Fearnan Village Association

The year 2017 was ushered in in style with a Hogmanay Party in the village hall.  A large contingent of visitors from Shoreside joined local residents to celebrate the new year – and some of the children in the group experienced not only their first Scottish new year, but also their first steps in country dancing.

As you can see from the photos below, the party had all the ingredients you might expect on Hogmanay – some dancing, a little bit of tartan, a wee tot, a stovie supper and lots of folk enjoying themselves.

And a Happy New Year to everyone who reads this blog, especially those who live far from Fearnan but still check-in on a regular basis to see what we’re up to.  We have regular readers in Canada, America, New Zealand, Australia, Russia and, of course, in other parts of the UK.  This year, some Russian school children were using our blog as a resource in their English language lessons.  We love to know that you’re out there – and we really love hearing from you!

Meanwhile back in Fearnan, the Book Club is going from strength to strength and at the last  meeting, (a Christmas meal in the Townhouse, Aberfeldy) the members voted for their favourite book of those read in 2016. It was His Bloody Project by  Graeme McRae Burnet, closely followed by A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson and The Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson. (Sounds like some good recommendations there for non-members looking for a good read.)

The next meeting is on Thurs 19th January at 7.30 and the book they will be discussing is Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J Ryan Stradal.

If your waistband seems a little tighter after all the seasonal temptations, or you just feel like a good stretch and workout, the Music and Movement sessions continue in the Hall at 10.30 am on Fridays, cost £2.00pp. And, of course, there’s Carpet Bowls, the Art Club or the Walking Group to join.

Good news for the sweet-toothed and pudding lovers among us!  The celebrated FVA Pudding Night is fast approaching.  It will be held on Saturday 18th February at 6.30pm in the Hall and we look forward to seeing you there.

Last Saturday, the wine was mulled and the pies were minced in preparation for one of the early fixtures in the Fearnan Christmas calendar- our annual Mulled Wine and Mince Pies celebration. This year, it was well attended and it was nice to see old friends and some new faces.

As you can see from the photos, the ‘mince pie’ side of things seems to have grown over the years and now includes shortbread, stollen, gingerbread, Christmas muffins and more.

Great smile, Sue!

Mulling the wine.

Just a small one, did you say?

If you feel a little exercise might be on the cards before Christmas, the last Music and Movement session of 2016 will be held in the Hall at 10.30 am on Friday 16th December, cost £2.00pp. Classes will resume in the new year on Friday 6th January, just in time to help fulfill all those new year resolutions.

Talking of the New Year, there will be a Hogmanay Party again this year, starting at 10pm in the Hall and finishing at approx 1am.  There will be ceilidh dancing and a light supper just after the Bells, with a dram at midnight too, otherwise BYOB!  It’s helpful to know numbers for the catering so, if you plan to come, please let Elaine know on 830682.

The first big event of 2017 will be the world-famous Fearnan Pudding Night, taking place on Saturday 18th February. We can promise well over 30 different puddings – steamed or baked, hot or cold, refined or rustic, the choice is yours.  It’s the night when diets are forgotten and no-one counts the number of refills you have – so join us for the ultimate indulgence!

A short Service of Remembrance was held at the Fearnan War Memorial on Sunday 13th November. The service was led by Shirley Shearer, who is an elder at Kenmore Church, and the wreaths were laid by Ewan Weir and Alastair Grier.

After the service, the Village Association served coffee and home baking in the Hall.

The Book Club

The Book Club continues to thrive.  At the last session there was a robust discussion about  His Bloody Project, by Graeme Macrae Burnet.  The book, which reached the Man Booker Prize Shortlist, prompted a range of different feelings and opinions on the characters and events, and the length of the sustained discussion indicated how involved and engaged everyone had been with this book.

This month’s book is Rise by Karen Campbell. It is set in an ancient landscape in Kilmacarra, a fictional village in the Highlands of Scotland, and is a novel about faith, freedom and finding your place in the world.  However, the book may (or may not) be discussed at this month’s meeting, which takes the form of a Christmas meal for members at the Townhouse in Aberfeldy on the 14th December.

Other books selected for future meetings are:
Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradel.
Nutshell by Ian McEwen
These Foolish Things by Deborah Moggach

The date of the next meeting and the order of reading the books are to be confirmed as the Club are keen to maximise attendance by not clashing with other club/society meetings.

Cow Park

Sadly, the Cow Park owners have decided to withdraw the current offer of sale to the community.  Many thanks to all who have contributed time and effort and especially the members of the Steering Group for their research and information-gathering to date.

