www.crabpublishing.co.uk CRAIL MATTERS W/C 26 June No 20 Free - Donation welcome

Saturday 8 July, 10am-12pm Red Cross Coffee Morning, British Legion Hall. Usual stalls - home baking, raffle, garden produce. CAN YOU HELP? Crail Museum needs someone to translate the descriptions of our Exhibition Rooms into Spanish and Italian. The descrip- tions enable visitors who only speak those languages to get much more out of their visit.

Please leave contact details at the Museum. Funding Crail Matters We depend on your support to keep producing Crail Matters. If you enjoy reading what we produce and wish to make a do- nation, then please contact [email protected] for details of our account for bank transfers, or contact a member of the Editorial Team

The North East Superfast Broadband website is now live at: http://www.nefifesuperfast.org.uk/

1 Be careful - Falling Did you know that one–in-three over 65’s will have at least one significant fall each year, rising to half of those over 80? And falls can be very distressing, damaging and even dan- gerous - hip fractures and head injuries are the most dangerous complications of a fall in the elderly.

A fall is defined as an unintentional or unexpected loss of balance resulting in coming to rest on the floor, the ground, or an object below knee level. Sometimes, of course, falls are inevitable and are the result of unavoidable accident, maybe resulting from restricted move- ment of a leg, for example, caught in something, or a slippy floor. A more mundane cause might simply be ill-fitting slippers. But if falls happen during ordinary day-to-day activities, and particularly if this happens repeatedly, then alarm bells should sound, and help should be sought.

There are lots of reasons why falls occur, and some might be indicative of simple causes, others more complex and serious. For example, the side effects of some medications, especially those that reduce blood pressure, can result in light-headedness. A quite normal response to standing up too quickly out of a hot bath, for example, or getting out of bed quickly can be a feeling of wooziness, and this can be sometimes be exaggerated by medication. If you have experienced this, perhaps when going to the loo in the night, then sit down and pause and always turn on the light and touch the wall – that will help your brain compensate for erroneous signals; visual impairment or ear problems can also sometimes be factors, as might just generally weakness which we all experience as we age.

If you have a fall, it's important to keep calm. If you're not hurt and you feel strong enough to get up, don't get up quickly. Roll onto your hands and knees and look for a stable piece of furniture, such as a chair or bed. Hold on to the furniture with both hands to support yourself and, when you feel ready, slowly get up. Sit down and rest for a while before carrying on with your daily activities. If you're hurt or unable to get up, try to get someone's attention by calling out for help, banging on the wall or floor, or using your aid call button (if you have one). If possible, crawl to a telephone and dial 999 to request an ambulance. Try to reach something warm, such as a blanket or dressing gown, to put over you, particularly your legs and feet. Stay as comfortable as possible and try to change your position at least once every half an hour or so.

There are several measures you can take to help prevent a fall. Simple everyday measures around the home include: • using non-slip mats in the bathroom • mopping up spills to prevent wet, slippery floors • getting help lifting or moving items that are heavy or difficult to lift Removing clutter and ensuring all areas of the home are well lit can also help to prevent falls. The charity Age UK has advice about how to make tasks easier around the home. (http://www.ageuk.org.uk/home-and-care/adapting-your-home/ways-to-make- tasks-easier-around-the-home/)

If you feel concerned, either for yourself or for others, it is always a good idea to see your GP to exclude serious causes. Strength and balance training can help, and also a physiotherapist can help, but it is always a good idea to seek professional help. MT

East Neuk Open Studios

East Neuk Open Studios are open 1st and 2nd July from 10.30 am till 5.30 pm in Crail Kirk Hall. There are nine artists in Crail taking part in it -

Elizabeth Shepherd 37 Nethergate Lesley Gilbert 33 Nethergate George Gilbert 33 Nethergate Keny Drew 24-25 Comielaw Kellie by Pittenweem, Katie Smith 21 Marketgate North Lesley Reilly 13 Langhouse Green Phillippa Mitchell 4 The Maltings High Street Jo Walker 1 st floor flat 20 Westgate South Mary Webster 13 Carr Crescent

