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Issue 17 email: [email protected] Spring/Summer 2016
Sponsored by Mintlaw Gala Committee
Issue 19 email: [email protected] Winter 2016
FREE!
I t’s nearly time again for the annual community carol singing, but this year we’ve decided to hold it in the hall, mainly because of how cold it becomes when you’re standing still, particularly for poor Gilbert on the
keyboard without whom it wouldn’t be the same! It will be at the same time, 3.00 pm, on Sunday 4th Decem-ber, but in the warmth of indoors. There will be the usual post-singing hospitality, mulled wine, mulled fruit cup, tea, coffee, juice, mince pies and shortbread so come along and join in singing the well loved carols and songs, helped out once more by the
choir from what is popularly known as the ‘Mormon’ church. Once more we’re grateful to the unsung heroes who give of their time to get the lights up and down and the tree erected - Keith and Jonny who brave the elements to go up in the cherrypicker, David Barron for the use of the cherrypicker, Eck, his driver, the ‘ground crew’ who transport the lights from storage to the lamp standards and the la-dies who make and serve the refreshments. June (McGruther) is also going to make toffee for sale and if she has the time, mini Christmas puddings - YUM! We haven’t yet decided which charity to rattle the buckets for, but there will be one! Last, but by no means least, thanks to the Davidsons of Auchtydonald who each year gift a tree to the community. Trees, as we all know, come in all different shapes and sizes, but each has its own natural beauty - thank you the Auchtydonalds. We can’t wait to see this year’s up and lit!
Sponsored by Mintlaw Gala Committee
CLAIK CONTACT DETAILS: Kath Allan, 01771 622424
Joan Whyte, 01771 622588
Myra McCredie, 01771 622517 [email protected] David Coull, 01771 623043 [email protected] Closing date for next issue: 15 February
Could this be our youngest reader? Young Erin McGruther, who was nine months at the time, is seen getting stuck into Mum’s edition of The Claik! What a wee cracker she is!
We hope you all like the new marble trough holding the crosses this year at the base of the War Memorial Its purchase was made possible by money from the Brighter Villages Initiative, a donation from Lodge Ugie 939 and the residue from the Community Council coffers. Thanks to CC member Hilda Keith who liaised with the stonemason.
Many communities nowa-days are providing defibril-lators for public use. So far in Mintlaw there are no plans to do this, but there is already one avail-able in Buchan Indoor Bowling Club at the bottom of South Street, which we are assured is available for
use by and in the community. It is said that modern day defibrillators are easy to use with little or no training required - some even talk users through the process! The Claik is sure this information will prove reas-suring to many in the community and in time more may become available. Watch this space!
A t last some good news for and about our beleaguered health centre - lately four different people have told Com-munity Council members that it is
now MUCH easier to get an appointment with a GP without waiting for weeks. Mrs Summers and her ‘front of the house’ staff have done their utmost over the past couple of years to cope with doctors retiring or moving on - and no applicants for the vacant posts. Inevitably this led to long waits to see a GP - and many complaints. Now, with the advent of Advanced Nurse Practitioners, locum support and our lady doctors coming back from mater-nity leave, things have improved greatly and the CC is certain this trend will continue.
M any people will have noticed by now that Buchan Saw and Tool Service at Mintlaw Station is under new ownership. Edward Tucker, a former pupil of Kininmonth School and Mintlaw Academy, and his
parents Richard and 'Mick' bought the saw sharpening and hardware business when the previous owners, Stuart and Esther Oliver, decided to retire. Edward had spent his work experience week in S4 with Stuart and then worked there during his year at College, learning how to sharpen the saw blades and chains and to repair machinery. Edward has always had a talent for making and mending things, and taking on the business was too good an opportunity to miss, but Stuart and Esther have been a hard act to follow! They, along with long-term friend and helper Rita Bruce, had so much knowledge and experience - and we've had so much to learn! Rita had previously worked with Dougie Sim in his hardware shop so her knowledge was incredible, and fortunately we've done a lot of DIY on our croft at Hythie over the last 23 years which helped! The variety of things that we sell amazes even us: from plumbing to watch batteries and chain saws, with walking stick ends and toastie bags somewhere in between! So it has sometimes been hard to find things, especially some of the more obscure items, but we think we know where most things are hidden now. We'd like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding so far, especially when we've made the odd mistake! We look forward to providing a service to the local community and hopefully saving you a trip elsewhere for those unusual items. Come and say “hello” if you haven't done so already.
Final call for new Chairperson for Mintlaw Gala!
