In January we have our annual Haggis Supper. This is followed in February by Tasty Treats with Cameron Skinner.
Everyone is welcome at our meetings on the 3rd Wednesday of the month.
Helen Wilson
Wee Whist
The Wee Whist takes place in the Reading Rooms on the second Wednesday of each month at 7.30pm. All are most welcome.
Sixty years of the Over 60s Christmas Dinner
Sixty years of the Over 60s Christmas Dinner
A wonderful time was had by all at the diamond celebration of Kippen Over 60s Christmas dinner. Mary Lawson opened the afternoon thanking all the organisations, businesses and individuals who came together to arrange this community event. Ellen Larson-Davidson said the grace. A delicious meal was provided by Cameron Skinner and his team with a musical accompaniment from pianist Annabel Gaywood. A special cake was shared, and entertainment followed. Graham Whyte also known as Silly Billy involved the guests in a fun cabaret enabling James Ballingham to read Sheila’s mind for the first time in 60 years of marriage. A splendid raffle ensued made possible by many generous donations. A commemorative mug designed by Julie McEachern and funded by a grant from Falck Renewables was presented to each guest and delivered to those unable to attend on the day. Music from Billy Hutton and Jim Burns was appreciated by enthusiastic dancers and the afternoon concluded with Auld Lang Syne. Anne Hillis gave a vote of thanks on behalf of the guests. Volunteer drivers, servers and hall decorators are thanked as are the many other supporters who made the day possible.
An album of photographs is being collated as part of Kippen heritage. A selection is presented here.
Tracy Hepburn
Classics at Kippen
The brainchild of Kathleen McKellar Ferguson, singing teacher at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, “Classics at Kippen” was born in 2012. Its purpose is threefold – to provide much needed performing experience for young music students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, to raise money for charity and to provide a high-class concert performance which makes for a lovely community event for the people of Kippen and further afield. To date “Classics at Kippen” has raised over £20,000 for charities including Crossroads,” Raucous Rossini”, Erskine and Kippen Parish Church.
SAVE THE DATE!!
The next Classics at Kippen Concert will take place in Kippen Parish church on Saturday 23 March at 7.30pm. This will take the form of a duet recital by two former students of Kathleen’s from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Soprano Hannah Sandison and mezzo soprano Annabella Ellis have both sung at Glyndebourne and are forging very promising and successful international singing careers. The concert will include light classics and some “fun stuff”! Tickets can be obtained via our website www.classicsatkippen.co.uk , where you can also be added to our mailing list, or you can contact Kathleen at http://www.kmckellarferguson.com.
Award winning soprano Hannah Sandison is a graduate of The Royal College of Music International Opera School and The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland where she won The Governers Recital Prize. She was the recipient of several awards throughout her studies, including from the AHRC, The Countess of Munster Musical Trust, and Help Musicians UK.
Hannah has since gone on to sing for English Touring Opera, Mid Wales Opera and most recently Glyndebourne Festival Opera where she made her debut as The Cockerel in The Cunning Little Vixen, and also covered the role of Helena (A Midsummer Night’s Dream). Other operatic roles include Fiordiligi (Cosi Fan Tutte), Micaela (Carmen), Drusilla (L’incoronazione di Poppea), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), and Metella (La Vie Parisienne). As a busy oratorio and concert performer, recital venues include the London Handel Festival, The Oxford Lieder Festival, at the Pushkin House, London, and The Rachmaninov Hall, Moscow. She has performed Gala’s with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, two Gala’s in Corfu, and Mahler’s Second Symphony with the London Mahler Orchestra. Hannah has performed as a soloist at St. Martin’s in the Field, the Royal Festival Hall, The Sage, Gateshead and The Royal Albert Hall.
She has performed live on BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Radio 3 In Tune. She looks forward to several concerts including Elijah (Mendelssohn), and a Haydn Harmoniemesse. In 2019 she will sing Tatiana (Eugine Onegin) and Lisa (Pique Dame) with the Milton Keynes City Orchestra.
