MAY 2019
CKET READER TI OFFER!
PLUS: GARDEN PROJECT, PROPERTY MATTERS, and more LOCAL FEATURES inside! The monthly community magazine for East and Mid Calder, Kirknewton & Pumpherston
1 voucher per table with a minimum spend of ÂŁ15 on food. Valid from 2nd January until Sat 28th Jan 2017. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer.
Have you got your BLACK CARD yet? Ask today to get great savings off your food bill
2 | CALDERS
facebook.com/blackbullmc
@KonectMagazines
TO OUR MAY EDITION
THIS ISSUE
I
t’s a busy time of year, whether you’re tip-toeing around teens “studying” on exam-leave, or spending every spare minute sorting the garden and outdoors jobs as everything starts growing fast, or looking for things to do with small children on the weekends. Speaking of gardening, Gardening Scotland is offering Konect readers a £5 discount on the ticket price! On our doorstep at Ingliston, it is the place to be for absolutely everything to do with your outdoor space, large or small. See pages 12-13 and book online. This month the essential family day out is the West Lothian Highland Games, in Bathgate on 25th May. I met up with this year’s joint Chieftains, Alan and Barbara of the Kilt Studio, to find out about their role and what is lined up for this year. See pages 8-9. The Visit West Lothian column gives a rundown of what else is on in West Lothian this month. There is something for all interests, from classic cars, music at the Fly Open Air Festival, environmental photography, and Beltane family activities! There is much more; we celebrate all that West Lothian has to offer. I hope you enjoy the magazine this month as well as enjoying all that West Lothian has to offer.
P8-9 The Chieftains and the Games...................... 8 Gardening Scotland: Celebrate Summer..12 Gardening: Wasps: Friends or Foes? ........19 Health & Beauty............................................14 Charity: Night Stop........................................22 Property Matters............................................26 Vet’s Tip..........................................................33 Puzzles...........................................................34 Linda Scott: From Horses to Politics via Catering..........................................................40 Parenting: Just Dribble it! ............................39 What’s On......................................................42 Clubs & Classes..........................................43
COVER IMAGE: Gardening Scotland, 31st May to 2nd June. See pages 12-13 for ticket offer.
Konect is delivered to 5,500 homes in Kirknewton, East Calder, Mid Calder and Pumpherston every month. Copies are also left at the libraries, community centres, convenience stores and other locations within the area.
HELEN-JANE SHEARER
CHARLENE GAFFNEY
E: editor@konect.scot
M: 07772 941899 E: charlene@konect.scot
Editor
@KonectMagazines
Account Manager
CALDERS | 3
4 | CALDERS
@KonectMagazines
@KonectMagazines
CALDERS | 5
6 | CALDERS
@KonectMagazines
@KonectMagazines
CALDERS | 7
West Lothian’s own celebration of the historic Highland Games tradition takes place in Bathgate on 25th May. The hill run to the top of Cairnpapple may be more challenging than the very first hill run said to be the origin of the Highland Games tradition - King Malcolm III (10571093) summoned men to race up Craig Choinnich, near Braemar, to select his royal messenger. While the origin of the Games was all about finding the fittest and strongest men for the clan chieftain’s household, as the tradition developed music and dancing were introduced for added prestige. Today, it is a fantastic celebration of a quintessential Scottish tradition and a great day out for families of all ages. The West Lothian Highland Games are no exception. I caught up with the joint Chieftains of this year’s West Lothian Highland Games, Alan and Barbara Waddell, to find out more about them, the role, and the Games. Alan and Barbara run the Kilt Studio in Bathgate, where they have been stalwart supporters of the West Lothian Highland Games (and many other local events) since launching their kilt business via a field stall at the 2003 event. “It’s a great honour to be asked as Chieftains this year,” says Alan. “We will receive the official Highland Games Crook in a ceremony on the Friday night before the Games, and besides being the ceremonial face of the event itself, will be Chieftains for the whole 8 | CALDERS
@KonectMagazines
year before handing over the crook to next year’s Chieftain.” Alan and Barbara will open the Games on Saturday 25th May, and present the awards and medals for the competitors - the dancers, the bands, the athletes and the runners. It’s a nod to the days when the clan chief chose the ablest people for his army and offices. Besides the iconic heavy athletics (caber tossing, hammer throwing), music and dancing, the day includes children’s attractions, mini stream engines, stalls from local traders, a street parade, bar, and much more. We want to spread the news of the Games, to get people to come and enjoy the day and to really put it on the map, says Barbara. “The West Lothian Highland Games are evolving,” explains Alan, “and there are some new features this year.” One of these is the Junior Highland Games, run by West Lothian College and drawing young athletes and dancers from schools across West Lothian in order to get more young people involved. Another new element is in the music side of the day - there will be a performance from a a modern instrumental band Drumz ‘n’ Roses, a band with a unique Scottish twist encouraging audience engagement and participation. No Games are complete without pipe bands. This year, instead of a pipe band competition, there will be four different bands performing. In common with many other areas, there has been a decrease in the number of bands entering the competition, so it is being done this way to maintain a strong pipe band element. The Kilt Studio has outfitted eight of the West Lothian Chieftans over their past 16 years in business. They have supported the Games via their expertise in tartans, outfitting, and all things Highland. They sponsored the creation of the West Lothian Highland Games mascot, Hamish the Haggis, several years ago. They take a unique and very inclusive approach to their business. “We called it the Kilt Studio as the emphasis is on the studio itself as a space for getting together, discussing what people need to make @KonectMagazines
their outfit or event work well, running open evenings and so on. “We are the opposite of an ‘exclusive’ outfitter,” explains Alan. “We want to include everyone, support the local community and give back to the community that has supported our business in the town for 16 years. We have made so many good friends via the Kilt Studio.” Alan hails from Glasgow, studied design at Art college and started his career in graphic design; Barbara is from Ayrshire, and was working for a bridal company and involved in events when, comparing notes of the work they were doing, Alan and Barbara realised they could do something creative together. So the Kilt Studio came about more via the design and events management side of the business than purely kilts. Together they have gained a reputation for their tartan design, attention to detail in the outfitting, custommaking accessories and being very creative. They want to use their role of Chieftans this year to boost the West Lothian Highland Games and all it stands for as much as possible. io, Alan and Barbara of The Kilt Stud this year’s Chieftains
This article was written by Helen-Jane Shearer after speaking with Alan and Barbara at The Kilt Studio in Bathgate. Helen-Jane is the editor of Konect magazine and lives in West Lothian with her family. CALDERS | 9
Braekirk Decorator’s First Class Decoration Willie Jamieson T: 07779 186 298 E: maryjamieson64@googlemail.com 64 Braekirk Avenue, Kirknewton EH27 8BL External | Internal | Wallpaper hanging
10 | CALDERS
@KonectMagazines
We specialise in household alterations and repairs. To discuss your construction project, please call Colin on: or email:
Extensions | Bathrooms | Kitchens Alterations | Structual Work Maintenance & Repairs | Landscaping Driveways | All Trades
@KonectMagazines
CALDERS | 11
Celebrate Summer at Gardening Scotland 2019
SAVE £5 on the gate pric e to Gardening Scotland 20 19 by entering promo code KON19 when you bo ok online at www.garden ingscotland .com/ tickets
Scotland’s national festival of flowers is 20 this year, so come along and celebrate summer at the show that makes gardening fun.