The Mintlaw Gala AGM was held on Friday 21
st October at which donations were pre-
sented to numerous local groups. Due to the success of Mintlaw Gala 2016, the Committee was in a position to distribute a whopping £10,000 back into the community. The three schools and both sheltered accommodations have all benefitted this year, amongst many others. It has been public
knowledge for a year now the current Chair was unable to commit to the role for a third term due to other commitments, but unfortunately at the meeting a replacement couldn’t be elected. It was decided to extend the deadline further to allow anyone interested in taking on the role to come forward to save widespread disappointment at there being no Mintlaw Gala 2017. There will be a meeting on Thursday 24
th Novem-
ber, 7:30pm, Garret Lounge where all are welcome. Should no-one come forward and be elected by the current Commit-tee at this point it will be with sad hearts that we have to con-firm that there will be no Mintlaw Gala in 2017.
The Gala weekend is a highlight in many people’s year and we know its absence will disappoint, which is why we are making this last plea for someone to come forward to take on the role. The rest of the Committee (18 strong at present) has a long history of bringing the Gala to the well-established event it is now, so your role will be to follow the existing timeline of things to be done, leading the meetings (held monthly from November until April and then weekly in the lead up to the Gala in June) and to enjoy being part of a dedicated and friendly group of people who give their time
and energy to making this event happen year after year. If you would like more information before putting yourself forward, please do not hesitate to contact [email protected], the Mintlaw Gala Facebook Page or 07792695670. Claik comment - it was remarked by an ‘ex-pat’ on Face-book recently that the population of Mintlaw is nearing 3,000 (2797 in 2016 ) and out of that there is NO-ONE will-ing to take on the role!
It really would be a shame for the community, not to mention the loss of revenue to the retailers the gala brings in, if there was no event in 2017. So, if you either think YOU can do it or you know someone who can, make Jemma the happiest bride-to-be ever and get in touch!
Buchan Dial-a-Community Bus (DACB) is a growing social enterprise in North East Ab-erdeenshire, has recently received a gener-ous donation of £27,573 from the Asda Foundation which will en-able the charity to purchase a brand new bus1!
Originally operated as a weekly service using a borrowed social work minibus driven by off-duty police officers in the 1990’s, DACB has since evolved into a major transport provider in the Buchan area. The application to the Asda Foundation by Dial a Com-munity Bus was supported by store colleagues at the Asda store at Longside Road in Peter-head.
The donation will enable us to purchase a brand new bus which will be available to all areas of Buchan and the surrounding community. The bus will join the rest of the charity’s fleet offering affordable and accessible transport services; providing safe, reliable transport for elderly resi-dents in sheltered housing, such as Crossroads, so they can get out and about in the local community, and also act as a backup vehicle for the group’s shopping service which enables groups of elderly, disabled and excluded people from rural areas to get to Asda and other su-permarkets with ease. The bus will also be added to the group’s T4U on-demand responsive service which transports clients to health centre, job interviews, schools and other important emergency and routine appointments.
To find out more about the Asda Foundation, or eligibility for submitting a funding application,
please contact the Community Champion at your local Asda store, or go to: http://
charities.asda.com/asda-foundation/
DAB Plus Driver Training Courses for 2017 DAB Plus have set the following dates for MiDAS Refresher Courses for 2017. These dates coincide with the quarterly expiry dates for MiDAS certifi-cates. There is a ‘built in’ leeway for certificate renewal of 3 months, so please ensure you get yourself onto a course no later than the quarter after the expiry date of your current certificate. If your certificate is due to expire, give us a call and we can get you signed up for a course. Wednesday and Thursday 18 & 19 January. Wednesday and Thursday 19 & 20 April. Wednesday and Thursday 19 & 20 July. Wednesday and Thursday 11 & 12 October.
Interested in undertaking the nationally recognised MiDAS (Minibus Driver Aware-ness Scheme training? Raise your awareness of the responsibilities and legal requirements which you must adhere to when driving a minibus. Carry vulnerable passengers? People who travel in wheelchairs? Add the accessible module to your training so you know how to transport vulnerable passengers safely. DAB Plus Driver Training have set the following dates for INDUCTION training in
2017: Tuesday and Wednesday 14 & 15 February. Wednesday and Thursday 24 & 25 May. Tuesday and Wednesday 1 & 2 August. Wednesday and Thursday 8 & 9 November.
N eed to get your CPC training hours done? DAB Plus Driver Training can assist. We have set the following dates for CPC training courses in 2017. We currently have a 7-hour course registered covering Driv-ing the School Bus and Out in 3 Emergency Fire Evacuation. We
will also have an Emergency First Aid Course registered by spring 2017. Dates set are:
EVENING COURSE SATURDAY COURSE Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 January Saturday 25 March 18.00 – 21.30 09.00 – 16.30 Driving the School Bus/Out in 3 1st Aid DAY COURSE EVENING COURSE Thursday 15 June Wednesday 13 & Thursday 14 September 09.00 – 16.30 18.00 – 21.30 Driving the School Bus/Out in 3 1st Aid DAY COURSE Thursday 7 December 09.00 – 16.30 Driving the School Bus/Out in 3 - Please contact us for more information or to book a place on any of the courses.
