2011-Nov

ISSUE

09

THE COMMUNITY COUNCIL’S MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

Balmullo Newsletter Also online at www.issuu.com/balmullo

NOVEMBER 2011

In this issue Council Contacts

2

What’s On?

3

200 Club

3

Balmullo Post Office

3

Announcements

5

Editorial

5

Winter Solstice

5

Fife Councilor

7

Balmullo School

9

M.U.G.A.

9

Balmullo S.W.R.I.

9

Sir Ming Campbell M.P. 11 Rod Campbell M.S.P.

13

Gardening Club

15

Ads

15

The Great WWW

17

YPR & SYP Group

19

Cuplahills Update

21

Garden Bird Feeding

23

GUY FAWKES – this well dressed effigy was made by Mrs Jacqueline Stockton

2

BALMULLO COMMUNITY COUNCIL Members

Councillors

Chairman: Zoë Sanders zoesanders@tesco.net Vice-Chairman: John Docherty 871497 john.docherty1@mypostoffice.co.uk Treasurer:

Peter Lomas pil7@talktalk.net

870848

Alison Jeffrey alison@balmullo.net

870674

John Normand janormand1@gmail.com Jim Taylor

Andrew Falconer anfalconer@tiscali.co.uk

870496

Secretary: Raymond Crush raymondrita@btinternet.com

871400

Minute-Secretary:

871070

jimrtaylor@hotmail.co.uk

Fife Councillors Maggie Taylor 01382 552718 cllr.margaret.taylor@fife.gov.uk Tim Brett 01382 330905 cllr.tim.brett@fife.gov.uk

Hannah Goldsack h.e.charnley@googlemail.com

Ron Caird r.caird@tiscali.co.uk

Newsletter:

01382 542414

Ina Cameron 870253 twaauldgoats@btinternet.com

Useful Contacts Burnside Hall Keeper

Lynn Murphy

870466

The Minister

Rev. Caroline Taylor

870038

Dog Warden Community Police

caro234@btinternet.com

0845 155 0022 P.C. Gavin Rae

0845 600 5702

RAF Aircraft Noise

839471

GALA Committee

http://balmullogala.weebly.com/index.html

Statements made or opinions expressed in this Newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views of the Balmullo Community Council or any of its officers.

Advert Prices from January 2012 Small Half Page Full Page

£5 £10 £20

You can rent advertising space on a month by month basis or on a longer term basis. The Balmullo Newsletter has a circulation of 700 and is hand delivered FREE of charge.

TO ALL ADVERTISERS – Please check your advert. If you would like to remove it or change it in any way, please let me know. Either by phone or email. My details are on page 2 of this newsletter - Ina Cameron.

3

WHAT’S ON?

NOVEMBER 23rd Gardening Club AGM in Burnside Hall at 7pm. All welcome 25th Burns Club St Andrew’s Night Dance 27th Balmullo Paths Group leaving Burnside Hall at 1pm DECEMBER 3rd Church’s Christmas Dance in Burnside Hall – details in Newsletter 8th Evening of Floral Art – Alyson Christie & Andy Smith 11th Bowling Club AGM 2.30pm 12th Community Council Meeting at Burnside Hall at 7.30pm 16th Bowling Club Xmas Dance. 8pm till late.

All welcome.

18th

Balmullo Paths Group leaving Burnside Hall at 1pm (this is a week earlier than usual) 18th Carol singing in Burnside hall at 6.30pm.

All welcome 19th Prize Bingo at Bowling Club 7.30pm 24th Pyjama Service in Burnside hall at 6.30pm JANUARY 2012 13th Prize Bingo at Bowling Club 7.30pm 29th Paths Group leaving Burnside Hall at 1pm FEBRUARY 26th Paths Group leaving Burnside Hall at 1pm MARCH 25th Paths Group leaving Burnside Hall at 2pm

Balmullo Bowling Green Play outdoors in summer Indoors in winter Variety of competitions and friendly matches every week No experience required.

All welcome to join.

Call John on 01334 870196

200 CLUB WINNERS NOVEMBER WINNERS £50 Mr & Mrs Atkinson, Lomond Place £20 Mrs Kilgour, Mansfield Road £20 Mrs Land, Pitcairn Drive £20 Mrs Jewitt, Inchlaw £20 Mrs Herd, Smithy Lane £20 Mrs Muir, Park View £10 Mrs Petrie, Hayston Park £10 Mr Bennett, Murray Row £10 Mrs Hynd, The Mount £10 Mr Corstorphine, Park View £10 Mr & Mrs Anderson, Park View

BALMULLO POST OFFICE

How to Join?