More information from www.eastneukopenstudios.org

2 Letter to the Editor (or rather a letter to the Seagull) Mr Gull, Emboldened by the success of the move to oppose the closure of facilities in the name of the almighty dollar, may I suggest that the community council might turn its attention to the anti-social consequences of automotive activities on the former Crail airfield. For starters the principal problem is summed up in the minutes of the CCC meeting of just under two years ago: Royal of Crail and District Community Council, Minutes of Meeting held Monday, 29th June 2015 Crail Town Hall. “Airfield-There is a market operators licence in place for Crail Airfield which was granted on 21/08/13 and expires on 20/08/16. This allows them to hold car boot sale every 2nd Sunday from 9a.m.-4p.m. There are no other licences in place for the airfield and race days are not covered by a licence or need one because a race day is not listed on Fife Council’s current resolution. That requires a public entertainment licence.” It must surely be widely held that the noise and probable atmospheric pollution caused by the howl of engines and the ear-jarring screech of tyres constitutes an entirely antisocial intrusion upon our peace. Coupled with the equally antisocial behaviour of many of the participants and the lack of any identifiable financial or other benefits this must be considered a suitable case of the community’s objection to our council. I would suspect that our newly elected councillors might be persuaded to take up our case. Rightly or wrongly I believe that in the past Fife Council had set limits to the days of days per year when these activities could take place. Over to you, Mr Gull. I shall be watching closely. John Crow elder first cousin of the notorious Jim

ROYAL BURGH OF CRAIL AND DISTRICT COMMUNITY COUNCIL NOTES

Benches capacity, and we hope to have our resilience plan in place In an earlier Community Council Notes we drew attention to shortly. Grenfell Towers may well seem very distant from us, the poor state of repair of a couple of the benches at Roome but when tragedy does strike, it is important that we have a Bay Park, appealing for relatives of those commemorated to developed capacity to respond. contact us. No-one has so far been in contact. There is, how- ever, a more general concern about the state of a number of Democracy in Fife benches in Crail (the Community Council have received a At its meeting of 18 May, the new Fife Council outlined its complaint about one at the Harbour, for instance), and the Decision-Making Arrangements. An element of that was benches at Castle Walk still need repair. This is indicative of ‘Council believes that the political governance of the Council a general need to invest in maintaining what we have (as can will be based on an inclusive decision making process.’ We also be seen in the state of the roads), something which Fife await with interest the implementation of this with respect to Council have largely failed to do over the years – and the in- the proposals associated with the Ricoh Golf Tournament at dications are that failures in spending on maintenance will Kingsbarns. In particular, we will closely follow the actions continue. If you are aware of things that need maintenance, of our newly elected Councillors in representing the very please let the Community Council know. The resources avail- negative views these proposals have generated amongst the able to the Community Council are limited in the extreme, local community, particularly with respect to what will ef- but we can add our voice to complaints to Fife Council. fectively be the closure of Kingsbarns beach during the peak holiday season. To date the The Grenfell Disaster evidence suggests the vehi- We have all looked on with horror at the unfolding tragedy cle access will be denied of the Grenfell Tower fire. We do not face the same chal- for a period greatly in ex- lenges in Crail, nor of course do we have the sheer density cess of the actual tourna- of population that added to the death toll. Attention has fo- ment, as can be seen by cussed on the role of the cladding for the building, and Fife the signs now erected on Council have acted swiftly to reassure residents in high flat the road down to Kings- developments in Fife that they are safe, and do not suffer barns Beach . from the same problems. But whether or not Kensington and Chelsea Council have responsibility for the fire through its Denburn weak or none existent enforcement of building standards (an Complaints have been received about potential pollution issue in Fife), it is important that we also note the way in problems in Denburn Woods, and the outflow at Roome Bay. which the response, or rather lack of response, of the Council The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) were added to the misery for the residents and their families. It is contacted, who have advised: I can confirm that I carried heartening to see the way Community organisations rose to out a site visit in Crail this morning (23 June 2017) and could the occasion and provided help – but should a disaster occur find no evidence of sewage related pollution in the water- here, would Fife Council have the capacity and experience course to which you refer. I am also unaware of any problem to respond to the immediate needs of the affected commu- with the Bow Butts pumping station. This is very reassuring nity? As readers of these Notes will be aware, Crail Commu- response, and we want to express our gratitude to SEPA for nity Council is developing an Emergency and Resilience responding so promptly.

