Here are some of the things happening in Fearnan over the autumn and early winter.
Saturday 14th September 19.30 – 21.00: September Social.
This is a BYOB event organised by the FVA and will take place in the village Hall. We will provide a range of savoury bites and nibbles to go with your wine/drink of choice. £3.00 pp.
Saturday 28th September 10.30 – 12.00 MacMillan Coffee Morning.
The Hall Committee are once again hosting a local Macmillan Coffee Morning, the fund raiser to help people living with cancer. Last year, events across the nation raised over £18 million, so do come along and join what is usually a fun event and help Fearnan make its contribution to the national total.
Saturday 5th October: Quiz Night 7-9pm.
Yes, the Quiz Night is back! This is a fund-raiser for Fearnan Hall, organised by the Hall Committee, and it’s another chance to come along and compete with other local teams to win the coveted Quiz Night Shield!
Tuesday 29th October: Halloween Pop Up 11.00 in the Hall.
The FVA’s Pop-Up Coffee Shop is back for Halloween! Join us for homemade spooky cakes and goodies and fresh coffee. Dressing up is permitted but not compulsory.
Sunday 10th November: Remembrance Service at the War Memorial.
Please gather at the War Memorial at 11.50. The FVA will serve tea and coffee in the Hall after the service.
Saturday 14th December: Mulled Wine and Mince Pies.
The FVA will be serving Mulled Wine and Mince Pies in the Hall 16.00 – 18.00. Come and join friends and neighbours for a pre-Christmas drink. Points (but no prizes!) will be awarded for the best Christmas jumpers.
Open Gate Festival 23rd August – 1st September
Here’s another series of dates and some interesting local events and visits. Aberfeldy’s Healthiest Town project is launching an Open Gate Festival from August 23rd to 1st September. It includes a mix of tours, talks and tastings as food growers open their gates to visitors around Highland Perthshire. The aim is to encourage people to eat more local, and more healthy food by showcasing the best of what is being produced in the area.
Dozens of growers and producers have signed up to the 10-day festival – from farms and professional market gardens to foragers and hobbyists. Open Gate is about inspiring us to eat more of what we grow here, enticing people with exciting recipes and hopefully even motivate more of us to grow our own or get involved in community food projects.
The programme includes visits to and activities at farms such as Tombreck Farm or Little Trochy Veg Farm. You could go Found Food Foraging with Charlotte Flower, forage for fungi with Duncan Pepper, learn about cultivating oyster mushrooms and about increasing the resilience, adaptability and biodiversity of your garden. There are films, walks and hands on activities – some great days out! Quite a few events need to be booked, so check out the full programme here: https://www.healthiesttown.org/open-gate
Last Saturday, the Village Association hosted its first Strawberry Tea since the pandemic, and it proved to be a popular move with the 60 or so people who attended. We were delighted to welcome people from across the area – from Killin to Aberfeldy – including a number who were visitors on holiday.
It has to be said that things weren’t looking all that good on Friday, when we discovered there was a local shortage of strawberries with a number of suppliers cancelling their weekend deliveries as rain and a lack of sun had affected the crop. Fortunately, we found enough sources of berries and a big thank you to the Courtyard Shop for going out of their way to find alternative supplies.
Once things were underway, plates were quickly filled and before long, there were only a few crumbs left, as these before and after photos show!
Many thanks to all those who contributed to the baking effort and who helped us put on such an excellent table from savouries such as strawberry bruschetta and sandwiches, to sweet treats including magnificent cakes, meringues, scones and pavlova.
Scottish Charity Air Ambulance
Once again, our SCAA collecting tin was full (we only got this one in February).
We’ve been advised that it contained an amazing £164.38, and SCAA were delighted.
This is about £50 more than our usual tally. Not bad for 5 months/6 events!
Instead of charging for takeaways, we’ve started asking folk to put a donation in the SCAA box. Good result! Thank you for your generosity.
Fearnan Book Club Review
Linda writes:
At our recent meeting, The Quaker by Liam McIlvanney was discussed with enthusiasm. This book was the winner of the 2018 McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year.
Plot summary: It is 1969 and Glasgow has been brought to its knees by a serial killer spreading fear throughout the city. The Quaker has taken three women from the same nightclub and brutally murdered them in the backstreets. The novel takes its inspiration from the real-life murders that horrified Glasgow in 1968/9 by a perpetrator christened Bible John. In McIlvanney’s re-imagining, his murderer is dubbed The Quaker.
Our group thought that initially its pace was slow but then it became a page turner. It was a chilling and at times a hard read with interesting twists.
The characters were well developed, and Cormack and Goldie had a special mention from the group. The descriptions of the murdered women and their back stories were portrayed well. The gripping chapters written from the women’s point of view ensured they were given a voice. We felt the descriptions of life and the atmosphere in Glasgow in the 1960s felt authentic and true to life.
The Barrowland ballroom was described as a gritty, seedy place where the dancing provided an escape from reality and hard lives. Men and women sought anonymity and removed wedding rings to appear available. When seeking witnesses. this made the detectives’ job difficult as people were not keen to come forward.
The image of the Glasgow Police Force, the chain-smoking policemen and the absence of female officers was true to that era. Many in the force in those days were from Argyll, as was Cormack, a talented young detective brought in to solve this ongoing case and find the murderer. The Highlanders sought each other out to exchange tales and memories from their home area eg. Ballachulish.