It's easy to join the 200 Club. Call or email Ina at twaauldgoats@btinternet.com or call 870253.

It only costs £1 per entry per month, and you can enter as many times as you like.

We are currently trying to raise money for various Balmullo community activities and projects.

Hannah Goldsack, Manager

"In the event of severe weather conditions in the coming months, we will make every effort to keep Balmullo Post Office open. As far as possible, we will continue to offer the same services we offer all year round. We understand the importance of having access to the services we provide, particularly at a time when public transport may be limited or unavailable. Should you wish to contact us for any reason, please do not hesitate to call us on 01334 871534 during our normal opening hours (9am-12.30pm Monday-Saturday).

4

MONTEATHS Accountants and Tax Consultants APPOINTMENTS: MORNING, AFTERNOON or EVENING OUR OFFICE, YOUR HOME or PREMISES Self-employment 2 forms to register for tax and NIC But what about record keeping.

When do the tax bills arrive and how much. Is Vat registration necessary or useful. Do you need extra staff help.

What about a business bank account.

What can you do to reduce the tax bill. How will it affect tax credits.

Are you buying a business.

Do you need premises.

Working from home-can you claim household bills. Is council tax affected(unlikely. Do you use the car for both business and private purposes. What about HP or leasing a van. Will your wife/ husband/partner be helping and want paid. How expensive is business insurance and more.

It’s all important.

Some bits save more tax than others. The first year is likely to be the most tax efficient of all because of interaction for tax(20%) NIC (9%) Tax credits (37%) and maybe affects 2 years = 132% !

FINANCIAL ADVICE WE HELP - WE SAVE YOU MONEY FULL ACCOUNTANCY AND COMPLETE TAXATION SERVICES WWW.MONTEATHS.COM Cairnfield, 14 School Road, Balmullo, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 0BD Tel 01334 870343 - Fax 01334 871004 E mail : morag@monteaths.com

5

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Community Council

Our first regular meeting in Burnside Hall was very well attended. Thank you all who turned up.

Our new venue is lovely and warm – and has comfortable seats!! Our regular Cllr., Mrs Taylor, will not be around till February as she is off on to New Zealand to visit her family. We hope she has a wonderful time. Cllr. Tim Brett will take over during her absence.

Local resident Mr Jim Taylor has kindly agreed to be co-opted on as a new member to our Community Council.

Since the Carol singing with the Leuchars Church choir was such a success last year we have asked Jim Taylor to organise it again for this year. It will be held on Sunday 18th December in the Burnside Hall starting at 6.30pm. The Choir will sing, we will sing and please bring the children as they will have their own special time to sing as well. After, there will be tea/coffee and Christmas Pies. PLEASE COME ALONG AND JOIN IN THE FESTIVITIES. Next meeting is 12th December – hope to see you there.

EDITORIAL

Ina Cameron

I attended the Police Forum at Leuchars on Tuesday night. They reported that they have caught some speeders on the main road, and they are keeping note of parking around the school area.

They are now asking if anyone wants to join the Speed Watch programme where they are taught to use the radar guns and take a turn in certain areas of the village. If you are interested give your name to anyone on our Council. The training for this will take place during December and January. They have also mentioned they will be looking for anyone cycling at night without lights on their bikes as they have had complaints of both adults and children cycling without lights. It appears there has been some house-breaking in Leuchars and the houses targeted are ones that show no lights when it is dark. The Police are suggesting that it would be prudent to buy some timers and set them to come on in the house if you are not going to be home ‘till late. I have been told B & Q sell cheap ones.

There is a new Dental Practice starting in Riverside, Newport who are taking on NHS patients.

We have been warned of men in high viz jackets& hard hats looking like workmen but they are checking on properties for lead flashings and scrap metal. They are mostly around remote places and they have unmarked white vans so if you see anything suspicious please call the police.

Apparently they are also lifting metal drain covers and replacing them with plastic ones.

