News & Resources for the community of Kippen in Scotland
Win a £20 voucher courtesy of the Inn at Kippen and a second prize is Hug-A-Hog at Arnbeg Farm.
In our first competition all you have to do is spot where each of the photographs of Kippen Seats have been taken. Your answers should be an exact location in the Kippen area.
All correct answers will be drawn by 31 May and the winners will be advised by email/phone and will also be shown on our website.
PC Raymond Murphy and PC Steven Graham are the Police Scotland Ward Officers for the Forth and Endrick area, which incorporates Kippen and surrounding areas. They are based at Balfron Police Office, and can be contacted at the office, on 101 or at ForthEndrickCPT@scotland.pnn.police.uk.
They regularly publish information and appeals online. The local Twitter feed can be found at @StirlingPol, and the local Facebook page can be found at ‘Forth Valley Police Division’.
The current ward priorities for the Forth and Endrick area are Antisocial Behaviour, Road Safety, Theft and Community Engagement and Reassurance.
Since the last edition of The Wee Vine, there have been several minor road traffic collisions recorded on the roads in and around the Kippen area. However, one collision on the B822, involving two vehicles, did result in serious injury and as a result, one man was charged with an alleged Careless Driving offence.
One motorist was stopped and charged with numerous alleged road traffic offences, including driving without a Driving Licence or Insurance on the B822 at Kippen, whilst another was stopped and arrested for allegedly Drink Driving on the A811 near to Kippen.
The Central Scotland Safety Camera Partnership and Police Scotland have continued to perform speed enforcement and hi-visibility patrols in and around Kippen, resulting in a number of motorists being given advice regarding their vehicle or manner of driving, or prosecuted where appropriate. Regular such patrols and checks will continue in an effort to improve road safety and driver behaviour.
Recently, a speed of 79mph was recorded on the A811 near to Kippen by the Central Scotland Safety Camera Partnership.
There have been no thefts reports in the Kippen area since the last issue of The Wee Vine.
However, local residents are reminded of the importance of being vigilant and reporting any suspicious activity to Police Scotland or CrimeStoppers anonymously, no matter how trivial it may seem. Over the past few months, we have received several such reports, and each of these has been investigated and the appropriate action taken. Such reports are always encouraged and welcomed.
Several of the reports received recently have been in relation to possible bogus work being carried out. Local residents are encouraged to look out for each other, and if they have any concerns about work being carried out at the properties of vulnerable neighbours, they should contact Police Scotland or Trading Standards at Stirling Council.
As well as regularly high visibility patrols in the area by local officers, PC Murphy and PC Graham regularly visit Kippen on routine patrol, carry out road safety duties including speed enforcement, assist with local community issues, visit Kippen Primary School and other local businesses and attend Kippen Community Council meetings.
The Police Scotland Public Consultation Survey is still open. The survey allows local residents to provide feedback to Police Scotland in relation to a variety of topics, including their views on what they feel local policing priorities should be in their communities.
The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete, is anonymous, and everyone is encouraged to participate in it.
The survey and further information can be found at http://www.scotland.police.uk/yourviewcounts.
Paper based surveys are available for those who wish, and these can be obtained by contacting Police Scotland, or at future Community Council meetings where local officers will ensure they are available.
For the soufflés
1 small onion, peeled, cut into wedges
275ml/10fl oz. whole milk, plus extra for topping up if needed
1 bay leaf
40g/1½oz butter, plus extra for greasing
40g/1½oz plain flour
100g/3½oz rennet free hard cheese if it’s for vegetarians or parmesan coarsely grated
1 table spoon wholegrain mustard
freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 free-range eggs (from Old Leckie Farm if you can!), separated
1 heaped tbsp. chopped chives, plus extra for garnish
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Generously butter 6x150ml/5fl oz. ovenproof ramekins and line the bases with a disc of baking parchment. Place on a baking tray.