Mulled Wine and Mince Pies

Christmas is rapidly approaching and the FVA’s annual Mulled Wine and Mince Pies event will take place in the Hall on Saturday 3rd December between 15.00 and 17.00.  The cost is £5 pp and a donation to the Village Hall funds will be made from the takings at the door.

Join us for an early taste of Christmas, before the seasonal stress sets in! Everyone is welcome and we hope to see you there!

The October Coffee Morning is always the last one of the year (other things happen in November and December) and it was good to see so many people turning out on a damp and drizzly morning.  We were joined half way through by the Walking Group, who were somewhat wet and ready for a nice hot mug of coffee along with some tasty goodies from the table.

There was a great turn-out and, along with the regulars, there were some first-timers, which is always good to see.

Next month, we’ll be serving coffee in the hall after the Remembrance Day Service (see below for details).

Cow Park Update

As widely promoted, a meeting took place on the 8^th October to discuss the offer from the current owner to sell the Cow Park to the village community. Thirty people attended the meeting, and a number of others who were unable to attend had responded by email. There was a very constructive discussion of the pros and cons of the proposal, of the research that has been carried out so far, and of both the short and long term implications of community ownership of this significant piece of land.

There was a majority in favour of looking further into the issues and it was agreed that a Steering Group would be formed to develop a more detailed Plan, so that an informed decision could be taken by the community.

The Steering Group will: follow up the opportunities for grant funding and the offers of support from various agencies that have already been identified in order to quantify them more exactly; identify and assess the risks that might be associated with a purchase; decide the most appropriate legal structure (eg a Trust or a Community Interest Company) and develop a plan that covers what needs to be done to both acquire the land and manage it in the medium to long term.

A number of people volunteered for the Steering Group either at the meeting or afterwards.  Sue Gardener will circulate an update about the meeting and Steering Group  to all properties in the village, either by email or hard copy.

Keep Fit this Winter!

Fran Gillespie has been in touch to tell us that a qualified instructor from LIveActive Leisure Ltd, Perth will be holding weekly one-hour exercise classes in the Molteno Hall, Fortingall, on Tuesdays at 10.00 am, starting on Tuesday November 1^st and continuing through until Easter, with a break of course at Christmas.

LiveActive can offer aerobics, stretch and tone yoga-type classes or pilates. It’s up to participants to decide what they’d prefer, so come along on Tuesday November 1^st for a FREE one-hour ‘taster session’ of chair-based exercises, stretching and strength. We will then discuss what type of exercises we’d like the classes to continue with. The charge per class will be £4.50 per session and a minimum of 8 weekly participants is required for the classes to be viable.

If you miss the ‘taster session’ on 1st November, don’t worry, just turn up at the Molteno Hall on Tuesdays at 10.00 am. All are welcome.

Book Club

The next meeting of the Book Club will be on Wednesday 19th October at 7.30pm in the Hall. The book choice is The Lie by C L Taylor.

Coming Up Soon

There will be a short Service of Remembrance at the Fearnan Memorial on Sunday 13th November at 11.00am, after which the FVA will be serving coffee in the village hall.  There will be a collection for Help for Heroes.

We’ll be marking the start of the Christmas season with Mulled Wine and Mince Pies on Saturday 3rd December from 15.00 – 17.00.

For many years, the Tigh-an-Loan Hotel was an important part of the social and economic life of Fearnan. It was mentioned in this blog a few months ago, in an article on the hotel bus, and here we explore its history in more detail.

The Earl of Breadalbane funded the building of the Tigh-an-Loan Hotel in 1887.

John Stewart took over the tenancy 1902 and he and his descendants continued run it for just over 100 years. His granddaughter, Shenac Kelloe, and her husband David recently shared their memories of the hotel and of Fearnan in the second half of the 20^th century.

Two years after taking over the hotel, John married Isabella Menzies and they had 4 daughters of whom two, Dolly and Mia (Shenac’s Mum), survived to adulthood. Around this time, Fearnan had 25 households and a population of 91.

In 1922, the Breadalbane Estate came on the market following the death of the third Marquis of Breadalbane, and John (seen below on the right) was able to purchase the Tigh-an-Loan Hotel outright. At the same time, many other tenants in Fearnan were able to purchase their own crofts.

In those days, Tigh-an-Loan was not just a hotel; it provided a taxi service, a bus, a grocery shop, a post office, and also sold petrol, and coal. It even had its own ghillie way back, boats for the salmon fishing, and a small farm with 2 cows, a pig and a number of hens. The hotel was the nearest thing to a bank that Fearnan ever had – villagers who were owed money could arrange for a cheque to be made out to John Stewart and he would exchange it for cash.

