Culter Courier No. 107 by Culter Courier

PUBLISHED BY THE COMMUNITY COUNCIL

C NEWS

CHAIR1MANSS REPORT

CAN hardly credit i t is all-eady three months since I last let you know \\hat your community council ( C C C ) has been doing on your behalf - and again i t has been a long three months. Cults Academy: We were invited to view the architects' plans for the chosen design of the new acadcniy to be built on the existing playing fields. and we \vere impressed that the comments made at previous 3R meetings had been largely taken o n board. A l s o present u e r c repsrsentatives of PTAs untl School Boards of the feeder primary schools involved as well as the academy. Their main concerns on the night appeased to be on the '"location of the entl-anceh 'Qarhing * waiting area for buses assuring there w a s good and safe separation of vehicles and pedestrians ( w h o , of c o u r s e . w o u l d b e m o s t l y children). 'The\e plan\ are a ~ u ~ l a b tor l e anyone to \ee - and comment on - in the L ~ b r a r )and the Sports Centre. Library: At the time of writing this. wc had a copy of n papcr to g o before Aberdeen City Council ( A C C ) pl-oposing extending/cliunging the opening hours of libraries across the city from J ~ d y . For Culter this u,ould mean opening on :': Mondays and Wednestlays 2pm - 7pm * Tuesdays, Thursday, Fridays Y..3Oam l pm and 2pni-Spni * Saturdays 9.30am - Ipm Overall this would mean two hours extra opening hours per weeh but give 11sfewer late evenings and no Monday morning. We commented that we were pleased to see Wednesday opening but concerned at the loss of the other times. Affordable Homes: Also betixe 11s was a consultation paper from ACC Housing Dept. Because of the lack of affordable

MAY 2007

ISSUE No. 107

housing, ACC is intending to apply to the Scottish Executive for 'Pressureci Area S t a t u s ' f o r m a n y a r c a s in the city. including Cultcr. If this is granted. it will allow ACC to stop the sale of Council l i o ~ ~ s for c s u few years in order to keep a stock of affordithle homes across the city. This would allou 'catch up' with tlie Local Pliun. due to come into force in 2008. where de\elopers will have to build 25% of aft'ordable homes in all their new housing schemes. Members of C C C felt it was important we had a whole range and mix oftypes of home\ in Culter so were in agreement uith tlie proposal. It should be notecl. however. if the Scottish Executive agrees. i t will NOT affect any sales of council housing already in the pipeline. AWPR: Since I last reported. there h a \ e been exchanges of many e-mails between the AWPR engineers and CCC. 1 also had a meeting with A C C Planning Dept. because of our concerns on the junction

of Culter House Road on to the AWPR givins encouragement to developers. They made two points: a ) I t \vas their duty to protect the District Wildlife Sites ( t w o on C ~ ~ l t House er Road) and thc Cireen Belt. b ) Development round Culter was constrained bsc:~useof the distance there woultl be from the local shops. Quite soon. we will have another meeting u.ith the AWPR engineers for further discussion and to see their traffic model working in real time. 1 \\ill repol-t the outcome in the next Courier (August). The Shoddy Road: Users of the football and training pitches made a request for some lighting at the start of the Shoddy Road a n d o u r City Councillor. Pan1 MacDonald. managed to persuade the Roads Dept. to p ~ in~ three t lights on the road between Malcolm Road and the Football Pavilion. Within a very short space of time. we were informed by local residents that two of the three had been taken down by M r M U S T ~ofVSonders LA.

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P,LL MAJOR DEBITICREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED

who clai~tiedhe owned the road! 'The street lights have now been replaced by ACC and Mr Murray has been challenged by one of the local resicietlts to show proof of ownership. Wc will have to wait and see what happens. Councillor Pam MacDonald: As you will all kno\v by now, Pan1 has retired from Aberdeen City Council after serving us well for 17 years. The members of Culter Let me give your Community Council wish her well in her garden the personal, retirement and thank her for all the hard professional touch. work she has put in on Culter's behalf. She has regularly attended our CCC Professional garden design in Aberdeenshire and Deeside meetings. passed us Council information. listened to. and pushed for, our needs within the Council. Although she has had many achievements to improve Culter. I would say that her greatest success has been in gaining us the sheltered housing now being built on Coronation Road. We11 done and thank you, Pam. 1

/ F01 all your pet needs!! *DogWalking

* Home Boarding lot small caged animals

Mas~erplanfor Aberdeen City Centrc ACC wants to draw up a Master Plan which will incorporate not only the ideas which the City Centre retailers have for upgrading :': St Nicholas and Bon-accord Malls * Union Square. * Poynerneuk Road, :': the Bus and Rail Stations. Castlegate, :I: the Art Gallery, :l: Triple Kirks, * Woolmanhill. * Belniont Street. 4: Union Terrace Gardens, :I: Golden Square, :lc Marischal College. :lc Gallowgate. :l Broadford Works and a few more points besides. :+

Ann Wakefield and I took part along with people from other communities and groups, retailers, developers and commercial interests. We all agreed that Lavina C Massie the individual developments proposed Chairperson should be brought into a cohesive. integrated plan to provide for shopping, PLANNING businesses. entertainment and homes in Other I I I ( I ~ ~ P I . ~vhich S ha1.e kept CCC h[(\\. the city centre. Ann and I emphasised the corlir r ~ l i d t~lrz ~hendrllg o f P I ~ ~ z I I ~ I ?need ~ . for better transport which responded to people's needs. city centre car parks New North-east Structure Plan and agreed with city centre shuttle buses As I reported in last quarter's Courier. but said that they would need plenty of Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire room in them for people to carry their Councils have indeed got together and shopping. have already started the pre-drafting consultations. (The same consultation It will be documents were available in the Library interesting to for any member of the public to examine see the and comment on.) outcome. Good and After discussions at our monthly meeting. easy access a small group of us ( Ann Wakefield. Anne to the city centre is vital in attracting Watson. Jim Farquhar anci I) put together people to the city instead of driving them CCC's comments on a range of issues away to out-of-town shopping in covering Aberdeenshire or further afield. :k Population * Green belt and wildlife sites Coronation Court * Housing (including lay out of housing CCC was assured that the next stage and schemes) contract for building the sheltered housing * Shopping on Coronation Road started on 9th April Jobs 2007. I have noticed a builder's hut has :* Transport anived on site so I hope to see actual work :l: Even climate changes and heritage. starting soon. We also were told that the No sooner had we done this (by 6thApril j refurbishment of the pensioners' houses than we were invited to a seminar'/ in Hillside Place and Crescent would be working group set for 26th April to happening at the same time so they would discuss where and how new developments be linked in with the alarm system to the should take place. We shall report back Warden's flat in Coronation Court. on this in the next Courier.

Weekly Lists There have been no contentious planning applications in the weekly lists for CCC to deal with over the last three months.

Lavina C Massie Plar~rzili,qLiaisorz

CITY COUNCIL NEWS BY THE time you read this, 1 will have retired from Aberdeen City Council and will be taking a bit of a rest. 1 did not put my name forward for election this time. 1 had my hip replacement operation on March 21st and am now walking easily once again. It's a great relief. knowing that the en,ioyment of walking can be part of my retirement.

I hope you did not find the election too confusing? and that we have collectively made wise decisions about our city and national governance. I shall be watching from the sidelines with great interest. Whoever has been elected will, 1 am sure, work hard for us. 1 hope to stay in Culter. though, and 1 will still meet you all as 1 go about the village. The odd word of advice about how to tackle a probIem will still be available to anybody who wants it. All the best for the future to the many people I have met in Culter during these 17 yearc, and the friends 1 have made. See you around!

Pam MacDonaId

PETERCULTER MEDICAL PRACTICE DR DAVID MJLLAR is planning to retire at the end of June 2007, after 35 years of dedicated service with the practice. He has led a very full and active professional life in developing the practice, in his passion for palliative care, involvement with the Macmillan cancer service and in his support of education within general practice. We all wish him well when the time comes for a happy and healthy retirement. which 1 understand

will involve golf, grandchildren & gardening amongst his many other interests!

SWEAT AND SMILE SWEDISH STSLE With AILEEN ADAM

We are looking forward to Dr Jennifer Sudder joining the team as our new partner in July, working 5 sessions per week. Dr Sudder trained in general practice i n Aberdeen and has been working as an assistant with the Banchory practice for several years. We wish her well with her G P career at Peterculter. A couple of operational items which we wish to emphasise: patients phoning for test results should telephone in the afternoon where possible. This allows time for results to be checked and actioned by GPs and also helps to vacate phone lines in the morning when there is more demand on the phones for appointments. house visits etc. Patients phoning to order repeat prescriptions should do s o after l o a m again to help to vacate lines early in the morning.

We have noticed that some cars and v'ms are being parked in our patient car park in the late afternoon (4pm onwards) and remain there overnight. Unfortunately this blocks valuable spaces for our patients and has been the cause of some recent complaints. Between the hours of 6pn1 and 8am Monday - Friday and during weekends we do not have an issue with people using our car park for overnight parking (at their own risk) but would ask that the spaces be kept available for patients during practice opening hours. Finally, Drs McMain and Harris are planning to take part in the Baker Hughes lOkm road race in Aberdeen on Sunday 27th May, and we are already getting into some serious training for this. Having lost a little of the athleticism and flexibility of our younger days, we are persevering determinedly with our training programme! We are running on behalf of the Prostate Cancer Charity and will make a sponsor form available at reception for any visitors to the practice who might wish to contribute even a modest sum to'wards our efforts to

NVQ Qualified Classes at Milltimber Community Centre Thursdaj Evenings at 7.30pm Inchgarth Community Centre Mondays & Kednesdavs at 6pm Men and Women - All Ages Welcome Call 01224 867204

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Carole Craigmile BSc. DPodM, MChS S t ~ t eR~gistet-odChiro~)odi.rt/Potliatrisl Biornechanics Orthotics Gait Analysis Sports Injuries Nail Surgery & Routine C;rrc Gift Vouchers available for all Therapie.;

Culter Bo Peeps and Toddlers, Culter Village Hall, 9.30am - 11.30am. (Term-Time) Monday: Bo Peeps 1-3 yrs (toys, songs, crafts 8 snack) Tuesday 8 Friday: Toddlers 0-3 yrs (toys, songs 8 snack) First Session FREE Pop in for fun, coffee 8 chat support this very worthy cause. Rest ~is11e.r Dr Douglas CM Harris

PETERCULTER PARISH CHURCH

H.PC. (Reg.d)

QUALIFIED CHIROPODIST Mrs. WONNE THOMSON M.S.S.C.II., M.B.C.H.4..