It was a proud moment when the older Cubs officially moved up to Scouts in September and we now have an active Scout Troup and Cub Pack working
well together in the Mintlaw area. The Group is well into the new term and work-ing on the My World Challenge Badge which explores the Law and the Promise, the Environ-ment and Other Countries. What fun the group had in our Indian Theme Night and our spooky Halloween Party. We have loads to look forward to as we present the "1st Ugie’s Got Talent Show" to the commu-nity at Christmas.
We attended the service of Remembrance, something we were so proud to do, but the highlight of the year was the amazing camp at Aden to celebrate 100 years of Cub Scouts. With over 700 cubs in attendance it was quite a hectic weekend with so much to enjoy and par-ticipate in! The cubs have a special party to look forward to in December to celebrate the actual day 100 years ago the fun all started. If you have been watching the news, Scouting and Guiding provides a "Mental Health Boost for Life" developing skills such as self-reliance and teamwork, being active outdoors, may have lifelong benefits. If that's not a reason for getting involved then what is?!!!!
Did you know......................?
M ost of us are aware of the controversy
surrounding the new coaches on the
Fraserburgh/Mintlaw/Aberdeen routes
and also the fact there are only two
seats on the lower deck available for mobility im-
paired passengers.
At a recent Bus Forum held in Mintlaw, William
Mainus on behalf of Stagecoach, advised that if
such a passenger is unable to board a Buchan Ex-
press coach because the seats on the lower deck
are occupied, the intending passenger(s) should
speak to the driver and if a solution can’t be found
provide contact details to the driver before booking a
taxi for onward travel, retaining the receipt for a re-
fund claim.
Mr Mainus also confirm that meetings between
Stagecoach and the coach manufacturers have
been held to discuss the possibility of realigning the
steps, fitting additional bell pushes and grab rails
and improving passenger safety around the toilet
area - the latter having already been done. Each
vehicle will be removed from the fleet for one week
to allow the remaining work to be done.
Mr Mainus stressed that the vehicles complied
with current legislation and that since introduc-
tion of the new coaches passenger numbers,
including concession travellers, had risen.
Councillor Ingram queried the timescale for completion of the modifications - over 15 weeks he was told. Councillor Ingram feels that con-cerns will continue, especially with regard to the stairwells even once the changes have been implemented.
Have you ever wondered how to go about
reporting a faulty street light or a pothole?
Are you looking for a new job or needing to
pay your council tax? Do you know how to
access bus timetables if you’re not actually
standing at the bus stop?
Then why not have a look at the Council
website: aberdeenshire.gov.uk where all
will be revealed!
The Buchan Heritage Society will be holding its annual Burns Supper in the Ban-Car Hotel, Lonmay on Friday 13th January when the Immortal Memory will be given by Mr Keith Hendry. Tickets, priced £16.50 for members and £17.50 for non-members, can be obtained from Marlene Lowe - 01771 637344. This is guaranteed to be a very enjoyable evening with good company, good food, good music and great speak-ers! Our Open Evening is to be held in Longside Parish Church on Wednesday 15th February at 7.30 pm, so if you can sing, recite, dance or play you are warmly invited to contribute to the evening’s entertainment. All very welcome! At our March meeting, Wednesday 15th, we will welcome Mrs G’s Accordian Band and Friends in Longside Parish Church hall at the usual time of 7.30 pm - again all very welcome. Our April meeting, again in Longside Parish Church hall, will see us welcome Mr Gordon Casely who will take us on a virtual tour of Mull, Staffa and Iona accompanied by music from Mr Paul Anderson. All welcome.
Deer Parish Church
O n Sunday 20 November we celebrate ‘Christ the King.’ This marks the end of the Church year and we then begin a new Church year on the first Sunday of Advent which, this year, falls on 27 November.
Advent is our season of preparation for our celebration of the coming of the Christ Child on Christmas Day. It helps to make Christmas Day a very special day if we balance all our shopping for presents, writing of cards, preparing of food and going to par-ties with taking time during December to think about how won-derful it is that God chose to come and live as a human being just like us, experiencing all that we experience from our very first breath as babies to the maturity of our adulthood, and all because he loves each one of us so much that he wants to make it possible for us to know him right where we are in life and to know that he understands all our feelings, all our worries and all our
joys. We look forward to seeing you at our Advent and Christmas Services and events: Tuesday 6 December: Messy Church at the Kemp Hall, Old Deer from 3.30pm to 5.30pm for children and their parents, guardians or carers is a time of crafts and games, food and story-telling. If you would like to join in the fun, you can find out more
by contacting Elizabeth Dalgarno on 01771 623370.
