CANdo Coupar Angus and District Community Magazine

Pride of Place and Coupar Angus win ‘Gold’ again and ‘Best in Large Village’ at 2019 Beautiful Scotland awards in Dumfries

Also in this issue, sponsored by:

‘Balhousie Coupar Angus care home residents get arty with bottle tops’

ISSUE 91 September/October 2019

Joe Richards Collectables

WANTED: Old tools & coins, Tilley lamps, war items

01828 628138 or 07840 794453 [email protected]

Ryan Black, fish merchant in Coupar Bits n Bobs with Kids and Gifts Angus & area, Thursdays 8.30 am till 5 pm. At The Cross 12 till 12.45

‘straight from the shore to your door’

CANdo Sept/October 2019 Editorial

In the previous CANdo, we drew readers’ attention to research on the healthiest places to live in the UK. In a list of the top ten, Coupar Angus came in seventh. Perhaps one of the reasons is the recommendation that derelict and unused land can be used to create the next generation of allotments or community farms. The aim is to increase local provision of fresh food. Which is something already well established in our town. Our thriving community gardens deliver significant amounts of produce, while the Grow Your Own group enjoy their learning sessions and visiting each other’s gardens. The recommendation comes from the Vacant and Derelict Land Taskforce, set up by the Scottish Land Commission and SEPA. It believes such land, called “stuck areas”, of which there is a significant amount, can be transformed to promote inclusive growth and greater wellbeing (and combat the effects of climate change). Roseanna Cunningham, secretary for the environment, maintains that these initiatives can act as a catalyst for community and environmental regeneration. Members of the task force might learn something in Coupar Angus. It is good timing that this edition gives you the latest news from Pride of Place about the judges’ visits to Coupar Angus. Also programmes of events from the Heritage Centre and the Arts Society Tayside, as well as information about the Relax Group, Elder Voice, a new community voluntary service, and the New Age Kurling Club as well as the somewhat older Coupar Angus & Kettins Curling Club. Given that, while we have a justified pride in much of the voluntary work that goes on here, we are not parochial in outlook. How they do things in Kirkcaldy is described, and maybe we can learn something from them. In this issue a challenge for you - how far can you travel in Scotland in 24 hours there and back? Read how one Coupar Angus resident set himself the challenge and how he got on. Could you go further? David Carson, on behalf of the editorial team, contact Val Kidd - [email protected] or read CANdo at https://forwardcouparangus.co.uk CANdo is produced by your local development trust Forward Coupar Angus

Your advertisement in this space? It will be seen by organisations/ school/outlets in Coupar Angus, also in Burrelton, Meigle, Kettins, Blairgowrie and beyond.

Contact Val to discuss, and support CANdo, your local free magazine

Pop along to the Cycling Hub, Forfar Road, Coupar Angus We have bikes (also second-hand) for sale and hire as well as friendly advice

WHERE IS THIS IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Guess where this in Coupar Angus. Answer in next edition of CANdo.

The photo in the July/August edition was the old Bowling club on Forfar Rd, now the cycling club, on a sunny day when a senior cycle group popped by for a welcome rest.

Professionally NPTC qualified, offering: Felling, Pruning, logging & stacking services.

Get in touch with Grant for a quote 07444641283 or [email protected]

Balhousie care home gets arty with bottle tops Balhousie Coupar Angus has brightened up its garden with recycled art – and the effect is “brilliant”, say the staff. The care home spent 6 months collecting coloured bottle tops from milk and juice containers. The tops came from relatives of residents in the home, as well as contacts at local health facilities, including Headway Perth and Kinross and Murray Royal Hospital. Neighbour The Red House Hotel and Balhousie’s head office in Perth also donated. Activities Coordinator at Balhousie, Doris Scott, came up with the idea, then with administrator Lorna Menzies, handyman Andy Shaw and local residents, created three pieces of artwork – a bumble bee (pictured here), a butterfly and a flower – for their garden fence, as you can see on the cover of this magazine. “What they’ve created is brilliant, in more ways than one,” says Deputy Manager Amber Smith. “It’s given our garden an extra boost of colour for residents as well as visitors and the feedback has been great.”

The care home team are planning more bottle top creations and want to make the next project inter-generational. Doris says: “Inter-generational activities are really important for our residents and break down age barriers. We’d love to get nursery and primary school kids involved and can’t wait to get cracking on the next project.”

