WHAT’S NEW

Seaboard Resilience Group

Balintore Fire Brigade

Meals on Wheels

Seaboard Poly Tunnel

JUNE 2020

FREE ISSUE

SEABOARD COMMUNITY NEWS

The Seaboard Centre could

not let VE Day pass

without doing something to

pay tribute and show

respect to the memory of all

those who played their part

in the Second World War.

These Seaboard Villages

saw a great number of

losses, as did other

communities up and down

the country. So with the

help of digital technology

and some expertise various

video clips, old

photographs and recordings

were assembled together to

produce a short video. This

video can be found on our

website www.seaboardcentre.com/

seaboard-remembers-ve-day/

VE Day Tribute—A work of Collaboration

Grateful thanks go to Charlie Ross, Ailsa Ross and William Ross – great to have such a musical family who were

able in the circumstances that we find ourselves these days to produce such a high quality recording. To Rev

Andrew MacLeod, for his inspiring message, Andrew is becoming something of a You tube celebrity in these

parts as he puts out his twice weekly message from various locations in the community and to Rev Alasdair

Mcaulay for a closing word, to Nicky Murray and Maureen Ross for their interpretation and recording of the song

‘Who Knows Where The Time Goes’ and finally to Chloe Rodgers who pulled it all together.

Seaboard Centre Distribution Hub

Grannies arrive at Seaboard Memorial Hall to prepare Meals on Wheels amid Crisis. (At the time of this photo being taken the grandchildren’s ages ranged from 1 day old to 21 years!)

The Resilience work continues on two fronts, Meals on Wheels are now up to 150 meals twice a week and also the

Food Boxes supplemented with other produce. There is no doubt that we could not carry out all this work without

the support of the volunteers who help to prepare and deliver the meals and for the work that goes into the

administration of both these operations, but we must not forget the generosity of contributors such as Balmuchy

Egg Box, Brunton Potatoes (via Donald Ross, Rhynie), Cullisse Rapeseed Oil, ASDA, Tesco & Morrisons who

help us to top up food boxes supplied by CCAST and the Meals on Wheels with those little extras.

What has been encouraging is the working relationship between the communities of Seaboard, Nigg and

Fearn, the upside to all of this is that we can see that there may be opportunities to work more closely after this

time of Covid-19 is over.

Many have been asking to donate towards the Meals on Wheels service. This is a free service but reacting to this a

Donation button has been set up on our Facebook Page and already many have given most generously. For those

of you who are not used to online banking a letter will go out with Meals on Wheels soon advising of other

options. However, I must stress this is a free service and nobody must feel obliged to make a donation, we are

providing this service to assist with the ‘Stay at Home’ Government message for our over 70’s and most

vulnerable and at the moment we have secured funding for this service which will see us into July.

Finally, if you need either of the services we are providing then get in touch: –

for those impacted by loss of earnings or reduced earnings then please contact Norma Balfour on 07818024200

for the Meals on Wheels service contact Chris at Seaboard Centre on 01862 832888

Monday – Friday 10.00am – 12.00 noon.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have sent in little messages on their return menus,

messages on facebook, thank you cards and expressing their thanks whilst on the telephone – please be assured

these are encouraging and most appreciated. Last week there were two messages in particular which really

brought home the measure of how important the resilience work is that is going on in communities throughout the

country, the first was an extract of a letter from one of the families who are receiving the foodboxes and the other a

Thank You card sent in by 2 young children thanking us for looking after their Granny.

Seaboard Community News PAGE two

Almost 150 meals are prepared twice weekly and delivered from the Seaboard Memorial Hall, we would love to

know what some of your favourite dishes were so please let us know. Lots of lovely fresh vegetables for one of

the dishes, lettuce grown in the Seaboard Poly Tunnel and served with the Cheese & Pineapple Salad and the

Mince & Tatties, tatties donated by James Brunton and delivered by Donald Ross. The cool bags have to be

sanitised after every use and ready for the next set of meals to be delivered by some of the wonderful volunteers

who help us week in week out. All the organisation, preparation, and delivery of this service is done totally

voluntarily. Thank you to everyone who helps in every way. Continued overleaf…...

