Killearn Courier is published by

Killearn CommunityFutures Company.

Anyone wishing to contribute to thenext edition is reminded that it will bedistributed on 19th August, 2006.Advertisements and Artwork.All adverts should be in the hands ofour Advertising Executives by Friday,7th July. Gwen Stewart can becontacted on 01360 550865 and SaraHudson on 01360 550806ContributionsAll contributions and letters to theeditor should be in the hands of theeditorial team by Friday, 7th July.Send them to: 20 Station Road Killearn G63 9NU

or email to courier@kcfc.co.uk.Our advertisers make theCourier possible, so pleasesupport them.

The Courier is not responsible forthe content of advertisements.

Many people in Killearn will beastonished to learn that the slender andelegant figure in the smart cap that theyregularly see walking along the roadtowards the coffee shop, celebrates herhundredth birthday on February 26th.Gwladys Lind is a one-womanadvertisement for healthy living and apositive attitude to life.Mrs. Lind was born Gwladys MaudHyslop inGlasgow in1906, and haswitnessed eventsthat the rest ofus think of ashistory. She wasa child in theFirst World War,was aroundduring theGeneral Strike –in which shebriefly drove atram – and wasactive in theW.R.V.S in theSecond WorldWar. Against a background of such hugeevents, she lived a modest life with herparents and her sister Myra. After adelicate childhood, she attended HillheadSchool, and later graduated from theSchool of Art. She then married and hadtwo sons, William and David.In 1959 Gwladys moved to Killearn, andbecame a well known participant invillage life. Professionally, she establishedan enviable reputation as an artist, andmounted successful exhibitions of herpaintings. She joined the Monday Club,where she was recognised as a fairly

Our Very Own Centenarianfiendish bridge player. She played tennis,and has always been keen on exercise. Shewas also clued up on the virtues ofvegetables and fruit, especially herbeloved bananas, before the rest of theworld became quite so aware of them.But what many people think of whenthey think of Gwladys is her love of cars.She drove a series of beige Minis beforemoving on to the sporty models for

which sheb e c a m er e n o w n e d ,including acanary yellowLancia. Latterlyshe drove aseries of FiestaXR2 cars, andwas still tootlinghappily aroundwell into hernineties.There are twothings aboutGwladys thate v e r y o n enotices. The

first is her smile – always friendly andgenuinely happy. The second is her senseof colour – not surprising in an artist,of course, but Gwladys always wearsstylish clothes in colours whichparticularly suit her. You will see her innatural creams and fawns and golds. Infact, gold really is her colour. And as shereaches her centenary, she is still thegolden girl she always was.Happy Birthday, Gwladys.Congratulations, and love fromeverybody.

Joyce Begg

Housing feature 12, 13Editorial, comment and letters 3Features 7, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17Sports 10, 11, 19From the Schools 2, 5KCC News 4, 9KCFC News 3, 4Nature Notes 15Notice Board 3Puzzle Page 18Reviews 4, 19From our elected officials 6, 14Profile 9

INDEX

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Amy MacGregor has once again enjoyedsuccess trampolining at a national level.Last year we reported Amy’s triumph inbringing home the Scottish Schools Goldmedal (under 9 years, level 5) to KillearnPrimary School. This was topped backin November by becoming the ScottishNational Champion in the Level 5, under11 years class – a major achievementwhen you are only 9!Amy had to qualify at a gradingcompetition before being eligible tocompete in the Scottish NationalChampionships in Perth.Competing at this level requires a lot ofpractice and dedication. Amy trains twicea week with the BishopbriggsTrampoline Club. Gwen Stewart

KILLEARN PTA’S SUCCESSFUL YEAR

The PTA got off to a flying start thisyear – we gained several new membersfull of ideas and enthusiasm. As usualthe year’s events kicked off with aHalloween disco with kids, parents andteachers all dressed to scare! The nightwas a howling success and made over £650for school funds.The next venture for the PTA was acookbook. Cooking for Killearn Kidscompiled from recipes from the children,their families and local ‘celebrities’including Reverend Malloch and DonaldDuncan, the butcher. The cookbook waslaunched with an entertaining afternoonat the Village Hall with local celebritychef, Simon Whitley (Executive Chef,Cameron House) teaching teachers andpupils how to cook. To date this venturehas raised over £750 for school funds.Copies of the cookbook costs £3 andcan be ordered from Fiona (550667).The start of December saw our annualChristmas Fayre with fun and games forthe kids as well as lots of wonderful

festive stalls. The day was a great successraising around £800 for school funds.Our most recent event was the annualBurns Coffee Morning where thechildren showed us how incrediblytalented they are with songs and versefrom the Bard and other Scots poets.Further entertainment came from IanSinclair and Fergus Evans on the pipes.Nearly £400 raised on the day helped usmove closer to our target of £5,000.Events still to come this year include theFamily Music Night, the Duck Race andthe end of year BBQ – see diary sectionfor dates.This year the school are planning to usethe money raised by the PTA to continueto support school outings, developtechnology resources and expandresources for their Personal & SocialDevelopment and Health curricula. ThePTA would like to take this opportunityto thanks all the children, parents andlocal people for their continued supportof all our events. Fiona Dowell

BOUNCING TOSUCCESS... AGAIN

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LETTERSLETTERSLETTERSLETTERSLETTERSWe welcome letters from readers. Pleaseinclude a full name and address (notnecesarily for publication). Contactaddresses on the front page.

FootpathsKillearn Community Futures Companyhas set up a group to look at footpathsthroughout the parish of Killearn, andto produce a booklet with informationabout all the most useful paths. Groupmembers will be walking the paths overthe next few months and contactinglandowners to get permission to includethem in the booklet. If you have afavourite path, or would like a new orlinking route developed, please get intouch with the group secretary, IanPascoe (550022). Ian Pascoe

Dear EditorI have been disappointed at the response tothe crossword and wordsearch competitions inthe Courier. Both prizes are worth having, yetthe number of entries in the box in Spar arerather sparse. Where are the solvers of thewee stinker in the Herald ? And surely £10 tospend in Spar is enough temptation for anyunder-12. So come on puzzlers – get thoseentries in and make it a real competition.

Peewit

24 March Killearn PTA, Family Music Night. Village Hall, 7–10 pm.25 March Killearn Football Club, Race Night. Village Hall,26 March Get Reel, Concert. Village Hall,29 March Rotary, Charity Bridge Drive. Village Hall, 7.30 pm.7 April Strathendrick Film Society, “Whale Rider”. Balfron Campus, 7.30

pm.9 April Strathendrick Cycling Club, Run from Garelochhead, 11 am. For

information phone Morag Jervis (660437).22 April Mothers and Toddlers, Car Boot sale. Village Hall.23 April Tennis Club, Open Day and ‘Play Tennis’ scheme. Junior session,

10am – 12pm, followed by an American Tournament for seniormembers. All welcome for ‘play tennis’. Contact Anne Delargy(550253).

27 April Drymen & District Local History Society, Illustrated talk by Bob Will:“Recent Excavations at Loch Lomond” preceded by wine &cheese and followed by a short AGM. Drymen Village Hall, 7.15pm

30 April Scribbler’s Stroll. Walk between Stirling Rugby Club (Bridgehaugh)and Mc Q’s (Bannockburn) in aid of 5 cancer charities, book in12.30pm. Contact Maureen (01786 478213) orwww.scribblerspicnic.com

5 May Strathendrick Film Society, “The Maggie”. Balfron Campus, 7.30pm.

9 May TAGS, Soweto Gospel Choir, Glasgow Concert Hall, 7.30. Ticketand transport £25. Book at Balfron Library (440407) ContactJoan (440095, evenings).

