BLACK MOUNT BUGLE

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN

So much for the mild winter we were promised! I would just like to say, on behalf of all Members of the Black Mount Community Council (BMCC), how sorry we were to learn of so many of you having suffered burst pipes, collapsed guttering and internal flooding, caused by the heavy snow, the freezing temperatures and then the thaw. We are especially sorry for those in the farming community who suffered collapsed roofs of barns and other outbuildings. I am reliably informed that the lowest temperature recorded in the Black Mount Community area was -18 Centigrade (0 degrees Fahrenheit!). This is certainly the worst winter weather I can recall since moving into Dolphinton some 49 years ago, although January 1963 was memorable for being on my way home and being stuck in a train for 6 hours in a massive snow drift just north of Newcastle. A vivid memory I would rather forget!
Since the last edition of The Bugle in November, we have been pleased to warmly welcome onto the Black Mount Community Council, Denis Critchley-Salmonson from Dunsyre, as an Associate Member, which brings us up to 9 Members in total.

NEXT BMCC MEETING

March 7th - Elsrickle Hall - 7.30pm

Meetings are held on the first Monday of each month, except Public Holidays. A warm welcome is extended to everyone.

Dates and venues are posted outside Dolphinton, Elsrickle and Newbigging Village Halls.

SUNDAY WORSHIP

Church of Scotland, Dolphinton
Morning Service – Sundays 9.30am

St Isadore's Roman Catholic Church, Biggar
Holy Mass Sundays 12 noon
Weekdays (Mon, Tues-Thurs, Fri) 9.30 am

St Mungo's Scottish Episcopal Church, West Linton
Sung Communion Sundays 10.00 am
Said Communion Wednesdays 10.30 am

The CRUIKSHANK Fund

Individuals and groups who are organising events for young people in the Blackmount area are invited to bid for money from this fund.

The Trustees meet at various times during the year to allocate funding and if anyone wishes to apply please do so in writing to:-

Loraine Stewart
28 North Back Road
Biggar
ML12 6EJ

It would be helpful if you could include a brief description of the event or proposed project, the amount of money requested and a contact phone number or email address.

Loraine Stewart on behalf of the Trustees

COUNCILLOR HAMISH STEWART

Since the last issue of the Bugle we have endured the most prolonged spell of severe winter weather for many years. This has had the effect of speeding up the deterioration of the road surfaces creating even more potholes than we had before. The roads squads have been out making these potholes safe and permanent repairs will be undertaken when time and weather permit. The only pleasing part about this is that those roads that had been upgraded under the Council’s Roads Improvement programme have stood up well to the conditions. The improvement programme will continue unaffected by any budget cuts.

Throughout the bad weather the Council’s gritters were out 24 hours a day with crews working 12 hours on/12 hours off. Obviously that kind of working puts strains on the machinery and at times not every vehicle was available – one morning there were three gritters out of action at Carnwath with frozen diesel for example but every effort was made to ensure that the 45 per cent of roads on the priority gritting routes were kept open and safe.

Once again this year the suppliers of salt were unable to keep up with demand and the 21500 tonnes that we started the winter with has long gone and not been fully replenished. At one point the Council was down to less than 3000 tonnes in stock – roughly two days’ supply when all routes require to be gritted. At the time of writing we have used 30000 tonnes so far this winter but an additional £2,000,000 has been allocated to the winter maintenance budget to try to get stocks back to the 21500 tonnes level as and when stocks are available. The shortage of salt plus severe pressures on men and machines has meant that roads not on the priority list have not been treated on any regular basis which has led to problems for school buses and residents. I cannot promise to get any particular road added to the priority list but if you have real issues on an untreated road please contact me and I will do whatever I can to help.

Following an unfortunate accident to Councillor Gerry Convery who is Chair of Community Resources and Chair of the Leisure and Cultural Trust that will keep him out of circulation for several months I have taken over his roles temporarily in addition to the posts I already held as Chair of the Area Committee, Chair of the Licensing Board and Chair of the Sustainability Partnership. As you can imagine this has added enormously to my workload. This might mean that at times I will not be as readily contactable as I would like but please e-mail or leave messages and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

My surgeries continue on the first Monday of each month as normal and I can be contacted on 07748 114 582 or at Hamish.stewart@southlanarkshire.gov.uk or by letter to member services at the council offices in Hamilton.

