Post on 14-Mar-2016
description
The weekend
wander
Strapped for cash?upcoming events fora resonable price
Ayr: music and cafesin the home of TheBard
Armchair Traveling:this months travel lit.recomendations
Volunteering: havefun and do somegood
Contents
Ayr Travel: Music and
Cafes in Ayr 3-4
Armchair Traveller:
Great reads,
Packing Light, Top Ten
Playlist 5-6
Strapped for Cash
7-8
Volunteering: The
Positive Impact 9
This months issue
of The Weekend
Wander focuses on
activities and places
to visit at home:
beneficial not only
to your pocket but
also for the
enviroment, two
birds, one stone!
From sometimes
sunny Ayr, where it
snowed mid-march
while our reporter
was there, to
literary laughs in
Edinburgh, we’ve got
it covered.
K.McKeown.Kirsty McKeown,
Editor.
Ayr; once a popular seaside
destination now facing uncer-
tain times as the economic cli-
mate affects businesses and her,
once adoring, audience turn
their eyes to sunnier, warmer
places. The high street is pep-
pered with empty shops and
lots still advertising their long
gone companies and products
while others bear neon signs
trying to outdo the shops next
door in an attempt to keep their
heads above water. However
despite this shadow hanging
over the town things are look-
ing up.
Ayr has always had a strong
focus on music, dance and, of
course, poetry and the town has
been focusing on this aspect
with festivals, encouraging
pupils in the local primary
schools to take up instruments
or dance with impressive re-
sults at the annual Ayr Music
Festival.
“The standard of music has
been very high, we also heard
three very talented, very young
violinists in one of the classes
who really stood out, the stan-
dard overall has been very, very
good” Robert Bailey, formerly
of the Delme Quartet and more
recently of the Canberra Sym-
phony Orchestra, was an adju-
dicator at this years music
festival and enjoyed his time in
the area so much he decided to
extend his stay for a few extra
days. “I was actually in Harro-
gate last week so I decided not
to go back to London and head
up to Ayr and stayed at the
hotel by the sea; which was
very nice; so I’ve been here all
week. I’ve had a wonderful
time, it’s been very inspiring, I
enjoyed the first day when I
took a walk along the esplanade
then of course it’s been won-
derful hearing all the young-
sters and their wonderful music
and how even in these strained
times it’s still going on which is
fantastic.”
Another thing that Ayr seems to
be fantastic for is the humble
café. Maybe it’s due to the con-
nections between the great
artists of the world, such as
Renoir, Degas and Zola, and
this increasingly popular drink
but no matter where about in
Ayr you are, you are always
near a café or restaurant. One
of these establishments, The
Café Le Monde, opened its
doors three years ago and has
been busy ever since.
Kate Pajovic, part of the hus-
band and wife team that run
this delightful café, was origi-
nally born in Paisley and met
Nino while they were working
on a cruise ship.
AYR TRAVELBy Kirsty McKeown
The attention to detail and high
level of service they had to pro-
vide during these days is still
very apparent in their current
business.
“We felt with our experiences
and knowledge of what we’ve
done in life, that we could put it
all together and run a business
and fortunately in the past six
years (we previously had an-
other café before we opened up
here) we’ve done really well
and we’ve got customers com-
ing in, regular people are happy
so we feel like we’re going in
the right direction with our
business.”
However both agree that more
needs to be done to support
small business as Nino Pajovic
went on to explain:
“I think more should be done to
encourage small business such
as the cafes as I don’t think
they don’t help with rates or
anything which is why the bot-
tom part of the town has so
many boarded shops as it’s
very,very difficult to afford
rent, things like water or elec-
tricity as well.”
Despite these issues, Karen
does have high hopes for Ayr
“There’s a lot of coffee shops
in Ayr, but I feel it’s retail
places, if more retail places
opened then more people
would come. People don’t go
out their way for a coffee. It is
a tourist town, people come
from all over and if it’s a nice
day Ayr will be packed so it is
very helpful to have a coffee
shop. I feel that Ayr could be a
real hit, just keep expanding,
keep things open, I believe this
place could be one of the top
destinations in Scotland.”
