Konect Linlithgow September 2021 by Konect Magazines

SEPTEMBER 2021

LOCAL PEOPLE:

PARENTING:

WHAT'S ON:

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’m delighted this month to be able to publish a selection of articles from different local community organisations who are getting on with the business of normality – and who would love you to be involved! Linlithgow Players are back with an open air performance at Bonnytoun Farm early this month (see p35). The annual September Doors Open Days for West Lothian is organised by the Linlithgow Civic Trust, and this year there is a mix of virtual tours and in-person visits possible. This is a chance to take the time to see inside some buildings that you’d normally pass perhaps without thinking about their stories or what goes on inside them. Another local organisation, Love to Ride West Lothian, is encouraging everyone to get involved in the Cycle September Challenge. A Linlithgow resident joins the elite number of people to have successfully swum the English Channel, to raise money for charity. See the article on page 32 and please contribute to his fundraiser if you can. Laura turns her attention to the beginning of autumn in her parenting column. Warming treats are sometimes required to motivate kids and adults alike to get out and about as the weather cools down and of course we’re spoiled for choice in Linlithgow!

THIS ISSUE What’s On: Cycle September................................8 What’s On: Doors Open .........................................9 Living Well: Day in the life of a caregiver........13 Property Matters: Autumn’s all Go!...................16 Technology: Is the internet really damaging the planet?...........................................20 Film Review: Cruella..............................................26 Life Coaching...........................................................26 Garden Project: Late summer glut...................27 Parenting: You are in for a treat.........................28 Local Environment: Whitethroat.........................30 Vet’s Tip: Pet Manners..........................................31 Local People: Hugh Sellars.................................32 Puzzles.......................................................................33

COVER IMAGE: Doors Open Days 2021 - Visit St Michael’s Parish Church

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We’ve all been hearing about the benefits of exercise for our mental and physical wellbeing… but it’s not always easy to get started. At Love to Ride West Lothian, our ‘Cycle September’ campaign is aimed at getting more people cycling, and we would love it if you would join us! We run lots of fun challenges year-round. Our website is packed with local information on cycle routes, events, community groups, and so on. You can record your cycles, set goals and win achievement badges. Inspiring stories and photographs from local cyclists encourage you to get out and about - give them a virtual highfive of encouragement as you read their stories!

WHAT IS CYCLE SEPTEMBER?

Cycle September is a work-place challenge designed to get groups of colleagues cycling (together or separately) to compete against other local individuals and work places. It’s fun, friendly and there are great prizes to be won. There are, of course, points to be gained for each ride and for distance covered, but there are also big points awarded for getting other people to join you and giving them the confidence to give cycling a try. You only have to cycle for 10 minutes to get points…and to realise why so many people love cycling. This is a great way to bring people back together (physically or virtually) and work towards a common goal. You can even invite other workplaces to compete against you for a bit of friendly competition, for example teachers in one school can challenge the teachers of another school. Great fun!

HOW DO YOU JOIN?

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health benefits can last a life-time. You can start at any time in September. Record any rides and you’re in with a chance of winning.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO GET STARTED

Please get in contact at lyndsey@lovetoride.net if you would like help to get started. We can put you in touch with clubs, show you where to find maps and even help you access bikes. We are lucky to have the West Lothian Bike Library on our doorstep here. There are also some fantastic local cafes to head towards as a reward for your efforts. Some we love are Abby J Cakes in Mid Calder, The Park Bistro in Linlithgow and, for a longer cycle, Hickety Pickety Tea Room near Forth. There is also a fantastic new business in Livingston called Ptarmigan Coffee who do ‘Pop-up’ events selling their artisan bakery goods and roasted coffee – and for when you don’t feel like cycling to reach them, then they deliver their products to you by bike (in Livingston area). Come join the challenge, have fun with colleagues, enjoy the health benefits and win some prizes. This years prizes include lots of biking merchandise, a £50 voucher for the Park Bistro, £50 voucher for Ptarmigan Coffee, and a decadent cheesecake from Abby J Cakes. Lots more prizes on the website. Register at LOVETORIDE.NET/WESTLOTHIAN This article is contributed by Lyndsey at Love to Ride West Lothian. Love to Ride West Lothian is funded by West Lothian Council

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EXPLORE SITES ACROSS WEST LOTHIAN (AND THE REST OF SCOTLAND) FOR FREE

In September, West Lothian will again take part in this year’s Door Open Days event, Scotland’s largest free festival of places, history and culture. Venues are working hard behind the scenes helping put together a programme of in-person and online events and activities.

