Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Balmullo Newsletter - November 2011
Citation preview
In this issue
Council Contacts 2
What’s On? 3
200 Club 3
Balmullo Post Office 3
Announcements 5
Editorial 5
Winter Solstice 5
Fife Councilor 7
Balmullo School 9
M.U.G.A. 9
Balmullo S.W.R.I. 9
Sir Ming Campbell M.P. 11
Rod Campbell M.S.P. 13
Gardening Club 15
Ads 15
The Great WWW 17
YPR & SYP Group 19
Cuplahills Update 21
Garden Bird Feeding 23
THE COMMUNITY
COUNCIL’S MONTHLY
NEWSLETTER
Balmullo Newsletter 09 ISSUE
NOVEMBER 2011
Also online at www.issuu.com/balmullo
GUY FAWKES – this well dressed effigy was made by
Mrs Jacqueline Stockton
Members Chairman:
Zoë Sanders [email protected]
Vice-Chairman:
John Docherty 871497 [email protected]
Treasurer:
Andrew Falconer 870496 [email protected]
Secretary:
Raymond Crush 871400 [email protected]
Minute-Secretary:
Hannah Goldsack [email protected]
Newsletter:
Ina Cameron 870253 [email protected]
Councillors Peter Lomas 870848 [email protected]
Alison Jeffrey 870674 [email protected]
John Normand
Jim Taylor 871070
Fife Councillors
Maggie Taylor 01382 552718 [email protected]
Tim Brett 01382 330905 [email protected]
Ron Caird 01382 542414 [email protected]
BALMULLO COMMUNITY COUNCIL
Useful Contacts Burnside Hall Keeper Lynn Murphy 870466
The Minister Rev. Caroline Taylor 870038 [email protected]
Dog Warden 0845 155 0022
Community Police P.C. Gavin Rae 0845 600 5702
RAF Aircraft Noise 839471
GALA Committee http://balmullogala.weebly.com/index.html
Advert Prices from January 2012
Small £5
Half Page £10 Full Page £20
You can rent advertising space on a
month by month basis or on a longer
term basis. The Balmullo Newsletter has a circulation of 700 and is hand
delivered FREE of charge.
TO ALL ADVERTISERS – Please check your advert. If you would like to remove it or change it in any way, please let me know. Either by phone or email. My details are on page 2 of this newsletter - Ina Cameron.
Statements made or opinions expressed in this Newsletter do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Balmullo Community
Council or any of its officers.
2
WHAT’S ON? NOVEMBER 23rd Gardening Club AGM in Burnside Hall at
7pm. All welcome 25th Burns Club St Andrew’s Night Dance 27th Balmullo Paths Group leaving Burnside
Hall at 1pm DECEMBER 3rd Church’s Christmas Dance in Burnside
Hall – details in Newsletter 8th Evening of Floral Art – Alyson Christie & Andy Smith
11th Bowling Club AGM 2.30pm 12th Community Council Meeting at Burnside Hall at 7.30pm
16th Bowling Club Xmas Dance. 8pm till late. All welcome.
18th Balmullo Paths Group leaving Burnside Hall at 1pm (this is a week earlier than
usual) 18th Carol singing in Burnside hall at 6.30pm. All welcome
19th Prize Bingo at Bowling Club 7.30pm 24th Pyjama Service in Burnside hall at 6.30pm JANUARY 2012
13th Prize Bingo at Bowling Club 7.30pm 29th Paths Group leaving Burnside Hall at 1pm
FEBRUARY 26th Paths Group leaving Burnside Hall at 1pm MARCH
25th Paths Group leaving Burnside Hall at 2pm
3
Balmullo Bowling
Green Play outdoors in summer
Indoors in winter
Variety of competitions and friendly matches every week
No experience required. All welcome to join.
Call John on 01334 870196
BALMULLO POST OFFICE Hannah Goldsack, Manager
"In the event of severe weather conditions in the coming months, we will make every effort to keep Balmullo Post Office open. As far as possible, we will continue to offer the same services we offer
all year round. We understand the importance of having access to the services we provide, particularly at a time when public transport may be limited or unavailable. Should you wish to contact us for any reason, please do not hesitate to call us on 01334 871534 during our normal opening hours (9am-12.30pm Monday-Saturday).
NOVEMBER WINNERS
£50 Mr & Mrs Atkinson, Lomond Place
£20 Mrs Kilgour, Mansfield Road £20 Mrs Land, Pitcairn Drive £20 Mrs Jewitt, Inchlaw £20 Mrs Herd, Smithy Lane
£20 Mrs Muir, Park View £10 Mrs Petrie, Hayston Park £10 Mr Bennett, Murray Row
£10 Mrs Hynd, The Mount £10 Mr Corstorphine, Park View £10 Mr & Mrs Anderson, Park View
200 CLUB WINNERS How to Join?
It's easy to join the 200 Club. Call or email Ina at [email protected] or call 870253. It only costs £1 per entry per month, and you can enter as many times as you like.
