cousland courier 15 december 2015

Contributions by 31/01/2016 for next newsletter to:- [email protected]

Or 19 Hillside Cottages /1 Hadfast Road or put in red post box in Village Hall

Cousland Smiddy Trust

Carols round the Forge

The annual Carol Singing is on

Sunday 20 December

at 1800h in the Smiddy.

There will be soup and refreshments.

New Year Walk

Leave the hall 11.00am Sat 2nd January Don your hat and gloves ..and maybe wellies

to blow away last year’s cobwebs.

Join us on a Cousland Circular, led by Mike Combe

and welcome 2016 in the great outdoors.

(the surprised deer photo in the 2016 calendar was

taken on last year’s outing.)

Cousland Village

Senior Citizen’s

Christmas Lunch

Will take place on 13 December at

2.00 for 2:30pm

In the Village Hall

Bonfire Night

What a great Night it was!!! Even if

Robin was not there!

Everyone who attended, and there

were multiples, said it was the best

they had seen especially the

fireworks!

A Big Thank you goes to Ian McKean,

for his gathering of monies and

collecting of your combustibles and

setting the fireworks off, plus other

background works !

£500 was raised, well done to

everyone who donated!!

Again a Big Thank You to all who

helped, Kevin, Carol, Lesley, Davey ..

Cousland Courier the CVHA newsletter

Issue No 15 December 2015

Smiddy Trust

History Group

2

Announcements

Youth Club

3

Recipe

Neighbourhood Watch

4

School Site

Village Housekeeping

5

Local Services 6

Dates for your Diary 7

Inside this issue:

Hogmanay at the Hall

on 31st December

Bar opens 9pm

Scots Night

23rd January 2015

Our last edition of 2015

already!

We have information on

all the usual Cousland

festive events. Whether

you are a lifetime

resident or have only

recently moved to the

village, we hope you will

come along to whatever

interests you.

The Courier crew would

like to wish all our

readers a Merry

Christmas and a Guid

New Year.

Kathleen, Lesley, Jean

Karen & Fiona



new Biggar museum in the Spring.

Next meetings at the cottage:

Saturday 9th January and 13th

February. New members are

welcome, we meet at 10am until

about 12noon

Saturday of the month at which we

will continue that process. The group

will be visiting the photographic

archive of the Royal Commission for

the Ancient Monuments of Scotland

early in December to look at their

processes and plan an outing to the

A group of 12 folk volunteered in

freezing, but dry, weather to help the

Smiddy Trust improve the rainwater

drainage system at the smiddy.

It was heavy work and the hot

breakfast buffet was appreciated by

all.

Many thanks to our volunteers!

We hope to finalise the

improvements to the approaches to

the smiddy in early Spring, so watch

out for more volunteering

opportunities.

As one regular commented, "It's

good to get the guys together and

have a blether and the breakfast is

magic. It's great to feel we're really

making a difference to the

community."

All at 7.30 pm in the Smiddy Cottage

Hadfast Road, Cousland.

We have given 2 talks in the last

month:

The next meetings of the Trust will be

on:

Tuesday 8 December 2015

Tuesday 16 February 2016

Tuesday 15 March 2016

Cousland Local History Project

Heavy squad successfully tackle rainwater drainage issues at the smiddy

Smiddy Trust meeting dates, all welcome to attend

The Local History Project now has a

new home in the Heritage Hub at

Cousland Smiddy Cottage.

We have started a programme of

archiving and cataloguing the

collections, with meetings on 2nd


Cousland Smiddy Trust and Local History Project send

‘Our Best Wishes for a Very Merry Christmas

and Happy and Prosperous New Year’

to all the fantastic team of volunteers and group members who have

brought the Smiddy and New Heritage Hub to life through their

brilliant work. It couldn’t have been achieved without you!

Please check www.couslandsmiddy.co.uk where dates for 2016 openings of The Heritage Hub and

Smiddy will be posted. We are happy to take bookings for group visits too.

Gordon Brown spoke to the Friends of

the Scottish Mining Museum and

Sheena Irving to Fala & Soutra History

Society.

http://www.couslandsmiddy.co.uk/



Congratulations To Gemma Yoxall, who recently

competed in European Irish Dance

Championships 2015 in U15

Intermediate level representing

Joanne McGowan’s Ward School of

Irish Dance.