Inspired by the success of Doors Open Days’ first ever digital festival in 2020, which welcomed 184,000 virtual visitors from across the world, the 2021 festival will have both online and inperson events and activities. The combination of in-person and online events will enable more visitors than ever before to explore some of West Lothian’s places and hundreds of others across the length and breadth of Scotland.

It is Scotland’s largest free festival that celebrates our places, history and culture, new and old. Each September, the festival offers access to over a thousand sites and events across Scotland. The aim is to ensure that Scotland’s built and cultural heritage is made accessible to people living in and visiting the country. Doors Open Days forms part of Scotland’s contribution to European Heritage Days, which sees over 25 million people from 50 countries take part annually, uniting our communities in a unique celebration of heritage in our own special ways. Doors Open Days is coordinated nationally by the Scottish Civic Trust with annual support from Historic Environment Scotland and others. Local

area programmes are co-ordinated by a network of local authorities, heritage consultancies, civic societies and heritage groups who are in turn supported by a large number of volunteers, businesses, community organisations and building owners.

Linlithgow Civic Trust has organised West Lothian’s Doors Open Days event since 2011 and are proud to be doing so once more in 2021. Allan M Robertson of Linlithgow Civic Trust and the West Lothian Doors Open Days Co-ordinator said: “It will be particularly pleasing to welcome visitors back into buildings for in-person events again this year so we can all reconnect with our neighbours and some of our local places after what has been a difficult and challenging time for us all.” West Lothian’s Doors Open Days festival will take place over the weekend of 11/12 September 2021. For more details of what is happening with Doors Open Days in Linlithgow, West Lothian and across the country as whole, please check out the official event website at www.doorsopendays.org.uk

COVID-19 restrictions: Event organisers only encourage people to attend in-person events in accordance with the latest Scottish Government COVID-19 guidance. The events and buildings that will be open for in-person visits will ensure safe access according to the most current guidelines.

This article was contributed by Allan M Robertson, Linlithgow Civic Trust and West Lothian Doors Open Days Co-ordinator. E: perambulation@lbt.scot. For more details on the activities of Linlithgow Civic Trust please visit lbt.scot/civic-trust. Linlithgow Civic Trust is part of Linlithgow Burgh Trust. Linlithgow Burgh Trust is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Scottish Charity No. SC047211) @KonectMagazines

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LIVING WELL

A day in the life of a

C aregiver

Over the past year, the important work that carers do has been in the spotlight, keeping older and vulnerable people safe in their own homes throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Working in care is a truly important role, and one that more and more people are turning to; But what does the role actually involve?

Carers throughout the sector, whether working in a residential facility or within people’s homes, provide companionship and company. This has been so important throughout the pandemic, as many older and vulnerable people have been isolating and unable to see family and friends for many months at a time. Providing companionship can mean anything from sitting down for a chat with a cup of tea, completing a jigsaw or an activity, or even going for a day trip to somewhere new.

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Companionship is at the base of care, and building strong relationships with your clients is important to keeping them feeling happy and comfortable.

Carers of course carry out other roles including personal care, helping clients dress and shower, as well as sometimes providing medical assistance. You may also help a client around their home, carrying out cleaning or shopping tasks, providing all-round support to older and vulnerable people. A local client comments: “Getting a welcoming smile and knowing someone is caring for you brightens up your day”.