Home visiting practice Appointments available New patients welcome

Tel: 0 1 2 2 4 869509

IT'S GURTAINS FOR YOU

1 1/13 SCOTT SKINNER SQUARE

Our involvement in the Gala this year will include organising a walking treasure hunt. This will take place on Friday 25th May leaving from the Church at 7pm with refreshments on return. entry £2.

BANCHORY

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ALSO LARGE SELECTION OF CUSHIONS AND TIE-BACKS. ON SITE WORKROOM.

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57-59 North Deeside Road, Bieldi~de Tel: 01224 861830

WE ARE looking forward to a visit from members of our partner church in Malawi. A delegation is coming to Scotland for two weeks from May 10th as part of the Aberdeen Presbytery and Blantyre Presbytery Malawi Partnership. In the past, church members from Scotland have visited Malawi. One aspect of the partnership is to offer support to those living in one of the poorest countries in the world. To this end, we have been involved in assisting the 'Container Project' organised by Aberdeen Presbytery, which will be sending out a wide range of goods. Our partner church is St. Paul's and two members from there will be involved in some of our church activities and worship during their visit.

1Great quality goods I

Our Summer Fayre takes place this year on June 9th from 2pm-4pm. A wide range of stalls will be available on the day. On Friday September 14th. we will be holding a concert in the church, beginning with some local talent offering entertainment followed by the world famous Alexander Brothers! More information about tickets will be available nearer the time. Our monthly lunches on the first Sunday of the month are proving to be very popular, not least because a delicious lunch is provided to everyone in the community for just £3! They will stop over the summer and our Saturday coffees also continue until the middle of June, while our Thursday morning coffees continue over the summer. We were saddened to learn of the death of Arthur MacFarlane, who was the organist in St Peter's Church and then Peterculter Church for many years. Arthur was a wonderful organist and a very talented and knowledgeable man. He was one of life's great characters and his contribution to church music was immense. He also was a founder member

of St Peter's Heritage Trust and his support in betting it up was crucial. We will all miss him.

John Ferguson

PETERCULTER PARISH CHURCH CALLING ALL CHILDREN AND PARENTS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN!

SUMMER HOLIDAY CLUB MONDAY AUGUST 13th - FRIDAY AUGUST 17th 1Oa.m. - 11.55a.m. MUSIC. DRAMA. CRAFT WORK, STORIES. GAMES AND FUN WE WILL BE USING SCRIPTURE UNION'S LATEST MATERlAL ALL CHILDREN ARE WELCOME NO C H U R C H INVOLVEMENT NECESSARY M O R E INFORMATION, O R T O REGISTER: PHONE 735845 OR E-MAIL secretary @culterkirh.co.uk See web site: ~ ~ ~ w ~ \ : c i ~ l t e r k i r k . c o . u k

CULTER GALA 200'7 PREPARATIONS for the forthcoming Culter Gala activities are underway. This Courier should contain a Gala Programme detailing dates and times of all events. Whilst we hope this is accurate - events are sometimes altered at the last minute so please look out for posters or log onto Culter net www.culter.net for up-to-date news. Gala Day is Saturday 26th May at Culter School Field (~vrcrthrrpermittiizg)* our theme this year is 'Pirates of the Culter Burn'. Let's hope this encourages plenty of dressing up of stalls, and community floats (only one entry to-date). We plan to have a full programme of entertainment in the ring including * The Culter & District Pipe Bands, " Kids Football Final, * Gun Dog Display,

events t h i ~year for all ages. Old favourites like * Duck Race (Sat 19th) * Car Treasure Hunt (23rd May), * and a new event (organised by Culter Parish Church) a Walking Treasure Hunt which should be good t'amily fun. Takes place Friday evening, 25th May (see programme for more info). Tickets are on sale for our Race Night Saturday 12th May, Culter Village Hall ÂŁ8 includes stovies, disco and bring your own booze. (Call Nicola 733210 or Claire 732992). This has proved a very enjoyable evening for some time: please make it a good one and suppolt it. Thanks also to all our Race Night Sponsors without them the event wouldn't go ahead. The popular Gala Quiz night will be the Monday after Gala Day, Date: 28th May. Time: Xpm, Where: Mill Club - put i t in your diary now! Teams of 4 (only ÂŁ1 per person). Again, please get a group of friends together and en.joy this night out - it is a super quiz devised by lan (Kipper) McKenzie and members of the Gala Committee are truly grateful for all the time and effort he puts into it each year. We have been extremely stretched for help on the Gala Committee this year. No one came forward to take on the Secretary's and Co-ordinator's position as hoped, so we are sharing these duties at present. Unless more people come forward to give ideas, lend a hand, take on some of the organisation, the Culter Gala will simply cease to be next year. The aim of a community gala, is to not only to help raise ruoney for local community groups, but also to enhance the community spirit in the village, which the committee feels we do achieve. We

are all voluntary helpers who put this event together and it would be nice to say we raise a lot of money from all our Gala activities and to a point we do. But please remember there is a lot of expense in running a Gala: * licence fees. '"insurance. :k trophies, <'prizes. * bouncy castles, "' kids entertainers. etc all cost Inonev. It would be nice if we could get more sponsorship from larger organisations. If we had this we would be able to stage a community event that was second to none. If you have a business., or work for an that be to give a donation to the culter ~~l~ this year, maybe by sponsoring a bouncy castle or get in an entertaineron ~~l~ contact with Jim Farquhar on 733742 as as possible,

X 3 0 3 3 WA!9C'"T' Painter Et Decorator Telephone: (01224) 826401 Mobile: 07759469947

SERVICES TH.YI' (:4\ BE PRO\ Illlil) B1 C.4I.I.I\(;

07762816750or01224 730180

CL'K'l'.\lS ~\l.\kIF(~0'1) .41,TER4'I'lONS FLOIUL :\RR4SGEhll:VSS - CHI'RCH .4\1) HOhlE PKEP;iR\TIOY OF 4(:(;01 \IS. V\T. HYA KECO?ICII.I\TlOh rtc IKOSl\(; - i:OI.LEC'SIO\ ;t11d I)ELl\liRf SERVICE For Inorc ~llforrnarlol~ call tllc abow 11umbers

feetftrst SPECIALIST FOOT CARE Medical pedicures including the treatment of Hard fr dry Skin Corns Nail conditions Thick or overgrown nails Athletes foot Verrucas

Heel to toe conditioning, Home or Office visits by appointment

We are in desperate need of help on Gala Day, especially to bring down the trestles and chairs from the Pop-in. We have a man with a van, Callum Nicol. who has offered his time but we need some fit bodies to help him shift the heavy tables. If you can spare just an hour or two to help with this around 10 am on Gala Day we would like to hear from you. Please enjoy this year's Gala Day and all the gala events - they are organised for the whole of the community by either individuals or community groups who put in an enormous amount of time and effort in running these events - good support for them makes it all worth while.

Julie Lillie MCFHP.,MAFHP.

7'1

, , Gt ( ] / L 99 North Deeside Road Peterculter Aberdeenshire AB 14 ORR Tel: (01224) 732192

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Craigton Lodge Nursery School

)T'l

Children aged 0 - 5 years Large garden f o r outdoor play Un~quefacilities f o r 0-3 years Partly funded places available for 3 & 4 year olds. 8 t o 6 Mon - Fri 5 / 7 Craigton Cres., Peterculter. Telephone 01224 - 733980

1 . To extend or coniplernent Council programmes for :': Replacinglrepairing pavements :v Planting and landscaping ' W i n o r repairs in public areas :': Recyclinglreusing schemes :': Improving play areas * Litter bins 2. Small community facilities *: Public benches Christmaslgala lights and decorations 3. Equipment for community use in community centres. adult education,

Jan Murphy (732508) Tel: 0781 1 206 326

some examples to illustrate the possibilities for spending the money:

SMALL

CULTER Community Council has received a small improvement grant of ÂŁ3.000 from Aberdeen City Council. The purpose of the Small Improvements Fund is to enable community councils both to respond quickly to minor local issues not prioritised by local services and to demonstrate their ability to have some impact in their area. This is the second year in which CCC has received the grant. Last year, CCC used the grant to contribute to the purchase of Christmas lights for the village and also carrying out urgent repairs to the Village Hall exterior walls. This year we are hoping to get some ideas from local residents on areas where they think CCC should spend the grant. There are certain criteria which must be observed by CCC when considering what to spend the money on and these are: *All expenditure must be of direct benefit to the local community. * The expenditure must not conflict with Aberdeen City Council policy. *: The expenditure should not include donations to charitieslorganisations unless they are contracted to undertake a specific piece of work in the community council area. Aberdeen City Council also has provided

youth project?,. libraries. clinics, \chools etc. 3. One-off events to promote corn~nunity participat~one.g. local clean-up day, a con~munityconference, summer gala. sport?, competition. music festival or community art exhibition 'The ÂŁ3.000 received for 2007 has to be spent by 3 1st December so we are looking for suggestions as to how this money could be spent to benefit our community. The examples above are not exhaustive but should provide an indication of what we are pemiitted to spend the money on. You also will note from thc above that we are not allowed to make a donation to an organisation or charity. If anyone has a suggestion then please contact me. or any member of CCC, as detailed on the back page.

Nicola Hector CCC T 1 ~ ~ 7 s ~ l r r r Tel: 7332 L0

CULTER SCHOOL NEWS WE ARE pleased to inform you that Mrs Susan Crossan comme~tcedas Head Teacher at Culter School onTuesday 17th April. Mrs Crossan comes to us from Stoneywood Primary School and we look forward to her leading Culter School. P6F participated in on of the Creative Challenge workshops devised by Creative Waste Exchange. The pupils were given a section of a large picture (Aherdeen Harbour) and then built up a replica of

this on recycled paper using re-used materials. The images were then put together to create a wall hanging. Lawrence Fraser and Joanna Mein attended the exhibition on Monday 26th March with Miss Bowie and were delighted to be declared the winner in the 'Wall Hanging Category'. They received a certificate and a sampler climbing session for the whole class, courtesy of the New Transition Extreme Sports Centre.

NOW OPEN! Kelly's Bakery and Tea Room is pleased to announce the opening of its New Lounge Area.

Fundraising is as strong as ever in school. The pupils raised ÂŁ442.88 for the Comic Relief Charity.

l On a 'fundraising vein' our school website has launched an "Online Fundraising School Shop". There are a huge variety of retailers helping us to raise funds. These include Tesco, M & S, John Lewis. Amazon, MFI and Superdrug, to name but a few. By clicking on the link and shopping online. you will help generate conln~issionranging from 2% to 25%, which will be sent directly to the school. The link can be found on www.culter.aberdeen.sch.~~k or directly at www.buy.at/culterschool. If the whole Community uses this link, we can watch our funds grow. Please support our school. In addition, if you look at the school website on a regular basis, is there anything else you would like to see included? I am about to make some changes to the look of the site and if you have any comments or suggestions you would like to make, please e-mail me at b.polson@culter.aberdeen.sch.uk Thank you.

