44

There’s always time for a half at the

Lunches and Evening mealsWe cater for

Parties, Weddings, MeetingsAccommodation

01651-851214

1

TBC Tarves and Barthol ChapelQuarterly Newsletter

Issue 4 March 2008

2

The GlobeInn

Duthie Road, Tarves,Aberdeenshire

01651-851623

Pool, darts, dominos.

Peter & Robyn welcome you to

Under new management

43

ADVERTISERS INDEXBusiness Service Page TelephoneAberdeen Arms Bar/ Restaurant 44 851214Bodywise Exercise Classes 13 806700Carbri Curios Collectables 37 07708 487318Claire's Hair Design 8 851658Duthie of Tarves Local Shop 6 851208Edward Duncan Painter & Decorator 37 873983Lorna Duncan Interior Design 14 806630El Pescador Mobile Fish Van 28 07748 571236Garioch Centre Leisure Centre 24 01467 626141The Globe Inn Bar/ Restaurant 2 851623Sylvia Gordon Childminder 14 851842Jill Grant Hair Stylist 38 851465Haddo Cars Taxi 8 851122R Massie Electrician 32 891083William Massie Funeral Director 42 851205John S Middleton Electrician 14 851662Presly Pest Control Pest control 30 851234PUT Community Cooperative Community Composting 26 851553Rosemary Richardson Reflexology 42 851612Colin Taylor Slating and roofing 38 851395Watson’s Garage Garage Services 18 851436Betty Wright Dressmaking 851722

TO ADVERTISE IN TBCPlease call Paul Johnston on 01651 851690 or email tbc@tarves.org.uk

42

REFLEXOLOGYPromotes Good Health and Relaxation

ROSEMARY RICHARDSONMSIR MAR

Experienced Reflexologist

Home visits and gift vouchers available

2 Craigdam Cottages, Craigdam, Tarves

3

As I sit looking out on a sunbathedcountryside in the latter half ofFebruary, I wonder what has hap-pened to our seasons. The weatherhas been wonderful over the lastweek, sunny days with lovely blueskies and frosty nights. Apart fromone substantial fall of snow, whichall but disappeared before our veryeyes in a flash, the winter has beenwet and mild. Now Spring appearsto have sprung - somewhat early!!Are we in for a late Winter shock orare the seasons just merging oneinto the other with very littlechange? I, for one. am at a loss.

I just love living in Tarves. Movinghere was one of the best decisionsin my life and each day I appreciatethe village and villagers more andmore. HOWEVER lately I havenoticed one of the village problemshas become more prevalent than oflate - dog fouling. The rise in inci-dents has obviously been noted bymore than me as the subject is also

mentioned in the CommunityCouncil report. Is it something todo with the cold whereby dog walk-ers cannot be bothered taking offtheir gloves to pick up the offend-ing waste? I don't know. The vastmajority of dog walkers and ownersare responsible citizens who cleanup after their pets, but there areobviously a few within the villagewho DO NOT CARE! Come on dogowners and walkers - play the gameand clean up after your pets.

Remember all you budding poetsand authors out there - we welcomeall contributions to the newsletter,so get writing and entertain the res-idents of Tarves and Barthol Chap-el.

A parting thought - Remember TheLord Giveth and the Governmenttaketh away!!

Moira Allan

EDITORIAL

THE TBC TEAMMoira Allan EditorDoreen Brown CoordinationPeter Chalmers CoordinationEdith Innes DistributionPaul Johnston Advertising and coordinationJohn Thomson DistributionChris York Design and Typesetting

THE NEXT PUBLICATION DEADLINE ISFRIDAY 18TH MAY 2008

4

The Manse8 Murray Avenue

TarvesDear Friends

So, here we are already, well into Lent, Pancake Tuesday has been en-joyed and is past, and we continue the period of preparation for Easter,the greatest Festival of the Christian year.

I can remember being surprised and horrified by the speed with whichChristmas selection boxes were exchanged for Easter eggs in the twoweeks following Christmas, yet we are now only three weeks from EasterSunday!

Christmas is a wonderful time for everyone, and having a baby at thecentre is a happy, and sentimental occasion we can all share in.

Easter, however, is the purpose for which the Christmas event happenedat all. Jesus came as a baby, to live and experience all that we do, to showus how much God loves us all, and to do that, he had to endure falseaccusations, the betrayal of his closest friends, a mockery of a trial, themanipulation of the crowds who had followed him until they shouted'Crucify him!' and the ultimate horror and agony of being nailed to aCross and laid in a tomb! And we call that day, 'Good Friday'!

There is a story which might help us see why it is indeed 'good'. It is thetrue story from many years ago of a woman called Sharon Jones fromSouth Wales. She had six children and was expecting her seventh, andshe was due in Court for failure to pay a fine of £55. She could not pay itand was sentenced to 5 days in jail. She broke down in tears - what wouldhappen to her 6 children and the seventh was due any day!

One of the solicitors in the court was so moved by the woman's distressthat she organised a whip-round among the other solicitors present.They raised the £55 and paid Sharon's fine so she did not have to go tojail.

How does that help us to see why we call the day Jesus was crucified'Good Friday'? Well, all of us have broken God's law - which includes ourselfishness, our treatment of one another, and our failure to care for the

TARVES KIRK NEWS

41

£400. Many thanks to all whohelped in any way and to those whocame along for lunch. Your sup-port is very much appreciated.

Tarves Guild are to host the WorldDay of Prayer in the Church at 7pmon Friday 7 March. Please comealong and join in the fellowship.

Tea and home bakes will be servedafter the service.