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Pride of Place Update Coupar Angus is still looking great in spite of the strong winds and rain blowing away the flowers. Pride of Place are doing our best to keep areas tidy, but with no regular Street Sweeper, not an easy task. PoP have been in the Reuse Shop for two weeks to raise important funds towards next year’s floral decorations, also for watering the baskets and boxes on display; and projects such as round our Standing Stone at the Perth Road entrance. There, Poppers Jeff and Ken have working hard, while the MaD Team strimmed grass and trimmed trees, in preparation for laying wildflower turf around the Stone.

We are always very grateful for the way the community support PoP's events and help with litter picking. Thankfully dog poo is not left on the pavements so often. But it is still left on grass in public places where unsuspecting folk can walk in it; for young children it is dangerous − getting it on their hands and in their mouths just by handling food, can cause blindness. Poo should be bagged and binned at all times, not just bagged and tossed into long grass or bushes or left on the road.

Sadly, the amount of cigarette butts left on pavements, gutters, grass and in drains seems to have increased. They do NOT just wash away but will in time disintegrate into the water, release the toxins left in the butt and go out to our Burn, rivers and finally out to sea. Wonderful for sea-life, then we consume them in the fish! So PLEASE, once you have stamped out your cigarette, put it not just close to the bin or on top of the bin, but IN THE BIN.

PoP take a pride in the keeping our town looking good, but we cannot do it alone. As we get older, we are slower and at times unwell, with new hips or knees making it difficult to keep on volunteering. So we are appealing to townsfolk of all ages to really consider joining us whenever you can. We need help to keep doing all we now do, otherwise we will have to reduce our workload. This year, we did not manage all we usually do, like clearing gutters or keeping up with weeding. This is also disappointing for groups in town that work alongside us. So please have a serious think.

We do what we can, come when we can and sometimes have to say no to certain tasks. We have fun together and a great sense of achievement when we see the results, whether weeding, sweeping or planting, and all coming together when the town looks great − so can YOU. We meet Thursday mornings 9.30 at the Town Hall all year and in the summer, Tuesdays 6.30 pm. Contact Anne Easson on 01828 628001 or [email protected]

Two sets of judges visited the town in August (Take a Pride in Perthshire and Beautiful Scotland). We have just learned this month that PoP was awarded gold again by Beautiful Scotland and first in category, so a huge thank you to all who helped achieve this wonderful result. And well done to Blairgowrie for also winning gold. Anne Easson ......

COUPAR ANGUS & KETTINS CURLING CLUB one of the oldest clubs in the UK, is looking for new members Why not have a go for free − 7th Nov 8.30 pm at Perth Ice Rink Try Curling sessions/Beginners courses throughout the season see www.trycurling.com or www.perthcurling.com

all you need: warm comfy clothing, flat shoes/trainers and enthusiasm

Please call: Liz Ireland - 01828 627564 or Barbara Allan - 670251 A NEW Community Voluntary Service

covering Coupar Angus and surrounding areas is now in operation. After consultation with a group of older people, Elder Voice was formed to address the much needed services to help connect these people in the community, address loneliness and isolation and improve their quality of life and well-being.

With the ever-increasing older population, services are needed to match their needs and break down the layers of barriers preventing them leading normal healthy happy lives or remaining in their home as long as possible. Elder Voice is a community led charity organising a Neighbourhood Link, Befriending and Patient/Community Transport service. This provides a helping hand and a door to door service for anyone who has difficulty getting out and about in the area, alleviating the stress or worry people face regarding transport in time of need, such as medical/hospital appointments. Volunteer drivers will give a helping hand out of the car, pick up from home and wait at hospital or doctor appointments to take people home. The service is also about increasing social activities connecting people to support groups, lunch groups, coffee mornings, meeting friends for coffee; or volunteers may just simply take an older person out for a drive and stop for coffee. Services are tailor-made to suit clients’ requirements. Many people have found local transport does not meet their needs due to rurality, frailty, age, illness/disability or they are unable to even get to the bus stop. Buses in rural areas are infrequent, often an additional worry when a family member is in hospital and you cannot visit. We encourage hard to reach isolated persons in the area to socialise, go to the library, do their own shopping and remain independent, but with a little helping hand. To register for our services, please contact us or make a referral through our website. You can also contact coordinator Samantha (Mon-Fri, 9-2), who will answer any queries. See also the what’s on pages in CANdo for our Country Coach Tour on 6th October.

