West End Issue 58

Issue 58

July-August 2011 West End Edition Your Personal Copy

Inside this issue

Glamping - have your tried it?

WIN a ÂŁ100 Voucher for glamping in Scotland AIYF : Festival Tickets to be won Last minute vegetable growing Motoring : Cheap Convertibles

gazette

All eye examinations covered by NHS Optical Coherence Iomograph for early diagnosis of Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration and Retina Conditions.

Digital Retinal Photography Visual Field Analysis Large range of Designer frames and specialised spectacle lenses Accredited by RACH for Children’s Eye Examinations Home Visits Free Car parking Open Late night Tuesday - 7pm & Saturday - 4pm

Designed for Life Handcrafted quality jewellery Unit 1, East Mall, Union Square Tel : 590174 e.mail : lapisgold@mynet.com gcg : 2

Scott Gilmour BSc (Hons) MCOptom 5 The Courtyard, Cults, Aberdeen AB15 9SD

Telephone : 01224 - 863344 Email : info@scottgilmouroptometrists.co.uk www.scottgilmouroptometrists.co.uk

www.thegranitecitygazette.co.uk

Summer time...

And the living is easy.

Well, it can be if you unplug those alarm clocks, stock up the cupboards and have plenty of ideas up your sleeve for the inevitable ‘I’m bored!’ comment.

There are loads of things on during the summer. Some are even free!

Aberdeen International Youth Festival, Aberdeen Football Festival, Aberdeen Art Fair, Larks in the Parks, Pitch and Putt and Tennis at Albury, ice skating, snowboarding, wall climbing, Satrosphere, Codonas, a walk along the beach, forest walks, Go Ape, Art Gallery, Maritime Museum to name but a few!

I have a couple of competitions this month, so why not try your luck and win a couple of tickets to a show at AIYF, easy to enter see page 5? Do you fancy some ‘glamping’ - then enter our competition on page 32-33 and win £100 towards a weekend away?

I have quite a few new advertisers all wishing to help you with your fitness campaign. I even embarked on one myself last month and you can read an excerpt from my diary, hopefully over the summer I’ll have some real results to tell you about in September.

Aberdeen will not be short of some culture this summer. The launch of the Presstige Fair and the Aberdeen Art Fair. A great opportunity for you to see and learn about art in the city and shire.

I think you need to get yourself a Pimms to really celebrate the summer and enjoy the rest of the magazine.

Ad-hoc contributions from : James Baggott; Pippa Greenwood, Fred Lane, Jane Robinson Advertising Sales : Sue Simpson : 01224 - 318561

Distribution - thanks to : Dougie; Anne; Mark; Sue,: Ashley; Carol; Caroline; Gregor; Alistair; Emma; Rachel; Steph, Jodie, Cameron, Kate, Sarah, Fraser. Freya, David, Elise,Tom, Maureen & Raymond

delivered to : 9800 West End Homes 200 City Businesses deadlines :

thru the door at :

Airyhall Ashley

Braeside September - 19 Aug Broomhill October - 19 Sept Countesswells November - 19 Oct Craigiebuckler Dec/Jan - 22 Nov Holburn Kepplestone Houses contact the gazette : 01224 - 318561

Disclaimer : Whilst we’d be flattered if you would like to borrow something from the gazette be polite and ask first!

Thank you. We try our hardest to ensure accuracy of editorial content but no responsibility can be taken for any errors and/ or omissions. The views expressed within the gazette are not necessarily those of the publisher or advertisers. When replying to offers, competitions and other correspondence, we would strongly recommend that you check published information with each organisation beforehand. We thank you for taking the time to read the small print. All artwork is accepted on strict condition that permission has been given for use in this publication.

Mannofield Morningside Queens Cross Rubislaw Seafield Viewfield Woodland at Pitfodels Woodend

publisher : the granite city gazette

owner : Sue Simpson phone : 318561 mob : 07813 964 875

email : gazette@fsmail.net

thegranitecitygazette.co.uk

gcg : 3

Letters, Emails and Recommendations!

Good morning Sue,

Hello Sue, Thank you so much for the advert and the editorial in your magazine which arrived yesterday. You have given me splendid coverage and I appreciate that very much.

Thank you for that.

Two weeks later ...

The advert has certainly been working for us from the last edition I am delighted to say. We have had many visitors who saw the advert and the lovely write up you gave me who came over for tea etc and ended up touring the castle and in two instances they came for lunch with a group, then went round the castle, went for a walk and came back in for afternoon tea. Well done you!!

I just wanted to say a big thank you for all your time and help for the Sierra Leone charity project and the advertising support you have shown, very much appreciated.

We managed to get some great coverage in The Evening Express and STV website as well as the various marketing posters, flyers, press adverts we created for the campaign.

There will also be a follow up campaign on Facebook and Twitter with a thank you to all involved as well as some photographs and coverage in The Press & Journal.

Kind regards, Joan

We hope if you are attending the event that you have a fantastic time and enjoy the evening.

Delgatie Castle Trust Delgatie Turriff Aberdeenshire AB53 5TD

Many thanks Regards Martin Reid, Creative Director reid advertising & design A: 44 Holburn Road, Aberdeen AB10 6ET

Hello Sue Just a quick email to thank you again for the lovely ads you placed in the Gazette over the three months leading up to the Animal Blessing Service. This is very much appreciated.

We had a really good turnout of 45 people, although quite a few did not bring animals. It is good to see people interested enough in animals to attend, even altho’ they may not have any themselves or are not able to bring them.

It was mostly dogs again this year – some new faces and some regulars. Only one solitary cat was brought. What has happened to all those cats that people have? – they say there are more pet cats than dogs nowadays. Its owner/human companion was holding it in her arms at the end of the service, and it was very composed despite being surrounded by so many canines!

Kenneth Petrie, our minister, gave a lovely talk before blessing each animal individually.

Perhaps you might like to attend yourself next year?

Many thanks again, Sue, and all good wishes

Myrna

Photo : Russian dance company, Kaluzhsky Suvenir will perform at this year’s festival

Competition

Aberdeen International Youth Festival (AIYF) has announced its full programme for this year’s festival.

The announcement comes as the festival reveals that over one weekend alone during the event more than 1,300 performers will be in the city taking part in a variety of top class shows.

The festival takes place over ten days in the summer from Wednesday July 27 to Saturday August 6 and includes performances in many of the city’s most prestigious venues including His Majesty’s Theatre, the Music Hall and the Beach Ballroom.

A full extended programme of shows will also take place with performers travelling to Inverness, Perth, Montrose and Arbroath as part of AIYF’s ‘extended festival’ initiative.

Pitfodels will be set alight by an International Showcase Evening on Friday July 29. The vibrant orchestral, music theatre and dance show will take place at the International School and will see artists from three continents take to the stage.

Artistic director and chief executive of AIYF, Stewart Aitken, said: “The festival is a

great opportunity for Aberdeen and the North-east to be showcased as a vibrant and creative region that is committed to supporting young people and the arts. We are really pleased that we are able to offer an even bigger programme of extended venue shows as well as our city centre programme to fans of the festival. ” For details on all of AIYF’s shows please visit the website on: www.aiyf.org

Competition:

In conjunction with the granite city gazette AIYF is running a competition for two pairs of tickets to the International Dance Gala held at His Majesty’s Theatre on Thursday August 4th.

To enter please answer this Q: What are the dates for this year’s festival?

To enter please e-mail your answer with full contact details to: angela@aiyf.org OR Complete the entry on page 43 or log onto our website : www.thegranitecitygazette.co.uk Two winners will be picked at random. The competition closes on Friday July 22 at 5pm.

Winners will be contacted by the festival office and ticket collection/delivery will be arranged.

Health and Beauty

Are you suffering in silence with problem skin?

Then help is at hand...

Temple Aesthetics now run a problem skin clinic for teenagers and adults with acne, rosacea or associated scarring.

www.templeaesthetics.co.uk

Omnilux Blue Light Treatment has been shown to be more effective than antibiotics at killing the bacteria responsible for acne. Omnilux Revive and Omnilux Plus Phototherapy is also available which heps to minimise the redness of acne lesions and promote healthier skin due to the anti-inflammatory properties. The other benefit is improving skin tone and elasticity.

An individual programme is offered using prescription medicines and pharmaceutical skin care products in tandem with other skin care treatments.

Visit us at 9 The Coutyard, North Deeside Road, Cults, Aberdeen AB15 9SD Phone for more details : 01224 869997

Health and Beauty

TEMPLE AESTHETICS

By Jane Robinson It’s official. None of us are getting any younger.

The question is, how best to minimize the visible signs of age as time goes by...but it’s all too confusing! Whether we go shopping, open a magazine or simply switch on the telly, we are bombarded by a bewildering array of skin treatment options.

Creams, moisturizers, lotions and potions abound, and that’s before we even start to grapple with fillers, injections and surgical procedures.

The truth is,

everyone wants to look a million dollars, or at least as near as possible, and so the skin treatment industry continues to expand. But we also want to be safe, in the knowledge that we are doing the very best we can to ensure our skin is healthy and looks its best. But, if you are anything like me you might well be nervous of this seemingly complex industry with its glossy marketing and alluring treatments. The discerning client needs to be confident that they will find good, informed, up-to-date advice from a well-qualified, knowledgeable and caring expert.

Based in Cults, Temple Aesthetics is a skincare

clinic with a medical focus, a business that has been established to help clients find the most suitable treatments for their own specific skin issues. Set up by GP Dr Sam Robson, a member of the General Medical Council, and the British Association of Cosmetic Doctors, the clinic has been recognised on a national level as a centre of excellence with regard to skincare.

Sam is careful to point out that Temple Aesthetics is not a beauty salon, but a place where experts can help clients to sort out their skincare dilemmas. The focus is a medical one, where knowledgeable staff with a background in anatomy and an understanding of drug interaction and other medical issues can treat each client individually. At first, the alternatives on offer are bewildering to the uninitiated, but detailed explanations and evidence of successful treatments serve to disentangle the complex world of ‘aesthetics’. New treatments can achieve great results towards tackling problems like acne, eczema, scars, stretch marks, wrinkles, unwanted hair and much more.

For many people, the very thought of seeking help with one’s skin is nerve-wracking... genuine worries about skin can be upsetting.

Temple Aesthetics understands this. After an initial consultation and detailed assessment of a client’s skin, various procedures might be suggested specifically to suit each client. These might be dermal fillers, injectable treatments, Omnilux (a light therapy), ‘superceutical peels’ for tackling wrinkles, aging and pigmentation issues, as well as a variety of other skincare treatments. Combination treatments, a Body Contouring System and expert help with make-up (using Priori CoffeeBerry Minerals) are also available.

To find out more - www.templeaesthetics.co.uk

Something To Smile About This Summer Free Smile Consultation

A beautiful smile creates confidence and gives us a sense of wellbeing and improves our general health. State of the art techniques are used from white fillings, crowns, bridges, veneers, tooth whitening, invisible braces and dental implants.

Have you ever wanted a beautiful smile but not sure how or how much? Book a no obligation cosmetic consultation and make the first move to a confident smile.

Something to smile about in August

Range of Dental Inspirations Plans

£100 off tooth whitening – Our state of the art system we use is the only whitening system in the world that will guarantee VITA shade B1 and is acknowledged as the technology leader.Telephone our practice today to book your initial free consultation to be assessed for this service prior to the treatment being carried out.

All our plans are designed to help you reach optimum oral health, helping you to look after the health of your mouth and keep it free from tooth decay and gum disease. Over time, patients who participate in a preventative programme of regular examination and oral hygiene visits are shown to have a much reduced need for treatment.

New Patient Half Price Examination £30.00 instead of £60.00

We have a range of plans to suit every member of the family starting from as little as £7.00 per month.

During the month of July and August we are offering new patients who join the practice half price Examination including X-rays.

Free Implant Consultation Dental implants are a permanent, natural replacement for missing teeth or dentures.

Call us now to book a free, no obligation consultation.

395 North Deeside Road, Cults, Aberdeen AB15 9SX Tel : 01224 860220 Fax: 01224 860229 Email: info@dentalinspirations.co.uk

www.dentalinspirations.co.uk

Health and Beauty Summer Hair Care Are you looking for a Relaxed Atmosphere Personal Attention Wedding Speciality

Tel : 322000

Devonair Hairstylists

2 Devonshire Road Aberdeen

(off St Swithin St)

NEW ‘Vitalift’ - Non Invasive Face Lift Treatment Electrical stimulation making it possible to re-educate the facial muscles and perform electrolifting, restoring firmness and tone, re-model the facial oval and re-juvenate the face without scars or bruising from surgery or injecting.

For more information/to book an appointment please contact Jenny at 89 Gray Street,Aberdeen AB10 6JD t : 01224 594777 e: jenny@kumikobeauty.co.uk

www.kumikobeauty.co.uk

You may have a vision in your mind’s eye of your hair blowing in the summer wind looking fresh and gently highlighted.

However the reality is that strong sun, high temperatures, humidity and pool or sea water will damage your hair leaving it dry, brittle and anything but healthy.

You can help yourself by generally taking a gentler approach to your hair styling in the summer months. Use a mild shampoo, wash less frequently to allow the natural oils to be absorbed and when you do wash your hair, finish with a cool or cold rinse to seal the cuticle.

Try to limit hair treatments such as bleaching and cut back on your usage of heated hair styling tools such as curlers and hair straighteners.

If your hair is long enough, put it into a loose bun and tuck the ends out of sight as this is the most vulnerable part. Pulling your hair back in this way can also mean you don’t have a parting which will prevent sunburn on your scalp, although don’t forget to apply sunscreen all around the hairline.

If you don’t have long hair, do have a parting and don’t want to wear a hat, it’s essential that you apply sun lotion to your scalp. Your hair might look a little greasy during the day, but that’s better than a peeling scalp making you look like you have bad dandruff.

Wet your hair with plain water before going into a pool or the sea as this will reduce the amount of chlorine or salt absorbed into your hair. Once you’ve had a swim, rinse your hair with plain water again before sitting back in the sun, and use a mild shampoo at the end of the day to ensure those chemicals and salt aren’t continuing to do their worst.

Health and Beauty Personal Training Diary…

It is 155pm on Thursday 09 June . I have just called and booked an assessment and health screening with a fitness instructor Lee Donald . Monday is ‘PT’ day at 10am.

I feel : apprehensive; nervous; anxious that somebody will find out my weight! But I do feel excited .

My goal : to find a balance between my personal life and work that involves a healthier regime of both eating and exercise .

My first target: to attend the preassessment and health screening.

Off to get a good night ’s sleep.

I think I’m ready. I want a healthier lifestyle . I want to be more active and enjoy life to the full . Excess baggage – au revoir…

R P

‘PT’ Day …

The dogs just got a walk round the block! I couldn’t have breakfast just water. Answered some emails then off to my appointment.

I was met at the door by Lee .

Tall , slim and beaming health!

Lee was very good at setting me at ease and telling me to just relax so that we could get accurate readings. We started off by filling in the health form. Lee and I then set out my goals and the benefits of my training. I had three short term goals and three long terms goals. Then the physical tests!

Blood pressure . Weight. Height.

Waist and hip measurements. Lee did some magic and gave me the outcome! It was of course worse than I expected as I am currently in denial about my true weight

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and fitness!!! (Aren’t we all?)

Eyes are now WIDE OPEN. I then had to perform some physical tasks. I did much better than I thought I could do at this stage so that was encouraging.