There was clever plotting with the interweaving of two storylines.
Some didn’t see the ending coming but it was agreed that all aspects were pulled together and rounded off in an acceptable manner.
Our next read is The Gathering Storm by Lynne McEwan.
There are no easy choices when the dark clouds gather.
DI Shona Oliver’s past and present collide when James McGowan, her ex-classmate – now a famous actor – comes to the area to make a Robert Burns biopic.’
Saturday 20th July – Strawberry Tea 3pm – 5pm. The return of an old favourite – a delicious afternoon tea, featuring Scottish Strawberries – and lots of them. It’s strawberries every which way – from strawberry sandwiches to strawberry cakes and tray bakes, bowls of strawberries and cream, strawberry meringues, chocolate dipped strawberries and much more. £7pp for a summery afternoon tea (school age children half price).
Tuesday 29th October Halloween PopUp at 11.00 in the Hall – tea, coffee and baking to celebrate the spookiest time of the year.
Sunday 10th November 10.50 at the War Memorial – Service of Remembrance. Tea and coffee served by the FVA in the Hall afterwards.
Saturday 14th December 16.00 – 18.00 – Mulled Wine and Mince Pies served in the Hall. A pre-Christmas get-together with friends ahead of the seasonal last-minute rush.
FVA AGM
Fearnan Village Association held its 2023/24 AGM on Saturday 22nd June. The FVA’s annual report and financial statement were presented to members and a change to the Articles of Association was agreed – the inclusion of terms of office for FVA Committee members.
Four new committee members were co-opted to the Committee last year, and these appointments were approved by the members present. After the meeting, the committee met to appoint the office bearers, and the new committee is now;
Fiona Ballantyne – Chair
Neil Ballantyne
Karen Bennet – Treasurer
Fran Donovan
Judith Hughes – Membership Secretary
Elaine Melrose
Linda Milne
Pat Stalker – Minute Secretary
Recent Events – Italian-Flavoured Pop Up and BYOB Cheese and Wine
In May, we held a well attended Pop-Up with an Italian flavour to the baking as change from the usual, typically more Scottish baking. This change appeared to go down well with those present and we were delighted to welcome around 40 or so locals to the event.
Among the goodies on offer were: biscotta, tiramisu cake, lemon and blueberry cake and orange olive oil cake.
In June we hosted a BYOB Cheese and Wine, as a direct result of ideas put in the Suggestions Boxes a few months ago. The BYOB format seemed to go down well and there was a fine array of cheese and savoury bites on offer – all in all a very sociable and enjoyable event.
Winter Warm Welcome Games Afternoon
Frances and Lesley would like to thank everyone who supported the Winter Warm Welcome Games Afternoons.
The raffles raised £130 in aid of the SCAA and they warmly thank you for your generosity.
Interest has been expressed in continuing with Table Tennis, Curling and Quoits throughout the Winter months, possibly on a Thursday morning.
Lesley and Frances would be happy to arrange this if there is sufficient interest so let them know if you like the concept and would like it to continue.
Thrift Shop
The McLean Hall, Fearnan has been allocated the Thrift Shop from the 14th-20th July. It is open from 10.00 – 4.00 daily.
If it’s possible, please drop items at the shop. Thanks for your donations so far and a big thank you to all of you who have already volunteered to help.
There will also be a tombola and Lesley (07891771708) will be happy to accept donations for that. There will also be a designated box in the hall kitchen for tombola contributions. We will also be selling plants and will have the usual Friday sale of baking.
Linda (07729300708) will take any of the above that you would like to donate and are unable to bring to the shop.
We hope it will be a great week. Your support is always appreciated.
Book Club
There are 2 book reviews this month, for May and June.
Linda writes:
The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods was recently reviewed. It was a popular choice and an easy read. The Book Club evening, when this book was reviewed, was a lively, relaxed evening fuelled by Prosecco and orange flavoured chocolate buttons!
The Lost Bookshop
The thing about books,” she said “is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.”
In The Lost Bookshop, we have two timelines, and three main characters – Opaline, Martha and Henry. It moves between 1921 and present day as each character tells their story.
It contains mystery, love, magic and books, with well-drawn, true to life characters. The main characters were likeable, and it was easy to empathise with the stories of the impossible situations they found themselves in.
Our group often dislike books that jump in time, but it was felt that as the characters were intertwined, it was easy to go from one storyline to the other. There were parallels in the bad experiences in Opaline and Martha’s lives and their shared love of books. The author explored these tough experiences in detail.
Henry was on a quest to find a missing manuscript but also found love. Madam Bowden, we decided, was Martha’s guardian angel and a custodian of the lost bookshop, but did she exist and what happened to Shane? We felt these questions should be answered by us as readers. At times the reader had to suspend disbelief and some of the group were less comfortable with the fantasy aspects of the narrative.
We particularly enjoyed and appreciated the descriptions of the characters and settings. The Lost Bookshop itself was described in detail, eg. wood from a bookshop in Italy, as were the tattoos on Martha.
It was generally felt that the ending was well written and brought together all the missing links that bound the characters, creating a feel-good factor.
Lesley writes:
Our next read was “The Daughter of Time” by Jaqueline Tey.