Working in care presents real progression opportunities, offering a real career path. Carers can progress to supervisor and management positions, helping older and vulnerable people across the wider community. You can also contact your local Home Instead office for advice and support on 01506 539541 or by visiting homeinstead.co.uk/livingston

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PROPERTY MATTERS

As we reach the end of the summer months, the expectation is the property market will become active once again as homeowners consider a house move through the autumn.

The period between schools going back after the summer holidays and the mid-term October holidays is typically the second busiest time of the year in terms of sales volume in the property market. The continued upward trend in property prices over the first half of the year, created a shortage of properties for sale over the summer leaving buyers frustrated and homeowners who are looking to sell nervous about listing when there’s nothing new on the market for them to buy yet. The imbalance of supply and demand still means that there are more buyers in the market than properties available for sale. Sellers who enter the market ahead of this expected rush are likely to be the winners, not only with the backlog of frustrated buyers they will only be competing with low stock levels, plus those properties that haven’t sold over the summer. Property which is new to market is highly

prized and any agent will tell you that, in current market conditions, most (but not all) properties are likely to sell within the first few weeks of marketing. This is the period when buyers are most excited, and motivated, often leading to a closing date as buyers compete for your property.

So, if you are contemplating selling in the next 6 months, we suggest you take advantage of the situation and position your property for an early sale at a time when demand is likely to continue outstripping supply. Experienced agents know how to navigate and maximise current market conditions, can offer advice on your onward move and create a bespoke Marketing Plan that really works for you over the coming weeks. You never know, you might just be putting your Christmas tree up in a different house this year!

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. 16 | LINLITHGOW

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Is the Internet Really Damaging the Planet? Climate change is a hot topic and we’re all increasingly aware of the little things that make a big difference, be that swapping our gas guzzlers for electric cars, taking a reusable cup for our morning coffee or being vigilant with separating the recycling. But when was the last time you stopped to think about the impact your daily consumption of the internet was having on the environment? It can’t be that bad, can it? In 2020 global internet use doubled with over 4.4 billion people turning to it for work, entertainment and to stay in touch with family and friends. All that online activity requires A LOT of energy, so much so that it’s estimated by 2030 digital technologies will account for a staggering 20% of global greenhouse emissions. We need to remember that the internet isn’t actually ‘in the clouds’, it’s hosted in massive data centres across the world using energy sapping servers (often ran with nonrenewable, greenhouse gas emitting energy sources) to store every video, picture, email and WhatsApp that anybody has ever sent and saved. Add into this the carbon footprint of manufacturing then shipping tech hardware and the home consumption of energy to power users, and the hidden impact of the internet is colossal. It’s not all bad though. Streaming a one-hour video still has a smaller carbon footprint than eating a beefburger or driving a petrol car less than half a mile, and the big players in the digital world are taking drastic steps to reduce their impact on climate change. Apple, Google and Facebook already use 100% renewable energy to power their operations and Microsoft has gone even further committing to be carbon negative by 2030 and to have offset all their historical carbon emissions by 2050. Companies such as Volkswagen Canada are launching more environmentally friendly websites too; using less colours, media and imagery drastically reduces carbon footprint left by online visitors. Check out www.vw.ca/ carbonneutralnet/en/gen Canada to see how the future of web design looks. 20 | LINLITHGOW

As individuals there are lots of small steps we can take to reduce our digital carbon footprint. For example, streaming videos and audio accounts for 63% of internet traffic; next time you’re watching Netflix on your phone try standard definition instead of 1080p, there’ll be minimal difference in quality yet in doing so you’re reducing emissions by up to 90%. Similarly on web calls ask yourself if you really need video. Audio only reduces carbon footprint by up to 96%. There are over 300 billion emails sent globally every day filling up servers and draining power, by deleting emails you don’t need any more, sending direct instead of replying to all and unsubscribing from newsletters you’re not interested in you’re saving huge amounts of digital storage. It’s not only data centres sapping energy. A quarter of residential power consumption is used by devices in idle mode; try setting your laptop to shut down rather than sit in standby and turn your phone off for periods of the day to conserve battery. Is the internet damaging the planet? Yes, but it doesn’t have to. If we act responsibly and consciously, we can all make a significant difference … small actions today in a digital world, have a huge impact on the physical world of tomorrow. This column is contributed by Eve Wardman, co-founder and director of Wardman UK Ltd, the Lothian’s premier IT and Microsoft Cloud Solutions provider.