3 WILD CRAIL Will Cresswell, with Photographs by John Anderson

We had some hot days in Crail last week – on the 17th we I have been seeing made nearly 25 degrees. I watched the auks flying around quite a few sand and felt like I was scanning the Mediterranean – martins in ones apart from the seabirds of course. Sea watching in the and twos between Mediterranean is fairly dull. The auks all looked slightly odd and as the fish they were carrying glinted in the strong sunlight Kingsbarns. Sand making them look like they had extended white heads. And martins are swal- the extra weight of the fish changes their flight and posture lows, pale brown slightly so guillemots look more like razorbills and razorbills above, white below with a neat Puffin brown breast band. It’s hard to notice more than the gen- eral brownish Sand Martin colour when they fly by, but the lack of clear black and whites makes it easy to rule out the other two common Crail swallow species, the barn swallow and the house martin. The most characteristic thing about sand martins, to me, is their flickering flight. They are extreme swallows, with a lightness of flight and loose wingbeats al- most as if each wing is being flicked independently rather than being systematically beat together. When you get your eye in then suddenly you see sand martins much more often. The best places to see them are along the shore. They breed in holes they dig in sandy or loose soil banks, so the small like puffins. There are a lot more manx shearwater passing earthy cliffs common along the shoreline – particularly be- now – some evenings last week flocks of more than 30 were tween Balcomie and Kingsbarns – are where they concentrate passing regularly. in summer. But I see them almost anywhere around Crail; never daily as the other swallows, but perhaps once every I came back to Crail on the 17th through Kilminning and week during the summer. They have bred in the pipeholes in flushed a bird which looked a bit like a sparrowhawk crossed the seawall at Roome Bay in a couple of years: then they with a nightjar. I saw it poorly and started thinking about were a daily sighting. They breed in colonies but often these nightjars and how fantastic it would be to find one for the don’t last for more than a few years because of the nature of Crail list. Then three flew up in front of me and showed them- the temporary sandy cliffs that they use. Sand martins are a selves well – cuckoos! Already on their way back to Africa fantastically common species worldwide – they breed in and stopping North America and from here to Japan. They winter or pass for a quick re- through everywhere in the world apart from Australia and the Cuckoo fuel on the Pacific islands. I have seen thousands of sand martins over c a t e r p i l l a r s rivers and wetlands from the Amazon to the Congo, and when and large in- I was in Kazakhstan, surveying wetlands there late one sum- sects in the mer, we counted a million spread along the telephone wires grass of running beside the salt lakes there, congregating before mi- K i m i n n i n g , gration. That’s a lot of swallows and a lot of mosquitos and along the midges being eaten. shore. There were cuckoos The longest day passed last Thursday and with a spectacular recorded from Kilminning the week before and passing along thunderstorm to end it. We are up to 52 mm of rain this month the coast further West in Fife the day before. When you only with 10% of this falling that night in just 40 minutes. June have to lay your eggs in another’s nest, and don’t need to look onwards really is the rainy season for us. after your own chicks then you can head back to Africa after only a few weeks here in . We get another wave of The sedge warblers are continuing to sing very loudly and cuckoos through in August, but this time the juveniles. I say vigorously from weedy tangles and bramble patches at the wave – but cuckoos are good Crail birds. I saw more cuckoos sides of the fields and roads. They have a tight schedule. Ar- that day than I have seen in the last five years around Crail. rive at the end of April, then two months to get their first brood completely independent (a fairly typical small bird 3

4 Sedge Warbler

weeks eggs, 2 weeks chicks and then 3-4 weeks feeding fledged chicks). As long as everything goes to plan. But as with most open nesting birds, and even ones like sedge war- blers that nest hidden deep in cover, they lose 40% of their nests to predators. So many birds will be trying to renest even as some may be thinking of finishing and starting their moult before returning to Africa in August. It means a staggered season and desperate birds singing right through June and July. Some nesting sedge warblers have it even more com- plicated, with one male having several females in their terri- tory – they may be the ones that really sing vigorously.

In an unusual bit of sensible management by the Council, the path there again. And common sense prevailed. The bare cracked and broken tarmac footpath along the top of the earth was left to itself. Now the old footpath is now burgeon- sheep field and Roome Bay Avenue was removed a couple ing with wild flowers and insects. It’s nice when something of months ago. I walked past the digger for a couple of days gets put back to a wilder state: something no longer costing as it dug out the old tarmac and hoped that more new tarmac us money to maintain and a thing of beauty instead of some- wasn’t to follow. It’s an unnecessary bit of footpath, right thing sterile and useless. next to the field and the tree roots along it have taken over – they would have to go if there was to be any chance of a flat Small Gardens of the Burgh of Sand sculpture Crail For the seventh year in succession, 20 tonnes of sand have The 'Small Gardens of the Burgh of Crail' will be on the 8th arrived at Honeypot Crail. Join them over the next week as and 9th July from 1.00p.m. to 5.00p.m. On Saturday 8th the wonderful collaboration between East Neuk Festival July, 'Crail in Bloom' will be serving teas/coffees in the Le- and Sand In Your Eye reveals this years theme. A collection gion Hall, Nethergate from 2.00p.m. to 4.30p.m. Entry £2.00 will be available to raise funds for Euans Guide for disabled This will be a fund raising event for Crail's floral enhance- access and Crail Museum & Heritage Centre who feature ment. The 'In Bloom' group are very grateful for the contin- an exhibition related to the piece. All will be revealed. ued support of so many local people and hope you can all Thank you for your support. continue as it is of great encouragement to the Committee and all the volunteers. Planning Applications - Erection of poultry unit comprising of 3 poultry houses, service building and 3 feed silos with associated infras- tructure including 4 gas tanks, access, parking, drainage and boundary fencing - Airdrie Farm Lochton Crail Fife - Installation of 3no rooflights - 17 Westgate Crail Anstruther Fife KY10 3RE