Hamish Stewart

BLACK MOUNT CHRISTMAS DINNER
December 2010

There was a window in the snowy weather on Friday 10th December…..especially to let us have the Blackmount Senior Citizens Christmas Dinner!!!

Nearly 70 people arrived at Elsrickle Hall to enjoy an excellent meal, cheery entertainment, nail-biting raffle, and “a partridge in a pear tree”. If you were there you will know what I mean.

Many thanks to all who helped to make this a memorable evening….
from the invitation designer to the table setters; cooks; pastry chefs; waitresses; wine waiters; washer uppers; raffle prize donors; musicians, singers and dancers and to South Lanarkshire Council’s contribution to the expenses.
Here’s to next year!!

The next event on the Social Group’s calendar will be the Blackmount Sports which will be held some evening at the end of May at Newbigging playing field.

Anne Hutchison

COUNCILLOR REV BEV GAULD

‘HAPPY NEW YEAR’
2011 ...and the first copy of the Black Mount Bugle of the New Year. As I travel round this part of our South Lanarkshire Council Clydesdale East Ward, I find myself remembering and reflecting on changes, to the people, and to places, that have happened in our area, since I was first elected your councillor in 1995. Then Black Mount was known as part of Carnwath, Ward 8, on SLC.
I recall with great fondness, whenever I am passing the garden of a house in Dunsyre, the memory of a dedicated lady who grew beautiful garden flowers. She brought them to decorate the ancient little church at Dunsyre, from springtime till the autumn.
I remember how, as the Interim Moderator of the Parish, I was placed in charge of overseeing the sale of the old manse at Dunsyre and the building of its replacement nearby. A new bungalow built in the late 1980’s at a cost of around £40.000! And when that house was sold the proceeds were put towards the purchase of the ‘new’ manse in Biggar for the present minister Rev James Cutler. That bungalow in Dunsyre sold for around £120,000, or in other words three times its original price!

How times change, but as they say, time and tide wait for no man and our new year marches on. Now in our changed times we are told by the Coalition Government in Westminster that we will all have to ‘tighten our belts’ in future. Yet some things never seem to change – such as pot-holes in the roads. I met Sandy, formerly of Sandy’s Cycles in Lanark, in the Apple Pie Bakery in Carnwath just before Christmas. His opening greeting was ‘What are you going to do about the number of pot-holes on the Dunsyre Road?’I replied, ‘Sandy, I’ll speak with my two other councillor colleagues, Hamish and Beith, and see what we can do to get it fixed.” In the meantime cycle and drive carefully.

So South Lanarkshire Council is back into full swing.

I hope, looking forward, that the only thing to be frozen from now on will be your Council Tax.

Kindest regards
Councillor Rev Bev Gauld

ELSRICKLE WRI

On the 10th November we had an interesting talk by Mr Tom Carson on the history of the borders. This was followed by the annual Bowling Tournament on the 27th November. 12 rinks took part. The winners were Sandford WRI after an extra end and the runners up were New Trows WRI.

At the December meeting, Val Hamilton showed us how to make a Christmas wreath and how to wrap Christmas presents so that even an inexpensive gift could be made to look very special. We went home enthused and with plenty of ideas.

By the 12th January, we entered the new year having had no cancelled meetings due to bad weather! This meeting was a demonstration by Mrs Verena Soanes from Holmlands Country House in Crawford on “Cooking for Unexpected Visitors”. During the demonstration she kept us entertained by stories of her life in catering.

We look forward to a Members’ Night on the 9th February, Hat Making on the 2nd March and the AGM and Taste and Try Potato Night on the 30th March.

Pam Hart

DOLPHINTON WRI

The December meeting of the Dolphinton WRI was a children’s Christmas party. We had a disco this year and lots of games and a visit from Santa, with presents for all.

January’s meeting was a visit to the Bakehouse, West Linton, where we had an excellent meal thanks to the South Lanarkshire Council.

February 16th was a talk by Bridget Beagan from Garvald.

