SpotLight On Forres & District, April 2012 by david nelmes

April 2012

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Clubs, Societies & Regular Meetings AIR TRAINING CORPS 446 (FORRES SQUADRON) Community organisation open to young men & women aged 13 20. Victoria Road, Forres. Call Flt Lt Chris Leaney 690215 ALVES CHURCH GUILD Call Mrs Butler 01343 850209

Campbell Ross 690097 FORRES AREA CREDIT UNION Contact Ann McHardy 676735 FORRES AREA SOCCER SEVENS Fun football for children aged 8 15 in the Forres area. Grant Park. Contact 691662

COFFEE CLUB

Wednesdays 10.30 - 11.30am. All Welcome. Join us at the Findhorn Village Centre for homebakes and chat! Call Karin on 01309 692339. FORRES ACCORDION & FIDDLE CLUB 2nd Wednesday each month, Victoria Hotel, Forres. Sept May. All levels & ages welcome. Call Ann Sharp 672672 FORRES ANGLING ASSOCIATION February-September. Formed in 1933, the FAA water consists of four miles of double bank fishing on the River Findhorn. Visitor permits available. Contact

Sample One-Off Advertising Rates (Colour Advert) Box £39 Big Box £74 ¼ Page £134 ½ Page £254 Business Profile £277 Full Page £480 Discounts available for series bookings and Black & White SpotLight on Forres is published by Winterburn Media Ltd, Comraich, Woodside Farm, Kinloss IV36 3UA, 01309 690063. All material contained within the SpotLight magazines is subject to formal copyright restrictions and therefore the reproduction of any listings, editorial, advertiser artwork or any other content, without the publishers prior consent, will be considered a breach of copyright. page 4 - April 2012

LEANCHOIL HEALING GROUP

Tuesdays 7pm - 8.30pm At Leanchoil Hospital All welcome Contact Leanchoil Hospital 0845 456 6000 FORRES ARCHERS Wed, juniors 7 - 8.30pm & adults 7 - 10pm, Forres House. Age 10 years up. Call Brian Regan 01667 456454 FORRES ARTHRITIS SUPPORT GROUP Last Thurs each month, Forres Town Hall. Speakers & demos. Contact Marie McKay 673505 FORRES COMMUNITY GARDEN 1.4 acre site on Bogton Road with space for individuals to grow food in small friendly groups. Contact Lorna 696233 or 07989 263028 FORRES TOASTMASTER CLUB Communication & leadership skills through a structured course of speeches. All abilities and experience welcome. Part of Toastmasters International. Call Paul Harvey 694822 FORRES COMMUNITY WEB To promote Forres on the Internet, Wed 7pm, Community Hub, Tolbooth Street, all levels welcome, aged 18+. Contact: Anthony Bowmer 672244

FORRES LACE GROUP Wednesdays 7.30pm - 9.30pm in Forres Community Centre. Contact Rona Russell 673367 FORRES / MOUNT DORA TWINNING ASSOCIATION Contact Kenneth J Laing 690398 FORRES & NAIRN DISTRICT WELFARE ASSOCIATION A football league made up from clubs and pubs in the Forres & Nairn area. Apr - Sept, age 16 + Call Stephen Levy 674875 FORRES SMALLBORE RIFLE & PISTOL CLUB Rifle, air rifle & air pistol target shooting. Call the club secretary on 01309 675105 FORRES SQUASH AND FITNESS CLUB 2 squash courts & 2 small gyms available any time of the day or night. Club night Sunday from 7.15pm when a warm welcome will always be extended. Call John Mckenzie 672103 GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND Nairn & Moray Branch are looking for new branch volunteers. If interested, please contact Anna Temple or Anna Roberts tel: 01309 694866 HIGHLAND ROCK GARDEN CLUB 2nd Wed each month, 7.30pm, Oct - Apr, Nairn Community Centre. All welcome. Call Carol Shaw 641405 HOP, SKIP AND JUMP NURSERY Mon-Fri 9am-2.30pm, Russell Place, Forres. Pre-School Group, Ante Pre-school Group and 2-3 Club. Contact 671388 during nursery hours.

MORAY BUSINESS WOMEN Informal club for women in the Moray area with an interest in business, networking & general socialising. 1st Thursday of every month. Tel: Moira Hickey on 07792 831095 or e-mail us at moirahickey@aol.com MORAY GAELIC GROUP Mondays, 7:30 - 9pm, at Moray College. Conversation classes led by volunteer native gaelic speakers. £5 year membership. moraygaelicgroup@uhi.ac.uk www.facebook.com/moraygaelic TRANSITION TOWN FORRES Local group promoting local solutions to fossil fuel shortage and climate change. Contact ttforres@googlemail.com VARIS PLAYERS Amateur dramatics society in Forres. Call Samantha Robertson 01309 676022 VOLUNTARY ACTION MORAY (VAM) Encourages and supports voluntary activity, assist local groups and identify needs which require development. Contact 01343 541713 'YOUTH CLUB' Thursdays 6.30pm - 8pm. £1 per session. All welcome. Call Karin at Findhorn Village Centre on 01309 692339.

If you would like details of your club or society included in this section please let us know. All club listings are free. Not all clubs will be listed every issue.

IMPROVER LINE DANCING CLUB FOR OVER 50’S

Wednesday 2pm, Masonic Hall, Forres Only £3.50. Easy routines for fitness and fun with Jenny Duncan (ukaptd h/c). Call Jenny tel: 01463 233151 or Jacqui tel: 672019

tel: 01309 690063

SpotLight Magazines

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SpotLight on Forres and District

The Editor As spring blooms forth and we head ‘confidently’ towards a ‘scorcher’ of a summer save a thought for those poor souls that do not witness the changing seasons. It is a real joy to behold the newness of life that we see each year and we hope that this might also herald some green shoots for our local economy. We live in hope!

PUBLISHER ...............David Nelmes SALES ......................Eilidh Conners ACCOUNTS ...................Lynn Wood LAYOUT ...............Megan Woodman DESIGN .................Alistair Davidson LISTINGS................Tamsyn Dickson Clubs & Societies ............................4 Pastoral Letter.................................8 Church Details.................................8 Council News ................................10 Useful Numbers ............................12 Local Holidays...............................12 School Term Dates........................12 Tide Times.....................................14 Parliament Blog.............................14 What’s On ................................19-24 Cinema Listings.............................23 Advertisers Index ..........................38

Easter Trail Brodie Castle ...........................6-7

Kids

Chef’s Confidential Lightly Smoked Salmon ............28

Family

The Pallywags...........................21

Review

Easter Extravaganza.................30

Event

Golf Veiw .............................26-27

Choctober @ Easter ............32-33

May Issue Deadlines Editorial - Friday 30/03/12 Advertising - Wednesday 04/04/12 Iniitial n atio Consult

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Trust us for an Easter eggstravaganza Come along to a top heritage spot and enjoy Easter fun for all the family! Brodie Castle is hosting a Cadbury Easter Egg Trail over the Easter weekend from Saturday 7th to Monday 9th of April. Conservation charity, the National Trust for Scotland has teamed up with Cadbury to put on activities to keep all the family amused over the Easter weekend. Follow the Easter trail, collect the clues and win a delicious Cadbury Easter egg. And while you’re there find out more about this beautiful place and its fascinating history too! There will be plenty of fun activities for all the family throughout the day including face painting, and the chance to design your very own Cadbury EggHead. The winner may even see their design appear as a new CadburyEgghead in 2013! Property Manager Alexandra Mackenzie-Copp said: “We’re kicking the visitor season off in style this year with an Easter eggstravaganza. Come along and explore Brodie Castle with the family, try our Easter trail and you'll be rewarded with a Cadbury Egghead. We hope to see you there!” There are 44 Cadbury Easter Egg Trails taking place at National Trust for Scotland properties over Easter. For full details visit www.nts.org.uk/easter

Cadbury Easter Egg Trail at Brodie Castle Sat 7 to Mon 9 Apr, 11am - 4pm Follow the trail, collect the clues, solve the puzzle and win a Cadbury Egghead! To add to the fun there’ll be face painters and giant outdoor games on Sunday and Monday, so there’ll be plenty to keep the children entertained, and adults can just relax and take in the stunning surroundings! Why not make a day of it - explore the castle and treat yourself to a spot of lunch before you turn detective with our egg trail! There are trails at 44 places across Scotland, and each of the trails is different – a great excuse to try your hand at more than one! For more information on the trail at Brodie Castle call 0844 493 2156. £2 per trail. If you’d like to visit the castle, usual entry prices apply.

