Price £1.30 Issue 34... March 2009 Strathblane, Blane eld, Mugdock, Carbeth, Auchineden (circulation 1000) theblane@strathblane eld.org.uk Inside • New welcome boards • Letter from America • Scandalous doings • Sports successes • MUGA survey • Animal welfare centres • Local headbangers • Beavering away in Argyll • My ‘Strictly’ experience • Halleys through the years 1 Blane March 09.indd 1 1/4/09 09:50:58 CAMPBELL AIRD N Died: 11 January, 2008, in Wales, aged 57. The indefatigable Robert Campbell Aird up. Campbell sped off leaving B delighted in describing himself as, “part us in the support boat unable to W man, part machine, all Scottish”. He keep up with him. He literally received the world’s rst complete bionic ew into the French beach, arm in 1998 after doctors diagnosed turned around and was soon muscular cancer in 1982. His bionic arm back on board with us having T th was christened the Edinburgh Modular successfully windsurfed across tim Arm System, and packed with microchips, the English Channel. m position-control circuits, miniature One memorable incident en motors, gears and pulleys. It rotated at the occurred on our arrival in Co shoulder, bent at the elbow and twisted at Dover the previous day. We m the wrist, and could grip using arti cial were staying in a camp site ngers. Ken Campbell writes about the kicking a ball about when we th friend he misses. noticed small faces watching The channel crossing team: Ken Campbell is 2nd from qu us through a hedge. Campbell the left and Campbell Aird is 3rd from the left. we was deeply saddened to hear of the kicked the ball in their direction recent death of Campbell Aird who will inviting them to Join in and slowly about 10 them all afternoon and according to their I be remembered by many in the village or 12 youngsters emerged from the hedge. carers it was the best day they’d ever had. as Manager of the Kirkhouse Inn in the Some of them had their right arm tucked We were choked when they piled into the 1980s. inside their tops leaving an empty sleeve bus to leave. I’m sure Campbell felt that I was lucky to have been one of the apping about. Campbell was tickled pink this was the icing on the cake of his English team on his channel crossing trip. The at this and considered it a great compliment. Channel crossing. crossing was slow going at rst until about The kids were from the Margate Home for There aren’t enough superlatives to do half way when the wind suddenly picked Deaf Children. We played football with him justice and I will miss him deeply. JAMES THE KIRKHOUSE MCGILLIVRAY “SHOWCASE” ames McGillivray was born on the penguins. 11 December 1947 in Lennox He enJoyed Friday 8 May 7.30 for 8pm JCastle Hospital. His parents lived his work and its Featuring the Elderly Brothers (an at Balevulin, on Mull. When he was challenges, and Everly tribute duo) plus local artists. Co six, the family, which now included his he earned the Entry by donation to Cancer younger brother Robert, emigrated to respect of all who Te Australia. worked for him. Research UK. be His love of boats developed as he He was a had to row himself and Robert across DIY fanatic the River Darling to school. While and enjoyed NO COMPLAINTS W in Australia his brother and sister m o d e r n i s i n g C Kenneth and Linda were born. The family his home in Blane eld, but his pride and Jenny Elliot, Stirling Council to returned to Inchkenneth, off Mull, where Joy was his remotely controlled lighting no his youngest sister Catherine was born in and watering system, installed when he here have been very few complaints w 1968 landscaped his garden. Often these proJects since the mobile team took over James was a boarder at Oban High were interrupted by a call back to sea, Tthe street cleaning in the village, so M School and it was there, at a school dance, leaving Christine with holes in walls, and it seems as if it is working out quite well sc he met Christine Downie. Not only was she un nished proJects. for now. We had some additional funds for C a great dancing partner, but she had the use Many neighbours have fond memories ‘deep cleaning’ recently and, amongst other no of her father’s car, saving James the two of James helping out with malfunctioning areas, we tackled the A81 verges from the m mile trek back to his hostel. domestic appliances, motor cars, and boundary at Milngavie to Killearn Smiddy After High School, he attended Stow central heating