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FILM REVIEW

LIFE COACHING

Change Your Life By CHANGING YOUR MIND

Disney’s live-action output in recent years has not exactly been my cup of tea. So heading into Cruella I was very sceptical. Surprisingly it wasn’t a traditional remake like Aladdin or Mulan but more of a film that takes characters and ideas we know from their original animated films and tells a new story with it, in the vein of Maleficent. Cruella genuinely shocked me. I was not expecting to like it as much as I did. A big reason why I like the film comes down to the performances. I thought the entire cast comprising of famous faces like Emma Stone, Emma Thompson and Mark Strong were all great. Cruella also has a great sense of humour to it; there are moments I was simply just laughing out loud, and I’m not scared to admit to that. With a film based around fashion the most important aspect must be the costumes. It’s essential that all the clothes look fantastic, and they absolutely do. Jenny Beavan, who is the costume designer, did a fantastic job with this film and without the great costumes I feel the film wouldn’t have as much of an impact as it did. While there are some scenes that I can only describe as being cringe, the line “It’s pronounced De Vil” did give me flashbacks of Solo. I still really enjoyed this film, and I can’t wait to pick the film up on Blu-ray when that is released. Cruella is just that good. The Film Review is contributed by Robert Ewing. Robert is passionate about film as an art form, and shining a light on films that may not be on people’s radar. Robert is from Kirknewton. 26 | LINLITHGOW

According to Albert Einstein, “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” The endless process of going over challenges and difficult emotions in the same old way has little chance of moving anything forward. Most of us know this but we still find ourselves caught in a vicious circle of worrying and overthinking, applying the same perspective or frame around any situation we are thinking about. Frames can be positive or negative, within our control or outwith our control. They can be helpful and supportive or they can undermine us at every turn. Often these beliefs about ourselves are based on other people’s thoughts about us. It could be parents or siblings or even teachers whose influence is still buried deep in our thinking ready to come to the fore when we are stretched beyond our comfort zone. We use frames to handle feedback and criticism and we often connect unrelated events and circumstances to ‘fit’ the subconscious ‘frame’ we carry. Every ‘frame’ is linked to an underlying belief we have about ourselves. This is helpful if it allows us to unlock new possibilities but can be really unhelpful if the beliefs and assumptions we carry around with us limit us and prevent progress. Recognising the limiting beliefs that we hold that prevent us going forward is the first step to overturning the obstacles we put in our own way and allows us to begin the process of moving forward towards those goals. The Life Coaching column is contributed by Francine Orr, NLP coach, hypnotherapist & reiki practitioner. Francine is based within Linlithgow Chiropractic on Wednesday afternoons and is also available online. See www.orrganise.co.uk @KonectMagazines

Late Summer Glut?

taste. Process at full speed until smooth, pour into a bowl and chill thoroughly. Finely chop some of the ingredients for a garnish. Serve cold and enjoy! Fingers crossed for that Indian Summer…

Hopefully we will be enjoying an Indian Summer when you read this and you may have a glut of tomatoes to use? Chilled Spanish Gazpacho could be the ideal soup now, our version doesn’t involve adding bread as we prefer it without. Skin 700g of ripe red tomatoes (cut a cross in the skin and cover with boiling water for two minutes and then they are easy to peel – the soup isn’t sieved so you do need to get rid of the skins) and roughly chop. Peel and chop 12cm (5”0 of cucumber. Chop 3 spring onions or one small onion. Crush one or two cloves of garlic. Deseed and chop one green pepper. Put everything into a food processor adding 1 heaped tbsp chopped basil (or thyme or marjoram), 4 tbsp olive oil, 1.5 tbsp red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and black pepper to

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Gazpacho

The gardening project is contributed by Dougal Philip, New Hopetoun Gardens. Inspiring, informing and entertaining, for more than 40 years.