The Daughter of Time is a 1951 detective novel by Josephine Tey, concerning a modern police officer’s investigation into the alleged crimes of King Richard III of England.
Scotland Yard Inspector Alan Grant is confined to bed in hospital. A friend brings in a portrait which appears to him to be of a gentle, kind and wise man. History knows him however, as the wicked uncle Richard III. Why is everyone so sure that he was a cruel murderer?
From his hospital bed, he conducts an investigation aided by friends and an American scholar.
The group were quite divided although they liked the idea of him solving this historical crime using the same deductive techniques as his day job and they felt they learned much about this period in history.
Main criticism and reason for a couple abandoning the book was finding themselves floundering in all the historical detail.
Some pondered whether a greater knowledge of the period would have made any difference to their enjoyment of the book and this led into a discussion as to who ‘took’ Geography v History at school and why.
Lighting up a cigarette and flowers on the ward were pointed out as examples of changed times in hospitals since 1951. Confusion reigned for a while in that he was lying flat on his back with a broken leg. Medical knowledge amongst members dismissed this treatment until one more observant reader pointed out that Grant had also chipped a bone in his back. Mystery solved!
Although Josephine Tey’s detective doubted the physical description of Richard III one of our group pointed out that time has moved on since the book was written and, with the discovery of Richard III’s skeleton in 2012 we now know that he was indeed scoliotic.
One for history fans perhaps rather than geographers!
Next month’s book is The Quaker by Liam McIlvanney – a serial killer stalks the streets of Glasgow and DI McCormack follows a trail of secrets to uncover the truth…
Friday 21st June 7-9pm in the Hall – Midsummer Cheese and Wine. A chance to meet up with friends and neighbours on Midsummer’s Eve and enjoy a wide selection of cheeses and a range of tasty savouries. The idea for a Cheese and Wine came from members and, as this is a BYOB event, it’s a chance to bring your favourite wine to drink and share with friends. Join us from 7pm – 9pm and enjoy the long light midsummer evening. It costs £5 pp for the cheese and savouries.
Saturday 22nd June at 4pm in the Hall – Fearnan Village Association Annual General Meeting. All members welcome.
Saturday 20th July – Strawberry Tea 3pm – 5pm. The return of an old favourite – a delicious afternoon tea, feauring lots and lots of Scottish Strawberries.
It’s strawberries every which way – from strawberry sandwiches to strawberry cakes and traybakes, bowls of strawberries and cream, strawberry meringues, chocolate dipped strawberries and much more.
£7pp for a summery afternoon tea (school age children half price)
Tuesday 29th October Halloween PopUp at 11.00 in the Hall – tea, coffee and baking to celebrate the spookiest time of the year.
Sunday 10th November 10.50 at the War Memorial – Service of Remembrance. Tea and coffee served by the FVA in the Hall afterwards.
Saturday 14th December 16.00 – 18.00 – Mulled Wine and Mince Pies served in the Hall. A pre-Christmas get-together with friends ahead of the seasonal last-minute rush.
In addition, the FVA Committee is considering a possible additional supper event in late August or September.
Update on Recycling Medicine Blister Packs
If you are putting empty medicine blister packs in your grey PKC bin, expecting them to be recycled, please note that PKC have now removed them from the list on their website of items that can be recycled in the grey bin (see https://www.pkc.gov.uk/greybin) and they are now included on the ‘No’ list.
However, Jenny Penfold is still accepting them and is able to recycle them, so please drop them off as before at Clach an Tuirc to keep them out of landfill!
FVA Pop-up Coffee Shop 14th May 11.00 – 12.30. Join us in the McLean Hall for a warm welcome, fresh coffee and home baking. To get you in the mood for the fast-approaching holiday season, the baking will have an Italian theme.
Warm Welcome Games Afternoon – Thursday 23rd May at 1.30-3.30pm in McLean Hall– this is the last of the Hall Committee’s Games Afternoons for the season. Free entry. (Details below).
FVA Cheese & Wine Evening Friday 21st June 7 – 9pm: details to come later. A chance to enjoy a sociable mid-summer evening with friends and neighbours.
Quiz Night
Linda writes:
The ever popular Quiz Night hosted by the McLean Hall Committee has been reinstated into the Fearnan Social Calendar. It returned last October and by popular request again on Friday 3rd May. Teams of four enthusiastically tried to out-quiz each other in a hard fought but friendly contest.
Elaine, as compère, did a great job of managing the proceedings and set a challenging range of well-researched questions.
The autumn winners, Kathy, Kit, Alistair and Linda had to relinquish the quiz shield and hand it over to the well-deserved winners Judith, John, Alistair and Pat.
Quiz Night Winners – John, Judith, Pat and Alistair
There was also a raffle and a total of £200 was raised, which will be shared between the hall and the S.C.A.A.
Mairi Taylor
We were saddened to hear of the recent passing of Mairi Taylor, who came to live in Fearnan some 35 years ago, via Tunbridge Wells and Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia).
Mairi trained as a radiographer and she and her husband, Douglas, had four children Sionagh, Angus, Hamish and Malcolm. She was a very skilled embroiderer and often displayed her work in exhibitions. A keen gardener, she loved her garden in Fearnan.
Mairi was a loyal supporter of local events in the village, a regular at FVA coffee mornings and afternoon teas, a member of the WRI and a valued member of Kenmore church.