It was a source of full and part time employment for people in the village, some of whom are seen in these photos carrying out some of the cleaning and washing tasks necessary to keep things running smoothly. It must have been hard work, but they seem to have been having fun when the photographer was around!

Few people had cars in those days so local services were important and the taxis and bus were a vital link to the wider area. Ben Lawers Dam was built after the WW2, and during the construction period the taxis were kept busy ferrying people to and from the Dam.

On a Friday, the hotel bus would be loaded with groceries and set off for Glen Lyon to deliver orders and to sell goods off the back of the bus. Several readers of this blog recall accompanying Dolly in the bus to Glen Lyon. (Dolly Stewart (front row, right) is seen here with friends at the 1938 Empire Exhibition).

At that time, people cooked fresh every day and Fearnan residents purchased their food supplies from the 2 butchers’ vans, the grocery van and from other mobile shops that called regularly in the village.

Mrs Stewart is remembered as a hard worker who kept things running smoothly, but also as someone who quietly looked out for people who were experiencing difficulties. For example, she might slip wartime evacuees a half-pound of butter from the dairy. Alastair Barnett, a regular contributor to this blog, remembers her kindness:

Isabella Stewart

“If she happened to catch sight of me as I traipsed wearily home from the school alone, she’d knock on the dining-room window and beckon me round to the back door of the hotel. Once I got inside the kitchen she’d press a finger to her lips indicating I must be silent. 

Momentarily disappearing into the parlour she would return and quickly stuff a handful of  “sweeties” into my pocket with the whispered warning: “Off you go now and don’t tell Dolly.”  The gift always had to be our secret.

Mrs. Stewart dressed in black from her neck to her shoes. She had pure white hair pulled back into a bun at the back and — to my young eyes — a skin like white marble. I adored her.

If anyone deserves to be remembered for her contribution to the halcyon days at Tigh-an-Loan Hotel, it is Mrs. Stewart.”

Shenac’s own family lived in Aberfeldy where her parents, Mia and Tommy ran a guesthouse, and Tommy was a bus driver. Being well known to the staff of the bus company, McKercher’s of Aberfeldy, young Shenac would be popped on the bus (unaccompanied, in those far off, safer times) to be dropped off at her grandparents’ in Fearnan.

On one occasion, she had been entrusted to the care of her grandfather, as Mrs Stewart was feeling unwell and had taken to her bed. Perhaps Grandfather was not as attentive as he should have been, and Shenac fell into the burn at the back of the hotel. While her clothes were drying by the fire, she was wrapped up and put into bed with her grandmother to keep warm. At this point, Dr Swanson from Aberfeldy arrived and did a double take on finding old Mrs Stewart tucked up in bed cradling a very young child. “Och, Mrs Stewart, you didn’t tell me THIS was the problem!” he quipped.

More of Dr Swanson later!

Shenac’s grandparents both died in 1953, and Dolly continued to run the hotel and all the additional services herself, but it proved too much for one person. In 1956, Shenac’s parents moved from Aberfeldy to Fearnan to help Dolly.

Shenac was enrolled in the village school, but she was to find out that living so close to the school had its disadvantages in the winter. When the snow fell deeply, she could find herself the only pupil in the school. In fact Miss Maynard, the teacher, had been known to phone the hotel to check that Shenac would be attending – as she only needed one pupil to keep the school open!

The photo on the left above shows how deep the snow was in 1963, and in the other Shenac is seen making her way to school through the snow covered fields with fellow school pupils Alex and Billy McEwan, and their father John.

After they married, Shenac and David took over the running of the hotel in 1974.

Not long after his arrival at the Tigh-an-Loan Hotel, David noticed a Saturday morning ritual in which a silver salver with a large glass of whisky and a soda syphon would disappear in the direction of the Smoke Room. The reason for this, he discovered, was that on Saturday morning Dr Swanson came from Aberfeldy and would call in at the hotel. It was known in the village that elderly patients, who were unable to get to Aberfeldy during the week, could come to the Smoke Room for a quick consultation with the doctor. This was an arrangement that suited all concerned but the number of whiskies required would be proportionate to the number of patients to be seen. The local policeman, recognizing the social importance of this unofficial Saturday surgery, confided to David that he did occasionally have a job ensuring he wasn’t in the vicinity when Dr Swanson drove home to Aberfeldy after the consultations!

David and Shenac recall a thriving village with social events and club meetings taking place in the Hall on a daily basis. There was also a good and regular bus service – on a Saturday night a bus would leave Killin at 6 pm, picking up people all along the loch-side and making its way to the cinema in Aberfeldy. When they left the cinema later that evening, there could be 3 buses waiting in Aberfeldy Square to take people home.

