Created by Fine Art graduate and Voluntary Arts Ambassador Craig Allan, [Untitled] exists to promote the value and contribution of

amateur/voluntary arts within the local community. By providing a free publication and online content [Untitled] offers art groups the opportunity to showcase the district’s diverse creative talents to a

wider audience.

By constructing a dialogue between artists, local art groups, local authorities and the general public, new information about the local arts can be published, attracting new group members and opportu-nities within the community as well as raising the awareness of the importance the arts play in the regeneration and conservation of

local communities.

If you are currently a member of an amateur arts group and would like to see your group’s work published in the next issue visit

untitledfalkirk.blogspot.co.uk

[CONTENTS]

2/ Untitled Design / Rachel Fowler3/ Cat /Bonnybridge Camera Club4/ exhibbbbbb / Bonnybridge Camera Club5/ Seat / Bonnybridge Camera Club6/ undie ffff / Bonnybridge Camera Club7/ Falkirk Wheel / Cameras in the Community9/ Falkirk Writer’s Umbrella10 / Last Love / Sophia Gould12/ Untitled Design 3 / Rachel Fowler13 / P8110153cropped / Christopher Duff15 / The Writer’s Circle16/ The Pilgrimage / Colin McNeil19-20/ Whistling in the Dark / Colin McNeil21-22/ Falkirk Art Map23/ (Dis)Appear / Craig Allan24/ P8110152cropped / Christopher Duff27-28 / Black and White Night / Stephen Shirries29-30/ Review31/ Shooting the Breeze / Karen French33-35/ Funding26/ Acknowledgements

Rachel Fowler

[BONNYBRIDGE CAMERA CLUB]tel: 07910700557

Originally formed in 2008 as the Vale of Bonny Photography Soci-ety and based in the Greenhill Community Flat, our aim then was to connect like minded photography enthusiasts, meeting arranging walks to take photos.

In 2011 we moved to Bonnybridge Education Centre and changed our name to Bonnybridge Camera Club. Meeting every Thursday from 7-9pm in the Community Centre. We currently have around 12 members and new faces are always welcome. Our ethos is based on equality and diversity, we are open to all comers of all abilities .Our membership is pretty enthusiastic and we provide practical tuition on camera techniques etc, we believe that all of our members have something to offer.We are fairly informal and regularly organise outings which are well attended and greatly enjoyed.

web: www.bonnybridgecameraclub.comemail : bonnybridgecameraclub@gmail.com

[The Writers’ Umbrella]The Writers’ Club that comes to you

We offer a simple newsletter by post or e-mail six times a year, con-taining information and articles of interest to writers. Membership costs £5 per annum e-mail, £10 per annum postal. Regular features include: bi-monthly free to enter cash prize compe-titions for poetry; short stories and factual articles, a forum for your queries; complaints, ideas and suggestions; hints and tips on the art of writing plus information on publication opportunities, national competitions and websites of interest to writers. In addition we offer a review service for your writing. Personal an-swers to your questions and a genuine interest in your writing and successes. We have a free-to-join website giving members with ac-cess to the Internet updates on writing news between newsletters. For free introductory newsletter and more information contact: barbara@ladysgate.freeserve.co.uk

It was the last day of my holiday, I went to say goodbye. Call it a holiday romance if you must, it seemed like much more than that to me. I saw him on my first day in Telfont Magna. I had gone to visit the exquisite Norman church and he was waiting for me, just as if it was meant to be. His name was Richard. He was not young. A little bit battered by the years, but still handsome. Short hair, clean shaven, tidy, I liked that. I had spent the next week getting to know him. He was fifty, just a few years older than me. He had been married but they had parted long before her death. He had served in the far east and several lo-cal institutions had benefited from his generosity. I’d never been that bothered about men, not even as a hormonal teenager, but Richard was everything I had ever wanted, strong, generous, faithful. I knelt by his side in the side chapel where I thought no one could see us. I covered his hand with mine. “I love you Richard.” I murmured. Suddenly, a shadow passed in front of the stained-glass window, cutting off the sunshine. In cassock and dog collar it was the rector. “Sir Richard Telfont de Vere, our very own crusader knight, note the crossed legs. We’re very proud of him.” He said pompously. I stood and together we said a prayer in front of the alabaster sar-cophagus.

Sophia Gould

Last Love

We’re Online!

For news on Falkirk’s art groups, events, opportuni-ties and a chance to promote your group to a wider

audience, follow [Untitled] on Twitter

@VAAFalkirk

Rachel Fowler

Christopher Duff

The Circle meet every Tuesday from September to May at Greenpark centre in Polmont with a membership of around 20 that ranges from of published writers to novices who love the written word regardless of ages and experience. New members are always welcome.