Edith Innes

It is with deep sincerity that wewish Lynne Bell every blessing forher recovery that she may be soonbe returned to us at Hanover. Herswere BIG shoes to fill, but I will trymy best.

The schedule for this year followson from its excellent predecessorwith the Monday morning Compu-ter Group who meet at 9.45am. Wewill soon have budding IT personsin our midst!

Then on every second Monday af-ternoon (2pm) there is whist forthose of you who like a game ofcards. This is proving very popularand if you feel like joining in, pleasecontact Jean Reid or Connie Nicol.

Tuesday afternoon is the day forthe knitting group who continue tomake blankets for Ekwendeni andhats & scarves for the Shoe Boxappeal later in the year. The soundof needles clicking away can be

heard throughout the village alongwith the laughter. All welcome.

Coffee is served in the Lounge at10.30am every Wednesday and Fri-day.

Dates for your diary -

There is a Coffee Morning sched-uled for Saturday 15 Marchwhen all proceeds will go to Chari-ty. Admission to this is £1.00.

The Spring Lunch will be on Sat-urday 26 April and the cost is£3.50 per person.

As you can see we are always verybusy at Hanover and we hope thatyou can come along and supportsome of our activities during theyear. Everyone will be made verywelcome.

Maria Wilson

HANOVER COURT SHELTERED HOUSING

40

Meldrum & Bourtie Guild invitedmembers from neighbouringGuilds to a Scots night on Novem-ber 26th. We were delightfully en-tertained by Kerry Fleming, two ofher friends and her parents, Colin& Coral Donald. Their singing, sto-ries and verse were superb.Theevening ended with a very welcometea.

Tarves Guild members accepted aninvitation to beguests of MethlickGuild on December5th for anAdvent/Christmasevening. Fyvie BrassBand led us in theCarol Singing whichwas enjoyed by all.A lovely tea fol-lowed .

Our "ChristmasEvening" on De-cember 6th was wellattended when Harry Bichard withhis Saxophone entertained us soprofessionally. His programme wasvaried and we enjoyed singing anumber of popular carols. FestiveFare was served and enjoyed by all.

A warm welcome was extended toBill Johnston from Udny, who wasour guest speaker at the Januarymeeting. His subject 'Memoriesand Pictures of Aberdeenshire' was

excellent and brought back happymemories to many of our members.Bill is looking for old postcards ofAberdeenshire, so if you have anyyou no longer require, he would begrateful to receive them. I can giveyou his address if you telephone meon 01651 851632,

It was our pleasure to welcome DrRoy Burnett and Alun Walker fromPitmedden as guest speakers to our

February meeting.Their subject was'Habitat for Hu-manity' and theirpresentation wasexcellent. It is notdifficult to seewhy Habitat forHumanity's Glo-bal Village volun-teer buildingprogramme hasbecome so popu-lar. Every indi-vidual, regardless

of their motivation for joining avolunteer building team, enjoys alife changing experience. Thespeakers made this very clear intheir presentation. We wish themwell on their next trip and goodluck in their fund raising event.

Our annual fundraising event 'Soupand Sweet Lunch' held in theMelvin Hall on Saturday 16 Febru-ary, raised the splendid sum of

TARVES GUILD

5

world God has given us to look after. We cannot put these right alone -'we cannot pay the fine', so to speak.

But the Bible tells us in Paul's letter to the Colossians - 'But God forgaveus that debt. He took it away and nailed it to the Cross in Christ.' Or, inthat best known text from John's Gospel, chapter 3 verse 16: 'God lovedthe world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone whobelieves in him may not die but have eternal life.' That is why it is 'GoodFriday'. Then, of course, there comes Easter Sunday and the resurrectionof Jesus, confirming all these promises.

This Easter let us join the celebrations of the greatest gift of love evermade to each one of us. Look out for Posters and further details ofspecial services and events to which you are all invited. Especially, wewant to make our Palm Sunday walk a real community event and experi-ence. Join us at Tarves Church at 9.00a.m. for a short service and thenjoin us as we walk together to Barthol Chapel, leaving Tarves Church at9.30 a.m. There will be tea and refreshments at Barthol Chapel Churchwhen we arrive, followed by our Palm Sunday Celebration at 11.15 a.m.

May I take this opportunity of wishing you all a very peaceful and blessedEaster.

Isabel C. Buchan

6

Duthie of TarvesThe Square,Tarves

AB41 7GXTelephone 01651 851208

Fine Food and Fine WinesGrocery, Newsagent, and Post Office

Your everyday requirements supplied

Holidays around the corner?Get your Euros on demand – order other currencies.

0% Commission at our Post Office.

Book a Bread AheadLet us know the day before, and we can have your Bread and Pastries,

Fresh Baked in-store, ready for collection when you need them.Pick up your order form at Duthie’s

Fancy a Real Coffee - a Choice Tea?To take out, or to perch inside. Decaffs and Hot chocolate too.

A Special Occasion? A Party?Whatever!

Come and talk to us first, we can help you with special requests, Food, refreshments, and party stuff.

Finding the right ingredients for your day

The Store with Morefull of good things!

Opening HoursMonday - Friday 8am to 8pmSaturday & Sunday 8am to 6pm

39

in

The HutTarves School

The Hut is a drop in centre for the local youth of Tarves, some-where for them to find out about anything and everything thatconcerns or interests them. The coffee morning will help raiseawareness of The Hut, encouraging young people to explore theirpotential and raise some much needed cash to keep it up andrunning!

Come along for a cuppa and a fine piece and have a look aroundThe Hut.