Seven years ago, she moved from Fearnan to Abbeyfield House in Aberfeldy, and was very happy when her long-time friend, Mary Robb, joined her soon after.
Mairi is seen on the left at a Fearnan Remembrance Day Service with Mary’s daughter, Patsy.
Bowls
Lesley writes:
Another successful Bowls season drew to a close in April. Alastair Kininmonth emerged triumphant in the Singles Competition. The Doubles Competition is yet to be completed due to illness.
We return for the new season on the first Monday in October at 7.30pm in McLean Hall. New members will be warmly welcomed so why not pop the date in your diary and come along and have a go?
Warm Welcome Afternoon
Lesley writes:
The last Warm Welcome Games Afternoon will be on Thursday 23rd May at 1.30-3.30pm in McLean Hall. Free entry.
Table tennis, Curling, Quoits, Dominoes and much more offer an afternoon of relaxed fun.
An enjoyable chat alongside an afternoon tea with home-baking and a raffle with proceeds going to SAAA. Come and join us!
SquirrelpoxVirus
Jenny Penfold writes:
The organisation Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) has reported that the first identified death of a red squirrel from squirrelpox virus north of Scotland’s Central Belt has been confirmed on the outskirts of Dunfermline, Fife. This news could have serious consequences for our area’s red squirrel populations.
Squirrelpox is a virus carried by grey squirrels which does not affect them but can be rapidly lethal when passed to red squirrels. Symptoms include ulcers, scabs and weeping lesions on the face, paws and genitalia, all of which can prevent reds from eating, drinking or moving. As a result, it is usually fatal within two weeks and an outbreak can cause local populations to crash.
SSRS has asked members of the public in the region to remain vigilant and support efforts to erradicate this virus by:
Taking in all wildlife feeders from gardens and woodlands for the next month, and carefully and thoroughly cleaning them with an anti-viral solution such as Virkon S.
Awareness of the spread of the virus north of the Central Belt came from the post mortem of a squirrel carcass that had been sent to the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies by a member of the public and as well as emailing photos of any squirrel carcasses found, people are asked to post any dead red squirrel carcasses found to the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies for post-mortem analysis. Instructions here https://bit.ly/3sqFcJg
(This isn’t quite as macabre in practice as it sounds – You get very clear instructions from the School of Veterinary Studies and it could help to save our red squirrel population.)
Excuse me! Before I start, has this been cleaned?
Fearnan Book Club Review
A recent read was ‘ Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead’ by Olga Tokarczuk, translated from Polish and awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature. Spoor, a 2017 Polish Film is adapted from the novel.
Set in a remote village in rural SW Poland, this dark book was not a conventional crime story, certainly not a cosy Miss Marple. Never underestimate the strength and fortitude of middle-age ladies!
Janina was an eccentric woman in her 60’s who looked after holiday homes in the mountains. She preferred animals to people and lived her life through astrology which may have been misguided.
She liked the work of William Blake from whose work the title is taken. There were lots of deaths but who was doing the killing? Had the animals turned on the humans? The revenge theme was reminiscent of Animal Farm.
As always opinions were divided. Some loved it. A few struggled to find a story and found it unsettling and chilling. Although her character was well drawn, some did not relate to her, although liked that she escaped at the end. Others enjoyed the unexpected twist. Descriptions of kindness and good companionship were well developed. The first-person narrative was enjoyed by some. Others felt it was a book of two halves and preferred the latter. It was certainly thought provoking.
The book being reviewed in May is The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods.
For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives. But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books.
Pop-Up Coffee Shop Tuesday 12th March 11.00 – 12.30: The FVA’s regular Pop-Ups are back for 2024 offering a chance to catch up with friends and neighbours over a fresh cup of coffee or tea and some delicious home-baking in the Hall. This time we will have some lovely fresh scones – at least 3 different flavours – to tempt your taste buds.
The Fearnan Village Association’s AGM will be held on Saturday 23rd March at 4pm in the Hall. All members welcome.
The next Games Afternoon run by the Hall Committee is 14th March 1.30-3.30 pm. Games, egg decorating and home-made hot cross buns to tempt you!
Daffodil Tea Saturday 6th April: The FVA’s popular Daffodil Tea returns to the Hall from 3pm to 5pm. Join us for a superb afternoon tea.
Pop-up Coffee Shop 14th May 11.00 – 12.30. To get you in the mood for the fast-approaching holiday season, the baking will have an Italian theme.
Cheese & Wine Evening Friday 21st June 7 – 9pm: details to come later. A chance to enjoy a sociable mid-summer evening with friends and neighbours.
Pancake Pop-Up
Fearnan folk love a good pancake, that’s for sure, and some 50 people turned out for the Village Association’s Pancake Pop-Up. They tucked into a choice of crepes, blinis and fresh-off-the-griddle Scotch pancakes.
Traditionally, Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is the feast day before the start of Lent but before Lent can begin in earnest, all edible temptations needed to be removed. And removed they certainly were! By the end, we had served up some 48 crepes, several dozen Scotch pancakes and quite a lot of blinis!
We were delighted to welcome friends from Killin, Aberfeldy and Kenmore to the hall.
Recycling Medicine Blister Packs
Although we have been able to recycle medicine blister packs in the grey bins in recent months, we have been told that this is no longer the case and they are now listed as not being accepted in grey bins on the PKC website.
