St Andrews in Focus issue 5 Jul / Aug 2004

St Andrews in focus •• shopping shopping •• eating eating •• events events •• town/gown town/gown •• people people and and more more

July / August 2004, Issue 5 £1.50

www.standrewsinfocus.co.uk

the magazine for St Andrews

SUMMER CEILIDH OLD TIME DANCE Sunday, 18 July 2004 7.30 – 11.00 pm Town Hall, St Andrews

The Bruce Lindsay Band with Andy Greig Compère and Singer

Marshall McIntyre Tickets at the door – £6.00 (Children under 12 Free)

- Lucky number draw Tea, coffee, soft drinks and strawberry tarts on sale courtesy of ROWANS COFFEE SHOP, (South Street, St Andrews)

- No Bar -

St Andrews in focus • shopping • eating • events • town/gown • people and more

From the Editor

It was one of those serenely lovely spring days, all sunshine and blue skies; the only things missing were the songs of the skylark and the cuckoo I so poignantly remember from my childhood. There I was, gearing up in strange clothing with bits here and there I hardly understood. Nonchalantly, I strolled over to the Cessna waiting on the grass runway, climbed in beside my warm-hearted instructor who was going to guide me safely back to earth. He started clipping lines together as the plane taxied down the runway with a satisfying roar. In no time at all we were off the ground, up, up, away. Almost at once, or so it seemed, the plane’s door began to open.

“Ready?” asked my attached man. I looked down. It did seem rather a long way to go. I gulped, “OK”, taking a deep breath and trying not to show my doubts. “Go!” And we were falling, falling. A tug, and a reassuring bright red canopy unfurled overhead. Naturally, an involuntary sigh of relief escaped me. Now I really began to enjoy myself. I love flying anyway, but this was something else. It was silent, peaceful, utterly delightful. But all things come to an end, and suddenly the ground seemed to rush towards us with terrifying speed. “Knees up!” commanded my instructor. We hit perfectly, with a bump, and people rushed over to spill the air from the chute. I blinked. Had I really jumped? Or was it simply something I thought I really ought to do?

Anyway, whatever you yourself are planning, have a wonderful summer!

Flora Selwyn

Contents

JULY/AUGUST 2004

TOWN/GOWN • A Polish student says, “Au revoir” • Professor Paterson poses a pertinent question • Where have all the Bejants gone?

• Kenneth Fraser offers a subscription opportunity

4 4 5 5

EDUCATION • Madras College reports with justifiable pride

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FEATURES • 6th August – a special Birthday • Ask the Museum Panel – your questions answered • Betty Willsher’s Book Launch & Review • Our unique Cinema • Colin MacAllister makes a Pilgrimage • Mary Freeborn’s hideaway • Gavin Reid – Poet • What you can’t guess about the Lammas Fair • The Dancing Weeks!

• And the music….?

• Alan Martin explains why tourism matters • Some tourist facts & figures • A little known service at the Byre

7 7 8 8 9 10 10 11 12 13 14 14 15

SELECTED EVENTS • St. Andrews Art club • Open Day at Ladies Lake • List of other events around and about

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SHOPS & SERVICES • The house market in St. Andrews – LiYi Lin investigates • The Balaka Restaurant • A lifetime of footwear • Bryan Carroll talks about a very worthwhile project • ENABLE • Roving Reporter • Service with a Smile • Dun Greetin’ has his good humour restored

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OUT AND ABOUT • Visit the Botanic Gardens • How about skydiving?

• A walk across Magus Muir

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EDITOR Flora Selwyn Tel/fax: 01334 472375 Email: editor@standrewsinfocus.co.uk ADVERTISING MANAGER Chris Manighetti Email: chris.manighetti@talk21.com DESIGNER University of St Andrews Reprographics Unit PRINTER Tayport Printers Ltd. DISTRIBUTER B & S Distribution, Dundee THE PAPER USED IS 75% RECYCLED POST-CONSUMER WASTE PUBLISHER Local Publishing (Fife) Ltd. PO Box 29210 St. Andrews Fife, KY16 9YZ Tel/fax: 01334 472375 Email: enquiries@standrewsinfocus.co.uk SUBSCRIPTIONS St. Andrews in Focus is published 6 times a year, starting in January. Subscriptions for the full year are: £10.00 in the UK (post & packing included) £18.00 overseas (post & packing included) Please send your name and address, together with remittance to: Local Publishing (Fife) Ltd., PO Box 29210, St. Andrews, Fife, KY16 9YZ. REGISTERED IN SCOTLAND: 255564 149 Market Street, St. Andrews, Fife, KY16 9PF.

NEXT ISSUE – September/October • Recording and preserving our Church heritage • Ever-young Sandy Donald – a life in football, jute, piping, and dancing

COPY DEADLINE: STRICTLY 28 JULY. Cover photographs – The Lammas Fair 2003

by Flora Selwyn

All contributions welcome. The Editor reserves the right to publish copy according to available space.

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TOWN/GOWN Ola Wojtkiewicz is doing her Ph.D at Jagiellonian University in Cracow (Poland), and she has just spent three months at St. Andrews University as Visiting Research Student in The School of Art History. Zosia is her daughter, assistant, and common sense!

Here she says a temporary, “Goodbye” – and we say, “Haste ye back!”

Zapach Swiatla (The Scent of Light) When we arrived, the snow-drops only accentuated the green of the grass, so deep compared to that left behind in Poland. On the lawn beside the School of Art History there were irregular mosaics of crocuses.

Every morning, woken up by seagulls, we were checking the colour of the light on the cathedral – our weather vane.

Every day on the way to nursery, we ventured through South Castle Street. On the roof, the moss-covered cat never caught the mouse. After greeting Paddington Bear at the ice cream shop and letting him know about our mood that day, we were passing Zosia’s favourite pink porcelain ballet dancer, which plays the piano on the window sill in Abbey Street.

From the very beginning we had some everyday duties: feeding the ducks from the bridge at Dempster Terrace and their relatives in our garden, picking the flowers to be put in a diary, and visiting two solitary garden gnomes in Deans Court.

Our feelings towards St. Andrews grew together with the host of daffodils at the Lade Braes. We saw a white dove near the old doocot, and I thought it had appeared there especially for us. On Sunday mornings, before the flock arrived for church we listened to organ music, accompanied by the fragrance of incense. At the Castle Beach we were collecting shells for necklaces, and pebbles which even looked beautiful when dry in our bathroom. The rocks covered with a fur of seaweed, always managed to persuade us to touch them. The steel rectangle of the water absorbed Zosia’s stones patiently in the evenings.

When the scent of flowering currants was at its most intense, we used to walk along East Sands, where the wind tangled our hair. A lone heron saw us for a few minutes after we had danced in the Scout Hall – our cheeks blushing and our dresses still swinging in the air. During the odd shower of rain, the Polish lassies with the buggy full of books used to head for a meander in the library. Bigger One day-dreamed among Chagall, Synagogues, and Texture Paintings, eventually ending in front of the shelf with Burns’ poetry. Smaller One amused herself in the huge labyrinth of books, vast enough to lose any three-year-old. Blue Note (Shop) in Argyle Street provided a shelter to listen to Bob Dylan’s music, when the afternoon sun was a shade of honey. The walls of our flat soon got used to the smell of baking heart-shaped shortbread.

We are leaving when the lilacs at Kilrymont Road are in full bloom and blackbirds competing with meadowlarks, when freckles become new friends of our faces. The doorknocker of our warm wooden door was touched by so many people.

There are still some nooks and crannies for us to explore in St. Andrews.

One day, when the rhododendrons in the Botanic Gardens listen to the shouting pheasant we will be here again. Because our love for this town is like the yellow, yellow gorse blooming on Kinkell Braes.

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David M. Paterson, Professor of Coastal Ecology at the University of St Andrews, asks

Can We Count On Our Coasts?

Every time you visit the beach in St Andrews it looks different. The time of day, the weather, the light and the time of year all influence the nature of the scene. It is this variability that adds to the charm and interest of coastal environments. This constant change is a natural part of the system. Although the daily variations are obvious these are part of monthly, yearly and longer cycles of change. In geological terms coastal systems are dynamic and unstable. The beaches of St Andrews are no different but we are lucky in that around our small peninsula are representatives of the major types of coastal environment. Each of these environments is important and in their own way acts to resist the power of the waves. Without this buffer coastal erosion becomes a greater problem.

THE FUTURE FOR ST ANDREWS Coastal change will continue to be part of the make-up of the St Andrews region.

The rise and fall of beach level throughout the year is a regular feature and should continue, provided there is sufficient sediment to allow this process to take place. Should the sediment supply be reduced, either by natural or manmade intervention, then coastal erosion will become an increasing problem. Perhaps the most sensitive region and where the first signs of problems will be seen will Tidal channels recorded by aerial photography be in the mudflats of the above the Eden Estuary Eden Estuary. These are less energetic systems in terms of the winds and waves that buffet the outer coast but are very sensitive to change. A research project at the University of St Andrews is investigating methods of monitoring the changes that are occurring in the intertidal zone of the Eden Estuary. This work, funded by the European Commission, is being carried out by a group of scientists representing experts from around Britain and Europe. The problem in assessing intertidal systems and particularly difficult environments such as mudflats is that ground survey techniques are labour intensive and expensive. A means of monitoring intertidal regions is required which is more efficient and perhaps more accurate. The mudflats are shaped and respond to the forces of the water that flows across the surfaces as the tide rises.

This flow of water creates channels across the surface of the flats which range in size from tiny rivulets to large channels many metres across. The nature and shape of these channels is therefore a representation of the force and flow of the water and the physical structure of the intertidal region. These channels provide a kind of fingerprint which is unique to every intertidal system but also changes with time as the prevailing currents and wind action alters. This European project (TIDE) is using airborne sensors, including laser ranging equipment and aerial photography to produce detailed maps of the patterns in the channels found in intertidal systems. By repeating these measurements on a regular basis the rate of change of the system can be assessed. The Eden is not alone. This technology is also being applied to Morecambe Bay and to the extensive intertidal flats of the Venice Lagoon. The dynamic and often dangerous nature of intertidal environments was sadly brought home by the death of a number of cockle harvesters working in Morecambe Bay. Intertidal systems are dynamic and ever-changing. The TIDE project will provide a mechanism for examining how fast these sensitive systems are responding to global warming. This work is still ongoing, but information on the dynamics of the coastal systems of St Andrews are being studied with the same intensity as are Morecambe and Venice. Next time you visit the beach consider the fantastic range of systems that are available to us in this area, just don’t expect it ever to look the same.

Acknowledgments: The work on the Eden Estuary is carried out by the Sediment Ecology Research Group at the University of St Andrews. Remote sensing is being carried out as part of the EU TIDE programme (contract EVK3-CT-2001-00064 with some support from the EU HiMOM contract EVK3-CT-2001-005). Dr Dave Mason of the NERC Environmental Systems Science Centre, Reading, is working on the determination of channel formation.

TOWN/GOWN

Bejantus sanctiandreansis – An Endangered Species Jane Ann Liston, a ‘cri du coeur’ Today we are aware that the importation of exotic foreign species is harmful to the native flora and fauna, and can even threaten the survival of indigenous species. We know how the native red squirrel has been displaced by its American grey cousin. I would like to draw attention to a similar problem, the displacement of the bejant by the fresher.

Bejants are indigenous to Scotland, and have been found here for at least two hundred years. Their range is extremely restricted, formerly being found around the centres of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow, but now only found in St Andrews, the Aberdeen variety, the bajan having died out twenty or thirty years ago. They first appear in September, and are shy, congregating in small numbers and hiding their pretty red plumage in the quieter parts of St Regulus, Atholl and Hamilton.

Little is known of their diet; it was thought these creatures lived on meal, augmented by raisins in November, but nowadays special bejant bread may be purchased for them at Fisher & Donaldson, food suppliers par excellence. Freshers, on the other hand, are an alien species imported from England. They are usually larger and certainly noisier, their calls being described as a cross between the cawing of a crow and the braying of a donkey. They have long discarded the red plumage and have easily

displaced timid bejants from their old haunts like the Old Union coffee bar. It is not clear what effect global warming, or even the adjustment of the academic year by nearly a month in the last decade, has had on their life cycle.

Recently I went in search of bejants, having heard that some could be found in April clustering around someone called Kate Kennedy. However the nine creatures I did find turned out to be very poor specimens, mere ceremonial bejants, and all male, though one was dressed as a female. This may be some bizarre fertility ritual, a great change from the traditional bejant courtships which used to happen at Hall and Chattan balls.

It is difficult to see what can be done. Enclosures for bejants could be created but the creatures may well not thrive in such an artificial habitat. The universities used to protect them but have ceased to do so. From newspaper supplements it appears that the general public is ignorant of the existence of bejants and is now only cultivating freshers. It would be a tragedy if the bejant became as extinct in Scotland as the wolf, the bear and the lynx. Drastic measures may be needed. The culling of grey squirrels to protect the red has been suggested, and it may be that only declaring open season on freshers will ensure the survival of the bejant, this harmless and attractive Scottish creature.

Post Scriptum – your Editor spotted a rare Bejant in South St. and snapped him quickly (he’s William Rees, from London, studying Ancient History and German) Eddie Laing read Jane’s article and he drew the pictures (draw your own conclusions!). It reminded him of a time when he acted as a driver for some Bejants who kidnapped a few Semis (second year students) took them to Dura Den, stripped them to their underpants and then left them by a telephone with 4d (4 Old Pennies) to phone for help. Those were the days, eh?

Andrew Fletcher and the St. Andrews Connection Kenneth Fraser, a preview Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun (1653-1716) is well known in Scottish history as the most determined opponent of the Union of 1707, but it was only recently that he was discovered to be a St. Andrews alumnus. Given that he acquired the largest private library in Scotland, with books in several languages, his biographers believed he must have gone to university, but found no evidence. In 1997 Dr. John Robertson of Oxford University, when preparing a new edition of Fletcher’s works, studied every known document which mentioned him. Fletcher had, in 1685, joined the Duke of Monmouth’s rebellion, and thereafter was tried in his absence for treason.

Dr. Robertson discovered that one witness claimed to have known Fletcher in St. Andrews.

Investigating with the help of Dr. Norman Reid, Keeper of the Muniments, he found in the Matriculation Roll of St. Leonard’s College for 1667 a signature, previously misinterpreted, which is now believed to be Fletcher’s. Like many students at that time, he did not complete a degree.

The Chancellor of the University was then the controversial Archbishop Sharp, who lived at the New Inns, within sight of St. Leonard’s.

He would have wanted the students to be educated in obedience to Church and State, but in Fletcher’s case he would have been disappointed. When he came of age, the Laird of Saltoun (as he had been since boyhood) soon began to oppose the policies of Charles II’s autocratic government, so much so that he had to go into exile. There he remained, excepting the Monmouth rising, until the Revolution of 1688.

