Welcome to the web edition of our community newsletter.

Unfortunately, due to printing problems, this months issue has not met our target circulation of reaching every home in the town.

We have re-applied for a grant from the wind farm trust fund administered by the local community council, and hopefully we will be successful in the next round of allocations to enable us to purchase a suitable printer.

In the meantime this web edition gives you the opportunity to read the March issue.

NutshellIssue 3 - March 2009

Inveraray Community NewsletterOn-line edition

NutshellIssue 3 - March 2010 Inveraray Community Newsletter

Mothering Sunday Service at 11.15am. Sport Relief Mile - 2:00pm - Inveraray, Furnace and Minard Primary Schools join together to complete a mile long jog/walk for Sport Relief in the Castle grounds. Curry and Quiz night in the George Hotel at 6.30pm. Senior Citizens Wednesday Club - Club Members End of Season High Tea [Venue to be arranged] Eco Extravaganza! - 1:30pm - Inveraray Primary School celebration of gaining permanent Eco School status. All pupils, past pupils, their families and community members are invited to come into school and help us celebrate. Stated Annual Meeting with a Ceilidh at 7.30pm. in the Church Hall. All are welcome. Palm Sunday Service at 11.15am. Holy Week - the Church will be open during the day and all are invited to experience peace and quiet in the church as we prepare for Good Friday.Inveraray Primary School and Pre 5 Unit Easter Service in Inveraray Parish Church - 11am to 12noon Walk to the cross experienceWed 31st to Fri 2nd April in Ardrishaig community hall

Traditional Passover Meal on Maundy Thursday at 7.30pm. in the Hall - an informal social event - come as you are. Children are most welcome. There will be

Community and Parish Church Events during Spring

Welcome to our 3rd edition of the Nutshell. Our last issue in December had a circulation of over 300 and was delivered to 99% of all households in the town by volunteers and we aim to achieve that extra 1%. Our application for funding for the newsletter from the community fund was unsuccessful, so we still welcome sponsorship from companies or individuals for each issue as the cost to produce the Nutshell is 12p per copy. If you are interested and can help, details can be obtained by contacting us by email: publications@inveraraychurch.org.uk or at The Manse, Inveraray. PA32 8XT Tel: 302060

After the exceptional cold spell in January which saw our temperatures plummet overnight to as low as -13F and not rising above -3F by day, we saw snow lying in Inveraray for an extended period which was also unusual. We hopefully look forward now to a warmer spring to charge up our batteries again. In this issue of the Nutshell we have news from local organisations about events for the next 3 months and hope that you will find something of interest.

MarchSun 14thFri 19th

Sun 21st

Wed 24th

Fri 26th

Fri 26th

Sun 28thMon 29th

toFri 2nd

Tue 30th

Wed 31st

Thu 1stApril

May

Fri 2nd

Sun 4th

Mon 5th

Tue 6th

Wed 14th

Fri 16th

Fri 23rd

Wed 5th

Tue 18th

soup and unleavened bread and some traditional Jewish Passover food. It is free, but we would like to know how many people are coming. Please write your name on the sheet at the church door (inside). Good Friday Service at 8pm. in the Church. A plain service with music and Bible readings ending in darkness and quietness. Joyful Easter Morning Service - 11:15am - Easter egg hunt for the children after the service. Easter Coffee Morning in the Church hall at 10am with an Easter bonnet competition. Local History Society - Nicoll Hall - 7:30pm - Duncan Beaton - The Argyll MacNicols of Succoth, Glenorchy & Elrigmore Accordion & Fiddle Club - Argyll Hotel 8pm - Admission £4 - Wayne Robertson Duo from Perth. Ceilidh dance with Alan MacIntosh and his Heather Dance Band at 8pm in the Church hall. Inveraray & District Burns Club AGM - Venue to follow

Senior Citizens Wednesday Club - (provisional) - Annual Bus Trip [Venue to be arranged] Open to all Senior Citizens Look out for the poster Local History Society - Nicoll Hall - 7:30pm - AGM