38

Slating and roofing work you can trustTEL: 01651 851395

Colin Taylor

Call Jill Grant on01651 -851465Or mobile 07790336121

7

CHURCH SERVICES IN MARCH

There are several special services and occasions during March:-Sunday 2nd MarchSpecial Service conducted and led by Rev John Cook of Alford. This isthe follow-up to the Presbytery Support Visit to Barthol Chapel andTarves Churches at the end of January.

At this service the Presbytery Report on the health and well being of ourchurches will be handed over to the congregations. The visits were verysuccessful and enjoyed by all who took part in the evenings, and we lookforward to what we hope will be a very positive and encouraging report.Do join us then.

Sunday 16th March: PALM SUNDAY:9.00 a.m. meet at Tarves for short service.9.30 a.m. leave for the walk to Barthol Chapel Church where there will berefreshments before the 11.15 a.m. celebration for Palm Sunday.

Thursday 20th March: MAUNDY THURSDAY:7.00 p.m. – Maundy Thursday Joint Service with communion at TarvesChurch.

Friday 21st March: GOOD FRIDAY:7.00p.m. – Good Friday Joint Service at Barthol Chapel.

Sunday 23rd March: EASTER SUNDAY:11.15 a.m. - EASTER SUNDAY CELEBRATION of the RESURRECTION.Joint Service at Tarves Church.

We look forward to seeing you at some or all of these services. Look outfor further details soon.

DEATHS9 December 2007 Atholl Henderson, 1 Braiklay Avenue, Tarves30 January 2008 Nora Scott, 7 Gordon Place, Tarves

8

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37

Anyone wishing to enrol their child for the Easter intake or those whowish to enrol their child for the 2008/9 school year at playgroup cancontact John Stone on 01651 851 146.

Hopefully by the time this goes to print the council will have publishedthe new enrolment date for the coming year, if not I can then contact youto inform you of our Open Day.

Playgroup phone number is 07855 216556

Toddler Group contact Mrs Nicky Bird 01651 851 158 (Thurs morning9.30 until 11.30)

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36

Unfortunately our playleader re-signed in August to follow a newjob, which left Laura Smith & JulieWilson holding the fort until wewere lucky enough to employ MrsMaureen Barlow, a former teacherfrom the South who, with Laura,has moved on the children's learn-ing through play experience con-siderably.In November we held our annualSoup & Sweet on RemembranceSunday which proved popular withall who attended. Thank you to allthose who bought raffle tickets anddonated prizes to the raffle andtombola.We took the children to Tons ofFun near Turriff for their Christ-mas trip where Father Christmaspassed out gifts for the children.The New Year started with thenews that Maureen would have toleave us due to family illness whichmeans her relocating to England byEaster. So once more we're recruit-ing to fill her position which is notgoing to be easy as she has had suchan impact on the playgroup.We recently visited the HeritageCentre which the children reallyenjoyed. We also had a visit fromIan, the 'toothbrush man', whogave the children a great talk aboutcaring for their teeth and visitingthe dentist.We are planning to have a spon-sored Easter egg hunt just before

the Easter holidays and we are alsoorganising to take the children upto the nursery for a visit in March togive them a chance to familiarisethemselves with the nursery set-ting.We now have a bird table outside aspart of our recent theme, 'Lookingafter winter animals/birds'. For'Growing things' we have enjoyeddiscussing what plants need togrow and watching changes in cressseeds planted. We will also be talk-ing about babies and how we growand develop, measuring our heightetc.We have improved the security ofthe building in line with Care Com-mission & Inspectorate guidelinesby fitting an intercom and childgates to prevent them accessing thekitchen. We are also able to put upa temporary fence across part of theparking area to allow the childrenoutside on drier days.The Council has set aside monies touse on the building in partnershipwith the Kirk session to improvethe facility which, when finalised,will no doubt heighten the experi-ence for all who use the Youth Hallin the future.We intend to do a 'Coffee, Cake &Carwash' fundraiser after Easter.Watch the notice boards for furtherinformation on this.

TARVES PLAYGROUP

9

Tea & Coffee is served in the Church every Tuesday morning from 10am- 11am. Everyone is welcome - both young and not so young so pleasecome along for a cuppa & chat.

Last year (2007) £1237.50 was collected from the weekly donations andthe following charities benefited from this amazing amount:

Christian Aid £200 Scottish Motor Neurone £200Lepra (Leprosy) £200 CHAS (Rachel House) £200Aberlour Child Care Trust £200 Shelter £37.50Church Electricity £200

Thank you to everyone who supports this social occasion and gives sogenerously.

Kathy Lawrie

CHURCH OF SCOTLAND CHILD PROTECTIONCharity Number: SCO11353

Dr Helen Milne will be taking over as the CHILD PROTECTION CO-ORDINATOR very soon. This was approved by the session last year.

I would like to thank everyone who has given their valuable time byattending training sessions at various venues on Sunday afternoons, andalso for completing Disclosure Scotland, it is so important to safeguardour children and young people in every way.

Children's Worker Training Event.St Andrew' Chapel, Inverurie on Sunday 2nd March from 2.00-500pm.We have one member from our congregation who is going to attend this.These training events are organised regularly, and are worth attending.

Edith Innes

TUESDAY COFFEE MORNINGS

10

The Sunday Club continues eachSunday morning, meeting at 11ambefore joining Church for the firstfifteen minutes of worship and thenreturning to the Youth Hall fortheir own activities. The Club had avery successful Christmas partywith all the old favourite games,plenty to eat and of course a visitfrom Santa.

More new members would alwaysbe welcome at the Club, just comealong any Sunday morning at 11.

