Probus Club of Lomond Newsletter 25 August 2019 From the Chairman lmost 150 years ago Lewis Carroll wrote In 150 years little has changed. As Lewis Carroll his ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ demonstrates in his Alice in Wonderland books, Astories that are so popular with children. an essential enjoyment is the opportunity to These stories stretch the imagination beyond exercise our imagination and stretch our normal bounds. The characters include various experience to keep the brain working. The Talks animals including a March Hare and a Dormouse. Group, building on the high standard of their In the second novel ‘Through the Looking-Glass predecessors, has arranged a most attractive and what Alice found there’, a story written programme for next year. I hope that you will following interest by Queen Victoria, is a tale set free up your minds, step through the Looking- as a game of chess with the chessmen behaving as Glass and join in our meetings. humans. As the game progresses we meet new characters Tweedledum and Tweedledee. Tweedledee insists on reciting his poem ‘The Walrus and the Carpenter’ which describes a Probus Walks 2018/19 beach walk where they meet a family of oysters. 5th October 2018 - Killearn to Blanefield After a while they stop for a rest at a rock which Water Pipeline is an opportunity to talk: ammering on the door of Sisters Bake in Killearn to let us in for coffee at 10 am ‘The time has come’ the Walrus said, was not an auspicious start for the day, ‘To talk of many things: H but at least the weather was set fine. However, Of shoes - and ships – and sealing wax- Of cabbages - and kings – And why the sea is boiling hot – And whether pigs have wings.’ What has this to do with our Probus Club? Tweedledee’s poem accurately describes our fortnightly meetings. A range of speakers present Papers on a widely varied selection of topics. They never fail to surprise us with new information and always trigger interest to stir our minds into action. In the question and answer session members either raise issues which The party outside Killearn Village Hall ready for challenge them or add to the discussion with their the walk to Blanefield own experiences. We leave the meeting refreshed our eleven walkers got their coffee eventually and and stimulated by the morning talk ready to relax we set off down Killearn Main Street past the and socialise with our friends over lunch at the Buchanan Monument to turn up Ibert Road and “Clachan”. climb the hill up to “millionaire’s row” where we admired among the fine houses the Charles 1 Rennie Mackintosh designed Auchenibert. to the duck pond bow lake in the river Teith and Onward onto the Campsie moor with fine views finishing at the car park. Lunch at the excellent over to Loch and Ben Lomond and onto the Old Bank Building where some managed water pipeline track with lots of discussion about gammon steaks with two fried eggs; much needed the engineering works for the Glasgow water after two and half hours walking. supply. We crossed various aqueducts admiring the stone work, avoided Duntreath pheasants and 12th February 2019 - Stirling Golf Course, the looked up to the exposed lava flow rock faces Castle & Gowan Hill that form the edge of the Campsies. All this chat On an overcast but mainly dry day, 13 of us met led to some walkers being left behind and the up at the Pavilion café in Kings Park. After coffee walk took nearly 3 hours instead of the allotted we set off around the golf course admiring the two. However, we eventually assembled at the views and the effectiveness of some of the older Blane Valley Inn for lunch, which for eight out of players’ golf swings. Past the King’s Knott and eleven of us consisted of a lovely lamb shank, admiring some of John Allan’s (famous Stirling plus a pint of Caledonian bitter. Everyone except architect) solid mansions we laboured up the Ron had a bus pass for the return journey and Back-Walk path to the castle ramparts. Walking much to Ron’s chagrin his ticket cost him £4! along beneath the mighty cliff face, images of boiling oil and “gardez loo” came to mind. There 26th November 2018 - Callander Three was even a chainsaw carving of the John Damien Bridges. who in 1503 put on wings and tried to fly from Twelve walkers met at Mhor Bread café for the castle walls; he failed, obviously and broke cappuccinos before setting off in fine weather only his leg. We crossed the Back o’Hill Road and across Callander road bridge into Coilhallan round to