Lee is putting together a program for me to work through . I scheduled in my first ‘real’ appointment where I will be required to partake in hard physical graft. Wednesday! Two days’ time …. can’t wait.

A V

Wednesday – Training Day One Increased water intake . Chocolate been cut. Not feeling too bad!

Met Lee at 10am - her house . It was a beautiful morning so we were outside in the sun . Started with a warm-up. I was exhausted after that! We then did some interval training. When Lee stopped I wanted to stop - focus was hard! That was the quickest hour I’ve had in a long time .

Enjoyable too. I could regret that comment. Diary date for our next session – Friday!

I

Wednesday evening already I can feel my muscles stiffening!

Thursday morning – My body has aged! I feel 90 and in need of a zimmer.

Friday – Training Day Two Still quite stiff. Will I cancel .

Quitting already?!

NO - I met Lee at the park .

Concentrated on working my core muscles and took it at my pace .

We did some fun boxing! I really enjoyed that – although my stance was like a robot to start with , then I progressed to prissy feet – going to watch some boxing videos to see how the pros do it!

www.thegranitecitygazette.co.uk

A

E T

Health and Beauty

Friday evening Walked a mile to fetch my car from the garage! Not as sprightly as I should have been!

Saturday I didn’t feel 90 today, more like 65, so on the right road!

I can feel my stomach muscles.

Can’t see them yet - well I could if they weren’t wearing a coat of fat!!

Must not give up despite any obstacles. Don’t even want to eat so much , so that has got to be good .

Sort of looking forward to my weigh in on 12 July to see the improvement.

Recommended Lee to Jenny.

Get the rowing machine out of the garage and blow up the exercise balls!

NB : Call Lee to book next session after deadline .

Signing out - Sue x

Get results without stepping foot in a gym!

Whether you want to lose body fat, gain lean muscle, increase strength, power, flexibility, core stability, improve cardiovascular levels or simply maintain your current level of fitness.

Your Goal is my Goal For a free consultation

Contact Lee Donald

T : 07510 054 788

www.leedonaldpersonaltraining.com

LDelitePT@yahoo.co.uk

Why start tomorrow when you can start today

Classes Mon-Sat at

Craigiebuckler Church Hall, Mannofield Church, Airyhall Community Centre & Albyn School.

For more information : call Judy on 01224 647695 or Kay on 01224 772589

www.jazzerciseaberdeen.co.uk aberdeen@jazzercisemail.co.uk

contact the gazette : 01224 - 318561

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Health and Beauty

Home Health

by Colin Stewart

Many of us don’t have the opportunity, time or money to have a gym membership. Even if we do, actually getting there can be equally problematic. As a stay at home dad this was a particular problem for me. Irregular sleep combined with the fickle nature of toddlers, dinner time, cleaning and shopping left me feeling like I’d been hit by a train.

Taking control of your health, fitness and wellbeing is a holistic endeavour which includes having energy, relaxation, exercise and time. Energy comes from ensuring your diet is balanced, drinking enough fluids and getting enough sleep. Relaxation is having enjoyable down time to unwind. Exercise is fairly self explanatory and all three are governed by the amount of time available.

With the minimal equipment of a pair of trainers, shorts/ jogging pants, a t-shirt and maybe an exercise/yoga mat you can turn your own home, garden or local park into your gym. At home you can use your sofa/chairs, walls and stairs

Want to lose weight or get fitter?

Need some help getting ready for a sporting event?

Or do you just want to make that run for the bus a bit easier?

to make bodyweight exercises easier or harder through changing the leverages involved. Some may go the extra length and spend £4 on a gym ball which opens up another whole world of exercises. The more adventurous of us can use a set of goal posts or park bench and get even more variety.

The benefits of physical activity are well known, but it can be confusing to know what to do. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that “significant health benefits and reduced risk of disease” can be achieved by 30 minutes (accumulated) of moderate intensity activity, five to seven days a week. Moderate intensity means things like brisk walking, washing the car or gardening. As these 30 minutes can be accumulated throughout the day you can break it into manageable chunks.

This means, that if you can walk a little bit faster throughout the day, and maybe commit to a few minutes of extra activity a day, you can be adding extra years onto your life. You already have all the equipment you’ll ever need.

Young or old, male or female.

No gym, no problem.

Home and outdoors training.

Personalised programme.

Individual and small groups.

Weight loss and nutritional advice.

Sports specific training.

Martial arts for fitness.

FreeformFMA – Personal Fitness Training Colin Stewart, REPs Level 3 Certified Trainer

www.freeformFMA.co.uk FreeformFMA@gmail.com 07751 818 602

Health and Beauty Teach your baby to swim with Water Babies, the UK’s leading baby swim school

3 Fully qualified, world class instructors 3 Award-winning programme teaches babies from birth

3 Teaching you to teach your baby to swim

3 Saving lives through water confidence and safety skills

classes held weekly at...

Doubletree (by Hilton Beach Boulevard) Aberdeen AB24 5EF

to join in the fun call

01382 690 425

Foot Care It is wonderful to be able to throw off our boots and socks

during the summer and to wear colourful open shoes. But if you have cracked heels and overgrown toenails, those summer sandals should be left in the cupboard until you have taken the time to give your feet a bit of love and attention.

Dry heels or any areas of hard skin are the first uglies that should be dealt with. With the trend of taking a shower rather than a bath – all the more so in the summer – your feet don’t have a chance to soak. Run a bowl of warm water with some moisturising bath oil or even a little olive oil.

Leave your feet to soak for at least five minutes, then using a pumice stone or foot file rub away the hard areas. Using an exfoliating granular foot scrub will remove surface dry skin from the whole foot.

Toenails next. They should be cut straight across with a strong pair of nailclippers, then any rough edges taken off with a good quality nail file. Don’t cut them too short though

waterbabies.co.uk

or you risk exposing delicate skin.

Put some cuticle remover cream around the base of the nail, then using an orangewood stick gently push the cuticles back.

Hairy toes might have been fine for Bigfoot, but it’s not a good look for you, so use wax or cream to remove any hair on your toes. Then apply a rich moisturizer all over your feet and leave it to soak in for as long as possible.

Use a little nail varnish remover to clean your toenails before applying two thin coats of nail varnish.

Finally, if you find that you have difficulty even reaching your feet, let alone scrubbing and clipping, a professional pedicure is well worth the money and will last several weeks.

Mannofield Church Monday 11:00-11:45 £4 Call Laura 07773 021 851

Health and Beauty Treating Sunburn

Although the obvious way to prevent sunburn is to avoid going out in the heat of the day at all, it is both necessary to have a little sun for our health and a pleasure to feel those rays on your skin. Although most people will use a sun cream or lotion as a preventative measure, studies have shown that many people do not use enough sunscreen to provide adequate protection.

If you do find that you have caught more sun than you intended, it’s important to treat your skin to minimise the damage. As with any burn the skin will be overheated, so the first thing to do is to find a way of cooling the area. Apply a flannel soaked in cold water or take a lukewarm shower or bath. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids as dehydration will only make matters worse and avoid alcohol.

For mild sunburn using a moisturising lotion which contains Aloe Vera or a specially

formulated after-sun lotion will both cool and rehydrate the area, and relieve the feeling of tightness.

For more intense sunburn ask your chemist about a hydrocortisone cream and take over the counter painkillers such as Paracetamol or Ibuprofen to reduce your temperature.

If your sunburn is severe, or it’s on a young child, you should ask for advice from your doctor or – in the worst cases – visit Accident and Emergency. If your sunburn is accompanied by other symptoms such a fever, dizziness or vomiting you could have sunstroke. It is essential in this case that your temperature is lowered and as a minimum you should seek advice from NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.

New beginner classes will be starting in...

Aberdeen

Dyce

Midstocket Church Hall Harcourt Road, Aberdeen AB15 5NZ Tues 5 July 19:30-21:30

Carnegie Hall Skene Place, Dyce AB21 7AY Wed 129 June 19:00-21:00

Aberdeen

Kintore

Ferryhill Parish Church Fonthill Road, Aberdeen AB11 6UD Wed 29 June 17:30-19:30

Kintore Public Hall School Road, Kintore AB51 0FB Thur 30 June 19:00-21:00

07929 332036 aberdeen@taoist.org

A registered charity 1053425 / SC039513

taoist.org.uk

Taoist Tai Chi ™ internal arts of health The ancient Taoists were renowned for their study of the arts of health and longevity. The Taoist Tai Chi Society™ internal art of tai chi chuan conveys the essence of this tradition to the modern world.

We invite you to experience our classes for yourself and discover a genuine path to the cultivation of mind and body. Trial attendance and enrolments welcomed in the first few weeks of the classes.

For further information, phone Aberdeen Angus Branch on 07929 332 036, or see

www.taoist.org.uk gcg : 14

www.thegranitecitygazette.co.uk

Motoring

Cheap Convertibles The sun may have only been out for a little bit, but with the sunburn and the smell of barbecues comes that annual hankering for a cheap convertible. There’s nothing quite like a spot of top-down motoring when the temperature manages to haul itself into double figures – and the good news is it won’t have to cost you a second mortgage.

Here, we delve into the online classifieds to find you five bargain summer sizzlers that you can put on your drive for less than £2,000. Just remember to save some cash for the Factor 50…

Mazda MX-5, from £780 The MX-5 is a perennial soft-top favourite and rightly so. It’s been around for 21 years now which means there are plenty of cheaper examples knocking about.

Our £2,000 budget can get a well-looked after original model, not an import, with relatively low mileage. The Mazda is brilliant to drive, cheap to run and repair and the perfect entry into convertible ownership.

Saab 9-3 Convertible, from £850 Yes, you read that right. Saab 9-3 Convertibles can be had for under £1,000. That’s a huge amount of car for the money. You’ll be able to seat four in comfort, it’s built like a tank and will go on forever. And that’s handy because for this money you’re looking at a 150,000-miler plus.

We found one with 180k, a 2.0-litre turbo petrol lump, service history, tax and MOT for six months at £850 on Auto Trader. Be quick as we’re tempted ourselves…

contact the gazette : 01224 - 318561

Fiat Barchetta, from £999 This has to be the cheapest way into Italian two-seater soft-top ownership. The little Barchetta only comes in left-hand drive, which helps bring values down.

If you can live with that, you’ll be rewarded with a cracking drive, good looks and a zesty 1.7-litre engine. Some drivers will find the cabin a little cramped, but you’ll soon forget that when you’re blasting along country lanes with the top down. A 1998 model with 50,000 miles and service history can be found for £2,000.

Audi A4 Cabriolet, from £2,000 You’ll have to hunt pretty hard, but Audi A4 Cabriolet models do occasionally crop up within this price bracket. That might mean looking in the depths of winter when the last thing people want is a soft-top, but canny buyers will be rewarded for their efforts. The A4 is solid, well packaged and usually comes with a high spec. For this money you’ll find a tired petrol model with intergalactic mileage but, have it looked at by an independent, and you could be onto a winner.

Mercedes SLK, from £2,295 Ok, so it might be a little over our budget but we think with a little hard negotiating you could pick up an SLK for under £2k.

We spotted an R-reg model in black with 120k miles, 6 months tax and four months MOT at a dealer for £2,295 ono – easily negotiable within budget. The Mercedes is a timeless design, has a folding metal roof and, although not the quickest, is still great to drive.

By James Baggott, editor of Car Dealer Magazine (CarDealerMag.co.uk)

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Community

Queens Cross and Harlaw Community Council met on Tuesday, 14 June 2011 at 7pm in St Joseph’s RC School, Queens Road.

Sgt. Blakemore was welcomed to the meeting and gave us his report. Over the period (14th May-14th June), the number of calls in relation to crime in the area was similar to previous months, with no particular ‘hotspots’ identified.

As usual, the majority of crimes in the report related to vehicle crime and vandalism. 4 instances of theft from motor vehicles were recorded, 3 on the same night, and the Police are hopeful of solving these crimes. Police are continuing to target their patrols at particular times in areas where there would appear to be most opportunity for this type of crime.

The number of calls relating to vandalism was up slightly (by 2) to 11 and most appeared to be connected to drunken behaviour. The Police will target their foot patrols to try to combat this.

In total there were 15 Quality of Life incidents.

These mainly related to Public Nuisance events and inevitably, most were alcohol related.

Individuals concerned were moved on. There were 2 instances of drug/substance misuse which were detected by stop and search routines. There was 1 fire incident involving a lorry although there are not thought to be any suspicious circumstances. 1 other incident involved a youth having an accident on a motorbike although no criminality was involved.

Sgt. Blakemore informed us that our local Police Office is at Whinhill Road, a joint facility with the new Whinhill Medical Practice. You can read about it here: http://www.grampian.police.uk/ NewsItems.aspx?id=&nid=3702&pid=30;33;13

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Inspector Dennis Hall has now retired and his successor is Inspector Mike Thompson.

Now that summer seems to have arrived at last, Sgt. Blakemore encouraged us all to be vigilant and not to leave sheds and outbuildings unlocked after garden BBQs etc. or to leave unlocked vehicles as an easy target for opportunist thieves.

Cllr. Stewart and Mr Goldie had both requested that a site visit be made to the proposed Bruce Nursery extension. This was duly arranged and Cllr. Stewart, who attended the site visit, was in little doubt that the development was not in keeping with the surrounding area and that the increase in traffic concomitant with extended nursery places was not desirable.

The application has been refused.

Cllr. Stewart has expressed concern over the lack of a crossing on King’s Gate for pupils walking to Mile-End School. An electronic sign will be erected for a short period which will advise drivers to slow down but unfortunately, this facility will only be in operation for the last couple of weeks of the school term.

Cllr. Stewart arranged for the installation of a garden bench at the top of Royfold Crescent, just off Anderson Drive. It sits under a large mature tree and is a welcome addition for local residents.

There was discussion of the proposed Household Waste Recycling Centre at the Grove Nursery site. This site was approved at

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Community a meeting of the council in April 2010. Well documented concerns about the choice of the site, the infrastructure required to facilitate an operation of this nature and the impact of vastly increased volumes of heavy vehicle traffic associated with the site were raised at a public meeting in September 2010 and continue to be raised. Large numbers attended the public exhibition (SITA/ACC) in Hazlehead School at the end of May this year and it would appear that all are dismayed at the possibility of such an inappropriate development on the threshold of Aberdeen’s premier park. It is thought that 4 votes from members of the planning committee are required to refer the matter to a meeting of the full council. Cllr.

Stewart will make inquiries on this matter.

A formal planning application is likely to be submitted between the present date and the end of September 2011.

In April 2011 Mr. Goldie had written a letter of objection on behalf of the Community Council regarding the proposed development of the Triple Kirks site by the Stewart Milne Group (SMG). As the remaining spire has listed

building status, Historic Scotland is a statutory consultee on any related planning application; but at the time of the last meeting, they had yet to lodge any Consultation Response with the planning department. In the intervening period, Mr. Goldie has written to Historic Scotland and a formal response has since been lodged with the planners (and published on ACC web-site). Unfortunately, while in general agreement with the criticisms raised by the Community Council, Historic Scotland have declined to oppose the application on the grounds that they don’t want to be seen as hindering commercial activity at the Triple Kirks site. This is disappointing. In the interim, the Community Council objections have been reported in the quarterly architecture journal, Urban Realm. The tone of the article suggests that the publication, in common cause with the Community Council, does not support the SMG proposals.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, 13 September at 7pm in St Joseph’s RC School, Queen’s Road.

