The Blog has been away on its holidays recently (it had a very nice time) and now has a few items to catch up on.
Remembrance Day in Fearnan
Despite the cold weather, there was a good turnout at the War Memorial for a short service taken by Mr Grant Smith, the Session Clerk, who bravely climbed the temporary Memorial steps to lead the service and prayers. It was a happy return for Grant, who took the Fearnan service on a regular basis for many years.
The wreaths were laid by Peter McKenzie and Bob Woolley and, as well as remembering members of our own forces who lost their lives, a short dedication to the Russian airmen who died in an air crash just outside the village in 1943 was also written on one of them.
Most of the people who attended the service also went back to the village hall for a cup of tea and some home-made biscuits. A collection was held for Help for Heroes.
Those of you who follow Aberfeldy Museum’s Facebook page will have seen the recent post about the Kenmore Parish Church publication from 1915. The publication, which belongs to former Fearnan resident Alec McEwan, includes a Roll of Honour, described as “A list of men, natives of the Parish and others therein, who have gone forth to serve their King and Country in the war.”
A total of 13 men from Fearnan are included in the list:
Of those 13, only 5 returned at the end of the war and the war memorial commemorates the 8 who died in the service of their country. We have pictures of 7 of them:
The eighth man was Duncan McPhail of the Scots Guards.
There is more information in several earlier blog articles, including Fearnan War Memorial – the Story Unfolds and Local Heroes.
Moving forward to WW2, another former Fearnan resident, Alastair Barnett, contributed a moving article to the blog on Remembrance Day about his own family’s experience of the war.
“The words of the song ‘I’ll be Seeing You’ express the sentiments shared by many families in the UK during WW2. It was one of Mother’s favourites during the war, and for many years after. I’d like to share this old familiar rendition (click here) sung by Vera Lynn as our thoughts take us back to Fearnan 1945 — our wartime refuge — on this Day of Remembrance.
“My Father visited Fearnan on leave only once as I recall, around 1941. My memory is of him, in uniform, shooting an Aspirin bottle off the branch of a tree on the shore at Springbank in a friendly competition with Sandy Butters. I was only four but remember a tremendous surge of pride at his accomplishment. (Sandy claimed he “couldnae” see the bottle.) Father was a Sapper in the Royal Engineers and served in Italy, North Africa, Dunkirk, and Greece. He and his comrades in arms who never returned, are remembered today with pride and gratitude.”
Thank you for sharing your memories, Alastair.
Mulled Wine and Mince Pies
An important date in the FVA’s calendar is our final event of the year – Mulled Wine and Mince Pies.
Last Saturday’s event was well-attended and a lot of fun. It attracted a nice mix of residents and visitors from far and wide. And a considerable age-range, with baby Amelia managing to reduce the average age by a good number of years!
Every one helped with clearing up, which was much appreciated by the setters-up. In fact, people didn’t seem to want to go home and, as Peter tried to sweep the floor, they just moved from one side of the hall to the other, without a break in the chat!
A lovely start to the Christmas season.
Book Club
The Book Club’s December meeting is going to be a little bit different – it’s a festive dinner for members on the 12th December in the Waterfront restaurant in Kenmore. The Club’s favourite book(s) of the year will be discussed, and we’ll report on the outcome in the next edition of the Blog.
The current book is “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe” by Fannie Flagg, which it will be discussed at the January meeting. It was written in 1987 and weaves together the past and the present through the blossoming friendship between Evelyn Couch, a middle-aged housewife, and Ninny Threadgoode, an elderly woman who lives in a nursing home.
Coming Up Soon!
The next event, and our first of 2018, will be the Winter Pudding Night on Saturday 17th February.
Fearnan Village Association 
Thank you for the up-date! Hope everyone stays warm and that you will all have a good Christmas and all the best for the new year!