Poetry, prose, short stories, articles, sketches all form part of what we do, and we hold three domestic club competitions each year which are externally adjudicated.In addition, to coincide with Falkirk Tryst festivities each May, we stage in the Town Hall a Words and Music night where a local music group blends with our writings,and an evening with the Camera Club where our “Talking Pictures” night gives the club the opportunity to talk to writings which interpret a range of photographs.

Our year culminates with an annual seminar at the end of May, where clubs throughout Scotland come to Falkirk and participate in a series of writing competitions across a range of subjects. One special subject features in our next seminar - 1914 The First World War this to coincide with the centenary. That competition [short story of 1500 words] will be adjudicated by James Anderson CBE;, a former Convener of Central Regional Council, and former Chairman of Stirling University Establishment Committee. This year we are running a competition within Falkirk High School for S5 and Advanced Higher pupils, calling for a 1500 word short story the winner of which will receive a certificate and a cash prize and be presented with this on 12th November 2013.

[WRITERS CIRCLE]

The Pilgrimage

I dreamt I saw an elephantAnd on its back a big black sealThey were walking on the toe pathBeside the Falkirk Wheel.I could see the seal was tempted, to hit the water wi a splash,But the elephant called, in a Glasgow drawl“Whales!!! – they’ll eat yi in a flash”

I’d named the elephant ClarenceI don’t recall the why’sBut one was squint, the other had a glintYes he had the strangest eyes.

They were on a pilgrims journeySo sure of their goal and directionHis pace painfully slow, with the seal still in towBoth seeking a glorious benediction

A throng now in processionThis weird event to mark,It was nearly noon on the edge of toonAs they arrived at Callendar Park.

Getting bigger by the minute, the crowd whooped, and sang and cheeredThey’d reached Linlithgow BurghThe town of pubs, and pubs, and beer.

You’d think old Clarence knew itAs they got to The House of the BinnsThat their trek had nearly endedSoon to confess to all of their sins.

So when espying the town of Bo’nessThey let out a terrible moanWe thought we were homeWe were headin for RomeHere how can we ever be blessed!

Colin McNeil

Whistling in the Dark

As I lie here in these last hours, I think I am lucky to have survived the last 7 years.

Jack Mills that’s me, born and raised in Crewe, and wanted to be a train driver since I was able to think about a job of work.

Yes, half the boys in primary school back then in the twenties want-ed to be a train driver, but I got my wish.

Would I have been so determined to pursue that line of work, if I had known what was to befall me on that warm August night 7 years ago?

I frequently drove the Glasgow/Euston line, and was always up for the ‘overnighter’ given the extra money it brought Elsie and I. We were planning to replace the caravan parked at Whitley Bay with a new Eccles, and I knew by the start of next holiday season I would be watching the waves beyond the Lighthouse on that lovely North-umberland coast.

Looking at it through blinding headaches was not what I had in mind though!

It was big rolling stock that night.

Being a Scottish bank holiday weekend, we had needed twelve car-riages for the Post Office staff.

The memory has become fudged as the headaches have got worse, but some things are still crystal.

I remember whistling a bit of Elgar as we sped through the inky black Bedfordshire countryside in the EE class 4.I loved that engine; you had to handle it carefully though. It could be as frisky as a female hyena. Yes Sears Crossing was an odd place for the light to be red, but if it happened again, I would still stop.You just have to, don’t you?

It all happened so fast after that.I had’nt really thought about just how much we were carrying that night.We took on loot at Carlisle, Preston, Crewe, Birmingham and count-less bags from the track side hooks.

They were on top of us before you could say “ Lord Beeching”.It was all fairly calm at first. At that point I did’nt know that they had belted young Whitby, my secondman, and threw him down the embankment.

The calm soon dissolved though when they realised their inside man, Stan I think was his name, was a shunter and could’nt operate the Diesel/Electric Type 4.

So when I showed reluctance to agree to take the engine forward half a mile to where their army dropside trucks were at the Bridego bridge, that’s when I saw stars.Clobbered me hard they did; lucky they did’nt put me unconscious, or I would’nt be driving that train anywhere.

They knew the carriage behind the engine was the HVP carriage, so next thing David Whitby and I are handcuffed and lying side by side on the floor of the carriage with the rest of the Post Office sorting staff.

The authorities said afterwards there was £2.6M on board that night.

