Leap Year Pudding Night

The Fearnan Winter Pudding Night is a firm fixture in the diary. Some say it is something to look forward to during the worst days of the winter, others think it actually marks the coming of more spring-like weather. Most of us, however, just look forward to the opportunity to eat as much pudding as we fancy without anyone else looking askance at the amount on our plate.

This year, we introduced a table of savouries in order to cater for all tastes, so there were flans, sausages and cheese and biscuits alongside the meringues, steamed puddings, mousses and tarts. We don’t think anyone ended up with a sausage on the same plate as their rice pudding but, with the lights dimmed, it was a close run thing on a couple of occasions.

As ever, we were able to enjoy live music, courtesy of our regulars, Doug and Hilary, Audrey, Andrew – and some new faces! Among them was Alice, who some will remember as the Pudding Champ of 2018 – a title she won by managing to sample everything on the menu. This year she turned down the opportunity for second helpings and took to the stage instead. Well played, Alice!

This is Doug, who was meant to be having a break from the stage, but was still joining in playing slide guitar from the floor.

Many thanks to all our musicians, to our pudding makers, the setting-uppers and the clearing-uppers, and to everyone who came, and made sure that EVERYTHING got eaten!

Transport Volunteers Needed

The Upper Tay Transport Project are introducing a new Community Lifts Scheme through which volunteers offer to drive members of the community to appointments, to visit friends, to go shopping, to get to the train or to go to the cinema. 

The Upper Tay Transport project is run by the Tay Valley Timebank and a Project Coordinator is organising the scheme and is responsible for recruiting and managing volunteer drivers.  They will undertake some basic checks on drivers to ensure they are competent to volunteer for the scheme. 

Members of the community who would like to use Community Lifts as passengers will register for the scheme and pay a £5 joining fee. They can then request lifts by phone, text or email.   Passengers will be asked to pay expenses for the lift, and the drivers will be reimbursed.

Community Lifts is simple and will help many people to get out to participate in social events, attend appointments or activities.  At the moment, more drivers are needed for the Fearnan and Fortingall area. Could you help?

If you would like to volunteer, you need to be 18 years or over (there is no upper age limit), have a full UK driving licence and a fully insured and MoT’d vehicle, and be willing to have a Disclosure check done.

 Contact Emma Burtles on 07507 479555 for more information, or email uttg2019@gmail.com if you can help. There is more information on this link http://www.spanglefish.com/uppertaytransportgroup/

Who’s Who?

This month we have 2 photos from the past of children in the Fearnan area, one from the early 1930s, and the other from the early 1970s. Both belong to Frances Brace.

We are hoping that someone will be able to tell us who the important looking couple in the photo below are, and where this photo might have been taken. Also, can anybody name the lady on the extreme right or name any of the children? Frances’ mother, who was then Chrissie Butters, is in the bottom left of the photo. Please either add a comment to the Blog, or email fiona@fearnanvillageassociation.com if you can help.

The second photo is much closer in time – it’s Kenmore Primary School in the early 1970s and will be a little trip down Memory Lane for some of our readers. Perhaps you can spot yourself or some old friends? (Here’s your starter for 10: Frances is in the middle wearing green.)

Please add any stories or comments to the Blog, or email the Blog (as above).

Fearnan Book Club

Elaine writes:

At the February meeting of the Fearnan Book Club we discussed The Hunting Lodge by Lucy Foley.  The story revolves around a group of old friends from University who gather together each New Year.  On this occasion the venue is a hunting lodge in a remote part of Scotland.

As well as the group who are staying at the cabins around the main lodge house, there are 2 permanent members of staff caretaking as well as a handyman and, unknown to the group, two other visitors .

On page 2 of the book, a body is found, and the remainder of the book explores the differing characters involved and exposes the conflicts within the group.  They are described as the beautiful one, the golden couple, the volatile one, the new parents, the quiet one, the city boy and the outsider.  Generally, it was thought that the characterisation of the girls was good, but the men were less prominent.  Some of the guests appeared to be more in the background but….

….. close to the end of the book, the circumstances of ‘the body’ are explained, not an accident but a murder among ‘friends.’

The majority of the members enjoyed the book.  It is Lucy Foley’s debut crime novel.  She was inspired to write the book after a visit to a remote area in Scotland.

Several of the group thought that they could identify the property on which this Hunting Lodge was based, and one actually had some photographs! 

For the March meeting, the Book Club are reading The Salt Path by Raynor Winn, a moving memoir of a couple who walked the South West Coastal Path after being rendered homeless.

Forthcoming Events

The Fearnan Pop Up Coffee Shop will be popping up for the first time this year on St Patrick’s Day – Tuesday 17th March in the Hall. Please note that we will be starting slightly later, at 11.00, and will be open for delicious home baking and tasty savouries until 12.30.

The FVA’s Annual General Meeting will be held in the hall at 4.00 pm on Saturday 28th March. All members are welcome, and it’s a chance to give your views and feedback.