9 May TAGS. IKEA trip. £7.50. Contact Joan (440095, evenings).20 May Killearn Horticultural Society and Colourful Killearn, Gardeners’

Market and Coffee Morning. Village Hall, 10am –12pm.Entrance: £2.

20 May Killearn PTA, School Fete. Primary School grounds, 11 am – 1pm.

17 June Killearn PTA, Duck Race. Endrick Water, 11 am.17 June Killearn PTA, BBQ. Primary school grounds, 5–8 pm.18 June Scribbler’s Picnic. Stirling County Rugby Club (Bridgehaugh), Noon

until late. Music, refreshments, charity stalls.If you have any dates for the August 2006 issue (mid August to mid November) of theDiary, please contact Pat Ryall (550713) by June 30th 2006.

EditorialWelcome to this, our first edition of 2006.The frenzy of Christmas and New Yearseems well past and, in spite of the snowstorms raging elsewhere in the country, weseem to be rushing headlong into Springin our own secluded, sunny part of Scot-land. Long may our good weather con-tinue.This edition also marks our first birthdaygiven that it was at this time last year whenwe first produced the Courier and launchedit onto the unsuspecting residents withinthe Parish of Killearn. Like our birthdaygirl, Gwladys Lind, we are still going strongand will continue to do so for some timeyet! This year is also the birthday ofKillearn’s most famous son, GeorgeBuchanan, (see article on page 17). It’sthe 500th anniversary of his birth and alot of festivities are being planned for youto enjoy.Writing of birthdays, is there anyone outthere who wants to tell us of a previousbirthday they had which was memorable,funny, offbeat or just plain miserable –something like we did in the last editionwith tales of Christmas Past? Come on,give it a whirl. If your editorial team cando it, so can you!Since our last edition, we have recruitedanother member to our team, Dougie Belland a warm welcome is extended to him.Dougie will join the members of theGroup responsible for the layout and hasalready proved his worth in this edition.He’s also written an article (page 10)! Ishould add that you don’t have to write anarticle to become a member of the teamso ???Enjoy the Courier.

Ian Dickie, Editor

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Recent local books not tobe missed!

Buchanan Castle: the military years, 1939-1948, by Clair Calder was published inDecember 2005 by Drymen & DistrictLocal History Society. Price £4.00. Clairhas lived in Buchanan Castle Estate formany years and this book has grown outof his interest in the castle and itswartime role.John Mitchell has completed his trilogyof papers on local transportation, thelatest being From East Lomondside to theClyde: a short history of local travel andtransportation by water. This, with theprevious papers, The rise and decline of therailway in Drymen and district and Drymenand district by road was published byDrymen & District Local History Society.Price £2.00 each. John is a foundermember of the History Society, and hisresearch in recent years has contributeda great deal to our record of the past inthis area.All of these publications are being soldfor the Society by Drymen Library.

Alison Brown

There have been guest speakers fromStirling Council at two meetings in recentmonths. In November, Kevin Roberts,Roads Improvement Manager and BrianRobertson, Traffic Management TeamLeader led a review of road safety in thevillage. This followed the fatal accidentat the exit from Branziert Road a fewweeks earlier. The good-sized audiencewas given the opportunity of expressingtheir views on road safety and trafficmanagement in Killearn and the officersfrom Stirling Council took heed of theconcerns expressed and promised thatroad safety improvements in Killearnwould be made a priority. As a result ofthese decisions new road markings andsignage were installed in the approach toBranziert Road.

The Community Council promised toinclude road safety as a regular item onthe agenda of their meetings so that thesituation may be monitored constantly.In January, Mick Stewart, Head ofPlanning, gave an outline of the planningprocess and answered questions from theaudience. He was able to give details ofseveral recent local decisions, some ofwhich have been contentious. He statedthat the Tennis Courts would beidentified as a Rural Activity Site onwhich planning permission fordevelopment would not be given and thatif permission were to be granted for thebuilding of houses on the KillearnHospital Site this would not set aprecedent for further development onthe village boundaries.

Area CommunityPlanning Meeting

Drymen & DistrictLocal History Society

The first meeting of the AreaCommunity Planning (Cluster 5) tookplace in Balfron High School on 1February. There was a large attendancefrom all the communities in the rural areawest of Stirling. The subject of roads androad safety was addressed by LesGoodfellow, Head of Roads andTransport, Stirling Council, and by Sgt.Jim Allan, Collision Prevention Unit,Central Scotland Police. Following anopportunity for questions the meetingwas asked to decide on key aims andobjectives to be taken forward by a RoadsWorking Group to create an Action Plan.Notice was given of an allocation to thecluster of funding to the value of£29,800. This may be used in the Clusterto fund a project or projects that willbenefit the Cluster or it may be dividedbetween every Community Council.Discussion regarding this should bemade within Community Councils, afterwhich a representative will report backto the next Area Planning meeting, anda Steering Group will be set up toimplement the decision.

Brenda Pell

The Playpark Group, working under theauspices of KCFC, has had some successin their attempts to attract funding andnow stand at around 50% of what isneeded. Working in partnership withStirling Council and with valued supportfrom Pam Campbell, the Group hasproduced its own business plan, and isusing this as the core of its appeal totrusts and funds. A mailing of nearly 50packs has recently been sent to a variety

Playpark Update

Brenda Pell

of funds as well as appeals to variouslocal organisations. Many hurdles havebeen overcome, but our efforts must beredoubled if we are to see the projectstarted in the autumn.If any reader knows of any possiblesources of funding, please contact thePlaypark Group (chairman Brenda Pell)with details.

BP

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P1Poetry - Callum Anderson

Pussie at the firesideP2

Poetry - Kirstie MaitlandThe Crocodile

P3Poetry - James Roxby and Breagh Hannan

The sair fingerP4

Song - Shona MichieMy Heart’s in the Highlands

Poetry - Morven PatersonThe Heron

P5Song - Christina Bell and Amy MacGregor

Scot’s wha haePoetry - Rachel Maitland and Olivia Heron

Where is the Glasgow?P6

Song - David LeonardThe work o’ the weavers

Poetry - Christie Macleod, Kirstie Buchananand Hannah McLaren

To a LouseSong - Robert Cowden

Ay waukin o’P7

Song - Euan MichieA Man’s a Man

Poetry - Stella BolandTam O’Shanter

Song - Kirsten WhiteA Man’s a Man

KPS Burns Winners

Book FairOur annual Book Fair in the autumn raised a fabulous £3,300. That’s a lot of books!Well done, everyone, and happy reading.Prize WinnersCongratulations to Primary 5 who were winners in a recent literacy competition.They met the Children’s Laureate Jacqueline Wilson on January 30th at StirlingUniversity. A very special outing!Outdoor PlaygroundAn area of our playground has been identified as an ideal site for an outdoorclassroom. P5 are going to be Project Managing this task and ask if anyone in thecommunity would be willing to assist them in this exciting project. They are lookingfor people who might have connections in the building industry or design (architects/landscaping), health and safety or just able to assist with general labouring!Please contact the school if you think you could help our young entrepreneurs out!ECO SchoolsOur school has achieved Silver award for ECO Schools. This award recognises ourachievement towards a sustainable lifestyle, and we are very proud to have beenawarded it.We will now be planning how best to achieve our Green Flag.