If you’d like to Volunteer to help improve the lives of older people, please do not hesitate to contact us. The project operates from its newly refurbished premises at 1 Commercial Street, Blairgowrie. Email: [email protected], Tel 01250 874269 or visit our website www.eldervoice.org.uk - together let’s make your town or village ‘a good place to grow old’

Supported by Rural Perth & Kinross LEADER Programme 2014-2020: The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas

Indonesia Supper Club cooks up a storm at Coupar Angus Cycling Hub The first of this season’s Indonesia Supper Club event was held this summer at the former Bowling Club on Forfar Road in Coupar Angus. The Indonesia Supper Club is a dinner party event held in the style of a family meal with homemade Indonesian dishes. I use the spices and herbs that give you the taste and flavours of Indonesia, but my main ingredients are sourced from local producers in Blairgowrie, Coupar Angus and Alyth.

I partnered with Coupar Angus Market Garden − an initiative run by Forward Coupar Angus, and received funding from Connect Local Regional Food Fund (RFF) – who supplied their organically grown vegetables.

At Indonesian Supper Club events, guests are seated at one big table like at a family or friend’s dinner party. A great way to be sociable, meet new friends, interact by passing dishes around and exploring unknown flavours. If you are curious, check out the pictures on Facebook.

The evening was a great success! Everyone enjoyed the food and had a good time chatting with and getting to know the other guests. The supper club that I held in August, which everyone also really enjoyed, was a Vegan/Gluten-free Special. The next supper club, when I will be serving a mixed menu, is on Saturday 26 October, 7pm at Rattray Hall, Balmoral Road in Rattray.

Elly Nicoll Foodie, Cook, & Host at Indonesia Supper Club [email protected] | www.facebook.com/indonesiasupperclub

Come along to the RELAX Group The RELAX Group have been busy making items for Christmas. These will be on sale from October in The High Street Store at the Cross. We craft hand-made Coupar Angus cards for sending to friends and family further afield, as well as desk calendars, candles and tree decorations. RELAX craft group meets every Friday morning in St. Anne's Church Hall on Forfar Rd, Coupar Angus from 9.15 to 12. We dabble in all things crafty. All profits from sales go back to the group, which helps make us self- sufficient. New members are welcome. Contact Joan on 07903 811366.

Support New Age Kurling I'm pleased that our New Age Kurling Club has some new members. To keep the interest going, we have been trying to do different things. We ask members what they would like, and try to oblige if we can, after all, without them there would be no club. If you are looking for something to do on a Monday afternoon between 1.30 and 3.30, pop in and see what you’re missing. Where would you get tea / coffee / home baking and be able to put the world to rights over a game of dominoes or cards, all for £2. Also if you stay in Coupar Angus or Kettins area, you can get free transport there and back. Countdown to Christmas has begun. The Kurling Club’s annual coffee morning is Sat 16th Nov (10 till 1) in the Town Hall. Cake & Candy, Tombola, Raffle, Christmas stalls, admission £2 (includes refreshments), Primary School children free. Anyone wishing a table, costs the same as last year £5. Contact Ann 01828 627587. This has been well supported the past two years and we’d love your support again. Money raised goes to pay for entertainment and members’ Christmas Lunch. Ann Campbell

WHAT’S ON in your area - Sept/October 2019 MONDAYS New Age Kurling Join in the fun and games at Coupar Angus Town Hall, 1.30 -3.30 pm. Cost £2 including refreshments. Free Taxi if you require (Coupar Angus & Kettins area), contact Ann 01828 627587. Everyone welcome.

Zumba (6.30-7.30 pm) Town Hall, with Fiona (£4) Adult Education, Yoga (7-8.30 pm) in St Anne’s Hall for 10 weeks, contact Elaine Mackinlay Exercise Class with Sophie starts again 7 Oct 1.45-2.45 in Town Hall. All ages, £4 TUESDAYS

