Konect Linlithgow November 2020 by Konect Magazines

NOVEMBER 2020

LOCAL ENVIRONMENT:

LOCAL HISTORY:

FEATURE:

P24

ireworks, Autumn craft fayres, concerts, remembrance gatherings and a host of the other usual things going on at this time of year are cancelled. But crisp autumn walks are still very much to be enjoyed (see our parenting column on P22 and history feature on P28), as is making your home a cosy haven as we settle in and get ready for a weird winter. New Hopetoun Gardens’ project this month is an outdoors winter décor idea. And Christmas shopping isn’t cancelled, it’s just different. It’s all about thinking small this year, and we’ve put together a few ideas on pages 8-9, most crucially to support small local businesses. Thinking differently about Christmas is the idea behind Francine’s Life Coaching column this month too, see P10. Many events have an online or virtual version, and one such is the annual Explorathon, which is a celebration of scientific research with events for all the family – see the Local Lab contribution on P21 for details, where local researchers from Heriot-Watt University will be taking part. If you’re a science-loving family and haven’t heard of this before, maybe this is the year to dip into it from home. All our usual columns are here, I hope you enjoy them this month. As ever, drop me a line and let me know what you think.

u can know yo Did you to receive each e subscribissue of Konect e here new Subscrib online? scribe b u scot/s konect.

THIS ISSUE Feature: Think Small this Christmas......................8 Life Coaching: Xmas in the time of Covid.........10 Property Matters: Manage your investment.....12 Garden Project: Christmas Traditions................15 Vet’s Tip: Pet’s Eyesight...........................................18 Local Environment: Colourful Kingfisher...........19 Film Review...................................................................20 Puzzles............................................................................20 Local Lab: Explorathon Goes Online..................21 Parenting: Tall tale or true story.............................22 Feature: Our Own X-Files........................................28

Konect is delivered monthly to 10,000 homes throughout Bathgate and Torphichen. Copies are also left at the library, convenience stores, post offices and other locations around Bathgate.

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We’re being forced to think small in lots of ways at the moment.

At the time of writing this we can’t gather in our homes with other households, pubs are closed, and we can’t gather in groups of more than 6 people from 2 households in other indoor settings. Regulations may have changed by Christmas, but one thing for sure is that it will be a very different social season for the vast majority of us. No big works parties; no live entertainment, no big family gatherings or relatives flying in from overseas. Not to mention that fact that it is hard to plan with the constantly changing regulations, and the severe financial constraints many people need to navigate too. So, it’s time for small to shine. If you’re somone who dreads the obligatory big gatherings, you may have already found your silver lining in all of this. But for many, it’s normally the most social time of year. First and foremost, “small” has to be about supporting small local businesses when doing our gift shopping. It can take a little more time and effort to hunt down small businesses supplying things you want. But can you use the time you would have spent partying and prepping big get-togethers to hunt out local businesses? Browse with an open mind and let your gift list be inspired by the creativity that you’ll find from local arts and crafts business owners. You’ll find things you may not have thought of yourself. Jewellery made from various materials; paintings or photography of local scenery and landmarks, papercrafts, handmade home décor items, 8 | LINLITHGOW

hand-poured candles….the list is endless, and in many cases things can be made-to-order and personalised. You’re not only helping a local person running a business, but also getting something unique and beautiful.

Gift some organic, cruelty free soap, handmade in Linlithgow by Winter-theme organic Linlithgow Soapery. soap handmade in Lovely shapes can Linlithgow (Linlithgow be winter bathroom Soapery) decor too. Order online at www.linlithgowsoapery.co.uk Dinner on the big day is likely to be for a smaller gathering - maybe just your own household. So is 2020 the year you decide to get all supplies and ingredients for the big day from local suppliers instead of the supermarkets? Local butchers, bakers and farmshops can provide everything you need and more, and it comes with a personalised service and great quality, often locally-sourced ingredients. Grow Wild at Bonnytoun Farm, Linlithgow, do organic veg box deliveries and have a farm store. See www.growwild. co.uk Don’t forget some special gin from @KonectMagazines

Linlithgow Distillery - their iconic Four Mary’s are available in miniatures for a perfect small but special gift.