News From Killearn Primary School

Congratulations to Balfron High School under-15 rugby team. The boys won throughto the semi-final of the Bowl of the Bell Lawrie Scottish Schools national competitionbefore losing narrowly, 15–7, to Madras College. Just one step from a final atMurrayfield! Well done to all the players and coaches involved. NH

Balfron High School Rugby

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The issue of road safety is always on ourmind, not least in the village. Althoughit was almost 30 years since the last majoraccident in Killearn when a pedestrianinjury occurred, the recent fatal accidentat the junction of Main Street andBranziert Road has caused great distressand concern. Both Sylvia Jackson and Iare very much aware of the community’sworries over vehicles travelling at speedsthrough the village. We highlighted theseconcerns to Stirling Council at the endof last year. We need to ensure that boththe Council and the police redouble theirefforts to ensure that drivers of allvehicles respect the rights of those wholive in our rural communities. As a resultof our work and other communityrepresentation on this issue, StirlingCouncil has promised to include Killearnin a programme of road safety measurescovering several villages and to maintaina dialogue with the community regardingthe introduction of new measures.If you have any views on this and anyother matter, then please do not hesitateto contact me at the ParliamentaryAdvice Office, 22 Viewfield Street,Stirling FK8 1UA, telephone 01786446515. You can also contact SylviaJackson MSP at this same address.You can also visit my website atwww.annemcguiremp.org.uk or email meat mcguirea@parliament.uk

Anne McGuire

From AnneMcGuire

As reflected in the Community Councilmeetings, road safety and trafficmanagement are continuing matters ofconcern. The speed of traffic passingthrough the village, the lack of anypedestrian crossing and the problemscaused by inappropriate parking are chiefamongst complaints. New signs and roadmarkings are an initial response to whathave been long-term hazards, but theneed to educate drivers to restrict theirspeeds within the village is crucial. TheCommunity Council has asked for theintroduction of a one-way system aroundthe circle of Graham Road and for there-marking of yellow lines to restrictparking. The School Board has carriedout a survey of how children currentlyget to Killearn School, as part of StirlingCouncil’s ‘Safe Routes to School’initiative. This aims to identify, and detailany required upgrading of, those routesthat allow children to walk or cycle toschool safely. It is hoped that thecombined efforts of the CommunityCouncil and the School Board may carrysome weight in persuading StirlingCouncil to implement the measuresneeded to ensure safety on our villageroads.Parking on the Main Street is a matterof some debate. When vehicles areparked on both sides of the street theresultant narrowing can act as an effectivechicane, forcing vehicles into a one-waypassage for a short period; but anyonewho has seen heavy goods vehiclesbearing down the Main Street, swingingout to pass cars parked outside thepharmacy, swinging back to the left-handcarriageway then out again across thecentre of the road as they pass the Sparparking bay with no perceptiblereduction in speed, can only wonder howlong it will be before a vehicle losescontrol.Again, a legal and appropriate speed andstyle of driving are important elementsin maintaining safety on the roads in ourvillage. Brenda Pell

Have you got an interesting tale to tell? Areyou part of a sports club that you’d like totell Killearn Courier readers about? Pleasecontact Nick Hawkins on 01360 550576 withleads on sporting achievements, youth andleisure activities. We publish three editions:late summer, pre-Christmas and pre-Easter.

Road Safety Mobile Library Timetable

The Mobile Library comes to the villageon a Thursday and stops in four places.The mobile library is to be found on

Branziert Road Northbetween 3.40 and 4.20

and Graham Roadbetween 5.30 and 6.50

on the following dates:March 2,16, 30

April 13, 27May 11, 25June 8, 22July 6, 20

August 3,17, 31September 14, 28October 12, 26November 9, 23December 7, 21

New Endrick Roadbetween 3.45 and 4.10

and Allan Roadbetween 4.15 and 4.35

on the following dates:March 9, 23April 6,20May 4, 18

June 1,15, 29July 13, 27

August 10, 24September 7, 21October 5, 19

November 2,16, 30December 14, 28

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In the words of Robert Burns, ‘the nichtdrave on wi’ sangs and clatter’, whenSandy, a shepherd, an employee ofGlasgow Corporation Water Board, aswere several of the folk, suggested thatwe should play some summer ice.And so we played. Fifteen ends. Wedrew, we guarded, we went in-off, wewent ‘through the hoose’, each sidetrying to get the ‘shot’. The skips raisetheir pointers triumphantly orthreateningly, depending on how theplayers follow their instructions. Soonit is all over. Fifteen ends. Who won?Who cares! After another visit to the bigtable, we take our leave of our friendly,generous hosts at Stronachlachar.Passing Altskeith all is in darkness. Nocomfort stop possible now. AtAberfoyle, in the moonlight, BaillieNicol Jarvie’s poker casts a shadow onthe ground. The taxi stops at the BlaneSmithy to let me off. Here, too, all is indarkness. Jeannie and Margaret soundasleep in bed. Along past KillearnHospital. Here and there, lights gleamin the darkness. There are always lights

Round 1: Stronachlachar v. KillearnEarly in the evening a group of four menare waiting at Well Green for the arrivalof the Austin 16 taxi from DonaldJohnson’s Kirkhouse Garage. The teamto represent Killearn Recreation Club is:

Skip: Archie Gilfillan, chauffeur. Amore genial man you could notmeet.Third: Tom Paul, company secretary.He brought a bit of decorum to anygatheringSecond: Roy Bryden, cattle-floatdriver. He knew and had visited verymany farms throughout Scotland.

Lead: Hugh McArthur, farm worker.He is employed at Laigh Parks Farm.

The taxi arrives and we set off for theTrossachs. We travel along the Aberfoyleroad, past Ballat and the Ward Toll.Bypassing Gartmore, we continue onthrough Aberfoyle. Along the MainStreet, the shops are closed. A numberof people are making their way out forthe evening, whist-driving or whatever.Arriving at the hotel at Altskeith, wemake what is know today as a ‘comfortstop’. The kilted landlord is in jovialspirits and soon some of us seem to betrying to copy his mood via his bottledspirits. A timely ‘toot’ from the taxireminds us that we have a bit more totravel before we reach Stronachlachar.On our arrival, we are met by a group ofmen and women and we are ushered intothe big house. If these good folk did notinvent the phrase ‘Ceud Mile Failte’, theycertainly knew what it meant. In a bigroom, in the big house, and on a big tableis a spread enough to make a young farmworker’s heart – and stomach – jumpwith delight.

The Lady Cayzer Cup

on in Wards 14 and 14A, the brain wards.No Ward 13 here.The farm road-end, up over the railwaybridge and into the bothy. My threecolleagues are dead to the world. Sheila,the collie, and her son, Bonzo, give awelcoming wag of their tails and go backto sleep, to dream of chasing cows orchewing bones.In what seems no time at all, the dooropens and Dan, the farmer, gives hisusual morning salutation: ‘Right, boys, it’stime to milk the kye.’ The clatter of themilking units being assembled, andanother shout from Dan, force my feetto find the floor. O, dear! I’m tired! Butit was good to be at Stronie last night.