The event opens on Friday 31 May at the Royal Highland Centre Edinburgh and for three days the focus is on plants, people and glorious gardens. Want to fill your garden with colour? Then find everything you need, including beautiful flowers, expert advice and all the tools you need to tend your flowers. The Floral Pavilion will be packed with plants, courtesy of top nurseries from all over the UK and the growers are all eager to share their knowledge, with tips and guidance on how to get the best from your flowers. Planning a party on the patio? At Gardening Scotland you’ll find plenty to inspire you, including a centrepiece show garden by designer Lynn Hill, that’s made with entertaining in mind, including an outdoor bar fashioned from Italian glass and a fully-functioning outdoor kitchen. It’s just one of the show gardens designed to make you rethink your own space. And what about that bit in front of the house where you have to squeeze in wheelie bins and the car? Take a stroll down College Street, with its perfect front plots, and you’ll realise that your own garden can be practical and gorgeous at the same time.
12 | CALDERS
And that’s not all. In the Living Garden you’ll find all kinds of environmental organisations, including Plantlife Scotland, ready to answer all your queries about the threat to our wildlife and how gardeners can help. Visit the Plant Village and be bowled over by what’s on offer. Want instant colour to brighten up your doorstep? A climber to scramble over a drab wall? Armfuls of annuals or reliable perennials that will come back year after year? They are all on sale here. The Big Back Garden will be packed with fun and games for all the family, and the good news is that under-16s go free to Gardening Scotland. Or why not make a celebration of your day at the show by booking a delicious afternoon tea or popping into The Secret Herb Garden’s ‘Secret Gin Garden’ for a special Gardening Scotland cocktail or an amazing, colourchanging Old Curiosity Gin, made with botanicals grown at the foot of the Pentlands. Plus there’s the Craft Pavilion with its home and lifestyle accessories; original artworks; artisan food stalls and lots more, and it all adds up to a perfect day out in the garden. For more information visit www.gardeningscotland.com
@KonectMagazines
SAVE ÂŁ5.00 on our gate ticket price! Enter Promo Code KON19 to get this special offer.
DID YOU KNOW YOUR HAIRDRESSER IS A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE? Here are some tips to make the most of your hair appointment… • Arrive a few minutes early, to maximise the time you spend with your hairdresser and take a few minutes to relax in to your surroundings. • Be honest: I can’t stress this enough! Be honest with your expectations, your hair’s chemical history and any problems you have with it, what you like and what you don’t like. Just be open and honest, your hairdresser will help you.
14 | CALDERS
• Bring pictures: It’s a myth that hairdressers don’t like images! It’s great to have a visual. Even if it’s not the exact cut or colour you want it will give a visual insight that words can’t describe. This is particularly good when visiting a new stylist. Remember to be realistic! • Ask about maintenance: A great hairdresser will talk you through a styling regime to keep your hair looking like it’s just left the salon for weeks. Take in information about condition, how to style your hair, and ask for easy ways to change it up. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, most hairdressers are a little bit geeky when it comes to hair!
The Hair column is contributed by Sophie Laidlaw. Sophie is Director @wonderland Livingston. www.wonderlandlivingston.co.uk
@KonectMagazines
@KonectMagazines
CALDERS | 15
Wedding and Event Florist T: 01506 200206 M: 07816 673 204 E: vicky@vickysflowers.com
www.vickysflowers.com
16 | CALDERS
@KonectMagazines
@KonectMagazines
CALDERS | 17
18 | CALDERS
@KonectMagazines
GARDENING PROJECT
Wasps - friends or foes? Wasps suffer from bad press every year from July onwards. But from now until July they are a gardener’s best friend! The worker wasps collect aphids from our garden plants to feed the newly hatched wasps in their nest. In return they are fed sweet sucrose until the queen wasp stops laying eggs in mid-summer. Then sweet rewards stop and the workers have to find sweetness for themselves, becoming mischievous in the process. They are also tired as the end of summer approaches and being bad tempered now as well as hungry they are quick to sting us. Now is the moment to keep them at bay without stopping the good work they will do for the first part of summer. If you hang up ‘wasps away’, which are designed to mimic wasp nests, you will deter the queen bees building nests within 10 metres of the fake nests. They see your nests and
@KonectMagazines
fear attacks by enemy wasps so won’t set up home nearby. You can keep them away from Wasp away patios and children’s play areas. decoy We hang a few around our tearoom terrace here at the gardens to keep nest the hungry workers away after July. You don’t notice many wasps in early summer because they are too busy working and helping to control aphids in your garden.
Tearoom Terrace The gardening project is contributed by Dougal Philip, New Hopetoun Gardens. Inspiring, informing and entertaining, for more than 40 years.
CALDERS | 19
AKT Bookkeeping Tax Returns • Accounts, Bookkeeping • Payroll, CIS • VAT Phone Kevin on 01506 201459 from 8.00am to 4.00pm or emailkevin@aktbookkeeping.co.uk
Alexander Aitken Plastering 51 Dolphin Rd, Currie Call Sandy
07966 695595
Plaster work, rough casting, ceramic tiling & general maintenance
delivering more Put yourself in safe hands with our highly experienced legal and property teams.
Estate Agency and Conveyancing Buying, selling and marketing of residential and commercial property.
Private Client Wills, trusts, inheritance tax, powers of attorney, guardianship.
Family Law Divorce and separation, contact and residence, adoption.
Immigration All visa applications , citizenship, EU Law, appeals.
64 South Bridge Street, Bathgate EH48 1TL
T: 01506 656645 W: drummondmiller.co.uk 20 | CALDERS
@KonectMagazines
@KonectMagazines
CALDERS | 21
Nightstop: “It can be the one thing that saves them from homelessness” Sometimes, a meal and a bed for a couple of nights is all that is needed to help a young person get back on track. Or at least to stop them from sliding into homelessness. Nightstop, a programme being rolled out in West Lothian by the Rock Trust, provides just that via the homes of volunteers hosts who make a spare room available for up to 14 nights for a young person who, for various reasons, needs emergency accommodation. “We receive referrals for a whole range of reasons,” says Mark Fieldhouse, Nightstop Development Worker with the Rock Trust. “We help young people who find themselves in crisis, in many cases due to breakdown in family relationships. They need safe, friendly accommodation while we help them work on longer-term solutions.” There is a small number of host families already in West Lothian, and more are needed in all areas. Bathgate resident Moreen Watson is the Nightstop Development Worker for West Lothian. The Rock Trust, established in 1991 in Edinburgh in response to youth homelessness, helps young people aged 16 – 25 by providing advice and support, keeping their education on track, finding work, and a range of other services. Nightstop is the emergency element of this, where a young person in crisis can call a helpline and is provided with a safe place immediately, while longer-term supported 22 | CALDERS
accommodation is arranged, or until they can return home. It is being rolled out in West Lothian. “Nightstop West Lothian provides a safe, family based, alternative to traditional hotel or hostel emergency accommodation.” A report in 2016 by Depaul UK, the organisation which set up the Nightstop programme, reported that young people “experienced very dangerous situations in their attempts to stay off the streets, including staying with strangers while constantly in fear of assault, lodging with an uncle addicted to hard drugs, going to all-night parties with predatory men or suggesting ‘sleepovers’ to school friends simply to find a place to stay.” By staying in a local host’s home instead, they are much more likely to get the time-out and breathing space that they need in a safe environment, and to move on to a positive resolution to their issues. Emily’s story: When Emily was 16 her living circumstances were “not the best,” and she says when her mum kicked her out of the house she went to the council. The council put Emily in touch with the Rock Trust who arranged a host for her. The first evening “the hosts knocked on my door and asked if I was hungry, and if I wanted to eat in my room or with them. I went and sat at @KonectMagazines
Could you be a host? the table. They had good banter. It was good. I tried to help them cleaning up but they said no and for me to sit and rest. ….I stayed 4 nights before going home. While I was there I realised that I’m my own person and needed to stop doing everything for everyone else. I realised that talking to good people makes you feel better and that I wasn’t such a mess up as I thought I was.”
