The Banchory Fly A Community Magazine for Banchory – FREE!
issue 10 spring 2021
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For advertising and editorial, please note the copy deadlines below and use the contacts listed at the bottom of the page DEADLINES . FEB 1 . MAY 1 . AUG 1 . NOV 1 PUBLISHED MAR JUNE SEPT DEC
Banchory Rocks
Contents News New Crathes Hall Violin Trail Gaga For Radio Cover Story (Yarn) Cllr's Contacts Advertisers’ Index Ad Rates & Copy Dates
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Welcome to Issue 10 of The Fly. I’m not sure I have a favourite season. There’s pros and cons to all four of them! But perhaps Spring, with its daily extending light, signs of new life and increase in social events and interactions, comes close. Maybe this year we will appreciate Spring more than usual, with everything that has passed since the last. We’ll also be glad to see the back of all that snow! Many of you may have felt you’ve been spring cleaning since the end of March 2020, and there’s nothing left to do. Sadly, this is not the case in my house... Within these pages you will find news of Crathes Hall (a new one!), the second stab at a Violin Trail in the town and a new Antique, Vintage and Upcycled Market. River Dee Radio are still hitting the airwaves and there’s a new green-fingered column from Craigievar Gardeners on p16. Remember that community information is FREE to include in these pages, so if you have any news for the Summer edition, tell me about it by May 1st if you can. The end is in sight... A combination of the vaccine and sticking to the rules should see Covid-19’s butt well and truly kicked.
Cat Houston Design/Editor
get in touch via email to catrionahouston@yahoo.co.uk call Cat on 013397 55243 or 07805 731401 www.myriadpro.co.uk find us on facebook
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Dental practices in Aboyne and Banchory High quality private dental care in a comfortable environment Children welcome under the NHS Disabled access and easy parking Emergencies treated promptly Payment plans available Call us today for more information and to make an appointment
Aboyne Practice Old Ballater Road Aboyne AB34 5HN Tel: 013398 86177
Banchory Practice Fountain Lodge Station Road Banchory AB31 5YA Tel: 01330 822583
www.fountaindentalgroup.co.uk
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Do you have something to share? Group or individual, let The Fly know what you are up to, using the contacts on p3 and 22.
Pipe Band Champs off for second year running
Business Association disappointed virus puts pay to popular event From Banchory Business Association: Following discussions with the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association, we have had to make the decision to cancel this year's North of Scotland Pipe Band Championships. I'm sure you'll all agree that this is a great shame for our community and for many of you as business owners who benefit from the additional visitors it brings into our town centre. We have high hopes that the event will be back in 2022 and we'll be aiming to make it better than ever. As always, the support of members will be crucial and we'll be in touch when organising to let you know how you can get involved. Unfortunately Covid has put another aspect of our life on hold. However, there is now light at the end of the tunnel and we hope that many of our local businesses will be open again soon, and we can start the process of rebuilding our community and our economy.
Number One Scott Skinner Square has been supporting people throughout the COVID crisis with food provisions. It now operates as a community pantry providing food and household goods free of charge to anyone who has reduced income due to shielding or loss of work. The pantry is open every Wednesday and Saturday from 10-2 or contact us by phone – 07591 590663 – for deliveries.
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Crathes Hall Developments from Moira Hamilton
Above: A sneaky peak at the new plans Inset right: The present hall is outdated, damp, and was visited by Theresa May in 2017
What a year we’ve had. But what a year we could have ahead of us. New hope, new vaccine... new hall! Crathes Hall was built in 1929 and is showing its age. The hall suffers from damp, excessive heat loss, insufficient heating, and outdated facilities. The challenge for us as the Trustees is to ensure that the hall continues to be a viable asset at the centre of this community well into the 21st Century. After receiving support from Aberdeenshire Council through its Leader programme we were able to embark on Phase one of our project and carry out a feasibility study with community consultation, which resulted in us gaining planning permission and a building warrant for a new hall in February 2020. Then Coronavirus struck….. However, Phase one is now complete and in order to move on to Phase 2 and the building of the hall we have to raise in the region of £620,000. We have already raised around £50,000 and in order to progress the new hall project a small steering group has been set up from the board of trustees with support from the Council and Marr Area Partnership. If anyone is interested in joining this group please get in touch. The purpose of this update is to keep you all informed and let you know that we are making progress. The hall belongs to all of us!! We will welcome any ideas, suggestions you may have for us. Please feel free to contact us on hall@crathes.com, Facebook – Crathes Village Hall, or any of the Trustees, all on the website https://www.crathes-hall. co.uk. You can also subscribe to the Crathes Hall mailing list from the contact page on the website.
