2018 has been a busy year for the Reading Rooms. Our thanks go to all who have supported the rooms this year, either as users, helpers or, most of all, as committee members.
A substantial programme of restoration has been completed, involving our tower, roof repairs and all external areas needed to make the building wind and watertight.
Internally we gradually realised that we had major problems of wet and dry rot, requiring expert treatment.
Thanks to help from Windfarm funds, all this work has been carried out, and we are now quietly tidying up and restoring decoration.
None of this has prevented our users from being very active in the rooms.
Keep Fit classes under Andy Carlin continue to be very popular.
A very successful series of film shows has been introduced by Mike Flint, using our projector and screen facilities, and this series will continue, hopefully, on a permanent basis.
The main room continues to be a great attraction for children’s parties, particularly involving a children’s film on the screen.
The Summer Ice Rink has had spasmodic use, but we are hopeful that, as nearby villages have resuscitated their own rinks, Kippen may start to field a team, perhaps reviving the historic league matches between the clubs.
The under five Ballet Classes continue to be held, with the leader transferring across to the Primary School after each session, to hold classes for the older children.
Both the Quilters and ‘The Rural’ continue to use the main hall on a regular basis.
Wee Whist continues, with much fun and laughter, meeting on every second Wednesday of the month.
Callanetics and Qi Gong classes are being conducted on a trial basis.
Upstairs, we are now able to offer a warm room which is ideal for committee meetings and for councillor’s clinics. A second room (the tower room) will be ready use in the next few weeks.
The Children’s Library, which was originally established as an ‘open air’ venture, is currently housed upstairs, in cosy quarters, but it is, as yet, little used, and requires volunteers from the village for its management.
Kippen Heritage will shortly move into their new quarters upstairs, hopefully reviving the project for digitising existing paper records.
Finally, we can report that much progress has been made with plans for our Kitchen Project. Discussions are in hand with the Community Trust, and planning work is in hand to try to reduce the cost of this project and to obtain the necessary funds before we can commence work.
Our next Jumble Sale will be held on 23rd March.
We look forward, during 2019, to developing the Reading Rooms to their full potential as a service to the village as a great venue both for clubs, institutions and for private parties.
Jeremy Gaywood
The Wee Vine 