Meanwhile it is clear that he had been reading widely in ancient and modern history, philosophy and politics, for in the 1690s and 1700s he produced a series of pamphlets on contemporary political issues which, as recent scholars have established, make him the only Scottish contributor to a tradition of republicanism starting with Machiavelli and continuing to the Founding Fathers of the United States. His most important theme was the danger that kings would become absolute rulers, and the need to prevent this by increasing the powers of Parliament and equipping the people with the means of resistance.

In 1703 Fletcher had the chance to put his principles into practice when he was elected a member of the Scottish Parliament.

This was a crucial period for Scotland, for Queen Anne’s governments in London and Edinburgh, engaged in a great war with France, had concluded that Scotland (where political factionalism was rife) could be best kept under control by a union of Parliaments.

Fletcher, ever a foe of overmighty governments, opposed this strongly, putting forward a scheme for entrenching the powers of the Scottish Parliament which, his opponents said, would virtually have made the country a republic. For a while he was influential, being considered one of the few men of principle in an age of political corruption, but in the end, the members of the Scottish Parliament, swayed partly by political and economic considerations and partly by hopes of personal advancement, voted for the Union. Andrew Fletcher’s policies had failed, but he left behind him a reputation as a reformer which has lasted to this day.

If you want to know more, Kenneth Fraser, a retired reference librarian from St. Andrews University Library, has written a short biography of Fletcher. It is to be published (as some books were in Fletcher’s own day) by subscription in advance, and is projected to appear in September 2004 If you would like to participate, please fill in the form below. The price is £7.99 per copy, post free. Cheques or Postal Orders should be made out to Scots Independent Newspapers Ltd., and sent to them at 51 Cowane St., Stirling, FK8 IJW, with the following details:

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Please tick here if you do not want to appear in the published subscription list

5

EDUCATION

Collegiate Madras A report by Colin Mackay, Depute Rector

The sense of community is very strong in Madras College. It has to be This event has now become part of our GIVING in a split-site school where in one building, Kilrymont Road, the oldest calendar. pupils are 14 years old, and in the other, South Street, all pupils sit St Andrews Rotary Club offers an award for external examinations at the end of the school session! leadership in the school. Interact, a sixth year We are proud of our achievements committee, at Madras and we share that with develop various you through our termly newsletters initiatives for supporting our local and fortnightly features in the Madras community in addition to our charity College Diary in the local press. fundraising programmes.

Our sixth years have departed With the recent introduction of for careers, college, universities or Sports Co-ordinators in schools, gap years but they have left behind, senior pupils have become involved particularly this session, structures in in visiting catchment primary schools place that others will continue and develop further. to provide support, training and fun activities for the children and, if One central achievement has been establishing a Whole School you passed our Kilrymont Road playing fields in May you would have Pupil Council, with representation from S1 to S6 which has met witnessed festivals of sport, again organised and managed by our regularly through the session under the guidance of its sixth year pupils for primaries. members. They have That really given us a written brings us back to the Constitution as a sound influence of the Whole basis for expanding School Pupil Council. the future involvement It has left its mark in of pupils in school a variety of ways . . . management and The pupil voice has decision-making. been loud, clear and The one and a extremely positive in quarter miles between raising issues for both sites has, it would buildings which have seem, reduced due to been brought closer our School Council’s through the team work attempts at linking all and organisation of year groups and giving council members. them responsibility for Action is at present developing a caring being taken over ethos in and beyond the the introduction of school. an enhanced locker Madras has been system in Kilrymont running an S6 Peer Road; members Tutoring Programme support lunchtime for many years. Pupils and after-school are given training at the initiatives to help raise beginning of the year to attainment in the pupil support other pupils in group. So far, success emotional, behavioural has been achieved! and curricular issues Year Head, Mrs in and out of class.

C Easingwood writes: Clockwise from top left: (It would appear that “This year’s sixth John-jo Ryan and Catriona Kay with the Donald Dewar Memorial Debating Trophy; our founder Dr Bell’s years have been an Girls’ Hockey Team – the FifeTournament Winners 2003-04; Monitorial System is exceptionally positive Members of the Charities Committee with proceeds from Fundraising Day; alive and successful in force within the school.

A glittering farewell for S6 at the annual Ball. the 21st Century!) Over Their Commemorative 50% of this year’s S6 Year Photograph, have been a part of the immortalising tiered junior building in their range of activities. rows of immaculate pupils on a sunny March day in the Quad has been A particularly close bond has also developed between S3 and duly taken; their long-awaited Ball passed in perfection; the revival S4, S5 and S6 in matters of GIVING. Various committees support this of wearing a sixth year tie, but to their own design has caught the throughout the school and community. Our Charities Committee is the imagination of their successors”. What a valuable contribution a sixth main driving force for fundraising and year makes to the school! community events. Two non-uniform However, it would be wrong to days support local, national and suggest that our justified pride in international organisations; both sites our school is evident only in this act as bases for collections of items strong community spirit. We continue for North East Fife charities; and due to delight in the strong record of to the success of our in-school talent participation and success in a wide shows as part of our non-uniform days, variety of sports, national debate, our Parent Teacher Association will mathematical challenge, music, take our entertainment programme into drama . . . and, of course, academic the community next session. endeavour. The skills, knowledge Our S3 social group piloted a and attitudes we promote enable concert for residents of retirement pupils to fulfil their potential in all homes in St Andrews and for our aspects of their current and indeed immediate community. One resident, future lives. The annual Awards after the show, commented: “The skills displayed by the performers Ceremony is testament to our pupils’ commitment to positivity in were truly amazing. All the pupils who greeted us on arrival and those curricular and extra-curricular fields. on hand to help the old people in the audience were kind, courteous We hope that Dr Bell would be proud of the way in which we are and very patient. It was a great pleasure to see this side of your pupils”. developing his legacy!

The pupil voice has been loud, clear and extremely positive

The skills, knowledge and attitudes we promote enable pupils to fulfil their potential in all aspects of their current and indeed future lives

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FEATURES

To our Honoured Citizen of St. Andrews, on his special day, 6th August 2004

Design – Eddie Laing

Ask the Panel at St. Andrews Museum Are you dying to know the answers to questions like these about our town and surrounding areas?

Please send your questions to your Editor, PO Box 29210, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9YZ or email: editor@standrewsinfocus.co.uk and the Panel will do its best to find answers.

Q: I am a textiles student at Heriot Watt and am currently researching a piece of clothing from the University archive. The article in question is a woman’s silk jacket from around 1914 which has a label inside with ‘Miss Moffat, Court Modiste and Ladies Tailor, City Road, St Andrews’. Can you give me any information about Miss Moffat?

A: Sarah Jane Moffat was born in Dumfries about 1870. She is listed in several trade and street directories as a dressmaker at Tusculum House, City Road, St Andrews from 1901 until at least 1915. Tusculum House was both her home and her place of business where she employed a number of dressmakers working under her supervision.

The 1926 St Andrews Business Directory lists Miss Moffat under ‘Dress and Costume Makers’ at 3 Bell Street, St Andrews and the 1935 Official Guide carries an advertisement for ‘Madame Moffat’ at the same address. The

advertisement reads: ‘Leading Fashion Couturier – Exponent of all that is Newest and Smartest for the Chic Woman. Largest Collection of Gowns for day or evening wear. Expert fitting and closest personal supervision’.

Q: What is the origin of the inscribed stone set into the Kinburn Park wall at the exit gate to Jacob’s Ladder?

A: There are in fact two inscribed stones set into the northern boundary wall of Kinburn Park, both apparently parts of a panel believed to have come originally from St Leonard’s College. One stone is, as you say, near the back exit gate, while the other is on the other side of the wall, further towards the car park. Although part of the inscription is missing, the panel appears to record the building of the eastern half of St Leonard’s College by Principal Peter Bruce in 1616. The stones and the inscription are described by the late Dr Ronald Cant in ‘Stones of St Andrews’ in ‘Three Decades of Historical Notes’ (St Andrews Preservation Trust, 1991). As Dr Cant points out, Kinburn House was built by the St Andrews architect, John Milne, between 1854 and 1856. At the same time, Milne was also working on alterations to Sir David Brewster’s house at St Leonard’s East and

it seems that discarded stones from St Leonard’s were used to build the wall at Kinburn.

Q: I have been told that the Pipeland Road area of St Andrews was bombed during the Second World War. When was this and were there any casualties ?

A. A German bomber dropped a bomb on Nelson Street on the evening of Thursday 6 August 1942 and killed several members of a Dundee family who were on a week’s holiday in St Andrews. Those who died were Mr and Mrs James Wood, their daughters, Helen and Avril and Mrs Wood’s mother, Mrs Helen Welsh.

Q: There is a difficult rock traverse on the cliffs between Earlsferry and Largo now known as the Chain Walk. Was this originally used for training Polish paratroops?

A: The Chain Walk was provided for public use in 1923 by Mr Robert Skinner of Arncroach and for many years was maintained by the Skinner family. Access was restricted during World War II when British army camps were sited there and the area used for training purposes by both Polish and British troops.

It is possible that the Chain Walk itself may have been used for army training during this period.

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FEATURES

“St. Andrews Citizens, Their Societies Past and Present” Betty Willsher publishes Book No.10 (Librario, £10.99) A chance remark at a party set Betty Willsher on the road to authorship. She had made a birthday cake for a student, Philip Purser, and he had protested, “You shouldn’t be wasting your time making cakes; you should be writing books!” And Betty took the advice to heart, producing her first book, School Before Five: A Book for All Mothers with Children of Four and Under, published by Faber & Faber in 1959.

A trained nursery school teacher with an MA from St. Andrews University in psychology and philosophy, a Dip Ed from Dundee, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Nursery Education from Rachel McMillan College in Deptford, Betty had her own nursery school in St. Andrews for 20 years before becoming Senior Lecturer in Child Development in Stevensons College, Edinburgh.

The National Monuments Records of Scotland paid Betty’s expenses for a project to record and photograph all the carved stones in the cemeteries of Lowland Scotland. Betty explains that in the Highlands, people used granite for their funeral monuments, and it was too hard to carve in the same elaborate way. This project resulted in four books, the last of which was Scottish Epitaphs, published

by Canongate in1996. Giving illustrated talks on the topic in many places, Betty received one day in 1999, to her immense surprise, a letter from the Queen informing her that she had been awarded an MBE for her work. When Betty set out for London to receive the award her day began traumatically. The taxi driver coming to take her to Leuchars left behind in the car park the suitcase full of all her special clothes! A nail-biting Betty waited impatiently on the station bridge, while the taxi raced back to St. Andrews. Luckily, she was just able to catch that important train south. The following day, in London, there was a bomb scare and traffic came to a standstill. Betty found herself at the back of an endless queue for another taxi. Ever resourceful, she went to the top of the queue to whisper to the first driver where she was headed. Fortunately he believed her and whisked her off to Buckingham Palace in time.

Betty says that she was so overwhelmed by the proceedings in the Palace that she “was in a sort of haze”. She says she was terrified of making a mistake, “It was a great strain, I found.”

At the book launch in John Smith’s for St. Andrews Citizens, Publisher Mark Lawson remarked that he was present in the same place in 2003 (for St. Andrews: Ancient City in the Twentieth Century) and hoped he would be there again in 2005! Indeed, Book No. 11 is already well on the way. It will trace the development of opportunities for women through 8 generations of Betty’s own family on her mother’s side. Betty has 5 great-grandchildren (with another on the way). Have they inherited their Great Grandmother’s incredible energy and ever-youthful spirit?

Mark Lawson at the booklaunch with Betty Willsher (photograph by Sam Taylor)

And the following review

by Hazel Gifford Have you lived in St. Andrews for five years or more? Then do pick up this fascinating new book by Betty Willsher. Start with the Index (!) and you will see how wide-ranging are the topics covered: did you know that in 1985 the R and A contributed to the repair of the spire of Hope Park Church, so that it should be seen when playing the 17th hole; or that when, ( in the early 1900s?) Mrs. Bell Pettigrew married her fourth husband, “there was much comment at her last wedding as she wore a white gown”!

Such are the nuggets to be savoured in this remarkable collection: facts, data, general information, as well as delightful comments make this an invaluable record.

We often forget how closely Town and Gown have worked, voluntarily, for the good of the city and for national and international causes. The story of the WVS in wartime, the making of Music, the growth of Sporting activities; these are among the many different groups described, with the Churches, present and past – and all richly illustrated by photographs.

In her Conclusion, the author wonders why it is that people say “they haven’t the time”, as volunteers are harder to find, as societies change, or have died. She proposes interesting reasons, so there is serious food for thought here, too.

“Fellowship, stimulation and fun”, as seen throughout this book, are valuable assets in the varied yet close community in which we all flourish. Are we in danger of losing something very valuable?

There are only two cinemas left in the whole of Fife; St. Andrews has one of them. Flora Selwyn went along to chat to David Morris, grandson of the man who built it.

The New Picture House In 1929, John M. Morris, plumber, who conducted his business from premises opposite Woolworths in Market Street, St. Andrews, teamed up with A.M. Peddie, owner of a successful gents’ outfitter in Bell Street. Together they bought a plot of land at the west- end of North Street and in 1930 the New Picture House, whose fabric still stands today much as it was, opened its doors. The first film shown was the popular musical, No, No, Nanette.

Further up the street, a cinema built in 1913 already existed. Ironically, it was to close in 1979, leaving a clear field for its rival.

David Morris joined the cinema Board in 1995, after a successful banking career. His own father, Alex Morris, also a Director, is now 96 but still taking an active interest. Currently there are four Directors with varying backgrounds, Roy Robertson who retired several years ago from his Painting and Decorating business and Wilson Sibbett CBE, University Professor, all of them passionate about the cinema and determined to keep it both up-to-date and thriving.

Originally two films were shown every week, changing programme on Mondays and Thursdays. Once the second screen opened in 1982, however, programme changes moved to Fridays and only two films were shown each week. A third screen was added in 2002, allowing a weekly choice of at least three films. The 1980s also saw the introduction on Wednesdays of a late-night screening (from 11.00pm) of specialist and classic films.

Cinema 1 has 500 seats. Cinema 1 circle seats have a certain extra luxury about them, by way of space, and comfort. Cinema 2 has 124 seats, and Cinema 3 has 100. There is no difficulty filling most of these

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seats, as the queues, especially on Saturday nights, attest. Perhaps the very reasonable ticket prices help: cinema 1, circle £4.80; stalls, £3.80; senior citizens, £2.80; children, £2.80; cinemas 2 & 3, all seats £3.80.

(Having lived for years in London, I find these prices remarkable!) David is ably assisted in the day to day running of the business by an excellent team including Chief Projectionist Paul Carey, Maureen Waters in the Box Office and Marion Muir, Shop Manager.

It was the last cinema in Britain to have gas emergency lighting which was on all the time in case an electric power failure plunged the cinema in darkness. David said there is still one bracket left as a nostalgic reminder.

I asked if videos and DVDs have affected cinema-going. David said that people are determined to see new releases on the big screen with the big time atmosphere as soon as they come out. Very few people ever say they’ll wait for the DVDs first.

