Wee County News - Issue 842

Friday 23.09.11 Issue 842In this issue... Save Alva Pool

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£10,000 repair bill stinks!By Alison Mann

Grant may save Alva pool, but your help is needed!

Scot Fest

Centre Pages

People from the Wee County and beyond to the annual Scot Fest

Residents of Alloa Park have questioned thousands of pounds worth of charges levied

against them for damage to the sewage pumping station that services their homes.

The Alloa Park Residents’ Association (APRA), which works on behalf of residents living on and connected to Alloa Park Drive, has sent a letter to developer, Allanwater Homes questioning the charges.

Within the letter, obtained from the organisation’s website, APRA state residents have been asked to pay over £10,000 to cover alleged damage caused to a pumping station between February 2011 and May 2011, the same period in which Scottish Water required snagging issues to be rectified before taking over the running of the pumping station.

A resident said: “We were told nappies and sanitary products caused damage to the pumps, so the residents would need to pay for the damage. I don’t believe the damage was caused this way or should be for so much money, so residents shouldn’t have to pay the charges.

“APRA has it in writing from the company who manufactured the pumps that these items wouldn’t cause the damage that Allanwater claim. I’m not getting a refund on my waste water charges to pay for this, so why should I have to pay for alleged damage I know I haven’t caused”.

Alloa Park is a site on the edge of Alloa that has seen building of new homes between 2006 and 2010 and residents believe it is only fair to expect their homes to be adequately serviced by the developer.

MSP Keith Brown has written to Scottish Water and Allanwater Developments to ask for clarity on the matter.

He said: “From the information I

have receive there certainly seems to be a disparity in the information my constituents have received from Allanwater Developments and Scottish Water.

“I have written to both for further clarity and I am meeting in the near future with Alloa Park Residents’ Association to discuss the issue further and as their local MSP, I will offer any support I can to reach a satisfactory outcome.”

APRA also make it clear within their letter that they are not telling residents to pay or not pay the fees, they are providing them with information to allow the 126 affected residents to make up their own mind.

Allanwater Developments Ltd were contacted but declined to comment upon this matter. More information is available on the APRA website at www.alloapark.org.

Residents asked to pay for damages to sewage pumping station

NOW OUT ON A FRIDAY • NOW OUT ON A FRIDAY • NOW OUT ON A FRIDAY

weecountyFriday 23.09.11 2

ContactsEllismuir House, Ellismuir Way, Tannochside Park, Uddingston G71 5PW

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In your weecounty this week

weecounty LETTERS

Local MSP Keith Brown will be wearing pink to raise awareness of the Breast Cancer

Campaign.The MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane will be supporting the award winning fundraising event, wear it pink day.

On Friday, October 28 supporters in schools, colleges and businesses throughout the country are encouraged to don and item of pink in support of the campaign and each donate £2 to fund innovative world-class breast cancer research.

The event was extremely popular last year with thousands of people taking part in wear it pink to help improve survival rates for the one in eight women who experience breast cancer during their lifetime.

Keith says “It is estimated that there are over 41,000 women and 150 men alive in Scotland who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. I know people who have lost friends and family members to the disease and would like to encourage everyone across Clackmannanshire and Dunblane to support wear it pink on October 28, to raise valuable funds for breast cancer research.”

To take part in the UK’s original and best pink day visit www.wearitpink.co.uk and register to receive your free fundraising pack now. Wear it pink is supported by Vanish, which has committed to raising an incredible £250,000 for the charity this year.

Brown in the pink

Family Announcements P4

District News P19

Entertainment P20&21Including this week’s stars, the witty colum Q’s

Views, puzzles, pet of the fortnight and those dodgy

pics!

Lifestyle P22The top 5 advantages of home shopping.

Property P23Woo-hoo would buy a haunted house?

Business & Money P24

Services P25Looking for a plumber, builder, roofer inyour area,

check out what the weecounty services has to of-

fer.

Motoring P26 - 28Fixing your beloved car, or flogging your old run

around, have a read at the weecounty motoring for

some tips and hints

weecounty Sport P29 - 32

Dear weecounty,After reading your story regarding broadband in the area I’d like to say it’s about time. I am fed up of not getting the same access to high-speed internet as those in other places. My daughter lives in Glasgow city centre and has access to the fastest broadband available. I really believe this needs to be improved.I don’t understand why it can’t be the same across the whole of the UK, it would be fairer that way.

Mary, Alva

Dear weecounty,I was touched to read your piece entitled “Wee County Remembers” in last week’s edition. The images were for one, very emotive and took me right back to when it happened. I enjoyed reading everyone’s memories it made me think about what I was doing when I first heard the news.I was tidying up the house, after my little one and had the television on in the background. I saw a flashing image and had to stop and watch to see if what I saw was right. Unfortunately it was and I saw it all unfold. Still to this day I feel a lot of sadness for the people who died during the attack and also feel admiration for the brave fire fighters who helped in the aftermath.

Sheena, Clackmannan

Dear weecounty,I was walking around Alloa town centre after doing my shopping and was absolutely affronted to see the way people drive around the town. I got such a fright and decided to get a taxi home rather than take a bus. I’d just like to ask young people to take a bit more care when driving as there are elderly people using the road too.

Mrs Ellis, Dollar

Kincardine History ClubKincardine History Club will be starting

their new session next month.The new session commences on Wednesday, October 5 at 7pm in the Glancy Lounge of the Community Centre.The History of Airth by Geoff Bailey is the interesting talk for the opening meeting and all are welcome.

The new Winter Syllabus contains a variety of interesting speakers and subjects, and visitors are welcome to attend any that are of particular interest to them.

Meetings are held fortnightly and notices for each meeting are displayed throughout the village.

There will be a charge of £1.50 each meeting and an annual Community Association charge of £3.50

News Brief

weecounty Friday 23.09.11 3

Residents want to clean up riverCommunity grant application Community groups across Clackmannanshire could benefit from a new busary set up to help local areas.Local charities and community groups can apply for a grant from a £5,000 bursary to help fund events, projects, groups and activities.The money has been offered by Weatherseal after they found success in the scheme previously.Tony Reilly, managing director of Weatherseal said: “As an organisation, we are committed to the local communities that we work in and following the great success of our bursary with Real Radio we saw that there was an appetite for a similar scheme to run across Scotland.“It really is a fantastic opportunity so I would encourage any worthy cause to get in touch with is via the website and apply before the end of November.”The bursary can be used for any community and charity based activity, for example, a football team needing a new kit or money towards a local charity group away day.To apply, email [email protected] stating why your group deserves a share of the £5,000 bursary. The deadline for entries is November 30, 2011.

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Alloa Park Residents Association have

applied for a £10,000 grant to clean up the River Devon which runs behind the area.

APRA decided to apply to Keep Scotland Beautiful to receive a fly-tipping grant of £10,000 to remove large items from the River Devon.

The residents felt the amount of items including washing machines, bikes and car parts dumped into the river was ruining the area.

After spotting the Fly Tipping Small Grant Scheme run by Keep Scotland Beautiful they decided it was a good time to try and make a difference to the area.

The application is one of the first things APRA have done, having only formed last month to serve as a voice for people living in Alloa Park and those living close to the development.

APRA Chairman, Graham Clyde, said: “We were determined to make the application as high a standard as possible to maximise our chances of being successful.

“We have support from Gordon Banks MP, Keith Brown MSP, The Earl of Mar and Kellie, the local community police officer, the council waste services department and also Councillor Mark English who used to fish in the river in his younger days.

“ORAN Environmental Solutions Ltd have been instrumental in pulling the application together and have offered a significant reduction in their costs, which we are delighted about as it highlights their commitment to working with the communities in which they work.

“We understand that the council don’t have the budget to clean the fly tipped waste from the river so with this application we can work with the council and the other stakeholders to make a small part of the County more beautiful for us all”.

If the group receive the grant they plan to work with Oran Environmental Solutions to clean up a two mile stretch of river which is full of dumped material.

The area of river runs from Mary Bridge in Clackmannan to Pond Wood in Alloa which has been subject to severe fly-tipping due to the easy access to

the banks.Many people use the

woodland trail which runs alongside the river and more people are set to move into the area due to new building developments so APRA felt the river should be clean so people can enjoy the area.

To clean up the site APRA have proposed cleaning up

easily reached items during regular clean-ups organised by APRA, the council and the Ranger Service. Bigger items will be lifted by heavy machinery funded by the grant.

A decision will be made as to whether APRA have been successful in achieving the grant by the end of September 2011.

weecounty4 Friday 23.09.11

Family Announcements

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Happy 1st Birthday TomLove you lots,Mum, dad and Iain.

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RBS grant could help save Alva poolThe campaign to save Alva pool

could benefit from a £6,000 RBS grant but they need your support to secure the funds.

Ochil Leisure Enterprises, who run the Save Alva Pool campaign, have applied to the Royal Bank of Scotland Community Force to receive a £6,000 grant to help with re-opening the Alva pool.

The group need members of the community to go on-line and vote for their project from over one thousand others across the country to be in with a chance of receiving the grant.

Farquhar Wilson, chairman of the campaign said: “We are delighted the Royal Bank of Scotland are taking our application seriously and we hope their interest in our project will help us with our overall strategy.”

OLE applied for the funding to develop a volunteer programme that recruits, trains and retains volunteers to manage the Pool Complex. If they receive the funding, they plan to spend it on recruitment, training, travel, volunteer expenses, consultancy, equipment and materials.

Campaigners to save the Alva pool have been working tirelessly over the past few months to collect signatures of support from the local community for their plans to re-open the pool.

Public awareness is the key, and to raise their profile, the group occupied a table at the ScotFest festival, held on Saturday, September 17 at Cochrane Park in Alva. They also held a stand which allowed people to fill in a survey about how the pool should be run.

OLE organised a duck hunt for the event and had white rabbits on hand to keep children entertained while adults filled in surveys. The group managed to get over 100 surveys filled in which they can add to the many signatures and letters of support of their plans.

They are currently working on their business plan, which will be presented to Clackmannanshire Council at the end of the month. Meanwhile, the group have asked all Clackmannanshire residents to write to and visit their local council to share their views about keeping the much needed facility open.

Voting for RBS Community Force opens on Monday, September 26 and can be done by visiting the website at www.communityforce.rbs.co.uk.

Other local groups applying for grants are Sauchie Active8 Volunteers group, Alloa Amateur Swimming Club and the Wasp Community Club.

By Alison Mann


News BriefVolunteers at Asda in Alloa have managed to raise thousands of pounds for Help for Heroes.The charity collectors helped to raise £364,000 for the armed forces charity over the August Bank holiday weekend.Thousands of volunteers collected donations and selling Help for Heroes merchandise at over 260 Asda stores across England, Scotland and Wales.Julie Ward, Asda Foundation Manager said: “We’re proud to be able to support such a great cause and want to say a huge thank you to our customers, who gave so generously over the Bank Holiday weekend.”

Sauchie could be set to benefit from a £750,000 investment from the Scottish Government for new council housing.The Scottish Government announced funding £750,000 towards homes built using the Transfew of Management of Development Funding arrangements.Clackmannanshire and Dunblane MSP, Keith Brown has welcomed the announcement.He said: “I know from the housing issues I deal with in my constituency that this new wave of funding for council housing in Sauchie will be a welcome announcement for people across Clackmannanshire.“It is absolutely imperative that we continue to build new affordable housing to help meet the growing pressure on our existing affordable stock while at the same time creating and maintaining local jobs.”The new council built homes for Clackmannanshire come out of a wider scheme that sees over £200 million being invested in 2,700 affordable houses across the country by the Scottish Government.

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Clothes Tree: looking good

A Dollar woman has launched a new business venture

designed to give people the chance to buy luxury clothing for their children.

Mhairi Clarke will officially launch The Clothes Tree on October 10, a new children’s e-boutique which she hopes will revolutionise the way people buy and sell children’s designer clothing.

Entrepreneur Mhairi created The Clothes Tree to offer an alternative to existing auction sites to give mums a gentle, stylish and upmarket online boutique to purchase new and nearly new designer pieces and to sell outgrown items.

The project was helped along by Business Gateway who put Mhairi forward to receive funding via the Scottish Enterprise high growth pipeline in 2010.

The company was successful in obtaining part-funding and for the past 18 months, Mhairi has been growing and developing The Clothes Tree whilst juggling the demands of single motherhood and working in her Surrey based role as Communications Manager for BBC One’s Bionic Vet, Noel Fitzpatrick.

Users of The Clothes tree will find an auction style facility where they can auction their items or sell at a named price. However, the company also offers a convenient ‘Sell it for me’ facility.

To do this mums just log on and

list the items they wish to sell and they will receive two mailing bags, one to keep at home to collect items and one to send items back free.

The clothes are then steamed, hung and photographed professionally to take the hassle out of the process for busy mums.

Mhairi said: “I started to become really conscious of all the bags of beautiful clothes which my son had worn only a few times which were mounting in my loft. “I always thought that I would sell them at some point but that point never came and as I lay in bed one night, picturing all the houses across the country which were like mine – bags of beautiful clothes in the loft, or at the back of children’s wardrobes. “I thought that there must be a way of bringing all these fabulous clothes together in one place. So I set out to creating a place where beautiful clothes can be loved again and The Clothes Tree grew from that idea.”The Clothes Tree launches on 10 October and stocks all the major children’s designer labels from Armani, Dior, Stella McCartney, Abercrombie & Fitch, Kenzo, Ralph Lauren and Juicy Couture to names such as Mini Boden, Simonetta, Catimini and Vertbaudet.The Clothes Tree can be found at www.theclothestree.co.uk.

Taking support for your local football club to a new level with the chance to

WIN £500every month and entry into the annual super

draw for a prize no less than

£1000!Not to mention a number of priviledges for

members only, for as little as £20 per month.

For all information and the list of priviledges go to

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01259 722695

By Alison Mann


Alison Mann

I want to be a pilot. I know it sounds childish,

like dreaming of being an astronaut or a lion tamer but if the hour-long flying lesson I completed is anything to go by then it is clearly the job for me.

I pulled up at the airfield wearing my ‘flying outfit’ which mainly involved a Biggles-style scarf and waited, somewhat nervously, for the pilot to collect me for my lesson.

Have you never noticed that the Captains on commercial flights always seems to have the same voice as every other Captain coming over the tannoy system? Well, my cheerful instructor Allan, had exactly the same voice which I think made me trust him more – I didn’t even ask how long he’d been a pilot until after my lesson!

As we strolled out to the tiny white micro-lite plane I’d be flying, he asked if I’d ever been in a plane like that before. My response perhaps not what he was expecting, as I replied that I had, but I jumped out of it skydiving! Allan chuckled a nervous laugh and bundled me into the plane – seatbelt firmly fastened advising that I wouldn’t be jumping out of his plane, unless of course we had to in an emergency.

After he entered the cockpit, he couldn’t get his door shut which started my imagination wandering! There I was with images of me being sucked out the door mid-flight like a scene from Snakes on a Plane, except without Samuel L Jackson screaming and swearing like a mad man!