Hugh McArthur

Summer Ice is a traditional game played on a long, narrow table, with amarked target at each end. There is a wooden channel, the ‘ditch’, allround the table to catch any wayward stones. The table is highly polished,as are the bases of the metal stones. Shaped like a small curling stone,these are about 3 inches in diameter and one inch deep. The rules of thegame are very similar to those of curling.The game of Summer Ice has been played in up to 14 villages in the areasince 1907. Today, only four villages – Aberfoyle, Buchlyvie, Gartmoreand Kippen – are left playing Summer Ice.As well as playing games in the Recreation Club at Killearn, teams wereentered in the two area-wide competitions, the Sir Steven Bilsland League and theLady Cayzer Cup. Summer Ice was played in Killearn until the Recreation Clubclosed in about 1961. Hugh McArthur

Summer Ice

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Dog FoulingComplaints have been received about anincreased incidence of dog fouling,particularly in residential streets. Dogowners are asked to clean up after theirpets and to make use of the ‘dog litterbins’ provided. These red bins should beused only for dog excrement and not forgeneral litter.

BP

Colourful KillearnColourful Killearn is hoping the begoniasplanned for all the village tubs thissummer will give a glorious show.Anyone in the least bit interested inhorticultural pursuits is more thanwelcome to come along to our well-advertised Work Parties to find out whatwe’re about perhaps even give us a handto tidy up existing beds. The annualCoffee Morning and Gardener’s Market,with Killearn Horticultural Society, willbe on 20th May this year in the villagehall – plants, stalls and garden bric-a-bracoutside, and coffee, tea and edibles inside.

Colourful Killearn is grateful for thecontinued financial support andencouragement from Green Force, aStirling Council initiative. Green Force,as the name implies, gives grants tocommunity projects which supportecological initiatives: in order to complyand get funding, Colourful Killearn mustuse peat-free compost and all the plantsare to be composted at the end of theseason. They also champion the use ofnatural materials, and any plastic used,must be from recycled sources. Our latestproject is for a large planter outside theSpar and we won a grant of £430 towardsthis. Pricilla Douglas

Killearn Health CentrePublic Holidays and

Training DaysTraining Days: Centre closed from12.30 pm on 22 March, 27 April,6 June, 21 September, 24 October,23 November.Public Holidays: 14,17 April;1, 29 May; 7 August; 11 September;25, 26 December.1, 2 January 2007.

Marta Emmerson-GrayPractice Manager

The Club meets every Tuesday eveningin the Strathblane Country House Hotel.New Members welcome.Contact Ian Pascoe (550022) or RogerSparkes (440700).

Killearn Bridge Club

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A one-off grant of £1,000 has beengiven by Stirling Council to everyCommunity Council. The purpose ofthis is to spend the money on somelocal project or improvement that willbenefit the community. Plans for theuse of this grant must be lodged withStirling Council by August, and themoney must be spent by March 2007.Residents are asked to submit to theCommunity Council their suggestionsfor using this grant. This is a rareopportunity. Do let the KCC know yourideas. BP

Windfall

Fiona Park has recently beenappointed Community Policeofficer for Killearn and Fintry. Sheis also the Liaison Officer for thecare premises of Ballikinrain andCare Vision.Born in Glasgow, she was broughtup in Cumbernauld and alwayswanted to join the police force. Onleaving school she completed anapprenticeship in electronics andelectrical engineering, but 14 yearsago entered the police force where shenow sees a growing equality in thebalance between the sexes. She wasoriginally stationed in Dunblane and wasa member of Incident Team 4 at the timeof the tragedy in the primary school.She has been stationed at Balfron for 11years and rates highly the attractive ruralsurroundings, the low crime rate andvillages that are community oriented andsupportive to the police. When asked forany negative aspects of her work sheadmitted that, although residents here are

supportive, they are also reluctant tocontact the police, not wanting to botherthem. As she has stated publicly that shewould like residents to contact herwhenever they have any concerns orwhen they notice something unusual assuch observations can often lead to thedetection of a crime.The chief function of her job is toprevent crime and to make all efforts todetect crime; as a Community Officer hertask is to form a close relationship withthe communities she serves. She

emphasises the value of listeningto people, of being visible and ofinstilling a feeling of trust betweenher and the community. It is, shesays, impossible to measure theresults of these factors, but thereis no doubt that these qualitiesresult in good practice that paysdividends in the future. As a partof her job, she has some input intothe schools in the area and alsotalks to youth organisations.

When off duty Fiona enjoys walking herdog and running, and has competed in anumber of 10k events, raising money forStrathcarron Hospice and the Chest,Heart, Stroke Scotland. She has beenmarried for a year and, since her husbandis also a shift worker, finds that domesticlife can combine well with the demandsof her police career.Eminently approachable, Fiona will beonly too pleased if you introduceyourself to her as she carries out her roleas Community Police Officer. BP

Profile: PC Fiona Park

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Sail – Now On!One of Britain’s most popularparticipatory sports is sailing. Situated soclose to a range of beautiful Lochs andGlens, Killearn is lucky to have severalsailing clubs within reasonable drivingdistance. As an outline guide to thishobby, five of the most accessible andpopular local sailing clubs are introducedbelow (there are several more on theForth and Clyde estuaries).

Loch Lomond Sailing Club(www.lochlomondsc.org) is the principalsailing club on Loch Lomond and enjoysa beautiful location on the eastern shore,north of Balmaha. A friendly, family-based club, it boasts superb scenery anda relaxing atmosphere. The main thrustof the Club is to provide competitiveracing as well as sail and powerboattraining, all combined with the provisionof on-shore amenities to ensure anattractive family atmosphere.

Photo : Jan E Margetts

There is club racing every Saturday andSunday from April to October – and aFrostbite Series (brrrr!) carrying onthrough November and December forthe keen members. The strong racingbackground is reflected in the RYA VolvoChampion club status with several openevents hosted throughout the year.Vessels racing at the club range fromToppers for younger children throughblistering Catamarans & Skiffs to moreleisurely Keelboats, but make no mistake– all crews are out to win. Most of theracing takes place over the extensivestretch of water at the southern part ofthe Loch.

Loch Venachar Sailing Club(www.loch-venachar-sc.org.uk) is situatedat the heart of the Trossachs on thesouth shore of Loch Venachar.

Loch Ard Sailing Club(www.cs.stir.ac.uk/~kjt/sailing/lasc) islocated to the West of Aberfoyle, nestlingin the heart of the Trossachs. The sourceof the River Forth, Loch Ard is 4 kmslong by 2 km wide, and provides excellentsailing in sheltered water.

Clyde Cruising Club – DinghySection (www.clyde.org) is based atBardowie Loch near Milngavie, andprovides idyllic surroundings in whichpeople of all ages and abilities can learnto sail. Bardowie provides members withRYA training in all aspects of dinghysailing, both racing and cruising.

Loch Earn Sailing Club(www.lochearnsc.com) is situated on thenorth side of Loch Earn near the StFillans end and is one of the mostpicturesque lochs in Scotland.

Dougie Bell

In the last issue of the Killearn Courier, there was anannouncement of the birth of Rebecca Louise Rennie.Rebecca Louise surprised Mum Alison (née Bogie) and DadIain by arriving 14 weeks early.She has been doing remarkably well, and to help her Mumand Dad say thank you to the Queen Mothers Hospital,Special Baby Care Unit, Heather Farren (née Robbie) wentto Deep Sea World at North Queensferry on 22 October2005, and swam with the sharks.Heather would like to thank everyone who sponsored her.She raised £200, which has been given to Alison to add todonations she had already received for the Queen Mum’s.Heather would also like to let Rebecca Louise know thatshe really enjoyed her swim, but might have chickened outif it had not been for her. So thank you, Rebecca Louise.