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PARENTING

Milkshakes!

You are in for a treat. . .

Cupcakes!

As summer starts to feel like a distant memory September is when my thoughts usually turn to autumn. Walks in your wellies, hunting for conkers, picking pumpkins…and of course taking home all sorts of “treasures” in your pocket whenever you’re out with the kids.

But if I’ve learned one thing over the years it’s that once autumn arrives any walk we go on needs a treat at the end of it either to motivate the kids or warm up the grown-ups.

After all, what could be more important than a little something to eat…I think Winnie the Pooh said that (perks of being a parent I can quote all sorts of influential and important characters). Anyway, we’ve discovered a few great wee spots perfect for this purpose while we’ve been out and about during the summer. The Murieston Trail in South Livingston is ideal for crunching through autumn leaves and at nearby Bankton Mains Park the new Greedy Gecko Snack Bar is now a great spot for a wee treat afterwards. From 28 | LINLITHGOW

a bacon roll in the morning to totally indulgent waffles and pancakes or magic milkshakes there’s plenty to tempt everyone in the family. There are even a few pocket money items to pick up. And now that the Junior Parkrun has started up again at Bankton Mains Park on Sunday mornings this is also the perfect place for keeping parents fed and watered while they cheer their kids on from the sidelines…or for rewarding their mini athletes after the run.

If you were exploring around the Livingston Village area I’d recommend you pop in to Castaway Coffee for some hearty soup or a tempting cupcake. They even sometimes have pupcakes or woofins for your furry friends and there’s fresh organic fruit and veg up for grabs too when you’re

busy grabbing your food to go. It’s the perfect pit stop for weary walkers looking for a pick-me-up. And whilst I love to shop local and support these lovely wee small businesses when talking about treats I couldn’t not mention the new Stack & Still pancake place at The Centre in Livingston. My girls were desperate to go and we were not disappointed when we made it! Like Ratatouille said if you are what you eat, I only wanna eat the good stuff! 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 fulltime personal assistant to her two girlie girls. @KonectMagazines

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LOCAL ENVIRONMENT

Is it just me, or has 2021 flown by so far? It feels like only yesterday I was looking forward to the return of our migrant species, and within the next few weeks many of them will be heading back to their winter habitats. The positive side of this is it does mean that after this transition period, we can welcome our winter visitors back. This includes the common whitethroat. These can be found hopping about the trees and bushes making their raspy call as they hunt for insects and gather berries or fruit. I was delighted to see this bird around the ponds in Wester Inch, Bathgate, earlier this year. He was singing his very loud song from the tops the trees. Migratory birds always fascinate me. This little bird travels c11,000km twice a year from the Sahara, what an incredible distance! It was thought birds used stars as a way of migrating, and whilst this is true it’s mostly related to the North Star directing the birds in the right direction i.e., South. Many species migrate at night as it’s safer given 30 | LINLITHGOW

there’s not as many predators around. With birds using stars to migrate at night, increasing light pollution can disorient them causing them to be drawn to brighter lights, put them off course, and cause fatal collisions with buildings. Research is still ongoing into this, but we can all do our bit to help the birds by turning off excess lights both indoors, and outdoors when they’re not needed. This column is contributed by Clare Harte and Kate Stevenson, who grew up in Edinburgh and now live in West Lothian. Together they run Scottish Sisters Photography and travel around the country to watch and photograph amazing wildlife and scenic landscapes. Follow them on Facebook @ScottishSistersPhotography @KonectMagazines

PET MANNERS Linlithgow Rugby Club have had a lot of problems with owners not picking up dog poo on the lower pitch, where there are often children playing, in recent weeks.