Sunday 11 December: Advent Worship at Fetterangus Church at 4.00 pm. Sunday 18 December: Children’s Church Christingle Ser-vice at Deer Parish Church, Old Deer at 10.30am. Wednesday 21 December: Pitfour Primary School’s end of term service at Deer Parish Church, Old Deer at 1.45pm. Christmas Eve: Watchnight Service at Deer Parish Church, Old Deer at 11.00 pm
Christmas Day: Family Service at Deer Parish Church, Old Deer at 10.30am.
C h u r c h N
What an amazing turnout for Mintlaw’s own remembrance service! On behalf of the Community Council thank you all for being there - it’s certainly the largest crowd we’ve experienced for many’s a year. Perhaps the picture opposite sums it up best - the oldest and the youngest. 91 year-old Peter Davies and Tyler, who has been a soldier for 4½ years and Craig who passed out just days ago. Lest we forget...................
CENTRAL BUCHAN RHEUMATIC GROUP ........... meets every third Thursday of the month in Mintlaw Public Hall at 7.00 pm. The programme is really interesting and a warm invitation is extended to everyone, not only to rheumatic/arthritis sufferers, who would like to come along and join us. Programme 16 February Talk by Tommy Robertson and Catherine Stuart on their Kilimanjaro experience 16 March Entertainment by singer Raymond Mack 20 April AGM followed by a talk on wine making by Wattie Gill
13 May Coffee Morning - 10.00 am - 12 noon
18 May Musical Evening featuring Liz and John Slaven, Longside
BAIN ESTATE, PIGGERY SMELLS SURVEY
I welcome the opportunity to extend my ap-preciation to all those residents in the Bain estate area of Mintlaw who responded to my recent survey intended to gauge the impact the smell originating from Baluss Farm has had on the everyday lives of those living closest to the farm. The survey covered the main pointers as de-tailed in the DEFRA (Department for Envi-ronment Food and Rural Affairs) “Odour Guidance for Local Authorities”, which is in-tended to clarify the workings of the Environ-mental Protection Act 1990. The survey was issued to a total of 392 resi-dents recorded on the Electoral register, and produced responses from 262 (66.8%). Top of the list of concerns (251) complained of having to keep their doors and windows closed at all times, followed closely by 238 indicating that visitors to their homes com-plained about the smell.
The third highest number complained about their inability to enjoy their gardens or share barbecues with family and friends. The findings confirm that the adverse conditions existing are of an unacceptable level, which have been tolerated in silence by the many, in the expectation that an amicable solution could have been found; however, after four years without respite the patience of the majority is clearly reaching breaking point, where the most common comment being repeated is
“WHY ARE WE REQUIRED TO LIVE LIKE THIS?” indicating a final solution is desperately overdue. The results of the survey are shown on the facing page. Councillor Jim Ingram
Cllr Jim Ingram Glenfruin 18 Quarry Road Mintlaw AB42 5FB
Total Issued – 392
Total Returned – 262
% Returned – 66.8%
OVER RECENT MONTHS YES NO ???
Have you experienced unpleasant odours
237
4
Would you describe them as Mild Moderate Extreme
16
2
48
2
212
2
Duration of smells Up to 20 Minutes. 20 to 60 Minutes. 1 Hour Plus
11
2
40
2
212
2
Has your living conditions been affected at any time
209
36
Have you found it necessary to keep doors/windows closed
251
12
Have your found it affected your outdoor activities
210
45
Did visitors to your home find it unpleasant
238
20
Do you think the value of your property has been affected
193
28
24
Has your health been affected in any way
70
151
13
Please add any personal comments; attach a separate sheet if required.