CHURCH NOTICE The usual arrangements will apply in December EXCEPT for the following: Christmas Eve: Pyjama Service at 6.30 pm No service on Christmas Day

WINTER SOLSTACE

Caroline Taylor (Rev.)

During research into Christmas traditions a couple of years ago, I read about some families and groups who have breathed new life into Winter Solstice celebrations. I adapted some of these ideas for the Sunday School at Leuchars: St Athernase Church - something different from the usual Christmas party or nativity play. This is to let you know that there will be a few fireworks let off from the manse garden in David Wilson Park in the late afternoon/early evening of 22nd December, just in case you are a dog owner I hope this will not cause any inconvenience.

6

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7

FROM ONE OF YOUR FIFE COUNCILLORS My name is Maggie Taylor and have been representing the residents of Balmullo, Guardbridge, Leuchars, Tayport, Newport-on-Tay and Wormit on Fife Council since 2007 having been first elected for the smaller area of Tayport in 2001.

The ward is called Taybridghead and I serve this area along with two other councillors.

I am a member of Police. Fire and Safety Committee which meets every two months, with a Scrutiny Group meeting in between. As the name suggests this Committee looks after all issues within the Police Force and the Fife Fire Brigade. I also attend the Police Complaints Committee which deals with complaints made to Fife Police Force from members of the public, this committee scrutinises the complaints making sure that they have all been handled correctly.

I am Vice-Chair of North East Fife Area Committee, meeting monthly in Cupar, which makes decisions on local issues such as speed limits, Common Good Fund applications and most importantly, Planning applications in the area.

Apart from Balmullo I attend two other Community Councils, Guardbridge and Tayport and when available Newport-on-Tay. I also attend many of the local organisations within the area – school parent councils, hall committees etc.

There is no such thing as a typical day in the life of a councillor and because I work part time Monday to Wednesday as an Administrator within Dundee Survival Group which looks after homeless people in the Dundee area, my timetable is different from colleagues.

I like an early start to the day. In my case it is usually about 6am, dealing with e-mails and left phone messages on the many issues that either come from Community Council meetings or directly from local residents. These can be about anything from faulty streetlights to the one which bugs all councillors and local residents – dog fouling.

The phone starts at 7am when I discuss matters with colleagues. I am usually off to work by 7.30am. This lasts until 4pm and I either come home or attend meetings in Glenrothes, Cupar or in my Council area. Like most councillors most evenings are taken up with local meetings. While sometimes on cold wet nights I wish I was at home at the fireside, I consider myself extremely fortunate to represent this beautiful part of Fife.

Can I wish you all an early Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I am off on an extended holiday to New Zealand and will see you all again in February 2012.

CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR BUS SERVICES 2011-12 Many buses won’t return to normal timetables until

WEDNESDAY 4 JANUARY 2012.

Check your bus times carefully!

Most buses running to industrial premises

will be withdrawn.

8

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9

BALMULLO PRIMARY SCHOOL NEWS

Sarah Else

This is one of the busiest times of the year for each and every one of us and school is no exception!

Over the next few weeks we have parent evenings, information evenings and, not forgetting, our nativity and carol concert rehearsals in preparation for our end of term celebrations.

This year Nursery P1, P2 and P3 will all be involved in our Christmas Nativity, with P4-P7 supporting where necessary. This will take place on the afternoon of the 15th December and is open to all parents and members of our local community.

P4-P7 will hold an evening of carols on the evening of the 15th December, again this is open to all parents and community members.

MUGA UPDATE Plans are well under way for the village Multi use Games Area. Alan Bisset from Fife Council will be meeting with the group at 7pm on the 21st November in the school. If you wish to attend to look at and discuss our plans the please come along.

We recently held a competition in school for our MUGA logo. All of the entries were of an extremely high standard and our overall winner was Connan Sweeney from R4. His logo will be used on the MUGA website and also any correspondence regarding the MUGA. Balmullo has a fantastic community and I am pleased to see that, as a school, we are developing better links with other groups and individuals in the village and look forward to this continuing in the new year. As part of this I would like to extend an invitation to the community to attend our Christmas Events.

CLOTHING ALTERATIONS For this service to Ladies & Gents garments phone Mrs Burns 01382 552223

BALMULLO S.W.R.I.

Ann Falconer

President Mrs. Mary Campbell welcomed members to our annual business meeting on Thursday 3rd November.