For more information visit

www.nts.org.uk/easter

The National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty is a charity registered in Scotland, Charity Number SC007410

Pastoral letter and Church Meetings Picture by Maggie Grigor, Copyright

“Oh How this spring of love resembleth the uncertain glory of an April day, which now shows all the beauty of the sun, and by and by a cloud take all away!” As I write, these words from William Shakespeare seem so appropriate. The more so as I attempt to reconstruct a garden ravaged by storm, tempest and my incompetence! How envious I have become of the stalwart and professional gardeners who, at this time of the year, help bring new life to our towns and villages! New life is palpable at this time of the year isn’t it ? The poet Rudyard Kipling also had a keen eye for those who have such skills when he penned these words – “Oh. Adam was a gardener, and God who made him sees That half a proper gardener’s work is done upon his knees. So when your work is finished, you can wash your hands and pray For the Glory of the Garden, that it shall never pass away!”

Gardeners and gardening, of course, have been very much part of life, quite literally, since ‘Adam was a boy’! As we understand it, after the Crucifixion of Jesus, his body was entombed in a cave thanks largely to the benevolence of a wealthy follower. The next day, as was the custom, Mary came to the tomb to embalm his body. This is as we might do today, perhaps by tending the grave of a loved one in our own quiet way, having undergone the stressful events of previous days. In St John’s Gospel Chapter 20 vs 15 we are told of Mary doing just this when she met there with someone whom she believed was a Gardener. In her confused state, she had to ask for directions. “They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him”. Her not finding the grave immediately is quite understandable given the many thoughts that must have been going through her troubled mind. I suppose that we may often make the same mistake that Mary made as we grapple with the demands of a secular world. For especially today, we so often live under the dominion of this world’s

Dyke Church - Church of Scotland meets every Sunday at 10am for a family service. On the last Sunday in the month we enjoy fellowship over a cup of tea, email: john_macg@hotmail.com Lighthouse Church meets every Sunday at Clovenside Chapel. Service starts at 10am, refreshments served afterwards. Tel: 676434 or email info@lighthousechurch.co.uk www.lighthousechurch.co.uk Edinkillie Parish - Church of Scotland Sunday Worship 11.30am. Contact Mr Campbell Falconer (Session Clerk) tel: 674249 St. Leonards Church meets every Sunday at 10.30am for Family Service - tea and coffee served afterwards.tel:01309 672380, email: donald.prentice@tesco.net visit:www.stleonardschurchforres.com St. Margaret’s Catholic Church mass on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at 10am. Contact Father Barnett tel: 01667 453323 Caroline Street Gospel Hall Gospel Meeting every Sunday at 6.30pm. For more details tel: 674375, email: glcinfo@tiscali.co.uk St. Laurence Church meets every Sunday at 10am for Family

page 8 - April 2012

ever narrow nod toward spirituality! We are as often content that our thoughts on matters of spirituality move only within the limits of our own experience and cannot, or are wary of sharing our thoughts on faith and belief publically! If Christian funerals are to be more than a ritual of sad farewells, we can do no better than follow the Easter event. For although Good Friday can appear to be a day of separation and dereliction, Easter Day resounds with hope and a new life “As Christ was raised up from the dead by the Glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of life” Romans 6 Chapter 4 So, as we are begining to admire and enjoy the wonderful floral displays of Easter, which in turn are a harbinger of summer. May all Gardeners be a blessing and are blest that the fruits of their labour will come to pass and be rightfully appreciated.

Reverend Duncan Shaw Forres

Service, tel: 672260, email: barryj.boydstlaurence@btinternet.com Rafford Church meets every Sunday at 9.30am for Family Service, our praise is from CH3 and Mission Praise. After the service we enjoy fellowship over a cup of tea and a biscuit. Contact Anne Garrow (Session Clerk) tel: 672930 St. John the Evangelist Scottish Episcopal Church meets every Sunday at 8am for Communion and 10am for Family Communion Service, tel: 672856, email stjohnsforres@btinternet.com or visit www.stjohnsforres.wordpress.com Kinloss, Findhorn & Alves Church of Scotland Alternating weekly, Kinloss and Findhorn, at 10am, and Alves 1st Sunday of each month 11.30 am. Contact 690931 or 690349 Moray Grace Fellowship Meets Sunday mornings 10.30am in Alves Village Hall.Contact Vic Cameron for more details tel: 850142 email vic.cameron2803@btinternet.com www.moraygrace.wordpress.com If you are a member of a church not listed here please email us the details and we will print this in future issues.

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Community Council News Picture by Eileen Fitzpatrick , Copyright

ExtraCts FroM thE MinutEs oF thE MEEtinG oF 19th January 2012 oF ForrEs CoMMunity CounCil

Public Session Police Constable Gorman updated the members on the latest police information concerning the period over Christmas and the new year. he told the meeting that in December four motorists had been charged with various motoring offences, including two for speeding offences and one for failing to stop for a red traffic light. as a result of a Drug search Warrant seven persons have been charged with misuse of drugs offences and enquiries are ongoing to two reports of possession and one of production of controlled drugs. two juveniles were charged with vandalism to Mechanics Football Club and an individual has been charged with Vandalism to a domestic property. operation avon in January confiscated alcohol from three youths. Cllr hayward addressed the meeting about the ongoing delays to the planning application for the Castle inn. she said that in spite of input and advice from ourselves the application appeared to still seek the demolition of the building instead of redeveloping the existing property and as a listed building this would not be permitted. there also appeared to be a failure of

communication between the applicant and the planning department. Moray Cllr Bell told us that if it went to appeal then none of the ward Cllrs would be involved. Members of the Comm Council told the Moray Cllrs that there was considerable concern in the community about the continued piecemeal pushing of the redco Milne application for the common good ground which seemed to be encouraged by the planning department’s delay in processing the application and taking into account the public decision not to sell the land. this is also being exacerbated by the drive to create a legal position to prevent Forres Mechanics from being evicted from their current pitch. Secretary’s Report the secretary said that the Community Council had received only three items of mail during the festive season, a Christmas card from Moray Cllr ogilvie, and two invitations to attend “year of the Dragon” celebrations, one from Friends of the Falconer and one from the museum. Cllr J Mackenzie asked me to point out to members that there will be an open meeting in the tolbooth on

Feb 25th from 10am to meet the feasibility team with their presentation of the future use of the tolbooth. Treasurer’s Report in the absence of the treasurer, the secretary said that the account stood at £1757.78, the CC had £956, with £457 in special Projects and £44 being for Fair Deal. A.O.C.B Cllr Ferris raised a case for discussion that with the departure of the raF from Kinloss a considerable number of personnel who were being made redundant and had chosen to remain in the area were going to be deprived of their service provided dental facilities. the area had no nhs dental facilities to accommodate the extra people. add to that the fact that the area had been declared an enterprise zone, and the influx of workers that could be brought into the area and the army families that would be posted into the area, he felt that a renewed push to provide dental facilities was becoming an urgent requirement. at the last count of need some 680 people had expressed a desire for the need of a local surgery.

