Isn’t the weather just maddening right now; warm, summery, cold, wet, windy and even snow; as Crowded House sang in 1992, “Four Seasons in One Day”; clearly intended as a metaphor in the song, but apparently becoming a reality as we struggle to know what to wear when leaving the house in the morning. It’s never been like this before?
If you remember last year, we had a scorching March followed by a freezing April and then storms in May. This year, a warm and dry February followed by a freezing March and, as I am writing on 23rd May, snow blizzards.
As the old saying goes, “Ne’er cast a clout till May be out”, commonly used but what of the meaning? Generally the accepted interpretation would be, don’t discard your warm winter clothing until the month of May is behind us. However, another interpretation exists that makes more sense, by tying the changing seasons with nature; that you should take the same precaution regarding your apparel until the Hawthorn, also known as the May Tree, is in full bloom, thus signalling the beginning of summer. There you go, you learn something every day.
Still on the weather front (no pun intended), I happened to bump into a village worthy this morning and, in discussing the chilly start to the day, he recalled 1976 when they had to stop work on the 2nd June because of a snow blizzard. However, that year then turned out to be one of the hottest summers on record, with the temperature sitting above 80’C for four weeks mid June and into July. Maybe our selective memory recall makes us believe that things right now are a little random, but in fact it may not really be that different at all; expressed more eloquently, “It was one of those perfect Spring days which occur more frequently in memory than in life.” And, staying with quotes, Charles Dickens said, “Spring is the time of year when it is summer in the sun and winter in the shade”; isn’t that just how it feels right now. Therefore, remaining optimistic and knowing that the trouble with weather forecasting is that it’s right too often for us to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it, let’s just hope; hope for a recurrence of ‘76 and keep the sunscreen and BBQ tongs at the ready.
June is the month for lots of fun at the various gala days and shows in the local area. We’ve got Lilias Day in Kilbarchan, Bridge of Weir’s Gala Day followed by their Gala Week events, Bishopton Gala Day and events, Kilbarchan Agricultural Show, Houston Agricultural Show and Accord Hospice Summer Fayre. Apologies if we’ve missed any - please make sure we get the details next year! Go to our village news pages and our diary to get details of when and where these various events take place.
Lastly, but by no means least, we were also delighted to hear that this month Gibb Stuart celebrates being in their “new” shop in Bridge of Weir for 20 years. However, their history in the area is far longer - in 1880 William Gibb Stuart established himself in the villages of Kilmacolm and Bridge of Weir as an Ironmonger, Painter and Decorator. The business is now managed by the fourth generation with the fifth in hot pursuit; more on this inside our June issue.
Tuesday 28 May 2013
Wednesday 1 May 2013
This month..... May
The closing paragraph in my editorial last month seems to have resulted in a mix of confusion and rapturous laughter; for those left in confusion, I have to apologise.
A competition was proposed, “How long can you sustain a chip on the shoulder?” It would be fair to say that in the following weeks our mailbox did not overfloweth with application form requests. Obviously our readers are far too astute to be drawn into such a nonsensical suggestion and realized it was simply the aspirations of a beleaguered April Fool.
However, there’s no need for make-believe at this time of the year since this is the season of Fun Days and Galas, therefore we’re not short of local events and activities; mostly held on a Saturday, unless otherwise stated...
11th May: Kilmacolm & Port Glasgow Agricultural Show, locally referred to as The Knapps Show (see page 32/59).
11th May: Houston Kirk Carnival Day (page 41)
18th May: Woodlands Nursery (Houston) Fun Day (page 41/47).
18th May: Elderslie Kirk Fete (page 38).
1st June: Kilbarchan Lilias Day (page 37 & more info next month ).
1st June: Houston & Killellan Agricultural Show (page 40).
8th June: Bridge of Weir Gala Day & Parade, followed by Gala Week (see next month for details).
8th June: Lochwinnoch Gala Day (page 36).
15th June: Kilmacolm Old Kirk Fete (page 32).
15th June: Bishopton Gala Day, preceded by Gala Week.