Barbara Polson On behuIfqf Culter School

CULTER IN BLOOM

The ideal place to meet and greet friends for Morning Coffee or Afternoon Tea.

257 North Deeside Road, Peterculter Telephone: 733100 We had a great response to our request for donations in the last issue of the Courier; thank you all very much - see box for details.

Cr~ronationRoad development This spring. we have planted over 200 trees on the tops of the slopes behind the Health Centre, and by now, work will have started on the new path that will lead from the pine trees by the Coronation Road waterworks down across the new bridge, along the burn, up the slope to the new trees and then along to the school pitch. We're expecting that mainly local people will use this path but if you do bring a car, please avoid using the Health Centre car park during working hours (8am-6pm. Monday-Friday) - the patients have top priority there. Our thanks go to Aberdeen Countryside Project a n d ~ b e r d e e nCity council for invaluable help with funding and project tnanagement.

SUMMER is well on its way now, and you will shortly see the Culter in Bloom volunteers out and about. planting up our containers. beds, mangers. barrels and baskets with summer flowers.

Litter P i c k l ~ ~ s We have organised one litter pickup with the Culter Girl Guides at Johnston Gardens, and will hold another. with

Culter Boys Club, at Coronation R o ~ in d June. Kennc~rhBrue We have obtained a grant to help LIS in~provesome waste ground at Kennerty Brae. downhill from the car park, and are hoping the Easter Anguston lads will be able to give us a hand with the hard work of clearing and preparing the site. Vo11~11teer Opl~ortunities Always looking to keeping our costs low, we are very grateful to Dyce in Bloom for donating their trailer, tank and pump for watering hanging baskets, and thank you to Dr Duncan who is currently housing them for us. All we need now is volunteer drivers and operators - if you can tow a trailer or help with the watering, during June-September on a rota basis, please get in touch, details below. We're also looking for people with . greenhouses willing to bring on small plug plants for our baskets, from now until early June, and also for people with garden space to look after polyanthus ~lntil next autulnn. If you're interested in any of these, or have any questions, cotnments or suggestions,

CULTS ACADEMY CHARITIES NEWS CULTS Academy has a strong tradition of supporting various charities and this year has particular1 y been outstanding. Monies are raised in two ways - through i l staff CATCh the work of the p ~ ~ pand Committee (Cults Academy Team for Charities) and by S6 pupils planning. organising and running special events. 319 North Deeside Road PETERCULTER AB1 4 OUL TEL: 01224 7 3 3 7 7 3 OPENING HOURS Monday - Saturday: 4.00pm - 10.30pm Sunday: 4.00pm - 9.00pm

please contact Catherine Lacy (01224) 733710 or email catherine.lacyroberts@btinternet.com . There's also further information on our website www.culterinbloom.org.~~k . Catherine Lacy Secretary

MORE CULTER IN BLOOM A BIG "thank you" to all local residents for your support and also the following local businesses and organisations

Aberdein Considine Borsalino's Restaurant Brian Smith Funeral Directors Bush Garage Craigton Lodge Nursery Culter Car Centre Culter Electrical and Plumbing Culter Football Club Culter Mills Social Club Culter Playgroup Culter Slaters Culter WRI Deeside Interiors Drumoak Kitchens

Furain Guesthouse Jumbo's Fish & Chip Shop Kelly of Cults Lloyds TSB Masons Leuchar Lodge Old Bank Bar On The Road Again Peterculter Medical Practice Ploughman Post Office Spar Stewart Slating Services Woodside Farm Shop

The CATCh Committee is made up of S6 pupils and staff but every class has a Charity representative who feed.; back ideas from pupil groups to the Committee. S6 Reps cany out a weekly 'loose change' collection every Wednesday which usually results in £70 - £80 being collected. Twice a year the Committee engage the whole school in National Spectaculars 'Jeans for Genes Day' in October, and 'Red Nose Day' in March. Activities for this years Red Nose Day included 'Name the Baby Competition' which caused much hilarity among the pupils, a collection from those wearing Red Noses or Red Ears and a special collection to entice Mr Howie in the Physics Department to shave off his beard. A very competitive lunchtime quiz also raised money and provided entertainment. All in all a total of £1200 was raised - a spectacular amount. Monies raised are divided between local and international charities, decided on by the pupils. This year also saw tremendous success for the S6 events. Two Fashion Shows one in the Marcliffe Hotel and one in Ardoe H o ~ ~ s- e and a Talent Show held in Culter Church raised thousands of pounds for. among others, 'Cash for Kids' and 'The Children's Deaf Society'. The effort and time put in by pupils involved in the Academy's charity effort is an excellent reflection of their thoughtfulness and consideration of others and an excellent example of young people as responsible citizens.

CULTER VILLAGE HALL RECENTLY t h e r e h a s b e e n s o m e discussion about our Village Hall and if ior when) the City Council had offered to take it over. Alison Skinner. administrator of the Hall. has submitted this article to clarify the situation. The Facts

Septetriber 1979 T h e Culter a n d District Community Association approached Aberdeen Dist~ictCouncil for financial help to make necessary improvements to toilet facilities etc. Fehrucrt;~1982 C i t y of A b e r d e e n District C o u n c i l instructcd the City Architect Dept to r e ~ o ron t the future of Culter Village Hall and on the availability of alternative sites in t h e C u l t e r A r e a f o r c o m m u n i t y Facilities. Their estimated cost of upgrading the building was ÂŁ 1 43,000 * and may still be regarded in many ways as being below the standard normally provided in :l new building. * Urban aid grant is unlikely to b e forthcoming to the Council for upgrading of Culter Village Hall. :': Recommendation (City Architect Dept 25th February 1982) It is recommended that the Council pursue the possibility of acquiring a suitable new site.

CARDS & GIFTS Extensive range of cards, vvrap, balloons, banners & other gift stationary inc. handmade cards m a d e t o order. PLUS gift ideas t o suit all 'pockets' from the everyday to the unusual! Discover the delights of our wee shop at 7 Scott Skinner Square, Posties Walk Banchory Tel:: 01 330 825055

Mon-Fri 10.30-17.30Sat 10.30-16.30

April 1982 Letter from Council to Hall committee stating that there were no suitable sites for new facilities in Culter and requesting a meeting to discuss current and future requirements for community facilities in the Culter area. Jinne 1982 Meeting between representatives of District Council and Hall Committee. Conclusion: The Hall cornmittee to draw up a list of short term requirements for the present building at lninimal cost to be presented to the August meeting of District Council's Housing. Buildings and General Purposes committee meeting. The work progressing dependent on gaining sport cou~icilfunding.

%Q, CI)Qoughman Mine H O S ~ S Graeme :

a Shirley Wight

B a r & Pool R o o m L o u n g e & D i n i n g R o o m For T a b l e Reservation, T e l e p h o n e 733365

No~~ember 1982 Meeting between representatives of Aberdeen District Council, Scottish Sports Council and Hall Committee. No help would be available from Sports Council. As the Association is a registered charity. we could apply for a Capital Grant from the Scottish Education Dept. 1983 Grant from Scottish Education Dept ( S E D ) approved: 50% of co\t of work met by SED 12 5% Regional Council

.Ill/!

12.5% Aberdeen District Council 25%) C o n ~ n ~ u n iAssociation ty On gaining grant aid. the project had to b e nranaged by the C o m m u n i t y Association.

All di~110g11e 1t.itl7tlzc Collt~(.il cc,a.sed.

At no time before. during. or after these lengthy discussions between representatives of Aberdeen District Council and the committee of Culter and District Community Association was there a formal offer made by the Council

limited in winter but discussions with the owner resulted in a decision to plan our next walk on an "open day" and opt for a hot soup and sandwich lunch in the mill. Lighter - rucksacks!

Walks at Tarland

m .. - .. ,, -. , at Alastrean House as trees had come down across some of the paths in high winds. Finally the group enjoyed one of these warm April days we have had this year with a walk at Forvie Sands. -A

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Robstt Gordon's College offers a w d e and r ~ c hcurr~culurnand the hghest acadern~cstandards, along ? v ~ t hunrvalled opportunlt!es In the arts, sports and extra-currrsuar a c t v ~ t ~ e s .

Our vision is to e q. u i ~ our pupils with the achievements, . confidence and skills they will need for later life.

Our pup~ls'success 1s fourded on a strong sense of who they are what they are capable ot and vdhat t feels I k e to be part of a happy and purposeful school commun~ty

Coming up are walks at Denside of Dunis, The Seven Bridges at Ballater and a local walk in Culter when we don't have the minibus on 24th May. ROBERT CORDON'S COLLEGE

If anyone would like more information about our group please contact our secretaryltreasurer, Kate Thomson (phone no. 01 330 8 1 1275).

Ethel Taylor

?y!e

Weddints and Cornorate Barbecues.

Bedrooms, Lounge Bar & 'Taste of Scotland' Restaurant

47TH ABERDEEN (CULTER) CO. THE BOYS BRIGADE to take over the running or funding of the Village Hall. The matter was raised by the Community Association and discussed at the ~nitial meeting but it was rnade clear that there would be no guarantee that, if the residents of the village dec~dedto gift the Village Hall to the District Council - and they accepted. that the building would remain open. This information has been extracted from the files held at Culter Village Hall. I was myself present at all these meetings with the council. Alison Skinner Hall Adrnitlistrator

CULTER 50+ WALKING GROUP OUR early walks this year have all gone ahead as planned. Our Seatonl Old Aberdeen walk at the beginning of February took place on a very mild day and we enjoyed our lunch sitting in the University's Cruickshank Gardens. This was followed by * Glen Tanar. * the Shooting Greens at Potarch and a walk from Gourdon to Benholm Mill. As usual we were ready for our lunch stop on reaching the mill and were pleasantly surprised to find it open. Openings are

THE Boys Brigade session is almost over for another year and the boys are now looking forward to the summer camp at the Lebhall, Ballater. We managed to have accident-free camp last year after the eventful camp of 2005 and we hope for a repeat this year The Company Section boys are about to take part in the Aberdeen Batt a 1'lon Unihoc competition at Dyce Primary School. Hopefully they can do better than last year when they were knocked out in the group stage. We will be ending the session with an Open Night on the 17th May. The boys will be showing their parents and friends what they get up to on a Thursday

evening. We will then round offthe night with the presentation of o u r annual trophies and promotion certificates. We h a v e had a f e w new m e m b e r s join throughout the session and 1 hope we will have a fill1 house now the numbers have increased.