“Just writing to express my gratitude for the Covid-19 food boxes we have received during lockdown. Several weeks into lockdown, our household income was abruptly cut to a level which left us unable to cover our basic bills. We also found that we were not eligible for financial help and became quite panicked. But then we spotted a facebook message by Norma at the Seaboard Memorial Hall, Balintore offering help to folk affected by Covid-19. We contacted Norma, explained our situation, and she informed us we qualified for a Covid-19 food box. We were so overjoyed to finally get some help! We went to collect our first Covid-19 food box, not with any great expectation, and I cannot even express just how wonderfully touched and emotional I felt when Norma presented us with the bag upon bag of groceries we were met with!!!!... There was rice, cereal, milk, soups, meats, bread, fruit and veg and even some essential toiletries like shower, deodorant, toothbrushes and much more. I simply couldn't believe it!!! I had tears in my eyes and felt immediately overcome by how cared for we felt. It was such a huge relief to know that we at least had enough to eat and didn't have to worry about not having the money for this. I got home with our first set of Covid-19 food bags and we got so excited unpacking everything and thinking what we could use for meals. Not only that, but we were astonished to find out from Norma that all the time our finances were affected by Covid-19, we could continue to get the food boxes!....so it wasn't just a one-of gesture, but has now been a continuous weekly help that has allowed us for the first time in our lives to feel so cared for and has lifted us from that initial state of despair and helplessness. We cannot thank the folk at the Seaboard Memorial Hall, Balintore, enough for being able to support and care for us. We felt so awkward about the whole situation, and even scared to admit we needed help - but have been met with such care and compassion by Norma at the Seaboard Hall, these feelings have since vanished. We just hope that we will be able to give back to others in need when we are able to again."

Seaboard Community News PAGE three

Thank You card received from 2 grateful grandchildren.

Pictured are some of our Meals on Wheels delivery

men & women. Steve Keith, Joanie Whiteford,

Maureen Ross, Sandra Skinner & Jan Carrison. Other

delivery people are Tony & Diane Hawksey, Kevin

Gordon, George Skinner, Vanessa Morrison, Lynda

Durrand & Leigh MacKenzie.

Well Done to our Bin Men &

Women, a well deserved Bacon

Roll from the Seaboard Hall.

Seaboard Community News PAGE four

In our Library at the Seaboard Hall we have a large

selection of books. You can borrow and return or take

away and leave a donation . We are very grateful for

all the books donated to our library. Please come and

visit once we re-open.

The Best Funny Exam

Answers

From Scotland

Since there will be no exams this summer we

thought we would give you some previous

answers to exam questions.

Question—Name a major disease

associated with cigarettes?

Answer—Premature Death.

Question—Name Six animals that

specifically live in the Artic?

Answer—Two polar bears and four seals,

Question—What are Hieroglyphics?

Answer—I don’t know for sure, but they

are taller than lowerglyphics.

Birthday Parties

Have your kid’s birthday party

at the Seaboard Memorial Hall

£55.00. for 2 hours

tel: 01862 832888

The winners of the May draw for our 200 Club are

1st—£100.00 No. 25 John Smith

2nd—£50.00 No. 26 Jenny Tattersal

3rd—£25.00 No. 43 Laura Grant

4th—£25.00 No. 181 Robin Cattanach

Seaboard Community News PAGE five

Grass cutting; tidying;

rhone cleaning; path laying;

general maintenance etc.

B.B. Garden Maintenance

01862 832954

07922319452

The winners of the June draw for our 200 Club are

1st—£100.00 No. 12 Annette Blackstock

2nd—£50.00 No. 101 Cristal Johnstone

3rd—£25.00 No. 145 Geoff Spicer

4th—£25.00 No. 199 Steven Paterson

Thank you to Dp TAXI

Thank you to David Purvis for keeping an eye on the

‘Green Ticks and Red Crosses’ in the windows in

Fearn to make sure that everyone is safe.

Dp Taxi is operating with special measures for Covid-19,

please call Call David on 07999844706 for more info.

