HELP HELP HELP Portknockie what HELP HELP should be the next HELP,HELP Your developments in our Village newspaper runs village? out of News! We have our new water mains and sewage Your editorial team finds it increasingly system. We have a well-established array difficult to fill the news pages of The of “Village in Bloom” features. The K‟nocker. We get the occasional note McBoyle Hall has been given a makeover and our local footpath network is taking of thanks but where are the big shape. Our skateboard area is under community scoops – the wedding construction. But where next? announcements, news of babies, gripes, One suggestion has been for changes in achievements by our citizens? the harbour, the traditional centre of Portknockie but what should be the nature of any changes? Voices are being The in-tray for The K‟nocker remains heard asking for more local building land to be made available. Are we doing bafflingly empty for each issue. We enough to attract visitors to stop in the badly need more of you to correspond! village and spend their money? Ought The alternatives are for us to consider there be more facilities and local activity closing down or running with the sort of groups? You say! article once found in the “Portrochie Squeak” (see p. 7) or you the reader VILLAGE NEWS & AROUND: coming out of the closet with your news Dr R M Morrison writes: and views. "As you will all no doubt know by now, I take th my leave from you as from the 13 April 2003. I have not taken a retirement as I still enjoy the In the last issue almost every page called profession that I entered 32 years ago, but rather for a comment and yet not one was I have taken a look at what I am presently doing, received! Come on readers this is a job and have decided that I can adjust my life to for everyone to feel they can be a part of make it more enjoyable to me. it. We want this paper to serve the I have been your doctor here in Cullen and whole village. Just four times a year you Portknockie now since June 1981 and 22 years is could be more helpful highlighting what not a bad innings! My predecessor, Wilson is the Portknockie news. You are Thompson, did 32 years in service, but medicine invited to come along to the Cullen was not quite such an all-devouring and demanding career in those days. Sadly, whilst I Town Hall from 7.30 pm on Friday 11th still hugely appreciate and enjoy my contact with July to thank Dr Morrison for 22 years you all, the demands made upon doctors now in serving the local practice and to wish terms of administration, form filling, Health him and Dr Susan Morrison well in their Board demands, targets, ever-increasing audits, new locum life. There will be some appraisal, accreditation, learning plans, financial juggling, and now, to cap it all, yet another "New entertainment, a presentation, a few Contract “ foisted upon us - all this has made me speeches and some light refreshments on come to the conclusion that I have had enough. offer. I am in the fortunate position that I would be intending to retire anyhow in three years time, at the age of 60, so what I am in fact doing is to 2 resign from the Cullen Practice, not to retire. I There were some extremely strong gales from propose to work for the next three years as an the north, which gave Alistair Wood some work independent medical locum, beholden to nobody replacing slates and chimney caps dislodged by but myself. It will mean that I shall continue to several days of windy conditions. A mild sunny live amongst you - apologies to those who were period at the end of February and into March looking forward to getting rid of me! - here in encouraged the crocuses to show early and the Cullen, but I will be available to work in a much first daffodil was in flower on the cliffs along larger area including Grampian, Highland, Patrol Road on March 6th. A butterfly was even Orkney, the Shetlands, and the Western Isles. spotted by Jennie's Well on March 22nd! As many of you know, I am doing a sponsored Welcome to Dot & Lin Hill, a mother and walk along the Great Wall of China (100Km daughter who have moved into 9 High Street over 5 days) on behalf of the Scottish Society for from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Autism, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support and your very News from the village website - The exciting much appreciated and generous donations. The news is that this village newspaper can now be minimum amount I had to raise for this trip was accessed from the internet using the www. £2 500 and, at the time of writing, my fund is Portknockiewebsite.com web address created by standing at around £7 000! It will be probably Neil Hedley and John Smith. This will allow nearer £8 000 by the time I set off with my well- expat "K'nockers" living abroad to keep in touch worn walking boots on the 25th of April on my with Portknockie events. There have been odyssey. several e-mail requests this winter for details about B&Bs in Portknockie and Scott holiday You are indeed very fortunate to be left in homes will be featuring downloaded information Richard Stoker's hands. Our partnership has been sheets from our website for their visitors. an excellent relationship for us both and I know that he will continue to offer the same high Judy and Ray Parrott, now living in Swadlincote, standard of care for you that we have all England used the e-mail link to send the endeavoured to provide in the past. following in memory of John Butler: Not only that, but Richard will be joined in mid "A good friend is like a four leaf clover, hard to July by Dr Shirley Haunschmitt, who has been find, lucky to have and impossible to forget. the GP on Westray (Orkney) for the last 15 True friendship never ends. Friends are forever. years. She is just the ideal person to replace me Most people walk in and out of your life, but and I am so pleased that there will not be any only friends leave footprints in your heart." gap in our provision of care to you all. In February a flurry of building works were So it will be a sad farewell for me in many ways started in the village by Moray Council. Donald but equally, I eagerly anticipate my new McKenzie's Training Squad created a by-pass to challenges over the next three years. the slump on the footpath alongside the Slack Burn that has been really impassable since last Thank you all for being such a wonderful summer. The squad has also installed a new community, and for putting up with this design "Mini-recycling Unit" at the park end of "Skyeman" for so long. Adieu." Wood Place. This will hold collection banks for bottles and old clothing and will be landscaped. (Editor: I am sure there will be many of you with stories and appreciation to offer to Dr Substantial improvements have been made to the Morrison for his time looking after folk in old "Reid Roadie" running down to the ninth tee Portknockie. Perhaps you will write in some for on the golf course and the path that crosses the the next issue.) McLeod Park has been re-surfaced. In the old railway cutting the Moray Access Officer has A strange mixture of weather this winter in carried out alteration works to the path to make it Portknockie. There were a couple of falls of easier for everyone to use. This work required snow but then a very dry and sunny February - the path to be re-aligned at the Hill Street end and March indeed said to be the driest winter where it crossed a privately owned plot of land. months since records in Scotland began in 1961! 3 The football pitch in the park has received its Bloom" features have been tipped up (pretty first major maintenance ever to help improve difficult for small children to manage this!), problems that have arisen from soil compaction some of the hanging baskets along Harbour Road and waterlogging. The turf was cored, lifted, have been thrown over the cliffs, some windows then rolled and a top dressing has been applied. have been smashed, a fence was broken, a It looked rather drastic treatment but we are contractor's equipment damaged, a caravan was assured it will be fine for next season. seriously damaged and many instances were reported of motorbikes being illegally driven at A new B&B in town: Hannah Crozier at 18 high speed within the village and along our Harbour Place intends to offer a room for bed & footpaths. It can hardly be called a crime wave breakfast visitors from Easter. The room has en- but it does upset folks and create extra work for suite facilities and Hannah and Kenneth used to all our village volunteers. The Community run a successful B&B in Perth before "retiring" Council is very keen to put an end to this here. For details contact 01542-841493. nonsense. Those doing it please be warned! A new bouncing baby boy came for Sylvia This is not a unique local issue but rather a Mearns in February.