Following Linda Mackie’s resigna-tion as our Church organist lastyear, a presentation was made toher at morning worship on Sunday3rd February. Tribute was paid to allthe work and effort that Linda hadput in with both the choir and theyoungsters as well as her ability toensure that the music always fittedthe mood and circumstances in thechurch during her twenty-fouryears as organist. Linda was pre-sented with gift tokens and one ofthe old pewter communion tokens

used in Tarves Kirk many yearsago. The presentation was made toLinda by Jimmy Lynch, the oldestmember of the choir, having joinedit some fifty-four years ago.

Although Linda is greatly missedwe have had the services of anumber of fine organists and pian-ists during the past few months. Weare still looking for a permanentreplacement to Linda so if anyonewould like to apply, or knows ofanyone suitable, please get in touch.

Attendances at the main eveningcommunions in April and Octoberhave been dwindling recently, withonly a handful attending at the lastcommunion in October. It is felt bythe session that with so few peoplethese services are no longer re-quired. The session has decided, forthe time being at least, to try omit-ting these evening services, bearingin mind, of course, that there is aninformal communion after morn-ing worship on the last Sunday ofeach month.

The Youth Hall roof has new beenre-sheeted and should be good formany years to come. The next stepis to decide what is necessary toimprove the internal layout anddecoration in the hall. The inten-tion is to consult with the users ofthe hall before making any final de-cision.

SESSION NEWS

35

along and join us after the ChurchService. Last year 1000 eggs werehidden and found, there were op-portunities to paint, enter a deco-rated egg competition, roll yourEaster eggs, wear an Easter bonnet

and have your face painted. It wasgreat fun. Come along.

Finally our new website is up andrunning. If you want a look log onto www.oldmeldrumrotary.org.uk

Ray Walker

A2B DIAL-A-BUS SERVICE FOR BARTHOL CHAPEL

.On Tuesday 4 March Aberdeen-shire Council is introducing a newdoor-to-door taxibus service oper-ating into Oldmeldrum. The week-ly Tuesday service is open to thegeneral public and will operate be-tween the hours of 9.30am and3.00pm. Unlike a regular bus serv-ice, the Oldmeldrum A2B dial-a-bus won't operate to a fixed routeor fixed times.

Residents of Barthol Chapel will beable to use the service to travel intoOldmeldrum to local shops or otherfacilities, or to visit friends. In-tending passengers can request tobe picked up from their door any-time within the service operatinghours. As well as going into Old-meldrum, passengers can ask to betaken to St Katherines to connectwith buses to/from Turriff. Fareswill be similar to other local busservices with Entitlement Cardholders travelling free.

W&G Taxis of Cuminestown willoperate the service. Passengerswishing to travel must book theirtrips by telephoning the Council'sA2B dial-a-bus hotline on 01224665599 between 9.30am and3.30pm on Mondays to Fridays.The booking line for the new serv-ice is open from Tuesday 26 Febru-ary. Please call the A2B hotline forfurther information or to request aleaflet.

Marion Mackay

34

Gosh it's Spring!

Our members wish you a happySpring, since it seems a bit late towish you a Happy New Year!Thanks are due to you all for con-tributing to our Santa Sleigh whichraised £2458.42p. That moneyhelps the Club to support local aswell as national and internationalcharities.

Since June 2006 we havedisbursed £950 to help in-dividuals in our area doingcharitable work abroad ortaking part in sporting ac-tivities to represent ourcountry. We have excellentlinks with the local primaries andhelp the transition process to theAcademy. We have used £1280sponsoring the technology chal-lenge, the creative writing competi-tion, and the young musician of theyear competition and supportingsenior students in developing en-terprise and leadership skills.

Please support your local youth byencouraging them to compete andalso by coming to hear them in theYoung Musician of the Year. Post-ers are in the local shops and appli-cation forms are already in thelibrary and on the school, commu-nity and rotary websites. There are3 stages. Primary 1-4 and P5-7, Sec-ondary 1-3 and S4 - 6. Last year

there were singers, guitarists, pian-ists and even the bagpipes. Thecompetition takes place in the As-sembly Hall at Meldrum Academyon Thursday 13 March at 7p.m.Entry is free and you will also havethe opportunity to read the creativewriting stories and poems whichwill be displayed in the entrance.Kathryn Russell, one of the Englishteachers at the Academy came to

thank us for our support andalso to give us some infor-

mation on how writing im-aginative stories, playsand poetry helps the pu-pils become more confi-

dent in their reading andtalking. There were almost 30

entries last year and this year thetheme for the creative writing is,appropriately, the North East andso you will be able to read about thearea in which you live.

There are another 2 events whichwe hope you will support. Therewill be an Ascot Race night on Fri-day 29th February in Tarves villagehall. Posters will be displayed ad-vertising the event.

The Easter Egg Hunt at HaddoHouse will take place on Sunday23rd March. (Isn't Easter early thisyear!) We are hoping for goodweather and although it starts at 10a.m. we hope that those of you at-tending church will be able to come

OLDMELDRUM ROTARY CLUB

11

The 5 Year plan for Tarves Kirk wasdiscussed at a congregational meet-ing in December, with all thosepresent giving it their unanimousapproval. All that remains now is toput it into practice!

The Tarves Kirk received a Presby-tery Support visit (the new namefor the quinquennial visits of old) atthe end of January. Although wehave not received their report yet,everything appeared to go well onthe night.

Evening discussion / prayer meet-ings continue each Wednesday,usually in Tarves but on the 3rd

Wednesday in each month at Bar-thol Chapel.

For further information on servicesor other Church activities pleasecontact either the Minister, Rev Is-abel Buchan (01651 851250), orSession Clerk, Ken Moncur (01651851441) or indeed any elder.