Anyway, he performed the take off then relinquished the controls to me. This I found quite terrifying. I found myself particularly confused when told to follow the horizon meaning I couldn’t actually see anything out of the window but sky so I kept dipping the plane down so I could see where I was going...not a good idea apparently.

Allan taught me how to fly straight and turn (bank) left and right. I seemed to be getting the hang of it and

hoped Allan couldn’t tell I had my heart in my mouth the whole time!

Allan then took the controls and showed me sharp turns and how to feel weightlessness - it was an amazing feeling! The plane tipped on its side and was quickly corrected leaving my stomach about two meters to the left of my body. It was a brilliant but at the same time, unusual feeling.

We took a quick spin past the Wallace Monument, Stirling Castle and the Falkirk Wheel before I was allowed to help land at the end of my lesson. I came out of the cockpit with a spring in my step having thoroughly loved every moment of my first flying lesson and have already started saving up for my next lesson.

Journalism at the highest height!

Autumn Fair at St John’s

St John’s Church, in Alloa, is holding an Autumn Fair

to raise money for extensive repairs needed to the building.

The fair will be held at the Broad Street church on Saturday, October 1 from 10.30am until 12.30pm.

Attendees will be able to browse well stocked stalls with delicious home baking and handmade crafts.

There will also be a gift stall, a nearly new stall along with

two raffles for a chance to win some prizes.

The entrance fee is just £1.50 with either a coffee or tea and home baking included in the price.

The church is very popular with the local residents and they are looking for people to attend and show their support. Money raised from the fair will be used to repair the building which has been part of the

Alloa landscape for years.St John’s is part of the

Old Alloa Conservation area, situated close to Alloa Tower and the Mar Family Mausoleum.

It opened in 1869 having cost £5000 paid for by the twelfth Earl of Kellie. The church contains many beautiful treasures and is visited by bell ringers from all over the UK who come to ring the unusual full peal of eight bells.

By Alison Mann

MSP welcomes fall in unemploymentMSP for Clackmannanshire and

Dunblane, Keith Brown, has welcomed the latest figures which show that Scotland’s employment market is continuing to outperform the rest of the UK.Scotland is now the only part of the UK with falling unemployment and rising employment with an unemployment rate of 7.5 per cent lower than the UK average of 7.9% and an employment rate of 71.6 higher than the UK average of 70.5.Welcoming the figures the SNP MSP said: “Among all the nations and regions of the UK, Scotland is the only place where unemployment fell in the latest quarter, May-July 2011 and this is because of the different approach taken by the SNP

Government. However there is no room for complacency and we remain committed to building jobs and recovery in Scotland with initiatives like the Scottish Government’s opportunities for all programme will help young people seeking employment and training to ensure they have the skills needed for Scotland’s economy.“It is now time for the UK Government to implement a Plan B to ensure that our recovery is not derailed.“The Scottish Government also needs greater access to the key levers of economic growth, such as corporation tax and borrowing powers. This would enable us to do even more to enhance investment and jobs in the Scottish economy, and give Scotland a major competitive edge.”


Luck Factor Stirling Uni

Alloa residents could find out why some people always seem to be in the right place at the right time, while others are always

unlucky.A best –selling psychologist will answer such questions as why

some people lead happy and successful lives, yet others meet repeated failure and sadness through his work with some of the world’s luckiest and unluckiest people.

Professor Richard Wiseman, Chair in the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, will reveal the results of his research into these questions when he speaks about The Luck Factor at the University of Stirling.

A passionate advocate for science, Professor Wiseman’s books on luck, self-help, the paranormal and quirky psychology have been translated into over 30 languages, and the Independent On Sunday recently named him as one of the top 100 people who make Britain a better place to live.His talk, the 6th annual John Damien Lecture, will be delivered in the Logie Lecture Theatre, Stirling campus, on Thursday 6 October at 6pm.The event is free and open to all. To book a place, email [email protected] or telephone 01786 467640.For more information about Richard Wiseman, see http://richardwiseman.wordpress.com/

Tullibody youngster raises £400 for charityLast Saturday night

Peppe’s Bar, Alloa was the setting for a charity night organised by local youngster Nicola McCormack in aid of the National Deaf Children`s Society.

Nicola 20, from Tullibody organised the charity event in recognition of the NDCS work in helping deaf children and young people.

The charity is very close to Nicola’s heart as her own son Harry, who is 15 months old, was diagnosed with hearing problems at his newborn test at one day old.

The charity night included a disco and karaoke, buffet, sponsored body wax, face painting, pass the parcel with the help of Mickey & Minnie Mouse and several raffles. Prizes included Garra fish spa vouchers, hair and beauty vouchers, Hampden tour for four, Ibrox tour for six, Gym vouchers and

much more.Talking about the event,

Nicola said; “I first found out about National Deaf Children`s Society at one of Harry`s hearing clinics. The charity helped Harry get into the Action for Children Family Centre in Tullibody where he has since gained much better people and communication skills which is vital to any deaf/partially deaf children.

“The Family Centre is amazing; it helps people who really need the help. They support the families and children - both adults and children love it, they do so many things. “The centre offers parent classes, parent and toddler’s day care, fun days etc. They are just amazing.”

Nicola added “The night went great; we had an amazing turnout and no major disasters.”

Karaoke (JLS Entertainment)

Minnie Mickie Harry Nicola

Calum Rodgers gets back waxed

Pictures by Andrew WightmanBy Andrew Wightman

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BY RAIL FROM

SCOTLAND


Over £1,000 has been raised for Macmillan

Cancer Support and Strathcarron Hospice thanks to a charity art exhibition featuring Clackmannanshire artists.

Artists from the Central Arts Association had been given permission from last December to display their wonderful art work at Blossom’s Coffee Shop at Torwood Garden Centre, Larbert.

Owners of the shop, Dorothy and John Stevenson, decided to give their 20% commission to charity and have raised over £1,000 so far.

The money was raised through 104 pictures being sold at the exhibition which is still available to view in the cafe.

Dorothy and John decided to split the money raised between Macmillan Cancer Support and Strathcarron Hospice.

The couple presented cheques to representatives from each charity on September 12 at the Garden Centre.

Margaret McGregor, Chairperson and Exhibition Organiser for the arts association said: “The

members of Central Arts Association are extremely grateful to members of the public for visiting the expedition and for making this £1,000 raised for charity possible.

“It’s a great opportunity for people to buy a piece of local art for someone dear to your heart knowing all commission will be donated to charity.”

The exhibition is still on show and consists of over 90 framed and mounted paintings, prints and photographs in mainly traditional style.

There is a mix of local scenes, wildlife, floral, beach scenes and Scottish landscapes painted by a number of talented local artists on show.

The Central Arts Association is a completely voluntary and non-profit making association which stages exhibitions in various venues in Central Scotland to give local artists the opportunity to showcase their work and by doing so provide events for the public to visit and enjoy free of charge.

To find out more about Central Arts Association visit their website at www.centralarts.co.uk.

Clackmannanshire Artists raise cash for charity

(from left to right), is Brenda Mitchell representative from MacMillan Cancer Support, Clackmannanshire artists Liz allen and Brenda Roy, and Liz Egglington representative from Strathcarron Hospice.

By Alison Mann

Computer donation to Arts in Mind Dollar Academy made major upgrades to computer systems

during the summer and chose to donate the replaced stock to community group ‘Reachout with Arts in Mind’ in Alloa.

Mr Joe Tracey, Head of IT, visited the Arts in Mind project this week, accompanied by Karen MacBean, Dollar’s community Service Co-ordinator, and Alex Przybylski, a form VI pupil at the school, to deliver a donated computer to Project Co-ordinator Lesley Glen.

Arts in Mind is a member-led expressive arts self-help group for adults with mental health issues. The group organises exhibitions and outreach events, which facilitate learning experiences.

Leslie Glenn commented: “We are hugely grateful to Dollar Academy for this donation.”

Dollar Academy is one of Scotland’s leading independent schools and has close links with many community organisations in the local area.

Talking to the Wee County, Joe Tracey said; “It has been a busy summer at the school, with the upgrading of various IT systems. We’ve replaced a lot of machinery and I am delighted that redundant equipment is being reused in this way by a local community group.”

Dollar Academy donate old computersPicture By Andrew Whiteman


Green travel options across Wee CountyClackmannanshire

Council and Forth Valley College are both showing their green credentials by publicising environmentally friendly travel options.

The Scottish Government restrict the number of parking spaces planning authorities can grant to new developments in the hope of encouraging more sustainable travel options.Both the College and the council have followed this lead by publicising other options to make it easier for people to leave the car at home.

Clackmannanshire Council promotes car sharing, encouraging staff to join TripShareClacks.com to register their journey and find someone travelling a similar route to share with. There are also designated parking spaces at the Kilncraigs Council building for car sharers only.

The council also encourages people to get on their bikes, with pool bikes available for travel between council offices and secure cycle storage for staff.

More widely the council has developed the National Cycle Route, so that Clackmannanshire boasts one of the best networks of cycle routes in Scotland, and sponsored the reinstatement of the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail line, bringing a station back to Alloa.Councillor Eddie Carrick, portfolio holder for sustainability said: “There’s often no need to drive because Clackmannanshire has great walking and cycle routes, as well as regular buses and the train.“Green travel not only cuts down on carbon emissions, it also saves money, promotes fitness and cuts congestion on the roads.“I’m delighted that the College has been so proactive in promoting green travel.”

The College’s range of green initiatives includes a car share scheme similar to the Councils and a new route planner on their website which promotes all the different options available when travelling to any of their four campuses.

Cycle lockers are also available for use and a ‘Cycle to Work’ scheme has proven popular with staff. In addition, the college is working in partnership with NHS Forth Valley who have offered learners access to their H Bus Routes at child fare rates in a bid to encourage travelling by public transport.

Gail Fertacz, Associate Principal for the College’s Alloa Campus said: “We are highly committed to promoting green travel options to our staff and learners across all campuses.

“Not only do we have a responsibility to consider the impact our activities have on the environment buy we also recognise the fact that green travel options can have significant cost and health benefits.

“Our green travel plan therefore has a strong focus on promoting these benefits to the individual and also making sure staff and learners are equipped with all the information to find the solution that’s right for them.”

Stirling Uni international conferenceAn international

conference at the University of Stirling brought together academics from politics, philosophy, and law to discuss the relation between rights and democracy.

In light of the UK government’s current consultation on a UK Bill of Rights, speakers discussed the implications of the right to vote, free speech, rights of religious associations, and whether there should be limits placed on the political rights of the ‘super-rich’ to prevent them from exerting undue influence on the democratic process.

Prof Corey Brettschneider (Political Science, Brown University, USA) argued that, while the state should not censor the expression of racist groups, it need not endorse their position through silence. The state, he claimed, should show that it disagrees with their undemocratic views through, for instance, education policy and public holidays.

Other guest speakers at the conference included Prof Fabienne Peter (Philosophy, University of Warwick), Dr Stuart White (Politics, Oxford University), and Dr Dean Machin (Philosophy, University of Warwick), with respondents from St Andrews,

Edinburgh, York, Stirling, and UCL.Dr Ben Saunders (Stirling), one of the

organisers of the conference, said: “Though rights are commonly seen as ‘checks’ on democratic rule, a number of recent theorists have recognised that some rights are also integral parts of democracy. One aim of this conference was to explore the extent to which democracy and rights limit each other, but also to show harmonies between them.”

The conference was organised by Dr Ben Saunders and Dr Rowan Cruft, from the School of Arts & Humanities at Stirling, with support of the Mind Association. It is envisaged that the papers will be disseminated in a special issue of a journal next year, while Dr Cruft is currently working on a response to the UK Bill of Rights consultation.


Beware of fake police officersScammers posing as

police have been targeting homes across Alloa and police are urging residents to be careful.

Central Scotland Police have urged people to be aware of a scam where householders are being phoned by people pretending to be police officers.A central Scotland Police spokeswoman said: “We warned last month that calls where being made from people claiming to be a police officer and discussing misuse of bank accounts.“We have received two reports of separate incidents in the Stirling area. On both occasions the person calling claimed to be a police officer and attempted to get personal banking details from them.

“Thankfully those who were phoned were suspicious and ended the call. They then reported the matter to us.

“We want to stress again that should members of the public receive phone calls from people claiming to be from the police they should not divulge any personal details including full name, dates of birth or any banking security details over the phone.

“If any phone number is retained on a Caller ID Display or 1471 then note this and contact police on 01786 456000 immediately.“Should details be inadvertently given out then the matter should be reported to the bank or building society as a matter of urgency to stop all activity on the account including bank cards and any on-line banking service.”Any suspicious calls can be reported to Central Scotland Police on 01786 456000 or information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

By Alison Mann

Fun day for Wee County scoutsTullibody was the meeting

point for Scouts from all over Clackmannanshire as they took part in a cowboys and Indians themed fun day.

Over 80 clubs from across the county gathered on Saturday, September 17 for the annual event with many of the clubs and leaders in attendance dressing up for the part, enjoying the spirit of the occasion.

The young attendees took part in many fun activities including Teepee building, pony express races and a shoot out at the ok corral.

Lynne Mack, Assistant District Commissioner for Cubs, organised the event and thanks to great support from the Cub Leaders of Clackmannanshire, a great day of adventure was enjoyed by all.Lynne told the Wee County: “It was great to see so many boys and girls having such a great time, even if they went home a little muddy.”

Cubs meet throughout Clackmannanshire and a new Group is just starting up at Alloa Ludgate church on a Friday evening and anyone wishing information on joining or adult volunteering please phone John Spruce on 07747741926, or visit the website www.clackmannanshirescouts.org.uk.

Forth Indoor Market, Grangemouth Road Falkirk

Tel : 07980 164158Next To Falkirk College

Due To Popular DemandWednesday 28th September

The Return Of The OUTDOOR MARKET

From 9.00am

The Rotary Club of Alloa

has donated 600 road safety books to all Primary 1 children attending Clackmannanshire Schools. Rotary President Graham Kerr said: “The Rotary Club sincerely hopes that parents take time out to read the important messages in the books and educate their child in road safety and environmental matters. It is hoped that if we all play our part then the

incidents of injury caused by road traffic collisions will be reduced if not eliminated.” This latest initiative now sees the Rotary Club involved

in various activities in all Clackmannanshire Schools from P1 right through to senior secondary stage.The Rotary Club is indebted to

all schools, local police officers and Clackmannanshire Council Community Wardens for their wholehearted sup-port in this initiative” Rotarian Hector Ni-colson, retired Police Road Safety Officer, who was instrumen-tal in arranging the initiative said, “Since my early

retirement, I have been asked by many parents and teachers for advice on road safety matters. Rotary Club International in Great Britain and Ireland are pro-moting environ-mental issues. It was decided that since road safety embraces the environment by,

for example, having people walk as opposed to travelling by car, that the Rotary Club of Alloa would provide road safety educational materials to parents. We have to accept that chil-dren are our future and that is why we need to educate them on road safety. This is especially important with the yearly increase in traffic on the road. The booklets that The Rotary Club of Alloa has donated to all Primary 1 children should assist parents as they educate their children in road safety.”