OTheR COmmuniTy COunCil COnTACTS Dyke landward Community Council Meets third Wednesday of each month (excluding august and December) 7pm at Dyke Village hall. Contact: Karen hamilton (secretary) tel: 641236 page 10 - April 2012

Findhorn & Kinloss Community Council Meets last thursday of every month (excluding July and December) 7.30pm at alternate venues. Contact: Mr tim negus (secretary) tel: 691823 tel: 01309 690063

Forres Community Council Meets 3rd thursday of every month, 7.30pm at the tolbooth, high street, Forres Contact: Colin lipscomb (secretary) tel: 675177 SpotLight on Forres and District

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Local Holidays, School Term Dates &Useful Numbers Local Holidays Good Friday Forres Holiday May Day Bank Holiday Spring Bank Holiday Forres Holiday Queens Diamond Jubilee Forres Holiday Summer Bank Holiday Forres Holiday

Fri. 6th April 2012 Mon. 16th April 2012 Mon. 7th May 2012 Mon. 4th June 2012 Mon. 4th June 2012 Tues. 5th June 2012 Mon. 30th July 2012 Mon. 6th Aug. 2012 Mon. 17th Sept. 2012

Forres Holiday St Andrews Day Christmas Day New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day Scottish Bank Holiday

Mon. 15th Oct. 2012 Fri. 30th Nov. 2012 Tues. 25th Dec. 2012 Tues. 1st Jan. 2013 Wed. 2nd Jan. 2013

* substitute, as this holiday falls on a weekend or other bank holiday

School Term Dates for 2011/2012 (all dates inclusive) Spring Term Ends Friday 30th March 2012 Good Friday Holiday Friday 6th April 2012 Summer Term Starts Monday 16th April 2012 May Day Holiday Monday 7th May 2012 In-service Closure Thursday 17th May 2012 In-service Closure Friday 18th May 2012 Summer Term Ends Thursday 28th June 2012 for 2012/2013 (all dates inclusive)

Autumn Term Starts Tuesday 21st August 2012 Autumn Term Ends Friday 12th October 2012 Winter Term Starts Monday 29th October 2012 In-service Closure Monday 19th November 2012 In-service Closure Tuesday 20th November 2012 Winter Term Ends Fri. 21st December 2012 Spring Term Starts Monday 7th January 2013 Mid-term Holiday Friday 15th February 2013 Mid-term Holiday Monday 18th February 2013

Useful Numbers SCHOOLS Andersons Primary School..........................(01309) 672887 Applegrove Primary School ........................(01309) 672367 Dyke Primary School ..................................(01309) 641275 Dallas Primary School ................................(01343) 890206 Kinloss Primary School ..............................(01309) 690376 Logie Primary School ..................................(01309) 611258 Moray Steiner School ..................................(01309) 676300 Pilmuir Primary School ................................(01309) 673034 Rose Abbey School ....................................(01309) 691872 Forres Academy ..........................................(01309) 672271 DOCTORS Forres Health Centre ....................................0845 337 1120 Leanchoil Hospital ........................................0845 456 6000 Dr Grays Hospital, Elgin................................0845 456 6000 DENTISTS Orchard Road ..............................................(01309) 675544 Leys ............................................................(01309) 673553 VETS Moray Coast Veterinary Group....................(01309) 672243 page 12 April 2012

PHARMACIES lloyds Pharmacy ........................................(01309) 672614 rowlands Pharmacy ..................................(01309) 672784 Boots ..........................................................(01309) 673370 OTHERS Police Station ................................................0845 600 5700 Bus Station, Elgin .......................................(01343) 544222 Citizens Advice Bureau ...............................(01343) 550088 Dalcross Airport ...........................................(01667) 464000 Dallas Village Hall .......................................(01343) 890243 James Milne Institute (Findhorn) ................(01309) 692365 Rafford District Hall......................................(01309) 674583 Forres Town Hall ..........................................(01309) 675140 Moray Council (Forres).................................(01309) 694000 Moray Council (Elgin) .................................(01343) 543451 National Rail Enquiries ..................................08457 484950 Forres Library ..............................................(01309) 672834 Forres House Com Education Centre ........(01309) 672838

tel: 01309 690063

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Parliament Blog & Tides “ Parliament Blog ” Given the rural nature of Moray and having the stunning Moray Firth it is not surprising that my duties as a Minister, rather than as an MSP and resident of the area, bring me to events in the area. It was in that capacity that I recently visited the Dolphin Centre at Spey Bay, where both employees and supporters do a power of work. Wildlife tourism has great potential in Moray but the event was also a good reminder for me of exactly why I love living and bringing up a family in the north east, which has such a fantastic environment. It's a great place just to stop for a minute and admire what's on our doorstep.

Richard Lochhead MSP

LOW TIDE TIMES FOR FINDHORN IN APRIL Walking on the beach should be possible 2 hours either side of these times 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

AM 0121 0257 0359 0444 0523 0601 0639

SU M TU W TH F SA

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

PM 1421 1533 1624 1707 1747 1824 1903

SU M TU W TH F SA SU M TU W TH

Moray Pest Control

Speaking to folk around Moray I have picked up on an interesting side-effect of the impact of changing home-heating technologies. It seems that with the rapidly increasing take up of heating systems using sustainable wood sources for fuel, the decline in demand for the traditional chimney sweep is turning back into a growth industry! Logical when you think about it and I have spotted at least one new sweep business with the good North East name of 'A Clean Lum'! Hopefully this trend spells a bit of a revival for at least one traditional trade and I hope that the local sweeps, old and new, can look forward to a busy future.

Angus Robertson MP

AM 0719 0800 0845 0937 1038 1156 0031 0159 0316 0413 0456 0533

PM 1944 2027 2113 2205 2310 1327 1451 1557 1644 1722 1753

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

F SA SU M TU W TH F SA SU M

AM 0604 0635 0705 0735 0806 0840 0918 1002 1055 0033

PM 1822 1850 1919 1947 2018 2051 2129 2214 2314 1205 1330

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Will You Be Surprised With Life After Death? all our righteousnesses [good deeds] are as filthy rags."

We get surprised Being a good person is not enough to make us acceptto God. We are still filthy sinners. In God's eyes, all when things come able have sinned; "There is none that doeth good, no, not one" upon us unexpect- (Romans 3:12). Sin means "missing the mark." We have missed God's mark even though we may do many edly. Many things all good things. If you think a person's goodness gets him that occur in our to heaven, you will be surprised! lives come with- Do you think hell will be just a big party? Matthew 13:50 says that the wicked will be cast "into the out warning. Sometimes things like sickness, bills and family crises just cannot be anticipated. Even our own death can come by surprise.

furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." A furnace of fire, wailing, and gnashing of teeth do not paint the picture of a party atmosphere. In reality, hell will be filled with only suffering and anguish. Luke 16:22,23 tells of a man who "died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments." If you think there will be any pleasure in hell, you will be surprised!