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Perfect for a summer Sunday lunch this lamb roast has a delicious stuffing made with fresh mint, dried apricots and pine nuts. Simply serve with boiled and buttered new potatoes, steamed green beans and a spoonful of tangy redcurrant sauce.

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Roast Stuffed Lamb Fillet with Honeyed Shallots Ingredients 25 g (1oz) butter 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 75 g (3 oz) fresh white breadcrumbs

25 g (1oz) pine nuts 8 no-need-to-soak dried apricots, chopped 2 tbsp beaten egg 2 tbsp fresh chopped mint Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 large lamb fillets 2 tbsp light olive oil 8 shallots, halved 1 ½ tbsp honey, warmed

Meals in Minutes ...

Method Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5. Heat the butter in a frying pan and gently fry the onion for 10 minutes until very soft, adding the garlic after 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs, pine nuts and apricots. Leave to cool. Stir the egg and mint into the cooled mixture and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Place the lamb fillets on a chopping board and, using a sharp knife, make a deep cut along the length of each fillet (taking care not to cut all the way through). Open each fillet out and flatten slightly with a meat mallet or rolling pin.

Spoon the stuffing down the centre of one fillet then place the second fillet on top to enclose the stuffing. Tie together at intervals with fine string. Heat half the oil in a large frying pan and quickly fry the stuffed lamb over a high heat until just browned all over. Place in a shallow roasting tin.

Cook the shallots for 1 minute in a pan of lightly salted boiling water. Drain well then place in the roasting tin around the lamb. Pour the remaining oil over the shallots.

Roast the lamb and shallots for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle the warmed honey over the shallots. Roast for a further 10-15 minutes until the lamb is cooked to your liking. Cover the lamb and leave to rest in a warm place for 20 minutes before carving.

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Dining Out Step into the Amalfi Coast with the fresh taste of Italian cuisine at Ciao Napoli.

Freshly prepared produce Selection of fine Neapolitan & Italian wines Daily specials Private/corporate dining facilities Special Saturday lunch for shoppers

Open for lunch Mon-Sat 12-2.30pm Open for Dinner Mon-Sat 5.30-10.30pm

10 Bon Accord Crescent, Aberdeen Tel : 01224 213223

www.ciaonapoli.co.uk

Delgatie Castle

Delgatie Castle, best Castle, visitor experience winner is a unique Delgatie is a bestaward visitor and interesting castle with the ambiance of a lived in home. experience award winner. A unique

The ‘Lairds Kitchen’, voted the 17th best place and interesting castle with theto have afternoon tea in Britain, offers a lunch menu building on its already excellent ambiance of aand lived in home. reputation for scones home-made delicious cakes.

Delgatie Castle, Delgatie, Turriff, Aberdeenshire The ‘Lairds Kitchen’, Scottish AB53 5TD Tel: 01888 563479 www.delgatiecastle.com

Home Baking Award winner, offers a lunch menu, building on its already excellent reputation for scones and home-made delicious cakes. Why not pay us a isit today!

Delgatie Castle

Delgatie Castle, best visitor experience award winner is a unique and interesting castle with the ambiance of a lived in home.

The ‘Lairds Kitchen’, voted the 17th best place to have afternoon tea in Britain, offers a lunch menu building on its already excellent Delgatie Castle reputation for scones and home-made delicious cakes.

Delgatie Castle, best visitor experience award winner is a unique

Open 10am-5pm

and interesting castle with the ambiance of a lived in home.

Delgatie Castle, Delgatie, Turriff, Aberdeenshire AB53 5TD Tel: 01888 563479 www.delgatiecastle.com Delgatie Castle, Delgatie, Turriff, Aberdeenshire AB53 5TD

The ‘Lairds Kitchen’, voted the 17th best place to have afternoon tea in Britain, offers a lunch menu building on its already excellent reputation for scones and home-made delicious cakes.

Child Admission free July & August

Tel: 01888 563479 www.delgatiecastle.com

contact the gazette : 01224 - 318561

gcg : 19

Dining Out

Best Kept Secret Tucked discreetly in Aberdeen’s West End, the Paula McEwen restaurant is possibly the city’s best kept culinary secret.

But for those in the know, it’s a gem of a discovery.

And its ethos is an absolute joy: simple food, served well.

Inspired by cookery styles from around the world, Paula and her highly-skilled team deliver sumptuous dishes in stylish surroundings at amazingly good value.

Crab and wild garlic risotto, chicken with mixed bean cassoulet and orange pannacotta with poached dates – a cut well above your average table d’hote options. But with a two-course dinner at £15.95 or three courses for under £20, that’s just a flavour of the ingenious set menu.

Known for its speciality teas and infusions, the restaurant is also the perfect place to enjoy the retro revival of the afternoon tea ritual with delectable home-made scones, jams and pastries.

Book a table. Discover what you’re missing.

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239 Great Western Rd, Aberdeen Tel: 01224 587002 Email: info@paulamcewen.com

www.thegranitecitygazette.co.uk

AB10 6PS

www.paulamcewen.com

Dining Out

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gcg : 21

Spice of Life - Fennel Fennel is a remarkable plant that produces a vegetable, a spice and an herb. All parts of the plant are edible and the flavour is a mild aniseed. The seeds are actually the fruit of the plant and are dried before using.

Fennel belongs to the same botanical family as carrot, parsley, coriander and dill. In fact, fennel bears a strong resemblance to dill and is used in similar ways.

There are several types of fennel plant but wild fennel has a bitter taste. Cultivated fennel is grown for the swollen base, often incorrectly called a bulb, which is used as a vegetable.

Feathery fennel leaves are usually added to most fish dishes. Fennel also flavours gin and is a key ingredient of absinthe.

During the first century, Pliny noticed that snakes ate fennel after shedding their skin and decided that they were doing so in order to restore their eyesight. Since then it has been used as a treatment for eye problems, while the Chinese and Hindus apply it as a rather ineffective snake bite remedy. During medieval times fennel was hung on doors to ward off evil spirits.

The ancient Greeks believed fennel encouraged weight loss. More commonly, fennel is used as a digestive and breath freshener.

CODEWORD Each letter in this puzzle is represented by a different number between 1 and 26.

The codes for three letters are shown. Once you have filled these throughout the grid you can start guessing words and reveal other letters. As you find the letters enter them in the box below.

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Dining Out Discover Loose Leaf Tea at Paula McEwen Restaurant...

Big Red Rooibos Our Big Red Rooibos is pure premium grade Rooibos. Rooibos is fast becoming a modern day classic, booming in popularity due to its zero caffeine and high anti-oxidant content.

It has a soft, but at the same time tart, flavour with top notes of oranges and dried hay.

Rooibos offers a great combination of health and flavour. With too many health benefits

to list here, this is an all round saintly tea probably drunk by Mother Theresa and Mahatma Ghandi.

To Enjoy: Use 1 tsp per cup, add freshly boiled water and brew for 3-4 mins. Can be drunk with or without milk.

Enjoy yourself in our luxurious surroundings or enjoy the view al fresco.

12 loose leaf teas 10 herbal infusions 6 coffees made with one unique traditional Boquete coffee bean Mon - Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm Sat - Sun 10am to 4.30pm Grampian Restaurant of the Year Runner up 2011

gcg : 23

239 Great Western Rd, Aberdeen AB10 6PS • Tel: 01224 587002 • Email: info@paulamcewen.com • www.paulamcewen.com

travel

Hidden France, walking with a donkey in the C

Hidden France In the footsteps of

Robert Louis Stevenson

Cévennes

In 1870, aged just 19, Scottish writer R.L. Stevenson set off with a donkey through the rural heartlands of southcentral France, from the Upper Loire to the Cévennes. Man and beast covered 220 km, he to nurse a broken heart, she, the cantankerous Modestine, to carry the bags. Today, many follow in their footsteps, with or without donkey, browsing a copy of Stevenson’s ’Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes’ as they tackle the whole trail in 12 days or just a shorter section.

the Maltese knights who had a seat in the area. Beyond Chasseradès and the elegant Mirandol viaduct spanning the valley, the path climbs up to Mont Lozère, reaching the highest point at 1699 metres, barren and wild, with tall granite stones marking the ancient route on the crest.

The main part of the trail crosses the Lozère, the least populated French county where they say you can see the Milky Way clearer than anywhere else. Here any village over 1000 people becomes a ‘town’, gathered around a ‘storm spire’ where bells would ring in bad weather to guide wanderers to safety. Many seem caught in a time warp, preserving their old wash-house, communal bread oven or wayside shrines. One of the prettiest is Cheylard l’Evêque with a chapel perched on a hillock and a cosy flower-draped inn, a lovely welcome for anyone after trampling through the dark forest of Mercoire.

After the damp misty days on the early part of his trek, Stevenson had finally arrived in the South of France. Here a warm breeze rustles through the trees, hamlets nestle on the steep slopes and cows with tinkling bells graze in lush pastures among dramatic boulders. In this land of shale and chestnut, the mountain path heads down to Pont de Montvert, an idyllic village tucked in the cusp of the hills. The Huguenot upheavals are still remembered here but every trekker on the Stevenson trail heads straight for the Auberge des Cévennes on the banks of the river Tarn. Up on the wall hangs the portrait of Clarisse who waited at the young man’s table, the first pretty girl he had met since day one, ‘her grey eyes steeped in amorous languor.’ What happened then, no one knows for sure but as today’s ramblers continue to St Jean du Gard, there is talk of romance and a donkey patiently nibbling on marigolds.

For nature lovers, the Stevenson trail is a real haven, from meadows and forests, all waterfalls and babbling streams, to limestone plateaux, high pastures and moors strewn with heather and golden broom. Now and then, you come across a menhir or a dolmen, sometimes a Roman ruin, a medieval abbey or vestiges from

Up on this windswept heath, you catch your first glimpse of the Cévennes, the ‘blue hills’ which enraptured Stevenson, stretching south as far as you can see, towards the National Park where rare orchids and lilies mingle with carnivorous drosera. This is home to beavers, deer, myriad bats and birds, most spectacularly the birds of prey hovering in the thermals, in this rich UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. On the southern slopes of Mont Lozère, crickets whir all around and the fragrance of lavender and thyme lingers in the air.

By Solange Hando

importance of money had declined and been outweighed by other benefits of downsizing.

The report concludes that although downsizers did consider money, “other concerns dominated moving decisions.”

For Doris and David Edwards, the decision to downsize was not pushed by the need to release equity. Instead, they were driven by the desire to live in a more manageable-sized home, in a central area.

“Our old house was fairly rural so last winter was really difficult for us. We wanted to move closer to town and Woodland Grove offered an ideal balance. It’s located in the country, but also on the edge of the city,” explained Doris. “It’s beautiful here.”

Moving On ...

There will be many times in our lives when we sit back and take stock; leaving school, getting married, having children. Retirement is yet another. So, what aspects of life do we re-evaluate when we finish our working lives?

Overly-spacious houses, large gardens and high maintenance bills are concerns for many and one solution is to downsize to a more suitable sized home.

The most frequently cited reason for downsizing is to release trapped equity. This means that money which has previously been tied into large properties can be freed up for easier access. Sounds tempting. But in reality, what are the pros and cons?

Standard Life recently found that the average weekly money provided through downsizing is £43.50. This was down from £53.40 in 2008. Standard Life advised that “banking on downsizing to generate sufficient income is a potential retirement disaster unless you have also made provision elsewhere.”

A few participants in research conducted by the RICS agreed that they had not found the financial aspect of downsizing advantageous.

Many added that with increasing age, the

gcg : 26

Doris and David chose an apartment at the Daily Telegraph’s fourth ‘Most Desirable Retirement Property’, Woodland Grove, Milltimber. They opted for a ground floor home. “We loved the luxury of being able to easily walk out onto the patio in our old house and didn’t want to lose that. When the weather’s nice, we eat out there. It’s lovely having the neighbours stop for a chat. The people who live around us are wonderful.

We like having the option of getting together when we want with them but also enjoy our own space.”

The couple are delighted to have more time to spend together. With a daughter living in London, it was becoming increasingly important to have the freedom to visit her frequently. “Before, we had four acres of ground and the stress of looking after a garden. It’s wonderful not having that burden anymore.”

David used to manage Aberdeen hotel The Mariner and, after retiring, handed the reigns over to his son, Michael. Doris continues to work as a wine importer. They spend a lot of time golfing and recently took a golfing holiday abroad.

Downsizing won’t be everyone’s choice. But for Doris and David, a move into an age-specific apartment was the perfect decision.

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Agapanthus - African Lily Striking and showy, Agapanthus are perennials grown for their spectacular floral displays in the summer.

Huge globes of florets are held on tall strong stems surrounded by strap-like leaves. Colours are usually shades of vivid blue or purple but white and pink cultivars also exist.

Agapanthus thrive in any fertile, well-drained sunny position. Sun is vital.

If they are grown in shade, they won’t produce flowers. They are particularly ideal for container growing. Agapanthus plants hate being moved and prefer to be almost potbound. These plants can be a bit fussy: they flower poorly if totally pot-bound, but also hate to be repotted. Repot and divide in April or early autumn every three to six years, depending on the size of the clump.

Some varieties are not fully hardy, so are best grown in containers unless you have a well sheltered, sunny garden. Move the pots to a dry, frost-free place in late autumn or protect with a mulch of straw or horticultural fleece.

For the best floral displays, feed weekly with a good liquid feed during the growing season until the flowers show their colour. Water regularly throughout the growing season but sparingly during the winter.

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gcg : 27

TECH SPEC

If you’ve ever scoured the streets of a strange city trying to find a cash machine, found yourself hopelessly lost after taking a wrong turn or wished you knew even a few words of another language, you’ll know that travelling isn’t always easy. Help is at hand, or rather in your pocket: with a few well chosen apps, your smartphone can be the perfect travel companion.

The smartphone apps that transform travel

Smartphone apps aren’t just for Facebooking, Tweeting and playing Angry Birds: they can transform the way you travel, too. Some of them concentrate on the nuts and bolts - how to get there, whether your flight is delayed, where the British Embassy is - and others on the bigger picture, with guides to the most interesting attractions and best hotels. Some apps do both, telling you about interesting things and then using GPS and maps to guide you there.

Before we get app happy, two quick warnings: remember your charger - location-based apps drain batteries very quickly - and watch out for roaming fees. Some apps need an internet connection to function, and you may incur pricey mobile data charges when you use them.

On the nuts and bolts side there’s Flight Times UK (iPhone), which you can use to see if your flight into or out of the UK has been delayed; Accuweather (iPhone and Android) for long-term weather forecasts; Tripadvisor (iPhone app, or via your phone’s web browser) to find hotels, flights and restaurants and to browse users’ reviews before you book; and a

wide range of GPS applications ranging from Android’s free Google Maps to the excellent (and battery-killing) TomTom Europe for iPhone. While most travel apps are free or just a few pounds, TomTom’s European apps are £42.99 for Eastern Europe, £52.99 for Western Europe and £69.99 for all of Europe.

Some of the best travel apps come from the Lonely Planet stable (www. lonelyplanet.com/uk). Its iPhone and Nokia city guides tell you everything you could possibly want to know about your destination and make good use of maps, while Android users can take advantage of Compass, pictured above a city-specific augmented reality app for destinations including Paris, Seoul and London. Compass enables you to point your phone’s camera at something and see relevant information, such as the best nearby sights or restaurants. Lonely Planet also provides phrasebooks for Nokia, Android and iPhone users.