Alloa Rotary Club promotes road safety awareness

Local MSP Keith Brown has welcomed announcements

that there is to be much more effective inspection of care homes in future.

The Clackmannanshire and Dunblane MSP is particularly keen that all care homes will now be subject to an unannounced inspection at least once a year, a reform which he says should help ensure that care homes fulfil their obligations to their residents.

He has welcomed further reforms including inspectors being able to increase the number of visits during the year if they are unhappy with a care home, current staff levels retained at the Care Inspectorate

and that the resources necessary to implement these reforms have now been put in place.Mr Brown said: “The vast majority of care homes do a first class job but unfortunately there are a few which don’t come up to scratch.

“Instead of constantly having to inspect the good ones it’s far better to focus in on the poorly performing homes to either bring them up to scratch or, in extreme cases, force them out of business.“We owe it to our elderly generations to make sure their years in a care home are as comfortable and safe as possible. I believe these reforms will help ensure that happens.”


MSP backs health reforms

Twelve Tillicoultry families were forced out of their homes after

a fire tore through their building at the weekend.

Around 21:30 on Sunday night, a fire started in a storage cupboard in a block of flats on Roundelwood Road.

The residents of the council-owned property, were ordered to stay inside their homes and leave

a window open while fire fighters battled to control the blaze.

Smoke filled the stairway of the building and the heat was so in-tense that it warped fire doors in the building. The doors were specially installed fire-doors, so despite the intense heat, the residents were safe behind them as the blaze was put out.

No one was injured in the fire and

residents have all managed to find alternative accommodation whilst emergency repairs are made to the flats.

Fire crews used a positive pres-sure fan to clear smoke from the building however, the following night another fire was started in the same location.

On Monday, around 21:30 fire crews were called to the building

again after a fire started in a ground floor cupboard.

A spokeswoman for Central Scotland Fire and Rescue said: “We would like to advise people to limit storage in communal stairways and always make sure items are stored behind a lockable door.”

Officers from Central Scotland Police are currently investigating both incidents and are appealing to local people to come forward with

any information.A police spokeswoman said:

“Anyone who starts a fire is acting in a reckless manner and is putting lives in danger.”

Anyone who can help with enquiries on both incidents should contact Central Scotland Police on 01786 456000. Alternatively call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be main-tained.

Double blaze leaves families homelessCouncil owned flats where blaze raged through building

Intense heat from fire melts specially designed fire resistant doors


Robert’s Lancia: Bellissimo

An Alva man was shocked when his car beat a selection of super-cars to win the top prize at a top Italian car competition.

Robert Rooney, 43 entered his Lancia Delta Integrally in the Scottish Italian Car and Bike day at Hopetoun House, Queensferry.Robert’s Lancia was parked alongside Italian supercars including Ferrari’s, Maserati’s and Lamborghini’s during the popular competition.

Despite the tough competition his car beat around 400 other vehicles to come out top after official’s judging.Panel beater Robert said: “I was shocked that a little Lancia won. I wasn’t expecting in since some of the cars were worth about £200,000 plus.

“There was stiff competition, some of the super cars were brand new. It must have been my day though. “Hopetoun House is a lovely setting for these cars, it’s a 1st class day.”Robert worked for the Clackmannan Lancia dealer when he left school

and has been a fan of the motors ever since.He bought his current car in 2005 which had been in Italy for eight years and was only registered when it was transported to England in 2000.

Robert said: “I’ve always had Lancia’s and I still do. I wanted to buy a really good one and this car lay in Italy for eight years. I was fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time and flew down to Luton to pick it up.”

When his car was named winner of the event Robert was presented with a trophy by Lord Hopetoun.Judges told him the criteria for winning this year was whether they felt they would buy the car for their children and be happy for them to drive it.The car show is an annual event which gives car lovers a chance to view beautiful cars in a laid back atmosphere. This year was the third event and it has grown in popularity every year. The show also features impressive motorbikes from makers including Ducati and Lambretta.

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By Alison Mann

Unsafe bridge still not repaired

Danger warning issued over usage of walkway bridge

Clackmannanshire residents have been

warned a bridge on a popular access trail in Tillicoultry is dangerous to cross, and that they should not attempt to use it under any circumstances.

The unsafe bridge has been causing a stir in the community, which led to the Tillicoultry community council discussing the bridge as an agenda item at their latest meeting on September 13th.

The bridge makes up part of the access trail to the hills, which is accessed from a car park on Upper Mill Street.

The trail is popular both with Tillicoultry residents, walkers in Clackmannanshire and beyond, so the community council are keen to highlight the danger so walkers are not injured.

The community council are now looking to Clackmannanshire council to repair the bridge before someone is injured.

Signs have been placed around the bridge to alert people it is unsafe to use they had been removed, but new signage have been erected.

Chris McCallion, Chairman of the Tillicoultry community council said about the issue: “It is an important part of the area and a popular access route for those who wish to walk up the local hills.“Safety is of prime consideration and people need to be aware that the bridge is unsafe at the

moment.”Councillor John Biggam

hopes that the bridge will be repaired and not forgotten about.The councillor for Clackmannanshire North told the Wee County: “I would like to see the bridge restored as soon as possible.“It is an important tourist attraction and a lot of people want to use it. I hope it will be re-opened as soon as possible.”

Councillor Eddie Carrick, Sustainability Portfolio Holder, said: “The Mill Glen was closed last year after a major risk of rockfall onto the path was identified. Signage was erected and an alternative route promoted. Since then there have been some minor rockfalls, an unsafe bridge has come to light and a section of path has become eroded. The section of path has been fenced off and some more substantial signage has recently been erected. We have obtained a quote for carrying out the work required to address these issues and a decision on whether to carry out this work will be taken in the near future. In the meantime the signage advising walkers to ‘keep out’ will remain in place. We regret the inconvenience to walkers but I’m sure everyone will understand that safety is the first priority.”

By Alison Mann

Picture By Andrew Whiteman


real life

PRISONSTORIES

WARNING: EXPLICIT MATERIAL

ISSUE 3 OUT NOW!Pick up your copy at a selected retailer near you!

“I have never met anyone who has ben-efitted from a long time in Prison, some may say Jimmy Boyle, but not me.The youth of today are not scared of prison, they should be. They should take note that Prisons would not be there if there were no prisoners, so it is not in the long-term interests of the keepers within the walls to rehabilitate. Their careers depend on you coming back time after time.The answer to not getting caught up in this web …… is simply to keep out of prison. The following story is as good a reason as any to steer away from a life in prison.Physical and mental brutality have al-ways been tools of the Prison System. Nowadays, due to the introduction of phone access in prisons, there is less physical brutality used.... in the 70’s you could be beaten up, threw in the digger (solitary confinement) and no-body would know or even see you for weeks on end. Nowadays, the legal landlines and the smuggled mobile phones would allow your friends to contact your family immediately, bring-ing accountability into the frame..... Therefore, there is less physical brutal-ity . . . they’re scared of getting done for it now.I always have a little laugh when the press portray smuggled mobile phones as a tool for crime lords to keep run-ning their empires from their cells, fact is, they should be allowed, as their are many, many benefits in being able to talk with your family and friends when it is needed.I remember many years ago (before phone access) when I was waiting on a visit from my family on a Saturday after-noon. They never arrived, nobody likes when their visit doesn’t turn up, always puts you on a downer. This time there was a twist; one of the guys from my area in who had a visit came back from his visit and told me his visitors had told him that my Ma and Da’s house in Govan was burned to the ground.Visits at the weekend finish at 3.30, and lock-down on a Saturday was 4pm, there are no social workers available at the weekends, so there I was ex-plaining the circum-stances to a PO (principal officer, the guy in charge of the hall) and asking him what he could do to let me know what was happen-

ing.Now PO’s are histori-cally the most uncar-ing ‘seen and heard it all before’ folk in the prison system, so I knew I was struggling to get a response, this guys priority was to get everyone behind their

doors in the next 15 minutes and let his staff get over to the Social Club, my burnt down house was of little interest to him.So I was shepherded into my cell at 4pm with a promise of “leave it with me”.I paced up and down for an hour be-fore I couldn’t contain myself anymore. In this ancient hall that I was in there were no emergency bells to press. There was a button to press and it made a little metal flag outside your door fall over.... it was noiseless and it was dependant on the screw doing his rounds noticing that it was ‘’flagged’’. I flagged it at 5pm.By 6pm nobody had appeared so I resorted to the old fashioned time served way of getting there attention and started kicking my door. Within 5 minutes the screw appeared, I told him the circumstances through the door and he said he would go and see what he could find out. I knew nothing was happening but decided to give him an hour. When he never got back after an hour I began smashing my cell furniture up and the cell windows up, a couple of minutes later my next door neighbour joined in, then a guy above me. This is what happens in prison, there are so many people sitting around with un-derlying tensions that when something happens, a chain reaction normally fol-lows. Of course they noticed this ‘flag’ and within five minutes there was a security squad assembled. All in all, 13 guys smashed up their cells that night. Eventually, a screw made a per-sonal phone call to my family and I was informed that their had been a fire, everyone was in hospital with smoke inhalation problems, but they were all fine. Now why couldn’t they have just done that in the first place?So, in this case, and many others, the phone would have been invaluable.The 13 of us all got 14 days in the Dig-ger and fined 4 weeks wages (£16).This attitude in the jail was nothing new to me. I had it drummed into me

many years before that the staff didn’t care, and it was un-derstandable. For many people, espe-cially victims, and potential victims of crime, prison is seen as only punish-ment and incarcera-tion. This is echoed in the view of the

Government in the shortage of fund-ing to rehabilitate those that can be rehabilitated. There is certainly a view from the authorities that “lock ‘em up and throw away the key’’ is the way to do it. If there is money to spend, then it’ll be spent on the voters who haven’t broken the law.So brutality existed. We accept it readily when seen in a documentary or movie, but still don’t seem to class it as real when it happens right on our doorstep. It existed for me, and this wee tale isn’t a Jimmy Boyle story, or a fight like Joe Steele’s which were extraordinary. This was a matter of fact way of doing time for a lot of guys who ended up in the jail at this time.Every single prison I was in from 1975 to 1990 I sampled the Digger, the solitary confinement cells. I was in Longriggend Schoolboys, well before I was 16 – in the Digger. I was in Barlinnie, many years before I was 21 – in the Digger. When I got sent to Glenochil Deten-tion Centre (the Short Sharp Shock) I was in the Digger, Polmont Borstal – the Digger, Glenochil Young Offenders – the Digger, Perth Prison – in the Digger, and I’ll tell you this (did I just sound like Rab C Nesbitt there?!) – every single time, bar none – the screws hit me first.The thing that struck me (apart from them) time after time was how normal these guys seemed. They would always want to talk to me after it as if nothing had really happened.Borstal was one that sticks in my mind, my first day in Ally-Cally (the Allocation Hall), I was taken into the Governors Office. You stand in front of the Gov-ernor facing him and a screw stands on either side of you facing towards the side of my head in an intimidating stand. The Governor tells the the ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ of the prison. At one point I answered a question and never fin-ished the sentence with the word “Sir” ... WALLOP, I’d been rabbit punched on the side of the head for not saying Sir!! I reacted instinctively and next thing I knew there were about 5 of them all jumping on top of me, I had only been in the place for about 30 minutes ... And nobody had told me that you had to say Sir.The thing that made this occasion so dif-ferent was that the screws all wore civil-ian clothes – it was surreal. Can mind wee Alex Sharp from

Ruchill, who jumped in to hander me saying later on that it was like getting battered by all your Da’s pals fae the pub, because of all their tweed jack-ets.I was there for about 3 months before I was sentenced for something else which overrode the borstal sentence and it was off to Glenochil Young Of-fenders to start a 2 year sentence. In these days, you done 2/3rds of the sentence. I completed the full 2 years, it was just one confrontation after an-other, digger, hall, digger, hall. The last 14 weeks of this was spent in Solitary, I was then let back up into the hall with

2 days to go and then ‘kicked’ out. A few month later I was back in Perth Prison doing the big one this time. Now, the Digger in Perth is like no other Digger in the country. It’s called The Spiral. It’s a circular hole in the bottom landing of the hall. On the first landing there is a gi-ant cog-wheel that in the olden days a chain was attached to, which pulled a metal plate up to reveal the hole.

Thankfully they had done away with this part – but the spiral staircase re-mained, still there, leading down to the most ancient solitary confinement I have ever seen, you were on your own here, underneath the halls. Total isola-tion. This was no mattress, no clothes, no sound – you slept on the floor and depending on the mood of the Digger Screws, you ate and drank when they decided. I Yo-Yo’d between the Spiral and the normal digger (yep, there’s a normal digger as well) for about a year, gave it the worx, hunger strikes (could never last more than 2 days on these) dirty protests (the free-est I ever felt in-side, but that’s another story) and my wee pal . . . Constant Boredom.It all ended when a new Governor de-cided to give me a fresh start back in the mainstream. I started to listen to people and taking advice and got my head down and done my time, but looking back now years later, if I was any one of those screws I would have possibly played it so differently and

maybe have went home after the shift thinking he’d made a difference, rather than the “I showed him’’ stance.Now I’ve done a lot of soul-searching over the years, you can’t beat 5 or 6 thousand nights staring at a prison cell ceiling for a bit of introspection. I’ve blamed the world, twice over, for my situations, until one day i woke up and was just all blamed out and realised there was only one guy to blame for me - and that was me. Probably around about 24 or 25 at that time, and from that day on I have never looked back, worked away with the main aim on get-ting released. It took me another 10 years but I got there and I have enjoyed waking up every day outside since then, and still do – I have never tired of ‘out here’ to this day and I still appreci-ate every minute of every day.

But even with all this acceptance of re-sponsibility, and with not a lot of time for psychologists (I think every psychy needs one). I do look back almost 30 years later and look at that period of my life. I was never a violent man, I was in prison for stealing, mostly cars. The violence only occurred after I went to prison. In that 3 year period of Deten-tion Centre, Borstal, Glenochil YO’s (all 3 of which have been scrapheaped, there is no detention now, deemed not to work, borstals have been scrapped, deemed not to be working, Glenochil YO’s – scrapped and made into cons). In that 3 year period, the last 3 months of which was in solitary then papped straight onto civvy street where in the next 3 months I was back in prison with a trail of 2 people dead and another 4 people nearly dead behind me. Shortly after this and up until now, I have rarely, if ever, had an angry moment. So even in accepting full responsibility for my actions, did the brutality and solitary affect my actions and could it have been all so different? Who knows now, as the Queen song quoted at the beginning, says at the end ......

Nothing really matters to me .... now”

BLAME & BRUTALITY

Mama just killed a man Put a gun against his head Pulled my trigger, now he’s dead Mama, life has just begun But now I’ve gone and thrown it all away

Following on from last week’s prison story, here is the next story in the series, again, this story’s and the rest in the series will be a collection of real life prison stories from someone who started a life sentence when he was only a young man.These will be factual, real and sometimes upsetting, but I believe it’s the only way that they can be told. Sit back and learn, hopefully reading these true life events will tell the youth of today that prison is not a place you want to be.