Get your seasonal tipple from Linlithgow Distillery “Letterbox gifts” are physically small items that can be sent by post and will fit through the recipient’s letterbox. You’re likely to be posting more gifts this year to people you would otherwise have been able to see in person. There are security concerns with parcels which may end up being left on a doorstep during the busy December parcel delivery season – especially if you order from a third party and get things sent direct to the recipient, you have no control over the delivery. So, take the time to find “letterbox gifts.” The great thing is that many small local businesses will be supplying suitable items. Send some Linlithgow-made chocolates! Sebastian Kobelt’s signature 9-piece selection boxes available from www. sebastiankobelt. Sebastian Kobelt’s com. Or, The signature 9-piece Line Gallery’s selection box annual “Postcards from the Line” exhibition is taking place 29th October to 22nd November; visit on Linlithgow High Street for a wonderful range of small but beautiful original artwork. @KonectMagazines

Self-care and health has never been more important. For many people, reducing anxiety and managing stress have been a major theme of 2020, so gifts to help with self-care will be well-received all round. Look for local businesses offering gift vouchers for massage, aromatherpy and reiki, for example. Things such as online yoga classes (many local classes offer an online version) and even a voucher for counselling or coaching courses are options. Many people benefit from journalling – how about a beautiful journal, to reflect on the year, and goals for 2021? Reiki is an ‘energy’ technique that supports relaxation and healing. Francine Orr is a local reiki practitioner, who Self-care gifts. Try reiki writes our regular from Orrganise. Life Coaching. She offers gift vouchers for reiki sessions (and other services to support wellbeing). Visit www.orrganise.co.uk to contact Francine and treat someone to some healing. The personal touch has been lacking this year, so sending personalised gifts is a lovely way to let someone know you’ve thought specially of them, since you can’t physically meet. An added benefit of shopping locally with small businesses is that you can get almost anything personalised, or commission something completely unique. Finally, memberships and sponsorships are a way of giving a special gift or experience, and at the same time support charities and organisations which are struggling due to Covid. A plethora of virtual Christmas market Facebook groups have sprung up, although it’s not always easy to tell which ones are local and which are UK wide, so if you want to be sure you’re supporting local crafters and traders, take the time to identify the local groups. So embrace thinking small for Christmas this year; and you never know, as with many aspects of lockdown and the pandemic, you may discover good things that become your new normal.

LINLITHGOW | 9

LIFE COACHING

Christmas in the time of COVID Christmas 2020 is going to be very different. After all the turmoil, uncertainty and change we have experienced for most of this year, many of us are feeling anxious, flat and totally lacking in energy. For some people there will have been such personal loss and sadness that Christmas is the very last thing they will want to think about. This year there will be no dashing around bustling city centres and most of us wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be taking part in that annual shopping scrum. There will be no office parties, no visits to winter markets and no extended family gatherings. Instead, we are being invited to decide exactly how we want to mark this annual event in a new, scaled-down way. However, I think many of us will really focus on

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the joy of putting up our sparkle and decking those halls with familiar decorations that have been packed away since January. Taking time to remember those family members and friends who are no longer with us as we look forward to seeing loved ones on what has the potential to be one of our most precious festive seasons ever. After the experiences of recent months, this might be the perfect time to take a moment to say a heartfelt thank you for family and friends and to make positive choices about how we spend the festive season in a new, calmer way. Who knows, this new way of celebrating might even be so enjoyable that future Christmases will be scaled down too as we really appreciate the true spirit of the festivities. 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

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LINLITHGOW | 11

PROPERTY MATTERS

your Investment Some landlords, especially those who are new to the experience, understandably wish to use a letting agent simply as a route to market in order to find a tenant. However, whilst a return on investment is one thing, sleeping well at night is quite another!