Seaboard Community News PAGE six

RAINFALL DATA

FOR BINDAL FARM mm

Year JAN FEB MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL

1997 28 48 64 23 130 78 92 67 39 18 76 59 722

1998 82 43 74 79 21 65 112 68 67 128 98 48 885

1999 48 43 37 60 113 86 158 58 87 48 84 93 915

2000 37 44 56 112 50 56 17 78 75 121 76 100 822

2001 6 58 59 31 59 49 95 218 97 157 62 75 966

2002 63 95 26 24 28 30 164 39 8 108 43 23 651

2003 43 7 31 52 101 27 48 25 46 43 45 87 555

2004 107 40 28 43 38 121 34 87 72 172 76 64 882

2005 89 45 51 36 83 80 29 58 63 83 69 63 749

2006 18 28 49 47 68 37 29 119 112 238 111 93 949

2007 78 59 41 24 118 73 132 105 18 24 124 66 862

2008 112 48 70 54 13 80 28 148 58 82 41 71 805

2009 56 43 60 31 77 41 67 70 106 99 101 56 807

2010 32 43 28 21 43 15 145 67 110 46 48 17 615

2011 37 77 68 34 91 90 68 131 126 54 38 55 869

2012 59.1 20.1 5.3 99.7 27.8 71 66 96 67 92 29 112 745

2013 46 57 31 38 77 59 31 57 40 86 70 81 673

2014 52 42 31 35 59 71 36 175 34 139 77 104 855

2015 126 34 39 45 63 64 82 98 45 50 62 100 808

2016 78 80 42 47 40 47 112 69 71 28 48 51 713

2017 61 51 62 44 44 111 48 54 89 66 112 52 794

2018 70 42 78 34 33 21 38 45 92 81 50

25 609

2019 60 32 57 30 71 50 75 121 76 44 104 56 776

2020 67 122 31 23 35 278

Hi there,

It is lovely to see the rain yesterday 4 mm that was forecast as our ground is very dry. We need to remember to pray for rain to keep our crops growing. We have been very fortunate as other parts of UK have had little or no rain in May. I got an email to say the land around Spalding Lincolnshire big cracks appearing in the heavy land due to the lack of rain. Our crops are looking well as we have had enough rain and dew to keep them growing during May. We have now finished planting all the potatoes, then liquid fertiliser is injected into the ground below and either side of the planted potatoes. Then the potato the ground is sprayed with a herbicide to kill off any weeds that are growing. The spring Barley as at flag leaf which is the last leaf before the head comes out which is already formed inside the stem ready to push out. The Oil Seed Rape is now losing its flower and the pods are forming, which will contain the seeds. The grass field next to the golf course is very bare due to being on sand and lack of moisture. There has been lots of Golden Finches coming to the bird feeder and they are beautiful birds to look at.

Roskill house at Munlochy has had 53.8 mm of May and 407 mm YTD Kind regards

Douglas

Seaboard Community News PAGE seven

Seaboard Community Poly Tunnel

Seaboard Community News PAGE eight

Due to COVID-19 restrictions the Poly Tunnel is

‘CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC’ and will remain so until

restrictions have been lifted. Notices were placed

outside the poly tunnel when this was first announced,

and they are still in place.

The Poly Tunnel is run by a committee who oversee the

activities and source funding to sustain the work on an

ongoing basis. The whole concept of the poly Tunnel is

to grow products for the benefit of the community and

it is hoped that volunteers will come along and assist

with the many tasks required to make it a success.

Should space be available, it may be possible for the

public to ‘Grow Their Own’, but this is at the discretion

of the committee and would be on a first come first

served basis.

At present the Poly Tunnel capacity is at maximum

with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, aubergines,

courgettes, radish, lettuce, strawberries, and various

other plants growing. Unfortunately, this year due to

COVID-19 our order for flowers for the village planters

was cancelled by our suppliers. There are several boxes

placed throughout the community and if you would like

to adopt one for this season please feel free to plant

some flowers and keep it tidy.

The Poly Tunnel has already supplied produced for the

Seaboard Resilience Team—COVID-19 to use in Food

Boxes, Meals on Wheels and Vulnerable Groups. As

plants come to harvest, we will continue supplying to

these groups on a regular basis.

As stated, the Poly Tunnel is currently ‘CLOSED TO

THE PUBLIC’, one member of the community Mr

Jamie Holloway is working on a voluntary basis in the

Poly Tunnel and he has the full support of the

Committee to be there. We are extremely grateful for

the excellent work he is carrying out and we are

delighted to see a young family man develop his

gardening skills. Jamie adheres to all restrictions within

the poly tunnel and his close young family members

can share this time with him.

The Committee are currently looking at various options

to compliment our current activities and will keep you

appraised on all progress.

Any questions concerning the Poly Tunnel can be

addressed to the:

Seaboard Poly Tunnel Committee, Chairman,

Ross Balfour, on mobile: 07505772092 or

Email: ross.balfour13@btinternet.com

Balintore Fire Station

Follow the work of the Balintore

Fire Station on Twitter

@Balintore_Fire

Our crews work hard to protect life, property and the environment when fires

take hold. It is crucial that people act safely and follow the countryside code.

The Balintore crew attended a fire in Tain recently where burning garden

rubbish set fire to a hedge, the fire was quickly extinguished but it shows

how quickly a simple fire can take hold and cause devastation.