Could you be a host? As a volunteer host, you are fully supported with training and support from the Rock Trust. You provide an evening meal and a bedroom for the young person, and you let them know which parts of the house they can use – just like you would in a normal bed and breakfast arrangement. (They are not at home during the day as they are out in education, work or being supported by the Rock Trust). Your expenses are covered. If you are interested in helping, please see www.rocktrust.org/nightstop or email moreen.watson@rocktrust.org. Host families are needed in West Lothian. @KonectMagazines
Do you or a young person you know need emergency accommodation? Call 0131 557 4059 The Rock Trust, 55 Albany Street, Edinburgh, EH1 3QY. Open Mon-Fri, 8:45-17:00. www.rocktrust.org/nightstop
The Rock Trust is a charity registered in Scotland, number SCO18708.
This article was written by Helen-Jane Shearer after meeting with Mark Fieldhouse and Moreen Watson, Nightstop Development Workers for Edinburgh and West Lothian. CALDERS | 23
PROPERTY MATTERS
There’s no substitute for the genuinely personal
It is perhaps one of life’s little ironies that in a world of seemingly endless consumer choice so many businesses have lost sight of the customer experience.
We’ve all experienced the pain of trying to deal with utility companies, banks and internet service providers. All too often, we find ourselves caught up in automated phone or online menus where nothing makes sense or is relevant to us as an individual customer. Instead, we are faced by generic options and responses that really underline just how far companies and whole sectors have lost sight of customer needs - including of course the need for human contact for particular sets of circumstances. It’s one thing to check a product price online for example, but it’s quite another to discuss your precise requirements and explore options with the benefit of (hopefully) expert advice. Costs and the restructuring of organisations have of course driven much of this, but the damage to customer relationships has in many cases been incalculable. The thing is though, it really doesn’t have to be this way. Smaller businesses can learn from the mistakes of the big corporates by doing things differently. My sister experienced this first hand recently when she took some jewellery that belonged to our mother into a Jewellers in Glasgow to be re-sized and refurbished for her to wear and enjoy. While waiting for the work to be priced, she browsed other pieces and decided to buy a new necklace that she had been looking for. After processing the sale, the sales assistant went back into the workshop and returned a few minutes later to say that the owner of the shop wanted to waive all charges for the work on the 26 | CALDERS
sentimental pieces and would also clean them, any time she was passing, free of charge. He said this was because he understood the emotional importance that the jewellery had for her, and, coupled with the purchase of the new necklace, wanted to make this gesture of goodwill. It’s a story that touched me, and will resonate with anyone who has experienced truly caring service that puts the individual customer and their needs first. As the owner of an estate agency, the story hit home with me on a business as well as a personal level. The jeweller’s kindness really reflects the values of that business and speaks volumes about its principles. At Turpie & Co., our primary role is to use our expertise and market knowledge to achieve the best possible selling price for clients. The result is critical, but so is the customer experience. Selling your home can be fraught with emotion, and how you are made to feel can be just as important. I know how I want our clients to feel. I want them to feel like my sister did when she walked out of that jewellers – that everything had been done just right, by people who genuinely cared. That’s a feeling that is priceless and can never be undercut by a competitor. The monthly Property Matters column is contributed by Craig Turpie. Craig is a director at Turpie & Co Estate Agents and Letting Agents with extensive knowledge of the West Lothian Property Market and over 20 years experience in bespoke sales and marketing. @KonectMagazines
EPH
SCOTLAND LTD 10% OAP discount
ALL PLUMBING, GAS & ELECTRICAL WORK UNDERTAKEN
QUOTE KONECT
Craigcrook Joinery sMALL WORKS AND REPAIRS
John Wilson
07734 906812 jh.wilson@virginmedia.com 101 Mansfield, East Calder, EH53 0JF
WHEN BOOKING A BOILER SERVICE OR LANDLORD’S GAS CERTIFICATE
AND PAY JUST £50 + VAT 01506 882 643
contact@ephltd.co.uk www.ephscotlandltd.co.uk 23 Bank Street Mid Calder EH53 0AS
LB250
123871
Currievale
Plumbing & Drainage Services Emergency call outs Professional & reliable local plumber Family business, over 15 yrs experience No job too small All work guaranteed Call Alexander:
07849 393364 • 0131 449 3071 Currievale Drive, Currie
A & A Electrical Solutions Ltd Balerno All electrical work Private or commercial No job too big or small All work guaranteed Free estimates Professional and reliable service
Alan: 07969 929327
or email alskie@hotmail.com 28 | CALDERS
@KonectMagazines
@KonectMagazines
CALDERS | 29
Max's Garage Doors Ltd Garage Doors Electric Motors UPVC Side Doors Tel. 07821 984 978
info@maxsgaragedoors.co.uk 10 Years Experience
For all Installations repairs and services
We can remove your Dings, Dents & Scratches BODYWORK & ALLOY WHEEL REPAIRS
OUR SERVICE INCLUDES: Stone Chips, Vandalism, Dents, Cracked Bumpers, Kerb Damage, Scuffed Alloys, Interior & Exterior Colour Coding Call Jim now for your free quote
07581 829297
Unit 47b, West End, West Calder, West Lothian EH55 8EJ
30 | CALDERS
@KonectMagazines
KIRKNEWTON GARAGE.co.uk 1-3 Main Street, Kirknewton, EH27 8AJ
M.O.T s £35.00
LABOUR RATE £10 PER HOUR
FREE FIT TYRES FREE BALANCING FREE VALVES FREE TRACKING CHECK
FREE RECOVERY 175x65x14........£35 FREE DIAGNOSTIC CHECK 185x65x15........£39 FREE PRE MOT CHECK 195x65x15........£39
•BRAKES • EXHAUSTS •CLUTCHES • BATTERIES •ENGINES • GEARBOXES •ELECTRICS • SUSPENSION • AIR CON • WINDOWS
185x60x15........£39 205x55x16........£38 205x50x17........£49 225x45x17........£48 195x70x15 8PLY.£50 205x65x16 8PLY.£53
ALL PARTS FITTED TO PRIVATE CARS AT TRADE PRICES ESTABLISHED 1950 @KonectMagazines
Tel: 01506 885566
CALDERS | 31
BUSTER THE DOG
We repair Washing Machines, Tumble Dryers, Electric Ovens, Dishwashers and Washer Dryers
0772 965 1692
info@home-appliancerepair.co.uk www.home-appliancerepair.co.uk Like us on Facebook
Suburban Window Cleaning Window cleaning Rhones cleaned & painted Free estimates for houses, offices, shops, pubs, clubs. Licenced and insured
Call Ian on 07834 685663 32 | CALDERS
@KonectMagazines
Keeping your pet healthy and happy this Spring
Spring has arrived and with the blossom come new dangers for pets. Many flowers and shrubs are poisonous to pets. Daffodils, bluebells and tulips, for example, have poisonous bulbs and owners should be alert if your dog likes to dig. Lilies are a popular Easter flower, but be aware that the leaves and petals can be fatal to cats. The solution? Avoid having them in the house if you have a cat. Easter is the most common time for chocolate poisoning in dogs. If you know your dog has eaten chocolate, contact your vet immediately for advice. It is useful to know how much and what type of chocolate (white, milk, dark) they ate. Chocolate is not the only toxic food around Easter time.