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~ Violin Trail to resurface bigger and better ~
Local musician Scott Skinner was the inspiration behind the Banchory Art Trail. Born in Banchory in 1843 and recognised as one of the greatest violinists and composers of Scottish traditional music, organisers Banchory and District Initiative Ltd looked to harness the appeal of music and art as a way to energise the town centre. Using actual violins to form a visual trail through the town, the scheme invites people to engage with the unique heritage and landscape through each artist's interpretation of the themes using both traditional and contemporary practices. Each piece of the Art Trail is connected not only by having the same physical base in the shape of a violin, but in exploring themes of local landscape and heritage, firmly connects all pieces to Banchory. For now, the individual designs are being kept under wraps until the full trail is unveiled at host locations throughout Banchory on Sat 24th April 2021, a date shared with the return of Banchory's Arts and Craft market. After postponing the start of the Violin Trail due to the pandemic, additional sponsorship this year from local businesses has allowed a further three artists to be sponsored. In a year which has been especially difficult for local businesses, the support and energy behind the town's recovery is inspiring. Each artist will be able to showcase their work in a host location in the town during the event and in the autumn each piece will be offered for sale by auction. In working collaboratively with the creative community, local businesses and community groups, Banchory and District Initiative Ltd hopes to continue to create opportunities for art and music-based events to help the local community recover from difficulties of the past year.
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Family friendly local bookshop Books & gifts for all the family New monthly releases Use Happy 21 for 10% online discount https://www.thehappybookshop.com thehappybookshopltd@startmail.com
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The Show Must Go On!
Presenters are gaga for radio, says Paul Wilson Many of the regular readers of the Banchory Fly will know about River Dee Radio, your local community radio station. During lockdown presenters have continued to create programmes from their homes. We are looking to extend our current schedule and encourage listeners to tune in on a Sunday afternoon to our programmes. The bedrock of the afternoon will be two hours of classical music with Liz. Starting at 2pm Liz will offer music from Bach to Wagner and everything in between. Each hour focuses on a theme such as winter and nature. The first hour will be a catch-up programme followed by a new themed hour. At 4pm we have an hour of jazz. Jim Christie, a new presenter, will explore the sounds of jazz with his programme Jim's World of Jazz.
You can tune into River Dee Radio in a number of ways. On your computer or smartphone the best place to start is to access the website: www.riverdeeradiorocks. wordpress.com. There you can listen to the live stream, find information about the weekly schedule and listen to previous programmes. There is also a weekly round-up of programmes if you've missed them and lots of information about downloading the app and links to Facebook and Mixcloud. If you download our app https://tunein.com/radio/ River-Dee-Radio-s274232/ on to your phone or computer you can listen to River Dee Radio at any time, anywhere. Regular listeners to River Dee Radio will know that we provide a wide range of music to suit all tastes from Pop to Rock and Roll, Country and Classical. We also provide local information, local interviews and promote events, sports, arts and businesses. During the pandemic presenters have been unable to use the small studio based in the Banchory British Legion but have continued to produce high-quality programmes from home and in 2021 River Dee Radio will continue to entertain and inform. Indeed River Dee Radio will be celebrating their 5th year of broadcasting later in the year. We are always looking to extend the team, so if you are interested in joining us whether as a presenter or technical support use our email address, riverdeeradio@gmail.com to contact us. You can also place a message or request a piece of music for one of our shows by using our email address.
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The Fly relies on advertising to pay for design and printing and it means a lot that so many regular customers have continued to advertise during the Covid calamity. Always delighted to welcome new advertisers, I have opened up opportunities with a new value ad size, see p22. At Myriad Pro Publishing, advertisers are not just a space on a page. All advertisers benefit from featuring in a Facebook album every quarter, and where advertisers’ own posts are seen on that social media platform, they will be shared. Feel free to tag The Fly to make sure. New customers can also benefit from introductory features, and there are perks to being a long-term advertiser too, as well as discounts for featuring in the Alford and Aboyne publications. The business landscape and publicity methods are changing all the time, and especially at the moment! So if you have any ideas on how The Fly can further support you, do let me know. No matter if you are on the main street, out in the sticks, working from your spare room or just operating online, I can help. Have you started a new business in the Banchory area? Want a mention? Get in touch.
