTV inspection - certificates issued - feel free to call for advice - Find me on Facebook Family and friends coming to stay? Short of space? Cosy country cottage available (sleeps 4) Call Fiona on 01644 420 227 www.covenanters-holidaycottagescotland.co.uk 唀瀀栀漀氀猀琀攀爀礀Ⰰ 䰀漀漀猀攀 䌀漀瘀攀爀猀Ⰰ 䘀愀戀爀椀挀猀Ⰰ 䌀甀猀栀椀漀渀猀 刀攀昀椀氀氀攀搀 䘀爀攀攀 䔀猀琀椀洀愀琀攀猀 吀栀攀 圀漀爀欀猀栀漀瀀Ⰰ 䴀漀渀礀戀甀椀攀Ⰰ 䌀漀爀猀漀挀欀⸀ 䐀䜀㜀 ㌀䐀夀 眀眀眀⸀䠀愀爀爀椀猀ⴀ唀瀀栀漀氀猀琀攀爀礀⸀挀漀⸀甀欀 ㄀㘀㐀㐀 㐀㐀 㔀㈀㤀 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation page 35 REGULAR ACTIVITIES Balmaclellan Village Hall Up Skills: 3D Animation, (age 15+), Wed 6-8pm 2-4pm, contact Michelle on 07795 613 148 Tuesday Afternoon Teas, 1st Tues each month, to book email warburton.julie@ googlemail.com Young Writers Cafe, (age 12+), Wed 6-7.30pm, monthly School's Out, Wed 3-4.30pm, kids & parents after-school social club, contact Michele on 07940 313445 Glenkens Crafters, Wed 10am-12noon, for info contact julia.higgins55@outlook. com A Chance to Dance, (age 12+), Thu biweekly, 5.30-7pm VAN: Peer Review Sessions, (age 16+), 7-9pm, monthly Books in Balmaclellan Community Library, Wed 10.30–12.30 & 5.30-7pm; Fri 5.30-7.30pm; Sat 10.30am -12.30pm (tea & coffee available on Sat). Dance Weekenders (age 12+), Sat monthly, 1–4pm Balmaclellan Blether, 3rd Thu each month, contact warburton.julie@ googlemail.com Art Club, (age 10-15), Sat bi-weekly 11.15am-12.30pm Glenkens Art Workshop, Thu 2-4pm, contact t_leach1@sky.com Easiobics, Tue & Fri 9.30-10.30pm, contact mlfagan@live.co.uk Circuits, Sat 8-9am, contact John 07544 713 586 Kettelbells, Mon & Tue 6-7pm, contact John 07544 713 586 The Men's Shed, Balmaclellan Opening Times: Monday, 9.30am - 12.30pm Wednesday, 9.30am - 12.30pm, Wood Carving, 2-4pm Thursday, Art Group, 2-4pm Friday, 9.30am - 12.30pm Saturday, 9am - 12noon Art Explorers, (age under 10), Sat biweekly 10-11am Creative Portfolio Development, (Age 15+), Sat monthly New Galloway Town Hall Glenkens Youth Activity Group, ages 11+, Mon 7-8.30pm, Dalry School Gym Hall, contact youthwork.ling@gmail.com or 07719 708 668 LING Lunches, Tue, 12.30-2pm. currently held at Kitty's, opposite NG Town Hall, contact communityinclusion.LING@gmail. com Craft Group, Fri 10am-12noon, includes tea & coffee, Lagwyne Hall, contact carsphairncraftgroup@gmail.com Zumba, Wed 7-8pm, suspended, contact samantha.rushton@hotmail.co.uk booking essential Margaret Morris Movement: Youth Grade (age 8-15), Mon (during term time), 4.30-5.30pm Young Art Ambassadors (age 11+), Mon bi-weekly, 4.30-5.30pm Citizens Advice Drop-ins, every other Tue, 10am-4pm Weekly Bus Service to Tesco, Wednesday eve 7pm Dramarama, (age 6-10), Wed 4.30-5.15pm Dalry Library Main St, Dalry, Tel: 01644 430 234 Tue, 2-5pm, for books and other walk-in Fri, 11.30am-12.30pm for NEC Bus Pass and Blue Badge appointments and PCs, and 1-4.30pm for books and other walkin services: Appointments can be booked in the library or on 01387 260 196. Tai Chi, 10.30-11.30am, suspended, contact gentletaichigroup@gmail.com Margaret Morris Movement: Health Play (age 5-8), Mon (during term time), 3.45-4.30pm Table Tennis/Badminton, available to hire by arrangement, contact Sarah on 07500 861 041 Men's Monday Morning Coffee, Mon 9.30-11am Carsphairn SWI, 3rd Thu of the month, 7.30pm,Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn CatStrand, New Galloway Friendship Group, Sat (excluding Glenkens Producers Market days), 1011.30am, contact Anne on 01644 430 052 Glenkens Book Group, last Friday of each month, 2pm, call June to book on 01644 420 361 Library Opening Times: Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn Carsphairn Yoga For All, Fr 9.15-10.15am, contact Amy on 07733 111 466 Due to work on the building please confirm activities are running on 07749 249 781 or newgallowaytownhall@gmail. com Sports Evenings, indoor bowling & table tennis, Tues 7-9pm, New Galloway Scout Hut, contact Ray on 01644 420 438 Bairn Banter; family stay & play session, 0-7 years, Sat 10-11.45am, Lagwyne Hall, Clachan Crafters, Thu 2-4pm, contact Sarah on 07500 861 041 Martial Arts, Thur 5.30-6.30pm (beginners & tots) & 7-9pm (age 6+), suspended, contact @Facebook KMANews or kmabrian@gmail.com Gentle Yoga, Fri, transferred to Balmaclellan, contact kathyr64@hotmail. co.uk Informal Family Badminton, (net and racquets but no line markings), New Galloway Town Hall, contact Ros on 07749 249 781 Glenkens Community Shop Opening Times: Mon, Tue & Thu - 10am-1pm Wed, Fri & Sat - 10am-4pm Glenkens Community Centre Dalry Good Neighbours Club, Tue, Dalry Town Hall Tai Chi, video-led instruction, Mon, 2-3pm, contact lesleyblissett52@gmail. com Dog Training, Tue, 7pm, contact Eric Broadhurst on 07831 590 822 Song Share, 1st Friday each month, 8-11pm, contact anne.chaurand@ btinternet.com Various Cosy Corner, Tue, 1-5pm, Crossmichael Church Hall, contact Anne on 07889 016 963 Crossmichael Heritage Centre, Wed & Fri, 1.30-4.30pm Cub Scouts, Wed 6.15-7.30pm, Scout Hall, New Galloway Knockvennie Hall Heat Bank & Snooker Club, contact Andrew on 01556 690 677 Outdoor Bowls, Dalry, contact Fiona Ramsay on 01644 430 587 Snooker/Indoor Bowls, contact Gary on 01644 430 521 Soup Saturdays, Mossdale Village Hall, last Sat each month, 1-3pm Glenkens Gazette page 36 Celebrating local food and drink I t’s already time to start looking forward to Food Month 2023! This will be our fourth annual celebration of our local food and drink producers and all things food related, after New Galloway Community Enterprises kicked it off way back in 2019. But this year we’ll be doing things a little differently; we’re going to trial using the new Glenkens Hub website to coordinate the month – which means its over to you... If you - as a community organisation, local business or even individual - would like to put on a food-related event in the Glenkens this September you can add it into the new planning calendar and take advantage of all of the Food Month publicity for free! Glenkens Community & Arts Trust (GCAT) has applied for funding to cover a printed programme and all activities uploaded onto the calendar by 30 June will be included in this. In addition, GCAT can manage any ticketed events through its CatStrand booking system (entry money will be returned to you of course!), and you can use the Food Month logo for any publicity. So if you'd like to be a part of this great community event, get your thinking hats on and your event details into the Food Month calendar by scanning the QR code here. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Submit events, activities, news stories, cartoons, reviews, tips & techniques, fiction, photos, ads or ideas... Contact Sarah Ade on 07727 127 997 or glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk Both the calendar and the printed programme will go live in early July. If you have any questions please email jo@catstrand. com or call 01644 420 374. Jo Jackson Editing & Design: sarah.ade@gmail.com AUG/SEPT COPY DEADLINE: 5 JULY The Glenkens Gazette is an initiative of the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust, a Registered Scottish Charity No SC032050 The role of the Gazette is to represent the voice of the community and does not represent the views of GCAT.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette 136 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GG_136 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Glenkens Gazette Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource GCAT Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2023 Description An account of the resource Editor: Sarah Ade https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/1/284/GlenkensGazette137.pdf c5678e4ffaa324fb72c7e0d2cb226847 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette 137 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Glenkens Gazette Description An account of the resource <p>Find out more about the Gazette: <a href="https://glenkens.scot/gazette-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Glenkens Gazette home page</a> If you would like to submit an article or take out an advert, please email the editor Sarah Ade: <span>&nbsp;</span><a href="mailto:glenkensgazette@hotmail.com">glenkensgazette@hotmail.com</a></p> <p>The Glenkens Gazette is a member of, and regulated by <span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.impressorg.com/">Impress</a>.</p> <p>The Glenkens Gazette is an initiative of Glenkens Community &amp; Arts Trust (SC032050) and represents the voice of the community (not necessarily the views of GCAT).</p> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document August/September 2023 ISSUE 137 Are we facing a crisis in rural education? T he future of education in the Glenkens is in crisis following the withdrawal of fourth year provision at Dalry Secondary School. Parents and supporters of the school believe the seeds of the crisis were sown in 2016 when, despite strong community and parental opposition, D&G Education Department decided to hire a Glenkens primaries partnership head and amalgamate the management for Dalry Secondary and Castle Doulgas High School (CDHS), despite the fact that CDHS is an urban school 16 miles away. The change in management structure from an all-through school (with the Glenkens primaries and Dalry Secondary all under one head teacher who was based at Dalry School) to a structure with a remote secondary head has had serious ramifications. Seven years on, this poorly considered management decision, coupled with a seeming lack of interest in partnership working from the CDHS management team has Welcome to Dalry For over 50 years Dalry Secondary has been providing a holistic environment where young people are nurtured and supported as they grow into their full potential as wellrounded, welleducated individuals. FREE INSIDE THIS ISSUE SPEN pylon enquiry submission deemed "greatly offensive" turn to page 3 D alry offers something unique, with the small school rural setting allowing students to feel secure in a family-like environment while they reach their full academic and personal potential. The inside cover of the Dalry Secondary School prospectus created by the Parent Council. You can read the full publication online at bit.ly/DalryProspectus or pick up a print copy from the school lead to this year's S4 class at Dalry being displaced and the head teacher 'strongly advising' parents to send their children to CDHS. The size of year groups have changed little over the past couple of decades, so why now are Dalry pupils' educational outcomes being so severely curtailed? It does not seem right that, when parents query the limited offering, is it deemed a reasonable answer to state that a full range of subjects is offered at 'partner school' CDHS. Surely it is not unreasonable to expect a rich and varied curriculum to be offered at Dalry, the catchment high school for the Glenkens? Why are pupils expected to attend an out of catchment school, outwith their community, travelling for potentially up to two hours a day? These are the questions being asked of the Education Department, with many parents and members of the community still waiting for answers. Continued on p5... Glenkens Food Month will run throughout September with mouthwatering events across the Glenkens - turn to p7 for more! Resounding success of Galloway Glens intern programme turn to page 10 Funding for Glenkens youth graffiti project turn to page 19 What is Galloway Retold? turn to page 23 News from the communities of Balmaclellan, Carsphairn, Corsock, Crossmichael, Kirkpatrick Durham, Laurieston, Mossdale, New Galloway, Parton and St John’s Town of Dalry Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEnews page 2 Glenkens CAP Steering Group report T he Glenkens & District Community Action Plan (CAP) was published in 2020, and is owned and kept relevant by the CAP Steering Group, with support on delivery from Glenkens Community & Arts Trust (GCAT). The Steering Group has been meeting in its present form for some 18 months now and so felt it was timely to publish an Update Report on the progress of the Community Action Plan to date. The Report also sets out the challenges and opportunities facing delivery of the CAP priorities as they aim for ever more ambitious delivery. The most pressing challenge is achieving core support to fund the roles that will set us up for success in the future, when the level of wind farm community benefit monies better matches the ambitions set out in the plan. Fiona Smith, outgoing chair of the CAP Steering Group, said, "The Glenkens and District Community Action Plan sets out the priorities of our communities really clearly. Through the CAP Steering Group and the support of GCAT, we are demonstrating an effective model of delivery within a remote-rural community which we think may be of interest to others. We have therefore shared this report widely and will continue to seek support from regional and national bodies to help us achieve our ambitions." Highlights from the last two years that have been directly driven by CAP delivery include: • Creation of the Glenkens Hub website • Creation of the Glenkens Local Food Network • Creation of the Glenkens Youth Group • Creation of the Glenkens Community Spaces Network • Positive work on the creation of new Community Housing • Adoption of a Vision for Land Use in the Glenkens (see p15) • Hosting D&G Citizens Advice Service in the Glenkens • Creation of new support scheme for local childminders • Commissioning of a report into the energy efficiency of many of our public buildings. • Many other projects and capital upgrades and investments. In the three years since the Community Action Plan was published, community groups across the Glenkens & District have achieved great things. There is a clearly demonstrable wish to work together, to complement each other rather than to compete. There are skilled and engaged people and great potential in the area. Our community has demonstrated a track record in administering large amounts of money with high standards of transparency, accountability and effective delivery. We should all be very proud of what we have achieved through working together on the Glenkens and District Community Action Plan. The full report can be found on the Glenkens Hub website (www. glenkens.scot) alongside reports of the meetings of the CAP Steering Group. New Galloway's future-proof town hall I t was August last year when LING finally took ownership of New Galloway Town Hall on behalf of the community - what a year it has been! Progress has sometimes felt agonisingly slow. As with most projects you soon realise they are bigger than you first thought, especially when working with historic buildings. Then there is the challenge of working with multiple agencies to get things done so the next step can start. Dumfries & Galloway Council were as good as their word and addressed the dramatic problem of the dry rot that had spread through the tower end of the building, which took longer than expected with a lot of patience required. The voices of experience Our grantfunders, too, have been incredibly supportive. Space makes full acknowledgement a challenge here, but we’ll have a detailed acknowledgement board in the hall. A huge thank you in the meantime to our major funders: Community Ownership Fund, Blackcraig Wind Farm administered by Foundation Scotland & Glenkens Distric Trust, Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership and Garfield Weston. We added new funders to our list recently, having gained £44,400 from the Let’s Do Net Zero Fund, nearly £50,000 from SOSE, as well as additional funding from the Architectural Heritage Foundation and most recently Blackcraig Wind Farm Community Fund again, to support an extended contract for our invaluable project officer, Ronnie Bradford. A shout-out for our volunteers and friends We’d also like to do a shout out for the many volunteers without whom none of this would be happening, and for those Friends of the Town Hall, who sign up with a £5 a month standing order (or £8 a couple). That steady income stream makes all the difference to keeping us afloat and we are so very grateful that people have stayed with us throughout. We're setting ourselves a new target. We’ve surpassed our first target of 50 with just over 60 Friends. Our next target is going to be 75. If you think you could help us to hit that target, please contact Bob (our treasurer) rtdglaister@aol.com It's all about community wellbeing By the time you are reading this we'll be close to having the renovation complete. Teams of volunteers have already been going in at weekends to clear and clean and it won't be long until all this will be a distant memory and we'll have a full programme of events and activities going again for our community. A grand open day event We're busy planning a grand open day. For up-to-date news on this, check our Facebook page, Local Initiatives in New Galloway, visit www. newgallowaytownhall. com or contact jackie. communityinclusion.LING@ gmail.com One thing we're sure we’ll be doing is filling our 'time capsule' ceremonially with the contributions we are collecting. We hope to see you there! Ann Glaister Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEnews page 3 SPEN final submission to pylons public inquiry is “greatly offensive” T he public inquiry into Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN) Kendoon to Tongland 132kV Reinforcement Project has now been completed by the Scottish Government’s Directorate of Planning and Environmental Appeals (DPEA). All hearing/inquiry sessions have been completed and, following closing submissions for all parties, the inquiry has been formally closed. The reporters are currently preparing a report with their findings and recommendations. However, the SPEN closing submission, which was published on the DPEA website on 4 July, has now been taken down, having been deemed to be “liable to cause offence”. The submission will still be passed onto Scottish ministers to make the final decision on the SPEN proposal but it has caused consternation among those fighting the overland electricity transmission plan. Galloway Without Pylons (GWP) has been campaigning for the past seven years to persuade SPEN to underground or reroute the section between Glenlee and Tongland that goes straight through the Galloway Forest Park, a popular tourist destination in Dumfries & Galloway. GWP’s Paul Swift said: “We tendered our 20-page final submission on 10 May which is published on the DPEA website. SPEN’s 315-page final submission was sent in on 20 June, four weeks late! “And then this caption appeared on the DPEA website: ‘DPEA will not publish comments which in their view may be liable to cause offence. The applicant’s closing submissions will still be taken into account by the reporters in their consideration of the proposal and sent to the Energy Consents Unit with their completed report’.” The SPEN submission was written by Ms Ailsa Wilson KC with contributions from Shepherd Wedderburn LLP on behalf of the applicant. “GWP goes further than the Scottish Government and believes that SPEN’s submission has caused great offence,” Paul explained. “Their submission is arrogant, dismissive of the local community, contains false information and makes personal attacks on the characters of the two experts who were employed to represent GWP. the request of ‘appointing an independent advocate to ensure that local participants are not bullied and intimidated during public inquiries’.” “The local community raised £24,000 to pay for our KC and technical expert so you can imagine how angry GWP members are when they read this unpleasant submission from SPEN. A spokesperson for SPEN has said: “Our proposals for the Kendoon to Tongland investment aim to ensure there is a transmission system that’s suitable for the 21st Century and has the capacity and capability to support the increase in electricity demand as we transition to greener transport like electric vehicles and more electric heating, all of which supports the country’s ambitious targets to achieve Net Zero emissions. “Our technical expert was Dr Chris Ford, BA (Hons), MBA, MSc. in Renewable Energy, PHD in Civil & Environmental Engineering. He was absolutely superb at the inquiry and it was obvious from the first time I met him that he is indeed an expert on the ‘spatial dimension of energy systems’. “I am currently working on a report that will highlight those sections of SPEN’s submission that attempt to denigrate the evidence of Dr Ford and others. There are many!” Willie Jackson, of Scotland Against Spin, the campaign group fighting the proliferation of wind farms, said: “SAS will be bringing this up at the next DPEA stakeholders' forum as further evidence of abuse of third parties when taking part in an inquiry. We currently have a petition to the Scottish Parliament which includes “We have participated fully in the public inquiry process and have provided a balanced response to the issues raised to the Reporter as part of our closing submission.” GWP has maintained that it is not against the upgrade but wants the new line to follow the existing pylons east of Loch Ken or, failing that, to be put underground. The closing submissions of both GWP and SPEN to the public inquiry can now be read in full on the Galloway Without Pylons website at http:// gallowaywithoutpylons.org/ public-inquiry Dalry Town Hall celebrates funding success D alry Town Hall is pleased to announce its success in obtaining two awards for energy improvement. Until recently Dalry Town Hall was held by a historic Trust. However, whilst successful in many ways and for many years, this type of ownership has had restrictions, particularly on the level and sources of funding available. About a year ago a public meeting was held at which it was voted to transfer to a charity structure; namely to become a SCIO (a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation). As was outlined at the meeting, the first aim of the new body would be to seek improvements in the hall’s use of energy. Following an energy survey by Business Energy Scotland, application was made for funding to the Scottish Government CARES fund. However, the fund can only provide 80% of the cost and so a second application was made to Blackcraig Windfarm Community Fund for the remainder. Importantly, the measures identified sit well in line with the Community Action Plan developed by the Glenkens & District Trust - so both funding sources are mutually supportive. We are thrilled to announce that both applications have been successful and will provide for the following: • An additional heat pump and radiators to enhance the comfort of users. • A destratification fan to drive warmed air from the high hall roof back down to the useable space. • Photovoltaic panels on the external roof to generate electricity from the sun and store in a battery for later use thereby reducing energy from the grid. • Low energy lighting within the hall to further diminish energy usage. The project will be underway over the next year and will bring benefits on a permanent basis thereafter. Hall trustees are very grateful to all funding bodies involved in providing the opportunity to make these improvements possible. J Reid Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEnews Biosphere badge for Cubs Raising T he Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere (GASB) has launched a new badge for Scouts and Guides. Working with the Scout and Guide movement, Jenna Cairns, education lead officer for GSAB, and her team have orchestrated a badge for young people to participate in, with activities suited to all ages. Five Cub Scouts from the Glenkens Pack headed up to Muirdrochwood to an open day organised by Carsphairn Community Woodland (CCW) and what a fun day was in store. They enjoyed the tree planting, moth identification, learning about the bees that produce Glenkens Honey, pony petting, meeting hedgehogs, looking at bugs and beasties through the microscope, learning about red squirrels and more. Thank you to Mr McMillan, chairman of CCW, and his team for organising the event and to Jenna for guiding the Cubs through the new lodge and presenting the badges. capsule'. A time capsule is being placed in New Galloway Town Hall and the Cubs have been busy making a booklet to go in it. We started with King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s coronation photographs followed by Prince Wiliam, Princess Kate and their family visiting a Cub Scout pack down south and helping out – they all wore neckers just like us. The Cubs collected cuttings of boys' and girls' favourite toys, also biscuit and sweet wrappers that were popular in 2023. Each Cub filled in a sheet entitled A Moment in Time, which was a brief record of their life to date. Hannah gave an item of pottery she had made, and photographs of her pots and a 2023 Spring Fling heading from this year’s event booklet. We also added a DVD filmed at our Coronation page 4 Funds for Alzheimer Scotland H Elliot, Leo, Bella, Alba and Freya were all awarded badges Banquet, where we were joined by parents and our cub scout president, Drew Low. The booklet was finished by a few facts about New Galloway. The final meeting before the holiday was sailing home-made boats in the New Galloway park burn, which lacked water after the dry spell but the youngsters still had lots of fun. Three large crayfish were found and, not knowing what to do with them, after having a look we returned them to the water. air by Jayne in Dalry holds regular fundraising events in the village, and this year they have decided to suport Alzheimer Scotland; Scotland's dementia charity. A coffee afternoon will be held in Dalry Town Hall from 1-4pm on Thursday 4 October. Jayne says: "All are welcome for tea, coffee and cakes. There will also be a great raffle, and entry by donation. Come along and have some fun at this great event!" Raffle prizes and baking will be gratefully accepted - please contact Jayne on 07876 397 725 or pop into the salon on Dalry's Main Street. We hope you all have a lovely summer! Heather & Hannah Help for the Dalry arts and crafts fair lifeboats O Another project the Cubs have been involved in is a local 'time nce again we will be hosting a summer arts and crafts event at Dalry Town Hall. This year it will be held on Sunday 20 August from 11am until 3pm supported by the Pop Up Café for teas/coffees and delicious homemade cakes. There will be a diverse mix of artists, designers and creative crafters offering beautifully crafted and uniquely executed pieces of work. We hope to have woodworkers, jewellers, printmakers, artists and textiles designers and makers, both professional and semi-professional. This time we are offering local craft and art groups the chance to have some exhibition space to showcase their work collectively, which will give visitors and locals alike the opportunity to appreciate the depth of talent on offer in Dumfries & Galloway. If any groups wish to take advantage of this offer please get in touch. There may also be individuals (Cub Scout Leaders) out there who would like to take the opportunity of showcasing creative talent and expertise and wish to have a presence at the show; it could be an opportunity to network and meet more potential customers/clients. The entrance fee is by donation and all proceeds from the event will go towards Dalry Town Hall funds, helping to maintain and improve the facilities of this historic building. To find out more or book a table please contact Lesley Blissett on 07710 525 927. Lesley Blissett G lenkens folk have once again been generous in their support for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). The Glenkens RNLI committee held their annual fundraising coffee morning in May at Dalry Town Hall, raising over £700. The RNLI does not receive any government funding and is reliant on the generosity of supporters. Many thanks to all who helped and attended. Nicolette Wise GAZETTEnews Glenkens Gazette A Glenkens education Continued from front page... In a response to a concern raised by a member of the community, the Education Department stated"...the Headteacher and the Head of Education wrote to parents...to advise they commence their Senior Phase at their partner school, Castle Douglas High School." This statement clearly encourages parents to send their children away from Dalry, their catchment school. However, when the head teacher was asked why they don't encourage children at the partner school, CDHS, who would benefit from smaller class sizes and a small-school environment to send their children to Dalry - surely a win-win situation - he responded that the school cannot make that kind of suggestion to parents; where they send their child is down to parental choice. The senior management team has resisted attempts by the parent council to find a solution. There is the possibility of online learning, used successfully for small class sizes in other remote areas in Scotland, and indeed employed by other schools in Dumfries & Galloway. If cost is a prohibitive factor, the parent council have offered to look at raising the necessary funds. A Nurturing Environment St John’s Town of Dalry sits in the Glenkens, part of the Stewartry region of Dumfries & Galloway, a group of communities tied together with common values and a strong sense of community spirit. LEARNING TOGETHER H ere at Dalry Secondary our young people all learn together, supporting each other in a cooperative environment with students forming strong friendships across year groups, as well as often being involved in the Primary School’s activities and events. From helping out with coffee mornings to overseeing the technical elements of stage productions, both the younger and older children thrive from these multi-age activities. Students feel a great sense of satisfaction in being involved in such a handson way with the school, seeing their skills being of practical value to teachers, younger pupils and the wider community. OPEN SPACES T he school benefits from the green spaces of its rural setting, where a tableau of wilderness, farmland and forestry roll out as far as the eye can see, creating the unique landscape so much a part of Dalry. From its elevated position in the village the school has unrivalled views from most classroom windows, with rolling green vistas stretching in every direction. Research has shown that green space visible from the classroom improves concentration and lowers stress, which may explain a little of the calm and happy atmosphere in the school. page 5 “The school just feels like one big happy family.” S1 pupil “I can’t imagine liking another school more.” S3 pupil A SENSE OF COMMUNITY A s well as the feeling of connection with the outdoors through the school’s unique placement in the landscape, a sense of community also permeates the school with pupils and teachers feeling more like one big family than a formal academic setting. Activities and learning opportunities are provided through which the wider community and the school are able to engage, giving pupils a real sense of place and belonging. WELL ROOTED With Dalry Secondary being attached to Dalry Primary and ELC Nursery, pupils benefit from an all-through setting where they can be on familiar ground from the age of three until they complete S4 at 16. Receiving such a secure and nurturing start to their education stands students in good stead, and by the time they reach S4 Dalry’s young people are well-rounded individuals ready to stretch themselves that little bit more, both socially and academically, and happily take the next step on their educational journey to Dalry Secondary’s partner school, Castle Douglas High. Having worked in partnership regularly with the high school, pupils are familiar with the setting, teachers and fellow pupils, so this is a very natural transition for them. higher-grade courses and some take the decision leave school altogether, rendeing the process more holistic for older students. The Glenkens is a very rural area of around 500 square miles and with a population of some 3,700. From the northern boundary, in the parish of Carsphairn, to the current school at Dalry is around 17 miles. To travel to school in Castle Douglas would be close to 35 miles, or an hour's drive. “There was great encouragement to be creative and I remember a sense of freedom to be who you were, and a care from the village community, that added greatly to my sense of well-being.” Former pupil decision on S4 education provision in Dalry I think we need to work together to think about what the model for education provision in the Glenkens should look like. "We need some innovative thinking by the Council’s Education Department, in consultation with the Glenkens community, on how we improve rural education and make sure our young people get equal access to the opportunities secondary pupils already have in Castle Douglas and Kirkcudbright. I’ll work with the parent council, fellow ward councillors and Education Committee members to ensure that education in the Glenkens is given the attention it is entitled to.” ...with £1.25million of capital investment spent on the Castle Douglas High School Estate since 2017 and nothing on the Dalry Secondary Estate. There is currently a The options were reduced for this year’s S4 group to such a degree that there were no sciences, no geography and no languages (despite a full cohort of teachers in these subjects being available). Currently the only offering for an S4 student wishing to stay is to sit in on S3 classes, and to be " largely be self-motivated to self-study". And the attempts to degrade the offer at Dalry Secondary go beyond subject choices with £1.25million of capital investment spent on the Castle Douglas High School Estate since 2017 and nothing on the Dalry Secondary Estate. In 2016, the local community and parents pushed for Dalry Secondary to run to S6 rather than S4, as they could see that running to S4 with the changes to exam years, etc, may become problematic. At the time D&G Education Department refused to consider this; ironically now they advise parents that not running to S6 is a reason for children to move from Dalry to CDHS in order to avoid transition at S4. Children and parents are of course aware that upon commencing S5, a school transition is a requisite. This progression is, however, a more organic undertaking as numerous students at this point opt for Dalry school sits in the heart of an area rich in renewable energy and forestry, which makes the lack of sciences all the more difficult to understand. The parent council have engaged with local renewables companies like Vattenfall and Natural Power, who are keen to work with Dalry in order to provide educational opportunities in fields where they could gain local employment. The renewable energy sector alone is growing by 7% a year, expanding demand for a local workforce in these fields. With climate change at the forefront of the global agenda this demand is only going to grow. D&G Education Department, however, has prioritised apprenticeships in Dumfries, forcing children and young people out of the area. The Glenkens is in the unique regional position of having an increasing population. In order for this trend to continue, and for the health and vitality of our communities, we need to ensure our schools are able to provide high quality education here in the Glenkens. Dee & Glenkens ward councillor Dougie Campbell, who has been working with the parent council, said: “Following the recent consultation on the restructuring of Dumfries & Galloway's schools estate. The communities of the Glenkens would like to ensure we retain education for our children within our community, and ensure that our children are able to become qualified in the fields of employment that are right on our doorstep. We need management of our schools to be returned to the Glenkens. We need a head teacher who is present in our school and invested in the children of the Glenkens. The communities of the Glenkens have a strong identity, of which we are proud. We have chosen to live and work here for a reason. We chose small schools. We chose rural education. We opted for small class sizes. We want our children to be raised within our own community, forming a lifelong connection and a passion for the area that will ensure that, whatever their future choices, they keep coming back to the place they call home. Dalry School Parent Council Look out for more local consultation coming soon and have your say! You can also follow the Dalry School Parent Council on Facebook to keep up-to-date with what's happening. GAZETTEnews Glenkens Gazette Together in the Glenkens T he 'Together in the Glenkens' activity programme is off to a great start. The programme is designed to support and enhance mental health and wellbeing in the Glenkens district over the coming months. We have nine activities on offer for our Glenkens communities to engage in and enjoy. Our aim is to provide a varied and inclusive programme, which will attract interest and engagement. Our Art for Wellbeing sessions are being delivered across three different areas of the Glenkens. We have an exciting programme of dance classes with Sam Rushton touring the Glenkens in four-week blocks with an opportunity to learn ballroom and latin dances in each block. A Christmas social is planned, with a fun competitive element where you can dance the evening away at a Glenken’s Strictly party! Our highly popular monthly Pub Quiz is back, circulating between the Lochinvar Hotel, the Clachan Inn and the Ken Bridge Hotel; watch our space for dates and details. We'll have a support group and gentle exercise for new mums coming soon. Tai Chi sessions run on Wednesday evenings in New Galloway park, moving into the CatStrand if the weather is not suitable, and provide a wonderful opportunity to practice this gentle form of exercise. We are excited that the Five Kingdoms Brewery is our guest for September’s Pie Pint 'n' Patter on the last Friday of the month, with the opportunity to take part in a beer tasting session with our splendid local brewers. Gentle Exercise for All is taking place in the Smiddy, Balmaclellan, on Wednesday page 6 afternoons, helping to build a gentle practice of low impact exercise into people’s lives. Walking Football is proving popular for the young and notso-young, taking place over the summer months in New Galloway park on Thursday evenings. We are delighted to be supporting Breeze Glenkens Cycle Rides, providing an opportunity to enjoy twiceweekly rides around our glorious countryside, on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. Please visit https://letsride.co.uk/groups/ glenkens-cycling-group, as it is essential to book your place through their website. We are most thankful to the Scottish Government’s Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, administered by Third Sector Dumfries & Galloway, which has enabled us to set up our programme of events. For this incredible programme to continue into the future, sessions need to be supported, so please do join in and support these community activities. To find out more and to book onto any of our sessions email jo@catstrand.com or call 01644 420 374 or scan the QR code above to go straight to our booking page. Jo Jackson See p32 for more TiTG activities St Margaret's goes online Glenkens Youth Group C hurches have often been considered a bit slow with new trends but St Margaret’s in New Galloway seems to be the exception that proves the rule! Newly installed internet connection at the church has opened up many opportunities. There is a much wider range of music provision for services when the organist is absent, and following the purchase of a card reader machine, anyone without cash and wanting to make a donation can now do so easily. Having internet at the church also allows Dawn Matthew, St Margaret’s new priest, to work in the building on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Whenever you see the ‘church is open’ sign outside, please feel free to pop in to look round, have a quiet moment of reflection, or chat with Dawn. There is also a new informal service of morning prayer on Tuesdays at 11am, with refreshments, which is proving popular. Details of how to join the Wednesday evening online prayer group via Zoom can be found at www. stmargaretsnewgalloway.org The regular Sunday service is currently being trialled at 5pm to allow Dawn to take services at both St Margaret’s and All Saints’ Challoch. The time is likely to change before the winter months so please check the website or noticeboards for updates. Dawn is an experienced teaching assistant and will be helping at both Kells and Dalry primary schools from September, and she has also been busy helping out with the LING food parcel initiative. In the next Gazette, the St Margaret’s Guild will report on the tombola they are running at this year's Scottish Alternative Games on Sunday 6 August to raise funds for the Castle Douglas Hospital League of Friends. Nicolette Wise T hanks to the hard work of Local Initiatives in New Galloway (LING) in setting up the Glenkens Youth Group, the future of this group is secured for another two years. The group was a huge success last year, with a range of regular activities as well as holiday excursions offered for free. LING has now passed management of the group to the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust (GCAT), with continued funding from the Blackcraig Wind Farm Community Fund. A huge "thank you" goes to LING's Mary Smith for all her hard work in initiating this project and making it such a success - here's to the next two years! From 28 August newly-recruited youth worker Beata will run Glenkens Youth Group sessions at the Glenkens Community Centre in Dalry from 7-8:30pm every Monday. Sessions are free and open to young people from P7 to S3 just drop in. For further information contact catherine@catstrand.com GAZETTEnews Glenkens Gazette A September to remember G lenkens Food Month 2023 gets underway in September with a raft of foodrelated events across the Glenkens. Community groups and businesses will celebrate our amazing local food and drink producers, retailers, cafes and restaurants with a month-long programme. page 7 There's something for everyone, from fungal forages to cooking demonstrations, films to community cafes. There are pot luck suppers, hog roasts and sausage sizzles, plant & produce swaps and markets. There will be the usual closing ceilidh in Balmaclellan Village Hall and a 'Feastival' in New Galloway Park - a whole day of food and music to celebrate together. Look out for programmes out and about in August or visit the Glenkens Hub Food Month page at www.glenkens.scot and check out the events calendar or scan the QR code on the right. Remember to book early to avoid disappointment! Pictured is Carsphairn's local produce stall from a previous year's Food Month Thanks go to all the local organisations involved - as ever, it's a real partnership effort. And thanks of course to New Galloway Community Enterprises for kicking the whole thing off back in 2019; it's great to see it still gong strong five years on! Jo Jackson, Together in the Glenkens New report provides road map for Glenkens community spaces T hanks to funding from the Scottish Government's 'Community Led Vision' fund, administered by D&G Council, eleven community buildings in the Glenkens have received detailed assessments of their energy efficiency upgrade options. They all now have clear recommendations for the most effective ways for them to improve their energy efficiency and sustainability, summarised in a report produced for the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust by Natural Power Consultants. Town and village halls and other community spaces play a vital role in the rural population centres of the Glenkens, but due to their age, many of these buildings are poorly insulated, in some cases using oil boilers which are reaching the end of their operational lifespan, or in others using expensive electric heaters which are not always powerful enough to heat the space to a comfortable level in the midst of winter. This new report gives an overview of potential improvements for each building, backed up by technical data which can be used by the committees of participating halls to develop bids for grant funding in order to make the halls more sustainable, both environmentally and financially. Recommendations have been made as appropriate in the areas of lighting and energy efficiency improvements, improvements to the building fabric and potential for renewable generation. The report's authors will present their recommendations at a stakeholder event in the summer, alongside a second report which considers opportunities to decarbonise and reduce power usage in domestic properties in the Glenkens. This project was coordinated by Becca Nelson, Glenkens Community Spaces Network facilitator. She commented: "One of the key concerns of Glenkens Community Spaces Network members is rising utility costs, with some members expressing concern that the viability of venues is under threat in light of the price increases. However, grant funding is available to help community buildings become more sustainable. I am delighted that two of the participating venues' committees have already used the assessments to support grant funding bids for feasibility studies. I hope that their bids are successful, and that other participants will be able to use this data to help them to implement capital projects to future- proof their own community building. We will be looking for opportunities to collaborate when finding contractors to carry out any works as well as sharing successes and potential pitfalls." The report, titled Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation in Glenkens Community Buildings, is available to download from the Reports and Resources Archive of the Glenkens Hub website at www.glenkens.scot/ reports-resources-archive The Glenkens Community Spaces Network provides a forum for the management committees of our village halls, town halls, community centres and other community spaces to come together to share ideas, successes and issues. The Network is a Glenkens Community & Arts Trust project and is funded through 2023-25 by a grant from the Blackcraig Community Benefit Fund. To find out more visit www. glenkens.scot/glenkenscommunity-spaces-network GAZETTEpeople Glenkens Gazette page 8 Youth music talent in the Glenkens T he Glenkens communities have been bursting with young talent for decades, and 14-year-old Ella Campbell is the latest example. to enter the Battle of the Bands, held at the CatStrand. The Alternative Games is also where Galloway musician Zoe Bestel first performed with her ukelele, when she was just 14 too - who knew the Games was such a melting pot for youth music talent! Recently she graced the big stage at Scotland's largest youth music festival, YouthBeatz, alongside many other talented young musicians including superstar young talent Torrs. Since then, Ella has been benefiting from mentoring from acclaimed singersongwriter Sarah Scouten, through funding provided by Dumfries Music Festival and supported by CatStrand Young Creatives. Ella's performance journey began last year, when she showcased her talents from a cherry-picker at the Scottish Alternative Games in New Galloway and then went on Ella also volunteers as an Art Ambassador with the CatStrand Young Creatives programme. Supported and mentored by the Young Creatives team, Ella now shares her dance and music skills with younger children through a drama club and musical theatre sessions. This volunteering work has earned her a Saltire Award. Last month at YouthBeatz Ella performed some of her own compositions to a rapt audience; she is undoubtedly an artist to watch out for in the coming years – great work Ella! If you are a young musician who would like support in pursuing your creative career or developing your talent, please contact CatStrand Young Creatives at catherine@ catstrand.com - we would love to hear from you and help you on your journey too! Catherine Campbell, Young Creatives Project Lead Ella Campbell performing at YouthBeatz, Dumfries In memory of Tom Leach Our friend Tom Tom passed away the other day, Two heart attacks and a stroke, Took our friend a lovely bloke, A special person in every way. Tom made clocks that hang on many a wall, Mens Shed CatStrand and many others too, Notice boards bench seat and log shed so tall, Always with banter and a leg pull or two. Many good years our friendship ran, Ukelele Manshed and art we shared, He was a very talented man, He showed compassion and always cared. When Tom entered our domain, An air of calmness would sustain, His humour thoughtfulness and generosity, A good friend and very good company. We will never forget you my friend, Our friendship will live on, In our memories of happy days gone, RIP dear friend and fly with the Angels Amen. by Barry Bryan-Dixon Dalry Good Neighbours Club D alry Good Neighbours had a very good first season and saw a variety of entertainment and activities. We had Scottish music from Graham Barbour and Pauline Swan; professional singer Kirsty Duncan entertained us with a vast variety of songs from Scottish to jazz, musicals to opera; we had talks from Galloway to the Himalayas. We have learned about birds and about keeping ourselves safe. We’ve played board games and bingo and had a beetle drive. We have also got involved with keeping the Glenkens Community Centre ship-shape by helping tidy up outside the front of the centre and plant up a few flowers to welcome visitors. But one of our greatest achievements was to raise money for an orphanage in Kenya to help build the children some beds. Our next programme sees Graham and Pauline return, as well as Kirsty Duncan. We also have a promise from Eddie McGaw to come and update us on his projects in Kenya, and talks from local historian Robert McQuistan. We have author and previous Glenkens resident, Peter Wright, coming to give a talk; Peter was also the initial instigator of raising funds to turn the old school building into our current community centre building! We will be having games afternoons, bingo and the occasional surprise thrown in too. The club is open to all. We meet in Glenkens Community Centre on Tuesday afternoons from 2-4pm, and it's £3 per session, with refreshments included. The group will re-start from 5 September and new members will be made most welcome. Please keep an eye out for our yellow posters which will be going up around the Glenkens with information on the current programme of activities. Sarah McAdam Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEpeople page 9 A shout-out for the Glenkens Community Transport volunteers The fantastic team of volunteer drivers at Galloway Community Transport (GCT) provide a vital service for individuals and groups across Galloway. GCT manager, Jon Betts, and co-ordinator Sue McMinn would like to say a huge "thank you" to the team of drivers whose contribution makes the work of GCT possible. GCT provides patient transport, rural school bus services, and some regular services, as well as minibus hire for groups and organisations. Occasional excursions also provide opportunities for travel and socialising. GCT drivers are passionate about their role. One driver said: ‘’It’s a privilege to see the enjoyment of young people going to events and activities that, in a big town or city, would be taken for granted. It’s a real pleasure.’’ GCT patient transport drivers generously use their own vehicles to take patients to appointments with their mileage expenses being reimbursed. Doing this, GCT drivers provide not only transport for people who need it most, they are sometimes the only social contact that person may have during the week. One patient said recently: "The Gillespie Gifford & Brown LLP Solicitors and Estate Agents Dumfries & Galloway 01556 503744 www.ggblaw.co.uk All legal advice Offices in Castle Douglas, Dalbeattie Kirkcudbright and Dumfries service is an absolute lifesaver, and the conversation and laughter we have on the way make it a lovely journey." GCT simply would not be able to operate without the amazing contribution made by our dedicated team of volunteer drivers. Driving for GCT can offer the opportunity to visit new places and meet new people, and also the chance to see what some of our local community projects involve. New volunteers are always welcome and much needed. If anyone would like to be part of the team, GCT would be delighted to hear from you. Please get in touch with Jon or Sue at the CatStrand on gct@catstrand.com or visit www.gallowaycommunity transport.org for more information. See p29 for information on GCT regular routes and trips coming up in August and September. Sue McMinn GCT volunteer drivers pictured with one of the fleet of minibuses outside the CatStrand © Solway Press Services Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEpeople page 10 Intern programme shows range of careers available in the Glenkens R ecent months have included sobering news about young people’s opinions of living and working in our region. More than 50% of young folk questioned for the ‘10,000 voices’ report indicated their plans to leave Dumfries & Galloway, with other surveys revealing that the population of Dumfries & Galloway was already, on average, one of the oldest in Scotland. Not that we should be trying to prevent our young people from leaving, but we should do a better job of highlighting the roles that can be pursued locally, challenging the perception that leaving is the only ‘successful’ option. The Covid-19 pandemic has challenged many of the assumptions we have about what people want from a career and the quality of life, peace and quiet, low crime and healthy lifestyle offered is increasingly being seen as an asset. The Galloway Glens Scheme has been leading a project called ‘Galloway Rural Skills’ which was working with local employers to offer paid internship positions. Usually on a six-month basis, these were aiming to provide really highquality work experience, while also having the spin-off benefits of introducing employers to the concept of Internships and also publicly advertising the variety of jobs available, to sow the seed in people’s minds that working in Galloway is an appealing option. Out of the intern-type positions supported, 11 of the 15 have either been based in the Glenkens or included a strong element of Glenkens work. These roles included supporting the Galloway Fisheries Trust on projects on the Black Water of Dee, through to positions working in forestry or the renewables sector with Drax on the hydro electric scheme and Natural Power and the creative sector with Glenkens Community & Arts Trust. The roles have delivered benefits for the candidates and also the hosts, with a number of employers expressing an interest in future schemes. Four of the 11 Glenkens-related Interns have already gone on to longer-terms roles with the employer, with others still underway. From a funding point of view, a six-month Intern position, employed on a full-time, livingwage basis can cost in excess of £12,000 but when it works, it changes the lives of the applicant and the employer to such an extent, it is excellent value for money. The Galloway Glens Scheme has tried to take every opportunity to publicise these roles, and stories from the Interns, building the narrative that living and working in Galloway can be a satisfying career. A report giving an overview of the findings of the Intern Programme has been published on our website, and we are just so grateful to everyone that took part in any way in the programme. It would be brilliant to change the current situation when candidates often have to be coaxed to take a role in Galloway, to that when the Galloway location was seen on the national stage as an advantage. Often we don’t need to change a lot, just challenge pre-conceptions… McNabb Laurie Galloway Glens Project Leader Top - Galloway Glens Intern Day, December 2022 Left - Amber Wright, intern with Natural Power Below left - Dan Pollard, the second Galloway Fisheries Trust intern Below - Jan Hogarth with Czernin-Kinsky intern Cameron Milne Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 11 Carsphairn Community Woodland hosts fun-filled open day C arsphairn Community Woodland (CCW) held a Forest Wildlife Family Fun Day packed with all kinds of activities. Just catching the tail end of the spell of hot weather, it was another great turnout, no doubt drawn by the fascinating range of organisations and individuals attending. Along with the popular woodland games we had local hedgehog expert and CCW board member Alison with one of her rescue hedgehogs, a live beehive demonstration from the Glenkens Honey Company, some beautiful moths on display by South West Scotland Environment Information Centre (SWSEIC), red squirrel displays from the Gatehouse Squirrel Group, a chance for a closer look at bugs and beasties under Ian Saunders’ microscope and a 'pony petting' corner where visitors of all ages were welcome to get up close with a friendly pony. Crafters included Geoff Forrest, who illustrated willow working techniques through working on an amazing bird installation, and Carsphairn Craft Group who were spinning yarn on spinning wheels, looms and also peg looms for weaving. The Galloway Glens Landscape Scheme was present with some goodies for children and to discuss the latest round of their tree planting grant. Members of the Glenkens Scouts came along to enjoy the displays and worked hard to earn their Biosphere badges (see article on page 4 for more on this). The highlight for many of the younger folk attending was the newly-opened childrens’ play area. CCW horse logging demonstration C arsphairn Community Woodland is excited to announce that the next event planned at the woodland will be a horse logging demonstration by Teamwork Horselogging on Sunday 13 August from 9.30am to 4pm. Steffi Schaffler and David Roycroft are professional horse loggers and will demonstrate all aspects of this traditional method of hauling trees. There will also be a guided walk by Peter Norman, looking at the landscape history of Muirdrochwood. Peter will guide walkers through a brief look at how the countryside has changed using information from old maps, archaeological finds and clues from the landscape. Wear strong footwear as the walk will include rough ground. Entry for the day is £5 per head and free for under 16s. Bring a picnic and make sure you dress for the weather. Numbers are limited so to book your place, and for further details, please email carsphairncw@gmail.com or call 07710 124 255. Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 12 sponsored by Update from the Glenkens Food Hub T he Glenkens Food Hub is a regular online shopping experience, open every other week for the residents of the Glenkens to access delicious, seasonal, climate and nature friendly food from local producers. We asked Lesley and Tamsin, who run the Food Hub on behalf of local producers, about current and future plans, and here's what they said: We are very lucky to have received a second round of funding from the Blackcraig Windfarm Community Fund via Foundation Scotland and the Glenkens & District Trust. This will allow us to develop the project to bring sustainable and ethically produced food from local businesses to local people on a regular basis. The funding has also enabled us to add a marketing and finance person to support our very small, parttime team. Our recent Council-funded feasibility study asked questions of the local, and wider, D&G community and producers, so we now have lots of ideas about how we could develop. One factor already implemented is a later collection time so people can pickup, or we drop-off, after school and work on a Friday, making it more accessible than a lunchtime slot. A wider range of veg and fruit has been requested, along with poultry, game and fish, so we are looking for more sustainably-grown, The Glenkens Food Hub team and producers full of energy and enthusiasm... responsibly reared ready to welcome you to their next Meet the Producer event! and sourced produce please let us know if like to dip in for an occasional Each volunteer gets a 10% you have ideas where treat for a special occasion. discount off Glenkens Food Hub we can find these! If we can’t orders, with occasional extra Please continue to share find them locally, we will initially goodies too. We are based at Glenkens Food Hub details with bring suitable produce in from the Glenkens Community Centre your friends and neighbours, elsewhere until the market is in Dalry. Volunteering also looks and hopefully soon we'll reach developed enough to encourage great on a CV, if you're looking a point where we don’t need someone locally to start external funding at all. As a to build up your skills! producing what we are selling, "thank you" for spreading the at which point we can switch to To find out more about our word, we we'll give you and buy locally instead. Local hobby producers and how the Food your friend a £5 credit; just growers can also get in touch Hub online shop works visit ask your friend to mention with us to sell their excess https://openfoodnetwork. that you referred them in the produce through the Hub. org.uk/glenkens-food-hub/ 'comments' section at the We want to spread the word far checkout and you’ll both receive shop or get in touch with us and wide to make sure everyone a £5 credit towards your next via lesley@propagate.org.uk in the Glenkens knows about order. 07587 122 151. us as a surprising amount of Last, but by no means least, we people still don’t! However, would like to put a shout-out DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 96% of residents surveyed for more volunteers please! We • 11 August - Biosphere in the study said they would are a happy bunch and have Celebration with Glenkens consider buying from us, a good time whilst packing all Food Hub and Way of the which is a huge number and the lovely produce, and would Wild, pizza cookout, Dalry very encouraging. love to have more people to call • 8 September - Meet the Everyone is welcome, whether on every other Friday between 12pm and 4pm. So if you have Producer Event, Glenkens you buy regularly on ethical a few hours spare, please get in Community Centre, 6:30-8pm, grounds, because you love touch with lesley@propagate. part of Glenkens Food Month the taste of fresh produce, org.uk (seeP7) want to support local or just If you have a glut of seasonal garden veg or fruit which you would like to sell on the Glenkens Food Hub please get in touch - a great way to make a bit of extra cash, and the more hyper local food we have the better! Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 13 sponsored by If you would like to list something on this page, please get in touch on 07727 127 997 or glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk FREE 3/4 astilbe plants in pots; need some shade. Collection from Darly. Contact: 01644 430 520 Wheeltech Enigma XS aluminium adult wheelchair, shower/wet room wheelchair, portable commode, large foam wedge, small foam wedge, low wooden step, small adjustable wooden stool. Contact: 01644 460 619 Horse manure, rotted and fresh, no weed killers used. Dig your own from a large heap, bring sacks or trailer. Contact: 07889 229 340 WANTED Outdoor table and chairs. Contact: 07507 704 821 Old lawn mowers/strimmers/other small machinery. Nonrunners/broken welcome. Contact: 07845 562 217 Looking after our local pathways S upported by the Galloway Glens Scheme, Local Initiatives in New Galloway undertook to reestablish and support the maintenance of a number of local pathways. Primarily these paths are within the New Galloway Golf Club Woods, with a network of paths also on the Garroch Estate. following storm damage, as well as undertaking specific tasks to repair and maintain the many bridges and boardwalks. This initiative, inaugurated by Gerry Cinderby, involves a number of volunteers carrying varied activities involving seasonal work, clearing fallen trees and general path clearance Recent work has involved the installation of a culvert and construction of an alternative entrance to the Golf Club Wood path network and the new link pathway to the core pathway that leads to Loch Stroan and beyond. The work is ongoing and new volunteers are always welcome. If you have a couple of hours to spare and would like to help out, please feel free to contact our on-the-ground coordinator (and LING trustee) David Hardy at david. hardy23@ntlworld.com N ew Galloway Golf Club Founded Foun ded 1902 www.ng www.n g gc.co.uk - 01644 420737 Buggies now available for hire VISITORS AND NEW MEMBERS WELCOME MATTHEW PAJO Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine - pain management - women's health - men's health - fatigue - sleep - stress - anxiety - needle-free laser acupuncture- The Old School, Crossmichael info@matthewpajo.co.uk 07786 079 845 Amber Dunlop-Pajo Health Psychologist - women's health - stress - depression - anxietyThe Old School, Crossmichael info@gallowaycounselling.co.uk 07389 713 106 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment S outhwest Scotland has been celebrating a win for people and nature since news was announced at the beginning of July that Galloway and Southern Ayrshire’s UNESCO Biosphere status has been revalidated for another ten years. Confirmation followed several months of a periodic review process in which UNESCO examined the activity that had taken place over the ten years since the region was first awarded its Biosphere designation. Coverage of the status renewal reached national news channels as the new UK Ambassador to UNESCO, Anna Nsubuga, spent her first two days in post touring the Biosphere region, culminating in an official reception at Drumlanrig Castle on 4 July. St John’s Town of Dalry, as a Biosphere Community and site of the GSA Biosphere’s proposed eco-office hub, was one of the stops on the Ambassador’s tour, which also included representatives from the UK National Commission for UNESCO and international delegates from the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme. Andrew Bielinski, RSPB Scotland’s Area Manager for the Scottish Lowlands & Southern Uplands, met the group just outside Dalry to explain the background to GCAT's Donald Watson Art Trail, highlighting how Watson’s work reflects the decline in birds and other wildlife since the artist was first walking and sketching in the Glenkens. Conservation, climate awareness and finding strategies to reverse biodiversity loss are priorities for UNESCO Biospheres page 14 Out and About in the Biosphere all around the world and several bird species including curlew and black grouse are High Focus species in Galloway and Southern Ayrshire. The delegation also visited Clatteringshaws Loch to hear McNabb Laurie, Team Leader with the Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership (GGLP), speak about its five-year, 35-project programme of ‘Biosphere in action’: a rich and diverse celebration of local heritage that has harnessed opportunities to help build a more sustainable economic future for communities in the Ken/Dee catchments. GGLP’s ‘last hurrah’ is underway now with a final few events available to book before the project finishes for good in September. The announcement that UNESCO status has been renewed was accompanied by confirmation that the request to expand the Biosphere’s geographical boundary has been approved. This means the designated area has grown from just over 5,200km² to almost 9,800km², and now includes 12 miles of the marine environment. The Biosphere has announced two new staff appointments to help deliver projects across this expanded region: Antoine Lemaire, a trained Biosphere Guide known locally as the founder of Alouette Nature Tours, has been appointed as the organisation’s new Nature Recovery Officer, while Jake McLaughlan, who joined the Biosphere in summer 2022 in a 12-month internship post, was successful in applying for the permanent role of Business Engagement Officer. Both new recruits will be supporting local and land-based enterprise including through the Proud Supporter and Biosphere Certification Mark schemes. These initiatives aim to embed sustainability in the local economy while providing tangible benefits to businesses of all sizes and sectors. Opportunities the Biosphere provides include learning workshops, networking events, and promotion via social media and destination marketing campaigns. The Biosphere Certification Mark is a trademarked accreditation that permits qualifying business to brand their produce, goods and services with the Biosphere logo, and any business that has signed up as a Biosphere Proud Supporter can apply online at any time. All GSA Biosphere initiatives remain entirely free to join. The team’s calendar of events continues in the Glenkens and beyond through the last weeks of summer. On 11 August the Biosphere will be hosting a village walk and pizza cookout in Dalry in partnership with Way of the Wild, a Biosphere Certification Mark business that works to empower people through activity outdoors. Founder Christy Miles is also a Biosphere Guide and will be leading a walk around Dalry, with a bit of opportunistic foraging along the way. Ingredients for the pizza cookout will be supplied by the Glenkens Food Hub, the hyper-local online shop which connects residents with high quality, sustainable produce. This free event promises to be a wonderful taster (literally) for Glenkens Food Month in September; places can be booked via the Biosphere’s Eventbrite page. More information about the Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere is available at www.gsabiosphere.org.uk, or contact the team via info@gsabiosphere.org.uk Below left - GSAB boundary map. Below right - GSAB ambassadorial visit to the Watson Art Trail Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 15 The Optimistic Environmentalist Reducing your home energy bills - Part Two S ome easy or low cost tips to lower your household bills are: for washing hands or having a shower eg after gardening. • Use low temperature and shorter cycles where possible for washing clothees. • When buying machines make sure they are energy efficient (eg washing machines, driers, TVs, mobiles). Be aware that energy ratings have changed recently so that an appliance that was rated A+++ may now be rated B or C. • Remember, warm clothes and footwear, shoe inserts, hot-water bottles and wheat bags are great for personal insulation. • Insulate your attic - eg buy Eko roll (made from recycled glass). Guidance says put it between the joists first and then spread it across them to a depth of 270mm. Building Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) assess up to 400mm – this improves heat loss even more but more than this may not be worth the cost. Fitting it yourself will cost a few hundred pounds; if you haven't the money, maybe you could buy a roll occasionally. • Make your own curtains or draft excluders for yourself or as presents. See if you can get cheap material and things to cut up for stuffing from Dalry charity shop or beyond. • Switch to an electricity tariff gives you cheaper power for part of the day, normally overnight. Immersion heater timers should be installed by an electrician but appliances often have timers. Stand-alone timers are cheap to buy just make sure they are appropriate for the machine. Then set the timer to come on during the cheap time overnight. • Install thermostats to all your radiators which turn them off when the room is at the set temperature. • Think about when to have your heating system set. Don't have the heating on when you're out unless you have a heat pump which constantly provides a steady background temperature. Turning your heating down by a degree or two can save you money. Varying your heating and temperature through the week can minimise energy. If you're too hot, turn the heating down rather than just opening the window and letting out the heat you've generated and will pay for. • You could make foil reflectors for behind radiators. These can be effective but only on outside walls. • Get a jacket to enclose your water tank - newer water tanks may only be insulated to 25mm. At least 80mm is recommended but buying up to 100mm will reduce heat loss whilst being cost effective. • Get an outside water heating bag which hangs on a tree and warms the water in the sun. You can use this water • Buy mobiles, computers and other technology which have good battery life. Some allow batteries to be changed or the device to be repaired. Buying technology that has been available for some time, you can get a fairly up-to-date machine as a good deal. Make the most of second-hand machines or equipment as you don't always need an all-singing-all-dancing piece of kit for your needs. • Use kettles for small amounts of heated water. Whilst a kettle uses a lot of power, it's not on for long. If you run a hot tap, the water has to go round the house which can mean that your boiler has to heat much more water than the small amount you wanted. Boil only what you need at the time so it doesn't go cold and need reheating. Denise MacDonald-Kiernan New round of funding for native tree planting T he South of Scotland Tree Planting project has just announced a new round of funding, with £120,000 available over the next 12 months to enable community groups, farmers and landowners to plant around 15,000 landscape trees across the Scottish Borders and Dumfries & Galloway. This year the project team are particularly encouraging applications for the planting of riverbank trees in the area. Clumps of trees located alongside rivers and streams can provide much-needed shade for young salmon and other fish that are susceptible to stress and even death in the higher water temperatures that are resulting from climate change. Riparian tree-planting and associated tall grassland vegetation, provides habitat for other wildlife such as Otter, Kingfisher and insects such as Butterflies and Dragonflies. Ungrazed river corridors also provide ideal habitat for pollinating insects such as Honey bees and Bumble bees. Overhanging trees help to stabilise river banks and lessen run-off during periods of heavy rain. This in turn reduces the levels of sediment and pollutants entering the river system. South of Scotland Tree Planting grants are available up to a maximum of £1,000 per applicant to cover material costs. Further information is available by contacting the Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership, which is administering the grants for D&G, on 07469 571806 or emailing Jonathan. Barrett@dumgal.gov.uk Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment T he Loch Ken Trust has appointed a seasonal ranger to assist senior ranger, Leanne Pumpr, with patrolling Loch Ken over the peak season. Annabelle Gurney took up her seasonal ranger role at the beginning of July and is already enjoying patrols around Loch Ken. Annabelle says: I grew up living close to Loch Lomond with a watersports mad family and spent a great deal of my summer on the waters of Loch Ken whilst visiting my grandparents, who come from the area. Needless to say my affinity with water runs deep and I love the outdoors. page 16 Loch Ken's new seasonal ranger designer for a high-end knitwear factory in the Scottish Borders for four years. I was responsible for the maintenance and operation of five industrial knitting machines. I made sure production ran smoothly, cleaned the machines regularly and replaced parts when needed. I learned the art of multitasking very well during that time! However, after a bit of reflection and soul searching during lockdown, I decided to take the plunge and go back to education in order to pursue a career in conservation. With that decision my partner, Dan, and I moved to Dumfries & Galloway just under a year ago. I began working towards a BSc in Wildlife and Conservation Management at the SRUC, Barony Campus last September. I have just completed my first year and loved every moment of it, fully embracing the nature nerd within me. If you are interested in the work of the Loch Ken Trust and would like to get involved please get in touch lktoffice@ protonmail.com I also regularly volunteer at the WWT Nature Reserve at Caerlaverock, where I assist with practical conservation tasks and an added bonus I get to build on my basic bird knowledge. If I’m out for a walk, bike ride or in the garden I like to make a conscious effort to slow down and appreciate nature. I am always taking photographs, asking questions and making notes. The goal of my outdoor explorations is to come back home with more questions than when I left with. My background is in knitwear design. I studied textile design at the University of Dundee and then worked as a technical We are very pleased to welcome Annabelle to the team. Leanne and Annabelle will be out and about making sure that Loch Ken is well looked after. We are grateful to the funders; Blackcraig Windfarm Community Fund and Drax, owners of the Galloway Hydro Scheme, for supporting our Ranger Service. Above and left are Annabelle hard at work, and above she is pictured out on Loch Ken with senior ranger, Leanne Pumpr Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 17 Dalry's Local Place Plan proposal L ocal Place Plans are community-led proposals for the development and use of land. These plans will set out a community’s aspirations for its future development and are a new opportunity for communities to be considered in planning decisions. They offer the opportunity for a communityled, collaborative approach to creating great local places. Local Place Plans can support community aspirations on the big challenges for a future Scotland, such as responding to global climate change and tackling inequalities. Once completed and registered with the planning authority, Place Plans are to be taken into account in the preparation of the wider D&G local development plan, which informs planning decisions in D&G. While planning decisions are currently made on a case-by-case basis, the Development Plan has already created the underlying presumption for these decisions, so it is crucial that communities get their visions embedded at that stage. A Local Place Plan for Dalry will incorporate and complement the Glenkens and District Community Action Plan. To any communities of the Glenkens who are considering creating a Local Place Plan, it is worth keeping in mind that in its role as a local anchor organisation, GCAT has a standing offer to all community councils to support them to create Local Place Plans by linking to the Glenkens & District Community Action Plan wherever possible. Local Place Plans are more than just a plan: want to be like in the future and help to develop a positive local identity. • They can support community aspirations. • They are an opportunity for real, community-based influence. You are invited... Look out for Dalry Community Council team at upcoming local events including the Alternative Games, in New Galloway on 6 August, with information and Place Planning activities. Join us on Wednesday 30 August at Dalry Town Hall for ‘Heart of Dalry’, where we will explore what we want to include in a Place Plan for Dalry. Two drop-in sessions are available: 2-4pm or 6-8pm. Nibbles and tipples provided - look forward to seeing you there! Dalry Community Council • They can help places define what they Land Use Vision for the Glenkens T he Glenkens & District Community Action Plan Steering Group has adopted the final version of the Vision for Land Use in the Glenkens as an official addendum to the CAP, in recognition of the importance of the issue to our area and the rigorous community engagement process that led to the final vision. This was sparked by the Social Enterprise Academy's 'Community Learning Programme' about the Regional Land Use Partnership, where the Glenkens was selected as one of five areas nationally to focus on. Their online consultation finished with an in-person stakeholder event attended by national and regional agencies, Scottish Government representatives and local stakeholders, and a working group from the community then created this final vision from the feedback at this and other events. need a sound evidence base to do so. The final version can be found on the Glenkens Hub and is available for use by any local or regional groups that want to move the vision forward and John Paterson, Chair of the CAP SG, said, "It's really important that the Glenkens & District Community Action Plan is a Morag Paterson from Dalry Community Council said, "I’m over the moon that the Land Use vision has been adopted into the CAP. Communities can refer to this Vision in several practical ways - whether engaging with proposals for developments such as forestry proposals and wind farms, writing their Place Plans, developing ambitious projects or making funding applications. If the vision paves the way for an inclusive Glenkens Land Use Forum, all the better” living document, responsive to the ongoing concerns of the Glenkens communities, and so I am delighted that this vision is forming the first addendum to it, based on the rigorous community engagement that went into it. I hope the communities find it useful in pursuit of the CAP vision of the Glenkens and district as a connected, resilient and carbon neutral place, where people will want to live, to work, to bring up their families, and to grow old." Thomas Fisher, director of Community Development Lens, has already referenced the Glenkens vision in a report about land use for the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, illustrating the importance of this document. Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 18 Fantastic Forest Festival 2023 E arlier this year Galloway Glens Scheme, working in partnership with artists in residence Leeming + Paterson, co-curated the inaugural Fantastic Forest Festival. Through the work of a range of amazing partners and volunteers fuelled with enthusiasm and passion (and sometimes cake!), the festival sought to inspire and connect the community with nature and the local landscape whilst exploring an alternative approach to community consultation. With this in mind, the team designed a series of 15 online and in-person events including walks, workshops, talks, competitions, exhibitions, playful enthusiastically pulled naturally regenerating Sitka spruce from peat bogs in an attempt to win first prize in the Spruce Plucking World Championships, whilst the younger generation held competitions to design a tree and forest for their futures. Others loved learning about citizen science and how we can all get closer to nature and in doing so contribute to real learning and scientific research. Yet more preferred and the words gathered together to form a 'word cloud', to help understand how people felt. Ted took these responses and produced a picture essay entitled 'If you go down to the woods today', exploring some of the issues raised. "We were overwhelmed by the passion and wisdom revealed when you scratch the It is hoped that the festival will a regular calendar event surface and allow quiet voices to be heard become in future years, continuing to give the community the chance to in environments within which they feel better connect with their wooded areas and to better understand comfortable." the great outdoors more generally. activism, adverts, editorial and postcards, to engage people in a variety of ways and encourage as many conversations and interactions as possible. The events were advertised locally using a variety of media to encourage accessibility to a broad audience. Event co-ordinator, McNabb Laurie from the Galloway Glens Scheme, noted: “The events were intentionally varied to try and encourage as many people in the community to get involved. Some the talks and debates whilst others again simply immersed themselves on artists walks - there was a lot on offer!" Artist Ted Leeming said: "It was inspiring to hear the varied voices of the community. We were overwhelmed by the passion and wisdom revealed when you scratch the surface and allow quiet voices to be heard in environments within which they feel comfortable. “Over the period of a month we reached over 6,500 people and engaged with a varied and diverse audience from both the local area, the wider region, and with some of the online events we had a truly global reach. We received over 500 responses to various questions posed about various forest, woodland and other treescape themes relevant to our local area.” One question that the community was invited to anonymously answer throughout the festival was “What three words describe forestry in Galloway today?” Over 70 responses were received It is, after all, one of the truly special things about the Glenkens to be cherished and nurtured for everyone. The Fantastic Forest Team Top - word cloud for "What three words describe forestry in Galloway today?" Above - enthusiastic particupation in the Spruce Plucking World Championships Left - an image from Ted Leeming's picture essay, 'If you go down to the woods today' Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEarts page 19 Glenkens youth graffiti project T programme, and we're very proud of them all. This talented group, aged 11 and 12, are part of the Art Ambassadors programme at CatStrand Young Creatives. Alongside the wider group, they volunteer their time and skills to feed into and contribute to the Young Creatives' All the Art Ambassadors have also been recognised for their invaluable contributions through Saltire Awards, a prestigious award given to young people who dedicate their time to volunteering. The awards not only acknowledge their efforts but also serve as he Glenkens community is set to benefit from the creativity and efforts of some young New Galloway residents, Elizabeth, Sanna and Ellie, who have successfully secured funding to run a series of graffiti art workshops with an end of project art exhibition. Thanks to this funding from Youth Scotland, Step into the Arts, the Art Ambassadors are now preparing to plan and host a graffiti art workshop for other young people in the Glenkens. They hope to inspire and encourage budding artists to express themselves through this vibrant and expressive art form. The workshops will serve as a platform for participants to unleash their creativity and gain practical experience in graffiti art techniques. Sanna Gilbert, one of the successful applicants, beside some of the art that inspired the application a testament to their passion and commitment. Great work everyone! Keep an eye out on our website or social media for details about the workshop when the dates are confirmed. www.csyoungcreatives.com Cat Campbell, CatStrand Young Creatives Project Lead GAZETTEarts Glenkens Gazette page 20 From the Bookroom In 'From the Bookroom' Glenkens-based author, Robin Yassin-Kassab, takes readers through some of his favourite books. Robin is author of the novel The Road From Damascus and co-author of Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War. R ussia’s war against Ukraine was launched in 2014. Last year it ramped up into a full-scale invasion. It’s occupied our TV and print media periodically since then, but to really understand the situation, internet news updates and even newspaper articles are not enough. We need books to get to grips with the historical and cultural context as well as the human reality of the conflict. So here I’ll mention a few, both fiction and non-fiction. Bloodlands, by historian Timothy Snyder, is probably a book that everyone should read, though it isn’t pleasant reading. The lands of the title are those between Germany and Russia – including Ukraine – in which, between 1933 and 1945, 14 million people were murdered, and not in battle. The victims were Jews, Poles, Soviet POWs and various others designated enemies by virtue of their race, class or national identity and killed by shooting, gassing or starvation. The figure includes four million Ukrainian peasants deliberately starved to death in the Holodomor. The perpetrators of these genocides were either Russian Communists or German Nazis, their systems claiming different ideologies but agreeing on the central notion that humans are either resources to be exploited or threats to be eliminated by the absolutist state. The Road to Unfreedom by the same author looks at more contemporary threats to democracy and human life, linking the rise of Putin to the rise of ‘populists’ in the West, focusing on Russia’s 2014 occupation of Crimea but touching too on Brexit and the Trump phenomenon. Next, Jonathan Littell’s WW2 novel The Kindly Ones won the Prix Goncourt and sold hundreds of thousands of copies in France. In the UK it was hardly noticed, which is a shame because it is surely one of the greatest novels of our century. It covers the Holocaust in Ukraine, the German occupation of the Caucasus, the Battle of Stalingrad, and the fall of Hitler’s Berlin. These horrors are seen through the eyes of an SS officer – a highly educated, sensitive, murderous man, both evil and banal, who finally goes mad amidst the apocalypse he’s 唀瀀栀漀氀猀琀攀爀礀Ⰰ 䰀漀漀猀攀 䌀漀瘀攀爀猀Ⰰ 䘀愀戀爀椀挀猀Ⰰ 䌀甀猀栀椀漀渀猀 刀攀昀椀氀氀攀搀 䘀爀攀攀 䔀猀琀椀洀愀琀攀猀 吀栀攀 圀漀爀欀猀栀漀瀀Ⰰ 䴀漀渀礀戀甀椀攀Ⰰ 䌀漀爀猀漀挀欀⸀ 䐀䜀㜀 ㌀䐀夀 眀眀眀⸀䠀愀爀爀椀猀ⴀ唀瀀栀漀氀猀琀攀爀礀⸀挀漀⸀甀欀 ㄀㘀㐀㐀 㐀㐀 㔀㈀㤀 helped unleash. Though it’s a work of fiction, it’s as painful and as powerful to read, and as much a reflection of dark reality, as Bloodlands. Of the non-fiction books about contemporary Russia, I have found Peter Pomerantsev’s Nothing is True and Everything is Possible and Masha Gessen’s The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin particularly useful. But Ukrainians, having lived for so long under the shadow of Russian imperialism, culturally as much as militarily, are eager that we focus on their own rich literary tradition. If you already have some ‘Russian’ classics, it may be easy to start a Ukrainian collection, because both Gogol and the very great Chekhov were in fact Ukrainians. For more modern writing, I recommend Andrei Kurkov’s Death and the Penguin, a tragic-comic satire of mafiaridden post-Soviet Kyiv. And two novels by Serhiy Zhadan – Mesopotamia, a portrait of hard-bitten Kharkiv, and The Orphanage, a war story set post2014 – bring us up to date. GAZETTEarts Glenkens Gazette page 21 What it means to be a writer " You’re not a real writer" that little voice in my head says - imposter syndrome it’s called. When I first came to the Glenkens, back in 2007, I was amused by the almost standard second question, "what else do you do?" B it of this, bit of that. 'Gardening’ was the straw I most often clutched for, but writer? Never! Then, one Guy Fawkes day, at the ripe old age of 61, I awoke with a fully formed piece of fiction, a short story, in my head. I wrote it down; and so the journey began. Obviously, I had written before, articles, reports and even the odd computer manual, but fiction?! My late wife Betty encouraged and I sought out others in a writers’ café, a writers’ group and online. I soon came to realise that most of the people I met were ‘well read’ (they read a lot of stuff by people now long dead) and they were educated and had been busy writing, reading, critiquing and exchanging views with others for many years. Not to mention the fact that they could quote other writers. I like to write and perhaps my writing is quite different simply because I read little of what others write; I ‘plough my own furrow’ or ‘march to the sound of a different drum’ if you like metaphors. Here was I - a bluffer, left school at fifteen, never heard of the writers they spoke of, didn’t read much (still don’t) and yet I was moved to write. I write, therefore I am a writer. If you feel like it, have a go… you might enjoy it. Paul Goodwin Young Tom... I n the village where I grew up lives a man called Young Tom. There was also an Old Tom (no relation) but more of him later. Young Tom moved to the village with his mother at about the time that he started school. How old is he now? Well somewhere between his first shave and his first grey hair. He is a little different. He doesn’t have command of words so he cannot tell his tale and I will have to do that for him. When Young Tom began school, he had a mood board with some important pictures of the words he would need and could point to. The words were written underneath; YES, NO, HAPPY, SAD, HURT, HUNGRY, etc. You get the idea; it is how he communicated with the world. Over the years he managed to say several of these words and seemed to understand their meaning. His mother dissuaded others from trying to talk to him as it only made him distressed but they waved. He would wave back and sometimes say ‘HAPPY’. he would hand it to whoever was nearby when he finished a piece. Now don’t misunderstand – Young Tom was not someone in need of much looking after. His mother taught him to cook and he would sometimes earn a little money from cutting lawns and hedges or cleaning people’s cars. One day, when Young Tom was a young teenager, he came and sat beside Old Tom who merely glanced up and carried on whittling. Old Tom took out a paper bag of boiled sweets, took one himself and left the open bag between them without a word or gesture. Young Tom took a sweet and so a relationship began. In time Old Tom would let the youngster try his hand with the penknife and his skill developed. Old Tom had lived alone for as long as anyone could remember and often sat on his ‘sitting out bench’ in front of his house if the weather was fine. People would often come and sit with him for a chat and he, all the while, would whittle a piece of wood with his penknife. Sometimes making a small animal, aeroplane or car and Years later, Old Tom (as comes to all of us) began to fail and it was clear he did not have long. He gave instructions to friends. "When I have gone, find Young Tom and just say OLD TOM to him and nothing else". And so it happened, the youngster went to where the old gent lay at rest, laid a hand on him and simply said ‘SAD’. The young man took Gordon McAdam Plumbing & Heating 22 Kirkland Street St John’s Town of Dalry 01644 430 393 07834 321 789 David Tallontire CHIMNEY SWEEP Covering the Glenkens & further afield 07709 144 299 - wood burners - multi-fuel stoves - open fires - Agas - Rayburns - birds nest removal with CCTV inspection - certificates issued - feel free to call for advice - Find me on Facebook It amuses me to write. And I like to tell tales of people with different lives. A fiction piece by Paul Goodwin... the penknife which had been placed in Old Tom’s hand and placed it in his pocket. Returning home, Young Tom took pencil and paper and handed it to his mother saying simply ‘OLD TOM’. Taking the paper, Young Tom studied it and went to the sitting out bench to begin whittling. After several hours he had finished a beautifully carved piece with the words OLD TOM carved and pierced through. Unlike his other pieces which he gave away, this one he took home. It can now be found laid on the grave of Old Tom. The sitting out bench? Well that too gained a sign ‘Dedicated to Old Tom who donated this space for the benefit of the community. Young Tom can often be seen there, carving his animals, flowers and other things. If you live in the village, one day you may find a carving on your doorstep. Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEarts page 22 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEhistory page 23 Galloway Retold is one year old I t’s been a whole year since I started Galloway Retold, a series of short YouTube videos about people and places in Galloway history. And what a year it's been! We've covered everything from Kenmure Castle to James Clerk Maxwell, and along the way there have been plenty of stops for stories of Galloway women, Galloway folklore, Robert the Bruce and much more. There are currently 58 videos (none more than five minutes long) , but I’m still trying to add one a week, so expect more by the time this issue of the Gazette is printed! It’s been quite an education, and quite a lot of fun too. I want to thank everyone in our community for the support and encouragement I’ve been shown over the last year – you’ve all been great. If you want to know as soon as a new video is published, please do subscribe. You can find a link to the Galloway Retold YouTube channel on the Glenkens Hub website at https://glenkens.scot/history-andheritage and scroll down the page, to the section titled 'watch'. I also have a wee Facebook group where I post the videos and other things too – please consider joining us. It’s not just my stuff - any Galloway pictures, stories, poems and videos are most welcome! You’ll find the group on Facebook under the group name Bonnie Galloway. Here’s to another year of Galloway Retold to come! Angela Miller Glenkens music past and present P lans are taking shape for a memorable weekend celebration of Glenkens musicmaking, past and present. The celebration kicks off on Friday 6 October when Jo Miller and friends stage a CatStrand concert based on their recently launched album, 'A’ the way to Galloway'. The programme will include local favourites such as Robbie Murray’s ‘Toon o Dalry’ and Logan Paterson’s ‘Buchts o Knockreoch’, along with more recent compositions. Jo (song and fiddle) will be joined by Amy Geddes (fiddle and viola), Wigtownshire singer Robyn Stapleton, Steve Sutcliffe (concertinas) and Neil Sutcliffe (piano, accordion and concertina). The celebrations continue on Saturday 7, starting with the 2023 conference of the Glenkens Story history group, Music Making in the Glenkens: Past, Present and Future. Speakers include Anna Campbell, who will draw on material in the archives of the Carsphairn Heritage Group to share fascinating stories of musical families in the area. A national perspective is contributed by ethnologist Christopher Wright, with a discussion of the coverage of Galloway music in the School of Scottish Studies Archive's Tobar an Dualchais (well of heritage)/ Kist of Riches collections. Dr Jo Miller will open the event by giving an overview of the history of music-making in the Glenkens, drawing on her own ethnographic research into local musical traditions over several decades. Talks will be generously illustrated by live performance and audio-visual material from the archives. The conference concludes with a discussion chaired by historian and singer Dr Lizanne Henderson, on how best to safeguard Galloway’s musical heritage as a resource for the present and the future. After the conference, the CatStrand will welcome young children and their families for a Wee Hoolie, a special hourand-a-bit of musical fun led by Amy Geddes and Neil Sutcliffe. Expect games, singing, dancing and stories! On Saturday evening, the action switches to Dalry Town Hall where Brian Edgar will compere a celebration of today’s music makers in the Glenkens: 'Gaither roon folks an this story I’ll tell'. The programme of local singers and instrumentalists for this community concert is still being put together but already includes CatStrand Singers, Weirdy Women and a performance by Wendy Stewart of a new version of her outstanding composition commissioned to celebrate the recent bicentenary of the Ken Bridge. Full details and tickets can be found in the CatStrand programme or at www.gcat.scot/ arts or call 01644 420 374. Pictured, left to right, are Neil Sutcliffe, Amy Geddes, Jo Miller, Robyn Stapleton and Steve Sutcliffe Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEhistory Searching for Sarah I n early 2022, Grave Encounters - a volunteer research project run by Can You Dig It, the Galloway Glens community archaeology group - revealed fascinating histories behind gravestone names in Kells kirkyard. inherited a vast fortune, to which Tottenham had free unrestricted access, thanks to the jus mariti law. Sarah and Sophia Bateson were servants in a family who survived bankruptcy in England to become a wealthy Galloway household. On 6 January 1869, Sophia died at 86 from influenza at Glenlochar, leaving £222 11s 6d (around £30k today). Niece Sarah was named next of kin, and probably she and her brother John inherited Sophia's money. The inscription on the memorial stone at Kells churchyard reads: 'Erected to the memory of Sophia BATESON a native of Yorkshire who died at Glenlochar House in this county 6th June 1869 aged 86 years, and is interred in Cross-Michael Churchyard. Also of Sarah BATESON niece of the above who died at Cairn Edward in this Parish 21st March 1895 aged 79 years. Two faithfull and beloved servants from youth till death in the family of Tottenham LEE, Esq., of Saint John's Wakefield for many years resident in this county.' Sarah Bateson (1816?