GLASGOW’S STREETSISSUE 3 £2

Life of asmack addictpt.3

IAN BLINK MCDONALDIAN BLINK MCDONALD

STEWARTBOYDsTEWARTBOYD

YouthAPPROVED SCHOOL

YouthAPPROVEDSCHOOL

Life of asmack addictpt.3

STUARTGAIRSTUARTGAIR

Readers Feedback / Prison Story WARNINGEXPLICIT MATERIAL

From the author of Underbelly

weecounty Friday 23.09.11 15Schools

Alloa Academy NotesInter-House competitionCongratulations to pupils in Bruce House who have won this week’s Inter-House competition and gained 15 points for the House. Schaw were in second place gaining 10 points with Erskine in third place gaining five House points. 2B2 and 3S2 topped the Merit list for last week – well done to all in both those classes.

AchievementsCongratulations to Lewis Waddell of 5B1 who has been selected to be part of the British Wrestling Team taking part in an international tournament in Lithuania in October.

Maths Challenge Awards were presented at Wednesday’s S3 Assembly. Congratulations to all who took part and especially to Angus Boyd 3S2 who won a Gold level certificate; Cameron Chalmers and Edgar Lugo and Rebecca Devine who won silver certificates and Courtney Hunter, Rebecca Hay, Lorna Smith, Ellie Poskitt, Mairi MacKinnon, Lois Boa and Angus Boyd 3E1 and who won Bronze certificates.

Our swimmers were also in action on Friday of last week and brought a great haul of medals back with them – special mentions

go to Marc Miller, David Frew and Natasja Morison of S1 and David Wilson of S2 who were taking part for Alloa Academy for the first time.

Congratulations are also due to Chloe Kenny of 1B1 who won the final against Amy Alexander of 2S2 in the final of the Wee County Bowling championship.

S1 Hockey Tournament

After a block of hockey skill training, all S1 pupils competed in an Inter-House tournament. Each class fielded four teams against the other classes and the final result was an overall win for 1E2. All S1 pupils deserve congratulations for their participation – their enjoyment of the tournament was plain to see. S1 PE now moves on to athletics, where pupils will work in small groups, recording their performance in a variety of jumping, running and throwing events. The collected data will be used in Maths and pupils will calculate performance scores for a pentathlon. Certificates for performance will be awarded at assemblies in October.

UCASA session for S5/6 students on using the

UCAS application system was held last Friday. It was extremely informative and students have been set various deadlines for completion of the application forms and the drafts of personal statements. House Captain ElectionsCandidates for the role of House captain have been presenting to their Houses this week. Voting takes place at the end of the assembly and an announcement re the successful candidates will be made before close of school on Friday of this week.

NewsletterThe September edition of the school Newsletter is now ready to be accessed on the school website. The newsletter contains a variety of information and reports about

the school as well as several photographs. Should you be unable to access it via the school website, please call into the school where paper copies will be available.

Late proceduresThe number of latecomers to school in the morning and after lunch is still of great concern to us. Building the habit of punctuality is important for school and for later life. Pupils should be in school in the morning by 8.38 when a warning bell rings. After lunch the warning bell will ring at 1.18 pm and pupils must be at their afternoon classes for a 1.20 pm start. Where pupils are late twice in one week parents will be group-called to alert them to this. If lateness builds up a letter will be sent to inform parents and ask for their support.

Alva Academy NewsHead of HousesAs a result of the long term absence of Mrs H. Campbell, the new heads of each house are as follows:

Falcon House- Mrs NicholsonHarrier House – Miss Grant (Mon-Wed) and Mr Alexander (Thurs-Fri)Kestrel House – Mr McDowalMerlin House- Mr BradburryOsprey House- Mrs McEwen

Parents are welcome to phone the appropriate guidance teacher at anytime.

Information Open SessionThere will be an Open Session at Alva Academy on Thursday 29thSeptember which will give parents of future pupils a brief taste of theschool in action. The open session will start at 11.00am with a brief introductory talk which will cover the arrangements in place to support your child’s transfer to Alva Academy. This will be followed by a guided tour of the school with the opportunity to view a range of the work that current pupils are engaged in.

Lawrence AllanCongratulations to S6 pupil Lawrence Allan for becoming the captain of the Scottish Schools under 18’s team. He has also had more national success, becoming a part of the Scottish boy’s elite squad. Locally he has become the youngest ever player to defend the County Match Play and Stroke Play. Both these events were at men’s levels which was a brilliant achievement.This year Lawrence has also represented Scotland at the Fairheaven Trophy inEngland. Lawrence completed this tournament as the highest placed Scot. By the end of the year Lawrence’s goals are to be chosen for Scotland’s elite squad again and also to beat England with the Scottish Schools team. Good luck to Lawrence with the remainder of the season and in the future.

Cameron McCorgaryIn this year’s athletics track and field season S2 pupil Cameron McCorgary has participated in a number of events and broken some of his personal records. At the Presidents Select meeting this year Cameron won the high jump competition achieving a new personal best of 1:52. He also came second in the 100 metres event at the same meet with a time of 13:72. In the Scottish Championships this year Cameron was 3rd in the high jump and 4th in the long jump. This is a good achievement as he was competing against the top athletes in the country. The indoor season is starting soon and Cameron intends to focus on that this year instead of running cross country. We wish Cameron all the best and hope that he has another successful year.

Maths Challenge winners

Friday 23.09.11 16 Friday 23.09.11 17

Scot FestThe event, held on Saturday (September 18)

showed of the wonderful food available to buy in Scotland, while also offering various stalls and activities to attendees.

There were many tempting treats on offer including Hillfoots Country Butchers who brought a range of fresh meat and Choc and Cheese who offered tasty chocolates and cheese.

There was a chocolate fountain brought by Threapwood Fayre, delicious fudge from Galloway Fudge Company and traditional stovies from The Cowboy Stovies Company,

amongst many other exhibitors. Entertainment was provided by Scottish music experts, Clanadonia who certainly livened up proceedings with their loud drums and tartan robes.Scot Fest was also enjoyable for craft lovers who enjoyed learning from Scottish artists and talented crafts men and women.

The Scot Fest Encampment let visitors sample what life would have been like 1000 years ago, showing off cooking, sewing and weaving from days gone by.

People from Clackmannanshire and beyond flocked to Alva to attend the annual Scot Fest.

By Alison Mann

Friday 23.09.11 16 Friday 23.09.11 17

Scot FestThe event, held on Saturday (September 18)

showed of the wonderful food available to buy in Scotland, while also offering various stalls and activities to attendees.

There were many tempting treats on offer including Hillfoots Country Butchers who brought a range of fresh meat and Choc and Cheese who offered tasty chocolates and cheese.

There was a chocolate fountain brought by Threapwood Fayre, delicious fudge from Galloway Fudge Company and traditional stovies from The Cowboy Stovies Company,

amongst many other exhibitors. Entertainment was provided by Scottish music experts, Clanadonia who certainly livened up proceedings with their loud drums and tartan robes.Scot Fest was also enjoyable for craft lovers who enjoyed learning from Scottish artists and talented crafts men and women.

The Scot Fest Encampment let visitors sample what life would have been like 1000 years ago, showing off cooking, sewing and weaving from days gone by.

People from Clackmannanshire and beyond flocked to Alva to attend the annual Scot Fest.

By Alison Mann


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ALLOAAlloa Spiritualist’s: The medium on Sunday was Isobet Patel from Denny. There were 26 people present and seven messages were given. Her talk was in the perception of the Spirit world. This week’s medium will be Ricky Arthur from Paisley in the OAP Hall, Erskine Street, Alloa at 6.30pm.

Alloa Bridge Club: Latest results – N/S 1 David and Kit Gow, Dorothy Coulter, 3 Moira Bain and Christine Wallace. E/W 1 Helen O’Brein and Pam Scholley, 2 Eric Howman and Jimmy Hamilton, 3 George and Tom Boyle.

Charity Family Ceilidh: A charity ceilidh is being held in Alloa Town Hall on Friday, October 7, 7.30pm – 11.30pm. Monies raised in aid of Chest heart and Stroke (Scotland). Dancing to the ‘Furry Boots Ceilidh Band’ led by Clackmannan fiddler Dave Sinclair. A great night to be had by all. Bring your own refreshments and nibbles. Tickets cost £8 from Donald Cowan on 0771 475 6274.

St Mungo’s Parish Church of Scotland: The concert in aid of Diabetes Scotland took place in St Mungo’s on Saturday evening and proved very popular with the large attendance of members and friends. This Sunday is Harvest Thanksgiving and following the service a light lunch will be served in the church. Donations of produce can be handed into the church between 2pm and 4pm on Saturday. Proceeds to Christain Aid.

Alloa Carers Centre: Alloa Carers Centre is working with Community House and has a weekly coffee morning at Community House, 23 Maree Court on Mondays between 10am and noon. All cares welcome.

Yoga Classes: Classes meet on Tuesday evenings from 7pm to 8.30pm at the OAP Welfare Hall, Erskine Street, Alloa. For further information contact Betsy on 01259 213096 or 07855 185 058.

ALVAAlva Bridge Club: Latest results – N/S 1 S C Hopkins and A Smith +4920, 2 J King and E Coales +3610, 3 D Coulter and A Moore +3420, K Ross and I Young +2190. E/W 1 J Forbes and L Hamill -1140, 2 A Frost and A Paterson -1160, 3 B Huntley and M McLeod -1800, 4 H McKillop and T Cervi -1850.

Darby and Joan Club: The President welcomed members to their weekly game of dominoes and whist. Domino result – 1 Mrs M Turner, 2 Mr W Emslie, consolation Mrs M Peggie. Whist result – 1 lady Mrs G Diamant, consolation Mrs I Fayall. 1 gent Mr M McGhee, consolation Mr G Burt. New members will be made welcome every Wednesday at 1.45pm.

Alva Games Bingo Tea: The first prize bingo tea of the new season will be held on Wednesday, September 28 at 7.30pm in St John Vianney Church Hall, East Stirling Street, Alva. All welcome.

Age Concern: The next meeting of whist and dominoes will be held on Thursday, September 22 in Alva Parish Church Hall at 2pm. All members and any non-members welcome.

Community Notice Board: The noticeboard is situated outside the CAP/library. Groups and individuals and ‘not for profit’ organisations can advertise activities and display posters here. Anyone wishing to use this facility please see the noticeboard for further details.

Alva Scottish Country Dance Class: The class meet in the dance studio at Alva Academy on Monday evenings from 7pm to 8.30pm. New members welcome.

CLACKMANNANClackmannan Primary Parent Council: The Council are holding a car boot sale on Saturday, October 1 from 10am to noon in the school car park. Cost £5 per car. To book a space contact 07771991805 or [email protected]

Chill Out Group: A Chill Out Group for carers starts Friday, September 30 in Clackmannan Health Centre from 1pm to 3pm. All carers welcome. Telephone 219288 for more information.

Clackmannan Parish Church: Sunday 25 – Worship at 11am – Thanksgiving Service marking the 25th Anniversary of the opening of the Bruce Memorial Hall. Tuesday 27 at 10am a coffee morning in the church hall. Wesnesday 28 – In BMH the choir practice at 6.45pm and Prayer Group at 8pm. The Guild is celebrating its 115th anniversary this year and to mark the occasion a special service will be held in the church on October 3 at 7pm. The church is embarking on a new venture – a church thrift shop – its doors will be open on Friday, October 7 – mark the date in your diary. For more information visit the church website at www.clackmannankirk.org. Anyone requiring the services of the minister should contact Rev. Scott Raby on 01259 211255.

Beginners Piliates: Beginners Pilates will be held every Sunday at 6pm to 7pm in Clackmannan Town Hall. To book contact Lorna on 07533 173 335.

Yoga Class: Yoga classes in Clackmannan Town Hall on Tuesdays at 1pm to 2.30pm. Details from June Mercer on 07835 835 919 or e-mail [email protected].

COALSNAUGHTONCoalsnaughton Burns Club: Cash bingo every Monday in the lounge. Contact Cliff on 01259 750517 for details. Eyes down at 8.15pm, finished by 9.45pm.

Fruit Barra: The Coalsnaughton Fruit Barra is open in Coalsnaughton Village Hall from Monday to Friday, 10am until 5pm. Everyone is welcome to enjoy a cuppa at Coalsnaughton’s Community Cafe Society. If you have an hour or two to spare to help, please call into the hall. Telephone 01259 759099.

DOLLAR Dollar SWRI: The next meeting of the institute will be on Monday, October 3 at 7.30pm in the Civic Centre. The will be speaking on colour therapy and jewellery. Competitions: 1 colourful scarf. 2 small autumn arrangement.

Dollar Parish Church: This Sunday, September 25 the service of Harvest

Thanksgiving at Dollar Parish Church will be led by Rev. Alan Ward. The service will also include the Sacrament of Baptism. There will be retiring collections on both September 25 at October 2 for Christian Aid’s Emergency Appeal. On Saturday, September 24, the Flower Group will be preparing the church for the Harvest Thanksgiving Service on Sunday, September 25. If you are free and would like to join them, they will be in the church from 10am. Tea, coffee and biscuits will also be included. Your help will be much appreciated. Tuesday September 27: Praise and Prayer Meeting at 7.30pm to 8.30pm in the Old Schoolhouse, Dollar. Go and join them to sing some of your favourite hymns and to have the silence to pray for your church, your community, family and friends, for children’s work and schools and for the mission work of the church. Contact Trisha Tilly 01259 742473.

Dollar Bridge Club: The results of the bridge session held on Thursday, September 15 were as follows – N/S: 1 M F Thornber and T Sommerville (1710); 2 A Ross and L Sommerville (1450); 3 K Gow and D Gow (1140). E/W: 1 K Ross and E Howman (900); 2 J Griffiths and D Thornber (-10); 3 J Stewart and K Anderson (-860).

FISHCROSSCharity Shop: The Cats Protection charity shop in Alloa Road, Fishcross, is open on Saturday from 1pm to 4pm and Sunday from 1pm to 4pm selling good second hand clothing, bric-a-brac, books and new goods.

Wee County walkers: Why not join in the free walks led by Wee County Walkers? Become fitter as you enjoy and easy interesting walk. No need to book. Meet us in the car park beside Cats’ Protection just before 2pm on Tuesday. Back in time to meet the children coming out of school. Walks are suitable for all ages and abilities. Find out about local history as we walk. Put on comfortable footwear, dress for the weather and enjoy. Short, safe walks open to everyone. Contact Jane on 01259 290316 or 07825 052677.

KINCARDINEScottish Country Dance Class: As in previous years there are three free introductory classes to encourage new members. They are principally meant for beginners or those who haven’t danced for a number of years giving them the chance to try it out prior to the main classes starting. These will be held in the church hall on Wednesday evenings from 8pm to 9.30pm today September 21 and 28 and October 5. The classes properly begin on Wednesday, October 12 for a 10 week session before Christmas. So if you are free on a Wednesday evening please do go along and give it a try.