A Firefighter keeps watch over the Kishorn Community following a recent wildfire.

Seaboard Community News PAGE nine

Has Banksy been to Nigg?

Can our readers help solve the mystery of these

beautifully painted stones, which can be found

on the fence posts on the roadside from

Chapelhill to Nigg Hall?

Seaboard Community News PAGE ten

Available SEVEN days per week

Collection from 5pm until 7pm

To order call 01862 850328 before 5pm

We offer a range of popular traditional dishes including Battered Buckie Haddock (we take in

fresh fish twice a week, so now available all week), Bannerman’s Premium Scampi, Macaroni

Cheese & Beef Lasagne. Plus a selection of Continental and Oriental dishes available such as Ital-

ian Meatballs, Creamy Chicken & Mushrooms, Thai Red Chicken Curry, Thai Beef Massaman

Curry, Indian Vegetable Masala, Indian Chicken Vindaloo etc.

Please see our FACEBOOK page for current menu.

Childrens Menu available: children’s meals half-price Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday.

Many of the Household Waste Recycling Centres are now open for essential waste disposal. This includes bagged

household waste, garden waste, flattened cardboard, small electrical items, large electrical items. Cars only, no

trailers or vans allowed. 1 person only allowed out of the car. Please observe social distancing at all times.

Over the coming weeks, once we are satisfied that the amount of waste and visitor numbers using the sites are at

safe and manageable levels, we will add more types of waste to the list of items that are accepted.

Please regularly check our website for updates - bit.ly/HCRecyclingCentres

Tain Recycling Centre Now Open

Seaboard Community News PAGE eleven

Oisean Gàidhlig Machair Rois

The Seaboard Gaelic Corner

Although the Villages

were primarily fishing

communities, and held

themselves to a large

degree apart from the

farming ones, there were

of course overlaps. The

women would carry fish to

the countryside and bring

back eggs, vegetables and

other foodstuffs, or

firewood and tourcans,

and some village folk

worked on the local farms

either all year round or

seasonally, e.g. tatie-

lifting. Some of the words

I have collected reflect this

activity, and also the fact

that family vegetable

gardens were important for

a more varied diet.

Go to the tuath – the

countryside. Tuath (too-a)

is a loaded word in Gaelic.

It covered the land itself,

but also the people living

and working on the land,

the ones who made it what

it was. This is reflected in

the motto chosen for the

Highland Land League,

who campaigned for land

reform in the 1880s: Is

Treasa tuath na tighearna

– the (lands)people are

mightier than the lord.

Although mainly

representing crofters, this

movement was quite

strong in Easter Ross, a

high-level champion of

Highland tenants’ rights

being Thomas Nichol of

Resolis and Dingwall.

A key crop, in fields and

garden, was the buntàta

(boon-taa-ta), potato.

Usually shortened to

buntàt’, which is

probably a step on the way

to the Scots word taties,

pronounced with a long A,

as in sgadan is buntàt’,

herring and taties. A

favourite childhood meal

of ours was salt herring

and taties, as we were

allowed to eat it with our

fingers because of the

bones, and always a mug

of milk on the side

because of the salt.

A dreel was clais (clash), a

furrow, ditch, hollow. We

still see this word today liv-

ing on in the local place name

Clashnamuaich, clais nam

maigheach – ditch of the

hares.

The flower on the potato

plant was barra-guc, local

pron. barra-kook.

After the potato harvest was

over came the “laachoo”,

làmhachadh - handling. This

was the word for the lifting

by hand, after the fields had

been harvested and harrowed,

of the remains of the potato

crop – a kind of gleaning. By

the time of our parents this

was probably more a histori-

cal word than still something

that was done. The poorer

people would be the ones

who took part. But the word

has also been given to me as

one that continued in use for

the regular lifting of taties.

A cappan was a sort of fork

for lifting taties in the garden,

possibly from cupan, any-

thing curved or cuplike, or

from Scots coup/cope – over-

turn, spill. Can anyone tell

me if that is the same as a

hawk?

And one more tatie word:

“runnach” – dry bracken to

cover taties. raineach /

roineach -bracken.

And once you had your taties,

you of course needed a

plocan, a wooden chapper ,

to mash them!

The turnip too was a staple:

snèap (snape/shnape), as was

the onion, “eenyan”- uinne-

an, or Scots ingan.

Another word that came up a

few times is “mawchoo”, ma-

nure. This is the local pronun-

ciation of mathachadh – im-

proving (math = good), and in

a farming context manuring

to improve the soil. As one

of my sources said, “ If there

was a whiff of ordure in the

air, the diagnosis was, "They

are putting mawchoo on the

fields". Mawchoo was also

dug into the gardens of the

village.”