Gemma finished in fourth place - a

fantastic result.

Welcome To Samuel McLean, new baby son of

Peter and Lesley and wee brother of

Hamish, Hadfast Road.

Engagement Congratulations To Craig Dunn, son of Gordon & Fiona,

Hadfast Road, on his engagement to

Rebecca.

To Chris Weare, son of Linda Addis,

Hadfast Road, on his engagement to Orla.

Sad News We are sad to report the death of Davie

Hadden, long time resident of Hillside

Cottages. Our thoughts are with his family.

Correction Bob Bell, whose death we reported in the

last issue, lived in Hillside Cottages, and

not Hadfast Road. Apologies.

Majority Club Next meet in hall 2pm on Monday 7th

December – Andrew Stewart is showing

slides of local interest.

On 11th January at 2pm there will be a

guide dogs display.


Youth Club Full speed ahead this term towards Christmas,

lots going on at Youth Club as always

Here are some dates for your diaries…

Sunday 6th December Christmas Party,

Cousland Village Hall 2-4pm

Wednesday 9th December Movie Night

Saturday 12th December Panto, Cousland Village Hall

Meet at 1pm return around 4.30/5pm

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

We will see you all when we return Wednesday 13th January 2016

Many Thanks

Tracy, Judith, Eileen and Marianne

Email: [email protected] Mobile/Text: 07403 318 395

S.W.R.I. Our Christmas meal will be in the

Juniper Lea on Tuesday December 8th.

The next meeting is on 19th January

with line dancing by Susan Oliver.

Anyone should feel free to take part!

Ring & Go The Ring &Go taxi service for Cousland has recently been extended.

You can now use it from 7am until 11pm, 7 days a week.

As well as journeys to Dalkeith, you can now also take it to Pathhead e.g.

to the Doctor’s surgery.

This was one of the positive outcomes of the Tynewater Neighbourhood

Plan.

Dalkeith Singers Christmas Concerts

7:30pm

Friday 11th December in Newtongrange

Parish Church Hall

Saturday 12th December in St Nicholas

Buccleuch Church in Dalkeith.

Spot the Couslanders in the choir!




Raspberry and White Chocolate Tray Bake

Ingredients

200g self raising flour

Pinch of salt

200g caster sugar

200g unsalted butter (softened)

3 medium eggs beaten

2 tbsp. milk

50g ground almonds

100g white chocolate chunks

200g frozen raspberries

Method

1 Preheat oven 180°C Fan 160°C Gas 4

Grease and line 28cm x18cm x 3cm tin with baking parchment.

2 Sift the flour and salt into a small bowl and set aside.

3 Cream butter and sugar together using electric beaters.

4 Gradually add the beaten eggs with a little flour after each addition.

5 Gently beat in the remainder of the flour until all the ingredients are combined.

6 Stir in the milk, then fold in the ground almonds, white chocolate and raspberries.

7 Spoon the mixture into the tin and roughly level the surface. Mixture will be fairly stiff.

8 Bake for 50 mins until golden.

9 Cool on a wire rack.

10 When cool remove from tin, remove parchment paper and cut into squares.

11 ENJOY! Supplied by Lesley Combe

Village Organic Vegetable Plots How about making the tray bake with

Cousland home grown raspberries?

If anyone is interested in taking on

one of the organic vegetable plots

behind the Smiddy for the 2016

season, please contact Jean on 663

6151.

They are much smaller than a

traditional allotment, and well suited

to growing fruit and herbs as well as

traditional vegetables. Any changes of

tenancy happen at our annual meeting

in early February.

Neighbourhood Watch

Advice from our neighbourhood

watch representative Gillian

Aitken.

Please be extra vigilant over the

holiday period when people are

away.

If you are going on holiday,

make sure a neighbour knows

and can keep a look out for

anything or anyone unusual

round the neighbourhood. Also

it is helpful to leave a light on in

the house on a timer. Leaving a

key with a trusted person is also

a good idea.

Seen anything suspicious?

Contact

Gillian Aitken – phone 663 9444

or phone 101 and report it to our

community police person Ian

Kirkpatrick.

Cousland Calendar a sell out! The History project have sold 168 Cousland 2016 calendars in record

time, raising much needed funds to continue our work with the village

archives in The Heritage Hub. Many thanks to all who entered the

photographic competition and also those who bought them!