A managed service is not just about chasing late rent, resolving disputes and inventory control.

possibly because they have had a “problem landlord” in the past so they tend to stay longer.

Additionally, no matter how compliant a When your property is professionally tenant may seem at the outset, the last managed, it’s all about accountability. This thing a landlord needs is someone phoning means regular inspections to check that him/her at all hours with the same minor your tenant is treating your investment issue over a draft, dripping tap, clanking with the respect it deserves. During these pipes, noisy neighbours, inspections, well-trained etc. All of these are part staff are able to identify of a day’s work for a any areas that should be A managed dedicated managing investigated in order to service is not just agent! avoid or reduce costs about chasing late One of the most important later. An example would be a blocked gutter. considerations is that as rent, resolving Normally, you would only property managers, we disputes and hear about this when the get to know our clients’ tenant calls you to tell inventory control.” tenants, and have a you that water is coming good understanding of in, plaster has come away from the wall their plans, often pre-empting a premature and there is mould on the ceiling. Call in departure, so we can prepare and let the the dehumidifier, plasterer, and painter – property in time to avoid it being empty – and you have a large bill and an unhappy even for a day! tenant. Most of our landlords derive great value

“

Many tenants also prefer to rent a property that is managed through a letting agent,

from our managed service and we invite you to experience the difference yourself!

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. 12 | LINLITHGOW

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What are the Christmas traditions in your home and garden? All families have their own traditional activities and decorations for the festive season. It has become a tradition that we create a model Christmas Village here at New Hopetoun Gardens and it delights all our team and, even more importantly, all our customers during the last three months of the year.

We don’t think that you will create anything as big as this, but many of you will make little winter scenes on the sideboard but for those of us with grandchildren we may have to share this magic online if we can’t visit each other’s homes. At home Lesley and I always decorate a wreath with bits and pieces from our evergreen garden shrubs, lying it on the

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Christmas Village patio table with a terracotta pot in the middle planted with heathers or hellebores. We can leave the curtains open in the evenings and turn on the patio light to enjoy the display for many weeks. Our record has been keeping it going until the end of March because we use a floral foam wreath ring that keeps the leaves watered all winter! The gardening project is contributed by Dougal Philip, New Hopetoun Gardens. Inspiring, informing and entertaining, for more than 40 years.

LINLITHGOW | 15

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PETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S EYESIGHT

Like humans, pets often experience gradually failing eyesight as they approach their senior years. This can go undetected by owners because animals have a much greater sense of smell and hearing, which helps compensate Sudden eyesight loss may display itself in many ways including changes in appearance of the eye, confusion or disorientation, being easily startled or moving slowly and cautiously. Your pet may also become clumsy and bump into things, be unable to find toys or food dishes, or simply get lost when in a familiar place outside. Not wanting to go out at night can be another symptom. There are also other conditions which can cause your pet to go blind at any time of their life and it is important to be vigilant. Blindness can be a result of injuries, tumours, or systemic diseases which can be damaging to other organ systems, making it important to get your pet checked. Many pedigree breeds are affected by inherited conditions which can cause blindness. Hereditary cataracts are most common in Labrador Retrievers, Miniature Schnauzers, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Golden Retrievers and Boston Terriers. Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is an inherited condition causing gradual, irreversible blindness in miniature long-haired Dachshunds, Lhasa Apsos, Poodles and Labradors. Conditions causing blindness urgent treatment if there is any chance to prevent total, permanent vision loss, so it is important to seek your vets advice if you are concerned. The vetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tip was contributed by Victoria Macklin. Victoria is a vet with a postgraduate certificate in ophthalmology at Westport Veterinary Clinic, 8 Preston Road. 01506 844 165 | www.westportvets.com 18 | LINLITHGOW

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LOCAL ENVIRONMENT

Colourful Kingfisher Normally when you’re looking for kingfishers, the most common sight you’ll see is a flash of blue zipping low along the river, accompanied by its high pitched “chi-keeee” call. Occasionally though, one will turn up somewhere completely unexpected and be the star attraction. Last Autumn, an event such as this took place at the Edinburgh Royal Botanic Gardens where this male kingfisher spent hours hunting in their various ponds. An easy way to identify a male from a female is the colour on the underside of the beak. The female has a red lower mandible, adding to their already bright plumage.

