Free ISSUE 9 October 2003 Donations Welcome THE VOICE OF YOUR COMMUNITY Highlights of the 5 day programme: TV Chef to open Wed 22nd October 1230 hrs • Festival Opening-Scottish Wool Aberfoyle Centre inside Thurs 23rd October 1930 hrs P2 Mushroom Fest • Victorian Theatre - Scottish Wool One man & his Centre Restaurateur and TV Friday. 24th October 1930 hrs dog chef, Antonio Carluccio, • Fiddlers Rally & Candlelit Waterfall P3 Walk - David Marshall Lodge star of the highly-acclaimed Editorial • Dinner Dance featuring Ireland¹s BBC2 series on Cooking in Italy P4 Trevor Dixon Sound - Inchrie is to open the 3rd Aberfoyle Castle Hotel. Rangers Corner Mushroom Festival and launch Caprese in Buchanan Street, • Shenanigans Irish Night - Clachan th P5 his new book on picking and Glasgow on the Saturday and Sat 25 October, 1930 hrs CC Report Sunday in the Trossachs • Mushrooms and Shamrocks, A cooking with mushrooms, ‘The Feast of Irish Food, Drink and P6 Quiet Hunt’, at the Scottish Discovery Centre in the Music featuring Irish Dancers Owen McKee Wool Centre, Aberfoyle on village. Fungus forays are ‘Celtic Cousins’, The Trevor Dixon P7 Wednesday, 22 October at also a feature on these two Sound, & Mad Murphy - Forth Forest Theatre 1230 hrs. Members of the days, organised by Forest Inn. Enterprise from the David • Shenanigans Irish Night - Clachan P8 public are invited to join Signor Sun 26th October, 1830 hrs Comm Futures Carluccio for a tête-à-tête on Marshall Lodge and from the • Songs of Praise with the New P9 cooking, over a glass of red village by the National Park Scotland Singers - Gartmore House Prophecies wine and a fungi risotto. Rangers Service. The Festival, which is Every year the Festival • The Fruits of Erin - Altskeith Hotel P10 • 2200 hrs Closing Ceilidh features Regional or National History Group sponsored by local company Waterfall Bar, Altskeith Hotel food. Last year it was the Events during the day over the P11 Stirling Mushrooms from Callander, will be featuring a Indian Sub-Continent, this weekend include a Pike Fishing The Garden Competition on Loch Ard, a Duck whole range of gastronomic year it is Ireland in P12 Derby, two Family Dog Shows, a events, including cookery recognition of Aberfoyle¹s Charity Golf Match, a wood-turning Poet’s Corner demonstrations by Italian close links with two Irish rural display, an Afro-Latina Charity P15 barbecue, a picture gallery of Old master chef Costanzo, communities in Co Mayo and Aberfoyle, and Strathard Country Classified proprietor of Ristorante Co Armagh. Pursuits exhibition. ABERFOYLE Proposed footbridgeat Manse Road Community Consultation POST SHOP A public meeting to discuss the proposals for the siting of a under the new system footbridge over the Forth will be held in Aberfoyle Memorial YOU CAN STILL COLLECT YOUR Hall on Tuesday 21st October at 7.30pm. Plans of the BENEFITS AND ALLOWANCES suggested sites will be available for public viewing in the AT THE POST OFFICE Trossachs Discovery Centre during the week preceding this Please phone or ask at the counter for details meeting, from 14th to 21st October, where comments can be submitted. Following the public meeting and taking into Use it or Lose it! account views expressed at that time and views expressed during the exhibition, plans for the design of the bridge will Tel: 01877 382 231 be submitted to the community for comment. Strathard News is grateful for funding received from Stirling Council Fly & Moss…..Top Dogs! Local Shepherd Peter Martin has put Inversnaid on the map by winning 'The Scottish National Sheepdog Trials' at Annan in Dumfries & Galloway in July 2003 with 'Fly (8yrs) & Moss (3yrs). This was for 'The Brace' where 2 dogs work in conjunction to herd and eventually pen 2 separate sets of sheep. (think of 1 man and his dog) Then in September this enabled both Shepherd & Dogs to go forward and represent Scotland in 'The International Sheepdog Trials' held at Castle Kennedy near Stranraer between the 11th & 13th of September 2003 - where they achieved a very respectable 4th position. After a tremendous show at 'The Scottish Nationals' and 'The Internationals', Moss will in future be working with his new American Lady Owner and will hopefully achieve the same success with her as he did with Peter. 