Join ‘Make a Difference’ squad 10 am, Coupar Angus Small Business Centre Royal Bank of Scotland mobile van (10.10–10.40) Union St opposite Shell garage Community Cafe 11.30 Cargill-Burrrelton Church Hall – great place to meet people over a free cuppa or soup. Transport available, call Susie on 01828 670384 St. Anne’s Lunch Club – 1, 15 and 29 October, 12 and 26 November Pilates Classes Mixed 5.15-6.15pm, Intermed 6.30-7.30pm led by Susie at St Anne’s Hall Contact Susie on 07914 700988 or [email protected] Kettins Carpet Bowling Club 6.30-9 pm Kettins Church Hall. New members always welcome (for safety reasons over 18). Contact Graham Bell on 627855 WEDNESDAYS

Pilates 9.30 am Mixed ability, and 1.30 pm, Susie Black (contact details above) Seniors Outings, 2nd Wed of the month, 12 pm fromTown Hall – contact Michael Gallagher Weekly Work Party Caddam Rd Community Garden 5-7pm. Meet at gates to the Market Garden, Causewayend, behind lock-up garages. All welcome Abbey Church prayer meetings 2 pm and Bible Study group 7.15pm Adult Education, Tai Chi 7 - 8 pm upstairs in the Town Hall for 10 weeks Afternoon art class 2.15 - 4.15 pm in St Anne's church hall for 10 weeks Scottish Country Dancing 7 - 9 pm in the gym at Coupar Angus Primary School for 10 weeks. NB: no dance class Oct 10th & 17th as school is closed for half term. Burrelton, Woodside and District SWI meet 3rd Wednesday of the month in the Church Hall, Woodside 7.15 p.m. October: Maxwells Desserts - talk by Graeme Maxwell. Visitors and new members welcome. November : Proggy and Tweed Design THURSDAYS Help Pride of Place keep our town looking good, please come to our work parties, Town Hall 9.30 am. In the summer Tues 6.30 pm. contact Anne: [email protected]

BANK of SCOTLAND Mobile Van (10.55 to 12.25) in the Red House Hotel car park THURSDAY FRIENDS at Town Hall 2 - 3.30. Tea party with entertainment 2nd Thursday of the month. Free taxi available. Contact Mary 07999 766858 or Jenny 01828 628537

Pilates classes 11.30 St Anne’s Hall, beginners 12.45. contact Susie (see above) Ippon Karate (7 - 8.30 pm) in the Town Hall Abbey Church Children's Groups (in school term) Stepping Stones (P1-P3) 5.30-6.30pm, Compass (P4-P6) 6.45- 7.45pm, Crossover (P7-S1) 6.45-7.45pm, YF (S2 Upwards) 8-9 pm Coupar Angus Scottish Country Dance Club begins 3rd Oct for 10 weeks till 5th Dec. Mixture of traditional Scottish and newer dances taught. 7.30 - 9.30 pm in Coupar Angus (upper) Town Hall. We welcome new members, come and try for a week before you join (cost £25 per term). Please contact [email protected] FRIDAYS Cycle for Cake (C4C) Join fun cycle, meet at Cycle Hub 9.15, Forfar Rd. different and interesting off-road destinations. All welcome. RELAX GROUP - handcrafts at St Anne’s Hall, 9.15am - 12, £3.50 a session SUNDAYS St Anne's Church Forfar Road, Service every Sunday 11 am, to which are all welcome, coffee beforehand at 10.30 am Morning Services Bendochy Church 10 am, and Coupar Angus Abbey Church 11.15, with tea/coffee after this service. Please come along and share fellowship with us