Thank you for your assistance
Laundry & Washing adversely affected
72
Homes invaded with FLIES
45
Assorted other comments
57
S ince the last update about the Village Hall and the playing field there have been a number of develop-ments which, mainly, users need to be aware of. Our Hall Keeper for as long as I can remember, Char-
lie Simpson, has decided to hang up his keys , and at the last EGM a number of new trustees were appointed along with the new Hall Keeper. The main changes are:
Chair – David Coull – [email protected] Secretary – Joan Whyte – [email protected] Treasurer – Sarah Wilken – [email protected] Hall Keeper and contact for lets – Allison Shewan – 01771 624267
Also, watch out for our new website www.mintlawhallandparks.scot which will contain details about the hall including cost of lets etc. Due to continued use, the locks are becoming a little difficult and so we are going to replace these. This means regular users will need new keys – watch out for details of how to swap your keys for new ones. You should be contacted directly but if we miss you then keep an eye on our website for details of a meeting early in the new year to which all users are invited. We are also looking for representatives from each group to join the committee. Please get in touch with one of the trustees named above with details of your representative. The playing field is also in line for some changes. Over the past year we have had quite a bit of van-dalism here, with cars being driven over the football pitch as well as parking on the grass. To try to stop this we are going to erect bollards around the car park along with a gate. Hopefully this will have been completed before you read this. Also at the Park we have problems with irresponsible dog owners who allow their pets to foul the grass area. We cannot patrol the park at all hours so if you see any owners you know being anti so-cial then please report them to any of the trustees and we will take the necessary steps. Just for information, the following is important to know: Dog faeces can be hosts for Toxocariasis which causes serious illness - even blindness. It is caused by a parasite which lives in dogs’ digestive systems. Eggs are released in the faeces of infected animals and contaminate the soil. If someone ingests infected material, the eggs may hatch into larvae and can lead to toxocariasis. What child hasn’t dropped a sweet and picked it up - followed by popping it into their mouths? As the park is a very popular place with children you can understand why we wish to eradicate the problem, so as part of the drive to educate dog owners we are installing a ‘dog poo’ bin bag facility. There will be a free supply of doggie bags to pick up what is left behind by your pet and these bags can be deposited in any refuse bin in the park so please help us to keep the area clean for children of all ages to play safely in. Finally, the park generates no revenue towards its upkeep, so we have to rely on donations or good-will of local companies to try to keep the car park in a useable state. We do realise that mainly we provide a free ‘Park and Ride’ facility, but despite putting notices on the windscreens of cars asking for a donation to cover the costs, we have only ever received one! If you know any of the drivers, please ask them to support us if you can. We will be setting up a PAYPAL account which people can use to donate whatever they wish – even £1 per week will help. Donations will be acknowledged on our website. KP Plant of Maud, 07733113158 or 07876280147, deserve a special mention as they have helped us with resurfacing the car park free - thank you!
A reminder for all our members: Date for your diaries: Members’ Christmas party booking reminder:
FRIDAY 25TH
NOVEMBER IN SMALL HALL
9.30 am - 11.00 am
CHRISTMAS PARTY - Buchan Indoor Bowling
Club
on
WEDNESDAY 14TH
DECEMBER
The Friday Shoppie lost one of its stalwarts on 18th September. Nessie, aged 92, was a quiet, unassuming lady who gave over 20 years service to the Friday Shoppie. She frequently said that the Shoppie was the highlight of her week and despite her age she had no plans to retire. Sadly ill health took its toll and Nessie had to give up her last job, one that she loved so much. The Shoppie has distributed well over £100.000 to local organisa-tions over the years and it’s a credit to Nessie and her fellow senior citizen colleagues that this has been achieved. Nessie will be sorely missed by many, but she has left all who knew her with so
many treasured memories.
From July 2015 – July 2016 donations have been made by the Friday Shoppie to the following groups:
MINTLAW PUBLIC HALL & MINTLAW SENIOR CITIZENS CLUB receive £250 or £300 each quarter.
MINTLAW COMMUNITY COUNCIL - £500
MINTLAW BOYS CLUB - £400
BUCHAN CHILDMINDERS - £300
£200 TO EACH OF THE FOLLOWING: - THE RAMBLERS, MINTLAW ACADEMY, MINTLAW BB’S, 1ST UGIE CUBS, RHEUMATIC GROUP.
£100 – CHRISTMAS LIGHTS FUND
£100 – TEENY TOTS
Thank you and well done to all the FRIDAY SHOPPIE volunteers. PLEASE SUPPORT THE FRIDAY SHOPPIE IN THE SMALL HALL - OPEN FROM 8.30 –11.30 am
MINTLAW SENIOR CITIZENS CLUB We are delighted to re-
port that our Coffee
Morning held on 1st Oc-
tober raised £921.
We wish to thank all
those who contributed
and came along to support this very success-
ful event. All efforts were greatly appreciated
especially as there were many fund raising
events on that weekend.
What’s happening at Mintlaw Group Practice?
W e are now signed up for Vision Online Services, which includes an appointment cancellation service and repeat prescription ordering. Please call into the surgery to collect a VOS registration form. (Appointment booking will come at a later date). This service is beginning to get popular with our patients.