What comes after death, however, is something that does not need to be a surprise for anyone. It is not God's desire that you be surprised after you die. He tells us in the Bible that every one of us will live Do you put off thinking about death and eternity, hoping it will just "turn out well"? somewhere forever. John 3:18 says, "He that believeth not is condemned To be prepared for life after death, we must first already, because he hath not believed in the name of the examine what we believe about this matter in the light only begotten Son of God." The person who has not of God's Word, the Bible. trusted in The Lord Jesus Christ is in peril of eternal Do you think a person stops existing after condemnation already! "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" (Hebrews 2:3). These matters death? are too important to leave unconsidered. The Lord Jesus Hebrews 9:27 says, "It is appointed unto men once to die, Christ shed His blood and died on the cross to pay the but after this the judgment." The word "after" tells us that punishment for your sin that you deserve. “For God so life does not end with death. No matter what you think will happen when you die, God says that His judgment loved the world, that he gave his only begotten will follow. If you are anticipating "nothing" after death, Son, that whosoever believeth in him should you will be surprised! not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16) Do you think God would never send you to hell? The resurrection of Christ is proof that God accepted His payment for sin. If you do not repent of your sin and Psalm 5:4 says, "For thou art not a God that hath pleasure receive The Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you will in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with Thee." be surprised! Because God is holy, He must punish sin. Sin cannot be where God is. We are all sinners. If a person's sin is not The God and Saviour you believe in must be the God cleansed by the blood of The Lord Jesus Christ, God and Saviour of the Bible and not a god that only exists in must send him to hell, "And whosoever was not found your own imagination. Dear Reader, don’t go to Hell written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” with the knowledge of the way to Heaven in your head. (Revelation 20:15). If you think no one goes to hell, you God loves you, and Christ died for you. Repent of will be surprised! your sin and receive Jesus Christ as your

Do you think being good will get you to heaven? Saviour and Lord; He says “..him that cometh Isaiah 64:6 says, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37)

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Rolling Event March 28 - onwards

antique valuation evening & talk 6:30pm, forres town hall. tickets ÂŁ8, includes a valuation (extra valuations ÂŁ3) wine & savouries. hosted by lyon and turnbull auctioneers. limited tickets available on door. apply for tickets: k mitcalfe, milton brodie, forres, iv36 2ua. 01343 850281. in aid of riding for the disabled & st johns, forres

UNIVERSAL HALL, FINDHORN Phil Kay

interactive exhibition of modern automata and kinetic art 10am - 5pm, tuesday - saturday at the house of automata, kinloss (next to petrol station). free entry. tel: 01309 691212 for more information or visit www.thehouseofautomata.com

9 april - 19 may â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;john gordon and son â&#x20AC;&#x201C; celebrating 150 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 10am - 4:40pm mon-fri & 10am - 1pm sat, nairn museum. the 150 year history of one of the most successful businesses in the highlands told in paintings, photographs, stories and artefacts. an exhibition not to be missed! www.nairnmuseum.co.uk

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Tickets available at the Phoenix Stores tel: 01309 690110 For more details tel: 01309 691170 or see w w w. u n i v e r s a l h a l l . c o . u k

31 saturday

richard durrant @ universal hall 7:30pm. findhorn foundation, the park, findhorn. tickets ÂŁ10/ ÂŁ8 conc / ÂŁ6 u16 available at the phoenix stores 01309 690110

30 friday the moray society lecture series continues 7pm, elgin museum hall. a musical evening "simply music" by glenn munro & partner donations ÂŁ3, ÂŁ2 for society members. refreshments will be available. phil cool @ ironworks 7pm. 16+. seated. tickets or info tel: 0871 789 4173 or www.ironworksvenue.com the syndicate presents a night of thrash & death metal 8pm, flanagans bar, elgin. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;thrashist regimeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; debut and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;bonesawâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; make a welcome return. ÂŁ5 entry. email thesyndicate2008@btinternet.com or visit www.facebook.com/thesyndicate2008 ian white in concert 7:30pm, st. leonardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s church, forres. part of 2012 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;sound & visionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tour by scottish, contemporary, christian, singer/songwriter, ian white. tickets ÂŁ5 at the door or call 01309 676769. SpotLight on Forres and District

Saturday 14th April, 8pm

cloud man @ universal hall 4pm. findhorn foundation, the park, findhorn. tickets ÂŁ6/ ÂŁ5 conc / ÂŁ4 u16 available at the phoenix stores 01309 690110 highland hospice fundraiser @ ironworks 7:30pm. 18+. with special guests â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the complete stone rosesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. tickets or info tel: 0871 789 4173 or visit the website www.ironworksvenue.com handmade in scotland spring craft fair 10am - 1pm, lossiemouth high school. free entry, free tea & coffee & free facepainting. charity raffle for ladybird group. email islaandesme@gmail.com more info. elgin museum reopens for more information visit www.elginmuseum.org.uk

1 sunday wedding fair at brodie castle 12pm - 4pm. free entry. meet with wedding suppliers & consider your wedding in a castle. call 08444 932 156 or email brodiecastle@nts.org.uk

www.spotlighton.co.uk

April 2012 - page 19

APRIL 2012 continued

7 saturday - 9 monday

3 tuesday

cadbury easter egg trails at brodie castle 10:30am 4pm. free entry. lots of giant outdoor games, face painters and more. call 08444 932 156 or visit www.nts.org.uk

seahorses and starfish 1pm-3pm, free family drop-in at the falconer museum. model a marine invertebrate. contact 01309 673701 for more information.

4 wednesday himalayan primula 7.30pm. the highland rock garden club hosts an illustrated talk by pam eveleigh, international travelling speaker and outstanding photographer from calgary, canada. nairn community centre, king street. tel: 01320 366246 netmums sponsored toddle 2pm, cooper park, elgin. sponsored walk around the park, all proceeds to fraser smith’s disneyland fund. any age of child welcome (accompanied by an adult). for sponsor forms call claire brenton 07989 135607 or email claireymac1@aol.com

5 thursday magical dioramas 1pm-3pm, free family drop-in at the falconer museum. make a mini museum full of exotic exhibits. call 01309 673701 for more info. brodie countryfare springtime celebrations! 11am4pm, meet jelly belly, mr rabbit and friends, face painting, lucky dip, teacup ride and much more. call 01309 641555

MAC’S MA AC C’S ’S TAXI TA T AX A XI XI

royal findhorn yacht club open week club open to non members – activities, bar, restaurant, café, special food nights. www.rfyc.net

9 monday spring clean scotland litter pick 1:30pm, meet at roseisle forest / beach car park. gloves, bags and litter pickers provided. tidy the beach and forest areas. dogs welcome.

10 tuesday bugs and blossoms 1pm-3pm, free family drop-in at the falconer museum. make a flower crown. call 01309 673701 for more information.

11 wednesday moray & nairn floral art club 7:30pm, ramnee hotel, forres. a demonstration by ms paterson from carluke, title ‘designed by nature’. call jean 01309 673552 or caroline 651375 for further details. crafty fun day 10am - 2pm, forres community centre. cupcake decorating, choc bar decorating, card making & much more. £1 per child per craft. come early to book as numbers limited. beautiful crafts for the adults to browse and buy. proceeds to charity.

12 thursday

...and 8 SEA SEATER ATER TER PRIVATE P VATE HIRE MINIBUS PRIV

tanagrams - a chinese puzzle 1pm-3pm, free family drop-in at the falconer museum. how many birds can you make from your egg? call 01309 673701 for more information.

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6 friday the wee man presents nedator to land @ ironworks 7pm. seated. 16+. for tickets or more information tel: 0871 789 4173 or visit www.ironworksvenue.com music nairn presents 'a wanderer fantasy' 8pm, nairn community and arts centre. michael lunts, actor & pianist, tells about the life of franz schubert in music and words. tickets £18, members £14, students £2. call 01667 453476 quiz night at the ‘beastie’ 8pm, the red lion bar, tolbooth street. call 01309 672716 for details.

7 saturday ironworks easter showcase 7pm. over 14s. 8 top quality acts from around the highlands. tickets or info tel: 0871 7894173 or www.ironworksvenue.com royal british legion forres coffee afternoon 2pm 4pm, forres town hall. £1.50 admission, usual tables. page 20 - April 2012

8 sunday - 15 sunday

frightened rabbit @ the loft 8pm. east grange farm, kinloss, forres. call 01343 850 111 for info or visit www.eastgrange.co.uk skerryvore @ ironworks 7:30pm, 14+, standing. for tickets or information call 08717894173 or visit www.ironworksvenue.com the pallywags 2:30pm & 6pm at nairn community & arts centre. starring ‘spencer’ from balamory & lauren hair from got to dance. tickets £7 available from www.thebooth.co.uk or call the centre on 01667 453476

14 saturday twin atlantic @ ironworks 7:30pm. over 14s. for tickets or more information tel: 0871 789 4173 or visit www.ironworksvenue.com st john the evangelist church coffee morning 10 am til midday at forres town hall. contact tina coffey on 01309 676936 phil kay @ universal hall 8pm. findhorn foundation, the park, findhorn. tickets £10/£8 concessions available at the phoenix stores 01309 690110

tel: 01309 690063

SpotLight on Forres and District

kids

Something for everyone! This bright modern adaptable building has become a vital part of the Community, promoting Arts and Culture in addition to the more traditional Community Centre Activities. Excellent meeting and training facilities available for hire. There is something for everyone, from children’s activities to films, concerts and shows. The large comfortable theatre can seat up to 300. Look out for our monthly advert with what’s on, or check out our website. Looking for something to do with the children during the Easter break?

