FOVERAN COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER

August 2013 Issue 136

Foveran Hall gets a new roof.

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Foveran Community Council

There are certain things which really annoy people and which are forever on the Community Council agenda – speeding, litter, dog fouling, planning applications, vandalism, grass cutting, road signs, travellers and their apparent immunity from the law and so on. As far as planning goes, things have been fairly quiet except that two developers have submitted what is now called a master plan and is an essential step in the planning process for major projects. The two most recent master plans have been for Foveran Village and the Newburgh 50- house development between St Clair Wynd and Knockhall Road. Both have been the subject of public meetings (called by the developers) and the next step is for formal planning applications which will be an opportunity for objections to be lodged. I did notice at the bottom of the plans for the Newburgh development, was an arrow with very small print, and the words “footpath to future development”. A straw in the wind perhaps, and certainly not possible in the near future, but it just goes to show that the developers, Scotia Homes, in this case, are already looking at the next Aberdeenshire Local Plan which is some years away. The Strategic Plan for Aberdeen/Aberdeenshire envisages intense development along corridors radiating from Aberdeen around the main roads. Foveran Village on the A90 is absolutely smack in the middle of one of these corridors and is vulnerable to considerable housing and industrial development. Newburgh is just a little outside the corridor, but not far enough to be completely immune. In our parish, only Cultercullen and Udny Station seem to have the chance to remain untouched. In Newburgh, there have been wonderfully encouraging signs of community involvement. We now have a full set of “uniformed” youth organisations – Scouts, Beavers, Guides, Brownies etc and it is truly remarkable how quickly this has come about. Then there is the splendid Gala Committee who somehow contrived to make one of the nastiest days of the year an occasion to remember and who, as a consequence, have made generous donations to community activities, including £250 towards Christmas lights. They come a bit expensive but two new ones are on their way. The Nicer Newburgh gardening group have transformed the display of flowers and plants in the Main Street area but they have also done a great deal of work in less spectacular but no less valuable work in weeding and clearing in our shrub beds. They have done so much that this year we are entering the Formartine in Bloom Competition for the first time. They don’t expect to win because they describe their efforts as “a work in progress”. Up to now, only Udny Station has flown the flag for

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our parish and with great success but Newburgh is getting there and we won’t be disgraced! At Gallowshill, the Changing Rooms project has emerged from a rather tangled period but work will start in the first week of August. Tendering is complete and the site has been cleared. One of the reasons for the delay has been involving the project in an application to Sport Scotland to finance re-surfacing and refurbishment of the multi-purpose court. We are still waiting for the result but an August start will be made whatever the outcome. Other major items have been on the cards as well. In Foveran Village, the Hall now has a new roof to replace the old asbestos one. This would have seemed like a miracle 18 months ago. In Newburgh, the new Butcher’s Bridge has had funding approved and we now await the outcome. Planning permission has just been granted for strengthening the access road and for a temporary hard standing for a crane. A really interesting development for the Community Council is that we shall now have two youth members. Elections were held at Ellon Academy in June and two candidates were chosen. They have to be resident in the parish and they will be co-opted with full voting rights. We should have had one from Ellon Academy and one from Old Meldrum (the inland end of our parish is in the Old Meldrum catchment area) but wires at Old Meldrum got twisted. As a final thought, I really like the title of the new Christmas Lights group at Udny Station. They are “The Bright Lights of Udny Station” May they never dim! Duncan Milne

Newburgh Gala.

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EDITOR’S NOTE. Thank you very much for sending the articles in this edition. It would be good to have a fat Christmas edition so, if the muse takes you, please think about sending me an article, a drawing, a poem – whatever takes your fancy. I need your great works by the 15th of November at the latest as the printers are very busy around that time of year. You can email it to me, send it by post or just ring me and tell me what you want to say. If you get the Ansafone, just leave your name and number and I’ll get back to you. j.jones110@btinternet.com Mrs Janet Jones, South Minnes, Newburgh. Ellon. AB41 6BB. If you would like to advertise, please contact: Miss Margot Wright, 69 Main Street, Newburgh. Ellon. AB41 6BL. m.m.wright@abdn.ac.uk Please remember to include your name and full postal address and telephone number when submitting an advertisement coz we need your money and if we don’t have your details, we can’t get it. The rates are: ⅛ of a page is £6: ¼ of a page is £12: ½ a page is £24: A full page is £48.

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First Class Gifts& Newburgh Post Office

19 Main Street, Newburgh, AB41 6BE

Tel: 01358 789589

Opening HoursMonday to Fr iday: 0915 to 1345

Saturday: 1000 to 1230

We stock fair-trade goods, a large and varied selection of stationery, books, gifts,

crafts, cards & gift-wrap Come and visit us to find lots of gift ideas

for the whole family

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NEWBURGH NEWBURGH WRI

The April meeting is always the business meeting and after the usual report of the past year’s events, some members from Oldmeldrum Institute entertained with a variety of activities as the new committee was formed, but not before conducting the prize giving ceremony. The awards were presented as follows: The Fullerton Cup (Most Points) Mrs Isobel Shewan The Milford House Cup (Runner Up) Mrs Margaret Chandler The Annie Middler Cup (Baking) Mrs Isobel Shewan The Walker Cup (Bulbs) Mrs Margaret Chandler The Millennium Quaich (Crafts) Mrs Margaret Singer The Jubilee Jam Pot (Preserves) Mrs Betty Wood The Jubilee Dish (Little Treasures) Equal: Mrs Margaret Buchan Mrs Margaret Singer Congratulations to all who gained a prize. We were treated to a most interesting talk by Jimmy Buchan (BBC Television’s ‘Trawlermen’) in May. He told us of his life as a trawlerman and his brief time in local politics, amusing us with many of his stories and anecdotes. His tale of sailing the trawler down the East Coast of England and up the Thames to launch his book was particularly entertaining! In June we had a visit from the Pitmedden First Responders. A group of volunteers, set up to be available to the people of Pitmedden and surrounding area whilst they await the arrival of an ambulance. The First Responders are trained by the ambulance service and are there to stabilise patients and comfort anxious relatives whilst the ambulance is on its way. Mr Young was a captivating speaker and we all learned about how funds were raised for the service in a very short space of time and one or two things about cardiac arrests and strokes. They brought various bits and pieces of equipment to demonstrate to us, and we all were interested to test the pulse oximeter to see how much oxygen there is in our blood! We take a break for the summer but many of us are eagerly looking forward to our annual outing in July. This year we are going to Scone Palace.