The future looks rosy. The Directors have a rolling programme of re-investment, making the environment attractive as well as profitable.

Along with the reseating and establishment of the third screen, both the foyer and the shop have been refurbished. The three Cinemas have Dolby Stereo sound, with Cinema 1 having the latest Surround Sound. By the time this article appears, it will be possible to book tickets online. There will also be automated telephone booking and information. Perhaps the most obvious change to the casual observer will be the electronic signage on the outer wall of the building. I saw the ‘preview’ for this, and was impressed by its elegant appearance.

St. Andrews is very fortunate to have a cinema that not only retains its links with its past, but also embraces the future wholeheartedly. This is entirely due to the fact that the Board members are all close friends with a shared interest in film and a determination to offer the best to their loyal public: a combination to be much applauded and greatly cherished in this uncertain day and age.

FEATURES

From St James, St Andrews, to Santiago de Compostella – A Pilgrimage by Colin McAllister A pilgrimage is a journey to a holy place. It is an image of our life on earth, which is a journey towards the vision of God, which we call Heaven.

However a pilgrimage is also a journey of self-discovery of that holy place which lies within us.

I began my walk on 31st August 2001 in St Jean Pied de Port on the French side of the Pyrenees and arrived in Santiago on 8th October, a journey of 518 miles. I accomplished this in 32 days walking with 7 days resting en route. The stages varied in length from 101⁄2 miles to 25 miles.

Maintaining an easy pace one can manage 4 kilometres or 21⁄2 miles per hour, so on the few exceptionally long days it was necessary to start very early in the morning, in the dark, when it was still cold, so as to complete the day’s walk in good time and without too long in the heat of the sun. It is also important to plan the day in advance, breaking it up into periods of 2 hours or so, with stops for coffee, lunch or a beer. Knowing where and when the next stop will be is a great psychological advantage, as it means you are not walking “blind”, that is, not knowing where and when to stop.

In St Jean Pied de Port I met an American policewoman who became my travelling companion. The Pilgrim Office in St Jean Pied de Port supplies pilgrims with scallop shells to wear around their necks, maps of the albergues or hostels along the route, and the all important Credencial del Pelegrino or Pilgrim Passport which you have stamped all along the route as proof of having done the journey.

The first day involved crossing the Pyrenees, which made for a long day. At the top of the Pyrenees, we met 2 Dutch girls who had started at Maastricht on 1st May and had walked right through France. Finally after a long descent through a beautiful beech forest we arrived at Roncesvalles, where we stayed at the local parador and attended a very moving service in the lovely Benedictine abbey.

After 3 days we reached Pamplona, where we had our first rest day in order to see the wonderful Gothic cathedral with its Baroque façade and its beautiful cloisters, and Calle Estafada down which the bulls run in the Fiesta of San Fernin. Beyond Pamplona there are some lovely

small towns such as Puente la Reina and Estella. This is the wine producing region of La Rioja, of which Logrofio is the capital, where after a week’s walking a rest day was timely.

After a further week we arrived at Burgos, capital of Old Castile and home city of El Cid, who is buried in the wondrous Gothic cathedral. There is so much to see in Burgos that we took 2 days off, including hiring a taxi for a day so that we could visit the 1000 years old Benedictine monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos, located some distance to the south, and also the small town of Covarrubias, birth place of El Cid’s wife, Chimene. Silos is world famous for its recordings of Gregorian chant and its ih 12th century cloisters with their carvings of New Testament scenes, the best known of which shows Christ dressed as a pilgrim on the road to Emmaus with 2 disciples.

The rest was a great help because the next week was one of the most difficult, involving 3 days of 25 mile stages, 2 of them consecutively. This stretch covers the high and arid plateau of the Meseta. At the end of the week we arrived in Leon, where we stayed a day and a half. The cathedral has 3 magnificent rose windows, and there is also the Royal Basilica of San Isidoro with its Visigothic art, and tombs of 23 Kings of Leon.

After another week’s walking we reached Villafranca del Bierzo where we had another rest day as the next stage was formidable. From Villafranca del Bierzo to 0 Cebreiro is 25 miles and a climb of 2500 feet – the toughest stage of the entire pilgrimage. The countryside changes from golden yellow or brown to green. You enter a Celtic world reminiscent of Ireland or the Western Highlands. 0 Cebreiro is a very special place where you feel you could almost reach up and touch Heaven. The church dates from the 11th century and the village has round houses of stone with thatched roofs.

From 0 Cebreiro it is all downhill to Santiago, but, as the area is mountainous and we were now in October, on our second last day we had to stop walking short of our day’s destination, Labacolla, because of the strong wind and driving rain. Labacolla is so called because the mediaeval pilgrims stopped to wash themselves and their clothes before making the last stage to Santiago. (Guardbridge performed a similar function as the last pilgrim ‘station’ before St Andrews). Just beyond Labacolla is Montxoi, the mountain of joy, because from there the pilgrim has his first sight of Santiago. (In the Middle Ages the first pilgrim to see Santiago was called Le Roy or the King). The emotion of being within sight of one’s goal and knowing now that one is going to reach it is unbelievable! In the words of Psalm 122: “How I rejoiced when they said to me ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’ And now our feet are standing In your gateways, Jerusalem”.

Mediaeval pilgrims to St Andrews must have had the same feeling as they crested the Largo Road and caught their first sight of St Andrews.

Mediaeval Santiago is about the same size as mediaeval St Andrews.

On arrival the pilgrim presents his Pilgrim Passport in the Pilgrim Office where the stamps are checked to see if he has covered enough of the pilgrimage to receive his Santiago certificate and he signs the pilgrim’s book. Each day at noon there is a Pilgrim Mass at which each day’s list of arrivals is read out. Often, but not always, at the end of the Mass, with great expectancy from the pilgrims, the 4 foot high silver incense-burner or botafumeiro is hoisted on ropes by 4 men and then swung across the transepts of the cathedral filling it with incense, a symbol of prayer, a sweet smell going up to God. (In the Middle Ages it also had a more practical purpose, to fumigate the smell of the pilgrims!).

There is then a great sense of accomplishment, but also of sadness that it is all over.

For help and information contact: The Confraternity of St James, 27 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NY. An exhibition of pilgrimage will be held in the St Andrews Museum in July 2004

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FEATURES Thinking of holidays? How about a trip to

St. Croix, in the Caribbean Mary Freeborn tells you all about it A glorious morning, light breeze, calm sea and small fluffy clouds shining in the morning sun.

Gallows Bay conjures up a picture of sailing ships at anchor, at rest after gruelling journeys, taking on supplies or cargo before continuing on to another port. What I see from my terrace are boats of every description tied up on the quays, and many sailboats at anchor further out in the Bay. To my left sits the Ferry that leaves daily for St Thomas, some three hours away. Below, are the ships’ chandler and a café, where countless people come for breakfast, arriving in small trucks or well used cars, making for the café dodging the puddles from the nightly rain.

What amuses me are the goings on. Many of the boats here for repair are hoisted out of the water and lifted to where they are painted, scraped or repaired. The day starts with the Harbour Master, sporting shorts and a green tee shirt, first hoisting the “Stars and Stripes,” then walking swiftly about checking up on the boats and the quay for any overnight damage, usually followed by a dreadfullooking black and white dog belonging to the café owner. This dog is in charge and quickly dispatches others who deign to invade his space. He comes and goes in his master’s truck, barking loudly, then checks the entire dockside (and the car wheels) before collapsing under the one shady tree.

St Croix has been under seven flags; ruled by seven nations. Before Christopher Columbus reached the Island in 1493, St Croix had been inhabited by fierce Carib Indians who no more welcomed Columbus than subsequent invaders and greeted him with arrows so that he had to retreat to nearby St Thomas where he found the locals less hostile. Columbus named the entire Antilles chain including St Croix, the Virgin Islands, in honour of St Ursula. St Croix he named Santa Cruz.

During the next two centuries, the Greater and Lesser Antilles were fought over by the Spanish, British, Dutch and French, attracted first by Spanish treasure and later by the economic potential of the region’s production of cotton, sugar, rum, indigo, and spices, and the lucrative slave trade.

The Dutch and the British were the first to establish themselves in St Croix, the Dutch sharing their settlement with French Hugenots from nearby St Kitts, but not for long. The British quickly dispatched both the Dutch and the French and solidified their claim on St Croix, where they remained for the next four years. But in 1650 the Spanish arrived with five ships and over a thousand men and wiped everyone out. Not to be outdone, the French returned and claimed possession of the island in the name of the French Crown. France then transferred the island by deed to the Knights of Malta, a religious group also known as the Order of St John.

The Knights however, fared poorly and were unsuccessful in developing the island and it was bought by the French West India Company, which also failed to improve it, or stem the diseases that were wiping out the settlers. The company incurred such enormous debts that Louis X1V was obliged to pay and assume ownership himself. Frustrated with the lack of progress, he then ordered its residents to relocate to Santo Domingo abandoning St Croix completely. Finally, St Croix was sold to Denmark in 1733. They divided the island into sections or plantations, which they sold. Many buyers were English settlers from nearby islands who planted crops such as tobacco and sugar which were then sold to the Danish for export. The Danes remained for fifty years, developing St Croix into one of the most important trading ports in the region. It enjoyed a period of great prosperity based on the cultivation of sugar, rum, and the slave trade until the invention of sugar beet in Europe, which had a catastrophic effect on the entire region.

Danish influence is still evident in the stunning architecture of Christiansted and Fredericksted’s 18th century buildings, painted in soft, pastel colours of pink, yellow, blue, or green. In spite of the scruffiness, and appalling road filled with pot holes, there is a sense of charm mixed with order as the Danes ruled that all buildings had to be built of fire resistant materials and that the streets were to be regulated into blocks. The Danish flag, a white cross on a red background, which dates back to the Crusades, flew for two centuries over the island and is still to be seen flying over the historic buildings.

Many Danes make pilgrimages to St Croix to discover their brief colonizing period and they can be identified by their badges representing their flag.

In 1917 the United States purchased St Croix, St John and St Thomas to prevent the islands becoming a German submarine base during World War 1. Since then, St Thomas has become a centre for enormous cruise ships. It is very built up with luxury hotels and tourist shops, while St John has become a National Park and intentionally undeveloped. St Croix has been developed in different ways, with large oil refineries, including Hess Oil Co and St Croix Alumina, creating employment in the island. Tourism has developed as people have discovered the natural beauty of the island and the interest of its history, kept alive through its Museums. Many diving devotees make for Buck Island, which lies a short distance off St Croix, an Underwater National Monument with white sandy beaches and beautiful waters, eikhorn coral, and a dazzling array of fish. Carambola, a West Indian style resort developed by Lawrence Rockefeller, offers a Robert T. Jones designed golf course, probably the best in the entire Caribbean, but as yet there is no major championship held there.

St Croix over the years has had its share of natural disasters. Having no major hurricanes for decades, in 1989 Hurricane Hugo devastated the island, followed by two other major hurricanes the following years. Having owned property here since 1986, it is interesting to see how the island has changed. There is a certain sense of prosperity, with many new houses to be seen, traffic has increased but the hotels and small shops and businesses struggle to keep going, for since 9/11, Americans do not travel as they used to and flights to the island from the US have been drastically reduced.

However, three flying boats come and go to St Thomas and Puerto Rico, which land and take off right in Christiansted Harbour, waking me up before six!

Since writing, many elegant yachts have come and gone. It seems every time I look up something is happening in the Harbour.

Life goes on at a leisurely pace. A little rain falls. The sun shines, and what attracted us to St Croix in the first place, still stands.

Illustration by Judith King, from cover of the Tourist Map of the Island

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Cherry Tree Gavin Reid As history closed its book on the world’s greatest madness, you two were born, twin girls.

Your father planted two cherry trees beside a random rubble house, one flowering pink, the other white.

These trees grew and flourished, and were the glory of the neighbourhood, with their abundant April blossom.

You both led lives of artistry and grace, joining the diaspora but keeping your tongue, helping Andy Warhol choose his cookie jars.

Last year, the flowering pink tree split its trunk, and one of you loosened grip on life, and suffered long in Bethseda.

Yesterday, the split tree, deemed unsafe by arborists’ keen eyes, was cut and folded down.

Last night, in Bethseda’s ward eight, you both held hands ‘til two am, when one hand went forever cold.

Stormy Night Gavin Reid Awakened at four in the morning to the insistent roar of your cannonade as your waves assault the shore; You, with your rioting, rolling surf upon the bleached white beach of innocence, you, who keep me from sleep’s refuge – You evoke the rap of sticks on drum-skins, the boom of ordnance on muffling dunes as through the night you thunder.

Party On, Party Up, Party Out Gavin Reid Choose the theme, name the day, tonight is party night.

Buy the booze, come out to play, tonight is party night.

Ann’s with Jack, and Jim’s with Dan, tonight is party night.

Switch your partners, while you can, tonight is party night.

Dan gets high, out of sight, tonight is party night.

From the Castle takes his flight, tonight is party night.

FEATURES

The Lammas Market Alistair Barnard, Fife Council’s Parks Development Officer, the Lead Officer connected with the Market for 30 years, talks to Flora Selwyn Year on year the Lammas rolls in on the second Tuesday of August, or to be more accurate, on the Thursday/Friday before the second Tuesday. The organisation behind it is outstanding. The very fact that most people hardly give a thought to what underlines the Market is a compliment to the organisers, Fife Council, and all the showmen.

Fife Council is responsible for the entire running of this remarkable annual event. It has to oversee the environmental, transportation, legal services, police, fire, ambulance, and health and safety aspects of everything. It organises road closures, fire prevention, signage, risk assessment. Every year the Town Hall in St. Andrews becomes the Operations Centre, coordinating all possible emergency needs. To make sure that this will be effective, a detailed exercise is carried out before the Market begins, the police and traffic wardens have all leave restricted, and special mobile phones are given to all emergency personnel. Free parking is set up at the West Sands, with a continual free bus service into town. Roads are closed, and stances are marked out with the police to make sure that places are filled quickly to avoid empty streets (and any awkward characters availing themselves of unexpected parking spaces!)

Alistair explained that the Fair in Market Street is separate from the Lammas Market proper. Billy Hammond (and his grandfather before him) rents Market Street from the Council. His men arrive on Thursday to set up in Market Street, then, having leased out the other stances to the showmen, he joins with the Market on Monday and Tuesday. If you think that sounds complicated, there’s more to it! The Showmen’s Guild has its own traditional rules and regulations which are strictly enforced. Fife Council also adheres to these as best it can, but it too, has its own disciplinary procedures. All the same, there is a very good relationship between the Council and the showmen. Alistair pointed out that many councils in other parts of the country have closed sites to fairs. St. Andrews is one of the main, and better, sites in Scotland – it is a street fair, therefore there are no problems with grass (and boggy ground).