Travel literature
1: The Chain- Fleetwood Mac
2: Got it Made- Theory of a
Deadman
3: Midnight Rider- Allman
Brothers
4: The Passanger- Iggy Pop
5: Get There- Boa
6: Roses- Poets of the Fall
7: Jaded- Aerosmith
8: Downfall of Us All- A Day to
Remember
9: Night Train- Guns and Roses
10: Hotel California- The
Eagles
Top Ten...
Travel songs
Armchair Traveller
The Idle Traveller by Dan Kieran
In a world where doing things quickly
and efficiently has become the norm its
interesting to read one man’s mission to
travel from place to place as slowly as
humanly possible. Originally turning to
trains and boats as a way of avoiding air
travel due to an irrevocable fear of flying, author Dan Kieran
argues the way that taking the time to go from place to place,
even if it’s just following that one path you always walk past
on your way to and from somewhere, can totally change
your outlook. This book is a combination of a how-to-guide
and an autobiography, inspiring and informative.
Venice by Jan Morris
Often described as the author’s love
letter to the town, Jan Morris wrote
Venice over 50 years ago and it is still as
powerful today as it was then. She not
only looks at the dramatic rise and fall of
this remarkable town but at the people
who live there and their habits and
peculiarities. Like admiring a fine treasure she touches on
the things that tourists either don’t see or don’t pay attention
to, in reading this book you can’t help but be caught up in
the breathless rush of the writer’s youth.
Night Train To Lisbon by Pascal
Mercier
Recently made into a film, this book
follows main character Raimund
Gregorius as he leaves his life as a
lecturer in Bern behind to find a
mysterious portuguese writer; Amadeus
Prado. A tale of seeking redemption,
rebellions and facing up to the mistakes
and roads not taken in the past, Night Train to Lisbon
perfectly captures the atmosphere and culture of the city and
describes the journey from Bern to Lisbon via Geneva and
Paris so vividly, it’s almost as if you are travelling alongside
the protagonist on his journey.
Did you
know?
The Spanish inquisitionwas actually expected,they had to give amonths notice.
PA C K I N G L I G h T
Bundle Wrapping
This form of packing is supposed to eliminate ironing as items that are less likely to crease are kept close to the
inside of the bundle and items that are more likely to crease on the outside. Bundle wrapping involves wrapping
clothing around a solid core, for example your wash bag or a book. Basic instructions are:
· On a flat surface: lay down the clothes that are more likely to crease first (i.e. jackets, longer skirts/dresses,
shirts.) Jackets are placed laying face down, everything else face up. Smooth down and arrange arms as
naturally as possible.
· Arrange next layer of clothing (such as trousers, jeans, short shirts) as above but alternating directions.
· When everything is laid out, put the core item on top and start wrapping the clothing around it one item at
a time.
· When the bundle is wrapped place into suitcase and secure using the bags tie down straps. When you get
to your destination unpack and hang the items up to get rid of any wrinkles and to allow the clothes to
relax.
Armchair Traveller
how To GeT The MoST ouT of your SuITCASe
Loch Fyne Food Fair,Loch Fyne, 18th-19th May
FyneFest: Fyne Ales Beer and MusicFestival,Cairndow 14th -16th June
Considered to be one of the best british beer
festivals to attend, Fynefest mixes Fyne Ales, great
food and even better music on the shores of Loch
fine, Argyll. With bands ranging from Ska to
country music, there is something for everyone to
enjoy and this years headliners include Bombskare,
an Edinburgh based Ska band, and Shooglenifty, a
Celtic fusion band. The food comes from local
suppliers such as Loch Fyne Oysters and Winston
Churchill Venison as well some from further afield
and all is freshly prepared on site.
The ticket structure for Fynefest changed this year
so now ticket prices vary from £15 to £22.50 per
person for a day ticket, depending on whether or not
you wish to camp, or £25 to £35 per person for a
weekend ticket. Under 16’s are free.
Fyne Ales was started in 2001 in the village of
Cairndow and has been wining awards ever since.
They started Fynefest in 2010 and it originally held
it in the brewery courtyard but due to the number of
people attending the event now takes over four near-
by fields.
Formed 13 years ago, the Loch Fyne Food Fair attracts foodies from far
and wide for the weekend with the promise of culinary delights from the
west coast and beyond. The two day event has Art stalls, a wine and beer
tent which provides a chance to sample alcohol from local suppliers as
well as some specialty brews from Europe and live music throughout, all
for free. Food stalls include the Loch Fyne Oysters own food stands as
well local food producers such as Winston Churchill Venison and
Caramiche Chocolates. Other stalls include Isabella’s Preserves, Great
Glen Game, Thistly Cross Cider.