Sheila Robbie

Shark Swim

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To climb to the heights of being the thirdbest slalom skier in your age group inBritain takes remarkable talent,commitment and hard work (as well asgenerous support from family andfriends), but that is what Killearn’sLynsey Hall has achieved.Lynsey, now 16, first skied on thedry slope at Tillicoultry at the ageof 8. Her first visit to the Alpineslopes was to La Plagne afterwhich, showing promise, shestarted race training at BearsdenSki Club. The West of Scotlandhas many great features, butplentiful snowfall is not one ofthem, so from the age of 11,Lynsey progressed to AberdeenSki Club, visiting Glenshee orjoining other Club activities everyweekend throughout the season.Displaying determination and aprecocious talent, Lynsey began to climbthe ranks in Scottish competitive skiing,winning the John Clark Race at Glensheeand the Scottish Dry SlopeChampionships. Entry to the BritishChampionships at Lenk followedtogether with more regular trips to theAlpine slopes including the family’sfavourite resort, Alpbach in Austria.

“The Ski’s the Limit ….”Progress to national ranks in any sportis not simply a matter of ability or luck –regular training, huge commitment andresources are all essential. Lynsey woulddo a fitness session every day(plyometrics, cycling, running or weights)

and travel through to Edinburgh everyweekend for specialist coaching. Herparents, Keith and Ellen, were, of course,taxi drivers, supporters and sponsors –funding travel, accommodation andequipment costs. Even at national level,sports funding of individuals in Britainis very modest. By contrast, in Austriaor France specialist schools combine acurriculum of academic work in themornings and afternoon training on theslopes throughout the ski season.

Killearn Tennis ClubDespite the uncertainty over the lease of thegrounds members of Killearn Tennis Clubremain confident of the club’s future andare looking forward to the new season.

Open Day – Sunday, 23 AprilSunday, 23 April sees the Tennis Club’s Open Day. A sessionfor juniors will be held from 12.00 noon until 2.00pm and willbe followed by an American Tournament for senior members.For those not familiar with this event it allows members of allstandards to play together in a friendly doubles format. It’s agreat way for any new or prospective members to introducethemselves to the club set up so please come along and join in.Play Tennis Campaign – Sunday, 23 AprilThe LTA’s ‘Play Tennis’ promotional day will coincide withthe Open Day activities. The ‘Play Tennis’ scheme allowsanybody to play tennis for free for the day at participating clubsand the club has again volunteered to be part of this event.The campaign, backed by Tim Henman, is the LTA’s grass rootspromotion to encourage people of all ages, background andethnic origin to play the game and join local clubs andprogrammes. It has been running for seven years and providedmore than 400,000 people throughout the UK, with theopportunity to ‘Play Tennis’ for free. It is hoped that this maylead to increased club numbers – however, that’s secondary to

just coming along and having some fun. Let’s hope for somegood weather.Anybody interested in joining the ‘Play Tennis’ day should feelwelcome to come along. Further details can be obtained bycontacting the club secretary, Anne Delargy (550253) or lookout for the signs posted at the club house.Team tennisFor the more competitive players out there, the start of theleague season isn’t too far away, with the first games scheduledfor April. The Club enters senior and junior teams in the localCentral and District League and have fared very well in recentyears. Those involved find it enormously enjoyable and thereis a good social side to the team games as well. An increasedpool of players would be welcome, particularly amongst themen who have struggled for a second team in recent years.Anyone who is interested in getting involved please contactAnne Delargy or any club committee member who will putyou in contact with the relevant team captain.Don’t be put off by reports on the disputes over the lease ofthe grounds. The Club is confident tennis will continue inKillearn for many years to come. Membership forms anddetails of coaching can be provided by Jackie Hawkins (550576).New members very welcome. John Forshaw

Lynsey repaid the confidence shown inher by winning through to the BritishChildren’s Championships in Meribel in2004 where she was third fastest in theSlalom. Our photograph shows Lynseyin action on the spectacular slopes of the

French Alps. As part of theScottish Junior Ski Team, Lynseyenjoyed a six-week training campat Mount Buller near Melbourne,Australia, in 2004 and three weeksin Oppdal, Norway, last year,further improving her strengthand technique. Her endeavourresulted in the Killearn youngsterearning fourth place in the BritishJunior Championships last year.Also in 2005, she was selected forScottish Schools Team for theWorld Schools’ Championships in

Sweden – and she was our country’s topperformer.What lies ahead? Despite a cabinet fullof medals, cups, plaques and trophies,exams loom. Lynsey’s education has totake precedence, but she is now alsotraining to be a ski instructor: her longer-term ambition. In years to come, if youchoose to take ski classes or showpromise at racing, you might just benefitfrom the expertise of Killearn’s ownScottish Champion.

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What is it thatmakes for anactive andr o b u s tp r o p e r t ymarket? Ofcourse, as t a b l eeconomy, lowinflation andkeen interest

rates are the obvious economic drivers,but without demand they count forlittle. It is with little surprise, therefore,that Killearn has benefited and enjoyedsuch a healthy property market and willcontinue to do so, given the desire tolive here both from those outwith thearea and from those current residentstrading up or down the property ladder.There is no mystery as to why thisshould be – a pretty village ofapproximately 2,000 population in sucha delightful situation: at the foothills ofthe Campsie’s, on the fringe of the LochLomond and Trossachs National Parkand yet within 20 miles of Glasgow citycentre. Drawn by an active community,

the village ‘ticks all the boxes’ with someof the best primary and secondaryschooling in Scotland, an excellent healthcentre, shops to cater for most day-to-day needs, clubs, societies, good roadinfrastructure, a bus service and,importantly, an eclectic mix of qualityhomes.Killearn can provide a home either forthe first time buyer or the millionaire, andit is little wonder, therefore, that itprovides steady and, at times, significantyear-on-year capital growth for itsowners. Last year saw house valuesconsolidate over some of the morenoticeable gains in previous years withrises in the order of 7.5% to 10.5% withhomes typically achieving between 15%and 20% over the advertised figure. Ofcourse there will always be exceptions tothe rule and those properties which enjoya particularly good view or plot andcertainly those of a more traditionalnature do frequently out perform. Theforecast for 2006 is good and already theearly sales and enquiries for the villagehave been very positive for so early inthe year. Our best estimate is that there

could be a 9% to 13% price rise aheadfor 2006.One thing is certain: with all that Killearnhas to offer in setting, quality of housingstock, schooling, amenities and its strongsense of community, it will continue todeliver increases in property values, be aplace where people would wish to moveto, and be not only one of Stirlingshire’sbut one of Scotland’s nicest places to live.