15th June: Kilbarchan Agricultural Show.
Apologies if we’ve missed any. If there are no specific details in this issue, we’ll feature more information of the events held in June in our next edition of The Gryffe Advertizer.
I take this opportunity, on behalf of the whole community, to thank the many dozens of volunteers who freely give up their time throughout the year planning and organising these events. And, if you’re someone who’d like to get involved, then I’m sure you’d be welcomed with open arms ... go on!
And lastly, as a regular reminder, we want to hear from you if you’ve done something wonderful, if you are planning a fund raising event, if you’ve got news to share, or even if you’re looking for help with something. Our readers are always eager to hear what’s happening and eager to help if they can. And the best thing is, there’s no cost from us to do this!
The Advertizer is the ideal platform to communicate with your community as we reach over 14,000 homes and businesses in the Gryffe area.
Send your news and photos to info@advertizer.co.uk or by post to The Advertizer, Neva Place, Bridge of Weir, PA11 3PN.
Next deadline Friday 17th May!
The closing paragraph in my editorial last month seems to have resulted in a mix of confusion and rapturous laughter; for those left in confusion, I have to apologise.
A competition was proposed, “How long can you sustain a chip on the shoulder?” It would be fair to say that in the following weeks our mailbox did not overfloweth with application form requests. Obviously our readers are far too astute to be drawn into such a nonsensical suggestion and realized it was simply the aspirations of a beleaguered April Fool.
However, there’s no need for make-believe at this time of the year since this is the season of Fun Days and Galas, therefore we’re not short of local events and activities; mostly held on a Saturday, unless otherwise stated...
11th May: Kilmacolm & Port Glasgow Agricultural Show, locally referred to as The Knapps Show (see page 32/59).
11th May: Houston Kirk Carnival Day (page 41)
18th May: Woodlands Nursery (Houston) Fun Day (page 41/47).
18th May: Elderslie Kirk Fete (page 38).
1st June: Kilbarchan Lilias Day (page 37 & more info next month ).
1st June: Houston & Killellan Agricultural Show (page 40).
8th June: Bridge of Weir Gala Day & Parade, followed by Gala Week (see next month for details).
8th June: Lochwinnoch Gala Day (page 36).
15th June: Kilmacolm Old Kirk Fete (page 32).
15th June: Bishopton Gala Day, preceded by Gala Week.
15th June: Kilbarchan Agricultural Show.
Apologies if we’ve missed any. If there are no specific details in this issue, we’ll feature more information of the events held in June in our next edition of The Gryffe Advertizer.
I take this opportunity, on behalf of the whole community, to thank the many dozens of volunteers who freely give up their time throughout the year planning and organising these events. And, if you’re someone who’d like to get involved, then I’m sure you’d be welcomed with open arms ... go on!
And lastly, as a regular reminder, we want to hear from you if you’ve done something wonderful, if you are planning a fund raising event, if you’ve got news to share, or even if you’re looking for help with something. Our readers are always eager to hear what’s happening and eager to help if they can. And the best thing is, there’s no cost from us to do this!
The Advertizer is the ideal platform to communicate with your community as we reach over 14,000 homes and businesses in the Gryffe area.
Send your news and photos to info@advertizer.co.uk or by post to The Advertizer, Neva Place, Bridge of Weir, PA11 3PN.
Next deadline Friday 17th May!
This month............ April
It can sometimes be quite shocking as to what comes through your front door first thing in the morning!
I recently received mail which can only be described as ‘bonkers’ - the junk in circulation is truly astounding. We seem to be bombarded relentlessly, not just with mail, but also spam email, misleading adverts, dodgy doorstep callers and telephone scams. Every year the British public loses billions of pounds to scammers.
So beware! The old saying, “If it sounds too good to be true – it probably is”, still rings true. Strathclyde Police would like to alert you to the Little Book of BIG Scams, reproduced by kind permission of the Metropolitan Police Service. They were inspired by The Little Black Book of Scams, originally created by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission as inspiration. The Police hope this booklet will increase your awareness of the vast array of scams that are being used and teach you some easy steps you can take to protect yourself. It should be seen as a general guide to many of the scams currently operating in the UK. Download the booklet at http://www.sbcc.org.uk/news-events/latest/the-little-book-of-big-scams.aspx
And on the theme of Police, did you know that there is a new number to contact the Police on for non-emergency situations?