The Pallywags are magical creatures that live on a rainbow and love to entertain with singing, dancing and humour. Featuring Rodd Christensen (Balamory’s Spencer) and Lauren Hair from “Got to Dance” Music is one of the strengths of the Pallywags. Its producer, Rory Mhor Nicoll, worked with Prince and was part of the production team behind the Swedish pop group Ace of Base. This event is supporting the "Archie Foundation" for Raigmore Hospital.

We have a fabulous show coming up in April for children The Pallywags “Chasing Rainbows” are appearing on 13th April with 2 shows at 2.30pm and 6.00pm. Tickets are priced at £7 and are available from the Centre, or telephone 01667 453476

Friday 13 April - 2.30pm & 6.00pm Tickets £7 Nairn Community & Arts Centre Tickets Available from Nairn Community & Arts Centre on 01667 453476

APRIL 2012 continued daffodil festival at brodie castle 1:30 - 4:30pm. daffodil teas with entertainment by elgin, strathspey & reel society. daffodil walks with the gardens team, part of scotland's gardens scheme; drawing room display "a host of golden daffodils". 0844 493 2156

parish church. no experience necessary. £7.50 per person. call elisabeth julian 01309 691225 for more info and to book a place.

AINMENT IN ENTERT ENTERTAINMENT TAINM THE RED LION ‘BEASTIE’ ‘BEAS STIE’ BAR BAR

15 sunday daffodil festival at brodie castle 1:30 - 4:30pm. daffodil teas with entertainment by fochabers fiddlers. daffodil walks with the gardens team as part of scotland's gardens scheme; drawing room display "a host of golden daffodils". 0844 493 2156 annual daffodil tea 2pm - 4pm, dyke village hall. homebakes and the usual stalls. £2 entry. call judith on 01309 641 232 for information

18 wednesday dannsa @ universal hall 7:30pm. findhorn foundation, the park, findhorn. tickets £10/£8 concessions £6 u16s available at the phoenix stores 01309 690110

ght sstarts tarts 8pm Fri 6 Apr ............................ Quiz Ni Night tertainment with NIKI Fri 27 Apr .............. Liv Livee En Entertainment May .......................... Quiz Nigh tarts 8pm Fri 4 May Nightt sstarts May .. Live Live music with JOHNNY BREMNER BREMNER Fri 18 May Why Why not enjoy enjoy an e evening vening out in the comfort comfort of the ͚ ĞĂƐƟĞ͛ ǁŝƚŚ ĨƌŝĞŶĚƐ Žƌ ĨĂŵŝůǇ ĂŶĚ ĞŶũŽǇ Ă ƋƵŝǌ ͚ ĞĂƐƟĞ͛ ǁŝƚŚ ĨƌŝĞŶĚƐ Žƌ ĨĂŵŝůǇ ĂŶĚ ĞŶũŽǇ Ă ƋƵŝǌ ŶŝŐŚƚ Žƌ ŽƵƌ ůŝǀĞ ŵƵƐŝĐ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ƐƚĂƌƚƐ ϵƉŵ͘ ŶŝŐŚƚ Žƌ ŽƵƌ ůŝǀĞ ŵƵƐŝĐ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ƐƚĂƌƚƐ ϵƉŵ͘

26 thursday

20 friday

admiral fallow @ ironworks 7:30pm, 14+, standing. for tickets or information call 08717894173 or visit www.ironworksvenue.com

red kites @ ironworks 7pm. over 14s.tickets or more info tel: 0871 7894173 or www.ironworksvenue.com

27 friday

22 sunday mundole equestrian cross country with knockhill horse power/bhs scotland qualifier. closing date friday 13 april. contact 07901 602042 or visit www.mundoleequestrian.com

23 monday miles kane @ ironworks 7pm. standing. over 14s. for tickets or more information tel: 0871 789 4173 or visit www.ironworksvenue.com

I Slimming World because...

28 saturday Mondays 5:30pm & 7.30pm, Forres House, Community Centre. For information contact Kim on

07522 7833240

annual spring flower show plants, stalls and coffee morning. 10.30am. scottish rock garden national show opens at midday (approx.). nairn community centre, king street. tel: 01320 366246 pritchard vs dainton @ ironworks 8pm, 18+. tickets or info call 08717894173 / www.ironworksvenue.com inverness choral society perform verdi’s requiem 7:30pm, eden court theatre. inspiring & uplifting the house of automata and obscura day 5pm at house of automata, kinloss (next to petrol station), forres. enter a magical world where rare mechanical entertainers come to life. 40 minute show £5, book at www.atlasobscura.com. contact 01309 691212

29 sunday

24 tuesday greyfriars club tea & competitions 6:30pm, elgin town hall. £1 entry. call pam ross 01343 544487 for more information.

25 wednesday bach flower dances 10am - 11:30am at kinloss page 22 - April 2012

the moray society AGM & lecture doors 7pm, elgin museum. followed by last lecture of the season ‘the two cuthbert grahams’ by dr elizabeth ritchie. the syndicate presents ‘found on the floor, filthpact & the obscenities’ 8pm, flanagans bar, elgin. a night of punk, metal & catchy choruses. for more info email thesyndicate2008@btinternet.com or visit www.facebook.com/thesyndicate2008 live entertainment with niki at the ‘beastie’ 9pm, the red lion bar, tolbooth street. call 01309 672716 for details.

mundole equestrian british dressage and unaffiliated dressage closing date 20th april. contact 07901 602042 or visit www.mundoleequestrian.com lofty arts @ the loft 10am - 12noon, east grange farm, kinloss. creative fun sessions £4 per child - all children welcome (accompanied by an adult). booking recommended call 01343 850111

tel: 01309 690063

SpotLight on Forres and District

Cinema Nairn Friday 20th April, 7.30pm Another Time, Another Place (15) Visit cinemanairn.blogspot.com or contact Nairn Community Centre on 01667 453476 for details

Cinema Listings April 2012 Eden Court Theatre, Inverness Throughout April

The Hunger Games (12a) Red Dog (PG) The Muppets (U) Visit www.eden-court.co.uk or call 01463 234234 for details

Vue Cinema, Inverness From Monday 2nd April Mirror Mirror (tbc) Iron Sky (tbc) Titanic 3D (tbc)

Moray Playhouse, Elgin

Headhunters (tbc)

New Screenings begin on Fridays Call 01343 542680 or visit www.morayplayhouse.co.uk

Battleship (tbc) Rigoletto (tbc) Salmon Fishing In The Yemen (tbc) The Avengers 3D (tbc)

Highland Spiritual Cinema

Monthly screenings of uplifting and inspiring films that inform, enlighten and entertain. For further details please visit www.highlandspiritualcinema.net or telephone 01463 237452

KidsAM Every Saturday & Sunday at 10.15am Tickets £1.25 / VIP Tickets £2.75 Senior Screenings Every Tuesday afternoon Tickets £3.05 / VIP Tickets £4.55 Includes tea/coffee & biscuits

Visit www.myvue.com for details

Portessie Public Hall

Regular films including Saturday matinees. For further details email: portessiepublichall@hotmail.co.uk

Universal Hall, Findhorn

Showing films through the year Visit www.findhorn.org/uhall or call 01309 691170 for details. SpotLight on Forres and District

www.spotlighton.co.uk

April 2012 - page 23

Sunday 29th April

All children welcome Sessions: £4 per child (booking desirable but not essential).