systems. roundabout, lifting 210 bags of litter! It ea College as an engineering cadet with Latterly he enjoyed the freedom to was great to get this done before the grass by Denholms Shipping Line. With them socialise with friends and family. He was an starts growing and hiding it again. he rose through the ranks to become the active and popular member of the bowling C company’s youngest ever Chief Engineer at club, where he had made many friends and the age of twenty-seven. was looking forward to competing on the APOLOGY TH He and Christine were married in 1970 green. He had also, recently joined the th and she accompanied him on many voyages committee of the local Burns Club. n the December issue, we wrongly W around the world. Their son Lorne and James was a devoted family man, a true quoted Mrs June Campbell in an so daughter Morvern also sailed with James gentleman who will be sorely missed by all Iarticle about the old Blane Valley W and Christine, spending many happy hours who knew him. News as saying, “I well remember my on board. husband, Archie, delivering the milk In 1982 James was working on a diving to John’s door.” Mrs Campbell’s late support vessel and his ship was seconded AND ANOTHER APOLOGY husband did not at any time deliver to the Navy during the Falklands con ict. milk; it was her son, Alistair, who made T On his trips ashore, the Falklands reminded e apologise for the delay in the deliveries. m producing the March issue We apologise to Mrs Campbell and him of his home island of Mull, apart from of the Blane. Because of £ W her family for the distress that our error o a number of problems, including a caused them. The view on the front page is of the health one, we were not able to get m Arrochar Alps and Ben Lomond, with started on the production until late in the ‘fairy hill’, Dumgoyach, in the March. The next issue will be in June P centre ground. The photograph was We are sorry if we have missed 2009. The deadline for articles is 0 taken from near the top of the Glen. any of our contributors deadlines. 20 May. p 2 Blane March 09.indd 2 1/4/09 09:51:01 NEW WELCOME IS THIS YOU? BOARDS NEEDED Concerned resident Willie Oswald ad driving was something that I considered always happened in large he village has been blessed by two Btowns. How wrong I was! very ne ‘Welcome’ boards for When I moved to the tranquil village Tsome considerable time. Regrettably of Blane eld from a busy town, albeit the these have suffered from the ravages of that our one community has two names, suburbs, I expected better. I had left behind time, weather and insuf cient timely “Blane eld” and “Strathblane”. Though inconsiderately bad driving standards, maintenance. They are approaching the for strangers, identifying the ‘Join’ can be where drivers ignored speed limits, end of their natural life. The Community dif cult. Council has been examining a natural, Would you be happy with “Welcome especially at schools and safe crossing maintenance free replacement. to Strathblane” at the eastern end and designated areas. Most of these problems The existing boards state “Welcome to “Welcome to Blane eld” at the western were caused by local drivers taking their the Parish of Strathblane”. This has caused end? children to and from school. Safety, I m questions, particularly with regard to the Answers and comments on a post card should have thought, would be uppermost western end of our community. to the ‘CC Suggestion Box’ in the library or in the minds of all parents. Yet I see parents One of the issues faced by the CC is email cc@strathblane eld.org.uk. on the mobile phone; speeding, probably eir because they are late; ignoring the speed ad. Some suggestions limit on the main road, 30mph, and on the he for wording roads around the school, 20mph; cutting hat on the village the corners on the wrong side of the road; sh and ignoring the white lines at the junction. signs. All ideas What will happen if a speeding parent on welcomed. do the mobile comes along on the correct side of the road and meets another doing the same, but on the wrong side, I dread to think! Nearly every time I leave my house and go to the Junction of my road, or indeed see someone else doing the same thing, I nd someone cutting the corner, head to head with me or another vehicle. I cannot believe the surprised look on the face of the driver cutting the corner, that some one dared to n be on the correct side of the road.