We will be having a visit on March 9th from Andrew Hay who will be talking about bee-keeping.

The AGM is on April 20th and includes a quiz.

Jean Campbell

THE RING ‘N RIDE BUS SERVICE

The Community Council was asked to look into the operation of the service and how it interacts with the practical demands of a real rural community.

The service is specified by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport and the 800 service is currently operated by Stuart’s Coaches.
The essential details are published in pamphlet form and can be downloaded from the SPT website. www.spt.co.uk/wmslib/Documents_MyBus/mybus800.pdf

However, there is also a timetabled service for which it is necessary to book and the facility for limited advanced booking. This could be a valuable facility for those needing to make advance healthcare bookings.

Tuesday to Biggar Thursday to Biggar
12.15 Elsrickle 09.45 Elsrickle
12.30 Quothquan 10.10 Quothquan
12.45 Biggar 10.30 Biggar
Arrive Biggar approx 12.50 Arrive Biggar approx 10.35
Return 14.20 Return 12 noon

Bookings for timetable services should be made two days before travel between 1400hrs and 1600hrs (for travel on Tuesday please call on Friday) N.B. REVISED TIMETABLE FROM 4 FEBRUARY 2008

Making the Most of your Advance Bookings:

Phone after 2pm each afternoon to book.
Advance bookings are not accepted before 2pm.
Phone your normal booking line
Advance bookings cannot be made on the enquiry and
cancellation line.
Advance bookings are in addition to your normal next day
bookings.
You are not permitted to make more than one advance booking
per week.
You can book your trip up to 28 days ahead.
Don’t wait until 2 days before your trip to book it if you can
book it earlier.

When to use Advance Bookings:

Important trips such as doctor’s appointments or special
occasions
At points of the week when you have experienced high demand
for travel
If you will be unavailable to phone to book
Helpful Information for using the Advance Booking Scheme

Most requests are made on a Monday. Consider phoning on a
different day if you can.
Make use of all the Advance Bookings available to you each
month.
If we are unable to offer you a journey on your preferred day we will try our best to offer you an alternative day and time. All journeys are subject to availability.
Call the enquiry and cancellation line on 0845 128 4025 if you no longer require your trip. This may allow other passengers to use the time you no longer require.
Where an Advance Booking has been cancelled you cannot rebook another Advance Booking in the same week. You can continue to book another journey as normal by calling the day before travel.

Barry Rosindale

DOLPHINTON MARKETS

We have now been holding monthly markets in Dolphinton since May 2010. Although we have had support from some of the local and wider community and we have never been short of traders wishing to take space at our markets, we have decided that the level of support is such that future markets of this type are no longer viable.

So, for 2011, we are going in a slightly different direction in the hope that we will hit the spot more accurately in providing an activity that will prove more popular. We will be holding SEASONAL FAIRS. Each one will be themed according to the time of year and each one will also be a fundraiser for a specific charity.

The charity being supported by the Spring Fair is CHAS, the Children's Hospice Association Scotland. There will be a stall offering information and merchandise from CHAS who offer the only hospice services in Scotland for children and young people with life-shortening conditions. There will be tombola at the fair, and all future fairs, the proceeds from which will go to the relevant charity. In order to boost the donation to CHAS, and subsequent charities, we will be making a charge of £1.00 per adult for the Fair - children of all ages come in free.

Future charities will we hope be Cancer Research UK, Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland, and the MS Society Scotland but if there is anyone involved with, or who may have a particular interest in, another charity and would like an opportunity to fundraise then please let us know.

Cookery demonstrations have been crowd pleasers in 2010, so we will be having one at each Fair. We open in April with a team from the Lychee Chinese Restaurant in Peebles.

A feature of each fair will be the Children's Corner which has proved popular with the younger members of the community. We will be taking up more space this year and plan to have workshops for the children. The April fair will offer egg painting and Easter Bonnet making, as well as the old favourite of biscuit decoration.

There will be a workshop for adults too at each Fair and in April we are offering Jewellery making. If there is a skill you've always wished to acquire, or one you have and are eager to share with others, why not get in touch and we'll see if we can accommodate your wishes.