Compass isn’t the only augmented reality app: Wikitude (for iPhone, Android and some Nokia devices) overlays information on real-world footage, so for example you can download an overlay showing you where the nearest Starbuck’s is; Etips City Guides (iPhone) use augmented reality to show places of interest; and Metro AR Pro (iPhone) shows you where the nearest tube or metro stations are.

Some apps can act as translators too. Google Goggles (iPhone and Android) can take a photo of a menu or sign in English, French, German, Italian or Spanish and translate it into English, while the Google Translate app (Android and iPhone) can translate written text between 57 different languages, read the results aloud in 23 languages and translate spoken words in 15 languages.

And then there’s Word Lens (iPhone) pictured here, which can recognise text and replace it in real time - so if you point your phone at a menu, sign or billboard, you’ll see the text change from Spanish to English immediately. It’s one of the most extraordinary things we’ve ever seen, and makes us feel like we’re living in the future.

Opera & E nchantment

Opera on the Lawn

ABERDEEN MUSIC HALL Saturday 13 August 9.30am-4pm Sunday 14 August 10am-4pm

*GALLERIES *ARTISTS *LECTURES *ART CLUB FOR 5-10 YEAR OLDS

2 MILLION POUNDS OF ART FOR 3 POUNDS Banchory

www.aberdeenartfair.co.uk Aberdeen Opera Company perform this fully costumed unstaged journey through castle, garden and lawn with a medley of your favourite operas: Carmen, Marriage of Figaro, Aida, Magic Flute, La Traviata and many more.

at Crathes Castle, Saturday 27th August 2011

- Events GM Beautiful Music‌Magical Surroundings A B E R D E E N

Tickets available now from Aberdeen Box Office Aberdeen Music Hall Tel: 01224 641122

E O M

in association with

www.aberdeenartfair.co.uk

Possibly the best place to enjoy a picnic this summer

Full details on: www.gm-events.co.uk

in association with

BRO UG HT TO YOU BY

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An evening of discovery at Rosehip and Tutu

By Jane Robinson

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1. Stylish tartan skirts 2. Ball gown 3. Janet Shaw ((l) Sally Simpson (r) 4. Model with new tartan skirt 5. More of the Scottesque brand

5 It’s an intriguing name....the sort of name that might just pull you into a shop out of sheer curiosity. In these days of globalisation, it is somehow very refreshing to see a shop that is utterly unique, inspired, and in this case, home-grown.

Several years ago, Sally Simpson became extremely interested in clothes from the past.

Having set up a business dealing in vintage clothing and ‘eco-fashion’, she began to see the importance and delight of re-using fabrics.

Having acquired a quantity of oversized woollen skirts, she embarked on salvaging the fabric by unpicking the garments. She then started to design clothes using this cloth, and ended up with designs that were refreshingly new.

Sally’s training in History of Art has given her a deep understanding of historical fashion.

Armed with this knowledge, she set out to design garments using traditional materials and concepts, but designed for the present day. By cutting on the bias, using pleats and drapes and other tricks of the trade, she has updated the traditional tartan skirt into something that is shaped and moulded to suit and flatter the female form.

Sally soon discovered the fabrics of JC Rennie’s of Mintlaw, a mill which produces the most enticing of fabrics for a world-wide market.

Although these are woollen fabrics, they are

soft to the touch, and as some contain silk too, they drape and gather in a manner that works well with these carefully constructed garments. In addition to skirts, Sally now produces dresses, capes, tops and much more.

Having joined forces with her business partner Janet Shaw, the shop is cultivating quite a name for itself as a place that produces modern, quality designs which draw inspiration from the past. Rosehip and Tutu is keen to work with good local designers, so in addition to using fabric from Mintlaw, they have also been complimenting their garments with Lois Carson’s ‘resin’ jewellery, which can be seen at www.ellaceydesign.co.uk .

While Rosehip and Tutu offer many different looks for a wide variety of ages, and for both day and evening wear, it strikes me that if someone is looking for an unusual look for a special event, and they have a hankering for something Scottish, Rosehip and Tutu might just fit the bill. As so many of these designs use tartan fabric, they work superbly for weddings, Burns Nights, or formal dinners. If men can wear kilts, it is good news that at last there is a flattering female equivalent.

Rosehip and Tutu is situated at 197 Rosemount Place in Aberdeen, but if you wish to see their designs from home, look up www.scottesque.co.uk .

Glampi

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Competition We all know camping is a fundamental part of British holidaymaking, and a great way to enjoy a break away - card games, picnics and all. It’s just those soggy sleeping bags and campers’ cramp in an inevitably too-small tent that many of us could do without. These days however, as the term ‘glamping’ makes its way into any traveller’s vocabulary, the age-old traditions live on - but their setting has had something of a re-vamp. Yes, glam is becoming very much a part of the experience, with an elegant twist on the classic break: Up and down the country we are saying a collective goodbye to our mud-splattered, beaten tents as camping takes on a new form, tempting even the least outdoorsy among us on board.

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1. Stuc a’Chroin, Trossachs Yurts 2. Inside Stuc a’Chroin, Trossachs Yurts 3. The Lovestruck at Mhor 4. Terrace of The Lovestruck at Mhor 5. Interior of The Lovestruck at Mhor 6. Devanna, Roulotte Retreat 7. Karlotta, Roulotte Retreat 8. Roulotte Retreat at night 9. Inside Inshriach Yurt, Aviemore 10. Inshriach Yurt, Aviemore

WIN £100 voucher to use at any of the four Scottish Glampsites featured.

At Canopy & Stars (www.canopyandstars.co.uk), there is a little bit of luxury for everyone. From delicately furnished gypsystyle caravans to moorings by the riverbank, and beautiful orchard cabins to tents with all the mod cons, glamour winds its way into every aspect of these rural retreats. Born out of founder Alastair Sawday’s childhood obsession with building treehouses - including one with such comforts as running water and a sofa - and a great desire to pass on to others the feeling of excitement and adventure that came from that, Canopy & Stars’ typically beautiful little homes are all kitted out with the cosy touch. Embroidered cushions, ranges, old steam kettles and antique pine fittings can be found housed in the most unlikely of exteriors. Nestled in the ‘Wilderness Woods’ of Sussex, a converted horsebox provides an unorthodox haven, while the warming glow of a traditional Kyrgyzstani yert tucked away in Stirlingshire gives home to a full wood-burning stove and comfortable armchairs, merely a canvas sheet away from the great outdoors.

Surrounded by sweeping landscapes and good old fresh air, a middle-of-nowhere holiday gives the gift of time and some peace and quiet, but now without the aching muscles and restless nights we’ve come to accept as part of the camping experience - and also provides an ideal place to withdraw should the great British weather take a turn for the worst.

Whether it’s ploughing through a stack of books, spending hours walking the hills, wining and dining, a little bit of tourism, shopping til you drop, it can all be done from a homely base with a touch of class - getting away from it all has never been so luxurious.

Words : Laura McDonald Complete the entry on page 43 or log onto our website : www.thegranitecitygazette.co.uk Click on the competition page and answer the following question.

Q. What is the name of the company promoting Glamping?

Entries close at 7pm on 10 August 2011 (the winner will be notified by 12 August 2011)

Vegetable Growing

by Pippa Greenwood

There is something lovely about this time of year: even on the less appealing days it rarely gets too chilly, the soil is warm and feels all the more full of potential. But there is no doubt that your vegetable growing may seem to be close to peaking and perhaps in some areas on the decline. Rather than forgetting the fun of growing your own until next year, why not add to what you already have and start some crops from fresh? If you’ve missed the boat totally and never actually planted anything this year, there’s still time to grow some tasty home grown vegetable and herbs....it’s not too late to start, but you’ll have to get your skates on. gcg : 34

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Gardening Knowing what responds best to late sowing is the key, and knowing what might be worth the risk has the potential to be the icing on the cake. That lovely warm soil is a real advantage to those somewhat tenuous sowings made right at the start of the season, but you may also have to spend more time watering your vegetables, especially when the plants are small.

Sow yourself some ruby chard. These fantastically brightly coloured plants mean you can create something seriously goodlooking as well as tasty. ‘Bright Lights’ is the wackiest with bright yellow, orange, red, pink and purple stems. It can be sown successfully into August and can be used as ‘baby leaves’ for salads or as an alternative to spinach.

Several of the oriental vegetables respond especially well to later sowing. Mizuna is one of my favourites. With its pretty divided leaves and ability to grow very fast, it can

be sown right through from now and into September. Good in stir fries or as a salad ingredient, Mizuna does best in a sunny site. A covering of fleece helps to keep the flea-beetle away and so prevent the leaves becoming riddled with tiny holes.

Spring onions make really tasty additions to salads, ploughman’s lunches and stir-fries.

They grow rapidly and although it is getting late, a prompt sowing now should still give you a crop of tiny spring onions in October.

Sow enough to leave some in the soil where you can then harvest full-sized versions in March.

Carrots can be sown for many weeks of the year and some varieties of ‘maincrop’ carrot including ‘Ideal’ can still be sown until early August. Sow within the week and you’ll be cropping from autumn to Christmas time.

Choose a light soil, free from stones, or grow in a deep container. If in doubt about sowing times, just check the packet.

Local Gardener with Royal ConNection Are you looking to sell or lease your home in 2011? Did you know that unkempt gardens can actually reduce your profit margin by up to 5%! It is known as the ‘kerb appeal effect’. So if you are thinking of selling or leasing let Anderson’s Groundcare Services Ltd help you sort the garden whilst you concentrate on the inside and put that 5% or more back into your profit margin. Remember first impressions count and your garden is the first thing potential buyers will see!

We can help you with:-

* * * *

garden maintenance & tidy-ups lawns treated & scarified turf supplied & laid hedges supplied & cut

* * * *

trees & shrubs supplied & planted pruning and winter maintenance gravel supplied & laid slabbing & power washing

Anderson’s Groundcare Services LTD t : 01224 735533 m : 07923 976494 15 Johnston Gardens West, Peterculter AB14 0LB

contact the gazette : 01224 - 318561

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Gardening I love eating them, but hate buying those ridiculously expensive baby spinach leaves, but grow your own and you can have as many as you like for little outlay. They are perfect in salads and sandwiches....and much, much tastier and more tender (and a lot cheaper) than those you buy in cellophane bags. Make successional sowings from now and in to September and in five to six weeks you can harvest the baby leaves. If you like full-sized spinach leaves, then just leave the crop in the ground and allow it to grow a little more.

Chinese cabbage is another late-season stalwart. It is one of the fastest growers I know and perfect for anyone who wants a delicate steamed vegetable or a wonderfully tasty and crunchy addition to a Chinese style meal. Also known as Chinese leaves, if you sow promptly you should be harvesting in late October.

If you enjoy miniature beetroot or baby beet as they’re often known, then buy a packet of beetroot seed and sow some of them promptly for a delicious, crop of small-sized beetroot from the autumn until Christmas.

French beans are so much better when grown at home. It is hard to make them tough or tasteless. A speedy sowing now should produce plenty of beans that you can harvest in mid-autumn. Choose a variety such as ‘Tendergreen’ and it should perform well.

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Kohl rabi is, admittedly, a peculiar looking vegetable as it has really tasty and crisp swollen stems, but it is perfect for adding to salads and great in stir fries too. It performs well in most areas if sown up until about the middle of this month, and just nine to ten weeks after sowing you should be able to harvest your first crop.

There are numerous different colours and shapes of salad leaf available and they can be sown now, either singly or in combination.

Simply use scissors to snip off what you need and as long as you don’t cut too low, they’ll act as a cut-and-come-again crop.

Look out for mixed seed packs including all sorts of tasty varieties such as rocket, baby beet, lettuce and basil. As conditions become cooler, cover the row with fleece.

Rocket with its spicy dark green leaves makes a great ingredient for salads and because the plants grow so fast, a sowing made now will soon be producing a brilliant crop. Make successional sowings every couple of weeks.

There...almost too much to eat!

Pippa Greenwood is a gardening writer and journalist and regular panellist on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Gardeners’ Question Time’. Pippa gives a wide range of talks and lectures to gardening clubs and societies.

Visit www.pippagreenwood.com and sign up as a ‘Friend of Pippa’ to receive a free e-book and regular gardening updates, offers and bulletins. Browse the site to find out more, buy signed books and lots more.

www.thegranitecitygazette.co.uk

Homes and Interiors First impressions count.

And it can be quick and easy to update the front of your property, says Katherine Sorrell, whether you’re thinking of selling or simply want a fresh new look.

Where to start? Step outside your house for a moment and give it a long, hard appraisal. Be honest. What does it look like to someone who has never seen it before?

Smeary windows and wonky gutters just won’t cut it. Neither will piles of windswept leaves, dead plants, overflowing bins or grubby net curtains.

These are the easy things to fix. Move wheelie bins or recycling boxes out of sight, clean the windows, wash the nets and sweep, mow and trim the garden, replanting window boxes and pots where necessary.

Ensure that your gutters and downpipes are properly attached, clip back any flapping aerial cables and align satellite dishes so it all looks neat and tidy.

Full Frontal Katherine Sorrell

Kenyon-Roberts Upholstery Breathing new life into your old chairs

Don’t throw out that old chair, I can transform it into a stylish bespoke piece of furniture for you. ∗ Full

www.kenyon-robertsupholstery.co.uk Tel: 07900963241

contact the gazette : 01224 - 318561

re-upholstery service or a simple recover ∗ Antique & Modern ∗ Based in the West End ∗ Free Quotes ∗ No job too small

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Victorian-style etch-effect design for doors and windows, £30, Purlfrost, 020 8961 7337; www.purlfrost.com.

The basics

Masonry in Wimborne White, £45 for 5l; door in Skimming Stone exterior eggshell, £48.50 for 2.5l, both Farrow & Ball, 01202 876141; www.farrow-ball.com.

A lick of paint

New for old

It’s always a good idea to ensure that any paintwork on the front of your house is as pristine as possible. This means paying attention to your gate, railings and/or fence, front and garage doors, windows and perhaps the façade itself. For woodand metal-work, remove any rust or rotten wood, fill or replace as required, prime and then paint, using appropriate products and ensuring the colours complement your property and the street as a whole.

A window may require just a quick sand or a coat of paint, while a front door could require a few coats over several days – either way, there’s no substitute for that gleaming, fresh look.

Walls may, depending on their height, need scaffolding to be re-painted safely, but if they’re letting the house down with blemishes, cracks or bulging render it’s worth tackling them. If you can see damp patches, make sure you know what caused them and fix the problem; blown or missing areas of render should be repaired first, too. If an unpainted brick wall is a problem, it’s best to clean off surface grime and, if necessary, repoint the mortar.

The next step up from renovating and decorating doors and windows is to replace them entirely. This is really most worth doing when they are either rusted, rotten or otherwise past their sell-by date, or their style is such that they seriously detract from the property as a whole. A 1960s window in a period house, for example, is crying out to be replaced with an elegant timber sash, and a solid, panelled front door would be a great substitute for a flimsy, flat one.

In some circumstances, uPVC windows are inappropriate, and you could enhance your property enormously by fitting windows that are more sympathetic. Replacing windows also gives you the opportunity to install double glazing, with resulting improvements in energy efficiency. And you don’t just have to do like-for-like in terms of size and shape. Without any significant structural alterations you could make a window higher or lower, and you may even be able to install a projecting bay – stealing a little extra space and masses more light.