50 Years of Forestry! Broadband The Trossachs Queen Elizabeth He was pleased to see how much Forest Park celebrated its 50th had been achieved, ranging from the Yes, it’s here in Strathard anniversary this August with a range creation of Scots pine woodland and arriving by satellite! of events for visitors spread over the riverside native woods to the whole month. This culminated in a construction and upgrading of Would you like fast, always on visit from the Scottish Forestry footpaths, car parks, toilets and internet access? Minister, Allan Wilson to the David picnic sites. Marshall Lodge Visitor Centre. During his visit Mr Wilson unveiled If you’re interested, live in He stated that the Queen Elizabeth a cast-iron sculpture of two native Aberfoyle, Kinlochard or Gartmore Forest had an important role to play roe deer outside the Visitor Centre and want to find out more contact: forming, as it does, a large part of by Artist John Hopkins. The Cowal the Loch Lomond and Trossachs and Trossachs Forest District Mary Phillips National Park. He said that well Manager, Hugh Clayden, said that Aberfoyle Broadband Community managed, attractive woods and the sculpture was intended to reflect, Ltd forests can contribute much to the in visitors’ minds, that the forest is Tel: 01877 382 696 visitors’ experience of Scotland and not solely pretty scenery but is also a Email: [email protected] can imrove the prosperity and well- home to the many diverse forms of being of the local people. wild life of the region. A Professional Service From Full Electrical Service Domestic & Commercial Installation, Periodic & Portable Appliance Testing&Certification Tel 01877 382 088 or 07796 331451 Also Data & CCTV Systems Quality Work Guaranteed www.acelectricaluk.co.uk Regular Customers Scotland Wide Glasgow * Falkirk * Stirling Kirkton House, Duchray Road, Aberfoyle, Stirling FK8 3XB 2 EDITORIAL Strathard Delegates at Irish Festival This is one editorial that I wasn't looking forward to writing. Our editor, Jimmy The Kinlochard Ceilidh Band Campbell, has sadly resigned from his post and Scottish Highland Games at the Strathard News. champions entertained As most of our readers will be aware, Jimmy crowds, estimated at 30,000 was born and bred here at the Kirkton in people, when Depute Provost Aberfoyle. His knowledge of local of Stirling Margaret Brisley characters and events both past and present and local Community Futures made him the right person to head up the Chairman John Epps attended Strathard News Team. the "Country Comes to Town" The Strathard News, which was once a festival in Portadown, County thriving paper, sadly faltered and ceased Armagh. Future tourism tie- The Kinlochard Ceilidh Band publication a few years ago. In June 2002 ups between Strathard and performing at a concert in Portadown Town Hall. when the Strathard News was re-launched two Irish communities were Jimmy was appointed as its new editor. high on the agenda. The Since then the paper hasn't looked back and dance and music of Scotland has gone from strength to strength. and Ireland compared very So, on behalf of the team at the Strathard favourably when Fergus News, we would like to thank Jimmy for all Wood's famous Ceilidh band, his effort and hard work put in over the past featuring local fiddle virtuoso year. Eilidh Campbell, played I would also like to thank all the rest of the countless Jigs, Reels, and team at the paper for all their effort and hard Marches at an Irish Ceili. The work as well, for keeping the Strathard Scottish team tied with their Guest of Honour Dame Mary Peters Irish hosts at the social arts of News running smoothly over the past year. DBE on the left, Depute Provost singing and Guinness Margaret Brisley centre and our host John Clow Craigavon Mayor Ignatious Fox on the drinking, though not Vice Editor/Chairman right, in the company of local ladies in necessarily in that order! traditional costume T he centre offers a multitude of activities Strathard Country Pursuits to groups and individuals. All activities are Art & Craft Exhibition under the supervision of qualified staff, and all necessary equipment can be Sat. 25th Oct. 12noon - 5 pm provided for a safe and enjoyable day out. Sun. 26th Oct. 11 am - 4 pm In the Memorial Hall, Aberfoyle open to everybody....with something for everyone! EQUIPMENT HIRE BOAT HIRE • Local Arts & Crafts There is a wide range of equipment at Sailing Boats - Wayfarers, • Demonstrations the centre available for any activity Toppers, Optimist, Dart, • Children's Competition which you may wish to pursue. Laser ll and RS400 • Tombola Also Quad Bikes & Fishing Rods for hire Entry £1 including refreshments FOREST HILLS WATERSPORTS Exhibitors should bring their work to the hall th Kinlochard, Aberfoyle Stirlingshire FK8 3TL between 4pm and 9pm on Friday 24 Oct Phone 01877 387 775 Email [email protected] Exhibits should be labelled appropriately AAAbbbeeerrrfffoooyyyllleee MMMoootttooorrrsss LLLtttddd R&C LUKE M.O.T. Station & Garage Workshop Convenience Store∗Newspapers∗Off-sales Tobacconist *Video Hire*DVD Hire 01324 625624 Coaches available to hire for all occasions Tel. 01877 382 2341 Fax. 01877 382 735 t/a J. Brown [email protected] Coal Merchant & Contractor 12-14 Slamannon Road Falkirk FK1 1LG 3 Aberfoyle Parish Church The Ranger’s Church Services: Unlike other organisations Corner Sunday worship has not had a summer recess. We have continued to meet each Sunday at 11.15 am, having enjoyed the company of many As the dark nights edge ever closer, this can only mean visitors.