Fortunately, Jenny is willing to restart collecting and recycling them herself and is happy for you to drop your empty blister packs off at Clach an Tuirc once again. The picture on the left shows Jenny with her last haul of blister packs!
(Please remember to remove all medicines from the blister packs – she can’t recycle these!)
FVA Pre-Opening Crannog Visit 22nd March 10.30
The Scottish Crannog Centre has agreed to give FVA members a pre-opening ‘behind the scenes’ tour of the new Centre at Dalerb on Friday 22nd March at 10.30. There are still a few places left and if you would like to join us but haven’t yet put your name on the list, please let Fiona know on fiona@fearnanvillageassociation.com as soon as possible. The cost is £12pp.
If you’ve been watching the new Centre grow and take shape over the last few months and wondered about the purpose of the different buildings, and what will be on offer once the Centre opens to the public, this is your chance to find out as part of a private tour.
The visit involves a guided tour of the Iron Age Village, including discussion of the construction techniques used and a chance to talk to some of those who have been involved in building the village. There will be a Q and A Session with the Director, a chance to hear about the future plans for the Centre, and coffee and cake will be served in the new cafe.
Crannog Gardening
A team of volunteer gardeners has been working hard to help get the new Crannog site ready for its first visitors. They are helping plan, prepare and plant the area adjacent to the Iron Age Village using only Scottish native plants and shrubs that would have been immediately recognisable to the Crannog dwellers 2,500 years ago.
You might spot a few familiar faces!
If you would like to do a spot of volunteer gardening to help the Crannog Centre get ready, please get in touch with the Scottish Crannog Centre by email: emma@crannog.co.uk or just show up at Dalerb this Friday (1st March) between 11.00 and 14.00. It’s a great help if you can bring your own spades and gardening tools for weeding and preparing the ground.
Plants are also needed and the planting plan includes the following:
Comfrey Meadow Sweet Valerian
Cowslips Snowdrops Dogwood
Heathers Selfheal Aconites
Primroses Bluebells Vinca
Lady’s Mantle Ferns Elders
So, if you have any surplus ones from this list when you’re doing your Spring tidy up and splitting or removing plants, and would like to donate them, they can be left just inside the main site gate at Dalerb. Unless it’s really obvious what they are, an identifying marker would be much appreciated!
Pancake Pop-Up Tuesday 13th February 11.00-12.30 £3.00 pp: The FVA will be serving delicious warm pancakes in the Hall – drop scones and crepe-style pancakes – with a choice of toppings.
We will also have oat milk pancakes and savoury blinis. Pancake Day only comes once a year, so don’t miss out!
The next Games Afternoon run by the Hall Committee is on 22nd February, 1.30-3.30 pm. (See below for more info.)
PopUp Coffee Shop Tuesday 12th March 11.00 – 12.30 £3.00 pp: The FVA’s regular Pop-Ups are back for 2024 offering a chance to catch up with friends and neighbours in the Hall over a fresh cup of coffee or tea and some delicious home-baking .
The Fearnan Village Association’s AGM will be held on Saturday 23rd March at 4pm in the Hall. All members welcome.
Daffodil Tea Saturday 6th April: The FVA’s popular Daffodil Tea returns to the Hall from 3pm to 5pm. Join us for a superb afternoon tea.
Games Afternoon
Lesley writes:
The most recent Games Afternoon get-together went very well with about 10 people coming for some fun – and sometimes challenging – games and to enjoy Burns-themed food at teatime.
Indoor Kurling has been added to the list of activities and is proving a great hit, especially with former curlers.
The next one is on 22nd February, 1.30-3.30 pm and will include a mini beetle drive as well as the usual games.
Everyone welcome!
Join the Big Plastic Count!
If you’ve ever taken part in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch, then you’ll be familiar with the idea of citizen surveys. And if you have ever felt concern about the amount of plastic waste that we seem to generate, then you might be interested to know that Greenpeace have launched The Big Plastic Count – the UK’s biggest investigation into household plastic waste. By taking part, you can help quantify the problem and produce the information needed to prompt government action to make legislation to limit plastic production and usage.
For just one week – 11th -17th March 2024 – households of all shapes and sizes, schools, community groups and businesses all over the country will count their plastic packaging waste and share their results.
When you submit your data at the end of the Count week, Greenpeace’s whizzy data analysts will send you your own personal plastic footprint. It’s simple to take part in The Big Plastic Count and when you sign up you get a free counting pack with everything you need for the investigation.
Scottish Charity Ambulance Collecting Box
Our SCAA collecting box was returned to the charity recently as it was absolutely full-to-bursting – and that’s not an exaggeration.
Over the past couple of years, the generous folk of Fearnan have quietly popped the magnificent sum of £121.50 into the box in support of the air ambulance! That’s more than just loose change – there must have been quite a few notes in there as well. Thank you!
We have received a letter of thanks from SCAA, along with a brand-new box.
Fearnan Book Club Review
Linda writes:
We recently reviewed The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, an award-winning poet, playwright, and novelist.
After a storm has killed off all the island’s men, the women in a 1600s Norwegian coastal village struggle to survive against both natural forces and the men who have been sent to rid the community of alleged witchcraft.