Members of Kilmany SWRI attended to supervise the election of our new committee. Mrs Ann Falconer was elected as President. Other committee members elected were Mrs Rita Crush, Mrs Evelyn Erskine, Mrs Betty Gough, Mrs Doreen Hopkins, Mrs Wilma Mackie, Mrs Mary Reilly, Mrs Grace Steven and Mrs Jacqueline Stockton.

Kilmany SWRI members also entertained us with a light-hearted quiz and 2 cookery demonstrations.

The Red Cross also came along with Christmas gifts and cards, giving members the opportunity to purchase items and support the charity.

The meeting concluded with the prize-giving ceremony for the year. Overall points winner was Mrs Jacqueline Stockton with runner-up Mrs Grace Steven. The Ina Brown Quaich was won by Mrs Betty Gough and the Joan Gray Trophy by Mrs Evelyn Erskine.

Balmullo SWRI was again successful in retaining the Crawford Cup at the recent Cupar InterInstitute Group meeting in October.

The annual Christmas party will be held on Thursday 1 st December, where a wide variety of festive dishes will be provided by the members. We look forward to seeing as many members as possible for this special night.

Mrs Agnes Anderson It is with great regret that we have to report the recent death of Mrs Anderson, at the age of 94. Mrs Anderson was not only a founding member of Balmullo SWRI but was elected as our first President in 1952 and honoured as a Life Member on her 90th birthday. Her regular presence at our meetings will be sadly missed.

10

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11

YOUR MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

SIR Menzies Campbell

It is twelve months since the first news that the future of RAF Leuchars was in doubt but the fight to keep a substantial military presence in Fife goes on.

I continue to believe that RAF Leuchars is in the right place at the right time doing the right job, and I will continue to make that case. For the last 40 years the base has been responsible for patrolling and protecting the skies above Scotland and the North of England. Successive generations of personnel at the base have executed their duties at home and abroad with commitment and professionalism and together with their families they have become much valued members of the Fife community. The pride and affection which the people of Fife have for the RAF was clearly seen recently when personnel returning from serving in Afghanistan were cheered as they paraded through the streets of St Andrews.

The Ministry of Defence announced in July that the Typhoon aircraft currently stationed at Leuchars would be transferred to RAF Lossiemouth and the base would be converted to Army use. It seems that the original timetable for the RAF leaving Leuchars and the Army arriving has slipped. The RAF will be redeployed in 2014 but army units are only scheduled to be finally in place by 2020.

To the disappointment which greeted the announcement that the RAF was to leave Fife has now been added anxiety about a gap between the departure of the RAF and the arrival of the Army. For local businesses, contractors, shops and hotels which depend on the base it is essential that the impact of this transition is minimised. Any delay to the Army arriving which saw the base effectively mothballed would have a significant effect on the local community. Of even more concern is the doubt which some informed commentators have voiced about the likelihood of the Army coming to Leuchars at all.

Leuchars stands at the end of a long chain of changes being made to the defence estate in Scotland. Should one component fail to be realised the future of the base at Leuchars would be thrown into question. At the most recent Defence Questions in the House of Commons the Armed Forces Minister could not give me any guarantee that the Army was on its way to Leuchars. It became clear that the Army still has not come to any final conclusion about where it would base its troops in Scotland. I have written to the Secretary of State for Defence asking for urgent clarification about his Department’s plans for Leuchars.

The level of uncertainty surrounding the future of the base at Leuchars is unacceptable. If the Army is not to come to Leuchars then the RAF need not leave. The Ministry of Defence has made promises and it is now time that we were told how these promises are to be implemented and when.

Sir Ming Campbell - M.P. Office of Sir Menzies Campbell MP Member of Parliament for North East Fife House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA Tel: 020 7219 6910 | Fax: 020 7219 0559

12

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13

YOUR MEMBER OF SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT I was delighted, on the morning of 6 May 2011, to be elected as North East Fife’s MSP, at the fourth time standing in the constituency. The past 6 months have required a lot of hard work and long hours with several issues already becoming potentially long term local matters including, but not limited to, the decision to close RAF Leuchars and the impact this will have on the surrounding area.

Like so many things in life, it is rare for any issue to be resolved quickly. With regard to Leuchars it is important that an announcement is made on the timetable for the army’s arrival soon to allow the community to properly plan for the future.