Dr Macfarlane will be returning from maternity leave at the end of November and Dr Laing in mid February. We will continue to have some additional Locum support until their return. Please also note that the administration staff will continue to triage on-the-day appointment re-quests. This is not them being ‘nosey’, it’s is to ensure that you are dealt with by the most appropriate clinician. Please bear in mind they are only trying to help you. We are currently in the process of setting up text reminders for clinic appointment recalls and text reminders for appointments are to follow. Could you please check with the practice that we have your correct mobile number. The Flu Season is fast, approaching; we had a good uptake for the flu clinics throughout Octo-ber, but would like to ask all eligible patients who are still to have the flu vaccination to contact the surgery to either book their appointment or to advise that they wish to decline the vaccina-tion. Please don’t wait for a phone call! A DNA is someone who Did Not Attend a GP/Nurses appointment and did not advise us in plenty of time before hand. The GP or Nurse was ready, but the patient was a DNA. The numbers have continued to be high with both GPs and Nurses over the last quarter – there was a significant increase for the nurses in October due to the additional surgeries that were added to cater for flu vaccinations, so,
Can you please remember to call the surgery to cancel any appointments you may no longer need -
01771 624070 We would also like to thank the patients of Mintlaw Group Practice for their ongoing support. Thank you Mintlaw Group Practice
The Mintlaw Cancer Self support Group celebrates its 10th anniversary this coming year. We thank the Mintlaw Gala committee for their generous donation which will help us to con-tinue supporting people and their families through the cancer journey. We meet in the Macbi centre every month and for further information please contact Christine Moir on: 07930530759
Santa’s Grotto will be open in MACBI on Saturday 3rd December and Saturday 17th December from 10.00 - 1.30 am, so come along to meet Santa and give him your Christmas letter! Entry is £3 per child, £2 for under 12 months, which in-cludes a gift from Santa. Book your slot now to avoid disappointment - 01771 624593!
T here was great excitement at Mintlaw Primary recently when the children wel-comed Team GB swimmer Caitlin McClatchey.
Caitlin led a sponsored fitness circuit with all pu-pils in Primary 1-7 and followed up with a talk and question and answer session - the afternoon was a huge success between the atmosphere and the children’s excitement!
The event aim was to inspire our children to take up sport generally and, just as impor-tantly, encourage them to discover, then pursue, their passion in life.
Much of the money raised will be used to buy sports equipment for the school while also supporting GB athletes, including the Paralympians.
P itfour School Eco Group The Eco Group was awarded the Joint Runner Up prize in the
Buchan in Bloom competition. The group is always hard at work tidying up the flower beds, litter picking and planting bulbs to make the school look welcoming. A big thank you for all their effort and to Mrs McCredie for all the time she gives helping the group. The school is taking part in Switch Off Fortnight between the 14
th - 28
th November in or-
der to reduce electricity costs in the school. They are being encouraged to turn off lights
when not in use, keep doors closed to keep in the heat and to switch off the Smart Boards
when they are not being used. Good luck Pit-
four School!
Last term both nursery classes donated items for Harvest Thanksgiving. Pitfour 1 went to visit the residents of Burn-
side Court. We took Harvest gifts for all the
residents and sang them some of our songs.
Pitfour 2 put together a Harvest Hamper. Some of
the children delivered the Hamper to the residents of
Abbey Court. They were delighted to receive it and
to see the children.
Welcome to the new Primary 1
class! We have had a very busy
few months in P1 and are enjoying
school. We have been celebrating
the 15th anniversary of ‘Room on
the Broom’ and have taken part in
various activities. We had a crime
scene to investigate when some-
thing mysterious crashed into Pit-
four School one lunchtime. It was
the witch! We made pumpkin soup,
magic wands, potions and choco-
late witch’s hats. We had a party
for the witch and dressed up as a
character from ‘Room on the Broom.’
Pitfour Primary Class 3/4 This term we have been looking at "Our Community" as our topic. The pupils have been doing lots of things to increase their knowledge of Mintlaw and its surroundings as well as becoming more familiar with the parts they already knew. We have been doing a lot of work with maps, for example the class have mapped out their own streets and decorated them with very good accuracy. In addition to this they have been doing lots of writing pieces to create stories set in real life Mintlaw, but with a twist. The titles varied from 'The Day a Superhero Came to Mintlaw' to 'The Day Mintlaw Became a Lego Town'. There are some very talented authors in this class! As a homework piece, the class interviewed family members for any stories of Mintlaw in days gone by. The class got thoroughly into this and some very exciting tales were brought into the classroom. Lastly, everyone produced some masterpieces of some of the views of Mintlaw as we see it from the school. Equipped with pencil, paper and clipboards the class sat on the grass outside and let their in-ner Van Goghs get to work
P6/7
Pupils from Primary 6/7 at Pitfour
enjoyed a day out to Abbey Court
to help them with their sports day.
The children enjoyed helping the
residents take part in all their activi-
P6/7 have been using the outdoor gym at
Aden every week to help them build core
strength and use muscles they wouldn’t
usually. They have been enjoying watch-
ing to the trees change colour on their
weekly walk there and are enjoying using
this fabulous resource in the local com-
munity.
P6/7 were recently invited to take part
in the Haddo Arts Festival. They en-
joyed a super music session involving
percussion instruments. They com-
posed their own piece of music as a
class and sounded like a real band
within an hour! They enjoyed making a
piece of art using only natural resources
found in the woods around Haddo.