We are currently trying to raise money for various Balmullo community activities and projects.
MONTEATHS Accountants and Tax Consultants
APPOINTMENTS: MORNING, AFTERNOON or EVENING
OUR OFFICE, YOUR HOME or PREMISES
Self-employment 2 forms to register for tax and NIC But what about record keeping.
When do the tax bills arrive and how much. Is Vat registration necessary or useful. Do you need extra staff help.
What about a business bank account. What can you do to reduce the tax bill. How will it affect tax
credits. Are you buying a business.
Do you need premises. Working from home-can you claim household bills. Is council tax
affected(unlikely. Do you use the car for both business and private purposes. What about HP or leasing a van. Will your wife/
husband/partner be helping and want paid. How expensive is business insurance and more.
It’s all important. Some bits save more tax than others. The first year is likely to be the most tax efficient of all because of interaction for tax(20%) NIC
(9%) Tax credits (37%) and maybe affects 2 years = 132% !
FINANCIAL ADVICE WE HELP - WE SAVE YOU MONEY
FULL ACCOUNTANCY AND COMPLETE TAXATION SERVICES
WWW.MONTEATHS.COM
Cairnfield, 14 School Road, Balmullo, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 0BD
Tel 01334 870343 - Fax 01334 871004 E mail : [email protected]
4
ANNOUNCEMENTS Community Council
Our first regular meeting in Burnside Hall was very well attended. Thank you all who turned up. Our new venue is lovely and warm – and has comfortable seats!! Our regular Cllr., Mrs Taylor, will not be around till February as she is off on to New Zealand to visit her family. We hope she has a
wonderful time. Cllr. Tim Brett will take over during her absence.
Local resident Mr Jim Taylor has kindly agreed to be co-opted on as a new member to our
Community Council.
Since the Carol singing with the Leuchars Church choir was such a success last year we have
asked Jim Taylor to organise it again for this year. It will be held on Sunday 18th December in the Burnside Hall starting at 6.30pm. The Choir will sing, we will sing and please bring the children as they will have their own special time to sing as well. After, there will be tea/coffee and Christmas
Pies. PLEASE COME ALONG AND JOIN IN THE FESTIVITIES.
Next meeting is 12th December – hope to see you there.
5
EDITORIAL Ina Cameron
I attended the Police Forum at Leuchars on Tuesday night. They reported that they have caught some speeders on the main road, and they are keeping note of parking around the school area. They are now asking if anyone wants to join the Speed Watch programme where they are taught to use the radar guns and take a turn in certain areas of the village. If you are interested give your
name to anyone on our Council. The training for this will take place during December and January. They have also mentioned they will be looking for anyone cycling at night without lights on their bikes as they have had complaints of both adults and children cycling without lights. It appears there has been some house-breaking in Leuchars and the houses targeted are ones that
show no lights when it is dark. The Police are suggesting that it would be prudent to buy some timers and set them to come on in the house if you are not going to be home ‘till late. I have been told B & Q sell cheap ones.
There is a new Dental Practice starting in Riverside, Newport who are taking on NHS patients. We have been warned of men in high viz jackets& hard hats looking like workmen but they are checking on properties for lead flashings and scrap metal. They are mostly around remote places
and they have unmarked white vans so if you see anything suspicious please call the police. Apparently they are also lifting metal drain covers and replacing them with plastic ones.
WINTER SOLSTACE Caroline Taylor (Rev.) During research into Christmas traditions a couple of years ago, I read about some families and groups who have breathed new life into Winter Solstice celebrations. I adapted some of these ideas
for the Sunday School at Leuchars: St Athernase Church - something different from the usual Christmas party or nativity play. This is to let you know that there will be a few fireworks let off from the manse garden in David Wilson Park in the late afternoon/early evening of 22nd December, just in case you are a dog owner
I hope this will not cause any inconvenience.
CHURCH NOTICE
The usual arrangements will apply in December EXCEPT for the following:
Christmas Eve: Pyjama Service at 6.30 pm
No service on Christmas Day
6
Pitcairn Plumbing Services Plumbing, Installations. Maintenance and Repairs
Bathrooms and Kitchens etc.
No job too small
Competitive prices and Free Estimates
Tel: 01334 870619 Mob: 07917 701411
E-mail: [email protected]
CLUB CARS Taxis
01334
838555 479900 [email protected] www.clubcars-standrews.com
7
FROM ONE OF YOUR FIFE COUNCILLORS
My name is Maggie Taylor and have been representing the residents of Balmullo, Guardbridge,
Leuchars, Tayport, Newport-on-Tay and Wormit on Fife Council since 2007 having been first elected for the smaller area of Tayport in 2001. The ward is called Taybridghead and I serve this area along with two other councillors.
