The Foggie Gossip

June 2008 Edition 

HARRIS / SMITH

Married on 17th May 2008 at New Marnoch Church were Lynn Harris Aberchirder and Graeme Smith of Gamrie.

Graeme, a farmer and Lynn, a waitress, are pictured signing the register with the Rev Paul van Sittert looking on.
 

On 23rd May, 1st Aberchirder Guides performed their own version of Jack and the Beanstalk.  It was a localised version written by Hannah Skyner, a young leader in the Guides.  The scenery  and costumes were all made by the guides, who all took on parts as well as acting as backroom scenery movers.  The script was very well written and included a lot of humour involving local characters, which the audience really appreciated.
 

GUIDE COUNTY CAMP

Aberchirder Guides recently attended the County Camp where all of the groups meet up, have fun and at the same time meet new guides.  This year the theme was 'Twin Towns'.  A competition between groups involved electing a Mayor and making a chain-of-office, having a Jester to tell jokes, appointing a Town Crier, designing a menu for a banquet and much more.  Points were awarded for each category and Aberchirder guides came first equal with Cornhill.  They were presented with a shield and County flag which the two groups will share.

The Guides worked on the badge for 'Traditions of Guiding' which entailed the setting of a table, singing the national anthem, flag and whistle signals, bed rolling, flying the colour party flag and lots more. Six girls from the Aberchirder 1st Guides attended the event and despite the cold they all thoroughly enjoyed the camp and are looking forward to the next one.

Both nursery classes from Aberchirder headed off to Banff on 30th May for a fun morning of puppet show entertainment. Unfortunately the programme of outdoor activities had to be cancelled due to bad weather. This did not curtail the youngsters’ enthusiasm either in Banff of back at nursery where everyone ate their packed lunch, picnic style.

The children were included in the preparations at all stages from inviting another nursery to attend, fundraising and making flags to wave, thus making it a very enterprising event.  The photographs below show all the happy faces and their lovely blue t-shirts.  Each nursery group dressed in different outfits resulting in a riot of colour.

The nurseries taking part were Aberchirder, Banff, Macduff, Portsoy, Ordiquhill and Whitehills.

This year's Aberchirder Gala took place over two days for the first time. Thanks to all the hard work put in by members of St Marnans Sports Club and the Community Association, the weekend of 31st May and 1st June proved to be a huge success. On the Saturday there were 13 girl's football teams competing and on Sunday, 56 other teams participated in a knockout competition. Next year it is hoped that there will be many more girls teams playing on the Saturday.

Refreshments were available on both days whilst on the Sunday, additional sales stallholders took part.
Over the weekend, 1000 burgers, 400 hot dogs, hundreds of ices and other refreshments were sold to the participants and visitors.

WINNING FOOTBALL TEAMS

These and other images should be appearing on the St Marnans Sports Club webpages.

St Marnans Sports Club have revealed plans to add an extension to the present Community Pavilion to provide additional meeting rooms, workshops and a multi-purpose hall that can be used for functions, entertainment and sports. 

The plans were on show at the Foggie Gala where suggestions were welcomed. The plans are now being finalised before taking the proposals to the next stage.

Pictured right is Jan Skyner who attended the Gala to explain the development proposals, show the plans and indicate the likely usage of the premises by both local and outreach groups.

The development would meet a variety of action points raised by local residents in the formation of the Community Action Plan.
 

With the recent concerns regarding obesity in young children, New Community Schools, with funding from N.H.S., organised cookery classes at Aberchirder Primary School.  Thanks to the generous help of Joan Chalmers, School Catering Supervisor, who gave up her own time and the help of Jill Smith, Health Improvement Officer, the children were given the opportunity to learn new skills.

The initiative will go a long way towards the school achieving Excellence status  as a Health Promoting School (the school has Commended status at present).