Hot cross buns contain raisins that can be fatal to dogs or cats that ingest them. If your pet snaffles one of these, ring your vet for advice. (Google isn’t a vet!) It’s also spring mating season! As the days get longer, cats come into season and if there is a tom around you could have kittens in as little as 8 weeks. If your cat isn’t neutered yet, speak to your vet who will give you advice. We also have to think about livestock – dogs not under control can cause terrible damage and even death of livestock and can pick up diseases including parasites like Neospora and Echinococcus granulosus. Enjoy the Spring time but keep your pets safe and ask for advice – your vet will be happy to help. The Vet’s Tip is contributed by Michael McCallum BVM&S, MRCVS, GP Cert(Ophthal), Vet Surgeon and Director, The Lamond Vet Clinic
LAMOND Veterinary CLINIC YOUR PETS ARE OUR PRIORITY
ASK ABOUT THE LAMOND HEALTH CARE PLAN, GIVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUDGET MONTHLY AND SAVE MONEY ON YOUR PETS’ PREVENTATIVE HEALTHCARE The Lamond Veterinary Clinic Limited Bankton Square, Murieston, Livingston EH54 9EY Telephone: 01506 461 462 E: info@lamondvet.co.uk
www.lamondvet.co.uk
@KonectMagazines
CALDERS | 33
PUZZLES
SUDOKU
Sudoku Solution on Page 45.
CROSSWORD
Solution in the June edition of Konect
34 | CALDERS
ACROSS: 7. UK’s continent (6), 8. Waldorf salad nut (6), 9. Utilised (4), 10. Valuable, highly admired (8), 11. Repairs, mends (7), 13. Midriff (5), 15. Publish, issue (5), 17. Freedom (7), 20. Added extra (8), 21. Poisonous metal (4), 22. Cut into pieces (6), 23. More wealthy (6) DOWN: 1. Largest country (6), 2. Timber (4), 3. Tribes, nationalities (7), 4. Clean with broom (5), 5. Last, final (8), 6. Lines of people (6), 12. Persuade (8), 14. Meals (7), 16. Puzzle, enigma (6), 18. Bartered (6), 19. Ditzy, light-headed (5), 21. Ornate fabric (4)
@KonectMagazines
@KonectMagazines
CALDERS | 35
LaFood,Piuma: Family, Friends
“In Italy, food and family is a really important part of growing up. Food brings the family together to spend time, you spend time with your grandparents and learn from them, experiences that money cannot buy. I come from a farming background and fresh food, family and friends was always part of my life.” I’m visiting Daniele Tuveri at La Piuma, the restaurant he and his wife Gayle run in Bathgate, and over a very nice coffee learning his story.
“I moved to Scotland from Sardinia 15 years ago after meeting Gayle. I’ve worked in hospitality since I was 13 years old, and after working in many different restaurants, I wanted to create a restaurant where you could not only get excellent food, but a place you could feel at home.” The opportunity to have a premises in Bathgate came up, and they leaped at is as they were attracted by the community spirit in the town. So La Piuma opened in August 2017, to serve excellent Scottish food with an Italian twist in a friendly, welcoming restaurant.
Daniele’s passion for food is obvious, along with his passion equally for community, friendliness and the human touch. “We know our regular customers by name; they pop in for coffee and many have become firm friends. Here are La Piuma we create dishes you wouldn’t necessarily make at home. I believe you go to a restaurant for an experience, not just a plate of pasta. So the way we plate food up, the way we serve it, the way we look after our customers, is 36 | CALDERS
Daniele Tuveri, proprietor, La Piuma all very important. You experience food you would not make yourself, but you feel at home.” All the pasta and bread is made by their chef onsite, who coincidentally is also Sardinian. Daniele tells me one of their waitresses said “At some places I have worked I used to dread asking customers how the food is. But here, I love it, because they are always so positive!”
Besides the A La Carte menu, there is a Market Menu, priced at £7.95 for one course, £11.95 for two courses and £15.95 for three courses. The focus is on fresh Scottish produce, stunningly presented. Plans for the restaurant this year include an outdoors dining area in the private back garden of the restaurant.
With three industry awards under their belt, including Gold at the 2018 Scottish Food Awards, Taste our Best from Visit Scotland, and being fully booked most weekends, Daniele and Gayle must be doing something right. “I’ve been told we could be even busier if we moved the restaurant into Edinburgh. But we wouldn’t have the community we have here, and that means a lot to us.” For more information and the current menu, please see www.lapiuma.co.uk 52 Hopetoun Street, Bathgate, EH28 4EU. Reservations 01506 650388
This article was written by Helen-Jane Shearer after visiting La Piuma. Helen-Jane is the editor of Konect magazines and lives in West Lothian with her family. @KonectMagazines
STEEL CONTAINERS FOR RENT Suitable for storing your stuff or run your business from here. Based on a farm near East Calder. £15 per week For more information call 07814 915552
38 | CALDERS
@KonectMagazines
PARENTING
Just Dribble it!
Gill Mudie The brains
ibble behind Dr
Before you have kids you get to know the place where you live. You know where you like to go out for lunch, you have your favourite hangouts for coffee and cake, places you like to go for fun or to relax…then along come kids and the place you thought you knew is like a whole new world. Suddenly your needs are completely different and your favourite haunts just don’t cut it anymore. Ever find yourself wondering where you can go that will have space for a buggy, or that has nice changing facilities, a good kids menu, or a play area? Well now, there is an app for that! Dribble is a new childfriendliness review app, the brainchild of an Edinburgh mum who found she was asking herself these exact kind of questions far too often and not coming up with enough answers. Using the app you can discover places close by that have been tried and tested by other parents and you can search for things according to your needs, whatever they may be! So rather than furiously texting your friends for help when you are stuck or at a loose end, all the info is at your fingertips with Dribble. And all the venues are suggested and reviewed by real people. For new parents especially @KonectMagazines
it makes the idea of getting out of the house just a little bit less daunting. And you can add your own comments too to help other parents – pay it forward an’ all that. Plus Dribble is not just an app there is a whole community growing around it on Facebook and it seems it is a great supporter of local businesses with lots of new partners offering discounts to so-called ‘Dribblers’ including in West Lothian - 20% off Kids Gone Wild, 15% 0ff Turtle Pack Swim Academy, free coffee at Tot’s Spot in East Calder, and one month free with Enjoy-a-Ball to name but a few. So, whether you need a child-friendly café, a nearby playpark to meet your mum mates or something to do on a rainy day – Dribble has you covered. There’s even a handy ‘Inspire me’ button if you just want some fresh ideas for things to do locally. I went looking for some inspiration for my girls and it suggested Conifox Adventure
Park, Aerial Adventures Livingston and Kids Gone Wild for my biggest girl who is outdoorsy and adventurous. For my youngest it was Gooey Events, the Stick Man Trail in West Calder and Potter Around in Kirknewton. Next up finding somewhere for my tea and cake! Dribble currently covers Edinburgh, the Lothians, and Fife, but they are really keen to grow their West Lothian listings so why not download the Dribble app now or find out more information at www. dribbleit.co.uk and you could be adding reviews about your favourite spots and putting West Lothian local businesses on the Dribble map! The parenting column is contributed by Laura Archibald. Laura lives in West Lothian with her family and their campervan Hank. She is mummy, wife, blogger and full-time personal assistant to her two girlie girls.
CALDERS | 39
Linda Scott: FROM HORSES TO POLITICS VIA CATERING “You need to choose, Linda, is it university or the horses?”
“For me it was a no-brainer; I went with the horses,” says Linda Scott, CEO of West Lothian Chamber of Commerce and Director of Scottish Chambers of Commerce. She is talking about her early career and how she got to where she is today. “My mum said, ‘That’s ok, but if it’s the horses you fund it yourself.’” So, aged 17, Linda set up a catering business. “I couldn’t cook,” she says, “but my mum was a home economics teacher and very supportive. She lent me £600, I bought a fridge and cooker and set up in business in the utility room.” Linda is a high energy, live-life-to-the-full businesswoman. Her choice to go straight into work from school is one that has led her to championing Developing the Young Workforce, a Chamber of Commerce initiative that supports young people, businesses and educational institutions to explore the many pathways into work for young people. “University or college is not for everyone, and there is a huge number of options out there.”
