Upcoming Events

4^th March 11.00 – 12.30 : Pancake Pop-Up.

Join us on Tuesday 4^th March for freshly baked pancakes, straight from the griddle to the plate, and lots of toppings to go with them. £3.00pp in the village hall.

6^th and 20^th March: Games Mornings. The Mclean Hall offers two more Games Mornings this season, on the 6th and 20th March, after which there will be a break. Join Lesley and Frances between 10.00 and 12.00 for indoor curling, table tennis and quoits as well as homebakes, a cuppa and a chat.

The McLean Hall’s Quiz Night is back with another chance to test your general knowledge! It’s on Saturday 22nd March. 7-9pm in the hall. Come as a team of four or join with others on the night.

29^th March 4-5pm: Fearnan Village Association Annual General Meeting. All members welcome, the venue is the village hall.

12^th April between 15.00 – 17.00: The FVA will be serving an Easter-themed Afternoon Tea in the village hall. Join us for some traditional bakes, freshly made tea and coffee, and hopefully some Spring weather.

13^th May at 11.00 -12.30: Kaffee und Kuchen Pop-Up. Last year, the FVA took some Italian inspiration for one of the Pop-Ups and this year it’s a German theme, so if you think black forest gateau, apple cake, stollen or strudel, you’re on the right lines. £3.00 in the village hall.

Celebrating Burns

There were no speeches, toasts or Immortal Memories at our Baking for Burns tribute to our national bard and lyricist at the end of January. But it was an excuse to enjoy some more traditional Scottish baking, and we did have some excellent Scottish music and even a little dancing.

The offerings on the table included mini Scotch pies, haggis ‘sausage’ rolls (very popular!), a Loch Tay fudge cake, Dundee Cake, treacle scones, shortbread and much more. Many thanks to all the bakers.

Extra special thanks to Doug, Hilary and Angus who provided a wonderful selection of Scottish music, helping to create a great atmosphere. The irrepressible Doug also led the dancing!

Don’t miss our next event The Pancake Pop-Up on Shrove Tuesday 4^th March.  Freshly made sweet and savoury pancakes to suit all tastes.

Fearnan Book Club Review of ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ by Sue Monk Kidd

Judith writes:

Our February meeting reviewed the 2001 novel, ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ by Sue Monk Kidd.

Set in 1964 in South Carolina during the civil rights era, it is a powerful story of loss and the ability of love to transform lives.

The novel’s main protagonist is 14-year-old Lily who lives with her abusive father and African-American maid, Rosaleen. Lily has a hazy memory of how her mother died and this, together with her guilt that she might be responsible, has shaped her young life. Rosaleen is arrested and beaten up after spitting ‘snuff juice’ on the shoes of three white men. Lily breaks her out of hospital and the two go on the run, heading to Tiburon, a place written on the back of an image of the Virgin Mary which Lily’s mother had owned.

She sees the same ‘Black Mary’ image on a jar of honey in a store and follows directions to the makers: the Boatwright sisters, August, May and June, who are all black. Invited to stay with the sisters, as Lily’s mother had before her since August used to be her nanny, Lily and Rosaleen learn the sisters’ ways, are involved in the crises of their lives and Lily learns about bees.

Lily finally learns the truth about her mother who had stayed with the sisters to escape her husband. Her mother had returned to the family home to retrieve all her possessions, including Lily, but was disturbed by her husband returning early. In the ensuing fight, Lily is meant to have picked up her mother’s gun which, accidentally discharging, kills her mother. In the final chapters, Lily’s father arrives, agrees to allow Lily to continue living with the Boatwright sisters and suggests (although not quite confirms) that Lily was the one to accidentally kill her mother.

The book was generally well-received with most enjoying the story. The characters, especially the Boatwright sisters and Rosaleen were well-crafted and interesting although, since the point of view was that of Lily, some would have liked to hear more of other characters’ inner thoughts. The prose was considered engaging with wonderful descriptions and images, such as dragonflies flying as though they were stitching up the air. Some questioned the likelihood of Rosaleen spitting on a white man’s shoes and the rather far-fetched coincidence of Lily and Rosaleen landing at the very same house which Lily’s mother had also done before her. There was some reflection of whether the deep prejudices that divided the society at the time were realistically portrayed. However, most believed that the overt, and covert, racism was not the main message of the book; rather it was about finding love, healing, and purpose in unexpected places.

All enjoyed the descriptions of bees and their behaviours with one person suggesting another book: ‘A Sting in the Tale’ by Dave Goulding, should others like to read a bit more about bees.

The next book to be reviewed is Sally Magnusson’s 2018 novel, The Sealwoman’s Gift.