In addition, there is guaranteed provision on the West Sands for the showmen’s caravans. Here, too, the Council has responsibilities in providing water, power, toilets, lighting, and refuse collection for the families. Since last year there has also been an attendant on hand day and night to patrol the caravan site, and direct owners to their proper places.

To minimise noise nuisance, setting up in the town is not allowed after 9.00 pm. The fair itself runs from 11.00 am to midnight, and 11.00 pm on the Tuesday. As soon as the clock then strikes 11.00 the showmen and traders begin to dismantle and remove everything. At 5.00am on Wednesday morning the street sweepers take over, and miracle of miracles, when you go into town to shop on Wednesday morning there isn’t even a cigarette end to be seen. (your Editor has always intended to get up on one of these Wednesdays to see for herself how this is done, but confesses that, so far, she has managed to oversleep each time).

Naturally, the question of money came up. Alistair said that, after expenses, (for example, ambulance and road services) all income from the showmen and traders goes into the St. Andrews Common Good Fund (administered by the Council). The sum is quite substantial.

So, go and have a rollicking good time at the Lammas this summer. But please spare a thought for all the work that goes into it, and breathe a special ‘thank you‘ to the wonderful people involved in every aspect.

Photographs by Prof Sam Taylor

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FEATURES Linda Gaul, RSCDS Schools Director, talks about the

Royal Scottish Country Dance Society Summer School These have proved very popular and this year I am very pleased to have two weeks where there are dedicated musicians’ courses. The tutors have many years of experience and are always delighted to pass on their knowledge and to help others in acquiring new skills.

The Saturday evening dance, where all the musicians come together to play, is a delight, both for dancing and for listening!

Dancing at Summer School is not only about classes – there are plenty of opportunities to dance socially in the evenings.

There are events every evening within University Hall and I am very glad to be able to work with the local Branches in St Andrews, Perth, and Dunfermline, who welcome dancers from Summer School at their events. For the overseas visitors especially, it is wonderful to be able to offer the opportunity to visit other parts of Scotland and to experience the talents of our many great musicians. I am also especially pleased to work with the NE Fife Tourist Board in organising the weekly dances on Thursdays in the Younger Hall. This is, without doubt, one of the very best dancing floors in the country – it is so well sprung that you can dance all evening without the legs feeling any pain. During these dances members of the Summer School show The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society For four weeks during July and August St what they have learned during the week. There has always been very proud of its teachers Andrews will, as usual, play host to the is a team who demonstrate some of the newly and training for its two-part qualification is Summer School of the Royal Scottish Country published dances and both the Highland class another integral part of Summer School.

Dance Society. This year, nearly 1,000 dancers and the ladies’ step dance class demonstrate These dancers work really hard, as do their and musicians from across the globe will come their skills. tutors, as there is a lot to learn in a fortnight. to the town, and in almost every available Part of the joy of visiting St Andrews is, During the assessment, dancers must answer hall you will see kilt-clad gentlemen with their of course, exploring the town and visiting the written questions, elegant partners, and coastal villages of the East Neuk. Although I demonstrate an ability hear the stirring sounds aim to keep the dancers busy I hope they will Today, Summer School offers to dance to a high of reels, jigs and find time to enjoy their visit to Fife, whether it is standard and teach strathspeys. the first or the “umpteenth” time. country dance classes for all a short lesson to a This “friendly This year, as I take over as the Director of levels of expertise, and all group of dancers. For invasion” began in the Summer School, I am conscious of following those whose mother early 1920s after Mrs in very illustrious footsteps. My predecessors, ages, for both the dancers tongue is English this Stewart of Fasnacloich including Dr Milligan, all made their special resident in University Hall and is quite a daunting and Miss Jean Milligan contribution to the development of the Summer experience but for had launched the School and I hope to do the same. I am those living locally. the many who come Society to preserve certainly no stranger to Summer School as I to St Andrews with a and promote the first came, in the 1960s, as a teenager with my limited knowledge of English it needs amazing country dances of Scotland. Their enthusiasm parents! dedication and courage. Translators are made for country dancing spread rapidly throughout In 2003, to celebrate the Society’s long available for written work but the lesson needs Scotland, and beyond, and a network of association with the town and the Society’s to be taught in English – this is where the Branches was set up to encourage local 80th Anniversary, St Andrews Community invaluable advice, “don’t tell them, show them” involvement. As the collection and publication Council wished to mark the occasion by way really comes into its own! of dances continued, the teachers in the of a presentation. Two representatives of For those more experienced dancers Branches needed to ensure that all the dances the Community Council, Murdo MacDonald wishing to try something a little different, were passed on in a consistent manner, and so (Vice Chairman) and Archie Strachan, came both Highland dancing and Step dancing for the Summer School was born. It has continued to dinner in University Hall on Wednesday 6 ladies are also taught as to flourish since then, apart from a few years August. Mr Strachan was optional classes. Traditional during the war, and it has always been based in at one time involved in This year, as I take highland dancing was once University Hall. physical education at the the preserve of the men, Today, Summer School offers country University, and had great over as the Director of but now the ladies take dance classes for all levels of expertise, and all memories of the Society’s Summer School, I am part, ensuring that all enjoy ages, for both the dancers resident in University co-founder, Miss Milligan. the challenge of intricate Hall and those living locally. The introductory Murdo MacDonald conscious of following in steps, and they need real classes are very important and dancers enjoy presented the Society very illustrious footsteps. stamina. being taught in small groups by enthusiastic Chairman, Jean Martin, Our musicians, who teachers with experienced musicians – being with a beautiful scroll. play the piano, fiddle or totally immersed in the dance for six days The folk of St accordion, have a pivotal role at Summer leaves you no chance to forget what you Andrews have always given the dancers a School. It is they who give all the impetus to learned yesterday! As dancers gain more wonderful welcome. If you want to know any dance and who keep us dancing when the feet experience they progress through the various more, please come along to the Younger Hall and legs want to give up! Playing for dancing skill levels. Physical fitness is required, a good on Thursday evenings, or to University Hall any is a specialised skill – one that is addressed memory is a help, but the best qualifications are time during our stay and find out how you can by providing specialist courses for musicians. a willingness to learn and an ability to laugh! join in the fun.

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FEATURES

Scottish Music & Dance Wilson Nicol, dancer, musician, and composer Scotland has a great tradition of music and dance. There are at least In the 19th century, the quadrille in three different racial influences: the people of Celtic origin in the north square sets and the waltz came and west; those of Anglo Saxon origin in the south and east; and to Scotland from the continent those of Scandinavian origin in the far north including Orkney and the and were incorporated into Shetland Islands. So the music and dance has had a rich diversity which Scottish dances. Examples are, continues to this day. the Waltz Country Dance, the The Stewart kings in the 15th and 16th centuries were patrons of Lancers, and the Eightsome Reel, music and maintained musicians at their palaces of Holyrood, Linlithgow which is only just over 100 years old! In the latter half of that century and Falkland, while the dances, ‘brent new frae France’, were influenced a large number of hybrid dances were introduced. Circassian Circle by the Auld Alliance between France and Scotland. and the Dashing White Sergeant are both round-the-room dances with Around 1660 the violin had become established as the major somewhat tenuous Scottish connections, but are good mixers. The Scottish musical instrument. Scottish craftsman began copying the polka, originating in Czechoslovakia, arrived by mid-century. Then there violins of Italian masters and that craft of fiddle-making has continued were the Highland Schottische in 1855, and the barn dance in 1888. By to this day. By the 18th century, the Acts of 1649 and 1701 prohibiting the end of the century the circle and square dances had all but ousted ‘promiscuous dancing’ (passed through the country dances and reels. the influence of the church) were swept The second golden era of music was The first Golden Era of Scottish aside in a desire to make merry. The Earl of almost exactly 100 years later, and this Selkirk in 1705 scandalised Edinburgh by was dominated by the violinist James traditional music started in the engaging in dancing. But it was popular, and Scott Skinner born in Banchory 1843. At middle of the 18th century this led to the building in 1725 of the first the age of 10 he ran away to Manchester Assembly Rooms for dancing in Edinburgh, to play in Dr Marks Little Men and while to be followed in other major towns in Scotland. The dances at that time there he had tuition from the great French violinist Charles Rougier. In were mainly from the French Court, but included some English country his late teens, Scott Skinner was back in Scotland outplaying all other dances by John Playford. Two of the earliest records of Scottish music fiddlers in competitions. He earned his living as a violin and dancing and dance are the Duke of Perth’s manuscript dated 1737, and the teacher, and was retained by Queen Victoria to teach at Balmoral. When Castle Menzies manuscripts dated 1749. The first Scottish publication of giving a public performance, he always had a classical programme in dances was by James Bowie in Perth in 1789. the first half with traditional music in the second half. In his 84 years he The dances then included the Scottish Reel – figures of eight for composed over 600 pieces. three or four dancers interspersed with setting steps – longwise country Learning to dance was not confined to the better-off: Robert dances, and the Minuet. Later, around 1760, the new rhythm of the Burns writes of his going to dancing classes in his youth, and in the Strathspey incorporating the traditional Scottish Snap, and the hornpipe, 19th century spilling over into the 20th there was an army of ‘dancies’ were developed .

– itinerant fiddler/dancing teachers who would play and dance. One of The first Golden Era of Scottish the most famous in our time was dancie traditional music started in the middle of Reid from Forfar who taught the late Queen Traditional music is very much into the 18th century. The first book of Scottish Mother at Glamis. His orchestra was one of tunes had been published in 1600 by Henry the foremost dance bands in Scotland in the the next golden era with scores Playford, then in 1757, Bremner published early part of the 20th century. of excellent young musicians and in Edinburgh his collection of Scots reels At the turn of that century, dances from and country dances. After that, a flood of the Americas came flooding to Europe. First composers coming forward publications continued for the next 50 years. there was the cakewalk, popular among The outstanding musicians, composers the negroes, and then ragtime, and later and dancing masters of the period were; Niel Gow and two of his sons the foxtrot and many other dances which we now classify as ballroom.

William and Nathaniel who had a classical training and published several These new dances stimulated the expansion of dancing schools in the volumes in Edinburgh; Robert Mackintosh also from the Dunkeld region; big towns while in the country areas dancing was still dominated by the and William Marshall who had a long career in the service of the Dukes dancies. Programmes at dances were a pot-pourri of all the types. Faced of Gordon in Huntly. All were excellent fiddlers and prolific composers. with all these innovations, the truly traditional Scottish dances were in It is a testimony to their quality that much of their music is still played almost terminal decline. today.

It was in those circumstances that Mrs Stewart of Fasnacloich in Argyll and Miss Jean Milligan decided that it was time to save the traditional Scottish dances before they were completely forgotten.

Together with 27 interested people at a meeting in Glasgow they formed the Scottish Country Dance Society in 1923. From that small beginning the Society, now Royal, has members all over the world totalling around 20,000. Scots are great wanderers and are to be found all over the world. It is not surprising then that Branches of the Society sprang up all over the world and not only Scots were drawn in to the dancing net.

The Society’s annual summer school, which it has held in St Andrews for over 60 years, is a Mecca for dancers from far and near. The Society has published over 40 books of dances so far. Originally these were traditional dances only, but now, accepting that dancing is a living art form, the Society includes new dances with new figures. Other groups concentrating on Highland, Ceilidh, Old time, Ballroom, and more modern styles of dancing all flourish in Scotland.

Traditional music is very much into the next golden era with scores of excellent young musicians and composers coming forward. It was thought at one time that dancing would eventually be accompanied by recorded music, but that is not happening. Dancers realise that there is an extra dimension to their enjoyment by having live music. The violin has been superseded by the accordion which has a greater harmonic contribution and is more amenable to amplification. The style however remains traditionally Scottish even if there are influences from all round the world.

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FEATURES

Tourism is Everyone’s Business Alan Martin, the Kingdom of Fife Tourist Board, explains why tourism matters.

It could be said that tourism is important to St Andrews because annually it generates around £52 million for the local economy and that it supports around 9% of the workforce in the town. This is of course true, but the real impact of tourism runs much deeper than that and affects the very fabric of our society.

Every year St Andrews plays host to around 710,000 visitors from within the UK, as well as from all four corners of the globe. This very diversity creates a rich cultural melting pot which benefits both locals and visitors alike. You only have to look at the various pavement cafes that spill out into the street during the summer, to be reminded of warmer climes. This all adds to the cosmopolitan ambiance of the town, which makes St Andrews so much more than just a golfing destination.

As St Andreans, we enjoy some of the finest Scottish produce right on our doorstep.

Many of the town’s restaurants rely on revenue from tourism, without which the excellent selection of eating places might not be available. Local golfers can enjoy a round of golf at St Andrews Bay or on the Dukes Course.

For those in search of a touch of luxury, the spas at the Old Course Hotel and St Andrews Bay Hotel would certainly fit the bill. These facilities were primarily created with the tourist in mind but their existence opens up opportunities for locals to enjoy and enhances the quality of life.

Our children learn what life was like for their forefathers by visiting local attractions such as the Scottish Fisheries Museum and the Fife Folk Museum. They learn about science by visiting the Aquarium, and about our history by visiting St Andrews Castle. As adults, cultural events such as ceilidhs, plays at the Byre Theatre and the ever popular St Andrews Week help make our lives richer.

Tourism has also helped to enhance the natural environment for the benefit of all. St Andrews is integrated into the Kingdom of Fife

Cycle Ways network which means that cycling can be enjoyed as a leisure pursuit, and if you live in one of the neighbouring villages on the route, you can cycle to work in complete safety. The Cycle Ways network helps to promote healthy living in our communities by providing the opportunity to cycle rather than travel by car.

The Fife Coastal Path is another example of a project that attracts a huge number of tourists every year but is also accessible for locals to enjoy.

Stretching for 81 miles and covering much of Fife’s coastline from the Forth Bridge to the Tay Bridge, the path is a fantastic and unique asset for the Kingdom. The West Sands beach, which holds a coveted Blue Flag, is another example of a natural resource that has been protected as a result of tourism.

As you can see, tourism affects everyone in the community, not just those people who work on the “front line” in hotels and visitor attractions. Tourists use local amenities and transport networks, but how many people working in these industries think of themselves as being in tourism? Even if we don’t deal directly with tourists in our jobs, we come into contact with them in the street, in cafés and restaurants and in the supermarket and it’s this contact that influences the visitor’s experience both for the better or for the worse.

Tourism has also helped to enhance the natural environment for the benefit of all

If we want to continue to benefit from tourism in the future we need to make sure that every contact we have with tourists is a positive one. So the next time you see a tourist looking a bit lost or confused, why not ask if you can help? It only takes that one little gesture or act of kindness to create a good impression which can make all the difference to someone’s holiday experience. Remember, these people help to improve all of our lives on a daily basis.

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About Tourism . . .

St Andrews in Focus does a bit of statistical probing The Fife Visitor Survey 2001/2, Final Report has some interesting light to throw on where visitors come from, why they come to St. Andrews, what they do here, and what they think about us.

