ferry news 12

8/3/2019 Ferry News 12

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The last few months

have been extremely

busy for Creetown

Iniave.

A huge amount of work has

gone into the King Georges

Playing Field Park Project;

ngers crossed we will hear

in the New Year whetherwe have been successful in

raising money to replace the

ageing play equipment.

The wind turbine and micro

hydro schemes are moving

forward and we will publish

a detailed progress report in

the New Year.

The youth workers have been

very busy and a number of

very successful events have

taken place. Aendance

at these events has been

fantasc which goes to

prove just how desperate

the youngsters are to do

things. We plan to take the

youngsters to the pantomime

in Dumfries in December - a

discount on ckets has been

negoated, and Rob Ross

Jnr got us a good deal on a

coach; thanks Robert for that.

However, even with all that,

the trip will cost near to 600

so Creetown Iniave are

chipping in with 300 from

proceeds of the ra e that

the Gem Rock Museum have

been running for us. Many

thanks to Tim and Carolyn

for donang the AmethystGeode.

We hope to announce a

number of other events for

the youngsters in the coming

months.

At last the Creetown Football

Clubs pavilion is being built

- we are doing further work

to support the developmentat Castle Cary Park and we

all look forward to seeing

the building open next year.

Funds raised by our dear

late friend Jim Lupton will

be presented to Creetown

Football Club by his wife

Janee in the next few

weeks. The money was raised

by Jim through his work on

the wonderful detailed and

ornate Clock Tower door Jim

and Archie Mckie made. It

was Jims wishes that the

money raised should go to

Creetown Football Club. It

will be a welcome boost to

the club, and the door a long

lasng legacy to the village.

FERRYN

EWS

LETT

ER

ISSUE 12

Autumn/

Winter2011-12 Creetown Iniave

Youth Photography WinnersLocal photographer Val Horton

ran a Youth Photograpy

Compeon as part of the Day of

the Region events this summer.

The theme of the compeon was

My Creetown, and to the le isthe winning picture in the Junior

secon, taken by Erin Monteith.

Connued on Page 7.

JimL

uptonplayedasgoalie,

picturedhereinthedarks

hirt.

Byre on Church Brae


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Welcome to therst edion ofYouth Hood!

This is the space for

Creetowns youth. They

dont oen get the chance

to communicate with the

rest of the community about

whats going on with them.

So, I gured I should try to

act as the bridge between

their world and yours.

Recap of the summer events:

In July we ran youth photography

workshops and compeons under

the tuion of local photographer Val

Horton, giving children and teensthe chance to get out and about and

explore Creetown through the lens

of a digital camera. This project was

part of the Day of the Region events,

and the photographs were displayed

and judged on Saturday 1st October

in the Waverley Hall.

The standard was very high and all

the entrants were congratulated for

their hard work, each receiving a

cercate and cash prize. The two

winners were Erin Monteith for the

junior entrants and John Sloan for

the senior entrants and the runners

up were Emma McTeir and Megan

Monteith. You can see some of their

winning photographs in this edion

of the Ferry News, on the front pageand on Page 7.

Gala Events:

I havent lived in the local area for

long, but I have quickly learned that

the annual Gala week is a major

community event in Creetowns

calendar. I also couldnt fail to noce

that the youth of the village didnt

have any Gala events specically

tailored for them, so the Gala

commiee kindly suggested the

youth club organise acvies for the

youths to parcipate in. The general

consensus of the children was to

have a fun sports aernoon with lots

of dierent acvies. This event was

on Saturday 6th August in Creetown

Park and we had a great turn out of

young people parcipang in the tug

o war, rounders, football, and the

epic obstacle course!

The young people also wanted

to be included in the Gala Day

on 13th August, so they ran a

tradional games stall in the park

and raised 70 for their youth clubs.Addionally, Chrissie Hill, one of our

youth workers, organised two gala

oats for the young people to make

and dress up for. We had a Grease

oat, complete with the Greased

Lightning car, and the children

dressed up as the T-Birds, Pink Ladies

and Danny and Sandy, and a Wizard

of Oz oat with lots of the local

children dressing up as the well-

known characters from the lm. Weraised 95 and came 2nd and 3rd!

We have some very creave young

people in the village and in light

of this, we organised two arts and

cras making aernoons on 1st and

2nd August in the Waverley Hall.

The young people got to use their

creave skills to make arts and cras

to sell on Gala day. I am hoping

these events will not only provide

the young people with fun acviesto learn new skills, but will also

give them a feeling of community

inclusion and might encourage other

children to join youth club.

Everyone knows young people have

a lot of spare energy and somemes

pent up frustraon. At youth club

we try to encourage young people

to culvate their enthusiasm in a

construcve manner and as such,

young people had the chance toaend combined Kickboxing, Fung-

Fu and Self Defense sessions for a

three month block with maral arts

leader Kenneth Mckeand.