OTHER EVENTS Wed 25th Sept Macmillan coffee morning (11 – 1) at Balhousie Care Home, Coupar Angus. 25 Sept Book Club: last Wed of the month 6.30pm in Coupar Angus library. All welcome. Just turn up! This month’s book: ‘This Boy’ politician Alan Johnson’s early life. 30 Oct: ‘The Outrun’ Amy Liptrot’s memoir of going back to Orkney Sun 29 Sept Join us for our Harvest Thanksgiving Services in Bendochy (10 am) & Coupar Angus Abbey Church (11.15 am). Yarnstormers meet at The Library 2pm on 3rd Friday of the month. Contact Val Kidd 2 Oct Kettins-Ardler-Meigle Guild 7.30pm in Kettins Church Hall, speaker Susie Thomson: ‘Japan - more than Temples and Cherry Blossom’. 6 Nov Rev Douglas Main: ‘From Cockpit to Pulpit’ Please come and join us. 4 Oct Friendly Friday 1.30 – 3 pm at Coupar Angus Abbey Church, all welcome 4 Oct Coupar Angus & District Heritage Association. Talk by Jane Wilkinson, Coracle Fishing & the circular economy. Homage to the life & times of Bill Abernethy. Friday 8 Nov Norman Atkinson, The Picts of Angus & Gowrie. 7.30 pm at the cycling hub, Forfar Rd Sun 6 Oct – Sunday Cycle from Coupar Angus cycling hub, refreshments afterwards 6 Oct local charity ELDER VOICE invites older people to Solheim Outing, Country Coach Tour (Sunday lunch at Pitcrocknie Alyth, entertainment Harry MacFadyen & friends). Fully accessible coach leaves Angus Hotel, Blairgowrie 10.15 am, back 4.30 pm. Contact: 01250 874269, [email protected] (see article on ELDER VOICE in this issue) Thurs 10 Oct Blairgowrie Free Lipreading Classes Do you or does someone you know have a hearing loss? Lipreading classes can help. (2 – 4 pm) at A Proctor Group, Dunkeld Rd, Blairgowrie PH10 6RT. Call Susan Brown 01250 872861 / 07940333924 Mon 7 Oct Messy Church in St Anne’s hall 10 -12 activities and lunch for the family Sat 26 Oct, 7pm Indonesia Supper Club at Rattray Hall, Balmoral Rd. Mixed menu. For tickets contact Elly at: [email protected] Thu 7 Nov 8.30 pm Perth Ice Rink, Coupar Angus & Kettins CURLING CLUB invites you to have a go for free, please contact Liz Ireland - 01828 627564 or Barbara Allan - 670251 7 Nov Community Council Elections Sun 10 Nov Remembrance Day Service in the Abbey Church 10.50 am Sat 16 Nov, (10 – 1) New Age Kurling Club Coffee Morning in Coupar Angus Town Hall. Cake & Candy, Tombola, Raffle and Christmas stalls. £2 (incl. refreshments) Primary School children free. Anyone wishing a table, contact Ann on 01828 627587. - Would you like your event listed in CANdo? please contact Val on [email protected]

Hedgehogs need your help

While hedgehog numbers are falling in many places, we seem to have a healthy number in our area. But these little creatures face numerous hazards. Mhairi in Burrelton has been passionate about hedgehogs for a long time. She says that we can do a number of things to help boost the population and keep hedgehogs safe.

1. Avoid using chemicals in the garden, especially slug pellets – they can kill a hedgehog 2. If you must use a strimmer, check area first. Strimmers cause the most injuries 3. Leave a wild area which will encourage bugs and invertebrates; piles of leaves and logs will attract insects and bugs, which in turn will attract hedgehogs 4. Offer food and fresh water, cat biscuit, or specialist hedgehog food place in a safe feeding area (see websites). NO MILK OR BREAD. Extra food is especially important in October/November and through to March when their natural food is becoming scarce. Hedgehogs hibernate when the weather becomes cold, but need to be 750 - 850 grams to survive. Autumn juveniles are often underweight and will not survive hibernation. Any small hogs found at this time need help 5. Join HEDGEHOG STREET: hogs can travel up to one mile looking for food or a mate, so gardens are increasingly important since a lot of hogs’ natural habitat has been destroyed. Make sure there is a gap the size of a CD in walls or fences so the animals can travel a decent distance. Visit www.hedgehogstreet.org for more tips and join thousands of others to become a Hedgehog Champion 6. Sick, injured, orphaned or underweight hogs can be treated by expert care. If you see one out in the daytime (unless it is a nursing female looking for food), put in a box, somewhere warm, with a towel to hide under. Do not offer it food initially Call the SSPCA 03000 999 999 or contact British Hedgehog Preservation Society on 01584 890801 Thank you for reading this - I can be reached at Moorlands, Whitelea Rd, Burrelton 07921 387120 Mhairi Macdonald A Travel Challenge for CANdo readers I was brought up in a railway family, my Dad worked for British Railways all his life. We lived just north of London. Two long-term consequences of my Dad's job have affected me over the years. First, I love train travel; second, I have lived most of my life in Scotland. The first consequence is easy to understand, the second needs some explanation. As a railway family, we always had a number of 'free passes' to travel anywhere in the UK. To extract best value from this opportunity, we often spent summer holidays in Scotland and, I fell in love with the country. When I finished university in England, I was offered a job in Glasgow. Now, 45 years later, I still live in Scotland and have never lost my passion for the country. So what is this leading up to? Well, I had an idea some weeks ago. What was the furthest you could get to, by train, in a day from where I live in Coupar Angus? The challenge needed rules: 1) I had to get to my destination and back in less than 24 hours, 2) while I could use other transport if necessary, the majority of the miles had to be by train, 3) the total trip must be within Scotland, and 4) the outward and return routes had to be different. A number of routes came to mind. Up to Thurso and back, but that would break rule 4. Inverness via Aviemore and back through Aberdeen. Seemed ok, but there should be something longer. Then a plan started to hatch in my mind, a trip to Skye and back. One late summer Monday, when the weather forecast sounded fine, I left our house in Coupar Angus at 5.30 am and drove to Perth. Well I had to get to a railway station to kick off the challenge. The 6.18 train to Glasgow got me started. I arrived at Queen Street to something of a strammie. Storms the night before and, just in time, I found out I’d have to do the next part of my trip by bus. Disappointed, I caught the bus up Loch Lomond side to Crianlarich, where I got back on to a train to Mallaig.