James DurwardCorum Partner

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13

If you walk down Drumtian Road you will notice something has beengoing on in the field to your left. There is a spanking new barn in thefield by the drive and around the house scaffolding partially masksthe walls, now stripped of their whitewashed facing.Agnes and Ian Bowie have moved here to realise a dream. Thetraditionally-styled house, built in 1977, has been stripped back to itsbarest skeleton and is being totally refurbished with stone beingbrought into its construction. Along the south wall a glassed cloisteredwalkway has been built and at the back a new large drawing room andmaster bedroom, above, with a balcony, are being added.Whilst the house is presently very much the domain of the builders,it is outside that the results of some major changes can be seen. Justbeyond the margin of the formal garden a field runs down to a newwildlife pond. Backed by the conifers of the Witches’ Glen a largeelliptical-shaped pool has been filled from the water of the Witches’Burn. A tumble of large rounded stones marks the point at which alittle waterfall will create movement in the water. A moss-coveredrocky island has been sited in the water to offer a haven for ducks,safe from predatory foxes. Tree planting is in progress extending fromthe glen around the margin of the water and birds are already nestingin the area.When the building work on the house is finished, the surroundinggarden will be returned to a spread of lawns. In the surrounding fieldsand in a beech copse, highland cattle and sheep are grazing. The viewsof the hills are unparalleled in all directions and the design of houseand garden is planned to take maximum advantage of sunrise andsunset. The wildlife pond will provide a resource for ornithologistsand school parties will be welcomed. ‘Traditional’ and ‘timeless’ arethe watchwords of Agnes Bowie’s vision for her house and land. Whenthe alterations are completed, Little Carbeth will nestle harmoniouslyinto its landscape. BP

Big Changes at Little Carbeth

Two meetings, both open to the public,took place in 2005 in the Village Hall. Afeasibility study was also conducted andthe outcome of that study was availableat the second meeting.The former hospital site is classed as acontaminated site (because of asbestos)and thus it has to be rendered safe to thesatisfaction of the Health and SafetyExecutive and the Scottish EnvironmentalProtection Agency. To clear the site to

comply with statutory requirements, willcost around £4 million. Obviously, therewould need to a return on that sort ofspend.It has been suggested that the buildingof some 20 ‘executive’ houses, all in largeparcels of land and costing c. £1 million,the creation of workplace units and aCare/Retirement Development mightwell provide enough profit to allow thesite to be cleared and supply enough

capital to have the necessary serviceamenities installed or upgraded.It is understood that Stirling Council arewilling to assist in the development ofthe site. However, current PlanningControls regarding such areas as this sitewould need to be satisfied.Currently, GAIA, Architectural Consultants,are in discussion with Stirling Council overthe production of a development planfor the site.

Killearn Hospital Site: Update

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Knights in Shining ArmourWhen asked to prepare this report Ithought it would be a good idea to letpeople know what the Round Table is.Round Tables are an off shoot of theRotary organisation for the youngermen, and I use this word advisedly,residing in an area to gather on a regularbasis to follow, to an extent the goodwork done by Rotary. There is noformal connection in Killearn betweenthe two organisations, although I canassure you we are on speaking terms!Round Table meet every 1st and 3rdThursday of the month, normally overa pint and a burger at the Old Mill, andover the last few years have generallyrun three annual events. The first event of the year is by far thebiggest and best known – Fireworksnight. Not only are we able to raiseenough money each year to give, I amsure you will agree, what is a good

firework display for a village our size, weare also able to make a contribution tocharity. This event takes quite a lot oforganisation and hard work on the day.The donations alone do not even pay forthe fireworks! The activities whichsurround the firework display such as thepromotional leaflet, selling of light sticksand burgers make up for the loss andallow us to make a donation to charity.The second event, which has just passed,was our Annual Burns Supper, held onthe last Saturday of January in the BlackBull. The general consensus was that thisyear’s event was the best ever, with arecord attendance of 71. Memorablespeeches were given by Gordon Sim(Address to the Haggis), Kevin Boland(The Selkirk Grace), and Neil McArthur(A Tribute to Burns). A hilarious ‘Toastto the Lassies’ was given by Des Hudson,followed by an equally hilarious riposteby Juliet Skelly. Des Burt gave us his view

on Tam O’Shanter and the evening wasrounded off by the Vote of Thanks fromChris Bell. Chris, Sara Bell and DavidPettigrew provided the music for theevening with Duncan Biggart piping.Again this is a charity event.Our final event for the year is hoped tobe a repeat of last year’s highly successful“Battle of the Bands” probably to beheld in May. Last year this was a greatevening, and I hope everyone is onceagain looking forward this year todonning their wigs, costumes and pickingup their air guitars to be a pop star forthe night.The serious side of all this is that theRound Table do not only ensure that theFireworks continue in the village, but alsoraise significant amounts of money forcharity. So far this year over £3,000 hasbeen raised, and we hope to make this atleast £4,000. We normally like to donateto local charities and our chosen charitythis year is Crossroads, a locally-basedcharity which provides care for carers.If you are male, younger than 45 and ata loose end on a Thursday night, andwish to make a contribution to the events– to say nothing of having good fun –please do not hesitate to join. I am, formy sins, Chairman this year. Please feelfree to contact me on 550099 if you wishto join.

Robert Skelly

CFSLA Payroll LotteryThis is the local council staff lottery for Clackmannanshire, Falkirk & Stirlinglocal authorities. Details of local community groups and charities who havebeen successful in obtaining equipment are listed, as well as information andapplication forms for groups seeking financial help. Check it out onwww.cfsla.org.uk.Electoral RegistrationThe current Register of electors was published on 1 December 2005. Anyonewho is not registered cannot vote in elections and may have credit referencedifficulties as all major credit reference companies use the register to verifyresidence.Anyone who changes name or address, or needs to now register should obtaina registration form from the local library. Alternatively, download a form atwww.saa.gov.uk/central (contact ERO).The electoral register for the local area is available to view in all local libraries.Local area statistics are available on request and staff can visit communitygroups to discuss electoral matters by arrangement.Contact ero@centralscotland-vjb.gov.uk or phone 01786-892207.

Stirling Council Notices

15

Should you happen to see a number ofbrainy and/or athletic ladies making forKillearn Village Hall on a Mondayafternoon, you will realise that a meetingof the Monday Club is in session. Andthis year, this friendly and sociable outfitcelebrate their 50th birthday.The club actually started in 1955, whenthe regular badminton club became sobusy that games were sometimes limitedto seven minutes. So, some of the ladiesdecided to start a badminton and socialclub of their own. The instigator was aMiss McCredie, and the idea was to have

Monday Club Anniversary

Nature Notes – Black BirdsThey say that in the dark, all cats are grey,but are all ‘blackbirds’ black? Yes and no– female blackbirds are brown, andjackdaws have a grey nape, and blackbirdsare thrushes, and jackdaws are crows, andstarlings aren’t really black... See what Imean? Our commonest black birds arerooks – not crows, as many peoplebelieve.Let’s start again. Rooks, crows, jackdaws,ravens, choughs and jays are all in thefamily Corvidae. So they are, indeed, allcrows – or corbies or craws, if you prefer.In Killearn village the commonest crowis the jackdaw, often to be seen swirlingaround the tall trees or sitting bychimneys ‘smoke bathing’ to get rid ofparasites. They are the smallest of theblack birds and have blue eyes and greyfeathers on the back of the head. But inthe rural areas, rooks dominate. Walkingdown Drumtian Road, you cannot misstheir harsh cries as they wheel in the wind– nor their calling cards on the tarmac.Just past Carbeth Lodge is a large

rookery, where by now untidy stick nestshave been built and may well containeggs. Many of the nests are in conifers,the traditional elm tree nesting siteshaving all but disappeared as a result ofthe fungal disease of a few years ago.Young rooks are black all over and – Iconfess it – difficult to tell from crows,though their ‘trousers’ are more ragged,and, in flight, their tails have a squarerappearance. But there is no problem withthe adults: after their first summer,feathers from the base of the bill aremoulted so that it has a bald grey base

and looks huge and vicious. The simplestway to be sure which is which, is that ifyou see a lot of crows together, they arerooks; if you just see one or two rooks,they are crows.So, that’s alright then.

