FOVERAN COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER

December 2014. Issue 139

Congratulations to School Football Team – winners of the Strathythan “B” League.

2 FOVERAN COMMUNITY COUNCIL

Let me introduce myself, my name is Glen Douglas, and this is my second stint as Secretary of Foveran Community Council, the first being around 1985, when I also looked after the newsletter advertising, and yes I am doing it again as well.

I have taken over from the previous secretary Duncan Milne who moved to Glasgow and Margot Wright who has retired as advertising secretary.

If you want to place an advert in future editions of the newsletter which is published three times a year then please contact me.

Foveran Community Council looks after the interest of the residents of Newburgh, Foveran, and Cultercullen, and everything in between.

We act as a focal point where you can bring to our attention matters that may concern you. Elected councillors from Council normally also attend our meetings which are open to all.

Agenda’s for the meetings and minutes of the meetings are available on line at www.formartinecommunitycouncils.co.uk

A list of community councillors and scheduled meeting dates is on the back page

This newsletter would not be possible without the support of the companies who advertise in it, so please consider them when thinking of making a purchase.

There are three subjects that come up at every meeting we have, and these in no particular order are:

Dog Fouling Litter Speeding

All of the above are under the control of you the reader, and we would urge you to:

Pick up your dog mess, and deposit in a litter bin or take it home with you. Please do not bag it then throw the bag away!

Do not litter our beautiful countryside and beaches with cigarette packets and “fast food take away” litter.

Drive sensibly through our villages, sometimes even 30 mph is too fast if children are playing.

Newburgh

The Christmas lights would not be possible without the generosity of the residents and groups who contribute for new lights and the upkeep of the older ones, I do not intend to name names, but you know who you are and we thank you.

The lights were electrically PAT tested by Tony Tortolano of TT Electrical Services, and were erected by Keith Watson of K.F. Watson Electrical and Martin McKenzie of Romar.

The Christmas tree this year was funded by donations from Nicer Newburgh Group , Corner Café, Foveran Church, and the Newburgh Gala Committee.

The switching on off the Christmas tree lights will be at 16.00 (4pm) on Sunday 30th November with a choir from Newburgh Mathers School in support.

Major projects in the last 12 months have seen the replacement of the Butchers Bridge, and the opening of the Foveran Community Sports Hub at Gallowshill.

Foveran

New 5 a side goals are on order, the nets have been supplied free by Football Club.

The flooding at the A90 cannot be rectified at present due to the unsafe condition of the embankment.

Cultercullen

Liz Hancock has volunteered to join the Community Council to ensue the needs of Cultercullen are taken into account. She will be officially co-opted on to the Council at our next meeting on 26th November. She can be contacted on 01651 842813

Udny Station

The Udny Station lights will be switched on 23rd November at 6PM by Santa, who will be helped by Jamie Tuckwell who won the Christmas Card Design Competition.

The Muffin and Crumpet Site has been visited by inspectors from Aberdeenshire Council, but it is not considered dangerous, however we would urge parents not to let there children play in the site.

General

Formartine Partnership run a Beginning to Blossom competition for Schools in the area, and we would urge primary schools to enter this competition.

Formartine Football Club at have a bus which is available for use by groups with a suitable driver, when they are not using it. Glen Douglas

EDITOR’S NOTE

Thank you everyone for your contributions. If you’d like to write something for the April edition, please may I have it by the 9th of March 2015. You can email it to me, send it by post or ring and tell me what you want to say. If you get the Ansafone, please leave your name and number and I’ll get back to you. [email protected]

Mrs Janet Jones, South Minnes, Newburgh. Ellon. AB41 6BB. 01358 742304

If you would like to place an advertisement, please contact:

Glen Douglas, 23 Eider Road, Newburgh. AB41 6FD. Tel: 01368 789761 [email protected]

The rates for the last edition in 2014 and two issues in 2015 are: £60 for a full page, £30 for a ½ page, £15 for a ¼ page and £7.50p for 1/8th of a page. Please remember to include your name, full postal address and phone number when submitting an advertisement and let us know in how many issues you’d like it to appear. There are three newsletters a year. If changes to an existing advertisement are needed, let us know by the end of February 2015.

You will receive one invoice and payment in full is required before publication. It can be in cash, by cheque or bank transfer. If by bank transfer, please ring Glen or email him when the transfer is completed.

Tips: If possible, compose an advertisement without any colour in it and, ideally, in Word. I don’t have lots of posh programmes on my computer and converting some of the more complicated ones to make them compatible with the Newsletter can be difficult so keep it simple – please. Also, if you want a ¼ page advert, make it ‘portrait’ and not ‘landscape’ as one in ‘landscape’ is difficult to fit into the page. Notes from Councillor Richard Thomson

A Farewell To The Chief Executive

The recruitment process is underway to find a new Chief Executive for Aberdeenshire Council following the announcement by the current Chief Executive, Colin Mackenzie, that he is to retire at the end of the year.

Colin, who has spent almost 42 years in public service, was appointed Chief Executive in 2008 from his former role as the council’s Director of Housing and Social Work.

Since my election in 2012, I’ve always found Colin to be enormously effective and in complete command of his position as Chief Executive. I’ve had reason to be grateful to him on a few occasions for the support he’s been able to offer me in my duties as a councillor.

There’s no doubt in my mind that he leaves a very big pair of shoes to fill. I’m sure that all the local councillors would want to join me in wishing Colin and his family well for the future.

The next few years are going to be challenging ones for councils across , with Aberdeenshire alone needing to find several million pounds worth of budget savings. Inevitably, that’s going to involve trying to do more with less and taking a look at new ways of delivering existing services, while preserving the public sector ethos in all that we do.

That’s going to require strong leadership and decision making from councillors, as well as effective implementation from council officials. As one of the councillors involved in the recruitment process for a new Chief Executive, I am looking forward to hearing from our applicants how they plan to help deliver on our vision to make Aberdeenshire the very best it can be.

Housing Development As most people will now no doubt be aware, the Formartine Area Committee decided at its September meeting to reject an application to build 49 houses in Newburgh just off Knockhall Road.

Having been in support of the earlier ‘masterplan’ for the site which set out the general principles of development, I had expected to be able to support the plans which would eventually come forward. However, although I found the measures being proposed and the conditions from planners to help reduce the risk of future flooding reassuring, in the end I wasn’t satisfied that the proposed road access arrangements were good enough.

Anyone who knows Newburgh will understand that Main Street is a difficult enough road to drive or walk along at the best of times. Having a direct access from any new development on this site onto School Road as well as Knockhall Road is in my view a must. Although the matter can still go through the appeals process to the Scottish Government Reporter, I would hope very much that the concerns expressed by councillors on the day will be taken on board by the applicant and reflected in any future application.

New Bridge I was very pleased to see the new ‘Butchers Bridge’ being put into place over the summer. The previous bridge had reached a state of such dilapidation that it really was beyond repair. Although there were delays in getting the bridge in place, it’s there now and that’s what matters. I hope that it is able to serve the people of Newburgh and beyond for many years to come in helping to enjoy the local environment.

The new Butcher’s Bridge was opened on the 5th of November by Jill Webster, Lord Provost of Aberdeenshire.