From Mallaig, my plan was to catch the ferry to Skye, by some means get to Kyle of Lochalsh, then pick up the train to Inverness. But it wasn't going to be that simple. I had 20 minutes between the train arriving in Mallaig and the ferry to Skye leaving, and the train was falling further and further behind schedule. The train was late, but, as I found out at the harbour, so was the ferry to Skye and I caught it. From Armadale to Kyle was a bit of a problem. There was a bus, but it left half an hour before the ferry arrived and the next bus wasn't for 3 hours. The only solution I could find was a taxi to Broadford, then a bus to Kyle. Having totally confused my chosen taxi driver, by texting to say that I wouldn't and then I would catch the ferry, he was there waiting for me when the boat arrived. To add to my luck, I found an American who wanted to share the lift and pay half the fare. Only about 15 minutes in Broadford and the bus arrived, driven by a guy who was full of stories about how rude he had been to his passengers and, it seemed, anyone else who annoyed him while driving his bus. I thought he was making it up, until a driver coming in the opposite direction, almost made him stop at a narrow part of the road. He wound down his window and gave her a few choice words of advice. Kyle station was a disappointment. I had an hour to spare and adverts on the station promised a museum, a shop, a cafe and a restaurant. It transpired that the first three were all shut and the restaurant only opened in the evenings, and then not every evening. Still, I got some supplies in the town and was soon on my way to Inverness.

The scenery leaving Kyle is magnificent, as it had been from Crianlarich to Mallaig. The train dawdles along, so plenty of opportunities to take photographs of Skye and across the waters of Loch Carron. Fifteen minutes in Inverness then off again on the last train ride of the day, over Drumochter and down to Perth. Dark soon after Aviemore, so if you are tempted, May, June or July are the best months for this adventure. Arrived in Perth at 22.39 and home to Coupar Angus just after 11pm. Challenge completed. So, can any of you beat this? No need to start in Coupar Angus, anywhere in Scotland will do as long as you return to the same place. My total train miles were 344 and 58 by coach due to the storm-damaged line. 28 miles getting to and from Perth and 20 miles by taxi/ bus to Kyle of Lochalsh. Then the short 10-mile ferry crossing. Over to our readers. John Palfreyman

Coupar Angus Town Hall - What Next? A reality check: Coupar Angus Town Hall needs an investment of £600,000 over the next 5 years to keep it fit for purpose. This stark fact was the centre of a discussion at a meeting on 12 September. Members of Perth & Kinross Planning and Building Department attended, alongside representatives of community groups and users of the Town Hall facilities. A building condition survey carried out by PKC revealed that extensive work is needed: external walls, heating source, roof coverings, floor repairs, internal walls, kitchen facilities and caretaker’s flat. Attendees said other work was also needed, particularly toilet facilities. The discussion centred on a simple question - where to now? - with no clear answers. Certain facts did emerge: PKC is unable to commit to carrying out the work required to maintain the Hall in a viable state. This being so, the Town hall would, in due course, be closed down. It is highly unlikely, to the point of impossibility, that any community group could take over the running and maintenance of the Hall, especially in its current condition. The Town Hall provides facilities that are not available elsewhere in the town, particularly the large hall. (Even then, with numbers restricted to 100, it is not ideal). In other words, the loss of the Town Hall would have very serious consequences. Whatever happens, library provision will continue. This assurance has been given by PKC Cultural Services. This was an exploratory meeting. Suggestions were invited for alternatives: ▪ Raze the entire building to the ground and build a new one, making it eco-friendly. The question was asked who owned the ground. Hall was funded by public subscription. ▪ Invest in the Primary school along the lines of a Community Campus, able to accommodate as a minimum the activities that currently operate in the Town Hall. PKC will look at the implications (cost in particular) of these courses of action.