Within a year, Linda had opened a coffee shop and business was going well. A chance meeting led to a job riding horses and attending horse shows all over the UK – an opportunity she leapt at, leaving the coffee shop in her mum’s hands. She was earning very little but loving it, then from the equestrian contacts an opportunity to cater in shooting lodges came along. Again with the support of her mum, who helped with devising menus, how to set out the tables and so on, she ended up being hugely successful. “I could command my price,” she says, “I was cooking for some of the wealthiest people in the UK, 40 | CALDERS
as well as politicians and members of the Royal Family.” Although she did ride horses too for a while, the catering business grew to become one of the largest bespoke caterers in Scotland with international clients such as Coca Cola, Samsung, and many banks on its client list. When Linda was asked to sit on the board of West Lothian Chamber of Commerce, and quickly became vice chair, she realised she loved it. “It was better than carting boxes around in vans doing the catering! So I sold most of the business, retaining just the highest-end contract at Gosford House, a beautiful venue where we still cater for large corporates and international clients.” As a Director of Scottish Chambers too Linda is involved in advising government on business, and sits on education advisory committees. “We focus on other routes into a career besides university and college, something I am very passionate about.”
With two children, international travel, the catering business and a penchant for taking on huge physical challenges, Linda has to be ferociously organised. From Tough Mudder, the first CEO Sleep Out and her latest challenge - a 100 mile charity trek across the Sahara - Linda packs in a lot. “I live life to the full; we have a very, very short time here, and I want to make the most of it.” This article was written by Helen-Jane Shearer after speaking with Linda. HelenJane is the editor of Konect magazines and lives in West Lothian with her family. @KonectMagazines
Value for money, quality dance products including shoes, patterns, swords, music, accessories, books & gifts All you need for Highland at the lowest prices We are based in East Calder so email to arrange collection and avoid postal costs! Contact us at staff@highlanddanceshop.com Visit our online shop at www.highlanddanceshop.com
Please contact us if you would like your business included in our Families/Education pages. Contacts details are on page 3.
@KonectMagazines
CALDERS | 41
May
With summer only a matter of weeks away, here’s a quick rundown of events going on across West Lothian this month.
Linlithgow’s Classics have begun their monthly meetings for 2019 – located in The Cross. Check out an array of preserved classics in the historic Burgh of Linlithgow. The event takes place on the fourth Saturday of every month (until October) from 10am. Nearby at Blackness Castle, you can retrace the footsteps of the leading Scottish American environmental conservationist John Muir. Explore the area through a photography exhibition by Ken Paterson that shares the beauty of both the Scottish and American wilderness that John Muir was so passionate about. The event takes place during normal Blackness Castle opening hours and is included in the admission to the castle (free to Historic Environment Scotland members!).
In Livingston, at Almond Valley Heritage Centre join the fun family event “Brilliant Beltane” daily 3rd to 7th May. Get back to nature and celebrate a simpler time when life was closer to nature. There is a daily programme of light-hearted family activities that delight in the mysteries and wonders of a traditional springtime.
Saturday 18th marks the start of Fly Open Air festival at Hopetoun House. Their biggest festival yet set in the beautiful grounds of Hopetoun House, one of Scotland’s finest stately homes. Tickets are available for the full weekend, or each individual day. Why not check out some of West Lothian’s Hidden Gems by taking a look at our newly updated website? You can see videos of locations before you go, as well as finding opening hours and more.
Follow us on social media to stay up to date with the latest attraction information: www.facebook.com/VisitWestLothian www.twitter.com/SeeWestLothian www.instagram.com/VisitWestLothian
Home-Start West Lothian Cameron House, 13a Fairbairn Road, Livingston 01506 415755 www.homestartwl.org.uk
Home-Start West Lothian provides quality support and friendship to vulnerable families with very young children in their own homes and communities through volunteer befriending
Can you spare 2 or 3 hours a week to support a local family? The next training course for home-visiting volunteers will start in May 2019 (date & time tbc.) It runs for 7 weeks, 3 hours/week For an application pack or to ask about any other volunteering opportunities please contact us on: 01506 415755 or cheryl@homestartwl.org.uk Home-Start West Lothian is committed to equal opporunities. PVG Scheme membership is required and we operate a Safer Recruitment Policy. Scottish Charity No SC 029770 Company limited by Guarantee 280852
42 | CALDERS
@KonectMagazines
CLUBS & CLASSES
SPORTS, HOBBIES, LEARNING, SUPPORT GROUPS & MORE... EAST CALDER HULLABALOO Music classes for babies and toddlers with their carers. At Hullabaloo the focus is on having lots of fun with colourful props, toys and musical instruments. Through favourite songs and rhymes, children will develop early musical skills including a sense of beat, rhythm and pitch. Mondays 10.00am (term time) East Calder Parish Church Hall. info@ mcmillanyoungmusicians.co.uk www.mcmillanyoungmusicians.co.uk/ hullabaloo/ KNEC BAIRNS’ ROCK Bible story, music, singing, craft, play, snack and support for all babies and preschool kids with parents/ carers. Wednesday 9.30-11.30am (in school term). East Calder Church Hall, EH53 0EN. Call or text Alistair on 07791 524504 for details. FIREFLY ARTS Firefly Arts provide fun and friendly theatre, film and drama workshops for children and young people (5 to 25 years) in venues across West Lothian. Call 08447 744496 or email admin@firefly-arts.co.uk for more information on our current programme. Firefly Arts Ltd, Howden Park Centre, Livingston, EH54 6AE. www.firefly-arts.co.uk LOTHIAN RUNNING CLUB We welcome runners of any standard. We believe that running clubs are not just for the elite (although we will let fast people join too). Suitable for all ages and we have a junior section from age 6. Training sessions in/ around Livingston, meet at Inveralmond High, Craigswood Sports Centre and Dechmont Law car park. For more info see website www.lothianrunningclub.co.uk. WEST LOTHIAN CLARION Cycling club – our aim is to help cyclists plan and reach their own goals through training with, and seeking advice and support from fellow club members. Weekly club runs leave from Linlithgow Leisure Centre and East Calder Sports Centre. See www.westlothianclarion.co.uk or email secretary@westlothianclarion.co.uk WEST LOTHIAN BAKING CLUB We meet approximately every 6th Wednesday 7:30 – 9:30pm in Dechmont Hall to talk about all things baking related. No requirement to be the next Mary Berry! £2 per meeting. Email wlbakingclub@yahoo. co.uk or find us on facebook. WEST LOTHIAN ROYAL SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCE SOCIETY Classes in South Church Hall, Uphall - Starting on Thurs 17th Sept 7.30 to 9.30pm. 10 weeks through to the 19th Nov, then starting the 7th January through to 10th Mar 2016. £3 per week. Teacher Mrs Margaret McGregor. Dancing for fun & fitness, any new beginners very welcome. For more info contact Sandra Cheyne, tel 01506 430600 email sdcheyne77@yahoo.com. WEST LOTHIAN GYMNASTICS Craigwillow Centre, Craigshill, Livingston Pre school classes for boys and girls, learn gymnastics in a fun and dedicated full time gymnastics facility. Classes lead by fully qualified coaches and morning, afternoon