Youth Update -

Youth Hood

p2


3/8

Autumn Events:

Halloween is fast becoming a popular

autumn event in the UK, so this year

the sta and volunteers of Creetown

Youth Club decided to spook it upby holding two scarecrow making

arts and cras days during the

October holidays.

This was open to all young people

in the village to come along and

make their own themed scarecrow.

However, we also encouraged all

members of the local community

to get into the spirit(!) of things by

creang their own scarecrow and

displaying them outside their houses.

We followed this by holding a youth

Halloween party in the Waverley Hall

29th October, encouraging everyone

to come along dressed up and bring

their scarecrows.

Peter Foster from the Galloway

Gazee kindly agreed to judge the

compeon, resulng in 1st place

Britney Hill, 2nd place Gordie andEvie Paerson, 3rd place Aimie

Brown, Group Eort winner Kevin

Ball and team and Family Eort

winner The Monteith Family.

Home-made spook-tacular cakes,

pumpkin soup, worm jelly and

witches eyeball punch, along with

party music and games, made for

a fun me had by all. We were

so pleased with the turn out and

managed to raise 125 for the youthof the village.

Thank you so much to all the local

businesses, organisaons and

everyone who donated trophies,

cash and prizes for the ra e we

couldnt have done it without you.

Lets hope next years scarecrow

compeon and party will be even

beer!

Youth Community TreePlanng:

As you will probably be aware,

currently one of the main community

projects in Creetown is the

regeneraon of the park.

The members of the youth club

wanted to become involved in

helping to shape the park into an

environment where everyone would

like to be.

The junior youth club spread seeds

and planted fruit trees in November,

and the senior youth club will be

planng saplings in the near future.

The young people are hoping to

raise some funds for their youth

club by asking for some sponsorship

money for helping with a worthwhile

community project. Please help our

young people to create a beer park

environment for you.

If you have any comments,ideas or quesons aboutYouth Club or about anyevents, issues or acviesaecng young people,please dont hesitate tocontact me on 01671 820654or [email protected].

Amy-Dee Tighe,Lead Youth Worker,

Creetown Youth Club

p3

Creetown Silver Bands annualChristmas Concert will be heldin the Bandhall on Thursday15th December at 7.30pm.Both the senior and the

training band will perform.Entrance is free. There will bea ra e, and tea/coee andmince pies will be provided.

Other band dates are:

25th Nov at Wigtown

4th Dec at Gatehouse

13th Dec at Creetown

16th Dec at the Isle of Whithorn18th Dec at Kirkcowan Church

23rd Dec at the Cally Palace Hotel

24th Dec at Newton Stewart andCreetown

CREETOWN SILVER BAND

Youth Hood continued

Weekly Sunday Service: 11.30am

Minister Rev P. Aiken

01671 403361Church Sale - Sat 3 Dec, Waverly

Hall, 2pm

Watchnight Service - Sat 24 Dec,11.30pm

Christmas Day Service - 11am

Kirkmabreck Parish

Church Services


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Above is an old, and not very clear, photo of thequaintly named Dawson City Inn. Does anyoneknow anything about it?

The Local History Group

It isnt all talk at the History Group! Things get doneas well. One of the projects has been to review theguided walk round Creetown rst produced by JohnCutland about twelve years ago.

Its surprising how things you could nd a few yearsago can no longer be seen, or how easy it becomesto say: Why did we miss that out?.

Could you, for example, say where an old poorhouse used to stand; or where the TemperanceHotel was; or where the Town Hall was; or the oldpolice staon; or where there are sll metal brackets

for holding paran street lamps; or whether youcan nd the remains of an old pack-horse bridge?

And why is Adamson Square so called?

Hopefully, if we get our facts right, a revised leaetmight be ready for the Spring to guide you on aninteresng walk round Creetown.

Creetown Heritage MuseumThe museum has closed now aer a very evenul,but dicult, year. In view of the present economicclimate it was not surprising that visitor numbersshould be a bit down on last years, but the eortsput in by everyone concerned have more than osetthe problems we have faced in keeping the museumrunning and nancially viable.

Special menon just has to be made of Val Johnsonand Muriel Palmer in organising coee mornings,producing the Creetown Cookbook which is selling

very well and increasing the range of goods forsale in the museum.

Archie McKie has taken over as chairman and ispung his own stamp on the way things should goand is leading by example regarding the amount ofwork he is already doing. Not surprising then, thatwe got a good report from VisitScotland followingour bi-annual quality inspecon. Parcularlypleasing though is the Cercate of Nominaonreceived from the Stewartry Celebraon ofAchievement Awards 2011 scheme. With several

developments to be tackled over the winter, we canlook forward with condence to opening again in2012. Andrew Macdonald

p4

The Way We Were. . .