Fay Pascoe

three Mondays of badminton, and on thefourth Monday to join together withnon-playing members to listen to aspeaker. The first AGM was held inMarch 1956, and in 1959, the bridgesection was added. The pattern set at thevery beginning still holds good today,with three Mondays of play, and thenwhat became known as the SocialMonday. On those occasions, the clubhas enjoyed a wonderful selection ofspeakers, from ‘How to Make your ownHat’ and ‘Flower Arranging’ in the earlydays, to the work of the Lifeboats andthe new Loch Lomond Park in morerecent years.Right from the start there was an annuallunch, starting in the Black Bull. Thecharge was 8/-, so it was obviously aclassy event. The club also patronised theQueens Hotel in Helensburgh for severalyears, where the ladies would have feltvery underdressed without the hat andgloves. Spring outings also became partof the club’s activities, with visits toplaces like Pitlochry Theatre, SconePalace, Culzean Castle, and the village ofCulross. Then there were the autumnvisits to one of the Glasgow theatres, and

the summer activities, like archery in Mrs.Bruce’s garden – a lovely idea in principle,but one that didn’t last long. Perhaps lackof skill had something to do with it! Nowthe ladies have an annual summer golftournament, which engenders a lot offun.Along with the social aspects of the club,there was early on a feeling of wishingto share with others, which resulted inregular donations to various charities. In1961, the club raised £1.17/- from thesale of cake and candy, and addedanother fiver to make a donation of£6.17/- in total to the Spastics. Bigmoney in those days, and the club’scontributions have gone up exponentiallysince then.Apart from the physical exercise of thebadminton and the mental exercise ofthe bridge, the main ethos of the MondayClub has always been friendship. If therewas a motto for the club, it might well be‘People Need People’. There is everyreason to hope that future members willfind the same support andcompanionship that they always have inKillearn’s own Monday Club.

Joyce Begg

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Once the general brightness of the Festive Season is past, and winter trundleson apace, there does seem to be a kind of ‘beigeness’ about the place. Theremight well be a blue sky, but one can’t be forever looking upwards. Beforethe flowers really get under way, there is not much terrestrial colour around.But there is some. One just has to look for it.Black and white may not actually constitute colour, but the houses in thesquare never look dull, and while the old church is indeed grey, there aretouches of lime and yellow in the lichens on the wall that surrounds it. Eventhe functional grit bins are yellow, and not nearly so acid as they might be.Moving right along, there is a restfulness in the ecclesiastical blue of thechurch doors and the notice board, and there is cheerfulness in the teapotand the pretty bottles in the chemist’s window, especially if the sun bouncesoff them. Getting ever brighter, the blues and yellows of the multicourtalmost require to be viewed through dark glasses. And then there’re the pillar

boxes. Isn’t it interesting how a dotof red can brighten a wholestretch, like the one just past thebend in Station Road? And isn’t itgreat that they’ve painted thetelephone box outside Spar redagain after years of progressive pinkness? It now stands proud beside the pillar box,just as they were in that great photo Fraser took of them in the snow, the one thatwon prizes in the Flower Show.While on the subject of pillar boxes, whose bright idea was it to paint the dog wastereceptacles the same colour? Is the world not sufficiently full of danger withoutmaking it easy to post stuff into the wrong container? The ones at the Health Centrecar park are positively hazardous. Did anyone consult Henry or Robert before theyput those boxes within a few feet of each other? These guys should be getting dangermoney. Would it not be a good idea to change the dog boxes to a toxic orange, or aneven more appropriate hounds-tooth check? Anything but red.Of course, people’s clothes are brighter now than they used to be, which makes adifference to a late winter walk through the village. Little kids run around in luminescentpinks and greens, and even big kids of the adult variety wear reds and blues wherethey once wore brown and grey. And on a warm enough day, you might well see thegreen uniforms of the ladies from the nursery, pushing little kids in triplet prams allthe way down Main Street. Oh yes, there’s plenty of colour around.At the time of writing, the tubs are quiescent, awaiting the spring. But the snowdropsare out, and the daffodils won’t be long. We won’t have to depend any longer on thatgorgeous garage door at the top of Drumbeg Loan for our fix of golden yellow. Andif the daffodils are there, the tulips won’t be far behind, and the whole glorious cycleof colour will begin again. Joyce Begg

Unexpected Colours

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To childhood days my memory straysLong summers warm and fair

The rippling burnThe baited worm

The heather perfumed air.

Bog myrtle scents the summer eveHear how the curlews cry

The shadows lengthen in the glenAnother day goes by.

But come the morn with the larkThe fresh dew greets the sun

Excitements there for you to findA new day has begun.

There’s trees to climb, nests to befound

The burn beside the fanksWith stealth and cunning you lie down

And guddle ’neath its banks.

The midday sun beats down on youThe rowan tree brings shade

The hum of bees, the piece and cheeseThe cup of lemonade.

The fishing craze has left you nowIt’s on to pastures new

To climb the highest hill aroundAnd savour its fine view.

Ben Ledi in the north stands grandBen Lomond in the west

The vale of Blane below DumgoyneBut the stockie still looks best.

Cradled in the Caldon’s lapThe Dualt burn starts to wend

The Devil’s Pulpit in the bowelsOf Finnich’s shady glen.

Like a finger pointing to the skyIt towers above Killearn

The George Buchanan MonumentSalutes that man of learning.

Then further round there lies BalfronA place of many charms

It gazes down on Endrick StrathThe cottages and farms.

Between the hills lies Drymen toonOft have I gone there roaming

It’s known to all both near and faras the gateway to Loch Lomond.

So as you cast your eyes aroundWhat beauty’s there to seeIt means a lot to be a Scot

Whose heritage is free.

Alex Ferrier

Childhood Days at Stockiemuir

George BuchananThis year is the 500th anniversary of thebirth of George Buchanan. The obeliskwhich dominates the skyline in our villagewas erected in 1788 by publicsubscription. Contributions came fromall over the world to help fund itsconstruction.George Buchanan (1506–82) is one ofthe intellectual giants of European andScottish history. He was born at TheMoss, just outside of Killearn. A Gaelicspeaker, he became a great linguist andteacher, particularly skilled in the mainEuropean language of his day, Latin, inwhich he wrote his major works. He waseducated at St Andrews and theSorbonne, and had a significant influenceon early French drama.

Buchanan was accused of heresy in 1538and had to flee from the Catholic courtof James V in Scotland. Buchanannarrowly escaped the fate of other earlyreformers: several were burned at thestake in Edinburgh. Later, he also was avery strong supporter of John Knox andPresbyterian style of worship.Buchanan returned to Scotland in 1561,and eventually became tutor to the youngProtestant King James VI, then livingprimarily in Stirling Castle. Greatlyopposed to the Divine Right of Kings,his teaching seem to have had theopposite effect on his pupil. Buchananwas also an historian, poet andplaywright, and his political thoughtinfluenced the political theory of theAmerican Republicans in the 18thcentury.The Buchanan Society are at presentplanning to have the monument by theBlack Bull Hotel refurbished during thesummer so that it will be in a verypresentable state for theCommemorative Service to be held on17 September. That service will be theculmination of an entire weekend offestivities being planned by the Buchanan500 committee. It is also hoped that otheractivities will take place throughout theyear to mark the birthday of this Son ofKillearn. Jim Fallas

Buchanan 500

© Bibliothèque publique et universitaire de Neuchâtel.