-1895) and her aunt, Sophia Bateson (1783?-1869), were born and grew up in County Durham. Both joined the household of Tottenham Lee, working in service until death. Little documentation of their lives survives, apart from official recordings of birth, marriage, death and wills, and a few fragments that can be gleaned from these. Sophia remained a shadowy figure, but with Sarah, one document revealed surprises, and brought her suddenly to life. Life with the Lees Born in 1794, Tottenham Lee was a lawyer, investor and businessman from a wealthy family. His father John Lee was a philanthropist, industrialist, lawyer and entrepreneur, and funded Britain's first public railway. In 1841 Tottenham was living with his wife Louisa Egremont, a wealthy heiress, and six children in a fine townhouse in Wakefield, Yorkshire, along with Sophia (then 59), Sarah (then 25) and other servants. Following years of constant borrowing from his fatherin-law, John Egremont, and Egremont's death in 1841, Tottenham went bankrupt. Fortunately for him, Louisa had an annual income of £400 (about £55k today) and also By 1851, Tottenham's household had moved to Glenlee Park in Galloway; perhaps after Tottenham's bankruptcy shenanigans, they sought a fresh start, far from Wakefield. In 1861 they were living at Overton, near New Galloway, later moving again to Glenlochar Lodge, near Crossmichael. In 1871 Sarah was still at Glenlochar, but by 1881, whilst the Lees were listed there, Sarah was now living at Burnfoot Cottage on the Kenmure estate, listed as "head" of household, unmarried and "housekeeper". Tottenham Lee's daughter Jane Crane was now married to John Maitland - son of the Rev James Maitland of Kells and Louisa Bellamy Gordon (niece of Adam Gordon, 8th Viscount of Kenmure), thus heir to Kenmure. Sarah was now 65, so perhaps the cottage was provided for her retirement by the Lees/ Maitlands. Tottenham Lee died in 1888 aged 95, outliving his wife and five of his six children (Jane Maitland lived until 1928). By 1891 Sarah Bateson was living again with the family - this time as "annuitant" (pensioner), with Jane and her husband at Cairn Edward. Curiously, in her will in 1891, Sarah also refers to "Catherine Keir, Sick Nurse... presently residing with me at Crossmichael Village". Did she move there temporarily, due to ill health? On 21 March 1895, aged 79, Sarah died at Cairn Edward, of "senile decay". Sarah's family Sarah's grandparents were Thomas Bateson, a wool weaver, and Sarah Huckans/ Huggins. Their children were John Bateson, Sophia Bateson and Thomas Bateson, Sarah's father, an innkeeper, who married Margaret Greenwell in Houghton-le-Spring, Co. Durham on 11 May 1812. Sadly, Sarah's father died in 1819, when Sarah was just three years old and her brother John six years. Sarah's brother John Bateson became a well-respected bookbinder in Durham. He page 24 married Ann Laws in 1838, and they had 7 children (5 girls, 2 sons). Sarah's will: revelations and questions Almost all the information I uncovered about Sarah and Sophia was factual and impersonal. As women servants, virtually nothing was documented of them and their lives. But discovering Sarah's will and testament gave me new family information, and crucially, something of her personality. She - and her passions, feelings and relationships - briefly came alive. Firstly, Sarah left her money - £146 15s 1d (around £19,729 today) - to her nephew (and executor) Thomas Greenwell and three of her five nieces, Sarah Jane, Ann and Frances. Why did she leave out her other two nieces, Margaret and Ellen? family disagreements? Or simply that she thoughtfully perceived the four named beneficiaries as more needy? Thomas, for example, had a large family to support, while Sarah Jane was working in service. Then Sarah firmly states: "I exclude and debar the jus mariti and all other rights of the husbands of all females taking benefit under these presents". This is such a passionate, clear statement. She evidently wants to make absolutely certain that the inheritance stays with each woman, not going to her husband. What was behind this - discomfort at witnessing employer Tottenham living on his wife's vast inheritance, after failing spectacularly to make his own way? something more personal in her nieces' relationships? or maybe simply that she was a woman of strong principle? Finally, in the will Sarah states her desire "to be buried in Bamborough Churchyard and I direct my Executor to erect a tombstone over my grave at a cost of ten pounds, said stone to include the names of my Father and mother, Thomas Bateson and Margaret Bateson". Sadly, Sarah's wish was almost certainly never carried out, as there's no record of Sarah's burial in the Bamburgh churchyard. And it's unclear whether the Kells stone is a memorial or actual gravestone. I'm left wondering... where does Sarah Bateson lie? Sue Taylor Pictured are the memorial stone in Kells churchyard for Sarah and her aunt Sophia, Glenlochar House and a photograph of Kells Parish Church Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation page 25 Changes at the Glenkens Community Centre T he Scottish Alternative Games are now 46 years old and still going strong! First held in Parton in 1977, this year will be the 21st time the popular event has been staged in New Galloway. All the usual events will be taking place including the World Gird 'n’ Cleek Championship. Reigning World Champion Elizabeth Spernagel is the youngest champion to date and will be determined to defend her title. As well as the Gird 'n’ Cleek, the Tractor Pull, Tossin’ the Sheaf and Hurlin’ the Curlin’ Stane events are all free to enter on the day and all ages can compete to win the unique ‘medals’ and ultimately of course, someone will go home as a World Champion! The snails are already in training for the Snail Racing and will be lightning quick by August! The Classic Cars will be rolling up to be judged by the crowd, visitors will have the chance to try their hand at the ancient skill of archery with Threave Bowmen, plus a bar, barbecue and the skirl of the bagpipes – what more could you ask for an afternoon’s entertainment. Come along to New Galloway Park on Sunday 6 August at 2pm. Admission at the gate is £6 for adults and £1 for under 16s with all proceeds going to local charities and good causes. Changes at the Glenkens Community Centre T he Glenkens Community Centre, Dalry, will host an event on Saturday 16 September to share with the community all the exciting things that have been happening. The long-awaited results from the Community Centre Consultation from February/ March will be shared at the event. Abi, who runs the local organisation Propagate, is supporting us with the redesign of the garden and she will be sharing three garden design ideas taken from the July Garden Design Session and the accompanying survey. A number of the centre's user groups will share what they have been doing and how their group positively impacts the community. Last September an enthusiastic steering group was formed to look into the feasibility of revitalising the centre, and from this a new Management Committee was formed. There is a variety of groups now using the space including newbies like Citizens Advice, Glenkens Food Hub, Art for All and Yoga for All, as well as old favourites such as the Good Neighbours Club, Dalry Heritage Group and the Clachan Crafters. We look forward to seeing you at the event! Refreshments will be provided and any donations are welcome. If you would like to help out or find out more please contact Sarah McAdam at minimac01644@gmail.com or 07500 861 041. WRIGHTS STORE & POST OFFICE DALRY DALRY DALRY SWEET TREAT SATURDAY DALRY INFORMATION FRESH CREAM CAKES AVAILABLE TO ORDER OPENING HOURS MONDAY – FRIDAY 7.30am – 5.30pm SATURDAY 8.30am – 5pm SUNDAY 8.30am – 3pm LOCAL SUPPLIERS DALMELLINGTON COUNTRY BUTCHERS UPPER DULLARG EGGS MITCHELLS FRUIT & VEG SWEETCAKES BAKERY GLENKENS HONEY COMPANY CREAM O GALLOWAY GALLOWAY LODGE PRESERVES IRVINGS BAKERY SCOTTISH GALLOWAY PASTA GLENKENS HONEY COMPANY POP IN FOR A CHAT AND A BROWSE Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation Job Vacancies Glass Recycling Points • Balmaclellan Stores, Balmaclellan • Memorial Hall, St Michael's Road, Crossmichael • Kirkland Street, St John's Town of Dalry • New Galloway, Carson's Knowe Car Park • St David Street, Kirkpatrick Durham page 26 Up-to-date job and volunteering opportunities can be found online at the Glenkens Hub on www.glenkens.scot USEFUL NUMBERS: ● Pot-hole Hotline: 0845 276 0000 ● Police, non-emergency: 101 ● Doctor: 01644 420 234 ● NHS 24: 08454 24 24 24 ● D&G Council: 030 33 33 3000 Family and friends coming to stay? Short of space? Cosy country cottage available (sleeps 4) Call Fiona on 01644 420 227 www.covenanters-holidaycottagescotland.co.uk ADVERTISE IN THE GAZETTE Advanced Massage Practitioner (price per issue incl VAT) SMALL: 6cm x 6cm, £50 1/4 PAGE: 9cm w x 13cm h, £108 1/2 PAGE: 18cm w x 13cm h, £200 FULL PAGE: 18cm w x 27cm h, £332 Please get in touch further details including small business/ charity rates and series discounts. Email glenkensgazette@ hotmail.co.uk or call/ WhatsApp 07727 127 997 VAT Reg. No. 334 0905 24 THE STEWARTRY VETERINARY CENTRE CASTLE DOUGLAS SURGERY HOURS GLENKENS MEDICAL PRACTICE DALBEATTIE SURGERY HOURS General Medical & Dispensing Services FOR APPOINTMENTS AT BOTH SURGERIES OR IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY The Surgery High Street New Galloway Mon-Fri 2.00-2.30 pm & 5-6 pm Mon-Fri 8.30am-6pm Sat 2-2.30 pm Mon, Wed, Fri 3-3.30 pm Tues & Thurs 6-6.30 pm  01556 502263 VETERINARY SURGERY OAKWELL ROAD CASTLE DOUGLAS  FOR APPOINTMENTS CALL 01644 420234 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation page 27 KEY GLENKENS CONTACTS LOCAL DOCTORS’ SURGERY Glenkens Medical Practice - 01644 420 234 COMMUNITY CONTACTS • Balmaclellan: Martin Warnock 07939 261 391 • Carsphairn: Liz Holmes - 07718 358 160 • Corsock: Julie Garton - 07769 647 702 • Kirkpatrick Durham: Heather - 07551 639 629 • Crossmichael: Richard Middleton - 01556 670 691 • Dalry: Graham West - 01644 430 503 • New Galloway: 07741 656 601 • Parton: Tom - 07835821976 FOOD DELIVERIES • Galloway Foodbank - 07730 788 335 • Glenkens Food Hub - www. openfoodnetwork.org.uk/ glenkens-food-hub/shop • Ballards Butchers - 01556 502502 (they also deliver groceries) • Grierson’s Butchers: 01556 502 637 • Henderson’s Butchers: 01556 502 654 • Mitchell’s Greengrocers: 01556 502 077 • Fleet Fish: call 07966 103 912 to find out about Glenkens delivery days • Roan’s Dairy - 01556 620 374 LOCAL ORGANISATIONS/GROUPS Glenkens Community Shop: Helen Crowther on 0790 467 8599 or drop by the shop on Main Street, Dalry Glenkens Scout Group: Contact Heather McIntosh on 01644 420 375 Local Initiatives in New Galloway (LING): Contact newgallowaytownhall@gmail.com Dalry Communities Properties Trust (DCPT): Contact Gary Blissett at garyblissett51@gmail. com or 01644 430 521 Dalry Town Hall: Contact Lesley Blissett at lesleyblissett52@gmail.com Glenkens Community Centre: Contact Sarah McAdam on minimac01644@gmail.com Lagwyne Hall: Contact lagwynehallsecretary@ outlook.comfor info, or to book email lagwynehallbooking@gmail.com New Galloway Community Enterprises (NGCE): Contact ngce5000@gmail.com or pop into New Galloway Community Shop Balmaclellan Community Trust: Contact Julia Higgins at julia.higgins55@outlook.com CatStrand: Contact info@catstrand.com or 01644 420 374 or pop in to the CatStrand Schools: Visit the school office or call Dalry Primary on 01644 430 105 (for Nursery/ELC too), Dalry Secondary on 01644 430 259 or Kells on 01644 420 340 Carsphairn Heritage Initiative: Contact Ben Ade at carsphairnhi@gmail.com Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership (GGLP): Contact McNabb Laurie at mcnabb. laurie@dumgal.gov.uk Glenkens Food Hub: Contact Lesley Atkins on lesley@propagate.org.uk or 07587 122 151 Bairn Banter: Contact Melissa on bairnbanter@ outlook.com or 07979 492 791 If you would like to add your community organisation to this list please get in touch with the Gazette - contact details are on the back page. GLENKENS CHURCH TIMES CHURCH OF SCOTLAND SCOTTISH EPISCOPAL CHURCH Sunday Services Sundays at 5pm: Holy Communion with Reverend Dawn Matthew. Refreshments available before and after the service. Balmaclellan: 11am, 6 Aug, 3 Sep, 1 Oct Carsphairn: 11am, 13 Aug (communion), 10 Sep, 8 Oct Kells: 11am, 20 Aug, 17 Sep, 15 Oct Dalry: 11am, 27 Aug, 24 Sep For further information contact Rev Pam Bellis on 07751 379 249 or pam@bellisconsultancy.co.uk St Margaret's Church, New Galloway, DG7 3RP Tuesdays at 11am: Informal Midweek Service with refreshments and chat. Wednesdays from 7.30-8pm: Zoom Evening Prayers. Please contact Dawn for the link. All friends and visitors welcome. For further information, please call Dawn Matthew on 01644 420 431 or visit www.stmargaretsnewgalloway.org Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation page 28 GAZETTEinformation Glenkens Gazette page 29 GALLOWAY COMMUNITY TRANSPORT www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org email gct@catstrand.com phone 01644 420374 mobile 07841 512449 August 2023 - September 2023 Regular Services GCT EXCURSIONS GK2 Glenkens-Castle Douglas (Tesco) Wednesday Evenings (Registered Route) Saturday 2nd September Out Return 19:00 Dalry (Underhill) 21:15 19:05 New Galloway 21:10 19:15 Mossdale 21:00 19:25 Laurieston 20:50 19:30 Townhead of Greenlaw 20:47 19:37 Castle Douglas (Market St) 20:37 19:40 Castle Douglas (Tesco) 20:35 Booking not required Glenkens to Newton Stewart Fortnightly - Tuesday mornings Outward Pickups: Dalry (Underhill) 09:30 New Galloway (Town Hall) 09:35 CatStrand) 09:37 To Aldi Return Pickup Newton Stewart (Aldi Car Park) 11:30 Return fare £3.50 Advance booking required. Member Hire The Castle Gardens Drumlanrigg Castle Garden With 40 acres of historic gardens to explore, these gardens are both inspiring and relaxing. A stroll through the formal gardens includes mixed shrub and herbaceous borders, a double border of contrasting colours, whilst the 183 meter long Terrace Walk with its tender climbing plants. A restored Victorian Glasshouse, Heather Houses, Rock Garden and much more will keep you interested. Cafe & Shop available. Partially wheelchair accessible. Entry to garden: £8:00 (£7:00 for seniors) Bus Fare: £10:00 Saturday 30th September The Botanic Garden Port Logan Walled garden filled with brilliant autumn colour, while striking trees, bamboos and ferns flourish in the woods. This garden contains plants from around the world and benefits from the warming effects of the Gulf Stream. Café and garden centre. Wheelchair accessible. Entry to gardens: £8:00 (£7:00 for seniors) Bus Fare: £12:00 For more info on these trips, please visit our website at: www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org/excursions GCT has 16-, 15-, and 8-seater minibuses and a fully wheelchair accessible electric car available for hire by community organisations. For information about membership and terms and conditions of hire see the GCT website or phone 07841 512449. Glenkens eBike Club Discounted eBike hire available to local residents: £5:00 per day £15:00 per weekend (Fri-Mon) £20:00 per week (Mon-Fri) https://www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org/ebikes email gctjon@catstrand.com Drivers Needed Galloway Community Transport needs your help to provide a wide range of community transport services across the Stewartry and beyond. MINIBUS DRIVING Minibus drivers with D1 (101 or by test) are needed to do volunteer and paid driving for our wide range of member community groups. PATIENT TRANSPORT We also urgently need drivers with their own cars for our patient transport service. Our volunteer patient transport drivers receive a generous mileage reimbursement and the satisfaction of providing a vital service to vulnerable people in our communities. Interested? Email gct@catstrand.com or phone 07841 512449 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation page 30 WHAT'S ON August/September AUGUST Turn to P32 for Together in the Glenkens Aug/Sep activities... Tue 1, Kids Summer Roadshow; music, sports, crafts, gaming, 1-4pm, New Galloway Park Sat 5, Kids Summer Roadshow; music, sports, crafts, gaming, 1-4pm, Dalry School Sun 6, Scottish Alternative Games, 2-6pm, New Galloway Mon 7, Dalry Community Council Meeting, 7pm, Dalry Town Hall Tue 8, D&G Citizens Advice Drop-in, 11am4pm, CatStrand Thu 10, Ken Words: Writers’ Café, 7pm, CatStrand Fri 11, Glenkens Food Hub online shop opens (closes Tue 15, delivery Fri 18), openfoodnetwork.org.uk/glenkens-foodhub/shop Fri 11, Kids Summer Roadshow; music, sports, crafts, gaming, 6-9pm, Crossmichael School Fri 11, Biosphere foraging walk & pizza cookout, see p14 Sat 12, Glenkens Producers' Market, Dalry Town Hall, 10am-1pm Sun 13, 9.30am-4pm, CCW Horse Logging Day, see p11 Mon 14, New Galloway & Kells Community Council Meeting, 7-9pm, New Galloway Town Hall Sat 19, The Bookshop Band visit Bairn Banter, 10am, Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn Sat 19, The Bookshop Band: High Tea Tunes Special, 3pm, CatStrand Sat 19, Glenkens Agricultural Show, 9am5pm, Dalry Sat 19, Laurieston Flower Show, 2-4pm Sun 20, Arts & Crafts Fair, 11am-3pm, Dalry Town Hall, see p4 Sun 20, The Bookshop Band: Song Writing Workshop, 11am, The Smiddy, Balmaclellan Sun 20, Clachan Folk Session, 5.30pm, Clachan Inn, Dalry Mon 21, Corsock & Kirkpatrick Durham Community Council Meeting, 7.30-9pm, Corsock Village Hall Mon 21 Aug-11 Sep, Strictly Get Dancing, Mossdale Village Hall, see p32 Tue 22, D&G Citizens Advice Drop-in, 11am4pm Tue 22, Parton Community Council Meeting, 7-9pm, Parton Village Hall Wed 23, Dumfries Mobile Fish & Chips, 5.15-11.55pm, New Galloway, find them on Facebook Thu 24, Open Stage, 7.30pm, CatStrand Fri 25, Glenkens Food Hub online shop opens (closes Tue 29, delivery Fri 1 Sep), openfoodnetwork.org.uk/glenkens-foodhub/shop Fri 25, Glenkens Book Group, 2-5pm, Dalry Library Sat 26, Corsock Show, 9.30am-5pm Sat 26, Soup Saturday, 1-3pm, Mossdale Village Hall Sat 26, Crossmichael Flower Show, 2-3.30pm Sun 27, Pub Quiz, 7-9pm, Clachan Inn, Dalry Mon 28, Carsphairn Community Council Meeting, 7-9pm, Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn Mon 28, Balmaclellan Community Council Meeting, 7.30-9pm, Balmaclellan Village Hall Wed 30, Dalry Place Plans drop-in sessions, 2-4pm or 6-8pm, see p17 SEPTEMBER – Glenkens Food Month - Friday 1, Song Share, 8-11pm, Dalry Town Hall Sat 2, GCT trip; Drumlanrig Castle Gardens, see p29 Sat 2, Loch Ken Wild Swim, 8.30am-4pm, Galloway Activity Centre, www.lochken. co.uk/events/wild-swim Sun 3, Martin Simpson, 7.30pm, CatStrand Mon 4, Dalry Community Council Meeting, 7-9pm, Dalry Town Hall Tue 5, D&G Citizens Advice Service Drop-in, 11am-4pm, CatStrand Tue 5, Tuesday Afternoon Teas, 2.30-4pm, Balmaclellan Village Hall Fri 8, Glenkens Food Hub online shop opens (closes Tue 12, delivery Fri 15), openfoodnetwork.org.uk/glenkens-foodhub/shop Fri 8, Tom Pow & The Galloway Agreement: The Village & The Road, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sat 9, Glenkens Producers' Market, 10am1pm, Dalry Town Hall Sun 10, Song Workshop with Robyn Stapleton & Jo Miller, 10.30am-4pm, Dalry Town Hall Mon 11, New Galloway & Kells Community Council Meeting, 7-9pm, New Galloway Town Hall Wed 13, Crossmichael Community Council Meeting, 7-9pm Thu 14, Ken Words: Writers’ Café, 7pm, CatStrand Sat 16, Waves Blues Band, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sat 16, Glenkens Community Centre Open Day, see p25 Sat 16, Carsphairn Community Market; part of Glenkens Food Month, 10am-2pm, Lagwyne Hall, see p25 Sun 17, Pop-up-restaurant by Risto Leino; part of Glenkens Food Month, contact jackie. communityinclusion.LING@gmail.com 07749 249 781 Sun 17, Bottling It: A Busker Production, 3-5pm, CatStrand Mon 18, Corsock & Kirkpatrick Durham Community Council Meeting, 7.30-9pm, Corsock Village Hall 18 Sep–9 Oct, Strictly Get Dancing, Parton Village Hall, see p32 Tue 19, D&G Citizens Advice Drop-in, 11am4pm, CatStrand Wed 20, Balmaghie Community Council Meeting, 7-9pm, Balmaghie Public Hall, Laurieston Thu 21, Kate Young: Umbelliferæ, 7.30pm, CatStrand Fri 22, George Egg: Set Menu, 7.30pm, CatStrand Fri 22, Glenkens Food Hub online shop opens (closes Tue 26, delivery Fri 29), openfoodnetwork.org.uk/glenkens-foodhub/shop Mon 25, Carsphairn Community Council Meeting, 7-9pm, Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn Mon 25, Balmaclellan Community Council Meeting, 7.30-9pm, Balmaclellan Village Hall Tue 26, Parton Community Council Meeting, 7-9pm, Parton Village Hall Fri 29, Pot Luck Supper, 7pm, New Galloway Town Hall, contact samantha.rushton@ hotmail.co.uk or 07544 700 566 Fri 29, Glenkens Book Group, 2-3pm, Dalry Library Sat 30, Soup Saturday, Mossdale, 1-3pm, Mossdale Village Hall Sat 30, GCT trip; Port Logan Botanic Garden, see p29 Sat 30, Help I Think I’m A Nationalist! by Seamas Carey, 7.30pm, CatStrand OCTOBER Thu 4, Fundraising Coffee Afternoon, 1-4pm, Dalry Town Hall, see p4 Fri 6, A’ the way to Galloway: Jo Miller and friends, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sat 7, Music Making in the Glenkens: Past, Present & Future, 10.30am-3.30pm, CatStrand, New Galloway Check out the What's On calendar online at the Glenkens Hub - www.glenkens.scot Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation page 31 REGULAR EVENTS & OPENING TIMES Balmaclellan Village Hall Tuesday Afternoon Teas, 1st Tues each month, to book email warburton.julie@ googlemail.com Glenkens Crafters, Wed 10am-12noon, for info contact julia.higgins55@outlook. com Books in Balmaclellan Community Library, Wed 10.30–12.30; Fri 6-7pm; Sat 10.30am-2.30pm (tea & coffee available on Sat). Balmaclellan Blether, 3rd Thu each month, contact warburton.julie@ googlemail.com Yoga, Thu, 6pm, kathyr64@hotmail.co.uk Glenkens Art Workshop, Thu 2-4pm The Men's Shed, Balmaclellan Opening Times: Monday, 9.30am - 12.30pm Wednesday, 9.30am - 12.30pm, Wood Carving, 2-4pm Thursday, Art Group, 2-4pm Friday, 9.30am - 12.30pm Saturday, 9am - 12noon Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn Carsphairn Monday Morning Social, 10am-12noon, come along for a blether, or bring a board game/cards, etc. Refreshments available. Call 07710 124 255 or email carsphairn.trust@gmail. com Carsphairn SWI, 3rd Thu of the month, 7.30pm,Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn Craft Group, Fri 10am-12noon, includes tea & coffee, Lagwyne Hall, contact carsphairncraftgroup@gmail.com Bairn Banter; family stay & play session, 0-7 years, Sat 10-11.45am CatStrand, New Galloway Margaret Morris Movement: Health Play (age 5-8), Mon (during term time), 3.45-4.30pm Margaret Morris Movement: Youth Grade (age 8-15), Mon (during term time), 4.30-5.30pm Art Ambassadors (age 11+), Mon biweekly, 4.30-5.30pm Behind the Scenes, bi-weekly, Mondays 5.30–6pm Power Yoga, Tue, 9am, kathyr64@ hotmail.co.uk Citizens Advice Drop-ins, every other Tue from 4th April, 10am-4pm Weekly Bus Service to Tesco, Wednesday eve 7pm Dramarama, (age 6-10), Wed 4-5pm Up Skills: Musical Theatre, (age 15+), Wed 5-5.30pm Young Writers Cafe, (age 12+), Wed 6-7.30pm, monthly Glenkens Art For All, Tue 10am12.30pm, for all abilities, free, no need to book, materials provided along with tea/coffee and biscuits. Contact Sarah on 07921 357563 Piano Lessons, weekly, term time 4pm – 6.30pm Dance Steps (age 10-18yrs), Sat monthly, 2-5pm Art Explorers, (age under 10yrs), Sat biweekly 10-11am Art Club, (age 11-16yrs), Sat bi-weekly 11.15am-12.30pm Dalry Good Neighbours Club, Tue, 2-4pm, contact Michelle on 07795 613 148 Youth Players Panto rehearsals, (10 yrs plus), weekly, Sun 3– 5.30pm The Smiddy, Balmaclellan Clachan Crafters, Thu 2-4pm, contact Sarah on 07500 861 041 Yoga For All, Fr 9.15-10.15am, contact Amy on 07733 111 466 Friendship Group, Sat (excluding Glenkens Producers Market days), 1011.30am, contact Anne on 01644 430 052 Taste of Music, monthly, 10-11am (under 10yrs) Table Tennis/Badminton, available to hire by arrangement, contact Sarah on 07500 861 041 Mini Music Makers, family session, montly 11.45pm -12.30pm (under 7yrs) Dalry Library Weekly Ukuele, guitar & keyboard lessons, 12.30–4pm (6-16 yrs) Musical Misfits, group singing class, biweekly, 10.30 – 11.30pm New Galloway Town Hall The hall is due to reopen and regular activities will be restarting; for further info email Jackie.communityinclusion. ling@gmail.com call 07749 249 781 or visit the Facebook page @ Local Initiatives in New Galloway Men's Monday Morning Coffee, Mon 9.30-11am Glenkens Youth Activity Group, ages 11+, Mon 7-8.30pm, Dalry School Gym Hall, contact youthwork.ling@gmail.com or 07719 708 668 LING Lunches, Tue, 12.30-2pm, £6, currently held at Kitty's, opposite NG Town Hall Sports Evening – restarts 5 Sept, indoor bowling & table tennis, Tues 7-9pm, New Galloway Scout Hut, contact Ray on 01644 420 438 Tai Chi, Zumba, Martial Arts, Gentle Yoga – new timetable being created, contact Jackie on above details Glenkens Charity Shop Opening Times: Mon, Tue & Thu - 10am-1pm Wed, Fri & Sat - 10am-4pm Glenkens Community Centre Glenkens Youth Group - resumes 28 August, Mon, 7-8.30pm Main St, Dalry, Tel: 01644 430 234 Tuesday Parent -Toddler Sessions restart end Aug, Tue,10.30-11:30am Glenkens Book Group, last Friday of each month, 2pm, call June to book on 01644 420 361 Library Opening Times: Tue, 2-5pm, for books and other walk-in Fri, 11.30am-12.30pm for NEC Bus Pass and Blue Badge appointments and PCs, and 1-4.30pm for books and other walkin services: Appointments can be booked in the library or on 01387 260 196. Dalry Town Hall Tai Chi, video-led instruction, Mon, 2-3pm, contact lesleyblissett52@gmail. com Dog Training, Tue, 7pm, contact Eric Broadhurst on 07831 590 822 Song Share, 1st Friday each month, 8-11pm, contact anne.chaurand@ btinternet.com Various Cosy Corner, Tue, 1-5pm, Crossmichael Church Hall, contact Anne on 07889 016 963 Crossmichael Heritage Centre, Wed & Fri, 1.30-4.30pm Cub Scouts, Wed 6.15-7.30pm, Scout Hall, New Galloway Knockvennie Hall Heat Bank & Snooker Club, contact Andrew on 01556 690 677 Outdoor Bowls, Dalry, contact Fiona Ramsay on 01644 430 587 Snooker/Indoor Bowls, contact Gary on 01644 430 521 Check out the What's On calendar online at the Glenkens Hub - www.glenkens.scot Glenkens Gazette Bairn Banter's big toddle A s part of Barnardo's flagship fundraising activity, The Big Toddle, the local Carsphairn children’s group has been reaching out to help children across the UK by raising money for the charity. The children and adults of Bairn Banter have enjoyed dressing up as jungle animals and embarking on a sponsored safari-themed walk through Carsphairn. The group gathered at Lagwyne Hall before beginning a mini safari tour of the village, with a slight detour in search of jungle animals hidden around Carsphairn school playground. The herd of parents and tots also tested their knowledge with a safari-themed mini quiz. Once back on the guided tour, the children finished their sponsored walk at the community garden, with a well-deserved picnic and a medal of achievement. Bairn Banter set up a JustGiving page to help raise WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Submit events, activities, news stories, cartoons, reviews, tips & techniques, fiction, photos, ads or ideas... Contact Sarah Ade on 07727 127 997 or glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk page 32 the set target of £300. Melissa Ade (founder of Bairn Banter) comments: “I am delighted to say that that our little group’s efforts have raised a wonderful £376! We have received a wealth of support and lots of very generous donations to the cause. I want to say a huge thank you to all everyone who donated and supported Bairn Banter to carry out this fundraising event and it is warming to know that the money raised will make a big difference to the lives of children further afield.” Editing & Design: sarah.ade@gmail.com OCT/NOV COPY DEADLINE: 5 SEP The Glenkens Gazette is an initiative of the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust, a Registered Scottish Charity No SC032050 The role of the Gazette is to represent the voice of the community and does not represent the views of GCAT.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette 137 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GG_137 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Glenkens Gazette Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource GCAT Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2023 Description An account of the resource Editor: Sarah Ade https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/1/285/GlenkensGazette138.pdf 0234d9260c1288eee5139754e8cda4a9 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette 138 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Glenkens Gazette Description An account of the resource <p>Find out more about the Gazette: <a href="https://glenkens.scot/gazette-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Glenkens Gazette home page</a> If you would like to submit an article or take out an advert, please email the editor Sarah Ade: <span>&nbsp;</span><a href="mailto:glenkensgazette@hotmail.com">glenkensgazette@hotmail.com</a></p> <p>The Glenkens Gazette is a member of, and regulated by <span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.impressorg.com/">Impress</a>.</p> <p>The Glenkens Gazette is an initiative of Glenkens Community &amp; Arts Trust (SC032050) and represents the voice of the community (not necessarily the views of GCAT).</p> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document October/November 2023 ISSUE 138 Youngest reigning world champion keeps her title FREE INSIDE THIS ISSUE D espite a generally wet August, for once the Scottish Alternative Games managed to choose a sunny Sunday afternoon for the 46th running of the popular event. A good crowd gathered to watch and to take part in the quirky events on offer. Reigning Gird 'n’ Cleek World Champion, Elizabeth Spernagel, was determined to hold on to her title for a second year and looked to be in great form as she breezed through the heats to claim her slot in the Grand Final. The line-up in the Final looked to be a tougher test though, with several experienced gird 'n’ cleekers lining up to try and grab the title. Our Children's Voices Dalry Secondary pupils have their say ...turn to page 10 Gird 'n' Cleek World Champion Elizabeth Spernagel (centre) with dad Ralph who finished in 2nd Place (right) and Alice McIntosh who took 3rd Place (left) © Ian Biggar However, Elizabeth hit the front early in the first lap and just managed to hold on to cross the finish line with her Dad, Ralph, rapidly closing the gap down the home straight. Alice McIntosh finished in third place, having first taken part in the competition when she was at primary school. Alice’s Dad, Rob, finished in fifth place, so all-in-all a bit of a family affair in the big Final this year... A This year has been another hugely successful collaboration between local groups, organisations and businesses. The Glenkens Community & Arts Trust played a core role, engaging the Glenkens Hub so groups could submit event details as well as pulling together the printed programme, and all ticketed events were hosted on the CatStrand booking system. Some highlights have included the ever-popular Fungal Forage, led by extremely knowledgeable local forager Emma Gibson. We decided to use Food Month to premiere our new film, Rooted: Growing a Local Food Ecosystem. This profiles farmers ...turn to page 11 Continued on page 33... Fun and feasting in the Glenkens t time of writing we’re just over half way through September – and half way through our fifth Glenkens Food Month! Glenkens CAB outreach service Local governance, community councils and more ...turn to pages 12- 13 and growers, local routes to market and community food projects across D&G. Rooted screened at CatStrand to a sold-out audience, followed by an extremely interesting discussion led by the people featured in the film. Continued on page 2... Farewell to the Galloway Glens Scheme! ...turn to pages 20-21 News from the communities of Balmaclellan, Carsphairn, Corsock, Crossmichael, Kirkpatrick Durham, Laurieston, Mossdale, New Galloway, Parton and St John’s Town of Dalry GAZETTEnews Glenkens Gazette Glenkens Food Month 2023 Continued from front page... Other fantastic events of the month included a campfire cook-out with Loch Ken Trust, the Family Food & Fun Day in New Galloway Park, and a very tasty Healthy Cooking on a Budget at the Glenkens Community Centre with Lesley from Nourishing Space. The pop-up Risto’s Restaurant in New Galloway Town Hall was a great success – a three-course menu was offered, using lots of local ingredients. The final event will be the Hog Roast at Balmaclellan Village Hall – locally sourced organic pork from Low Auldgirth (one of our Glenkens Food Hub producers) will be the main feature. Thanks go to the Dumfries & Galloway Regionwide Communities Fund for their support of this important community event. With full bellies and much anticipation, roll on Glenkens Food Month 2024! Abi, Propagate page 2 Participants assessing their finds at the Fungal Forage Biosphere fun in the Glenkens W arming up for September's Glenkens Food Month, the Biosphere partnered with outdoor educator Christy Miles and the Glenkens Food Hub team for a unique afternoon that combined local heritage, sustainable foraging, and an al fresco pizza feast. Local growers may have participated in one of this summer’s learning journeys in which residents of the Machars and the Glenkens visited each other’s garden-based projects. The GSA Biosphere hosted a broader, international version with a delegation from Sweden’s Nedre Dalälven region who arrived for a four-day tour. Nedre Dalälven is another of the 748 sites globally that have been designated as UNESCO Biospheres in recognition of their special landscape, wildlife and cultural assets. Sweden and the UK each have seven Biospheres within their territory, and Nedre Dalälven shares many of the same priorities as Galloway and Southern Ayrshire: both are research areas for sustainable farming and fisheries, and both are leading initiatives to support sustainability in tourism. With the longest and warmest days of 2023 now behind us it’s a great time to look for new hobbies to keep alive our connection with the great outdoors. Many local activity providers are accredited through the Biosphere Certification Mark and within easy reach of the Glenkens. Galloway Cycling offers guided tours and itineraries for all abilities, whether you’d like to try a gentle roll around the lanes or some serious gravel climbs. Loch Ken Activity Centre is best known for water-based fun but also offers biking including guided night rides. Mark Williams of Galloway Wild Foods runs scheduled and N ew Galloway Golf Club Founded Foun ded 1902 www.ng www.n g gc.co.uk - 01644 420737 Buggies now available for hire VISITORS AND NEW MEMBERS WELCOME bespoke foraging trips and has a website packed with instructional webinars, ID tips and recipe ideas. Open Water Swimming Instructor, Sarah Redman of Swim the Lochs, offers year-round group and wellness events as well as private instruction. Elizabeth Tindal is a Biosphere Guide and Dark Sky Ranger, with autumn/winter the optimum time to experience Galloway’s Gold-Tier Dark Sky Park (plus the firepit with hot chocolate and marshmallows that Elizabeth provides!). The Biosphere's outdoor pizza feast was run as part of Glenkens Food Month (see above article) Way of the Wild will take you on a forest or mountain adventure – that wonderful combination of excitement, immersion, and learning new skills. And for those who are looking for something a little different, why not try a writing retreat with Write Southwest Scotland, led by Biosphere-certified author Anstey Harris. Find out more about the Biosphere and the local projects, organisations and initiatives it supports by following #gsabiosphere on social media, visit www.gsabiosphere.org.uk or contact info@gsabiosphere.org.uk Tamara Fulcher GAZETTEnews Glenkens Gazette page 3 Major step towards decarbonisation for Galloway Community Transport G alloway Community Transport (GCT) has received a massive boost in its ongoing aim of decarbonising its fleet in the shape of a 16-seater eMinibus. This vehicle is brand new and has been funded by the Energy Savings Trust’s Plugged in Communities fund, which supports community transport initiatives in adding carbon neutral vehicles to their fleet. The new eMinibus joins the existing GCT eCar, which is currently doing sterling work on the daily Mossdale to Kells school run. Between them, they will make a big reduction to the carbon emissions of GCT as it carries on its work of providing rural transport for us all. GCT also has three diesel minibuses, all available to hire by community and private member groups. It also runs an invaluable Patient Transport Service, thanks to the dedication of its volunteer drivers. GCT are always looking for new volunteers, either to drive their own cars or the minibuses, so if you fancy getting behind the wheel contact Jon or Sue to find out more at gct@catstrand.com or 07841 512 449. Helen Keron, GCAT Executive Manager The Loch Ken Glenkens Cub Dragon Boats Scouts update D ragon Boats on Loch Ken are a group who row out on the loch every Sunday from April to October (weather permitting). often used for racing. A dragon boat is a type of boat in a traditional Chinese design, typically decorated to resemble a dragon, propelled with paddles by a large crew and For further information contact Joyce at pflssw@gmail.com or 0751 431 7578. The Loch Ken session starts at 9.30am and continues to midday, and is held at the Galloway Activity Centre. Anyone over age 12 is welcome, and the cost is £2 for under 18s and £5 for adults. See below for the Dragon Boats fundraising event... A huge thank you to all those who supported the Cub Scout stall at the Alternative Games, either by donating or purchasing goods. A special mention must go to Agnes, who has made the most delicious tablet which was snapped up very quickly. Thanks also go to Jenny, who gave us the beautiful handmade coloured glassware which was sentimental to her. We raised a total of £155.60 for our group – the best ever yet… The Games were enjoyed by PARTY NIGHT Balmaclellan Village Hall Saturday 25th November 7.30pm to 11pm BYOB Supper & Raffle 0 Greatest hits performed live Tickets £20 pflssw@gmail.com 07514317578 everyone – happy, smiling faces all round. Thank you to the organisers for yet another fabulous day. Cubs started up again on 6 September, and runs from 6.15pm to 7.30pm in the Scout Hall in New Galloway. We continue to appeal for adults to become Beaver Leaders to start a Colony, working with children aged six to eight years, or Scout Leaders, working with 10 ½ to 14 year olds. For further information, please get in touch with Hannah at mcandrew.hannah@yahoo.co.uk or 07789 735 398 Yours in Scouting, Heather and Hannah Christmas coffee morning S t Margaret’s Guild and Glenkens Churches Guild are holding their annual Christmas coffee morning on Wednesday 6 December. The fundraising event will be held in New Galloway Town Hall from 10.30am to 12noon. In addition to coffee, shortbread and mince pies there will a stall with baking and gifts, a raffle and a lucky dip. GAZETTEnews Glenkens Gazette page 4 The Gazette is part of a brand new collaborative journalism project T he Glenkens Gazette is one of eighteen independent local and hyperlocal news publications serving urban and rural communities across Scotland who have joined forces to create The Scottish Beacon, a new national publication. The Scottish Beacon news website is the first collaborative journalism outlet of its kind in the country. The aim is to strengthen the independent community-based media sector and bring stories from Scotland’s communities to a wider audience. The website spotlights articles on topics including community empowerment, social equality, local democracy and the environment – from Shetland in the north to Dumfries and Galloway in the south. When researching the creation of our Glenkens Hub website, the Gazette team reached out to Rhiannon Davies, editor of the Glasgow-based community publication, Greater Govanhill, which also had an active 'hub' style website. Rhiannon agreed to design and create our Glenkens Hub site, and through this partnership we became aware of her newest venture, The Scottish Beacon, which was at that time just in its conceptual stages. Seeing the potential of the project, the Gazette decided to get on board - and now we are a part of this exciting new project. are only in print, others digital, and many are both. All are independentlyowned and produce original journalism in the public interest, firmly rooted in serving the communities in which they are based. Other publications involved in the project include The Bellman, Broughton Spurtle, C&B News, Clydesider, Crail Matters, The Edinburgh Reporter, Forres Local, The Ileach, Greater Govanhill, The Hawick Paper, Inverclyde Now, The Lochside Press, Midlothian View, Migrant Women Press, The Orkney News and Shetland News. However, with many more independent publications out there, it is expected that membership numbers will continue to grow following the launch. The Scottish Beacon network holds regular meetings, sharing resources and skills and working together to identify collaborative investigations. Together we hope to re-invigorate local public interest made by the corporate publishers to local news which mean that too often journalists working in distant newsrooms are reporting on communities they are not familiar with. It’s wild that just three publishers own the vast majority of local news publications, while big tech has hoovered up much of the traditional revenues streams. “But I keep meeting these dedicated journalists – paid and voluntary – who provide a vital local service. They’re not doing it for the money, but because they care about their communities and because these stories matter. “By collaborating on stories, and digging into national topics at a local level, we hope to amplify stories that too often go unheard, holding power to account and strengthening community voices.” “By collaborating on stories, and digging into national topics at a local level, we hope to amplify stories that too often go unheard, holding power to account and strengthening community voices.” The benefit to each publication involved in the project is through the ability to draw correlations and access information from other communities across the country. The Gazette covers many hyperlocal topics of import to our local communities, but these may often also be issues mirrored in other communities across the country. The Scottish Beacon enables communication between community news platforms, giving the potential to link up and see a bigger picture and have a stronger voice. The publications involved all have different structures and models. Some are nonprofit, some are limited companies, some are sole traders. Some of the publications news and overcome common challenges such as long-term sustainability. Many independent publications currently run on shoestring budgets, some with no income at all. The aim is to strengthen the sector, generating income and raising awareness of the value that good local journalism can bring to a community. Project founder, Rhiannon Davies, said: “I truly believe that the future of journalism is collaborative. I developed the idea for this project after being inspired by similar established collaboratives in the US. “There have been so many brutal cuts The publication will generate revenue through a mix of different income streams including membership fees, partnerships, advertising and grant funding. It will use the engaged membership platform Beabee to involve readers in stories and determine future projects. To find out more visit www.scottishbeacon. com and if you want to support independent media in Scotland, and get the best quality journalism from Scotland’s communities straight to your inbox, you can sign up to the newsletter, or become a member, and you can also follow the Scottish Beacon on social media. Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEnews page 5 The end of BBC Radio 4 long wave radio B BC Radio 4 will cease being broadcast on long wave next year. The exact date has not been announced, but probably soon after the end of March 2024. Those of us who live in the Glenkens will know of the poor reception locally of radio in all its forms: DAB, FM and medium wave. Often the only reception you will be able to get indoors is ‘good old’ Radio 4. So with Radio 4 long wave leaving, what other options are out there in areas like ours where the other radio channels can't be picked up? You can listen to radio on your TV - either Freeview or Satellite - or you can listen on your mobile phone (but that could cost money, depending on your contract). Probably the best option is to listen via the internet but you will need to have a broadband connection (WiFi). You can listen on your computer or tablet, on an internet radio or on a smart speaker. If you don’t already have the internet in your home, and you receive Pension Credit, Universal Credit or one of the other entitlements, you should qualify for a cheaper ‘social tariff’. This would be quite a bit cheaper than the normal rates at only around £12 per month. Couple that to a 'smart' speaker (priced from around £25 and upwards) and you have access to literally thousands of radio stations. More information about radio can be found in my previous article (Technology Explained: Radio), published in issue 117 of the Glenkens Gazette. All previous issues of the Gazette are available online as an archive at on the Glenkens Hub at www.glenkens.scot Paul Goodwin Carsphairn community market C arsphairn Community Council and local children's group Bairn Banter held a community market in Lagwyne Hall on Saturday 16 September as part of Glenkens Food Month. Visitors from near and far gathered in the hall to sample a selection of local produce such as jams, chutneys and preserves, fresh fruit/ vegetables, handmade cards and crafts, and even handmade carpets. There were also fundraising stalls and a presentation from the Glenkens Food Hub. A delicious selection of home baking was on offer, washed down with hot and cold beverages at the pop-up café in the hall's the lounge area. While adults shopped, children revelled in the fun and free activities offered by Bairn Banter, the popular stayand-play children's group which runs every Saturday in Carsphairn's Lagwyne Hall. Funds raised at the market went to help support the ongoing running costs of the group, as well as annual events such as the kids halloween party on 28 October. Founder of Bairn Banter, Melissa Ade, said: “We are very lucky to have such a supportive community here in Carsphairn, with many generous residents contributing to our fundraising table and producing a wonderful spread to sell in aid of the group. The proceeds from the sales table and refreshments totalled a fabulous £151.01. On behalf of Bairn Banter, I want to say a big thank you to everyone involved!” GAZETTEnews Glenkens Gazette page 6 Galloway Glens booklet collection T he Galloway Glens Scheme included the creation of six booklets, supporting some of the projects and initiatives undertaken during the project. These booklets have now been distributed to local libraries and outlets, as well as to project partners, and are also available to read and download online on the Glenkens Hub at www. glenkens.scot/reportsresources-archive/gallowayglens-booklets The six booklets are: • Glenkens Place-names: A window on our past • Last Flights: A history of plane crashes in the Glenkens • Ken Words: An anthology of writings • Upper Gairloch: Investigations of a deserted settlement on the Raiders Road • Little Hill Wood: Excavations of a prehistoric enclosure on the Threave Estate • Barhill Wood, Kirkcudbright: Investigations in a historic woodland The booklets were designed by Martha Schofield Design and edited by Sarah Ade from the Glenkens Gazette. Glenkens Place-Names A Window on our Past by Gilbert Márkus The creation of this series of booklets was made possible thanks to the funders of the Galloway Glens Scheme, Autumn at St Margaret's Gazette subscription D o you have friends and family who don't live nearby but would love to know what's going on in the Glenkens on a regular basis? A good start to autumn as we celebrated our Harvest Festival at the end of September. With lots of abundant produce decorating the church, nobody could be left in any doubt as to what we were celebrating! However, as we remembered that not everyone is able to enjoy a good harvest, we were thankful to be able to make donations to local Foodbanks and Community Cupboards. The decision to open the church when possible during the week has been well-received, and has increased awareness that we are here for one another and for our community. Dawn is thankful for the many conversations this has brought about, and for the gifts people have shared with us. She says; “an important part of our faith is prayer, and I’d like to encourage you to continue sharing your prayer requests. We would be pleased to pray for you, about anything and everything – both joys and sorrows.” Remembrance Sunday is to be held on 12 November this year. Rev Pam Bellis will start with the Act of Remembrance at the War Memorial just before 11am, and will continue over the road at St particularly the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Drax, owners of the Galloway Hydro Scheme. Beautiful harvest loaf made by Carrie Winger can you spot the mouse? Margaret’s where the service will be taken by both Pam and Dawn. Now that the nights are drawing in our Sunday service time is reverting from the afternoon to 10.30am, with coffee/ tea following the service. On Sunday 5 November we will be celebrating All Saints’ Day and, within our morning service of Holy Communion, we will be spending time in reflection for those we love and have lost. There will be an opportunity to light a candle in memory of a loved-one. All are welcome. Looking ahead to Advent and Christmas celebrations, please keep your eyes open for details about our Advent and Christmas services. There will be carols and music galore, and definitely something for all ages! Nicolette Wise Why not gift them a subscription to the Glenkens Gazette! The annual cost for a UK subscription is £45 and an international subscription is £72.50 (both prices include postage). Please let us know if this is something you would be interested in by emailing glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk or calling 07727 127 997, as currently we're trying out this idea on a trial basis. August/September 2023 ISSUE 137 Are we facing a crisis in rural education? T he future of education in the Glenkens is in crisis following the withdrawal of fourth year provision at Dalry Secondary School. Parents and supporters of the school believe the seeds of the current situation were sown in 2016 when, despite strong community and parental opposition, D&G Education Department decided to hire a Glenkens primaries partnership head and amalgamate the management for Dalry Secondary and Castle Doulgas High School (CDHS), despite the fact that CDHS is an urban school 16 miles away. The change in management structure from an all-through school (with the Glenkens primaries and Dalry Secondary all under one head teacher who was based at Dalry School) to a structure with a remote secondary head has had serious ramifications. Seven years on, this poorly considered management decision, coupled with a seeming lack of interest in partnership working from the Welcome to Dalry For over 50 years Dalry Secondary has been providing a holistic environment where young people are nurtured and supported as they grow into their full potential as wellrounded, welleducated individuals. FREE INSIDE THIS ISSUE SPEN pylon enquiry submission deemed "greatly offensive" turn to page 3 D alry offers something unique, with the small school rural setting allowing students to feel secure in a family-like environment while they reach their full academic and personal potential. The inside cover of the Dalry Secondary School prospectus created by the Parent Council. You can read the full publication online at bit.ly/DalryProspectus or pick up a print copy from the school CDHS management team has lead to this year's S4 class at Dalry being displaced and the head teacher 'strongly advising' parents to send their children to CDHS. The size of year groups have changed little over the past couple of decades, so why now are Dalry pupils' educational outcomes being so severely curtailed? It does not seem right that, when parents query the limited offering, is it deemed a reasonable answer to state that a full range of subjects is offered at 'partner Resounding success of Galloway Glens intern programme turn to page 10 school' CDHS. Surely it is not unreasonable to expect a rich and varied curriculum to be offered at Dalry, the catchment high school for the Glenkens? Why are pupils expected to attend an out of catchment school, outwith their community, travelling for potentially up to two hours a day? These are the questions being asked of the Education Department, with many parents and members of the community still waiting for answers. Continued on p5... Glenkens Food Month will run throughout September with mouthwatering events across the Glenkens - turn to p7 for more! Funding for Glenkens youth graffiti project turn to page 19 What is Galloway Retold? turn to page 23 News from the communities of Balmaclellan, Carsphairn, Corsock, Crossmichael, Kirkpatrick Durham, Laurieston, Mossdale, New Galloway, Parton and St John’s Town of Dalry Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEnews page 7 Afghan carpet charity fundraiser G kenkens-based charity, the Afghan Schools Trust, has a number of handmade Afghan carpets for sale at local fairs and markets as a fundraiser for their schools in Afghanistan. Trustees Robin Ade and Tony Long recently ran a stall at the Carsphairn Community Market where people could come along to see the carpets in person and buy. This was really well received and a number of carpets were sold, generating much-needed funds. The Trust's work enables the education of Afghan children, particularly in rural areas, through supporting the development of schools as well as necessary health and infrastructure needs for young people and their families. They have a focus on educating girls, and also fund a Women's Centre which offers higher education. The Trust will have a stall at the CatStrand Shopping Night on Saturday 2 December from 6-9pm and Corsock Craft Fair on Sunday 3 December from 11am-3pm. For further information, or to arrange a visit to buy a carpet, please get in touch with Tony on antarthur@protonmail.com or 07507 704 821. Pictured are Tony and Robin selling carpets at the Carsphairn Community Market along with some examples of carpets for sale. Launch of the new Glenkens & District Community Fund A s longer term readers will be aware, the Glenkens & District Trust was established in 2011 to resource and enable community development in the Glenkens and surrounding communities using wind farm community benefit monies. To date GDT has used funds provided from Blackcraig Wind Farm to support the local community, committing more than one million pounds to a range of initiatives including grants for community groups, education and training bursaries, and commissioning research to help develop projects which will deliver against community priorities outlined in the local Community Action Plan. Now that more money is becoming available through agreements made with the Greencoat Windy Rig windfarm, the Carsphairn Renewable Energy Fund Ltd and others to come, it’s time the fund arrangements got a new identity to reflect this ‘pooled’ approach – the Glenkens & District Community Fund. The newly branded fund will continue to provide a single, consistent application process and set of Fund priorities which keeps it simple for applicants and easily identifiable for the Glenkens and District community, regardless of the source of funds. Fiona Smith, Chair of the Fund said: “We are delighted to be able to announce the launch of the Glenkens & District Community Fund. We thank all of the fund donors who are contributing to this new arrangement, both the windfarm owners and community partners at the Carsphairn Renewable Energy Fund. As the number of donors to our communities increases our aim is to continue to steward funds to a high standard, while keeping it simple for applicants” For applicants, all the application forms, the fund priorities and the cycle of spring and autumn deadlines will remain the same as they were with the Blackcraig fund, and GDT continues to work in partnership with Foundation Scotland to administer the arrangements. The first application deadline to the new Glenkens & District Community Fund will be 19 March 2024. For further information please check https://tinyurl. com/GandDCF or get in touch with Suzy at Foundation Scotland on grants@ foundationscotland.org.uk GAZETTEnews Glenkens Gazette page 8 Castle Douglas Rotary Club Go Wild! T his summer, the Galloway Glens Scheme led three ‘Go Wild!’ Outdoor Education Camps. from 6pm at the Lochinvar Hotel, Dalry. The evening will include a notto-be-missed local speaker and a short presentation to share a bit more about the Rotary Cub - what can do, have done, want to do and dispel a few myths! A total of 26 children took part, with a camp in Kirkcudbright, Castle Douglas and in the Glenkens at the Garroch Estate. The week-long camps gave participants a once-in-a lifetime experience of going wild in our beautiful countryside, giving the skills and confidence to enjoy the Galloway outdoors. The Castle Douglas Rotary Club supported this initiative, contributing towards the costs of the celebration event and John Muir Trust Awards ceremony at the Galloway Activity Centre in September. Please come along, join us and meet the team for a £20 evening out with a free glass of wine. For further information or to book at ticket contact Cliff on 07768 981 952 asap as numbers are limited. This was a great example of how the Rotary club can support a wide range of projects. With the culmination of the Galloway Glens scheme this September, the Castle Douglas Rotary Club want to highlight that they will continue to support this type of worthwhile project. With the Club’s track record of supporting the schools in the area, we would like to invite interested residents to join us to find out more about what we do at a set menu two-course dinner event on 26 October Pictured is the Glenkens Go Wild! event held at the Garroch Estate, Dalry, which was also supported by the D&G Council 's Regionwide Communities Fund New Galloway Town Hall grand reopening S o far, we have been reopening quietly, almost surreptitiously, letting people in a few at a time to sneak a peek. Some activities are already underway, including our ever-popular LING Lunches, which have transitioned from Kitty’s Tearoom back to the Town Hall. We’re incredibly grateful to Sylvia for having let us use her lovely space for all these months, but at the same time delighted to be able to welcome people back into the community’s own premises again. Glenkens Food Month saw the Town Hall hosting its first pop-up restaurant event with local chef Risto Leino providing a mouthwatering three-course meal – good local food with a Finnish twist! Our two restaurant sittings quickly sold out, so we’re hoping to put more of these on the calendar – Risto is already envisioning a smorgasbord for next time! Many thanks to Fleet Fish, Henderson butchers, Niko's restaurant and the Glenkens Gardeners for their generous support. But our most important news is that on Saturday 21 October we’ll be having our formal grand opening event, which we have titled 'A Time and a Place'. This will be an afternoon concert with a difference; the Catstrand Singers will be bringing us songs from the Glenkens, reminding us what a special place this is, with rousing choruses perfect for the audience to participate. We’ll be joined by pupils from Kells Primary and the Cubs who will help place items in the Town Hall Time Capsule – there’ll be a bit of show-andtell exploring the writings, photographs, mementos, special edition memorabilia and other small but historic artefacts which are going to be sealed behind a hidden partition in the refurbished Town Hall. The Cubs have already presented us with a scrapbook reflecting their experiences of living, learning, playing and exploring in the Glenkens, and Kells pupils have been hard at work on their time capsule contributions too. We think that hearing from local young people on the day will be a great way to focus our thoughts on the future of the Glenkens, even as we come together to celebrate our special heritage and shared past. The 'A Time and a Place' grand reopening event is for all ages and we do hope you can join us between 2.30pm and 4.30pm on Saturday 21 October as the doors of New Galloway Town Hall open properly, and for good. Tickets are free but essential for admittance on the day. They can be booked at https://tinyurl.com/4kay6epj. If you are unable to book online, please contact us on 07749 249781; leave a message with your name and how many tickets you want and we’ll get back to you. See the What's On and Regular Events sections on pages 38-39 for details of upcoming events and activities in New Galloway Town Hall. The sell-out pop-up restaurant Food Month Event held in the newly-refurbished lesser dining hall of New Galloway Town Hall, and an example of the fabulous food on offer; a fab fruit bowl with local soft fruit and edible flowers Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEcommunity Together in the Glenkens T he Together in The Glenkens activity programme has got off to a wonderful start, with a wide variety of sessions on offer. Our aim is for everyone in the Glenkens communities and beyond to have the opportunity to access life affirming activities which will enhance their mental health and wellbeing. We want to provide an accessible and supportive network of activities which everyone is welcome to. So, here’s a quick update of what we’ve been up to since June. New participants are of course welcome any time to any activity. Tai Chi in New Galloway Park has enjoyed some delightful outdoor evenings, developing their understanding and enjoyment of the movements and philosophy of Tai Chi. This activity will be moving to New Galloway Town Hall from October, Mondays 6.30-8pm; further info can be found on the blue poster below. Art for Wellbeing in Corsock have produced some lovely pieces of multi-media art and the group is looking forward to exploring their creative skills further throughout the autumn and winter months. The class meets at the Village Hall in Corsock, on Thursdays from 6.30-8.30pm. Gentle Exercise provides a place of stillness and reflection, as well as building a routine of gentle chair yoga. “The class is really helping me, I am feeling the benefits and look forward to and enjoy the weekly session,” said one new attendee. This class is held on Wednesdays at The Smiddy, Balmaclellan, from 4-5pm. Art for Wellbeing in Balmaclellan allows you to start using oils to create your own pieces of art. The classes are full of tips and techniques that are invaluable in building an understanding of this diverse and satisfying artistic medium. Sessions run on Wednesdays at The Smiddy, Balmaclellan, from 10am-12pm. Strictly Get Dancing is already proving immensely popular! Sam Rushton’s happy and relaxed style of teaching results in all the participants learning and mastering a variety of Latin and Ballroom steps each session … music and steps all in sync is a joy to see and experience. One participant said: “Loved that! Smiled all evening - thank you!” Classes run in four-weekly blocks, with a Christmas Social Dance planned for 18 December. Sessions are on Mondays at 7pm, rotating between Mossdale, Parton and Kirkpatrick Durham village halls. Together in the Glenkens is also planning a twice-monthly Gym & Swim package, starting on 11 October. This will involve transport departing from New Galloway, with various pick-up locations en-route, and heading to Kirkcudbright Swimming Pool on Wednesday mornings and The Merrick Leisure Centre in Newton Stewart on Wednesday evenings. A super chance to build a regular exercise routine while sharing the journey and experience with others – contact Jo to find out more. Our Patchwork Workshop also launches in October, where skills can be learned and enhanced to turn scraps page 9 of textiles in to hand sewn items such as tote bags, cushion covers and Christmas decorations. These classes run on Thursdays at 1pm in Crossmichael Church Hall from the 17 October. All the activities provide an opportunity to invite a new interest or exercise into your world, while meeting and making new friends and developing or polishing skills that we hope will have a feel-good effect on peoples' lives. Come along to any or all of them! Together in the Glenkens is funded by the Scottish Government’s Community Health and Wellbeing Fund, administered through Third Sector Dumfries & Galloway. For more information, including prices and discount options, please get in touch with jo@ catstrand.com, call the CatStrand on 01644 420 374, or visit www.gcat.scot/cic-learningand-wellbeing-workshop-programme or scan the QR code below. A full house at the Clachan Inn for the TiTG Pub Quiz (see below for details) Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEcommunity page 10 Our children's voices A meeting was held by the Education Department at Dalry Secondary School for parents and pupils, and children were asked their views on how to move forward with the current small class sizes. But in a formal meeting setting such as that, young people, understandably, find it very difficult to speak up. So with mounting pressure from from school management for the children in small class cohorts to move out of catchment to Castle Douglas High School, we wanted to offer a space in the Gazette for Dalry Secondary pupils to have their voices heard. "In my personal experience in Dalry small classes are a very effective way of learning as the student will have more confidence to share their views, opinions and questions with their peers and teachers. "Dalry is an absolutely essential school to have in this area otherwise the school kids would need to travel to CD which is further away and I think I speak for a lot of people when I say it has a less positive social atmosphere. "A lot of my friends have gone there and suffered from bullying and ostracization, which I can safely say are not an issue at a friendly school like Dalry. Socially it's a very good environment since it's such a small school we all know each other and are friends. "I honestly just wish that people would care for the school and put more money and effort into it as they do other schools." "I moved from a small school in Aberdeen and it was great to join Dalry Secondary School. "I didn't feel confident enough to go to a really big school. Dalry builds my confidence and gives me a chance to get to know the teachers and make friends with some of them. I also made friends with all the girls in S2. They are LOADS of good company. "Seeing everyone leave recently was really sad because in just one week the school shrank so much in size. And lots of people were going to really big schools. I feel loyal to Dalry. I will refuse to leave" "You know everyone at the school. I like that the teachers know everyone. "You get opportunities that other schools don’t. I don't like the fact that the S4s are now in with the S1 class. Sometimes the school is too quiet." "I think Dalry is great. "It could do with a couple more students. My friend and I are the only girls in S1. People are dropping out like stones. But I really like Dalry because it's small enough that I know everyone's names, I never get lost and I know all the teachers and their personalities." "Dalry Secondary School to me means everything. "It is easy to access, it’s very friendly because I know everyone. There’s not too many people. I get panicky and nervous around too many people. "With not too many pupils at MATTHEW PAJO Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine - pain management - women's health - men's health - fatigue - sleep - stress - anxiety - needle-free laser acupuncture- The Old School, Crossmichael info@matthewpajo.co.uk 07786 079 845 Dalry Secondary, teachers have more time for each pupil 1:1. I feel more confident at Dalry with smaller numbers. I would like to see the MUGA re-open for the children to use in school time." "Dalry school is my catchment area school. "I wouldn’t choose to go to any other school. Dalry makes me feel happy, safe. The teachers are very supportive, friendly, easy to approach and always with a listening ear. "We are a close knit group of friends at school, from S1-S4, and even have communication with Nursery to P7. We are so lucky to be a through school. I like the small classes in secondary and I feel more confident talking in front of my class when it’s small numbers. "The teachers are always available to help with our work, support us when we are struggling. We have a big playing field, I would like to be able to make use of the field for sports get-togethers with other local schools." "The school is good because its not crowded." Photograph of pupils outside Dalry Secondary by Jim McEwan, Galloway News Amber Dunlop-Pajo Health Psychologist - women's health - stress - depression - anxietyThe Old School, Crossmichael info@gallowaycounselling.co.uk 07389 713 106 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEcommunity page 11 Citizens advice Glenkens outreach Funded by the Blackcraig Windfarm fund, the clinics are held fortnightly on a Monday at the Glenkens Community Centre, Dalry, and fortnightly on a Tuesday at CatStrand, New Galloway. D umfries & Galloway Citizens Advice Service (D&GCAS) now have a regular outreach service at two venues in the Glenkens. Fiona Norbury, the clinic’s generalist advisor, is on hand from 10am to 4pm to give advice on a range of topics such as housing, debt, benefits, employment and much more. No appointments are necessary and the service is free, confidential, impartial and independent. Fiona said: "Please feel free to drop in to any of the available clinics, or if you can’t make it and need advice you can call the Dumfries office on 0300 303 4321 and ask to leave a message for the Glenkens advisor, who will return your call. Or you can visit the D&GCAS website at www.dagcas.org”. The outreach project’s Generalist Advisor, Fiona Norbury, at a Glenkens Community Centre outreach session Bluebell wood News from Dalry clean-up Community Council M y Mum and I were extremely saddened to discover, on our walk at the bluebell woods by the New Galloway golf course back in August, that someone had thrown a number of half-empty paint pots around the entrance to the woods. The paint was strewn and splattered all over the wall, ground and trees with the pots left lying in and around puddles of the paint. The main reason I wanted to put this story in the Gazette is to say how grateful we are for our wonderful community, who rallied around and swiftly mobilised a clean-up operation. Special thanks go to Andrew Frew and Tim Curtis, who cleared up what they could of the mess before it could cause too much harm to plants/animals, and reported it to the police. I can't imagine who would do this but thankfully we live in a community that takes pride in our beautiful surroundings and will always come together when needed. Emma Curtis W e want to share more of what St Johns Town of Dalry Community Council is involved in and introduce ourselves to old and new residents. We have nine members with different areas of interest, all supporting the good of the community of Dalry and the parish. We work closely with other Community Councils in the Glenkens and Stewartry area, coming together as one voice when needed and focusing on Dalry daily. Current Members include Michele Owen (Chair), Jenna Cains (Vice Chair), Morag Paterson (Secretary), Gerald Bell (Treasurer), Alex McCrae, Graham West, Gary Blissett, Linda Halsall and Maureen Biggar. We welcome the residents of Dalry to attend any of the Community Council meetings. They occur on the first Monday of the month in Dalry Town Hall at 7pm. If you can give a couple of hours a month to support your village however you feel you can, that would be fantastic. There may be skills, knowledge or experiences we can utilise, and of course, you get the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping yourself and others in a place we are all proud of. Engagement and listening to residents in Dalry is something we would like to develop. We would love to hear your views on how we can engage and communicate with all residents and help share news and events with you all. All thoughts and ideas are welcome. Paid support opportunity: We are looking into an honorarium position to assist us in dealing with emails, minutes and public notices. We will officially notify residents of this role shortly; in the meantime, if you are interested, please drop us a line at the email address below. We are always looking for additional members to share the tasks and achievements. We wish to ensure the best future for our village, community, and landscape, and with your help, we can achieve more. For more info or to contact us please email sjtdalrycc@gmail.com See more on local governance, committees and community councils over the page... Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEcommunity page 12 Local governance and our communities... I n this edition of the Gazette we will be looking at local governance and how the groups and committees across the Glenkens function, continuing with more on this topic in the December/January edition. Why I chose to join a community council... W hen I moved to Dalry in 2021 I was keen to get to know the community I was now a part of; its history and the different activities and events that make up life in the village. Through speaking to a number of people I found out about the community council and attended my first meeting (just to be nosey!) as a spectator. Through the many varied discussions going on about the village and surrounding areas I was inspired by the diverse experience, knowledge and interests of the members and the subjects they discussed to become a fully fledged member, joining officially by the next meeting. Over the next two years, I continued to attend community council meetings where we discussed topics such as forestry, the health and wellbeing of the community, renewable energy and the Glenkens District Trust, as well as more fun tasks such as coordinating Christmas trees and Jubilee celebrations. Through these meetings I have been able to not only get involved with some really worthwhile projects (such as the Community Health and Wellbeing survey) but also to get to know my fellow community councillors and the people of Dalry who give their time and effort to make this the place in which we live today. The Community Council, at its heart, is there to support the people who live in and around Dalry and being part of this team, whether through investigating complaints from local residents, acting as a sounding board for ideas or by working with our elected councillors to explore new initiatives for the village and the Glenkens, I hope I can contribute towards a positive difference for the community. I would really encourage anyone who, like me, enjoys being a part of our community to get in touch as there are lots of ways we can make a difference, with projects ranging from organising litter picking volunteers to In praise of committees B eing on a committee, a Board, a Steering Group, a Community Council, a Parent Council can be frustrating and boring. It can be hours of pre-read and a meeting on a sunny evening when you'd rather be walking the dog. It's putting the tables and chairs out to start the meeting, and putting them away again at the end. It's trying to remember to write up the Minutes in good time, and to get your actions done between meetings. And sometimes it's being stopped on the street when you're just trying to pick up some milk to get told that you're doing it all wrong. So why do so many of us in the Glenkens do it? Because it's the only way to get things done. The Glenkens has an amazing track record of community work stretching back decades. From Dalry Town Hall which never came out of community ownership, to the CatStrand opening 16 years ago, to Carsphairn Community Woodland, the heritage centres, the renovation of New Galloway Town Hall and other asset transfers, Glenkens Food Month, Loch Ken Trust - literally too many to mention. And all of this was achieved by an astonishing amount of hard work by volunteers sitting on committees. Because they cared and because they knew it was important. It's fun to sit on the sidelines, pointing out all the things that aren't right. It's easy to write a letter or stop someone in the street with a good idea that 'should' be done. What's hard is making it happen. We need the good ideas and the identification of problems - and then we need the people who turn up to the meetings, write the grant applications, puzzle through the business plans and have sleepless nights over the finances. Community work is exhausting - but when you get it right, gosh, it's rewarding. To see a playgroup flourishing or an activity programme bringing new people together or a building buzzing with life again and know that you played your part in making it happen - that's why we do it. So thank you to the hundreds of people in the Glenkens who have stepped up over the years to make things happen for this amazing community. Without you, we would all be much the poorer. I hope you feel that it was worth it, and more power to your elbow! Helen Keron more complex issues such as the Glenkens education provision, there really is something for every interest and schedule. Being a part of the Community Council ensures our community has a voice, and that we can give support and time to the things that are important to us in keeping Dalry a fantastic place to call home. With this as the goal, it is safe to say that I truly enjoy working with the Community Council and hope that, if not already, I get to meet more of the people in and around the village and help them in any way I can. Michele Owen Stronger together I was delighted to meet with a number of Community Council representatives in August, to see if meetings between the Councils would add value. We had a very positive meeting, where we discussed Local Place Plans (see page 14) and the difficulty and some solutions to recruiting Community Council members and engaging effectively with all members of their community. We agreed to meet again in November after the outcome of funding to support Local Place Planning is known. If any Community Council member in the Glenkens would like to be on the invitation list personally, do let me know on helen@ catstrand.com Helen Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEcommunity page 13 ...how it works and how to get involved The Kinks, The Beatles and local councils I n 1968, The Kinks surprised the world upon the release of their sixth studio album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society. At a time where other British bands such as The Beatles, The Who, and The Rolling Stones were taking the USA by storm, gearing up for the so-called ‘Summer of Love’, The Kinks took an alternate approach which set them apart from the hegemonic depiction of youth culture in the late 1960s. Throughout the album, the listener encounters numerous vignettes and character studies that evoke nostalgia and a vague desire to preserve so-called ‘British’ things for posterity. The album may be understood as using common cultural experiences of the past to cope with the alienation felt in the present – alienation that has only increased in the decades since. As ever with Ray Davies, however, there was a twist. Many critics sensed an underlying cynicism to the album’s veneration of a certain way of life, concluding that it might have been intended as a sharp rebuttal to those who were obsessed with romanticising a non-existent past. To this day critics are divided over whether Davies’ intentions were ironic or if he truly yearned for the traditions outlined in his work. first introduced in 1975 under the 1973 Local Government Act. They are voluntary organisations, meaning their existence depends entirely on the will of individuals in the area to stand for election. Exemplifying their preference for channelling the opinions of their local communities above all else is their nonparty-political and non-sectarian nature. But what do they do? The disingenuousness that is so often tied to community associations does little to widen their appeal. In truth, local politics does lack the glamour and intrigue of the happenings in Holyrood, Westminster, and the Whitehouse. It conjures up images of the petty and twee, figures who are sticklers for procedure, oblivious to the relative insignificance of their role. I first became involved in local politics myself whilst living in London as a student. There I met countless individuals who cared deeply about their Community councils have the right to be notified of and respond to any planning applications, so spare them a thought as you draw up plans for your new six-storey extension – or equally if you wish to protest that of your neighbour. Parks, playgrounds, and footpaths also fall within their sphere of activity, so it is them who should be approached if you carry concerns about the haunting spectre of a swings and roundabouts accident. Local events, the magnets which can pull together our otherwise potentially disparate and inward-looking communities, can be organised by, with, and through community councils. Above all else, they provide residents with a voice. They are a means by which one can prevent changes that do not best serve a community. That is not to say that all change is inherently bad. Likewise, opposing change does not a reactionary NIMBY make. Rather, to take one example, some types of change can prioritise the leisure and pleasure of those who are visiting – who have expendable income and homes to which they can return elsewhere – over the basic necessities of those living in a certain area. ...introduced in 1975 under the 1973 Local Government Act. They are voluntary organisations, meaning their existence depends entirely on the will of individuals in the area to stand for election. Nowadays, in our advanced, post-industrial world, his concerns may seem reactionary, a musical manifestation of NIMBY ideology. Fifty years later local politics is still riddled with views that carry similar objectionable undertones. Groups who are already marginalised can be disproportionately stigmatised due to obsessive attitudes towards antisocial behaviour. Longstanding prejudices against municipal housing and so-called ‘problem estates’ erase the reality that, for many, moving into a council house provided lifechanging security – not dependency – enabled the creation of joyful family homes. communities and wished to provide a more personal voice to their residents. Making sure that bins are collected on time, that local schools are functioning, and that public transport is cohesive may not seem glamorous, but they are the first things we notice when they do not work or cease to exist. Over time I found that local politics is equally significant in rural communities where issues such as isolation and accessibility take on different dimensions. Dumfries & Galloway council has a large remit under which most of the aforementioned issues fall, but what about at a more local level? Community councils in Scotland were The community councils occupied by the readership of the Glenkens Gazette include Balmaclellan, Balmaghie, Carsphairn, Corsock and Kirkpatrick Durham, Crossmichael and District, Dalry, Parton, and the luxuriously named Royal Burgh of New Galloway and Kells Parish. It is a lesser-known arm of government, but one that can be instrumental in fostering a sense of collective responsibility for the areas in which we live. Through them you too can make meaningful contributions to a community of which you can be proud. Dominique Matthew Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEcommunity Local Place Plans - coming to a village near you! Y ou may have heard about Local Place Planning already - you may never have heard of it! But it is coming, and it is something of importance to us all. Dumfries & Galloway Council will be creating a new region-wide Local Development Plan in 2024, and as an important feed into that, they are asking individual settlements or parishes to create Local Place Plans (LLPs) for their local area. The crucial thing about LPPs is that they include 'spatial planning' - where you would or wouldn't like to see house building, light industry development, protected green spaces, etc. They should also be a statement about what is already there that is important to you, like local shops or schools. They also ask wider questions about the priorities of the communities, but a lot of these have been answered in our Glenkens and district Community Action Plan (CAP). Glenkens Community & Arts Trust is therefore seeking funding to create a role to coordinate Local Place Plans across the area, so that we can get the best of both worlds not duplicating the good work that was done to create the CAP, but amplifying it with the views of individual settlements about spatial planning. them, then contact helen@ catstrand.com If you are a Glenkens resident and you'd like to be involved, then either contact your CC to find out what the local process is going to be, or just look out for consultation sessions that might start popping up at the end of the year. Although Dalry CC is going great guns and already has theirs well underway! Balmaclellan CC should also be thanked for raising awareness of this whole issue at their recent meeting. The LPPs only have to be submitted by the end of next year, so there's plenty of time to find out more and engage in this process. But whether you are creating your Local Place Plan or feeding into it, do be sure to get your views in. It's easy to overlook consultations like this, but I think we all have a view on how much housing we need and what our green spaces mean to us. This process is a way of getting those views heard and incorporated at a regional level, so it's worth turning out one more time! Helen Keron, GCAT Executive Manager So what has all this got to do with you? If you are a Community Council (CC) or a community group who would like to create a Local Place Plan for their area, then there are loads of resources online if you search 'Local Place Plans - what are they?' on the Dumfries & Galloway Council website (dumgal.gov.uk). And if you'd like to be included in the discussions about coordinating the work and accessing a paid resource for support in creating Your Town Hall needs you! B page 14 uilding on the success of being awarded grant funding amounting to £50,000 for energy efficiency improvements, Dalry Town Hall's management team are now reaching out to the community, both young and old, new and longstanding residents, to invite them to join the team. number but big on commitment. However, in order to achieve our goal of keeping the hall well-maintained and improving the facilities available so that it continues to be a welcoming and safe place for users and hirers, we need to increase our strength." Committee Chair Lesley Blisset commented: 'We are small in There are a number of exciting opportunities. If you are The team are planning to host a 'Meet and Greet' evening in December (date to be confirmed, but will be listed in the next Gazette, as well as on the website and Facebook). The session will probably take place in the first week of December and refreshments, wine and a very warm welcome will be on offer! Put your talents to good use as a friend of Dalry Town Hall passionate about local produce, why not get involved in the organisation of the Producers Market? This could include liaising with stall holders, planning the layout, helping with set-up and take-down and being present at the market, as well as looking at ways to increase footfall and turnover. Perhaps your strengths lie in marketing and publicity. Could you help by producing and designing content for the website and social media, managing and administering the website, or creating posters for events at the hall? Or would you like to get involved with the dayto-day running of the town hall, welcoming hirers to the building or managing bookings? If you have experience with event planning, and would like to use your organisational and creative skills to put together events to raise funds for the Town Hall, or have new ideas for activities or celebrations that will encourage a wider range of the population to participate in activities at the hall, the team would love to hear more. And if you are interested in fundraising, notwithstanding recent successes in this area, there is a constant need to raise funds in order to ensure that the building is well maintained so as to avoid costly issues in future. Whatever your skills, the team at Dalry Town Hall is very keen to welcome new members. This is an opportunity to be part of a team whose mission is to maintain, manage and preserve one of the best rural heritage assets in the Glenkens. To find out more, or register your interest for the 'Meet and Greet' event, please contact Lesley Blissett on lesleyblissett52@gmail.com or 07710 525 927. Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEpeople Glenkens Youth Correspondent page 15 J oshua Wells is our new Glenkens Gazette youth columnist, and will be writing each issue about things which interest him. In this edition he has researched New Galloway Town Hall and written a bit about its history as well as the hall today. Below Joshua gives a little bit of background to himself. She said: “We took asset transfer I enjoy writing and following current events. I also like reading. Some of (ownership) my favourite books include; Animal Farm, Great Gatsby and All Quiet on from the the Western Front. When I’m not at school you will find me travelling or Council spending time outside with my family as well as volunteering. in August 2022 and include: a new air source heat ew Galloway although we had most of our pump, improved insulation, Town Hall was fundraising grants in place by new windows, suspended then, it took a few months to ceiling, accessible toilets, and a built some time get tradesmen lined up to start. brand new lift. before 1771. Proper work began in October These repairs and In 1875 it was rebuilt and so it will be about a year.” refurbishment will make the enlarged. In early 1970 it I interviewed former users of building a great venue for became a category B listed the hall and they were really events, workshops and classes building (buildings of special excited about the hall opening. as well as the famous LING architectural or historic interest One said: “I will be very pleased lunches. which are major examples of when it happens.” Another I asked Ann, the secretary of a particular period, style or New Galloway resident said: LING, what have been the building type). New Galloway “I hope to see film nights and challenges of refurbishing the Town Hall is located at High quizzes.” Another remarked: “I town hall. She said that there Street, New Galloway. think dances would be a great were many things that were According to the Daily Record event in the town hall because difficult such as stamina, price New Galloway Town Hall was it is a great floor for dancing increases, tradesmen being sold for a bargain £1 to Local people used to come from too busy and overcommitted Initiatives in New Galloway miles around just to dance (so they start and need to (LING). When LING eventually at New Galloway Town Hall.” disappear to another job), secured funding they started Nearly everyone said they are Covid, holiday, one delay undertaking a vast renovation looking forward to the clock leading to lots of knock-on of the town hall both inside working again some even said effects and managing grants, and out to save this historic they had to buy a watch since as in not just getting offers, building while making it a the town hall clock stopped. but providing all the evidence fully accessible, efficient and People were buzzing at the idea needed to draw it down at the effective community space. that there might be a Christmas end of the day. concert on the horizon. Improvements to the hall I’m Joshua Wells, aged 14, I am an aspiring political journalist, and I have recently moved to the area. N Gordon McAdam Plumbing & Heating 22 Kirkland Street St John’s Town of Dalry 01644 430 393 07834 321 789 David Tallontire CHIMNEY SWEEP Covering the Glenkens & further afield 07709 144 299 - wood burners - multi-fuel stoves - open fires - Agas - Rayburns - birds nest removal with CCTV inspection - certificates issued - feel free to call for advice - Find me on Facebook I also asked Anne what have been the highlights, and she said that having the Victorian moral maxims around the top of the Upper Hall repainted by a specialist so they look beautiful and can be read properly again, getting the external painting achieved at last and getting the lift installed and working. Ann says the highlight she is looking forward to is the celebratory launch on 21 October (see p8). She also really enjoyed how many volunteers have been willing to give time over the past six and seven weekends to help with beginning clearing and cleaning in the hall. She also enjoyed how nice it has been to carry on with LING lunches in Kitty’s. That has felt as if some of the essence of LING has been able to continue. Did you know karate started in the town hall in September? So if your young person is looking for something to do on Thursday nights, this might be for them. I think we can all agree the town hall stands at the physical and emotional heart of new Galloway. Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 16 Midsummer in the Glenkens H aving been away working most of June, it was great to get back home to Dalry and set out on a gloriously bright day with big white puffy clouds and just enough breeze to blow away midges and clegs. Down the boat weil, over the swinging brig and up Water of Ken to Waterside Hill along the Southern Upland Way. The grasses, bracken and other ferns were lush and swaying slowly to the tunes of assorted bird songs and calls. A male whitethroat sang his scratchy song from a haw bush, while slow rasping calls revealed more, and probably a brood, in the undergrowth. A fine male whinchat sang obligingly from a high wire – so much easier than spotting him atop one of a thousand thistles or bracken fronds. They are fine ventriloquists and usually further away than their fluted notes suggest. Early willow warblers now had their second wind and one sang from the saughs (willows) towards the fish ladder now behind me. facilitated by D&G Council, Forestry Commission and Scottish Natural Heritage. These ranged from the Indicative Forestry Strategy and Woodland Plans as part of the regional Structure Plan processes, to Local Forestry Frameworks designed to identify constraints to, and opportunities for, new woodland planting in two pilot areas, one in Galloway and one in eastern Dumfriesshire. Reflecting the growing anxiety over continuing forest expansion, all of these involved extensive public consultations, and the latter included intensive local community workshops, etc, and provided detailed Collins’ prestigious New Naturalist series. Derek was a former Chief Scientist of the Nature Conservancy Council and a frequent visitor to the Glenkens and wild Galloway. Of course, foresters themselves are not to blame, it’s what they do and know. Equally, no blame can be attached to farmers and other landowners selling up, as they have their own existing and future financial situations to consider, as have we all. Surely, the fault lies in the blunt financial grants system that applies equally across Scotland, with no impediment to continued planting in places like Galloway, Carrick and parts of Dumfriesshire, etc, where so many areas are so heavily overplanted already. Whilst I am no longer up to speed on the needs and economics associated with such timber, I do know it relies on huge public financial incentives, and I believe these should be targeted better. A holistic land-use strategy seems beyond the reach of our current politicians, but I’m sure an interim embargo on further non-native conifer planting in certain areas like Galloway would be welcomed by most, and would come as a great relief to our quality of life, visitors, and biodiversity. ...an interim embargo on further nonnative conifer planting in certain areas like Galloway would be welcomed by most, and would come as a great relief to our quality of life, visitors, and biodiversity. The falling cadence always reminds me of a falling feather. These were the obvious songs, but there was another, more delicate, initially unseen songster valiantly issuing his understated high-pitched notes in three parts: two short, one longer. This was the coalheid or reed bunting, magnificent in his glossy black head and bib, with pristine white collar and moustache. How handsome he looked as he opened his tiny triangular bill to send out his song from the rashes. An agitated female whinchat chacked as I passed and presently she was joined by her recently-fledged brood returning her calls as they scattered over the bracken. A second brood was about the upper half of the hill, whilst a profusion of meadow brown and ringlet butterflies flicked through the grasses and made the ground their own. All of this was very uplifting, of course, but as I progressed, I couldn’t help but be drawn into negative thoughts of the recent afforestation of Waterside Hill, against the wishes of many local people and indeed local community councils. Whilst all these birds and more were currently thriving and revelling in the open lush habitat, inevitably the growth of the trees will deny them, especially on the far side of the hill where the bulk of the dreaded Sitka regiments will dominate and darken all beneath them. In my work with RSPB over nearly three decades I was involved in several regional and other more local community initiatives, information and recommendations over the type of woodland, if any, that might be appropriate in different compartments. However, sad to say, all of these hopes and efforts of many resulted in little or no change, in so far as proposals for extensive non-native conifer plantations, largely Sitka spruce, continued to be approved and supported by public grants in semi-natural upland habitats - to the continuing loss of dependent open country birds and other valued biodiversity. In short, the forest industry largely ignored these initiatives and, backed by public funding, followed the money and indeed continue to target places like upland Galloway, where land is relatively cheap and infrastructure and industry are well-established, but where, of course, there is so little remaining scope for yet more forestry to all who really value what diminishing open country, landscapes and biodiversity we have left. This situation has existed, more or less, for many decades now, and is tellingly recorded in the late Derek Ratcliffe’s excellent Galloway and the Borders (2007) in On over the top of Waterside Hill and a late whaup called from down near The Score. On an earlier walk I’d heard a pair on Hannaston beyond, but again their continuing presence will be increasingly jeopardised as the young Sitka trees develop. The attractive open scrub of the southwest-facing brae down to Garroch Burn was moving with fledged willow warblers, whitethroats and another whinchat brood, the third I’d seen this day. All of these birds would soon be heading off south on migration to sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. What an adventure. On the lower slope I came on more meadow brown, ringlet and small pearl-bordered fritillary butterflies, all enjoying the shelter and strong June sun. Across the burn I checked two red kite nests on the way back to Dalry, both with big chicks close to fledging. The sand martin colony on the Ken, just above the confluence with Coom Burn, was buzzing with delight as adults and fledged chicks zipped about just over and high above the water. So uplifting. Then, a wonderful and more surprising conclusion to my walk on this lovely day – the distinctive piping of common sandpiper, somewhere through the saughs on the water’s edge. I never did see it (them?), but the call is quite unmistakable. This wasn’t an unusual place for them, but it was the first time I’d heard them just there this year, which brought a grateful smile. Chris Rollie, late June 2023 Male whinchat by Tim Melling GAZETTEenvironment page 17 advertisement Glenkens Gazette When you make the decision to install solar panels, you’re making an investment for a positive future. However, it is essential that you choose a reputable company who takes care of you from beginning to end - and then some. Sadly, here at RJW we have been to our fair share of homes to redo or fix a job undertaken by a less than reputable company. So what can you expect from us? You can expect expertise; we have over 12 years PV installation experience and a team of highly-skilled solar professionals. From a small family home to a large commercial establishment, every job is carried out with meticulous care. We take pride in our work and never leave a premises without feeling 100% happy with it. 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Contact: 01644 430 520 Wheeltech Enigma XS aluminium adult wheelchair, shower/wet room wheelchair, portable commode, large foam wedge, small foam wedge, low wooden step, small adjustable wooden stool. Contact: 01644 460 619 Horse manure, rotted and fresh, no weed killers used. Dig your own from a large heap, bring sacks or trailer. Contact: 07889 229 340 WANTED Outdoor table and chairs. Contact: 07507 704 821 Old lawn mowers/strimmers/other small machinery. Nonrunners/broken welcome. Contact: 07845 562 217 Mystery cave on the Garple T here is an intriguing cave along the Garple Burn which a reader stumbled across recently and wonders if anyone knows its original purpose. Roughly 200m down along the Garple from Grennan Bridge, the cave looks small from the outside but is larger inside and clearly man-made. Was this a cold store for one of the larger houses? Or perhaps a Covenanters' hide-out? Are there any local historians out there who have any information on what this cave's original purpose could be? If so, please email or call the Gazette (details on the back page). WRIGHTS STORE & POST OFFICE DALRY DALRY DALRY SWEET TREAT SATURDAY DALRY INFORMATION FRESH CREAM CAKES AVAILABLE TO ORDER OPENING HOURS MONDAY – FRIDAY 7.30am – 5.30pm SATURDAY 8.30am – 5pm SUNDAY 8.30am – 3pm LOCAL SUPPLIERS DALMELLINGTON COUNTRY BUTCHERS UPPER DULLARG EGGS MITCHELLS FRUIT & VEG SWEETCAKES BAKERY GLENKENS HONEY COMPANY CREAM O GALLOWAY GALLOWAY LODGE PRESERVES IRVINGS BAKERY SCOTTISH GALLOWAY PASTA GLENKENS HONEY COMPANY POP IN FOR A CHAT AND A BROWSE FAREWELL The Galloway Glens Scheme: G T W alking around Crossmichael, there are now places to stop and stare and think about our history; be it the seat by the war memorial, the seat by the Wee Book Hoose or the by the church hall. There is also a seat in the Hearse House, opened in 2019, where a timeline of the village reminds us it was a place of Viking and Roman Conquest and tracks the impact of social change over W e didn't realise back in 2017 what a mammoth undertaking digitising the Carsphairn Archive would be! Carsphairn Heritage Group had collected an amazing inventory relating to the lives of past residents of the area, and we were keen to preserve it for the future and make accessible for everyone, where ever they were in the world. We could not have succeeded hundreds of years. Our thanks to the Galloway Glens team, who kept John Nelson (the chairman of the Crossmichael Heritage group)and his team on track and helped us deliver on time and in budget . Jane McCarthy Crossmichael Community Council Pictured are some Crossmichael Heritage Project volunteers beside the Hearse-hoose time-line. without the help of Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership whose funding under the ‘Our Heritage’ Small Grants Scheme allowed us to get professional help to scan large and fragile documents; archival storage to protect photographs and papers; and equipment to help with digitisation. As important as the funding, the support Galloway Glens provided to the project and the morale boost this gave his September saw the completion of the delivery phase of the Galloway Glens Scheme, closing five years of work up and down the Ken/Dee valley which sought to ‘connect people to our heritage’, boost the local economy, and support sustainable communities. The Scheme has overseen more than £6million in activity, over 75% of which has been spent in the region, with more than T he Galloway Glens has been a really excellent funder of many Glenkens Community & Arts Trust (GCAT) projects over the last five years. But more than that, they have been a partner. Their cheery and willing team, led by Laurie McNabb, has always been ready to lean in and go the extra mile to get a project over the finish line or make it a little bit more special. From the support in getting the Smiddy renovated and open to extending the Glenkens Hub project, from getting Ken Words an exhibition at Gracefield to the fabulous Watson Birds trail - they've really left such a legacy for us. They've also opened the door to new ways of partnership working across the whole area, and raised the ambition of what can be achieved, I think. GCAT is going to try and do its bit to carry on their legacy through our Cultural Communities project - but how we will miss them. Thanks guys, you were great! Helen Keron volunteers, was just as vital. Galloway Glens also put us in touch with Dumfries Archival Mapping Project (DAMP) who had undertaken the task of collecting scans of estate maps in the area. They kindly (and for free!) scanned our 1838 plan of Woodhead and adjacent farms (you can view the huge map on the National Libraries of Scotland website. We finally “completed” digitising the archive in January 2021, but like all huge projects it's never really finished! There remain transcriptions to be be made, past Heritage Centre exhibitions to re-assemble online, and we are pleased to receive and digitise any further donations to the collection. The long term security of the digital archive has been secured not only by Carsphairn 190 Dumfries & Galloway busi Through recent months, the fo been on protecting and maxim long-term benefit of our activi recent years, and we are lucky worked with a wide range of p we know will look after project One legacy ambition overrides else: we want to leave partner agencies feeling able to under scheme again in the future. In September, the Council’s Ec Resources Committee applaud W ithout their gener little project woul able to explore and dev creativeness of the Gle that it has and will con Writers’ Cafes have been and consistently througho period. This has played a encouraging people from backgrounds to develop a skills of creative writing. H diary when one can share pieces has spurred many otherwise have prevarica and put a pen to a daunti paper, which is the reason want to change the date o the clash. The fact that Ken Words i the end of Galloway Glen believe, a real measure of success. With than Community Council's commitment to hosting the online archive, for which we are very grateful, but also by the invitation we received from the Archives Hub to upload and host our archive there, where more researchers can find and make use of it. Take a look at the archive yourself at www.carsphairn. org/CarsphairnArchive and on the Archives Hub at www. archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk None of this would have been possible without the help and support of Galloway Glens and anyone who uses the archive will be forever grateful they were there to make the project possible. Thank you Galloway Glens and farewell! Pictured are volunteers hard at work archiving Carsphairn heritage materials. T he wi to tho as vis great New f restor a beau with lo local e No pr and id the ex red ta enthu alway To sum Enthu It has you an - what w L GALLOWAY GLENS Gone but not forgotten inesses. ocus has mising the ity over y to have partners that ts supported. s everything rs and local rtake a similar conomy & ded the work of the Galloway Glens Scheme and tasked officers to develop future landscape partnership-type projects in the region – with particular emphasis on a Solway marine project and one in the east, with a working title of The Border Dales. Brilliantly, this has allowed the core members of the Galloway Glens team to be retained in Council employment for project development, carrying what we have learned forward and benefitting future schemes. It is superb to think of the Galloway Glens Scheme, designed with the rous support our ld not have been velop the literary enkens in the way ntinue so to do. held regularly out the pandemic big part in m a variety of and practice the Having a date in the e and discuss new y of us, who might ated, to sit down ing piece of blank n why we don’t of the cafe despite communities of the Stewartry, inspiring or informing work on a bigger stage in the future. The art will be to pick out activity that genuinely fits elsewhere and not to make any assumptions that different areas are experiencing the same problems or have the same opportunities. On a personal note, I look back at the last five years – seven including the development phase – with every emotion in my limited arsenal. It has been great fun. It has been challenging, it has been rewarding. I can see some things that could have gone better – connections not made, results not achieved - but I think this has been the best thing about the Galloway From the earliest days of discussion and planning, th Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership (GGLP) was conceived as ‘Biosphere in action’ - an authentic, accessible way for people to experience our region’s astonishing natural and cultural heritage. #InGallowayItHappens McNabb Laurie, Galloway Glens Team Leader GSA UNESCO Biosphere Jan Hogarth from GGLP is joined by historians, artists, travellers and locals to explore the legends of the Green Well of Scotland, at the foot of Cairnsmore of Carsphairn. nks and best wishes, Andrew Mellor from LING (the pathways and walled garden team leaders in particular) My overwhelming feeling is of luck: that we secured the funding, that partners and people engaged with us so willingly, that we recruited such a team, and that I was paid to basically enjoy the people, projects and heritage of the valley. Thank you to every single person involved. For its five years’ duration GGLP has shared and celebrated all the reasons why southwest Scotland holds UNESCO Biosphere status, and why local people in the Glenkens and beyond feel such immense pride in living here. The variety of projects hosted, funded or led by GGLP and the passion of McNabb, Nick, Jan, and the rest of the team, have created many special memories for residents and for visitors too. They’ve helped us learn while having fun, they’ve brought us closer to nature, and they’ve inspired us to join in wholeheartedly with community life. The Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere will take immense pride in sharing the Galloway Glens legacy for many years to come. Ed Forrest, Director, is continuing after ns funding is, I f that scheme’s e GGLP initiative has been, and ill continue to be, of great benefit ose of us in the Glenkens, as well sitors to the area, who enjoy the t outdoors. footpaths, bridges and boardwalks, the ration of many original footpaths and utiful old walled garden, in partnership ocal volunteers, has opened up the environment to young and old alike. roposal was ever beyond consideration deas were often improved on using xpertise of the GGLP team. Rules and ape were never allowed to dampen usiasm and ways around obstacles ys seemed to be found. m up the GGLP team in three words: usiasm, Commitment and Delivery. always been a pleasure to work with nd our very best wishes for the future tever it may hold. Glens Scheme. The team at The National lottery Heritage Fund commented early on that we were being very ambitious, and I comfort myself that if everything had worked, then we simply weren’t trying hard enough… G alloway Glens will definitely be missed in the area! Propagate has benefited from a small grant that has enabled land-based skills workshops such as seed saving, scything, herbal medicine and dry stane dyking. We also worked with the team on delivering a healthy lunch and food systems games for schools as part of the Wellbeing in Winter programme. A massive thanks to the Galloway Glens team for all you have achieved! with love from Propagate G alloway Fisheries Trust (GFT) have so enjoyed working with the Galloway Glens team on many interesting and important projects. These projects have helped to understand, protect and restore W hat a great benefit the Galloway Glens scheme has been to our area. Yes the money has been helpful for projects. But most of all it has been the enterprise, vitality and action by the Galloway Glens team, brilliantly led by McNabb, that has been of greatest benefit. It has helped some many of us to come together important habitats, water quality and fish populations in the Dee and its tributaries. Without the support and funding from Galloway Glens, these important projects would not have taken place. Our real highlight was the internship to bring nascent ideas to fruition, to learn more about our area and to give a greater sense of a positive future for The Glenkens. Many thanks to all of the team. Special thanks from me to Nick Chisholm for all of his help in bringing the Watson Bird Trails into operation. Best wishes, Roger programme which supported GFT to give four young people an excellent opportunity to launch their careers. Thank you Galloway Glens for everything! Jamie Ribbens GAZETTEenvironment Glenkens Gazette page 22 THE GALLOWAY GLENS SCHEME – AN OVERVIEW 4 YEARS OF THE NATIONALLY ACCLAIMED ‘CAN YOU DIG IT’ COMMUNITY ARCHAEOLOGY PROJECT THE SCHEME HAS UNDERTAKEN ACTIVITY WORTH MORE THAN £6 MILLION £100,000 SPENT ON 27 PROJECTS THROUGH THE SMALL GRANTS SCHEME The Galloway Glens Scheme is an initiative of Dumfries & Galloway Council’s Environment Team, running between 2018 and 2023 in the Ken/Dee valley in Galloway. The Scheme worked with a brilliant range of partners to ‘connect people to their heritage’, boost the local economy and support sustainable communities. Funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and a variety of other sources, more than 75% of scheme expenditure stayed in the region, being spent with Dumfries & Galloway Businesses. CARSPHAIRN >21,000 SUPPORTED THE 206 HECTARES ATTENDEES AT PUBLIC EVENTS OF LAND BROUGHT INTO CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT DALRY 10 LOCH KEN TRUST CLATTERINGSHAWS NEW OR REFURBISHED NOW RUNNING ONE OF THE FIRST COMMUNITY-LED RANGER SERVICES IN SCOTLAND >35,000MILES BUILDINGS TRAVELLED BY THE TAGGED GREENLAND WHITE FRONTED GEESE LAUNCHED THE SOUTH OF SCOTLAND TREE PLANTING GRANT SCEME IN D&G 95% OF PEOPLE LOCH KEN RATE THE GALLOWAY GLENS SCHEME AS ‘GOOD OR VERY GOOD’ (OF 420 SURVEYED) 690 VOLUNTEERS MORE THAN OF VOLUNTEERS GAVE THEIR TIME, WORTH MORE THAN 23 MILES £300,000 OF FOOTPATH INSTALLED OR IMPROVED OVER 120 ATTENDEES ON ‘GO WILD CAMPS’ 190 D&G BUSINESSES RECEIVED WORK >2,000 CASTLE DOUGLAS ‘NATURE POSITIVE’ PROJECTS SUPPORTED INCLUDING THREAVE LANDSCAPE RESTORATION PROJECT, PEATLAND CONNECTIONS AND THE BLACK WATER OF DEE HABITAT RESTORATION ENTRIES ON THE GALLOWAY GLENS PLACE NAME DATABASE 90% KIRKCUDBRIGHT 15 INTERN POSITIONS SUPPORTED SAID THEY HAD LEARNED MORE ABOUT HERITAGE 35 HEADLINE PROJECTS SUPPORTED UP AND DOWN THE VALLEY PRIMARY FUNDER: Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 23 The Optimistic Environmentalist Reducing your home energy bills - Part Three S ome easy or low cost tips (continued) : • Use the ring on the cooker that matches the size of the pan. Using rings that are too big wastes energy – like in the photo! • Use rechargeable batteries, eg in your TV handset. • Get non-electric devices, eg wind up radios or manual carpet sweepers instead of vacuums. • If you are getting a new floor covering, eg a carpet and it's impractical to insulate the floor, consider using thermal underlay • Be careful how you use machines, eg don't charge mobiles in short bursts. Empty to 20%, then charge to 80% to prolong battery life and unplug the charger when not in use. • A slow cooker allows you to make meals during cheap rate at night. Unlike my limited use of stews, you can cook all sorts of vegetarian and meat meals, meat joints and puddings. Look at www. bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/slowcooker-recipes • Cook on equipment like a Ninja (www. ninjakitchen.co.uk), a pressure cooker or a microwave rather than an ordinary • Fit LED lights cooker. You can get good results and they use less energy and cook more quickly. If you use a traditional oven, use it to its maximum capacity so that you have prepared a number of meals – don't just reheat one pie! • Make bread overnight with a bread maker with cheap power and enjoy for breakfast. • Keep your freezer full rather than it having to cool empty space. • Cooling mats - they draw body heat away. They are marketed for pets but can obviously be used by humans. They are waterproof, wipe clean and use no power to run - available from about £5 to £160 from the Range. • Change the way you travel - maybe you could roll a number of journeys into one. Car-share with friends or set up a local carshare network to make overall travel costs cheaper. • Turn off radios, lights, sockets and devices when you're not using them or are not in the room. This includes not leaving equipment on standby or sleep settings. This wastes power and puts pressure on electrical components e.g. fans in computers. Modern energy saving light bulbs do not take time to 'warm up' like they used to, so turn them off when not in use. Use dimmer switches to rest your eyes and reduce power consumption. • Most peoples' cars are unused for 95% of the time. Joint-own a car to share the costs and responsibilities. • If you travel a lot locally, consider other forms of transport, eg cycle or electric bikes. The CatStrand in New Galloway hires out electric bikes if you don't want to buy one. • Reduce time in the shower - try a timer. Using a shower's eco setting with the temperature turned right up can use up to half the energy of the standard setting with the temperature turned down. Denise MacDonald-Kiernan Youth sessions on water safety skills S ixteen enthusiastic young people have completed the first free session of the Loch Ken Trust Youth Water Safety Awareness Programme, learning vital skills to keep themselves safe on the water. The session, aimed at 1325 year olds, was led by experienced instructors at the Galloway Activity Centre and covered basic paddleboarding skills, water safety and the dangers of cold water shock. Everyone had the opportunity to try different paddleboard strokes and had a go at rescuing someone back on their paddleboard. All 16 achieved their completion certificates, Adam Hutchings of the Galloway Activity Centre said: “Paddle sports have become more accessible than ever, and it's great to see so many young people getting out enjoying the water. There are risks associated with all water sports, and some simple steps you can take to keep yourself safe. We're delighted to be involved with the Loch Ken Trust's valuable work in improving water safety on the loch and look forward to delivering more of these training sessions and having lots of fun too!” Lindsay Stewart, Loch Ken Trust Support Officer, said: “It was great to see so many young people enjoying being out on the water and learning such important safety skills. Thank you to the fantastic staff and instructors at the Galloway Activity Centre for delivering these sessions, and thank you to the Holywood Trust for funding this programme.” There will be more sessions in the coming weeks. If you would like to take part, or if you have a group that is interested in being involved, please email LKToffice@protonmail. com Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment As I glide silently along the edge of the lilies there is a huge powerful explosion under the large round leaves, only visible by a surge of water which makes the lilies sway. It's a pike, a large one; the loch’s ambush predator, a danger to young ducklings as well as fish. Loch Ken’s large pike are highly attractive to the pike fisherman who travel to fish here, and the code is to catch and release, not to eat them. Stationary now in my kayak, I watch the damselflies and dragonflies laying eggs, the female dipping her body in the water as the male supports her above. I paddle further. The loch is like a mirror, perfect for a morning paddle before the afternoon breeze gets up. Kites gaze down on me, these opportunist scavengers always keeping an eye out for an easy meal. Then I see another bird, large, but much lighter in colour, plunge into the water - an osprey, I guess one of the Threave ospreys. I disturb a fishing grey heron who rightly swears My Loch Ken at me. On rare occasions I spot an otter, another resident of the loch enjoying the bountiful supply of the invasive American signal crayfish. A paddle and the loch has changed with the season. The winter visitors are here from colder climes, flotillas of geese, the declining Greenland white-fronted geese and wintering greylags. Whooper swans, with their bright yellow bills, can also be seen gracefully gliding along the loch. On shore, pink-footed geese share fields with greylags and Canada geese. A variety of ducks can also be seen with numbers surging when watercourses freeze, further up north. The Loch Ken and the Dee Marshes area is a very special place for wildlife, and it is internationally recognised for its wetlands (RAMSAR), as well as being a Special Protection Area for its winter geese visitors. Some areas are also designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest for certain birds and insects. Care about Loch Ken? With recent exciting developments, LKT is seeking extra support from the community to make their future plans the best they can be. There are currently a number of vacancies for trustees and the trust is especially looking for people with expertise in environmental and educational work. A double funding success means the trust can now look forward to an exciting future. Thanks to generous awards from both the Blackcraig Windfarm Community Fund and Drax plc, the trust and the Loch Ken Ranger service page 24 can both make plans for future years, with the confidence that they will still be around to deliver them. Glenkens & District Trust gave a multi-year award from the Blackcraig Windfarm Community Fund to the Loch Ken Ranger Service, securing the service for the next three years. Loch Ken Ranger Service was established in 2021, in response to the withdrawal of the local authority Rangers. They undertake regular patrols of Loch Ken, on both land and water, as well as delivering a range of educational and environmental activities. Current future plans include setting up a Volunteer Ranger scheme, continuing work on Loch Ken Trust Rangers help protect the abundant wildlife around the loch, carrying out activities as wide ranging as deterring summer landings on islands during the bird nesting season to allow geese to successfully raise young, to environmental education programmes for local children and visitors or just chatting to visitors. Our Rangers also work closely with the police Wildlife Crimes Officer and the National Rural and Acquisitive Crime Unit over illegal fish nets and crayfish traps. Sadly, there have been two recent occasions where otters have been found dead in crayfish traps. Oh, and our Rangers also speak to some visitors who think pike are very tasty, and not for releasing back in the water to grow and become someone’s prize catch of the day; a sentiment most likely not shared by the loch's many avid anglers! Kate Adamson, Loch Ken Trust Trustee & Vice Chair our Baseline Ecosystem Assessment, delivering resilience support to local communities as well as developing a programme of footpath maintenance. Drax plc are the owners of the Galloway Hydro Scheme, which includes Loch Ken. They have awarded funding to LKT, to support all of its varied activities and operations. The wider work of the trust involves delivering the Loch Ken Plan, which aims to support sustainable local communities around Loch Ken. The plan has projects across three themes; People, Prosperity and Planet, with the ambition to improve the quality of life for everyone who lives, works or plays at Loch Ken. If you are interested in knowing more, or would like to apply, please contact LKToffice@protonmail.com Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment Stewartry Birdwatchers winter programme A re you interested in birds and other forms of wildlife? If so, why not come along to the meetings of Stewartry Birdwatchers this winter? Formed in 1976, the group has held a series of talks from September to April every year since, and at present we meet in Balmaclellan Village Hall. This winter’s session got off to a flying start on 14 September when retired Dumfries GP and prizewinning photographer, Edmund Fellowes, gave us an excellent presentation entitled ‘Cuckoos, Kingfishers and Otters'. Ronnie Graham will be giving a talk on Dumfriesshire Goshawks on 12 October, and this will be an evening event, at 7.30pm. Ronnie has learned more in recent years about this elusive species from a handful of satellitetagged birds than from the hundreds he has ringed over the years! For the rest of the winter we switch to morning meetings, at 10.30am, starting on 26 October when Jeremy Brock Kingfisher by Edmund Fellowes page 25 will speak about Oman, an interesting but little-visited birdwatching destination. Situated on the southern coast of Arabia, this is a country with an exciting array of migrating birds from Europe, Africa and Asia. Chris Rollie will give a talk titled 'Donald Watson’s birds in a changing landscape' on 7 December. Donald Watson, the famous wildlife artist and naturalist, lived and worked in the Stewartry for over 50 years. Chris, now retired from the RSPB, will illustrate his presentation with Donald’s paintings to show the land-use changes around Galloway. All are very welcome to attend any of these talks - for further information please get in touch. Joan Howie, Secretary of Stewartry Birdwatchers; a branch of the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club 01644 420 280 joanospreys1@btinternet.com Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEschools Drama with Mrs JB O ver the last four weeks, we have been doing drama with Mrs JB. In the first couple of weeks, we did fun games to build our confidence and teamwork. Then we started using our bodies to make props. This sounds easier than it is – how would you make your body into a washing machine? I had to become the buttons (with my fingers, and my page 26 mouth became the soap sud drawer). We also had to make the noise of the prop. When we put all the body props together into a mini performance – nobody could stop laughing. The best part is…we are going to continue with Mrs JB at the end of October with hopes of putting on a small performance in December. We have all loved the workshop and we cannot wait for her to come back. Piri Whitty, S1 Kells Primary update Learning K new skills ells Primary School have had a busy start of term! The pupil council is up and running and are feeling very happy to have their voices heard. And the whole school have been building - can you guess what they're making?! Margaret Heuchan D alry Secondary's S1 class are working on a map reading skills unit, where they have been learning how to use an atlas effectively to locate places, countries and continents. The S2s have been looking at the causes, effects and solutions for deforestation in the Amazon and the S3s have just finished a case study report on a volcanic eruption where they had to explain the impact of an eruption on people and the landscape. Ross McFarlane, Geography Teacher, Dalry Secondary GAZETTEarts Glenkens Gazette The Christmas panto R ehearsals for the CatStrand Players panto are already well under way and we are delighted to announce that this year we are presenting one of the most popular stories of all – Cinderella! The cast includes Ella Campbell as Cinderella, Fiona Edgar as Buttons, James Wallace as the Duke of Verruca and Ruby Harfield and Megan Oliver as the Ugly Sisters. The script is written by our favourite page 27 panto author, Paul Reakes, and is filled with fun and laughter throughout with lots of the compulsory corny jokes and plenty of audience participation too. The ’behind the scenes’ crew have been working on props and scenery since August to be ready for the panto to take to the stage on Friday 8, Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 December. The first two shows are at 7.30pm, with the Sunday show at 3pm. Tickets are now available from CatStrand Box Office (01644 420 374) or online at www.gcat.scot. Please book early to avoid disappointment as tickets always sell out well in advance. Brian Edgar Ali Sinbad (Dante Newbery) and Semolina Sinbad (Ruby Harfield) in last year's Youth Players CatStrand Christmas panto New youth music programme C atStrand Young Creatives (CYC) is set to take its Young Music Makers (YMM) project to new heights, thanks to generous funding received from the Stewartry Area Committee of D&G Council. This will enable them to expand their Young Music Makers programme (funded by YMI Creative Scotland and The Holywood Trust) by offering violin lessons as well. Young Music Makers is a CYC project that began in April this year and aims to provide accessible music education to our Glenkens children and young people. Currently, the YMM project offers ukulele, guitar, singing, keyboard and piano lessons, all-inclusive music workshops and the ‘Stranded Cat’ record label project where young musicians work with industry professionals to develop their own music track to release to the public. Now, thanks to this additional funding, CatStrand Young Creatives is excited to announce the addition of violin lessons to its repertoire. This latest development aligns perfectly with CatStrand Young Creatives' mission of offering a diverse and comprehensive creative arts programme to our children and young people. It provides them with the opportunity to explore new instruments, push their boundaries and embrace their passion for the arts, and fosters an open and welcoming environment for participants to learn and grow alongside fellow music enthusiasts. Spaces for violin lessons are limited, so early registration is highly encouraged. Lessons are available for a fee of £4 per week, and those currently receiving Universal Credit may be eligible for free tuition. Aspiring musicians can secure their spot by contacting Cat at catherine@catstrand.com Come and give the ukelele a try T he Glenkens Ukulele Group are looking for new (and old) members to come and play along with us on Wednesday evenings. If you can play ukulele at any level that’s great. We play lots of three-chord wonders (amongst others) from all eras of music. If you don’t play but can sing, or play another instrument, percussion, or rhythm you’d be more than welcome too. We meet at the Smiddy, Balmaclellan, from 6.30-8pm, and play the odd gig when requested. The group is friendly, encouraging and a bit of fun; something to keep you entertained over the winter. You can either just come along to one of the sessions, or contact me for more details on 07969379762 or jason.wilding@ gmail.com Jason Wilding GAZETTEarts Glenkens Gazette page 28 From the Bookroom In 'From the Bookroom' Glenkens-based author, Robin Yassin-Kassab, takes readers through some of his favourite books. Robin is author of the novel The Road From Damascus and co-author of Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War. J ust as books can transport their reader through space, so they can through time. The particular time machine I’ve been using recently is Weavers, Scribes, and Kings: A New History of the Ancient Near East, by Amanda H Podany. It’s a beautiful illustrated hardback – a pleasure to hold and smell – focusing on the earliest civilisations. The world’s first cities were located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now southern Iraq but was then called Sumer. In 3500BCE, Uruk was by far the largest city on earth. It was already the size Athens would reach 3,000 years later, and it contained perhaps 40,000 people. That’s the current population of Dumfries, Castle Douglas and Kirkcudbright combined, so not much in contemporary terms, but an astoundingly huge number then. The city grew before writing was invented, so we must guess at the inhabitants’ lives using archeological clues. Fortunately there are plenty of those – monumental architecture originated in Uruk’s enormous temple complexes. On a smaller scale, pots and cylinder seals decorated with pictograms give hints of the people’s beliefs and social organisation. But writing soon developed, so after a few centuries we begin to hear the voices of our very ancient ancestors, who wrote lists and business contracts, complaints and panegyrics, letters and prayers. It all happened a staggeringly long time ago, some centuries even before the stone circles on Orkney. We consider these first producers of texts as standing at the very beginnings, but they saw themselves as at the end of a process of 400,000 years of civilisation – as the Sumerian King List shows. In some ways the Sumerians were very different from us. They worshipped the heavens, the sun, the moon, and the storm. They were ruled by priest-kings (and priestessqueens too), and made a system of scribal training (in cuneiform) central to their culture. In other ways, they were just the same. They engaged in farming, warfare, diplomacy, and long-distance trade. They wore wool and linen as well as gold and lapis lazuli jewelry. They ate mutton and drank beer. Their statuary art stands the test of time. Their literature dealt in the human universals – desire, conflict, fear of death and loss – and created some stories which are still familiar. The story of Noah and the flood, for instance, has a Sumerian precedent. How lucky we are to be born in this time, despite climate change and everything else. A century and a half ago we knew nothing at all about the Sumerians (and some still don’t – a Castle Douglas teacher, inaccurate by millennia, once told my children that writing was invented in Greece). And so much more is known now even than in my youth. Since I first read about the Sumerians, tens of thousands of cuneiform tablets have been translated – each tablet a time machine linking us across the epochs to our fellow human beings. These translations are the meat of the book, allowing us insight into the lives of ordinary men and women as well as gods and kings. A D TIMBER SEASONED FIREWOOD FOR SALE HARDWOOD SOFTWOOD KINDLING LOCAL DELIVERY 07884262533 07787416460 唀瀀栀漀氀猀琀攀爀礀Ⰰ 䰀漀漀猀攀 䌀漀瘀攀爀猀Ⰰ 䘀愀戀爀椀挀猀Ⰰ 䌀甀猀栀椀漀渀猀 刀攀昀椀氀氀攀搀 䘀爀攀攀 䔀猀琀椀洀愀琀攀猀 吀栀攀 圀漀爀欀猀栀漀瀀Ⰰ 䴀漀渀礀戀甀椀攀Ⰰ 䌀漀爀猀漀挀欀⸀ 䐀䜀㜀 ㌀䐀夀 眀眀眀⸀䠀愀爀爀椀猀ⴀ唀瀀栀漀氀猀琀攀爀礀⸀挀漀⸀甀欀 ㄀㘀㐀㐀 㐀㐀 㔀㈀㤀 Family and friends coming to stay? Short of space? Cosy country cottage available (sleeps 4) Call Fiona on 01644 420 227 or 07789 903127 www.covenanters-holidaycottagescotland.co.uk Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEarts page 29 GAZETTEhistory Glenkens Gazette page 30 Three headstones in Dalry kirkyard S ome time ago a Dalry resident was in discussion with the Rev David Bartholemew, asking if they could help preserve some headstones in the churchyard. The minister identified three that would benefit from some attention before they disintegrated further. The first is a small broken cross near the church door and path to the stile with ‘infant son’ on it; the second a large sandstone headstone propped up against the boundary wall opposite the main church door ‘the Reverend James Mather and family’; and the third a broken cross headstone on the grassy boundary of the newer part of the graveyard and the older section ‘ Peter J Carson and Hilda Robertson’. Dumfries & Galloway Council have advised that the wider public need to be consulted on this to establish if there are any objections to the repair of these headstones, however unlikely this would be. The Council is only responsible for repairing dangerous headstones, so without intervention from interested local parties, nothing would Gillespie Gifford & Brown LLP Solicitors and Estate Agents Dumfries & Galloway 01556 503744 www.ggblaw.co.uk All legal advice Offices in Castle Douglas, Dalbeattie Kirkcudbright and Dumfries be done to save any that have fallen into disrepair but are not deemed 'dangerous'. The local resident has had Jamie Swan from Douglas Swan & Son come to assess the headstones and they are repairable, so now it needs to be established that there are no objections to the repair of these headstones. If anyone does have any objections, please get in touch with the Gazette at glenkensgazette@ hotmail.co.uk or 07727 127 997. If there are no objections lodged by the 8 January 2024, repair works will begin in the new year. Hopefully soon the three headstones can be quietly restored to their former glory; and perhaps if this is a success, more can be repaired in this way as and when needed. Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEhistory page 31 A sneak peak into Last Flights A new book has been published by the Galloway Glens Project entitled Last Flights (see article on p6). The booklet is not available for sale but copies are available in local libraries and other places. Last Flights was put together from a series of articles that I wrote and which have been published in previous issues of the Glenkens Gazette. I added in a few other stories which were not in the previous articles and these are retold below in case you don’t have access to the book. Although outside the Glenkens, these sites are (bar one) all within the Stewartry, and close enough to be of interest. The one exception (the first) is included for its interest and because it links to another near Dalbeattie. I had heard of a First World War airship crash on Lamachan Hill near Glentrool. Research has shown this to have been airship SSZ 11 which crashed on 20 August 1917. Although there was brief mention of the crash in the book The Merrick and its Neighbouring Hills, the crash had not made its way into any of the various published sources for aircraft crashes, either in books or online. The pilot was Flt Sub-Lt Harris. Having lost power to its single engine, it was then blown by strong winds into Larg Hill and then blown over the top towards Lamachan Hill, finally coming to rest at a height of 1,500 feet. The pilot and crew members were injured in the crash but all survived and eventually recovered from their injuries. There is some discrepancy about the exact crash site, although there seems little doubt that the initial contact was with Larg Hill. However, one can imagine the airship being then dragged somewhat further by the wind. If you are trying to imagine the airship, don't think of something grand like a Zeppelin or the R101; this was a Royal Navy Airship of the SSZ class of which 77 were built. Carrying a three-man crew, it was of the blimp type with a wooden fuselage and a single pusher propeller. They were used mainly for spotting U-boats in inshore waters and could sometimes be seen escorting the Stranraer/ Larne ferry. In the week following the crash, the airship was dismantled and moved to Auchinleck Farm on horse sledges down the Penkiln Burn. It was taken back to base, reassembled, and put back into service. SSZ 11 would eventually go on to complete 1,610 flying hours, more than any other airship of her class, before being scrapped along with all her sister ships in October 1919. By an odd coincidence, another airship of the same class, SSZ 13, crashed at Castle Point in Auchencairn Bay on 30 August 1918, and despite efforts of men and boats from Kippford and Rockcliffe, it was so badly damaged that it never made it back into service. Some details of this latter crash are held by the Dalbeattie Museum. Both of these accidents took place during wartime so the Defence of the Realm Act ensured that nothing was reported at the time. A notable crash of a civilian aircraft happened on 2 February 1937 when a de Havilland Dragonfly, serial G-AEHC crashed on Darnaw hill, near Clatteringshaws. The twin-engine aircraft belonged to the Daily Express and was being used to prove a safe air route from Glasgow-Renfrew to Liverpool-Speke. After the aircraft failed to arrive, a search and rescue operation was instigated and it was found that the aircraft had crashed in poor visibility. The exact cause of the accident is unknown, but it is assumed that the pilot descended below safe limits, perhaps in order to follow what he believed to be the coastline of the Solway Firth. All four on board were killed and there is a memorial at the crash site: Leslie Thomas Jackson (pilot, aged 32); Archibald Francis Philpott (wireless operator, aged 35); Major Harold Charles Pemberton DSO (passenger, aged 47); Reginald Charles Wesley (passenger, aged 22). A more recent crash was that of a US Air Force F-111E (Aardvark) swing-wing supersonic bomber. The crash happened on 19 December 1979, when the aircraft was on a training exercise from Upper Heyford and flew into a rock face on Craignaw hill. Both crew were killed in the crash and there is a memorial at the site: Richard Alfred Hetzner Captain Pilot; Raymond Charles Spaulding Captain WSO/Navigator. The final local crash may well be remembered by some readers. On 3 June 1997, an RAF Harrier II Mk 7, serial ZG861, crashed on Bengairn, Castle Douglas, just two fields away from Ingleston Motte. The aircraft had been one of four from RAF Honington, Suffolk, taking part in Exercise Hill Foil 97/1. Fifty minutes after take-off, the aircraft suffered engine failure due to compressor blade failure and the pilot ejected safely at 700 feet and he was taken by Sea King helicopter to Newcastle hospital. This is standard procedure following the stresses of an ejection. The plane crashed into open ground shortly after the pilot ejected. One widely used air crash website describes the crash site as being in woodland, five miles SE of Newton Stewart, but this is incorrect. The actual crash site was on Bengairn which has been verified by a local who is familiar with the site and visited it at the time; also, the photo of the crash clearly shows it to be in open ground and not in woodland. There are many more crash sites further afield in the Stewartry, which I leave to others to research and write about, especially the eight crashes on Cairnsmore of Fleet and a Dornier crash on Cairnharrow. An archive of previous issues of the Glenkens Gazette is available on the Glenkens Hub at www.glenkens.scot. The previous articles on air crashes were in issues 89, 95, 100, 112 and 134. Please note that removal of any item from a military crash site would be a criminal offence. Paul Goodwin Pictured: top - SSZ Class Airship (© public domain). Far left - de Havilland Dragonfly (© BAE Systems). Near left - F111 (© public domain) Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEhistory page 32 A journey from shepherd's boy to professor of languages I f you take a drive out of New Galloway, following the A712 or Queens Way, you will see in the distance what is an 80-foot high obelisk that dominates the skyline. Sitting proudly on a hilltop in the rugged and remote Galloway countryside a few miles beyond Clatteringshaws loch, this is Murray's Monument. Nothing to do with Murray's mound at Wimbledon, but it does commemorate another famous Scot, namely Alexander achieved in his short 38 years should be an inspiration to us all. Through hard work and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge Alexander disproved any preconceived rules regarding who could achieve what. Through a tireless learning journey he stepped out of his role of rural shepherd boy in a remote south of Scotland glen and rose to professor of languages at the esteemed Edinburgh University in the heart of Scotland's capital city. Encouraged by his father, Alexander's early education began by reading the Bible. An uncle funded the young Alexander's education in New Galloway for a short period of time around 1784, and then at the school in Minnigaff where he also worked at the mill and taught the miller's children. His languages were mainly self taught and included Latin, French, German, Hebrew and Lappish. Murray, born 22 October 1775 at Dunkitterick, son of local shepherd Robert Murray. Alexander died on the 15 April 1813 in Edinburgh, aged only 38, and was interned in Greyfriar's Kirkyard. However, what Alexander Murray His languages were mainly self taught and included Latin, French, German, Hebrew and Lappish. In his formative years he worked as a shepherd and also as a tutor and a translator of languages. In 1793, aged 18, Murray was admitted to Edinburgh University to study African, Asian and Abyssinian languages. It is believed that Alexander Murray met Robert Burns in Dumfries around 1794 where he received good advice from Burns in relation to publishing his works and furthering his studies. Ironically, Robert Burns was to die some two years later in July 1796, aged just 37. Alexander Murray graduated as a Doctor of Divinity and became assistant minister in the village of Urr, near Dalbeattie, where later he held the post of Minister from 1806 until his death in 1813. In December of 1808 Alexander Murray married Henrietta Affleck, a parishioner's daughter, and they had a son and daughter. The daughter died of consumption in 1821 and the son, who qualified as a ship's surgeon, sadly drowned when the ship went down on his first voyage. Despite Alexander being dogged by poor health and failing eyesight, in his short life the shepherd boy was a prolific writer, translator, husband and father, church Minister, Doctor of Divinity (DD), Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) and achieved the status of Professor of Languages at Edinburgh University in 1812, a post he held until his untimely death in April 1813. His progress from shepherd boy to professor is commemorated by the 80foot tall obelisk erected in 1835, some 22 years after his death, and located just a mile from where he was born into such humble beginnings in a shepherds cottage in the valley below. Alexander's achievements were made at a time when communications were by letter and transport was by means of horsedrawn carriages. Bill Grant Top: Murray's Monument. Below: the plaque on the monument about Murray's life and achievements. Left: the view looking down from the monument GAZETTEsport Glenkens Gazette page 33 Scottish Alternative Games 2023 Continued from front page... Familiar faces were winning in some of the other events too with Ralph Spernagel winning the Men’s Tractor Pull again and George Dempster and Dawn Spernagel winning their respective Tossin’ the Sheaf competitions. FULL RESULTS ARE Gird n’ Cleek World Championship Final 1st - Elizabeth Spernagel (also won in 2022) 2nd - Ralph Spernagel (Elizabeth’s Dad) 3rd - Alice McIntosh (Alice’s Dad, Rob McIntosh also qualified for the final and finished 5th) Other finalists – Logan Ripley, Woody Clark Tractor Pull Men’s winner - Ralph Spernagel (7.9 secs) Ladies winner - Louise Ripley (9.7 secs) Tossin’ the Sheaf Men’s Winner - George Dempster (24ft) Women’s Winner - Dawn Spernagel (21ft) Hurlin‘ the Curlin‘ Stane Men’s Winner - Dennis Groom Ladies Winner - Freya Spernagel Classic Car Show Winner as voted by the crowd – MGA owned by Alan Smith (Excellent turn out of Classic Cars and motorbikes this year) The Commentator’s Quaich is a trophy in memory of the late George McCulloch, who commentated at the Games for over 20 years, and is presented to an individual or family who have epitomised the spirit of the Games. This year the Quaich was presented to the McIntosh Family who have supported the Games for many years, and three generations were in attendance this year. Alice and Rob both qualified for the World Final. Alice first competed years ago in the Primary age category and has taken part most years since then, this year she qualified by winning the Ladies Final. Ollie Rigg was the Games Piper this year. He opened and closed the Games by playing the Highland Bagpipes in the arena and also attracted a big crowd during the afternoon when he played in the bandstand and demonstrated Border Pipes, Scottish Small Pipes and Uilleann Pipes as well as Highland Bagpipes. The Games have now been running for 46 years and it was great to see so many old friends returning again along with many others enjoying the unique event for the first time. Huge thanks are due to everyone who helps to organise the event and to everyone for coming along to support the Games once again. Brian Edgar Golf is good for you! N ew Galloway Golf Club is giving the community a chance to live healthier and longer! Recently there has been a campaign by the Royal and Ancient to promote the holistic health benefits of golf. Most of us who play golf know and appreciate some of the health benefits of the game, if not all of them. Those of you outside the sport perhaps have been less aware that golf is one of the very best activities for increasing overall physical and mental health and can increase your life expectancy. Published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, a landmark study found a 40 per cent reduction in mortality rates among 300,000 members of the Swedish Golf Federation, corresponding to an increase in life expectancy of Top: Games Piper Ollie Rigg marched around the arena to officially open the Games followed by reigning World Champion Elizabeth Spernagel and some of the other competitors. Above: The ever-popular Snail Racing draws a crowd at the 2023 Games. about five years. The research also showed that golf can help prevent and treat 40 major chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, breast and colon cancer, depression and dementia. Other studies highlighted that risk factors for heart disease and strokes, such as cholesterol and blood pressure are reduced in populations which play golf. Further findings were that golf is highly beneficial for improving strength and balance, it helps prevent injury and assists rehabilitation from injury. It can also play a significant role in improving mental health as a sociable outdoor activity. New Galloway Golf Club (NGGC) enhances the community bringing in golfers and visitors from all over the country and beyond. It helps the economy of the area as golfers bring their families who use the shops, hotels and other facilities. This year has been a difficult year having lost our excellent greenkeeper early in the season; he kept the course in an immaculate condition and it has been acknowledged under his guidance to be one of the best nine hole courses in the south of Scotland. Thanks to the efforts of the Management Committee and volunteer members the course is now looking good. There are different groups - men, women, seniors and juniors. Members can play in competitions or just socially. The club can offer coaching either in a group session or individually. The club also has a Social Membership which is proving very popular with residents. Full Membership runs from January to December but we can offer a Winter membership running from October to March which enables you to experience golf at first hand. As a member you will be able to play as much golf as you have time for and experience the fantastic views from the course and make friends with other members. I started this article by saying that by joining the club you will enhance your chances of living a healthier and longer life - so why not come and join us! To find out more about memberships or club information contact the Club on 01644 420 737) or go to the club’s website newgallowaygolfclub.com Jeff Sutcliffe Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation Glass Recycling Points • Balmaclellan Stores, Balmaclellan • Memorial Hall, St Michael's Road, Crossmichael • Kirkland Street, St John's Town of Dalry • New Galloway, Carson's Knowe Car Park • St David Street, Kirkpatrick Durham page 34 USEFUL NUMBERS: ● Pot-hole Hotline: 0845 276 0000 ● Police, non-emergency: 101 or email StewartryCPT@scotland.police.uk ● Doctor: 01644 420 234 ● NHS 24: 08454 24 24 24 ● D&G Council: 030 33 33 3000 Local Job Vacancies Up-to-date job and volunteering opportunities can be found online at the Glenkens Hub on www.glenkens.scot CAB outreach clinics are held fortnightly on a Monday at the Glenkens Community Centre, Dalry, and fortnightly on a Tuesday at CatStrand, New Galloway. Fiona Norbury, the clinic’s generalist advisor, will be on hand from 10am to 4pm (see article on p11). These are dropin sessions with no appointment required. Dates are October 9, 23; November 6, 20; December 4, 18; January 15, 29. ADVERTISE IN THE GAZETTE Advanced Massage Practitioner (price per issue incl VAT) SMALL: 6cm x 6cm, £50 1/4 PAGE: 9cm w x 13cm h, £108 1/2 PAGE: 18cm w x 13cm h, £200 FULL PAGE: 18cm w x 27cm h, £332 Please get in touch further details including small business/ charity rates and series discounts. Email glenkensgazette@ hotmail.co.uk or call/ WhatsApp 07727 127 997 VAT Reg. No. 334 0905 24 THE STEWARTRY VETERINARY CENTRE CASTLE DOUGLAS SURGERY HOURS GLENKENS MEDICAL PRACTICE DALBEATTIE SURGERY HOURS General Medical & Dispensing Services FOR APPOINTMENTS AT BOTH SURGERIES OR IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY The Surgery High Street New Galloway Mon-Fri 2.00-2.30 pm & 5-6 pm Mon-Fri 8.30am-6pm Sat 2-2.30 pm Mon, Wed, Fri 3-3.30 pm Tues & Thurs 6-6.30 pm  01556 502263 VETERINARY SURGERY OAKWELL ROAD CASTLE DOUGLAS  FOR APPOINTMENTS CALL 01644 420234 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation page 35 KEY GLENKENS CONTACTS LOCAL DOCTORS’ SURGERY Glenkens Medical Practice - 01644 420 234 COMMUNITY CONTACTS • Balmaclellan: Martin Warnock 07939 261 391 • Carsphairn: Liz Holmes - 07718 358 160 • Corsock: Julie Garton - 07769 647 702 • Kirkpatrick Durham: Heather - 07551 639 629 • Crossmichael: Richard Middleton - 01556 670 691 • Dalry: Graham West - 01644 430 503 • New Galloway: 07741 656 601 • Parton: Tom - 07835821976 FOOD DELIVERIES • Galloway Foodbank - 07730 788 335 • Glenkens Food Hub - www. openfoodnetwork.org.uk/ glenkens-food-hub/shop • Ballards Butchers - 01556 502502 (they also deliver groceries) • Grierson’s Butchers: 01556 502 637 • Henderson’s Butchers: 01556 502 654 • Mitchell’s Greengrocers: 01556 502 077 • Fleet Fish: call 07966 103 912 to find out about Glenkens delivery days • Roan’s Dairy - 01556 620 374 LOCAL ORGANISATIONS/GROUPS Glenkens Community Shop: Helen Crowther on 0790 467 8599 or drop by the shop on Main Street, Dalry Glenkens Scout Group: Contact Heather McIntosh on 01644 420 375 Local Initiatives in New Galloway (LING): Contact newgallowaytownhall@gmail.com Dalry Communities Properties Trust (DCPT): Contact Gary Blissett at garyblissett51@gmail. com or 01644 430 521 Dalry Town Hall: Contact Lesley Blissett at lesleyblissett52@gmail.com Glenkens Community Centre: Contact Sarah McAdam on minimac01644@gmail.com Lagwyne Hall: Contact lagwynehallsecretary@ outlook.comfor info, or to book email lagwynehallbooking@gmail.com New Galloway Community Enterprises (NGCE): Contact ngce5000@gmail.com or pop into New Galloway Community Shop Balmaclellan Community Trust: Contact Julia Higgins at julia.higgins55@outlook.com CatStrand: Contact info@catstrand.com or 01644 420 374 or pop in to the CatStrand Schools: Visit the school office or call Dalry Primary on 01644 430 105 (for Nursery/ELC too), Dalry Secondary on 01644 430 259 or Kells on 01644 420 340 Carsphairn Heritage Initiative: Contact Ben Ade at carsphairnhi@gmail.com Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership (GGLP): Contact McNabb Laurie at mcnabb. laurie@dumgal.gov.uk Glenkens Food Hub: Contact Lesley Atkins on lesley@propagate.org.uk or 07587 122 151 Bairn Banter: Contact Melissa on bairnbanter@ outlook.com or 07979 492 791 If you would like to add your community organisation to this list please get in touch with the Gazette - contact details are on the back page. GLENKENS CHURCH TIMES CHURCH OF SCOTLAND SCOTTISH EPISCOPAL CHURCH Sunday Services St Margaret's Church, New Galloway, DG7 3RP Balmaclellan: 11am, 6 Aug, 3 Sep, 1 Oct, 5 Nov, 12 Nov (Remembrance Day service - 10.45am), 3 Dec Carsphairn: 11am, 8 Oct, 12 Nov (Remembrance Day service - time tbc), 10 Dec (morning service & Carols by Candlelight at 6.30pm) Kells: 11am, 15 Oct, 12 Nov (Remembrance Day service - 10.45am), 19 Nov Dalry: 11am, 22 Oct (with communion), 29 Oct, 12 Nov (Remembrance Day service - time tbc) For further information contact Rev Pam Bellis on 07751 379 249 or pam@bellisconsultancy.co.uk Sundays at 10.30am: Holy Communion with refreshments after the service. Tuesdays at 11am: Informal midweek service with refreshments and chat. Thursdays 7.30-8pm: Zoom Evening Prayers. Please contact Dawn for the link. All friends and visitors welcome. For further information, please call Dawn Matthew on 01644 420 431 or visit www.stmargaretsnewgalloway.org Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation page 36 HIGH QUALITY VENUE HIRE AVAILABLE The CatStrand, New Galloway, and The Smiddy, Balmaclellan, are available for hire for: Corsock Village Hall £1 entry fee Includes tea / coffee and cake - Meetings for 4 to 12 people - Talks or events for up to 80 people (raked seating) - Hybrid meetings - Social events - Hold your event with us at our unique venues in the heart of the Glenkens! Catering available - Charitable rates available Contact info@catstrand.com or 01644 420 374 YOU CAN BUY FROM OUR FISH VANS WED-FRI LOCAL MARKETS We sell delicious seafood that lands into Kirkcudbright and around other parts of Scotland. Our aim is to sell high quality produce at a fair/affordable price. Find the likes of local scallops, lobster, razor clams, smoked fish, oysters, mussels, langoustines, white fish and much more! SHOP FROM OUR WEBSITE WWW.WCSPLTD.CO.UK CALL US ON 01557 330789 Follow us for the latest updates www.fb.com/WCSPLtd GAZETTEinformation Glenkens Gazette page 37 GALLOWAY COMMUNITY TRANSPORT www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org email gct@catstrand.com phone 07841 512449 (Jon) or 07704 662925 (Sue) October 2023 - November 2023 Regular Services Member Hire GK2 Glenkens-Castle Douglas (Tesco) Wednesday Evenings (Registered Route) Out Return 19:00 Dalry (Underhill) 21:15 19:05 New Galloway 21:10 19:15 Mossdale 21:00 19:25 Laurieston 20:50 19:30 Townhead of Greenlaw 20:47 19:37 Castle Douglas (Market St) 20:37 19:40 Castle Douglas (Tesco) 20:35 Booking not required GCT has 16-, 15-, and 8-seater minibuses and a fully wheelchair accessible electric car available for hire by community organisations. For information about membership and terms and conditions of hire see the GCT website or phone 07841 512449. Glenkens to Newton Stewart Fortnightly - Tuesday mornings Glenkens eBike Club Outward Pickups: Dalry (Underhill) 09:30 New Galloway (Town Hall) 09:35 CatStrand) 09:37 To Aldi Return Pickup Newton Stewart (Aldi Car Park) 11:30 Return fare £3.50 Advance booking required. Discounted eBike hire available to local residents: £5:00 per day £15:00 per weekend (Fri-Mon) £20:00 per week (Mon-Fri) https://www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org/ebikes email gct@catstrand.com DRIVERS NEEDED Galloway Community Transport needs your help to provide a wide range of community transport services across the Stewartry and beyond. MINIBUS DRIVING Minibus drivers with D1 (101 or by test) are needed to do volunteer and paid driving for our wide range of member community groups. PATIENT TRANSPORT We also urgently need drivers with their own cars for our patient transport service. Our volunteer patient transport drivers receive a generous mileage reimbursement and the satisfaction of providing a vital service to vulnerable people in our communities. Interested? Email gct@catstrand.com or phone 07841 512449 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation WHAT'S ON page 38 August/September OCTOBER Turn to P9 for Together in the Glenkens Oct/Nov activities... Thu 5, Alzheimer Scotland Fundraiser, 1-4pm, Dalry Town Hall Fri 6, A’ the way to Galloway: Jo Miller and friends, 7.30pm, CatStrand Fri 6, Glenkens Food Hub Shop Opens 12noon, www.openfoodnetwork.org.uk/ glenkens-food-hub/shop (open for orders & delivery each fortnight) Fri 6, Song Share, 8-11pm, Dalry Town Hall (1st Fri each month) Sat 7, Glenkens Story: Music Making in the Glenkens: Past, Present and Future 10.30am3.30pm, CatStrand Sat 7, Music Making in The Glenkens: A Wee Hoolie, 4.30-5.45pm, CatStrand Sat 7, Music Making in the Glenkens: “Gaither roon folks an this story I’ll tell”, 7.30pm, Dalry Town Hall Sun 8, Clachan Folk Sessions, 5.30-7.30pm, Clachan Inn, Dalry Wed 11, Crossmichael CC meeting, 7-9pm, Crossmichael Hall, (monthly) Thu 12, Stewartry Birdwatchers talk, 7.30pm, Balmaclellan Village Hall, see p25 Sat 14, Four Go Wild In Wellies: Independance, 11.30am, Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn Sat 14, Four Go Wild in Wellies Workshop, 1.00pm, Lagwyne Hall,Carsphairn Sat 14, Pierre Schryer & Seán Gray, 7.30pm, CatStrand Mon 16, Corsock & KPD CC meeting, 7.309pm, Corsock Village Hall, (monthly) Wed 18, My Doric Diary, 7.30pm, CatStrand Wed 18, Balmaghie CC meeting, 7-9pm, Balmaghie Public Hall, (monthly) Fri 20, Open Stage with Alan McClure, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sat 21, Battery Park: Sleeping Warrior Theatre Company, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sat 21, New Galloway Town Hall Grand Reopening, 2.30- 4.30pm Tue 24, Parton CC meeting, 7-9pm, Parton Village Hall Wed 25, Dalry Film Club: Banshees of Inisherin, 7pm, Dalry Town Hall Sat 25, Dragon Boats fundraiser, 7.30-11pm, Balmaclellan Village Hall, see p3 Thu 26, Castle Douglas Rotary Club dinner, 6pm, Lochinvar Hotel, Dalry, see p8 Thu 26, Stewartry Birdwatchers talk, 10.30am, Balmaclellan Village Hall, see p25 Fri 27, Pie, Pint ‘n’ Patter, 7-10pm, CatStrand (monthly) Sat 28, HENGE, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sat 28, Halloween with Bairn Banter, 10-11.45am, Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn Sun 29, Pub Quiz, 7.30-9pm, CatStrand Mon 30, Carsphairn CC meeting, 7-9pm, Lagwyne Hal, Carsphairn, (monthly) NOVEMBER Sun 5, Ginger: Tortoise in a Nutshell, 2pm, CatStrand Wed 8, Dalry Film Club: Allelujah!, 7pm, Dalry Town Hall Sat 18, A Day to Play : Shaper Caper, 10am, Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn Sat 18, Paper Moon: Shaper Caper, 2pm, CatStrand Wed 22, Dalry Film Club: Empire of Light, 7pm, Dalry Town Hall Wed 22, Fergus McCreadie 7.30pm, CatStrand DECEMBER Sat 2, CatStrand Shopping Night, 6-9pm Sun 3, Corsock Craft Fair, 11am-3pm, Corsock Village Hall Wed 6, Dalry Film Club: The Age of Innocence, 7pm, Dalry Town Hall Wed 6, Christmas Coffee Morning, 10.30am12noon, New Galloway Town Hall, see p3 Thu 7, Stewartry Birdwatchers talk, 10.30am, Balmaclellan Village Hall, see p25 Fri 8 & Sat 9, CatStrand Panto, 7.30pm, CatStrand, see p27 Sun 10, CatStrand Panto, 3pm, CatStrand, see p27 Check out the What's On calendar online at the Glenkens Hub - www.glenkens.scot Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation page 39 REGULAR EVENTS & OPENING TIMES Balmaclellan Village Hall Tuesday Afternoon Teas, 1st Tues each month, to book email warburton.julie@ googlemail.com Glenkens Crafters, Wed 10am-12noon, for info contact julia.higgins55@outlook. com Books in Balmaclellan Community Library, Wed 10.30–12.30; Fri 6-7pm; Sat 10.30am-2.30pm (tea & coffee available on Sat). Balmaclellan Blether, 3rd Thu each month, contact warburton.julie@ googlemail.com Yoga, Thu, 6pm, kathyr64@hotmail.co.uk Glenkens Art Workshop, Thu, 2-4pm Zumba, Fri, 6.30-7.30pm The Men's Shed, Balmaclellan Opening Times: Monday, 9.30am - 12.30pm Wednesday, 9.30am - 12.30pm, Wood Carving, 2-4pm Thursday, Art Group, 2-4pm Friday, 9.30am - 12.30pm Saturday, 9am - 12noon Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn Carsphairn Monday Morning Social, 10am-12noon, come along for a blether, or bring a board game/cards, etc. Refreshments available. Call 07710 124 255 or email carsphairn.trust@gmail. com Carsphairn SWI, 3rd Thu of the month, 7.30pm,Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn Craft Group, Fri 10am-12noon, includes tea & coffee, Lagwyne Hall, contact carsphairncraftgroup@gmail.com Bairn Banter; family stay & play session, 0-7 years, Sat 10-11.45am CatStrand, New Galloway Margaret Morris Movement: Health Play (age 5-8), Mon (during term time), 3.45-4.30pm Margaret Morris Movement: Youth Grade (age 8-15), Mon (during term time), 4.30-5.30pm Art Ambassadors (age 11+), Mon biweekly, 4.30-5.30pm Behind the Scenes, bi-weekly, Mondays 5.30–6pm Power Yoga, Tue, 9am, kathyr64@ hotmail.co.uk Citizens Advice Drop-ins, every other Tue, 10am-4pm Weekly Bus Service to Tesco, Wednesday eve 7pm Dramarama, (age 6-10), Wed 4-5pm Up Skills: Musical Theatre, (age 15+), Wed 5-5.30pm Young Writers Cafe, (age 12+), Wed 6-7.30pm, monthly Piano Lessons, weekly, term time 4pm – 6.30pm Dance Steps (age 10-18yrs), Sat monthly, 2-5pm Art Explorers, (age under 10yrs), Sat biweekly 10-11am Art Club, (age 11-16yrs), Sat bi-weekly 11.15am-12.30pm Youth Players Panto rehearsals, (10 yrs plus), weekly, Sun 3– 5.30pm The Smiddy, Balmaclellan Glenkens Ukelele Group, Wed, 6.308pm Taste of Music, monthly, 10-11am (under 10yrs) Mini Music Makers, family session, montly 11.45pm -12.30pm (under 7yrs) Weekly Ukuele, guitar & keyboard lessons, 12.30–4pm (6-16 yrs) Musical Misfits, group singing class, biweekly, 10.30 – 11.30pm New Galloway Town Hall The hall is due to reopen and regular activities will be restarting; for further info email Jackie.communityinclusion. ling@gmail.com call 07749 249 781 or visit the Facebook page @ Local Initiatives in New Galloway Men's Monday Morning Coffee, Mon 9.30-11am LING Lunches, Tue, 12.30-2pm, £6, currently held at Kitty's, opposite NG Town Hall Table Tennis & Carpet Bowls, Tue, 7pm Kickback Martial Arts, Wednesdays 7.309pm Tai Chi, Zumba, Martial Arts, Gentle Yoga – new timetable being created, contact Jackie on above details Glenkens Community Centre Citizens Advice Drop-ins, every other Mon, 10am-4pm Glenkens Art For All, Tue 10am12.30pm, for all abilities, free, no need to book, materials provided along with tea/coffee and biscuits. Contact Sarah on 07921 357563 Dalry Good Neighbours Club, Tue, 2-4pm, contact Michelle on 07795 613 148 Clachan Crafters, Thu 2-4pm, contact Sarah on 07500 861 041 Yoga For All, Fr 9.15-10.15am, contact Amy on 07733 111 466 Friendship Group, Sat (excluding Glenkens Producers Market days), 1011.30am, contact Anne on 01644 430 052 Table Tennis/Badminton, available to hire by arrangement, contact Sarah on 07500 861 041 Glenkens Charity Shop Opening Times: Mon, Tue & Thu - 10am-1pm Wed, Fri & Sat - 10am-4pm Dalry Library Main St, Dalry, Tel: 01644 430 234 Tuesday Parent -Toddler Sessions restart end Aug, Tue,10.30-11:30am Glenkens Book Group, last Friday of each month, 2pm, call June to book on 01644 420 361 Library Opening Times: Tue, 2-5pm, for books and other walk-in Fri, 11.30am-12.30pm for NEC Bus Pass and Blue Badge appointments and PCs, and 1-4.30pm for books and other walkin services: Appointments can be booked in the library or on 01387 260 196. Dalry Town Hall Tai Chi, video-led instruction, Mon, 2-3pm, contact lesleyblissett52@gmail. com Dog Training, Tue, 7-8pm, contact Eric Broadhurst on 07831 590 822 Kickback Martial Arts, Thu, 7-9pm Song Share, 1st Friday each month, 8-11pm, contact anne.chaurand@ btinternet.com Various Glenkens Youth Group, Mon, 7-8.30pm, Dalry School (or Glenkens Community Centre) Cosy Corner, Tue, 1-5pm, Crossmichael Church Hall, contact Anne on 07889 016 963 Crossmichael Heritage Centre, Wed & Fri, 1.30-4.30pm Cub Scouts, Wed 6.15-7.30pm, Scout Hall, New Galloway Dragon Boats on Loch Ken, Sun 9.30am12.30pm, Galloway Activity Centre, Parton Knockvennie Hall Heat Bank & Snooker Club, contact Andrew on 01556 690 677 Outdoor Bowls, Dalry, contact Fiona Ramsay on 01644 430 587 Snooker/Indoor Bowls, contact Gary on 01644 430 521 Check out the What's On calendar online at the Glenkens Hub - www.glenkens.scot Glenkens Gazette T his August saw the Glenkens Youth Group get back underway after the summer break, this time under the new hands of the Glenkens Community and Arts Trust (GCAT). Local Initiatives in New Galloway did an incredible job in first establishing the group, and GCAT are proud to take the reins and continue developing this great idea. page 40 The Glenkens Youth Group is an informal group for young people (P7s – S3s) to meet old and new friends in a relaxing and welcoming space. They meet every Monday during term time in Dalry (location to be confirmed - contact Beata for confirmation of venue) from 7 to 8.30pm. You can just turn up, and all sessions are free thanks to our support from the Glenkens & District Community Benefit Fund. Do come along and meet Beata, the new Glenkens Youth Group deliverer. As well as WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Submit events, activities, news stories, cartoons, reviews, tips & techniques, fiction, photos, ads or ideas... Contact Sarah Ade on 07727 127 997 or glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk providing a relaxed space to meet friends in, she aspires to empower young people by offering various activities and events that will develop confidence and give a voice to the youth in the area. Beata is looking forward to creating an environment where each and every individual feels free to be themselves. Currently, GYG members are excited to be participating in a fantastic water safety activity organised by the Loch Ken Trust. In a couple of weeks, the young people will be taking to the (hopefully not-too-chilly) waters of Loch Ken to have a go at paddle boarding and learn the fundamentals of water safety. There are also plans afoot for an evening of fire and food! So hop along to the Glenkens Community Centre on a Monday evening, where you Beata, the new Glenkens Youth Group Deliverer can listen to music, chat, draw, play games, try your hand at table tennis, badminton or basketball, or of course come along with your own ideas. Visit us on Facebook for updates on events and sessions @GlenkensYouthGroup Beata Editing & Design: sarah.ade@gmail.com DEC/JAN COPY DEADLINE: 5 NOV The Glenkens Gazette is an initiative of the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust, a Registered Scottish Charity No SC032050 The role of the Gazette is to represent the voice of the community and does not represent the views of GCAT.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette 138 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GG_138 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Glenkens Gazette Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource GCAT Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2023 Description An account of the resource Editor: Sarah Ade https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/1/286/GlenkensGazette139.pdf b6909f12649467c28ad1b25e43d3b069 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette 139 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Glenkens Gazette Description An account of the resource <p>Find out more about the Gazette: <a href="https://glenkens.scot/gazette-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Glenkens Gazette home page</a> If you would like to submit an article or take out an advert, please email the editor Sarah Ade: <span>&nbsp;</span><a href="mailto:glenkensgazette@hotmail.com">glenkensgazette@hotmail.com</a></p> <p>The Glenkens Gazette is a member of, and regulated by <span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.impressorg.com/">Impress</a>.</p> <p>The Glenkens Gazette is an initiative of Glenkens Community &amp; Arts Trust (SC032050) and represents the voice of the community (not necessarily the views of GCAT).</p> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document December/January 2023-24 ISSUE 139 Volunteer of the Year Award N ew Galloway's Brian Edgar has been recognised as the Volunteer of the Year at this year's prestigious Dumfries & Galloway Life Awards. ...turn to page 5 Glenkens Halloween spooky spread ...turn to pages 10-11 Brian at the D&G Life awards ceremony in Dumfries Local environmental trust breaks new ground T kind public benefit agreement with a commercial planting scheme. The agreement gives UUET a 20-year lease of land for public amenity and environmental purposes, including plans for a dedicated community woodland area, footpath creation, riparian broadleaf tree planting, habitat improvements and peatland restoration work. Continued in the Eco Feature section on page 18.... Tough times ahead for the CatStrand ...turn to page 24 The parishes of the Glenkens in northern Kirkcudbrightshire were at the heart of support for the Covenanting movement in seventeenth century Scotland and suffered greatly in the latter half of that century when the king and the political leadership of the country sought to suppress that movement and impose the Episcopalian system of church government on the people. In this book the writer explores the historical context of those days and introduces us to some of the inspiring, though often tragic, stories from those times, offering us a window into the world of the people of that day. David Bartholomew grew up in Edinburgh within the well-known map making family. After gaining a geology degree from St Andrews University, he went on to complete a PhD at Leicester University involving fieldwork in Chilean Patagonia. After working for five years as a government geologist in Zimbabwe, he felt the call to Christian ministry and returned to Scotland where he studied for a divinity degree at Aberdeen University. In 1994 he was ordained as Church of Scotland minister of the Glenkens and served there as parish minister for nearly 28 years. He is married to Heidi and has three children. He retired in 2022 and now lives near Broughton in the Scottish Borders. Carn Publishing Ltd www.carnpublishing.com/glenkens UK £15.00 RRP David S. Bartholomew The Upper Barr site was planted up earlier in the year by owners Foresight Sustainable Forestry Company (FSF). The agreement refers to the unplanted sections of the site, including a designated community lease area and the wider partnership area. The Covenanters of the Glenkens In September the trust put pen to paper on a groundbreaking lease agreement, looking to add community and biodiversity value to a commercial planting scheme near Corsock. INSIDE THIS ISSUE A name change and festive shopping with the Galloway Food Hub The award celebrates Brian's outstanding and unwavering commitment to the communities of the Glenkens over many years. Continued on page 14... he Upper Urr Environmental Trust (UUET) has signed a first-of-its- FREE The Covenanters of the Glenkens David S. Bartholomew Book launch: Covenanters of the Glenkens ...turn to page 29 News from the communities of Balmaclellan, Carsphairn, Corsock, Crossmichael, Kirkpatrick Durham, Laurieston, Mossdale, New Galloway, Parton and St John’s Town of Dalry GAZETTEnews Glenkens Gazette page 2 Spalding bowling awards S palding bowling club had an excellent presentation ceremony after another great season, with prizes presented by Mabel Young. Pictured are club president John Peacock, ladies' champion Elizabeth Peacock, gents' champion Garry Priddy, Mabel Young, Kate Bone, Duncan Jordon, Ian Murray, Colin Joungland, Gordon McAdam, Sandra Dempster, Colin Ramsay and Bill Ramsay. Thanks go to the Clachan Inn, Dalry, for an excellent celebratory meal. Val Russell Fundraising for Alzheimer Scotland A fundraising event held by Jayne Grimwood, of Hair by Jayne, and her tireless team of helpers in Dalry Town Hall raised an incredible £1,270 for the local branch of Alzeimer Scotland. Jayne said: "A big thank you to you everyone who came, and everyone who helped organise, and especially to our fabulous bakers - we make a great team! What a great turnout we had! "And it wouldn't have been a success either without the generosity of the community; every bit of money raised went to Dumfries & Galloway to help with the care of this illness to support N ew Galloway Golf Club Founded Foun ded 1902 www.ng www.n g gc.co.uk - 01644 420737 Buggies now available for hire VISITORS AND NEW MEMBERS WELCOME people across the region. Without all the support from our communities this would not be possible. "We already we have had more folk saying they want to be put on the baking list to help with future events, which is fabulous, and we're going to introduce more savoury baking too next year - put Thursday 3 October 2024 into your diary for an event not to be missed!" GAZETTEnews Glenkens Gazette page 3 Greener travel across the Glenkens with the new GCT eBus G alloway Community Transport (GCT) has received a massive boost in its ongoing aim of decarbonising its fleet, in the shape of a 16-seater electric bus. This vehicle is brand new and has been funded by the Energy Savings Trust’s 'Plugged in Communities' fund, which supports community transport initiatives in adding carbon neutral vehicles to their fleet. GCT are currently training drivers in the use of this new bus (the controls are more space age!) and will have the vehicle available for regular hire in the New Year via the GCT Membership scheme (www. gallowaycommunitytransport.org/hire). Once registered as a community group member, you can hire any of our buses or the eCar for very competitive rates, either with a paid driver or your own MIDAStrained driver. GCT are always looking for new volunteers, either to drive their own cars (for patient transport) or the GCT minibuses (for local hires), so if you fancy getting behind the wheel of any of the fleet and doing a good deed for the community, contact Jon and Sue to find out more at gct@catstrand.com or 07841 512 449. Funding secured for supporting Local Place Plans T hanks to funding from NatureScot and South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE), a new project has been created by Dalry Community Council and the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust (GCAT) supporting Local Place Planning and land use in the Glenkens. Building on work already carried out within communities to create the Glenkens & District Community Action Plan and recent Glenkens Land Use Vision addendum, as well as extensive work this summer by Dalry CC on Local Place Planning, the project will generate three complementary feasibility studies by March 2024: 1. Place Planning and Land Use in the Glenkens 2. Participatory Monitoring of Land Use in the Glenkens 3. A Land Use Forum in the Glenkens Local Place Plans were introduced in the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019, and provide a new opportunity for communities to contribute to the Local Development Plan at a truly local level. To achieve the first outcome above, the scope of the Glenkens Community Spaces Network has been extended to work with Dalry Community Council to develop a toolkit for Local Place Planning in the Glenkens, with the aim of making it easier for the Community Councils of the Glenkens to carry out the Local Place Planning process in their own communities. At a joint meeting of the Community Councils in August, representatives indicated that they would appreciate the joint coordination of Local Place Planning, and so GCAT and Dalry CC have sourced this funding to support that. The second and third reports will build on the work on Land Use in the Glenkens to date, to see what further steps are required to allow effective monitoring of landscape change over time from a community perspective, and to create a Glenkens Land Use Forum. This last one will explore what challenges which are faced in trying to set such a Forum up, what it will do, who will be involved and how to make it effective. Updates on the project and reports and resources created will be shared on the Glenkens Hub, www.glenkens.scot, or for further information Becca Nelson at becca.glenkens.anf@ gmail.com Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEnews page 4 Celebrate under a star filled night with the SongWave Choir This joyful celebration of the turning of the year features a splendid repertoire of songs from diverse cultures and lands, promising an unforgettable musical experience for all ages. G et ready to immerse yourself in the magic of the holiday season with the SongWave Choir’s enchanting concert series, Under a Star Filled Night. Led by musical director Kate Howard, SongWave is renowned for its spirited performances. The choir's mission is to share the gift of music and bring festive cheer to the community. The concert series kicks off on Friday 15 December at 7pm in New Galloway Town Hall. This performance is followed on Saturday 16 December at 4pm at Dalbeattie Parish Church Hall and concludes on Sunday 17 December at 4pm at Twynholm Village Hall. Tickets are available from www.songwavechoir.org.uk or phone 07747 623 036. This holiday season, join SongWave in embracing the enchantment and celebration of diverse cultures and traditions under a star filled night. Don't miss the opportunity to be a part of this heart-warming musical experience that promises to bring light and joy during the darkest part of the year. Violin students impress at local events P Concert with a repertoire ranging from Classical to Contemporary World Music. They attended the Kirkcudbright Fringe and the Gatehouse Music Society Young Musicians' Students are aged from 6–17 and receive individual and group lessons. If you are interested to find out more about the Galloway Violin Studio and having violin lessons, please contact Cate at chowardsasc@gmail.com upils at the Galloway Violin Studio, based at Parton and run by violinist and violist Cate Howard, have performed at a host of local events. Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEnews A name changer for the Glenkens Food Hub T he Glenkens Food Hub are excited to announce our new name - the Galloway Food Hub! As we expand, we wanted to update our name to better reflect the area we serve. Here’s a little bit about how we have evolved. Glenkens. Our next two first collection points of Gatehouse of Fleet and Low Auldgirth were trialled successfully. Recently, we have reached ten locations outside the Glenkens. Whilst we do have 4 - 5 very local producers in the Glenkens, most are based within the wider community of D&G, within a 30-mile radius of Dalry. The Glenkens Food Hub was born from the Glenkens Community Action Plan and Propagate’s further work to investigate what the community wanted in terms of local food. One of the things the community said they would like was better access to good, local food, especially vegetables. So, a hyper-local, online food hub was trialled in Dalry, and funding to run a larger pilot project was received from Blackcraig Wind Farm, via Foundation Scotland, on behalf of the Glenkens and District Trust. Initially, our intention was to stay hyperlocal, as we wanted to reduce food miles, sell lower carbon emitting produce, and increase market access for local food producers. However, we wanted others across Dumfries and Galloway to benefit from similar Food Hubs, and we soon realised that multiple hubs were unlikely to be a viable answer in very large and vast region. Food hubs take a lot of administration behind the scenes, and replicating this many times over would require regular funding, with the likelihood that they would never be financially viable. It soon emerged that a hub and spoke model, with one central packing point and multiple collection points run by wonderful volunteers, was the most feasible option. The locations of these points were driven by volunteers appearing from these locations wanting to take produce back for themselves and their friends. This turned out to be a workable scenario, enabling us to serve more people in the wider community. At the start, we had collections available in Dalry only, and delivery within the page 5 location to suit us right now with the links we have established. We hope that becoming the Galloway Food Hub allows more people and producers to access and benefit from Galloway’s local climate and nature-friendly, online good food marketplace. We are extremely grateful to our fabulous customers who offer kind words of encouragement that they love what we do, and value the produce that we offer. Our local producers are fantastic, often growing, farming, and making unique food under difficult circumstances, to make a difference to the health of our community and our planet and are the foundation on which the Food Hub is built. A very big thank you goes to all who have volunteered with us since we began. We couldn’t do this without you. Please spread the word if you value this access to local resources in our beautiful part of the world. If you’d like to be a volunteer or supply produce to the Hub, please get in touch at lesley@propagate.org.uk or tamsin@ propagate.co.uk The Galloway Food Hub Team To keep our customers interested, and through asking them what they would like to see for sale on the hub, we continue to expand our range a little outside this 30-mile area and supplement with other ethical and sustainable produce which fits our ‘Good Food’ criteria, such as coffee, chocolate, and staple vegetables. We continue to speak with and listen to our customers, and explore ways to expand our product range, in alignment with their needs. Now seems like the right time to change our name from the Glenkens Food Hub to the Galloway Food Hub. Whilst our heart, our packing place at the Glenkens Community Centre and half of our customers are still within the Glenkens, we have a valued and growing customer base and producer network across Dumfries and Galloway. The Glenkens is situated at the heart of Galloway, and we find this SHOP LOCAL THIS CHRISTMAS WITH THE GALLOWAY FOOD HUB The Galloway Food Hub will open three weeks in a row in December, with collections on Friday 8, 15 and 22, ensuring you can stock up on all your festive fare. And don't forget there are some great gift ideas too! https://gallowayfoodhub.org.uk Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEnews page 6 New Galloway Town Hall grand reopening: A Time and a Place R esidents of New Galloway, with guests from across the Glenkens and beyond, celebrated the grand reopening of the Town Hall in October with a once-in-a-generation concert titled A Time and a Place. Aiming to capture past and present in a space that is a source of real pride to the local community, the centrepiece of the event was the Town Hall Time Capsule, which is to be sealed behind a false wall under the stairs. It contains writings, photographs, mementos, special edition memorabilia and historic artefacts, which together create a picture of 21st century life in Scotland’s smallest Royal Burgh. The programme for A Time and a Place featured the CatStrand Singers with selections from Singing the Galloway Glens, the song cycle put together by the late Nicola Black, who is still so sadly missed. This included the haunting Moorbrock Memories and Galloway Lullaby and, for a bit of light relief, A Conversation of Geese. The CD of Singing the Galloway Glens together with its beautifully illustrated companion publication was placed in the time capsule by Carol Salsbury to the accompaniment of a drum roll and cymbal crash – provided for every item by the inimitable Ian Wemyss. The contributions from the Cubs pack and primary school were particularly interesting, with children wondering how life might be different in 50 years' time. ‘Will toilets still be same?' was one stand-out question. Rose Ardron placed the Writedown anthology of local writings from Covid lockdown days, while Barbara Barker and Avril Bridgeman provided an excellent canter through New Galloway's past 50 years up to and including the latest local news - submitting several copies of the Glenkens Gazette. from Dumfries & Galloway Council to Local Initiatives in New Galloway (LING), who now hold it in trust for the benefit of the community, took place in August 2022. It was just in time; money to keep the building in good repair had dwindled and the neglect was very clear. Had it not been taken on by LING, the Town Hall had been Additions to the Time Capsule were interspersed with songs, often with no small degree of audience participation. Additions to the Time Capsule were interspersed with songs, often with no small degree of audience participation. The concert ended with everyone joining in an unforgettable rendition of E Malala – a Hawaiian Earth Blessing – the words translating as "Earth and Sky, Sea and Stone, Hold this land in sacredness". Joyous, but also heartbreakingly apt. A Just-in-Time Renovation The asset transfer of the 19th century B-Listed Town Hall destined to be boarded up. Having faced down multiple challenges during the last fifteen months (including the colourful flowering of dry rot), the Town Hall has been sympathetically restored, bringing to life unique features like the Victorian Moral Maxims painted around the Upper Hall walls. The exterior rendering has been repaired and painted to a high standard, the distinctive tower has been renovated, and the 150-year-old clock has had a thorough MOT. The building has been brought into the modern age with the installation of the lift and accessible toilets, alongside carbon and energy saving measures that include secondary glazing and an air source heat pump. The building’s reopening marked the relaunch of the Town Hall’s programme of classes, activities and social events. Martial arts, Tai Chi, indoor bowling and the popular LING Lunches are already in train as the building returns to its historic position as New Galloway’s community hub. LING Trustees are keen to spread the word that the Town Hall is a venue that belongs to the community, with potential to reduce isolation, improve wellbeing, and build on the connectedness of rural life. So many to thank Volunteers were the backbone of what New Galloway has achieved, in particular those who help with LING Lunches, the Town Hall’s flagship offering. They create the atmosphere of welcome that infuses and permeates the building. Others run the weekly sports evening year in year out, quietly making all comers feel at home and able to enjoy a friendly game of carpet bowls or table tennis. Many in the community made themselves available at the drop of a hat to help. Vicky of Dynamic Domestic brought her team to help with cleaning up as renovation work was drawing to an end. Jim Ranyard set up lights and an excellent sound system for A Time and a Place. Continued over the page... GAZETTEnews Glenkens Gazette Continued from previous page... Heather Mackintosh put an incredible amount of work into helping the Cubs to compile their contribution for the Time Capsule, as did Margaret Heuchan with the school children from Kells. LING had superb support from Ronnie Bradford as Project Officer overseeing the renovations. Jackie Wells, New Galloway’s brilliant Community Inclusion Worker, adeptly juggled balls and spun plates. And LING’s newest recruit, Bianca Leder, hit the ground running by setting up and running popular Thursday Hubbub sessions. The LING team have been lucky also to recruit an excellent new cleaner in Susan Howarth. Of course without a roster of encouraging funders none of the renovations would have happened at all. Glenkens and District Trust were the first to launch the project on its way with a promise of £25K from Blackcraig Windfarm towards installation of the lift. D&G Council were generous in supporting interior repairs, and October 2021 saw the offer of £175K from the Community Ownership Fund, a game changer that required match funding, which LING managed to achieve. With significant last-minute help from South of Scotland Enterprise and a major uplift from Scotland’s Lets Do Net Zero Fund, LING can account for having raised £450K. Chair of LING, Barbara Barker, said: “From start to finish New Galloway’s page 7 Town Hall project has been community-led and supported by an incredible diversity of partners and funders. Starting with LING’s membership, 133 people - about 40% of the local community - are members of LING, and 65 are ‘Friends of the Town Hall’ who pay a monthly small subscription to support the work. Over 40 people came to our February AGM and when we held a fundraiser for the