@KonectMagazines
and weekend classes available for children 18 months 3 years and 35 years with direct progression to recreational pathway age 5 without waiting list. First class free, please contact westlothiangymnastics@ gmail.com. ANTE-NATAL YOGA - YAMMA MAMMA Prepare for your Baby with Yoga birth preparation and fitness. Sunday morning 10am to 11.30am. For more details please contact Ruth on 07767 777044 or ruth@sukha.co.uk FORGET-ME-NOT CAFÉ East Calder Church Hall, Manse Court. Last Thursday of the month, 10am – 12pm. A meeting place for people with dementia and their carers of all ages. Drop in and join us for information, support and social activities. Supported by Alzheimer Scotland and East Calder Church. For more information please phone 01506 533 116. EAST CALDER BOWLING CLUB Bingo every Sun and Wed 8pm– 9.30pm. Junior coaching (10 to 16 years old) every friday 2pm – 4pm. We can also coach adults, free, so come along and give it a try. Hats every Mon 6-30pm. See club website at www.eastcalderbowlingclub. com. Members can find details here of competitions, play by dates and club news. EAST CALDER JOG SCOTLAND GROUP Meet every Tuesday at East Calder Health centre car park at 7pm. All abilities welcome, a social way to get fit, make friends and enjoy local countryside. Contact Dawn on 01506 883330 or 07806 772935 for more details. YOGA FOR EVERYONE East Calder Partnership Centre. Wed 7.00pm – 8.30pm For further info contact Ruth Plevin: 01506204338 or ruth@sukha.co.uk EAST CALDER COLTS FC East Calder Park. Soccer school every Friday night and teams for all ages groups please check website for details www.eastcalderfc.co.uk/ EAST CALDER OLD FOLKS CLUB East Calder Partnership Centre. Last Thursday of the month, September to April 1.30pm 3.30pm. Pensioners and non-pensioners welcome. Contact Carol Anne Murray (Sec). EAST CALDER LADIES’ CIRCLE East Calder Partnership Centre. Second Thursday of the month, Sept to May at 1-3pm. Secretary: Mrs E Bennett, 73 Mansefield, East Calder, West Lothian EH53 0JE. EAST CALDER YOUTH CLUB East Calder Partnership Centre. Fri 6.15pm - 8.45pm. Ages 10 to 14 yrs. Cooking, football, baseball and other outdoor sports, pool, video games, board games and arts/crafts. Contact Gary Sneddon 01506 774473. NEW MUMS GROUP This group is for new mums of any age. East Calder Partnership Centre. Mon 11.00am - 12.30pm. Free. Contact health visitor via health centre for further details 01506 880582. BREAST FEEDING SUPPORT GROUP East Calder Church Hall. Wednesday 11.30 am – 12.30 pm. Contact Health Visitors via Health Centre for further details 01506 880582
BOYS BRIGADE East Calder Church Hall. Anchors (age 5 - 8) Fridays 6.30 7.30pm. Juniors (age 8 - 11) Fridays 6.45 - 8.15pm. Company Section (age 11-18). Fridays 7.30 - 9.45pm. Call Jean Gilchrist 01506 880367 EAST CALDER PLAYGROUP Now located in East Calder Partnership Centre. Mon-Fri 9am-11am from 2 years. For the best introduction to your child’s education - lots of fun to be had! £5.50 per session. Contact Carol on 07748 053340. RAINBOWS, BROWNIES AND GUIDES East Calder Church Hall, Main Street. Rainbows: East Calder Church Hall, Mon 6.30-7.30pm & Wed 6.15-7.15 Brownies: Kirknewton Church Hall Tues 6.30pm-8pm. Brownies contact Gillian Maben 01506 880640 or Sally buchanan. sally@btinternet.com Guides: Kirknewton Church Hall Mon 7pm-9pm and East Calder Church Hall Wed 7.30-9pm. Guides contact Fiona Wilson 07595 679117 fionamhwilson@sky.com. EAST CALDER SCOUT GROUP Scout Hall, Calderhall Terrace. Beavers Mon 6.15 - 7.15pm (boys 6 - 8 yrs). Cubs Mon 7.30 - 9.00pm (boys 8 - 10 yrs). Scouts Tues 7.15 - 9.00pm (boys 10 - 14 yrs). Contact Jack Galloway on 077907 93889. www.eastcalderscouts.org.uk EAST CALDER YOUTH CLUB For P6 to S4, Fridays 6.30-8.30pm. Entry £1. Contact Errin Anderson Community Education Worker 01506 871278. EAST CALDER NEEDLECRAFT CLUB We are a group of ladies who would like to invite you to our weakly Thursday meetings, between 7 and 9.30 pm in the Partnership Centre. We enjoy a range of needlecrafts including cross stitch, embroidery, knitting, crochet, sewing. Friendly tuition given. Our members range in age from 18 to 80. Outings include a trip to Hobby Craft in Glasgow, S.E.C.C. Also away day trips - something to please everyone. Tea and biscuits provided. Please contact 01506 882427 for more information. EAST CALDER OLD TYME DANCE CLUB East Calder Partnership Centre We meet Tuesday afternoons from 1 pm to 3 pm, and dance to live music from Iain MacPhail, accordionist. Beginners/learners are very welcome to join us in this very friendly club. SLIMMING WORLD East Calder Bowling Club, 255 Main Street, East Calder, EH53 0EL Tuesdays at 3.30pm, 5.30pm and 7.30pm. Wednesdays at 9.30am and 11.30am. Contact Sue on 07803 520781 for more information. WEST LOTHIAN EAGLES – AUSSIE RULES FOOTBALL We have just started and are looking for new players, of all shapes and sizes, beginners especially for free training sessions. Get fit, have a laugh, make new friends and play a new sport. We train mainly in East Calder football pitch on the Main St. on Monday evenings at 7.15pm but we also train on various other places throughout West Lothian. Check the facebook page for details. www.facebook.com/wleaglesarfc/
CALDERS | 43
MID CALDER KIRKNEWTON COMMUNITY PLAYGROUPS KIRKNEWTON Kirknewton Village Hall Main Street, EH27 8AH. Manager Claire Contact: 07958530681. Open Tues, Wed and Friday 9:15 to 11:30am £7.50 per session. RAINBOW UNIT (Girls aged 5-7 years old) take place on Wednesday night. For more information please visit www.girlguiding.org.uk/get-involved or alternatively you can email us on westlothiangirlguiding@gmail.com.
BROWNIE UNIT (Girls aged 7-10 years old) take place on Tuesday and Wednesday night. For more information please visit www.girlguiding.org.uk/getinvolved or alternatively you can email us on westlothiangirlguiding@gmail.com.
GUIDE UNIT (Girls aged 10-14 years old) take place on Monday night. For more information please visit www.girlguiding. org.uk/get-involved or alternatively you can email us on westlothiangirlguiding@ gmail.com.
KIRKNEWTON BABY & TODDLER GROUP Every Thursday 9.30-11.30 in Kirknewton Church Hall. £1.50 per family includes snacks and hot drinks. Join us for child-led play and ending the session with fun group songs. Keep up to date with us on Facebook! KIRKNEWTON RUNNERS Meet at Kirknewton Park every Monday at 19.30
KIRKNEWTON STOMPERS Walking group, meeting at Kirknewton Park entrance on Park Terrace. Every Wed 7.30pm. Join the group on the community facebook page where people post details of the walk, or any other time they are walking. HATTON SPORTS CLUB Tennis and squash. Burnwynd, Kirknewton. Social and competitive play. LTA-qualified tennis coaches. Contact Carol Blamire 01506 880208
SIMPLY PLAY Kaspars Out of School Care for Kirknewton. Kirknewton Primary School. Mon – Thu 3.15-6.00pm, Fri 12.30 – 6.00. Call 07871 791000 KIRKNEWTON WOMEN’S INSTITUTE Come and join us for a friendly evening of craft, demonstrations and fun. 2nd Thursday of each month, 7.15pm in Kirknewton Church Hall.
KIRKNEWTON PLAYGROUP A happy and friendly playgroup for children ages 2 to 5 years. Open Tues, Wed & Fri 9.15am - 11.30am in Kirknewton Village Hall. Contact admin@communityplaygroups.co. uk / 07593165100 or pop in and see us in the hall. £7.50 per session. Funded places are also available for eligible 2 year olds. BOOKBUG Songs and Stories for 0-5-years old, Kirknewton Church Hall Thursdays 10.45am – 11.15am weekly during term time.