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We resume after the summer in September when we look forward to hearing about ‘The Humble Tattie’. New members and visitors are always welcome. Newburgh WRI meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 7.30 pm in the Public Hall. Further information can be obtained from the secretary Mrs Kate Duncan on 01651 843777.

Sue Edwards. Press Secretary

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NEWBURGH GALA Newburgh folk certainly showed their spirit by turning out in numbers despite the abysmal weather. Amazingly we managed to continue with most of the programme and this is due mainly to the ‘get on with it’ attitude of our locals. The 6th Castle Canter was a success with a new course record being set by Lyall Booth. The football tournament was a real success with some really good football being played in cold and wet conditions. Teams involved were: Newburgh Mathers Primary School, Peterhead Boys Club, Fraserburgh Boys Club, Ellon Meadows Boys Club and Pitmedden School. The format was a development set-up with all teams playing each other once and all players received a medal. We would like to thanks all the groups who braved the rain and put on a fantastic display on our staged area – these include Fraserburgh Pipe Band, Lawrence Dance Academy, Newburgh Mathers Choir and The Martial Arts Institute. Thanks also to Ian Alexander Joinery for providing us with the stage. Due to the weather we badly needed the warm food provided at the BBQ run by Newburgh Thistle Football Club and the hot drinks provided by the SWRI and Corner Cafe. The Grand Prize Raffle was drawn by Mrs Stevenson, Headmistress, and the winners were as follows: 1st – IPad Mini – Rosemary Duncan, Newburgh 2nd – Nixon Coolpix Digital Camera – Mr Bannerman, Newburgh 3rd - £100 John Lewis Vouchers – Debbie Whyte, Ellon We achieved a level of profit that exceeded our original expectations when we started planning the event with a mix of activities along the way. The raffle really helped the funding and if the weather had been kind to us we could have exceeded this further! That said, we did have a significant turn-out on the day! The emphasis was to get the village together in the lead-up to the event and on the day and we achieved that. We also raised several thousand pounds that will be used to support next year’s event. We would also like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who helped us along the way. It needed all groups and locals to pull together and that is exactly what happened. Thanks also to our outgoing committee and good luck to our new one! We

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are very fortunate that most of the committee will be staying on and continue their support. Gordon Benton has stood down as Chairman and Mark Walker stepped up to take on the role. This was agreed at the recent AGM and public meeting held on the 18th June 2013. Please follow developments or make suggestions for next year’s gala on our webpage www.newburghgala.com

Kirsty MacRae. Secretary. Newburgh Gala Committee

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The gardening group had the last meeting on 1st July before having a break over the summer, only from our meetings, the gardening continues. We discussed the achievements in the village since the group was formed, and these are. The bench in front of the village hall has been re-furbished. Rough grass north of the Quay has been cut and cleared. Over 100 Lupins have been planted on this area between the road and the estuary. These plants have provided a colourful show for their first year, and this should improve over time. The area round the plants is now being kept mown. 3500 Crocus were planted on an embankment at the corner of Main Street and the northern end of Eider Road. These provided a splash of colour in April and again this should improve over the coming years. Spring bedding in the form of polyanthus plants were planted this year for the first time, and on replacement by the summer bedding plants have been transplanted elsewhere for the summer in the hope that they can be re-used next autumn. Clearing, weeding and some replanting has been carried out at the Links garden and play area. Over 500 shrubs and heathers were planted into bare areas within the garden. This is a long term project due to the very poor state of the gardens at the start of the groups work. Efforts are being made to hold onto the improvement that has been made during the summer weed growing season. A new path was installed from the North Bridge to the links play area and beyond, and linking up with the Butchers Bridge. Participation in the Newburgh Village Gala produced sponsorship for a number of new barrels and one half barrel on a cradle. This has enabled the group to replace 3 existing

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barrels that were beyond repair, and enhance the provision of half barrels for seasonal bedding plants along Main Street. Three half barrels have now been sited opposite The Sanctuary development by the bus stop, 2 additional half barrels have been added to the existing 4 outside the church and post office, 1 additional half barrel has been added to the existing 3 outside the butchers shop, 2 half barrels and the half barrel on the cradle have been sited outside the hairdressers salon, and 2 half barrels have been sited at the bus stop by The Quay. 5 new planters were purchased from Woodblox of Dingwall, 3 of which were combined to create a substantial feature for seasonal bedding outside the Udny Arms car park. The other 2 have been sited either side of the seat in front of the village hall . A new bed for seasonal bedding has been created outside Oceanlab at the northern end of the village, and another at the corner of School Road and the western end of School Crescent opposite the school playing field. This increased capacity has enabled the group to increase the quantity of summer bedding plants in the village by over 800, compared to the previous year. 12 shrub beds throughout the village have also been regularly maintained throughout the year. We thank all who have supported us in this time, the donations from Newburgh Gala Group, Corner Café, Ellon Rotary, a generous Newburgh resident and all who sponsored the new barrels and cradle. When the flower barrels appeared many years ago it was all the work of 2 people, Duncan and Freda Milne, they alone kept the barrels filled, and Newburgh has every reason to be thankful to them both. They did a wonderful job for many years, and the gardening group are happy to continue their good work. We are small in number and would welcome any person who can spare a few hours a week, or once a month. Please consider helping us to make our village even more beautiful. You can contact me on 01358 789527, Graham Waters on 01358 789024, or contact us on nicernewburgh@hotmail.co.uk

Agnes Kinloch.