renovations, £5,000 was raised. The support from so many who enthuse, attend, and help in so many ways to build a network of friendships is quite phenomenal.” The last item to be placed in the Time Capsule, before Ros Hill was called upon to close it for posterity, was a report of the renovation process itself – the whole story of the asset transfer and the fundraising success. THE TRUSTEES of LING offer grateful thanks to the funders of the Town Hall renovation: Community Ownership Fund Architectural Heritage Fund HM Government Department Of Levelling Up The Galloway Association of Glasgow Community & Renewable Energy Scheme The Garfield Weston Foundation The Scottish Government’s Let’s Do Net Zero Fund The Robertson Trust Glenkens And District Trust The National Lottery Heritage Fund administered by Foundation Scotland South Of Scotland Enterprise Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund Dumfries & Galloway Council The National Lottery Community Fund The Hugh Fraser Trust The Winnifred Ann Kennedy Trust The Pilgrim Trust Robert Barr’s Charitable Trust The Howat Trust New Galloway & Kells Community Council ...and last, but by no means least, the local community! Local historian Paul Goodwin features on ITV Border Life L ocal military historian Paul Goodwin has highlighted the importance of war memorials in an episode of ITV's Border Life. of our history. Paul said: "It should be remembered, and commemorated, if for no other reason than to remember that war is a bad thing and we need to do all we can to avoid it. "All these lives cut short, all these people who never married, never had children, the people who were never born, the generations that were never born, so it continues to have an impact. "In this area, people went away to war and never came back...the whole community changed as a direct result of the first world war." As a founding member of the charity The Scottish Military Research Group, Paul's research has shown there are over 550 war memorials in the region, most of which were not on record when he began his research in 2006. Paul has created a list of people commemorated on the main war memorials of the Glenkens, and the list itself is now a registered war memorial. His other work includes the recent Galloway Glens Last Flights booklet, as well as many Glenkens Gazette articles over the years. Paul believes war memorials are vital not only for education and family history researchers but in order to ensure younger generations remember this vital part To watch Paul's episode on war memorials visit www.itv.com/news/ border/2023-11-15/ remembering-the-fallenas-significance-of-warmemorials-examined Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEnews Join the board T he board of any voluntary organisation is its backbone and its guide; nothing can be done without them and their commitment. As ever, therefore, I remain most grateful to the GCAT Directors for their sterling efforts this year on behalf of GCAT and all its work. A particular milestone has been refreshing our strategy, which now runs from 2023 to 2028 and clarifies our position as a key anchor organisation for the area, with a vision of making the Glenkens an excellent place to live for people of all ages. We do this by: • Interweaving Arts, Community and Heritage to enrich the life of the area. • Delivering our Artistic Vision with passion and creativity. • Supporting many activities core to the quality of life of people and environment of the Glenkens. • Driving economic and social regeneration of the area through championing the delivery of the Glenkens & District Community Action Plan. You can see the full strategy at www.gcat.scot/about-gcat and it's exciting to have a clear vision of our work as we look forward into what are undoubtedly very challenging times, with the squeeze on public funding, high inflation and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. page 8 At our AGM on 29 January (7.30pm in the CatStrand - all welcome), we will be seeking nominations for new GCAT directors. Jackie Wells and Richard Middleton will be leaving by then and will be much missed. Jackie's enthusiasm for GCAT and all of our projects was, and is, much appreciated and it is a shame (although quite understandable) that pressure of work caused her to step down in October 2023. Richard has been on the Board since 2018 and over many years has provided a depth of thought and sense of direction that I have very much appreciated. He works tirelessly on behalf of our community in many aspects and has made a huge impact on the Glenkens communities in doing so. We are now seeking nominations to join the remaining Board in January. We are particularly interested in people who represent the farther reaches of the Glenkens, younger people, people new to the area and people with a demonstrated interest in the arts or community, but would love to hear from anyone with an interest in supporting what we do at the CatStrand and beyond. If you are interested in this voluntary role, please get in touch with Helen@catstrand. com in the first instance, and she will arrange nocommitment chats with myself and other Board members to find out more. Deadline for nomination is 19 January, but it would be excellent to hear from interested parties before the end of the year. Peter Fryer, Chair of the GCAT Board Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEcommunity page 9 Photo of the Issue ...Sponsored by the Stockbridge Mac & Cheese Co This issue’s winner is Colin Edgar with his striking shot of a rainbow at Stroangassel. Colin wins two portions of mac and cheese from our competition sponsors, the Balmaclellan-based Stockbridge Mac & Cheese Co. Company owner and competition judge, Hannah Gould, said: "What a great photo - the rainbow seems to shine directly onto the blackface tup, who looks like he's posing for the picture; perhaps this tup is worth his weight in gold!" To enter you can send in any photograph taken in the Glenkens to glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk Gillespie Gifford & Brown LLP Solicitors and Estate Agents Dumfries & Galloway 01556 503744 www.ggblaw.co.uk All legal advice Offices in Castle Douglas, Dalbeattie Kirkcudbright and Dumfries Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEcommunity Halloween in page 10 Spooky fun with Bairn Banter C hildren from all across the Glenkens joined Bairn Banter for a haunting halloween party in Carsphairn's Lagwyne Hall. The Carsphairn-based stayand-play children's group welcomed youngsters of all ages to this fun-filled event. Alongside the usual party games of musical statues, pass-the-parcel and a pinata, the children participated in a range of halloweenthemed activities such as gruesome sensory play (resembling worms), a spooky soft play area, dookin’ for apples, wrap the mummy and the doughnuts-onsa-string game. A creative area was also available for children to take a moment away from the bustle of the party, to enjoy a quiet colouring activity or themed playdough, and there was a buffet-style feast for children and adults as part of the annual celebration. Bairn Banter’s founder, Melissa Ade, commented: "It was wonderful to see so many children and adults come together to celebrate with us here at Bairn Banter. I want to say a special thank you to everyone who came along to enjoy the party and to the very helpful parents whose support made the party such a spook-tacular event!” Money raised at September's Carsphairn Community Market funded this event, enabling it to be a free, inclusive event for local families. Glenkens Youth Group in a fantastic water safety activity organised by the Loch Ken Trust in collaboration with the Galloway Activity Centre (GAC). Despite the temperature dropping, our young people hopped on the paddleboards on a gloriously sunny day to learn some invaluable water safey skills. A big 'thank you' goes to the Loch Ken Trust and GAC for this incredible opportunity. O ctober was a busy month for the Glenkens Youth Group. We saw the arrival of the new youth group assistant, 21-year-old Ben Wells, to the team. Ben and his mum Jackie have helped out before with the youth group, so we are thrilled to have him back on a more permanent basis. Early in October the group partcipated The group also enjoyed our 'Friends Around the Fire' session where there was an opportunity to use a flint-andsteel for firelighting, developed fire safety skills and savour some tasty toasted marshmallows. The group are grateful to the Glenkens Community Centre for supporting this activity and we hope to do this again in the future. Many of the young people chose to dress up for our halloween-themed meet-up and a kind donation of pumpkins by Tesco in Castle Douglas resulted in some creative pumpkin carving. Lastly, the Glenkens Youth Group relished our 'Make Your Own Pizza' night. They worked together to make pizza dough and prepared all the toppings. Once again, thank you to Tesco for the large contribution of vegetables. We were also very lucky to have some special ingredients through generous donations from local producers. Thank you to Deer Manor Mushrooms for the beautiful organic mushrooms, and to Hidden Veg for gorgeous fresh herbs and greens. Not only were these donations extremely delicious, but a great step towards sustainability for the Genkens Youth Group. Sessions will continue during term-time on Monday evenings from 7-8.30pm at the Glenkens Community Centre. The group is open to young people from P7 up to S3. We are also preparing for some trips during the holidays and are in talks with other organisations to provide more opportunities for the young people of the Glenkens, so watch this space! If you would like to find out more, please get in touch on glenkensyouth@gmail. com Beata, Youth Group Lead GAZETTEcommunity the Glenkens Glenkens Gazette page 11 Cub Scouts party-time T he Glenkens Cub Scouts celebrated with a halloween party with all the games and fun associated with it. We are now looking forward to visiting the CatStrand Panto. The Cub Scouts and Leaders wish everyone in the Glenkens a merry Christmas and a happy New Year and thank everyone for their continued support to the Scout movement. Yours in scouting, Heather, Hannah & parent helpers Freaky fun with Friends of Dalry School F riends of Dalry School (FoDS) volunteers once again hosted a fun-filled halloween party for Glenkens children. Over 80 people came through the doors of the Glenkens Commnity Centre in Dalry on hallween night, with children participating in all kinds of halloween games, as well as enjoying hotdogs and snacks and music by Dalry's own DJ Owen. Thanks go to everyone who gave a donation on the door, and to parents and members of the community who helped out, especially Dalry Good Neighbours Club and the Glenkens Youth Group for helping with the decorating. If anyone would like to make a donation to FoDS please message the group on Facebook or call in to the school donations are gratefully received and go towards organising events such as halloween, Christmas and summer splash parties for the children, as well as contributing towards the costs of extras at school such as school trips, bags, books and other items that help out. Friends of Dalry School Community spirit T hanks once again go to the dedicated members of New Galloway community who truly make guising in the village something to remember. As parents of some wonderfully terrified children who had the best halloween ever being chased by scary local characters (among others we think we spotted Freddy Kruger from A Nightmare on Elm Street and Jason from Friday the 13th), we would like to say a big 'thank you' for the effort put in every year to offer something spookily special - halloween in the Glenkens wouldn't be the same without you! Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEcommunity page 12 Local governance and our communities... ...how it works and how to get involved How do community councils work? C ommunity Councils were first established in Scotland following the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. Thereafter, the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act, 1994, which produced the current system of unitary Local Authorities, made provision for the continuation of community councils. Under the legislation, every local community in Scotland is entitled to petition their local authority to establish a community council in their area. Although they are elected bodies, Community Councils do not have the status of local authorities, nor are they part of local authorities. Community Councils are a separate legal entity with their own rights and responsibilities created and sustained by the said Acts of 1973 and 1994 to be run in accordance with the approved Scheme. In Dumfries and Galloway there are currently 88 Community Councils across the region. Dumfries and Galloway are required to adhere to its terms. The Scheme supports the operation of Community Councils and is viewed by DGC as the Community Council’s Constitution to encourage and maintain consistency across for all Community Councils. It sets out the basic role and purpose of Community Councils and the basic rules that are expected to be complied with, including in relation to complaints and the conduct of members. The statutory purposes of Community Councils established under the Scheme are set out in Section 51(2) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 as follows: ‘’In addition to any other purpose which a Community Council may pursue, the general purpose of a Community This will involve Community Councils articulating the views and concerns of local people in their area on a wide range of issues of public concern and make representations to DGC, other public sector bodies and private agencies on matters within their area of interest. Community Councils have a statutory right to be consulted on planning applications and may from time to time be consulted on issues such as licensing, matters affecting the local community and interface with the Scottish Government. Members of a Community Council are required to be aged 16 years or over; reside within the Community Council area; and be named on the current register of electors for that area on the date of being proposed for membership. Dumfries and Galloway Council provide a consistent level of support to Community Councils across the region and arrange elections, including ordinary elections held every five years, by-elections and casual vacancy elections. Community Councils must be inclusive organisations whose general purpose is to act as a voice for their local areas. The Amended 2018 Scheme for Community Councils in Dumfries and Galloway ('The Scheme') was agreed by Dumfries and Galloway Council (DGC) on 25 September 2018. Its purpose is to enable the establishment of community councils within Dumfries and Galloway and to provide a common minimum basic framework governing their creation and operation. All Community Councils within Gordon McAdam Plumbing & Heating 22 Kirkland Street St John’s Town of Dalry 01644 430 393 07834 321 789 Council shall be to ascertain, co-ordinate and express to the local authorities for its area, and to public authorities, the views of the community which it represents, in relation to matters for which those authorities are responsible, and to take such action in the interests of that community as appears to it to be expedient and practicable”. Community Councils must be inclusive organisations whose general purpose is to act as a voice for their local area. David Tallontire CHIMNEY SWEEP Covering the Glenkens & further afield 07709 144 299 - wood burners - multi-fuel stoves - open fires - Agas - Rayburns - birds nest removal with CCTV inspection - certificates issued - feel free to call for advice - Find me on Facebook Further information on Community Councils in Dumfries and Galloway can be found at https://www.dumgal.gov.uk/ communitycouncils Hazel Kerr, Community & Democratic Services Officer, Dumfries & Galloway Council Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEcommunity 'Tis the season to be jolly! A dvent and Christmas look set to be busy this year at St Margaret’s Church in New Galloway. The St Margaret’s Guild is once again holding a Christmas Coffee Morning with the Glenkens Churches Guild, this year in the newly refurbished New Galloway Town Hall on 6 December, 10.30am-12noon. We hope to donate our share of monies raised to the Christian charity, Adopt a Child, that provides food and education for children living in poverty in Guatemala and Albania. On each of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, a new candle on the Advent wreath in church will be lit as we explore the themes of hope, peace, love and joy. On Sunday 17 December we will be holding a special Advent carol service (10.30am) with favourite carols such as ‘O Come O Come Emmanuel’. Also, on Thursday 21 December at 9.30am Dawn Matthew, our priest, will be hosting Kells School at St Margaret’s for their Christmas service – we hope that parents and friends will also be able to join us. We are delighted to welcome Geoff Davidson’s Glenkens Choir on Friday 22 December at 4pm for their popular ‘Carols by Candlelight’. Beautiful traditional carols will take centre stage with a mix of readings from various sources. Mulled wine, spiced apple ale (non-alcoholic) and festive nibbles will be served by the St Margaret’s Guild following the service. Then on Christmas Eve, we are holding a special family nativity service. Having four children herself, Dawn is aware that children’s attention span on Christmas Eve is not long so this will be a short informal service, 3.00 to 3.30pm. We would encourage children to bring a sheep or angel that they have made or drawn to be pinned on the special tree. Christmas Day itself will see a traditional Holy Communion at 10.30am with familiar readings and carols. Amongst all the excitement and jollity, St Margaret’s has for many years also thought of those in need and dedicated their Christmas collection to a charity chosen by the congregation at their AGM in late November. Last year, we were able to raise £1,175 for Médecins sans Frontières in this way. *Sunday 3 December Corsock Village Hall* 11am Til 3pm - £1 entry includes tea & cake! We look forward to welcoming friends, old and new, to any or all of our special events. Please see Glenkens Church Times on page 31 for details of our regular services. Nicolette Wise WRIGHTS STORE & POST OFFICE DALRY DALRY DALRY SWEET TREAT SATURDAY DALRY INFORMATION FRESH CREAM CAKES AVAILABLE TO ORDER page 13 OPENING TIMES OPENING HOURS MONDAY-FRIDAY 7.30AM-5.30PM MONDAY – FRIDAY SATURDAY - 8.30AM-5PM 7.30am – 5.30pm SUNDAY - 8.30AM-3PM SATURDAY – 5pm * we will be8.30am closed on the 25th & 26th 8.30am of December and SUNDAY – 3pm the 1st & 2nd of January * WISHING ALL OUR LOCAL SUPPLIERS CUSTOMERS A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND DALMELLINGTON COUNTRY A HAPPY NEW YEAR! BUTCHERS LOCAL SUPPLIERS UPPER DULLARG EGGS DALMELLINGTON COUNTRY MITCHELLS FRUIT & VEG BUTCHERS UPPER DULLARG EGGS SWEETCAKES BAKERY MITCHELL'S FRUIT & VEG SWEETCAKES BAKERY GLENKENS HONEY COMPANY GLENKENS HONEY CREAM O GALLOWAY COMPANY CREAM O' GALLOWAY GALLOWAY LODGE PRESERVES GALLOWAY LODGE IRVINGS BAKERY PRESERVES IRVINGS BAKERY SCOTTISH PASTA GALLOWAYGALLOWAY SCOTTISH PASTA COWS & CO GLENKENS HONEY COMPANY HIGH QUALITY VENUE HIRE AVAILABLE The CatStrand, New Galloway, and The Smiddy, Balmaclellan, are available for hire for: - Meetings for 4 to 12 people - Talks or events for up to 80 people (raked seating) - Hybrid meetings - Social events - Hold your event with us at our unique venues in the heart of the Glenkens! Catering available - Charitable rates available POP IN FOR A CHAT AND A BROWSE Contact info@catstrand.com or 01644 420 374 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEpeople page 14 Award recognises Brian's community commitment Continued from front page... Amidst intense competition, Brian emerged as the well-deserved winner due to his diligent efforts within the community. His involvement in various local committees and groups reflects a lifetime commitment to community service, showcasing his leadership and dedication to the betterment of the Glenkens area. Brian's extensive community engagement includes roles in committees such as the New Galloway & Kells Community Council, where he served for almost 30 years, six of them as Provost. He has also been a key figure on the Scottish Alternative Games Committee since 2001, contributing to the organisation and providing commentary at the ever-popular event. Brian joined the board of New Galloway Community Enterprises Ltd in 2021, bringing his wealth of experience to help promote sustainable community development. This was first apparent in his role as one of the founding Trustees of the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust, for whom he has volunteered and worked tirelessly for 22 years now, presently as the CatStrand Enterprise and Facilities Manager. His contributions to education have been notable too, having been a member of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and School Board at Kells School at various times between 1991 and 2002. Brian's commitment to youth development also extends to football, where he earned the Scottish Football Association Youth Coaching Certificate in 1996 and coached the Kells School Football Team for 12 years. He also assisted with coaching the youth teams at Fleet Star FC for several years. In the realm of amateur drama Brian was a steadfast member of Glenkens '73 Club, making his acting debut in the pantomime Cinderella in 1974. Over the years, he has participated in numerous one-act plays and pantomimes, eventually taking over as the panto dame from his father, Tommy Edgar. Brian then went on to found CatStrand Youth Players in 2008 and now enjoys directing the annual pantomime and one-act plays. The D&G Life award put a particular spotlight on his exceptional work with the Youth Players group, highlighting Brian's pivotal role in creating a haven for young individuals in a rural area, providing them with unique opportunities to immerse themselves in the world of drama. In a community where access to cultural and artistic activities would otherwise be limited, Brian's commitment to CatStrand as a whole and the CatStrand Youth Players in particular stands out as a beacon of creativity and inclusivity. Through his leadership, the group has become a transformative space for young talents in the Glenkens area. Since its formation in 2008, more than 200 young people aged 10 to 18 have benefited from the CatStrand Youth Players, with some going on to pursue drama at the college level and even achieving professional acting careers. The group, consisting of approximately 18 members, stages an annual pantomime that has become a local favourite and has also achieved considerable success in Scottish Community Drama Association Festivals over the years, regularly representing Stewartry District at West of Scotland Finals and also going on to finish in second place at the Scottish Final last year. Away from his commitment to his work and community volunteering, Brian enjoys spending quality time with his family, including his beloved dog Roxy and enjoys socialising with friends, sometimes with a pint of Best! He has been a dedicated supporter of Queen of the South FC for over 50 years, rarely missing a home game in that time. Accompanied by his wife Eileen and some of the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust team members, Brian accepted the Volunteer of the Year award at the Dumfries & Galloway Life Awards Ceremony in November. His humility was evident as he acknowledged the collaborative efforts of the entire community, emphasising that all of his achievements are part of a team effort. CatStrand Young Creatives, another GCAT project, were also finalists at the Awards in the Culture Champion category, recognising the work of Cat Campbell the Project Lead and all the Young Creatives team. They didn’t win on this occasion but surely their time will come soon! The Dumfries and Galloway Life Awards celebrate outstanding contributions to the community, and Brian Edgar's recognition as Volunteer of the Year is a testament to his exceptional dedication and positive impact on the Glenkens communities. Congratulations to Brian and of course Eileen (as these things can never be done alone) on this well-deserved honour. Helen and Hayley Pictured below, left to right, are: Brian commentating at the Scottish Alternative Games; Brian, Eileen and their grandchildren; Brian showing how it's done at a Youth players rehearsal Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEpeople page 15 Vika's Ukranian extravaganza I n October Vika Jouja, who moved to the Glenkens from Ukraine as a refugee in 2022, hosted her first Ukranian Buffet at Dalry Town Hall. Vika and her family have really thrown themselves into life in the Glenkens, with Vika baking and selling Ukranian bread in the local shops pretty much from day one! "Our buffet went amazingly," said Vika. "I am very happy and thank the community for all their help and support. It was so successful I am planning the next one before Christmas." The spead of food was incredible, with all kinds of savoury and sweet options laid out for the hungry horde who had booked a seat at the event. Vika said: "I was born and raised in the west of Ukraine. I cook exclusively traditional Ukrainian food and bread. My beloved husband is from Syria, and we often prepare international Ukrainian-Syrian food. I want more people to know about our cuisine and if people like it, I plan to open a cafe with traditional Ukrainian food and sweets. Cook-confectioner is my main profession, and I really like to cook. In Ukraine I organised weddings, birthdays, buffets and I bake about 20 different types of bread, buns, pies, cakes and many different sweets. My Vika's next Ukranian Buffet will be held on Saturday 16 December at 6pm in Dalry Town Hall, with a cost of £15 per head grandmother taught me to bake bread when I was a child, and these are ancient traditional recipes that were passed down from generation to generation that I use. I am very proud that I can work in this field and I enjoy when I bake bread, I make it with love from all my heart." If you would like to buy some of Vika's bread, it is sold in shops in Dalry, Castle Douglas and Colvend, as well as at farmers markets. Vika also bakes cakes to order and is happy to cater for events. To get in touch you can message her on Facebook or email vikafiras@ gmail.com Talking about life in Scotland, and the Glenkens, Vika said: "My family and I enjoy living in Scotland. We love this part of Scotland and the people here for their kindness, openness, sincerity and support." Pictured are: below left - Vika's incredible buffet spread; left - one of Vika's amazing cakes; above - Vika speaking to guests at the event alongside her family GAZETTEpeople Glenkens Gazette page 16 Glenkens Youth Correspondent Joshua Wells is our Gazette youth correspondent and will be writing each issue about things which interest him. In this edition he looks at his family's move from England to the Glenkens and what that experience has been like. Moving to Scotland I n March 2022, I moved up to Scotland, from a county in England called Kent. The reason for the move was due to us feeling as if we were losing all the fields and farms, which were turning into buildings. We moved after just starting secondary school, which I missed the start of due to COVID-19. This made me nervous, as I’d be starting over again, with new friends, a new school, and a whole new life. We took over Balmaclellan village store, and we quickly met most people in the village. I started at my new school, where I also met a lot of new friends. One great thing about living here is I can get the bus, which stops right outside my house and I can get off right outside my school, unlike the journey to my old school, a 30-minute walk to the train station, a 10-minute train journey and The New Galloway Town Hall also has a multitude of activities for me, and I can also do a lot of volunteering which adds to my Saltire award. My school has a lot of activities for me and other students to enjoy such as trip days, where I got to climb Criffel, and longer school trips where you may be able to stay abroad, such as an Italy ski trip. I found you don’t just have to use local businesses for activities, you can also go out into the amazing landscape. Not only Dumfries and Galloway, but the whole of Scotland has amazing landscapes and countryside. I have gone out for a drive with my family, to look around and found I have discovered places I have never been before, this may be because I am still fairly new to Scotland. However it could also be because Dumfries and Galloway’s brilliant maze-like countryside, where there are no two places that are the same. As soon as I passed the English-Scottish border, I felt a whole new community, one that doesn’t just look out for themselves but also their village/town. Initially, we stayed in Powfoot, we went up and down the beach with the dog, we had a great view of the lake district, and I got my first look at Criffel. As soon as I passed the EnglishScottish border, I felt a whole new community, one that doesn’t just look out for themselves but also their village/town. When speaking to new people, it seemed like we had known them for years. MATTHEW PAJO Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine - pain management - women's health - men's health - fatigue - sleep - stress - anxiety - needle-free laser acupuncture- The Old School, Crossmichael info@matthewpajo.co.uk 07786 079 845 another long walk to the school. I can also get the bus to New Galloway, where a lot of activities are held. In Dumfries and Galloway, there are also a lot of activities for me and many other people, for example, I have found that the CatStrand have a lot of activities that I can participate in, such as their CatStrand panto rehearsals, behind-thescenes and music and art lessons. In conclusion, I’m very pleased I have moved up to Scotland not only because of the amazing community, astonishing activities and even the extraordinary landscape but having brilliant friends and family I can feel safe around. Amber Dunlop-Pajo Health Psychologist - women's health - stress - depression - anxietyThe Old School, Crossmichael info@gallowaycounselling.co.uk 07389 713 106 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 17 Call TODAY for your free, no obligation quote - 01387 810 428 advertisement * Special £500 discount to Glenkens residents who get in touch in December/January 2023/4 and quote 'Gazette Deal' * • 13 years' installation experience • A team of expert engineers • Impeccable after care service Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology offers numerous benefits, contributing to a sustainable and resilient energy future. Harnessing the power of the sun, solar PV systems generate clean and renewable electricity, reducing dependence on finite fossil fuels and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. The scalability and versatility of solar PV make it adaptable for various applications, from residential rooftops to large-scale utility installations. Additionally, solar PV systems contribute to energy independence, enhance grid reliability, and create jobs in the growing renewable energy sector. As technology advances, the cost of solar PV continues to decrease, making it an increasingly cost-effective and accessible solution for powering homes, businesses, and communities around the world. Embracing solar PV not only addresses environmental concerns but also fosters economic growth and resilience in the face of evolving energy challenges Rob Wade RJW Electrical Services Ltd 07732068218 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 18 sponsored by Benchmark community benefit agreement for Upper Urr Environmental Trust "We encourage land owners, investors and communities across Scotland to think about using shared ownership and decision-making, leases or other negotiated agreements to open up opportunities.” Continued from front page... The management plan for the site is currently being drafted, with any input or suggestions welcomed. Joe Seed, Chairman of Upper Urr Environment Trust, said: “Balancing commercial forestry and environmental issues is a difficult task in these times of unprecedented biodiversity loss. We welcome this opportunity to work with FSF to safeguard and restore an ecologically important area within the Galloway Landscape. We would encourage others to engage with developments in their area as it only takes a few individuals to make a difference." In May 2023, the proposed site was visited by a delegation of Scottish Land Commissioners to listen to the proposals and offer input. Scottish Land Commission Chief Executive Hamish Trench commented: “It is encouraging to hear this collaboration is progressing. We see big potential to develop this kind of approach further so that investment in land use change also increases the ability of local communities to deliver their priorities. We encourage land owners, investors and communities across Scotland to think about using shared ownership and decisionmaking, leases or other negotiated agreements to open up opportunities.” For more information on the project, contact Upper Urr Environmental Trust at uuet.scotland@protonmail. com or follow UUET on facebook or twitter. Upper Urr Environmental Trust is registered as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO), number SC051592. Top left: Left to right are Ted Downs (EJD Forestry), Joe Seed (UUET Chairman), Pen Symonds (UUET), McNabb Laurie (UUET) and Rob Guest (FSF Bottom left & below: Crichton Carbon Centre’s bog event on the site in August 2023 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 19 sponsored by If you would like to list something on this page, please get in touch on 07727 127 997 or glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk FREE Lec Dehumidifier D110, in good working order. Contact: 07762 083703 Willow wands for edging, arbors, decorative garden features. Contact: 01644 420 267 Pale brown carpet, laid but then replaced without being used. Approx 4m x 3.5m (13x11 feet). Collection from Dalry. Contact: 07769 959511 Horse manure, rotted and fresh, no weed killers used. Dig your own - bring sacks or trailer. Contact: 07889 229 340 WANTED Small shed/dog house/chicken coop to house a family of three chickens. Contact: Leto 07763 235 888 Outdoor table and chairs. Contact: 07507 704 821 Old lawn mowers/strimmers/other small machinery. Nonrunners/broken welcome. Contact: 07845 562 217 Launch of the Dumfries & Galloway Woodlands initiative T he Gazette has carried many articles over the years about our changing land use, including the arrival of things like carbon accounting, ‘natural capital’, and the implications for the Glenkens. As we start to get our heads round what these ideas mean, the changes in nature and the climate continue to loom larger in our lives, with impacts expected and already being felt. We have no time to spare. With society scrambling to invent new mechanisms to respond to these challenges, Dumfries & Galloway can be on the front line of our response. The Dumfries & Galloway Woodlands initiative has been established to work on tangible projects that RESPOND to these twin challenges, delivering maximum benefit for our region in the process. Supported by partners including The Woodland Trust, Borders Forest Trust and Dumfries & Galloway Council’s Environment Team, the initiative is perfectly placed to draw best practice experience from regional and national partners into our region. We are used to looking with admiration at projects like Carrifran or the Eddleston Water project. Those projects are now being harnessed to drive economic activity for their surrounding areas. A truly ‘Nature-led economy’ includes agriculture, silviculture, and related industries. McNabb Laurie, Dumfries & Galloway Woodlands Officer, started in post in October 2023 and is already involved in a number of local proposals across the region – from innovative land owner/ community relationships that add public amenity and biodiversity value, through to targeting national support streams into Dumfries & Galloway. Woodlands is set up on a proactive basis to seek to support habitat improvements and to respond to emerging opportunities amidst the challenges. The South of Scotland Tree Planting Grant Scheme – administered by Dumfries & Galloway Woodlands - is a perfect example of how local people can deliver biodiversity and landscape benefits that will benefit future generations. In coming months, we will be welcoming members, seeking trustees and unveiling some of the projects under development. In the meantime, for more information, follow Dumfries & Galloway Woodlands on social media or sign up for the newsletter by emailing mcnabb.laurie@ dgwoodlands.org McNabb Laurie This can feel like an era of mass-commodification of our natural resources. The Scottish Government are seeking a ‘just transition’. At times SOUTH OF SCOTLAND TREE PLANTING GRANT SCHEME it can feel the The South of Scotland Tree Planting Grant Scheme aims to assist biodiversity and projects that are planting up to 0.25 hectares of native trees, with climate changes are funds able to support the actual purchase of the trees and the beyond our influence, tree protection. but Dumfries & Galloway has a really Full information about the Scheme is available on the Glenkens Hub important role to play website at www.glenkens.scot. The Scheme was launched in Dumfries & on the national stage, Galloway in 2021, with more than 22,000 trees planted so far. This year’s and we can be part of scheme is now open for applications. Join a whole range of people that will the solution. be planting trees this winter across the Glenkens. For an application form contact McNabb on 07538 798837 or on mcnabb.laurie@dgwoodlands.org Dumfries & Galloway Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 20 Out and About in the Biosphere T he GSA Biosphere team has been busy these last couple months working on the Blackface Sheep Wool project, for which a landmark Crowdfunder campaign has finally launched! Almost two years since the project started, the Biosphere is now hoping to raise the final funds necessary to produce and bring to market a range of 100% blackface wool outerwear. This project is supported by the Blackface Sheep Breeders’ Association and aims to raise the profile of the breed by showcasing the versatility of the wool and its potential within the circular economy. Anyone who attended one of the Biosphere’s Bleat 'n’ Blether events during October’s Wool Month may have already seen, felt, and/or tried on the garment samples. The designs had a great reception, with people praising the quality and style. This is the Biosphere’s first foray into trading and through an innovative social enterprise model all profits from clothing sales will go back into Biosphere projects, continuing to promote the UNESCO region, its communities, and sustainable living. From the initial idea, to showing the first garments at the Royal Highland Show, it’s been quite a journey for the Biosphere team, and with the public’s help the next stage in the project can get underway. The crowdfunding campaign is live now on www. crowdfunder.co.uk - any and all donations very gratefully received. You can also find more information on the Biosphere’s website and social media channels, or contact info@gsabiosphere.org.uk With a great range of Biosphere Certification Mark businesses within easy reach of the Glenkens, this is a perfect time chance to shop local and support sustainable businesses in the run up to Christmas. Dark Art Distillery has recently launched its new Understory gin, or pick up some gifts from Gallovidia Books. If you’re looking for fresh, seasonal produce for the festive period, try Barnbarroch Organic, Deer Manor Mushrooms, Glenquicken Farm and Low Auldgirth Steading; all have been awarded the Biosphere Certification Mark for sustainability and are available through the Glenkens Food Hub. Looking ahead to Day One of 2024...one of the most rewarding New Year’s resolutions that can be made is to spend more time outdoors. Connecting with nature is good for physical and mental health, and there’s plenty to see in the GSA Biosphere during winter. In the Glenkens we’re lucky enough to have the Ken-Dee Marshes Nature Reserve on our doorstep, a haven for birders as one of the few mainland sites in Scotland where Greenland white-fronted geese overwinter. Raiders’ Road is open to walkers and cyclists only (no cars) during winter; the otter pools are a fantastic place for a cold-weather picnic – bring a flask of hot chocolate and wrap up warm! And finally, the longer nights afford more opportunity to experience the region’s dark skies. Home to the UK’s first International Dark Sky Park, the UNESO Biosphere region has some of the best overhead views, with thousands of stars visible to the naked eye on a clear night. Biosphere Guides and Dark Sky Rangers can help you navigate the night sky and experience the science, myths and legends of the stars, while Kirkcudbright is home to the Dark Space Planetarium – a brilliant day out in inclement weather. Stay connected with the Blackface Wool Project, ‘Biosphere businesses’, projects and events at www. gsabiosphere.org.uk or by following #gsabiosphere on social media. Left - Winter walks in the Biosphere. Top - Scottish Blackface lambs. Above Merrick Blackface wool jumper on stage at the Royal Highland Show Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 21 Reflections on an eventful year A s the 2023 draws to a close, it’s time to reflect on a remarkable year for the Loch Ken Trust, which has made significant progress towards its overall mission to become the first future-ready community. The Loch Ken Ranger Service, led by Head Ranger Leanne Pumpr, has grown from strength to strength and is now firmly embedded within the communities around Loch Ken, paving the way as one of the first community-led Ranger Services in Scotland. The Ranger Service has attended over 100 incidents this year, including wildlife crime, fly tipping and dirty camping , and has ensured the Loch and surrounding areas are well looked after. Over 300 patrols have been carried out this year both on land and water. Thanks to generous funding from Blackcraig Windfarm Fund, through Glenkens and District Trust, the Ranger Service now has three years' security and can now make plans for the future. Leanne Pumpr said, “It has been an exciting, busy season packed with both land and boat patrols, and a range of educational events. It’s been fabulous to meet so many returning and new visitors, and being able to share knowledge with visitors and locals.” The Trust is grateful to Drax Group plc, owners of the Galloway Hydro Scheme, for supporting office staff, enabling them to continue to work towards their ambitious aims. The work of the trust follows the Loch Ken Plan, a guide to achieving all 17 of the Global Goals by 2030. 2023 has been filled with a host of projects including a successful Summer Education Programme and the start of a Baseline Ecosystem Assessment. Thanks to funding from Drax Group UK, the trust was able to bring six of our local schools to the banks of Loch Ken and educate the next generation on caring for our wonderful environment. This year a funded project enabled Loch Ken Trust to buy a stock of children's waterproofs and footwear so that all young people are properly equipped for their visits to Loch Ken, and there are no barriers to children experiencing all Loch Ken has to offer. Over the course of the last year 25 sessions have been delivered, the Trust and Ranger Service engaging with almost 500 people of all ages. Great progress has been made on the Baseline Ecosystem Assessment, which began with the first ever Loch Ken Water Quality Study, carried out by Galloway Fisheries Trust. The study, the first of its kind on Loch Ken, also included a Community Water Sampling Event and can now be accessed online. It is fantastic to have this baseline data to compare any future studies to. Other environmental events included a Community Bat Walk and Talk. The Trust has great plans for next year for a whole host of studies to help understand the health of our ecosystem and what we can best do to protect it. Water Safety is a top priority for Loch Ken Trust. Manager Barney Fryer said, “To support activities to promote water safety, we have joined Loch Ken Trust up as a member of Water Safety Scotland. This has led to us joining a national working group on water safety in open water environments. We have also received funding from the Holywood Trust to deliver water safety training sessions to 13-25 year olds in our region.” To date, over fifty young people have achieved their water safety awareness completion certificates, and the programme will be continuing into Spring 2024. A Family Water Safety Day was held in the summer, in partnership with local and national emergency services to highlight water safety on and around Loch Ken. Over the winter the Trust has secured funding from the National Centre for Resilience to deliver a pilot research project on how the Loch Ken Ranger Service can assist with building resilience capacity in our remote rural communities. This project will be delivered in partnership with Glenkens Community and Arts Trust, and will assist community councils and community spaces with preparation for extreme weather events. Loch Ken Trust would like to thank the community for their support and looks forward to continuing to make more progress in the coming years to realise their purpose of supporting sustainable communities around Loch Ken. Top: Loch Ken Rangers flying the Sustainable Development Goals flag with young people taking part in the Youth Water Safety Programme at The Galloway Activity Centre Left: Head Ranger Leanne Pumpr delivering a water safety talk to local schoolchildren during the Summer Education Programme Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment Stewartry Birdwatchers winter programme A their prey can include Grey Squirrels, Jays, Barn Owls and even Sparrowhawks. He has been monitoring a specific area for the past 35 years and had a couple of interesting snippets for attendees; the eye colour of the nestlings is a steely grey-blue which turns yellow as they reach adulthood and as the birds age the eye colour of the male becomes orange-red and in the female orange-yellow. The pellets of the Goshawk show that The next talk was 'Where East meets Africa – birding in Oman' with speaker Jeremy Brock, and was based on his three-week visit there in April 2013. Oman is the easternmost country on the Arabian Peninsula and is an interesting but little visited birdwatching destination. It is ideally suited for getting a mix of African, oriental and palearctic birds. Amongst the spectacular birds were little green bee-eaters, African paradise flycatchers and Indian rollers. With so few birdwatchers visiting Oman it is not really surprising that as recently as 2013 a t the October meeting of the Stewartry Birdwatchers, Ronnie Graham spoke about his study of Dumfriesshire Goshawks. new species to science was discovered - the Omani owl, deep in the Al Hajjar Mountains. On Thursday 11 January the Dumfries naturalist and author, Barbara Mearns, will give a talk entitled 'Birds, Butterflies and Moths – the hunters and the hunted'. Barbara will discuss the local bird species that eat butterflies and moths. Then on Thursday 15 February Stan Da Prato will help those present to identify warblers by sight and sound. The call of the chiffchaff page 22 is unmistakeable but what about the difference between the songs of the garden warbler and the blackcap?