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p5

The Oystercatcher isprobably the most

recognisable commonwader in the UK.

It is a large black and white bird,with a prominent long orange bill,and stout pink legs. It is a veryvocal wader and its `piping callcan oen be heard at night as itcan feed eciently in the dark.

Wintering populaons onWigtown Bay have been quitestable since 1984, but did show

a slight decline in the later1990`s in line with the naonalshort-term trend which wasenough for the oystercatcher tobe placed on the Amber list ofBirds of Conservaon Concern.Typical peak numbers on the Bayare around 2500 and are rarelyover the threshold for naonalimportance of 3600. However,the Solway is internaonallyimportant for overwinteringoystercatchers, typically around29, 000 on 10 sites around theSolway including Wigtown Bay.

Oystercatchers have the strongestbill of the waders enabling themto feed on shellsh that otherwaders could not, such as cocklesand mussels. Oystercatchers havedeveloped two main methodsfor opening these bivalves: Theyeither hammer through the

shell, in which case their bills areblunted and chisel-like, or they

stab into the shell and prise thetwo halves apart, in which casethey have longer more pointedbills. The oystercatcher`s beakis, however, not necessarilyconstant, and is capable ofexceponal growth. Bluntedbeaks from shellsh feeding mayagain become more pointed ifinland feeding on earthworms isemployed. This would seem to bea very unusual and useful survivaltrait. When shellsh numbers aredepleted due to severe winters or

overshing, Oystercatchers willtake to feeding in coastal elds onearthworms helping to preservepopulaons in hard mes.

The prey is oen located byprobing or somemes found bysight. When a cockle is locatedit is `levered out and very oencarried to a pool to open andItems of food are oen washedbefore eang. Lugworms and

ragworms are also located byprobing, and there is somemesa brief tug of war before the birdgets its meal. Tellins are foundand opened very quickly witha thrusng acon of the beak.Tellins move deeper in the mudin response to colder winter daysand the long Oystercatcher`s beakensures that they can sll reachthis food source where someother waders could not.

I have also seen Oystercatcherswith part of their heads

underwater as the de was goingout, probably locang cockles.Their long bill enables them todo this, and perhaps get a headstart in the feeding race. It isprobably also a tacc for locangbivalves with their shells partlyagape underwater, lter feeding,in which case they may be easierto open.

A pecking order is apparent infeeding groups, with one birdoen chasing o another just asthe rst bird nds or appears to

nd a food item. There seems tobe less `squabbling when moreof the mudats are exposed.

Due to their ecient feedingmethods oystercatchers canquickly aain their daily foodrequirement, therefore leavingmore me for roosng, preening,etc, which helps to keep the birdsin good condion.

This is evident when carrying

out wetland bird surveys onWigtown Bay. The Oystercatchersare always the rst to arrive attheir tradional high de roosts,and are also the last species todisperse from the roost to theirfeeding grounds. Roosng birdscan oen be seen standing on oneleg with their heads tucked undertheir wings over their backs,facing into the wind. As the de

overtakes them, they oen lazilyhop one legged ahead of it.Peter Robinson

N a t u r e & W i l d l i f eTHE OYSTERCATCHER - AN ADAPTABLE WADER


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p6

Elecroshing in Moneypool Burn

As part of the regeneraon of the park,

Biologists Jamie Ribbons and Neil Dalrymple

from the Galloway Fisheries Trust were

invited to Creetown to hold an interacve

educaonal session on the dierent types of

sh living in Moneypool Burn.

To start the day o, Jamie gave an informave talk to

Creetowns Primary School P3-5 class to teach the pupils

about the amazing life cycle of salmon. The class then

headed down to the park where Jamie and Neil gave an

electroshing demonstraon. Jamie explained that this

technique is harmless to the sh and is used by the Trust

to monitor sh species and numbers in water courses.

During the demonstraon several salmon parr, trout and

an eel were found in the burn and everyone was giventhe opportunity to view the sh and idenfy them.

Jamie explained about the importance of a healthy water

habitat for the sh and the work being undertaken by

Kirkmabreck Community Council and Creetown Iniave

to enhance Moneypool Burn by reducing over-shading

of the water from excessive tree growth. This project

is supported by Solway Heritage and Shanks Waste

Soluons through the Landll Communies Fund and

D&G Council Biodiversity Partnership.

Community Tree Planng Project

On the 20th November, Kirkmabreck Community

Council and Creetown Iniave asked volunteers in the

community to come forward and help plant 420 saplings

in the park.

An applicaon to the Woodland Trust by Creetown

Iniave earlier in the year was successful and the

community has been awarded a pack of saplings whichwill bring year-round colour to the park landscape.