MENSTRIE Menstrie Parish Church: The minister spoke to the children about Jonah who tried to run away from God. God’s love is for everyone, all we have to do is

believe in Jesus. The role of the church is to tell others about Jesus, the one who can change people’s live. Children’s Club this Saturday, September 24 from 2.30pm till 4pm – Lilian and Janet invite children of Primary school age to join in the fun. Bruce Davies Concert is on Friday, September 30 at 7.30pm in the church. Tickets £5 are available from Margaret Perry.

Menstrie Parish Church Guild: The Guild Dedication Service takes place on Sunday, September 25 at 11am. Meetings resume on Tuesday, September 27 in Rooms two and three when they are having a film presentation entitled Bygone Days by Gordon and Edna Crawford. This will be followed by a short quiz. The Guild look forward to welcoming existing and new members. The Guild are looking forward to attending the Falkirk Bohemian production of Calamity Jane in Falkirk Town Hall on Tuesday, October 25. The cost is £14 for ticket and transport. This should be paid on the opening night or as soon after as possible to Mrs Edna Crawford.

MUCKHARTMuckhart Horticultural Society: The AGM of the society will be held on Wednesday, September 28 at 7.30pm where the prize winners can collect their cups which will have their name engraved on and they can take them home to be returned to show committee before the 126th show on August 25 2012.

Muckhart Quilters: The group meet on the first Tuesday of each month in the Coronation Hall from 7pm to 9pm. New members always welcome. Contact Mavis 781473 or Sue 743226.

SAUCHIESauchie and Fishcross U F ChurchCommunion Services took place last Sunday. In the morning, Rev Graham Brown spoke on “How to Overcome the Problem of Scepticism and Doubt”. Ronnie Bingham read part of John chapter 6. In the evening, the minister spoke on “Giving Thanks ?” The reading from Luke chapter 17 was brought by Janet Doran.

The Women’s Association Opening Tea takes place on Thursday at 2.15 p.m. The Bible Study and Prayer Meeting follows at 7 p.m. with the Choir Practice at 8.10 p.m.

The Friday Club for Kids (Leo Club) meets on Friday from 6 until 7.30 p.m. All children at Primary School are welcome.

A Coffee Morning, organised by the Friends of the new hospital in Sauchie will be held in the church hall from 10 a.m. until 12 Noon. All welcome to attend.

On Sunday, Harvest Thanksgiving Services will take place at 11 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. The Kites Group (for children) meets at 11 a.m. Children come into church for 11 a.m. and go out to the hall around 11.15 a.m. Children are invited to bring along fruit and flowers. There will be a Harvest Offering for “Mary’s Meals.”

The Men’s Fellowship meets on Monday at 2 pm when Ian Sherring from

Auchterarder will be the speaker. Sauchie Community Group: The group are having a coffee morning in Saturday, September 24 in Sauchie Resource Centre at 10am to noon. Tickets £2, call 01259 725337.

Sauchie Nursery School: In October this year Sauchie Nursery School will be celebrating its 40th birthday. The nursery would be grateful for any photos or memorabilia to help staff to put on a display. All items will be looked after and returned to owners. As part of the community it is the nursery’s intention to hold an open evening to which past, present and future people related to the nursery will be more than welcome to attend. Further information will follow regarding details. Thank you for your support.

TILLICOULTRYTillicoultry Bridge Club: Latest results N/S 1 George Smith and Alan Roberts +2310, 2 Alex Anderson and Jutta Griffiths +1890, 3 Helen McKillop and Tom Sommerville +1500. E/W 1 Jean Stewart and Dorothy Coulter +950, 2 David Gow and John McGowan +140, 3 Liz Duncan and Winnie McDermott -390.

Tillocoultry Parish Church: Sunday, September 25 – Back To Church Sunday. All members are invited to join the church for services at 9am or 10.30am. This is an opportunity for those who may not have attended church for some time. Tea and coffee from Fair Trade will be served between services and at the close of worship. An ideal opportunity to catch up with old friends. The 10.30am service will include Boy’s Brigade and Girl’s Brigade enrolment.

TULLIBODYSt Serfs Church: A soup and roll lunch will be held in the church hall, Menstrie Road on Saturday, September 24 from noon until 1.30pm. Price £2.50, everybody welcome.

Tullibody History Group: The group meet on Thursday, September 29 at 7.30pm in the Heritage Centre in Abercromby Place. There will be a talk by the chairperson, Chris Calder on Tullibody old and new. Members and non-members are welcome. There is a nominal charge of £1 for members, £3.50 for non members. Tea, coffee are served following the talk.

Tullibody and Cambus Girlguiding: To join the leadership team contact Ann-Margaret on 07908 252104, or Girlguiding Clackmannanshire on 01259 211318.

Tullibody Healthy Living’s ‘Friday Night Takeaway’ is a free event for local young people aged 12 - 25 years. The event will take place on Friday 30th September, 6.30pm - 9pm at Tullibody Civic Centre. As well as providing a healthier option takeaway there will be lots of activities to take part such as Zumba, Graffiti Art and a Smoothie Bike. Young Scot will be there so if you would like to apply for a Young Scot Card please bring I.D on the night. For more information please call 01259 724374 or pop into our office 13 Tron Court, Tullibody.

What’s on in your weecounty


Q’s Views!

The Wee County is pleased to have the infamous‘Q, from Airdrie’ writing for the Entertainment Pages, to give you all some comic relief. As a regular contributor to the Glasgow Metro newspaper, and a regular in the comedy scene in Glasgow and Edinburgh, Q has given the Wee County an exclusive column, which we are sure will have you wanting for more in the next edition of the Wee County!

weecounty Entertainment

CROSSWORD SUDOKU

DODGY PICTURE

Have you got any dodgy pictures that you would like to add to our ‘Dodgy picture hall of shame’?Then send them in and the next dodgy picture mightbe yours in a future issue of the hub for everyone to see! [email protected]

ROBIN HOOD COMES TO AIRDRIE

By the time you read this edition of Q’s Views, I will be happily married to Claire. We have had some lovely gifts so far from friends and relations from all over the world- places such as Canada, Australia, Ireland, and of course Airdrie.

But the most unusual gift came from my mate Des, which came all the way from Namibia. Des got us, wait for it…a Namibian Huntsman’s Kit.

This consisted of a small bow, 5 small arrows, and a set

of sticks which if you rub them together will start a fire.

I thought it was an absolutely beautiful gift, and decided to hang it on my wall right after I showed it to my dad, who loves this kind of thing.

- “That doesn’t really work,

does it?” enquired my dad. Which was fair enough; being from Baillieston, he was familiar with weapons.

- “Not sure,” I replied “There’s only one way to find out”.

So out we went to his back garden as my 3-year old niece Ciara looked on excitedly from inside the house. I pointed placed an arrow in the bow, gently pulled the string, and pointed at a tree.

I thought that to fire the arrow a long distance, you would have to pull the bow back quite far. I was proven wrong as the arrow shot away faster than Sebastian Vettel, missing the tree and hurtling through the bushes! Yes, Des had sent us a deadly weapon.

Thankfully nobody was hurt, and the neighbour whose fence the arrow was embedded in laughed as I meekly asked “Excuse me, could I have my arrow back please”. Ciara, however, was not impressed as she wanted a turn with the bow and arrow too.

When the Namibian hunter made the bow and arrow, I don’t think he ever thought it would end up in Airdrie.

DUNCAN BANNATYNEOf all the members of

Dragon’s Den to threaten, Russian gangsters picked the wrong one when they threatened Duncan Bannatyne.

The fact he is from Clydebank should have served as a warning, but what do they know?

In case you haven’t heard, Russian gangsters sent Bannatyne a message on Twitter stating that unless he gave them a large sum of money, they would harm his daughter.

Bannatyne offered the same sum of money to anyone who had these men arrested, and offered a “bonus” if they broke their arms.

People have criticised

Bannatyne, with one person asking “Doesn’t he realise this could antagonise nutters into violent actions”.

Of course he does; that’s why he did it. I don’t condone violence, but when gangsters threaten a man’s daughter, then they deserve all that’s coming to them. I hope he gets a knighthood.

Incidentally, if you are in business and owe one of Bannatyne’s businesses any unpaid invoices, now might be a good time to pay up.

AND FINALLYComedian Johnny Marbles

was sentenced to 6 weeks in prison for trying to hit Rupert Murdoch with a foam pie and shouting “Take that you naughty billionaire”.

Whilst his antics were pretty dumb, it alarms me that he’ll do more time in prison than your average ned. Or anyone involved in this News of the World phone hacking scandal.

Across1. Danger (5)4. Percussion instrument (7)8. Deliberated (7)9. Molten rock (5)10. Marine mollusks (7)12. Similar (5)13. Martial art (4,2)15. Rigorous (6)18. Assumed name (5)19. Accumulated (7)21. Similar to a giraffe (5)22. Dizziness (7)24. Perpetual (7)25. Book of maps (5)

Down1. Security device (7)2. Bone (3)3. Supple (5)4. Plain (6)5. Fortification (7)6. Enlarges (9)7. Astound (5)11. Consortium (9)14. Mode (7)16. Irksome (7)17. Wonder (6)18. Repent (5)20. Artery (5)23. Unwell (3)

DODGY PARKING

We are on the prowl to find the Wee County’s dodgy parkers but we need your help! Unfortunately, we cannot do this campaign on our own – so please send in your dodgy parking pictures to [email protected]. Does one of your colleagues suffer from dodgyparkingitis? If so, take a picture of the evidence and send it to us! Don’t worry, all identities will be protected and vehicle registrations blanked out.This is all in the name of good fun, and in no way are we personally attacking any individual or group.

Anne is a Spiritualist Medium, Tarot reader and a Reiki Master & available for private consultation, healings and church services

contact, ANNE on 07506723569 Email [email protected] or visit www.angelanne.co.uk

Your Horoscope Predictions

By Anne SmithAries (21 March - 20 April)

Taurus (21 April - 21 May)

Gemini (22 May - 21 June)

Cancer (22 June - 23 July)

Leo (24 July - 23 Aug)

Virgo (24 Aug - 23 Sept)

Libra (24 Sept - 23 Oct)

Scorpio (24 Oct - 22 Nov)

(23 Nov - 21 Dec)

Capricorn (22 Dec - 20 Jan)

Aquarius (21 Jan - 19 Feb)

Pisces (20 Feb - 20 Mar)

air as we head into October but this does

sign you prefer the warmth, but a good brisk walk will help to blow away the cobwebs of your mind to bring in clarity and stop you becoming a hurricane with

As winter draws every closer you retreat inward to the warmth of

it is important to stay focused on goals you set yourself in August as things could go of course if you allow complacency to set in. Try to keep

There may be trouble ahead for those of you who are trying to please all of

can do for others. Time to stop and ask yourself “where am I going” is this really

stop and re-think who wants what and

You have achieved much in the last few months and if you keep your unwavering thoughts, feelings and

you will make your mark. A very determined phase is coming to an end

Love, harmony, partnerships, security,

cleared the debris form your mind,

Victory against the odds, everything now has purpose as you charge ahead making changes around work and home, a well-earned rest. All of this took a lot of hard work so try to plan

People think you are so easy going, here to listen to their problems and worries, however someone is taking advantage of your good nature so assert yourself as you are stronger than you think and your strength assures a happy outcome.

late but as the sun prepares to move onto your own house you will feel elated and much happier than you

up in the air, this is only a temporary phase and all of your endeavours will

of you who have been over indulging need to re-address the balance as all play and no work will sure bring in

put your hearts true desire’s into

it takes you and do you know how good you will feel as you suddenly follow your heart and not that head of your for once.

Who gave you the power to judge

all judgments about yourself and others and focus on truth and love that is within you as well as others, you will feel calmer and more at

you, so how do you get away from

nearby where you can be by yourself, preferably near water and allow the energy of that place to clear away other people’s debris and to re-energise you.

ANGEL ANNE Psychic Medium

Food for the soul

Recently featured in “Pick Me Up” MagazineIs AvailableFor Readings Every Wednesday Day time& Thursday Evenings in Baillieston Glasgow £30 per readingTo book call Anne on 07506723569

Anne’s Spirit Art CardsFor Divination


pet of the week

To submit your pet please send a photo of your pet to [email protected] or post your photo to The Wee County News, Lomond Suite, Ellismuir House, Ellismuir Way, Tannochside Park, Uddingston G71 5PW with your name, your pets name, breed, age and his or her likes and dislikes. * although we will try, we cannot guarantee the return of any photos posted to us.

AGE: She was 10 on 21st August.

Lives: with Margaret Daniels.

Breed: Jack Russell

LIKES: Cuddles, Playing with other dogs.

DISLIKES: Being on her own and cats of course.

Yoda

Head for the isles – ideal short break

The British Isles is much more than mainland Britain and

Ireland. It includes a large number of islands dotted off the mainland. These may not always be bathed in tropical sunshine, but many of them boast picturesque white sandy beaches, gorgeous scenic views and a laid-back island atmosphere.

The Isle of Wight is part of the county of Hampshire and is a well-established summer holiday retreat. The island is just 23 miles wide, but has plenty to entertain visitors on a short break. There are quaint Victorian seaside resorts, scenic walking routes, lush green countryside and pretty villages complete with thatched cottages. There are also several good quality hotels to choose from.

The Scilly Isles are a small group of islands lying 30 miles off the coast of Cornwall and include St Mary’s, St Martin’s, St Agnes, Bryher, Tresco and several uninhabited smaller isles. There you can indulge in a little island hopping thanks to regular boat ferries. Who needs the Caribbean? You can reach the Scilly Isles by ferry, helicopter or by a short flight.

St Mary’s is the largest of the group and makes a good base for exploring

neighbouring islands. St Mary’s has excellent walking and cycling routes along coastal paths and through woodlands, heaths, wetlands, rocky headlands and sand-dunes. While Hugh Town is a lively tourist centre, Old Town Bay has a sheltered beach and a tiny old church that is still lit only by candles for its services.

St Martin’s is an unspoiled beauty spot blessed with stunning views. No cars are allowed on the island to ensure a peaceful family seaside atmosphere. Other than families, the island attracts nature lovers and bird watchers to its wild heathland, which leads down to sandy, sheltered beaches. Boat trips from the island run regularly to the Eastern Isles, home of seal and bird colonies.

On Tresco, the amazing Abbey Gardens, designed using windbreaks and terraces, are described as a perennial Kew without the glass and are home to 20,000 exotic plants. Even at the winter equinox more than 300 plants will be in flower.

On the smaller island of Bryher, you can seek out quiet walks, chill out on sandy beaches and admire the island’s wild flowers and spectacular views.

Jersey in the Channel Islands is the most southerly point in the British Isles, although the islands are governed independently. Being warmed by the Gulf Stream, Jersey has a micro-climate of its own, which is more Mediterranean that British. This allows a great variety of Mediterranean plants to flourish, adding to Jersey’s continental feel. With the addition of golden sandy beaches, crystal clear seas and lush green countryside, Jersey has plenty to offer as a short break destination, reached by a short flight or ferry.