I am a member of Police. Fire and Safety Committee which meets every two months, with a Scrutiny Group meeting in between. As the name suggests this Committee looks after all issues within the Police Force and the Fife Fire Brigade. I also attend the Police Complaints Committee
which deals with complaints made to Fife Police Force from members of the public, this committee scrutinises the complaints making sure that they have all been handled correctly.
I am Vice-Chair of North East Fife Area Committee, meeting monthly in Cupar, which makes decisions on local issues such as speed limits, Common Good Fund applications and most importantly, Planning applications in the area.
Apart from Balmullo I attend two other Community Councils, Guardbridge and Tayport and when available Newport-on-Tay. I also attend many of the local organisations within the area – school
parent councils, hall committees etc.
There is no such thing as a typical day in the life of a councillor and because I work part time
Monday to Wednesday as an Administrator within Dundee Survival Group which looks after homeless people in the Dundee area, my timetable is different from colleagues.
I like an early start to the day. In my case it is usually about 6am, dealing with e-mails and left phone messages on the many issues that either come from Community Council meetings or directly from local residents. These can be about anything from faulty streetlights to the one
which bugs all councillors and local residents – dog fouling. The phone starts at 7am when I discuss matters with colleagues. I am usually off to work by 7.30am. This lasts until 4pm and I either come home or attend meetings in Glenrothes, Cupar or in my Council area. Like most councillors most evenings are taken up with local meetings. While sometimes on cold wet nights
I wish I was at home at the fireside, I consider myself extremely fortunate to represent this beautiful part of Fife.
Can I wish you all an early Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I am off on an extended holiday to New Zealand and will see you all again in February 2012.
CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR BUS SERVICES 2011-12
Many buses won’t return to normal timetables until
WEDNESDAY 4 JANUARY 2012.
Check your bus times carefully!
Most buses running to industrial premises
will be withdrawn.
8
Colin Finlay Qualified
Electrician
Any jobs
large or small
Discounts for OAPs
Balmullo 870578
Mobile 07828 547395
MALCOLM KIRK PLASTERER & CERAMIC TILER
LIMESTONE, TRAVERTINE, SLATE etc.
Office: 01334 829 246 Mobile: 07747 064 061
Plumbing &
Heating
A Comprehensive Service for
Installation, Service & Repair of Plumbing, Heating, & Bathrooms
U.E.S. LTD Unit 4, Newark Road South,
Eastfield, Glenrothes
Telephone 01592 773275
DEREK B CAMPBELL
Motor Engineer
SERVICING &
M.O.T. REPAIRS
Tel 870328 ‘Loanhead’ Balmullo
St. Andrews KY16 0BQ
Appointments not
always necessary
15 Main Street
Leuchars
Mon Closed
Tues 9 - 3
Wed 9 - 5
Thur 9 - 8
Fri 9 - 6
Sat 8 - 3
Sun Closed
9
BALMULLO PRIMARY SCHOOL NEWS Sarah Else
This is one of the busiest times of the year for each and every one of us and school is no exception!
Over the next few weeks we have parent evenings, information evenings and, not forgetting, our nativity and carol concert rehearsals in preparation for our end of term celebrations. This year Nursery P1, P2 and P3 will all be involved in our Christmas Nativity, with P4-P7 supporting where necessary. This will take place on the afternoon of the 15th December and is
open to all parents and members of our local community. P4-P7 will hold an evening of carols on the evening of the 15th December, again this is open to all parents and community members.
MUGA UPDATE Plans are well under way for the village Multi use Games Area. Alan Bisset from Fife Council will
be meeting with the group at 7pm on the 21st November in the school. If you wish to attend to look at and discuss our plans the please come along. We recently held a competition in school for our MUGA logo. All of the entries were of an extremely high standard and our overall winner was Connan Sweeney from R4. His logo will be used on the
MUGA website and also any correspondence regarding the MUGA. Balmullo has a fantastic community and I am pleased to see that, as a school, we are developing better links with other groups and individuals in the village and look forward to this continuing in
the new year. As part of this I would like to extend an invitation to the community to attend our Christmas Events.
BALMULLO S.W.R.I. Ann Falconer
President Mrs. Mary Campbell welcomed members to our annual business meeting on Thursday
3rd November.
Members of Kilmany SWRI attended to supervise the election of our new committee. Mrs Ann
Falconer was elected as President. Other committee members elected were Mrs Rita Crush, Mrs Evelyn Erskine, Mrs Betty Gough, Mrs Doreen Hopkins, Mrs Wilma Mackie, Mrs Mary Reilly, Mrs
Grace Steven and Mrs Jacqueline Stockton.
Kilmany SWRI members also entertained us with a light-hearted quiz and 2 cookery
demonstrations.
The Red Cross also came along with Christmas gifts and cards, giving members the opportunity to
purchase items and support the charity.
The meeting concluded with the prize-giving ceremony for the year. Overall points winner was Mrs
Jacqueline Stockton with runner-up Mrs Grace Steven. The Ina Brown Quaich was won by Mrs
Betty Gough and the Joan Gray Trophy by Mrs Evelyn Erskine.
