Deliveries Update

The network of home deliveries continues to develop. Here’s a picture of it in action, with a groceries box from the Kenmore Post Office being delivered to Joyce and Alistair at Balnearn.

(Looks like some first class social distancing in action as well!)

Another initiative in the area is the Covid 19 Support for the Community.

It began two weeks ago and is a joint initiative of Tay Valley Timebank, The Birks Cinema Trust and Upper Tay Transport Group, who have come together to provide support for anyone in the Aberfeldy and surrounding area who needs help. It operates 7 Days a week from 0900 till 1700.

It now has over seventy volunteers in and around Aberfeldy, Upper Loch Tay and Glen Lyon, ready to respond and get whatever you need, when you need it. That might be some shopping, or a prescription collected, grass cut, pets walked, or just a wee blether.  It’s all there at the end of a phone.

To use the service, phone 07507 479555 and let them know what you want. If it’s shopping or a purchase, they’ll buy it for you then phone to let you know how much it cost.  Payment can be made by cash, cheque, or bank transfer and the volunteer will then deliver your items to you safely.

Phone the same number if you would like to volunteer for the service.

Good news!  The Fearnan Fish Van is restarting this week on Friday and Ben Lawers Hotel will be delivering Pizza to Fearnan Hall Car Park again this Friday evening, along with their recently extended menu of: mince, tatties and dumplings; chicken curry and rice; or sausage mash and onion gravy. Ordered on 01567 820436 before 16.30 on Friday for collection at the hall at 18.00.

And news of a different kind of delivery…… 

……. the arrival of a Fearnan baby on Saturday 11^th April!  Drummond Duncan Menzies Mill was born at home and then airlifted with Mum, Tara, to Ninewells for post-delivery attention from our great NHS.

Drummond and Tara were soon back home and are now isolating with Dave, Enya & Maggie.

Life Under Lockdown at Clach an Tuirc

Jenny Penfold writes:

Lockdown started for us when Amelia arrived home from University in Cornwall just in the nick of time, so we were all very relieved about that. She’s been continuing with her studies, finishing her 3rd year dissertation a few days ago. So now she’s enjoying her Easter hols before final exams in May.

Trevor and I have been busy outside whenever the weather permits, working in our new woodland.  

Our woodland is planted with a mix of 17 different native species, specific to this area and so most suitable for local native wildlife. We took delivery of over 1,300 young trees in Oct 2018 (the year we moved in) and started planting from Oct until Dec 2018, but then had to wait for the land to thaw a bit before finishing them in spring 2019. They were all planted as small trees, in tall thin plugs for their roots and protected by tubes. The tree examples below are Scots Pine, Bird Cherry and Hazel.

So, we have had plenty to keep us busy during Lockdown!  First, we had to finish the winter maintenance by removing grass from all 1300+ tubes and re-fixing them; putting some bark around each one to act as a grass suppressant (though this is a trial for this year as I’ve no idea if it’ll work in a field!); and then cutting back all the grass around the 150+ heathers I planted last year.

And Trevor has been ‘planting’ huge tree trunks in the woodland to act as perches for birds (hopefully lots of owls to manage the explosion of field voles!) and feeding stations, plus the stumps and roots for additional wildlife habitat. These were from the trees that had to be cut down by SSE as they were too big and too close to their wires – so all have been put to good use.

And more recently he’s added in some small foot bridges across the burns with some reclaimed sleepers – so it’s really coming together now and I can’t wait to see how it all grows this year.

Unfortunately, we’ve had a bit of vole damage to the trees, with them nibbling the bark or sometimes nibbling straight through the young tree so now some are reduced to just a few cms high. But I’m hopeful that they will survive. Below are two of the vole nests that I found in the tree tubes. We’ve unwittingly provided top quality housing for them – windproof, predator proof and fully insulated!

Bella the dog has obviously loved all this activity, with endless people around to entertain her plus heaps of walks up the hill with Amelia.

And she’s now obsessed with sniffing out the voles – it’s very funny to watch, as they are way too quick for her and have an extensive network of tunnels under the old grass.

Clapping for Carers

Fearnan has been taking an enthusiastic part in the national Clapping for Carers initiative every Thursday evening. Much ingenuity has been employed to find implements and instruments to make as much noise as possible but, with the village being so spread out, it is not easy to get a single photo that conveys the level of participation. But we can bring things together on the Blog, so here is a selection of last nights participants:

We’ll do the same next week so, if you weren’t included this week, please please please take a photo next week and send it to fiona@fearnanvillageassociation.com . And we’d love to hear from you even if you don’t live in Fearnan. There are lots of folk from near and far who read the blog, so join our visual ‘clap’ – we may not be able to hear you on a Thursday night, but we could still see you on the Blog!

Unsung Heroes

In these unsettling times, the fact that some things continue as normal brings comfort. This week, we’re giving a big round of applause for the Royal Mail and everyone involved in the continued collection, sorting processing and delivery of our letters and cards, parcels and packages and some on-line orders during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The delivery of mail has become even more important as a way of keeping the country together, businesses operating, and helping those who may not have the option to leave their homes.  Many people are continuing to work in difficult circumstances – and not always socially distanced circumstances – and we are particularly grateful to our local postal people who are making sure that, in the words of the Pony Express, ‘the mail must get through”!

And we can help Alan by following Postman Pat’s advice, and getting out with the anti-viral spray to make sure our postboxes are safe for him to use.

And finally, a really big thank you to everyone who has contribute photos, info and text to help keep the Blog going. Please keep them coming! And do let us have your nominations for Unsung Heroes.