This meeting is the start of a broader community consultation exercise. To that end, a questionnaire will be prepared to find out what Coupar Angus residents would like to see as a replacement for the Hall. (It seems this is inevitable.) This questionnaire will be available on- and offline in the near future. It is in all our interests to respond to it, and any follow-up as a result. Further meetings will be convened. Meanwhile, The Hall will be closed from 21 October until late November to allow essential work to be carried out. Alternative arrangements for the activities that take place during this period will be intimated to interested parties by Live Active Leisure. If you have issues/concerns/suggestions to make, and can’t wait for the questionnaire, you can contact local councilors: Fiona Sarwar - [email protected] and Colin Stewart - [email protected]

This is a big issue for us all. Make your views known. D. Carson

Come along to the Arts Society Tayside, for our new season of Talks Our Society runs 10 superb one-hour Lectures by specialists in their field from around Scotland and the UK. We meet every second Monday of the month − 14th Oct (Dickens), 11th Nov, and onwards through to June, at the Birnam Arts Centre, by Dunkeld. Lectures are at either 11am or 2pm with coffee/tea & biscuits before and after, so members can socialise and chat. Our first Lecture of the season on 9th Sept had the intriguing title “Great Tarts in Art” by one of the very best Arts Society raconteurs, Linda Smith. We benefit from being part of the national Arts Society, who work to promote the Arts. Our programme covers wide-ranging subjects: from botanical gardens and historical cities, to the works of great artists, writers and musicians. Members also have the opportunity to attend study days, events and private visits. One society group volunteers with Young Arts, church recording and heritage conservation. We are keen to welcome new members and, to those who already belong, please help spread the word, so our membership can continue to grow. To find out more, please visit our website theartssocietytayside, email our Chair, Claire Paton on [email protected] or contact Jane Gordon, Membership Secretary on 01350 724232 or [email protected]

...... GrowBiz − Making Rural Business Digital

GrowBiz supports anyone starting or growing a small enterprise. With our new project – Making Rural Business Digital – supported by Perth & Kinross LEADER programme (see www.pkleader.org), we want to make Perth and Kinross the most entrepreneurial rural economy in Scotland, by developing Smart Villages, enterprise ‘hotspots’ and digital upskilling. Smart Villages are ‘digital communities’ that help rural enterprises to promote their services. Besides being information points for local groups/organisations, they can be ‘communities of interest’. We’ll be developing new platforms for artisan makers and care/wellbeing enterprises in rural areas. Please get in touch with us to find out more. Our newly launched programme, GrowOnline, helps businesses enhance and develop their online presence and make the most of digital opportunities. GrowOnline is open to all, everyone who signs up can access wide-ranging online resources, ideas and tutorials. We continue to hold free events throughout Perthshire. In Coupar Angus, our peer support group for creatives meet September 23 in the GrowBiz offices on Union Street, and on September 30 there is a session highlighting how enterprises can benefit from a low carbon lifestyle, with Jane Wilkinson from local development trust Forward Coupar Angus. Various online sessions are open to everyone, our Women's Enterprise Network meeting is October 1. For details or to book, check our website www.growbiz.co.uk. We offer free and confidential services including one-to-one meetings for any rural business looking to start, grow or diversify. Follow us on social media for updates - Facebook (@GrowBizPerthshire) and Twitter (@Grow_Biz) – and sign up to our newsletters at www.growbiz.co.uk

sharing your care

sharing your care

“Very pleased with the care and attention nursing staff gave Mum... I would recommend [Coupar Angus] for anyone looking for a care home.”

Balhousie Coupar Angus is a modern, purpose-built home offering residential, nursing, convalescent and post-operative care and specialising in respite, Alzheimer's and dementia, and palliative care. Call to arrange a visit on 01828 424930. www.balhousiecare.co.uk