Ken Moncur,Session Clerk

12 33

CHRISTMAS - seems like agesago, but we had a fine festive timein the church with the ever-wel-come highlights of Sunday Schoolparty, Nativity play ( which HelenMennie with her usual skilful touchproduced again with the minimumof rehearsal). The Candle-lit Serv-ice took the form of a service of 9lessons and carols and we mustthank in particular the MusicGroup for some delightful singing,the Williams family for their di-verse musical contribution and allthose who decorated the church,produced the lovely refreshmentsand all who came along to what wasa very convivial evening.

ALAN MAIN - Alan had organ-ised the candle-lit service, but wasrushed into hospital that weekendin a relatively poor condition. Aftera couple of fairly traumatic monthsfor both Alan and Anne, it is goodto see him back in circulation andwe wish him well on the road to afull recovery.

PRESBYTERY SUPPORT VIS-IT - at the end of January we wel-comed a Presbytery support visitled by John Cook, the Alford minis-ter, along with Ian Thompson, the

Skene minister and 2 of theirelders. The evening took the formof a workshop with church mem-bers divided into small discussiongroups who considered various as-pects of BC church life. John Cookwill be taking the Sunday service on2nd March when he will report onthe visitation.

2010, A YEAR OF MISSION -Presbytery is to be considering theidea of a major focus in 2010 onmission throughout Gordon and welook forward to hearing what theyhave to say about this proposed in-itiative.

PALM SUNDAY WALK - thisyear Palm Sunday falls on 16 Marchand as usual all are invited to takepart in the walk from Tarves to Bar-thol Chapel ( a healthy distance of 3or 4 miles). There will be a briefservice in Tarves kirk at 9am, thewalk leaves from the Square atabout 9.30, refreshments will beserved in Barthol Chapel church towalkers and non-walkers alikefrom 10.45 and the joint servicefollows there at 11.15. The walk isalways good fun, whatever theweather, so please do join in, andbring some chums along too.

BARTHOL CHAPEL CHURCH NEWS

32

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bring a mat for Pilates based floor exerciseswear layers of comfy clothing and trainers

Fitness Pilates is a unique exercise technique that conditions the deep core muscles of thebody and strengthens the abdominal and back muscles, improving posture and alignment.

Pilates is suitable for all ages and fitness abilities as everyone in the class works at theirown pace.

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A fitness and exercise programme tailored to your specific needs and lifestyle, based onyour current level of fitness.

Bodywise Fitness Classeslook younger and slimmer!feel fitter and firmer!

Aberdeen City Council is to host a Veteran's Day. (A veteran is classedas anyone who has served in H.M. Forces).

The event is still in the planning stages but will include a march ofveterans down Union Street on Saturday 28 June 2008. This will be partof the national Annual Veteran's Day.

Anyone who is interested in taking part should get in touch with me on01651 851615.

The annual Zone Drumhead Service is to be at Turriff on Sunday 8 June2008.

John ThomsonSecretary R.B.L.S.

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION SCOTLAND

14

John S. MiddletonElectrical Contractor

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31

The Guild members were most for-tunate to enjoy two Christmasmeetings in the same week. Thefirst on 4 December 2007 was'Christmas with Beth' at Greenspot.Beth, assisted by her family, madesome goodies and then membersand friends enjoyed party food tothe delight of everyone present.Young members of the Churchmade special Christmas cardswhich were bought by the Guild la-dies.

On 5 December 2007 BC Guildmembers were guests of MethlickChurch Guild and were entertainedby the Turriff Silver Band. Therousing programme was much en-joyed, followed by readings and

prayer. Tea with mincemeat pieswas mych enjoyed.

Members of the congregation of 'acertain age' received fruit trays forChristmas from the Guild - mostgratefully received and appreciated.

The first meeting of the New Yearhad to be postponed owing to theSupport Meeting with visiting Min-isters and Elders.

We look forward to joining theTarves and Methlick Guilds on 7March 2008 for World Day ofPrayer at Tarves Church at 7pm.

Frances J Whyte.

BARTHOL CHAPEL CHURCH GUILD

Following a great evening out last March with the Strangeface Company,Barthol Chapel School Parents' Council and the BCCA have got togetherto book the theatre company Licketspit to appear on Thursday 17 Aprilin Barthol Chapel School. The show is 'Heelie Go Leerie', which is forchildren (of all ages) and adults and features music, song and children'sstories in English and Scots.

The show will last an hour and there will be tea and biscuits and a raffleafterwards. Tickets will be £6 (adults), £4 (concessions) and £15(families).

For full information check the Barthol Chapel and Tarves notice-boardsprior to the show or call Judith Sleigh on (01651) 806014

THEATRE SHOW AT BARTHOL CHAPEL

30

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15

April 6th Margaret Barrack13th Maureen Chalmers Rosie Leavett20th Kathleen Glen27th

May 4th Margaret Barrack Judy Pumfrett11th Di Whorley Joan Ross18th Alison Taylor Maureen Chalmers25th Doreen Brown

June 1st Lucy Gordon Doreen Gray8th Judy Pumfrett Kathleen Glen15th Isobel Laing22nd Rosie Leavett

If you cannot manage Crèche duty on the date shown, please arrange toswap with someone else on the list and let Isobel Laing Jnr know who willbe on duty in your place.