They don’t have a large population in Scotland, though this is increasing therefore it’s understandable why they attract attention when they spend time somewhere like the Botanics. The other reason they can be found around ponds in winter is because they prefer slow moving or still sources of water and given the rainfall in Scotland, our rivers are just too full and fast! Feeding on a diet of fish and aquatic insects, they’ll sit on a perch watching for @KonectMagazines

the ideal opportunity before diving with their beak open and eyes closed by the third eyelid (a nictitating membrane) and returning back to their perch. They must eat at least their own bodyweight in food a day just to survive. The Botanics is a great place to wander on a crisp winter’s day and you never know, you might just get to see a kingfisher for yourself. 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. www.scottishsistersphotography.com

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PUZZLES

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. 20 | LINLITHGOW

CROSSWORD

Solution in the December edition of Konect ACROSS: 1. Ten years (6), 4. Pictures (6), 9. Level high land (7), 10. Tag (5), 11. Poem (5), 12. Selections (7), 13. Demolition (11), 18 Pharmacist (7), 20. Perfect (5), 22. Spoils (5), 23. Against (7), 24. Scale (6), 25. Grown ups (6).

DOWN: 1. Leave (6), 2. Absurd (5), 3. Lowest (7), 5. Greeting (5), 6. Used for smoking (7), 7. Spatter (6), 8. Commas, colons. (11), 14. Dusk (7), 15. Stumbled (7), 16. Afraid (6), 17. Play equipment (6), 19. Edition (5), 21. Artists frame (5)

SUDOKU

Sudoku solution on page 30.

I wish there was a way to get back the 2 hours I wasted. Mulan 2020 is in my opinion the definition of terrible. It adds little to the original animation and it fails to recreate the magic the original had. Instead of a timeless story about female empowerment, where you can achieve anything if you put your mind to it, we get a story about if you have strong chi you can be a badass with no training. Let’s talk about the stuff I liked… Now moving onto the aspects I didn’t like. All of the acting is unremarkable. Liu Yifei, who plays Mulan, just comes across as very wooden and boring. The best performance comes from Donnie Yen but even he doesn’t get the time to shine. The editing was flat out terrible at points and because of this, scenes were hard to follow and confusing. I felt the cinematography was lacklustre, and not a single shot stood out as being visually interesting or beautiful. At times the film treats the audience like idiots, narration happens literally to explain what’s going on for people in my opinion who don’t have an attention span longer than 5 minutes. The action was just unwatchable, the camera was way too close to even see what was happening. Mulan is what I hate about remakes. It does nothing to justify its own existence and is not worth an additional £20 on Disney Plus. Just watch the original Disney animation instead and save money.

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LOCAL LAB

Explorathon Goes On-line! 23RD - 28TH NOVEMBER 2020 This November, join researchers from across Scotland for an exciting online program of shows, talks, family activities, comedy, and discovery.

Scientists from Heriot-Watt Explorathon is a celebration of research that takes place in Scotland, and in over 300 cities in Europe, each year. From 23rd-28th of November we have a jampacked program of live and recorded events, as well as a whole host of content on our website waiting for you to explore. Researchers from HeriotWatt University take part in Explorathon every year and it is a great way for you @KonectMagazines

to discover and interact with the ground-breaking research happening right on your doorstep.