The non-emergency number 101 has been launched by Strathclyde Police across Scotland and replaces the range of existing police force non-emergency numbers, which will gradually be phased out.
The introduction of the 101 non-emergency number gives the people of Scotland a new way to contact the Police, seek advice, speak to a local officer or to report a crime that doesn’t need an emergency response, for example, car theft, damage to property, a minor traffic collision, suspected drug use or dealing, or information about crime in their area. It’s available 24/7 and chargeable at a flat rate of 15p per call.
In the case of an emergency, please continue to dial 999. That’s when a crime is in progress, when someone suspected of a crime is nearby, when a life is in danger, or when violence is being used or threatened.
And finally, on a lighter note and taking a lead from the original ‘bonkers’ theme, I have just been made aware of an unusual contest, “How long can you sustain a chip on the shoulder?” The Guinness Book of Records presently makes no reference to such a challenge, so this could be your chance to get yourself a record, of some sort, if you haven’t done so already. However, in the interest of fairness, honesty and integrity, some criteria have to be fulfilled. The chip has to be obtained legally, it cannot be taken from someone else’s stash without their prior consent, and posing as someone else in order to obtain a chip is strictly forbidden. A date is still to be set, but stay alert for the announcement of the Public Event at which the contenders will have an opportunity to trial their unique prowess. Well, I did say... ‘bonkers’!
It can sometimes be quite shocking as to what comes through your front door first thing in the morning!
I recently received mail which can only be described as ‘bonkers’ - the junk in circulation is truly astounding. We seem to be bombarded relentlessly, not just with mail, but also spam email, misleading adverts, dodgy doorstep callers and telephone scams. Every year the British public loses billions of pounds to scammers.
So beware! The old saying, “If it sounds too good to be true – it probably is”, still rings true. Strathclyde Police would like to alert you to the Little Book of BIG Scams, reproduced by kind permission of the Metropolitan Police Service. They were inspired by The Little Black Book of Scams, originally created by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission as inspiration. The Police hope this booklet will increase your awareness of the vast array of scams that are being used and teach you some easy steps you can take to protect yourself. It should be seen as a general guide to many of the scams currently operating in the UK. Download the booklet at http://www.sbcc.org.uk/news-events/latest/the-little-book-of-big-scams.aspx
And on the theme of Police, did you know that there is a new number to contact the Police on for non-emergency situations?
The non-emergency number 101 has been launched by Strathclyde Police across Scotland and replaces the range of existing police force non-emergency numbers, which will gradually be phased out.
The introduction of the 101 non-emergency number gives the people of Scotland a new way to contact the Police, seek advice, speak to a local officer or to report a crime that doesn’t need an emergency response, for example, car theft, damage to property, a minor traffic collision, suspected drug use or dealing, or information about crime in their area. It’s available 24/7 and chargeable at a flat rate of 15p per call.
In the case of an emergency, please continue to dial 999. That’s when a crime is in progress, when someone suspected of a crime is nearby, when a life is in danger, or when violence is being used or threatened.
And finally, on a lighter note and taking a lead from the original ‘bonkers’ theme, I have just been made aware of an unusual contest, “How long can you sustain a chip on the shoulder?” The Guinness Book of Records presently makes no reference to such a challenge, so this could be your chance to get yourself a record, of some sort, if you haven’t done so already. However, in the interest of fairness, honesty and integrity, some criteria have to be fulfilled. The chip has to be obtained legally, it cannot be taken from someone else’s stash without their prior consent, and posing as someone else in order to obtain a chip is strictly forbidden. A date is still to be set, but stay alert for the announcement of the Public Event at which the contenders will have an opportunity to trial their unique prowess. Well, I did say... ‘bonkers’!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)