April

Inveraray & District BranchRoyal British Legion ScotlandDonations and support were given to the Gurkha Welfare Trust Scotland, the Scottish War Blinded Linburn, and St Dunstans War Blinded, also Erskine Hospital, or The Inveraray Pipe Band. Work will start shortly on tidying up the five War Graves at Kilmalieu Cemetery, which the branch have undertaken to maintain. Two war graves were known at Kilmaliew Cemetery and on contacting the Commonwealth War Graves Commission they notified of three more in the Cemetery.Membership Forms can be obtained from Branch Secretary. Jim Martin Tel: 30 2338 A sponsored walk in aid of branch funds will be held on Sunday 2nd May 2009 at starting at 11.00 a.m. Seven miles approx. Starting at the Argyll Hotel and walk to Maam Farm in Glen Shira and back. Refreshments at the half-way point and any visitors in Inveraray on the day are welcome to come along and join us on the walk and admire the scenery.Sponsorship Forms from Jim Martin or from Sweet Memories or Waterside Restaurant

Shinty Club The Shinty Club Dinner\Dance was held at the Argyll Hotel on Saturday 30th January, 2010, the event was combined with a Council Reception recognising the success of the Club in the Celtic and MacAulay Cup Competitions in 2008 and 2009, and the evening was attended by Councillor Donnie MacMillan, also Councillor Douglas Philand and his wife.

The Annual Dinner is always an important event in the life of the Shinty Club, but especially so this year because it gave them an opportunity to express the great debt of thanks owed to Davy MacPherson who stood down as Manager of the First team after fifteen years in charge.

His connection with the Club goes back much longer 26 years as a coach; many years before that as a player, having made his first appearance in the Senior Team when he was 15 years old and the family connection goes back to his father, Donald. Over his years as manager, he encouraged the

skilful, fast flowing game of shinty with which the name Inveraray has become synonymous, and inspired the boys to give of their all, in cup games particularly. In the last 10 years they have brought home the Celtic and Macaulay Cups as well as a National Division One Title, and above all in 2004, the Scottish Cup which must have been the sweetest victory of all. John Smylie has taken over as First Team manager and the new season begins on the first Saturday in March, weather permitting!, a home game against Kyles Athletic.

Junior Piping & Drumming competition The annual Junior Piping & Drumming competition will be held on Saturday 3rd April in Inveraray Primary School commencing 9.30am. This is a popular event in the piping/drumming calendar and attracts young competitors from all over the country. There are sure to be some excellent performances and with snacks and refreshments available on the premises, why not come along, settle in for the day and enjoy?

St.Margaret s RC Church celebrate Mass every Sunday in All Saints Episcopal Church, at 12.30pm. Soup and sandwiches are served in the Nicol Hall, Inveraray after Mass on the second Sunday of every month. www.lochgilpheadcatholic.com

Accordion and Fiddle Club The Accordion & Fiddle Club has had another good season with the guest artistes featuring a mixture of old favourites and newcomers. Despite

the severe weather at the beginning of the year, we were fortunate that on club nights it was kind to us, thus ensuring reasonable crowds.We have two nights left for this season - with the Robert

Menzies Trio from Dumfries in March and the Wayne Robertson Duo from Perth in April, both paying their first visit to the Club. If you play accordion, fiddle etc, please come along for a tune we will be delighted to see you.

News from Inveraray Parish Church The Sunday Club are still meeting during Sunday Services, the young praise group are coming 10.45am to practise songs and to make a music video for Easter Sunday, 4th of April. Although the church is looking a bit sad from the outside, we are planning to repair, paint and refurbish it. We are also planning to install a sound system with a loop system in the church. Due to very generous donations from the community we are almost able to afford the sound system. We need £1650 and we already have £1025. We are working on a permanent historical exhibition in the church featuring the history of the town, the church, the war years, the author Neil Munro etc. Anybody is welcome to come and help us with this project.

It is good to see that the hall is being used by the community. We welcome the Mums and Toddlers on Friday mornings, the Pipe Bands on Sunday afternoons and Salsa Dancing on Wednesday nights. If anyone is interested in Baptism, getting married or becoming a communicant member, please contact the Minister.www.inveraraychurch.org.uk

Auchindrain Township Well, lots has been going on over the winter, mainly to tidy up the site and make it look a bit less like the deserted village! Since November we've had government funding to pay for a maintenance worker, and Billy Paterson from Ardrishaig has been busy. The main priorities have been to get the drains, ditches and culverts clear and working again, and to batter into years of overgrown reed, long grass and bracken. The effect should be noticeable as you drive along the A83. Another thing we have been busy with is converting the 1950s Colt House on the site into offices, after years of use as rough storage: our neighbours at Brenchoille have commented how nice it is to see lights on in the building during the evening, after it being dark for so long.