Any sort of fallow period in undesirable, and I know how dismayed many people are at the slow progress being made in obtaining clarity as to the Army’s plans, coming on top of the decision to close RAF Leuchars and the distress that has caused the local community.

The past 6 months have been a steep learning curve. Getting to grips with the process of hiring staff and setting up a constituency office have taken time, let alone the question of getting to grips with parliamentary procedure in the Parliament as a new MSP. As an MSP I am expected to be in Parliament for half of the week, but I or my office are always contactable throughout the week.

Parliamentary work is important .in any democratic society. Committees occupy a considerable amount of time as well as debates and questions in the main chamber. As a member of the Justice Committee, for example, I am currently involved in the passage of the controversial Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Bill.

Constituency matters remain a priority however. This has been a difficult period for North East Fife and there is no shortage of matters to engage the community.

In addition to the future of Leuchars, I am aware of continuing concerns regarding the withdrawal of dispensing facilities from the Balmullo surgery and continuing frustration regarding the rollout of high speed broadband.

I would encourage you all however if you have an issue to get in touch with me ,be it by post, email, phone or surgery visit. I am aware of the big issues in the area but I am also keen to help with matters that are not so large scale, but are just as important to the individuals concerned.

North East Fife is a beautiful part of the country and is home to some wonderful people. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to represent you and I would hope to be able to meet as many of you as possible in the coming months and years.

Roderick Campbell - M.S.P. I can be contacted by the following means: Phone: 01334 844971 (Cupar) 01313486524 (Edinburgh) Email: Roderick.Campbell.msp@scottish.parliament.uk Post:

Unit F1 The Granary Business Centre Coal Road Cupar KY15 5YQ

or

The Scottish Parliament Holyrood Edinburgh EH9 1SP

14

15

GARDENING CLUB Saturday 29th October saw the annual Leuchars and District Gardening and Crafts Club Autumn Flower Show which took place at the Burnside Hall. The flower show is one of the highlights of the local gardening calendar, and this year was no exception with competitors from Angus, Stirling, Perthshire and Falkirk adding to the wealth of entries from across Fife. The show received particularly strong entries in the chrysanthemum sections, as well as in the inventiveness of the children’s exhibits, and the number and quality of the entries in the floral art sections. As always the Club’s Committee would very much like to thank the support that all of the exhibitors and the public give to this very colourful event.

Following that on 10th November the second talk of the Gardening Club's winter programme proved very popular, with a large turnout for an excellent talk by Mrs Coull on how to photograph nature. The next talk will get everyone in the mood for Christmas with an Evening of Floral Art with Alyson Christie and Andy Smith. It will take place on 8th December at 7.30pm in the Burnside Hall.

Please note in your diary the the AGM will be on Wednesday 23rd November at 7.00pm in the Burnside Hall.

WANTED I am looking for a responsible person over 20 who would be willing to do occasional child minding for a 9 year old boy. I would also require help for a few hours on New Year’s Eve. Payment to be agreed. If you think you can help please call 07771357872. Thank you…. Pat

PLEASE SUPPORT MY EVENT Name: Jackie Lorimer Invites you to: A fun night out including Xmas gifts, Beauty Treatments, Cake & Candy, Tombola, Raffle At; The Balmullo Inn On: Friday 2nd December at 8pm Raising funds in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care

PUT ON YOUR DANCING SHOES FOR CHRISTMAS………..

On Saturday 3rd December there is a Christmas Dance in Burnside Hall at 7pm for 7.30pm.

There will be a Buffet and a Bar. Music is by the Gary Sutherland Band. Tickets are £18 and available from Mary on 838934.

16

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17

THE GREAT WORLD WIDE WEB

Mike Withers

There are a few areas that I wanted to draw your attention to this month. I do come across quite a few PCs that have been ruined by “dodgy” and unsafe downloading practices. With that in mind, what better way of getting the most out of the music web than listening to legitimate and free online music services! Obviously the BBC’s iPlayer and online Radio stations are a wonderful place to start. Go to www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer or www.bbc.co.uk/radio. But have you tried some lesser known alternatives to the BBC’s service? Try typing these addresses into your favourite browser:- www.we7.com - www.jango.com - www.grooveshark.com - www.last.fm - And my personal favourite, www.spotify.com For more specific bands you can always try www.myspace.com too.