In the garden the beairt

(byarst, byarsht) was used for

a garden frame for laying

seeds (line and sticks) . It

was also the word for a

square frame round which a

handline was wound. In

Gaelic it refers generally to

equipment or tackle, or a con-

traption, or frame. Beairt-

iasgaich – fishing tackle;

beairt-fhighe – a loom.

Another useful item was the

corran, or sickle. Some peo-

ple told me the Scots word

heuk (related to hook) was

used instead.

Yochal – a load, was another

farm-related word, probably a

Gaelicisation of yoke. I re-

member a packed lunch being

called a half-yocheen by my

uncle who worked on a farm.

i.e. the break halfway be-

tween re-yoking the horses.

Seaboard Community News PAGE twelve

Of course animals were

kept too, including pigs

fattened on scraps for sell-

ing on. It’s probably muc,

a pig, in the name Bal-

muchy – baile nam muc -

the pig settlement/farm.

“Coolan”, cuilean – pup-

py, whelp, cub, was used

of the young of the pig,

referring to the sow and

her coolans. My source

here says: “Presumably

should be “cuilean

muc” (pig whelp), but

maybe many young ani-

mals were referred to like

that. Strangely, I don’t re-

member anything but pup-

py for a young dog.”

Does anyone else remem-

ber anything about the

names used locally for

young animals, or indeed

any other animals, like

goat or cow?

Hens were also kept – I

remember having to feed

my grannie’s ones, kept

down at the sea end of the

garden, where nothing else

would grow. The cockerel

was “callach”- coileach,

and young hen or chicken

was “ayrack”, èireag. Eggs

were “oo-yan” – uighean.

I don’t remember the hens

themselves being called

cearcan, just hens, but I

vaguely recall hearing

taigh-chearc for hen-

house. I also recall the

hens being described as

“goggling”, which I took

then to mean the way they

looked at you (especially

the rooster), but in fact I

realise now it must have

been from Gaelic gogail,

clucking or cackling.

I hope this wee trip down

the collective memory

lane (thanks, as ever, to all

my sources!) might have

sparked some more Gaelic

or local words used in the

Villages in living memory.

And as ever, all additional

memories gratefully re-

ceived! (Via the Hall or by

email to me:

davine_sutherland@yahoo

.co.uk ) Mòran taing!

Accident in Tain

On Easter Weekend

It has been reported that a local man from Tain, by the

name of Humpty Dumpty was sitting happily on a

wall when suddenly he had a great fall!!!

We are happy to report that there were no serious

injuries!!

Seaboard Community News PAGE thirteen

Seaboard Virtual Churches

Tain & Fearn Free Church It has been a very strange few months for everyone, not

least in the church. We had to adapt almost overnight to

a completely different routine which will never be ideal

but has been widely appreciated. Both of our ministers

are now recording the Sunday services from their own

"home studios". With the help of dinning room chairs,

placemats, three Capri-sun boxes the camera is placed

on top to be at eye level with the preacher. We are very

thankful to have individuals in the congregation who

have skills to edit these videos and then publish them on

our Tain and Fearn YouTube channel every Sunday at

11am and 6pm. For those not online, CD's are provided

and delivered safely.

The Sunday School has also continued (virtually). At

10am a video goes out on our YouTube channel for all

the young ones to tune into (all are welcome whether

you are a regular or never been before) and then at

12:30pm they all meet on a Zoom call to talk through

and show the craft they have made that morning.

Through the week we all meet on Zoom for our prayer

meeting which is excellent as everyone can join in -

even if you do not have internet - because you can just

call a number on your house phone and listen in to the

meeting.

Minister's Message airs on YouTube and Facebook

every Monday and Friday where Andrew shares a very

short message from different locations around the

villages. He has been at the lambing shed, Shandwick

stone, down at the beach and on the cliffs. Thankfully,

the weather has generally been so good to show off the

beauty of God's creation.

Meeting physically in church has had to stop, but the

Church never does. We continue to meet together and

worship the Lord through these difficult times.

Everyone is warmly invited to tune in.

Andrew Macleod (Assistant Minister)

God Bless

Andrew

Rev Alasdair Macaulay

Isla Scaman teaches in Virtual Sunday School

Rev Andrew MacLeod’s Minister’s Message

Seaboard Community News PAGE fourteen

Balintore United Free Church of Scotland Since lock-down began back in March Balintore

United Free Church of Scotland has moved on-line via

Zoom – the church building unused. We are blessed to

have internet and computer technology that keeps us

video & audio connected during safe-distancing

separation.