MAY 2012 in brief 4 friday quiz night at the ‘beastie’ 8pm, the red lion bar, tolbooth street. call 01309 672716 for details. 5 saturday treebadour puppet theatre presents "organic pepper" 2pm, the james milne institute, findhorn. (next to the stone piers). for children from 3 years. £4 per person. for bookings or info call elisabeth julian 01309 691225 or visit www.treebadour.co.uk funk'void & silicone soul @ ironworks 7:30pm. 18+. for tickets 08717894173 / www.ironworksvenue.com jamp @ universal hall 2pm. findhorn foundation, the park, findhorn. tickets £7/£6 concessions £4 u16s available at the phoenix stores 01309 690110 5 saturday and 6 sunday mundole spring show closing date 20th april. contact 07901 602042 or visit the website www.mundoleequestrian.com 9 wednesday moray & nairn floral art club 7:30pm, ramnee hotel, forres. a demonstration by audrey foster from north yorkshire - ‘re use & recycle’. call jean 01309 673552 or caroline 651375 for further details 11 friday dodgy @ ironworks 7:30pm. tickets or info call 08717894173 or visit www.ironworksvenue.com 12 saturday heritage open day 10am - 3:30pm, elgin library. come and discover your heritage. free activities & displays from heritage groups across moray. free admission. visit www.morayconnections.com for more information. 13 sunday mundole equestrian british dressage and unaffiliated dressage closing date 4th may. contact 07901 602042 or visit www.mundoleequestrian.com 14 monday - 18 friday christian aid nearly new sale 10:30am - 3:30pm, findhorn church hall (on the bus route from forres & elgin) call 01309 690349 for more information. 16 wednesday roddy woomble @ ironworks 7:30pm. unreserved cabaret seating . for tickets or more information tel: 0871 789 4173 or visit www.ironworksvenue.com 18 friday page 24 - April 2012

live music with jonny bremner at the ‘beastie’ 9pm, the red lion bar, tolbooth street. call 01309 672716 for details. 19 saturday treebadour puppet theatre presents "oakydoak and bluebell" 2pm, the james milne institute, findhorn. (next to the stone piers). for children from 3 years. £4 per person. for bookings or info call elisabeth julian 01309 691225 or visit www.treebadour.co.uk horrible history - medieval warriors 11am - 4pm at elgin museum. watch a knight being accoutred and welding his weapons. hands on living history activities. free family event for festival of museum. call 01343 543675 for more information. horrible history - crime and punishment 11am - 4pm at the falconer museum. experience mock trials, witches, crime and even a set of stocks to try. free family event for festival of museums. call 01309 673701 for more information. 20 sunday mundole equestrian show jumping contact 07901 602042 or visit www.mundoleequestrian.com horrible history - filthy lucre 12 - 5pm at the findhorn heritage centre & icehouse. meet 17th c merchants who made findhorn a wealthy international port. free hands-on activities for all the family for festival of museums. call 01309 690659 for more information. 26 saturday - 4 june royal findhorn yacht club open week club open to non members – activities, bar, restaurant, café, special food nights. www.rfyc.net

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Kinloss Daycare Centre

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tel: 01309 690063

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STUARTS CYCLES Tel: (01309) 672432 www.stuartscycles.co.uk -/5.4!). ")+%3 s (9"2)$ s 2/!$ s "-8 s #(),$2%. ")+%3

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GOLF VIEW HOTEL

review

“...well balanced flavours and exquisite taste.” The Golf View Hotel & Spa, nestled along the moray coast in Nairn offers a quiet, elegant and sophisticated dining experience that cannot be missed. It has been voted one of top 25 relaxation/ spa hotels in the United Kingdom, and rightly so. My husband and I recently had the opportunity to dine at the luxurious Fairways restaurant inside the hotel, which has recently been given AA 1 Rosette status. We were unable to experience the beautiful seaside views of the Moray Firth and Black Isle due to our late evening arrival, but I am told they are spectacular. The atmosphere as we entered the doors of the hotel was warm and elegant. The friendly receptionist directed us to the dining room to be greeted by the restaurant manager, Mike. The table was candlelit, giving a off a glow that complimented the settings. As we were seated in our richly upholstered chairs we knew we were in for a wonderful evening. We read through the ornate woodenbound menus pausing over the detailed wine list, which is especially helpful if, like myself, you are not a wine connoisseur. Fraser, our waiter, soon arrived to take our selections and we choose the tantalizing seven course dinner, chosen for the day. He was so polite and knowledgeable helping me choose a lovely rosé to compliment my meal. The meal itself began with olive and Parma ham canapés, which were delicate with a perfect salty seasoning, these were followed by shallot tarte tatin for myself and chicken liver pâté for my husband, which also went down a treat.

Then, after a squash velouté to cleanse the palate, it was time for the main course – roast lamb for myself, smoked haddock and langoustine chowder for my husband. The lamb was cooked expertly and was incredibly tender in the mouth, the accompanying flavours of garlic with rosemary, and sauce only enhancing the perfect meat. The highlight of the evening for my husband was the chowder, he couldn’t stop speaking afterwards of its wonderful aroma, well balanced flavours and exquisite taste. The warm, moist brownie for dessert was only outdone by the accompanying homemade honeycomb ice-cream that seemed to melt instantly in the mouth with a burst of flavour. We retired to the relaxing ambience of the lounge for our fantastic brie and chutney on oatcakes before finishing with a cafetière of coffee with Scottish tablet. We couldn’t have had a more perfect evening. Every course was very well presented in a modern style which complimented the traditional venue. I cannot speak highly enough of the quality of the food, surely some of the best in the local area. Perhaps most surprising to me was all this wonderful service and fantastic food is available at such a reasonable price. We will definitely be going back, next time finishing off our meal with a walk along the beachfront during the warm summer evenings.

Review by Andrew and Christa Dobbs

GOLF VIEW HOTEL & SPA

FAIRWAYS RESTAURANT

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GOLF & SPA EIGHT VIEW ACRES HOTEL HOTEL & LEISURE CLUB

The Seafront, Nairn Morriston Road, ElginIV12 IV30 4HD 6UL Telephone 01667 452301 Email: golfview@crerarhotels.com Email: eightacres@crerarhotels.com Telephone: 01343 54 0

WWW.CRERARHOTELS.COM

recipe

Chefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Confidential Lightly Smoked Salmon with Lemon and Herb Creme Fraiche The perfect lunch or supper dish that needs very little preparation and served with Sweet Potato Wedges, makes a welcome change from new, or mashed potatoes. The Salmon fillets are available at most fish counters in supermarkets. Enjoy! Serves 4 4 x lightly Smoked Salmon Fillets 1 x 200grm tub Creme Fraiche 1 x tablespoon finely chopped fresh Parsley leaves 1 x tablespoon finely chopped fresh Mint leaves 1 x tablespoon finely chopped fresh Dill (the herbs can be chopped in a mini electric chopper for ease) 1 Lemon Salt and Pepper 500g Sweet Potatoes cut into wedges 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil Method 1. Pre heat the oven to 200Â°C. 2. Place the potato wedges in to a pan of cold water and bring to the boil, and boil for 5 mins. Drain and pat dry with kitchen paper towel. 3. Place the roasting tin with oil in it in the the oven to heat up. Add the potatoes, season with salt and pepper and return to the oven on a high shelf for 20 minutes to roast. 4. Place the salmon on an oven proof tray and season with pepper. I don't use salt as there is enough in the cured salmon. Cook the salmon on the centre shelf for 20 minutes. 5. Whilst the potatoes and salmon are cooking. Chop the herbs, and place them in a bowl. Add the crĂ¨me fraiche and the squeezed juice of half a lemon. Mix thoroughly. 6. Remove the salmon and potatoes from the oven and serve immediately with a green vegetable or side salad.

knockomie HOTEL

Penny Ellis, Owner - Knockomie Hotel, Forres. Tel: 01309 673146

April Specials! 2 course Lunch* (excludes Sundays) .............£8.95 3 course Sunday Lunch .................... £19.95 2 course Sunday Lunch .................... £15.95 Spring into Summer Menu* including complimentary bottle wine (per couple) ....... £40.00

Afternoon Tea includes: sandwiches, scones, cakes, Tea and Coffee from ............................£8.95

mmm...delicious!