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www.thegranitecitygazette.co.uk

Homes and Interiors Finishing touches While tackling doors and windows, consider how much of a wow factor (or not) is given by their knobs, handles, latches and other ‘furniture’. Architectural ironmongery is relatively easy and inexpensive to replace, particularly if you’re already tackling paintwork and can, therefore, easily cover up holes or gaps left when shapes or sizes change. And the difference can be truly amazing – from uninspiring, old-fashioned or cheaplooking fittings to modern or traditional, high quality, tactile accessories.

Finally, polish your knockers for a full frontal with Lion’s head door knocker, £45, Jim Lawrence, 01473 pzazz.

828989; www.jim-lawrence.co.uk.

Free Entry

Airyhall Community Centre

Saturday, 27 August 2011 11am - 4pm

Buy directly from the crafter

Picture Frames Candles Jewellery Purses Textiles Soaps

Cafe serving drinks & snacks

aberdeencraftbazaar.co.uk

332 North Deeside Road, Cults contact the gazette : 01224 - 318561

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Homes and Interiors Design Tips The Perfect Guestroom If you’re expecting visitors, help them feel welcome by preparing the guestroom in the manner of a five star hotel. Make the room look inviting, lived in and encourage them to feel at home.

Make the room comfortable and relaxing to impart a feeling of friendliness and wellbeing as well as adding some luxury. Give the room a good airing before your guests arrive by throwing open the windows and letting fresh air circulate. Add some scented flowers as a cheerful welcome. Use beautiful bed covers and make sure there are plenty of pillows.

Don’t forget to leave fresh bath towels, hand towels, face flannel and some pretty soap. Put out some extra items to make your guests feel even more special. Include shampoo, hair conditioner, bubble bath, toothpaste, cotton wool and anything else you may think could be useful. Add a bottle of water and glasses for the ‘hotel touch’.

Make space in the wardrobe and drawers and leave them open so your guests don’t think they need to live out of their suitcase. Ensure there are plenty of hangers too.

Leave out some books or magazines they may enjoy and show that you’ve really thought about them and their stay with you.

Somebody Cares New Retail Outlet and Cafe I went along to the old Dobbies Garden Centre at Hazledene Road the other day to find out a little bit more about the new retail unit and cafe.

Tom Morrow met me and showed me around. The old Dobbies shop has been transformed into a furniture showroom. It is selling high quality second hand furniture, glassware, books, bric-a-brac, pictures and so much more.

Also available, new, cards and candles.

The shop really lends itself to allowing Somebody Cares to display their wares in a way that people can try the seating, see the furniture, look at all the books and see all the pictures and mirrors on display.

Whether you are starting up home; furnishing a second home; or looking for a restoration project then Somebody Cares is well worth a look.

ABERDEEN RestoRations

* Authentic French Polishing done by an experienced polisher of 29 years. * Floors sanded and sealed, waxed or polished. * All repairs, new wood blended, hearth removal and repairs to parquet, plank and block floors. * Wall panelling, staircases, doors - all stripped, polished and/or waxed in traditional style. * Insurance work welcome. * All types of furniture old and new repaired and restored.

Contact : Graham Russell www.aberdeenfrenchpolishing.co.uk contact the gazette : 01224 - 318561

Once you are done browsing, why not take yourself over to the cafe. Here you will be made most welcome and can have anything from a soft drink and a cake to a warming bowl of homemade soup and a pannini or salad. All made fresh to order on site.

Somebody Care’s is Aberdeen’s biggest charity which provides free food, furniture and clothing to the poor, the vulnerable and the marginalised people of the city.

It all started in 2002 and has grown each year to the point that they are now working with over 70 agencies in the city and shire. It provides vital and practical support to thousands of families, many with young children as well as pensioners and individuals.

The warehouse at Summerhill is still operatioinal too and holds a sale once a month which is open to the public.

The retail unit and cafe are open six days a week from 0930 until 1730 hours.

Why not pop along and support a very good cause - you won’t be disappointed.

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before

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Tel : 07729 493 445 Email : floorsand@googlemail.com gcg : 41

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Homes and Interiors

Crosby Kitchens,

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a major retail supplier, is celebrating the opening of its flagship UK store in Bridge of Don, Aberdeen, with the launch of a stunning new kitchen range, focusing on the kitchen as a stylish but practical, multi-use space.

Hugh Craigie, managing director, believes that recession-induced ‘cocooning,’ where consumers consider ‘staying in’ as ‘the new going out,’ has given the kitchen new leases of life as both a lively entertainment centre and a solid family base.

Hugh said: “The kitchen is the social hub of the home, more so than ever. But it’s also where homework is done, bills are paid and e-mails are read. Design must accommodate this. Kitchens need to be opened up. Noone wants to socialise in a cluttered room.

Slick, seamless decor is favoured. Island units are no longer just for decoration. They

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are instrumental for bar-style dining and storage.”

“We have worked hard to reflect these trends.

The slick, contemporary culinary experience should be accessible to everyone. Welldesigned, highly functional kitchens don’t just belong in glossy magazines; the modern aesthetic is demanded by everyday families.”

The Crosby dynasty originated in the 1930s and has survived the test of time when many others haven’t. When high street kitchen retailers were previously unheard of, Crosby reached out to customers through merchant groups and dominated the market. Even the members of British royalty have been rumoured to own a Crosby kitchen.

The exciting new showroom primarily stocks Crosby Kitchens, but also offers solid surface worktops, and electrical appliances, by manufacturers such as Neff, Siemens and Hotpoint. www.thegranitecitygazette.co.uk

The ABZ (Aberdeen) Reading Group Our reading group which has been running for over ten years has moved to a new venue at Inchgarth Community Centre, Garthdee.

We aim to create a friendly and informal setting in which book-lovers can meet to discuss a book we have all read. We take it in turns to nominate the book of the month. Our wide range of interests is reflected in the list of books we have read since we first started (copy available on request). We all like a good read but we aren’t overly serious.

Main: Our designers have created this traditional chimney design using standard Crosby components. Shown in Heritage Oyster this can also be replicated in Ophelia using the chimney panel, corbels and standard fascias.

Right Top: Utilising the full Crosby portfolio our designers have mixed the Heritage Oyster and Cornflower ranges to create this bespoke island feature.

Right Bottom: The dresser shown features a glazed door, however for an alternative look consider replacing this with a standard door, as incorporated in Savannah (page 36).

Our designers have created a traditional look using pilasters and the optional decorative corner frieze within the dresser.

personally. It is never easy to predict which way it will go, which is what makes our meetings so good to look forward to.

We meet at 7.30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month at Inchgarth Community Centre.

Discussions last about one and a half hours, during which time we usually have a cup of tea or coffee. The entry fee per meeting is £1.

Competition Entry Coupon AIYF Competition

Glamping Competition

Name : .................................................................

Name : .................................................................

Address : .............................................................

Address : .............................................................

.................................................................................

.................................................................................

Postcode : ...........................................................

Postcode : ...........................................................

Please enter before Friday, 22 July 2011

Telephone : .........................................................

Email : ....................................................................

Please enter before Wednesday 10 August 2011

Telephone : .........................................................

Email : ....................................................................

Q : What date does the festival run?

Q : What is the name of the company promoting ‘Glamping’?

A : ...........................................................................

A : ...........................................................................

Please do not onpass my details.

Please do not onpass my details.

contact the gazette : 01224 - 318561

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Send to : Glamping Competition, 4 Kenfield Cres, Aberdeen AB15 7UQ

Send to : AIYF Competition, 4 Kenfield Cres, Aberdeen AB15 7UQ

What makes our meetings even better is a having steady intake of new members with Almost everyone who has joined our group has different reading tastes. Our numbers have done so with the aim of being stimulated to read fallen recently as people have moved from the regularly. Part of our commitment is that we are area, so we are urgently seeking new members. open to reading and discussing other members’ We’ll be delighted to welcome you. book suggestions. Whilst the chooser can feel For further details and/or forthcoming book free to bask in the afterglow of a generally choices, please e-mail abzreadinggroup@f2s.com positive review we never take a bad review

Aberdeen Artists Society While the founding of the Aberdeen Artists’ Society goes back as far as 1827, the AAS as we know it now, dates from 1958 when the late Ian Fleming was Head of Gray’s School of Art. The Society promotes fine art in all its vibrancy and variety in the North East of Scotland.

The AAS today aims to provide a forum for artists and makers to exhibit and promote their work, through the annual exhibition, in the Aberdeen Art Gallery, to raise the awareness of the Visual Arts within Aberdeen and Scotland and to enlighten the general public to the range and standard of Scottish contemporary art.

The AAS is an artist-led membership organisation governed by an elected President, Vice President and elected Council consisting of fifteen members of the Society.

Recently the society gained a new president, artist Lyndsey Gibb who along with current council members decided it was time to branch out and expand on what the society could currently offer. And with this Presstige was born along with the addition of new premises, giving the society a permanent art space for the first time where they can host shows through out the year, workshops and much more. www.aberdeenartistssociety.co.uk

Presstige - A festival of the best in printmaking!

It is hoped that Presstige, a show dedicated to supporting artists that create works that encounter printmaking in any medium will become an annual summer event for the AAS. All 2 or 3 dimensional artworks that have been created using any form of printmaking will be considered for the show which will be displayed over 4 venues around the city.

These venues were chosen as AAS wanted to give something back to the art community around them and decided it would be a great

change to help promote the wonderful art venues and projects the city already has to offer.

The show will run from the 2nd - 30th of July with a launch day on the Saturday the 2nd in which all venues will be taking part.

Free professional printed booklets will be available to accompany the show with all the information you'll need about the festival.

This will include information on all the venues taking part, opening hours and map, information on print workshops you can take part in during the show and a competition in which prizes can be won. These will be available from the venues taking part and will be at other venues around the city.

The 4 venues taking part are AAS premises, 39 Justice St Junction arts, 282 Holburn St Claremont Studio, 66 Claremont St Limousine Bull, 3 C Deemouth Business Centre

Easy Suduko How to Play...

Fill in the grid so that every row, everycolumn, and every 3 x 3 box contains the digits 1 through 9, with no repititions!

That’s all there is to it.

You solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic. There’s no maths involved and no adding up. It’s fun, it’s challenging, it’s addictive!

Hard Suduko How to Play...

Fill in the grid so that every row, everycolumn, and every 3 x 3 box contains the digits 1 through 9, with no repititions!

That’s all there is to it.

You solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic. There’s no maths involved and no adding up. It’s fun, it’s challenging, it’s addictive!

Tickets from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122

337688

Friday, July 22: Scottish celtic/folk/rock band with a big sound, original songs, and great Every Saturday: Creative melodies, CAL, with Michael ‘Cal’ Callaghan Kids, sponsored by Argus (vocals/ guitar), George Care, in the Lemon Tree Abbot (guitar/vocals), Graham Brown (bass/ Lounge, Aberdeen, doors pipes), Davis Lindsay open 12pm, activities from (drums), and Iain Patterson (keyboards) 12.30pm to 2.30pm. in The Lemon Tree Lounge, West North Street, Aberdeen, Sunday, July 10: Free Belhaven doors at 7.30pm. Tickets from Sunday Jazz session, featuring boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 2-Bit Hip, in The Lemon Tree 01224 641122 Lounge, Aberdeen, from 12pm.

Tables booked by calling 01224 Saturday, July 23: Free 337688 SC&TURDAY LIVE session with Scottish Cultures and Traditions’ Friday, July 15: Free Friday (SC&T), in the Lemon Tree Lounge, Live session, featuring Craig Aberdeen, from 12.30pm. Tables Davidson, in The Lemon Tree booked by calling 01224 337688 Lounge, Aberdeen, from 1pm.

Tables booked by calling 01224 Saturday, July 23: DF Concerts 337688 present award-winning folk singer-songwriter Laura Marling, Saturday, July 16: Free renowned for her striking SC&TURDAY LIVE session with melodies and poetic lyricism, in Scottish Cultures and Traditions’ a rescheduled gig to replace her (SC&T), in the Lemon Tree Lounge, original November concert which Aberdeen, from 12.30pm. Tables was snowed off, in The Lemon booked by calling 01224 337688 Tree Lounge, West North Street, Sunday, July 17: Free Belhaven Aberdeen, doors at 7.30pm.

Sunday Jazz session, featuring Tickets from boxofficeaberdeen.

Four in a Bar, in The Lemon Tree com or tel 01224 641122 Lounge, Aberdeen, from 12pm.

Wednesday and Thursday, Tables booked by calling 01224 July 27 and 28: As part of the 337688 2011 Aberdeen International Wednesday, July 20: Youth Festival, Mitchell School Internationally acclaimed psychic of Drama present William medium John Edward, in the Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors, Music Hall, Aberdeen, at 7pm. the latest in their series of highly Tickets from boxofficeaberdeen. successful innovative pieces at the com or tel 01224 641122 last three festivals, in The Lemon Friday, July 22: Free Friday Tree Studio, West North Street, Live session, featuring Simon Aberdeen at 8pm. Tickets £5 from Kempston, in The Lemon Tree boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel Lounge, Aberdeen, from 1pm.

01224 641122 Tables booked by calling 01224

contact the gazette : 01224 - 318561

Friday, July 29: Free Friday Live session in The Lemon Tree Lounge, Aberdeen, from 1pm.

Tables booked by calling 01224 337688 Friday, July 29: As part of the 2011 Aberdeen International Youth Festival, and making their festival debut, London Schools Symphony Orchestra celebrate their 60th season with a concert conducted by artistic director Peter Ash and with a programme which includes Beethoven Symphony No 5, in the Music Hall, Aberdeen, at 7.30pm. Tickets £8 to £13 from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Friday, July 29: As part of the 2011 Aberdeen International Youth Festival, London’s Theatre Studio West present Rumours of Innocence in The Lemon Tree Studio, West North Street, Aberdeen at 2.30pm. Tickets £5 from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Friday to Sunday, July 29 to July 31: Fun for boys and girls of all ages with The Singing Kettle – Funny Farm, a new adventure with Cilla, Artie, Gary and Kevin, in His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen, at 11am and 2pm on Friday and Saturday and 12pm and 3pm on Sunday. Tickets £12 (family £44) from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Saturday, July 30: Free SC&TURDAY LIVE session with Scottish Cultures and Traditions’ (SC&T), in the Lemon Tree Lounge, Aberdeen, from 12.30pm. Tables booked by calling 01224 337688 Saturday, July 30: As part of the 2011 Aberdeen International Youth Festival, Choral Evening featuring the unique voices and talents from the National Youth Choir of Scotland, Hamrahlídarkórinn, Iceland and Stord Ungdomskor, Norwegian,

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in the Music Hall, Aberdeen, at 7.30pm.Tickets £8 to £13 from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Saturday, July 30: As part of the 2011 Aberdeen International Youth Festival Y-Dance brings together the best young dancers Scotland has to offer for Project Y 2011 with an exciting programme of new contemporary dance work, in The Lemon Tree Studio, West North Street, Aberdeen, at 8pm. Tickets £5 from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Sunday, July 31: Free Belhaven Sunday Jazz session in The Lemon Tree Lounge, Aberdeen, from 12pm. Tables booked by calling 01224 337688 Sunday, July 31: The 2011 Aberdeen International Youth Festival official opening ceremony and welcome to participants in the Music Hall, Aberdeen, at 3pm. Tickets £1 from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122

August 2011 ...