Whilst you are looking for music you might come across the term “Codec” and wonder what on aarth is that? Well "Codec" is a technical name for "compression and decompression". It also stands for "compressor and decompressor" and "code/decode". This basically means the same thing, a codec is a computer program that both shrinks large music or movie files, and makes them playable on your computer. Codec programs are required for your media player to play your downloaded music and movies. So with that in mind, make sure that your PC is ready and equipped to play these files. Go to http://www.cccp-project.net and download the pack. This will give you most of the general codecs that are in the mainstream.

However, if you come across the term .flac then this doesn't refer to “taking flack” or anti aircraft guns but to super high quality music (lossless). FLAC compresses audio, but not in the same way as MP3s because none of the original audio is removed. While these files are compressed, they provide the same quality as uncompressed audio. So for example, ripping CD audio to FLAC would provide much superior quality to MP3 and 1:1 parity with the original CD, but the resultant flac files would be much, much larger than MP3s. Full instructions on how to download and install a flac codec are available from www.afterdawn.com/guides/archive/ how_to_play_flac_files.cfm#intermediatemethod On a more sinister tack, recently there have been a spate of people that have been hit by bogus phone calls stating that their PC is running slowly. This virus phone scam is being run from call centres in India and unsuspecting Scots are being targeted by cold callers pretending to be from Microsoft phoning to fix a fake computer problem.

The scam always starts the same way: the phone rings at someone's home, and the caller – usually with an Indian accent – asks for the householder, quoting their name and address before saying "I'm calling for Microsoft. We've had a report from your internet service provider of serious virus problems from your computer."

Dire forecasts are made that if the problem is not solved, the computer will become unusable.

The puzzled owner is then directed to their computer, and asked to open a program called "Windows Event Viewer". Its contents are, to the average user, worrying: they look like a long list of errors, some labelled "critical". "Yes, that's it," says the caller. "Now let me guide you through the steps to fixing it."

The computer owner is directed to a website and told to download a program that hands over remote control of the computer, and the caller "installs" various "fixes" for the problem. And then it's time to pay a fee: £185 for a "subscription" to the "preventative service".

The only catch: there was never anything wrong with the computer, the caller is not working for Microsoft or the internet service provider, and the owner has given a complete stranger access to every piece of data on their machine.

An investigation by the Guardian has established that this scam, which has been going on quietly since 2008 but has abruptly grown in scale this year, is being run from call centres based in Kolkata, by teams believed to have access to sales databases from computer and software companies. Often, the victims are inexperienced or elderly, convinced by the apparent authority of the callers and the worrying contents of the Event Viewer. In fact, such "errors" are not indicative of any problems. Although people on dozens of web forums have recorded their experiences with the scammers, police and trading standards officers in the UK are powerless to stop them.

So please stay safe and hang up and ignore these bogus calls.

- Mike

18

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19

YPR UPDATE: NOVEMBER 2011 We had a good turnout at our November meeting, which was held in Burnside Hall for the first time. Some of the items discussed were: Unfortunately we had to cancel the YPR Litter Pick on Saturday 5 th November, however we have rescheduled to Saturday 3rd March. More information will appear nearer the time.

We have joined forces with the MUGA committee during the funding process of our shelter project. It has also been decided that one member of the YPR Group will attend the MUGA committee meetings.

Currently we are looking into trying to get more young people to our meetings. We hope to do this through a variety of means, including the use of Plasma Screens at school and by having more posters within the village. We are still on Facebook (Balmullo YPR Group) and our new website (http://bypr.weebly.com) will be updated regularly. We hope to arrange for people to come along to our meetings in the New Year to speak to Young People about different topics. We hope to confirm this by our next meeting.

Josh Martin and Alex Fyfe, our MSYPs, gave an update about their work so far, which is summarised in the article below.

Our next meeting will be on Monday 12th December at 6.30pm in Burnside Hall. For those who were unable to make this months meeting, we will be looking at what primary and secondary school pupils, along with the adults of the village, would like from the YPR Group. I have also been asked to advertise that if any young people have experience in making home-made computer games, or would be interested in maybe developing a computer game based around Scottish History, please come along to this meeting to find out more.