L-R: Donald McPherson (Structures Manager), Jill Webster (Provost), Isobel Davidson (Councillor), Gillian Owen (Councillor), Bob Merson (Councillor), Elaine Brown (Area Manager Formartine), Richard Thomson (Councillor), Mark Mitchell (Area Project Office) Phil Anderson Financial Services has been voted one of the Top Rated Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs) in the UK on consumer ratings site VouchedFor.

The accolade, which was awarded to Mr Anderson due to glowing reviews from his satisfied clients, follows closely to the Best Business Award for Corporate Social Responsibility given to the business in November 2013 for their involvement with local community and charities.

Mr Anderson who has offices in Aberdeen, Ellon and Caithness commented: "Being recognised as the top adviser in Aberdeenshire and a Top Rated Adviser in the whole of the UK is an amazing feeling. Financial advice is all about helping people to make the most of their hard earned money. In today's testing times it is more important than ever that people plan for the future. Speaking to an adviser can save you thousands, be that getting the right mortgage, pension, annuity or making the right decision with your savings."

philanderson nancial.co.uk web | admin@philanderson nancial.co.uk email 34 Market Street, Ellon, AB41 9JD | 01358 268166 office

NEWBURGH

NEWBURGH GALLOWS HILL COMMUNITY SPORTS HUB

AN UPDATE AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET INVOLVED!

Some people will have noticed much activity going on in this area over the last few months. It is a project that has been led by Foveran Community Council to establish a ‘Community Sports Hub’ for the local people within the Foveran district, and the surrounding area. It comprises: · A sports pavilion · A Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) · A new sports and recreation field

The sports pavilion has recently been completed to an extremely high standard. It has changing rooms with showers, toilet facilities, a fitted kitchen and a large meeting room. It is available for use to all for any sporting or leisure/recreational pursuits, birthday parties or simply as a place to hold meetings of any group.

The MUGA is in the final stages of completion and floodlights have been erected. The playing area has been marked for tennis, netball and football but given the nature of the surface it is possible for a range of other sports to be played, such as hockey, depending on local interest.

A first class sports field has been in place for some time, which is currently being used by Newburgh Thistle , and Formartine Boys Football Clubs. An additional sports and recreation area has now been created and from next spring both will be available for any outdoor pursuit, gala days etc.

These facilities will be of considerable benefit to and improve the quality of life and wellbeing of the community as a whole. There really is no better place given what currently exists, its situation and close proximity to the golf club/course.

The project would not have been possible without the support of Aberdeenshire Council, SportScotland and a range of individuals and organisations too numerous to mention in this article. The critical issue now is engagement, community use and involvement.

It is vital that the facilities are properly managed to deliver a sustainable community resource that will be the focal point for a whole range of activities open to all ages and abilities. If you are interested in establishing or being part of a group or club, be it tennis, netball or any other sport or pastime now is your opportunity to become involved. Indeed if you already run or are part of a group that wishes to use any of the facilities then what are you waiting for, get involved!

We urgently need volunteers to come forward to be part of the management committee to run the facility.

Contacts are:

Tennis Pat Smith 01358 789821 Netball Louise McKenzie 01358 789243 Football Ian Alexander 01358 789369 General Enquiries Isobel Alexander 01358 789369

Nicer Newburgh Gardening Group

Since the beginning of February 2014, Nicer Newburgh Gardening Group members have spent, in total, in excess of 930 hours working to improve the attractiveness of the village. This included over 100 hours to change over the bedding in June 2014.

The NNGG has been, clearing old gorse and broom, and creating new beds at the northern entrance to the village (beside the ). The lupin display in this area received many favourable comments, and members of the NNGG have spoken with visitors from as far afield as Sweden and Germany, who were taking photographs. The group members get a great deal of positive feed-back from passers-by, which is very much appreciated.

The group has now purchased a new mower and strimmer for the grass maintenance which members carry out in the village. These were purchased using group funds held by the Community Council.

Four new barrels have been purchased - two as replacements for the ones situated by the bus stop at the Quay; and two additional ones which are now situated at the bus stop on School Road.

Further progress has been made at the links garden and play area (just over the new bridge behind the butcher's shop). Clearance and cultivation has taken place on the border nearest to the old pavilion and either side of the steps leading up to the pavilion. Shrubs have been requested from Aberdeenshire Council to plant on the border, and spring bedding plants have been planted either side of the steps. The improvement work on this area is anticipated to take a further 2 years to complete.

Work has commenced on the south end of the village - from opposite the Newburgh Inn to the 30 mile and hour sign. Long grass and weeds have been cut down and much of the area is being kept regularly mown. 80 lupins have been planted, along with some foxgloves. A start has been made clearing split and fallen branches from the willow trees, and it is the group's intention to start adding in colourful shrubs, trees, and other plants in this area, over the next 2-3 years.

Work continues throughout the winter, when weather permits, and a long list of jobs is building up already!

Aberdeenshire Council has provided the group with 1000 crocus which will be planted in front of Merlin Terrace on Main Street adjacent to the 3,500 crocus which were planted 2 years ago. e:mail - [email protected]

Jane and Richard Arnold receive the Formartine in Bloom 2014 ‘Highly Commended’ certificate on behalf of the Nicer Newburgh Gardening Group.

Ythan Cronies

The new session started in September, and so far this year have had whist, bingo, bowls an outing to Kellock Bank Garden Centre which was enjoyed by all and a Halloween party. We are looking forward to our speaker this week talking about "the lighter side of life".

We are looking for new members, so if you are 55 or over we would love to hear from you why not come along some Wednesday and join us in our activity and a cup of tea. We meet in the village hall every 2nd Wednesday. To find out more and what Wednesday we are on, either ask a Cronie, or phone Connie on 789470 or Moira on 789588

With winter right on the doorstep it is hard to remember the lovely, sunny day we had for Newburgh Gala back in May – quite a relief after the downpour of the previous year! The day was supported fantastically well by the community and, due to the success of the day, we found ourselves in the happy position of being able to make some monetary donations to some local groups as well as raising funds for next year’s Gala. Without the help and support of all of our local groups and businesses the Gala would not have been the successful day that it was. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in the local community and beyond who contributed towards the success of the day.

We now have a new committee:

Fiona Austin: Chairperson Pat Mutch: Treasurer Doreen Astley: Secretary Christine Graham: Fundraiser Mark Walker: Committee Member

It may seem far away, but the new committee are already looking forward to next year’s Gala and we have a date for you to put in the diary -

Newburgh Gala - Saturday May 16th 2015

We would love it if you were able to get involved again and if you have any ideas that you think would contribute towards the day itself or to help in any way beforehand then we would love to hear from you.

We still need to raise some funds to make sure the day can go ahead successfully and here are some fundraising dates to put in your diary:

Sunday 30th November – Newburgh Christmas Lights switch on followed by Soup and Pudding. The Food is kindly being supplied by Newburgh Inn and Udny Arms Hotel. Entertainment will be provided by Newburgh singers and musicians. Saturday 21st February – Live band (Groove Cruise) and disco in Newburgh Public Hall.

Saturday 28th March – Newburgh’s first ever 10k run!!

It would be great if you could support these events and if you would like to help out with them in any way, or if you have any ideas for other fundraising events, then please do get in touch as we’d be delighted to hear from you. Best Wishes

Doreen Astley 01358 789082 [email protected] www.newburghgala.com

BRUCE MORRISON HATTON

PAINTER & DECORATOR TAPING/ FILLING M: 07891

683189

NOT ANOTHER WOOLLY CARDIGAN FOR CHRISTMAS!