The colourless and barrenness of the wild coastal setting of the island of Vardo, made this an appropriate read in the dark and cold of the winter months. Some of the group felt they had a love/hate relationship with this unforgettable book which was described as perhaps not beautiful, but beautifully written. Some enjoyed the fiction blended with historical facts, while some found it a hard read.
It was a well-researched book with a historical context related to the great Vardo storm of 1617 and the pursuit of witches that was happening around that time. References were made to witch-hunting during the reign of James V1 of Scotland and Absolem Cornet, a god-fearing man and an experienced witch hunter, was summoned from Scotland to search out and persecute witches. The men of the time were afraid of the women’s power and independence, which was not sorcery but resulted in the Vardo witch trials from 1621 onwards.
It was a beautifully written descriptive book with poetic language which painted vivid pictures of the landscape, characters, clothing, homes and the smells of animals and food. The strength of the women shone through despite the harshness of their lives and their persecution.
The Mercies evoked a range of strong emotions including anger at the injustices and violence by men. We felt frustrated and upset at the helpless and unrelenting despair of the women in this situation. Racism and persecution of the Sami people also featured.
We empathised with the characters particularly Maren and Ursa who drew comfort from their close relationship. We were disappointed that the priest didn’t stand up for the accused women and that other women betrayed their female neighbours.
Some felt it was a novel of two parts: initially a slow burner, with a build-up to what was perhaps a rushed or rounded ending.
Staying with the witch hunting theme, our next book is Ashes and Stones by Alyson Shaw. This is a non-fiction book and described as “a moving and personal journey in search of the traces of those accused of witchcraft in 17th century Scotland.”
Happy New Year to everyone! Here are some dates for your new 2024 diary!
Thursday 25th Jan: The Hall Committee’s first Warm Welcome Games Afternoon of 2024 is on Thursday 25th January from 1.30-3.30pm in Fearnan Village Hall. It’s a relaxed afternoon of chat, table tennis, quoits and easy board games. Light refreshments with a Burns flavour!
Tuesday 13th February: Yes. It’s Pancake Tuesday and the FVA will be serving freshly made pancakes in the Hall from 11am. Whether it’s a dropped scone, a tossed crêpe or a somewhat more static scotch pancake, we have something for all tastes, sweet or savoury. Join us for freshly made tea or coffee and pancakes. £3pp at the door.
Saturday 6th April: The FVA’s popular Daffodil Tea returns to the Hall from 3pm to 5pm. Join us for a superb afternoon tea.
Mulled Wine and Mince Pies
There was plenty of pre-Christmas cheer going around at the Village Association’s Mulled Wine and Mince Pies in mid-December.
Many thanks to all those who popped ideas for future events in the Suggestions Box – we hope to announce the full 2024 events programme shortly.
Farewell to Friends
A very warm celebration of the life of Douglas Miller was held in the McLean Hall in November and was attended by his many friends in the village and from the surrounding area. The event was also attended by his two son, Keith and Iain, from Surrey who were able to hear first-hand the high regard in which their father was held. Douglas had a long association with the village and a resumé of his interesting life was given. We send our warmest condolences to Jo and family.
Just before Christmas, we were sorry to hear of the passing of Yvonne Mitchelson. Yvonne and her late husband, Alan, spent their weekends in Fearnan over many years and their lochside home was designed by Alan, an architect. Yvonne often spoke fondly of Sunday morning rides on Boreland Hill in the days when Liz Menzies was running the stables at the Farm and afterwards the riders would make their way to the hotel, Tigh an Loan, for Sunday drinks.
Sadly, the news then came that Ian Fletcher also passed away at the very end of the year. Ian and Isobel lived in Fearnan for many years and Ian, who was a keen golfer and curler, chaired the Village Hall Committee from 2001 – 2005. They left Fearnan to move closer to family in the west. We send our warmest condolences to Isobel and family.
Fearnan Book Club
Linda writes:
”From government policy and medical research, to technology, workplaces, and the media, Invisible Women reveals how in a world built for and by men we are systematically ignoring half of the population, often with disastrous consequences. Caroline Criado Perez brings together for the first time an impressive range of case studies, stories and new research from across the world that illustrate the hidden ways in which women are forgotten, and the profound impact this has on us all”
Following the theme of our previous book, the best-seller Lessons in Chemistry, we read and reviewed Invisible Women by British author Caroline Criado Perez.
This well researched non-fiction book was a 2019 Sunday Times bestseller that exposed the gender bias women face every day.
It gave us an impressive range of case studies to dip into depending on our interests and experiences and provides the reader with an overview of the ways in which women remain invisible in many spheres of life. It explores many products and services that have been designed from a male point of view to the detriment of female users.
The discussion was lively and animated and full of anecdotes related to our own experiences on the subject. All agreed that progress has been made in the sharing of domestic chores, societal attitudes and learning from mistakes, perhaps due to unconscious bias, which were detrimental to women.
Some enjoyed the hard data, statistics and percentages which they found compelling. Others questioned the rigour and the use of percentages which promoted negativity.
Some found it strident in places with the author pushing the point and every chapter providing the same end result.
Examples discussed included:
Urban planning- no provision for women and buggies. Rehousing on the outskirts of towns and cities leading to social isolation for women.
Research in medicine not tested on women or female mice etc. resulting in eg. thalidomide.
A campaign needed to get a woman’s image on bank notes.
Some commented on the difficulty in acquiring work-related clothing that fitted properly.