After ‘daein oor heid in’ technology challenges were

navigated without too many hiccups, regular groups of

worshippers gather on-line each Sunday morning from

11.00am for praise, prayer & Bible preaching. Each

Wednesday evening we meet for Bible study, praise

and a time of public open prayer from 7.30pm – when

we pray for particular needs known to us [pic of

preaching via lap-top computer]. Prayer, praise and

Bible preaching are God’s means of grace to help us, to

feed us spiritually, to strengthen us in our weakness

and need – a need felt more sharply in face of ill-health

and rising death toll under coronavirus pandemic. We

pray out God’s grace for all who live in the Seaboard

Villages and beyond.

It continues to be hugely encouraging to see and to

hear each other on screen and to join in worship

through separated in our own homes. The pre & post

worship chat and joking are an additional blessing—

comments about lack of haircut or DIY haircut raising

the biggest laughs! A number of our folks, who don’t

have the internet, phone in and enjoy audio access –

so can join in worship and share the prayers, praise

and sermon, with additional friendly chat.

From individual homes prayer is led by members &

Elders and praise is led by a precentor or by Alitia

Robb on the keyboard. Via Zoom ‘share-screen’ praise

lyric is streamed from the host on individual lap-tops

and tablets and, though isolated by the lock-down and

by mic muting, folks sing individually in communal

praise, worshipping Jesus as Saviour and Lord.

Each week we have visitors joining us for Sunday

worship around the country – from Glasgow &

Edinburgh, from Bradford, from the Shetland Islands

and from the Island of Benbecula, even on a couple of

Sundays from Australia!

During lock-down the Hilton Primary school Friday

after-school-club has morphed into a home door-step

club, with thirty three children from twenty one fami-

lies receiving weekly Bible story work-sheets and craft

activities – often with a treat to eat or something to

plant.

Norma D has taken leadership of this, with delivery

help from Lesley R & Andrew R and tray-bake &

planting help from Catherine S.

This is response from the Lochhead family in

Shandwick,

Our girls miss after school club on Fridays but we

are so grateful for Norma and friends who have

kept them going throughout this lockdown with the

JAM club where we enjoy reading bible stories

and do fun activities!

Thanks to you all!! Tara & Alex.

Olivia enjoys Jam Club.

As does sister Victoria.

Continues over page...

Seaboard Community News PAGE fifteen

A Sensible Rabbit

‘Be ye therefore ready also’...........

Luke Ch 20 v 40 During their childhood years my daughters were

given two rabbits. One rabbit was white and the

other was black. I made a fairly sizeable hutch for

them inside a large enclosed area of ground and they

soon made themselves at home there.

As time went on the black one started to dig a hole

that every day went deeper and deeper beneath the

hutch. While this was going on the white rabbit

would sit and watch with a look of disdain on its

face, as if to say ‘what a silly rabbit you are.’

Then one day I came home from work to find the

poor white rabbit was dead, killed by a dog that had

managed to get inside the enclosure. There was no

sign of the black rabbit and I at first assumed that the

dog had taken it away.

The next morning I was pleasantly surprised to find

the black rabbit munching contentedly on some

grass. I had forgotten about the burrow that it had

been digging! The sensible rabbit had prepared a

place of refuge and was saved. The white rabbit

made no preparation and was lost.

What have you and I done in preparation for the

life to come?

With ‘phone buddies’ caring for a small group, we

keep up phone contact with most of our folks and each

Friday we send out a weekly prayer & pastoral news

bulletin via e-mail to keep folks connected and to

encourage personal prayer, printing the bulletin and

delivering it to local families who do not have internet

connectivity (edited by Alice C). Each week Alice also

includes news for prayer from missionaries serving

Christ around the world.

We have been in touch with most of the

missionaries whom we support in prayer. All are

affected by the coronavirus pandemic – from

Manchester, Bedford and Derby to Iraq, Spain,

Greece, South Africa, Uganda and Indonesia - all

are confined to their homes.

Churches and schools are closed, holidays and

conferences have been cancelled; some courses,

however, have been held on line. Staff meetings

for prayer and encouragement are grateful for

Zoom facilities. The McKellars and Lyttles have

been prevented returning to their mission fields

and still await flights to be resumed. In Uganda, an

extra burden was the need to find separate

isolation homes for the orphans in their care

because the school and hostel had to be closed

down.