Give them something different this year!

A flight in a 2-seater Glider over Royal Deeside from Aboyne

Ideal Christmas or Birthday Present. Flight voucher valid 1 year and includes 3 months membership of Deeside Gliding Club. Cost only £75.00.

You can fly a glider solo at 14, but you can’t learn to drive a car till you’re 17.

Buy on line at www.deesideglidingclub.co.uk

Jogscotland Newburgh was officially born in the Spring 2014 & we’ve steadily grown since with now approximately 30 members & 6 qualified jog leaders.

Our members have completed lots of runs this year including Garioch 5km run, Baker Hughes 10km, Jogscotland Big Weekend & 15 members took part in the Glack Attack, a 5km mud run & obstacle course (not for the faint hearted!). We’re also looking forward to supporting the 10km run currently being organised as part of Newburgh Gala 2015.

We are currently on our third block of 10 week classes and are currently offering a Beginner Level 1, Intermediate Level 1 and Intermediate Level 2 group in the village.

The next block of classes will start mid January 2015. For more information please contact us on [email protected] or www.jogscotland.org.uk

A little bit of information on the philisophy of Jogscotland

· jogscotland is Scotland’s recreational running network and is part of scottishathletics. It has around 27,000 members running in supportive, sociable groups all over the country. · Groups are led by qualified, Jog Leaders (mostly volunteers), who guide and inspire their jog groups. · There are around 700 jogscotland groups across Scotland, meeting in sports centres, community halls, parks and businesses, and jogging on their local paths, pavements and trails. · Nobody is “too slow” to join jogscotland. Groups are available for joggers of all levels, from complete beginners to long-distance runners. Beginner sessions include a combination of gentle jogging and walking, with a gradual increase in jogging as fitness and confidence begin to build. Within 20 weeks of starting as a complete beginner, you will probably be able to run 5K (three miles). The emphasis at every jogscotland group is on enjoying exercise and supporting one another in a friendly atmosphere.

SAVE THE DATE!!

Newburgh Gala, Newburgh Running Club and jogscotland Newburgh present

THE BEACH BASH 10K

SATURDAY 28TH March 2015

Organisation for Newburgh’s first 10k multi-terrain race is underway.

Our Facebook page, Registration details and Course details will be available soon.

In the meantime, start your training!!

Any questions, phone Kirsty on 789412

NEWBURGH DUNES RUNNING CLUB

Rococo Hair Design by Lindsay Norrie

Find us right beside The Store and Coffee Shop Foveran, Ellon AB41 6AY Lindsay, Belinda and Bentley would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year

Styling for Ladies, Gents and Children at

Rococo Holistic treatments and nails by Belinda on Fridays and Saturdays Do pop in anytime to say hello or make your appointment on: 01358 789793

1st Newburgh Guides continues to be a busy unit with around 25 girls at present. We were also delighted to welcome a new leader, Elaine Adam, to the unit this term.

In August 2014 we congratulated three more of our guides – Iona Macrae, Victoria McKenzie & Sophie McIntosh, on achieving their Baden Powell Award, the highest achievement in guiding. We’ve got more girls who have just started their award which is fantastic, it’s very satisfying seeing our guides working towards this award.

This term we’ve been working on a Pink Challenge Challenge Badge designed to raise awareness of Breast Cancer. We raised around £50 which we’ve donated to Breast Cancer Wear it Pink Campaign and our girls did some fantastic positive, pink ribbon collages which we also presented to the charity. We also invited some experts into help us with the Active Response interest badge & in the coming weeks we’re going to work on the Craft Interest Badge where among other things we’re going to make felt Poppies for Remembrance Day.

Christmas Card Delivery – Newburgh December 2014

In December the guides are going to offer our Christmas Card Delivery Service again in the village – we’ll start this on Monday 1st December until Sunday 21st December & we’ll deliver cards during the weekends of 6/7 December, 13/14 December & 20/21 December – our Post Box will be in Costcutter (thanks again to Stewart Mitchell for letting us put it in the shop) & suggested donation is 20p per card or £1.50 for ten cards.

Our guides really enjoyed this last year and we’re pleased to be able to do something within the community.

If you would like more information on 1st Newburgh Guides please contact Karen on 01358 789523

1st Newburgh Rainbows

It’s been a busy 1st term for all at first Newburgh Rainbows....

Rainbows is the most junior section of Girlguiding UK for girls who are 5 years old and attending primary school. 1st Newburgh Rainbows is held on a Wednesday evening from 6.15 – 7.15pm.

During the summer, our long serving young leader Sophie departed for a year studying abroad. The girls miss Sophie very much and enjoyed receiving a postcard from her recently. We are planning to send Sophie something around Christmas time, and look forward to welcoming her back next year!

We started the new term with some indoor games, show and tell, and singing some songs. The girls chose some activities to do later in the term and we’ve enjoyed creating a lovely handprint rainbow for our board in the hall, running an obstacle race as waitresses with a tray of pasta (lots of laughs!), as well as taking time to learn the Rainbows Promise which underpins the values of this most junior section of Girlguiding UK.

We’ve been really lucky with some great late summer weather, and took the opportunity to visit the park with the girls one evening. All had a great time and all leaders and parent volunteers were exhausted from pushing the swings! We hope to get to the beach and park again in the Easter term when the days get longer.

The unit is also very pleased to announce that Jenny Burns, our group leader, has completed her training and is now a fully qualified Rainbow Leader. Well done Jenny!

We are looking forward to a fun winter term, and will be celebrating the American Thanksgiving festival, Christmas crafting, and continuing to consolidate our Promise with some fun activities. We are also excited about hosting a Christmas party for the girls at the end of term. If you would like any information about 1st Newburgh Rainbows, please contact Jenny (01358 788071), or Sarah (01358 789136). Thanks!

Finally, we would like to thank all the parents and Guide helpers who have helped with Rainbows this term. Without your assistance, Rainbows wouldn’t be possible, so thank you! We wish you all a very Happy Christmas!

NEWBURGH SCOUTS

Meeting every Thursday during term time at the Church Hall between 6:45pm and 8:45pm, the Newburgh Scouts continue to grow in numbers with over twenty at the time of writing, including our first three girls (which hasn’t phased the boys too much!). Having started two years ago, the troop has a very active programme which in 2014 has included taking part in the huge Gordon District Camp in June along with 1200 other beavers, cubs and scouts from across the region. The sun shone and the activities were many and varied, from clay pigeon shooting to sailing and from football to fire lighting...you could even skin a rabbit if you were game enough. We also ran a camp of our own at the end of September at Drums Beach. Again, the sun shone with everyone enjoying a great programme of beach sports, orienteering and a camp fire.

The Creative badge saw the Scouts putting together a promotional video and designing a website while the ongoing Adventure badge involved a trip to the climbing wall at Transition Extreme in Aberdeen. Archery and gliding are also in the pipeline.

We’re delighted that two of the boys, Will Hawthorn and Josh Berrie have achieved their Chief Scout Gold Awards, which they were awarded on Remembrance Sunday. It's a great achievement, not just for the boys themselves, but for the whole Newburgh Scout Group 'story'. When those involved in the Group started Beavers six years ago little did we think that we would go on to form firstly the Cub Pack and then the Scout Troop and be handing out one of the highest awards for Scouts to two of the boys. It's been so long since there's been a Scout section in Newburgh (perhaps as long as several decades?) so this will be the first time these particular awards have been achieved here.