Picture courtesy of Andy Taylor, Banff

Picture courtesy of Andy Taylor, Banff

The finalists, from left: The winner Natasha Morrison, Caitlin Durno, Matthew Ogden, Iona Gregor, Jordan Scott, Abbie Esslemont.
Absent on the day of the final was Talitha Brown.

On 18th June, Sandra Beaton (centre front) stood down as Aberchirder Brownie Unit Guider after 7 years service.  Helen Fowlie (front right), District Commissioner for Ordiquhill, which includes Aberchirder and Cornhill, presented Sandra with flowers, a necklace and a Guiding Thank-You badge.  Sandra was thanked for all her hard work and devotion to guiding.

Young Leaders Gayle Beaton (back left) and Gemma Duguid (back right) presented Sandra with a key ring and pen.  Young Leader Lisa Wiseman was unable to attend.

The new Unit Guider is Julie Allan (front 5th left) who takes over as Brownie Leader.

The local Community Council organised a public meeting on 25 June where members of the public could study proposals for creating a new paved ‘island’ around the recently renovated Auchinachie Fountain.

Draft plans, drawn up by Aberdeenshire Council in conjunction with the Community Council and Community Association, include a new bus shelter and benches, as well as period lamp posts and trees.  The general intention is to return the area to the less cluttered look it had half a century ago.

Earlier in the month the draft plan and examples of materials that might be used, were on display in the Library window, along with a selection of photographs of what the Square looked like in days gone by.

Community Council Chairman Bob Peden explained: “When the Aberchirder Community Action Plan consultation was carried out in 2006, one of people’s main priorities was to improve the appearance of the Square which is often criticised for looking down at heel.  We hope that by building on the renovation of the Fountain by creating an attractive area around it, we will encourage a revival in the appearance of the Square as a whole.”
 

The community’s views will now be used to create a final design which will go for planning permission, and an estimate of costs will be calculated.  It is hoped that Aberdeenshire Council will be able to provide most of the necessary finance, with the Community Council accessing funding to make up any shortfall, so that the project can get under way in early 2009 at the latest.

COMMUNITY COUNCIL

ROADS ISSUES

In March two Aberdeenshire Council representatives attended the March meeting of the Community Council to discuss a list of comments and questions about local roads, and undertook to take steps to address several of the issues raised.  We are glad to report that many of the points raised are now being dealt with.
 

RECYCLING ISSUES

For some time now the Community Council has been pressing Aberdeenshire Council to expand the facilities at the recycling centre.  Extra opening hours have not been granted, but a third skip, for garden waste, has now been provided.  Although this is on a temporary basis, we hope it will become permanent.

FLOWER TUBS AND BASKETS

Sandra Spackman and John Fittall are busy planting out the tubs, although the selection of flowers asked for did not materialise.

Hanging baskets will again be limited to the Square this year, as only one volunteer has come forward to help with watering.

We need volunteers! Please contact Sandra on 780256

McROBERT PARK ENTRANCE

The Association had been receiving comments about the poor state of the entrance to the park.  Now, thanks to our Councillors providing funds from their Top-up budgets, Aberdeenshire Council has had a proper tarred surface laid, making the area much safer and tidier.

We hope users of the park will do nothing to damage the new surface.

CLEANHILL WOOD - TIMBER

Regular visitors to the Hill will have noticed that the contractors who agreed to clear the fallen timber have removed all they can use and the Association is considering how to remove what is left.

CLEANHILL WOOD - PATHS

The £800 awarded to the Association by the Shell Small Grants Scheme was put towards the cost of scraping dead vegetation from the main path on the south side of the Hill.  Although it was hoped this would uncover a good hard surface, more work will be needed to provide an even walking surface.  Jonny Barton is working on this with volunteers from Turriff Squadron of ATC, who use the Hill for exercises at night and want to repay the favour.  Jonny is also getting help from a consultant in applying for a Forestry Commission RDC grant that would cover work, including path upgrading, on the Hill over the next 5 years.