And now 7 years later as I lie here ravaged with cancer, they have recovered virtually none of it!

Three of the robbers never found; two robbers escaped whilst cap-tive.

Who says crime does’nt pay?

Colin McNeil

Launched in mid 2013 by [Untitled] creator Craig Allan, Falkirk Art Map provides a way of documenting and promoting voluntary/ama-teur art groups, events, venues and landmarks across the entire Falkirk District, the aim of providing an easy accessible guide to Falkirk’s rich cultural landscape. Proudly displaying the locations of over 40 arts and crafts groups ranging from metal detecting groups to sculpture, the art map aims to have a marker depicting the arts in every town and village throughout the district. Local members of art groups are encouraged to get in contact with Craig at the ad-dress provided below to have their group placed on the Falkirk Art Map.

The mission to have at least one arts or crafts group from every town in the district, requires groups to come forward and make their group known about regardless of how small or amateur it is. On first glance of the current Falkirk Art Map it clear that the towns in the South of Falkirk; Hallglen, Avonbridge and Maddiston are under rep-resented. If you are a member of a group operating in these towns then Falkirk Art Map wants to hear from you.

The Art Map is produced with the support of [Untitled] and the Voluntary Arts Ambassador for Falkirk, created entirely for free with the intention of mapping Falkirk’s groups, opening them up to new members and a wider audience.

More information on the Falkirk Art Map can be found in the next is-sue of [Untitled] and on Facebook, like the page here.

Vaa-Falkirk@vascotland.org.uk

Visit the art map at http://bit.ly/GKFQVT

Christopher Duff

Black and White Night

The night is black split by shapes of white light. Between the con-trasts, footsteps, slow and heavy, walk. A figure dressed in black from her hair to her boots. Up ahead is an underpass of white. She stops at the entrance. The toe of one black boot peeks out. Inside three youths, spray cans in hand, creating words of blacker and blacker jokes. They don’t notice their watcher. She steps forward, her eyes forced closed by the artificial whiteness, only for a second. The youths face her, their presence the same width as the underpass. They are young in the face, eruptions of spots still vis-ible. Their clothes the same colour as their background. She walks forward. One hundred paces between them. The middle figure walks forward, a cap pointed at the roof. His hand raises, ‘stop’, it commands. She ignores him, now the distance is seventy paces. The others step forward, first right then left. Both command her to stop with their hands. At fifty paces she stops, her right hand forms the shape of a gun, the kind a boy playing soldiers would make. She takes aim at each of them, left, right then centre. She mouths, ‘pow,’ at each one. The three look at each and then back at her. A high, squeaky laugh bursts from each of them. Centre laughs longest before he turns and points at his lieutenant on his left. The youth takes a step forward and looks back at Centre. A nod is all he receives. Left stretches, cracks his bones and runs towards the figure in black. At thirty paces, his hands are fists. At twenty, his arms are ready to strike. At ten a battle cry explodes from his mouth. He strikes down, she dodges easily. Each blow never has a chance of landing. On the fifth attempt strike her hand shoots up and catches him square in the chest. The force shoves him back-wards, his trainers struggle for grip. Crack! The youth slams into the underpass wall and slides down, a trail of black blood behind him. The same colour stains his tracksuit. Right screams in anguish, his face screwed up. He runs to his comrade and crouches down beside him. He checks for a pulse. His words are pleas and prayers for a situation different to the one that faces him. A tear marks his cheek. The figure in black watches for a moment before walking on.Each step echoes through the underpass. They drown out the words of the final youth. He dances on the spot demanding attention. She ignores him. The swear words, the threats, the abuse no more than a verbal mist. The closer she gets, the more animated he gets.