Tynewater Community Council

Meeting Dates 7:30pm Tues 19th January, Callander

Pavilion, Pathhead

7:30pm Tues 1st March, Fala Village Hall

All welcome to attend.

Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year

From

Andrea and Ken at the Post Office




The School Site -- An Exciting Development Idea

B. There is also interest in dividing the

grass area at the side and buying 2

plots as a separate sale by the Council.

in order to build a house on each plot.

HOWEVER THERE MAY BE A WAY IN

WHICH THE COMMUNITY CAN HELP

THE SCHOOL TO HAPPEN.

As we all know the Council have let the

school building fall into disrepair and

the building is no longer fit for

purpose. Laying out the expenditure

for roof repairs and refurbishment,

coupled with the cost of the lease that

the Council is expecting for the

building is not something that the

school’s trustees think could be viable.

WHAT ABOUT A COMMUNITY

TRANSFER?

As a community group some time

ago, looking at ideas for using the

school site, we intimated to the

Council that we would be

interested in a community transfer

of the site. However, as we needed

a business plan and ideas to follow

this up, nothing was done.

If we were to reactivate this idea,

with the professional help of the

MVA and Nicky Donald who offered

support before and possibly our

local Councillors, a business plan

could be made, community grants

could be applied for eco restoration

of the building, e.g. insulation,

upgraded windows, a new roof with

photovoltaic panels to generate

electricity and some form of eco

sensitive heating. In other words,

an exemplar modern eco building,

efficient and environmentally

friendly to run. The community

would receive the rent of the building

which would be an annual income for

the village. This might also provide

employment for a janitor to open the

gym hall in the evenings for football

practice or badminton and also

during school holidays for computer

club/lessons etc.

WHAT ABOUT A VILLAGE MEETING

TO DISCUSS THIS?

It would be a major undertaking, but

an exciting opportunity to do

something very worthwhile with the

site. We would need a good group of

folk with enthusiasm to take this

forward. Discussions would need to

be had with the trustees of the school

to see if they would be interested in

the community taking the project

forward and thereafter leasing the

building from the community to run it

as a school. May be worth discussing

at the next community café? ? ?

Village Housekeeping If you are dropping a poo bag in

someone's bin, please make sure it's in

the correct one.

They have been found in recycling and

garden rubbish. Also please close the

lid !

Another matter is dog dirt! While most dog walkers are really

responsible and pick up after their

pooch, there are still some problem

areas where the dogs are sneaking in

when no-one is looking - and they love

to do it where it has been done before.

1. Doorsteps in Hadfast road - and

even inside someone's flowerpot at

their door................YUK!

2. The grass area at the corner to the

lane down to the playing field a

regular toilet area

3. The grass at the corner of the former

school where Elizabeth parks her

bin for collection and therefore gets

it on her boot

4. In Hillside at Betty Davidson's gate

on the pavement

5. Inside Gwen Ferguson's front

garden on her grass

6. At the side of the grass area leading

to the garages at Hillside on the way

to the field

A. A small private school has

been looking at the school

building with the idea of

relocating to it and leasing it

from the Council.

There may be other areas that the

Courier team have not been told

about.

BUT PLEASE KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR

DOG WHEN IT IS NEAR THESE

PROBLEM AREAS AND KEEP A BAG

HANDY AT ALL TIMES

It is a shame that a few are spoiling a

high standard of cleanliness in

Cousland village that the vast

majority are trying to maintain.




Village Hall Association Minutes November 15

Matters Arising

Key safe – AV to recirculate Police-approved key-safe box web

page

Tom has purchased the laptop and AV to give to FD

Hall Updates

Front door – ongoing

Heating – consistency of heating problems reported this week.

DS to explore.

Christmas Fayre and Community Café to be held on 28th

November

Seniors lunch and youth club – due to be held on the 6th but

Carol unable to make this date. Discussion ensued regarding

holding these on either the 6th or 13th but whatever date is

agreed the event needs volunteers.

Christmas hamper – BE looking for donations for hamper to be

raffled at Christmas Fayre. Items to BE one week before please.

New Treasurer for CVHA – Claire informed the committee of her

intention to stand down at the next AGM.

Broadband – AV to see Len re Stobonet re list of people planning

to upgrade their broadband. Hall Broadband not working.