BARBECUE ETIQUETTE MANY patiolbarbecue areas are sited right against boundary wallslfences overlooking adjoining properties and gardens. W h y not m o v e y o u r barbecue and guests into t h e m i d d l e of y o u r garden? Don't impose your party on your next door neighbour. T h e host fires up the barbecue and copious amounts of smoke engulf the next door neighbour's washing which is hanging out to dry just over the wall. Show some consideration - nip next door and tell your neighbour who may wish to take in the washing before the smoke arrives. T h e patio heater perhaps is the worst garden invention ever. This allows partygoers to sit out longer into the night. Owners of these heaters also think that they come with magical sound-proofing qualities whereby. if the heater is switched on, any noise from the barbecue attendees is automatically drowned out. Not so! Voices, laughtel. and general noise are very loud at 10 or I l pm and the sound carries a long way. Be considerate and move your guests into the house at a reasonable time and continue the party inside. Tidy up during and after your barbecue for there is nothing worse than paper plates, napkins and plastic glasses being blown across the neighbourhood. In conclusion, enjoy the weather, enjoy your garden and your barbecue but be considerate and remember you may like your garden for barbecues and parties but your neighbours may prefer their garden for the peace and quiet it offers.

Editor: tllc a h o ~ ~ortic~lc~fortne(1 c~ pal-t of a lcltcr slrblnittctl h!, n resiticnt. His ohsc~nntiotzsarc. vulid tmd, I~opefi~ficlly, will rntrke jift- tr I~crppirrntrno.spherc. het,t.eerr rzci,qhbour-s - f t h c points a n 7tnken!

Dog Walking h Pet Sitting Service

CULTER BOYS CLUB CULTER Boys Club has started to take details and book places for a 7s (children born in 2001) and 6s (children born in 2 0 0 2 and 2003) age g r o u p for next season. The first training session will be held at the beginning of September at Culter Sports Field. The training sessions will take place every Saturday morning 9.45am to 10.30am. So if your child is interested and would like to book a place, then p l e a s e c o n t a c t C r a i g Pirie on 07702824865 Culter Boys Club is considering starting up a 13s age group for next season which consists of children born in 1995. This is the only age group that the Club would not have a team representing and therefore would be keen to reinstate one. However to d o s o , a manager and additional coaches would be required and therefore if anyone is interested then please contact one of the following committee members: * Mick Thornton 734228, * Stuart Davidson 7337 16, Shaun Shaw 732939 or * Craig Pirie 731865

If your Pet is a V.1.P to you They are a V.I.P.to me too! 1-elephone:01224 734139 or 078 75 542 284

PLATES CLASSES SOLVEIG DAHLE SMITH Cert. Pilates Inst. ,WPI Eiper~enced~nusculoskeletalphysiotherap~st Suits all ages and fitness levels Small Clasaes PETERCULTER SPORTS CENTRE Mondat & Tuesday afternoona Wednesday & Thurstla! etenings

Call 01224 861421 for detai1.s

Culter Flower Show KITS FOR AFRICA

Sat 18th Aug

APPEAL

2pm Village Hall

CIJLTER Youth FC has started an appeal for any old football kits and boots to be sent to a school in Malawi. This ha, been initiated by Alison Yule through Miss Murray, a teacher at Culter P r i m a ~ yschool who has a contact in Malawi. The appeal went out to all the CYFC managers who collected kits from previous seasons and enough material was supplied. to be added to a consignment of goods which is currently making its way southwards to Malawi! If anyone else has unwanted sports kit & shoes which a r e still i n reasonable condition then please contact Alison Yule on 73470 l who is happy to coordinate the collection.

Schedules free from Alison Skinner, Culter Village Hall (73437 1) Catherine Lacy (733710) Flowers, vegetables, house plants, bakng,sewing, flower arranging, photography, senior citizens, children's 30plentry or f3 membership

CKTLTER FOOTBALL CLUB Moll's Milestone: Many congratulations went to Moll Hunter on the occasion of her 100th Birthday on Wednesday 21 March 2007. Moll was pictured and featured in The Press & Journal, the Evening Express and the Deeside Piper. Her daughter Norma was quoted in The Press & Journal and Evening Express saying that Moll was a lifelong fan of Culter Football Club. There are three sunivors of the well-known Culter Family, the Williams. - Moll, Agnes (92) and Bob (87). Moll's late husband Jim was a star Culter player in his era around 1933 and later became Culter FC's Secretary. Bob was a highly rated Culter FC goalscorer whilst Agnes's late husband Norman Davidson was a resolute defender. Bruce Blow: Our win against Hillhead on 3 1 March 2007 was overshadowed by a serious injury to our longest serving player Bruce Smith who signed for us in 1988189 season. Bruce was injured and taken to Hospital where it transpired that he had suffered a triple fracture to his cheek. He has had subsequent surgery to incert a plate in his cheek. He will most likely be out of action for a long time.

our wrench from the Aberdeenshire Amateur Football Association in an era spanning 40 years - we were founder members when the Association was formed in 1948. 1987 heralded the start of our new challenge as members of the North Region Junior Football Association. Culter ended their Amateur days in style. * ln February 1987 Culter won the inaugural Cable TV Fives Competition. * ln the same month our fine Scottish Amateur Cup run concluded when we made a 6th round exit at the hands of St Mungo's FP in Glasgow. :K In March I had a most pleasant personal surprise on being prehrnted with Ellon United's Annual Award of Merit at their award function by the previous year's winner, the late Jack 'S.R.' Wood. :l: More highlights followed in April when we had Pittodrie pleasure in retaining the Aberdeen FC Trophy beating Grampian Police 3 - 1 for champagne celebrations.

* Our 3rd Celebrity Dinner was held on a sweltering April e\,ening at the Skean Dhu Dyce featuring Emlyn Hughe\. John Greig, John Conteh and compere Dougie Donnelly. May magic followed when we won the LA 'Go for Goals' Trophy then :! Kincorth's amazing support produced a recordbreaking crowd to witness our 4-0 North of Scotland triumph at Heathryfold. ;' The magnificent Peter George completed 5 0 0 appearances and in our last e\.er Amateur game we beat old friends and riitnls Longside 5-4 at Longside which u n f o r t ~ ~ n a t e lcost y them the Championship. Mugiemoss won the Title play-off and we secured 3rd place in the league table. Albert J Moir

@ C,

Chris Collie: After his lengthy spell of absence due to injury. resulting in him undergoing various treatments and physiotherapy. he had to travel to Coventry for a major leg operation on 12 April 2007. A couple of days later it was good to see him - on crutches - at our game against Formartine United. We hope his operation proves successful. Playing Pool: ln February, a disappointing departure was announced that staunch defender Andy Thain had hung up his boots. On the other hand in April we welcomed Steve Rintoul to our squad from rivals Sunnybank. Fluctuating Fortunes: In an extremely competitive title race and relegation battle. Culter has had some close encounters with no easy games. Culter's bid to win our 4th successive Super League Championship may well go to the last game of the season. Era Ending: 70 years ago a Culter Football Club era ended. 1987 marked

Past Picture. Our era-ending 1987 photograph shows Team Captain Peter George with the Aberdeen FC Trophy. the Cable TV Fives Shield and the North of Scotland Cup. Back ROM':Albert J Moir. Peter Robertson. Jim Morrison, Alex Fraser, Billy Bain, Craig Graham, Colin Marnoch. Ally Meiklejohn. Gary Gauld. Alex Irvine. Gordon Morrison. Frolit ROM.: Kevin Kennedy, Stuart Davidson. Alan Walker. Donald John MacDonald, Paul Thomson. Ian Smith. Gus Johnstone.

BO P E E P S & TODDLERS BO PEEPS & Toddlers continue each week during term time (see our advert for days and times). At the Monday Bo Peeps we have paints. crafts, songs and plenty of toys for the 1 to 3 year olds. We also have snack time with a healthy choice of food provided by our rota of volunteers. For the mums. dads and grandparents who come along. there's also time to chat with each other over a fine cuppa! I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Karen Paterson for her time as play leader with the Bo Peeps as Karen finished at the end of term to head off to pastures new. Best of luck for the future, and we'll all miss you. At Toddlers on Tuesdays and Fridays. children have the chance to play with a variety of toys, use the slides and drive around the hall in cars, bikes and trikes. Once again we have a snack time for both the children and guardians. Everyone that comes along has a good time, and it's a great chance to meet up with other families in the area. We'd really encourage people to come along with their little ones to see what we get up to, so if you've been thinking of popping in, come along and see for yourself. Remember, with a local facility like thi\, if you don't use it. you lose it! In order for both of the groups to continue we'll be doing some fundraising in the next couple of months. with a sponsored walk, and a stall at the Gala. If you can, sponsor a child, or come and see us on Gala Day. To try one or all of the groups just come along and see us at the Village Hall - the first session is free and we always welcome new arrivals. Tell your friends too - the more the merrier! If you have any questions contact me, Fiona Jones (tel: 739076) email, fiona@seajays.org.uk) or Tina Clayton (tel: 732617)

Fiona Jones (Secretap)

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CULTER BOYS CLllTB

UNDER l l s are looking for players to join them for pre season training for their 2007 - 2008 team.

D o you know anyone, or was your son born in 1996 and looking for a football club to join?

United Under l l s have only lost 3 games in the last 2 years and need to expand their squad to enable them to have a successful team for 1 l-a-side matches next season. For more information please contact Gavin R Fisher (Manager) on 07796-2688 15.

*V?

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Oxypn Slrrmcare fmm S r ~ r u r l m a d

COMMUNITY LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT WORK with young people in Culter: currently there are streams of funding to encourage and promote work with young people in Culter in particular those who do not engage with formal youth groups or organisations. We are looking for adults who might be interested to work with young people in this capacity on local projects in the village so if you would like more information or would like to take an active role then please get in touch. There are opportunities for either voluntary or part-time paid work and both are backed up with appropriate training and support s o this could be an opportunity for you to make a positive contribution to your village. If there are young people who are not involved in any particular group or activity but have ideas of things they would like to try or do, then let us know. Ideally we would 11keto create a 'youth forum' to represent the needs of young

N E W T O N DEE C A F E Welcome to our Cafk serving Light Lunches and a wide variety of teas, coffee,juice with home-made cakes and biscuits.

PHOEISJIX G I F T SHOP C o m e and discover unusual and delightful gifts for everyone, which are a pleasure to give and receive. Handcafted wooden toys Pottery & Glass Soft toys & textiles Candles, Cards & Cryslals Opening Times Tuesday to Saturday 10.00am - 4.45pm For more information. Tel: 868262 We hope you rrljoj' your visit.

