Welcome

Welcome to issue 6 of The Wee Vine.

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This issue has a special feature about the Kippen Vine and picture coverage of the Beast from the East throughout the magazine. Many thanks to the contributors- June Waley, Di Blackmore, David Price, Gordon Bell and Keith Levin. It was a spectacular moment in time throughout the Village. We are always looking for front cover photographs, so send your images to our email address stating cover pic. Minimum 1 MB.

In this issue we have a new section covering Business News. If you missed inclusion in this issue – please send your articles to us no later than 30 June to be included in the next publication.

There is a lot happening in Kippen so we need your stories (with Pictures. Min 1 MB) as soon as possible or you will miss the deadline for the next issue. If we cannot fit everything in the printed version it will appear on the website – https://theweevine.org

Your feedback about the Wee Vine is important to us so please get in touch with your comments/ideas for this year.

Send to enquiries@theweevine.org   If you wish to donate go to https://theweevine.org/donations/

HVIN00001 Kippen Vine 1933

Special Feature

The World’s Largest Vine!

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As many of our readers will know, in the first half of the twentieth century, Kippen was renowned as the home of the biggest vine in the world, (second largest was in Kew Gardens.)  This, and other vines, had been planted in 1891 by Duncan Buchanan in greenhouses in Cauldhame.

Income from the vine was initially derived from the sale of grapes (as far afield as Harrods), given that fruit from abroad was not readily available in those days.  As time went on, this income was supplemented by an increasing volume of tourist trade.  In the early 1960s, it was estimated that the vine was attracting over 20,000 visitors annually, with peak daily numbers in excess of 1,000.

However, maintenance of the vine and its companions was extremely labour-intensive and very specialised, and in 1964, Selby Buchanan reluctantly decided to cut it down.

The full history of the vine, with many illustrations, was documented in 1991 in a booklet by Alan Edwards (a member of the Buchanan family with personal memories of the vine).  This had gone out of print, but was resurrected in 2013 by Kippen Heritage, and has been available to buy in McNicolls, Rhubarb Lime and The Inn.  That reprint sold its last copy recently, and a small print run resulted in its re-introduction in early March.

It is intended to publish an expanded version towards the end of this year, telling what has happened to offspring of the original vine since it was cut down.  It is known that many greenhouses in Kippen, from Cauldhame to Shirgarton, have cuttings.  There are also plants in Culzean Castle, with Alan Edwards in Angus, and at locations in Surrey and Buckinghamshire.

The Wee Vine would very much like to know of other descendants, so please email us details (and photos) at enquiries@theweevine.org.

Stuart Thomson & Rick Dekker

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Clubs

Match with St Andrew Bridge Club, Woodlands, Glasgow

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For a couple of years, a variable group of card players have been learning to play Bridge with good-natured, knowledgeable tuition from Stuart Thomson, using the Benjamin ACOL bidding system. On Saturday 24th March, a group of 16 Kippen card players arrived at the stylish St Andrew Bridge club in Woodlands, Glasgow, to play a tournament – 24 hands of Bridge against a team of 16 Glasgow players. We were coffeed and wined well (and of course, biscuits…). After a tense couple of hours of play, the scores were totted up. Kippen had the most points overall, and the top scorers for the day were Peter Singleton and Dave Bentley of Kippen. Both teams celebrated at Mr Singh’s curry house – a very sociable way to spend a Saturday afternoon and evening. Usual Bridge sessions are on Thursdays at the Cross Keys from 8pm and are welcoming and informal (be prepared to use dusty corners of your mind!).  

The Pig Trophy can be admired behind the bar at the Cross Keys. Contact Stuart for more information stuartsthomson@aol.com. 

Di Blackmore 

Clubs

Kippen Cricket Club

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Kippen Cricket Club, for the forthcoming 2018 season, will be continuing our link-up with Gargunnock Cricket Club and will be fielding a joint team on Wednesdays and Sundays throughout the season. Last year finished on a high when the Club was runner- up in the Vale of Leven Sixes Tournament   The final was a close fought affair and Kippen lost only on the last ball bowled. 

We will be playing a full set of fixtures in the West Stirlingshire T20 League on Wednesday evenings, and the Sunday Team will be playing the series of friendly matches with local, and not local, teams. We have a touring side from London on the fixture list for May. 

The Club is always looking for new members and people interested in cricket, young and old, of all genders and playing ability. We are very much a fun team and if either you played before and want to get back into the game, or never played before, you are welcome at the Club.  Contact Sean Kelly at kellykippen@btinternet.com for more details, or stop and speak with one of the people dressed in white you may see in the Cross keys on a Wednesday evening. 

Sean Kelly 

3 Kippen Cricket 6 a side team 2017

Clubs

Kippen FC

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The Football Club is just about to get the new season started.  We have managed to retain all our players from last year and are expecting a good season. 

We have a new Annual Competition this year.  A cup has been donated to the Club by Jane Wilson, in memory of Bill Wilson, who was Chairman of the Club for many years.  This will be played for between Kippen FC and Thornhill FC on May 22nd at Thornhill Park. 

If anyone is interested in playing, or in becoming a member of the committee, then please contact McNicoll’s on 01786 870237 

Craig McNicoll 

Club Manager 

 

Clubs

Youth Cup Rugby

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Two Kippen boys turn out for Club Champions

On Sunday 25th March Stirling County U18 Rugby Team won the Youth Cup at Murrayfield for the third year in a row.   A great honour for youngsters to play on the hallowed turf, nice day out for the families and friends too. Two Kippen boys were part of that winning team.  Lachlan Mackay, at prop, played for the team both in 2017 & 2018 and capped his second cup final appearance with a bullish performance and a try. Over the last 2 years Lachlan has been a significant part of a highly successful Stirling County U18 and played both Regional and International Rugby for Scotland.    Kippen’s second son was Keir Singleton, who played U16 Rugby for Scotland last year, but is in his first year with U18s.  Keir came off the bench onto the left wing with 5 minutes to go and much to prove, making a break up the centre of the field, resulting in Stirling’s final try, to seal a comfortable victory 29-5.

Needless to say there were some serious celebrations to follow!

Peter Singleton