“ Joan Howie, joanospreys1@btinternet.com For details of meeting dates/ times see What's On section on p34. Pictured is a little egret showing off its yellow feet; one of around 500 species of birds to be seen in Oman, it is now colonising the UK GAZETTEarts Glenkens Gazette page 23 CatStrand Young Creatives highlights H ere at CatStrand Young Creatives we have had another incredible year after kicking things off with a bang in March at the Scottish Drama Festival. The talented Youth Players swept up multiple trophies with their performances, with the behindthe-scenes crew also taking home an award for 'Best Stage Presentation'. We then launched our Young Critics Programme, providing young people with invaluable training and mentorship opportunities. These aspiring critics have their reviews published on our Youth Creatives blog, captivating readers with their fresh perspectives on the arts programme. Throughout the year, our regular art, dance and drama clubs provided endless excitement during term time. We then put on a thrilling summer programme that drew in even more children to the CatStrand. From art and forest schools to shadow puppetry and beyond, the children had a blast exploring their creative passions. Our Young Creatives have also been working with Dalry High School to deliver weekly drama clubs. These talented students have been crafting their own devised pieces, which they will be performing at the CatStrand in early December. And that's not all! In 2023, we were absolutely thrilled to launch the Young Music Makers project, generously funded by YMI Creative Scotland. This incredible initiative has provided young musicians with a wide range of music-making opportunities, from ukulele and guitar lessons to keyboard piano and violin classes. We've also been supporting eight budding musicians in their journey to develop their musical careers, giving them the chance to collaborate with industry professionals and create their very first tracks. To celebrate the incredible progress made in just six months, in November we held a spectacular showcase where all the children and young people involved in the project took to the stage. and thirty talented performers wowed the audience at the CatStrand. But the excitement doesn’t stop there! We’ve also been providing mentoring for a local young playwright, Thomas Petch, who has recently been working alongside Banbury Banter to develop his extraordinary script into a stageable play. We can't wait to see what incredible theatre he brings to life in the future. Meanwhile, our Art Ambassadors have been working Pictured are the Art Ambassadors tirelessly to ensure that honing their photographic skills our projects remain outside the CatStrand youth-led, planning and dreaming up new ideas. Their hard work paid off All in all, it has been a sensational when they secured funding for year for the Catstrand Young an upcoming project for young Creatives. From the triumphs on people, set to be delivered early stage to the inspiring growth of next year. And right now they are our talented youth, we couldn't pouring their hearts into creating be prouder of everything that a magical Christmas Creatives has been accomplished, and are event for younger children, incredibly grateful to our core complete with Santa's grotto, funder, the Holywood Trust, Christmas crafts and enchanting for their ongoing support. Get storytelling. ready for even more excitement, creativity and unforgettable The Christmas excitement moments in 2024! continues to build as our Youth Players and ‘behind-the-scenes’ crew are currently hard at work on this year's Christmas pantomime – Cinderella. Catherine Campbell, CatStrand Young Creatives Programme Lead What sound is left when all trees are felled? I n October, a three-day exhibition by Corriedoo’s Helmut Lemke entitled ‘deliberately inconclusive investigations into absence’ gave a sound artist’s interpretation of forest management practices common across the region. Ranging through the two exhibition spaces in ‘The Byre,’ visitors were treated to installations and drawings that highlighted the sounds collected around forestry management techniques - and the lack of sound they can leave in their wake, as illustrated through relentlessly running empty tape spools. Helmut said: "When we bought our new home in a managed forest, I thought I was aware of what forest management means, how it is done, and what impact it has. How wrong was I. I have now experienced up close how the ‘value’ of nature is reduced to monetary measures and how our environment is forced to be productive. "Responding to the clear felling and connected works in the forest where I live, I recorded what I saw, heard, smelled, and felt through drawing, sound recording, writing and performance; a visceral reaction underpinned through ongoing research into the UK’s forest management methods and the alternatives practiced in other European countries." Three works were exhibited at 'The Byre @ Corriedoo’: deliberately inconclusive investigations into absence’: an installation created from clear fell debris and empty audio tapes running through the dead branches; a series of sound drawings ‘a wind wind in...’ and ‘sounding poems’; and a live performance on the closing night. 'The Byre @ Corriedoo' is the studio and workshop of artists Helmut Lemke and Kerry Morrison. In 2024, they hope to host more events exploring local landscape issues and concerns through contemporary art approaches and performative acts. GAZETTEarts Glenkens Gazette page 24 Celebrating music in the Glenkens M usic making in the Glenkens was celebrated in a weekend of activities in October starting with 'A’ the Way to Galloway', a concert by Jo Miller and friends performing music from their new album. An exhibition of musical images, programmes and other memorabilia was launched in the CatStrand, and some 40 youngsters took part in 'A Wee Hooley', an afternoon of song, story and dance. The weekend concluded with a concert 'Gaither roon folks an this story I’ll tell' in Dalry Town Hall celebrating current music- making in the Glenkens and chaired in his inimitable style by Brian Edgar. with Roberto Rabinovitch (Bandoneon). Robyn Stapleton, Jo Miller and friends presented a selection of their work and Wendy Stewart (clarsach/ singer/composer) reprised her composition created for the Ken Bridge bicentenary. The programme, compiled by Anne Chaurand, featured many local musicians including the CatStrand Singers (led by Kate Howard), Angela Miller (singer), the Bielinski family For the enthusiastic audience, Andrew (singer), Susan (singer/ the message was clear: musicsongwriter) and Ellen (fiddle making is thriving in the player), The Wyrdy Women Glenkens. (Singing Duo), Blue (Singer/Songwriter), The Glenkens Story history event scheduled for the October weekend had to Rose Ardron (Singer), be postponed and that will now take place at CatStrand on Sunday 17 March. Claire Mann (Fiddle and Whistle), The afternoon event will feature Jo Miller on her research into local musicThe Dalry Protest Singing making, Christopher Wright on what can be found of Galloway’s music in the School of Scottish Studies archive and Anna Campbell will share stories of group, Faith Hillier musical families from the archives of the Carsphairn Heritage Initiative. (flute), Anne Chaurand (guitar/composer), Historian and singer Lizanne Henderson will chair a discussion on preserving Peter Standing (singer), our musical heritage. Presentations will be accompanied by live and recorded Ella Campbell (singer music, video and pictures. /songwriter), and Tickets £14, UC £10, U26 £4 from www.gcat.scot/arts 01644 420374 Amy Geddes (fiddle) Tough times ahead at CatStrand T he CatStrand and all the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust (GCAT) projects have been around for so long, it’s easy to forget that our continuing existence is sadly not a certainty. Our survival relies on a huge amount of hard work, not only in delivering projects but also in finding funding to support all our work. Because our communities are so spread out, projects that might be commercially viable in a town never will be in our remote rural location. GCAT, like many of the other Glenkens charities, has historically had a good track record of making this case to funders for essential overheads (like heating, lighting and staffing our venues) - but this is becoming ever harder. We know that many Gazette readers really value what we offer, so in the light of this, we are reinvigorating our Friends of CatStrand scheme. The Friends scheme demonstrates to potential funders how much our communities value what we do, as well as providing muchneeded funds to keep us going. What does next year look like? We expect to spend £600,000 across all our GCAT projects. Nearly two-thirds of this will be spent directly in the Glenkens and nearly 90% in Dumfries & Galloway, providing a valuable boost to local businesses. We have 16 employees, and commission many more artists, freelancers and activity deliverers. Of course, we generate what we can from venue hire, ticket sales and café and shop income, but all the rest must come from grant funders or individual supporters. Last year, we made a significant loss which was funded from our reserves. Our 2023/24 budget also shows a significant projected shortfall, due in part to massively increased energy costs and also to the costs of essential staff. GCAT and the CatStrand simply can’t stay open without these overheads being covered. In the last few months, we have been unsuccessful in two major funding applications for overheads. In addition, Creative Scotland awarded us 50% of the requested level of funds for our amazing Arts programme, despite their assessors judging us to be "highly recommended for full funding". There just isn’t enough money to go around. Worse still, regional funders continue to concentrate on new project delivery, which is frustrating for established organisations with a proven track record of success in their communities. While we were over the moon to get the funding from the ‘Plugged in Communities’ national fund for our new electric bus, this did bring into sharp focus the fact that finding funding for purchases is easier than funding to keep the lights on. What can we do about it? We’re not at crisis level yet, but tough times are ahead at the CatStrand. Part of the reason we are shutting on Sundays and Mondays through the winter is to save on energy costs – our electricity bill nearly trebled last month as we came out of a fixed term contract. You’ll also see that the printed events programme is much smaller, as we look to cut costs without reducing activities. We know we’re not alone in this – every single employer and community building in the Glenkens will be facing the same challenges. So if you can shop local, attend events or donate to your preferred charity, please do it all makes such a difference. Will you support the CatStrand? To help secure GCAT’s future, we’ve refreshed our Friends scheme as an easy way for people to show their support for all we do. If you like visiting the CatStrand or enjoy our many other projects - whether it’s this free Gazette that keeps you up-to-date, or a live music gig that left you buzzing, or the patient transport service taking a relative to hospital, or a free activity your kids or grandchildren loved, or a craft workshop where you made new friends – please consider becoming a Friend of the CatStrand. A regular gift of £10 a month (or more) really would help us continue to deliver for our communities. We know not everyone can support us in this way right now and we very much appreciate all the different ways that people do support us. But if you feel it’s right for you, please do take a minute now to scan the QR code or visit www.gcat.scot/about-gcat/support-us to sign up. We are very proud of all that GCAT and the CatStrand have achieved over the last 22 years for the Glenkens, and with your support we will safely navigate these tough times into the next 22 successful years. Thank you. Helen Keron, GCAT Executive Manager Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEarts page 25 Local artists study the elusive nightjar E arlier in the year, the Gazette brought you news of the Artful Migration art residency by Ted Leeming and Morag Paterson. We checked in to hear how the conference and exhibition went and their reflections on the project. Morag said: "It has been an incredible few months. It is one of the most challenging residencies we have undertaken artistically, but it is also one of the most rewarding." Ted explained: "Research was an essential element of the project, and I was immediately drawn by the fact that the presence, or not, of nightjars (and many other species, for that matter) is essentially down to the availability of suitable habitat for nesting, together with the availability of food at any given location, along with favourable climatic conditions during migration. "We discovered that in just 270 years, less than 3% of the original deep peat area of the Lochar Mosses remains intact, with the remainder having been drained for agriculture, forestry and the development of infrastructure, housing and industrial parks as the population and needs of Dumfries and the surrounding area have grown. In another example, 97% of hay meadows have disappeared in the UK since 1930. "Habitat loss is a significant contributing factor to insect populations (nightjar food) having reduced by 60-75% across Europe since 1950, which in turn is one of the reasons, together with generational land use change, that has led to the number of birds migrating between Europe and Africa halving from 4.2 to 2.1 billion birds in just a few decades. The numbers were genuinely numbing and profoundly concerning for me and formed a major part of my thinking as we started to produce work for the exhibition. "But we also found evidence that some landowners are implementing incredible nature-based solutions to help address such declines. On the Lochar Mosses, for example, which formed the focus of our residency, Forest and Land Scotland is reverting several hundred hectares of conifer plantation to lowland blanket bog over 25 years. Exemplary projects like this help engage new, positive thinking that will create generational change, and we are seeing an increasing number of inspirational projects of this type across the region." From Morag's point of view, the long, quiet evenings spent waiting for the birds were one of the highlights of the project: "Initially, I was quite worried about what impact the 'night shifts' would have on my ability to function during the day, but I quickly realised that settling into a seated position to watch the sunset, contemplating clear-fell and bog, was both mesmerising and relaxing. I watched backlit bog cotton dancing in the breeze and listened to daytime birds transitioning to night-time birds - nothing to do but wait. Better still, once night fell it was important not to use lights, which ruled out phone use, and we couldn't talk either - an enforced silent vigil. "As soon as the eerie nightjar call (churring) commenced, you could expect a brief fly-by, but would have no idea where the bird would appear or be flying to. Of course, this made filming and photography very tricky, but this turned into a positive aspect that pushed us toward eclectic lines of enquiry." Ted continues: "The conference itself was fascinating and drew a varied audience including scientists, academics, community and artists into a discussion of what we can take forward to increase people's engagement with nature and how artists - and imaginative processes - can take an active role in co-designing and delivering projects across a broad spectrum. "Following a well-attended opening event, over 800 people visited the exhibition in just a few weeks - some folks went three times! We've had some touching feedback, which is always lovely. "We must say a big thank you to everyone who made it possible, without whom we could not have delivered to the extent we were able. "It was a privilege to spend many nights exploring their little-known world, including sharing it with the incredible volunteers who spend summer evenings ringing and geotagging the birds so that we might all better understand population and species changes over time." If you are interested in engaging with nature-based projects such as this, the RSPB, NTS and the British Trust for Ornithology are always looking for new volunteers - get in touch with them via their website, or to find out more abot the Artful Migration project you can contact Morag and Ted at info@ leemingpaterson.com A musical history of the Glenkens P ictured, Dave Paterson spots a much younger Dave among Snow White’s Seven Dwarfs in a 1960s’ New Galloway panto at the 'Music Making in the Glenkens' exhibition at CatStrand. of an early 19th century dance at Corsock to the fiddle players and pipers of the Galloway hill farms and the dance bands of the 1950s. The exhibition, curated by Jo Miller and with photographic production by Ian Biggar, was created as part of the celebrations of Glenkens Music Making in October organised by the Glenkens Story. Exhibits range from a watercolour Photograph taken by Andrew Mellor The exhibition, sponsored by the Glenkens Community Shop, will be touring a number of local venues in 2024. Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEarts page 26 From the Bookroom In 'From the Bookroom' Glenkens-based author of the novel The Road From Damascus and co-author of Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War, Robin Yassin-Kassab, takes readers through some of his favourite books. In this edition Robin speaks about author Khaled Khalifa, friendship and the festive season. F or me, the festive season has nothing much to do with Christianity. I don’t celebrate Christmas religiously – though I send my very best wishes to those who do – but I do celebrate the mid winter feast. In northern Europe, and particularly in Scotland, which can be very dark and gloomy as well as cold, it’s very important, for body, mind and soul, to gather with friends and relatives in a bright and cosy space, to stoke the fire, and to eat and drink the finest fare. It’s a time to celebrate what we’ve got – relationships more than possessions. It’s a time to remember our loved ones, present and absent. This year I’m remembering in particular a good friend, and a great writer – Khaled Khalifa. Khaled wasn’t a Christian (or a believing Muslim either), but there was something of Father Christmas about him. He was plump and warm with fluffy white hair, full of compassion and good cheer. He was a screenwriter, a poet, and Syria’s greatest contemporary novelist. Four of his novels are available in English, and I recommend them very highly. “In Praise of Hatred”, like all of his work, is set in Aleppo and its surrounding villages. The novel illustrates the mutual intolerance of the Baathist regime and violent Islamists as they warred in the 1980s. “No Knives in the Kitchens of This City” extends the time scale, from the multicultural 1920s to the 2003 Iraq war, and it shows the steady disintegration of society under totalitarian dictatorship. The key event of “Nobody Prayed Over Their Graves” is the overnight destruction of a village by flood. Khaled wrote this book during Syria’s counterrevolutionary war, and the flood serves as a metaphor for the sudden loss of life and home suffered by contemporary Syrians. His final novel, “Death is Hard Work” – with a nod to Faulkner’s “As I Lay Dying” – describes a family taking their father home for burial. The journey should take a few hours, but in war conditions, given endless checkpoints and harassments, it stretches on interminably, as the corpse begins to rot. I strongly recommend these books, though they’re not particularly easy reading. They contain complicated plots and even more complex inter-relations between enormous casts of characters. The complexity reflects the layered density of Syrian social life as Khaled saw it. He emphasised the necessity of tolerance within a democratic framework precisely because of this vision. Khaled was only 59 when he died. Probably he ate too much, drank too much, and smoked too much. Probably you could also say that he was too committed to his country, too stubborn or full of love to abandon it. Because he stayed in Damascus all through the revolution and the war, though he was well enough known internationally to gain a visa if he’d wanted to, though most of his friends, if they weren’t killed or imprisoned, managed to flee to safety. I remember Khaled’s laughter, his love of festivity and friendship, and I wish him – and all of you – a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. A D TIMBER SEASONED FIREWOOD FOR SALE HARDWOOD SOFTWOOD KINDLING LOCAL DELIVERY 07884262533 07787416460 唀瀀栀漀氀猀琀攀爀礀Ⰰ 䰀漀漀猀攀 䌀漀瘀攀爀猀Ⰰ 䘀愀戀爀椀挀猀Ⰰ 䌀甀猀栀椀漀渀猀 刀攀昀椀氀氀攀搀 䘀爀攀攀 䔀猀琀椀洀愀琀攀猀 吀栀攀 圀漀爀欀猀栀漀瀀Ⰰ 䴀漀渀礀戀甀椀攀Ⰰ 䌀漀爀猀漀挀欀⸀ 䐀䜀㜀 ㌀䐀夀 眀眀眀⸀䠀愀爀爀椀猀ⴀ唀瀀栀漀氀猀琀攀爀礀⸀挀漀⸀甀欀 ㄀㘀㐀㐀 㐀㐀 㔀㈀㤀 Family and friends coming to stay? Short of space? Cosy country cottage available (sleeps 4) Call Fiona on 01644 420 227 or 07789 903127 www.covenanters-holidaycottagescotland.co.uk Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEarts page 27 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEarts page 28 Gallovidian Gathering local music extravaganza returns this December F ollowing on from the success of its sold-out event in May, the Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival is hosting another Gallovidian Gathering at Castle Douglas Town Hall. Come along on Saturday 23 December to celebrate with a new spin on the auld cultural traditions of the region. Through an immersive night of timetravel, eating, drinking, dancing and seasonal merriment, you’ll gain an insight into some of the most innovative and exciting sounds coming out of Scotland. Headlining the evening celebrating local artists will be Samson Sounds, showcasing how they bring their Gallovidian roots to the world stage with their positive dance floor vibrations. Using a combination of voice, guitar, percussion and brass with electronic musicality they bring a wide range of grooves and energy into any situation. The band has grown through the rich UK Soundsystem culture, playing and performing in venues and festivals nationally and internationally. They'll perform alongside a massive lineup of other genre bending musicians, DJs and traditional performers curated by the team to showcase and cultivate connections to the vibrant and authentic culture of Castle Douglas and the Stewartry. Featuring the loudest and brightest exports of Gallovidia, the night will include drum and bass outfit Bass Injection featuring Wends, The Xenalaliens, Iron Aye Hifi, who will bring audiences all the tribal beats needed to bring together modern day Gallovidians to celebrate the winter solstice and the turning of the wheel of the year, as our ancestors have done before us. With a full bar provided by Sulwath Brewery and more acts to be announced, join them for a night to relight local town halls and bring music back to the heart of the region. Liam Russell, event producer at the Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival, stated: “The Gallovidian Gathering is a call to arms to the people of Galloway. We have such a rich and diverse heritage that has cultural implications that run so deep that we may not even notice them in the everyday. We believe that the Gallovidian Gathering is a platform to celebrate what it means to be Gallovidian, and reconnect with our past to shape our future.” The event is produced by Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival’s own Liam Russell and DJ McDowall of the Imaginarium and co-curated by Tom Spirals. Their aim is to celebrate the cultural traditions of the Stewartry and bring life back to the town halls that communities have missed in recent years. This is a night curated by communities for communities and showcases the incredible depth of artistic expertise of all those involved. Tickets can be purchased at www. dgartsfestival.org.uk and may also be available on the door; however, tickets sold out quickly at the summer event so audiences are advised to purchase in advance to avoid disappointment. The Gallovidian Gathering is funded by the Holywood Trust, the National Lottery Young Start and the William Grant Foundation. The D&G Arts Festival Team Photographs are from May's Gallovidian Gathering in Castle Douglas Town Hall Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEhistory page 29 The Covenanters of the Glenkens Carn Publishing Ltd www.carnpublishing.com/glenkens UK £15.00 RRP December, and that I will be able to offer it there to save people postage costs." The book can also be ordered direct from David by emaiing him at The Covenanters of the Glenkens David S. Bartholomew dsbart92@gmail.com, by calling 07762 083 703, or by post with a cheque made out to David Bartholomew for £10.80, sent to Craigend Cottage, Broughton, Biggar ML12 6HH. WINDY STANDARD LOOKING FORWARD TO 2024 S eason’s greetings from all the team at Fred. Olsen Renewables. We are looking forward to 2024 and hope that this will bring forward a range of activity at Windy Standard Wind Farm. Scottish Ministers granted Windy Standard III consent in March 2021. This comprises the northern Meaul Hill Cluster with 12 x 177.5m turbines and the southern Waterhead Hill Cluster with 8 x 125m turbines. The project is progressing well towards construction, and we are working to discharge our planning conditions. To ensure that the site can be delivered efficiently and can achieve the greatest capacity, we have applied to the Scottish Government to vary the consent – proposing to increase the tip height of the 12 turbines in the northern Meaul Hill Cluster to 180m to tip. This allows us to bring forward the site using readily available turbine technology. This is currently open for consultation representations. All of the documents can be found at www. windystandardwindfarm.co.uk. Please get in touch if you have any questions. communities@ fredolsen.com / 07435 763 900. Advertisement "Although retailing from Carn Publishing at £15, I am offering it for an initial price of £8 plus £2.80 postage and packing. I hope it will be ready for distribution by the time of the Guild Christmas Coffee Morning in New Galloway Town Hall on Wednesday 6 David Bartholomew grew up in Edinburgh within the well-known map making family. After gaining a geology degree from St Andrews University, he went on to complete a PhD at Leicester University involving fieldwork in Chilean Patagonia. After working for five years as a government geologist in Zimbabwe, he felt the call to Christian ministry and returned to Scotland where he studied for a divinity degree at Aberdeen University. In 1994 he was ordained as Church of Scotland minister of the Glenkens and served there as parish minister for nearly 28 years. He is married to Heidi and has three children. He retired in 2022 and now lives near Broughton in the Scottish Borders. David S. Bartholomew David said: "One of my early retirement projects has come to fruition with this book which gathers up the stories shared in our annual conventicles over the past 20 years. It rather grew in the writing and expanded beyond these stories, ending up 186 pages in length! I hope it will be back from the printers by early December. The parishes of the Glenkens in northern Kirkcudbrightshire were at the heart of support for the Covenanting movement in seventeenth century Scotland and suffered greatly in the latter half of that century when the king and the political leadership of the country sought to suppress that movement and impose the Episcopalian system of church government on the people. In this book the writer explores the historical context of those days and introduces us to some of the inspiring, though often tragic, stories from those times, offering us a window into the world of the people of that day. The Covenanters of the Glenkens W ell known former Dalry resident and retired Glenkens Church of Scotland minister David Bartholomew has written a new book, The Covenanters of the Glenkens. Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation Glass Recycling Points • Balmaclellan Stores, Balmaclellan • Memorial Hall, St Michael's Road, Crossmichael • Kirkland Street, St John's Town of Dalry • New Galloway, Carson's Knowe Car Park • St David Street, Kirkpatrick Durham USEFUL NUMBERS ● Pothole Hotline: 0845 276 0000 page 30 MINUTES/REPORTS OF COMMUNITY BENEFIT SPENDING ● Police, non-emergency: 101 or email stewartryCPT@ scotland.police.uk GLENKENS DISTRICT TRUST (GDT) www.glenkenstrust.org.uk/gdtcorporate-information ● Doctor: 01644 420 234 CARSPHAIRN RENEWABLE ENERGY FUND LTD (CREFL) www.carsphairn.org/CREFLArchive ● NHS 24: 08454 24 24 24 ● D&G Council: 030 33 33 3000 Local Job Vacancies Up-to-date job and volunteering opportunities can be found online at the Glenkens Hub on www.glenkens.scot There are some remote working opportunities as Natural Power at the moment; check out their vacancies page! The 'UK Office/Hybrid' roles have a UK office base, so here in the Glenkens that office would be the Green House on Forrest Estate. Visit www.naturalpower.com/uk/careers CAB outreach clinics are held fortnightly on a Monday at the Glenkens Community Centre, Dalry, and fortnightly on a Tuesday at CatStrand, New Galloway. ADVERTISE IN THE GAZETTE Advanced Massage Practitioner (price per issue incl VAT) SMALL: 6cm x 6cm, £50 1/4 PAGE: 9cm w x 13cm h, £108 1/2 PAGE: 18cm w x 13cm h, £200 FULL PAGE: 18cm w x 27cm h, £332 Please get in touch further details including small business/ charity rates and series discounts. Email glenkensgazette@ hotmail.co.uk or call/ WhatsApp 07727 127 997 VAT Reg. No. 334 0905 24 THE STEWARTRY VETERINARY CENTRE CASTLE DOUGLAS SURGERY HOURS GLENKENS MEDICAL PRACTICE DALBEATTIE SURGERY HOURS General Medical & Dispensing Services FOR APPOINTMENTS AT BOTH SURGERIES OR IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY The Surgery High Street New Galloway Mon-Fri 2.00-2.30 pm & 5-6 pm Mon-Fri 8.30am-6pm Sat 2-2.30 pm Mon, Wed, Fri 3-3.30 pm Tues & Thurs 6-6.30 pm  01556 502263 VETERINARY SURGERY OAKWELL ROAD CASTLE DOUGLAS  FOR APPOINTMENTS CALL 01644 420234 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation page 31 USEFUL GLENKENS CONTACTS DOCTORS’ SURGERY Glenkens Medical Practice - 01644 420 234 COMMUNITY CONTACTS • Balmaclellan: Martin Warnock - 07939 261 391 • Carsphairn: Liz Holmes - 07718 358 160 • Corsock: Julie Garton - 07769 647 702 • Kirkpatrick Durham: Heather - 07551 639 629 • Crossmichael: Richard Middleton - 01556 670 691 • Dalry: Graham West 01644 430 503 • New Galloway: 07741 656 601 • Parton: Tom 07835821976 FOOD DELIVERIES • Galloway Foodbank 07730 788 335 • Galloway Food Hub - glenkens.scot/localdirectory-listing/glenkensfood-hub • Ballards Butchers 01556 502502 (they also deliver groceries) • Grierson’s Butchers: 01556 502 637 • Henderson’s Butchers: 01556 502 654 • Mitchell’s Greengrocers: 01556 502 077 • Fleet Fish: call 07966 103 912 to find out about Glenkens delivery days • Roan’s Dairy - 01556 620 374 • Harris & Co: www. harrisandco.uk LOCAL ORGANISATIONS/GROUPS Glenkens Community Shop: Helen Crowther on 0790 467 8599 or drop by the shop on Main Street, Dalry Glenkens Scout Group: Contact Heather McIntosh on 01644 420 375 Local Initiatives in New Galloway (LING): Contact newgallowaytownhall@gmail.com Dalry Communities Properties Trust (DCPT): Contact Gary Blissett at garyblissett51@gmail.com or 01644 430 521 Dalry Town Hall: Contact Lesley Blissett at lesleyblissett52@gmail.com Glenkens Community Centre: Contact Sarah McAdam on minimac01644@gmail.com Lagwyne Hall: Contact lagwynehallsecretary@outlook.comfor info, or to book email lagwynehallbooking@gmail.com New Galloway Community Enterprises (NGCE): Contact ngce5000@gmail.com or pop into New Galloway Community Shop Balmaclellan Community Trust: Contact Julia Higgins at julia.higgins55@outlook.com CatStrand: Contact info@catstrand.com or 01644 420 374 or pop in to the CatStrand Schools: Visit the school office or call Dalry Primary on 01644 430 105 (for Nursery/ELC too), Dalry Secondary on 01644 430 259 or Kells on 01644 420 340 Carsphairn Heritage Initiative: Contact Ben Ade at carsphairnhi@gmail.com Galloway Food Hub: Contact Lesley Atkins on lesley@propagate.org.uk or 07587 122 151 Bairn Banter: Contact Melissa on bairnbanter@outlook.com or 07979 492 791 If you would like to add your community organisation to this list please get in touch with the Gazette - contact details are on the back page. GLENKENS CHURCH TIMES CHURCH OF SCOTLAND Sunday Services SCOTTISH EPISCOPAL CHURCH St Margaret's Church, New Galloway, DG7 3RP Balmaclellan: 3 Dec, 11am (morning worship & communion) Sundays at 10.30am: Holy Communion with refreshments after the service Carsphairn: 10 Dec - morning worship, 11am & Carols by Candlelight, 6.30pm; 31 Dec, 11am Kells: 17 Dec, 11am ; 23 Dec - Toddlers Christmas Event, 5pm; 25 Dec, 11am Thursdays 7.30-8pm: Zoom Evening Prayers. Please contact Dawn for the link Dalry: 22 Dec - 10am, School Christmas Service; 24 Dec - morning worship, 11.30am & Watchnight service, 11.30pm) For further information contact Rev Pam Bellis on 07751 379 249 or pam@bellisconsultancy.co.uk Tuesdays at 11am: Informal midweek service with refreshments and chat Advent & Christmas Services: Advent Carol Service, Sun 17 Dec, 10.30am; Carols by Candlelight, Fri 22 Dec, 4pm; Family Nativity, Sun 24 Dec, 3-3.30pm; Christmas Day, Mon 25 Dec, 10.30am For further information call Dawn on 01644 420 431 or visit www.stmargaretsnewgalloway.org GAZETTEinformation Glenkens Gazette Firewood logs & Wood Products for Sale From Carsphairn Community Woodland A range of products are available from our community sawmill Contact us with your requirements ï Free local delivery ï Enquiries to: Tel: 07710 124 255 Carsphairn Community Woodland Limited is commi�ed to acquiring, developing and managing local woodlands in a sustainable and environmentally sound way for the long-term benefit of the local community. Website: www.carsphairn.org/CCWL Company Limited by Guarantee SC591976 About our Christmas Shop We will be running as normal in the lead up to Christmas. Pre-order your Christmas shop and collect from our usual van stops. All orders must be placed before Sunday the 17th December. Christmas range is now available on our website. We will be closed from the 24th December until the 8th of January. So please order ahead for Hogmanay. WWW.WCSPLTD.CO.UK 01557 330789 page 32 GAZETTEinformation Glenkens Gazette page 33 GALLOWAY COMMUNITY TRANSPORT www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org email gct@catstrand.com phone 07841 512449 (Jon) or 07704 662925 (Sue) December 2023 - January 2023 Regular Services Excursions GK2 Glenkens-Castle Douglas (Tesco) Wednesday Evenings (Registered Route) Out Return 19:00 Dalry (Underhill) 21:15 19:05 New Galloway 21:10 19:15 Mossdale 21:00 19:25 Laurieston 20:50 19:30 Townhead of Greenlaw 20:47 19:37 Castle Douglas (Market St) 20:37 19:40 Castle Douglas (Tesco) 20:35 Booking not required Glenkens to Newton Stewart Fortnightly - Tuesday mornings Outward Pickups: Dalry (Underhill) 09:30 New Galloway (Town Hall) 09:35 CatStrand) 09:37 To Aldi Return Pickup Newton Stewart (Aldi Car Park) 11:30 Return fare £3.50 Advance booking required. DRIVERS NEEDED Galloway Community Transport needs your help to provide a wide range of community transport services across the Stewartry and beyond. MINIBUS DRIVING Minibus drivers with D1 (101 or by test) are needed to do volunteer and paid driving for our wide range of member community groups. PATIENT TRANSPORT We also urgently need drivers with their own cars for our patient transport service. Our volunteer patient transport drivers receive a generous mileage reimbursement and the satisfaction of providing a vital service to vulnerable people in our communities. Interested? Email gct@catstrand.com or phone 07841 512449 Member Hire GCT has 16-, 15-, and 8-seater minibuses and a fully wheelchair accessible electric car available for hire by community organisations. For information about membership and terms and conditions of hire see the GCT website or phone 07841 512449 www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation WHAT'S ON page 34 December/January Turn to P8 for Together in the Glenkens Dec/Jan activities... DECEMBER Fri 1, Quiz Night, 7.15, Laurieston Village Hall Sat 2, Robyn Stapleton: Songs of Winter, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sat 2, CatStrand Shopping Night, 6-9pm Sat 2, Christmas Craft Fair, Mossdale Village Hall, 11am-3pm Sun 3, Jax’s Christmas Lunch, 12noon -1.30pm, New Galloway Town Hall. Booking essential – Jax on 07501400333 Sun 3, Lights-On Walk down New Galloway High Street, 4.30pm at New Galloway Golf Club Car park (hot chocolate on offer), to CatStrand (mulled wine and Christmas songs from CatStrand singers) Sun 3, Corsock Craft Fair, 11am-3pm, Corsock Village Hall Sun 3, Sunday Lunch, 12noon, New Galloway Town Hall Mon 4, Menopause Really Matters, 7pm, The Smiddy, Balmaclellan Mon 4, Dalry CC Meeting, 7pm, Dalry Town Hall Mon 4, Citizens Advice drop-in, 10am4pm, Glenkens Community Centre, Dalry Wed 6, Dalry Film Club: The Age of Innocence, 7pm, Dalry Town Hall Wed 6, Guild Christmas Coffee Morning, 10.30am-12noon, New Galloway Town Hall Thu 7, Stewartry Birdwatchers talk, 10.30am, Balmaclellan Village Hall Thu 7, GCT Bus Trip: Christmas Shopping Trip to Glasgow, see p33 Fri 8, 15 & 22, Galloway Food Hub Shop opens for online orders, see p5 Sat 9, Glenkens Producers Market, 10am1pm, Dalry Town Hall Sat 9, GCT Bus Trip: Christmas Shopping Trip to Glasgow, see p33 Sat 9, Parkinson’s Fundraiser, 12-2pm, Laurieston Village Hall Sun 10, Carols by Candlelight, 5.30pm, Carsphairn Church Mon 11, Kells CC Meeting, 7pm, New Galloway Town Hall Sun 24, Family Nativity, 3pm, St Margaret’s Church, New Galloway Mon 11, A Concert of Traditional Music, 8pm, Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn, free entry Sun 31, Hogmanay Community Ceilidh, 7.30pm–12.30am, New Galloway Town Hall, BYOB and nibbles Tue 12, Citizens Advice drop-in, 10am4pm, CatStrand Wed 13, Crossmichael CC Meeting, 7pm, Crossmichael Thu 14, Ken Words: Writers’ Café, 7pm, CatStrand Fri 15, Songwave Choir: Under a Star Filled Night, 7pm, New Galloway Town Hall Sat 16, Community Cafe, 10am-1pm, Dalry Town Hall Sat 16, Vika's Ukranian Buffet, 6pm, Dalry Town Hall, see p15 Sat 16, Glenkens Childre’ns Christmas Party, 2pm, Balmaclellan Village Hall Su 17, Advent Carol Service, 10.30am, St Margaret’s Church, New Galloway JANUARY Fi 5, Song Share, 7.30pm, Dalry Town Hall Sun 7, Jax’s Sunday Lunch, New Galloway Town Hall, booking essential – Jax on 07501 400 333 Tue 9 & 23, Citizens Advice drop-in, 10am4pm, CatStrand Thu 11, Stewartry Birdwatchers talk: Birds, Butterflies & Moths, 10.30am, Balmaclellan Village Hall Thu 11, Ken Words: Writers’ Café, 7pm, CatStrand Sun 17, Christmas Celebration Service, 4pm, Balmaghie Kirk Fri 12, Rachel Walker & Aaron Jones: Despite the Wind & Rain, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sun 17, Christmas Grotto, 11am-2pm, CatStrand Sat 13, Glenkens Producers Market, 10am-1pm, Dalry Town Hall Sun 17, Glenkens Youth Group Christmas Party, 6pm, CatStrand Sat 13, Bob’s Bingo, 4–6pm, New Galloway Town Hall, complete with traybakes – a return of this popular family event – all ages welcome - £1 a strip. Contact Jackie on 07749 249781 Sun 17, Nine Lessons & Carols, 6.30pm, Parton Kirk Sun 17, Pub Quiz, 7pm, Clachan Inn, Dalry Sun 17, Santa’s Grotto, 11am-2pm, CatStrand Mon 18, Citizens Advice drop-in, 10am4pm, Glenkens Community Centre, Dalry Mon 18, Corsock & KPD CC Meeting, 7.30pm, Corsock Village Hall Tue 19, Senior Citizens Christmas Lunch (New Galloway & Kells), 1pm, New Galloway Town Hall, contact Jackie on 07749 249 781 to book Wed 20, Dalry Film Club: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, 7pm, Dalry Town Hall Wed 20, Balmaghie CC Meeting, 7pm, Balmaghie Public Hall Thu 21, Midwinter Ceilidh with Whirligig, 7.30pm, Dalry Town Hall Fri 22, Carols by Candlelight, 4pm, St Margaret’s Church, New Galloway Sat 23, Gallovidian Gathering, Castle Douglas Town Hall, see p28 Mon 15, Citizens Advice drop-in, 10am4pm, Glenkens Community Centre, Dalry Fri 19, Carsphairn Burns Supper, 7pm, Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn Wed 24, Dalry Film Club: Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance with Somebody, 7pm, Dalry Town Hall Sun 28, Pub Quiz, 7pm, Ken Bridge Hotel Mon 29, GCAT AGM, 7.30pm, CatStrand, see p8 Mon 29, Citizens Advice drop-in, 10am4pm, Glenkens Community Centre, Dalry FEBRUARY Thu 1, For the Love of Robert Burns: Claudia Wood & Katherine Durran, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sat 3, CatStrand Burns Supper, 7.30pm, CatStrand For up-to-date information visit the Glenkens Hub at www.glenkens.scot Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation page 35 REGULAR EVENTS & OPENING TIMES Balmaclellan Village Hall Tuesday Afternoon Teas, 1st Tues each month, to book email warburton.julie@ googlemail.com Glenkens Crafters, Wed 10am-12noon, for info contact julia.higgins55@outlook. com Books in Balmaclellan Community Library, Wed 10.30–12.30; Fri 6-7pm; Sat 10.30am-2.30pm (tea & coffee available on Sat). Tai Chi, Wed 2-3pm Balmaclellan Blether, 3rd Thu each month, contact warburton.julie@ googlemail.com Yoga, Thu, 6pm, kathyr64@hotmail.co.uk Glenkens Art Workshop, Thu, 2-4pm Zumba, Fri, 6.30-7.30pm The Men's Shed, Balmaclellan Opening Times: Monday, 9.30am - 12.30pm Wednesday, 9.30am - 12.30pm, Wood Carving, 2-4pm Thursday, Art Group, 2-4pm Friday, 9.30am - 12.30pm Saturday, 9am - 12noon Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn Monday Morning Social, 11am-2pm, come along for a blether, or bring a board game/cards, etc. Refreshments available. Call 07710 124 255 or email carsphairn.trust@gmail.com Carsphairn SWI, 3rd Thu of the month, 7.30pm,Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn Craft Group, Fri 10am-12noon, includes tea & coffee, Lagwyne Hall, contact carsphairncraftgroup@gmail.com Bairn Banter; family stay & play session, 0-7 years, Sat 10-11.45am CatStrand, New Galloway Winter opening hours: 11am-4pm Tue-Sat Art Ambassadors (age 11+), Mon biweekly, 4.30-5.30pm Behind the Scenes, bi-weekly, Mondays 5.30–6pm Power Yoga, Tue, 9am, kathyr64@ hotmail.co.uk Citizens Advice Drop-ins, every other Tue, 10am-4pm Weekly Bus Service to Tesco, Wednesday eve 7pm Dramarama, (age 6-10), Wed 4-5pm Up Skills: Musical Theatre, (age 15+), Wed 5-5.30pm Young Writers Cafe, (age 12+), Wed 6-7.30pm, monthly Piano Lessons, weekly, term time 4pm – 6.30pm CatStrand Singers, Thu 11am-12noon Dance Steps (age 10-18yrs), Sat monthly, 2-5pm Art Explorers, (age under 10yrs), Sat biweekly 10-11am Art Club, (age 11-16yrs), Sat bi-weekly 11.15am-12.30pm Youth Players Panto rehearsals, (10 yrs plus), weekly, Sun 3– 5.30pm The Smiddy, Balmaclellan Margaret Morris Movement: Health Play (age 5-8), Mon (during term time), 3.45-4.30pm Margaret Morris Movement: Youth Grade (age 8-15), Mon (during term time), 4.30-5.30pm Glenkens Ukelele Group, Wed, 6.308pm Taste of Music, monthly, 10-11am (under 10yrs) Mini Music Makers, family session, montly 11.45pm -12.30pm (under 7yrs) Weekly Ukuele, guitar & keyboard lessons, 12.30–4pm (6-16 yrs) Musical Misfits, group singing class, biweekly, 10.30 – 11.30pm New Galloway Town Hall Men’s Monday Morning Coffee, Mon 9.3011am. Contact rtdglaister@aol.com Margaret Morris Movement, (adults), Mon 2.20–3.20pm, contact SaraShackleton26@ gmail.com Tai Chi, Mon 7–8pm, contact petchy2@ btinternet.com LING Lunches, (all welcome) Tue 12.30–2pm Hubbub, Thu 11am–2pm, activities from jam-making to Christmas wreaths (lunch provided) Sports Evening, Tue 7–9pm, carpet bowls or table tennis, contact raymond.bridgeman@ btinternet.com Zumba, Wed 6.30–7.30pm, contact 07544 700 566 Martial Arts, (children), Thu 7.30-9pm, contact kmabrian@gmail.com or just turn up. For further info email jackie. communityinclusion.LING@gmail. com or phone 07749 249781 or visit newgallowaytownhall.com @ Local Initiatives in New Galloway on Facebook Glenkens Community Centre Citizens Advice Drop-ins, every other Mon, 10am-4pm Dalry Good Neighbours Club, Tue, 2-4pm, contact Michelle on 07795 613 148 Clachan Crafters, Thu 2-4pm, contact Sarah on 07500 861 041 Kickback Martial Arts, Thu, 7-9pm Song Share, 1st Friday each month, 8-11pm, contact anne.chaurand@ btinternet.com Yoga For All, Fr 9.15-10.15am, contact Amy on 07733 111 466 Friendship Group, Sat (excluding Glenkens Producers Market days), 1011.30am, contact Anne on 01644 430 052 Table Tennis/Badminton, available to hire by arrangement, contact Sarah on 07500 861 041 Glenkens Charity Shop Winter Opening Times: Mon 10am-1pm Wed, Fri & Sat 10am-4pm Dalry Library Main St, Dalry, Tel: 01644 430 234 Tuesday Parent -Toddler Sessions restart end Aug, Tue,10.30-11:30am Glenkens Book Group, last Friday of each month, 2pm, call June to book on 01644 420 361 Library Opening Times: Tue, 2-5pm, for books and other walk-in Fri, 11.30am-12.30pm for NEC Bus Pass and Blue Badge appointments and PCs, and 1-4.30pm for books and other walkin services: appointments can be booked in the library or on 01387 260 196. Dalry Town Hall Tai Chi, video-led instruction, Mon, 2-3pm, contact lesleyblissett52@gmail. com Dog Training, Tue, 7-8pm, contact Eric Broadhurst on 07831 590 822 Various Glenkens Youth Group, Mon, 7-8.30pm, Dalry School (or Glenkens Community Centre) Cosy Corner, Tue, 1-5pm, Crossmichael Church Hall, contact Anne on 07889 016 963 Crossmichael Heritage Centre, Wed & Fri, 1.30-4.30pm Cub Scouts, Wed 6.15-7.30pm, Scout Hall, New Galloway Dragon Boats on Loch Ken, Sun 9.30am12.30pm, Galloway Activity Centre, Parton Knockvennie Hall Heat Bank & Snooker Club, contact Andrew on 01556 690 677 Outdoor Bowls, Dalry, contact Fiona Ramsay on 07500 554 751 Snooker/Indoor Bowls, contact Gary on 01644 430 521 For up-to-date information visit the Glenkens Hub at www.glenkens.scot Glenkens Gazette page 36 This winter at the CatStrand I t's been a an exceptionally busy year this year for CatStrand Arts and we do hope you've enjoyed it! We've definitely bounced back from Covid, seeing our highest audiences on record this year. We've averaged two events per week, selling over 4,000 tickets over the year (not including the Young Creatives - see update on that on p23). Some highlights of our Creative Scotland-funded programme this year were: • Storming gigs by HENGE, Samson Sounds, Blue Giant Orkestar & Pictish Trail. • Sell-out shows by international-quality audiences like Kris Drever, Martin Simpson, Kiki Dee, FARA, Ross Ainslie, Ali Hutton & Jenn Butterworth. • D&G-based artists rightly forming a central part of the programme including The Village & The Road, Sanchez & Rigg, Gavin Marwick & Friends, and slow tours by A The Way to Galloway & The Bookshop Band. • Some ridiculously funny evenings with George Egg & Patrick Monahan. • A Dark Sky Jazz weekend of unforgettable musicianship. Theatre and Dance remained a strong part of our programme this year of course. We benefitted from being included on tours supported by Creative Scotland's Touring Fund and through DG Arts Festival. Hightlights included Battery Park, Women Walking, Help! I think I'm a Nationalist, 4 Go Wild In Wellies, Make Up & Pibroch - all of them amazing to watch. Locally-driven projects form a significant part of our work, supported through our Cultural Communities programme. Talented individuals and groups bring their significant expertise and enthusiasm to deliver a programme of events that is of an extremely high standard and firmly rooted in the Glenkens. The Cultural Communities programme this year included Ken Words, Write On, Clachan Folk Sessions, CatStrand Singers, the SongWave Choir, Watson Birds, a rolling exhibition in partnership with South West Scotland Print Makers, and of course the very popular Glenkens history events. Despite all of this, pressure on arts funding nationally does leave us in a somewhat precarious position (please see article on p24 for more on this, and how you can support the CatStrand). It is clear that we have something very special and valuable in the CatStrand. Its intimate hall allows a real connection and warmth between the artists and audiences. Although there are many small community venues, WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Submit events, activities, news stories, cartoons, reviews, tips & techniques, fiction, photos, ads or ideas... Contact Sarah Ade on 07727 127 997 or glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk CatStrand is one of a very small number sustaining a regular programme of touring arts. The support shown by our staff, volunteers and audience members means there is a real sense of community ownership of the venue. Artists frequently comment that it's been their favourite gig on their tour, and how welcomed they felt by the audiences and venue. It's something quite valuable and worth protecting. Please do keep supporting us by coming to events, stopping for lunch, buying something from the shop or exhibition or joining the Friends scheme - we very much appreciate it, and look forward to seeing you next year! Keep up to date: @Catstrand on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or sign up here to have the programme emailed to you: https://gcat.scot/about-gcat/support-us Peter Renwick Creative Director: CatStrand Arts Pictured are Kiki Dee (top) and Henge (above) performing at the CatStrand Editing & Design: sarah.ade@gmail.com FEB/MAR COPY DEADLINE: 5 JAN The Glenkens Gazette is an initiative of the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust, a Registered Scottish Charity No SC032050 The role of the Gazette is to represent the voice of the community and does not represent the views of GCAT.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette 139 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GG_139 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Glenkens Gazette Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource GCAT Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2023 Description An account of the resource Editor: Sarah Ade