During the 1970s, the visitor market started to change significantly. Up to that point, people would book to stay full board for a week or more. Trade tended to be made up of regulars who came every year, rather than passing trade. Mr. and Mrs. McDonald of McDonald P&O Shipping lines were regular summer visitors for many years, and before WW2 the Queen of the Lake (seen below on the right) sailed the loch. (It looks like the fishing was pretty good, too!)

The steamer  stopped calling at Fearnan Pier in the early ‘30s, due to the pier being in a state of disrepair. This prompted a petition of protest to the steamer company by the people of Fearnan, Fortingall and Glen Lyon as the loss of the ferry service had affected holiday lets in the area.

Foreign and timeshare holidays started to become more popular in the ’70s and ’80s although the Hotel retained many regular guests who also  became personal friends, and the hotel’s business started to switch to meals, the bar and functions. The hotel continued to sell petrol until the late ‘70s, when the oil crisis of 1979 changed the petrol market forever, pushing up prices and making it extremely difficult for small businesses to compete with the big companies. When it finally became economically unviable, Shenac and David took the decision to have the tanks and pumps removed and used the space to build an extension to the lounge bar.

A regular visitor to the village in the 1970’s was Peter Fraser, then the Conservative Member of Parliament for Angus South and subsequently Solicitor-General for Scotland. He became Lord Advocate in 1989, and had ultimate responsibility for the Pan Am 103 Lockerbie investigation. In Fearnan, he was the owner of Katie Howie’s Cottage.

One weekend, he decided to tackle the task of sweeping the chimney and had borrowed a (somewhat unusual) protective outfit in advance. During the sweeping process he took a break – but caused considerable consternation in the village when a man dressed in a surgeon’s gown, mask and rubber gloves was spotted enjoying a cigarette in the front garden of Katie Howie’s Cottage!

History has a habit of repeating itself, and in the mid-70’s David was involved in the formation of the first village association, established to counter plans to develop the field between the hotel and the school. David was also on the Hall Committee and was elected Chair of the Committee from 1987-90, while Shenac was the Fearnan President of the WRI in 1988.

The shop, along with the post office, moved to a new site in 1961 after new hygiene laws were enacted, and was rebuilt in 1995. Shenac and David retired from the Hotel in 2003  – just over a hundred years after John Stewart first took it over. The hotel was sold and the site was subsequently re-developed.

Shenac and David

The Tigh-an-Loan Hotel is fondly remembered by both villagers and former residents of Fearnan and over the years its role in the village changed as the village itself changed. It was, however, always a village landmark for those arriving by boat or by road, and always an important social meeting place. It was a popular venue for SWRI dinners, birthday parties, children’s Christmas parties (older Fearnan male residents sometimes finding themselves ‘volunteered’ for the post of Santa), for weddings and funeral teas.

Tigh-an-Loan Hotel

David & Shenac, as proud grandparents, regularly visit Killin and enjoy visits from their Edinburgh family. They still retain their links with Fearnan.

If it’s summer time, it must be strawberry time!  In Perthshire, summer weather can be variable but Perthshire strawberries are always fantastic.  Last week, we had our annual Strawberry TeaZ in the Hall – and quite a celebration it was.

How many ways can you serve a strawberry?  Well, we counted about 25 this year, from savoury, to super sweet – and sometimes this made it difficult to choose.

We were delighted to welcome visitors from as far away as Australia, some former residents who now live elsewhere, as well as the many current residents who came along to help ensure that everything was eaten. And a good job they made of it –  there was very little left by the end. As ever, Doug and Hilary provided the excellent live music.

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When it was all over, somebody had to clear up – thank you, Peter! (And many others!). Then it was time for the organisers to have a quick celebratory drink before going home.

Many thanks to all the others who helped to make it happen, and particularly those who baked or made a contribution to our fabulous strawberry feast.

Please note that the Hall Committee have advised us that, for a variety of reasons, the proposed Treasure Hunt and BBQ in the Hall on Saturday 13th August has been cancelled.

Just a reminder that the FVA will be serving Strawberry TeaZ in the village hall on Saturday 23rd July between 3 and 5pm.  Join us for a feast of delicious strawberry – themed home baking.  Everyone is welcome, and it’s £5.00 for as much as you can eat.  (School age children are half price.)

I’m delighted to report that Sue is doing extremely well. She says she is convalescing gently and looking forward to seeing everyone at the Strawberry TeaZ event on Saturday.

There’s a Fiddle Concert at the Big Shed this Tuesday, 19th July, at 7.30 pm

The duo are American Galen Fraser and Orcadian Louise Bichan who met at  the prestigious annual summer school in California run by Scottish fiddler, Alasdair Fraser.