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We seem to have set a precedent in 1st Newburgh Guides with another extremely busy term with 30 guides attending our unit.

In May we held our first indoor camp at Fyvie House with 16 of our guides. Our theme for the weekend was “Wizard of Oz”, based on a challenge badge. The weather was lovely and we managed a couple of visits to the castle. Lots of fun was had by everyone.

We’ve been working on two badges during our meetings – Mexico (another challenge badge which was created by Guides in Banff and Buchan to raise funds for a trip to the guide house in Mexico. We’ve also completed the Agility Badge which saw us out and about in the village on a few occasions.

We’re off to the Tartan Gig in August and held a Bring a Buy Sale in June to raise funds towards this – we raised a fantastic £350 during the evening & our guides really enjoyed organising the evening and we’ve noticed we’ve got a few natural sales people in our unit!! As part of this we sold quizzes – Traditional Toys & British Flowers. The winners of these quizzes were Lauren Moroney (Toys) and Sue Edwards (Flowers) – we’d also like to say thanks to everyone who supported our Bring & Buy and who bought and submitted the quizzes.

Continuing on the fundraising theme some of our older guides have been helping us compile a Fundraising Baking Book which we hope to have published and available for sale in the autumn. We’ve had lots of recipes but if anyone has any favourite cake, biscuit or pudding recipes we’d love to be able to include them in our book.

As we write this we’re preparing for our first outdoors camp at Crathes Camp Site in Aberdeen at the end of July and we’re beginning to put shape on our programme for next term.

If you would like more information on 1st Newburgh Guides please contact Karen on 01358 789523

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Registered Charity # SC006790 Newburgh Playgroup Newburgh Playgroup, Rising 5’s and 2’s Group

We are a Registered Charity It’s been a busy few months for all at Newburgh Playgroup. The Staff have been busy offering the children lots of exciting learning opportunities and committee members have been organising some great social events for parents and the community to enjoy. Our Annual Spring Fair was a success, especially the cupcake competition. A huge thank you to all those who helped out before the event and on the day of the event itself, or to those who just came on the day to support the event. It is very much appreciated. Our pots and plants which the children helped to pot and decorate were also supported at the Newburgh Gala, despite the weather conditions on the day. We have held other fundraising events, including a Bingo Night and The Big Raffle. We would like to thank the community in supporting all our events and hope to see you all at events in the future. Children in all our groups have been making the most of the recent nice weather and enjoying lots of fun activities. Rising 5’s had a visit to Forvie Nature Reserve and enjoyed learning all about the reserve, and have enjoyed having trips to the village park. Playgroup children enjoyed a day out at Hazlehead Park, after spending the morning playing games in the park, they explored Pets Corner. Both Rising 5’s and Playgroup had their Sports Day, with parents joining in and showing the children how it’s done! Both groups have been visited by one of the playgroup mums, who is a Physiotherapist. She spoke to them about her job and the children got to test out stethoscopes. The children were fascinated to learn about how we move with the help of a replica knee joint. The 2’s group children have been able to spend a lot of time playing outside, and enjoyed their end of term trip to Hoodles. An area inside has been turned into a Hairdresser/Beauty Salon. All the children have enjoyed having chats during their appointments, and it has given them an opportunity to involve themselves in role playing scenarios.

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We have had Tempest Photography in to take group photographs and the results are fantastic. We said goodbye to Miss Claire, who left for pastures new at the end of term after 10 years with us. Coming up..... Fundraising activities are ongoing, so please keep an eye out for upcoming events. And Finally.... Although we do receive some government funding, much of our running costs are covered by money raised from fundraising and every little helps. If you would like to support Newburgh Playgroup, you can do so (at no cost to you), by making internet purchases via the fundraising website easyfundraising.org.uk. Lots of retailers subscribe to this service and offer a percentage donation to your chosen cause. It’s easy to use; just remember to make purchases via the easyfundraising website and enter Newburgh Playgroup in the dialogue box. If you would like further information about Playgroup and what we do, or if you’d like to visit us, please contact us on 01358 789461 or email newburgh.playgroup@ymail.com. We currently offer sessions as follows: Rising 5’s & Playgroup – Monday to Friday 9.15am – 11.45am 2’s Group – Tuesday & Thursday 12.30pm – 2.30pm Best wishes and thanks for your continued support,

Newburgh Playgroup Staff and Committee.

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FOVERAN

This is a map showing what Foveran will look like in a few years.

PLANNERS. The firm Halliday Fraser Munro, who drew up the plan, held an open meeting in Foveran Hall some weeks ago and invited comments from local people. When asked if the proposed houses would be built as closely together as Cala Homes, they were able to assure residents they would not. There will be considerably more space between each dwelling.

These are the planners’ proposals for Foveran and what they are doing:

Addressing Mains Drainage Issues · The planners have met with Scottish Water, the Scottish Environmental

Protection Agency and Aberdeenshire Council. · They are discussing potential engineering solutions that will satisfactorily deal

with current mains drainage issues and serve the proposed development. · They have commissioned Fairhurst as consulting engineers to provide the

necessary specialist input. Enhancing the Characteristics of the Village:

· Connectivity and improved safe linkages between existing housing, the school, The Store, proposed new housing and proposed employment areas;

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· Vehicular, cycle and footpath links to provide safe routes to School and playing fields to allow the School to fulfil curricular requirements;

· A village centre with a range of uses and focal points; · Enhanced green open space along the Foveran Burn and creation of new

green space networks accessible to everyone; · An attractive identifiable character appropriate to Foveran as a village set

within rolling Formartine farmland. Delivering a Sustainable Village:

· Introduction of new uses and services currently missing from Foveran, such as a nursery, a playbarn, retailing, office accommodation, business units;

· Introduction of employment opportunities to create a sustainable village where people can live and work instead of a housing estate that only provides homes for commuters;

A Range of House Types;

· Introducing different house types to attract people to Foveran – couples, young people, the elderly;

· Creating the right conditions to support commercial ventures in keeping with the ‘Energetica Corridor’ in which Foveran lies; (The Energetica Corridor concept envisages the creation of a green energy ‘Corridor of Power’ stretching from Dyce and Bridge of Don to Peterhead.)