Parents’ Conference
M intlaw Academy’s annual Parents’ Conference has had a second suc-cessful year engaging with the parents of the Mintlaw school commu-nity. On 17th November from 5.30pm until 8.30pm, parents of current and prospective pupils from cluster primaries were invited to come
along and find out more about how the Academy is working to ensure our young people are successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens. Parents a chance to come in and enjoy interactive displays from our Technology
department, exhibitions from our Art department, as well as performances from the Drama department. Visitors then attended a key note speech from Acting Head Teacher Mrs Linda Duthie, followed by the opportunity to attend up to three workshops of their choice on topics such as: study skills, SQA quali-fications, internet safety, our links with NESCOL, ICT in the classroom, teenage mental health, wider achievement, Developing the Young Workforce and many more before having the opportunity to chat to teachers and school partners on the rich variety of opportunities available to young people at the Academy. Parents were also able to access informative displays on how to support learning at home, speak to members of our Parent Teacher Council and find out any information they needed to know about Mintlaw Aademy
Happy Café Business Enterprise
The Happy Café Enterprise project is part of the Wider Achieve-ment Programme for S5/6 pupils. Pupils can gain a Saltire Volunteer-ing Award as well as an insight into running a business and develop-ing very useful employability skills. Jobs include project manager, ac-countant, waitress, chef, supervisor and many more. Roles are inter-changeable so that pupils have the opportunity to develop a wide skill set. There are two teams within the Happy Café Enterprise. The first team provides a bacon butty service and bakes for the café alternate weeks. The second team runs the café. The team hopes to open up the café to members of the community in the near future.
Katies ‘Pop Up’ Soup Kitchen
On Monday 19th September Katie, a 5th Year pu-
pil, held a soup kitchen and invited staff to lunch. On the menu was potato soup and cour-gette soup made with vegetables and herbs grown in the school courtyard garden. Other groups of pupils from S1 and S3 helped to make the soup and to serve as ‘quality control’. Katie was joined by two other 5
th year pupils who
helped set up her tables complete with café style cloths and flowers. Lunch was free but the many donations given resulted in her raising £47.97. Katie is donating the proceeds to ‘Uganda Aid Person to Person’ which supports pupils at Bunono School, Uganda. The ASL department have been supporting this charity over the last 12 months and already donated over £200.
Well done Katie!
Photography Success
Fifth Year pupils Lauren Maclean
and Craig Gillanders recently won
2nd and 3rd prize respectively in the pho-
tography section of the Visual Art Exhibition
and Competition held at Kemp Hall, Old
Deer. Other pupils who also submitted their
work were complimented on the high stan-
dard of their photographs. Our thanks go to
Mrs Heather Reid and Mr Derek Jennings.
Photo shows Craig Gillanders and
Lauren MacLean display their winning photographs with a very proud Mrs Richards.
Making A Difference Group The Making A Difference group have just completed a 125ft abseil at Longhaven Quarry to raise funds for CHAS (Children’s Hospice Association Scotland). This is the 3rd activity that the girls have taken part in to raise funds for the charity. With their successful coffee morning, P7 disco and abseil they will have raised in excess of £1000. The group recently visited the hospice, Rachel House, in Kinross, where they got to see exactly what their fundraising would do to support the lives of the young people and their families.
Claik Comment: OMG - or words to that effect! Ladies - we salute you!
Euan Thoirs – Basketball
Euan Thoirs played for Scotland U15’s in all 7 matches on the way to them winning the gold medal match 17-8 against East Midlands, and also scored in the semi-final against a very good North West team who had previously won a close game against Scotland in the group stages. Eleven teams took part from all over Britain and Ireland, and some of team GB’s Paralympic wheelchair basketball team pre-sented the medals! Euan’s selection started way back at the beginning of the year, where he had to attend trials in Bathgate in April, and three further training sessions in Livingstone He played in the regional finals in Stirling in June for Grampian / Highlands where they came a respectable 4th. Euan continues his wheelchair basketball every Monday and Wednesday evenings in Aberdeen where he trains and plays for the Grampian Flyers.
Congratulations Euan! READY, STEADY, SURF Have you ever thought to yourself “I wish I knew how to work computers and use the internet?” Well, today is your lucky day. Mintlaw Academy students will be offering sessions to help the older gen-eration learn valuable, practical computer skills. The sessions will run at Mintlaw library 09:15-10:15 on Fridays beginning in the new year. A meet and greet session is planned for the middle of December where we will get to know each other, discuss the project and find out what people want to learn. We are running these free session to contribute to the community and break down intergenerational barriers. If you would like more information, please contact Mrs Skinner, Network Librarian at Mintlaw Acad-emy. Tel: 01771 622994, or email [email protected]
REMEMBRANCE MEMORIES 2016
What have the intrepid Ramblers been up to lately..............?