Balmullo SWRI was again successful in retaining the Crawford Cup at the recent Cupar Inter-Institute Group meeting in October.
The annual Christmas party will be held on Thursday 1st December, where a wide variety of festive dishes will be provided by the members. We look forward to seeing as many members as possible
for this special night.
Mrs Agnes Anderson
It is with great regret that we have to report the recent death of Mrs Anderson, at the age of 94. Mrs Anderson was not only a founding member of Balmullo SWRI but was elected as our first President in 1952 and honoured as a Life Member on her 90th birthday. Her regular presence at our meetings
will be sadly missed.
CLOTHING ALTERATIONS
For this service to Ladies & Gents garments phone Mrs Burns 01382 552223
10
Free Range Eggs, Duck Eggs, Frozen Fruit, Jams & Marmalade
Frozen Rasps, Strawbs, Tayberry, Loganberry, Bramble, Red/
Green Goosies Worcesterberry Jostaberry White/Red/Blackcurrants
Potatoes Wilja, Kerrs Pink, Rooster, Maris Piper, Kestrel
Vegetables Fresh Veg everyday. Broccoli, Caulis, Carrots
Neeps, Cabbages, Peas, Beans, Kale, Sprouts, Leeks………
Limited supply of Christmas trees from December
Collect a South Powrie Kelly Bronze Turkey at Pittormie Order from: www.southpowrie.co.uk/
We Deliver free on a Friday Morning
Balmullo, Dairsie, Guardbridge, Leuchars, Cupar & St Andrews
Call Euan on 07949 995906 or 01334 870233
'Like our Page' on Pittormie Fruit Farm
www.pittormiefruitfarm.co.uk
11
YOUR MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT SIR Menzies Campbell
It is twelve months since the first news that the future of RAF Leuchars was in doubt but the fight to keep a substantial military presence in Fife goes on.
I continue to believe that RAF Leuchars is in the right place at the right time doing the right job, and I will continue to make that case. For the last 40 years the
base has been responsible for patrolling and protecting the skies above Scotland and the North of England. Successive generations of personnel at the base have executed their duties at home and abroad with commitment and professionalism and together with their families they have become much valued members of the Fife community. The pride and affection which the people of Fife have for the RAF was clearly seen recently when personnel returning from serving in Afghanistan were cheered as they paraded through the streets of St Andrews.
The Ministry of Defence announced in July that the Typhoon aircraft currently stationed at Leuchars would be transferred to RAF
Lossiemouth and the base would be converted to Army use. It seems that the original timetable for the RAF leaving Leuchars and the Army arriving has slipped. The RAF will be redeployed in 2014 but army units are only scheduled to be finally in place by 2020.
To the disappointment which greeted the announcement that the RAF was to leave Fife has now been added anxiety about a gap between the departure of the RAF and the arrival of the Army. For local businesses, contractors, shops and hotels which depend on the base it is essential that the impact of this transition is minimised. Any delay to the Army arriving which saw the base effectively mothballed would have a significant effect on the local community. Of even more concern is the doubt which some informed commentators have voiced about the likelihood of the Army coming to Leuchars at all. Leuchars stands at the end of a long chain of changes being made to the defence estate in Scotland. Should one component fail to be realised the future of the base at Leuchars would be thrown into question. At the most recent Defence Questions in the House of Commons the Armed Forces Minister could not give me any guarantee that the Army was on its way to Leuchars. It became clear that the Army still has not come to any final conclusion about where it would base its troops in Scotland. I have written to the Secretary of State for Defence asking for urgent clarification about his Department’s plans for Leuchars.
The level of uncertainty surrounding the future of the base at Leuchars is unacceptable. If the Army is not to come to Leuchars then the RAF need not leave. The Ministry of Defence has made promises and it is now time that we were told how these promises are to be implemented and when. Sir Ming Campbell - M.P.