We found it fascinating and thought provoking and were surprised at how many policies and attitudes had impacted on the quality of life for women. The world is not designed for women. It was thought proving and aroused a range of emotions and left us feeling sad, angry and surprised.
In December we had a very sociable end-of-year meal at The Waterfront Restaurant in Kenmore. We discussed the books read and reviewed in 2023 and chose our favourites. There was no clear winner this year although The Bookseller of Inverness by Shona MacLean and The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams were the two most popular.
Our next read is The Mercies by Kieran Millwood Hargrave. This fictional story is inspired by a historical event – the 1617 storm in Vardo, Norway and the subsequent 1621 witch trials.
It is a story of love, fear and obsession and the strength and courage of women.
Join us for a convivial pre-Christmas drink at the Village Association’s Mulled Wine and Mince Pies event in Fearnan Hall on Saturday 16th December at 4pm.
It costs £6.00pp at the door and after expenses have been deducted from the takings, a donation will be made to the Hall Committee for the upkeep of the Hall.
Tigh an Loan Hotel, Fearnan – Visitors’ Book 1902 – 1929
It is always a delight to find something that gives us a snapshot of life in Fearnan in previous times, and the opportunity to browse through the Visitors’ Book from the Tigh-an-Loan Hotel in the early part of the 20th century was a real treat.
Tigh an Loan Hotel
Although, on the surface, the book is just a list of names, those names and their home addresses link Fearnan to the social and political history of the time, and even to the British Empire and to a landmark legal ruling!
The Visitors’ Book belongs to Shenac Kelloe who, along with her late husband David, was the last owner-manager of the hotel. Shenac’s grandfather, John Stewart, was one of the first.
John Stewart took over the tenancy in 1902 and in 1922, when the Breadalbane Estate came on the market, John was able to purchase the hotel outright.
At that time, Tigh-an-Loan had 5 letting bedrooms all with wash-hand basins – no ensuites in those days – and full board included Breakfast, Coffee at 11am, Luncheon at 1pm, Afternoon Tea at 4pm and Dinner at 7pm.
The Visitors’ Book starts on the 29th May 1902 recording the visit of Mr McDonald from Glasgow.
All entries are made in fountain pen or occasionally in pencil, and in an age where people were less inclined to overshare than today, there is rarely a full address and comments are minimal.
However, one of the most striking things about the Visitors Book is that the hotel was welcoming people from all over the world. As you would expect, there are people holidaying from various parts of Scotland and England, and there are quite a few from Europe and even from America.
But what is really surprising are the number of visitors from countries like India, Egypt, South Africa, British Somaliland, Zululand, Singapore, Siam, Rangoon, New Zealand, and Canada. The clue is the names of the countries and in the names of the visitors from these countries – all good Scottish names. These are not the sort of international holiday makers who come in the 21st century – they are Expats, home on leave. Opinion may have changed in the intervening years about the British Empire and its impact on the countries that were part of it, but in the early 20th century, it provided opportunities for many Scots who left their homeland to make their careers abroad.
Returning to Scotland briefly once every few years and after journeys lasting weeks at a time, a few days at Fearnan’s Tigh an Loan Hotel must have been a welcome re-connection with their Scottish roots. And they seem to have come in considerable numbers, often for family reunions, meeting up with people with the same surname but with Scottish home addresses.
Few people would have had their own motorised transport and getting to Fearnan involved a train journey to Killin and then the steamer from Killin to Fearnan Pier, or a train journey to Aberfeldy where the hotel bus would collect its guests and bring them to Fearnan. And here’s the hotel bus ……..
Tigh an Loan Hotel bus with John Stewart on the right.
The hotel bus was a 15-seater Albion, registration ES 5150, which doubled as the village hearse when the need arose. It was first registered in 1922 and although we don’t know how long it remained in Fearnan, we do know what happened to it after it retired from service at the Tigh an Loan. It became a TV and film star, appearing in episodes of the BBC’s first series of Dr Finlay’s Casebook in the fictional town of Tannoch Brae, and in two films – ‘Regeneration’ and ‘The Happy Lands’! It is now known as The Pride of Tannoch Brae and is held in the collection of the Biggar Albion Foundation.
One of the attractions of the Tigh an Loan Hotel was access to outdoor pursuits such as shooting, deer stalking and fishing. The hotel had its own ghillie and boats for salmon fishing, and the Visitors’ Book records a number of regulars who came in small groups to enjoy these sports. On March 29th 1920, JRC Leighton from Paisley was sufficiently pleased with his catch to record it in the Visitors’ Book – 4 fish which weighed in at 18lbs, 16lbs, 23lbs and 13lbs – 3 of which he caught in one day.
One of the regulars was Mr Colin McAndrew from Edinburgh who came several times a year – sometimes in the company of his wife and at other times with a group of friends to fish. Mr McAndrew owned a car showroom on Lothian Road in Edinburgh and clearly enjoyed his visits to Fearnan as he went on to purchase and renovate Tigh na Choille. This purchase, along with some smaller crofts that were included in his purchase, came with rights for the common grazing land on the Cow Park. His subsequent attempt to fence off the area that he deemed to be his ‘share’ of the Cow Park was vigorously contested by the other graziers in the village and led to a court case, McAndrew v Crerar 1929 – which was ultimately decided in the House of Lords and remains important in legal circles as it was an important ruling regarding grazing rights under Scots Law.