Put the onion milk and bay leaf into a saucepan & bring to a gentle simmer over a low heat. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Melt the butter over a low heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Once combined, return to the heat and cook for a minute, stirring as it cooks and begins to bubble. Remove from the heat.
Strain the milk through a sieve into a jug. You will need around 250ml/9fl oz. of the onion & bay leaf infused milk for the soufflé so put any extra aside or top up with fresh milk if there isn’t enough.
Stir the milk into the flour and butter paste off the heat. Once mixed, return to the heat and cook for 2 minutes, bringing to the boil, stirring constantly. You want the sauce to become smooth and thick. Once it does, add the parmesan, mustard and a grating of nutmeg and continue to cook for 1–2 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Stir in the chives and season – don’t be shy as the egg whites will soak up the seasoning so you want to add more than you usually would. Put the cheese sauce into a heatproof bowl and leave to stand for 5 minutes to cool.
Once cool, beat in the egg yolks one by one.
Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until stiff. Gently, fold a fifth of the egg whites, to start with, into the cheese, using a metal spoon Then, add the rest of the egg whites just as gently to maintain the consistency.
Spoon the soufflé mixture into the ramekins. Bake in the centre of the oven for 15-20 minutes until very well risen and golden-brown on top. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN WHILST THEY ARE COOKING! Once cooked to cool in the ramekins.
Once they are cold, line a baking tray with baking parchment and slide a knife around the edge of each ramekin. Carefully turn the soufflés out onto your hand. remove the baking paper disc from the base. Place on the tray upside down. The soufflés can now be covered with cling film and chilled for up to 24 hours before being baked again.
For the second baking, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Fifteen minutes before serving, remove the cling film from the soufflés. Bake for 10 minutes until the soufflés are hot. Serve immediately with roasted golden beetroot, salsify and fresh tomato sauce
Punna self raisin floor
Punna currants an a haunfa o’ raisins
Quartera punna suet
Haufa pun granulatit sugar
Fower wee teaspoonsfa o’ mixed spice
A big pincha saut, some mulk
Rummle up the hale jing-bang in the boul, addin a wee tate mulk so’s ye get a dough that’s stiff an no runny
Tim some bilin watter oot the kettle inty the fit o’ the basin an’
Spread the cloot oan top o’ the watter
Coup the hale o’ yur dough oot the bowl an’ on tae the cloot in the basin. Draw the coarners o’ the clootie gather an’ tie wi’ the string. Don’t tie the string too tight or the dumpling might burst efter swelling upan’ ye’d be in a hangaua mess. Noo ye’ve a big bag o’d dough about the size o’ a fitba. Next ye pit a plate in the fit o’ the big poat. Then ye gently lower the dumpling oan tae the plate.
Efter theat poor as much bilin’ watter intae the poat as will cover yur dumpling.
Efter a’ this cairry-oan ye’ll mibbe want a cuppa tea an’ a fag or evena wee dram. Anyway whitivvur ye dae don’t let the dumplin simmer fur mair than three-an-a-hauf hoors. Efter that time wheech it oot the poat an oan tae a plate. Peel aff the cloot an’ therr ye hauv a dish fit tae set afore a dizzen Rural Judges.
In a conversation at one of our local hostelries, the topic of the lack of a magazine in Kippen came up. After a long debate, a few residents of Kippen decided to have a look at the feasibility of starting a new magazine to keep the residents informed of local events.
We have spent some months in the build up to this issue and we do hope you will find this edition informative and fun.
Our intention is to produce the printed version quarterly, with a supporting website to cater for extra information and photographs plus more up to the minute information in between print runs.
We are keen to receive any articles during the year and you can send these plus photographs (minimum 1MB) to enquiries@theweevine.org.
We are grateful to the local businesses and individuals that have supported the launch of The Wee Vine but we will need continuous support as we are not funded by advertising. You can help us to keep publishing by sending any donation no matter how small to our PayPal account at enquiries@theweevine.org or click the donation button in the donations section on this website.
Our next magazine will be published in April and the deadline for inclusion is 31 March.
