Fearnan Village Association

Although we know that our little web site is picked up and read by non-residents, there is always a sense of excitement when someone with a past connection to Fearnan, gets in touch.

The most recent correspondence came from Kirstyn in Germany, and was prompted by the article about the discovery of the Fearnan School Records.  Kirstyn attended Fearnan Village School in the 1950’s.  She lived at Lawers Schoolhouse and attended primary school with her sister and 2 cousins.

Kirstyn recalls some of the characters and personalities in the village at that time, including a fearsome teacher whose iron rule caused sleepless nights for some village children!  Happier memories were of the Misses Parker-Ness who stayed at Letterellan and staged garden parties for the schoolchildren in the summer.

Kirstyn also reminds us of some of our more famous former residents, including Major Clifford Hugh Douglas, the economist and Social Credit pioneer, who lived at Corriegorm.

Major Clifford Hugh Douglas

He was also a brilliant engineer, who was entrusted with important projects including the construction of the London Post Office Tube Railway.  Also known as Mail Rail, it was a narrow guage driverless, private underground railway in London to move mail between sorting offices.  It was in operation from 1927 to 2003. There is more information about Major Douglas at http://www.michaeljournal.org/douglas.htm

Fearnan was also home to Captain Hamish Pelham-Burn (1917 – 2011). An expert in explosives and demolitions, he joined the elite members of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), formed in 1940 by Winston Churchill to conduct warfare by means other than direct engagement.

Captain Hamish Pelham-Burn

He was described in his obituary in the Daily Telegraph as one of the Second World War’s Renaissance men who displayed his lethal talents variously as a soldier, fighter pilot and behind-the-lines saboteur with SOE. So sensitive was Captain Pelham-Burn’s SOE career, that his story remains largely untold. His official SOE war record (1939-46) is stored in the National Archives at Kew where it has been sealed and protected for 72 years. Under the Official Secrets Act, it cannot be made available for public scrutiny until January 1, 2019!

More information about him that is in the public domain can be read at:http://www.thecourier.co.uk/Community/Obituaries/article/11006/war-hero-captain-hamish-pelham-burn.html

Does anyone else share Kirstyn’s memories of Fearnan in the 1950’s? If so, please get in touch by using the ‘Comments’ link below this article. We’d love to hear from you.

This happy smiley photo of Angela and Alistair Kininmonth and Bob and Barbara Pitney arrived on the web site’s desk this week, and prompted an email to find out how Bob and Barbara are getting on.  Here is Barbara’s reply:

“Yes, we were delighted that Angela and Alastair were able to factor us into their trip south of the border. It was so good to see them again and hear, first hand, all the Fearnan and Fortingall news. 

 We can’t believe that it is a full year since we moved in here.  Sometimes it has been two steps forward, one step back (on occasions three steps!) as regards all the alterations and refurbishment, but we can honestly say that we now have a lovely home and garden.  It was not too difficult to settle back into the area as we had lived in this part of the UK for many years prior to coming north, and we were able to take up with old friends again. 

The village of Charlton Horethorne is bigger than Fearnan.  It still has a shop and a pub and the mobile post office van comes to the green three times a week, which is really handy.  It is a very active village community with a hall where we can bowl, go to musical evenings (for all tastes), have parties and get-togethers, BBQs and, of course, a day in the calendar not to be missed – the annual village flower show.

We have rejoined our old golf club, Sherborne, which is only 5 minutes away in the car, and occasionally are like ships that pass in the night, with all the matches and friendly games we’re asked to play.  And Bob has found a new challenge too – outdoor lawn bowls.  He plays in Sherborne and has taken to it like a duck to water.

 We are both very well as Angela and Alastair can testify.  Although they were not with us long and they arrived in the middle of utter chaos with water everywhere (the soft furnisher had drilled through a central heating pipe in the sitting room!!), we had a lovely time with them. 

We drove out to Cerne Abbas to see the Giant, a chalk figure dug out of the hillside centuries ago.  Legend has it that if infertile couples spend the night on a certain and highly visible part of his anatomy, nine months later they will be blessed with the patter of tiny feet ….. !  I think this is self-explanatory!  