• Tune into our Facebook Live ‘Chat Science’ session on Monday 23rd • Dip into our Twitter on Friday 27th for an all-day Science Festival • Take part in The Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas on Saturday 28th – the hit Edinburgh Fringe show making a

special appearance in Explorathon

Plus much more! Visit www.explorathon.co.uk to browse the program and downloadable activities, and visit us on social media @ERNScot . The Local Lab column is contributed by Heriot-Watt University to engage the public in a range of their research projects. LINLITHGOW | 21

PARENTING

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Tall tale or true story? OR Close encounters of the West Lothian kind … Over the years since having kids I’ve become quite adept at spinning whatever we were doing in such a way as to get – and keep - the kids interested. No matter how boring an activity might be in reality.

A walk isn’t just a walk after all; we are looking for fairies in the woods. A car journey is not just any car journey; we are going to break the World record for the longest game of I-spy EVER. A train journey is not just any train journey; we are just like Harry Potter on the way to Hogwarts. Think M&S ‘this is not just food’ and you get the idea…nothing is as boring as it first seems.

I have on occasion had to get quite creative and as the kids have got older there has been significantly more eye rolling and sniggering in the face of my often fantastical sales patter. But just the other day we made a discovery that for once made my colourful imagination redundant. I simply told the kids the truth. Although I’m still not sure if they believed me! We went for a walk up 22 | LINLITHGOW

Dechmont Law. The promise of spectacular views out over West Lothian from the highest point in Livingston was enough to entice me. But it was the promise of strange encounters that put a pep in their step. Have you ever heard of the Dechmont UFO Trail? Neither had I. But I am here to tell you there is one and my kids were fascinated to explore it. So the story goes that on the morning of 9th November 1979, Dechmont Wood was the site of a very unusual encounter known as the ‘Robert Taylor’ incident. An incident so unusual, some would say impossible, that after 40 years it is still one of the most important UFO encounters in the world! And it happened right here in West Lothian. You can park just beyond Deans Community High

School and there are waymarked trails to follow from there. Explore the woodland, enjoy the views and when you learn about the incident along the trail - decide for yourself if you think this is a tall tale or a true story! It certainly gave us plenty of food for thought and lots of extra-terrestrial chat around the dinner table. P.S. if you fancy a wee pickme-up after your walk check out Artisan Cheesecakes kitchen just around the corner in Deans for a totally indulgent treat!

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. @KonectMagazines

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“We see that we are not alone” A very poignant moment in the tireless fundraising effort by Allison Barr to carry out her son Jak’s wishes. In a new book published on what would have been Jak’s 21st birthday, Allison Barr shares, for the first time, the roller-coaster five-month journey from Jak’s rare cancer diagnosis to his passing. And the raw emotions of the aftermath. Team Jak, as many local readers will be aware, is the foundation established in Livingston by Jak Trueman in the weeks before his passing in 2015. His desire was to create Jak’s Den – a place where childhood cancer patients and their families could go to escape from the traumas of treatment and have fun in a safe environment. Allison immediately took on the mantle as Chief Executive of Team Jak Foundation, and Jak’s Den today is busy caring for hundreds of families affected by childhood cancer. “I wrote a lot of this book immediately after Jak passed, because I didn’t want to forget the details,” Allison told me. “I had said to him that I was going to write about his journey. I hadn’t re-read it since, so at the beginning of lockdown this year I sat and read everything I had written in those early days. It was very emotional.” It’s been cathartic, in fact. “Many friends and family have told me that I never gave myself the time to mourn fully because I launched myself 110% into creating Jak’s Den. And I’ve realised they were right.” The aim of the book is raise awareness of childhood cancer, and of the support that is available to young cancer patients and their families. It’s also a fundraiser for Jak’s Den. “Creating smiles and easing the journey” currently for 227 families throughout Scotland, the ultimate aim is to be able to reach every 24 | LINLITHGOW