We're now starting to get ready for the summer, opening up at Easter through to the end of October. There's a job going, too - details on our website. Auchindrain always welcomes local residents coming for a look around the site, or bringing visiting friends and relations - admission is free for people who live in Inveraray, Furnace and Minard.

We are also always looking for volunteers, and can offer interesting activities to suit almost any set of aspirations. At the moment, we are particularly looking for someone with an interest in gardening, who perhaps doesn't have a garden of their own, to take on the kailyard at Bell Pol's House and make it

blossom again. If you are interested, why not ring Bob Clark for a chat, on 07770 420999. Auchindrain will soon have a new website and over the summer it will be worth a regular look for details of events and new projects.www.auchindrain.org.uk

Inveraray Burns Club The Club celebrated the Annual Burns Supper to another full house in the Argyll Hotel on 23rd January. Jamie McGrigor MSP proposed the Immortal Memory.Monday 25th January 2010 was not only Robert Burns day it was the 3rd Primary Schools Burns poetry reciting competition run by Inveraray Burns Club. All the local schools were represented, Inveraray, Furnace and Minard Schools.The overall winner was a pupil from Inveraray

Primary School.

To celebrate Robert Burns being voted The Greatest Scot Ever 2009 , member Jim McCulloch just couldn t let the event slip passed without recognition and created this very impressive poster

presentation for the occasion which was placed on the Front Green.www.inverarayburnsclub.org.uk

Frostie drian

Glenaray Publications © 2010

Our Next Issue will be JulyWhile we do not intend to carry adverts, we would welcome sponsors for each issue.

If you or your Company would be interested please contact the publications committee.

NOTICE BOARD

Contact us by email: publications@inveraraychurch.org.uk or at The Manse, Inveraray. PA32 8XT Tel: 302060

Accordion and Fiddle Club in the Argyll Hotel, Wednesdays 8pm10th March with the Robert Menzies Trio from Dumfries14th April with the Wayne Robertson Duo from Perth

Inveraray and District Branch - Royal British Legion ScotlandSponsored walk in aid of branch funds, Sunday 2nd May starting at 11.00am. at the Argyll Hotel and walk to Maam Farm in Glen Shira and back. Refreshments half-way Visitors in Inveraray are welcome to come along and join us on the walk and admire the scenery. Sponsorship Forms from Jim Martin or from Sweet Memories or Waterside Restaurant

History Society in the Nicoll Hall, Tuesdays 7:30pm2nd March Neil Munro as a Historical Novelist 6th April The Argyll MacNicols 18th May AGM

Inveraray & District Pipe Band In March there is an indoor Grade 1 Invitational contest at the Radisson Hotel, Glasgow organised by Lomond & Clyde Pipe Band. The Novice Juvenile pipers are competing in the Dumbarton Pipe Band Quartets competition in Renton on 6th March. On April 3rd we have our own Junior Piping & Drumming Competition in Inveraray School. The "season" proper for both bands starts at Gourock on Sunday 9th May followed by the Scottish Championships in Dumbarton on 22nd May. On Stage at the Celtic Connections Concert

featured on Radio Scotland s Pipe Line

Inveraray JogScotland meets every Tuesday in the shelter shed at Inveraray Primary School 7pm see also http://inverarayjogscotland.blogspot.com

Inveraray Senior CitizensThe Wednesday Club, open to all Inveraray Senior Citizens, continues to meet every second Wednesday. Details of the forthcoming events are posted on the Nicol Hall window, in Londis, on the tree Notice Board in the scheme and various other places within the town. We meet at 2pm and have various entertainers followed by tea/coffee cakes etc. Over the last weeks we have enjoyed our Senior Citizens Christmas Dinner at the Argyll. The meal was lovely, everyone received a gift from the hotel, which was very kind. There was a huge raffle with gifts donated from various businesses in the town and also the Committee Members. Many individuals were also kind enough to donate items which were much

appreciated. The proceeds from the raffle help to fund the Dinner and I know that we are all grateful to Sheila and her helpers who put in a lot of time to organise this raffle. In March, Wednesday Club Members will have High Tea and this includes entertainment. We are very lucky to be entertained at the school and the talent that our little school nurtures is amazing. In May our Annual Senior Citizens Bus Trip will be visiting Ayr. As this trip is open to all Senior Citizens it is best to give your name to Yvonne Black, Tel 302029, as soon as possible as the seats are limited. On the return journey we will stop for High Tea.

We would like as many as possible to join us.