Their visit proved a very happy interlude indeed when we were able to enjoy the company of old friends as well as good food and wine.

Writing this has conjured up many happy memories of our time in Fearnan, which we will never forget.

With all good wishes,

Bob and Barbara”

Please note that the coffee mornings in both June and July have been cancelled as the village hall renovations are about to get underway.

The next event – in the upgraded hall – will be the FVA Members’ Night on the 4th August.  On this occasion, as agreed at the AGM, the meal will be provided for members out of the FVA’s funds.  A night not to be missed!

Last Tuesday – a lovely spring day – brought an excellent turnout of 24 people to the FVA Coffee Morning, including the very youngest member of the village and 3 visitors from Shoreside.

Peter’s photos capture the convivial atmosphere far better than words.

In between the chat, the food was all consumed or taken as carryouts.

Fraser, Trish and Peter did the washing up, so many thanks to them and to Sue, Julia and Laurie for doing all the preparation.

Please note that there may not be a coffee morning in June as the Hall Committee are awaiting the last part of the refurbishment grant and will then crack on with the work – which should take about a month.

This month’s recipe is for Sue’s Cornish Fairings. These biscuits store quite well without going soft:

• Lightly grease a backing sheet and set oven to 180 degrees or equivalent.
• Sieve together 6oz SR flour, pinch of bicarbonate of soda, 1 flat teaspoon ground ginger, 3oz caster sugar and add 2oz raisins.
• Melt together 4oz butter or margarine and 1 tablespoon golden syrup and mix into dry ingredients.
• Put heaped, well-spaced teaspoonfulls onto the baking sheet and bake 12-15 minutes until lightly brown in the centre.
• Leave to cool 5 mins to firm up, transfer to cooling tray.

To vary: instead of raisins try grated orange peel, chopped nuts, chocolate chips or chopped ginger.

Fearnan Cemetery

The FVA has received an email from Roy McGregor, who has asked for some information about his forefathers who are buried in Fearnan Cemetery.

Roy McGregor writes:

“I came across the Fearnan Village Association whilst trying to find information on Fearnan Cemetery and wondered if anyone in your Association would be able to help. I believe that there is a monument in the cemetery, which reads:

“Donald McGregor died Stronfernan 02.03 1836 aged 85, son Duncan died 01.02 1824 aged 22, erected by son Alexander Esq. St Kitts, West Indies”.

 Alexander was my great, great grandfather and if there is any information on the family, I’d be very grateful to hear it. I believe that Alexander became a farmer in Crianlarich upon his return from the West Indies with his two children, Donald and Margaret, but do not have any information as to when he died or where he is buried.

 If anyone would be so kind as to help with these requests I should be extremely grateful.

If you can help, or suggest where Roy can find out more information, please could you either let Fiona or Sue know or, better still, use the Comment link below this article, as Roy will be able to pick up your information straight off the web site.  We are arranging for a photo of the monument to be taken.

Every so often, when people are searching the Internet for information about Fearnan, our little web site pops up.  This happened recently when Valerie McDonald was doing some genealogy research and looking for information on a relative, Miss Roberts, who had been a schoolmistress at Fearnan School.  Valerie came across Ian McGregor’s article on the School Log Books and got in touch to see if Ian was able to provide any information on her relative.

Ian found the logbook entries for both the start of Miss Robert’s employment at the school in May 1903, and her last day (Jan 25^th 1927).  Scan’s of the pages are reproduced in this article, and they read:

 Kenmore Fearnan Public School (26.5.1903)

 The new teacher has been only a month in charge and her influence has scarcely had time to make itself felt: but already there is distinct improvement both in tone and in instruction, and in spite of the difficulties through which the school has passed some of the work (e.g. the writing and the composition of the highest class) is positively good and in all of it an upward tendency is discernible.

 Drawing is still quite worthless and oral English is very rudimentary.

 Miss Roberts should use her own judgement in reclassifying the pupils according to their attainments and in drawing up a new Time Table and Scheme of Work.

 Jan 25^th 1927

 Visit to the school this day, and it is with feelings of extreme regret that I record this entry as the last under the regime of the capable, efficient teacher who for the last 25 years has so ably and successfully acted as teacher here.