*Max’ table of 6

Knockomie Hotel is licensed to hold Civil Weddings

knockomie

Grantown Road, Forres

HOTEL

www.knockomie.co.uk

Tel: 01309 673146

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family

Easter Extravaganza at Roseisle Sunday 8th April Having been such an open Winter and the woods full of early spring flowers, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel like it could possibly be April already but just to prove it is, Forestry Commission Scotland invite you to join them at their popular Easter Extravaganza at Roseisle. Make a date in your diary to come and join us for a fun packed family afternoon in the lovely setting of Roseisle Forest.

Our bunny hunt is always popular for young and old alike, with giant bunnies on hand to help and the bonus of a chocolate egg for all completed entries. We will have the usual groups and some new ones as well with a range of interactive displays. The Moray Sled Dogs will be back again with their wonderfully trained Huggable Huskies. Outfit Moray are going to be doing a session on archery for all you budding Robin Hoods and Bear Grylls lookalike, Moray Rangers will teach you some survival and bushcraft skills. The RSPB and Scottish Wildlife Trust alongside our own conservation staff will be there with displays and activities to help us understand some of the things the local wildlife are getting up to. Grampian Fire and Rescue will make an appearance with an appliance (as long as their services arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t required elsewhere!), also Earthtime, Active Schools and Moravian Orienteersâ&#x20AC;Ś.. the list goes onâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;Ś. so there should be something for everyone. There will be burgers and ice cream on sale to keep you going but why not bring a picnic to eat at our picnic site or take the boardwalk down to the beach. The event is on Sunday April 8th between 1pm and 4pm. The carpark is accessed from the B9089 between College of Roseisle and Kinloss. The site is equipped with all ability toilet facilities. The cost is only ÂŁ5 per car on the day. This helps cover the cost of the event with any surplus used to fund other events throughout the season.

Another important date to remember is the first of April when Forestry Commission Scotlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s award winning Huntly Peregrine WildWatch opens for the season and gives you a wonderful oppportunity to view these top predators close up in their natural environment. The centre is open every day from 10am-5pm until early September and has something to offer everyone from serious wildlife watchers to those wanting a family outing. For more information on FCS events please contact: Forestry Commission Scotland, Moray & Aberdeenshire District, 0ORTSOY 2OAD (UNTLY !" 3* s 4EL HTTP WWW FORESTRY GOV UK SCOTLAND s HTTP TWITTER COM FCSCOTLAND 3EE OUR LOCAL NEWSLETTER AT HTTP WWW FORESTRY GOV UK PDF !BERDEENNEWLSETTER PDF

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Elgin Easter Chocolate...yu...mmm...y! Elgin is the place to be on Saturday 7th April. Elgin Business Improvement District and Olive Tree Chocolate have teamed up to bring you a fun packed day in celebration of Easter and National Chocolate Week. There are so many activities that there is bound to be something to suit, whatever your preference. The whole day kicks off at 10am with the Easter Street Market in the City Centre offering a wide range of locally produced foods and crafts and Easter treasures. Starting from 11am there will be a Chocolate Cookery demonstration, Easter Treasure Hunt, Easter Fancy Dress Competition, games and crafts activities (on the Plainstones) including Easter bonnet making. Moray Titans rugby club will be undertaking a charity car pull in aid of the Moray Friends of Archie throughout the day till 2pm. The Easter Treasure Hunt will take you around the City Centre (including the Town Hall). The treasure will be letters which you collect to make up a famous word. Letters will be placed in the windows of City Centre retailers as well as at the Town Hall – the home of Choctober @ Easter. Entry forms are available from Unit 4 (between Orange phone shop and Dorothy Perkins) in the St Giles Centre and completed entries can be returned by 4pm to the Town Hall Reception or back to Unit 4. To enter the fancy dress competition all you have to do is dress up in an Easter theme and register your entry between 11.15am – 11.50am also at Unit 4, St Giles Centre. There are 3 age categories: up to 5 years, 6 – 9 years, 10 – 15 years. Entrants will parade (in costume) through the City Centre at 12 noon ending up on the Plainstones where judging will take place at approx. 1pm. Prizes for both competitions will be £30.00, £20.00 and £10.00 to be spent with a City Centre retailer.

Wave radio will also be broadcasting throughout the day. Choctober @ Easter at the Town Hall offers no end of exciting activities. Starting at 11am the second chocolate festival for Elgin (also the most Northerly festival of its kind in the UK) has built on the success of the first festival held in October also at Elgin Town Hall. Falling on National Chocolate week, the afternoon entertainment is themed around a carnival. On arrival you will be treated to a demonstration of balloon modelling, circus skills and story telling. In the Main Hall will be the Chocolate High Street and Restaurant. This will recreate a typical High Street but linked to chocolate. For example florists selling chocolate bouquets, travel agents traveling the world in chocolate. The restaurant will be serving refreshments and hot meals throughout the afternoon. For the more adventurous why not visit the chocolate making workshops where you can learn how to create simple hand roiled truffles in one hour, (must be pre-booked). There will be a chefs theatre which starts on the High Street (Plainstones) at 11am and continues at the Town Hall stage area. The chefs will create dishes in the format of a starter, main course and dessert all including chocolate. Great to pick up ideas on how you can cook something with a difference. Last, but by no means least, there will be a large craft fayre upstairs in the Supper Room consisting of locally made crafts. Entrants to the Easter Egg design competition will be announced and presented with their prize at approx. 3.30pm at Elgin Town Hall. The prize for each age category is a recreation of their design on a hand-made egg from Olive Tree Chocolate.

SATURDAY 7TH APRIL IN ELGIN IS A MUST FOR A FUN FILLED, CHOCOLATE FILLED, ACTIVITY PACKED, NOT TO BE MISSED EXPERIENCE!!!!

Saturday 7th April 10am to 3pm, Elgin City Centre 11am to 4pm, Elgin Town Hall

Spring is here, and thank goodness. The last few Winters have seen some pretty serious weather in the Moray Firth area, causing lots of problems, and challenges, for gardeners. Prolonged lying snow with frost and ice does also inevitably leave the grass looking pretty poorly. Around March in Scotland, you should also look out for brown, possibly dying patches appearing. These may be a symptom of leatherjacket activity. Leatherjackets are the larvae of crane flies, or daddy-long-legs, which hatch from eggs laid in turf in the Autumn. If you remember seeing lots of crane flies around last Summer, or see flocks of starlings pecking furiously at the grass, investigate further. The grubs start to feed on the roots of the grass plants, which kills the grass and can cause severe damage to a lawn very quickly if not treated. Try lifting a square of turf if you see damage, and if there are lots of grubs evident you should treat the whole lawn as soon as possible with a suitable insecticide. We spray with a very effective insecticide and the next morning there are usually thousands of dead grubs lying on the grass. With the mower coming out of the shed now, it is a good time to check the blade, and if it is blunt or pitted, get it sharpened. A blunt blade chews the grass rather than cutting it, and will leave a ragged cut on the grass leaf causing bruising and brown tips, and making the plant more susceptible to disease. Also check the cutter height is not set too low, we recommend a cut of not less than 1” as it leaves a decent amount of leaf on the plant, allowing good photosynthesis to occur and a green and healthy plant. The most common problems we see are scalped, weak lawns with poor colour and the resultant bad moss. Now is a good time to aerate and scarify the lawn, especially if you didn’t get it done last Autumn. We tend not to scarify once new grass starts growing as we find it often takes too much of a hammering from a vigorous scarifying machine such as ours. We use a professional blade scarifier which cuts through thatch build up (the perfect habitat for moss to flourish). This is a more rigorous process than simply raking out existing moss (which just grows back) as it actually removes the main cause of moss growth.