ACCESS 2 EMPLOYMENT JOB CLUB Kirknewton Village Hall. Adult dance class to encourage adults back into dance and raise money for good causes. Wednesdays 8.15-9.30pm. Contact Cathy on 01506 881674.
44 | CALDERS
RAINBOW UNIT (Girls aged 5-7 years old) take place on Wednesday night. For more information please visit www.girlguiding. org.uk/get-involved or alternatively you can email us on westlothiangirlguiding@ gmail.com. BROWNIE UNIT (Girls aged 7-10 years old) take place on Tuesday night. For more information please visit www.girlguiding. org.uk/get-involved or alternatively you can email us on westlothiangirlguiding@ gmail.com. GUIDE UNIT (Girls aged 10-14 years old) take place on Wednesday night. For more information please visit www.girlguiding.org.uk/get-involved or alternatively you can email us on westlothiangirlguiding@gmail.com. MID CALDER SCHOOL OF DANCE Mid Calder Institute Hall. Highland, Disco Tues 6.00pm - 7.00pm and Fri 6.00pm 9.00pm. Various ages. Contact Heather 01501733054. STAR HARMONIES Musical Theatre School. Mid Calder Institue Hall.Tuesdays 10-30-11am- Baby Starz; 11-15-11-45amLittle Starz. Other classes in Polbeth. Black Bull Inn Thursdays 6:10-7:10pm Liv’n Harmoneez Kids/Teenz Choir; 7:30-9:30pm The Liv’n Harmony Singers adult choir. Contact 07545 178310 for more information. See www.starharmonies.co.uk email: starharmonies.musicworkshops@gmail.com WEST LOTHIAN WOMEN’S CYCLE CLUB Meet every Thursday at Mid Calder Primary School Car Park at 6pm. Get on your bike! All abilities welcome, should have own bike and kit. A great way to get fit, have fun and meet new friends around the local area. Contact Elizabeth Logan on 07515 161 307. WELCOME CAFÉ Glenalmond Hall. Every Tuesday 10am-12noon. This is a Fair Trade Café all proceeds of which to the Vine Trust in Peru. Do come along and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and some home baking with friends. CUNNIGAR HOUSE ACTIVITY GROUP Are you over 60? Looking to get out and meet new people? Come and join in our activity group in Cunnigar House, Mid Calder, weekly Tuesdays (2-4pm). A mix of gentle physical activity, quizzes and games. We also love a good chat over a cup of tea! All welcome, cost is just £1 per session. Get in touch if you’d like more information, with Cyrenians OPAL (Older People, Active Lives) on 01506 815815 or email opal@ cyrenians.scot www.cyrenians.scot. at Cunnigar House, Mid Calder. MID CALDER CAMERA CLUB Institute Hall, Market Street. Wed 7:30pm – 9:45pm. All levels of photographers are welcome. For more information, visit www. mccc.org.uk or call Steve Collier at 01506 881398 or Gordon Scott at 01506 882616. MID CALDER COLTS FC Teams covering all ages, playing soccer 7s, 11-a-side and
also a soccer school. For more information see the Colts’ website www.mid-caldercolts.org. Contact Carole 883934. Contact@mid-calder-colts.org. MID CALDER BABY & TODDLER GROUP Institute Hall, Tuesdays & Thursdays 9am-11am. £1 per baby / £1.50 per toddler per session, all welcome. Please email midcalderbabygroup@gmail. com for more details. YOGA CLASSES Masonic Hall. Wednesday evening class 7.30 -9pm. Contact Linda Bibby 01506 884115. www.wholebodybalance.co.uk FOLK CLUB The MidCalder Inn, Mid Calder. Meets every third Tuesday of the month 8pm at the “Tap Shop”. CHORAL HIGHLIGHTS LADIES’ CHOIR A choir of around 20 ladies, new members most welcome. An ability to read music is not necessary, just lots of enthusiasm with a focus on fun! We hold two concerts a year, in June and December. Accompanied by the excellent West Calder Brass Band. Available on request to perform at other venues eg fundraising, local clubs and sheltered housing. Wed 7.30pm - 9.45 pm in Kirk of Calder, Mid Calder. Please contact John 01506 880029; Janice 01506 437658; or Iris 01506 431410.
PUMPHERSTON UPHALL STATION CREATIVE PLAY Meets in Uphall Station Institute Hall. Tues 1-3pm and Thurs 9.30-11.15am. Parents/carers of babies/toddlers age 0-5 very welcome. Supported by SureStart. Different play activities every week.
PUMPHERSTON UNITED FC Four groups, including a soccer school for 5-12 yrs (Thur 6.00pm - 7.30pm); 1998 age group (Tuesdays); 1997 age group (Mon and Wed) and 1995 age group (Mon and Wed). Training at Pumpherston Recreation Park. For more information, please email feedback@pumpherston-united.co.uk POLBETH W.R.I. 1st Wednesday of the month at 7pm. Come along for an interesting programme of talks and demonstrations. New members always welcome. Further info on 01506 435708.
ALMOND VALLEY FOLK CLUB We meet at 8pm on the third Tuesday of the month at the Railway Inn, Main Street, West Calder. Come along to sing, play or just listen; or see our full programme on our Facebook page.
WEST CALDER WEST CALDER AND DISTRICT MODEL FLYING CLUB For all ages and genders focusing on model aircraft flying and building. Please see www.modelclub.org for further details.We have an excellent custom made flying site situated half a mile north of
@KonectMagazines
Woolfords Cottages (search Google Maps for West Calder and District Model Flying Club) A small annual fee applies. Please e-mail club-secretary@modelclub.org or visit on Saturday or Sunday mornings, weather permitting.
STAR HARMONIES Singing * Dance * Acting * Shows* Performance Group * 1:1 Singing and Musical Theatre Lessons Star Harmonies Musical Theatre School Polbeth Harwood Church Tuesdays: 5:30 - 8:30pm - Singing, dance and acting & show work (ages 3-18) Saturdays & Sundays - Dance classes including adult tap 1:1 Singing lessons in Mid Calder 07545178310 for more information. See www.starharmonies.co.uk email: starharmonies.musicworkshops@ gmail.com
WEST LOTHIAN FIBROMYALGIA SUPPORT GROUP Meets usually third Sunday of the month, 1.30pm-3.30pm, West Calder Community Centre. (No meetings July, Aug, Dec, Jan). New members warmly welcomed. Join us for support, advice, friendship, talks, outings. Check website to confirm future meeting dates sites.google.com/site/wlfibromyalgia. For more information phone Alison 07931355495 . COMMUNITY PLAYGROUPS WEST CALDER West Calder Community Centre, Dickson Street, EH55 8DZ Manager Julie. Contact: 07591734155 Open Monday to Thursday 9:15 to 11:30am £7.50 per session. THE LOOK GROUP Outdoors activities in Almondell and Calderwood Country Park for ages 8-12. Meeting at Visitor Centre 10.30 - 12.00 Saturdays - not every Sat, check programme with the Rangers on 01506 882254.
18TH WEST LOTHIAN SCOUT GROUP West Kirk Hall, West Calder. Beavers Mon 6-7pm. Cubs Wed 6.16-7.30pm Scouts Thurs 6.30-8pm. Girls and boys 10.5-14 yrs. Contact Jean Walkinshaw 01506 873638. WEST CALDER WALKING GROUP Every Thurs at 12.30. Meet outside the Co-op, West Calder Main Street. Walk approx 1 hr then coffee/tea stop to finish. Call 01506 871773 for more info.