In contrast to the rest of Fife, visitors to St. Andrews were younger, only 29% being over 55 years of age. Three in ten of these visitors were from abroad, predominantly from North America (13%), Europe (10%), and the Antipodes (3%). Compare this with the University’s figures for students, 20% of whom …“are from overseas, with over 1000 overseas undergraduates representing 90 different nationalities.” (from the new University staff magazine, The StAndard.)

61% of our visitors came here on holiday, July and August being the most popular months. However, 28% were recorded arriving between November and March. Most visitors stayed put in St. Andrews, although Edinburgh and the Lothians were important destinations on their itinerary as well.

Friends and relatives appear to have provided most of the accommodation, 16% otherwise staying in B&Bs, and 11% in large hotels, “…serviced accommodation generally was more popular amongst those interviewed in St. Andrews.”

95% of those asked – those not asked might well have been out doing sporting activities – said they were involved in “non-sporting” activities, such as shopping (46%), going on the beach (49%), visiting monuments (50%) or museums (30%). Only 2% seemed to mention “eating out”, 5% going to the theatre, or 9% doing “general sightseeing”. However, 10% apparently “visited gardens”.

Visitors reported liking St. Andrews’ surrounding scenery (29%), architecture (28%) and history/culture (21%), and, of course, the golf (15%). This was especially true of overseas visitors’ reactions. Scottish visitors “…were more than average to mention the beaches (20%), while visitors from Fife were more likely to enjoy the shopping (17%).”

Wonderful to relate, “two-thirds of visitors interviewed claimed there was nothing they disliked about the area (66%). This proportion increased amongst visitors to North East Fife and St. Andrews – 71% and 70% respectively.” The weather, of course, figured large in the dislikes (5%), as did lack of parking (5%). Litter and rubbish accounted for 1%.

So there you have it. Is this more or less what you might expect? The above figures are based on 521 interviews in widely distributed areas of town, out of 1,612 interviews over the whole of Fife. (To put it into context, in the year 2003 the official number of visitors to St. Andrews was given as 710,000 spending some £52.3m).

FEATURES

Audio-Describing at the Byre – a little known service at the Theatre Article by Debbie Butler, Marketing and Development Manager at the Byre When the new Byre Theatre was in the design process accessibility for people of all abilities was an overriding consideration, clients with both physical and sensory disabilities had to be catered for. As a result, there are ramps and lifts front of house and backstage, to give easy access to all, and built into the auditorium is an infra-red transmitting system. Through special ear-pieces, this enables people with low hearing ability to receive amplified sound direct from the stage and it also enables those who are blind, or who have poor vision, to receive an audio-description of the action on stage.

During building, volunteers were sought who would be willing to undergo the rigorous training needed to become audio-describers. Seven brave souls came forward and are still involved at the Byre, along with a newcomer who trained through Perth Theatre. The training was undertaken under the auspices of the Audio-Describers Association for Scotland [ADAS]; patrons – Euan McGregor and Gerald Kelly. ADAS, whose training is recognised by the Royal National Institute for the Blind, also monitor the service being offered by theatres once it is in place, to ensure that standards are being maintained.

The training is very intensive, needing many sessions, including some weekends and requires an understanding of the Disability Discrimination and Broadcasting Acts. Volunteers are also trained to think about the quality of their voice, their diction, microphone skills and how to hone everything down into the most concise and precise sentences possible.

All descriptions must be totally objective, allowing the hearer to make their own mind up about possible reasons for actions or emotions being displayed. According to the describers, this is possibly the most difficult part of the training.

All movements by characters onto or off the stage must be mentioned, with some indication of how the move is made, for example, quickly, slowly, stealthily. All descriptions are given in terms of the room or space portrayed on the set, rather than in theatre terms, such as “ The maid went out through the kitchen door”, rather than, “she exited stage left”. Everything is in the present tense, although actions, especially in comedies, may have to be pre-empted to ensure that the Visually Impaired Person (or VIP’s as they are called ) laughs at the same time as the rest of the audience!

For a two act play there will be three describers. One will give an introduction, which starts about ten minutes before the curtain goes up. This will describe the set, the people in the play, their relationships to each other, details of each costume in Act One, and any lighting or special effects which will be involved during Act One which need to be explained. There is very little time during the performance for description of such things and so as much as possible is done beforehand. Each of the other two describers covers one act. Wendy Quinault, one of the Byre’s describers, says that people don’t realise what the service involves – “They think it’s taped, whereas its vital that it’s live”.

In order to give an audio-description of a play many days of preparation are needed. First each describer receives a copy of the script, with any changes marked which the Director has decided on in advance.

After attending the preview performance, describers go on to view the production on a number of occasions to prepare their scripts, listening carefully for appropriate gaps in the dialogue. Such gaps, which may be only seconds long, are where their descriptions must be given. The VIP’s will be listening to what is happening on stage and so must not be distracted by descriptions coming over the top of the actors’ voices. Every movement, action and expression must be marked down – in fact anything inaudible which contributes to the story of the play. There is then a meeting with the other describers to make sure that descriptions of such things as furniture are the same (eg sofa, settee, couch), names are pronounced in the same way and all aspects of the description are consistent.

The audio-describer works out what to say and how to fit it in to the gaps available. This takes a long time and needs great language skills.

There is a ‘dress rehearsal’ at the Tuesday evening performance, with other describers sitting in the audience as ‘guinea pigs’. A plenary meeting is then held and final changes made before the live describing takes place. This is always during the last week of a production on the Thursday evening and Saturday matinee.

On these occasions, any VIP who has booked will be encouraged to arrive at the theatre early. They will be met at the Box Office and taken

to their seat. The operation of the system is explained to them, especially if it is their first experience of audio-description.

They are then able to listen to the pre-curtain description, which lasts about ten minutes. As soon as the curtain rises the second describer takes over for Act One. At the end of the Act, the VIP will be told when the Introduction for Act Two will start so that they can be sure to be back in their seat in time. When the play ends, the description includes the walk down, the applause and any other happenings.

For the describers, the process ends with a post mortem and any particular problems are noted. At the end of the run notes may be passed on to any other theatres staging the same play with the same cast and director and so it is important that they are amended as necessary Not all productions are audio-described; touring shows with only one or two performances would make preparation impossible. In-house shows can run for twenty plus performances and so give the necessary time.

Musicals and plays with large casts are the most difficult to describe, along with those which are fast moving as there are many fewer ‘gaps’ to allow for describing.

Audio-describing is a relatively new service in the theatre. The first in the UK took place in 1986 and the first in Scotland in 1990. The descriptions are always done ‘live’ as no two performances are ever the same. Things can and do go amiss on occasions, especially when actors ad lib! but in general it has proved to be a very welcome addition to theatre services. At the Byre a regular clientele of VIP’s is building up and comments have been very favourable. Brenda Hunter, another stalwart describer, finds the work intensely rewarding, “It’s great to enable those with a love of theatre to continue to enjoy it in spite of their disability”.

The Byre Theatre offers additional services for those with visual or hearing impairment – large print programmes and brochures and audiodescribed tapes with details of the programme. Guide dogs can also be accommodated.

15

SELECTED EVENTS

St Andrews Art Club We are holding our annual summer exhibition between 17th July and 1st August in the club rooms at 14c Argyle Street, near the West Port. It will be well signposted. Around 70 or 80 members’ works will be on the walls. Buying is often pretty keen, especially near the start; though some gems remain until the second week. You will find some excellent pictures, including many of St Andrews and scenes from the East Neuk, at prices suited to every pocket. When you visit the exhibition please remember to vote for your favourite painting, whether you are buying one or not. The President’s prize will be awarded to the artist whose picture receives the most votes.

The club was founded in 1948 and has been in its present premises since 1985. There are 150 members, the majority from St Andrews itself and the East Neuk villages. There are often vacancies and applications to join are welcomed. Between early October and Easter we have classes and workshops in the club rooms, together with Thursday evening lectures, demonstrations and critiques of members’ current projects. In the summer there are painting outings to local scenic areas. We run 4 main exhibitions during the year including the permanent show in the Health Centre.

INVALID SERVICES Ltd. 01334 472834 / 01382 770303

– Committed to quality ‘Care at Home’ – Throughout Fife and Tayside – – Licensed by the Care Commission –

16

SELECTED EVENTS One of St. Andrews’ most prized events takes place at

The Gardens At “Ladies Lake” Gordon Senior gives the background to his Annual Open Day When ‘Ladies Lake’ (the name derives from the of polystyrene. Geraniums, which need a bit of “lake”, the water that remains between the rocks space, take 55 in a box. Alyssum, and most other on the shore when the tide goes out) came on the seedlings, are 98 to a box. How many boxes do market in 1985 I went to view it. The owner, Robert I fill? Well, 80 take up every inch of space in the How, who owned an antique business in North greenhouse!

Street, had built the house in 1968. Previously a bath At the end of April the lower terrace is taken house stood on the site, and for the princely sum of over by home-made collapsible cold frames and 6d (21⁄2 p), one could enjoy a salt water bath. The the boxes of seedlings are transferred into them water was hauled up in a bucket and heated over an to become acclimatised, or ‘hardened off’, if you open fire. However, that’s all in the distant past. prefer a gardening term. The last few weeks of May Frankly, the house was disappointing, but the site start the back-breaking work of bedding out. In was simply stunning. The upshot my early days at Ladies Lake was that Mr. How and I had a I did this single-handed, over The gardens are very chat, and when I left we had 10 consecutive days. Now my private, so to share shaken hands on a deal. gardener and son do most of Alterations to the house the work. my good fortune with took 9 months to complete, Back to the greenhouse. others I have an Open and thereafter I could turn my The moment the bedding plants attention to the garden, which are put out, tomato plants take Day once a year I was determined to turn into a over – 36 of them, plus a few showpiece. But what a task lay cucumbers. 36 tomato plants in front of me! An ugly chain link fence supported by produce a lot of tomatoes, about 1000, or 1cwt. A lot concrete posts formed a line which separated the are given to friends. garden grounds from the cliff edge. The ground on The gardens are very private, so to share my the sea side of the fence was completely overgrown good fortune with others I have an Open Day once with weeds, including giant hogweed! The fence had a year. This is done under the auspices of the to go! In its place two terraces were constructed. The Scottish Gardens Scheme, which receives 60% of larger one is cantilevered over the sea and is about all money taken. The other 40% goes to Hope Park 40 feet above the foreshore, and the two terraces are Church as a ‘thank you’ for the willing help given by linked by a flight of steps. lady members of the congregation who organise Because of the house’s exposure to winds delicious afternoon teas. from the North and East, we can only grow annual This year, the Open Day is on Sunday, 15th bedding plants which are not planted out until the August. So why not come along, enjoy the flowers, last few days of May. The gardening season for listen to the music, and also enjoy afternoon tea? me starts in early March when the greenhouse is The gardens are open from 2.00 to 5.00 pm. disinfected with Jeyes Fluid. The smell is revolting; Admission is £2.50; accompanied children are free. reminiscent of a 1950s public toilet!

Sorry, but dogs are not allowed.

The work starts in earnest on, or about, the 10th March, when the flower seeds are sown; thousands of them. After germination, the seedlings are pricked out into redundant salmon boxes constructed

Selected Events If you have a special event for this page in the September/ October issue, please notify the Editor by the copy deadline of the 28th July, either by tel/fax, 01334 472375; by post to PO Box 29210, St. Andrews, KY16 9YZ or by email: editor@standrewsinfocus.co.uk 2 July – 22 August, The Crawford Arts Centre, North Street, St Andrews.

– What in the world is more beautiful? . . . than artists working with gardens?

Exhibition organised by artists Gair Dunlop and Susanne Nørregård Nielsen. Contact the Crawford for details of the children’s summer workshop programme devised around a garden’s theme.

– Summer Craft – to continue the garden theme, some of the exhibitors in the craft exhibition also make work related in some way to gardens.

4 July, Vintage Vehicle Rally, Craigtoun Country Park.

Contact: Paul Marshall 01334 412219 5 – 9 July, 2 – 6 Aug. and 30 Aug. – 3 Sept., Strathtyrum House (off the A91, Guardbridge Rd) is open from 2.00 – 4.30 pm.

Adults £5, children £2.50. Cars Free; guide dogs only, please.

11 July, 7.15 pm at Holy Trinity Church, St. Andrews. The ElShaddai Singers in Concert.

Free entry 17 July – 1 August, 14c Argyle Street, St. Andrews. The St. Andrews Art club annual summer exhibition (see opposite page for details).

23 July, 5.30 – 8.30 pm at Di Gilpin, Burghers Close, South St, St. Andrews. Private view, meet dress designer Terry Macey. Refreshments. Open to all.

18 – 24 July, St. Andrews International Football Festival. contact: Lyn Barnett 01686 622666 5 – 10 August, The Lammas Fair in St. Andrews. Contact: Fife Council 01334 417846 7 – 15 August, Pittenweem Arts Festival, Pittenweem, Fife.

Contact: Dorothea Thompson 01333 310244 Sunday, 15 August, 2.00 – 5.00 pm. Open Day at Ladies Lake, The Scores, St. Andrews.

Admission £2.50; accompanied children free. Sorry, no dogs.

Saturday, 28 August, St. Monans Sea Queen Day, East Neuk, Fife. Contact: Fiona Audsley 01333 739 019.

17

SHOPS & SERVICES

House Prices in St. Andrews LiYi Lin moved to St. Andrews recently. While looking for a house to buy, she decided to do her own research on the St. Andrews property market. Here she shares her findings. LiYi was trained as a physicist and switched to investment banking afterwards. She stays home now to bring up her twin boys MianMian and YiYi. Average Price ������� ������� ������� ������� ������� ������

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Seasonal Changes

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Number of Sales

Annual Price Inflation

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The housing market is strongly seasonal. As spring and summer come, the property market heats up and prices scale new heights each year. In autumn and winter, the property market quietens down with fewer sales.

In this analysis, each year is divided into summer (April – Sept) and winter (Oct. – March), which best captures the seasonal effect. The number of property transactions of each summer and winter for the past five years is plotted below. The results show strong seasonal variations, with sales going up in the summer and down in the winter again. On average, there are 38% more sales in the summer than in the winter.

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We show the general picture of the St. Andrews property market for the past five years. The price data were obtained from the Scottish Land Registry, www.ros.gov.uk, which is available to the public.

Remember, these are the actually agreed sold prices, not the offer over prices from estate agents. Only residential properties within the St. Andrews town boundary are included in this analysis and new builds are excluded.

The average house price is St. Andrews has almost doubled in the past five years. In winter ‘98, the average price stood at £93k; in winter ‘03, the average price went up to £170 k, an increase of more than 80%, averaging 13% per year. Most of the increases happened after 2000, with the annual increase averaging 20% since 2000. A more detailed analysis of the St. Andrews property market is presented below.

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The number of sales every year has increased only slightly. On average, there are 272 property transactions per year. There were about 6000 residential properties in St. Andrews. Hence on average, people live in the same property for 22 years. Many retired people in St. Andrews have lived in the same property even longer, often more than 30 years. It is a relatively recent phenomenon, with the increased influx of students and investors, that properties are traded more frequently.