CRECHE ROTA

FLOWER ROTAApril 6th Charmaine Bain Paddy Booth

13th Judy Pumfrett Pearl Gill

20th Janet Clark Janet Clark

27th Jean Reid Jean Reid

May 4th Gladys Murdoch Gladys Murdoch

11th Betty Henderson Betty Henderson

18th Anne Moncur Anne Moncur

25th Kathleen Glen Joan Massie

June 1st Doreen Brown Doreen Brown

8th Marjorie Sleigh Marjorie Sleigh

15th Margaret Shearer Margaret Shearer

22nd Sheila Higgins Sheila Higgins

29th Christian Clark Jenny Beattie

16 29

TARVES FRIENDSHIP CLUBFor the members of the FriendshipClub, the New Year began with a fas-cinating talk by Mrs Natasha Kerrabout her home country Russia. Heraccount of her childhood and educa-tion in Moscow gave us an insightinto a society very different fromours. The items of craftwork whichshe displayed showed artistic excel-lence. It was a most interesting talk,much enjoyed by the members.

On 20 February, Mrs MaggieMcAlpine from the staff of the ManseCourtyard, Crathie spoke about thespecialised holiday accommodationcreated there for people with disabil-ities. It was good to hear about thefacilities on offer for those with disa-bilities and less able to care for them-selves.

The March meeting, on the 19th, willagain transport members far afield,when Miss May Forbes, an intrepid

traveller, will tell us about her visit toSt Helena.

The season's meetings will concludeon 16 April with the AGM, when MrsBowen will retire. Nominations forthe committee are invited. Thespeaker on this occasion will be oneof our members, Mr A Moir, who willdescribe his experience in a special-ised department of police work - verydifferent from the community polic-ing we heard about at the first meet-ing of the programme. We seem tobe spending a good deal of time inthe arms of the law!!

We hope old and new members of theClub will continue to enjoy the meet-ings - they always include very wel-come refreshments served by theladies of the committee, to whom weare very grateful.

Mary Bowen,

21 Mackie AvenueTarves

01651 851722

Dressmaking - AlterationsCurtains - Bridal etc

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Plus a Weekly ExoticEverything from Tahitian Sailfish to Bombay Scissor Lobster French San Fire Grass

to Sri Lankan Strawberry Fish

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Boneless HaddockDressed CrabYellow River CrayfishTrout FilletsLive Scots MusselsArbroath SmokiesDry ScallopsNorth Sea CodSmoked Haddock Fish CakesPlaicePin Boned Superior Shetland SalmonLuxury Greenland PrawnsLarge Vietnamese Black Tiger PrawnsLemon SoleBoneless Monkfish FilletsSmoked MackerelSpiced Peppered MackerelSmoked HaddockYellow Fin TunaScots Boned KippersHot Smoked Shetland SalmonCured Sliced Salmon PacksSeasonal Fish When AvailableComplimentary Sauces & Accompaniments

Finest Quality Fish & Seafood Now Available in Kemnay, Oldmeldrum,Newmachar, Pitmedden, Tarves & Kintore.

El Pescador

17

There is not much to report thissession. However we keep beaver-ing away looking after your inter-ests in such things as askingAberdeenshire Council to repairthe many pot holes in the roads,usually to be informed 'There is nomoney for that'!

The public seem to think we caninfluence building design etc. Thetruth is we are asked to advise, sug-gest and give our opinion - all ofwhich are ignored by the Planners,but we keep on trying.

Dog fouling continues to be a prob-lem on the village streets, in fact oflate it seems to have become worse.The only way to combat this dis-gusting problem is to report theowners of the dogs. I hope they are

aware that the fine is £50 for thefirst offence. The problem iscaused by a small minority of dogowners as most owners now carrytheir 'poop bags'. Please do yourbit to stamp out this filthy habit.

There has still been no response tothe appeal for sponsorship to ex-tend the street Christmas lights.However, the Millenium Group,who organise and run the New YearDance, are to donate the profitfrom the dance, which amounts toa splendid total of almost £900.Unfortunately a lot of that may betaken up with necessary repairs tothe existing lights, which are begin-ning to show their age and the rav-aging effects of the weather.

John Thomson

TARVES COMMUNITY COUNCIL

The organisers of Tarves People's Party would like to say a big thank youto everyone, young and old, who supported us at the Hogmanay Party.Thanks also to the band (Detour) for giving us such a great evening ofmusic and dancing.

A special thank you to all who donated money, raffles and their time tohelp make the Party such a success. A total of £900 was raised, most ofwhich will be used to purchase Christmas lights for the village to bringsome colour to the village over next festive season.

Ian Massie

TARVES HOGMANAY PARTY

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Watson’s GarageTel: 01651 851436

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Open: Mon-Fri 08:30 - 18:30 Sat 09:00 - 15:30

27

THE PORRIDGE POTJohn Bull he swears by good roast beefAnd boasts of this and that.The Germans dote on sausages,A pig the pride of Pat.But in our sterner Northern climeThe birthplace of the Scot,Our matrons n'er disdain to useThe hamely porridge pot.The porridge pot gives health and strengthMak's muscles, bone and brain,Mak's bonny buxom women folkAnd strong and stalwart men.Throughout our land both rich and poorIn Palace, ha' or cot,Unite to sing the virtues o'Auld Scotland's porridge pot.The hardy Scot at hame, abroad,Wins health wi' honest toilAn' strives to travel virtues roadMeets crosses wi' a smile.Should foreign foes assail our shoreWe fear them not a jot,We'll match them we, the sturdy ladsWha ken a porridge pot.Amid Canadian wastes and snows,Or mountain stepps sublime.On Africa's arid sultry plains,In India's torrid clime,The men who mostly lead the vanWhen fights are fierce and hot,Are just the lads auld Scotland rearsOot o' her porridge pot.In life rough day, I've had a shareIn busy haunts o' men,But fancy gently leads me backTo boyhood days again.I see beside the kitchen fireThat dear familiar spot,A group of happy girls and boysAroon the porridge pot.

Alexander Gibson (born Burnside, Schivas, Ythanbank.)