Aeration is good at any time and I know some of you will have forked the lawn (back breaking and ineffective). We use a big hollow-core tining machine as do the golf and bowling clubs. It takes thousands of cores out of the root zone easing compaction, improving ventilation and drainage and allows new root growth. If you have problems with moss and lichen this is one of the best things we can do for you.

For more information about seasonal lawn improvements from just £15 per qtr, plus useful downloads and photos go to www.greenthumb.co.uk. Although GreenThumb is a national franchise with over 200 branches across the UK, we are locally based in Cawdor and cover the whole Moray Firth area. Contact Alastair or Fiona for a FREE LAWN ANALYSIS on 01667 404774 or email us at: inverness@greenthumb.co.uk.

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travel

Dreaming of... ...Morocco

Your correspondents have recently returned from an interesting holiday in Morocco. This amazing country has thrived on being at the north end of the Sahara Desert and on the trade route to Europe. We spent three nights in Marrakech where we walked for miles taking in all the sights, sounds and smells which make it such an extraordinary and vibrant city. We enjoyed the Djemaa El Fna Square with its music, snake charmers, street entertainers and stalls selling delicious freshly squeezed orange juice and in the evening hundreds of barbeques seem to appear from nowhere. The rabbit warrens of the Souks are unlike anything we had seen before. We stayed in a wonderful Riad within the Medina. The staff were incredibly welcoming and friendly and our room combined Moroccan style with a contemporary twist and we enjoyed being able to lie back and rest on our own roof terrace. It was one of the best places we have ever stayed in but was a world away from what we found outside the Riad and by the time we moved on we had really had enough of being hassled endlessly to buy things. From Marrakech we went into the Atlas Mountains for three nights of peace and tranquillity. The weather was lovely and we enjoyed a few walks through the hills passing small hamlets where children, who appeared from nowhere, were not sure whether to hide or ask for 'bonbons'. We were then driven west across the country to Essaouria, a charming fortified emplacement created by the Portuguese in the 15th Century, which is now an unspoilt fishing port â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not a bar or club to be seen! We found excellent fish restaurants and stayed in another excellent Riad with a roof top pool. There are miles of lovely beaches and at other times of the year the Atlantic breezes attract windsurfers. The early morning drive back to Marrakech was fantastic â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it was market day in one of the towns and we watched hundreds of men riding across fields on donkeys draped with panniers bringing their wares to market â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it was an unforgettable and almost biblical sight. Morocco is ideal for a long weekend or for longer multi-centre journeys as we did. Riads are smaller boutique hotels with central atriums open to the skies and roof terraces, negating the need for windows to the exterior, and Kasbahs are larger guest houses with grounds â&#x20AC;&#x201C; both are generally very characterful and certainly a contrast to a normal city hotel. Temperatures in the towns and cities are comfortable all year round, becoming hotter from June to October, and being really at its hottest from July to September. Evenings tend to be cooler, and in the mountains it can also be cooler all of the time.

Information kindly supplied by

2-6 South Street, Elgin 01343 548844 Â&#x2021; +LJK Street, FRUUHV

www.beavtrav.com INVERNESS departures

ABERDEEN departures

DUBROVNIK - 4th June S/C from..................................... £549pp

VENICE - 27th May B&B from ............................ £579pp

Hidden PORTUGAL 11th June HB from ............ £669pp 30th Sept from .................. £679pp

LAKE GARDA 27th May B&B from ............................ £568pp SORRENTO - 16th June B&B from ........................... £589pp

VENICE and VERONA 1st July HB from ................. £875pp LAKE GARDA 1st July B&B from.............. £589pp 7th Oct B&B from.............. £588pp SORRENTO - 6th October B&B from ............................ £599pp CYPRUS - 25th November HB from............................... £797pp

FLORENCE - 16th June HB from............................... £729pp

FORRES 01309 672203 ELGIN 01343 548844

DUBROVNIK - 2nd July S/C from ............................. £606pp Hidden PORTUGAL - 17th Sept. HB from............................... £659pp SICILY - 6th October B&B from ............................ £649pp

All holidays are priced per person, for 7 nights based on 2 people sharing a room.

Beaver Travel, 78 High Street, Forres 2-6 South Street, Elgin

Beaver Travel (Elgin and Forres) is a ticket agent for Eden Court Theatre, Inverness - at Box office prices - NO BOOKING FEE!

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01343 811114 A local business built on trust reliability & quality of service... ...a service second to none www.highlandgreenlawncare.co.uk

Index of Advertisers Ashley Ann ........................................................Inside Back Back in Balance ..............................................................15 Beaver Travel ....................................................................37 Big Sky Print......................................................................25 Brodie Castle....................................................................6-7 Brodie Countryfare............................................................15 Caroline Street Gospel Hall ..............................................25 Chemsafe ..........................................................................13 City of Elgin BID Limited ..............................................32-33 Covesea Cafe ..................................................................25 Dallas Designs ..................................................................17 Delta Electrical ..................................................................15 Excel Scotland Ltd ..............................................................9 Ferrari Horsefeeds ..........................................................29 Forestry Commission ..............................................30-31 Forres Tree Services ........................................................38 Golf View Hotel ............................................................26-27 Gordon Scott Chartered Accountant ............................15 GreenThumb (Inverness) ........................................34-35 Harrisons ............................................................................3 Highland Beauty Clinic ..................................................29 Highland Green ................................................................37 Highland Wildlife park ......................................................15 Ian Fraser ........................................................................3 ilash Theatre......................................................................24 Jaycee's Computer Centre ............................................13 Johnstons of Elgin ....................................Outside Back JWT - Tech ..........................................................................3 Kinloss Day Care ..............................................................24 Kinloss Swimming Pool ....................................................13 Knockomie Hotel ..............................................................29 Kylauren Homes................................................................18

estwoo W

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Leanchoil Healing Group ....................................................4 Len’s Taxi’s ..........................................................................5 Little Flower ......................................................................29 Logie Steading ..................................................................31 Mac’s Taxi..........................................................................20 Macfarlane Arboriculture Ltd ............................................15 Mackenzie & Cruickshank ................................Inside Front Marian Warrener................................................................25 Moray Pest Control ..........................................................14 MRD Flooring ....................................................................31 Nairn Community & Arts Centre ......................................21 Physiofirst ..........................................................................38 Rafford Cycles ..................................................................38 Roof Wizard ......................................................................29 Scotengineering ................................................................25 SJ Chimney Services ..........................................................9 Slimming World ................................................................22 Stuart Allan Plumbing & Heating ......................................31 Stuarts Cycles ..................................................................25 The House of Automata ......................................................9 The Lighthouse Church ....................................................17 The Loft Bistro ............................................................9 & 24 The Red Lion Hotel ..........................................................22 The Wood Centre Ltd ......................................................17 Tracey’s Unisex Hair Salon ..............................................14 Unique Beauty ............................................Front Cover & 3 Universal Hall ..................................................................19 Westwood Cattery ............................................................38 Wheelchair Care................................................................11 Words By The Wayside ....................................................16 www.russiankettlebellscotland.com....................................5

Annie Griffiths

Physiotherapist

01309 676050 annielgriffiths@btinternet.com Cameron Court, Fleurs Place, Forres IV36 1LX

Rafford Cycles

01309 672811

Bicycle Sales, Service & Repair Collection / Delivery Open 9am to 6pm service available Wed to Sunday raffordcycles@tiscali.co.uk to advertise in the next issue of SpotLight on forres call 01309 690063 or go online www.spotlighton.co.uk

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