Annabella Ellis was born in Norwich, Norfolk. At the age of six Annabella commenced her studies at Central School of Dancing and Performing Arts, where she specialised in theatre and dance. She continued her education at Guildhall School of Music & Drama, gained her Master of Arts at the Royal Academy of Music, and completed her Master of Music in Opera Studies at the Royal Conservatoire Scotland.
Annabella has participated in Masterclasses with Dimitr Vdovin, Elizabeth Vidal, Jennifer Larmore, Irina Gavrilovici, Kathryn Harries, Helmut Deutsch, Christoph Prégardien, Rachel Nicholls, Benjamin Luxon, Edith Weins, Susan Youens and Emma Kirby.
In 2012 Annabella is awarded First Prize in the Competition “Norfolk Young Musician”, in 2014 she is a finalist in the Maureen Lehane competition and obtains Second Prize in the English Song and Third Prize in the Isabella Jay Aria competitions at the Royal Academy of Music.
From the opera repertoire she has performed Rosina (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Orlovsky (Die Fledermaus), Fiordiligi (Cosí fan Tutte), Mrs Coyle (Owen Wingrave), Mercédes
(Carmen), Tonina (Prima la music e poi le parole), Sirene (Rinaldo), Drusilla/Amor (L’incoronazione di Poppea), Belinda/ Second Witch/ Sailor (Dido and Aeneas) in festivals like Dorset Opera, Longborough Festival Opera, British Youth Opera or Glyndebourne Festival Opera.
In the realm of the symphonic repertoire she recently made her French début singing alto solo in Mozart’s Requiem at the Halle aux Grains in Toulouse and has also appeared as alto solo in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Bach’s C Minor Mass, amongst others. Notable recital performances include performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, in the Sighisoara Music Festival, Britten 100 and at the Wigmore Hall.
Kippen Trail Race
On Sunday 30th September almost 200 runners turned up at Kippen Sports Field to take part in the annual five-mile trail race. This was a record number of runners and the event was, once again, a great success. The winning female was local Kippen woman, Catriona O’Donnell with a time of 33:31. The Male race was won by Duncan Robinson with a time of 28:13.
The runners up were Hilary Robinson 33:59, Neill Barton 28:14, Joanne McEvoy 34:18, Matt Williamson 29:50.
Several Under 16s also took part in the five- mile race and the fastest male was Rory Boyd with a time of 35:17 and fastest female was Summer McDonald with a time of 35:55.
Special mention for the youngest runner in the race Jack Bradwell, age 10, who completed the route in an amazing 36:25.
Thank you to our sponsors Skinner Butchers, Fallen Brewing, Rhubarb Lime Deli and the Inn at Kippen. Also, thanks to Sophie James – Bluebells on the Green for the fantastic photography and to the local farmers for access to their land. Finally, a huge thanks to all our helpers, timers and marshals.
Kippen Trail Race 2019 date to be announced soon – see you there.
Dr Railton Scott Annual Whist Drive
The annual Whist Drive to raise money for Cancer Research will be held in the Village Hall on Friday 1st February at 7pm. This year, entrance money will be collected as you arrive (£3 per head with no charge for those hosting tables). If you would like reserve a table please contact Stuart Thomson on 01786 870529, 07736 362011, or stuartsthomson@aol.com. This is a great village occasion with a long history of raising money for this very worthy cause.
There will be some practice Whist sessions in the Reading Rooms on Tuesdays 15th, 22nd and 29th January at 7.30pm. Come and learn how to play or have a brush up session. All are most welcome.
Naomi Hirst
Lunch Hits the Right Note
£2836 was raised for Cancer Research by the recent Ladies’ Lunch in Fintry. Once again Culcreuch Castle provided a lovely meal for more than 100 guests. The entertainment was provided by vocalist Alan Parker’s super selection of popular and familiar songs, all delivered with real style and pzaz! Allan certainly knows how to get a party started and many ladies were soon up dancing.