Office of Sir Menzies Campbell MP
Member of Parliament for North East Fife House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
Tel: 020 7219 6910 | Fax: 020 7219 0559
Free Range Eggs, Duck Eggs, Frozen Fruit, Jams & Marmalade
Frozen Rasps, Strawbs, Tayberry, Loganberry, Bramble, Red/
Green Goosies Worcesterberry Jostaberry White/Red/Blackcurrants
Potatoes Wilja, Kerrs Pink, Rooster, Maris Piper, Kestrel
Vegetables Fresh Veg everyday. Broccoli, Caulis, Carrots
Neeps, Cabbages, Peas, Beans, Kale, Sprouts, Leeks………
Limited supply of Christmas trees from December
Collect a South Powrie Kelly Bronze Turkey at Pittormie Order from: www.southpowrie.co.uk/
WILLIAMSONS
TAXIS
Freephone 08000 858181
Airports ~ Contracts
Full / Half Day Tours
Distance No Object
4 ~ 6 ~ 7 ~ 8 Seaters
01334 476787
01334 839279
www.williamsonstaxi.co.uk
WULLIE
HORSBURGH
FRESH Pittenweem Fish
In Balmullo every
WEDNESDAY
From 10am to 6pm
Or place your orders by telephone
01333 310567
07751 974615
WILLISON MOTORS QUEEN STREET
TAYPORT
Free collection & delivery service from local and
surrounding areas MOT Car Sales
Servicing & Repairs
MONDAY – FRIDAY
8am to 5.30pm
Thursday Late night until 8pm
Saturday 8am – 4pm – Sales MOT’s until 1pm
Tel: 01382 552720 www.willisonmotors.co.uk
12
Andy
Smith Painter &
Decorator
All aspects of interior and
exterior decoration
completed to a high
standard
Competitive prices and free
estimates
Balmullo 07768
527442
JOHN STEVEN
Plumbing and
heating
CORGI REGISTERED
3 Tarvit Court Cupar
Fife
Phone
01334 653922
13
YOUR MEMBER OF SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT
I was delighted, on the morning of 6 May 2011, to be elected as North East Fife’s MSP, at the fourth time standing in the constituency. The past 6 months have required a lot of hard work and long hours with several issues already becoming
potentially long term local matters including, but not limited to, the decision to close RAF Leuchars and the impact this
will have on the surrounding area.
Like so many things in life, it is rare for any issue to be resolved quickly. With regard to Leuchars it is important that
an announcement is made on the timetable for the army’s arrival soon to allow the community to properly plan for the
future.
Any sort of fallow period in undesirable, and I know how dismayed many people are at the slow progress being made in obtaining clarity as to the Army’s plans, coming on top of
the decision to close RAF Leuchars and the distress that has
caused the local community.
The past 6 months have been a steep learning curve. Getting to grips with the process of hiring staff and setting up a constituency office have taken time, let alone the question of
getting to grips with parliamentary procedure in the
Parliament as a new MSP.
As an MSP I am expected to be in Parliament for half of the week, but I or my office are always
contactable throughout the week.
Parliamentary work is important .in any democratic society. Committees occupy a considerable amount of time as well as debates and questions in the main chamber. As a member of the
Justice Committee, for example, I am currently involved in the passage of the controversial
Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Bill.
Constituency matters remain a priority however. This has been a difficult period for North East
Fife and there is no shortage of matters to engage the community.
In addition to the future of Leuchars, I am aware of continuing concerns regarding the withdrawal of dispensing facilities from the Balmullo surgery and continuing frustration regarding
the rollout of high speed broadband.
I would encourage you all however if you have an issue to get in touch with me ,be it by post,
email, phone or surgery visit. I am aware of the big issues in the area but I am also keen to help
with matters that are not so large scale, but are just as important to the individuals concerned.
North East Fife is a beautiful part of the country and is home to some wonderful people. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to represent you and I would hope to be able to meet as many of
you as possible in the coming months and years.
Roderick Campbell - M.S.P.
I can be contacted by the following means:
Phone: 01334 844971 (Cupar) 01313486524 (Edinburgh)
Email: [email protected]
Post: Unit F1 or The Scottish Parliament The Granary Business Centre Holyrood Coal Road Edinburgh
Cupar EH9 1SP KY15 5YQ
14
GARDENING CLUB Saturday 29th October saw the annual Leuchars and District Gardening and Crafts Club Autumn Flower Show which took place at the Burnside Hall. The flower show is one of the highlights of the
local gardening calendar, and this year was no exception with competitors from Angus, Stirling, Perthshire and Falkirk adding to the wealth of entries from across Fife. The show received particularly strong entries in the chrysanthemum sections, as well as in the inventiveness of the children’s exhibits, and the number and quality of the entries in the floral art sections. As always
the Club’s Committee would very much like to thank the support that all of the exhibitors and the
public give to this very colourful event.
Following that on 10th November the second talk of the Gardening Club's winter programme proved very popular, with a large turnout for an excellent talk by Mrs Coull on how to photograph nature. The next talk will get everyone in the mood for Christmas with an Evening of Floral Art
with Alyson Christie and Andy Smith. It will take place on 8th December at 7.30pm in the
Burnside Hall.
Please note in your diary the the AGM will be on Wednesday 23rd November at 7.00pm in the
Burnside Hall.
15
WANTED
I am looking for a responsible person over 20 who would be willing to do occasional child mind-ing for a 9 year old boy. I would also require help for a few hours on New Year’s Eve. Payment to be agreed. If you think you can help please call 07771357872. Thank you…. Pat
PLEASE SUPPORT MY EVENT
Name: Jackie Lorimer Invites you to: A fun night out including Xmas gifts, Beauty Treatments, Cake & Candy, Tombola, Raffle At; The Balmullo Inn On: Friday 2
nd December at 8pm
Raising funds in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care
PUT ON YOUR DANCING SHOES FOR CHRISTMAS………..