Community Orchard and Wildfower Garden

Volunteers and members of Creetowns Junior Youth

Group joined forces this month to help create a

community orchard and wildower garden in the

park. Kirkmabreck Community Council and the Balloch

Community Woodland Project donated a large selecon

of apple, plum, cherry and pear trees which were planted

by the volunteers.

An area of ground was also prepared and sown with

wildower seeds which were specically blended with

plant variees that will support bird, bee and buery

populaons. The wildower seeds were purchased

through funding Creetown Iniave successfully

obtained from the CSV SNH Biodiversity Fund.

The aim of this project was to enhance the parkenvironment for the benet of wildlife and the

community. Next year once the garden area begins

to come alive, there will be an abundance of nave

wildowers which will support the natural ecosystem and

it will also be a beauful space in which the community

can enjoy.

The fruit trees will provide pollen in the spring which

will benet certain insect species. In late summer and

autumn, the trees will produce fruit which we hope both

wildlife and the community can enjoy!

King George V Playing Fields Regeneraon Project


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p7

In August we ran a successful Flower Fesval

to which we invited local organisaons to tell

us about themselves, with the aid of oral

arrangements.

In this way we were able to make the fesval a truly

community event. One spin-o from the fesval has

been the producon of a small booklet which gives

informaon on groups and acvies within the Creetown

area; this was distributed to homes in Creetown in

September. In the summer months we provided teas

for visitors aer our morning service, and from October

onwards we oer a soup lunch once a month. This gives

the congregaon an opportunity to chat and enjoy

fellowship together.

Autumn is driing slowly into winter and this marks the

start of a new Guild programme. The Guild is raising

money this year for two important causes Mission

Aviaon Fellowship and World Mission Council which

focuses on coexistence in Israel/Palesne. The money

raised will contribute to the Guilds naonal appeal and

raise a substanal amount for these parcular projects.

The Guild are delighted to take part in this naonal

programme of giving to such worthy causes; it underlinesthe prominent role the Guild plays as one of Scotlands

leading charitable organisaons.

Christmas is round the corner and, like many other

churches across the country, we are taking part in the

annual shoebox appeal. Many thanks to all who are

supporng this worthwhile project.

With best wishes and prayers,

Kirkmabreck Parish Church

News from the Church

JohnSloanswinning

photooftheoldmill.

Youth Photo Comp- connued from front page...

As part of Creetowns Day of the Region acvies I was asked to become involved with a

Photographic Compeon, says Val Horton.

This led to workshops involving some of Creetowns young

people. On four evenings spread over two weeks in July

varying numbers of youngsters aended and enjoyed using

the cameras which were provided by Creetown Iniave.

Some of them also borrowed the cameras and took pictures

in their own me.

Several hundred pictures were taken in total... There was

a considerable dierence in ages, but Im sure youll agreethat they all worked extremely hard on this project and all

their entries show great enthusiasm for the various subjects

and great promise.

There were 25 entries, and from them a Junior (under 12)

and Senior (12+) winner and runner-up were chosen. The

winner of the Senior Youth Photography Compeon was

John Sloan, and you can see his winning phototo the right.

Creetown MarketEVERY 2ND SUNDAY OF THE MONTH

commencing March 2012

10am unl 3pm

at King George V Park, Creetown, DG8 7HZ

2012 will see the introducon of our very own

Creetown Sunday Market showcasing the best of

our regions quality producers, arsts and makers

Stalls will include outdoor bred pork, highland

beef, lamb, smoked produce, bread, cakes,preserves, dog treats, jewellery, herb cosmecs,

chocolates, gis, and much more...


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To contribute to the Ferry News Letter, please contact Carolyn Stephensonon 01671 820216 or [email protected]

Your input is vital so please do get in touch with any news, views, events or advertising.

THE NEXT ISSUE IS DUE TO BE PUBLISHED IN MARCH

Printing the Ferry News is just oneway of expressing our commitmentt th iti k i

CRAFT AND

PRODUCE FAYREFREE ADMISSIONShop local, shop smart, shop at the Creetown Fayre

Sunday 11 December 2011

10am unl 4pmat the Gem Rock Museum

Chain Road, Creetown, DG8 7HJ

Want to nd a unique gi or a Christmas dinner with a

dierence? Come and buy from local arsts, makers and

producers...

Stalls include Christmas trees, jewellery, painngs,wood carvings, herb cosmecs, handmade books,knitwear, cards, fragranced gis, candles, fruit andveg, butchers meat, bread, cakes, honey, preserves

and hampers, plus much more...

The Gem Rock tearoom and gi shop will also be open all day andthere will be free admission to the Museum for all customers on

Sunday 11 December.

(The Gem Rock Museum, tearoom and gi shop is open seven days, 10am-4pm, unl Thursday 22

December inclusive)

ferry news 12

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