Cameron, Danielle & Lewis

SYP UPDATE In October Alexander Fyfe attended the Scottish Youth Parliaments’ (SYP) AGM, which was hosted by North Ayrshire Council in Saltcoats. The weekend proved to be a great opportunity for some lively debate and gave SYPs a chance to consult with each other and to discuss important issues affecting Scotland’s future.

Since June, the MSYPs have been working hard on their national project “Love Equality”, which aims to change the government stance on marriage and civil partnerships. The project has played a huge part in getting the Scottish Government to rethink the current system.

As promised in both their manifestos, Alex and Josh are very keen to tackle the issue of ever growing bus fares for young people in North East Fife. They both agree that being in such a rural community, where many young people are dependent on public transport, the discounts offered are simply not enough. Alex and Josh have both contacted Stagecoach, the main public transport provider in North East Fife, with regards to the possibility of making public transport cheaper and fairer to young people.

Plans have been put in place to start a Community Eco Programme to get young people (and adults) involved in eco projects throughout North East Fife. Along with teachers at Bell Baxter High School, Josh is piloting the scheme in conjunction with Cupar in Bloom and the local Ranger Service. More information will be available soon.

If you would like to find out more about any of the SYP projects, or would like to get involved in the Community Eco Programme, please contact either Josh (joshua.martin.msyp@sypmail.org.uk) or Alex (alexander.fyfe.msyp@sypmail.org.uk).

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CUPLAHILLS FARM PLANNING APPROVAL

S. Melville

At last we can breathe a sigh of relief as approval has been passed for our two farm diversification projects. The projects that have been approved include: Retrospective planning permission for 10 stables within traditional stone built cattle courts and the creation of an outdoor arena Planning permission for 4 eco lodges to provide accommodation for the tourist market Both projects are part of the five year plan set out to turn the family farm into a sustainable business.

To say that we have had problems achieving planning permission would be an understatement.

The drawn out process was frustrating given the enormous amount of support we received from local businesses, the Community Council, Local Councillors and of course those that walk through the woodland.

The difficulties arose not as an objection to the developments themselves by the planners, but because the two road entrances at Balmullo and Logie did not meet the strict visibility criteria laid down by Fife Transportation Services. Thankfully with invaluable support from the Local Councillor’s (Maggie, Ron & Tim amongst others) common sense finally prevailed and both projects were approved on 26th October by the Fife Planning Committee.

Approval has been granted for the creation of 4 eco lodges to be located next to Willie’s Wood.

Access will be created by reinstating the old farm track which ceased to be used many years ago.

Only a small area of poor agricultural land will be lost, but hopefully a very valuable and popular accommodation facility will be developed. Only two lodges will be developed initially as these have been generously funded by the Scottish Government’s Rural Priorities Programme. Prior to any commitment a full financial appraisal of the project is required to determine that it is still a financially feasible project now that the economic climate has changed. Hopefully the lodges will be ready for summer 2012...subject to any unforeseen circumstances!

The ethos of the lodges is that they will be designed with the environment in mind, well insulated with a heat exchange system, argon filled glass, pine clad, living sedum roofs with solar panels to help to heat the water.

Retrospective planning approval for the stables and arena was an enormous relief. We have such a friendly and helpful group of girls from the local area with horses resident at the stables it would have been such a shame for them not to have been able to continue to use the facilities.

The 10 stables are in the heart of the steading and the arena is hidden away to the back of the farm such that it is unobtrusive. The DIY facilities compliment the farm enormously and have enabled previously redundant buildings and land to be better utilised. The stables not only help to support Cuplahills, but result in a significant amount of trade for local businesses including vets, blacksmiths, feed companies, the local Spar and Thai Teak amongst many others.

Time to buckle down now and try to get the projects moving and to provide what I anticipate will be valuable assets to both the farm and the local community.

BOWLING CLUB DATES Friday 9th December – PRIZE BINGO eyes down 7.30pm. All welcome.

Sunday 11th December – Bowling Club A.G.M. at 2.30pm.

Friday 16th December – CHRISTMAS DANCE, Come along and enjoy the music by John Duncan. 8pm to late, Buffet £7. Phone Jim for details 870013.

Friday 13th January – PRIZE BINGO eyes down 7.30pm. All welcome.

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GARDEN BIRD FEEDING

Andrew Falconer The most important time for feeding Garden Birds is during winter and spring.