child in Scotland who needs them on their cancer journey. Jak’s Den Mark 2 opened in Livingston last year, a much bigger and better equipped premises than the original. There are pop-up dens in various hospitals in Scotland, and plans in the pipeline include a permanent Jak’s Den in Aberdeen. Allison’s book is themed around football, Jak’s passion, with sections touchingly entitled the kick off, extra time and final whistle. It goes on to celebrate the work of the charity, including their bereavement support and plans for the future. “Grief hit me in a new way during lockdown. Writing this book has been a release in many ways. I wanted to do it for Jak’s 21st, as my gift to him to record his journey. It’s also been a way for me to help me move forward for myself”. The title of this article is a quote from one of the supported families and what Team Jak means to them: “We see that we are not alone, and some barriers we build just fall down.” You can support the vital work of Team Jak Foundation by purchasing a copy of the book “My Beautiful Boy” via their website at www.teamjak.org.uk/shop This article was written by Helen-Jane Shearer after speaking with Allison Barr after the book launch. Helen-Jane is the editor of Konect and lives in West Lothian with her family. @KonectMagazines

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‘THE LIVINGST ON INCIDENT ’ - NOVEMBE R 1979

Rounding a corner of a woodland path on Dechmont Law, a forester going about his job in November 1979 entered a clearing and came upon a large dome-shaped metallic object. So begins the tale of one of the most significant UFO (Unidentified Flying Object) incidents in Europe. Known as “The Livingston Incident” in paranormal research circles, on police files it remains an unsolved case of “an attack by person or persons unknown.” Robert Taylor, employee of the Livingston Development Corporation, was on a routine inspection of the Dechmont Law hillside one November morning, accompanied by his Irish red setter, to check fences to ensure that sheep and cattle didn’t stray into the wood. Noone witnessed what happened until he turned up at his home in Deans on foot later that morning in a state of shock and barely able to speak. He had reversed his truck into a ditch, his trousers were ripped and his dog was very agitated. He stammered to his incredulous wife, “I have been attacked by a spaceship.” Robert’s story. which he maintained throughout his life, was that as he came upon this large dome-shaped object in the clearing, two round objects dropped from it to the ground and started rolling towards him, making sucking and popping noises. His dog was barking madly and there was an overwhelming burning smell. As they got near to him projections came out of them towards his hips, grabbed him and pulled him forcibly towards the larger object. At this point he lost consciousness. When he came to, the object has gone leaving nothing but imprints in the ground and Robert in a state of shock. He managed to stumble

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back to his truck but reversed it into a ditch, such was his disorientation. He staggered home to Deans on foot. Robert’s assertion that he had been attacked by a spaceship and his description of the event led to the involvement of Strange Phenomena Investigations (SPI), a research society headed by Malcolm Robinson. I spoke to Malcolm who was on site the following day to photograph the imprints on the ground and to interview the police and LDC personnel involved. The police forensic analysis of the ripped trousers concluded that they had not been torn by any forest debris (i.e. not by branches or sharp plants of any sort) nor by barbed wire. There was no explanation for the marks in the ground, and after thorough investigation by the police and forensic experts, the case remains unsolved. Robert’s boss and colleagues described him as a steady sane person not given to telling stories and with no interest in the paranormal. I asked Malcolm how he went about investigating such cases. “You have to rule out the obvious explanations. I always ask people if they are on any medication. They maybe after notoriety. There are lots of possible explanations so you have to be very careful.” He became fascinated by the paranormal when he set out as a young man to disprove the existence of ghosts. After some personal experiences and listening to