MCWILLIAM DOG WALKING A unique service run by experienced dog handlers with:

Private secure exercise area Woodland walks Fully inqured and safe environment. Dog obed~cnce,flyball and agllit) classes also a\.alrable

Tel: Yvonne 01330 824803 DEESIDE PIPER & HERALD The 'Piper' is part o f t h e Angus Press group of weekly newspapers. Or1 t h e news-stands every Thursday from Brig o' Dee t o Braemar Your Culter-Cults correspondent is

Kathleen Robertson (01224 735501 :mail:sunhoneycottage@ tiscali.co.u'

people in Culter irrespective of age so if you would like to get involved then get in touch. Swimming at Cults Academy pool is available to formal youth groups on a Friday evening 6.30pm - 8.10pm during term time for a nominal charge. A lifeguard is provided and hetshe can assist with badge awards etc if required. If you would like to be included in the next academic year programme ( existing groups already covered) then please get in touch before the end of term. Adult Learning - Morag Carmichacl, our adult learning co-ordinator. left to live in Norway at Easter but we are fortunate to have appoi~ltedrecently a successor who will be starting in the next few weeks. Last term Morag was involved in setting up a pilot cornputer/internet taster course for the over 50s based in Culter School. This course pro\.ed to be very successful. We were very pleased for the support we received f r o m the school and the achievements of the participants and hope to offer similar courses post summer. If you have any suggestions for other courses or classes then please get in touch before the end of this term. We will be producing o u r annual programme of courses and leisure activities during the summer holidays and copies will be available from your local library or the community centre in Cults. We can post out copies to save you a journey if you are not local.

Peter Sanderson Principal Comniunitv L e a r n l r ~Worker ~ Corwmurlity Learning & Development tel. 01224 868858 fax 01 224 8698 15 email - petersanderson@rrnpIc.co.uk

DEE-CIDERS WALKING GROUP WHAT a wonderful sunny. &arm Easter we have had - it makes one forget that the winter gales and snow were ju$t a month past. 20th March was one of those blujtering, snowy days. and we were doing the 'Baddoch over to Callater'. At 6.30am I had opened the curtains and it was blinl-

drift. I was confident that our walk would be cancelled bu1 no telephone message. Our leader. Ron, assured me we would be going somewhere else. "Thank goodness." I thought. Imagine a whole lot of recycled teenagers in this weather; we would have needed a St Bernard dog (with its flask of brandy) as a guide. At the Pop-in, we were told we were going to the Sheeoch Burn. "Great!" we all thought and set off in a full mini-bus and John in his c a r with a c o u p l e of passengers. What a hardy. loyal band we are. Off we went towards Crathes and by this time the blizzard had abated and the sun was showing face. This coi~ldbe a good day after all our doubts. Isn't it funny those who walk a lot will know v what I mean - of all the walks you accomplish. there always seems to be one that stumps you. This is my one. The Sheeoch and I never seem to be in tune. It is a circular walk through forest and we barely had started off from the car park at Spy Hill when the snow began to fall. On we trudged - the snow in the forest was quite deep and we all looked like snowmen. For our lunch stop, we found a sheltered open space away from dense forest. By this time the snow had stopped, the sun was shining and the views towards Bennachie were stunning. The snow underfoot was fairly deep but conditions overhead were good and no more falling snow as we wound our way back to the car park. It had been a great clay and we were glad we had all decided to just go as usual. Maybe some of these days. the Sheeoch and I will be in tune. and I'll know where I am going! !

Jean Duff

CULTS CRICKET CLUB SEASON 2007 kicked off for Cults Cricket Club with a couple of friendlies prior to the start of the first competitive fixtures. O n Sunday 15th April w e travelled d o w n t h e c o a \ t to play M o n t r o w . As Montrose could only muster 7 players, Cult\ prov~ded17 In a . game. Cults batted t ~ r s t 12 a s ~ d e40-over and s c o r e d 2 0 4 all o u t with Bryan Alexander retiring undefeated on 4 9 and vice captain Graeme Gillanden making ?,

13.

Narendra, a new all-rounder. scored a classy 3 l and the rest of the order chipped in well. In reply. Montrose scored 148 all out with guest Cults phyers Shirraz scoring a fine 45 and Masud 3 1. Ally Gill took three wickets with the remainder of the bowling attack sharing the remaining wickets. The following Saturday, we travelled to Forfar to take on a Strathmore XI at The Lochside Park, Forfar. There a few new faces at the club to replace the ones who have rnoved on and hopes are high f o r both XIS in their respective Grades. The 1st X I will start the season as underdogs to strong B o n Accord and Kintore sides. :': The 2nd XI will be hopeful of adding to their Bon Accord Cup success of last season. The first XI kick off their Grade One campaign with a h o m e match against newly promoted Artisans. T h e 2nd XI meets . ;': Crescent at the Duthie Park with both g a m e s . taking place on the 28th : April. The following day we meet Bon Accord at Mannofield in last year's Turriff Cup final which was unable to be played last year. The usual contingent. as ever, will be the mainstays of the side with record rungetter Bryan Alexander and Graeme Gillanders at the top of the order. Skipper again will be all-rounder Arnol Saxena who will hope to build on his impressive batting and bowling in the 2nd half of last season. "

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We a l s o h a v e r e c e n t ] y a g r e e d a sponsorship deal through work and leisurewear supplier M o & C o owned by former Cults player George Buchan. We are grateful to G e o r g e f o r h i s generous sponsorship and hope we can both reap the benefits from this deal. Ex player Paul Upjohn. who emigrated to Perth, Australia last year, makes a return for a couple of weeks in late June. It'll be good to have him back in the fold even if only for the short time he is here. The Allan Park is looking in good shape due to the recent dry spell and. with Aberdeen City Council replacing some of the damaged fencing surrounding the park, hopefully not so many balls will be lost during the season!

Practice takes place o n Tuesdays and Thursday throughout the season with a 6pm start at The Allan Park. With so many players Ieaving the club due to moving abroad, students completing their courses and other commitments. the club is in need of new players to be able to sustain two teams. If you would like to join the club please contact me on any of the following numbers:

Graeme Gillanders E - M a i l Graeme.Gillanders@vetco.com or tel01467 633322 or 07852 000171 AI1 new members are more than welcome. The junior section will be starting u p again in May. Please view the Cults C r i c k e t C l u b w e b s i t e a t http:// cultscricketc1ub.co.uW for updates.

along and see the art work that the re5idents have created. Members of staff have been getting fir since Christmas and we held a sponsored slim. Our weigh-in will be held on 30th May so if you would like to join us - or sponsor us - please d o ! F o r any information of the above, call Eastleigh tel: (01224) 7317 18.

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WE have been very busy and industrious here at Eastleigh this year. Focus has been taken over by Southern Cross so we have seen lots of positive changes. Springtime has arrived and on that very first day (March 2 1 st) we celebrated Moll Hunter's 100th birthday. We went out in the bus down rnernory lane which was very educational and fun. Moll was inundated with Irun Bru. her favourite tipple. and received interest from the local press. The Lord Provost visited the home with flowers and birthday greetings from Her Majesty the Queen. Another important milestone was reached when Gladys McIllwain became 103 in April.

The residents and staff at Eastleigh would like to express their thanks t o the community of Culter who have supported us over the years and hope to continue to do so.

Lucinda Shon Activitic.~Co-orriirr~lror Editor: Goodne.ss - .sp~cialhirtlidn!, 11trrtie.sseem to he thc orzlc7r of thr clcry at Eastleigh. Iri March, Moll Hcrntc7r c e l ~ l ~ r ( Ircr. ~ t ~IOOtll d ~ ' l i i l eill April, Glad~:.sMclllrvain ( I Iiopr rlris is the corrccr syellirig) r~uclwda magn~ficerit 103. Still to conic it1 Juric is rhe 100111 birthclav (fE/nil?*Kernp. Marly ~~otrgrrrtu1ation.s t o 111c~se lhrec ladies - h n ~ ~ ~tliey r i ' t done \t,cll!

This time of year we are raising funds for activities and are always looking for help and assistance. Please if you have any free time, come and share it with the residents who are always happy to chat.

Special Orders Taken & Bulk Discount Given Credit & Debit Cards Accepted Opening Times: Monday : 12noon - 5pm Tuesday - Saturday : l o a m - 5pm Sunday : Closed

Fund raising events have included a Healing Night on 27th April and on 10th May a Ladies Empowerment evening is planned. Three course meal with wine of a middle eastern theme with belly dancing entertainment in between courses. Ladies only! Tickets cost f25. 18th May at 7pn1 - entertainment with Peter Valentino, plus raffle. Please come

Find us at Newton Dee Village, Old Ferry Road, Bieldside, Aberdeen Telephone: 01 224 868609

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FORESTRY COMMISSION SCOTLAND Tree Harvesting Work From time to time we have to close woods and trails due to tree felling operations which can be dangero~~s if you get too close. Here is a list of our current closures: Shooting Greens (near Banchory) - all the forest trails are closed there due to harvesting work. We expect to have the work finished by June. Events There are always loads of things going on in the woods for you to take part in. Here is a selection of what's on this month ... 16 & 23 May: 6pm - 8pm 10,000 Steps - Countes\wells (Aberdeen) Get fit and healthy in the forest. Booking required. 1 1 - 13 May Bush craft: Wilderness Living Skills (Fri evening to Sunday afternoon), Monymusk area. Involves 2 nights in the forest. Contact: Jackie - Tel07799 658 209 or email: Jackie.Cumberbirch CC fosestry.gsi.guv.uk . For l X year old and over. There is a charge for this event. Booking required. 18 May: 7..30 - 9.30pm Bailies of Bennachie - Doric Night An evening of ballads, poems and music from Bennachie and the north east of Scotland. Booking required. 19 & 20 May Woodfest - Drum Castle A mini festival that celebrates woods. For more information, contact drobertson@nts.org.uk.

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20 May Drumtochty Challenge A 5 hour mountain bike event Fetteresso Forest.

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30 May: 6pm - 8pn1 Nordic Walking - Bin (Huntly) Learn how to do Nordic walking through the forest. 2 June Orienteering at Bennachie Learn how to orienteer. All ages welcome.

The hall continues to be reasonably well used with most of the regular activities carrying on. O\.er the year we have lost a few lets and gained some others. so overall there has been steady usage. Culter Theatre Club uses the hall two nights a weeh and we are delighted that they are continuing to provide entertainment for the village and friends. Bo-Peep. Mothers and Toddlers and the Playgroup ensure the hall is i~tilised during the daytime. Yoga classes take place on Thursday mornings, Bridge on Friday afternoons and Mahjong on Tuesday evenings. We no longer have any roller discos but we still have regular requests for children's parties. Kindergym continues to provide us with a good income and without this excellent activity o ~income ~ r would be much reduced. My thanks to all those who work to make this such a profitable and enjoyable activity.

If you want to know more about these e\ ents, other happenings later in the year or how to book. look on the Forestry Commis\ion web\ite www.forestry.gov.uk/scotland.