When she is level with him, his arm shoots out and blocks her way. Her eyes meet his. A couple of seconds pass, measured in his short breathes. When nothing happens she knocks his arm out of the way and keeps going. Two paces later his arm is back, now holding the back of her jacket. She tries to shake him loose. His grip gets tighter. She stops and waits. His breath is now on the back of her neck. Another sec-ond passes. Then, with a sudden jerk her elbow cracks into his face. His nose explodes, black blood on his skin, clothes and the surface of the underpass. It is invisible on her coat but slippery to hold, his grip loosens. Not enough to get away. Before she creates an echo with her second step, his hold has tightened again. She tuts and turns. Her elbow doesn’t lead this time. Her eyes do all the talking, pointing out the blood. He growls, a long animal noise as his eyes lock on hers. One, two, three, four, five steps backwards, his hands by his side. His eyes narrow, the wrinkles of white skin hiding the black pupils. The figure in black does the same, her hands fall to her side, mirroring his. Ten paces between them. He moves first, into his pockets to reveal a knife. The blade reflects white in the light. With a scream he charges. She doesn’t move. He pulls back to strike. She steps to her side. He runs on, stops and turns. His eyes narrow again and charges again. She repeats her movements. Once he has passed she walks forward, towards the black night. After ten paces she stops, listens. Behind her the sound of patter. She closes her eyes and listens. Footsteps, at speed, very close. Her eyes fly open. She side steps, her right arm outstretched at a low angle. Thump! Flesh on flesh, a scream of pain, the crack of bone on con-crete. She looks down. On his knees, bent double, is the youth. His knife buried blade deep in his left leg. His trouser legs are different colours; one is the original white, the other black. The figure in black looks at the other two youths. The sec-ond one is still holding the first attacker in his arms. His head rests on his fallen comrade’s head. She turns and walks off into the white and then the black of the night.

Stephen Shirries

The Poet SpeaksEdinburgh Playhouse, 14th August

Two giants of contemporary music come together for an intimate recital of poetry and song in tribute to their friend and seminal beat poet Allen Ginsberg. Punk poet Patti Smith performs both her own and her favourite Ginsberg poems, as well as reciting the work of Robert Louis Stevenson, with accompaniment and solo pieces for piano by “minimalist” composer Philip Glass.

A long with his friends Jack Kerouac and Bill Burroughs, Ginsberg were the originators of the Beat Generation. Inspired by his friends Ginsberg’s poetry hails their contribution, spirituality and the fury of growing up in 1930’s/40’s America. Acclaimed for his poems such as; Wichita Vortex Sutra, Kaddish and Howl. Although not all music and poems were about Ginsberg his presence was felt through the entire performance and theatre. As a back drop to the event Glass and Smith curated photographs and images of and inspired by their friend that reveal his diverse achievements. A slow progression of black and white images of a man in different stages in life, a young man socialising with beat friends in what appears to be a diner to sophisticated man sporting an electrifying beard on his visits abroad.

The set up was simple, Glass at a black grand piano, Smith at a microphone dressed in mostly black, beginning with Wichita Vortex Sutra that was accompanied by piano music composed Glass, later complimented by Smith’s own poem The Blue Thangka, a poem about the death of an old man watched over by his faithful dog. Separating for their own individual sections of the performance, Smith joined on stage by Tony Shanahan play acoustic guitar ver-sions of Dancing barefoot and pissing in a river and a rendition of John Lennon’s Beautiful Boy. In contrast Glass plays three piano pieces as one that included two of his “Etudes” and the only break in the spoken word throughout the evening. Although the three elements work successfully on their own, bringing them together brought about something special, something sensual and something that will be remembered for a while to come.

The beat of Holy, Holy, Holy, Holy, Holy, the final segment of Gins-berg’s trademark piece Howlbrought the evening to an end, which resulted in a standing ovation from the crowd, with an encore of People have the power. The audience were left in awe and possible witnessed the best show of the festival.

Shooting The Breeze.

From which tree did the paper ofmy notebook spring?

It’s bleached perfection is ripefor ink-and-eye twinned destruction.

From every treei take shade underthat summer i ache to take more,

maybe to learn a long,overduething or two about leaves, bark, reach and roots.Or just to let an apple landon my head.

I shave off a new,coiled pageand watch the black words seeping and sucked into no subtle permanence,despite

raindrops aimed squarely through leaf-gauze gaps.

Karen French

[Small grants for small organisations]

Grants for Community Groups in Falkirk

Community groups and schools across the Falkirk Council area have the opportunity to apply for grants of up to £500 from the Falkirk Community Schools Charity Board. The Charity’s objectives are to advance education and to provide or assist with the provision of recreational facilities. Projects previously funded include creation of eco-gardens, equipment for school clubs, art clubs, local sports clubs and historical societies. Since the beginning of the scheme in 2010, more than £12,000 has been awarded. Applications to the scheme are assessed on a quarterly basis. More information at http://bit.ly/H2xus8

Tesco Charity Trust Community Awards Tesco Charity Trust - Support for the Elderly and / or People with Disabilities. The Tesco Charity Trust is accepting applications for projects supporting the elderly and/or adults and children with disabilities. Community and voluntary groups can apply for grants apply for grants of between £500 and £4,000 through this pro-gramme. The types of projects previously supported have included befriending schemes, luncheon clubs, specialist equipment for disa-bled people and day/social trips. http://www.tescoplc.com/index.asp?pageid=121

Falkirk Council’s Community Grant Scheme

Supports community groups and voluntary organisations to deliver projects that make a positive difference to communities across the Falkirk Council area.

