Mixed news for October
I was delighted to hear that the group, “Weir Saving our Village”, has offered to help meet the costs of improving the play area in Moss Road Park, Bridge of Weir. The group – formed to save the park from a sell-off for retail development – successfully campaigned for the Council to retain ownership of the park. The funds raised during their campaign became surplus to requirements.
On a sad note, I’m sure that you will share my surprise and disappointment at the imminent closure of Bull’s Garage (see the adjacent page). If local rumours are to be believed the possibility of the business continuing as a going concern is not an option and consequently the buildings may be demolished. If true, what is to become of the site?
The site of the garage includes the vacant land towards the River Gryffe, currently used for casual parking. This vacant land was referenced on the local plan and designated residential development, however, with the removal of the garage what is to become of this significantly larger plot. Rumours abound; more housing, affordable housing, a supermarket, a railway station, etc? I don’t know, but one thing is for sure, the convenience of the local garage which has been there as long as I can remember will be sadly missed. Not to forget the service which the Crawford family has afforded the community, having built the business over the years.
Finally, and on a lighter note, I was highly amused to hear that there were, in fact, no nearly new babies for sale at the recent ‘Nearly New Baby Sale’ in Kilmacolm. I’ve no doubt though that some big brothers and sisters might have thought this would be a really good idea.
Renfrewshire residents turned out in their numbers to grab a glimpse of some vintage vehicles during the Fire Engine Rally held in Paisley in August. Hundreds of people gathered in Paisley town centre for the popular annual event, which is now in its fifth year.
A mixture of old-style and current fire appliances paraded through the town from Canal Street Fire Station before parking in County Square and Gilmour Street. The event was run by Renfrewshire Council and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Heritage Trust.
Gibb Stuart’s CookLive 2013 event will be held over three days, in-store at the Bridge of Weir shop. Events kick off on Friday 13th until Sunday 15th September, with in-store promotions and demonstrations in abundance. See their advert on page 23 for details.
Rehearsals are already underway for the pantomime season.... Oh no they’re not!.... OH YES THEY ARE! This year we will be treated to ‘Cinderella’ by the Kilmacolm Dramatic Society and the “Flint Street Nativity” by Kilbarchan East Drama group. I’m sure there are plenty of others - if you are involved and would like us to publicise your event please get in touch.
An idea for Christmas (we can’t be thinking of that already!?) is the must buy for 2014 – The Bridge of Weir calendar. After last year’s success the Trustees of The Bridge have produced a local calendar for 2014 with the invaluable assistance of members of Paisley Colour Photographic Club.
The hanging A4 sized calendar incorporates 12 colourful photographs of scenes/landmarks around Bridge of Weir, along with a diary section to note all your important dates. The calendar will be on sale in The Bridge from Monday 9th September for £5.75.
And finally, to help get us all off the couch, Renfrewshire Leisure are hosting an ‘Open Weekend’ on 14th and 15th September when you can go along to Paisley Lagoon, ON-X Linwood, Renfrew Leisure Centre or Erskine Sports Centre, and find out which sport might be right for you. More details in their ad on page 39.
As I write, PHEW! It’s hot!
In the June editorial I reflected on the somewhat distressing and variable weather which we were suffering at that time. And, trying to remain upbeat, I recalled the weather pattern from 1976 when there was a very cold Spring, culminating in a snow blizzard on the 2nd June, only to be followed by one of the hottest summers on record, with the temperature sitting above 80’C for four weeks mid June and into July. So similar to this year’s weather!
Apologies for not managing to include photos of Bridge of Weir Gala last month, but to make amends I’ve managed to save a page this month for a montage. Lots of smiley faces enjoying the freedom of the great outdoors and wall to wall sunshine. Again, congratulations to Gordon Lethorn and his support team for another wonderful day.
Over the last few years we’ve been following our local karting star, Tom Thickpenny. This month we don’t have an article from him since he has been invited to the Hungarian F1 Grand Prix, not to compete but to rub shoulders with the superstars, undoubtedly an experience which will help his blossoming racing career. I hope that once he gets to F1 himself as a driver, I might receive a personal invite to watch him (well, no harm in asking!).
A call to action Ladies! We’re looking for pre-loved, gently used, vintage or designer handbags. On the 20th September, in The Cargill Centre (Kilmacolm), an auction in aid of Orkidstudio is being held and more donations of handbags are required to ensure the night is a great success. See page 5 (over there --->) for further details.
We also have the welcome news that following a successful event last year, Gibb Stuart Home Hardware has decided to again host their CookLive! event in September. More news about this on page 14 and in our next issue.
Happy August everyone!
It feels like we’ve had a good share of rogues and scams already this year, and we’ve just been alerted to another - the Madrid inheritance letter, claiming the reader is set to inherit a small fortune. They seem to have just enough personal information to cause the reader to consider the letter as genuine. As always, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, and our advice is - BIN IT!, or at least solicit a second opinion before even thinking about responding.
Talking of a response, our old Advertizer phone number “874385” will be stopped from September. Previously, calling 01505 874385 would re-direct through to our Bridge of Weir office, but from September we will be cancelling this line since it is effectively obsolete. Please call us on 01505 613340 from now on.
Thank you very much to Brighter Bridge of Weir who have planted some lovely tubs for our frontage. The volunteers put so much time and effort into these beautiful displays around Bridge of Weir and I’m sure we’re all appreciative of the ‘Brighter’ village they provide.
On the subject of the frontage, we’ve been waiting for planning permission from the Council to go ahead with our plans and, after a couple of iterations, we finally got there. However, now into the midst of the outdoor landscaping season, most local companies are busy. Bear with us - we think we are just about there; although I am sure I’ve said that before – but trust me!
Apologies if we’ve missed any news items, but our email was a bit ‘iffy’ through the month. If you send something in, please make sure you get an auto-reply. If in any doubt, please don’t hesitate to call us to make sure.
Finally, many of you will be heading off on holiday soon, but please don’t forget to send us your news and photos - our deadline for August will be Friday 19th July, so plenty of time before then.
COMPETITION WINNERS!
Winners of the Gibb Stuart Weekend Giveaway as follows:
Weber BBQ - Iain Anthony - Houston
Easiyo Yogurt Maker + Years Supply - Maureen Brennan - Houston
Dulux Dog Soft Toy - Irene McLaughlin - Bridge of Weir
Dulux Puppy & Blanket Soft Toy - Emma Gibbs - Bridge of Weir
Winner of the Ferringtons hypno-chill day:
WINNER: Marie Brown, Bridge of Weir
RUNNERS-UP: Helen Qayum, Johnstone; Isobel Evans, Kilmacolm; Jackie Morrison, Houston; Meg Millar, Bridge of Weir; Dorothy Murray, Motherwell
Congratulations to everyone who won and thank you for all the entries!
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.
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!
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’!