CULTER VILLAGE HALL NEWS THE AGM of Culter Village Hall was held on Monday 19th March 2007 and the following is the report given by the President of the hall. 1 would like to start by thanking the hall staff, Corrine our cleaner, Karen and Rachel our wardens. and Alison the adm~nistratotThey have all worked very hard this year to keep the hall clean and tidy. and toen\ure ~tis managed efticiently and trouble free.

@ :

Luckily. once again we had \ome life u v i n g donations this year which have helped to keep U \ afloat. f 1000 ,fio17r~na(luctiorl,rill '06 trr~tl f 350 ,fi.o~r~ prod~cc,tiorl.sir? '05 Gala funds f 400 Jroilr GLIINh!. BG group f 750

CTC

DRAMARAMA 2000 Creative Drama Club Confidence Creativity Communication

Drama Workshops Monday - S t Devenick's Church, Bieldside 5.30-7p.m.- Primary 6 and 7 pupils 7-8.30p.m. - Secondary school pupils Wednesday - Trinity Church, Westhill 4-5p.m. - Primary 1-3 pupils 5-6.30p.m. - Primary 4-5 pupils 5-6.30p.m. - Primary 6 and 7 pupils Thursday - S t Devenick's, Bieldside 3.30-4.30p.m. - Primary 1-3 pupils 4.30-6p.m. - Primary 4 and 5 pupils Monday and Tuesday - Cults Outreach Centre 4-7p.m. - LAMDA exam classe\

Tel: 01224 868582; www.dramarama2000.com

As you may remember Shell donated 11s some funds to buy curtains, and though it took us a while to find affordable tartan. we got there in the end. We also managed to make some table runners which were put to good use at o u r 60th birthday celebration last week.

O n the s u b j e c t o f o u r b i r t h d a y celebrations, these will form part of the AGM report for 2007, but I would, at this time, especially like to thank Jim and Alison Skinner for all their hard work last Saturday, decorating the hall in such an evocative 1950's way and for organisi~lg the food and entertainment. It was a great night if you missed it.

We held an EGM in April 2006 to discuss L

Pam Macdonald NRG Dansccntrc M&T/Bo Peep Individuals

f 3000 f 250 f 150 f 100 f 445

FUNDRAISING IS: £2865.71, up £400 from last year.

CCC donated money to us for the full repair of the West end gable wall, for which we are extremely grateful. The contractors were paid directly from CCC s o the funds did not pass thro~lghour accounts. We t h a n k t h e s e o r g a n i s a t i o n s a n d individuals for helping the hall to survive. As can be seen from thc account?, without these donations we would be heavily in debt, even if we hadn't done the essential repairs for which some of these donations were earmarked. Fundraising this past year has been fairly successful including such diverse things as * "Guess the postie turkey weight". :': pampering evenings, 'k hall calcndars, a silent auction * a n d of c o u r s e the e I r e r populalhogmanay pasty, which alone raised f 834. THE

l i g h t i n g systern in l i n e w i t h H S E requirements, something which cost us in excess of £600. We also cut down the trees at the front of the hall and tidied LIP that a r e a . We w e r e l u c k y to h a v e volunteer professional tree surgeons which helped kcep the costs down. Also the long awaited new blinds and curlains are now in situ in the main hall.

GRAND

TOTAL

FROM

Our accounts show that we made a better p r o f i t o v e r t h e past y e a r , but t h e inescapabie fact is that without the donations and thc fundraising, the hall would have to consider only opening past time We could not keep up our service to the community. Also. our reliance on fundraising is putting unacceptable pressure on the volunteers who organise and run these events. Most of the people here have been on committee for many years. and are also active in lots of other village groups. So, 1 would especially like to thank all those who currently give up their free time and work so hard to make sure that the hall provides the high standard of services and amenities needed in our village. This village hall is our responsibility. It is a valuable community asset. We cannot continue to grow and develop without the help of our volunteers. W e d i d m a n a g e to c a r r y o u t s o m e refurbishment in 2006. We managed finally, to repair the \Vest end gable wall, thanks to CCC. We upgraded our security

the impact of higher fuel c h a g e s , and at that meeting it was dccided to add a fuel surcharge to all lets for the foreseeable future. This has helped. but not covered the increases we have had to pay. We d o not envisage altering this surcharge for some time yet, and we will keep all user groups informed of any decisions we make. In c o n c l u s i o n , I wish t o repeat m y heartfelt thanks t o all t h o s e o n the committcc who helped to keep the hall running in 2006. Without their hard work, and the generosity of the people who made donations both big and small. 1 am certain we would be ilnable to carry on as we have done over the past 16 years or so, since Alison Skinner became a full time administrator here.

Susan Chappell-smith PI-rsidrl~tCDCA

Gala Race Night Safurday 12th May, 7.30pm Culter Village Hall. Tickets E 8 includes Stovies and Pudding and Disco after the races. Bring your own drink! All Proceeds to Culter Gala Fund. Phone Claire on 732992 for tickets. Your support for these events is much appreciated.

HERITAGE TRUST W E ARE open again ! After three months of refurbishment, the Heritage Centre reopened on 30th March. About l00 Trust members and friends attended the reopening and we were delighted t o welcome Anne Begg, our local MP. There are many new displays and favourable comments have been received on the changes that have been made to the interior of the building. If you have not yet visited the Centre. come down and have a look - there is 50 much to see a n d , if you were a former pupil of Culter school. you may well find your cla\\ photo. It is hoped that our displays will be of interest to both residents and \fisitors - the Trust committee considers that the Heritage Centre is an important part of the life of Culter and your support would be welcomed. Our afternoon teas have also restarted and they are available each Saturday & Sunday from 2-4p.m - a pleasant place to have a proper afternoon tea! The Heritage Hall is available for letting - group activities, concerts, private parties. If you are planning ahead for winter activities. the Hall is currently available on Monday evenings. For more information contact John Troup - Te1 01224 732701.

At the end of September this year a special concert is being held in the Heritage Hall to mark the 100th birthday of the Hall. It was previously the Episcopal Church at Ballater and was moved down to Culter to become the Church Hall for the former St Peter's Church. More information will be available nearer the time. On a sad note, we record the death of one of our founder members. J . Arthur McFarlane. Arthur was organist at St Peters and Peterculter Parish Church for over 40 years and his knowledge of a range of issues was unsurpassed. He will be fondly remembered by generations of Culter folk; he also was involved with junior and senior choirs and produced concerts and cantatas. Arthur was also one of the three benefactors in the purchase of what is now the Heritage Hall and we owe a huge debt to him for his support and commitment in the forming of the Trust. It is hoped to create an exhibition of his work within the Heritage Centre on the near future. John Troup

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH AT T H E AGM of the Scottish NW Assn, David Mackay (above) from Burghead was re-elected as vice-chair. David is also chairman of the Grampian Assn, and is seen handing out copies of the NW Booklet to delegates at the AGM held at the Falkirk Wheel Conference Rooms. A bulk printing is to start in the next few weeks and in time all members of all watch schemes will receive their copy. There will be copies also for anyone interested in home security or seeking information or advice on the many new types of crime. Contact Dave on grampiann wa@tiscali.co.uk

INFORMATBON REQUIRED "ONE sunny day. we children were playing on the grass beside the house while Grannie was working further down the garden picking strawberries. We were stopped in or tracks when we heard the sound of an engine overhead and looked up to see an aeroplane skimming over the roof of the house. I can still remember the anxious expression on the pilot's goggled face. We watched in horror as he continued down the garden. passing over our kneeling Grannie. who would undoubtedly been killed if she haci been standing up. The plane disappeared over the garden wall and presumably found its way over the Deeside railway line. the River Dee and on to the fields beyond although all the trees beside the river would have made this extremely difficult. We children never found out the fate of the pilot and it may be that our parents decided not to tell us if they found out he had been killed." (This is part of a letter printed in the Scots Magazine.) The above is part of correspondence I received from Miss Willa Stewart who goes on to tell us that her grandparents (John & Annie Massiej lived at Bona Vista, North Deeside Road and thinks that the incident may have happened in 1940 or 1941. Before moving to Culter, Miss Stewart's grandfather was gardener at Cambus o' May House where her mother was born. They later moved to Banchory where her grandfather had a market garden. Her grandmother was Annie Harper who came from Rallater and her two brothers had shops there. The letter continues: "We children loved coming up to Peterculter for the holidays and spent an extended period there as 'evacuees' attending Culter School. Next door to my grandmother were Margaret and Jean Smith and next door to them were Mr & Mrs Gavin and Evelyn (of the wood mill). Across the road were Dr Hay and, a few doors away from him. Mrs Ireland."

Miss S t e ~ i , ucan ~ t be contacted ~ 7 t 6/G Silverknowes Neuk. Edinburgh EH4 5QA or at WillaStewart@activemail.co.uk

58TH ABERDEEN (CULTER) SCOUT GROUP

NOISE NUISANCE OR NOISY NEIGHBOURS

above your neighbour's bedroom. Llnattended washing machines and tumble driers are mqjor cause of night-time electrical fires.

ALL sections of the Culter scout group have been mccting each week throughout the winter pursuing a wide variety of activities following the Scout Association's 6-25 programme covering badge work. hnbbies. sports. gamcs and team work. This programme caters for Beavers starting at 6 years old, through Cubs, Scouts. Explorer Scouts and on to Scout Network at 25 years old for those who last the pace! We are now looking forward to our summer programme which includes camping. hiking, canoeing and other activities. many of which are based at our splendid 50 acre Templars Park just across the river.

Mr Mrstorl Clrri.ctic, Noisc Corztrol 0 , f i c ~ r . Ahrl-dcrrl City Corrricil Ncighhour-lzooti Serl)ices (South), lras asked Cor~~rr~lolih. Corrnc.il.c.to p~thlishlllr fi~l/o~*ir~g:

Loud Televisions &L Amplified music are major sources of disturbance. Place these appliances away from dividing walls and place speakers on internal walls, preferably off the floor but not at ceiling height. If you have to raise your voice so that any person two metreslyards away in the same room can hear you, the volume is too high.

The objective of scouting is to help young people with their mental. physical and spiritual developnlent and to become responsible members of our community. We are a volunteer-based organisation and at the moment opportunities exist in all our sections for new leaders to join us. Leaders join for a variety of reasons: * you may wish to gain experience working with young people prior to becoming a teacher, you may love outdoor activities, :': you may wish to pass on your experience to young people or * you may wish to contribute in some way to the community you live in. If you would like to join an active team, where you will be given full support. juht contact me on Aberdeen 735 15 1.