Herm, also in the Channel Islands, is small, just one and a half miles long, but perfectly formed. Its white sandy beaches, clear waters, rolling green countryside and absolutely no cars leads many to the conclusion that Herm is the jewel in the Channel Islands’ crown. Just don’t expect any wild nights out.

If none of those destinations take your fancy, there are the Welsh islands of Anglesey and Caldey or the many beautiful Scottish islands in the Shetland Islands, Orkney Islands, Outer Hebrides, Inner Hebrides and Clyde Islands.

Tresco Abbey - one of the sights of the Scilly Isles


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The top five advantages of home shopping Home shopping is nothing new.

We’ve been getting our stuff delivered to our door for decades; remember when Kays, Freemans and Grattan were all the rage back in the 70s?

Nowadays, catalogue stores are online and you can shop for anything you like in the comfort of your own home, but does it still win out over a trip to the shops? We think so. Here are the top 5 advantages of home shopping.

1. Convenience The shops might close, but the internet

never does; you can browse and order to your heart’s content at all hours of the day and night - even on Boxing Day when the sales start. All this while avoiding the crowds and never having to deal with a pushy sales assistant who pounces on you the minute you get through the door.

2. Transport Home shopping saves you queueing for

hours to find a space in your local multi-storey. No more fiddling around for change for the meter or worrying how you’re going to carry a multitude of bags back to the car: your purchases are delivered right to your door in a matter of days.

3. Price comparison There are search engines dedicated to

finding the best price for whatever item you could dream of, so unless it’s your thing, you can say goodbye to traipsing from shop to shop trying to find the best deal on that must-have item. Try kelkoo.co.uk or pricerunner.co.uk to find the best

deals. Many catalogue shops display reviews of their products too, so you can see what other people thought of them before parting with your cash.

4. Choice Home shopping offers

a choice of items that you simply can’t find in the high street. One catalogue dedicated to doing just that is Kaleidoscope: in addition to stylish fashion that dares to be a little bit different, you’ll find distinctive home and garden products too that you just can’t get at your local Homebase.

If you’re looking for more specialist items, you can browse and buy from abroad, too - just remember to check the cost of delivery and the website’s overseas shipping policy before you buy. Bear in mind also that some items are subject to Customs Duty, Excise Duty or Import VAT if you want to avoid the shock of having to pay the postman for your deliveries. The HMRC website will tell you what items are affected: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/post/buying.htm

5. Try before you buy Of course, you can do this in high street

stores too - but is there anything worse than showing all your lumps and bumps to the world while battling through a session in a cramped, sweaty communal changing room on a busy Saturday afternoon? Most catalogues offer a hassle-free returns system and will give you a certain period of

time - usually 7 or 14 days - to make sure you’re completely happy with your new items.

Home shopping offers so many conveniences over the high street that it’s hard to list them all, but these are some of our favourite plus points. Why not give it a go for your Christmas shopping this year? Featured items from kaleidoscope.co.uk

Lifestyle

Blogging it Getting published used to be a hard thing

to do when print only appeared on paper. Today, the internet has allowed anyone and everyone who fancies themselves as a writer of sorts to post their words, thoughts and knowledge online. The even newer addition of web logging - or blogging for short - brings even greater possibilities for expressing yourself to a mass audience.

Back to basics, a blog is pretty much an online diary, often interactive, that is updated on a regular basis. A blog can include text, images and even sound files. Some bloggers just write for the benefit of long-distance family and friends, while others aim to make a living out of it. The format generally places the most recent blog, or post, at the top and the oldest at the bottom ranging in chronological order.

Blogs can be personal diaries or, more often than not, written on a particular subject area, such as news and entertainment. Or they can be educational, about any kind of hobby, craft or leisure activity.

Most novice bloggers, however, write about what they know and what they are most passionate about in life, whatever that may be. The primary author of a blog, of course, will fuel the content, though visitors should be able to add comments, so if you’re thinking of starting one, you really need to know what you’re talking about. More importantly, you really need to have something to say that will interest other people who may share your passions.

Writing skills and a sense of humour are paramount to blogging and anyone can do it with little technical know-how. You will, however, need to give careful consideration to the type of blog platform to choose - that is the software you use to create your blog and how you get it online.

For beginners who just fancy playing around with blogging for fun, there are many

free blog platforms available. These provide free software to create and host your blog. Different free blogging platforms offer different levels of service. Some, like Blogger.com and WordPress.com, offer both the platform, domain name and hosting for free. Others offer the platform for free and host your blog under their domain name free of charge. Some will require you to pay for certain things, such as creating your own domain name if desired.

Free blog platforms provide you with basic design templates. While these templates suit a beginner, if you want to take your blog to a wider audience and earn money from advertising you will really need to pay a designer to create a more unique template. This, though, can develop in time.

The main benefit of free blog platforms is ease of use. Most design templates can be set up in a matter of minutes and involve only filling in a few details and choosing your design template. Thankfully, you need to know very little about the technical side of the internet. You just need to add a little sparkle with your writing, knowledge or comments in a concise, reader-friendly way.

Blogging means anyone can write for a mass audience

Cross Back Dress

Waterfall Cardigan

Together Print & Jersey Dress

weecounty Friday 23.09.11 23Property

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Wee County News?Call

01698 803 909or email

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Woo-hoo would buy a haunted house?

Spooked: half the population wouldn’t buy a house they thought might be haunted

You might think that phantom fiends and ghostly apparitions

sound a bit far-fetched, but nearly half of us wouldn’t even think of buying a house if it was rumoured to be haunted.

A survey by online estate agency HotProperty.co.uk, found that British home-buyers are a very superstitious bunch. For some home-buyers the prospect of a haunted house is seen as exciting, while others would not even view a property that’s reported to suffer from strange goings-on. As a result, the nation is split over the prospect of a supernatural housemate: almost half of the 540 respondents in the property portal’s poll said they would not buy a house that was rumoured to be haunted. The remainder seem to be perfectly happy to co-habit with a supernatural guest.

Managing director of HotProperty.co.uk Shawn Luetchens says: “I am not sure which is more worrying - that half of UK buyers wouldn’t buy a house that was rumoured to be haunted or that the other half don’t see it as a problem. “This could have implications for sellers who think their house might have an unwanted supernatural guest. It seems it is a Catch 22 whether or not to let prospective buyers know a house

may be haunted. In the end it really comes down to the buyer’s individual beliefs.”

How superstitious you are about haunted property does seem to depend upon where you are living, as a survey by Yorkshire Bank Mortgages reveals. It seems that just seven per cent of Londoners believe that their house may be haunted, compared with 15 per cent of residents in the North East. Buyers in the North West are the most likely to pull out of a “spooked” sale, with 43 per cent saying they would consider withdrawing their offer.

More than twice as many North East residents would consider selling their haunted house than those in the South West, where they’re least likely to sell up and leave their ghostly resident behind.

Spotting faults in a property is something every discerning homebuyer is well aware of but detecting other types of faults could prove harder, says Gary Lumby, Yorkshire Bank’s head of retail. “We all know to look out for damp patches and cracks in the walls when viewing a home, but it could prove a little trickier to spot a supernatural problem with your potential property. Doing your research in the local area can really pay off when it comes to negotiating a sale price.”

Yorkshire Bank’s research found that currently 10 per cent of homeowners think their home is haunted. Interestingly, 79 per cent of people didn’t view sharing their home with a ghostly presence as a reason to sell up.


Q One of my employees has just informed me that she is

expecting- which I took as great news for her. My initial thought was that she was pregnant herself and I would have a good few months before she left for maternity leave. However, it turns out she is adopting and has just found out she will be expecting the baby in the next 6 weeks- what type of maternity leave do I have to oblige to give her? Most companies are relatively clear on the rights of parents who are expecting a child when one of the couple is pregnant. The rights of people who are adopting are newer and so less familiar. Companies may have their own individual adoption policies which give adopting employees additional entitlements but there are some basic rights for people who are adopting.

If an employee qualifies then they can take up to 52 weeks of Statutory Adoption Leave (SAL). This is made up of 26 weeks ordinary adoption leave followed by 26 weeks additional adoption leave.

To qualify for SAL the individual must be your employee, be newly matched with a child by an adoption agency and have worked continuously

for you for at least 26 weeks before the beginning of the week when they are matched with a child.

If your employee meets these criteria and gives the correct notice they can take SAL no matter how many hours they work or how much they are paid. They must give you documentary proof to show that they have the right to this leave which is usually a matching certificate from the adoption agency.

Statutory leave can start either from date the child starts living with the employee or up to 14 days before that expected date. The employee needs to tell you that they want to take SAL within seven days of being told that they have been matched with a child for adoption or, if that is not possible, as soon as possible thereafter.

They must tell you when they expect the child to be placed with them and when they want the period of leave to start. They can change the start date as long as they give you at least 28 days’ notice. Within 28 days of receiving this notice you must tell them the date on which their leave will end. They can return earlier provided that they give you at least eight weeks’ notice.

Only one member of a couple

can take SAL and claim Statutory Adoption Pay. The person not taking adoption leave has similar rights to paternity leave and pay as the partner of a pregnant woman. However, in order to qualify for Additional Paternity Leave (APL) in relation to an adoption it is not enough for your employee to be the partner of

someone matched with the child, they must have also been matched with the child themselves.

A co-adopter could have the right of up to 26 weeks’ APL. This is in addition to the two weeks’ Statutory Paternity Leave they could be entitled to. Additional Paternity Leave can be taken after 20 weeks after the child

starts living with them and must finish before the first anniversary of the child starting to live with them.

Additional Paternity Leave is for a maximum of 26 weeks. If your employee’s partner has returned to work, the leave can be taken between 20 weeks and one year after the child is placed for adoption.

Adoption maternity leave: your rights

Jobs

Business and MoneyEach week, the Wee County News is looking to bring you some good business and money advice that can help.

Find your way to successTelesales ExecutiveAre you looking to make the next move that will put your career on the right path?This is an outstanding oppertunity to join an expanding newspaper group.You will be part of a dynamic and friendly

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A lack of sales experience is not an issue as we pride ourselves on our excellent in-house training.But we will expect you to have excellent communicationskills and the ability to work on your own initiative.

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Send your CV with a covering letter by post or email to:HUB Media LtdScott MocharEllismuir House, Ellismuir Way, Uddingston G71 5PW Tel: 01698 803909 Email: [email protected]

Final part of the short story competitionPage 2Bellshill Park & Ride works begin

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HEATING AND PLUMBING GAS SAFE ENGINEERJob No: ALL/22626SOC Code: 5314Wage £10.00 PER HOURHours 16-40 HRS PER WEEK OVER A 7 DAY ROTA BETWEEN 7AM-5PMLocation ALLOA, CLACKMANNANSHIRE FK10Duration PermanentDate posted 23 August 2011Pension details No details heldDescription Applicants must have a valid gas safe registration and with a full driving licence. A commercial qualification would be an advantage. Duties are working on both commercial and domestic projects, carrying out installation and maintenance plus general tasks as required. Working across central Scotland area. Position will also include a bonus and a wage rise after 6 months. How to apply You can apply for this job by sending a CV/written application to John O’ Malley at Alpha Plumbing Services, [email protected] Alpha Plumbing Services

BANK ChefJob No: ALL/22653SOC Code: 5434Wage £6.72 PER HOURHours As and when required basis - no set working patternLocation Alloa, Clackmannanshire FK10Duration PermanentDate posted 01 September 2011Pension details No details heldDescription Will ideally possess catering experience within a care home environment. Must have basic food hygiene certificate and adhere to health and safety standards. Hours of work are between 8am-6pm over 7 days and able to cover both sickness and holidays as required. Will also be required to cover 6 homes, 4 of which are within a 6 mile radius. Telephone 01259 750703 for a company application form between 9am-4pm only!How to apply You can apply for this job by telephoning 01259 750703 ext 0 and asking for Patricia Mangan.Employer Marchglen Care Centre

Reporter/Trainee ReporterAre you looking to make the next move that will put

your career on the right path? Or perhaps hoping to take that first step into the world of journalism?Hub Media is looking for a talented reporter /trainee reporter to join its team working on the Wee County News, based in Alloa.The successful applicant will be adaptable and able to cover news and sport while bringing exciting ideas to the table. We are looking for an ambitious reporter or graduate with a qualification in journalism, shorthand and knowledge of Scots Law. The ideal candidate will have an excellent news sense and the ability to remain calm while working to a strict deadline.This is an opportunity to join an expanding company

who have a strong portfolio of newspapers across South Lanarkshire, Perthshire and Clackmannanshire. Three papers will be launched from the Alloa office in the very near future and you will play a key part in shaping their content. A car owner would be preferred. Send written applications, including CV and clippings to:Hub Media LtdScott MocharEllismuir House, Ellismuir Way, UddingstonG71 5PWTel: 01698 803909Email: [email protected].


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YOUR GOLDEN TICKETYou Have Won This Ticket

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R.S.V.P. to : Danielle or Kimberley

Requiem MassCelebrating the Life of

Mary Macrae23rd January 1935 - 8th March 2010

Service atSt Thomas' RC Church, Riddrie

Monday 15th March 201010.30am Mass

The family would like to thank relatives and friends for their thoughts and prayers at this sad time

You never said "I'm leaving"You never said goodbye

You were gone before we knew itand only God Knew why.

In Life we loved you dearly.In death we love you still.

In our hearts you hold a place,that no one could ever fill.

You left us peaceful memories,your love is still our guide,

and though we can not see you, you are always at our side.

Our family chain is brokenand nothing seems the same.

But as God calls us one by one,the Chain will link again.

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal;Love leaves a memory no one can steal.

Mr & Mrs Christopher Ferry

would like to invite

......................................................................................

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Before After

Meet Michael O’Hare, proprietor of ATF (Auto Trim Fix), a small family run business that services the needs of clients across

Central Scotland. His services centre on cosmetic repairs to vehicles. Michael (40), a former makeup artist set the business over 3 years ago after working for a larger chain carrying out repair work both internally and externally to vehicles. He was one of the first in Scotland to be trained on this type of work over 15 years ago. His speciality is external work though where as he says,

‘I make scratches vanish with ease.’ His attention to detail and experiences from his previous role ensure that Michael is certainly a cut above the rest when it comes to his workmanship, and it is that attention to detail that has seen him become the preferred supplier to the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes whenever any of their customers cars need repairing. Michael said, ‘I could not have expected things to turn out any better than they have, to be the preferred supplier to the likes of BMW and Mercedes is something special, I mean, these companies always take exceptional care over their customers vehicles and for them to allow me to repair them over their in-house team speaks volumes.’ ATF is now highly sought after and Michael has plans to either franchise the business or take on other talented individuals in the future. He also said, ‘I have this idea that one day I’d like to take on a young apprentice and show them the ropes.’ Alongside working with the prestige motor brands, Michael continues to service his ever expanding personal customer base where most of his business comes from referrals. He commented, ‘I really don’t do too much advertising, only carefully selected marketing strategies are implemented. I am delighted that my name is out there and when people think of vehicle cosmetic repair, they think of Michael O’Hare at ATF.’ Michael also enjoys taking time out to work on restoring old and classic cars, bringing them back to life again, making them look as good today as they did when they first came out of the showroom. The HUB asked him, ‘what is the most expensive car you have worked on,’ to which he replied, ‘a brand new Porsche 911 Turbo, it was days old when the owner managed to scratch the paintwork whilst reversing out of their driveway!’