Prince Charming One factor often mentioned regarding the strong St. Andrews housing market is the arrival of Prince William. St. Andrews has always been an attractive place to live and properties have always been sought after, but price increases were at a more reasonable pace prior to 2000. Huge price increase is a recent phenomenon since 2000.

In the charts below we plot the average house price per season over the past five years, and the annual percentage change of the average house price. One can see that the St. Andrews housing market really took off at the beginning of winter ‘00 and summer ‘01. Annual price inflation reached almost 40% in the summer ‘01. This is when Prince William arrived in St. Andrews. Earlier, price changes were at a much slower pace.

18

Other factors have also contributed to the strong performance of the housing market since winter ‘00 and summer ‘01. The tech bubble burst in early 2000 and the stock market started to drop, going into free fall after the Sept 11 tragedy. Investors turned to properties for higher returns. Central banks had also lowered interest rates repeatedly during this period, making mortgages more affordable. In the south, these factors merely helped to prolong the upward movement of house prices.

In St. Andrews, the coinciding arrival of Prince William highlighted the attractiveness of the town, and investors poured money into St. Andrews properties and drove up prices.

A Tale of Two Cities All properties in St. Andrews are desirable, but some are more desirable than others. The west end is considered by some to be more prestigious, and the centre of town is sought after by students and a variety of others. These properties lie west and north of Kinness Burn and have a postcode of KY16 9--. There are many large villas and luxury flats in this area, and on top of that they command a premium because of the location. The rest of St. Andrews has a postcode of KY16 8--. Here properties are mostly homes of local residents. More houses tend to be modest and so is their price. We can compare the price distribution of these two areas, labelled as WestEnd and EastEnd, in the latest season of winter ‘03. The plot below shows the number of houses sold in each price range. The characteristics of the two distributions are very different.

In the WestEnd the prices scatter over a wide range, with some very expensive, over half a million. In the EastEnd prices are more clustered, with some ex-local authority properties changing hands below 50k. Also notice, there are more sales in the EastEnd than the WestEnd, reflecting the fact that there are more properties in the EastEnd than the WestEnd.

SHOPS & SERVICES Price Distribution of Winter '03

To Buy or Not To Buy

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If you intend to live in St. Andrews for a long time, it may be worth buying a house. St. Andrews is a nice place to live and if it makes you �������� �� happy to live here to be close to all the amenities it has to offer, buying �������� a property now in St. Andrews is as good as any other time if you can � afford it. House prices may go up or go down, but in the long run they � always go up. � However, as a buy-to-let investment, properties in St. Andrews may not be so attractive anymore. As was mentioned earlier, a few � factors, the arrival of Prince William, the stock market slump, lower � interest rate, all contributed to the strong property markets since 2000.

However, these same factors are disappearing: Prince William will leave next year, the stock market is recovering, and interest rates are for certain on the rise. All these factors can have a potentially negative impact on the property market. With prices already so high and In the following charts, we compare the average house prices of the interest rate rising, rental income for buy-to-let investments can hardly WestEnd and EastEnd, as well as St. Andrews as a whole, and their cover even an interest-only mortgage anymore. Many properties are annual price inflation. One can see a substantial difference in price cheaper to rent at this moment, and some rental properties are real between the two areas. The average price of west end and centre is bargains. This is especially almost double that of the rest of St. true for large family homes, Andrews. However, they do show a House price growth has to slow at some point, but and some remain empty for a similar pattern in that prices were long time. Property investors fairly flat before 2000, and they nobody has a crystal ball to foresee when. This used to be able to rely on started to shoot up afterwards. summer and the coming year is a crucial time to capital appreciation for their Notice the tremendous surge in investment return, but at this price in the WestEnd in summer ‘01 watch where the housing market is heading. moment, it is far from certain with annual price inflation reaching that the property market can over 40%. This confirms the general repeat the same strong performance of the past five years. It is highly notion that house prices in the centre and west end went up by half with unlikely that prices will double again in another five years. the arrival of Prince William. In the rest of St. Andrews house prices How does St. Andrews compare with other areas? In winter ‘03, have been going up at a slower, but steadier, pace. the average price of properties in St. Andrews stood at £170k, and it has gone up again as the summer approaches. According to the Comparison of Average Price BBC website, the average house price in Scotland is £103k, with Edinburgh £143k, Fife £91k, southeast England £205k, the southwest ������� £176k. The latest figures from Nationwide and Halifax, the two biggest mortgage lenders, show the national average was £146k in May. ������� �������� The high property prices in St. Andrews are way ahead of the rest of �������� ������� the average house prices in Scotland and the national average, and ���������� resemble more the south. This makes sense as many investors in St. ������� Andrews are from the south outside St. Andrews. Although St. Andrews ������� is an affluent town, it does not have many professional jobs besides the university, and the average academic and administrative staff ������ member is not well paid and will be hard pressed to afford an average ������ house over £170k.

It is a general belief that house prices in St. Andrews never go down. Demand for properties is high: St. Andrews University is expanding; the average household is becoming smaller; people live longer. On the other hand, supply is limited: few new houses are built; the issue of a green belt surrounding St. Andrews is being discussed and there is limited scope for new developments. The strong demand underscored by limited supply puts upward pressure on house Annual Price Inflation prices. However, it is hard to imagine prices can keep on going up ��� 20% per year like the past few years. After all, demand for houses will be damped when house prices keep going up and become less ��� and less affordable. The St. Andrews property market is to a large extent supported by outside investors, which makes the St. Andrews ��� property market behave more like the rest of the country instead of just Scotland. There are recently renewed warnings over the precarious ��� state of the UK housing market. House price growth has to slow at some point, but nobody has a crystal ball to foresee when. This �� summer and the coming year is a crucial time to watch where the housing market is heading. ���� ��

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This page has been generously sponsored by 139 South Street, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9UN Tel: 01334 479479 Fax: 01334 474399 Email: info@bradburne.co.uk Web: www.bradburne.co.uk

19

SHOPS & SERVICES

Abdur Rouf – Restaurateur Extraordinary Flora Selwyn was fortunate to meet him The Balaka Restaurant in St. Andrews is one of the town’s great treasures.

Tucked away as it is at the end of Market Street it offers the visitor the perfect surprise on entering, for it is remarkably spacious and gracious inside, and the aroma of good cooking greets one with a positive welcome. An air of good living is inescapable.

Abdur Rouf was born in Bangladesh, a “new” country whose independence dates from 1971. His parents exported jute from Dundee, and as a result, Abdur went to Dundee College of Technology (now Abertay University) to study textile engineering. Partly because of the demise of the jute industry, young Abdur needed to support himself. He started working in a restaurant – and was hooked. Although, after five years of study, he graduated in Bangladesh with the highest qualification as an Associate of the Textile Engineering Institute of Pakistan (ATI), it was the restaurant world which beckoned.

So, in 1981 Abdur Rouf established the Balaka Restaurant in St. Andrews. At first he worried about succeeding; St. Andreans were not exactly used to Bangladeshi cooking, for in those days curry was still fairly new. Today, however, Abdur says proudly, “My locale is my strength”. And what does he attribute his success to? Why, hard, hard work. The quality of his cooking “is not an accident”. In the 23 years of its existence, the Restaurant has seen five others open – and close, including the first one in St. Andrews which was there when the Balaka arrived.

The most remarkable thing about the Restaurant is completely hidden behind it. Go through into the back and a beautiful garden greets you. It is Abdur’s pride and joy. Most of the Restaurant’s vegetables grow there in profusion; neat rows of spinach, onions, garlic, and coriander too, (it took a while to discover the secret of growing coriander; it has to be sown indoors before planting out). Fresh produce, indeed, organic fresh produce, is the hallmark of Abdur’s success. The reward came in 1998 when the Balaka was voted Best Indian/ Bangladeshi Restaurant in the UK. Yet in 1993 disaster had struck ; fire broke out in the kitchen. Abdur was distraught, though today he can recount with humour how he rescued an elderly lady who lived above where the fire raged, only to have her insist on going back inside to rescue her spectacles! For six months the restaurant was closed. When it opened again Abdur discovered that his loyal clients had refused to dine out anywhere else, waiting patiently for the restoration to be complete, and it was only two years later, in 1995, that it won its award as Best in Scotland.

What an amazing number of celebrity guests have passed through those doors!

Among them have been the King and Queen of Malaysia, and a host of famous names in golf, film, cricket; Jack Nicholaus, Ian Botham, Sean Connery, to name only three – Abdur says he is still hoping Tiger Woods will come also!

Abdur is happy here; St. Andrews, he says, has been good to him. In return, he has given much time to charitable work, being Chairman of the University cricket team for the last 12 years, and seeing them become Scottish champions three times. Last year he took 17

Walking with Confidence Mr. Senior was born in Pitlessie, “the other side of Cupar”. Asthma was a severe problem in his early years and, indeed, he says that he was not expected to live. Eventually, however, at the age of seven he started school.

In those days, more than 80 years ago, there was only one wireless in the village. Mrs. Senior was very fond of the singing of John MacCormack, so every Monday she would take the young James along to Sandy Clark’s cobbler’s shop to listen to Radio Athlone. But James didn’t care very much for singing, he was much more interested in the various tools and equipment of the cobbler’s trade which he found all around him. That was how a lifelong love affair with shoes began.

So it came about that at 14 James was apprenticed to Mr. Faichney for 6 years, starting with the princely wage of 10/- (shillings) a week, rising to 28/6 (28 shillings and six pence) at the end.

Having finished his arduous apprenticeship, Mr. Senior became manager at Norwells of Perth earning £3.5s + commission. It was at this time that he became involved with Scottish Country Dancing in the shape of Miss Milligan. “Now,” said Miss Milligan, “I can help you, and you can help me.” The requirement was to make dancing ‘pumps’. Why the name ‘pumps’? Well, Mr. Senior explained that the shoes were all hand-made, no machines then. After they were finished on a ‘turned pump last’ they had to be turned right side out. Mr. Senior’s contribution to the dance was recognised in 2002 by the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (RSCDS), which conferred their highest award on him, the Scroll of Honour. This, in turn, led to a dance devised specially for him, “The James Senior of St. Andrews Strathspey”, and a song was also composed, entitled “Mr. James Senior of St. Andrews”.

In 1944 Norwells sent him to St. Andrews. It was boom time. Soldiers coming home from the war needed new shoes. Country Dancing was all the rage as well. The era, said Mr. Senior, supplied “a licence to make money”. By 1960 he was able to set out on his own and he leased premises in Market Street, which he was soon able to buy, concentrating on the high quality, and made-to-measure shoes, as well as dance shoes.

20

of them to Bangladesh for the first time. He is also Vice President of the University Debating Society, sponsoring their debates. Abdur runs the Balaka Individual Speaking Competition, which attracts speakers from far and wide.

His Excellency the High Commissioner for Bangladesh attended this year as presiding judge.

Does Abdur have any other ambitions for the future? Well, he has opened another restaurant, this time in Dundee, the Dil Se, meaning “from the heart”. Already it has been voted the Best Indian/Bangladeshi Restaurant in Scotland in 2004. A conference venue, it has a dance floor as well and looks set to become Dundee’s treasure.

Abdur has the pleasure of seeing his first clients bringing their grandchildren now. ”It’s taken me 23 years to open a second restaurant, and I’m quite happy with these two”, he laughs, with a twinkle in his eyes. Over the years he has watched as tastes have changed. Today, young people like hot curry, “chicken korma is baby food”. Enjoyment is the underlying principle.

Abdur Rouf is a happy man, and St. Andrews is a happy town to claim him as its own. Among the pictures on the wall by the entrance is a large framed colour photo of Sir Sean Connery who wrote over it, “For the Best Food in St. Andrews”. That says it all!

Mr. James Senior has been serving his customers in St. Andrews for more than 60 years.

Mr. Senior has many stories to tell, but one is particularly appealing when viewed from today’s more casual lifestyles. When he first came to the town, the girls at St. Leonards School were very strictly monitored; they were on no account allowed to enter shops. Mr. Senior’s eyes twinkle as he remembers fitting one girl with shoes in the back of her father’s Rolls Royce. That was not the only car! On another occasion he sold a pair of shoes on a doorstep, with a guard posted in case a teacher appeared. Yet Senior’s Shoe Shop stocked the very shoes the girls were expected to wear!

Another memory of those days concerned the Merchants’ Association, which was dominated by the many grocers in the town, such as Aikman & Terras. Mr. Senior has been Chairman both of the Merchants’ Association and the Business Club (of which he is a founder member) in the town.

Talking of grocers reminded Mr. Senior of some of the miners’ daughters who, as maids in the big houses in St. Andrews, took delivery of the groceries, and who would often stroll arm in arm down Market Street on Sunday afternoons.

Mr. Senior was a Special Constable in the town for 20 years. Wearing regular policeman’s uniform, he would be required for special duty at times, such as the Queen’s visit, when extra police were needed. This branch of the Constabulary was entirely voluntary and unpaid, and for many years consisted of 3 men, and 2 women, one of whom worked in Mr. Senior’s shop.

Horses are a great love of the Senior family and they own several. Many times they would lend a horse and gig for weddings; a nice, romantic touch.

In 2001 Mr. Senior thought he would retire. He sold his factory in Glenrothes, but then decided to help his daughter by keeping the retail side going in smaller premises in South Street, where you will find it today.

Shoppers eager for quality shoes will often find Mr. Senior in the shop still taking a share in its running. Around the town, and indeed throughout the world, there must be literally hundreds of happy feet; thanks to Mr. James Senior!

SHOPS & SERVICES

Motor Neurone Disease: Need a Break?

Bryan Carroll, SMNDA Communications Officer The Scottish Motor Neurone Disease Association was born in 1981, Lang and his family. They realised there was a need for people with MND created by a group of friends with a vision to improve the lives of a then and families to enjoy time together and unwind. Stephen stirred up the largely ignored community in Scotland. They were effectively our first interest of fundraisers, local business and members of the Association to volunteers with an objective to provide care, information and funding for raise funds and form a Committee that eventually made the Lang Break a research one day that would benefit people with Motor Neurone Disease reality. We now have a facility that allows people to take a break from the (MND) in Scotland. stress of life with MND. It’s 23 years later and our services have certainly evolved. The Association now provides the service of a specialist care team, Scottish Motor Neurone Disease Association Volunteer Appeal: equipment, and grants. We offer direct personal support for people with Become our Lang Break Caravan Monitor MND and ensure health and social care professionals deliver the best Our Lang Break Caravan has been designed and customised specifically possible care. The Association has developed a globally renowned library to accommodate those with Motor Neurone Disease and their families and information service and provides funding for research projects. We on holiday. We need someone based in the St. Andrew’s area, happy still remain, however, indebted to the to check the inventory of items and work of volunteers who raise funds for We would like people in Fife and Tayside to the general condition of the caravan the Association, offer local community after guests have left. You would become Befrienders support and provide energy to raise check for breakages and inform the awareness of MND throughout Scotland.