18

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Read the article on page 17 about a famous man who was born nearKillearn and has an anniversary this year. Then solve the clues to the12 questions and circle your answers in the wordsearch grid. Enteryour name and address, and place your completed word grid in thebox in Spar for a chance to win the £10 prize. 1. What was Buchanan’s first name? _ _ _ _ _ _ 2. How many years since he was born? FIVE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3. How old was he when he died? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ SIX 4. Which King of Scotland did he teach? _ _ _ _ _ VI 5. BISKOLE - unjumble the letters for his momument shape _ _ _ _ _ _ 6. Which hotel is it next to? BLACK _ _ _ _ 7. Where was Buchanan born? THE _ _ _ _ 8. Which dead language did he write in? _ _ _ _ _ 9. What was he accused of in 1538? _ _ _ _ _ _10.What Right were kings believed to have? _ _ _ _ _ _11.Where in France was he educated? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _12. In which month will the commemorative service be held? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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ACROSS1. Party blessings on the track (3-5)5. Time to enquire for a job (5)9. Sign of exhaustion left in the works (5)10. Morse contained mixed hat at negative

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removed (6)17. Sounds as if present hip hop is being

done up (12)20. One of three allowed on journey (7)21. Girl (French) goes north (7)22. Rail when rodent goes around north (4)

23. Tess has more trouble in this county (8)

DOWN1. Do peas contain drug (4)2. Heartless girl, French love leads to

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Solution to the Christmas Crossword Across 1 catatonic; 8 usage; 9 postwar; 10 exorcist; 11 jess; 13 system;14 sacrum; 16 pint; 17 removals; 19 element; 20 Lucca; 21 husbanded Down 1 clenched; 2 typist; 3 task; 4 New Yeardance; 5 Christmas Day; 6 Queen’s speech; 7 carol singers 12 carolled; 15 nested; 18 Zeta.

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19

Those who managed to get to the organand trumpet recital in Killearn Kirk on24 February were treated to a display ofvirtuosity that would stay in the memoryfor some time to come. The occasion wasa concert given by local girl, NicolaHarrington on organ, and JonathanThomson on trumpet, in aid of The OldSchool. Jonathan stood in at the very lastminute, and such was the professionalismof the two players that no one wouldhave known they hadn’t been rehearsingtogether for months! Both soloists areto be congratulated on theirperformances, particularly Nicola, in thatshe coped valiantly with an intransigentinstrument.

The music covered a wide spectrum,from the sixteenth century to the presentday, and included the well-loved soundsof Stanley and of Bach, and the splendidorgan blast of Messiaen. The brillianceof the trumpet and the versatility of theorgan were complemented by a displayof art images on the Church’s screen,providing a whole extra dimension to theexperience. Among others, we had VanEyck’s portrait of the Arnolfini, paintingsby Botticelli, Gainsborough and Turner,while the dramatic offerings ofKandinsky and Matisse highlighted thesound of the twentieth-centurycomposers. The details of the baroquearchitecture and medieval stained glassadded a depth and richness that wastouching in its effect.The evening ended with wine andnibbles, so that both musically andsocially the event was a great success. Notonly that, but the The Old School fundstands to gain substantially from thegenerosity of all involved. Joyce Begg

A Great Musical Evening

If you are interested in playing orwatching cricket and you thought that thenearest club to Killearn was StirlingCounty, or that you have to be NationalLeague standard to take part, think again!Gargunnock Village Cricket Club plays inbeautiful surroundings at Meiklewood inthe Carse below Gargunnock villageitself. The season begins in April, and theClub would welcome any new players,regardless of age or ability, who areinterested in playing real village cricket.Matches are played every Sundayafternoon and Wednesday eveningthroughout the summer at such attractivevenues as Comrie, Falkland andCairndow, as well as on our own lovelyMeiklewood ground. Members are drawnfrom a wide area, including Killearn. Ifyou would be interested in playingcompetitive but friendly cricket inmagnificent rural surroundings, pleasecontact Martin Parry for Sundays (01786860685) or Steve Dolman forWednesdays (01236 874702).

Your Local CricketClub Needs You!

A Taste of India...Black Bull Hotel’s Curry Night Thursday 5pm - 9.30pm £6.95 per person

There’s nothing more British than fish and chips. Eatenwith salt and vinegar, fish and chips is one of our GreatBritish institutions.

Humble BeginningsWhere did this famous culinary delight originate? Thesimple answer is that no-one really knows. We doknow that fish and chips developed 0separately - theFrench invented chips or ‘chip au pommes de terre ala mode’ (from the humble potato commonly believedto have been bought to Europe by Sir Walter Raleighin the 17th Century) and in 1839 Charles Dickensreferred to a ‘fried fish warehouse’ in Oliver Twist.

Deep Fried Fillet of Haddockin a home made batter served with GardenPeas and Sauce Tartare with a twist oflemon. Slice of Bread and Butter and a Cupof Tea.

Side OrdersCurry Sauce ......................£0.95Side Salad ........................£1.95Roll & Butter .....................£0.95Coffee ..............................£2.10

Fish and Chips -a Great British Tradition“The Nations Favourite”

...Happiness is chip shaped

Black Bull Hotel’s Fish and Chip Night Tuesday 5.00pm - 9.30pm £7.95 per person

Chicken Korma A traditional, mild and sweet curry, made with chickenbreast and cooked with yoghurt, coconut, cream and freshcoriander.

Lamb Dhansak Tender pieces of lamb with lentils, onions and cumin, cookedin a rich, medium spiced tomato and yoghurt sauce.

Chicken Tikka Masala Tender pieces of chicken breast, marinated in Tandoorispices and cooked in a delicate masala sauce.

Vegetable Tikka Masala VStir-fried vegetables, seasoned in Tandoori spices, mixedwith a creamy onion, tomato and fenugreek sauce, giving aslightly smokey taste.

Lamb Rogan Josh Tenderly cooked off-the-bone lamb with onions,tomatoes and pimentos, in a rich, medium sauce.

Goan Prawn A sweet and sour, medium-spiced prawn curry, withflavours of fenugreek, cumin and garlic, plus a uniquetang, from the use of malt vinegar.

Beef MadrasBeef, cooked in an onion, mustard and curry-leaf-temperedsauce, with a unique flavour of coconut, combined withcumin, coriander and fenugreek.

Chicken VindalooA very spicy and tangy dish of marinated chicken, cooked inan onion and tomato sauce, with cloves, cinnamon, vinegarand diced potato.

Side OrdersBombay Potatoes .....................................................£1.75Onion Bhajis .............................................................£1.75Chips .......................................................................£1.75Naan Bread ...............................................................£1.25Mango Chutney ........................................................£0.95Spiced Onions ...........................................................£1.75

8 great curries to

choose from, with

yellow basmati rice

& poppadums

Mild

Extremely Hot

V Suitable for Vegetarians

THEBLACK BULL

HOTEL2 The Square, Killearn, Stirlingshire G63 9NG Tel: +44 (0) 1360 550215 Fax: +44 (0) 1360 550143 Email: sales@blackbullhotel.com www.blackbullhotel.com Proprietors: Daniel & Gillian Stewart

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CuisineFine DiningAward