Land to Expand Primary Education Facilities: Provision of land to allow the existing primary school buildings to expand into; Provision of land for playing fields adjacent to the school; Provision of land to allow a new primary school to be built New Employment Opportunities:

· Provision of land to allow businesses to locate to and grow in Foveran bringing life to the village during the day;

· Creating the right conditions to support commercial ventures in keeping with the Energetica Corridor in which Foveran lies.

WATER PRESSURE As anyone who lives in Blairythan Terrace will tell you, the water pressure – or more accurately the lack of it - has long been a concern. In the Spring, Scottish Water dug a large hole near the road to Ardgill, left it for a while, then filled it in. Residents waited with baited breath to see what would happen and, lo and behold, the pressure is now much better.

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THE NEW ROOF (see photo on front of newsletter) The Hall has at last got a new roof to replace the old asbestos one thanks to monies from Aberdeenshire and from the Windmill Fund. Not only does the Hall look much better, it should be easier to heat as the roofing material came with in-built insulation. Plans are afoot to carry out more improvements when funds become available.

FLOWERS AND BARRELS For the past years, Marian Joyce, Sue Barratt and their very small band of helpers have planted flowers in the barrels lining Blairythan Terrace. The displays look lovely and everyone enjoys seeing them. How about offering to help these hard-working souls – perhaps just a few times a year – or more? A couple of Saturday mornings…? You can contact Davie Rennie (01358) 789426 or Marian (01358) 789489.

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CULTERCULLEN AND UDNY STATION

UDNY STATION AMENITIES GROUP Formartine in Bloom Competition It is with regret that we have decided that this will be the last year we will be entering the above competition unless interest and support is forthcoming. At present too much reliance is placed on too few individuals for it to be sustainable. The competition is not only judged on the flower displays but also on the general tidiness of the areas we wish to be taken into consideration. e.g. weeding, hedge cutting, strimming and anything else that enhances the village. At present the committee consists of four people, two of whom work full time, so there is a limit to what we can achieve. Bob Dunbar has done a wonderful job down at the railway and also strimming the verges on the approach to the village but there is a lot of work that still needs to be done. A big thank you to those people who have helped out so far. If anyone is interested in lending a hand please call Alice on 01651 842268. Dog Bins As many people will have noticed there is now a bin placed on the line for the collection of dog poo. The bin was placed in the original location, which was by the football park, by the Council on advice from the Amenities Group. The reason we chose this site was in response to complaints that people were allowing their dogs to do the toilet on the grass area before the entrance to the park. The bin also had to be in a location with easy access for the Council to empty it. We intend to contact the Council with regard to the re-siting as it may be the case that they will refuse to empty it if they cannot gain easy access. Flower Boxes The Amenities Group would like to thank everyone who was involved in the collection and planting of the flowers this year. Although we are withdrawing from Formartine in Bloom for the reasons stated we shall continue to plant the boxes. The Adopt-a-Box Scheme has been a great success and hopefully we can continue this next year. It has been particularly helpful in this hot weather with people taking responsibility for watering their own boxes. Many of the boxes are now in a very sad state so we hope to replace some of them over the coming year. We would like to

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purchase bigger boxes and have fewer of them but still maintain an eye-catching display over the summer. Amenities Group We are always looking for more people to join our group as we would like to hear the views of a much wider section of the village. There may be things that you would like to see done, or you may have suggestions to put forward, but unless people attend the meetings we have no way of knowing. The dates of the meetings are put up at least two weeks beforehand and the notices are displayed at the Bus Stop, on the window of the Bistro, in the Community Centre and on the box where the papers are delivered. A warm welcome is extended to all and we look forward to seeing you.

UDNY STATION AMENITIES COMMITTEE

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Udny Station Pre-school and Playgroup

It is the last day of term now and we have eight very excited children looking forward to starting school after the holidays and eight sets of parents realising their children are growing up and ready for the next stage of life’s journey.

The children have been talking about what they are going to be doing in the summer holidays. Whether it is flying off to foreign lands, trips to the beach, camping or visiting relatives they are all eager to discover what is on offer. No doubt we will hear all about it when they come back.

Our trip to Forvie Nature Reserve was a hit with the children and parents. We found newts, beetles, leaches and other creatures in the water with the help of the rangers. The sun shone for us and we headed off to the beach at Collieston. The children were quickly in the water and exploring the rock pools for crabs and shells.

After cancelling our Sports Day 3 times we finally managed it at the 4th attempt. The children showed how competitive they could be and the concentration could be seen on their faces. They all did so well and deserved their medals.

I would like to thank all our parents, grandparents and other family members for a fantastic year. They work so hard to fund raise, bring their talents and give their time to make our group such a happy place for the children to learn.

The next school year is already on our minds though, and we are planning another quiz night (possibly in September) and have decided that we will have our Xmas Fayre on 28th November so note your diaries please. These events are great fun and necessary to keep our group running. There will be some gifts that you won’t find on the High Street so why don’t you pop in and see what there is and you will get a nice warming glass of mulled wine.