Association by phone. A replacement More than 250 people live with MND in Scotland. It’s an illness will be provided for you from our stock of items before the arrival of the that destroys the nervous system, weakens muscles, and causes next guests. You would be responsible to the Office Administrator and progressive paralysis. Some people with MND lose the ability to eat or supported by our Volunteer Development Officer. drink and find their speech gradually deteriorating. There is no cure for We have already contracted a professional cleaning business to MND and it is always fatal. As prepare the caravan for each group of guests and would expect the you may imagine the illness monitor to have no involvement in any practical work on the caravan itself. puts enormous emotional and You need no special skills. We need someone who is reliable and capable physical pressure upon people of checking a basic inventory. Half an hour per visit will help maintain the with MND, their families and standard of this worthwhile project. other carers. Relaxation is a There are other volunteer opportunities in your area. We would like rare luxury for many of them. people in Fife and Tayside to become Befrienders. Basically people who However, we hope to help can offer spare time to build a helpful friendship with people with MND, with our specially modified maybe do some shopping or gardening now and then. We are also deluxe caravan at Craigtoun recruiting Volunteer Counsellors throughout the country to offer emotional Meadows Caravan Park near support for people with MND, their families and carers. You will receive St. Andrews. free training. It may be an ideal first step toward a career as a counsellor.

It is called the Lang Break Craig Stockton, Chief Executive, Caravan. So called thanks to If you can help call our Volunteer Development Officer, Sarah Leonard on receives keys to caravan the initiative of the late Stephen 0141 945 1077. from Denise Lang

Once known as The Scottish Society for the Mentally Handicapped, this charity is now –

Enable Nan Willison, of the St. Andrews & District Branch The branch was started in 1972 by a group of people some of whom had children with a learning disability. We were called the Scottish Society for the Mentally Handicapped for many years and I expect most people in St. Andrews knew us best by this name. As with most charities the name was changed to Enable to get away from the stigma of Mental Handicap.

Enable is not an acronym and just means ‘to help enable people in their everyday lives‘.

Our social club, for around 90 members, is held in the Holy Trinity Church Halls on a fortnightly basis from September until May. We do have a programme of events for these nights but the main idea is for our members to enjoy an evening out and meet and chat to their friends. We pick people up from all over North East Fife and this takes quite a bit of organising of transport and it is also our biggest outlay. We try to make our social evenings as interesting as possible and have found that the talented people of the district have always given freely of their time to entertain us. We can have between 50 and 60 members on any given evening but, of course, at the Christmas party, pantomime, and end of session we have a full house!

We usually start our session with an opentop bus tour of St. Andrews, courtesy of Stagecoach in Fife buses. This was usually held in September but after being rained on a few times we changed the date to August. Luckily the weather has been kinder to us and also the evenings are slightly lighter than in September.

The Christmas party is always looked forward

seeing how much our members enjoy their day out this is well worth all the worry.

As you will appreciate it takes a great deal of money to be able to afford the type of outings we have. We run two coffee mornings a year, one in the Corn Exchange Cupar, on the 19th of June 2004 and one in St. Andrews on the 2nd October 2004. One of our long-standing honorary members organises two dances per year and also sells Christmas cards, etc., which all help to cover our expenses. We depend on the generosity of the people in St. Andrews and the surrounding areas for their donations and we are very grateful for their support.

The help we have to run the club are all volunteers. We also have volunteers from the student community who join in our activities.

Without our helpers the club would not be able to function and, like most organisations these days, we are always on the look out for extra helpers.

This is the 50th Anniversary of our Head Office of Enable, based in Glasgow, and we are hoping to make people more aware of all the work that Enable does. We have arranged, with Fife Council, to have a flower display on the grass at the Fife side of the Tay Bridge. We also are having the floral clock in Princess Street Gardens made out in our colours and logo. As some of the people, who grow the plants and help plant them out, have a learning disability this is a great way to make our name known.

Enable is not an acronym and just means ‘to help enable people in their everyday lives’. to as are the presents received from Santa.

The pantomime was attended by over 100 people and getting everyone picked up and, more importantly having a seat in the theatre, is always a bit traumatic for the organisers but

If anyone would like to find out more about Enable, please telephone Nan Willison on 01333 310 629.

21

SHOPS & SERVICES

Jennifer Lawrie – Massage Therapist Jennifer is a local girl who went to Madras College, then trained as a Dental Nurse at Dundee Dental Hospital, qualifying in August 1996.

For the past 6 years she has been working in a local Dental Practice where she is not only a nurse, but is in charge of the day to day running of the practice.

Her massage business started in September 2002 as a hobby, working evenings and weekends, after she had qualified from Dundee College night school with Diplomas in Anatomy, Physiology and Swedish massage. In March 2003 she completed and passed a Diploma course in Indian Head Massage from Elmwood College.

Massage therapy can help in the following ways: Physiological effects: • Reduces muscle fatigue & maintains the elasticity of the muscle fibres. Helps ease muscle tension / knots.

• Helps cleanse & improve skin texture.

• Reduces generalised swelling & fluid retention.

• Helps relieve constipation.

• May help reduce blood pressure.

• Can boost a depressed immune system.

Psychological effects: • Reduces stress & anxiety.

• Relieves tension headaches.

• May help relieve insomnia.

• Produces increased energy & self-esteem.

Jennifer is kept particularly busy at this time of year with her golfer’s massage treatment; this is a deep tissue massage over the legs & back – which is bound to help anyone’s handicap! This assists not only local players, but also visiting golfers from around the world looking to play on St. Andrews’ famous courses.

You do not need to have aches and pains to benefit from massage treatment. It is also very relaxing, so why not take some time for yourself and unwind!

Or are you struggling to find the perfect gift, whether it is a birthday, anniversary, wedding, thank you, or just a present for a friend or family member? Treat them to a Gift Voucher.

For more information, or a copy of Jennifer’s brochure, please call (see below) and she will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

For all day food, you’ve got to try the new

Champions Grill in the Scores Hotel

Open 6am – 10pm Bacon Rolls, coffee or tea to take away from 6am every morning Breakfast, Morning Coffee, Lunch, Afternoon Tea, Grills from 6.30 pm every night (Remember to collect your Loyalty Card for discounts on future visits) For reservations please telephone Scores Hotel, St Andrews 01334 472451 or email office@scoreshotel.co.uk

22

SHOPS & SERVICES

Roving Reporter

Our Reporter says you become aware of Loot, 68 Market Street, St. Andrews, (01334 477796) as you pass the door because a delicate perfume wafts through the air. When you turn your head a veritable treasure house beckons you into its deep recesses. Inside, are the most attractive goods; Tiffany lamps, quality French silver plate, Scottish jewellery, little gifts of all kinds gleaming in the clever lighting, and even edibles in the shape of Scottish biscuits and cakes. The perfume comes from sachets displayed, as all the goods are, on antique furniture, giving the shop its unique atmosphere of luxury – believe it or not, this was once the lingerie department of Fairfield Stores!

Martin Passmore, who owns the shop, is in his 5th year of trading. He has a special agreement with the University, which allows him to reproduce

certain images on plates and teatowels not found anywhere else.

At the rear of the shop students can find a second hand book exchange. Resourceful Martin makes 150 different kaleidoscopes by hand, and his is the only company to make them in the whole of Britain. Sir David Brewster invented the kaleidoscope before becoming a distinguished Principal of St. Andrews University in the early 1800s. Since it is a Scottish invention of great historical importance, Martin wanted to celebrate it and make it a link between Town and Gown.

Chairman of the University’s KK Trust and Secretary of the KK Procession Committee, Martin also sings with the University Gilbert and Sullivan Society, and the St. Andrews Operatic Society.

Not only is the shop a remarkable treasure, its owner is too!

* * *

Our Roving Reporter is hardly ever without his nose in a book. So a visit to John Smith, 127 Market Street, St. Andrews (01334 475122) was not exactly unusual.

This time he had a word with the manager, Ken Mackenzie.

The bookshop began life in 1751 in Glasgow, where it is still

trading. In 1973 discussions with Principal Watson at the University led to a new branch opening in St. Andrews in what is now Papa Joe’s in South Street. For eleven years Michael Ramsbottom was the manager there. Ken Mackenzie arrived in 1985, and in November of that year he oversaw the final move to the present site in Market Street. He was joined there by Ken Sked from Henderson’s, Printers to the University, which had just closed. Over the years the stock has varied according to the demands of the market place. Thus in 1986, when James Thin came to St. Andrews, the stock was 60% academic and 40% general.

Today the proportion has changed to 80% general and only 20% academic .

The staff tend to be a good mix of local people and students.

There is a close relationship, Ken said, between the shop and local authors, such as the Rev. Howieson and Prof. Douglas Dunn, and Betty Willsher launched a book both last year and this year. The shop is also the Official Bookshop for the annual StAnza Poetry Festival.

John Smith has become part of the wider world community, with shops in Cork, (Ireland), and Botswana (Africa). It also trades on the Internet; Ken told our Reporter that he had just received an order from France that very day.

Roving Reporter found the story absolutely fascinating and from now on will value this friendly bookshop even more highly as a result – imagine, 253 years of vibrant history!

cornucopia of cookware.

Manageress, Nina Osborne, and her team worked wonders of design. Director Hendy Spence understands her staff’s deep knowledge, appreciating fully that only they know how best to organise and display the stock. Go inside and you are amazed at the range; all the well-known names are there, Kenwood, Le Creuset, Denby, Gaggia, and so on. Mrs. Spence explained that in addition to well established products at discount prices they also make a point of stocking the latest innovative styles and designs from companies such as Alessi.

In addition to their local shop, Pots and Pans are the leading cookware mail order operation in the U.K. with a sumptuous mail order catalogue and a vibrant and extensive internet site (www.potsand-pans.co.uk ) selling all over Britain and abroad. Staff advise customers over the phone and offer next-day delivery throughout mainland Britain. A lady in London recently told them “You’re the only people I can ask over the phone about cooks’ knives!” Yet in St. Andrews there are more unusual requests than from anywhere else.

One customer wanted a small, long spoon with a hole in it to serve olives from a jar. Crackers for lobsters are often required.

Staff can usually find what people want, so don’t be shy, just ask!

And be glad of the mail order business, because buying in bulk is what helps to make the prices competitive.

* * *

Retailing today has never been so different, or so exciting. A little enquiry opens up a whole new world, literally. Pots and Pans, 15 Church Street, St. Andrews (01334 477433) recently refurbished, gives customers a new feeling of spaciousness, yet still with the original rich

Macgregor Auctions Auctioneers & Valuators

Tel: (01334) 472431

Est 1857

56 LARGO ROAD ST ANDREWS FIFE KY16 8RP

Pots & Pans 15 Church Street St. Andrews (01334 477433)

Fortnightly auctions held over Thursday and Friday Bi-monthly Antique and Collectors’ Sales Auction advice free of charge For all advice, please contact:Ian or Sandra Urie Macgregor Auctions, 56 Largo Road, St Andrews Tel: 01334 472431 Fax: 01334 479606 Websites: www.scotlandstreasures.co.uk www.antiques-scotland.co.uk

23

SHOPS & SERVICES

Sash Window Problems? – There is a solution Sliding sash windows are found in many of the older properties in St. Andrews and they are an important part of the local heritage. However, people who live in these beautiful properties are only too aware of the problems with sliding sash windows. They are difficult to open and close, the sashes rattle in the wind, and they let in cold draughts as well as dust and noise. No wonder home owners are sometimes tempted to change their sash windows!

But this is not a good idea. Removing the original windows will ruin the character of traditional property and planning restrictions protect certain areas of St Andrews from such unsuitable alterations. Sash windows can be an asset and research shows that well-preserved original features enhance the value of your property.

Fortunately, there is a reliable solution to sash window problems.

Ventrolla is the UK market leader in sash window renovation services.

Since 1986 when they won a Design Council Award for their patented method of upgrading old sash windows to modern performance standards, they have renovated many thousands of windows throughout Britain. Their clients include the Royal Household, Edinburgh Castle and Gleneagles Hotel. They have worked on national treasures such as windows inscribed with Robert Burn’s poems in his own hand. However, most of their work is for private customers who want to improve their sash windows whilst retaining the unique character of their homes.

The first step is to arrange for Ventrolla to carry out a free, noobligation survey and provide a report on the condition of the sash windows. The customer receives a written quotation detailing the work needed to repair and up-grade the windows. The cost depends on the size and condition of the windows but customers are often pleasantly surprised to find that renovation is significantly cheaper than replacement.

All work is carried out on the premises by Ventrolla’s own craftsmen.

As well as carrying out timber repairs using a combination of traditional and modern methods, the windows are thoroughly overhauled. Weights are re-balanced, cords renewed and pulleys are serviced. To improve energy efficiency, ensure ease of operation and eradicate rattles, Ventrolla fit their patented Perimeter Sealing System.

Ventrolla regularly carry out work in St. Andrews and their system has been approved for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas. To find out more about this unique service contact Ventrolla and let them solve your sash window problems.

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Whilst having your shoes repaired by Steven, look through the wide selection of purses, wallets and leather belts. Wander through to the Music Shop and browse through the extensive range of CDs and musical stock. Meander upstairs where John will give you a quick no nonsense hair cut, then let Reid’s Computers give your PC a health check, browse through the stock or have a quick surf of the Internet. What a relaxing way to shop, and all under one roof at 151 South Street, St.Andrews.

24

SHOPS & SERVICES

Service with a smile Explorer turned a corner on one of his walks and found a surprise: A new business has opened on the corner of Kinnessburn Road and Bridge Street. Going inside, Explorer was transported back in time to the old Corner Shop concept which he thought had vanished forever. But there it is, The Three Bs, Bedding, Bits & Bobs (Phone: 01334 470 700).

Mrs. June Ferrier, the owner, was born South of the Border, but has lived here since she was a young child, and with a Scottish father feels that she belongs firmly North of the Border. The new business is very much a family affair with husband Michael, three daughters and grandchildren all giving a helping hand (there are three great-grandchildren too, but they are a little young as yet).

A huge range of goods met Explorer’s eyes as he entered the shop. Mrs. Ferrier, in her researches, had found a gap in the market for haberdashery, so there is a whole range of wools, knitting and sewing accessories. A large selection of greetings cards occupies a central section. You can find stationery; handmade glass wall decorations (Sun Catchers,

by John Milne); paintings by Helen Middleton; kitchen equipment; crystals; candles; and bedding – lots of it. In fact, students, hotels and B&Bs will be delighted to discover they can have a 10% discount on bedding. There are all sorts of other fancy goods; Explorer said you should really go and have a look for yourself.

Mrs. Ferrier gives a very personal service. A customer, who had been referred by another reported, “They told me to go and see the nice lady at ‘Bits & Bobs’”.