The Community Grant Scheme can offer support up to a maximum of £5,000 towards community-based projects that can usually be completed within a 12 month period.

Falkirk Council’s External Funding Unit01324 506065/506260funding@falkirk.gov.uk

Healthy Communities Fund

The Healthy Communities Fund is a small grants programme for com-munity groups, local voluntary organisations and health workers in the Falkirk Council area. It aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people living in this area with a focus on reducing health inequali-ties. It is funded by NHS Forth Valley and managed by Falkirk Com-munity Health Partnership (CHP). Grants are available to a maximum of £3,000. Projects joint funded with other agencies are encouraged with the focus on improving health and reducing health inequalities in four areas: early years and young people, mental health and wellbe-ing, ‘big killer’ diseases and risk factors, and harms to health (alcohol and drugs). For more information and the application form, contact Linda Frydrychova at Falkirk CHP on 01324 614651 or at

About the Climate Challenge Fund

Through the Climate Challenge Fund (CCF), community groups can apply for grants of up to £150,000 per year to help reduce their carbon footprint and become more energy efficient. Nearly £30 mil-lion in total will be awarded to communities who come forward with innovative ideas to tackle their carbon emissions. Funded projects have including energy efficiency improvements in community halls, energy efficiency advice, lower carbon transport schemes, commu-nity growing projects, initiatives to reduce, reuse and recycle.

There’s also the Junior Climate Challenge Fund which can offer young people the funds and support they need to take action on climate change in their community, with development grants of up to £750 available to groups led by young people aged 18 and under as they prepare for a full CCF grant application. Applications for development grants can be made at any time. Apart from them, the next deadline for applications is 30 Sep-tember 2013. More information at http://bit.ly/1a7Sn1F

CashBack for Creativity Dance Fund

YouthLink Scotland is delighted to announce the launch of the Cash-Back for Creativity Dance fund for 2013/14. The Dance Fund is a strand of Creative Scotland’s CashBack for Creativity programme which is being delivered in partnership with YouthLink Scotland. It is a part of the Scottish Government’s CashBack for Communities programme which reinvests the proceeds of crime back into communities to benefit Scotland’s young people. A total of £100,000 will be invested in community based dance pro-grammes with individual proposals being able to access awards of up to £5,000. Applications are invited from organisations within the youth work sector and/or those working with young people to support the delivery of FREE dance base

ScotRail Foundation

The ScotRail Foundation distributes grants of between £250 and £5000 to groups that support children or young people, and/or im-prove the environment or general health of communities. Communi-ties that have, or wish to have, a local station at the heart of their activities will be prioritised. The sorts of projects that can be funded include.

Community fetes and open days which bring a range of local people together to celebrate or address a theme including, as an example, community tidy up or anti-littering day.

Alternative therapies / health days to help improve the local com-munity’s engagement and increased understanding of health related issues.

Community arts projects and diversionary activities for children and young people. There are two categories of award £250 - £1,000 and £1,001 - £5,000. The next deadline for applications is 17 January 2014. For more information, contact Foundation Scotland on 0141 341 4960 or visit http://www.foundationscotland.org.uk/programmes/scotrail.aspx

[Acknowledgements]

I would like to thank the voluntary arts groups which either directly provided help in the creation of this publication, or whose infor-mation and images were used with permission. All images are the direct property of the groups or the collection from which they were obtained from, and all copyright laws should be observed.

This page does not necessarily represent the opinion or policy of the groups involved nor does their policy represent that of [Untitled]. This page is the sole property of [Untitled], and all funding for it’s creation came from private funds of [Untitled]

[Untitled] would like to thank Central Scotland Forest Trust for kindly donating a multifunction printer, without it this issue would not have happened.

Acknowledgements to Individuals

Christopher Duff (Resonate Art House)Karen FrenchRachel FowlerSophia Gould (Falkirk Writers’ Umbrella)Barbara Hammond (Falkirk Writers’s Umbrella)Alistair McCalla (Cameras in the Community)Eddie McEleney (Bonnybridge Camera Club)Colin McNeil (Falkirk Writer’s Circle)Jamie O’Rourke (Project Theatre)Steven Shirries (Linlithgow Writers)Carol Stobie (Voluntary Arts Scotland)andCraig Allan ([Untitled])

Works previously published(Dis)Appear first published in Dactyl: Lost & Found (2013)