As the Group goes from strength-to-strength (and the boys and girls get older!) we are now planning to set up an Explorer’s section to provide even more adventure and challenges for 14-18 year olds.

Danny Hawthorn & Phil Astley

(All enquiries regarding membership of the Scout Troop should be to Danny or Phil on 789751 or 789082)

NEWBURGH WRI

The Business Meeting was held, in April with entertainment being provided by ladies from the Auchedly and Institute., As usual, the prize-giving ceremony was held and the cups and trophies awarded. Congratulations to those who won a prize. The new Committee was also appointed and commenced their duties with immediate effect.

In May, our speaker was the very entertaining Mrs Laura Greig. She arrived with an enormous shopping bag which contained items with which she illustrated her talk ‘What Scotland has given the World’. It was a very humourous evening. She seamlessly moved from one story to another showing just how much Scotland has given to the world – although the items she produced may not be the ones we traditionally think of!

June brought us Mr Ian Finnie and his Hearing Dog for the Deaf, Cinderella (Cinders). He began his talk by explaining about hearing loss and impairment and taking us through his own particular history and difficulties. Mr Finnie then spoke about the work of the Hearing Dogs for the Deaf, talking about the different breeds, and why some are better than others; the training and matching with an owner and the amount of money needed to train, maintain and support each dog, over their approximate 10 year working life. He also talked briefly about other types of assistance dog, for example if someone has both visual and hearing impairment, the dog may need to be trained by two charities.

The annual Outing took place in July when about 20 ladies travelled to Pluscarden Abbey and then on to Elgin finishing at Cullen for High Tea. A very enjoyable day was had by all.

There was no meeting in August, but in September, our meetings resumed with a talk by Ms Jackie Cumberbirch on the Bailies of Bennachie. She explained how they were formed in 1973 to look after the hill, to reduce litter, to inform people of the natural and social history and to enable people to enjoy the hill. She showed a variety of photographs, some of them quite old, showing us the colonists who had lived on the slopes of Bennachie; and some more recent ones of the flora and fauna.

One of our own Members, Mrs Kate Duncan, talked about ‘Oor Ain Fowk’ in October, explaining about tracing her family history as far as 1841 when the census records started and that she had even found some excerpts as far back as 1696 from Parish records. She also advised that information can be obtained from the War Records when tracing your family history.

At our most recent meeting in November the speaker was our local butcher Mr Karl Watson. He had some outlined animals with the cuts of meat written on them, so you could see which cut came from which part of the animal. He then went on to explain that with the internet, recipes can come from all over the world and other countries have different names for some cuts of meat which can lead to confusion – or more likely drive him to his tablet to find out what we normally recognise it as! But the fascination of the evening, which left us all speechless, was the demonstration of sausage making – and especially how he forms the links by twisting. He did it without looking at what he was doing and continuing to talk to us! A most interesting evening – I’m off to the butcher’s to see if there are any of those sausages left!

Newburgh WRI meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm in Newburgh Public Hall. Further information can be obtained from Mrs Margaret Singer on 01358 789634. Sue Edwards. Press Secretary.

NEWBURGH – ON – YTHAN GOLF CLUB

Website address: http://newburghgolfclub.co.uk

Social Memberships Available.

We have now come to the end of another successful summer season of golf and we are pleased to let you know that we will continue to be open every day during the winter period.

Our Social membership has increased from 193 to 270 over the past 12 months and Social member sare welcomed into our Clubhouse to enjoy the facilities that we have to offer.

If you would like to join as a Social member, then we can offer you two options:

· For £15.00 a year, you can enjoy all the facilities that we have during the morning, lunchtime, afternoon and evening. You would also be able to attend any Social Activities organised by the Club (e.g. bingo and quiz nights which occur monthly and any other special events that are organised).

We have ‘Fish Friday’ every week providing a choice of battered, breaded or poached Haddock served with Chips, Peas or Salad for £8.50. Other menu options are still available if fish is not your favourite meal.

Our popular Sunday Carvery will continue during the winter from 4pm to 7.30pm with the following options:

- One Course for £8.50

- Two Courses for £11.50

· Alternatively, if it is more convenient for you then, for £5.00 a year, you can become a lunch-time Social Member which would allow you to visit the Club at lunch-times to have lunch, enjoy a drink from the bar, or just enjoy a cup of coffee with your friends. During December, there will be a special Christmas Menu available. For further information, call the Catering Department on 01358 789058 (option 4). Members can make table bookings using this telephone number.

The Club has a well stocked bar, offering drinks at competitive prices, which is run by Sandy Penny and his enthusiastic and friendly bar staff.

For your information, catering is provided by Martin Buhler and his staff. Martin provides a range of snacks – soup, chips, bacon rolls, sandwiches and toasties – for those who only want a quick snack. In the evenings, there is an à la carte menu, which provides a range of good food at reasonable prices.

If you would like to join our Club as a Social Member, please come along to the Clubhouse to see what we have to offer and we will show you round or alternatively please telephone Shona Reid, our Administrator, on 01358 789058 (option 2) who will be happy to hear from you and to answer any of your questions.

We look forward to welcoming you to our Club.

Registered Charity # SC006790 Newburgh Playgroup Newburgh Playgroup, Rising 5’s and 2’s Group We are a Registered Charity

It was a rather unusual return to Playgroup following the summer break. During the heavy rain and storms, the building succumbed to some flooding. After the clean up operation, with help from staff and parents, Playgroup was able to resume after only 2 days delay. Session times have now increased, and we have returned to separate sessions for Rising 5’s, Playgroup and 2’s Groups. All of our children have settled in well.

Our Rising 5’s have been telling us about all the big machines they have seen on the roads and in the fields. We have been talking about where our food comes from and what combine harvesters and tractors do. As we are moving into the autumn we are using the children’s thoughts and ideas to plan activities around this theme. We are also looking at the clocks changing and made yummy lentil soup to keep us warm. Over the October break, Rising 5’s were asked to fill a box they decorated with autumn treasures. We were very pleased to see the boxes returned over flowing with autumn gems. We talked about what they had found and each child showed the group their treasures.

Playgroup and Rising 5’s both took part in Halloween art and craft activities, dressing up and role play. Playgroup children also baked spooky pumpkin and bat biscuits. Playgroup children especially enjoy dressing up and role play and because of this we are introducing nursery rhymes and poems, providing them with resources to act these out. This is one of the tools we use when introducing literacy and language as part of the Curriculum for Excellence.

Childsmile have visited both groups and talked to the children about the importance of brushing their teeth and foods that keep them healthy.

2’s Group now runs on a Tuesday afternoon, the children have a great time playing along with their friends and the staff and are getting used to being away from their parent/carer for a short time.

This year saw the return of our Calendar Competition. We had approx 50 entries into our ‘local life’ photographic competition, with entrants from both within Playgroup and the wider community. We thank everyone for their valued entries. 12 successful images, one for each month of the calendar, were selected by Susan at Paperdoll Photography and with the assistance of Langstane printers we have created a very attractive calendar. Calendars will be on sale locally at a cost of £5.