On Saturday 3rd December there is a Christmas Dance in Burnside Hall at 7pm for 7.30pm. There will be a Buffet and a Bar. Music is by the Gary Sutherland Band. Tickets are £18 and available from Mary on 838934.
16
FOR FIRST CLASS SUPPORT CALL MIKE
078 8865 6065
If your PC/Laptop/MAC/iPhone has a smashed
screen, is slow, has a virus, or just doesn’t work just how you would like it to,
then talk to us.
Over 30 years experience.
Fast, friendly & local We come to you!
17
THE GREAT WORLD WIDE WEB Mike Withers There are a few areas that I wanted to draw your attention to this month. I do come across quite a few PCs that have been ruined by “dodgy” and unsafe downloading practices. With that in mind,
what better way of getting the most out of the music web than listening to legitimate and free online music services! Obviously the BBC’s iPlayer and online Radio stations are a wonderful place to start. Go to www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer or www.bbc.co.uk/radio. But have you tried some lesser known alternatives to the BBC’s service? Try typing these addresses into your favourite
browser:- www.we7.com - www.jango.com - www.grooveshark.com - www.last.fm - And my personal favourite, www.spotify.com For more specific bands you can always try
www.myspace.com too.
Whilst you are looking for music you might come across the term “Codec” and wonder what on aarth is that? Well "Codec" is a technical name for "compression and decompression". It also stands for "compressor and decompressor" and "code/decode". This basically means the same
thing, a codec is a computer program that both shrinks large music or movie files, and makes them playable on your computer. Codec programs are required for your media player to play your downloaded music and movies. So with that in mind, make sure that your PC is ready and equipped to play these files. Go to http://www.cccp-project.net and download the pack. This will
give you most of the general codecs that are in the mainstream.
However, if you come across the term .flac then this doesn't refer to “taking flack” or anti aircraft guns but to super high quality music (lossless). FLAC compresses audio, but not in the same way
as MP3s because none of the original audio is removed. While these files are compressed, they provide the same quality as uncompressed audio. So for example, ripping CD audio to FLAC would provide much superior quality to MP3 and 1:1 parity with the original CD, but the resultant flac files would be much, much larger than MP3s. Full instructions on how to download and
install a flac codec are available from www.afterdawn.com/guides/archive/
how_to_play_flac_files.cfm#intermediatemethod
On a more sinister tack, recently there have been a spate of people that have been hit by bogus phone calls stating that their PC is running slowly. This virus phone scam is being run from call centres in India and unsuspecting Scots are being targeted by cold callers pretending to be from
Microsoft phoning to fix a fake computer problem.
The scam always starts the same way: the phone rings at someone's home, and the caller – usually with an Indian accent – asks for the householder, quoting their name and address before saying "I'm calling for Microsoft. We've had a report from your internet service provider of serious
virus problems from your computer."
Dire forecasts are made that if the problem is not solved, the computer will become unusable.
The puzzled owner is then directed to their computer, and asked to open a program called "Windows Event Viewer". Its contents are, to the average user, worrying: they look like a long list of errors, some labelled "critical". "Yes, that's it," says the caller. "Now let me guide you through
the steps to fixing it."
The computer owner is directed to a website and told to download a program that hands over remote control of the computer, and the caller "installs" various "fixes" for the problem. And then
it's time to pay a fee: £185 for a "subscription" to the "preventative service".
The only catch: there was never anything wrong with the computer, the caller is not working for
Microsoft or the internet service provider, and the owner has given a complete stranger access to
every piece of data on their machine.
An investigation by the Guardian has established that this scam, which has been going on quietly
since 2008 but has abruptly grown in scale this year, is being run from call centres based in Kolkata, by teams believed to have access to sales databases from computer and software companies. Often, the victims are inexperienced or elderly, convinced by the apparent authority of the callers and the worrying contents of the Event Viewer. In fact, such "errors" are not indicative
of any problems. Although people on dozens of web forums have recorded their experiences with the scammers, police and trading standards officers in the UK are powerless to stop them.