Monday, August 1: As part of the 2011 Aberdeen International Youth Festival, London’s Theatre Studio West present Rumours of Innocence in The Lemon Tree Studio, West North Street, Aberdeen at 8pm. Tickets £5 from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Monday, August 1: As part of the 2011 Aberdeen International Youth Festival, German youth theatre company, idoodles, present The Three Musketeers, a completely reinvented and refreshing adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ classic novel, with lots of sword fighting and many of the young actors taking on multiple roles, in The Lemon

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Tree Studio, West North Street, Aberdeen, at 2.30pm. Tickets £5 to £16 family ticket from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Tuesday, August 2: As part of the 2011 Aberdeen International Youth Festival and on their 10th anniversary tour, Singapore National Youth Orchestra, with their new musical director Darrell Ang, in the Music Hall, Aberdeen, at 7.30pm. Tickets £8 to £13 from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Tuesday, August 2: As part of the 2011 Aberdeen International Youth Festival, PACE Theatre present The Imaginators, Dwayne Hartford’s enchanting story of three children and the power of imagination, in The Lemon Tree Studio, West North Street, Aberdeen, at 1pm. Tickets £5 to £16 family ticket from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Tuesday and Wednesday, August 2 and 3: As part of the 2011 Aberdeen International Youth Festival, Aberdeen’s Acorn Theatre Company bring their successful production of football rom-com Gregory’s Girl to the festival, in The Lemon Tree Studio, West North Street, Aberdeen, at 8pm.

Tickets £5 to £16 family ticket from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Wednesday, August 3: As part of the 2011 Aberdeen International Youth Festival, groups from the United States, England, Israel and Scotland come together for An Evening of Musical Theatre, in His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen, at 7.30pm. Tickets £8 to £15 from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Tuesday, August 3: As part of the 2011 Aberdeen International Youth Festival, PACE Theatre

present The Imaginators, Dwayne Hartford’s enchanting story of three children and the power of imagination, in The Lemon Tree Studio, West North Street, Aberdeen, at 11am and 1pm. Tickets £5 to £16 family ticket from boxofficeaberdeen. com or tel 01224 641122 Thursday, August 4: As part of the 2011 Aberdeen International Youth Festival, the ever-popular annual International Dance Gala, showcasing a spectacular range of traditional and contemporary dance by visiting groups, in His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen, at 7.30pm. Tickets £8 to £21 from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Thursday and Friday, August 4 and 5: As part of the 2011 Aberdeen International Youth Festival, Youth Music Theatre and AIYF Splore present Tales From the World’s End, exploring the relationship between storytelling, song and the spoken word, using Scottish tales to live music, in The Lemon Tree Studio, West North Street, Aberdeen, at 2.30pm and 8pm.

Tickets £5 to £16 family ticket from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Friday, August 5: Free Friday Live session, featuring Oliver Richards, in The Lemon Tree Lounge, Aberdeen, from 1pm.

Tables booked by calling 01224 337688 Friday, August 5: As part of the 2011 Aberdeen International Youth Festival, the 95-strong Youth Orchestra of Netherlands make their festival debut in the Music Hall, Aberdeen, at 7.30pm. Tickets £8 to £13 from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Saturday, August 6: Free SC&TURDAY LIVE session with Scottish Cultures and Traditions’

www.thegranitecitygazette.co.uk

(SC&T), in the Lemon Tree Lounge, Aberdeen, from 12.30pm. Tables booked by calling 01224 337688 Saturday, August 6: As part of the 2011 Aberdeen International Youth Festival, highly-talented young performers from the UK and across the world demonstrate a fantastic range of music, dance, song and theatre in International Variety Gala, in His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen, at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Tickets £10 to £24 from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Sunday, August 7: Free Belhaven Sunday Jazz session, featuring Marisha Addison Quintet, in The Lemon Tree Lounge, Aberdeen, from 12pm. Tables booked by calling 01224 337688 Tuesday to Saturday, August 9 to 13: Musical theatre masters Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black’s West End and Broadway hit Tell Me on a Sunday, starring Claire Sweeney and with an exclusive new song, Dreams Never Run on Time, in His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen, at 7.30pm, with 2.30pm Thursday and Saturday. Tickets £12 to £28.50 from boxofficeaberdeen. com or tel 01224 641122 Friday, August 12: Free Friday Live session in The Lemon Tree Lounge, Aberdeen, from 1pm.

Tables booked by calling 01224 337688 Saturday, August 13: One-hour behind the scenes tour at Aberdeen’s iconic Edwardian landmark, His Majesty’s Theatre, in HMT at 10.30am.

Tickets £5 (£3 concession) from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Saturday, August 13: Free SC&TURDAY LIVE session with Scottish Cultures and Traditions’ (SC&T), in the Lemon Tree Lounge, Aberdeen, from 12.30pm. Tables booked by calling 01224 337688 Saturday, August 13: With her new up-tempo soul-funk band,

on the back of recording her new album of self-penned songs with the cream of New York’s musical talent, jazz-soul diva Niki King returns to The Lemon Tree Lounge, West North Street, Aberdeen, doors at 7.30pm. Tickets £13 from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Saturday and Sunday, August 13 and 14: The inaugural Aberdeen Art Fair in the Music Hall, Aberdeen, from 9.30am to 4pm on Saturday and from 10am to 4pm on Sunday. Tickets £3.

Sunday, August 14: Free Belhaven Sunday Jazz session, featuring Aristocats, in The Lemon Tree Lounge, Aberdeen, from 12pm.

Tables booked by calling 01224 337688 Monday to Saturday, August 15 to 20: A fabulous musical celebration of the 1950s, Rock Around the Clock, with Teddy Boys, quiffs, Brylcreem, poodle skirts and blue suede shows, in His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen, at 7.30pm, with 2.30pm Saturday matinee.

Tickets £13.50 to £25.50 from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Tuesday, August 16: From Seattle, Washington, The Cave Singers came together when former Pretty Girls Make Graves member Derek Fudesco teamed up with Pete Quirk (of Hint Hint) and Marty Lund (of Cobra High) after the PGMG disbandment in 2007 and play in The Lemon Tree Lounge, West North Street, Aberdeen, doors at 7.30pm. Tickets £10 from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Friday, August 19: Free Friday Live session, featuring Hedgehog Pie, in The Lemon Tree Lounge, Aberdeen, from 1pm. Tables booked by calling 01224 337688 Friday, August 19: On her first solo tour, The Corrs violinist, songwriter and backing vocalist Sharon Corr, promoting her

contact the gazette : 01224 - 318561

first solo album, Dream of You, a collection of beautifully crafted, melodic pop gems in The Lemon Tree Lounge, West North Street, Aberdeen, doors at 7.30pm. Tickets £17.50 from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Saturday, August 20: One-hour behind the scenes tour at Aberdeen’s iconic Edwardian landmark, His Majesty’s Theatre, in HMT at 10.30am.

Tickets £5 (£3 concession) from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Saturday, August 20: Free SC&TURDAY LIVE session with Scottish Cultures and Traditions’ (SC&T), in the Lemon Tree Lounge, Aberdeen, from 12.30pm. Tables booked by calling 01224 337688 Saturday, August 20: Bombastic brass and good time honkstep from Edinburgh’s explosive nine-piece Orkestra Del Sol in The Lemon Tree Lounge, West North Street, Aberdeen, doors at 7.30pm. Tickets £12 from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Sunday, August 21: Free Belhaven Sunday Jazz session, featuring Alan Mackay Band, in The Lemon Tree Lounge, Aberdeen, from 12pm. Tables booked by calling 01224 337688 Wednesday, August 24: DF Concerts present Interpol, with support from Everything Everything (over 14s only; under 16s must be accompanied by an adult 18+), in the Music Hall, Aberdeen, doors at 7.30pm. Tickets £22.50 from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Thursday to Saturday, August 25 to 27: Magical mix of musical gems, stunning songs, stirring stories and dynamic dance in Kist, with Fiona Kennedy, in His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen, at 7.30pm. Tickets £17 to £21 from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122

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Thursday to Saturday, August 25 to 27: Greenroom Productions present A New Brain, by William Finn, about a songwriter struggling to come to terms with middle age and his lack of success, in The Lemon Tree Studio, West North Street, Aberdeen, at 7pm. Tickets £11 from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Friday, August 26: Free Friday Live session in The Lemon Tree Lounge, Aberdeen, from 1pm.

Tables booked by calling 01224 337688 Saturday, August 27: Free SC&TURDAY LIVE session with Scottish Cultures and Traditions’ (SC&T), in the Lemon Tree Lounge,

Aberdeen, from 12.30pm. Tables booked by calling 01224 337688 Saturday, August 27: One-hour behind the scenes tour at Aberdeen’s iconic Edwardian landmark, His Majesty’s Theatre, in HMT at 10.30am.

Tickets £5 (£3 concession) from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Saturday, August 27: With Frank Usher on guitar and Foss Paterson on keyboard, Fish will be playing songs from the back catalogue of both Marillion and his own solo albums, with the possibility of previewing some new material, in The Lemon Tree Lounge, West North Street, Aberdeen, doors at 7.30pm. Tickets £17.50 from

boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122 Sunday, August 28: Free Belhaven Sunday Jazz session, featuring Lewis Benzies Group, in The Lemon Tree Lounge, Aberdeen, from 12pm. Tables booked by calling 01224 337688 Monday, August 29 to Saturday, September 3: Featuring some of the most famous and inspiring stage music ever written, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s award-winning and extraordinary musical, Evita, in His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen, at 7.30pm, with 2pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees. Tickets £12 to £37 from boxofficeaberdeen.com or tel 01224 641122

Spot the Difference 1. hat 2. starfish 3. bucket 4. flake 5. pattern on shorts 6. cloud missing 7. mouth changed 8. toggle on shorts 9. toe missing 10. belly button

SOLUTION

Hard Solution

Pictogram 1. High Heels 2. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea 3. Bare Minimum

Easy Solution

Wordsearch

Not merely a nation but a nation of nations. ~ Lyndon B. Johnson

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family Ruthrieston Community Centre 532-536 Holburn Street, Aberdeen AB10 7LL

Tel: 01224 572211

Further Information

Please note that Ruthrieston Community Centre is now a leased centre that is run by the community, for the community.

If you fancy running a book club or need a new venue for your group contact : Chair: Lewis Bainbridge via email on lewisbainbridge@btinternet.com or Vice Chair: Gregor McAbery on gregor.mcabery@mac.com Rooms are available for hire from £10 per hour.

Playshed - £10 per hour, Room 5 - £10 per hour, Main Hall £16 per hour, Half Hall - £12 per hour, Art Room - £12 per hour There are a wide variety of activities and clubs at Ruthrieston including dance, jewellery, figure drawing, WRI and Ruthrieston Residents’ Association and Neighbourhood Watch.

Spot the Ten Differences

Disabled access from Margaret Place

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kids groups

parent and toddler groups

community clubs & groups Mannofield Mother &Toddlers 10am - 1130am Wed for children aged 0-3. & 10am-11.30am Fris for children aged 0-3.

Mannofield Church, Gt Western Rd All welcome - friendly, sociable groups HolburnWest Mothers &Toddlers Meet on aWed fm 0930 & Fri fm 9.45am Parent andToddler Group Wed (not school hols) fm 9.45 - 11.15 Rubislaw church centre, beaconsfield pl NCT Bumps and Babies Queens Cross Church,Thurs fm 2 - 4pm ‘Toots’Playgroup Airyhall Community centre 2’s Group 1 ½ to 2 ½ - Tues & Thurs 9.30 to 11.30 Playgroup – 2 ½ onwards – Mon,Wed & Fri 9.30 – 11.30am HolburnWest Playgroup Meet on aWed fm 930am Babies andToddlers Mon 0945-1200 Crown Terr Methodist Church Friendly group for parents/carers of children aged 0-3 Cost £1 incl refreshments. 861209/733276 or 01330 823480 e-mail: babiesand toddlers@ aberdeenmethodist.org.uk Midstocket Playgroup, Midstocket Parish Church, Harcourt Rd. 2.5 - 5 year olds. Mon,Tues,Thurs, Fri 09.15 - 11.45, Mon,Tues,Thurs 13.00- 15.30. Funded places available. Tel. 07542 256703 www. midstocketplaygroup.co.uk Rubislaw Playgroup Rubislaw Church Centre. Mon - Fri: 0915-1145.

Fm 2yrs 10 months to school age. Funded places available. Tel: 594345 Toddlers and 2’s Rubislaw Church Centre. Enjoy play, craft, singing and snack.

Toddlers: up to 2yrs.

Girls Brigade : Meet Tues in Queens Cross Church Hall Explorers P1-3 : 5pm-6.30pm Juniors P4-7 : 6pm-7.30pm Brigaders S1-6 : 6pm-8pm Morag Pirie - 01358-742621 Girls Brigade : Are you in P1-P3? Looking for some fun?

Then come and join us we meet every Thurs @ South Holburn Church, Holburn St. Tel : Lesley Bills - 01224-596596 Rainbows, Brownies, Guides tel : 01224 638685 for your nearest group Beavers, Cubs, Scouts : tel : 01224 208426 for your nearest group Boys Brigade HQ : tel : 01224 644400 for your nearest group

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Wed and Fri - 0930-1100 2’s group: 2-3yrs.

Tues andThurs 0930-1100,Tel: 379626 Kids Crew Playgroup.2yrs 8mnths. Mon, Wed, Fri mornings 9.30am12pm. Funded Places available. + Two’s Group.Wed, Thurs 9.30-11am. Both groups at Ferryhill Community Centre, Albury Road, Ferryhill. Tel : 584118.

Playgroup @ Ruthrieston Comm Centre ‘Playshed’,HolburnStMon-Thurs9.15-11.15.fm2 yrs 6 mnths. £3.50 per session - includes healthy snack. Call 572211 NCTWaddling -Toddling Mon @ St Francis of Assisi Church, Deeside Dr, Mannofield 10-11.30, drop in group for mums to be, parents & carers of babies & toddlers birth - preschool www.nct.org.uk/in-your-area/ aberdeen/W2T

Queen’s Cross Parent &Toddler Group Queens Cross Church Mon 9.30-11.30 Children 0-4 & their grown-ups are very welcome. £1.50 Gaelic Parent & Child Group Gilcomstoun Primary School Mon, Wed & Fri 9.15-11.30. You don’t have to speak Gaelic to attend. Mairi Morley 07900 337122, e : gaelic@ aberdeencity.gov.uk.

SingingTots 6mths - 3 yrs Mon 945-1015 & 1045 -1115 Rubislaw Church Centre Tel : Liesl 580317 or 07541 309617 ToddlerTime Wed 09:15 – 11:15 term time. Friendly, welcominggroupforparents&childrenaged0-4.

Cost 50 pence, inc snacks & refreshments New Life International Church, Leadside Road, AB25 1TW Michelle - 07808 932 907 17th Aberdeen Cub Scouts : 1830-2000h Scout Centre, Pitstruan Terr Choi Kwang Do : Inchgarth Community Centre Garthdee Mond 4.45-5.45 Thurs 6-7pm Tel Claire - 746778 After School Bridge classes : Wed at The Bridge Club 14 Rubislaw Terrace P6-7 - Anytime fm 3.00-4.30. S1-6 - Anytime fm 3.00-5.30 , Sally Reid : 01224 - 322719 Fun Kids Yoga Airyhall Community Centre Tues 4-4.30pm (4-7 yrs) & 4.30-5pm (8-13 yrs) Call 07967 647 220 or go to www.louisayoga.co.uk ATC 107 Squadron Open to new members, male & female aged

RuthriestonWest ChurchTwos Group Fri 9.45 - 11.00 ( During term time) Age 1year 10 months + £2.50 per child per session. For more information phone Lynne on 01224 314692 Children’s Football Tel Alison - 314669 Football for children fm age 21/2 up to P3. Held at Kingswells and Airyhall. www.aberdeenfootballfun.co.uk Teeny Beats Fun singalong with musical instruments.