We continue with our fundraising efforts, we have a few events coming up between now and Christmas, with a Christmas Shopping Evening in the Village Hall on Friday 14th November from 7.30pm. Our annual Christmas fair will also be taking place in the Village Hall on Saturday 13th December, we have our Big Raffle, with some fantastic prizes kindly donated by local businesses and parents. The draw for the raffle will take place at the Christmas Fair. We also have an ‘Audience with Maureen Smith on 5th December in the Village Hall, tickets are on sale in the Village.

At this time of the year we are looking forward to planning our Christmas activities (yes it is that time of year again!)

And finally ......

Although we do receive some government funding, much of our running costs are covered by money raised from fundraising and every little helps. If you would like to support Newburgh Playgroup, you can do so (at no cost to you), by making internet purchases via the fundraising website easyfundraising.org.uk. Lots of retailers subscribe to this service and offer a percentage donation to your chosen cause. It’s easy to use; just remember to make purchases via the easyfundraising website and enter Newburgh Playgroup in the dialogue box. If you would like further information about Playgroup and what we do, or if you’d like to visit us, please contact us on 01358 789461 or email [email protected].

We currently offer sessions as follows: Rising 5’s – Monday to Friday 8.45am – 11.55am Playgroup – Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday – 12.30pm – 4.30pm 2’s Group – Tuesday – 12.30pm – 2.30pm

Best wishes and thanks for your continued support,

Newburgh Playgroup Staff and Committee.

FOVERAN

FOVERAN and FORMARTINE IN BLOOM

“Fancier Foveran” is Highly Commended.

Foveran Group had a very good first year. We received a grant from the Foveran Partnership to buy some new planters and paint to spruce up the old whiskey barrels. Also, there was plenty of sunshine (and some rain too) to help our plants along.

We were asked to enter the Formartine in Bloom competition for small communities. The judges take in consideration various elements such as the age-range within the group, the cleanliness of the village and the use of recycled or reclaimed materials. The judges inspected our village and flowers while most of us were on holiday so we could not do any last moment mowing, watering and tidying but, in spite of this, their comments were very encouraging, resulting in us being highly commended.

A big thank you to all our volunteers! Unfortunately not all could make it for the pictures, therefore a special thank you to Charlie for watering some of our plants before going to school and to her mum Julie for cutting the grass on a very wet day. Thank you also to Brian for painting some of our planters, and to Jim for strimming the grassy area the Council will not cut.

We have recently planted 1250 spring bulbs throughout the village, so hopefully they will give us a ray of sunshine for many years to come. If you would like to help us brighten up our village, please contact Christine 789236 or Marian 789489

Community Club The Community Club has been running for many years (meeting in Foveran Public Hall) with short gaps. It has included badminton, football, indoor bowls, drama, pool and table tennis. Football and pool have been happening on Monday evenings but we would like to start one of the other activities. We used to have a bowling section but gradually numbers dwindled as members left for the bigger centres.

If you are interested in any of the above or any other activity or if you can volunteer to help, please let us know.

Christine Fordyce 01358 789236

CULTERCULLEN AND UDNY STATION. Cultercullen W.R.I.

September 2014

President of Cultercullen WRI Barbara Reid welcomed Mandy Travis who gave a very interesting talk on making sewn dolls. Mandy had a selection of beautiful dolls to show that she had sewn for different classes she had attended. Mandy also had with her bags and purses that she had also made.

All enjoyed a cup of tea after which the competitions were judged by Mandy.

Corsage - 1. Moreen Alexander 2. Carol Ritchie

Highland Shortbread - 1. Moreen Alexander 2. Carol Hay 3. Sheila Johnston

Flower of the month - 1. Carol Ritchie 2. Sheila Johnston 3. Carol Hay

October 2014

President of Cultercullen WRI Barbara Reid conducted the business then introduced the speaker for the evening Bill Johnston. Bill Johnston gave a very interesting talk along with a slide show on the history of local landmarks and buildings.

After tea the competitions were judged as follows:

Beanie Hat - 1. Carol Ritchie, 2. Helen Thain, 3. Moreen Alexander.

Spicy Fruit Loaf – 1. Moreen Alexander, 2. Carol Ritchie, 3. Sheila Johnston

Flower of the Month – 1. Moreen Alexander, 2. Sheila Johnston, 3. Liz Webster.

News from Forvie National Nature Reserve

You may not have been able to tell from standing on the estuary shore this summer, but a record number of Arctic nested at Forvie this year, safely tucked away behind their electric fence. Over 1,400 pairs chose Forvie to nest and raise their chicks, with as many as 1,500 young birds successfully fledging at the end of the season. They fly every year to the northern hemisphere from the South Pole and in doing so, these smart birds get to enjoy 2 summers and never winter.

However, now the weather has turned and the winter season is upon us, it is time to enjoy the wading birds of the Ythan estuary once again. This month we have seen thousands of Golden Plovers swooping over the and in fields close by, like a murmuration of starlings, but with greater speed! The flight speed of the Golden Plover was the inspiration for the Guiness Book of Records, when Sir Hugh Beaver, chairman of the Guiness Brewery missed a bird one day while out shooting in Ireland back in 1951. Wondering whether the Golden Plover was indeed the fastest game bird in , he could not find a suitable reference book to provide an answer and so shortly after, he commissioned Norris and Ross McWhirter to compile the first Guinness Book of Records in time for Christmas 1955. If you can get a Golden Plover to stay still long enough, you will see it has fantastic gold and black speckled plumage, long legs and a bill like a Ringed Plover or a Lapwing to peck worms from damp ground.

Photograph SNH/Lorne Gill: Golden Plover in summer. In winter, they have a white belly.

I was fortunate enough to spend some time with Masters Archaeology students from the University of Aberdeen recently on their field trip to Forvie. As we wandered in the dunes looking for flint, medieval and war time remains, we pondered what the area must have been like for the residents of the past. Much mystery still remains as some of the researchers feel there must be an iron age or early medieval settlement under the dunes that we haven’t located yet. One early feature was shown to me; a turf walled enclosure close to the estuary which possibly had a farming use but requires some further excavation. Could be a job for Time Team! If not, supporting students at Forvie is an important and useful part of our management, so hopefully one of the postgraduate group will be keen to come back in better weather to dig a trench.

Have a happy winter and if you can, make the most of the brighter days with a bracing walk at Forvie! Annabel Drysdale, Reserve Manger [email protected] 01358 751330

KEY’N EDGE (ELLON)

37a The Square

ELLON. AB41 9JB

(01358) 723555

Key-cutting, engraving

Locks sold/repaired.

Pictures/sewings framed.

Glass replaced.

Opening/closing times:

Tue./Thur./Fri. 9.00 – 1.00

Saturday 9.30 – 1.00

A Walk on the Wildside

Hooray, the much-loved Fav News is back and you can all cease from biting your finger nails down to the elbow, the great outdoors is still there and waiting for everyone one of you to go out and enjoy it. It was much earlier in the year when I wrote previously and surely all of you Fav News readers have been out and about during what was a very good summer. No one needed to bask on the Costa Packet when you could have roasted on the Costa Newburgh.

So here we are again and heading into winter, but no gloom and doom here oh no as there is still, and still will be all through the winter months, heaps to see courtesy of Dame Nature, even if she is a wee bit sleepy during the coming months. There is no grass to cut anymore therefore you can spend the time watching wildlife!