Words and Music from the Somme
In 1918 my grandfather, James McCowan of Brig-O-Frew Farm, Kippen, returned from the First World War without his brother Duncan, who was tragically killed in action after his 21st birthday.
9 years ago, my husband Grant and I visited his war grave in northern France with my parents. Mum never knew her Uncle Duncan. My dad also lost 2 uncles in the war and their fiancées never married. Mum said that Grandpa rarely spoke about the horrors of the trenches and he never went back to see his brother Duncan’s grave. It was incredibly moving for us to pay our respects at those war graves 2 generations later and, as we drove past the family farm near Kippen on our way back from France, we realised we had made the journey home which Uncle Duncan never did. There are few families, like ours, which were left untouched by the horrors of WW1 and I’m sure you will have similar stories to tell like mine.
The words and music which flowed from the poets, writers and musicians who fought at the Somme, expressed things which as Victor Hugo said “cannot remain silent”. The wonderful song cycle “A Shropshire Lad” (words by Housman and music by George Butterworth) is such a piece. When I sat, in a performance class at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland where I work, listening to a student sing these wonderful songs, I felt compelled to put on a performance to commemorate those who so tragically lost their lives or were so deeply affected by the events of the Battle of the Somme 100 years ago. That day at college “Words and Music from the Somme” was born, the 6th in our “Classics at Kippen” concert series, which was established 4 years ago, to provide a wonderful community event, to give students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland a performing platform and to raise money for local charities. What better charity could we raise money for than Erskine, founded 100 years ago, to help the war wounded from this terrible time in our history?
On 12 November, armistice weekend, nearly 350 people crowded into Kippen Parish Church for a presentation of “Words and Music from the Somme”. This highly artistic programme given by colleagues and students from The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, was a poignant, deeply moving and, I hope, fitting memorial to those from our small community and beyond, who fought for our freedom 100 years ago. I am a great believer in the words of the children’s hymn “Jesus bids us shine, you in your small corner and I in mine”. The work of Erskine still carries on a century later doing an incredible work in their small corner and I’m delighted to say that, in our small corner of Kippen, we raised over £10,000 for this extremely worthy charity! Thank you so very very much to all those who donated and to the many people who helped behind the scenes to make this event possible.
We all come to an event like this or watch the newsreels on our TV with many different thoughts, feelings and opinions on war and the politics of war and, as we look around us at the many wars still being fought in our world today, it is hard to make sense of it and wonder if we have learned from the mistakes of the past or, indeed, made any progress. We ended our programme on Nov 12th with a poem by the war poet Siegfried Sassoon called “Aftermath”. May I finish with some of his words?
“Have you forgotten yet? The past is just the same and war’s a bloody game. Have you forgotten yet? Look down and swear by the slain of the war that you will never forget. Do you ever stop to ask: “Is it all going to happen again?” Have you forgotten yet? Look up, and swear by the green of the Spring that you will never forget”
“Lord, as we remember with sadness the horrors of war, help us to work for a better understanding between races and nations. Open our eyes to see our own part in discord and aggression between peoples, forgive us our pride and divisions, and renew in us the search for peace so that trust may replace suspicion, friendship replace fear, and your spirit of reconciliation be known among us. Amen”
(Taken from “War Cries”, a book of military prayers compiled by Rev. Mark Davidson)
Kathleen McKellar Ferguson (Coubrough)
We are a small friendly club situated in Oakwood in the heart of Kippen. Our aim is to provide a facility for all levels and ages of people interested in playing tennis. If you have high aspirations, or just fancy a hit then a beer in one of the village pubs, then KTC will be the place to be (beer for over 18’s only.)
Our tennis facilities include two all-weather floodlit courts, clubhouse with small kitchen, changing rooms, showers and toilets. We play in the Central Scotland Doubles League entering three men’s teams, one ladies team and various junior teams playing across a number of divisions. Mixed Doubles is played in the Autumn & Winter Leagues, and this year entering the Men’s Singles League and Ladies over 45 League.