Like us, they are grateful for technology as a

means to keep in touch not only with their

societies but with the folk they are pastoring and

teaching. Alice

Any who wish to join in worship with BUFCofS are

very welcome – access is via e-mail to Andy Downie

on andownie@yahoo.co.uk.

Doesn’t the Seaboard Scrub up well!!!

What would the country do

without volunteers?

We are so proud of the efforts of all those

who have been making masks and scrubs –

these brightly coloured scrubs have been

made in the Seaboard Villages for

distribution where needed, not only have

they been helping the care homes and NHS

but they have been saving mountains of

material finding its way to landfill and

thereby helping our environment.

Heroes everyone for sure.

Seaboard Community News PAGE sixteen

To live in the Highlands

We truly are blessed,

Surrounded by water

Is just simply the best

Our life on the whole

Is normally quiet and serene,

Like a bolt out the blue

Came ‘Covid 19’.

Now lockdown is here

We cannot go far,

But how lucky we are

For our local spar.

Inside we go

And keep our space,

And once inside

A friendly face.

As for now it is just straight home

As no longer we have the joy to roam,

We still are told to obey the rules

Then ‘god willing’ re open schools.

We cannot see daughters, grandsons or mums

But make sure we get it done,

Time will pass just wait and see

And how we will enjoy that cup of tea.

We are told so often we will get through this

And then return to normal bliss,

So, one more step along the road well go

And pray each will find their own rainbow!

‘Ode to Covid’

Shearings Coach

Tours

Since 2010, every year from May till October the

Seaboard Villages have been visited by hundreds,

indeed thousands of visitors on the Shearings Coach

Tours. The guests staying at a Shearings Hotel in

Dornoch, have all enjoying a Pictish Trail Tour, which

would take them to the Nigg Old Church and Stone,

down to Shandwick where they would look at the

Shandwick Stone, into the villages where they would

have a look at our Mermaid of the North before

stopping at the Seaboard Hall for morning tea and cake

or afternoon tea and cake. Sometimes we would have

90 people in the space of an hour and a half!! They

would then board the coach once more to visit the

Hilton of Cadboll Stone before travelling to

Portmahomack to visit the Tarbat Discovery Centre. It

is very sad that since the Coronavirus outbreak the tour

operator has gone into administration and it is highly

unlikely that we will see the blue buses coming down

the Shandwick hill and start rushing around to ensure

that all tables are set and ready for our guests.

Seaboard Community News PAGE seventeen

Father’s Day, Sunday 21st June, Collection or Delivery

Choose from the menu opposite, a burger, 2 sides, a dessert & a beer for only £20.00 to place

your order please message on Facebook, email enquiries@greensrestaurant-tain.co.uk or

call on 01862 893874.

Seaboard Community News PAGE eighteen

Seaboard Community News PAGE nineteen

If you're looking for a fun activity to take part in which supports Alzheimer Scotland, we would love you to print

off our forget me not colouring sheet and colour it in. The brighter, the better and you could display them on the

back window of your car, the window of your house or post them on social media.

Let us see your completed colouring sheets too! You can share them on social media and tag us: we're @alzscot on

Twitter, @AlzheimerScotland on Facebook and @alzscot on Instagram.

Highland Hospice Last year the Seaboard Memorial Hall supported the Highland

Hospice by taking part in the Wear Yellow to Work Fund Raiser. Unfortunately this year that was not possible due to the Lockdown.

However we can help them by knitting or crocheting sunflowers. Head of fundraising, Andrew Leaver, has taken inspiration from the fabulous poppy displays in 2018 to mark 100

years since the end of World War I, but instead of poppies, he is keen to create an “amazing cascade” of knitted

and crocheted sunflowers to flow over the balcony in the hospice reception. The display would not only mark the

Wear Yellow event but also celebrate staff and volunteers and raise much needed funds. He added: “Please spread

the word and encourage your friends and relatives to get involved too. The more sunflowers we have, the more

impressive it will look.”

Anyone keen to take part can download knitting or crochet patterns at: www.highlandhospice.org/sunflowercascade For more information, email Mr Leaver at: a.leaver@highlandhospice.org.uk

2 of our very

Young

supporters from

last year.

Our baking stall,

left, and our staff

wearing Yellow to

Work in 2019.