Gowan hill where magnificent views wood. Enjoying the lovely views across to Ben revealed themselves over to the Wallace Ledi we descended to Gartchonzie bridge (built Monument and Dumyat. On a good day you in 1777) across the Gobhain water and walked up could have seen as far as the Forth Bridges; it towards the 700BC iron age Dunmore fort. Next, wasn’t a good day, but impressive none the less. we ascended a steep hill to Samson’s Stone which is a glacial erratic boulder perched on top of Bochastle Hill. Tom provided much needed sweets at the top and we surveyed the views over to Loch Venachar and Callander. Some of the party at the viewpoint with Stirling Castle in the background Next down hill to the graveyard and onto the castle Esplanade to look at the statues of Robert Walkers enjoy a break at Sampson’s Stone Bruce and the Argyle soldier in memory of the We descended to the disused railway at Kilmahog fallen during the Boer war. It was now lunch time and passed by the ramparts of a Roman fort and the Port Cullis did us proud with Orkney ale dating from the first century AD rule of Julius and real breaded fish & chips. Restored we set off Agricola. Next a detour off the railway to visit an downhill through the Old Town cemetery with its old church and the Little Leny burial ground weird star pyramid and encased statue to the where the said well-known Gaelic poet, Dugald Mary Martyrs who were drowned in the Forth for Buchanan (none of us had heard of him!) was their protestant beliefs. Back past Cowan’s buried in 1768 with an interesting memorial Hospital and down to join the Back Walk, stone. Over the third bridge, across the river Leny returning past the golf course to the Pavilion where we started. An interesting expedition. 2 4th April 2019 - Aberfoyle & Loch Ard Stories to tell my Grandchildren - 1 12 walkers met at Liz Macgregors coffee shop in y grandchildren Abby and Sam are 3 Aberfoyle and set off down Kirk lane past the years and 1 year old so it is possible I Old Covenanters to Lochan Spling. At which may not be around to tell them of point it began to rain as we admired the Rob M some of the incidents I have witnessed, or been Mulholland sculptures of pike, dragon fly and part of, in my life so I am writing them down osprey standing in the water. (Little known fact – now and hope they might also be of interest to Ron used to play poker with Rob!). The rain got Probus Club of Lomond members. heavier as we crossed the bridge over the Story Number 1 Duchray water and posed for another Dalton photo opportunity. Through the Milton car park “PIGS! One! Two! Three! Four!” The man with the close-cropped blonde hair and pale blue eyes shouted as he pointed at each of us in turn. The crowd around us quickly retreated until we found ourselves alone in a circle of demonstrators viewing us with either astonishment or outright hostility. Our accuser continued “These men are police agents sent to spy on us! We were at one with the astonished category of bystanders, it was a very unexpected development. The year was 1970 and on 30 April President Nixon had announced he was sending US Forces into Cambodia to disrupt North Vietnamese troops and Viet Cong guerrillas who were using an area of the neutral state close to the border as a base to launch attacks on US and South Vietnamese Forces. On 9 May 1970 a demonstration was to be held outside the US Photo opportunity on the Duchray Water bridge Embassy to demonstrate against US “aggression” and a long hall up the hill under heavier rain to in Vietnam and Cambodia. I was a 21 year old Lochan a Ghleannain (small loch of the little First year student at Kings College London, I had glen) which is a picture post card scene with its completed four years of a five year Student islet, Scots pines and duck swimming. Another Apprenticeship at the Royal Naval Dockyard in photo opportunity. Downhill to Loch Ard and Devonport and was on unpaid leave to undertake along the loch side noting Donald Hardie’s old a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical house Dun Dubh on the other side and later past Engineering. I was living in the University of Peter Timpson’s previous house Lochend. A London Student Hall at Cartwright Gardens. On popular place for Probus members to live and that day four students, myself included, had move on! The end was in site as we walked into decided to attend the demonstration to see what Aberfoyle weary after 7 miles and three hours of it was like rather than any desire to protest.