From mannequins to motors

ATF

full gear shifts take place.

SafetyThe Panamera has everything short of an ejector seat. Brake assist and tyre pressure monitoring systems are fitted as standard. The Panamera also sports an Active Pedestrian System which raises its bonnet in the case of collision. This reduces the risk of injury massively for those on foot while advanced airbag technology enhances safety for the driver and passengers. Airbags surround all seats and, in the case of less serious collisions, only partially deploy to reduce discomfort.

Running CostsThe Panamera quickly depreciates in value and is

in the top two car tax bands depending on the model. This means that on top of large fuel bills, as this is a very thirsty car, you will be paying £425 to £430 a year. This car also costs the environment with the lowest emissions in the series are from the 3.6 V6 model with PDK gearbox but even this costs £245 per annum in tax. Handling/Ride/DriveThis Porsche is quiet in comparison to others but no so quiet that you forget it is a Porsche although the hole in your bank account would hardly let you forget. It has surprisingly responsive and light steering considering the weight and an extremely smooth engine. At five metres long, however, visibility is not good and

depending on your skill, makes for difficult parking.

ToysThe Panamera has a

distinctly family feel to its extras. It offers rear seat entertainment with two display consoles, two multimedia players and two wireless infrared headphones. The touch screens can be connected to separate AV sources such as games consoles. There is a BOSE surround system which is cleverly worked with the BOSE patented Audio Pilot Noise Compensation Technology meaning that volume adapts to the noise outside of the car to ensure a continuous play. Climate control in the Panamera has zonal regulation so that temperature, airflow, volume, speed and direction of air flow can be different in the driver and front passenger seat positions. There is also a carbon filter fitted to trap particles, pollen and odours outside of the cabin.

The Porsche Panamera is the dream car. It is fast, well built and stylish. It is noticeable without being outlandish but it is expensive in the extreme even before you have filled the tank. That is why, for most of us, it will always be a dream and not a reality, or at best we may be able to afford a second hand one (someday).

The closest most of us will get to the Porsche

Panamera is the “Build your Porsche” feature on the website. Doing it this way saves over £60000 and gives you the feeling of being Q in James Bond. It’s close but no cigar. Actually buying the car means you can make full use of the Panamera’s

scope for customisation , so you get just the car you want from a huge choice and you can tell everyone you have a Porsche.

PerformanceThe Panamera is a heavy car but you would not know it. It has an impressively short stopping distance and glides through gear shifts.

The flow of power from the engine is transmitted through one side of the gearbox one clutch at a time while in the second half of the gearbox the next gear is reselected meaning that no


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Road to trouble - couples don’t see eye to eye over driving

Driving each other nuts Next time you and your

partner go out together, it may be a good idea to get a taxi or use public transport rather than the car. According to recent research, put a couple together in a car and the only place they’re likely to drive each other is round the bend.

The survey, by breakdown specialist Green Flag, found that one-in-five people regularly argued with their partner about their driving skills and bad habits.

We’re not too happy about lending our pride and joy to each other either. Women are slightly more trusting than men, with three-quarters saying they would allow their partner to use their car. When it comes to men, only two-thirds would be prepared to hand over the keys.

There is some basis for caution here: one-in-five respondents admitted to having had an accident in their partner’s car.

How bad can the differences become? Well, among the 17 to

24-year-olds, almost one in 10 had broken up with a partner over their car. The figure for all ages is slightly lower, with just three per cent admitting a car was the reason for a relationship break-up.

When it comes to fixing things, half of the women surveyed said they would trust their partner to carry out minor maintenance checks or repairs, yet eight in 10 men said they would never ask their partner for help.

When asked if they have ever stopped to help someone who had broken down, half of men said they had helped, compared with only one-in-five women. Maybe that shows a sensible regard for safety in public, but there is a generational difference too. Older people were more willing to help, with over a third of drivers aged

over 55 having stopped to help someone, whereas only a tenth of the 17 to 24-year-olds surveyed had ever offered to assist.

The advice for helping to maintain a happy relationship would seem to be straightforward then: if you’re going out, especially on a nice romantic date, keep your eyes off the road and your hands off the wheel and leave the car behind.


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01786 472 321 UnleadedTesco Extra - Alloa 130.9pASDA - Alloa - 131.7pMorrisons - Alloa - 131.9Highest – 131.9

DieselTesco Extra - Alloa 134.9pASDA - Alloa - 135.7pMorrisons - Alloa - 135.9Highest – 135.9*Prices correct at time of print Source: petrolprices.com

Fuel Price Round Up

How to: find the right car finance

It may be that you are a City whizz-kid with a nice fat annual

bonus with which to buy a car. You may be of sufficient means to dip into your bank account, or you may have had the foresight to save up the many thousands needed. But for most of us, car buying means borrowing at least some of the sticker price from somewhere.

Traditionally buyers looked for a hire purchase deal from a specialist lender or from the dealer. Typically, after paying an initial deposit, the balance is repaid over 24-60 months.

Until you’ve paid off all you owe, you don’t own the car and cannot sell it without the agreement of the lender. And if you default on

the payments, the lender can repossess the vehicle.

The interest on a hire purchase agreement tends to be fairly low and the deposit is often quite low too, or is covered by the trade-in value of your existing car. But as with any loan you must shop around and find the best deals and avoid excessive interest rates. For this reason it’s important to have your finance sorted out well in advance of actually paying for the car. It’s too easy to be left at the mercy of a dealer’s finance scheme, which is unlikely to be the best around.

Having said that, there are great deals to be had from dealers sometimes, if these suit you. It’s not unusual to find 0 per cent

finance on some models and this can be a great option, as long as you know exactly what you’re getting. There’s no point jumping at a 0 per cent finance deal for 24 months, after which you pay well over the odds in interest, if you can’t actually pay it all off in those 24 months.

If you are going with dealer finance, always sort out your haggling over the car’s price first. If it’s all part of the package, you could find that the canny salesman is recouping some of the cheapness of the finance against the trade-in figure or the discount on the new car.

The small print is important in any HP deal. Always check for extra payments for setting up, paying off, paying off early and so on. Ensure you have a figure for what you actually pay in total and get all the details in writing to consider before you sign up.

An advantage of a hire-purchase agreement is that if you do have a defective car, the seller and the HP company are jointly liable under the Sale and Supply of Goods Act. But remember, if you do find yourself rejecting a car as unfit, you must keep up the payments until all parties agree to accept liability, otherwise you could find yourself being treated as defaulting on the loan.

There are lots of businesses out there that advertise car finance, particularly for those with a poor credit. Take very great care with these. It is vitally important to read the small print and not become tied into ludicrously high rates of interest, especially for a car that may be second-rate. Better to shop around the established finance houses to see if you can get a realistically priced loan for a car that’s really worth the cash: that way if push comes to shove, you’ll probably be able to work with the lender to sell the car at a realistic cost to recover a reasonable amount of money to repay the debt.

Personal loans are another simple way of buying a car on cheap finance. Unsecured loans for a variety of purposes are widely available, assuming your credit rating is OK. It is imperative,

Motorists are usually offered a series of payment agreements to help them afford the car of their dreams

though, to check a range of lenders to ensure you’re getting a good deal. The internet has made this much easier, with sites such as www.moneysupermarket.com and www.quickcompare.co.uk doing the work for you, scanning the rates on offer from a range of lenders.

Don’t assume any one of these sites automatically check everything available though. Some sites may have a comparatively small panel of lenders from which to quote; others may scan hundreds. Check a number of comparison sites and you’ll almost certainly end up beating even the pretty good price given on the “cheap loan” junk mail from your bank or insurance provider.

The APRs quoted in relation to any finance deal are a good basis for comparison, but aren’t absolute. Many people don’t realise that the calculation of an APR is a complicated formula that doesn’t necessarily truly reflect the absolute cost of a loan. So a 5.4 per cent APR on one loan could mean you pay pretty much the same as on a 6.2 per cent APR loan from another company. Always look at the total figures you’ll pay back.

One other thing to look out for is debt insurance. It may sound attractive to pay an insurance premium so your debt is covered in

the event that you can’t maintain payments. But beware large start-up fees, high charges and small print that will leave you stranded outside narrow criteria for paying up.

There are other ways of financing a car that have become popular in recent years. One such is personal contract finance. This is a variant of the traditional business lease, under which you hire the vehicle for anything between two and three years for a low deposit - or trade in - plus a fixed monthly repayment that covers about half the car’s value. Maintenance costs can be incorporated for an extra monthly premium. At the end of the term you can pay a lump sum to cover the outstanding cost of the car and keep it, or use any equity you have in the car - the difference between the lump sum to clear the debt and the trade value of the car - as the deposit on another car; or simply walk away with no debts but no car.

This form of finance may well suit people who like to change their cars often and who like to know they’re paying a fixed sum every month - but who don’t mind paying extra for that security.

There can be conditions attached, such as mileage limits, and any damage to the car will hit its value when assessed at the end of the contract term. Also, if the

market slumps, as has happened recently, you may find the value of a car after three years isn’t enough to give you any equity, hence you don’t have a deposit for another car.

But the upside is that actual monthly payments are usually quite low, the deal is easy to set up with the dealer at the time of buying your car and there’s usually flexibility to accommodate your personal financial circumstances.

Some people prefer to raise their car finance by borrowing on their mortgage. This has probably the lowest interest available, but don’t forget that it may well be paid off over the lifetime of a mortgage and does mean your home is being used as security against the loan.

It can be a very good option if you have the sort of mortgage that will allow you to repay the amount borrowed, without penalty, in a shorter timescale, to suit you.

Wherever you get your finance, the golden rule is that you must know exactly what your finance is going to cost you in total by the time you’ve finished. Always read the documentation carefully, and use the “cooling-off” period to say no if it’s not right. The best deals will normally be had by shopping around. It may take a little time and effort, but it will almost certainly pay off handsomely.

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weecounty Friday 23.09.11 29sport

Continued from back page

Slow start, then Bob hits formWEE COUNTY GOLF

Dollar girls are celebrating a tennis victory after being crowned

champions at the Scottish U15 Aegon Team Tennis Schools National Championships.

The Scottish finals played last week, Thursday 15th September, saw Dollar U15 Girls tennis team playing against George Watson’s at the David Lloyd Centre in Glasgow.

The Dollar team, which consisted of Sophie Williamson, Hannah Worsley, Ciara O’Connell and Eve Miller, sailed to victory after winning all their matches.

The Aegon schools championship is the national tournament for school teams and after their success last week, the Dollar girls will travel to Sunderland in November to represent Scotland at a four day national final.

Tennis is a major sport at Dollar Academy, and is played at all ages by both boys and girls of all abilities. Pupils make full use of the tennis facilities, including the school’s all-weather astro-turf courts to develop their skills in the game – you never know, the next tennis star may just come from the Wee County.

Dollar win Aegon Tennis Championships

Junior Football League

Dollar girls u-15 tennis team with the Aegon trophy

More action for county golfers

Moscow joy for Callum

Good try from the county under 14 golfers

It was not the best opening day for Tulliallan’s Bob Stewart in the Senior Home Internationals at the Woodhall Spa

golf course in Lincolnshire last week when he lost both his opening foursomes and singles matches to experienced Irish golfers.

However, on the second day, playing with former Tulliallan member Fraser McCluskey he bounced back with a foursomes win against England, beating Charles Banks and Alan Squires by

3/2; Bob lost his afternoon singles in a close match with Andrew Stacey, going down 2/1.

The Scottish Team were now in a precarious position, and with the wooden spoon staring them in the face they produced a resounding victory against Wales on the last day to leave them in third place. Bob made a good contribution to the last days play with wins in both foursomes (3/2) and singles (5/3), to leave him with a fairly satisfactory performance over the three days.

In the Frank Thomson Under 14’ triangular match involving

Clackmannan, Fife and Perth& Kinross, the young County team can be fairly proud of their efforts.

Against much more experienced golfers from the other two Counties, and over the PGA course at Gleneagles, they amassed a respectable number of Stableford points.

County Boys Convenor Sam Kinnaird was reasonably pleased “Even from the front tees, the PGA course is actually longer than the Kings course at Gleneagles, and the boys have to be congratulated on a fine showing”. Alloa was well represented in the team with four members ( Angus Boyd, Brian McAdam, Gregor McEwan and Jamie McEwan--- at eleven, the youngest golfer in the event).

The other two were Tillicoultry’s Jonathan Clark and Braehead’s Ryan Blyth. Best scores came form County Junior Boys Champion Brian McAdam with 24 points closely followed by Gregor McEwan on 22 and Jonathan Clark on 21.Perth and Kinross won the 2011 event with Fife and Clackmannan some distance back.

It’s a big weekend for the Alva Golf Club team at Falkirk Tryst when their three man team competes in the Scottish Club Championship.

If all three hit a golf game then Alva is in with a good chance---- both Tulliallan and Alloa have achieved success in the event and the winning team from Scotland competes in the European event. Just before that, the County Senior team will be competing for the Scottish Senior Team Championship at Musselburgh… its another best of luck to both teams.

Tulliallan’s Callum Macaulay improved on last week’s

performance with a top ten finish in the Challenge Tour event held at Moscow, and no doubt causing him considerable happiness in returning to a golf game of his early professional days.

Callum easily made the cut with rounds of 69 and 73, and there was more sub par golf in his third round of

71. In his last round a 3,3 two birdie start put him among the leaders.

His finishing birdie was worth a few thousand euros, a 5 under par total of 283 and a share of sixth place….. but more importantly, it must have given some confidence for the remaining five Challenge Tour events---- a top finish in the rankings would avoid a return to the Tour school… its still possible so best of luck Callum.

Home Away TEAM P W D L F A W D L F A GD PtsOakley United 3 2 0 0 8 0 1 0 0 2 1 9 9 Glenrothes 3 2 0 0 7 4 0 1 0 3 3 3 7 Penicuik Athletic 3 2 0 0 8 4 0 0 1 0 1 3 6 Tayport 3 0 0 1 1 2 2 0 0 4 0 3 6 Sauchie Juniors 3 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 6 6 1 6 Newtongrange Star 3 1 0 1 3 2 0 1 0 1 1 1 4 Broughty Athletic 3 0 1 1 3 5 1 0 0 3 2 -1 4 Armadale Thistle 3 0 1 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 -2 2 Ballingry Rovers 3 0 1 0 3 3 0 1 1 1 4 -3 2 Arniston Rangers 3 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 5 -4 2 Broxburn Athletic 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 7 -5 1 Downfield 3 0 0 1 2 3 0 0 2 3 7 -5 0

Bus TimesRoy Milne CSCBus for Saturday 24th’s game v Inverness at Celtic park ko 3pm depart’s; Menstrie = 12.30pmAlva = 12.35Tilly = 12.45Alloa = 1 pmTullibody = 1.10stirling = 1.25pm seat’s available For more info contact websitewww.roymilnecsc.net

weecountyFriday 23.09.11 30 sport

Crieff Colts 0 Alloa Colts 45

All the hard work put in by the Alloa coaches

and youngsters over the past year came to fruition at Braidhaugh last Saturday when Alloa at last put together a squad of 19 players who swept aside the local team.