By the time that this world famous publication drops through your letterbox all of our summer visitors will be off to warmer climes. The Arctic terns will have arrived in upside down land and be enjoying a summer in reverse. If any of you readers flew off to exotic locations during the summer and told tales of long flights, they were easy peasy compared with Arctic terns. These amazing birds; about the size of a pigeon, never see winter as they hemisphere hop twice a year. They will fly a distance equal to the circumference of the Earth as a minimum, without a GPS machine tied to their legs! Phew, amazing does not do it justice, but they will ‘summer’ at this time of the year way down towards Antarctica, and then swap that for a second summer up here with us, even going up to the Arctic Circle.

Now that the summer visitors have departed there is no need to sit watching telly in the belief that ‘all is lost’ outside, oh no we have even more winter visitors to thrill us. There is little point in going on about the geese, you only have to open the back or front door during the winter months to see or at least hear them. This corner of the Scotland may hold in excess of one hundred thousand geese, mainly of the pink-foot variety. Further inland there will be large flocks of greylag geese, sites like the Loch of Skene and further up Deeside at the Dinnet Lochs. We will get some greylags but only small numbers. Along with the geese we have the superb whooper swans and you may well see a small flock of these lovely birds standing in a field across Foveran.

From over the we will be invaded by the once again, well sort of the feathered variety, so there is no need to lock up your daughters or bury the family treasure in the garden. Redwings and fieldfares will fly over from Norway and Sweden to sample the delights of a Scottish winter. These two species are types of thrush but unlike our native song thrush, they normally go about in flocks and will descend on any berry-bearing tree such as a rowan or common whitebeam and strip them clean of fruit.

Oh yes talking of fruit, well it has been an excellent year for all sorts of fruit both garden types and wild. Unfortunately by the time that you read this there will be little remaining on bare branches for you to go and pilfer, but there just might be the odd nut or berry remaining to collect. Hazel has had a great year and if you look on the ground below bushes, rake about in the long grass, you might be able to pick up some nuts. There is an ‘old wives’ saying that hints of a hard winter to come if the hedgerows are hanging heavy with fruit at the backend of the year. It has a sort of logic to it because if there are plenty of hazel nuts, loads of rowan berries, baskets full of crab apples, then that means that there will be a good supply of food for wildlife through a long hard winter? Logical yes, but trees and bushes can not tell what the weather is going to be like in the months to come any better than Michael Fish can predict when a hurricane is coming a few hours hence! No, a good crop of fruit and nuts is indicative of what the weather has been not what it will be. A good summer means that the trees and bushes have had the opportunity to build up their resources into producing a great seed crop, so another myth bites the dust! No matter, spring is not far away.

Take care of yourselves and our wildlife until the next edition. Byeeee.

Bob Davis - 20 January, 2015

Whether to cut back or not. That is the question.

There is always a debate over the benefits of leaving all the summer growth, now dead, on herbaceous plants, or cutting it off.

After such a beautiful summer there is an exceptional amount of top growth on both shrubs and herbaceous plants this year. One of the benefits of leaving dead stems and flower heads is that they can be very beautiful when covered in snow or frost, so giving another dimension to the winter garden. It’s not just herbaceous plants that can look interesting - grasses have masses of wonderful frothy heads at this time of year and they will give interest all winter- blowing in the wind or covered with frost – they are a worthy addition to any garden, large or small. If space allows, Stipa gigantea, in a large stand, is quite a sight to behold. The stems can be 2m tall with panicles of seeds at the ends, and with the light behind them they will give interest well into the winter. Many different species of plant have stunning seed heads that can make interesting shapes against a low winter sun. The seed heads of the annual Nigella are amazingly beautiful, and can be dried to provide winter decoration, as can Allium heads.

Stipa gigantea Nigella

Apart from the aesthetic benefit gained from leaving this growth, there is the wildlife to consider. Many of the beneficial bugs, like lacewings, ladybirds and hoverflies need somewhere to over-winter, so leaving the old top growth can provide a winter home. It may, of course, also provide a winter home to some unwanted bugs too! The seed heads of many plants will also provide birds with an autumn feast- it’s great to watch goldfinches getting the seeds from Teasel heads.

The temptation to ‘Clear Up’ before the winter is strong though, as there is so much to do in the spring and if some of it can be done in the autumn, it eases the spring rush. I’m afraid I do most of my clearing in the autumn. Apart from easing the spring rush, it allows me to be able to move or split any herbaceous plant requiring attention whilst the soil is still warm. This means they can get more established before the winter throws its worst at them. My answer to the bug debate is to provide them with specifically made bug houses for over-wintering, and I do leave some seed heads for the birds, despite the risk of the plants seeding themselves in my overcrowded garden. The birds do pretty well anyway, as they are fed all winter.

There are a lot of herbaceous plants that look better when cleaned up, there is nothing beautiful about a soggy Hosta or Primula, so it’s easier to clear them in autumn. One shouldn’t be tempted to clear everything though - whilst weeding a few weeks ago, I came across a huge pile of leaves under my beech hedge and as I started to clear it, it moved! There was a hedgehog, doing what hedgehogs do, living under my hedge!! I’m so pleased to have him/her there and hope they stay as a great slug eater. My old thick beech hedge should give it good protection from the cold, especially as I have piled even more leaves on top. Next year, maybe I will treat it to a purpose built ‘des res’!

The only shrub pruning to be done over the winter is the removal of unwanted branches. It’s better to leave Roses, Buddleia, Spirea and others until the spring to prune, as they may need their top growth for winter protection. If there is very long growth that may be damaged in winter gales, then that could be shortened to protect the rest of the plant.

I can’t believe that whilst writing this towards the end of October, we still have flowers on summer bedding displays. Let’s hope, this winter gives us a happy balance of enough cold weather to kill the pests but not too much!

Happy Gardening! Lesley Barnett

FOND MEMORIES OF ‘E NEEBRA

by May Williamson

In 1929 my parents took lodgings for the whole of the summer holidays in a tall grim-looking building known as Errol House in Newburgh’s main street. It was expedient to be near Aberdeen as my grandmother was ill in hospital there (she had given herself blood poisoning experimenting with aluminium paint), while my mother’s younger sister was visiting from the United States and wanted to be within reach of friends and relations in the city.

As it turned out, connections with Aberdeen were not all that easy. A bus ran from Mealmarket Street perhaps three times a day, the last run being so early that if one stayed in town for the evening, the only way back was to take the Fraserburgh bus to a road-end known as Fontainebleau (Fountain Blue in local parlance) and walk down a mile of un-lit lane to Newburgh.

On one particular occasion my father, Aunt C. and I had to resort to this method, somewhat encumbered by articles my aunt was to take back to the US. Thus we alighted from the bus into total darkness clutching a silver tea caddy wrapped in newspaper (me), a wooden canteen of cutlery (my father) and a down quilt tied only with a bit of string (Aunt C). The lane had wide grass verges thickly grown with whin bushes against which we staggered with painful frequency. At one point a seeming bush rose up with a snort and lowed to heaven as I fell against it.

Even travel by the regular bus was not without its hazards. A’body kent a’body else, and if they didnae they speired. One day, going in to Aberdeen, my father sat down beside the local ‘feel’ who was holding a rifle between his knees and delivering a long tale about his breether who was a polisman in the Holy Lan’. Eventually he turned to my father:

“Ee’ll be the mannie fae Errol Hoose than?”