5 6 7 Poppies In Flanders fields the poppies blow This is the time of year when the Poppy, that most beautiful Between the crosses, row on row, and sad of all flowers blooms. We see them in the fields and That mark our place; and in the sky hedgerows, bright and proud. A flower of joy and sorrow: The larks, still bravely singing, fly the joy summer, and sorrow of The Battle of the Somme. Scarce heard amid the guns below.

Library Crail Parish Church of Scotland Since the library at Crail has closed residents have re- Intimations Sunday 25th June duced options when they wish to borrow a book. We do Crail Primary School P7 leavers service will take place in Crail have the mobile library which will be visiting Crail on the Church on Tuesday 27th June at 1:30pm, all welcome 6th and 20th July, and the 3rd, 17th and 31st of August. It Sunday 2nd July will be a Joint Service with Kingsbarns in Crail is found in the Marketgate 10am till 11am. September at 11:15am followed by a Pot Luck Lunch in the Kirk Hall, (please times will be made available nearer the time. bring a plate of food to share) as it’s Rev Ann Allison’s last ser- vice. Anstruther Library, which was a good alternative to Crail, Church Bell the bell has had to be switched off until further notice has now relocated to the new Waid Academy. As it is as there has been a survey of the tower done and we have been ad- being run by the school librarian, to some extent the open- vised that they are not sure how much of the integrity of the timbers ing times depend on school hours. At the moment it is are being affected by it. open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, but from the 24th of July to 11th August it will only be open on a Tues- Kirk Sale 19 July 2017 day and Friday, again from 9am till 5pm. These are no Basket Tombola Helen Armitage & Nancy Turner evening opening sessions planned at the moment. Books Patrick Garrad & Catriona Shepherd Bottle Tombola Eric Dewhirst & Alan Menzie There are as yet no parking facilities at the library but Cake and Candy Mandy Guthrie there will eventually be provision once some demolition Jewellery and Scarf’s Patricia Dewhirst & Joan Forrest work has been done. The nearest parking at the moment Produce Liz Arnott & Marjorie Richardson is Station Road, though probably the local Co-op wouldn't Teas The Guild mind. I understand that the number 95 bus now includes White Elephant Ruby Mackie & Linda Douglas. the library as part of its route. The new telephone number Raffle David Clelland& Diana Brown for Anstruther Library is 01334 659404. It should be re- Children’s Stall JAM club membered that books can be renewed by telephone or re- Donations for the stalls will be greatly appreciated and can be turned or borrowed at branch. handed into the Community Hall on the evening of Tuesday 18th, 6.00 – 7.00pm and on the morning of the sale, 10.00 – 12 noon. If you wish anything to be collected for the stalls please contact the stall holders. Doors open at 2.00pm and more information can be had from Helen Armitage 450516. chap even if I say so myself. The Crail Seen the letter to me? I agree with it. The noise is very bothering and from what I see the participants to the events at the Airfield bring little economic benefit to Seagull Crail. Balance that against the negative effect of the An eye on our world noise on visitors and tourism in general, and it seems to me the negatives outway the positives. I can even hear them in Flook Dub. How about this? Go to the John Lewis web site, look at Did you know that a formal approach was made to Fife their towel range, and look Council some months ago to take over the Town Hall for the Cheeky Gull range of and the Community Hall? My little friend in Glen- towels - and what a beauty rothes (a rather charming lady seagull) tells me its you see! This is one of my fallen through and has now been withdrawn - but was cousins. A rather handsome anyone consulted before an approach was made?

Material for inclusion in Crail Matters should be sent to [email protected] and received on Friday midday before publication. We reserve the right to edit copy for length and style. Submission does not guarantee inclusion. © Crab Publishing 2017: Editorial Team this week: Graham Anderson, Julie Middleton, Isla Reid, Valencia Sowry, Max Taylor, John Wilson

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