They will perform traditional and self-penned tunes from both sides of the Atlantic and will be joined by friends and special guests.

BYOB – tea coffee and soft drinks will be available. Tickets  £10 on the door.

The June Coffee Morning was very enjoyable and busy affair, with several new faces to welcome to the village and lots of familiar ones to welcome back.

The next event in the FVA calendar is the annual Strawberry TeaZ extravaganza, from 3 – 5pm in the Hall on Saturday 23rd July.  Join us for a feast of home baking, from scones with strawberry jam, to delicious strawberry-themed cakes and desserts, and chocolate-dipped strawberries.

As much as you can eat for £5.00 per head.

The Book Club continues to meet in the Hall every Wednesday night, and the book choice for July is ‘Death at La Fenice’ by Donna Leon, the first in her detective novel series set in Italy.

The next meeting of the club will be on Wednesday 13th JULY at 7.30pm.

Recently, we heard that the story we told earlier this year about The Fearnan Air Crash 1943 has been commemorated in verse by a Russian poet. The poem tells how, in response to ferocious fighting on the Russian Eastern Front, a group of Russian airmen came to Scotland to take command of a fleet of aircraft that the British Government had offered to assist their Russian allies fight the Nazi forces.  During the time they were in Scotland, 3 of their number were killed just outside Fearnan – an event recorded in the poem.  Many thanks to Nicolas Slater, who translated it into this dramatic literary ballad.

‘A Variation on the Russian Poem “Memory” by Nicolas Slater’

We’ve been at war a year and more,

And every airman is an ace;

When Jerry sees one in the sky

He needs to find a hiding-place.

But the war’s neither won nor lost;

We need to find more planes today!

Britain has offered us some help:

Their planes can soon be on their way.

Some test flights need to be set up,

In Bonnie Scotland – off we go!

It’s all top-secret, walls have ears –

The enemy must never know.

Captain, ‘Sparky’, Engineer

Have all set off: Good luck! Soon back!

Life’s quiet in Scotland – hurry up!

We must return to our attack.

Our men defending Stalingrad,

Their battle is a living hell.

The lads are dying, I can’t rest,

I want to be in there as well.

Out here – no letters, ne’er a word…

What’s happening to folk at home,

My wife, my mum, my little ones,

While I’m in Scotland on my own?

It’s summer nineteen forty-three:

The test flight’s ordered, and the plane

Stands on the runway. gleaming bright;

So up we go! Soon home again…

Fate can be cruel, and our aircraft’s

A cruel beast, and stubborn too.

Was something wrong with the design?

But we must fly it, me and you.

Captain, ‘Sparky’, Engineer,

On board and ready. Up we go!

As Scotland falls away behind us,

We scan the green fields down below.

All’s going well, until the aircraft

Starts losing altitude. What’s wrong?

Are the engines overloaded?

Listen to their angry song:

“We’re going to crash, and you can’t help it:

We won’t obey you! This is it!”

The nose is pointing down, they’re plunging,

Down there’s the earth they’re going to hit!

“But Fearnan village lies before us

And we must save it, though we die!”

The captain grabs the yoke and yanks it

To keep the aircraft in the sky.

And then they crash into the field.

Their bodies shattered. The flight is done.

The earth’s still shaking from the impact,

Smoke and flames rise to the sun.

The villagers saw what had happened,

And rushed to give what help they could.

They gathered round and saw the wreckage;

But could not do any good.

Captain, ‘Sparky’, Engineer,

Their bodies smashed, and lying there;

Men, women, children, standing sadly

And silently, all shed a tear.

The airmen willingly had given

Their lives to save the village here;

They could not save themselves. But Fearnan

Forever holds those airmen dear.

Children, grandchildren will honour

Those who gave their lives that day.

The other airmen dipped their wings

And home to Russia made their way.

Now there’s a corner, out in Scotland,

A quiet corner where Russia lives on:

With Russian birch-trees, Russian daisies,

A wreath of scarlet poppies, framing

The much-loved faces of those who are gone.

Scotland remembers our lost heroes.

In Moscow, on the ninth of May

A glorious fly-past celebrates them,

And in the skies of Scotland’s Errol,

A squadron of time-honoured warplanes

Commemorates that Victory Day.

A minute’s silence; a lifetime’s sorrow;

We never shall forget our war.

We love and honour those who fell;

Their names live on for evermore.

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Grateful thanks to Nicolas for his work on this.  Is this the first time Fearnan has appeared in a poetic work, or can anyone come up with other examples?