Are you over 50 and interested in walking for whatever reason -
health, fitness, company, environment - then why not join the Mint-
law 50+ Walkers?
We meet every second Wednesday at 9.00 am at Mintlaw Academy,
and our next walk will be on 23rd November. We offer two walks each
time, averaging about 4 miles for the short walk and 7 for the long
walk. The cost is £6 when travelling by bus or £4 when using cars
and there is an annual subscription of £20. If you want to give it a go just come along and join us.
Contact David on 01771 622124 or Sheila on 01771613677, or visit our FaceBook page for more infor-mation Since the last Claik we’ve done a couple of walks the first one in Huntly, through the Square, and on through the archway of the Simpson Building to Huntly Castle, formerly the seat of the famed Gordons of Huntly. Onwards and upwards along the wooded drive to the Huntly Castle Hotel. Formerly Huntly Lodge, it was here 1787 the 75th Regiment, the forerunner of the 1st battalion Gordon Highlanders was raised for service in the far east. We continued on along the hotel drive until we reached the Huntly – Portsoy road, then joined the Jubilee Footpath back to the town. On September 7th our walk was in Inverbervie, along the coastal track from Bervie to Mill of Ben-holm in beautiful sunshine stopping for a wee breather in Gourdon, where we learned a little about the “Maggie Law Museum.’ On again to our destination and after a “sair climm” up a steep hill we arrived at the Mill to be re-united with both our coach and the short walkers . All aboard again, we travelled back to Bervie sea-front for lunch al-fresco and use of the services at the Community Centre. We were also able to learn a little history about the town and her famous son, Hercules Linton, designer of the Cutty Sark. Another hugely enjoyable day - great walk, great fun and great company! Come and join us!
I f you fancy a game of indoor bowls why not come along to Mintlaw Public Hall’s large hall on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays between 7.00 and 9.00 pm?
Last session for 2016 is 15th December and the club restarts again on 5th January 2017. New and old members
will be most welcome -
for more details phone
Gordon Skene on
Kim Little is once more
playing football back here
in the UK.
She has re-signed for Arse-
nal Ladies on a long-term
contract after distinguishing herself both during
her time with Seattle Reign and whilst on loan to
Australian side, Melbourne City - well done and
welcome back Kim!
Do you ever look at cyclists out in the winter and
wonder about their sanity? Well, that’s not what we
should be worrying about - it’s their safety.
If you are a cyclist, or the parent of one, it’s really
important come winter with it’s short, often dull/dark
days, and long nights that all bikes are fitted with
lights. So many pointless, sometimes fatal, acci-
dents could be avoided for just a few pounds spent
on having them fitted - don’t let YOUR child, or your-
self, become a cycling statistic this winter.
It’s that time of year again, yes winter has begun When we’re plunged into darkness, with very little sun So when you are out on your bike, be safe and be seen Wear bright colours - and give your lights a
clean!
M intlaw Boys’ Club has had another busy year playing in the Aberdeen & District Juve-nile FA fixtures. After the ad-dition of the new P1’s after the October break, we now
have approximately 170 boys and girls training with us! P1-3 age play 4v4, P4’s play 5v5, p5-7 play 7v7 and Academy age play 11-aside.
Although the club’s growth has been fantastic over the years. It can be challenging to find pitches/training facilities for everyone, Thankfully MACBI has been very accommodating in helping fit in our sessions on the Astro-turf.
We also extremely grateful for the continued, unwavering, financial support from Linda and Colin Nicol in the Garret Bar, the Friday Shoppie Team, the Gala Committee and most recently, Jim Urquhart of Urquhart Furnishings who donated jackets for our 2004 team.
.
The 2016 NESFA has come to an end, with Mintlaw FC’s league campaign petering out to-wards the end of the season, ending up fifth. The Cup games came to agonising conclusions. In the Soccerworld Cup, MFC were beaten by Bellslea 3-2 in the final watched by around 300 spectators. The game could have gone either way with Mintlaw striking the woodwork on numerous occasions only to find the Bellslea keeper in top form. In the Highland Cup, MFC lost out on a penalty shootout at the semi-final stage to the eventual Cup Winners FC Fochabers, after having drawing 2-2 after extra time. MFC would like to thank:
Colin and Linda at the Garret Bar for their support and after match hospitality; also for sponsoring our home strip. Derek Ritchie of Costcutter, Mintlaw for sponsoring our away strip. Myra McCredie for laundering the kits over the 2016 season. The 2017 season will not kick off in earnest until the start of April, but
the team are on the lookout for new players to bolster the squad num-
bers. If interested then please contact Chris Wallace on 077787127619
for further details.