While most pet owners are responsible folk, good behaviour is always important, and picking up poo is just one example of the kind of etiquette which reduces friction between pets and pet owners, and the general public. Some, such as picking up poo, are required by law; another legal requirement is to have your dog microchipped and to wear an ID tag. It is not the law for cats but is highly recommended to chip your cat in case they go missing. And by law you also need to secure a dog in a car using a crate or a seatbelt so that they are not a distraction while you are driving – and so that in turn you are not a danger to other road users. When you have your dog out in public, it is your job to make sure they don’t scare other people. You should always have a lead with you and don’t let dogs off unless you know they have a solid recall. Make sure you respect other animals too – dogs wearing yellow is a colour code meaning that dog needs space so don’t let your dog approach them. And however good your recall is, keep your dog on a lead near sheep or other farm animals. Contributed by Stuart McMorrow, head vet at Westport Veterinary Clinic 8 Preston Road. 01506 844 165 | www.westportvets.com @KonectMagazines

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Local man completes the English Channel swim for charity

Hugh Sellars

Linlithgow resident Hugh Sellars, 49, successfully swam the English Channel last month – one of the most challenging open water swims in the world – to raise money for charity. He completed the 21-mile swim from England to France on 3rd August, in 17 hours and 14 minutes, to raise funds for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society Scotland and Marie Curie. Covid-19 presented some training challenges and Hugh had to get inventive. “Swimming pools weren’t open until March this year,” he says. “So I managed to continue training by putting up a 12 foot garden pool and attaching a bungee cord around my waist. It works like a treadmill for swimming. “When restrictions eased, I was able to go back to the pool again. I also trained in lochs and swam across Lake Windermere and back, which is 21 miles. “I’m so relieved I was able to finish the swim. Quite often with channel swims people can complete all the training and then be unable to finish or even start because the weather can turn unexpectedly. Or swimmers can be pulled out with as little as a mile to go due to exhaustion. “I’m really delighted and lucky that I was able to complete the swim with no major incidents. I was stung by jellyfish twice but they were only very mild stings! “My friends Dave Mackay and Tommy Fitzpatrick kindly volunteered to crew on my safety boat. I was also accompanied by coach Pam Adams from ‘SwimMastery’, who had helped me to learn the ‘Total Immersion’ techniques for efficient long distance swimming.” For the swim to be recognised, rules state swimmers have to wear a standard swimming costume that does not offer thermal protection or buoyancy, and cannot touch their safety 32 | LINLITHGOW

boat or another person during the swim. He continued: “The support I’ve had has been a bit overwhelming, people have been so generous. I’m absolutely delighted to have raised over £5,000 for two causes that are close to my heart. “My sister has been living with MS for over 10 years. It affects everyone differently, and for my sister it’s impacted her cognitively, she had to retire early. Her memory has been affected, and she gets dizzy spells that can cause her to fall over. “With MS a lot of the symptoms can be invisible so you can’t tell what the condition is by looking at someone with it.” More than 15,000 people in Scotland have MS and it can be exhausting, painful and disabling. Morna Simpkins, Director of MS Society Scotland, said, “A massive thank you to Hugh for completing a challenge of a lifetime and his fantastic fundraising. We’ve never been closer to stopping MS in its tracks and our supporters play a key role in funding research into more and better treatments for everyone affected by the condition.” Please support Hugh’s fundraising challenge by visiting uk.virginmoneygiving.com and search “Hugh Sellars” This article was contributed by Katherine Paterson, Communications and Campaigns Officer of the MS Society, email: Katherine. Paterson@mssociety.org.uk Tel: 07740753942. The MS Society hosts fundraising events and supports people to take on their own challenges. See mssociety.org.uk/fundraise

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CROSSWORD

SUDOKU ^^^ Sudoku solution on page 34

PUZZLES

ACROSS: 1. Entrance (6), 4. Be owned by (6), 9. Hold (7), 10.Previous(5),11.Brush(5),12.Conversing(7),13.Promises(11), 18. Sediment (7), 20. Undressed (5), 22. Avoid (5), 23. In the open air (7), 24. Guard (6), 25. Grown-ups (6).