Simon Sawers, Group .%our Lc2an'c.r

LOCAL PHARMACY (Tel: 7322 14) Hours of opening Monday - Friday: 9an1 - 6pm Saturday - 9arn - 5pm

"One in five people living in flats complain about neighbour noise. These situations need very careful handling - it's too easy to get off on the wrong foot. The victim usually puts up with the nuisance fur some time before complaining. by which time tempers can be short and diplomacy at a premium. Always start from [lie assumption that your neighbour is probably unaware of the problem - politely persuading your neighbour to co-operate is the first essential. Poor insulation will render son~eone's perfectly nonnal behaviour a noise nuisance. For example, hard surfaces aggravate sound transmission through floors. Carpeting preferably with a resilient underlay will help reduce noise. Where carpeting has been replaced by laminate or wooden flooring, impact sound transmission can become a problem, shifting impact noise from an 'acceptable' level to what is often described as 'intolerable'. This can be minimised but only at the laying stage, by a suitable underlay.

DIY can be especially annoying if carried out in a thoughtless manner. Let neighbours know what you are doing and when you expect to be finished. Prolonged hammering, drilling and floor sanding are the most common annoying tasks. Keep the noisiest tasks to during the day and the least noisy to early evening. Try not to do DIY at night and remember most of us prefer to have a lie in at the week-end so don't start too early! Washing macliines/tumbIc driers are now being used more during the night to take advantage of off peak electricity tariffs. Ensure these appliances are properly levelled and place on matting to lessen vibration. Try to avo~dusing the tumble drier at night especially if it in a roorn

Parties - tell your neighbours well in advance so that they are prepared for the extra noise. Remember your neighbours will not enjoy a late night party in a flat unless they are invited. Be considerate and try to keep the music and noise to a reasonable level and when your guests are leaving, please ask them to refrain from making a noise i.e. shouting and sounding car horns. Aberdeen City Cou~icilhas a dedicated team of seven Noise Control Officers who give advice and can take enforcement action in domestic Noise situations. They work closely with other agencies and the Police to reduce anti-social noise complaints. This service operates between 0900 and 0400. They can be contacted on hotline 0845 606 6548 for ongoing noise complaints. The service is free to all residents within the City of Aberdeen. They are unable to accept calls regarding ongoing noise complaints on any other number and * cannot deal with calls anonymously. * nor those involving disorder andlor violence." In all incidences requiring information on domestic noise issues contact the team on 5 2 3 7 3 7 . Free leaflets available at Libraries and ACC Housing Offices.

Editor: Tlzr above comrnerlts ,srrrn to cover the subject except thut bud/noi.sj i~c~igllhour.s clre utluware that they are the CULISP oj'nlanyproblrtns. Too ofterl, the) g o through lifefinlliilg fault witlz e\,er?;orx c.rccpt themselves!

WELCOME TO pROCs (parents' Resource Of Culter school)

WE successfully launched the new group on 14th February 2007 at Culter Primary. 'The group is led by parents and provides a valuable link between the parents and the school. pROCs Aims are To provide parents with the opportunity to meet once a week in 3 friendly environment and have a chat and a coffee1 tea. To provides support and information for all Culter Parents and the local community. To meet with other parents and put forward requests for information about behavioral. educational, emotional, social needs in the school environment. To meet weekly with monthly topical talks suggested by parents.

G i f t & Garden Centre Storybook Glen, Maryculter, Aberdeen, Tel: 01224 732941 OPEN ALL YEAR 7 DAYS A WEEK

Garden Equipment Good Quality Hardy Plants Childrens Toys & Gifts Pet Food Larqe selection o f Cards & Candles Larqe free Car Park No Entry Charqe f o r vlsltlnq Garden Centre or Restaurant

We meet every Wedne5day morning between 9 OS - 10.00 of in the 6P Hut 2, Culter School. It is open to a11 parents Culter Primary School and detaiI4 are available on the school website. For further information please contact culter primary school on 0 1224733197 or email pROCs directly at pROCs@culter.aberdeen.sch.uk THIS IS A RESOURCE FOR PARENTS, DRIVEN BY PARENTS SO PLEASE COME ALONG AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT IN ORDER FOR THlS TO BEA SUCCESS !

a-, ~

ROTARY CLUB OF ABERDEEN DEESIDE CULTER Primary School pupils organised the collection of "Rot.ary Shoe Boxes" filled by them for onward shipment to disaster-struck areas around the world. The scheme, managed locally by the Rotary Club of Aberdeen Deeside, holds the non-perishable contents of the boxes ready for despatch to a central distribution point. In excess of 500 boxes were collected by the Club.

Free Coffee on production of this advert

Anyone interested in joining the Club which meets in the Cults Hotel on Wednesday evenings (6.1 Spm for 6.45pm) should contact Mike Craig on 01224 323732 email: mike@craiglane.co.i~k

this year is lack of storage space for drums and equipment. Anyone who has an empty garage etc, the Pipe Band I desperately needs the use of it. If ~ O Lare a business we could even promote your business on paperwork, in exchange for some storage space!

Looking for the perfect location?

RESTAURANT a MARQUEE :

Please Contact Brian Black on 01224 733949 if y o can ~ ~help out.

:g.

Brian Black

P -

Our Conservatory takes up to 30 for private dining, the Restaurant seats 75 with room for dancing and our Marquee can be extended to take up to 200 people for a meal 6: band, or outdoor activities using the adjacent field. For more information contact Jan katham, Events Organiser 01330 844474 or jam3 themilton.co.uk

www. themilton.co.uk

P I P E BAND NEWS THE boys and girls have been polishing their skills and learning new tunes for the forthcoming season. Special thanks should go to the Culter Mill Club for the use of their facilities.

Chartered Tax Advisers & Accountants

Personal, Business and Company Tax Returns Accounts Preparation Capital & Inheritance Tax

Their first competition, The R.S.P.B.A. North Of Scotland Branch Mini Bands at St Machar Academy, was held on Saturday 24th March. The Two Novice Juvenile Bands which entered fared very well finishing 21st and 23rd overall out of 28 Grade 4 Bands. Between the two NJ Bands entered, they managed to coup I st place in the Drum Core and 16th place in piping. so a very satisfying first competition.

international Tax Returns Tax investigations TEL: 01224 86991 1 John Geddes CTA 3 9 Abbotshall Drive Cults, Aberdeen, AB1 5 9JJ jg@geddestax.co.uk

The Bands will be busy this summer between various engagements and regular practice. They can be heard locally on: * 13th May at Easter Anguston rrrzd 011 'k 26th of May at Culter Gala. They have been asked again, this year, to play at least three times at Balmoral Castle. The biggest problem facing the pipe band

SPRINGTIME = SPRING SAFETY

NOW that spring is upon us and the days are stretching, it's a good time to clea~ out the shed, garage, loft or cellar, getting rid of old furniture. carpet, cardboard boxes and general clutter. Not only dc these items cause unnecessary untidiness but they do present a fire hazard. GOOD HOUSEKEEPING POINTS TO CONSIDER

* The council operates several large skip: at their site opposite Perwinnies Moss this is a good option for disposing of bag: of rubbish or smaller items of furniture. * Contact your council cleansin; department for the uplift of larger items Place household rubbish in your wheelir bin, don't overfill preventing the closurc of the lid and site the bin well away fron your dwelling. * Make sure any stored rubbish bags o old items of furniture do not block escap routes to the front or back doors. * Make sure any rubbish left outside i stored well clear of the house if possiblc not near doors or windows and keep clez of wooden sheds & fences etc.

DOING REPAlRS & DIY

MITTON STUDIO

S p r i n g t i m e sees a start to all those household jobs that require attention; this may include electrical or plumbing jobs. which are best left to qualified tradesmen. Remember - the way you carry out repairs and DIY can help to prevent fires. * Keep garages & workshops clean; do not allow sawdust or shavings, oily rags to build up. ::: Use non-flammable materials or liquids when possible. :': S t o r e p e t r o l , paraffin a n d o t h e r flammable liquids in small, strong and labelled containers with screw tops. D o not use plastic containers, other than approved ones. :"making in garages & workshops is dangerous if tlammable liquids, gases or vapours are present. 2: Do not use gloss paint or oil-basedpaint on expanded polystyrene tiles. This can cause the fire to spread rapidly.

Needlework & Craft Shop

, , .., ,, ' .0 . .

- ,

li L J - , -

' .

A Kaleidoscope of Colour in the Aberdeenshire Countryside

Fantastic range of FMRICS, including: Batik, Hoffman. Oakcraft, P & B, Moda Wide Selection of Knitting \I'drlls Debbie Bliss, Colinette, Noro, Patons, Sirdar THREADS for Hand & Machine Cross Stitch Kits Beads Selection of BOOKS. MAGAZIKES & LEAFLETS P &Q. Cross Stitch, Knitting Patterns WORKSHOPS & WEEKLY CLASSES catering for all levels

MILTON OF CRATHES Banchory. AB31 5QW Tel. 013 30 844000 Open:Mnn - Sat 9.30- 5pm Sun l l - 5pm

MAKE YOUR COMMUNITY A SAFER PLACE. For further information contact

Cults Primary School Spring Fair

Grampian Fire and Rescue Service Tel : 0 1224 696666 e-mail: info@~grampianfrs.org.uk www. gran1pianfrs.0rg.uk

Saturday 12th May 2007 Ilam - Ipm

We've got so much going on this yea K . . . ...

SUBJECT: GIRLIE WISDOM

FACE PAINTING STORY TELLING

W o m e n o v e r SO d o n ' t h a v e b a b i e s because they would put them down and forget where they left them.

GAMES GALORE BOUNCY CASTLE

There are lots of stalls selling top quality TOYS - BOOKS - VIDEOS - DVDS - BRIC-A-BRAC - PLANTS You certainly won't go hungry! Grab yourself some WONDERUL WAFFLES - SWEETIES - DELICIOUS HOME-BAKES and there's a mouth-watering B B 0

One of life's mysteries is how a 2-pound box of chocolates can make a woman gain Slbs.

Shop for a bargain at our cracking CAR BOOT SALE!!

My mind not only wanders. it sometimes leaves completely.

Bring all your friends and family t o our Fair. Entrance only E2 for adults and f l for children including refreshments.

The best way to forget your troubles is to wear tight shoes. The nice part about living in a small town i\ that when you don't know what YOU are doing. someone else does.

CRAFT MAKING MAGIC SHOWS

Cults Primary School, Earlswells Road, Cults, Aberdeen. Tel: 869221

It's non-stop fun at the Cults Primary Spring Fair.

See you there!