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No room left in your compost bin?Why not bring your garden waste to us and we’ll turn it in to compost.

What do we want?We are collecting GARDEN WASTE toturn into compost. We want your grassclippings and other plant waste that youmight normally put in your wheelie bin ortake to the tip.

If you already make compost at home,DON’T STOP… but DO give us anythingthat won’t fit in your compost bin.

Where do we want it?We are using the old Allathan Quarry justoutside Pitmedden; there is a collectionpoint at the end of the track.

When do we want it?NOW! You can take your GARDENWASTE along and leave it in the contain-ers that we have provided.Gates are open at the weekends from 15th March 2008.

Want to get involved?Membership of the Cooperative is open to anyone who lives in the Parishes ofUdny or Tarves and shares the aims of the Cooperative. Our main aims are:

To promote reduction, re-use and recycling of waste within the Parishes ofUdny and Tarves and in particular, the removal of compostable waste from thewaste stream.To promote and support the sustainable development of the communitieswithin the Parishes of Udny and Tarves.

If you don’t want to become a member, but still want to help out you canvolunteer along with the rest of us, by helping to make the compost. To find outmore you can contact:Chris York on 01651 851553 or Bob McIntyre on 01651 842338

19

THE PENSIONERS' TEA DANCE

It's the Sunday Tea Dance and they'll all be here today,Aches and pains forgotten, dance the afternoon away.Foxtrots, quicksteps, waltzes, some are slow but some still nifty,With memories of how it was back in nineteen fifty.

Norman's in the toilet and he's struggling to pee,He's got trouble with his prostate and he'll likely miss his tea.Eddy's got a new love that he met in Thornton Heath,She does a lovely tango, but she hasn't any teeth.

His latest fancy footwork nearly broke his partner's neck,She mistook his outside swivel for a travelling contra check.Ida's had her hair done and she's ready for the Saunter,But she had a vindaloo last night and it's coming back to haunt her.

Florrie's mini skirt's revealing when she's spinning in the Jive,She really shouldn't wear a thong, approaching eighty-five.They've had their tea and cake and chat, enjoyed a little laugh,And gamely rise with creaking knees to face the second half.

Norman's made it back in time for Rumba number oneHis Cucarachas very neat, but he's left his flies undone.Vera's fallen over in a massive crimplene heap,Bert's got indigestion and Mabel's fast asleep.

It's last Waltz time and up they get for Humperdink's old tuneAnd then 'Goodbye, Good Luck, Take Care, God Willing see you soon'.

Courtesy Civil Service Pensioner Magazine

20

I would like to start off by saying abig thank you to all who regularlyuse the local recycling point inTarves and the Household WasteRecycling Centre (HWRC) in Ellon.It's great to see so many peopletaking recycling seriously and help-ing to reduce the amount of wastegoing to landfill.

I would like to assure you that thematerial you put into the recyclingpoints goes to the following placesto be used to make new items:

Paper - UPM Kymmene, NorthWales (please, no plastic film andno brown cardboard).Glass - O-I Manufacturing Ltd inAlloa.Plastic Bottles - Delleve Plasticsin St Helens (please, wash andsquash them and put the lids backon to make space for other recy-cling point users).Steel cans - Corus, via the canroute through JR Adam in Glasgow.Aluminium cans - Novelis inWarrington.Cardboard - Severnside Recy-cling, Kent.

Contrary to popular myth, your re-cycling is not sent to landfill. Wetake your efforts seriously and wehave to meet some very tough tar-gets on recycling and landfill diver-sion. The misunderstanding about

what happens to your recyclingmay be due to the types of vehicleswe use. Kerbside recycling vehi-cles, for example, are split into dif-ferent compartments for thedifferent materials collected. Thesecompartments, however, are hid-den by bodywork at one side and bya curtain at the unloading side. Tothe casual bystander, it may looklike just one large storage space,but it is actually divided for paper,cans, different colours of glass andplastic bottles. Recycled materialsalso have to be stored in bulk at ourdepots until they make up suitableloads for transportation to a re-processing company. Again, thismay look like we're not recyclingthe materials you have separated,but rest assured - that's exactlywhat we're doing. So please carryon separating and recycling yourwaste. Your efforts are making areal difference and Aberdeenshire'srecycling is improving each year.

TARVES RECYCLING

25

ly beside him, no longer snufflingand no longer squealing. His pacebecame more and more leisurelyuntil at last the need to lie down fora little nap overcame him. Insteadof settling down on the grass at theroadside, he simply slumped intoan untidy heap in the middle of theroad and immediately fell into adeep sleep. Nothing my uncle coulddo had any effect on the slumberingpig. Even his best army obscenities,delivered in the voice of a SergeantMajor failed to rouse Angus. Vigor-ous prodding with his walking stickand Mike's excited barking wereequally ineffective. Even to one assober as a judge, this scenariowould present a problem. Obvious-ly, he could not just abandon Angusbut neither could he work out anymethod by which an unconsciousporker weighing some fourteenstones and drunk as a lord might betransferred the remaining milehome.

Jimmy's befuddled brain fi-nally slipped into gear. Rummag-ing around in his coat pockets, hefound a scrap of paper and the stubof a pencil. He scrawled a messageand, assuming that the bindertwine was unlikely to be of furtheruse, he used it to attach the note toMike's collar.

"Home, Mike. Get Janet." The doglooked at him curiously."Mike! Away home. Get Janet!"

Mike barked a brief ac-knowledgement and ran off intothe night. Jimmy decided to makehimself comfortable whilst he wait-ed and settled down on the roadwith his head resting on the pig'sside, wrapped his coat around him-self and dozed off.