CHURCHES WEST KIRK OF CALDER & POLBETH HARWOOD CHURCH West Kirk of Calder Service 9.45am every Sunday; Polbeth Harwood Church Service 11.15am every Sunday. Minister: Rev Dr Jonanda Groenewald, 3 Johnsburn Road, Balerno, EH14 7DN. Tel 0131-261-7977 KIRKNEWTON AND EAST CALDER CHURCH Kirknewton Services: 9.45am in Kirknewton Church, Station Road. East Calder Services: 11.15am in East Calder Church, Main Street. EnerJ (Sunday School) available. Crèche available. Minister: Rev Alistair Cowper, 8 Manse Court, East Calder, EH53 0HF.
@KonectMagazines
Tel 01506 357083. Our website: www.knec4jesus.org.uk has full details of current services/activities.
MID CALDER Services 10.30 every Sunday in the Kirk of Calder, Main St, Mid Calder. Sunday School and crèche available. Pumpherston services - The Kirk of Calder also holds fortnightly services on Wednesday mornings at 10:15 at the Pumpherston Institute Hall. The website www.kirkofcalder.com has full details of current activities/services.
SOLUTIONS
SOLUTION TO APRIL CROSSWORD
ST THERESA’S CATHOLIC CHURCH Times of service - Sunday 11.30am. www.livingstoncatholicparishes.co.uk 01506 880918. Parish Priest, Fr Kenneth Owens, Email: catholic126@gmail.com
OTHER AREAS LIVINGSTON RAMBLERS Livingston Ramblers has an enthusiastic group of walkers from Livingston and surrounding areas who enjoy a varied programme of mountain, coastal and woodland walks to suit different abilities. We welcome new members. Walks are on most Sundays, second Thursdays and one Saturday a month. Thursday walks are 5-8 miles with minimal ascent. Walkers meet at Livingston Football Club carpark at 10am Saturday walks are more challenging with Munros and Corbetts, starting at 7 or 8am from Livingston North railway station.
ACROSS: 1. Safe, 3. Everyday, 9. Cartoon, 10. Reply, 11. Enter, 12. Splash, 14. Lowest, 16. Editor, 19. Middle, 21. Zebra, 24. Mills, 25. Beneath, 26. Tadpoles, 27. Less. DOWN: 1. Secretly, 2. First, 4. Vanish, 5. Rural, 6. Deposit, 7. Yo-yo, 8. Courts, 13. Breathes, 15. Whirled, 17. Dozens, 18. Pebble, 20. Disco, 22. Blame, 23. Omit.
SOLUTION TO SUDOKU ON PAGE 34
Sunday walks are more varied, around 1012 miles with some mountain, coastal or woodland. They meet at Livingston North railway station at 8 or 9am. Please check us out on Facebook or Google to see the current programme or contact Hilda on 01506 882399 for more details or to join one of our walks. CHOOSE YOU – YOGA STUDIO AND WELLNESS HUB Wide range of classes at our permanent wellness studio in Carmondean. Yoga classes include Iyengar, Ashtanga, Seasonal, Bihar, Hatha/Vinyasa and Core Strength as well as yoga for kids, teens and men. We also offer Tai-Chi. For a full list and timetable, please see our Facebook page - www.facebook.com/chooseyouyoga, call Eva on 07810 824 195 or email info@chooseyouyoga.co.uk for more information.
TO INCLUDE YOUR CLUB OR CLASS, PLEASE EMAIL DETAILS TO EDITOR@KONECT.SCOT CHARITY AND NOT-FOR-PROFIT GROUPS ARE FREE. THERE IS A SMALL CHARGE FOR OTHER LISTINGS. SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION. WWW.KONECT.SCOT
Disclaimer: The publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage caused by error in the printing of an advertisement. We do not endorse any advertisers in this publication. All material is accepted for publication on the understanding it is copyright free. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior consent of the publisher. Publisher: Lothian Publications Ltd. Geddes House, Kirkton North, Livingston, West Lothian EH54 6GU. Magazine Design: Universal Appeal Ltd. M: 07729 911858 W: www.universal-appeal.com E: info@universal-appeal.com
CALDERS | 45
INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
ACCOUNTANCY & ESTATE AGENT Drummond Miller 20 BOOKKEEPING Turpie & Co 27 AKT Bookkeeping 20 YOPA 4 APPLIANCE REPAIRS FENCING, RAILINGS, GATES Home Appliance Repair 32 John Gillan Fencing and ARCHITECT Landscaping 4 Plan-It 11 FLORIST BATHROOMS & KITCHENS Vicky’s Flowers 16 1st Choice Living 5 Bathgate Bathroom Studio 6 FUNERAL DIRECTOR Mark Porteous Funeral S and S Home Directors 47 Improvements 29 GARAGE DOORS BEAUTICIAN Garolla 6 Beauty by Annie 16 Max’s Garage Doors 30 Lisa Blair 16 GARDEN CENTRE BOILER SERVICES New Hopetoun Gardens 19 The Gas Engineer 10 GARDEN DESIGN / BOWLING CLUB MAINTENANCE East Calder Bowling Club 18 Evergreen Balerno 34 BUILDER West Lothian Build-It 11 Garden Maintenance 20 CAR SERVICING, MOT & GARDEN FURNITURE AND REPAIR BUILDINGS Autocare Solutions 31 Champfleurie Estate 24 JWG Car Care 30 GAS STOCKIST Kirknewton Garage 31 Charles Gas 30 CARPET & UPHOLSTERY GLAZING REPAIRS CLEANING CR Smith 25 James Burnett Carpet Cleaning 32 GOLF CLUB Baberton Golf Club 18 CHARITY British Heart Foundation 14 HAIR SALON Jane & Friends 16 CHILDREN’S NURSERY TJ Barbers 16 ABC Private Nursery 41 Angela Elizabeth Nursery 38 HANDYMAN 1st Call Handyman CHIROPODY / PODIATRY / Services 10 FOOTCARE McDonald Footcare 15 JEWELLER Jewellery Workshop 18 COMPUTER / PHONE REPAIRS Sprint Computer Repairs 30 JOINERY Craigcrook Joinery 28 CURTAINS & BLINDS Geoff Vinter Joinery 10 Harvey Bruce 21 LANDLORD SERVICES DANCE: CLASSES / SUPPLIES Let Link 4 Highland Dance Shop 41 LANDSCAPING SUPPLIES DENTIST Beatson’s Building Supplies 35 Artis Dental and Implant Studio 15 LAWNS No.9 Practice 16 Green Thumb Lawn Service 35 DOORS / WINDOWS LOCKSMITH UPVC Doors 7 CVC Locksmiths and Security 37 ELECTRICIAN A&A Electrical Solutions 28 MARKETING / LEAFLETING The Leaflet Lady 48 Riddell Electrical Services 28 46 | CALDERS
MOBILITY SERVICES Ableworld 17 PAINTING & DECORATING Braekirk Decorators 10 EDC Painters & Decorators 5 TML Decor 11 PLASTERING Alexander Aitken Plastering 20 Nu Walls 20 PLUMBING & HEATING SERVICES Currievale Plumbing & Drainage 28 Dewar Plumbing 10 EPH Scotland 28 Mech A Tech Home Heating Services 7 McLellan Plumbing 28 Plumb-It 11 PUBLIC HOUSE Black Bull Inn 2 RESTAURANT Al Borgo Ristorante 37 La Piuma Restaurant 37 STORAGE FACILITIES Morrison Dick Container Storage 37 TRUSTED TRADER SCHEME West Lothian Trusted Trader Scheme 21 TUITION Kumon Livingston 38 VET & ANIMAL WELLBEING Lamond Veterinary Clinic 33 Pentland Veterinary Clinic 32 WHAT’S ON Gardening Scotland 13 WINDOW & GUTTER CLEANING CS Window and Gutter Cleaning 32 Suburban Window Cleaning 32 YOUTH EMPLOYMENT SCHEME Developing the Young Workforce 41
@KonectMagazines