I hope everyone has had a nice summer break and I look forward to the children coming back with all their news. There are still commissioned and non-commissioned places left and I can be contacted by phone or email just check our website www.udnystatioplaygroup.co.uk

Suzanne Ogg. Manager

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CULTERCULLEN W.R.I. On Tuesday 12th March, Cultercullen S.W.R.I. held their annual Inter-Rural Quiz Night. A grand total of 10 teams turned up on the night and, after answering the questions put by the question master Mrs Barbara Reid, the results were as follows: 1st The Runners Up (Aucheldy and Ythanbank) 2nd Belhelvie Babes (Belhelvie) 3rd Balgownie Belles ((Balgownie) Following the quiz, an excellent tea, provided by the ladies of Cultercullen, was enjoyed. Mrs Reid thanked all the participants and hosts for an excellent evening and wished all a safe journey home in the snowy weather. Monthly Competition ‘Flower of the Month’ was won by Moreen Alexander. In April, Cultercullen welcomed Old Meldrum to their business meeting. They entertained with competitions and poems. The committee was voted on as follow: Mrs B Reid President Mrs M Milne Secretary Mrs S Johnston Treasurer Mrs E Webster Magazine Secretary Mrs C Hay Press Secretary Mrs C Ritchie Raffles Mrs M Alexander Tea Convenor Most Points Awarded:

1 Moreen Alexander 2 Carol Ritchie 3 Carol Hay Most points for Flower of the Month went to Sheila Johnston.

Competitions: Four Suggestions for Syllabus: Flower of the Month

1 Sheila Johnston 1 Carol Hay 2 Carol Hay 2 Carol Ritchie

Two Butterfly Cakes: 3 Sheila Johnston 1 Carol Ritchie 2 Moreen Alexander

The Vote of Thanks was given by Barbara Reid.

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News from Forvie National Nature Reserve

Year of Natural Scotland is flourishing at Forvie! Despite a late start to the season, many of the birds have nested successfully, flowers have bloomed and some of our more delicate inhabitants have also returned in force. The butterflies of the reserve are counted as part of the UK’s national monitoring scheme and this year we have seen huge numbers of Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary, especially along the side of the estuary. Another species, the Ringlet, is a more recent addition to Forvie and is now very commonly seen in long grass all over the area. The Ringlet is a small dark brown to almost black butterfly, with characteristic spots most easily seen on the underwings. If you look carefully it also has a fringe of white around the outside of the wing and this species can be seen even in damp weather so definitely one to look out for if the weather turns. We are also receiving some good mammal sightings for the North East Mammal Atlas project, so keep watching and send your records to http://www.nesbrec.org.uk/ So far I have spotted evidence of moles, deer, rabbits, badgers and foxes, but only one hedgehog. There must be more out there! If you have a hedgehog in your garden, then please let the North East Biological Records Centre know at the web site above. Our proposed information shelter at Waterside is developing and a planning application will shortly be submitted. The design should allow the shelter to blend in to the trees behind when viewed from Newburgh, while the use of Scottish timber and a turf roof will also minimise the structure’s visual impact. If funding and planning permission are successful, then we hope construction will begin before Christmas! Finally, if you would like to see more of your local, national nature reserve, then please join us on a Forvie guided walk on Saturday 10th August, 1.30pm til 4pm. Look out for details on posters, our facebook page ‘Forvie National Nature Reserve’ or call the Forvie Centre if you would like to come along. The walk will point out some of Forvie’s wildflowers, birds and butterflies as well as a few archaeological sites. Annabel.Drysdale@snh.gov.uk Tel 01358 751330

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A Walk on the Wildside

Oh dear, the nights are drawing in now that we have passed the summer equinox, just thought that I would cheer you all up! At least we have had some fine sunny days since the flood ceased, and the forecast is for more barbecue weather to come. Now, settle down and make yourselves comfortable, the following statement might cause fainting spells. One night recently I was watching the telly! Shock, horror, Bob Davis not eyeing up an oxeye or gazing at a gull; no, sitting in the house! Oh, I feel feint myself. Well it was 21.00 and Sunday, and it was a programme about the natural world, so please forgive me this once. I hope that all of you readers were also watching the ‘Rise of the Continents’ a superb series of four programmes about geology, sort of, and how the present day continents were formed. I was watching with great excitement as Prof. Stewart visited the Himalayas, and right to the very place that I visited two years ago: the Kali Gandaki river that has created the deepest gorge in the world. Prof Stewart was searching for fossils to prove that at one time the Himalayas were seabed! He did not find any fossils and was forced to buy one, well I went one better, so Prof. Bob did find a fossil, a superb fish, and it proudly sits on a shelf in my house. (like a good Aberdonian I was not going to pay for one!). So what has all of this got to do with dear old Foveran and its wildlife you ask? Ah, now we are not exactly a high mountain community, but there is a Davis Hill, ha, ha! No, at sea level Foveran is but when you are all outside looking at larks or spying on sparrows, do you ever give a though to what lies beneath your feet? I think that I know the answer to that question, and it is a real shame as our geology and geomorphology is fascinating. Oh, geomorphology, phew get that on a triple word at scrabble and you are quids in. It means the actual landforms themselves that sit on top of the geological features, and Foveran and round about has loads. At this time of the year when the barbecues is not sizzling your sausages or burning the burgers, what better than to take a walk down to the shore and wander along the sands. In terms of the dunes ‘make up’ (geomorphology again) the Foveran links are part of the Aberdeen Bay complex, one of the largest such features in the whole of Europe. Impressive eh, and right on your doorstep. Well of course it is mainly sand: beneath the waves, on the beach or in the dunes, it is all sand, but if I now tell you that if you are walking or have been walking along the beach, you were in fact walking on top of the Cairngorms! Oh dear, Bob really has gone barmy! Well, no I have not as the sand that has created the dunes etc. was at one time part of a huge range of high mountains in the centre of Scotland, those same mountains that today we all know as the Cairngorms.

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We have to start with the fact that Scotland and a large part of the UK were covered in ice for long periods in the past. The most recent ‘ice-age’ ended a mere 10,000 years ago, give or take a week. Foveran was even colder than it is today and covered in a sheet of ice a kilometre or more thick. Now ice is pretty hard stuff and grinds away rocks, and that is precisely what it did in the Cairngorms, it chopped off the top, like swiping off the top of a boiled egg. The famous Lairig Ghru pass that runs through the heart of the mountains, was gouged out by glacial action, and the solid rocks ground down to sand, that was in turn shoved eastwards and off into the North Sea. Gradually that sand was brought back onshore by wind and wave action, and hey presto at precisely seven minutes past three on Friday 13th, eight and a half thousand years ago, Foveran links were formed. The Cairngorms are basically granite and it is that, ground fine to sand that makes the dunes, and being granite it has created an ‘acidic’ dune system, and that has resulted in a specialised flora such a the acid dune heath on Forvie. This contrasts with the West Coast beaches and dunes that are formed from ground down shells (much richer in lime that creates a ‘richer’ flora). The area has a heap more features of note, all relating to our past covering of ice: the remains of glacial melt-water streams at Gallows Hill, Newburgh, and if it is fossils that you want then we have fossil shells in abundance (at a secret location!). Fascinating stuff, enjoy your walk on the mountains. Take care of yourselves and our wildlife until the next edition. Byeeee.