“Oh aye, we’re on holiday”

“Weel, weel,” and the conversation languished.

As the bus bumped over a rough bit in the road, the gun crashed to the floor.

“What’s that for?” asked my father as the feel struggled to pick it up again. “Sheetin’ doos, man, sheetin’ doos.” And he took aim along the bus.

“Weel, I think you’d better ca’ canny with it, or you’ll be in the Holy Land before long.”

Newburgh was a bleak place in poor weather, and that was not a very good summer. The links behind the house where my father played golf in the mornings and my mother and I usually went to meet him after doing the shopping, were windy and shelterless except for a little erection more suited to an English seaside promenade than the middle of a golf course, which never seemed any protection from the wind. These links were reached by a lane between the houses that crossed a little wooden bridge; somewhere nearby a donkey engine spluttered but I never discovered its function.

On the few occasions it was warm enough to contemplate a bathe, as it was not safe to swim (or perhaps too cold?) in the Ythan, we trekked to the end of the village, up and over a juniper-clad hillside we called the Paddock, and down through the dunes to the sea. Sheltered hollows in the dunes made the business of undressing bearable, giving one courage to brave the bracing North Sea.

My poor mother must have felt very trachled that summer. Not only was she as much in Aberdeen as in Newburgh, often spending the night in my grandmother’s house, but with most of her large acquaintance eager to meet her sister, she was constantly having to entertain people to lunch or tea. Mercifully we had rooms “with attendance” so that she only had to plan and shop for meals. The village baker just across the street did a steady trade in sponges and cream horns, while salmon fresh from the river was another stand-by. None stayed late as the last bus left some time in the afternoon.

How did we amuse ourselves when we were unvisited? Mostly we walked. One exciting place was Forvie, where at some time in the last century a storm drove sand from the shore to engulf a complete village. Across the river with its rafts of eider duck one could see the golden sands stretching apparently untouched by human foot all along the edge if the Ythan. To reach them we had to walk upriver to the bridge and follow the edge of the water, jumping from tussock to tussock of thick grass – there was no path. Social life in Newburgh must have centred on the hotel where the serious anglers foregathered but that was outwith our world. We joined the villagers in the weekly excitements of going along to the old wharf to see the coal boat arrive and disgorge its cargo, or of shivering on the touchlines of the local football pitch of an evening or Saturday afternoon.

There was the church, of course, and my mother, an inveterate service-taster, attended on at least one occasion. As far as I remember there was not a film show nor a circus nor even a village concert while we were there. Serious entertainment had to be sought in Aberdeen.

I went back to Newburgh once about 1960 to visit our old friend Dr Joseph Duncan who, with his wife Mabel and their friend Belle Jobson, had moved from Tillycorthie near Udny to settle in another high old house called Witch Hill in the main street. When I saw they were in need of an afternoon nap, I went explore and found remarkably little change in the Newburgh of my childhood.

Abridged from May Williamson’s article in Leopard magazine. Date unknown.

The Perfect Christmas Present. Does Anybody Recognise This Man?

The Parish of Foveran stretches from Newburgh to Pettymuick near Udny Station. It’s a very old parish with lots of history. There is a book, A Portrait of the

Parish of Foveran which describes life in the parish over the past 100 years and also touches on life in earlier times. This is a copy of a photograph in a book The book was made possible because of photographs which came to light lots of people in the parish were kind recently. Most of the images are of birds enough to provide photos and stories. in the Estuary and the quality is poor. All profits from the book go back into This one is the exception. Who is this the community and it is available from man? Do you recognise him or can you Newburgh Post Office or from ‘Better suggest who he might be? The bird is a Read’ in Ellon (opposite Aldi) or from goshawk and the gentleman in question Janet Jones (01358 742304). appears to be an accomplished falconer. ********************************************** His Fair Isle jersey suggests the photograph was taken the 1950s or Rosie Nicol from is compiling 1960s – but that’s only a suggestion. If a book about and Balmedie for you think you might know, please get in the Stenlake series of local history touch with Sandy Anderson (01358 books. You may have seen her excellent 789206) or Janet Jones (01358 742304). “Old Torry and Aberdeen Harbour” which came out in 2012. Rosie is passionate about recording local history and would love to hear from you if you have any stories, memories, photos/postcards of the Parish of Belhelvie – or know of anyone who might. Rosie’s telephone number is

01358 742557. Errors, Corrections and a Request. Charles Catto.

When writing about history it is likely that references are used to verify facts. Sources used may vary according to the resources available to the individual.

When writing about Newburgh, or as someone quoted to me recently “The Neebra” I have on occasion come across a piece on Newburgh in Wikipedia, not that there is much documented about Newburgh there. But there is an error that is compounded by an error on another site which has been used as a reference. It quotes “the origins of the village date back to 1261 when a charter was drawn up by Lord Sinclair establishing a settlement there”.

As far as I can make out this is incorrect on at least two points

· There was a charter, written in Latin, raised in 1261 but the originator of the charter was Alexander Comyn, Earl of Buchan, and Justiciar of Scotia. · Given that the charter raised by Alexander, and granted to six pauper prebendaries of the church so that these six would pray for the welfare of his soul, his wife’s soul and the souls of all those who had fought and died for him, it would seem that Newburgh had been in existence long enough to have had an alms house and a holy chapel and so may have been established some time before 1261 although this is possibly the first written record of the Novo Burgo.

The charter gave the prebendaries rights to a half acre of ground at the alms house lying between the chaplain’s house and the town gate. They were also to have:

· Oatmeal annually from the Mill at Furvy (Forvie) from the Baillie of Slains · Eighteen shillings annually on St Martin’s Day from rents of Newburgh · Common pasture for six cows in the territory of Newburgh · Sufficient sustenance in peat from the same place · Free entrance and exit by the gate from there in perpetuity

The charter was witnessed by several people including three knights, the Bishop of Aberdeen, the Master of Scarborough and official of Aberdeen, the clerk being Ralph de Lascelles, also a knight.

These charters appear to be written in Latin or a mixture of Latin and the clerks idea of what the Latin should be for words of the language used at that time. The Comyns were ousted by Robert Bruce and his brother Edward in their quest for the Kingship of Scotland and it is likely that the Sinclair connection to Newburgh came sometime in the fourteenth century.

Prebendary: a member of clergy supported by revenue from an estate or parish

Justiciar: A high official of the king. Of Scotia is the jurisdiction north of the River Forth

Gate: probably Scots for road, way, path, as Gallowgate – way to the Gallows.

(Mainly taken from a web site of the name “Paradox of Medieval Scotland”)

------

Moving on a few centuries, you may recollect I wrote about Philip Kennedy the smuggler. I inadvertently named him Patrick Kennedy while I was doubtless thinking of his Irish connection. I apologise for that error especially to descendants of the Kennedy family - some of whom still live in the village.

Also on another subject, I spoke to a lady (unfortunately I didn’t get her name) while I was taking photographs of Holyrood Chapel sometime last year. The lady very kindly allowed me inside to view the interior and during conversation she informed me that she was descended from a minister, the Reverend William Watt 1810-1872, who was minister of Foveran Parish from 1840 - 1872. I have done some research on this minister and his family connections. I wonder if she could get in touch through the editor so that I can pass on my findings. We also discussed the fact that the layout of the interior of the chapel had been otherwise, the pulpit being mounted on the west wall and the altar in front of the organ. This is illustrated in the photograph above.