Noticeboards - ongoing

Tynewater CC

Tynewater meetings for 2015 are paid up and the committee

CVHA has agreed to charge a rate of £10 per village hall

meetings from 2016. Reiterated that CVHA considered that TCC

is an important organisation that represents the village and that

this was a fair conclusion. CT to speak with Henry.

Clubs and Societies Meeting Days

Majority Group 1st Mon in Month 2.00pm

Circuit Training Monday 7.30pm

Carpet Bowling Tuesday 7.00pm

SWRI (Rural) 3rd Tues in

Month 7.00pm

Parent & Tots Wednesday 9.15am

Youth Club Wednesday 6.30pm

Girl Guides Friday 6.30pm

History Group 2nd Sat every

month 10.00am

Village Trades and Services B & B (Twin/Double Room) Kathleen & Robin Donald 0131 663 1821

Beauty Treatments Claire Wilson 07849 717291

Blacksmith/Forged Metalwork Sean Cockburn 0758 6540434

Builder & Plasterer Clark Millar 07812 780 017

Child Minder Carol McArthur 0131 660 2315

Computer Services & small DIY jobs Tom Morrow 07884 125126

Fencing, Railings & Metalworker Steve Gilhooley 07702 188 692

Hairdresser Christine Bolton 07909 059905

Painter/Decorator Stewart Naysmith 0131 454 9707

Personal Trainer Phil Calvert 07525 046 436

Personal Trainer Gemma Chapman 07783 941723

Physiotherapist Dougal Coward 07921 618 568

Plumber /Heating & Boiler Servicing Gordon Dunn 07850 246 810

Vet Beattie & John Buxton 0131 654 2266

GB attending TCC meetings regularly. TCC requests

any issues to be fed-in via single point of contact (GB).

Comments on the Tynewater plan e.g. requests for

Taxi service to Eskbank train station.

Ring and Go Taxi service extended to 11pm and now

includes Pathhead Medical Practice

AOCB

CVHA Constitution being revisited prior to next AGM on

Thursday 25th February 2016




Dates for your diary

December 2015

6 Youth Club – Christmas Party 2-4pm Village Hall

7 Majority Group – Andrew Stewart – Slides 2.00pm Village Hall

7 CVHA – Committee Meeting 7.00pm Village Hall

8 SWRI - Christmas Meal Juniper Lea

8 Cousland Smiddy Trust 7.30pm Smiddy Cottage

12 Youth Club Panto Trip 1.00pm Meet Village Hall

13 Senior Citizen Christmas Lunch 2.00pm Village Hall

20 Carols Round Forge 6.00pm Smiddy

31 Hogmanay Happenings 9.00pm Village Hall

January 2016

2 Village New Year Walk 11.00am Meet Village Hall

9 Cousland Local History Project 10.00am Smiddy Cottage

11 Majority Group - guide Dog Display 2.00pm Village Hall

13 Youth Club Returns

19 SWRI – Line Dancing 7.15pm Village Hall

19 Tynewater Community Council 7:30pm Callendar Pav Pathhead

23 Scots Night Village Hall

February 2016

6 Community Café 10.30am Village Hall

13 Cousland Local History Project 10.00am Smiddy Cottage


25 CVHA AGM Village Hall

March 2016

1 Tynewater Community Council 7:30pm Fala Village Hall

5 Community Café 10.30am Village Hall


Your CVHA

committee

Dougie MacKenzie (Chair)

Norrie Brown (Secretary)

Claire Thomson (Treasurer)

Brian Ellis

Andrew McGovern

Stuart Buchan

Caroline Pearson

Alison Vikis

Fiona Dunn

Darren Sweeney

Tom Morrow

The Village Committee

meet 1st Monday of each

month in the Village Hall.

Members of the community

are always welcome to

attend.

EGGS FOR SALE

At the Kiln on

Quarrybank Road

SUNDAY

PAPERS

Anyone wanting a Sunday

paper delivered

ODD JOBS

Any jobs needing done.

Cutting logs, moving slabs,

general tidying.

Please contact

Jack on

0131 660 2315

HELP IS AT HAND

Are you looking for someone to watch your little darlings so you can enjoy a night out, a

meal out or just peace to do your food shop?

Please contact: Ellie Doolan

Mob: 07468435336

Gemma Yoxall

Mob: 07454157910

Two teenagers looking to lend a hand and earn a few pounds at the same time

cousland courier 15 december 2015

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