Bob Davis - 20 January, 2015

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Corbie Hall, Newburgh

In the 1851 census record for Foveran Parish there is on the north side of Newburgh a building called Corbie Hall. It is not mentioned in other census records, nor is it mentioned in the valuation roll although this may not be significant since house names were not in common use at the time.

It appears to be sited in the Culterty and East Knockhall Farm area depending on the census enumerator’s route. It is not identified by name on any map that I have checked.

In 1851 it is occupied by people by the name of Craib. It is likely to have been a semi-detached property or divided in some fashion. In part of the building Charles and Helen Craib are living with four children. Charles’ occupation is given as a bargeman so it is likely that he was employed to work on a barge either to unload ships in the estuary or perhaps also to take goods from Newburgh to Waterton at Ellon. The other part of the building is occupied by Elizabeth Craib of eighty eight stated to be a pauper (bargeman’s wife).

Why Corbie Hall?

Corbie is a Scots word for a Raven in particular but occasionally other types such as Carrion, Hooded and Rook, so was the building near where crows fed or roosted.

Corbie is a village in north France in the Somme valley near Amiens the scene of much of the fighting during World War 1.

From that village came a man later to become known as St. Ansgar 801-865 AD, who became Archbishop of Hamburg – Bremen. He was a Benedictine monk and a missionary spreading Christianity through Denmark, Norway, Sweden and parts of what is now known as Germany. The Benedictine orders mainly dress in black.

So taking a leap in imagination was Newburgh’s Corbie hall a residence for the Roman Catholic monks of days gone by?

Probably not since Monksholme was within the oldest part of the village and the site apparently became an Inn where James the Old Pretender stopped for the night on his journey from Peterhead to meet the Earl Marischal at Fetteresso Castle. It is also known that Monksholme and the Chapel were attended by monks of the Cistercian order who dressed in mainly white habits. It is said that the Cistercian order is derived from a breakaway of monks from the Benedictine order and so returning to the more austere way of life of the early Benedictines.

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Now another way to look at it is to consider the Black house of the Highlands. At one time, a traditional house of the west coast area, with a central smoke outlet for a peat fuelled fire. Were they black because of the open peat fire blackening the building or as others argue, were an inferior type of building because newer houses were white?

To return to Corbie hall and its occupants, they were recorded in the 1841 Scottish census living at Garpelhead. Again: two families by the name of Craib, in fact the same families. The elder family being: Charles Craib (60) a boatman and his wife Elizabeth (65). The other family being: Charles Craib and his wife Helen and one child and a servant Elizabeth Reid. The younger Charles is a fisherman and the elder a boatman.

Note: I find many discrepancies in people ages since this was prior to formal records being kept.

Garpelhead was a ferry crossing and ford near what is now Waterside Farm, one of several crossings between Newburgh and Ellon.

So were Corbie hall and Garplehead the same, an old building in comparison with those others around them and hence getting named in a derogatory fashion by the tenants of the building or others?

What does appear likely is that the two Charles were father and son and that the son took over the ferry crossing after his father’s demise.

In the 1865 valuation roll Garpelhead was occupied by the heirs of Charles Craib paying a lease of £3 to the Udny Estate.

Garpelhead is marked on The Gordon of Straloch map of 1654 as it is on the First series of the Ordnance Survey maps and there is a Charlie’s point at the opposite side (east) approximately where the bridge was built. Two buildings are marked there, clearly an important river crossing. The first bridge built at this point was established in 1877; and Garpelhead Croft was still marked on the Ordnance Survey map as revised in 1894 and occupied at least beyond the 1901 census.

But was this Corbie Hall an odd corruption of Garpelhead or the census enumerator’s whim or misinterpretation of the Scot’s tongue. The 1851 census record on microfilm is quite clearly Corbie Hall but there appears to be no other record and research resources have not turned up any further information other than Corbie Halls in Bo’Ness, Milngavie and Maryculter. So if anyone knows of the history of this name near Newburgh I would be glad to be enlightened.

Charles Catto

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Saint Mary-on-the-Rock, Ellon

As I write this note, we are all basking in what we would love to call ‘seasonable weather’, but is it really? I know that many of us ‘older’ persons hark back to what was proper summer, but was it really as good as we all think that it was? Maybe it is because we have a tendency to only remember what we want to remember and put to the back of our minds the bits that are not so good? As part of our on going mission at St Mary’s we have an old shopping trolley that each week is filled with food gifts for the Aberdeen Cyrenians. We are so lucky to live in an area that is relevantly prosperous and, despite all we read in the media, there are those who are really struggling to make ends meet, even here. A few Sundays ago we were joined at our 11.00 am service by Kimberly Wilson of the Cyrenians who emphasised to the congregation how their regular donations of food, toiletries etc are put to us to help homeless people in Aberdeen. The main use of the food donated is in the Street Alternatives project which provides a hot meal and a warm, dry space for those who have nowhere permanent to live. Preventative and rehabilitation work is also an important part of their work.

Christian Aid week in Ellon has raised almost £3000. St Mary’s contribution to this included a house to house collection, the usual lunch in the hall after morning service and 2 can collections, one at Costcutter in Ellon and the other at TESCO. There were also donations from our fair trade shop as well as money raised by selling paper quizzes. The variation, from relying on house to house collections certainly has made a difference to the total as well as raising the profile of Christian Aid to many others who may not be aware that the appeal is not only for one week of the year.