^^^ Solution in the October edition of Konect

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DOWN: 1. Blame (6), 2. Type of light boat (5), 3. Soap (7) 5. Banish (5) 6. Belief (7) 7. Car repair centre (6), 8. Directive (11), 14. Make clear (7), 15. Caught fire (7), 16. Snakes (6), 17. Worships (6), 19. Curse (5), 21. Small hill (5)

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SOLUTIONS

SPORTS, HOBBIES, LEARNING, SUPPORT GROUPS & MORE... LINLITHGOW STRING ORCHESTRA - We are a friendly group who meet weekly on Monday’s 7.30-9.30pm (termtime) at Linlithgow Masonic Lodge. Players aged 13+ with a minimum standard Grade 5 or equivalent (no audition) from Linlithgow and the surrounding areas are welcome. Please bring music stands. Contact us via email: linlithgowstringorchestra@ gmail.com through our website: linlithgowstringorchestra.co.uk or search for us on Facebook.

LOCHSIDE PLAYGROUP Parent-run playgroup located in Linlithgow provides 2.5hrs registered childcare during West Lothian School term-time for children aged 2yrs 3mths to 5 years, 9.15-11.45am MondayThursday. A great setting for children to begin their journey into nursery/school, ensuring a stimulating and caring environment (with healthy snacks). Councilfunded places for 2-year-olds available to eligible families. Contact us for more information/to add a child to the waiting list, email: lochsideplaygroup@yahoo.com, through our website www.lochsideplaygroup.org or on Facebook. CARERS OF WEST LOTHIAN - Support and social activities for Carers, Young Carers and Disabled Adults. Services currently via Zoom/phone: weekly Coffee Morning; monthly Mental Health Support Group, Evening Support Group & Bereaved Carer Support Group as well as groups for Young Carers and Young Adult Carers. Regular Social Groups for Adults with disabilities. Virtual Power of Attorney Clinic & Benefits Advice and Counselling.

For information: Tel.: 01506 448000 Email: office@carers-westlothian.com Website: www.carers-westlothian.com GENERATION ARTS - Creative activities for people aged 50 and over, either living at home or in care with complex needs.

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SOLUTION TO AUGUST CROSSWORD

Online and offline activities in West Lothian such as a dance dvd, art demos, reminiscence, recipes, music and song playlists, dance and song classes. Creative activity and learning can unlock memories and skills that have been lost and creates a spark of joy for all. Contact generationarts. coordinator@gmail.com or phone 07521 358 239 for further information. MACMILLAN CANCER INFORMATION & SUPPORT - A free, confidential service providing a ‘listening ear’, emotional and practical support, help to access benefits/financial advice and other local services. Expert and easy-to-understand information on a range of cancer-related topics. For anyone affected by cancer – yourself, a relative, friend or carer of someone with cancer. Face to face appointments at Bathgate Partnership Centre every Wednesday. Phone and email support also available. Please call 01506 283053 or email MacmillanWestLothian@ westlothian.gov.uk WEST LOTHIAN 50 PLUS NETWORK - Social activities for the over fifties. Run largely by volunteers we offer a wide range of interest groups to help you stay fit and healthy in both mind and body, whilst socialising with others. Something for everyone, but, more importantly, the chance to meet up and join in with old friends or make new friends along the way. Annual joining fee £10. Follow our Facebook page, visit www.westlothian50plusnetwork. co.uk or call 01506 635510. To include your Club or Class, please email details, up to 75 words, to editor@konect.scot Not-for-profit groups are FREE. There is a small charge for businesses. See www.konect.scot for information.

ACROSS: 7. Remove, 8. Loughs, 9. Sofa, 10. Envelops, 11. Ignored, 13. Steel, 15. Clues, 17. Provide, 20. Tolerant, 21. Pale, 23. Weight, 24. Roused. DOWN: 1. Zero, 2. Potato, 3. Referee, 4. Slave, 5. Mullet, 6. Shepherd, 12. Galloped, 14. Writers, 16. Energy, 18. Vapour, 19. Cacti, 22. Lies.

SOLUTION TO SUDOKU ON PAGE 32

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