CRUK receives no government funding and relies on public fundraising and donations to continue its work. Strathendrick Local Committee would like to thank everyone who came along to enjoy the event as well as individuals and businesses who supported with donations or prizes.
Particular thanks to local companies for their support:- Glengoyne Distillery, Buchanan Castle Golf Club, Endrick Trading, Culcreuch Castle, Ailsa Lindsay Therapist, Benview Nursery, CJ Hair & Beauty, Coffee Kiln, Endrick Blooms, Fintry Sports Club, Georgia Boyd, Karen Degg, Kids Town, Knockhill Racing Circuit, Lake of Menteith Hotel, Loch Katrine Sailing, Skinner’s Butcher, Studio 63, The Beauty Room, Woodlane of Doune, Wonderland Balfron, Avon, XAV Events, Woodwinters.
Lesley Keighley
Woodland Group
Anyone who has ventured into Burnside Wood recently will have noticed that that pond was successfully cleared at the end of October thanks to a Community Grant from Stirling Council. It really had become overgrown and it was good to clear the vegetation before the numerous saplings became established. Recent rain means that the level is back to normal having been lowered to facilitate the clearance. We shall just have to wait for winter to pass before everything springs to life in the pond.
With the pond now cleared, we can focus our attention on keeping the paths well drained and clear of encroaching vegetation. Woodland work mornings continue to be held on the first Sunday of the month, but we shall be meeting at the football pitch at the later start time of 11.00 on 3 February and 3 March. We still aim to finish by 13:00 and there will be no formal break for refreshment so that we make best use of the limited time that we are out for. If you are feeling a little sluggish at the start of the year, grab some old clothes and join us in the free green gym; there are tasks for those with little or lots of energy to expend, all tools provided.
Our next meeting will take place in the Cross Keys at 8pm on Thursday 7 February. Please come along if you are interested in influencing our activities for 2019 or just finding out a little more about what we get up to; we would love to see some new faces. For further information, email kippenwoodlandgroup@gmail.com or find us on Facebook.
Paula Watson
Secretary, Kippen Community Woodland Group
Madagascan Haggis
This is the start of the journey of four brave haggis that departed from Skinner’s of Kippen in early December via Edinburgh, Heathrow, 24 hours in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, before continuing to Antanarivo in Madagascar, where they were met by a delighted Charge d’Affaires, who promptly put them in her deep freeze in anticipation of the Burns Night on 25th January 2019!
Annabel Gaywood
Bus Changes
From 7th January 2019 all Balfron C12 evening buses will revert to the daytime route via Dumbarton Road and will no longer go via Cambusbarron. There will be a slight difference in departure times from the bus station.
Stirling to Balfron buses will now leave at 18.44. (19.10 Friday/Saturday only) 20.42. 22.59. There will also be a minor change to the Kippen to Stirling C12 19.47 which will now be at 19.50. Please note your arrival time in Stirling will be 10-12 minutes earlier on all evening buses due to the shorter journey. We hope the return to this route will encourage more people to go to Stirling in the evening, as access to restaurants, the Albert Hall and Smith Gallery will now be much easier.
Resolving the above issue has merely taken us back to where we originally were some years ago, so there is still a lot to do to improve public transport. The campaign for Sunday Transport is now top of the list. In order that Stirling Council understands the need for Sunday buses, residents from various villages have been contacting me to explain how important this is to them. If lack of Sunday transport affects you or someone you know please mention to me on the bus or contact the Wee Vine for my contact details.
Once again lack of heating has been a major issue on the Balfron Buses. Please continue to report these and any other issues including water ingress. Complaints should also be reported to Stirling Council as these vehicles are used for school services as well as our C12/C12A which are all funded by the Council.
Valerie Brand
The Wee Vine 