While thinking about our Fair Trade shop, a new idea is being tried. Although always open after normal services, people have to leave the main hall to find goods. Now, once a month, the shop is being brought into the main hall with a significant increase in trading. Our usual weekly services are: Sundays: 08.30 a.m. Early said Eucharist; 11.00 a.m. The Eucharist (with hymns & sermon) Wednesday: 10.00 a.m. Holy Communion in St Mary’s hall Details of other services and events may be found by either calling the parish office on 01358 720366 or by visiting our website: www.stmarystjames.org.uk

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THANK YOU MR BEECHING The village where I now live was, in the past, a very important railway junction. It seems there were several different branch lines passing through the little station here, so now, thanks to Mr Beeching, we have lots of wonderful disused railway paths to walk along. There is one loop of railway that takes a wide sweep around one side of the village, and for a while I couldn’t think why, as there are a couple of tracks that pass through the village anyway. I thought, maybe a difficult landowner, or too many lines through the station - anyway it seems that the incline to climb out of the village was too steep for the engines and the winch at the top of the incline to pull them up struggled. So our beautifully engineered railway loop was created with a gentle incline to take the trains up the hill. I say beautiful, as it is. They have blasted through rocks, built viaducts to take the field water drains across and there is a stunning pack bridge spanning the gorge on the ‘right of way’. I love walking round it. The gully isn’t wide enough to have taken any large engine, so I have a mental image of an engine like ‘Thomas the Tank’ puffing its way up the incline. Of course, in those days there wouldn’t have been all the undergrowth and self seeded trees lining it, but they are also what make it so beautiful. The gorge, at its deepest, has tall angular boulders, where they had to blast though. There are places where water runs down, or from between the rocks, in waterfalls – when it rains – trickles otherwise, and flows into stone lined culverts on either side of the track. This micro climate has encouraged ferns, mosses and wild flowers to grow, and how they grow. There are a huge variety of ferns and mosses obviously enjoying the moisture and protection the gorge provides. It’s certainly a magical place – like some kind of lost world. In fact, anybody who was anybody at the end of the 19th century would have wanted to achieve a similar effect somewhere within their gardens, as grottos and ferneries where all the rage. A vast amount of money was spent importing huge boulders and diverting streams to create hidden dells, gorges and shady walkways where an ever expanding array of ferns could be displayed. If one was lucky enough to own a valley with a stream running through it, woodland dells and paths could take you on a journey around the plant world, as this was the great era of the plant hunter. These intrepid explorers visited far flung corners of the globe looking for new plant species, and their expeditions were usually funded by a wealthy land owner. They brought back many of the species we see in gardens today, but in those days their sponsors would plant ‘exotics’ from around the world to show off to their friends. If one had a semi-shady glade, a display of Rhododendron from the Himalaya, Camellia from China or Bamboo from Japan was bound to impress.

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The fernery, apart from a place to display an array of unusual ferns, was usually high sided and had water, making it dark and damp – just the habitat for ferns and mosses. It also provided the visitor with a sense of adventure on a mini scale, and the Victorians loved that – this was the era of exploration. I think they would have loved the railway loop as it is today with its wildness, beauty and sense of journey – as I do - from primroses on the gentle banks in spring, amazing icicles in the gorge in winter and masses of dog rose, elderflower and wild flowers in between. Thanks to the unrivalled feats of engineering of a bygone age it’s there for us all to enjoy! Happy Gardening! Lesley Barnett

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Gordon Friends of CHAS Gordon Friends of CHAS continue to be very busy with our ‘normal’ round of activities. But – something else has happened to us recently. On Friday 10th June, 6 members of Gordon Friends of CHAS (Children’s Hospice Association Scotland) accompanied by a member of the fundraising team from Aberdeen attended a Gala Dinner at the Glasgow Hilton Hotel to recognise the 10th anniversary of ‘Our Heroes Awards’ sponsored by the Daily Record. It all began in early February when the group received an email from the PR Manager of CHAS asking if we would be happy to accept a nomination for the ‘Our Heroes 2013’ awards in the category, Our Fundraising Hero. Without hesitation it was agreed and what followed was a month of activity and silence (which was most frustrating). However, by the end of the month, an interview by a member of staff from the Daily Record had been completed and a photographer sent to Ellon to take photographs of as many of the group as available. After that, things were a bit quiet until the beginning of April when we received a call from the newspaper telling us that the Gordon Friends of CHAS has been selected as one of three finalists in our category. Fantastic news as we had not expected to get past the first stage. What happened after that was incredible. At an event in the Glasgow Hilton Hotel, attended by over 500 people from all walks of life and hosted by Fred MacAulay, the Gordon Friends of CHAS were announced as winners and the recipients of the ‘Our Fundraising Heroes of 2013’. The award, presented by Sharleen Spiteri, who is also a great supporter of CHAS, was not only in recognition of the fact that we had raised in excess of £270,000 for the work of CHAS, but also for the work that ALL the volunteers throughout Scotland do to support the Hospices. We were wined, dined and entertained beautifully. There many other celebrities wandering around making sure that we all had a fun time.

But, back to more ‘mundane’ matters! On Saturday afternoon, 13th July the group broke new ground by hosting a Strawberry & Cream tea in the church hall of Saint Mary-on-the-Rock. With no idea what the response would be we were delighted that in excess of £400 was raised in just 2 hours. At times there was no room for more people to gain a seat. Success!

The next event will be on September 7th September when we have arranged a Supper Dance at the Station Hotel in Ellon. Entertainment is to be provided by Ocean’s 3, Aberdeen's very own swing and Rat Pack style vocal group, combining great music with their own off the cuff comedy to provide a great night of entertainment for all. Another note for the diary is the annual dance to be held in the Station Hotel, Ellon on Saturday 8th September. This will be followed on Saturday 26th October with a Ceilidh, again at the Station Hotel with music being provided by the Ythan Fiddlers.