your name in print! The Fly represents a unique opportunity for you to promote your business to a targetted area at reasonable cost. Ad rates start at just £28 for a quarter page. Around 2,000 copies are distributed every quarter in prominent spots in the local community and within businesses willing to stock it (500 go into Tesco Banchory). Geographically it covers Banchory centre and surrounds. All Myriad Pro Publications are also available to read online at issuu.com
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New Antique, Vintage and Upcycled market for Town Centre Plans have been announced to create a new market for Banchory which will provide a regular trading place for antiques, vintage, retro and upcycled items. The new market will be the third market operated by Banchory and District Initiative in Banchory, following in the footsteps of the successful Banchory Farmers Market and Banchory Arts and Craft market which both run monthly in the town. The new market will take place in Scott Skinner Square in the heart of the town with the first event planned for Sat 8th May. The market aims to appeal to collectors, enthusiasts and bargain hunters with its wide range of items and will offer unique take home treasurers to suit all budgets. Applications from sellers of antique, vintage or upcycled items including clocks, watches, jewellery, coins, medals, ceramics, picture frames, postcards, vintage toys, records, books, comics, small furniture items and vintage clothing are now being invited for the first market, for more information or to book a pitch please contact sssqevents@gmail.com
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01975 571775 07792 830780
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Spring Gardening In a new column, Wendy Simpson of Craigievar Gardeners offers seasonal tips to help you get the best from your patch, large or small... What to do in your garden for spring... First things first! Spring-clean your garden before your bulbs come up. Clear borders of winter debris, leaves and last year’s perennial foliage. Repair retaining walls and stepping stones. Fix and reseal wooden trellises, raised beds and planters. As your bulbs emerge, feed the soil with an inch or two of compost. Early spring represents pruning time for shrubs that will flower on new wood (this year’s growth), such as buddleias and potentillas. Do this when you’re sure that heavy frosts have passed. Hard-prune hybrid tea and floribunda roses by cutting back to outward-facing buds. Don’t prune early flowerers or shrubs that flower on last year’s growth: leave the pruning of shrubs like weigelas, forsythias, lilacs and azaleas until after they’ve finished flowering. If you have perennials that are large enough to split, you can divide those that flower in summer and early autumn. Don’t split any that bloom in spring – leave that until autumn. Depending on the weather, you can start sowing in mid-April, especially in a polytunnel. Plant early potatoes, onion sets and asparagus, and sow spinach, kale, salad leaves and early carrots in trays for later planting out. Later, outdoors, sow perennials and hardy annuals and plant lily bulbs. Rake out the moss thatch in your lawn and set your mower blades high for the first few cuts. Next stop: summer!
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STRACHAN’S Serving Royal Deeside for Four Generations
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New Business Focus:
LilyK Yarn
My name is Lilian and I am from Dutch origin. I moved here in 2006 with my Scottish husband and son. I see Scotland as my home and love spending time in the countryside with a crochet project in my bag, just in case I can sit somewhere and relax. Like many, I worked in Oil and Gas in Aberdeen. However, after three redundancies, I wanted a job near home. My latest job was with Wilkies but, due to their closure, I decided to do something with my yarn cravings. Fortunately I had some experience with selling yarn at Aberdeenshire Yarn festivals, and the fact that my cupboards were full of yarn, I took the plunge and opened a wee shop on Scott Skinners Square just off the High Street. By following Dutch designers I get my influences from Europe and I'd like to introduce them here, therefore you will find some unique yarn brands to explore. LilyK opened the doors in November 2020 and I enjoyed welcoming customers to my new shop. I'd love to welcome you all back as soon as possible. In the meantime, keep crafting, we can get through this together.
Cllr Rosemary Bruce
Scott Skinner Square
off High Street | Banchory
open tuesday-saturday 9.30-5pm tel : 07702 603299 www.LilyK.co.uk | hello@lilyk .co.uk
Cllr Eileen Durno
07388 956154 cllr.ann.ross@ aberdeenshire.gov.uk
These are your Ward 16 councillors 07388 956152 cllr.e.durno@ aberdeenshire.gov.uk
07388 956151 cllr.r.bruce@ aberdeenshire.gov.uk
Councillors' Contacts
LilyK Yarn Shop
Cllr Anne Ross
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The Best of Starts... Home-Start Deeside, Alford and Strathdon is a unique family support organisation who offer emotional and practical support to local families with a child/ren aged 5 or under. We believe that all children deserve the best start in life. We enable people in the community to help other people in the community through volunteering opportunities supporting families or within one of our two charity shops based in Aboyne and Alford. Can you volunteer to help HomeStart provide support for families with young children who are facing difficult circumstances? Or can you donate to support our work on early intervention that benefits children and parents alike? For more information on how you can get involved please call 01330 824443 or email info@homestartdeeside.org Please follow us on Facebook.
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Milkie Quality local produce from Aberdeenshire farmers
Independent local milkman for 25+ years
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For more information or to book a shoe fitting, call the shop on number below or email monkeybusinessforkids@live.co.uk
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Station Square, Aboyne 013398 87140
Index of Advertisers to help you find who AES Electrical 6 Alexander Burnett MSP 9 Banchory Podiatry 15 Bancon Homes 2 Corybeg Services 10 Craigievar Gardeners 16 EllingtonMennie 6 Flame Boiler Services 15 FoodBank 10 Fountain Dental 4 GTM 24 Happy Bookshop 8 Hilltrek 21 HomeStart 20 John Watson Boilers 18 Julian Barclay 13 K&A Anderson 14 LilyK Yarn 19 Milkie 21 Monkey Business 21 Myriad Pro 23 Ronald Hay 21 Scott Gibb Architect 17 Sharon Marshall 17 Speedwell Framing 18 Strachan’s 18 Tax Assist 10
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Vikings cometh! Youth club has designs on gaming
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