Alloa started at high tempo and tries by David Jess and Marc Murray gave them an early lead. The line out proved to be a profitable area for Alloa with scrum half Jess, Luke Evans and Greg Anderson all scoring tries after the set-piece.

Evans scored a second try and then Fraser Watson dotted down the seventh and last try deep into the second half. Watson also proved to be a great find in the goal kicking department, landing five conversions out of seven.

Crieff to their credit remained competetive throughout however could not breach a determined Alloa defence.

The result and size of squad were of course a big plus for Alloa however the growing number of new faces turning up at training week on week is hugely encouraging.

Training under the Earlsfield training lights is at 7pm on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s – all new players are very welcome.

The colts head to North Angus this weekend – bus leaves Earlsfield at 8-45 am for a 12 noon kick-off in Montrose. Supporters are very welcome to travel with the team.

Many of the Alloa youngsters will be involved for the combined Alloa / Lornshill Academy team who play Kinross H.S. at Earlsfield on Tuesday 27th in the first round of the Brewin Dolphin Plate - kick-off 4pm.

Rugby

RBS CALEDONIA REGIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION 1

Team Played W D L F : A Bonus PointsSTRATHMORE 3 2 0 1 80:58 2 10ORKNEY 3 2 0 1 56:50 2 10HILLFOOTS 3 2 0 1 64:44 1 9ABERDEENSHIRE 3 2 0 1 46:45 1 9CAITHNESS 2 2 0 0 51:39 0 8MACKIE ACAD FP 3 1 0 2 76:92 2 6GLENROTHES 3 1 0 2 46:67 1 5HIGHLAND 2 1 0 1 34:36 0 4GORDONIANS 2 0 0 2 31:43 1 1ABDERDEEN UNI 2 0 0 2 50:60 3 -2

RBS CALEDONIA REGIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION 2 MIDLANDS

Team Played W D L F : A Bonus PointsGRANGEMOUTH STAGS 3 3 0 0 86:19 1 13HARRIS ACADEMY 3 3 0 0 73:56 1 13ST ANDREWS UNI 3 2 0 1 84:53 3 11MADRAS 3 2 0 1 68:30 2 10STIRLING UNI 3 1 0 2 68:59 3 7 BLAIRGOWRIE 2 1 0 1 31:29 1 5FIFE SOUTH 3 1 0 2 26:60 1 5ALLOA 2 1 0 1 18:25 0 4KINROSS 3 0 0 3 43:89 0 0CARNOUSTIE HSFP 3 0 0 3 26:103 0 0

RBS CALEDONIA REGIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION 1Results: Saturday, 17 September 2011

Mackie Acad FP 36 Orkney 40Aberdeenshire 30 Aberdeen Uni 26Gordonians v Caithness PostponedHillfoots 28 Highland 18Strathmore 38 Glenrothes 14

Aberdeen Uni v GordoniansAberdeenshire v HillfootsCaithness v StrathmoreHighland v Mackie Acad FPGlenrothes v Ork

Weekend Fixtures - Saturday, 24 September

RBS CALEDONIA REGIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION 2 MIDLANDSResults: Saturday, 17 September 2011

Stirling Uni 27 Kinross 7Grangemouth 17 St Andrews Uni 11Madras 19 Harris Acad FP 21Fife South 16 Carnoustie HSFP 8

Kinross v GrangemouthStirling Uni v MadrasSt Andrews Uni v Fife SouthHarris Acad FP v AlloaCarnoustie HSFP v Blairowrie

Weekend Fixtures - Saturday 1st October

Hillfoots 28 Highland 18Hillfoots played host to

Inverness based side, Highland, in the 3rd league encounter of the season.

The home-side were looking to pick themselves up from last weeks defeat, away in Orkney.Highland kicked off up the pitch, it was gathered by Hillfoots and immediately pressure mounted back down the park.

The forwards were battling towards the line on every attack and presenting easy, clean ball for the backs to run plays. The visitors defence was strong and Hillfoots, although playing well, couldn’t seem to break through. The ‘Foots kept the ball and continued to run at the Highland defence. Eventually the

relentless attacks caused the visitors to give away a penalty and the resultant kick from Ali Page was successful. The lead didn’t last long as the Highland team moved back up the park and a slip in ‘Foots discipline resulted in a penalty to the travelling side. They successfully kicked for goal. Play changed hands again and Hillfoots were on top, pressurising the opposition line.

A sturdy defence kept out a few chances for the home-side, but they kept at it and again it resulted in a penalty. The metronomic boot of Page slotted it over for a 3 point lead. A further penalty from Hillfoots allowed the visitors to tie the game up. After good play all game Hillfoots still hadn’t scored a try that help take the game away from the travelling side. Highland kicked deep into the ‘Foots half and Robbie Hogg collected and made a break down the wing, beating one winger, Hogg then chipped through, gathered up and could of off-loaded to a number of players including the always present David Cree, however a powering David McCulloch was

closer to play and he ran it in under the posts for the first try of the day. Page converted to give Hillfoots a 7 point lead. This try seemed to spur the local side on and they were soon in control of the game. Attacking the Highland line from 5 metres out, ‘Foots looked like the second try of the day was on the way.

Yet again the penalties were piling up, frustrating the home crowd and also the ref. One more run for the line was held up by a deliberate slowing of play by the Highland second row, resulting in a yellow card and 10 minutes in the sin-bin. The penalty was tapped by Euan Jamieson and popped out to ‘Foots prop, Sandy Penman, who charged over from 5 metres for try number 2. Unfortunately Page couldn’t convert from out-wide. The game seemed to be flowing in Hillfoots favour now and the home-side looked in control. Half-Time, Hillfoots lead 18-6.

The second half started with Hillfoots kicking off up the park and maintaining the flow that ended the first period. More persistence at the visitors line saw another penalty come ‘Foots way. Page kicked to widen the

gap to 15 points. Hillfoots gained more momentum and drove back up the park. A fumbled ball was kicked off the deck, up the park by Cree and the blistering second row chased up and pressurised the opposition full-back to kick into touch. Keith Slade over threw one of Hillfoots specialised line-outs, that’s meant to hit inside centre Andrew Hamilton, but instead was collected by outside centre Calum McGee who crashed through two tackles to score under the posts. Page kicked to take Hillfoots 22 points ahead.

Unfortunately with this commanding lead, the

home-side seemed to dip in concentration and Highland ran in a try out on the right wing. The conversion was unsuccessful but the try gave the visitors a much needed boost. A tackle from Keith Slade after a tap penalty saw the ‘Foots hooker given a yellow card and sent to the sin-bin. The resulting charge for the line came with a try for Highland followed by a controversial punch-up which saw Hillfoots winger Kenny Paterson and the Highland wing given a red card and sent to the side. After the bust up Highland converted to bring it back to a 10 point game. Fortunately the resilience of the

Hillfoots players saw the game out and secure their 2nd win in 3. Man of the Match was a close call this week, with Euan Jamieson, David Cree and Gavin Spowage all in contention, but the award was picked up by Hillfoots first try scorer of the day, David McCulloch. A well deserved award after and outstanding performance all round.

Hillfoots travel north next week to face Aberdeenshire. A bus will be travelling from the clubhouse and if you want to travel up with the club then please get in contact, we always welcome support.

Right from the start it looked likely that it would

be a good open game, with both teams trying to get the ball down and knock it around. Alloa looked the more danger-ous on the break, passing the ball quickly from mid to front, and managed to take the lead after nine minutes.Queen’s Park were claiming offside when Ryan McCord picked up the ball from a throw-in, and he managed to get to push forward cutting back for teammate Cawley, who finished clinically past Parry.Queen’s Park had a few chances to level as Murray failed to get to a Daly through

ball and Harding almost gifted Queen’s with a short passback that put his keeper, Bain under pressure. Alloa doubled their lead in 28 minutes on the counter attack from a Queen’s Park corner. Cawley picked up the ball, who was left one-on-one with Little. The striker managed to turn the defender before guiding the ball past Parry. Queen’s had a good chance in 36 minutes, when Murray’s shot was blocked by Bain. Then Daly headed wide from a corner. The home side finished the half with plenty of pos-session however, Alloa looked comfortable.

Cawley should have made it his hat-trick in 54 minutes but got the ball caught under his feet having made the opening four yards out. Manager Hartley sent on sub Campbell, who should have scored with his first touch. Except he blasted Winters’ pass over the top from eight yards out.Queen’s had a sustained spell of pressure midway through the second period with Longworth knocking down a header that was too strong for Daly. Good play on the wing was also wasted when Bradley and Watt over hit their crosses, sending the ball out of play.

Alloa sent on Howarth with about 20 mins to go, and had an impact forcing Parry to get down quickly to block after he broke clear on the left.Alloa made it 3-0 after another quick break. Winters held up the ball, sending Howarth down the left. He sent over a decent ball that defender Bradley missed allowing Doyle to slot home off the left-hand post. At 3-0 Alloa were on easy street and out of sight, however con-centration lapsed in defence when Quinn got a consolation goal for Queen’s Park as he managed to deflect in a shot by Longworth four minutes from time.

Alloa Athletic supporters have been given an opportunity

to join an eltie band of supporters under a new and exciting initiative run by the club.

The Privilege Club is aimed at boosting revenue for the development of the club, as all money raised through the scheme will be reinvested.

The club plans to invest in Stadium development and youth development.

Supporters are asked to pay just £20 per month to join the Privilege club, but they will receive a range of added benefits.

Upon joining the club, members will receive a free Alloa bar scarf and 15% off club merchandise from the official shop.

Along with discounts, members will have the chance to win £500 each month in the prize draw, where they

will have a 1 in 4 chance of winning. Second prize is equally as impressive, with match day hospitality for four.

The club also offers an annual super prize draw where the top award is guaranteed to be over £1,000.

Membership is not restricted to individuals as businesses can also

become members.Initially, a cap of 100 members is

in place and the club will review the situation next season.

For more information contact the club directly on 01259 722695 or email [email protected]

weecounty Friday 23.09.11 31sport

Queen’s Park 1 Alloa Athletic 3

Wee County Fanzone

Alloa show real class at National Stadium

Irn Bru Division 3 League Table

Irn Bru Division 3 Results: Saturday, 17 September 2011

Berwick 2 Peterhead 1McLaren (12,43) McAllister (pen 15)East Stirling 1 Stranraer 3Stirling (19) Noble (12) McColm (70) Moore (90 +2)Elgin City 0 Clyde 3 Cusack (12,26) Neill (68)Montrose 2 Annan Athletic 3Boyle (13,44) Gibson 16,84) McKechnie (90)Queen’s Park 1 Alloa Athletic 3Quinn (86) Cawley (9,28) Doyle (84)

Alloa v Montrose Annan Athletic v East StirlingClyde v Berwick Peterhead v Queen’s Park Stranraer v Elgin

Weekend Fixtures - Saturday, 24 September

Alloa Privilege Club

Away win puts Wasps into second place in league table

Striker Cawley was in good form scoring twice

P W D L F A PTSAnnan Athletic 6 5 0 1 16 10 15Alloa Athletic 6 4 1 1 9 6 13 Stranraer 6 4 0 2 17 9 12Elgin City 6 4 0 2 11 8 12Clyde 6 3 1 2 8 5 10Berwick Rangers 6 2 1 3 10 12 7Queen’s Park 6 2 1 3 8 11 7Montrose 6 2 0 4 7 12 6Albion Rovers 6 1 2 3 7 15 5Peterhead 6 1 0 5 7 12 3East Stirling 6 1 0 5 4 12 3

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weecounty sportBrilliant cup win for Sauchie

Sauchie ditch Linlithgow Rose in entertaining 1st round cup match

Linlithgow Rose arrived at Beechwood Park for this East

of Scotland first round cup tie as the favourites, but left ditched out of the cup after a great performance by the home side.

Linlithgow Rose are one of the most highly regarded junior sides in Scottish football and that was evident by their large support following them for this tie.

Sauchie faced the almighty task of digging deep and showing character as they found themselves a goal down inside the opening minutes as the referee judged that former Sauchie player, Gordon Herd was fouled and awared a penalty. In form Rose striker, Tommy Coyne cooly slotted the ball home.

Sauchie tried their best to get back into the match and had some good link up play in the midfield which was causing the visitors some problems, but they were unable to capitalise on several good chances.

As the weather turned for the worse, the rain was battering

down making the Beechwood surface slippy catching both sets of players out as they slipped and slide, being cautious not to lunge into a late tackle.

Some Sauchie efforts tested the visiting goalkeeper Hay, who at points did not look to comfortable. That said, Steven Bell had a good effort saved by the big keeper from close range and Cummings’ effort was deflected wide as the home side pressed.

Linlithgow seem to allow Sauchie to come at them but their class was shown moments later with a long range effort testing Halliwell in goal.

Sauchie were rewarded for their efforts on the 25th minute when Comrie fired the ball low into the bottom corner after the visitors failed to clear the corner. Comrie’s shot was deflected past the helpless Hay.

This clearly lifted the home fans who were starting to encourage Sauchie to drive at Linlithgow who were looking a bit rattled by the goal.

Bizarrely at half time and somewhat unusual, Linlithgow manager Baikie sent his side back out to practise possession play rather than talk to them about tactics for the second period.

Clearly he was unhappy about his side giving the ball away easily.

Into the second period and Sauchie looked the hungriest for the next goal as they pushed forward in numbers to test the Linlithgow defence.

This nearly cost them when Herd managed to break from the midfield through on goal

with only Halliwell to beat but the goalkeeper held his ground to make a fantastic stop, unfortunately injuring himself in the process and had to be stretchered off.

With little warm up time, Dolan was sent on to replace him and was tested immediately from close range to a Linlithgow header.

It was becoming a great cup tie with end to end action and it was anyone’s guess as to who would

score next. Sauchie tried and failed, Linlithgow tried and failed.

Luck favoured the home side after 74 minutes when Hay could only partially clear a cross, which fell to winger Donaldson who blasted the ball through the crowed goal-mouth into the corner from about 12 yards – sending the home crowd wild.

Sensing an uncharacteristic cup exit, the visiting fans were trying to encourage their side back into the

match as time was running out for the Super League side.

The Sauchie defence was under real pressure as the visitors threw everything forward in search of the equaliser. Good saves by Dolan and missed chances came to the rescue of Sauchie who managed to hold out for a mighty impressive win, ensuring that their name goes into the draw for the second round.

Sauchie 2 Linlithgow Rose 1

Chris Purdie battles for the ball in the midfield against a strong Linlithgow side

Wee County News - Issue 842

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