During September quarries in the Balmedie/Belhelvie area were targeted by thieves on several occasions whereby diesel and tools were stolen. The value of these being a large four figure sum. After extensive enquiries and information from the public, three males from outwith the area, were caught and reported.

Just in the last week, we have experienced a spate of properties being broken into whilst unoccupied. I would urge people to take simple measures to protect their property ie install alarms, pull curtains/blinds, leave timer lights/radios on, advise neighbours of any prolonged absence and indeed keep an eye on neighbouring properties.

There are plans to run a Crash Live event in and this could be rolled out to other areas of Formartine in due course. It is an event to raise awareness about road safety and the effect that anti-social driving can have on people's lives. It involves Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Scottish Ambulance Service and NHS Grampian.

Speaking of anti-social behaviour, this remains a priority with a great deal of scrutiny given to violent crimes. Your local Policing Team has assistance from the Divisional Anti Violence Reduction Unit to assist in the prevention and detection of violent crimes such as assaults. We are also lucky to have the added support from a number of Special Constables. They can assist us with intelligence led directed patrols in 'trouble spots' and along with ourselves are working to build positive relationships with children in the area. With the added support from the Special Constables, we have seen an increase in the number of visits made to licensed premises, which historically can be a source of crimes of this nature.

Another priority for us is road safety, as I touched on with the Crash Live event. We continue to work with our Roads Policing colleagues to tackle speeding motorists, with us focussing on 30 zones and deploying the mobile speed sign where appropriate. We are currently training more local officers in use of the speed detection equipment.

Finally, could I draw your attention to the local twitter page, ShireCPolice, that we have? We are currently training local supervisors on how to 'tweet' about local matters of interest.

If you require further advice or information contact: Telephone: 101 or email: [email protected]

Foveran Parish Church

Message from the Minister

Christmas 2014

What a year it has been! The World Cup, the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, a Referendum, which seems to have settled nothing. It is one hundred years since the outbreak of the First World War, the troops have come home from Afghanistan, but it appears that some may be sent to Iraq and Syria, ISIL and all that. The conflict in Gaza has quietened down, though new tactics are being used against Israel. What a year!

I wonder, did any of those events really lead you to think that we would have seen the start of a brave new world by now?

As always, the problem is that things and events do not solve the core problem which is the nature of our hearts. We all know that we should pay a fair price for things to help the folk in Africa or UK or wherever, but still we like to buy our milk as cheaply as possible! Multiply that sort of thinking, and we get Tanks rumbling into the Ukraine, and conflicts rising up all over the place! The problem is the heart of Man – deceptive and false!

Jesus came all those years ago, not to give us a holiday or Christmas cards, or an excuse for a spending spree. Jesus came to bring salvation. He came to show us how we can be restored to a right relationship with God, and to change our hearts and hence our thinking, feeling and acting. That is what Jesus came to do. This is a task which we cannot do for ourselves, but is the change we need above and before anything else.

‘His name shall be called Jesus, because He shall save His people from their sins.’ Matthew 1.21

May I wish you blessing this Christmas. Ricky Reid

Social Committee The FAMILY HARVEST SUPPER DANCE on Saturday 4 October in the Newburgh Inn was much enjoyed by all those who attended. The function suite was attractively set out and the supper was excellent and well-served. Music for dancing and other entertainment was provided by The Ythan Fiddlers and they really did us proud. The evening included a raffle and this helped us to raise the sum of £274 which will go towards the work of our mission partners in Malawi. The committee wishes to thank all those who supported the event in any way - we were especially delighted to welcome many visitors from the Bridge of Don, and Menie to this event and a good time was had by all. Looking ahead - the annual KIRK ROUP will probably have already taken place on Saturday 22 November before you read this newsletter. We are also beginning now to plan for our annual BURNS SUPPER early in the New Year – this will take place on Saturday 24 January, further details will be available early in January.

Meanwhile the committee wish you all a very happy and meaningful Christmas season, and look forward to welcoming you to our social events in 2015.

Mary Smith (Social Convenor) Tel: 01358 742234

HOMEMAID We clean. We iron. You smile.

Regular, occasional, and ‘one-off’ domestic cleaning and ironing service.

Collection and delivery available for ironing.

Professional, reliable, and friendly service.

Louise Marshall 7 Kestrel Road Newburgh AB41 6FF Tel: 07890450617

DEER on the ROAD

Particularly between sunset and the early hours of the morning, you are quite likely to see deer crossing the roads in the Parish of Foveran.

In 2003, the Highways Agency estimated that between 40,000 and 70,000 deer are killed annually in collisions with traffic in the UK. Such deer-related accidents have a considerable impact. Not only do they cause human injuries and a number of fatalities together with substantial damage to cars, they pose a major animal welfare issue as well. A large proportion of deer hit by cars are not killed outright; many have to be put down at the roadside while others escape to die later of their injuries.

It is not always possible to avoid a collision, but there are a few hints to reduce the risk of having one.

1. If you see one deer on the road, slow down as more may well cross after the one you have seen. 2. If you see a deer warning sign, drive with particular care as these signs are positioned only where animals are likely to cross. 3. Don’t overswerve to avoid hitting a deer. If a collision cannot be avoided, then hit the animal while maintaining full control of the car – difficult though this may be. The alternative of swerving into oncoming traffic could be worse. 4. Only brake sharply if there is no danger of being hit by following traffic. 5. After dark, use full beams when no traffic is coming the other way. The headlight beam will illuminate the eyes of the deer and provide greater reaction time BUT when you do see a deer, dip the lights as the animal may well ‘freeze’ rather than leave the road. 6. Report any deer-vehicle collision to the police who should be able to contact the local person best placed to assist with an injured deer at the roadside.

FOVERAN COMMUNITY COUNCIL Foveran Community Council meetings take place on the 4th Wednesday in the month at 7.30pm. All meetings begin with Meeting Point where members of the public can bring issues to the attention of the Community Council. All meetings are open to the public and everyone is welcome. The dates for 2014 /15 meetings are: 26 Nov. Newburgh School 27 May Foveran School 28 Jan. Udny Station Hall 24 June Newburgh School 25 Feb. Foveran School 26 Aug. Udny Station Hall 25 Mar. Newburgh School 23 Sept. Newburgh Inn after AGM. 8.15pm 29 Apr. Udny Station Hall FCC Members 2014-2015

Chairman: William Grant, Bank House, Udny Station AB41 6QJ 01651 842791

Secretary: Glen Douglas, 23 Eider Road Newburgh AB41 6FD 01358 789761

Treasurer: Pauline Winslade 24 Eider Road Newburgh AB41 6FD 01358 788922

Anne Massie, 24 Red Inch Circle Newburgh AB41 6AW 01358 789322

Kate Duncan,Thistlyhill Steading, Udny Station AB41 6QN 01651 843777

Martin Warrior, Overhill Cottage Foveran AB41 6BA 01358 789571

Katrin Prager, 1 Hardhillock Cottages, Tillycorthie, Udny. AB41 6SD 01651 842197

Pat Smith, Newburgh 01358 789821

Youth Member: Brian Simpson 6 Blairythan Terrace, Foveran 01358 788807