There’s a really good selection of social events lined up for Fearnan and here they are in chronological order:

The McLean Hall Committee is holding a MacMillan Coffee Morning on Saturday 30th September from 10.30-12.00. Come along and support a great cause and enjoy home baking and some fun competitions.

Quiz Night: The Fearnan Quiz night is returning! The Hall Committee is holding a quiz night in the McLean Hall Fearnan on Thursday 12th October from 7.00 -9.00 pm. Light refreshments will be available throughout the evening, and you can BYOB.

They are looking for teams of four at £10 per team – or you can join up with others on the evening to form a team. Proceeds will be shared between the hall and the SCAA. 

Fearnan Village Association is planning the  following events over the next few months:

The PopUp Coffee Shop returns on Tuesday October 31^st at 11 am.

Yes! It’s Halloween, but we’re not expecting anything too scary to be abroad in Fearnan during the daylight hours, so feel safe to join us for freshly made coffee and lots of delicious home baking.

There will be a Service of Remembrance at the Fearnan War Memorial at 11.00 on Sunday November 12^th and the FVA will serve teas and coffees in the Hall immediately after the Service. A collection will be made for Help for Heroes.

Our popular pre-Christmas drinks event, Mulled Wine and Mince Pies will take place in the Hall between 16.00 – 18.00 on Saturday December 9^th. Christmas sweaters de rigeur.

This is a fund-raiser for the McLean Hall and once costs have been accounted for, the FVA will donate the takings to the Hall.

Tuesday February 13^th is Shrove Tuesday, and Shrove Tuesday means pancakes! Pancakes will be popping up, and possibly flipping, in the Hall from 11am at the first FVA PopUp Coffee Shop of 2024.

Easter is very early this year, so we’re going slightly later with our Easter Afternoon Tea. It’s on Saturday April 6^th from 15.00 – 17.00.  

Join us for some traditional and not-so-traditional Easter fare as Spring comes to Fearnan.

Invasive Plant Species

The invasive species, Japanese Knotweed, has been present in and around the village for some time now, but our local team who have been trained to treat and eradicate it have been out in action recently.

Unfortunately, there is now another invasive species – Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera)- that will need to be dealt with as well. It is described as a Species of Special Concern and is listed under Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Himalayan Balsam was introduced as a garden plant in 1839, but soon escaped and became widely naturalised along riverbanks and ditches, especially close to towns. It is fast-growing and spreads quickly, invading wet habitat at the expense of other, native flowers. Its explosive seed pods aid its spread by sending the seeds into the river, causing further dispersal downstream.

Himalayan balsam has large, pink flowers shaped like a bonnet; these are followed by hanging, green seed pods.

Balsam is an annual plant, so it grows, flowers, seeds and dies all within one season. The aim of control work is to remove the plant before seeding occurs i.e. in the early summer months, critically before the seeds ripen and seed pods ‘explode’ scattering seeds. Unlike Japanese Knotweed, uprooting the plant at the right time of year can arrest its spread and as the seeds only persist in the soil for around 18 months, populations of balsam can be removed after 2 or 3 years of consistent control. 

The Scottish Invasive Species Initiative will organise local ‘Pulling Days’ for Fearnan next year, and we’ll flag dates up to you in advance to encourage as many people as possible to take part and to help to reduce the threat to native species that Himalayan Balsam poses.

In the meantime, if you spot any clumps of either Japanese Knotweed or Himalayan Balsam, please notify  Mark Purrman-Charles the Invasive Species Officer for the Tay Catchment Area (markpc.sisi@gmail.com).

Fearnan Book Club Review

Linda writes:

We recently read and reviewed American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins.

The book is about a Mexican bookseller, Lydia, who is forced to leave her comfortable middle-class life in Acapulco and flee as an illegal immigrant to the United States, along with her son. This was necessary after her journalist husband exposed a local drug kingpin and the rest of her family are killed.

The group agreed that it was a gripping, “edge of your seat” story which hooked the reader from the start. We liked the fast-moving nature of the events throughout.

Some found it a chilling and anxious read, making them edgy with a feeling of dread as they turned the page. We learnt about the plight of many of the South American peoples and found the activities of the cartels incomprehensible.

Along the way Lydia and her son Luca meet up with other people fleeing to the US and together they travel on the roofs of speeding freight trains, encountering various obstacles. The journey is dangerous at every stage. The details given ensure that the reader has a vivid image of characters, settings and the journey. Opinions varied with regard to these colourful characters and their back stories and motives. For some, a few characters weren’t plausible and some of their attitudes and actions were questioned. Lydia was considered unemotional but perhaps she was in survival mode and that was her way of coping. She mothered and looked after many of the group.

Most appreciated the scenery descriptions of the Mexican countryside especially towards the end where the trials of the desert crossing and the effects of its sudden drop in night-time temperatures, were very well portrayed. 

The ending was considered something of an anti-climax, not a happy ever after, but always looking over your shoulder, never feeling totally relaxed.

This book has been the subject of controversy and criticism related to cultural appropriation, which was an issue we also discussed.

We followed this up by reading The Edinburgh Skating Club by Michelle Sloan. It is a story of one woman’s mission to infiltrate a male dominated society and is a time shift adventure from the 18th to the 21st century.