So please stay safe and hang up and ignore these bogus calls. - Mike
18
Angels Alternative Therapies
Prices from £15 to
£40 for 1hr
treatment
Concession/Student
Rates available
Workshops
Reiki at all levels
(Taught to suit the individual with Reiki Master Annmarie)
Stress Management
(Take control of stress and receive your own stress profile)
Treatments
Reiki Indian Head Massage Angel Readings Facials
Therapeutic Face and Hand Massage
Pamper Parties Angel Parties Bridal Packages
Email: [email protected]
01334 880584 or 07597 351310
Reiki Master
Annmarie
Local
Treatment
Room Mobile
Service
Available
YPR UPDATE: NOVEMBER 2011
We had a good turnout at our November meeting, which was held in Burnside Hall for the first time. Some of the items discussed were: Unfortunately we had to cancel the YPR Litter Pick on Saturday 5th November, however we have rescheduled to Saturday 3rd March. More information will appear nearer the time. We have joined forces with the MUGA committee during the funding process of our
shelter project. It has also been decided that one member of the YPR Group will attend the MUGA committee meetings. Currently we are looking into trying to get more young people to our meetings. We hope to do this through a variety of means, including the use of Plasma Screens at school and by having more posters within the village. We are still on Facebook (Balmullo YPR Group) and our new website (http://bypr.weebly.com) will be updated regularly. We hope to arrange for people to come along to our meetings in the New Year to speak to Young People about different topics. We hope to confirm this by our next meeting. Josh Martin and Alex Fyfe, our MSYPs, gave an update about their work so far, which is summarised in the article below. Our next meeting will be on Monday 12th December at 6.30pm in Burnside Hall. For those who were unable to make this months meeting, we will be looking at what primary and secondary school pupils, along with the adults of the village, would like from the YPR Group. I have also been asked to advertise that if any young people have experience in making home-made computer games, or would be interested in maybe developing a computer game based around Scottish History, please come along to this
meeting to find out more.
Cameron, Danielle & Lewis
SYP UPDATE
In October Alexander Fyfe attended the Scottish Youth Parliaments’ (SYP) AGM, which was hosted by North Ayrshire Council in Saltcoats. The weekend proved to be a great opportunity for some lively debate and gave SYPs a chance to consult with each other and to discuss important issues affecting Scotland’s future. Since June, the MSYPs have been working hard on their national project “Love Equality”, which aims to change the government stance on marriage and civil partnerships. The project has played a huge part in getting the Scottish Government to rethink the current system. As promised in both their manifestos, Alex and Josh are very keen to tackle the issue of ever growing bus fares for young people in North East Fife. They both agree that being in such a rural community, where many young people are dependent on public transport, the discounts offered are simply not enough. Alex and Josh have both contacted Stagecoach, the main public transport provider in North East Fife, with regards to the possibility of making public transport cheaper and fairer to young people. Plans have been put in place to start a Community Eco Programme to get young people (and adults) involved in eco projects throughout North East Fife. Along with teachers at Bell Baxter High School, Josh is piloting the scheme in conjunction with Cupar in
Bloom and the local Ranger Service. More information will be available soon. If you would like to find out more about any of the SYP projects, or would like to get involved in the Community Eco Programme, please contact either Josh ([email protected]) or Alex ([email protected]).
19
20
BOWLING CLUB DATES
Friday 9th
December – PRIZE BINGO eyes down 7.30pm. All welcome.
Sunday 11th
December – Bowling Club A.G.M. at 2.30pm.
Friday 16th
December – CHRISTMAS DANCE, Come along and enjoy the music by John Duncan. 8pm to late, Buffet £7. Phone Jim for details 870013.
Friday 13
th January – PRIZE BINGO eyes down 7.30pm. All welcome.
CUPLAHILLS FARM PLANNING APPROVAL S. Melville
At last we can breathe a sigh of relief as approval has been passed for our two farm diversification
projects. The projects that have been approved include:
Retrospective planning permission for 10 stables within traditional stone built cattle courts and
the creation of an outdoor arena
Planning permission for 4 eco lodges to provide accommodation for the tourist market
Both projects are part of the five year plan set out to turn the family farm into a sustainable
business.
To say that we have had problems achieving planning permission would be an understatement. The drawn out process was frustrating given the enormous amount of support we received from local businesses, the Community Council, Local Councillors and of course those that walk
through the woodland.
The difficulties arose not as an objection to the developments themselves by the planners, but because the two road entrances at Balmullo and Logie did not meet the strict visibility criteria laid
down by Fife Transportation Services. Thankfully with invaluable support from the Local Councillor’s (Maggie, Ron & Tim amongst others) common sense finally prevailed and both
projects were approved on 26th October by the Fife Planning Committee.
Approval has been granted for the creation of 4 eco lodges to be located next to Willie’s Wood. Access will be created by reinstating the old farm track which ceased to be used many years ago. Only a small area of poor agricultural land will be lost, but hopefully a very valuable and popular
accommodation facility will be developed. Only two lodges will be developed initially as these have been generously funded by the Scottish Government’s Rural Priorities Programme. Prior to any commitment a full financial appraisal of the project is required to determine that it is still a financially feasible project now that the economic climate has changed. Hopefully the lodges will
be ready for summer 2012...subject to any unforeseen circumstances!
The ethos of the lodges is that they will be designed with the environment in mind, well insulated with a heat exchange system, argon filled glass, pine clad, living sedum roofs with solar panels to
help to heat the water.
Retrospective planning approval for the stables and arena was an enormous relief. We have such a
friendly and helpful group of girls from the local area with horses resident at the stables it would
have been such a shame for them not to have been able to continue to use the facilities.