Whilst some visitors had travelled thousands of miles across the world to reach the hotel, it was surprising to see that there was a regular pattern of people from very close by – such as Fortingall and Camserney – apparently spending nights at the hotel. Very strange – until you remember that until 1976 pubs were closed on Sundays. Hotels could only serve alcohol to residents, and the hotel had to be at least 3 miles from the drinker’s home. This led to small groups of thirsty locals from Fearnan, Fortingall and Camserney passing each other on their way to convenient hotels that were the requisite distance from home (known as the Sunday Tour). On arrival, they would take the precaution of signing the visitor’s book as residents, just in case the local constabulary happened by that evening.
Tourism markets were very different from today. On the plus side, visitors would come and stay for 7 to 10 days at a time, but the downside was the very seasonal nature of tourism, with business often being very sparce outside the main summer season. No short-breaks market or long weekend visits to help spread tourist bed nights through the year. Not surprisingly, business was not good during WW1, with far fewer visitors checking in.
The Visitors Book ends in 1929, although there were still plenty of unused pages. Perhaps after 27 years of service it was starting to get a little worn and was deemed ready for replacement. And in the days of pen and ink, accidents were likely to happen …..
Perhaps the last word should go to John Baxter from Blackpool, who had clearly enjoyed his stay and wrote on July 16th 1926 “Lord let me linger here, for this is Bliss.”
(For the literary-minded this is an ‘adaptation’ of the line “Lord, let me linger, just for this, To win to utterness of bliss; from the poem Lord Let Me Live, by Robert William Service.)
The Christmas Lights are on the Tree!
Many thanks to John and Neil for putting the lights on the tree and to Keith for giving them a good start by tidying up and shaping the tree.
The copyright of all photos on this website belongs to the person who took the photo and the copyright of the text belongs to the person who wrote it.
A short service, led by Shirley Shearer, was held at Fearnan War Memorial on Remembrance Sunday. Following the two-minute silence, wreaths were laid by Alistair Grier, John Eve and Fiona Ballantyne.
The memorial was looking splendid! Many thanks to our Poppy Queen, Cath McGregor, who had decorated the stone and railings, using poppies that were knitted by local people in the run up to the 2018 centenary of the Armistice.
After the service, the Village Association served tea and coffee in the Hall and a collection for Help for Heroes raised £55.00.
FVA Halloween Pop-Up Coffee Shop
Halloween fell on a Tuesday this year, giving us the opportunity to have a bit of fun with a themed Pop-Up – although the arachnophobes were possibly less than amused! Anna and Tom from Warm Connections joined us for the morning and dispensed helpful advice about not only keeping warm over the winter but also about saving money as fuel prices rocket.
The event was well attended and it’s always nice to get feedback – on this occasion in an email received afterwards:
“Thanks everyone for yesterday’s very enjoyable morning in the Fearnan Hall. Great food and cheerful chats as always!”
Halloween is the time when the veil between our world and the spirit world thins, creating the risk that some spirits, malign or otherwise, will slip back into our world.
For one heart-stopping moment it looked like this was exactly what had happened, until his identity was sussed……….
Awww! Stoppit, Doug!
Next Event and FVA Committee
The FVA’s next event is our annual Mulled Wine and Mince Pies which will be held in the Hall at 4pm on Saturday 16th December, £6pp at the door.
It’s a great opportunity to enjoy some pre-Christmas cheer with friends and neighbours.
Apart from the aforementioned Mulled Wine and Mince Pies, there will be a selection of small eats and non-alcoholic drink options.
After expenses have been deducted from the takings at the door, a donation will be made to the Hall Committee for the general upkeep of the Hall.
We are delighted to say that Linda Milne and Pat Stalker have been co-opted onto the FVA Committee to give us extra resource. We are keen to have your thoughts and ideas for events or ways in which the FVA can support the village. There will be an FVA Suggestion Box in the Hall at the Mulled Wine event, so bring your thoughts and pop them in the box, or just chat to one of the committee members.
Two Updates from the Hall Committee:
McLean Hall Fearnan Thrift Shop Week
Ros writes:
After the early disappointment of not being included on the annual list for the Thrift Shop, the Hall Committee was delighted to be offered a cancellation. This gave us about two months to prepare for the week, 29 October – 4 November.
Fortunately, we had a variety of items left from our Pop-up shop venture in July so after a sort out, this stock was ideal for the Thrift shop. A rota of helpers was recruited for the week and items collected for the ever-popular Tombola. On Friday morning we had home-bakes for sale. All in all, the week was a great success raising £1,466, a further contribution to the Hall’s fund for improving the area outside the front of the Hall.
Games Afternoon – Session No 2
Lesley writes:
The second of the recently introduced Games Afternoons will take place on Thursday 7th Dec from 1.30- 3.30pm in the McLean Hall, Fearnan. Entry is free and as usual, we extend a warm welcome to one and all! There will be Table Tennis, Quoits, Snakes & Ladders, Tiddley Winks, Dominoes, Draughts…. and more.
We are introducing a new feature this month – Guess the Ingredients from a selection of dishes. Have fun in pairs trying to identify each ingredient! Tea, coffee and home baking are on offer and there will be a raffle in aid of SAAA.
Fearnan Village Association 