We run regular practice evenings, club competitions, social tennis, social fundraising nights and have very popular coaching programmes.
Chris Jewell is Head Coach, LTA Qualified. Chris is involved with Active Stirling and the Balfron Cluster of clubs (Kippen, Strathendrick and Strathblane).
Calum Warwick, LTA Qualified Coach, has been an active member of the club for many years participating in both Junior and senior levels within the club.
SPRING coaching block All Levels, Saturday 9am-4pm
(dates and prices to be confirmed)
To book & for further information/updates please check our web page http://www.kippentennisclub.org.uk
Or contact Chris Jewell – Head Coach
thetoonster@hotmail.com (07837339558)
Like us on our Kippen Tennis Club Facebook Page
email the club at kippentennisclub@googlemail.com
Just something to keep in mind for when winter leaves us and spring comes along, that the Kippen Bowling Club will be opening again during the month of April. The exact date will be announced in the Observer, as will the notice of the Annual General meeting of the club which usually takes place at the end of February.
Monday night is a club night where we have lots of fun playing for points and there are various competitions throughout the bowling season for those who are interested. All ages – young and not so young – will be made most welcome.
In case you don’t know where the bowling club is it is down Fore Road past the church and in on the left after Oxhill.
Agnes McLaren
As the short days of winter draw darker it is time to look back on the high days of summer and how the Kippen Cricket Club fared on those long warm days and evenings.
The 2016 season for Kippen had not the same level of success that we achieved in 2015 but there were several highlights. In the West Stirlingshire league there was a new club batting record set in our first match against Doune when we scored 154 in our 20 overs. Just a pity Doune chased that down (it was a good batting strip!). However, we had revenge by beating Doune for the first time in the club’s history in the second match played.
There were also home and away games against Stirling County, Old Tarbolton (from Milngavie) and Gargunnock. The league match against Gargunnock also doubled up as the annual Quaich contest between the two villages. This trophy has taken place every year for over 25 years. Kippen were unsuccessful in 2016 and we had to return the trophy to our rivals and friends in Gargunnock following our win in 2015.
Kippen again competed in the Vale of Leven sixes tournament in Alexandria at the end of the season and for the second year running came away with the top prize. We certainty have the tactics sussed for that short form of the game.
For 2017 we will be working even closer with our near neighbours in Gargunnock. We will be sharing the Gargunnock Cricket pitch at Meiklewood and helping to support Gargunnock team efforts for their full set of Sunday fixtures with players and ground support staff (grass cutting, pitch preparation etc.) Kippen will again be playing a full set of Wednesday evening fixtures in the West Stirlingshire league and the annual Kippen-Gargunnock Quaich match will be held on Sunday the 18th June at Meiklewood in a 30 over a side game. This is planned to be a fun get together for both clubs with their families and friends. A barbeque and other refreshments will also be available.
For anyone interested in joining us and representing Kippen (or Gargunnock) out in the middle either batting, bowling fielding, scoring etc. all are welcome. We really want to have players of all ages, sexes and experience in our club. So if you are a novice or someone who has not played for many years please get in touch and we can give guidance during our pre-season training. The oldest player with Kippen turned 71 this year and the youngest player we have had has been 10 years old.
Please e-mail me Sean Kelly on kellykippen@btinternet.com and I can invite you on to our Teamer list.
The Kippen Golfing Society currently has 36 members and we are always looking for new members.
The annual subscription is £10 plus an additional £5 if you take part in the 2 knockout competitions which run throughout the year. We have three outings a year- 1 midweek outing on a Friday in May, which is a single round, then 2 two-round days on a Saturday in July and a Sunday in early September (the morning rounds are individual rounds and the afternoons are played in pairs).
The venues for all outings are decided at the AGM which is normally held in January. There is one social event – The Annual Prize Giving – which is held in February.
Anyone interested in joining should contact:
Alasdair McCall
alasdairmccall@btinternet.com
The Wee Vine 