The 10 stables are in the heart of the steading and the arena is hidden away to the back of the
farm such that it is unobtrusive. The DIY facilities compliment the farm enormously and have enabled previously redundant buildings and land to be better utilised. The stables not only help to support Cuplahills, but result in a significant amount of trade for local businesses including vets,
blacksmiths, feed companies, the local Spar and Thai Teak amongst many others.
Time to buckle down now and try to get the projects moving and to provide what I anticipate will
be valuable assets to both the farm and the local community.
21
22
23
GARDEN BIRD FEEDING Andrew Falconer
The most important time for feeding Garden Birds is during winter and spring. While it is good to feed the birds all year round, there is usually plentiful natural food in summer and autumn with berries, seeds and insects. Colder weather and
especially frost or snow means that birds
depend more and more on our help.
There are now many retail outlets that stock bird food, including local garden centres and some hardware warehouses. Remember also that there are specialist bird food suppliers with on-line stores. If you shop on-line and can afford to buy in bulk (or share with friends), you will find costs cheaper overall. I can recommend good suppliers if you contact me. The main foods used are peanuts, fat balls, suet, mealworms and seed mixes, especially niger seed for Goldfinches. Husk-free seed mixes are available to reduce mess on your lawn or patio. It is also
better to use feeders tailored to the type of food, essential for niger seed, and again these can be selected and purchased online. Ground feeding is needed for blackbirds and thrushes and, as well as seed, they appreciate dried fruit like raisin and sultanas and ripe (or over-ripe) apples which should be halved. Remember always to provide water and watch for frost. Last year during the bad weather I used an ice-cream tub pushed into the snow, which was easy to replace each morning when frozen. Bad weather forces more birds to seek food in gardens and you may be lucky enough to see more unusual species. Last winter my
garden was visited by a pair of Bramblings for a few days. They are close relatives of and fairly similar to the much more common Chaffinches but have distinct orange and black colours.
24
Independent estate agent
Property letting and management
If you are thinking of
selling ~ letting ~ buying ~ renting
Then contact Ian Goddard on 01382 540451
Email: [email protected] Website: www.igpfife.co.uk
Your local estate agent
IAN GODDARD PROPERTIES
15 High Street + Newport-on-Tay
Fife DD6 8AB
25
DazLyn Motorshine
Mobile Valeting
We come to you whether it’s the Home Workplace or even the Golf Course, All water and electrics are on board our vehicle.
Cars Vans Caravans Conservatories
From a Mini Valet to a Full Showroom Finish including Sanitisation, Bacteria, and Virus Elimination system. (Certificate can be provided to confirm this treatment).
Gift Vouchers Available
Tel Daz on 07733 116631 www.dazlynmotorshinevaleting.co.uk
Find us on FACEBOOK and Yell.com
LEUCHARS QUALITY MEATS
24 Main Street, Leuchars
Quality Scotch Beef Pork : Chicken : Lamb
Also a selection of Steak Pies Individual Pies : Cold Meats : Eggs & Bacon
Orders will be made up on request for collection:
at 24 Main Street Leuchars KY16 0HN
Tel: 01334 839213
Email: [email protected]
26
27
28
Mobile Library
Every 2nd Monday
Lucklaw Road (2.00pm) &
Hayston Park (2.40pm)
Please use the Van as often as possible.
Collect your own eggs with a Hen Keeping
Starter Kit
Easyclean Plastic hen coops
starting from £170, hens, feed and health packs
All supplied locally with ongoing support
Hens-Made-Easy 01334 870637 / 07942004487
www.henkeepingfife.co.uk
KEVIN MALONEY
FOR ALL YOUR DECORATION NEEDS
01334 870241 OR 07941 545052
BALMULLO COMMUNITY NEEDS YOU
12th December - 7.30pm Burnside Hall
S. GUNBY ELECTRICAL
ALL TYPES OF ELECTRICAL WORK
UNDERTAKEN
Fast and Reliable Service
Call us on 07980 934516 or leave a message on 01334 657333
29
CHIC O’HARE DOMESTIC APPLIANCE REPAIRS
Over 35 years experience Prompt reliable service
NEWPORT-ON-TAY TEL 01382 541702
MOBILE 07802 538284
30
31
M B
C T
M B
C T
MARK BAYNE
CERAMIC TILING & PLASTERING
ALL ASPECTS OF FLOOR & WALL TILING UNDERTAKEN
Skim Coat Plastering
Tel: 01334 870565 Mob: 07821 086189
JOHNSTONE PLUMBING, HEATING & GAS SERVICES
Fast and reliable service
Emergency Call-Outs
MILLBANK, 28 SCHOOL ROAD, BALMULLO TEL/FAX: 01334 870691 MOB: 07966 937842
EMAIL: [email protected]
207782
Bill Donald Services Flooring Ltd
Out of this world!
E mail [email protected]
Phone 01334 870815
Mobile 0797 442 1236
Some say, on another planet... Cosmic!