Meets on aTuesday 2pm - 3pm during term time at Rubislaw Church Centre.

For children aged 0 to 5 years. £2 per session discounted rate for additional children. For further information contact Margaret 587144 or Caroline 566141 The 123 Group, Craigiebuckler Church Hall, EveryThurs 2-4pm, Adult and Child group; children fm babies up to the age of 3 are all welcome. Costs £8 per month, with lots of fun activities, crafts and healthy snacks provided for the children. For more information, please email the123group@yahoo.com, or call Pauline (07793 325278) Messy Play Rubislaw Church Centre. Enjoy messy play for ages 2 - 5. Wed & Fri 1.15 - 3pm.

Fees payable per term. Contact Leigh on 07792 265273.

Aberdeen Dolphin Swimming Club Swim School for children fm 4 years old. Lessons at Hazlehead & Hazlewood Pools. Coaching for children who would like to train and swim competitively.

Contact Louise Lindsay (membership secretary) on 596709 for more info.

13 – 16. Also looking for enthusiastic adult staff, male & female to join the team., Prince Charles Cadet Centre, Albury Road, Ferryhill, Aberdeen Mon & Weds 19.00 - 21.30. Tel. 01224 590679 www.107aircadets.org.

Highland Dancing Classes Is your child interested in starting a new hobby, Highland Classes are available at Craigiebuckler Church and Danscentre through Carolanne Sinclair . Open to all levels of experience, with beginners classes starting at aged 5 & over. Contact Carolanne directly on 07972104774 or by email at sinclair_carolanne@yahoo.com New class after the summer at Mannofield Church on Wed nesday afternoons.

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Highland Dancing Show

at Craigiebuckler Church It was a dreach night, but the clatter of the girls going through their paces at Carolanne Sinclair’s highland dance show was enough to brighten up any room.

The girls put on the show to raise money for the Scoliosis Association and Monty’s Maggies Appeal. They did this by selling tickets for the show to family and friends, and by running a raffle on the night.

A very good time was had by all raising a fantastic £764..00 .

Carolanne would like to thank all the girls for the effort that they put into all the practising and for running the raffle on the night. To the mums and dads for their support and everyone that took the time to come along to the show. Until the next time.

Stuck with

your advertising campaign?

Qualified Teacher Dr. Bill Mann

www.MannofieldMusic.com

Don’t Be!

Beginners Welcome * No Upper Age * See Website For Details

(m) 07570 827 171

tel : 318561 gazette@fsmail.net www.thegranitecitygazette.co.uk

After School Football - Session 2011-2012

Places can now be booked for Session 2011-12 starting in August.

Kingswells Community Centre Monday 1.30-2.00 2.00-2.30 3.30-4.15

Tuesday 3.30-4.15 4.15-5.00

Pre School Tiny Tots P1/2 P1/2 P1/2

Friday

9.30-10.00 10.00-10.30 1.30-2.00 2.00-2.45

Airyhall Community Centre Pre School Tiny Tots Pre School Pre School +

Wednesday 1.30-2.15 3.30-4.15 4.15-5.00

Thursday Pre School + P1/2 P1/2

www.aberdeenfootballfun.co.uk Contact Alison McLeod : 01224 - 314669

contact the gazette : 01224 - 318561

9.30-10.00 1.30-2.00 2.00-2.30 3.30-4.15 4.15-5.00 5.00-5.45

Pre School Pre School Pre School P1/2 P1/2 P3/4

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the one stop business shop ...

Christie Wood Joinery

Adair & McIntosh Ltd

M : 07850 086241 All types of joinery work undertaken, Bathroom and Kitchen installation, Windows, doors, flooring and property maintenance.

All trades supplied.

M : 07847 110 985 www.adairandmcintosh.co.uk Ex British Gas Engineers with over 20 years experience.

Full installations, boiler replacements, servicing, breakdowns, landlords certificates, power flushing.

H : 311342

Jane Crofts Gibb Private Tutor Tel. 323671 Mob: 07717 717 913

French and German, English (as foreign language). Expert tuition: 1-1 or groups. Beginners to advanced for exam help or conversation. Reasonable rates.

E:jcroftsg@yahoo.co.uk

Rona’s Mobile Hairdressing

House : 01224 323774 Mobile : 07905 927 101

Have your hair done in the comfort of your own home.

Reasonable rates. the gazette Tel : 01224 - 318561 gazette@fsmail.net www.thegranitecitygazette.co.uk

Attract local customers for your local business.

Book this space for as little as £17 plus vat ... Whole year £123 plus vat Display adverts fm : £30+vat

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Tel : 210687

Buoyancy Swim Tel: 01224 318651 Mobile: 07906 863246 www.aberdeenswimminglessons.co.uk

Adult and Baby, Adult and Toddler Swimming Lessons held at Camphill School, Bieldside, AB15 9EP. Contact – Julie McQuillan email: buoyancy@btinternet.com

VIP Bin Cleaning has unfortunately had to cease trading.

Dave would like to take this opportunity to thank all his customers for their loyalty and support.

Compu-Care

Call Neil 07929 860 721 PC Repairs and Upgrades Aberdeen based. No call out fee. Collect and return service. New systems available. £15 ph standard pc repairs. £25ph networking/internet

Granite City Power Washing Services Call Pete on 07835 263882

Using a chemical-free restoration process Footpaths * driveways * patios * decking * slabs *concrete Free quotations and demonstrations - reasonable rates Friendly local service, 7 days a week 20% discount with this advert

Piano Teacher M: 078901 48059 E: fionapianotutor@live.co.uk Fully Qualified and Experienced : • Grade 8 Distinction • DIP.MUS.ED. R.S.A.M.D.

• Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama

Beginners : all ages and stages welcome.

Why not refresh your bygone skills.

• Exams optional : Associated Board, Piano and Theory Grades 1-8

Reasonable rates Aberdeen City

Philip Garden Painter & Decorator Tel : 735341 Mob : 07902178825

Free Quotes No VAT Piano Tuition

T : 01224 - 316978

Piano Teacher West End Well established piano teacher has a few vacancies

www.thegranitecitygazette.co.uk

fixed price quotations - no VAT 19 Craigiebuckler Place

tel : 316898 mob : 07711 120 217

Central Heating Prepare for winter and update your central heating while the weather is warm.

Most homes have central heating now, but you may not realise that boilers only last for between 10 and 15 years. So if you haven’t replaced your boiler during this time, it’s worth doing. You will have a more effectual • Domestic cleaning system, your energy saving will improve and • Commercial cleaning* your heating bills will be reduced.

• Affordable rates Don’t underestimate the upheaval and • Flat cleans expense of completely renovating your entire • House sitting** central heating system though. Replacing your boiler should only take a couple of days, but installing a whole set of new call today for a free quote radiators as well can take a long time.

Tel : 01224 879 158 Mob: 07789 440 069 Modern gas central heating is highly efficient and provides (*small offices) (**for utilities/repairs) instant warmth without inflicting smelly, dry air like storage heaters and gas fires. And some of the radiators available now are almost sculptural in appearance.

You must consult a professional company to do this work. By law, all gas boilers must be fitted by Gas Safe registered installers. the Oven Valet Find your nearest Oven Cleaners installer here http:// www.gassaferegister.

Doing the jobs you hate!

Bringing the sparkle back co.uk/. Boilers should Home Cleaning Services to your oven using non also be serviced • Home/Flat Cleaning toxic, non caustic regularly to ensure • Daily Cleaning products in your they are working • Office Cleaning home. effectively and safely.

• New Building Cleaning Get this work done • Moving In/Out Cleaning 01330 823079 now and your home Call us now for a no-obligation quote : 07920483233 will be toasty and cosy this winter. www.theovenvalet.com e : contact@deesidehomecleaning.co.uk info@theovenvalet.com w : www.deesidehomecleaning.co.uk

Deeside

t : 07531 449 722

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Emergency Only 999 or 112

Albyn hospital Tel : 577426 albyn medical practice

Police Fire Brigade Ambulance Coastguard

Tel : 586829 Holburn Medical Group Tel : 400800 The Great Western Medical Practice Tel : 0845 337 0540

Police non emergency

0845 600 5 700

schools

rubislaw place medical group

Tel : 641968

garthdee medical group

Tel : 208312 Carden Medical Centre Tel : 0845 337 6330 Ferryhill Medical Practice Tel : 587484

tel : 01224 - 318561

need a dentist?

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the granite city gazette

useful numbers

useful numbers

need a doctor?

Albyn dental practice tel : 209286 Carden Place Dental Practice tel : 621350 Dentawhite Ltd 01506 206148 Fergus and Glover tel : 644876 Henderson & Hardy tel : 640764 Mark Palmer & Associates tel : 641778 Queens Cross Dental tel : 638889 Ross McLelland tel : 625090 The Dentist, skene street tel : 643622 The Orthodontic Clinic tel : 611633 Waverley Dental Health Practice tel : 625090

Aberdeen Grammar tel : 642299 Ashley Road Primary tel : 588732 Albyn School tel : 322408 Broomhill Primary tel : 315487 Gilcomstoun School tel : 642722 Harlaw Academy tel : 589251 Kaimhill Primary tel : 316356 Robert Gordon’s College tel : 646346 St Margaret’s School tel : 584466 St Joseph’s School tel : 322730 The Hamilton School Tel : 317295

Transport aberdeen airport

tel : 0870 040 0006

first aberdeen

tel : 650000 rail enquiries

tel : 0845 748 4950 aa breakdown

tel : 0800 88 77 66 rac breakdown

tel : 0800 82 82 82

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Working from home Hazy Lazy Days by Ted Bruning

When I was a teenager and my elder sister fled the nest, she left behind her portable typewriter. My head then being (as indeed it still is) cluttered with dreams of being a poet one day, I nicked it. A Byron it was (unlike me!), a tiny delicate thing in a hard green leather case that served me as a briefcase long after the Byron itself had tangled with entropy and lost.

I had a vision, which with hindsight I think derived from a TV ad, of sitting outdoors on a beautiful day, cross-legged in the dappled shade of the orchard, carelessly churning out deathless verse by the ream. So I gave it a go.

Bummer! I soon discovered two things.

One: you can’t work sitting cross-legged on the ground with your typewriter on your knees. Every heavy-handed thump on the keyboard transmits a tiny shock that transforms your lap into a pulpy purple bruise in as long as it takes to bash out a sonnet; your calves cramp within seconds of getting settled; and leaning on the knobbly trunk of an old apple tree is much easier in imagination than it is in reality.

Two: there is always a breeze, and even on the ostensibly stillest day it is plenty strong enough to blow away the onion-skin typing paper we used for carbon copies (the thinner the paper, the more you could squeeze into the roller of the typewriter) in the days before computers arrived.

So there I was, bruised, cramped, knobblebacked, and chasing sheets of onion-skin all over the orchard. Sonnets? None. So I gave up and went back to working in the bedroom – which wasn’t half bad, actually, as my window looked out across the Severn to the dramatic wooded hump-back of the Breidden. But still, it wasn’t what I’d had in mind.

Then suddenly, many years later, there were laptops, and the vision stirred once more. Not

contact the gazette : 01224 - 318561

the original vision, of course: remembering the discomfort of trying to type cross-legged on the ground, vision version 2.0 involved the use of a garden table and chair; but at, least, no more chasing sheets of paper all over the great outdoors.

Only of course, as I soon discovered, on any day sunny enough to be worth being outside in, you can’t actually read a computer screen.

I might have been composing iambs of Miltonian sonorousness (I’d moved on from sonnets and was into epics by then), but I had no way of knowing. I’m self-taught, you see: I type like Schroder played the piano in Peanuts, gaze fixed on the keyboard, hammering away like fury with two calloused index fingers. Only after the gush of creativity has subsided do I go over what I’ve written and correct all the myriad typos. Outdoors, in the bright sunshine, on a computer screen, you can’t do that. So I gave up and went back to working in the office/spare bedroom.

It may very well be that these days you can buy a laptop with an outdoors-on-a-sunnyday compatible screen. But as I no longer possess a laptop of any description (I loathe them – they’re designed the wrong way round for an old-style hunt-and-peck typist like me), I think I shall bow to the inevitable and declare the vision officially dead. Only, as I write this, it’s gloriously sunny out and I’m stuck in here with the damned computer...

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community clubs & groups adult groups

Adult Choi Kwang Do Inchgarth Community Centre Garthdee - Wed 8pm-9pm Tel Claire : 746778 Indoor Bowling @ Holburn West Church 2pm on a Mon Bon Accord MBC Hockey tel : 01224 572075 www.bonaccordmbc.net email : info@bonaccordmbc.net Seafield Bowling Club Cromwell Gdns : A Leaper, Treasurer Tel 319985 If you are interested in an outdoor pursuit among friends?

Rubislaw Tennis Club Cromwell Gardens Offers friendly and competitive tennis for all ages.

Membership info David Stead (Sec) Tel: 07811 748512 Tues Coffee Holburn West Church - Coffee & biscuits every Tues 10:30 - 11:30 All welcome.

Aberdeen Choral Society Mike Longhurst tel : 861629 @ Queens Cross Church Hall 7.30-9.30pm The Bridge Club : tel : 01224 322719 (Sally Reid) 14 Rubislaw Terrace Granite City WRI Ruthrieston Community Centre, 536 Holburn Street, Meets 4th Wed of the month, Sept to Jun. 7pm – 9pm. All welcome: Tel 571131 or 316266 University of Third Age (U3A): tel 702836 Marion. Informal learning for the retired & semi-retired.

Monday Club : tel : 01224-322946 Queen’s Cross Church Hall - Mon’s 2-4pm. Friendly games of bridge & scrabble - beginners welcome - All Ages Royal Horticultural Society Abdn tel : 781171 1st Tues in Mar @ 7.30pm Girl’s Brigade Hall, 19a Victoria St The Learig Orchestra Tel : 322617 Brian Priestley Welcomes string, brass & woodwind players of all standards to its rehearsals at Woodend Hospital on Tues at 7.30pm

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Scottish Country Dancing Summer Socials commence on Wednesday 4th May and run until the end of August. Every Wednesday 7:309:45 at the Boys Brigade Hall on Crimon Place Aberdeen. Everyone welcome (not suitable for complete beginners).

For more information please call 01224 636128 or www.aberdeenrscds.co.uk.

Aberdeen Chorus - Sweet Adelines Int’ Britannia Hotel, Bucksburn, Mon 7.30 10pm Tel: Debbie 07967629272 Silver City Blues - Swimming Club Hazlehead Pool Mon 8.30 - 10pm, Kincorth Pool Tues 9 - 10 pm or Kincorth Pool Thurs 830 - 10pm.