There will be stalls as before but fewer of them. The mix will be similar with some produce and some arts and crafts. If there is a small local business wishing to promote its products or services please let us know and we will try to allocate you a stall.
The Cafe will be open for tea, coffee, juice and cake for the duration of the Fair.

The dates of the fairs are as follows:
SATURDAY 16th April SPRING FAIR
SATURDAY 25th June SUMMER FAIR
SATURDAY 24th September AUTUMN FAIR
SATURDAY 10th December WINTER FAIR 2.00 - 4.30 pm

We do hope you will be able to come along and support this venture. We also hope some of you may feel able to volunteer to help on the day with for example taking money at the door, manning the tombola, being creative in the Children's Corner, or to offer assistance beforehand with delivery of fliers or posters.

For more information or to offer your assistance, please call:

Pam Taylor on 01968 682203 or Lesley Kerr on 01968 682331

DAISY and BARBARA

Daisy: Happy New Year, How are you doing in 2011?
Barbara: Happy New Year to you too. How do you think I’m doing? Have you had a look outside and seen all the snow we’ve had? Surviving, that’s all I can say is how I’ve been doing! It’s O.K. for you inside that shed getting your food brought to you every day, I’m out here in the freezing cold and only get a bale to chew at, if I can find it in the snow!!
Daisy: It can’t be that bad, you’ve got a thick woolly coat to keep you warm. Just listen to the news and hear about the floods and cyclones in Australia, and the snowstorms in Chicago!!

Barbara: Change the subject. I think we’re being taken over.
Daisy: How do you mean? By aliens or something?
Barbara: As good as…..by HORSES!
Daisy: How do you make that out?
Barbara: Well, the next time you’re outside (that’ll be in the nice warm Spring likely) just have a look around the place…How many dairy farms are left?-ONE
All the farms round the Black Mount used to have milking cows in the fields, the sheep were all up the hills, and some places reared calves for beef. Now there are more farms with horses than there are with “proper” farm animals!
Daisy: Is that such a bad thing? That means less competition for us.

Barbara: Do you really think so…
Who is eating all the best hay and oats? HORSES.
Who gets left with silage and barley? US
Daisy: Aye, right enough, but look at the price of diesel…instead of these great muckle tractors of 200 h.p. they could use the horses, just like in “the good old days.”
Barbara: That conjures up a great picture of young Kinloch behind a team of horses, ploughing a field!!
Maybe not!
Still they seem to be getting ready to get rid of a lot of them.
Daisy: Who told you that?

Barbara: Well, I heard somebody say
“These holes in the road between here and Newbigging are big enough
now to bury a horse!”

Anne Hutchison

WALSTON PRE-5 GROUP

The Walston Pre-5 Group meets at Walston Primary School on a Wednesday morning, for children from 2½ years up to school age.
Each session runs from 9.15am until 11.30am.

We would welcome children of this age to come and join our group and if you would like to register them, please telephone Hannah or Hazel at the numbers below or call in on a Wednesday morning.

If you want to contact the playgroup, please call either

• Hannah Cairns 01968 682240
• Hazel Knight 01899 810348

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Feb – May 2011

2nd March

Elsrickle WRI
Hat Making
Elsrickle Hall
7.30pm

7th March

BMCC Meeting
Elsrickle Hall
7.30pm

9th March

Dolphinton WRI
Beekeeping

Dolphinton Hall
7.15pm

19th March

Blackmount
Church Concert
Church Hall
Dolphinton
7.30pm

30th March

Elsrickle WRI
AGM/Potato Night
Elsrickle Hall
7.30pm

4th April
BMCC Meeting

Elsrickle Hall
7.30pm

16th April

Dolphinton Market
Dolphinton Hall

2-4.30pm

20th April
Dolphinton WRI
AGM/Quiz
Dolphinton Hall
7.15pm

2nd May

BMCC Meeting
Elsrickle Hall
7.30pm

Last Date for Contributions to the next Bugle is MONDAY April 18th
Please send your articles, dates, reports, news and advertisements to:
Norma Love : Tel: 01899 810285
email bugle@blackmount.org

The Bugle is published by the Black Mount Community Council, but views expressed therein are not necessarily those of the committee.
The Community Council cannot accept responsibility for any errors printed in the Bugle.