YOUR PERSONAL GUIDE TO A PLACE IN THE SUN ASK J o y c e Youngson-Douglas. of Youngson Properties, to reveal her personal choice for a place in the sun, and the answer is instantaneous: "Cyprus! I have a huge love of the country; Iny mother was Greek and my father, an Aberdonian, met her when he arrived with the Liberating troops in 1945. But apart from the personal link, Cyprus has such a lot to offer the prospective property buyer: it has a beautiful varied hinterland, where you really can slu in the mountains in the morning and swim in the sea in the afternoon. The island's letting season is longer than that of any of its E u r o p e a n competitors. Building i s restricted to three storeys or less outwith commercial areas and there's a very low building density. There are large national parks where you can swim, mountain bike and hike through gorges and pirie forests. The people are warm and welcoming,

particularly to the Scots. And the crime rate is practically zero." It's little wonder. then, that Aberdeenbased Youngson Properties has more than 3,000 Cyprus properties to recommend, each of which has been carefully selected to ensure there are no pitfalls in store for the buyer. "When I set up my business three-and-ahalf years ago, I wanted to introduce a personal service into what should be a pleasurable experience," explains Joyce, who has more than 20 years' professional experience in the property market. The company's meticulous research, together with its unique, independent overview - h u n g s o n Properties is not allied with any one builder o r developer ensures the properties selected not only suit a client's specified criteria, but also guarantee that they will be free from the types of hidden location, building and owncr issues that can make buying a dream home abroad a nightmare for so illany people.

As part of her individually-tailored service, Joyce will alrange appoint~nent through her Associate in Cyprus who i. fully licensed, a rare but essential commodity. Clients are then collected 01 met to view suitable property oplions anc guided through the process. Staff arc English-speaking, experienced in the Rea Estate market and are happy to explair all aspects of buying and living in Cyprus We will put clients in touch with reputablc solicitors; organise furniture packages ensure clients obtain the best availabl~ exchange rate, and assist with the man: other elements involved in an oversea property purchase and relocation. He service is free of charge, as Youngso Properties receives commission fror individual vendors. Having started out with Cyprus, Youngso Properties has now extended the sam high level of service to cover around 4 locations worldwide. These include tf emerging Eastern European countries ar Brazil - currently one of the hotte property markets. offering beachfro1 properties starting at only 39k euros!

ANSWERS.....

~ only happen A: Very importarit. S P . car1 when ri mole gets an (~lection.

THE ,follow'i~igqirestio~ixtrnd trr~srvers rrere collected from last yetirk GCSE Q: What are steroids? exam results in Scvindor~. These tire A: Things for keeping carpets on the stairs. ger~uirl~ responses,fron7 l 6 year old.r! Geography Q: Name the four seasons. A: Strlr, pepper, mustard and vinegar Q: Explain one of the processes by which water can be made safe to drink. A: Flirtation makes water .safe) to drink because it retnov~rlarge pnll~rtantlike grit, sand, dead slleep and canoeists. Q: How is dew formed? A: The sun shines dotrw on tlze IPU\'CS and makes them perspire.

Q: What causes the tides in the oceans? A: The tides are a j g h t between tht. Earth I . tvurtJr tends to jlolr and t l ~ eM ( I ~ IAll toward.^ the moon, because there is no \\,ater on the moor/, and nature abhors a vacu~lrn.Iforgot where the surz joins this fight.

Biology Q: What happens to your body as you age? A: When you get old, .so do your borvel~ and you get intercor~tiricntal. Q: What happens to a boy when he reaches puberty? A: He . T L I ~ S goodbye to his boylzood and looks forwrrrds to his ariultery Q: Name a major diseace associated with cigarettes. A: Premature dc~itlz. Q: What is artificial insemination? A: Wlzerl the farmer does it to tlze instead qf'the birll.

Brian Smith Funeral Services The only privately run family-owned Funeral Director in Peterculter, Banchory and Aboy ne Pn.-I?tid Funcr;1lI7i1ns 3 17 North Deeside Road PETERCULTER TeI: 01 224 732530 85a High Street BANCHORY Tel: 0 1330 825400 Aboyne Business Centre Huntly Road, ABOYNE Tel: 013398 X6625 Contcrct Brian or Angela Smith (24 hours)

COW

Q: How can you delay milk turning sour? A: Keep it in the cow (HE GOT AN A!!!)

INDIAN 8 MIDDLE EASTERN TAKEAWAY 3 BRIGHTON PLACE, PETERCULTER

Sociology Q: What guarantees may a mortgage company insist on? A: l f you are buying a house, they will insist ~ o are u well e r ~ d o ~ e d .

TUESDAY THURSDAY SUNDAY: ?pm - Il pm FRIDAY SATURDAY: 4pm 12pm (Closed blonday)

Q: In a democratic society, how important are elections?

FAST HOME DELIVERIES (MINIMUM CHARGE APPLIES)

PHONE: 01224 739277 -

Gilmour & Shand O P T O M E T R I S T S Eye Examinations (Paid by NHS For All) Contact Lenses - all type5 Glaucoma Screening Digital Retinal Photography Home Visits Over 600 frames i n stock. One of the largest collections of Designer Frames i n the North-east including CHRISTIAN DIOR, CUCCI, EXTE, CAZAL, RALPH LAUREN, DKNY, DIESEL, ARMANI, OAKLEY, ADIDAS, CHANEL, RAY-BAN more Designer Sunglasses from CUCCI, DIOR, RAY-BAN, OAKLEY, MOSCHINO, MAUI-JIM, VOGUE, CHANEL, ClORClO ARMANI Prescription Sunglasses from DKNY, NAU'TICA, CALVIN KLElN - starting from ÂŁ99 complete with single vision lenses Large Selection of Children's frames covered by N.H.S

Open Saturdays and late night Tuesdays.

5 The Courtyard, North Deeside Road, Cults, Aberdeen AB15 9SD

Telephone 01 224 863344 CULTER MILLS SPORTS AND RECREATION CLUB CHOlS 'R' US

Choi 1<\4ang D o Health

Self Defence

Personal Success

lhlonday 4pm - 5pm Sports Centre Coronation Road Peterculter J

Friday 4pm - 5pm Saturday 1Oam - Ilam Village Hall North Deeside Road Peterculter

Brian Jay, Chief Instructor (3rd Dan Black Belt) Tel: 01 224 729345 or 07840 681 244

Club Conversions

Following a great turn out at a Special General Meeting in the Club the Management Committee have been given the go ahead. by the Membership, to convert the existing main club building to house the sections currently situated in the OldClub and Bowling Pavilion. It is hoped to include changing and locker room amenities and a viewing area for the Bowling Section as well as the incorporation of a new Snooker Room, Kitchen Facilities and an Office. The Executive is now exploring possible ways of raising appropriate finance for this and the outcome of these surveys will be presented to the Membership at the SGM on 13th May.

Tea Dance a m o u t

There has been an encouraging attendancl at the recently instigated Tea Dances which are held every second Thursda: afternoon. Members and guests art welcome. Please contact the Club fo further details. Have Faith

We have a very special tnbute band, Faitlwhich 1s appearing at the Club on Saturda 6th June. Be sure not to miss out on wh: promises to be a great night. Furthe information and tickets are available at th Club. Mimics Magic

The Club recently hostedThe Mimics wh performed impressions of some worthit such as Rab C Nesbit to an adult audienc, Those who attended had a great night ar we hope to have them back next year. Blooming Culter

The Club were pleased to be representc at the recent Culter in Bloom evening

the Heritage Hall and again this year we have pledged a goodly sum for this greal cause.

BEGINNERS YOGA

YOLISTlC THERAPIEZ at

Culter Village Hall

Ray Gordon Cllcrirnlnn

PLAYGROUP NEWS ALL at Playgroup are back into the swing of things following the Easter break (could the weather have been any better'?). And let's just say that the limitless patience of our wonderful Playleaders is always appreciated anew following n holiday! I thought I would start with a couple of highlights from last term: Thanks to all of you who supported the Western Night organized by Nadine Taylor. who ensured everyone enjoyed a fantastic evening. Playgroup was thrilled and extremely grateful to receive a cheque for f850, with Milltimber Playgroup benefiting equally. Our older children had a great time on a trip to one of Central Library's excellent storytelling sessions, with all being complimented on their good behaviour. I was lucky enough to be invited along a s a helper, and emerged all the better for having spent the morning pretending to be a highland cow with a phobia of hairdressers. The term waa rounded off - of course with a visit from the Easter Bunny.

As for the coming term, Playgroup will be holding an Open Day in May. so we hope to welcome those of you who may like to come in to see how we work, have a chat, and meet the children and leaders. We accept children from two and a half years of age, so if you think your wee one is ready to make some new friends, why not pop in? Details will be advertised nearer the time. Like many of you. Playgroup is looking forward to Culter Gala, and on the day we will be running a stall offering face painting and children's games. During

Evening Class: Tuesdays 7.30 - 9.30pm St. Peter's Heritage Hall Morning Class: Thursdays 10.00 - 1 1.45am Peterculter Community Centre

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for more details, contact: Keith or Beverley on: 01 224 732852 Gala week. to get us into the spirit of things, we have our annual sponsored walk. Departing from and returning to St Peter's Heritage Hall, our motley band makes its way along the old railway line as far as Pittengullies Brae and back (spirits and bladders allowing). finishing with games and welcome refreshments in the hall. Taking up the Gala theme we will be in pirate fancy dress. so are expecting to provide some amusement for walkers and spook numerous horses. One of our regular sessions that week will also include a 'Pet Show'. We have felt the need to emphasize that thi\ will be for favourite cuddly toys only. when faced with a vision of someone turning up with dad's twelve-foot Amazonian python ... . Our final outing before the summer holidays will be to the Soft Bear Play Centre, which promises to be good fun, and will doubtless be upon us before we know it. I think that completes Playgroup's news for now; we hope to see you at our Open Day or the Gala!

Clare Stewart Culter Pl~rygroup

OAPS OUR Coffee Morning was held on Saturday 7th April when we realised a total of f41 S. This was an excellent result as it was Easter weekend and many people were away. 1 wish to thank my small band of very good workers on the stalls and in the kitchen. Thanks. too. for all the donations especially for the very good raffle. The group who entertained us for our extra concert was Old Hat and on 2nd May i t was a treat to hear Charlie Kidd.

Dates for Your Diary June 6th Sound of Dru~ii 12th Annual Drive leaving Village Hall at I lam. Lunch is at Meadowbank. Arbroath and High Tea a1 the Red House Hotel. Cupar Angus. "

There are no meetings in July or August so. at our first meeting on 5th September, we have a visit from Lean iund Friends from Alford. 1 do hope ebel-yone ha\ a lovely summer break. Flo Will Preside111

Editor: It good to see Flo rlltrtln,girlg to g ~ atl ~ o ~ngnirl it tiffcr. her- hip opet-crtiori.

Culter Community Council Members Susan Chappell-Smith Judith Dack J a ~ n e sFarquhar (Minutes) Nicola Hector (Treasurer) C:itherine Lacy Lavina Massie Anne Russell Marjory Skinner (Secretary) Douglas Stewart (PothsJRoads ) Ann Wakefield (Vice /Chair) Margaret Watson

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EDITOR

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