Apparently the shop has already been affectionately renamed just, ‘Bits & Bobs’. In spite of the range of goods, people still ask for the impossible., “I’ve been asked for tissues, a microphone lead, and a Scart socket; but no, the shop’s not big enough!”

But for 5p a page you can do your photocopying! Amazing, truly amazing!

* * *

Strolling down Bell Street, Explorer’s eye was caught by a change to UK Design at No. 22 (01334 473913). So he went in.

He was warmly welcomed by sisters, Eleanor Bromley and Elaine Frazer, the new owners.

Recently returned from South Africa, the sisters first opened a shop in Cupar, appropriately named Sisters. Now they have taken over UK Design, “lock stock and barrel”, as they told Explorer. The shop is “a ladies and gents fashion boutique”, with the emphasis on high quality designer goods. Bench & Hooch (“anyone can wear Bench jeans!”), Lacoste, Duck & Cover, are among the names you’ll see. Young people today are very fashion-conscious and ask for labels. This was demonstrated while Explorer was there, when a young mother and her daughter from Carnoustie came in specially for a Bench top – the mother said she was always in St. Andrews because she loves shopping here!

Apart from the clothes, Eleanor and Elaine specialise in quality gifts. Diana Carmichael features prominently, because the sisters are the sole agents for this international South African conservationist and designer of pewter tableware, all of it with interesting stories.“When girls come in with their mums, their mums can look at things too!”

– meaning the many original gifts on display, which include Teddies in Tartan hand-made in Scotland, as well as a small collection of decoupage lamps, and Rinconada hand-painted pottery animals. The shop is not huge, but the range of goods belies this. Nevertheless, Eleanor and Elaine are always open to suggestions, pointing out, however, that manufacturers

The Three B’s Bedding Bits & Bobs 47-49 Kinnessburn Road, St Andrews, KY16 8AD Phone 01334 470700

Photocopying 5p per sheet A selection of haberdashery & wool Bedding at good prices with 10% discount for students, hotels and B&Bs Also in store: cards, candles, fancy goods, batteries, tools, crystal, etc.

Dun Greetin’ had a rude awakening, but his humour was restored!

I ask you, 4.30 AM. and my security alarm went off! Why? I’ve no idea, and neither had Johnny McBain, the engineer from Nova, (Scott Way, Pitkerro Industrial Estate, Dundee, DD5 3RX Tel: 01382 738816) the Alarm Company that fitted my system years ago. I phoned to make an appointment, and Johnny came early, with a smile on his face, which pleased me as I had to go and see someone.

It wasn’t Johnny’s day, however, because when he took off the old, suspect sensor the connecting wires vanished down the back of the plasterboard. But I tell you, Johnny kept his cool, cut a hole and fiddled about until he got his wires back. And if you look now at where he fitted the new sensor you wouldn’t guess the trouble he had – not a mark!

But that simply underlines the very courteous and efficient service I’ve enjoyed from this firm of firms down the years. Full marks, as ever! often place limitations on orders below certain thresholds, making it difficult to obtain single items.

For ten years Eleanor had a boutique in Johannesburg. Elaine worked in television advertising in the former Rhodesia. Explorer asked what made them come to Scotland? They were born here, and their children and grandchildren are here. With such wealth of experience and warmth of character it is no wonder that the “lovely young people” of this town find a welcome when they come.

* * *

Explorer ventures out of town quite frequently; and equally frequently he has returned from Leuchars facing starvation at home because he’s run out of such basics as bread and milk. His salvation, usually far outside normal shop hours, has been Elspeth’s, 26 Main Street, Guardbridge, (01334 839288). It’s a tiny shop but, oh, so well stocked.

Elspeth, the genial owner, bought the shop 51⁄2 years ago

from a Mrs. Bone of Kincaple.

Some people, apparently, go on calling the shop Bone’s, which seems a trifle perverse, but shows that old habits still die hard. It’s a traditional village shop, and will stock almost anything if there‘s demand. Elspeth insists that she runs “a newsagent’s with addon bits”. The ‘bits’ refer to the ‘emergency’ supplies like the ones Explorer needs; “confectionery, juice, crisps, things for travellers”.

That includes free-range eggs, and although Elspeth claims there’s no major choice available she will nevertheless get things like fly catchers for people who ask. The latest fad on offer is Hot Shot imported from China. Believe it or not, this consists of cans of hot coffee (with or without milk, or sugar), hot tea, hot chocolate.

Elspeth says these remain hot for up to an hour. When Explorer visited on this occasion, Elspeth was recovering from a major computer failure which had wiped all data from her hard disk. Nothing daunted she had nevertheless still managed to deliver almost every one of her 326 clients’ papers on time, over an area from St. Michaels to Largoward, relying only on personal memory of addresses and orders – heroic!

The shop has a post office attached, a community post office, run separately, but open Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 12.30 pm.

Talking of opening times, Elspeth is in her shop at 4.30 am, and she says if customers call she will serve them! Officially, the opening times are from 6.15 am to 7.00 pm (in winter), 8.00 pm (in summer). With devotion like that it’s no wonder that Explorer feels spoilt, and not a little guilty at his own inclination to be lazy.

HYPNOTHERAPY can help with issues such as

Consultations in: The Natural Therapy Clinic, Argyle Street,

by West Port.

For further information, contact Connie on: 0777 618 3695

STOP SMOKING USUALLY IN 1 SESSION

Connie Weir BA(hons) Psy. DHyp

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OUT & ABOUT

Summer Delight in the Botanic Garden Edith Cormack, Chairman Friends of St Andrews Botanic Garden What’s to be found in a summer garden?

Colour – and, with luck, warmth to pause and enjoy its magic. The herbaceous borders at the Botanic Garden are stunning at this time of year. Colours that would never match in a wardrobe look wonderful in this setting. There are two not-to-be-missed areas; the long border to the northwest of the glasshouses and the island beds to the south, near the Canongate boundary. Both form good sites for a wide variety of perennials, many unusual in an ‘ordinary’ garden, but feasible nevertheless.

Labels give country of origin for those found wild; ‘garden origin’ means created by plant breeding. Most are varieties that do not need staking. A very good idea!

If it’s a warm day, sit a while and watch the insects foraging amongst the flowers. Butterflies always attract attention. Hoverflies, using scent as a guide, move in zigzags. Bees use sight to select which flower is next to be visited, so fly in a direct line to it. A jar of honey from the Garden, bought at the entrance hut, makes a good present.

This summer there will be two public exhibitions in the Botanic Garden. ‘DNA in the Garden’ offers science for everyone each

weekend on Saturdays and Sundays from July until October. Designed last year at the Royal Botanic Garden Kew to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the discovery of DNA, the exhibition comes to St Andrews after a period in the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Every second Saturday, starting on July 3rd, there will be special ‘do the science yourself sessions’ led by researchers from the University of St Andrews. ‘What in the world is more beautiful?’ is a Crawford Art Centre project, being held from July 2nd until August 24th daily.

Work of three of the artists taking part can be seen at the Botanic Garden; Judy Spark’s lichen drawings, Susanne Neilson’s Mondrian flower bed and Cath Keay’s beeswax sculpture of a local piece of architecture, to be modified by bees.

Fife Council has arranged special demonstrations on the Herbaceous Border with Alan Graham on 16th July, and on Plant Propagation with Bob Mitchell on 5th August at 2.00pm both days at the Botanic Garden.

Everyone is welcome.

– If it’s cold or wet, visit the glasshouses!

Photographs above and opposite by Richard Cormack Full details of all events available at the Garden or on the website www.st-andrews-botanic.org Reach the Garden on foot (use Viaduct Walk from the Argyle Street Car Park, perhaps make a circuit to include the Lade Braes) or by car (plenty of parking space). Nearest bus No 94A from town centre. (Walk from Nelson Street or Broomfaulds Avenue.)

Opening hours May-September daily 10am-7pm October-April daily 10am-4pm Small entry charge to Fife Council.

(Friends of St Andrews Botanic Garden free)

How about something a little different for that leisure activity?

Flora Selwyn went off to Kingsmuir Airfied to find out more.

After cold, very mixed weather, I woke up on Saturday, 17 April, to brilliant blue skies and that lovely feeling that everything must be possible. A ten-minute drive out of St. Andrews along the B9131 took me to the junction with the B940, where I turned right. A sign about half a mile further announced “Skydive, St. Andrews”. Here I turned right into a narrow farm track that wound around into open fields. People milling about outside some low buildings drew me on, and I parked neatly in what looked like a reasonable spot behind a four-wheel drive vehicle. Suddenly, an anxiouslooking man materialised and asked me to move on, because I was on the grass runway!

In front of me there was a cottage, and other buildings that turned out to be the offices and gear facilities. I asked where the Directors, Brian Dyas and Sandy Barnett, could be found. Sandy, I was told, was up aloft piloting one of the Cessnas with skydivers on board. Looking up, I saw two brightly coloured parachutes floating serenely to earth.

Brian was in the ‘manifest’ area. After I introduced myself he very kindly took me on a tour, showing me the training areas, all the gear, and the office. An air of quiet, but bustling, efficiency pervaded everything.

Brian told me that there is another Director, Alan Wilkinson, but he was off in California running a skydiving expedition.

I went out into the sunshine to watch. Here I met Karen, one of the instructors, and a Danish skydiver who told me it was “something I’d always wanted to do, so I went on a course and just loved it.”

Karen explained that there are three ways to go about that very first jump: • A half hour’s briefing, and you can do a tandem jump from 10,000 feet attached to an instructor.

• A one-day course allows you to do a static line jump; i.e. your parachute opens automatically as you leave the plane at 3500 feet.

• Also after a one-day course, you can do an accelerated free fall jump with an instructor on either side of you holding a hand each, from 12,000 feet.

There are no age limits, but anyone over 40 needs a medical certificate – just to make sure! Many of the skydivers are University students. Jumping for charity is extremely popular.

I asked if anyone ever got cold feet at the last moment, and Karen said that just occasionally someone has been known to refuse to jump when the plane door opens. Another might find an excuse by saying, “I’m too tired after all the training. I think I’ll come back another day.” On the

26

whole though, most people do jump – and are hooked.

This was confirmed by a young man who emphasised how addictive it is, “I love it; it’s the most fun you can have with your clothes on!” He’s already enjoyed 600 jumps, and doesn’t intend to stop.

By this time the two skydivers I had seen descending earlier had taken off their gear and were relaxing with their friends. Eva was one of 14 students from Aberdeen University who were jumping for charity. She was almost speechless; it was, she said, “Absolutely…. outstanding.” I asked her if she had been afraid at all, since it was her first jump, “I was scared when the plane door opened, but I’ll definitely do it again.” Her Aberdeen tutor, whose home happens to be a farm near Kingsmuir, explained that they were hoping to raise more than £2,000 for the Neema Village Project in Tanzania, to provide medical aid, and that all the students here today were studying pharmacy.

Skydive St. Andrews has been operating for four years. Jump prices range from £145 for a first static line jump, to £1,350 for a full 8-jump course leading to accelerated freefall (level 1, first jump, £350). Gift vouchers are available from £50; £195 for a full tandem course. There are discounts for groups, the military, and students.

“We have a very specific vision for the club: to provide the best skydiving training facility in the United Kingdom.”

For further information, phone the enquiries and booking hotline: 01334 880678 Or email: skydivestandrews@mail.com There’s also a website: www.skydivestandrews.co.uk

OUT & ABOUT

THE FRIENDS OF THE BOTANIC GARDEN Invite you to visit a hidden treasure in the heart of St Andrews

OPEN DAILY ALL YEAR ROUND Adults £2 Concessions £1 PLANT SALES AREA

SUMMER EVENTS: DNA IN THE GARDEN July3rd – October 24th ART in the GARDEN (with Crawford Arts Centre) July 2nd – August 22nd If you wish to support the Garden please apply to the Membership Secretary at address below Canongate, St Andrews, Fife KY16 8RT Tel: 01334 476452 www.st-andrews-botanic.org

THE COFFEE HOUSE 6a Greyfriars Gardens, St. Andrews Tel: 01334 477122

Veronica Smart guides you on

A Historical Walk over Magus Muir Every year in their Kate Kennedy procession, St. Andrews students enact with great gusto the assassination, on the old road from Ceres to St. Andrews, over Magus Muir, of Archbishop Sharp. That moorland spot is now covered by a peaceful wood and in 1879, the bicentenary of the violent deed, a cairn was erected upon it to the archbishop’s memory. Nearby in a field, separated from their adversary’s memorial by a stone dyke, but accessible through a gate, stands a stone commemorating the six men who were subsequently hanged on the site. These were not in fact the perpetrators, but were prisoners from the unsuccessful Covenanters’ rising of Bothwell Bridge, executed in an unjust reprisal for Sharp’s murder. The stone is inscribed with their names and a verse extolling their faithfulness to the Covenanting cause. The present stone, protected by a railing, replaces an earlier one erected in 1728 which was broken, it is said, by cattle and the pieces carried off by souvenir-hunters. A single fragment of this original stone is preserved in Strathkinness parish church.

A path leading to the two opposing monuments has existed for many years but a Millennium project creating a community woodland laid out a circular route through the wood, which can be taken as a short walk in its own right. This can be extended into a longer walk by following either of the routes outlined below. There are good views of the city and the coast and some pleasant paths, although a certain amount of road walking is inevitable in order to complete a circuit.

At the entrance to the wood, marked with a Footpath signpost, is a car-park for the monuments, which would also be a convenient starting-point for the longer walks. After completing the Magus Muir round, descend northwards to the next crossroads. For the shorter of the two routes, turn right along the Strathkinness Low Road (B939), as far as Nether Strathkinness farm*. Opposite the farmhouse and steading you will see an unadopted road leading back southwards.

Past some renovated cottages on the left, it becomes a track up on to and along the ridge, which you follow. A farm track straight ahead appears to make straight for the Magus woods, cutting out the road, but it peters out in a field, so keep left here, descending to a bridge over a burn. Warning: the bottom of the valley is frequently muddy, so strong footwear is advised. The path rises again to Denbrae farm and thence on to the Craigton Road (St. Andrews – Pitscottie, unnumbered) where you turn right, and right again at the next crossroads to complete the circle and regain the car park.

A wider circle, and hence the longer walk, can be created if instead of taking the B939 at the first crossroads, you continue up the main street of Strathkinness and take the next road right at the top of the village. Pass all the houses on the High Road and then the little wood, and turn right into the farm track down to Nether Strathkinness*, where the route in the previous paragraph can be joined.

Is this what we really want? . . . asks asks Flora Flora Selwyn Selwyn 1st June 2004, a bright evening after rain, so a walk on the West Sands seemed a nice idea. This is what met my eyes : a “ploughed field” on one side, “Nature’s” handiwork next to it. Is it necessary to “improve” on Nature? To what purpose? Any rubbish can easily be picked up with much less cost, less upheaval, and in a much more environmentally friendly way, which would also protect the ecology of the beach.

What do you think? Please let the Editor know, and your comments will be passed to Fife Council’s Locality Officer, Kate Hughes

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