If you would like more information the groups activities you can request information by emailing chas.gdf@gmail.com or by contacting the Aberdeen fundraising office at 95 Rosemount Place, Aberdeen on telephone 01224 645000 or email aberdeen@chas.org.uk

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Foveran Parish Church: SOCIAL COMMITTEE On the evening of Saturday 15 June the church hall was packed for a VARIETY CONCERT and the audience enjoyed a memorable evening of entertainment. The line-up included Newburgh Mathers Singing Club led by Doreen Astley and Foveran Church Choir led by Christine Fordyce – choir members Anne and Pam also performed solo spots and Alan Dalziel played for us on the guitar. We were also treated to wonderful singing and playing by Doreen herself and James Gregory. A very special part of the evening was provided by the very talented youngsters Lauren and Andrew Astley, Jessica Berrie, Emma Kirk and Harry Peters who played a wonderful selection of instruments to inspire and enthrall us. Thanks to all involved – the excellent support enabled us to raise another £325 for the work of Christian Aid.

Looking ahead:

There is an exciting event coming up in early September. The OSILIGI WARRIORS, a seven piece group from Kenya, will be visiting Foveran and Belhelvie Parish Churches on Friday 13 September at 7pm. They will perform a program of Maasai Tribal Song and Dance (including their celebrated jumping) for approximately one hour; this will follow a short DVD and Powerpoint presentation, so the evening will be educational and also good fun – and suitable for all ages. There will be an opportunity to learn more about The Warriors after the performance, and some beadwork will be on sale. You can learn more about the Osiligi Warriors in the meantime by going to the website www.osiligiwarriors.co.uk.

And on Thursday 26 September, as we approach the season of Remembrance, we have an illustrated talk by Angus Hay, a former army officer and amateur historian, on the 51st (Highland) Division and St Valery-en-Caux, France 1940. The 51st (Highland) Division, a Scottish territorial division that included a battalion of the Gordon Highlanders, fought with distinction throughout both world wars. The talk will describe the sequence of events that led to the Division’s capture in France in June 1940 at the beginning of World War II. Many of those captured, and held as prisoners-of-war in Germany, were from Deeside and the north east. The division had been cut off from the British Expeditionary

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Force, and was forced to retreat to St Valery-en-Caux, where despite attempts made to evacuate by the Royal Navy, it surrendered to the Germans. Angus has travelled extensively throughout his life, and has researched and written about a number of historical events relating to the British Army in the countries in which he has lived. His talk will take place in the Church Hall, Newburgh and start at 7.15pm. Please make a note of the dates of both these events and look out for further publicity on posters and in the local press nearer the time. Everyone is very welcome to come along.

Mary Smith (Social Convenor) Tel: 01358 742234

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WYANDOTTE REPORT The number of pages in the newsletter is always in multiples of four – something to do with the size of sheets used by the printers. An hour ago, memory stick poised to save the latest edition, I realised I’d got 39 pages and not 40 as I’d thought. Oh Me miserum and Ecclefechan! Either I prune 3 pages, thereby incurring the wrath some contributors (not a good idea), re-jig the whole newsletter and include some photos I didn’t have room for (just too much work) or write one more page. A couple of editions ago, I included a short piece about my very splendid Wyandotte chickens and a few people were kind enough to tell me they’d enjoyed reading about them – so here goes again. The gels are all hale and hearty and are laying beautiful eggs with lovely rich yellow yolks – that is, when they’re not broody. Without warning, Wyandottes hunker down, heat up and metamorphose from gentle friendly birds into avian fish wives with attitude. Now all this would be fine if a) I had a cockerel so the eggs were fertile and b) if I wanted chicks in the first place – which I don’t. Yesterday morning, I found Sharon glued to one of the nesting boxes. She’d clearly been putting the frighteners on the others as not an egg was to be found. Time to visit the ‘cooler’. A farmer once told me he used to dunk unwanted broodies in a bucket of cold water but that’s just not acceptable for my gels so I put them in one of my stables with food, water and grit but no bedding whatsoever and after 48 hours they emerge – a bit cross but the urge to sit for 21 days now seems like a very bad idea. I feel guilty about doing this and tiptoe past the stable in case I hear their plaintive cries, but it has to be done. I have weakened on occasions and let chickens out too soon. Big mistake. They’ve returned to the nesting box at Formula 1 speed very unimpressed with me, life and the universe. Perhaps next year I’ll let my gels hatch some eggs…..

‘Whar dar meddle wi me’. Sharon gives me the evil eye.

Wyandotted (the Dotties) in the sunshine.

Janet Jones.

FOVERAN COMMUNITY COUNCIL Tony Churcher, Briarlea, Cultercullen. AB41 6QQ 01651 842549 Duncan Milne, 27 St Clair Wynd, Newburgh. AB41 6DZ 01358 789847 dandfmilne@btinternet.com Anne Massie, 24 Red Inch Circle, Newburgh. AB41 6AW 01358 789322 William Grant, Bank House, Udny Station. AB41 6QJ 01651 842791 Kate Duncan 01651 843777 Pauline Winslade, 24 Eider Road, Newburgh. AB41 6FD 01358 788922 pauline.winslade@btinternet.com Martin Warrior, Overhill Cottage, Newburgh. AB41 6BA 01358 789571 martinwoz@yahoo.co.uk Youth Members are: Brian Simpson, 6 Blairythan Terrace, Foveran Village, AB41 6AX 01358 788807 email amandajkeiths@aol.co.uk Daniel Hook, Glenord, 7 Main Street, Newburgh, AB41 6BP 01358 789232 email Dannyhook@live.co.uk Foveran Community Council meetings take place on the 4th Wednesday of the month at 7.30pm. All meetings begin at 7.30pm with Meeting Point when members of the public can bring issues to the attention of the Community Council. All meetings are open to the public and everyone is welcome. The dates of future meetings are: 2013/14 27 Nov Newburgh Mathers School 28 May Foveran School 22 Jan Udny Station Hall 23 June Newburgh Mathers School 26 Feb Foveran School 27 August Udny Station Hall 26 Mar Newburgh Mathers 24 Sept AGM The Ythan Hotel 23 Apr Udny Station Hall