Seaboard Community News PAGE twenty

Out & about with Linda

Vass & Friends

Caroline Browning Linda Vass

Linda Vass Caroline Browning

If any readers have any nice photos that you would like to share with us please send to seaboardnews@seaboardcentre.com

Seaboard Community News PAGE twenty-one

Session Clerk

Alex Gordon

01862 832 222

Diary of Worship

April 2020

Morning Worship

will be held

each Sunday at

10.00am in Tarbat

11.30am. in Fearn

Abbey

Every 2nd and

4th Sunday at

6.30pm in Inver

The Parish of Fearn Abbey

& Nigg with Tarbat

Balintore United Free Church

Sunday

11.00am and 6.00pm Sunday School and

Crèche during morning service

Wednesday

Mums and Tots 10.00am - 11.30am

Prayer Meeting 7.30pm

Women's Association

Meet 2nd Tuesday of the month

October - May

Transport available to all services

Contact Numbers

Rev. Andrew Downie 850098

Session Clerk Robert Allan 842563

Elders Andrew Ross 832293

Graham Skinner 832518

God is our refuge and our strength

Balintore United Free Church

Morning Worship Sunday

10.00am (Creche, Sunday School, Bible

class)

Evening Sunday 6.00pm

Prayer Meeting Wednesday

7.30pm

Free Lunch & Foodbank:

Mondays

12 noon - 2.00pm (Term-

time)

Contact:

Rev. Alasdair MacAulay

01862 892156

Rev. Andrew Macleod

01862 832104

Our weekly morning and

evening services are now

available on our website.

King Street, Hilton.

All Welcome

Church Information—All services are via

Seaboard Community News PAGE twenty-two

Seaboard Community Toddlers Group

All babies and toddlers welcome.

Must be accompanied by an adult.

Why not come along, have a cup of tea and blether while your children have great fun!!

Every Thursday during term time at the

Seaboard Memorial Hall

10am – 11.30am

Admission fee £1.00

Tea, coffee, juice and light snack

provided.

Balintore Post Office

Fearn Butcher

The Shop, Portmahomack

Tain Library

Seaboard Memorial Hall

Where You Can Buy

Your Copy Of The Seaboard News

Do you want to advertise your business in

our monthly Seaboard Community News?

Our newsletter is available to people in the

B.B. Garden Maintenance

Grass cutting; tidying; rhone cleaning;

path laying; general maintenance etc.

01862 832954

07922319452

Please Note

Articles may not be printed in the Newslet ter i f the wr i t -er ’s name and address is unknown. This does not mean that the writer’s name or address must be printed. The writer can state if he/she does not want this information shown.

The Editor retains the right to select which articles to publish and to alter or amend them as deemed necessary.

ENTRIES FOR THE NEWSLETTER

If you have any articles, stories,

poems, birthdays, photos, etc.

that you want included in the

Seaboard Community News

please submit them as soon as possible,

To enable us to get them into the

Rainbow Mums & Tots

invite all mums, childminders, etc. with babies and any children not

yet in school to come along for company, friendship or fellowship

in the United Free Church Hall, Balintore, during school term

(right hand side between Ross Crescent and Park Street)

Wednesday mornings

10-11.30am

Thanks to

George Skinner for

planting some flowers

at the Seaboard

Memorial Hall.

Seaboard Community News PAGE twenty-three

Hugh M Campbell BSc (Hons) MPhil FCOptom FAAO

OPTOMETRIST

CONTACT LENSES

CAMPBELL EYECARE www.campbelleyecare.co.uk

36 High Street ALNESS

IV17 0PS

01349 882863 infoalness@campbelleyecare.co.uk

28-30 Tower Street TAIN

IV19 1DY

01862 892559 infotain@campbelleyecare.co.uk

Seaboard Community News

Now available on e-subscription

Subscribe for a year, 10 issues, have them

emailed to you for £15.00.

Contact Pat or Lynda at Seaboard Memorial Hall

for details Tel: 01862 832888

email: seaboardnews@seaboardcentre.com

or seaboardmemorialhall@btinternet.com

Tues—Fri : 10.30-

3.00pm

Tea, Cof-

fee,

snacks

Lunches

served until

2.30pm

*Tues & Fri Pensioner

Special*

Seaboard Memorial Hall East Street

Balintore, Tain, IV20 1UA

Tel: 01862 832888 E-mail: info@seaboardcentre.com

or seaboardnews@seaboardcentre.com

Office Opening Hours

9am —12pm

Monday — Friday

We do:

Typing

Structuring and/or typing out CV’s

Photocopying

Laminating

Ring binding

Desktop Publishing

Scanning

Preparation of Memoirs

Royal Bank of Scotland

Drop In

Theses have been

Suspended for the

Time being.

The views expressed in the newsletter are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Seaboard Memorial Hall