Allen Murray

TBC (to be continued!)

24

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Below is a list of our facilities and some of the classes we run.

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Garioch Sports Centre, Strathburn Park, Burghmuir Drive,Inverurie AB51 4GY Tel: 01467 626141

21

Fly Tipping is unsightly, dangerousand unnecessary. Most peoplewould agree with that. However,there are many people who are do-ing this by leaving their waste onthe ground at the recycling point inTarves. It may be that people aretaking recyclable waste to the pointonly to find the bins are full.

As there are so many people usingthe recycling points, the bins fill upvery quickly. Whilst all recyclingpoints are serviced regularly, thereare a great many of them scatteredacross the 2,500 square miles ofAberdeenshire and there is a limitas to how often we can empty them.If the containers are full, please donot leave rubbish (and that in-cludes garden waste and recycla-tes) on the ground beside them.When this happens, the waste ma-terial is then out of anyone's con-trol and an offence is committed.We may issue fixed penalty noticesof £50 to anyone who is found com-mitting such an offence. Issuingthese notices is a last resort, as weunderstand that people want to re-

cycle, but this action is necessary toprevent our points from becominga mess. If the recycling points arefull, please take your excess recy-clables to another recycling pointor to the HWRC instead and help tokeep Aberdeenshire beautiful.You can also call the Council'sWasteline number, which is 0845600 3 900, to report the fact thatthe bins are full.

For more information on how toreduce, reuse and recycle yourwaste, including how to purchasediscounted home composters andgreen cone food digesters, pleasevisit Aberdeenshire Council's web-site at

www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/waste

or contact the Wasteline on 0845600 3 900.

Lesley FraserCompliance OfficerAberdeenshire Council Planning &Environmental Service (Waste)

22

(Due to the length of this tale, itwill be a story of two halves!! I amsure you will look forward to theconcluding part in the next editionof TBC in June. Editor)

I have previously recounted talesabout my Uncle Jimmy who closelyfollowed the family tradition of ec-centricity. Some aspects of this be-haviour might have stemmed fromhaving been brought up in a Scot-tish farming community where ajourney even to the next village in-volved several days of careful plan-ning. I prefer to believe that havingexperienced at first hand the terri-ble conditions of trench warfare inthe Great War, he disassociatedhimself from the modern world andretreated to a life of idyllic simplic-ity.

Strolling in a leisurely man-ner around his farm, he would takecomfort from the sight of his smallherd of Aberdeen Angus bullocks asthey devoured the rich grass. Occa-sionally, puffing furiously on hispipe, he was inclined to poke at theanimals with the walking stickwhich he carried, nodding with sat-isfaction at the fine condition of thebeasts. On these tours of inspectionhe was always accompanied by hisfaithful collie, the latest in a succes-sion of collies all of whom had been

named 'Mike'. His other constantcompanion was six year old Angus.

Every Friday evening Jimmywould don his coat and scarf,scrape the majority of the mudfrom his wellingtons and set off towalk the three miles to the hotel.Although he was a practiced andcompetent drinker, the demondrink generally left him more thanslightly inconvenienced and the re-turn home frequently involved un-intentional excursions into theditch. The Presbyterian ministerwas fond of recalling a conversa-tion that had taken place one finesummer evening when he encoun-tered Jimmy staggering back to thefarm, clearly much the worse forwear and obviously having direc-tional difficulties.

"Good evening James," he said."Weel, meenister" replied Jimmy,having struggled to bring the maninto focus."Have you been visiting friends,James?""Jus' been tae the hotel fer a weedram""And now, you are heading home?"Jimmy hiccoughed loudly andgrabbed the grass verge for sup-port."Aye, sometimes."

ANGUS - PART ONE

23

On one occasion, he waspersuaded to let Angus accompanyhim on a Friday foray. AlthoughAngus would follow Jimmy aroundthe farm and never let him out ofsight, Jimmy was concerned in casethe youngster might becomealarmed at being so far from home.He attached a length of bindertwine to Angus and the trio set offtowards the village. The sight of aman accompanied by a dog is com-monplace, but when they are joinedby a fairly substantial and friendlypig, the sight is fairly unusual. An-gus was clearly delighted with thisnew game and snuffled andsquealed as he encountered newand unfamiliar smells.

Some ninety minutes later thesomewhat dishevelled party ar-rived at the hotel. Angus had dis-covered some fresh cowpats on theroad and had been totally unable toresist the temptation to roll in itdespite Jimmy's best efforts to re-strain him. A thorough drenchingin the stream had removed most ofthe offensive odour but had left

Jimmy and Mike looking ratherbattered.

The usual crowd welcomedthem with uproarious laughter but,as they were all sons of the soil,soon accepted the pig as a welcomecustomer. The well intentionedlandlord produced a basin filledwith beer dregs and set it on thefloor for the animal's inspection.Angus sniffed suspiciously at thebasin then took a tentative slurp.Unsurprisingly, he discovered thatthe strange mixture was to his lik-ing and quickly emptied the basinto the cheers and encouragement ofthe crowd. The basin was refilledseveral times during the course ofthe evening and Angus dutifullyobliged by emptying it, apparentlywith no ill effect. Eventually, Jim-my produced a watch from hispocket and decided that it was timethey set off for home. The watchhad served him well for many yearsalthough the hour hand had disap-peared at some point. He knew, ofcourse that it was ten minutes pastsomething, but the exact hour elud-ed him. With Angus in tow andMike bringing up the rear, the triostumbled from the bar and headedhomewards.

As they staggered along theroad, Jimmy treated his animal en-tourage to a selection of half re-membered and probably betterforgotten songs that he had learnedin the army. Angus trotted solemn-