Spring Edition 2013 LOCAL NEWS DEDICATED TO YOUR COMMUNITY Featured in this issue... LADS CLUB SCHOOL UPDATE MEMORIES OUT OF THE DARKNESS 2012 Review News from Riverbank Growing up in Tilly A Story of Recovery SPRING EDITION 2013 Contents 3 Before Tilly 4 City Centre to Donside 5 Community Update 6 Lads’ Club 7 Power Politics 8 Upcycled Tillydrone 9 School News 10 Local News L to R - Mary Clare, Elsie, Gary, Morven, Wendy, Cat, Sonny & Margaret. 11 Police Update Questionnaire Results 12 Local Writers A few months ago the members of the Tilly Tattle editorial team 13 A Safe Place to Play put together a questionnaire. The purpose of the questionnaire 14 SHMU was to find out what the local people of Tillydrone thought of the Magazine and to see if they knew other information about 15 Memories the area. 16 Out of the Darkness Below are the collated results, We asked a group of 12 people the following questions: The first question asked was if they read the Tilly Tattle magazine? All 12 agreed that they read the magazine. When asked if they liked the content? 11 out of 12 agreed that Dates for the Diary the content was good. Then the group was asked if there was anything else they TILLYDRONE NETWORK would like to see in the magazine? 3 out of the 12 suggested Meetings are held on the last Monday of more local sport updates. Someone also stated having more the month at St Georges Church from written articles from children and another one stated having a 6pm to 8pm - 25th March 2013, 29th ‘what’s on’ page. APRIL 2013, 27TH May 2013 and 24th The last question asked to the group was if they could name June 2013 any of the three councillors of Tillydrone - 6 out of the 12 said TILLYDRONE COMMUNITY COUNCIL no, and the rest of the group could only name one or two councillors. The majority of the group mentioned Ross Grant Meetings are held every third and Jim Noble. Wednesday of the month from 6:30pm in St George’s Church - 20th The editorial team have reflected over the questionnaire and March 2013, 17th April 2013, 15th May aim to make the necessary changes in order to improve the 2013 and 19th June 2013 magazine. If anyone else has other suggestions in how to improve the Tilly Tattle then please pass them onto the editorial St George’s Church acts only as a team. The Team meet every Monday morning at 10am at the venue for these meetings. Tillydrone Community Flat. Supported by History The Lighthouse shines on. Welcome to 2013. It’s been another fantastic start to the year at the Lighthouse BEFORE Support Centre, so much is going on but we still can’t believe it’s been nearly ten years since the centre first opened its doors in Tillydrone TILLY Shopping Centre, starting with one unit then expanding into a second and we could now Tilly means little hill in Gaelic Hayton Road. There were also benefit from having a third! and Druin means ridge. farms even up to the early For those of you who are not So Tillydrone means ‘hill on 1900’s and gradually it became already part of our growing the ridge’. as it is now. community, The Lighthouse These names came into use Originally, a small road that ran Support Centre offers one- away in the very early years from the cathedral meandered of the area with many small up to the Old Inverurie Road to-one holistic (material, villages appearing along the which is now Great Northern emotional and spiritual) estuary of the Don. Road. The road was called support and group support Tillydrone Road and is still in This is the area where the to men and women in the use today. Tillydrone Avenue Zoology Building now stands surrounding community was the area where the river along with flats and houses. used to run after it was diverted. who are socially excluded, There was also a loch just a disadvantaged and lonely; little to the south of this area Near the Tillydrone hill a chapel single parents, people who named Loch of Aberdeen. was built in the 1300’s and In the mid 1600’s a Parson dedicated to Thomas A Beckett have life controlling issues Gordon began to drain the area who was martyred. This was such as alcohol and drug and plant wheat to start with also a way to raise funds for addiction, ex-offenders and and then other crops. Then he various things as people had to families of prisoners. rented out his fields and thus pay for a candle to place at became a land owner and the altar. The projects are coordinated businessman, later owning People were mainly Roman by a small team of Gordon’s Mills. Catholics in those days. There professionals, who support His sons did not live past were several wars at that time a team of 40+ enthusiastic, childhood so his daughter’s in the cause of independence dedicated volunteers, under husband took over the running from Edward III. the responsibility of Deeside of the estate after his death. There are many more stories A few generations later one of Christian Fellowship Trust. that can be told at a later date. his descendants married Sir If you have any stories about A Support Worker provides Hay of Seton; thus the name of the history of Tillydrone, contact advocacy and support Seaton Park. The Tillydrone Community for clients and a Parish Gordon’s good fortune in Flat and they can be printed in Nurse provides information business made it that he had to future Tilly Tattles and used for build houses for his employees, the upcoming Info Pack. and support on physical, so in the late 1700’s he built mental and spiritual well- homes along what is now Margaret Mead being. The Working Group meets regularly to oversee the overall running of The Lighthouse Centre. 3 8 City Centre to Donside The McKenzie Family the number 19, and has become a commuter. The family moved from Seamount Court in the city to City centre or Donside? Donside Donside in June last year and was the reply. have already noticed changes in Mark Thomson the whole family’s lifestyle. Community Development What’s the best thing about living Officer Donside in Donside? Almost in unison they replied “the garden”, mum upside down! Their old flat Riverbank Primary Lyndsey and dad Alan saying had the bedrooms downstairs School Seasonal Gift before moving they stayed on and the living room upstairs. Pupils and staff from Riverbank the tenth floor so there was no The boys have made lots of new Primary School made their way their three boys - Connor, friends and enjoy how fun it is way down to Donside on an Lucas and Zak - could go out playing outside. Connor’s 7th extremely cold day to bring some and play without their parents. birthday party was held in their seasonal cheer to residents They also had noticed an own garden. Lucas (5 ½), and friends. improvement in the family’s liked that he had new friends health as a result of being able to and could play outside but would The pupils who came down to get outside - it’s been a case of like to have somewhere to use the urban village in three groups dragging the boys into the house of about 50 kids did a fantastic his skateboard. When I asked to have tea or get ready for bed! job, singing seasonal songs with Zak (2 ½) a question his reply a huge amount of enthusiasm Lyndsey stated that Donside was generally, “I’m 2” but with a and gusto! felt like a wee village. This wee bit of coaxing said that he feeling is enhanced by the fact would like to be able to play on It was a great way to spend the that they see and speak with roundabouts and slides, afternoon. I know that everyone their neighbours. like every 2 ½ year old. who saw and heard the children At this point the boys - and in were very impressed by both the particular seven-year-old Connor So the downside? Alan said that singing and the behaviour of the - said that his new house was instead of the 5 to 10 minute pupils, they really are a credit to better because it was not walk to work he now has to get the school. 4 M26 PEEP in Tillydrone Family Centre Parents as Early Education Partners is really talking off in Tillydrone. There are new groups happening at Tillydrone Family Centre New Tillydrone now too. The idea behind the groups is Website in Pipeline that children and their parents or carers can get together Work continues on an such as gathering information with others in the community information pack which is and working out what needs to to have some fun and learn soon to be delivered to every be put into the info pack. together. It’s all about household in the Tillydrone It soon became clear that sharing really. area. It will contain basic there is so much going on details of all of the local The Family Centre on Pennan and so much history involved services within Tillydrone and Road has a group for children that the info pack will not be will also give some information aged in their 1s or 2s meeting about the history and natural big enough to give everything on Wednesdays from 1:30 - resources of the area.