Contact Bill Reid on 745244 or 07796 248961 Senior Citizens Group Tues (2-4pm) Airyhall Community Centre. New members always welcome Interested, contact 318698 (sec) The City of Aberdeen Probus A Club for retired businessmen & professionals. Meet on Wed am’s twice monthly (Sept - Jun), (Aberdeenshire Cricket Club) A wide range of talks on many topics fm interesting speakers.

Other activities incl occasional lunches, trips, bowling & golf competitions.

New members welcome. Chris Blunt, Tel. 317298 Airyhall Community Centre Bowling Section Meets Mon/Wed/Fri 10-12 – Fri pm 2-4 £6 for session £4 to join community centre Limited spare bowls if you don’t have your own.

Tel : 318103 (Bill Setter) Granite City Speakers Club Meet every two weeks on Friday nights at 8.0pm in Aberdeen Arts Centre, Secretary: Fred Stewart, tel 723937 Our club offers a warm friendly atmosphere, advice and support. New members & visitors welcome.

Aberdeen Kilt Kickers American Square Dance Club Meets at WRI Hall, Cults Beginners from September 7.30 - 9.00pm £2.50 per night Fred Gibb, Tel 486665 Woodend Bowling Club 285 King’s Gate, A. McCulloch Secretary Tel. 317317 Friendly and relaxing

outdoor activity: new members welcome.

Aberdeen Gaelic Club Brings together Gaelic speakers and individuals interested in Gaelic language and culture. Gaelic language evening classes & weekend courses plus social activities. tel 0777 939 8289, e clubgaidhlig@googlemail.com or http://aberdeengaelic.wordpress.com.

Holburn West Church Tennis 12a Ashley Park South Open Apr - Oct Annual Subs & Family Membership at Bargain Prices New members always welcome Small friendly Club Sally Davis (sec) Tel. 326111 Aberdeen Bowling Club Come and join us for a game of bowls at 50 Carlton Place. Tel.643233 Woodburn Walkers Enjoy the countryside, meet new friends, keep fit – join the Woodburn Walkers. Age: 55+. Transport: Hire Bus. Fortnightly: Tues Start Point: Hazlehead Park. Time: 9am for 9.15am. Average Distance: 7 miles Tel: 317197/319741 Yoga Teacher : Florence Wed 1030-1130, Broomhill Activity Centre 050 t : 316278 £2 per class It’s wonderful!

Bon Accord branch – Sugarcraft Guild Meets at Rubislaw - Last Mon of month, 7-9pm Learn lots through demos and workshops £5 per meeting (incl. refreshments) – friendly & informal group, enjoyable at all skill levels. Call Madeleine Fraser 591672 for a programme Viking Hiking (Nordic Walking) One hour sessions each Thurs, Fri, Sat and Sun at 10am, Meet at Hazlehead main car park (behind the Park Restaurant). Info fm John Greig Tel. 321088 Aberdeen Humanist Group Skene House Hotel, 6 Union Grove Monthly meetings for those with a secular life-stance. Interesting speakers and topics for discussion.

Tel : M Richardson - 01888-562237

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Northern Arts Club 8 Bon Accord Square, Aberdeen Come along to draw and paint on Wednesdays 10-12.30pm. Tutor session 1st Wed. of every month.

Contact Jacqueline 586928 Life Drawing Class 8 Bon Accord Square, Aberdeen Saturday morning 10-1pm Please contact Ian 484040 Bridge Tuition Beginner and intermediate Thursday evening, call Margaret 868230 Room/s for hire 8 Bon Accord Square, Aberdeen Do you need a new venue for your book club/chess club/ choir/art & craft club, then contact Jacqueline 586928 Aberdeen Tai Chi Chuan ‘88 Authentic tai chi, thorough tuition.

Cults Church Hall, 6.30pm Wed £3.50. First class free. Tel: Don Wells 310904 Old Time Dance Classes Dunbar St Hall, Old Aberdeen - 7.45pm 10pm 1st & 3rd Tues each month £4.00 per night Tel : James Watson : 314953 Tango Aberdeen Argentine tango dance classes Wed & Sun evenings fm 7.30pm £6 (Conc £4) Discover the passion & elegance of Argentine Tango www.tangoaberdeen.com

Rotary Club of Aberdeen Deeside Weekly on a Wed at 6.15pm for .45pm in Cults Hotel. Rotary is a Service Organisation for community and international needs where we put Service Before Self”. Take a look www.aberdeendeesiderotary.org.uk we look forward to seeing you.

Iyengar Yoga Classes ; Tues noon - 1pm & 1pm - 2pm at citymoves dancespace, opp art gallery.

Tues 7.30 - 9.30 pm & Wed 7.15 - 9.15 at South Holburn Parish Church. All classes run

by Fiona Bochel, registered Iyengar teacher since 1995. Cost is £5 an hour, tel 861347 Like walking?

Then why not join the “Seafield Walking Group”. It’s a great way of keeping fit, socialising and getting out into the countryside! For further information contact Elinor Tel. 314609.

Keep Fit Class, the Swedish Way! Day: Monday Time: 5.30pm Fitness, flexibility and strength, “all round exercise to great music”. No need to book, just turn up and have fun while working out!

For more info : contact Sue 07766218880 Mannofield Church Hill Walking Club Monthly trips to the Cairngorms. New members welcome. Contact Peter Stewart for a programme. 313721 or p.stewart1@btinternet.com .

Rubislaw Church Centre Fountainhall Road/Beaconsfield Place Open Monday - Friday morning for teas, coffees etc Full access and facilities for those with disabilities Rooms available for hire - contact 645477 www.rubislawchurch.org.uk Jog Scotland Meets at RGU Sport Garthdee Road Thurs 6pm Contact Mandy 322158 www.bkwsu.org/uk/aberdeen 01224639105 Rotary club of Aberdeen St. Nicholas.

At present we are canvassing for new members,we are a very friendly club who meet for lunch,friendship and business every Monday 12.45 for1.00 pm at the Northern Hotel.If you are interested you are welcome to join us any Monday lunch time. If you would like to find out more click on to rotary 1010.co.uk select clubs and go to Aberdeen St. Nicholas or telephone Ernie on 01224 641299/312493.

Airyhall Community Centre badminton group meets weekly on Mondays 8pm to 10pm new session starts 5/9/11 New members welcome.Annual sub to join centre is £6 plus nightly fee of £1.00. Phone David Campbell 321301 or e mail david@david143. doo.co.uk

List your classes here for free.. Name of class, Time - Day - Cost Brief description Email to :- gazette@fsmail.net tel : 01224 318561

Royal Horticultural Society of Aberdeen’s Summer Show.

This is held over the last weekend of August in Hazelhead Park. As well as the flowers, vegetables and plants on show, we have displays of various kinds. (check press for timings) contact the gazette : 01224 - 318561

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Who’s Advertising and Where to Find Them ...

A pg 39 pg 41 pg 54 pg 53 pg 35 pg 63

Aberdeen Craft Bazaar Aberdeen Restorations Adair and McIntosh Allie McLeod After School Football Anderson’s Groundcare Ltd Aquatic Soul Bathrooms

B pg 55 pg 54

Blue Flame Heating Buoyancy Swim

C pg 54 pg 19 pg 54 pg 54 pg 40 pg 17

Christie Wood Joinery Ciao Napoli Clara Cleaning Compucare Colin Thompson Architects Cumming Fire and Security

D pg 61 pg 55 pg 19 pg 8 pg 9

DAWGS Deeside Home Cleaning Delgatie Castle Dental Inspirations Devonair Hairstylists

F pg 21 pg 64 pg 54 pg 12

Ferryhill House Hotel Finnies the Jeweller Fiona Carter - Piano Tutor Freeform FMA Fitness Training

G pg 5 pg 54

GM Events Granite City Powerwashing

H pg 27

HAB Design

I pg 39

Interiors at Home

J pg 54 pg 11 pg 44 pg 63

Jane Crofts Gibb Jazzercise Junction Art and Gifts Just Dance

K pg 55 pg 37 pg 9

Kenny Davidson - Painter Kenyon Upholstery Kumiko Beauty

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L pg 2 pg 61 pg 11 pg 13 pg 12-13

Lapis Gold Laura Walker Children’s Parties Laura Walker Yoga-Pilates Laura Walker Zumba Lee Donald Personal Trainer

M pg 54 pg 54

Mannofield Music Mrs Charles - Piano Tuition

N pg 54

Neil Angus - IT

O pg 55

Oven Valet

P pg 20&23 Paula McEwen Restaurant pg 54 Philip Garden - Painter pg 50 Prestige the Laundry Q pg 16-17 Queens Cross Community Council R pg 54 pg 30-31 pg 63 pg

Rona’s Mobile Hairdressing Scottesque at Rosehip and Tutu Rosemount Joinery Ruthrieston Community Centre

S pg 2 Scott Gilmour Optometrist pg 30-31 Scottesque pg 55 Spik n’ Span T pg 14 pg 6-7

Tai Chi Temple Aesthetics

V pg 54

VIP Bin Cleaning

W pg 13

Waterbabies

Book space with the gazette today 19 August is the deadline for the September issue Tel : 01224-318561 www.thegranitecitygazette.co.uk email : gazette@fsmail.net www.thegranitecitygazette.co.uk

A recommendation I run an art and gift boutique called Junction art and gifts and have been advertising with the gazette since September 2008.

A customer brought the publication to my attention and suggested I should give it a go as it was a local free magazine for the surrounding area and she really enjoyed reading it every month. Since then I haven't looked back, I have had a steady stream of customers that have visited the business due to spotting me in the magazine. I usually try to ask customers how they find out about me, especially in the early days, and often they would reply 'I saw you in the little free magazine' and I reply 'the gazette' and 'yes that's it' is always the answer.

I've also been included in many features throughout the magazine over the past 2 years some of my favourites were a competition for the businesses first birthday, the Christmas gift guides and more recently as part of a wedding special. I also recently added bespoke picture framing to the business and the gazette has been a good platform for letting local people know about this too.

I feel the cost involved far out ways the business generated and I plan to continue this successful partnership long into the foreseeable future.

Elaine Thomson - Junction Arts

www.thegranitecitygazette.co.uk

Step into the pages of the gazette and get yourself noticed locally ... contact the gazette : 01224 - 318561

D.A.W.G.S Dog Action Working Group Scotland

If you can no longer take care of your dog, we can help!

D.A.W.G.S finds loving homes for dogs whose owners can no longer take care of them

For further information contact:DAWGS on 01224 208989 or visit www.dawgs.co.uk 6 Whitemyres Holdings, Lang Stracht, Aberdeen.

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Pic shows Gerry Muldoon and Maura Tighe, owner of the renowned Gallery Heinzel

Inaugural Art Fair The Granite City is hosting the first of what will undoubtedly become a major date on the cultural calendar with the staging of the inaugural Aberdeen Art Fair this summer.

The 2011 Aberdeen Art Fair, sponsored by oil giant TAQA, will take place at the Music Hall on the weekend of 13th and 14th August and, as organiser Gerry Muldoon of GM Events, outlines, there really will be something to suit all tastes and budgets.

“This is a first for Aberdeen and with works on view ranging from around £50 to upwards of £10,000, there will certainly be something for everyone.

In terms of the variety and quality on display, I don’t think I am in any way understating things when I say it will be absolutely stunning. For instance, the renowned painter Henri Lorenzi from Monaco’s studio (www.henrilorenzi.com) is exhibiting, as are the magnificent Eduardo Alessandro Studios (www.eastudios.com), in addition to well known local operations including the Gallery Heinzel (www.galleryheinzel.com) and Peacock Visual Arts (www.peacockvisualarts.com).

“In essence, we have galleries and artists coming from all over the United Kingdom and beyond for an event, the like of which this part of the country has never witnessed

gcg : 62

previously.

“In addition to the works themselves, there are several educational opportunities available including lectures from the NTS on the history of art in the north east and how to properly look after works of art.

“We will also be featuring an Art Club for 5 to 10 year olds which will undoubtedly inspire the younger members of the audience and the whole experience will be one for all ages and for people with a passing interest in art through to the expert. Indeed, this is a unique opportunity to see two million pounds worth of art for £3 and will, I am certain, be the first of what will become one of the most sought after events in the public’s diaries here in the north east.

“I have been extremely heartened by the positive responses from the art community to this initiative and the vast majority of the available space at the Music Hall has been taken up exceptionally quickly. While we are almost now at capacity, there is a very limited number of exhibition units still available with full details on the website at www.aberdeenartfair.co.uk.

“I would also like to thank TAQA for their fantastic support and understanding as to how significant an event the Aberdeen Art

Fair is set to be.”

Leo Koot, TAQA Bratani’s managing director, said: “We are delighted to be able to support the arts in our local community.

Helping to bring a new event such as the Art Fair to Aberdeen and help establish it as a feature of the area’s arts scene is a fantastic opportunity.

Creative Scotland is delighted to support the inaugural Aberdeen Art Fair and development officer Andrew Leitch commented. “We are excited that Aberdeen Art Fair will be host to a number of Own Art galleries and feel the Aberdeen Art Fair shares these ambitions and will offer these opportunities to the people of Aberdeen and beyond.”

The Own Art scheme makes art affordable to the public through offering interest free loans of between £100 and £2,000 to buy works.

Entry to the inaugural Aberdeen Art Fair will cost just £3 for a full day with free entry for accompanied children (Under 15). The fair will be open from 9.30 am to 4 pm on Saturday 13th August and from 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday 14th August.

Full details can be found on www.aberdeenartfair.co.uk.

www.thegranitecitygazette.co.uk

Design

Supply

Installation

Competitive Prices We Take Pride In a Quality Finish Showroom By Appointment Only

www.aquaticsoul.co.uk Tel : 01224 733402

Bathrooms Kitchens

Exercise, dance and have fun!

Adult Dance/Workout Classes Tap and Jazz Classes for Beginners- Intermediate and Advanced

Just Dance For Fun and Fitness!

Childrens Dance Classes

Baby Boppers - 1-2 yrs

A fun and stimulating class (when your child can walk they can join us!)

Boogie Babes 2-3 yrs Mini Movers 3-4 yrs Pre-school 4 yrs

A fun introduction to movement and dance building confidence and sociability.

Childrens Jazz and Tap

Jazzy Kids from 5 yrs upwards Toe Tappers from 5 yrs upwards

Classes held at Airyhall and Kingswells Community Centre

For further information and to book a place please telephone Jean on 681202 or 07521 398582

Everything From A Cat flap To An Extension Small jobs a speciality uPvc Windows and Doors Flooring Bathrooms Kitchens

Proprietor : Kenny Laird, 36 Lerwick Road, Aberdeen AB16 6RF

Tel : 01224 - 682072 contact the gazette : 01224 - 318561

Mob : 07974 288 982 gcg : 63

A HUGE SELECTION OF

another reason why people keep coming back to Finnies.

Hundreds of watches from 26 of the worlds leading watchmakers is a huge selection - one of the largest in Scotland, and they are here for you at Finnies.

With prices from under ÂŁ50 to over ÂŁ50,000 friendly expert staff will help you choose the right watch for yourself or that special gift.

Skilled watchmakers in our workshop will also care for your watch for life.

So for the best watch buying experience visit Finnies at George Street, Aberdeen and enjoy every minute of your time.

Visit Finnies at George Street and see our huge selection of watches for yourself.

For life.

George Street, Aberdeen (01224) 636632 www.finnies.co.uk

Open: Mon/Fri/Sat: 9am-5.30pm. Tues: 9.30am-5.30pm. Wed: 9am-1pm. Thurs: 9am-7pm.