You can read Ian’s original article here https://fearnanvillageassociation.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=102&action=edit

The first Coffee Morning of the year was a very relaxed, friendly – and hungry! – affair.

A delicious spread of home made savouries, cakes and biscuits disappeared very quickly.

We had a visitor – Andy Moir who works for Perth & Kinross Council’s Services for Older People.

Andy had found our website and took the chance to call by when the Coffee Morning was on to chat to people about the Council’s range of services to help older people to live a comfortable life, and remain living in their own home for as long as possible.

If you weren’t at the Coffee Morning, but think that any of these services could help you, or someone you care for, you can contact Andy via the Community Care Access Team on 0845 30 111 20 or by email at AccessTeam@pkc.gov.uk

The next Coffee Morning is on Tuesday 24th April.

We were saddened to hear of the death of John Thomas at the weekend.  John had lived in the village for many years, following his retirement from a successful career in business.  He was a talented furniture maker and a great man for a project – 2 years ago he constructed a workshop in his garden and, in the last year, he converted his garage into an extra bedroom.

John and Margaret were adventurous travellers in their retirement, and had many interesting tales to share.  John was generous with his time in supporting matters that were important to the village, and chaired the inaugural meeting that led to the formation of the Fearnan Village Association.

The funeral will be in Perth on Wednesday 14^th March.

Get your diaries out!  Here are the dates for social events in 2012.  We understand that the Village Hall will close for renovation at some point this year but, as the dates for this are not yet decided, we have set dates for our events and will alter them as and when necessary.

Coffee Mornings 2012

Tuesday 24th April                                                Tuesday 22nd May

Tuesday 19th June                                                 Tuesday 17th July

Tuesday 11th September                                       Tuesday 9th October

Members’ Evening                                          Saturday 4^th August (A free event)

Pudding Night                                                   Saturday 9th February 2013

Chair’s Report March 2012

Sue Gardener reported as follows:

April will be our 5^th anniversary!  It seems longer than five years!

Membership – By my reckoning we have 57 members.

Shoreside – has gone quiet and we have had no further contact from the owner Andrew Hutchinson.

Quarry Road Cemetery – we dealt with PKC to get the collapsed wall repaired.

Postbox – we tried very hard and failed to move Royal Mail and get an additional postbox – my thanks to Laurie in particular for his efforts on our behalf.

Broadband – we keep looking at possibilities and are in contact with others who are doing the same. Wearing my other hat as Chair of the Community Council, I am hoping to meet with my counter parts in our neighbouring CCs to see if we have enough common ground for some sort of initiative.

Calendars – we produced another beautiful calendar – special thanks to Peter and Keith for its production. We had an excellent response to the competition we ran to get pictures and the involvement of so many people was, in itself, a good thing.

Coffee mornings and social events – while our social events are hard work they are very rewarding and much appreciated by people who attend. The Winter Pudding Night is becoming well known, although, strangely, numbers don’t go up much!

Web site – our newest acquisition thanks to Fiona who set it up and maintains it. It seems particularly popular with expats! and is a great way of keeping up with what is going on – worth a look just for the pictures. Other people and organisations are beginning to ask for two-way links to their own websites, which is a pleasing development.

Thanks – my thanks to the Committee who all work very hard for the good of the Village and for their support of me, personal especially for taking the burden off me at the end of the Summer when I was extremely tired and had to step back from everything.

It has been a good year  – thank you all for your support.

Key points from the Treasurer’s Report

Laurie Lane reported that:

• Funds continue to grow slowly, with the main contributions coming from calendar sales, coffee mornings and the BBQ.  Calendar sales of 150 were achieved this year against 200 last year, suggesting that we need to consider how we proceed in the future.  Coffee mornings show a profit over hall hire as all baking and drinks are donated, while the BBQ produces a clear profit over costs.
• The FVA is run very economically, now that email is the main contact medium. For those paying annually, membership fees are now due for the year commencing 1^st Feb 2012 and membership cards are being issued this year.  Current fees are £2.00 per annum or £6 for 3 years.
• Our funds are built up to enable us, as a village, to back projects of communal benefit, fight plans that we agree are detrimental to us, and to make life in the community generally better if we can.