While it is good to feed the birds all year round, there is usually plentiful natural food in summer and autumn with berries, seeds and insects. Colder weather and especially frost or snow means that birds depend more and more on our help.

There are now many retail outlets that stock bird food, including local garden centres and some hardware warehouses.

Remember also that there are specialist bird food suppliers with on-line stores. If you shop on-line and can afford to buy in bulk (or share with friends), you will find costs cheaper overall. I can recommend good suppliers if you contact me.

The main foods used are peanuts, fat balls, suet, mealworms and seed mixes, especially niger seed for Goldfinches. Husk -free seed mixes are available to reduce mess on your lawn or patio. It is also

better to use feeders tailored to the type of food, essential for niger seed, and again these can be selected and purchased online.

Ground feeding is needed for blackbirds and thrushes and, as well as seed, they appreciate dried fruit like raisin and sultanas and ripe (or over-ripe) apples which should be halved. Remember always to provide water and watch for frost. Last year during the bad weather I used an icecream tub pushed into the snow, which was easy to replace each morning when frozen.

Bad weather forces more birds to seek food in gardens and you may be lucky enough to see more unusual species. Last winter my garden was visited by a pair of Bramblings for a few days. They are close relatives of and fairly similar to the much more common Chaffinches but have distinct orange and black colours.

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IAN GODDARD PROPERTIES 15 High Street + Newport-on-Tay Fife DD6 8AB

Independent estate agent Property letting and management If you are thinking of selling ~ letting ~ buying ~ renting Then contact Ian Goddard on 01382 540451 Email: contact@igpfife.co.uk Website: www.igpfife.co.uk

Your local estate agent

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DazLyn Motorshine Mobile Valeting We come to you whether it’s the Home Workplace or even the Golf Course, All water and electrics are on board our vehicle.

Cars Vans Caravans Conservatories From a Mini Valet to a Full Showroom Finish including Sanitisation, Bacteria, and Virus Elimination system. (Certificate can be provided to confirm this treatment).

Gift Vouchers Available Tel Daz on 07733 116631 www.dazlynmotorshinevaleting.co.uk Find us on FACEBOOK and Yell.com

LEUCHARS QUALITY MEATS 24 Main Street, Leuchars Quality Scotch Beef Pork : Chicken : Lamb Also a selection of Steak Pies Individual Pies : Cold Meats : Eggs & Bacon Orders will be made up on request for collection: at 24 Main Street Leuchars KY16 0HN Tel: 01334 839213 Email: wmcgreg@hotmail.co.uk

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Mobile Library Every 2nd Monday Lucklaw Road (2.00pm) & Hayston Park (2.40pm)

Please use the Van as often as possible.

KEVIN MALONEY FOR ALL YOUR DECORATION NEEDS 01334 870241 OR 07941 545052

Collect your own eggs with a Hen Keeping Starter Kit

BALMULLO COMMUNITY NEEDS YOU

Easyclean Plastic hen coops starting from ÂŁ170, hens, feed and health packs All supplied locally with ongoing support

Hens-Made-Easy 01334 870637 / 07942004487 www.henkeepingfife.co.uk

12th December - 7.30pm Burnside Hall

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CHIC O’HARE DOMESTIC APPLIANCE REPAIRS Over 35 years experience Prompt reliable service NEWPORT-ON-TAY TEL 01382 541702 MOBILE 07802 538284

S. GUNBY ELECTRICAL ALL TYPES OF ELECTRICAL WORK UNDERTAKEN

Fast and Reliable Service Call us on 07980 934516 or leave a message on 01334 657333

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JOHNSTONE PLUMBING, HEATING & GAS SERVICES

Fast and reliable service Emergency Call-Outs 207782

MILLBANK, 28 SCHOOL ROAD, BALMULLO TEL/FAX: 01334 870691 MOB: 07966 937842 EMAIL: johnstoneplumber@aol.com

M B

MARK BAYNE

M B C T

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CERAMIC TILING & PLASTERING ALL ASPECTS OF FLOOR & WALL TILING UNDERTAKEN Skim Coat Plastering Tel: 01334 870565

Mob: 07821 086189

Bill Donald Services Flooring Ltd Out of this world!

E mail bill.donald@btinternet.com

01334 870815 Mobile 0797 442 1236 Phone

Some say, on another planet...

Cosmic!