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their own sanity and agreed to the hypnotherapy. They have no recollection of what happened, but in a series of hypnotherapy sessions they describe their experiences. They were apparently taken into the craft and underwent various experiments at the hands of small grey creatures, some of them painful. The “A70 Incident” is still a subject of fascination and since as far as anyone involved can tell Garry and Colin did not fabricate the whole story, there experience remains unexplained. How would you react if one of your good friends or colleagues announced they had been attacked by aliens? “I have no problem with sceptics,” says Malcolm. “I think you have to have had a personal experience of the paranormal, or be very close to someone who has, before you will start to accept it as an explanation for events that are otherwise inexplicable.” A walk up to the site of the Livingston Incident is a pleasant walk through Dechmont and North Woods. Approx 20 minutes drive from Linlithgow: park at the carpark adjacent to Deans Community High School, Eastwood Park, Livingston, EH54 8PS. Thanks to a petition by Strange Phenomena Investigations, West Lothian Council installed for signage for the worldfamous site a couple of years ago, making it easy to follow the trail to the exact location. This article was written by Helen-Jane Shearer, with thanks to Malcolm Robinson of Strange Phenomena Investigations for his input. First published in Konect November 2012, updated October 2020. LINLITHGOW | 29

‘THE A70 INCIDENT’

the experiences of many other people he gradually began to change his mind. He set up Strange Phenomena Investigations in November 1979, and says that the vast majority of reports of strange happenings can be explained. But he believes that there are enough unexplainable incidents to convince him that, he says, “there is evidence to suggest that humans have been visited by beings from elsewhere - not necessarily extraterrestrial but from a different dimension.” Malcolm has been involved in investigating another UFO incident in this area – the A70 incident. The stretch of the A70 from Balerno to Lanark, the “Lang Whang” is a quiet route between the heather-covered hills and has a bleak and remote aspect. It is the location of an unexplained incident in 1992. Two men from Edinburgh, Garry Woods and Colin Wright, were driving along the A70 headed for Tarbrax one evening. As they turned one of the sharp corners just past Harperrig Reservoir, they were faced with what they described as a two-tiered black disc hovering motionless above the road. Shocked, they decided nevertheless to just drive under it and keep going. As they passed under the object it emitted a curtain of mist which, as it reached the car, enveloped them in total blackness. Moments later they regained sight and the car was shuddering. Somewhat shaken they continued their drive to Tarbrax. But, on arriving at their friend’s house they discovered that it was an hour later than they had thought; the journey which normally took thirty to forty minutes had taken an hour and a half, and they couldn’t account for the missing time. Neither Garry nor Colin had any interest whatsoever in the paranormal and, totally nonplussed, they didn’t report the incident to anyone besides friends. But they became increasingly troubled by nightmares and, in Garry’s case, severe headaches. Both men found scars on their bodies that weren’t there before. They eventually contacted Malcolm Robinson at Strange Phenomena Investigations, who encouraged them to undergo hypnotic regression therapy to try to discover what had happened that evening during the lost hour. Although sceptical they were desperate for

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CARERS OF WEST LOTHIAN - Still very much here for all our carers, young carers and disabled adults. All services via Zoom/phone: weekly Coffee Morning and Young Carers groups; monthly mental health support group, disability social group, bereaved carers and young adult carers groups. Virtual Power of Attorney Clinic & Benefits Advice, phone counselling. We provide PPE for unpaid carers and personal assistants providing personal care. For more information on all services please contact Carers of West Lothian: www.carers-westlothian.com Tel: 01506 448005 Email: office@carers-westlothian.com

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If you’re affected by cancer you may want to know there’s someone you can turn to for help. Working in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support, our service is available across West Lothian and offers anyone affected by cancer, access to information and support. You may have cancer yourself or be a relative, friend or carer of someone with cancer. We Can • Listen and advise on an appropriate course of action • Organise an appointment with a Macmillan Adviser for a benefit health check • Referrals to appropriate services • Signpost to local support services

Our ever-popular Clubs & Classes section has been on hold due to the pandemic - most clubs were unable to operate in the way they were listed. However, if you are involved in a club, support/ social group or other not-for-profit group that is now online or has adapted to continue operating safely, please get in touch with me at editor@konect.scot in order to get your organisation listed again.

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