The stalls are open between 11am and 6pm and for £30 per adult and £20
per child you can attend the Celtic Culinary Celebration Dinner. The
dinner will be held on the Saturday night to celebrate the re-opening of
the newly refurbished Loch Fyne Oyster Bar and its 25th anniversary with
guest chefs Roy Brett and Martin Shanahan whipping up a three-course
meal. If you wish to attend the evening meal you need to book places
which can be done by emailing or by phoning 01499600487.
Edinburgh plays host to flocks of bibliophiles and writers from
around the world as the Edinburgh International Book Festival
hits the town in August. First held in 1983, the festival takes
place in the Charlotte Square Gardens for around two weeks and
consists of a series of workshops and signings as well as two
bookshops. Events need to be booked in advance and include
some free activities such as a daily Amnesty International event
that pays tribute to incarcerated writers or Unbound, an event
which involves debut and renowned writers trying something a
bit different from their normal style.
The festival does have a wide range of food and drink available
on site, however it is okay to bring your own picnic to enjoy in
the gardens. Some of the café bars at the festival include the
Spiegeltent Café Bar, a fully licensed café in a travelling
ballroom which provides fresh deli rolls and sandwiches as well
as seasonal produce and the Café Bronte, described as the
perfect place to eat, drink and read. Entrance to the Garden is
free and tickets prices will be available from 20th June.
Edinburgh International Book Festival,Charlotte Square Gardens, 10th -26th August
Strapped for Cash: Three upcomingevents for a resonable price.
With belts remaining tight this
summer, having a holiday may be the
last thing you want to spend money
on. However, all work and no play
makes for a dull time not to mention
the recuperative properties of having a
rest from work. So here are three cost
effective events, all on your back-door
step.
Volunteering: the positive impactIt’s that time of year again. Theweather varies from dreary greyclouds to rain, snow or hail,deadlines and exams are rapidlyapproaching – and that’s on agood day.
However, it’s not all doom andgloom: spring is just around thecorner and with that comes awealth of opportunities asvolunteer recruitment picks up.Okay, admittedly volunteeringmay not sound like a great way tospend your hard earned days off,but hear it out. With, on average,48 graduates to one jobapplication, employers are goingto look for something that makesyou stand out from the crowd andthat’s where volunteering can helpyou. It makes you look moreinteresting to potential employers,as is shown by the results of lastyears volunteering statistics.
Positive Impact
The figures showed that 87% ofemployers agreed thatvolunteering had a positive impacton employability and that 90% ofvolunteers had benefitted from
their experiences in terms ofwork.
Also, the most important aspect ofvolunteering is the fact you get togo out and do something. You canhelp people, either at home orabroad, rather than being stuckinside thinking how much timeyou have on your hands.You can make even just a littlechange to someone’s day that canhave lasting effects and have funwhile you’re at it. For example;what can beat dancing on the backof a lorry in 70’s gear to raisemoney for the CHAS like some ofthe Strachur locals or workingwith people to give them a betterchance in life, what could bebetter?
So here’s how to go about it:First of all, do your research. Findout what opportunities there areand what the position entailsthrough asking around or websiteslike BUNAC or VolunteerScotland. You don’t want to signup for something only to realisethat you need a certain amount ofmoney raised or that you have noway of getting getting there.
It’s a good idea to choosesomething that you’re actuallyinterested in: you really don’twant to be stuck doing somethingyou don’t like for a couple ofweeks no matter how good thebenefits are.
Thirdly start to apply for places.You can do this through mostwebsites or in some charity shops,although the sooner the better asplaces tend to go quickly towardsEaster and Summer.How many places you apply to isup to you, but it’s best to onlyapply to the ones you can do andhave the time for. It’s pointless toapply for as many places aspossible when you’re unable to goto most of them.
Finally – enjoy it. Obviously youhave to work hard at whatever it isyou’re doing and complete eachtask you are assigned for the day.However, one of the benefits ofvolunteering is that it’s not asstrict as a job and you still get todo something that will stay withyou for the rest of your life.Hopefully for all the right reasons.