Painting, glueing and making things are great for children, they promote confidence, problem solving abilities and creativity – the cleaning up part alas is not quite so well received. If you want your Arts and Crafts to be relaxed, enjoyable, well planned and thought out and even in line with pre-birth to three and Curriculum for excellence guidelines then you don`t need to look any further.

Claudia Watt, 27, a local mum to three has launched The Creation Station in East Dunbartonshire. “I am thrilled to be part of a constantly growing franchisee network providing Arts and Crafts to now well over 40.00 children all across the UK. I have already met so many lovely, creative kids and the sessions we hold at Cairns Church are great fun. It is amazing to see the little ones progress and evolve in even a short amount of time, and the smiles on their faces when the magic box comes out… priceless!”

Baby Discovery, being one of the main products, has only recently been launched across the UK and already the feedback from mums and dads is fantastic. The sessions for 3-18month olds help to promote bonding as well as they give parents a valuable break in their daily routine and let them treasure the experience of Baby`s first “work of art” in a relaxed, hassle free environment.

“When you have to deal with tons of laundry, bottles and nappies you don`t want to clean up anything you could have avoided! That`s where we come in handy. We provide parents and carers with the opportunity to do and try things they wouldn`t usually at home. And afterwards we clean it all up again and they will even have something nice they have made together to take home”.

Claudia continues “At the beginning of every session we talk about things that Baby has learned or done during the week and it is just lovely to be around like-minded people. Even though there is some work involved for me, I absolutely love these classes and it is brilliant to get to know all the kids and sometimes I even get a hug or a great, gloopy, gluey high five.”

Another main factor are the Little Explorer classes for 1-5year olds. With the “texture term” currently under way the kids are encouraged to experience rough, smooth, gloopy, bumpy and scrunchy things.

Every week stands under a different topic and brings something new and exciting to get involved in. How about 10 under 5`s trying out what sandpaper feels like when used to fingerpaint on or, a week later, jumping up and down on a huge sheet of bubble wrap?!

The atmosphere is relaxed and the general idea “there is no right or wrong” seems to work brilliantly with the children and gives them lots of freedom to develop their own ideas.

Birthday Parties (“Arty Party”) and Event Entertainment are another strong point in the organisations port folio and Claudia will be taking part at the “Bright Futures” event held at Kelvingrove Art Galleries at the 23rd of September where The Creation Station will have a dedicated Arts and Crafts room, providing everyone with some free activities.

The event features Taster sessions of a wide range of developmentally beneficial activities provided by businesses in Scotland that are focused on supporting families and helping child development; from caring and feeding through to learning. “I am really looking forward to taking part and introducing our concept to even more people. The fact that we have been allocated our own dedicated room is just stunning. I hope to be doing more events in future so this is the best start I could hope for.”

To find out more visit:

www.thecreationstation.co.uk

http://www.facebook.com/TheCreationStationED

http://www.morethanmummies.com/2011/09/being-a-mummy-and-so-much-more/

https://twitter.com/#!/Claudia_TheCrSt

“Once children learn how to learn, nothing is going to narrow their mind” — Marva Collins

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The Auld Wives’ Lift stands at an altitude of just under 180m OD (Nat Grid Ref. NS 582764) on Craigmaddie Muir, some 5km north of Milngavie. The Muir, a rolling heather covered moorland of eponymous sandstone, is an area of some ardhaelogical richness, with two chambered tombs, several cairns, and a group of cup-and-ring markings. The Craigmaddie sandstone was also excellent for millstones, and every stage in their manufacture can be detected on the muir.

The meaning of Craigmaddie is ‘Rock of God’ and the Lifts consist of two massive prismatic shaped stones alongside each other, with a third stone, eighteen feet long, lying across them so as to form a sort of altar. Beneath the capstone is a narrow and irregular gap, which does not reach down to ground level, and “through this opening, so superstition says, every stranger who visits this place for the first time must creep, otherwise he shall die childless.”

The origins of the Lifts rest in the mists of time, but could be a druid altar. A circle of oak trees stood nearby until the middle of the nineteenth century, giving credence to this theory. “Probably no better example exists of the rude stone altar of Druid times. Here…stands the great pagan cathedral of western Scotland.” (Todd, 1898,2-3)

However, there are sceptics who state that the monument is more likely to have been the work of nature than of man. It is claimed that the Lifts were originally a single block or tor, isolated by the excavating action of ice. This tor was subsequently weathered and split so that the lower part, now in two slipped and tilted, while the upper layer settled into the hollow thus formed. The alternative suggestion, that the capstone at least may have been humanely placed, appears no less difficult. The weight, between 60-70 tonnes, may be no real obstacle, especially as the lift required is only about 1.5 metres.

Arguments of its origins aside, it is nonetheless recognized that the Lifts have features which could only be attributed to man. For example, incised on the level top of the capstone, a circle 90 cm in diameter. Some considered the circle to be an ‘ancient sanctifying emblem’, further proof, therefore, of the druidical function of the Lifts. Others claim it was probably made by a quarryman engaged in cutting out millstones near by.

Further extensive research, both geological and archaelogical, is needed to provide a satisfactory explanation of the origin of the Lifts. In addition to names, initials and dates (roughly cut & disfigured by thoughtless visitors over many years) and the circle on the capstone, the Lifts also bear a number of carved and incised heads. These were first noticed in 1975, however most are severly weather eroded and very little is known of their age.

Whatever the Lifts origins, the favourite explanatiom among locals is the legend which claims that three old women from Campsie, Strathblane Baldernock, having laid a wager which could carry the greatest burden, brought, in their aprons, the three stones and laid them in position.

source: Alcock, Leslie – The Auld Wives’ Lifts -Antiquity, LI, 1997, (see Milngavie Library for article & further details.) 

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© Faraz Shibli

The Gobi is Asia’s largest desert. From May to July 2011, former Milngavie Primary School pupil Faraz Shibli intends to trek its entire length – 1,000 miles (1,600 km) – with an international expedition team. 

During the journey, Faraz will potentially face severe dust storms and sandstorms, heat stroke, extreme temperature fluctuations, blizzards, equipment failure and injury. He’ll cover an average of almost 20 miles per day for around two months over rough terrain and in sweltering heat, living and sleeping in the desert. 

Whilst the UK doesn’t look likely to experience a heat wave any time soon, Faraz is making the most of the recent extreme winter weather by training outdoors in the snow and ice. Most weekends, he can be found up a hill with a heavy rucksack, often dragging car tyres behind him for good measure. 

Faraz, who used to live on Dougalston Avenue, was a member of the 20^th Glasgow (1^st Milngavie) Cub Scouts, played hockey for Western and sailed at Auchenhowie. Having since moved to London, he still visits occasionally, most recently to walk part of the West Highland Way with friends. 

Whilst in the Gobi Desert, Faraz and the team, led by renowned desert explorer Ripley Davenport, will be filming a documentary about the lives of the indigenous people, the environment and the expedition journey. 

They’ll also be followed by schools worldwide that they’ve linked up with and that will incorporate Mongolia, its people, history, culture, geography and environment and the expedition journey into their curriculums. For more information on their schools project, to see what schools have signed up so far and to register a school, click here. 

The trek is in aid of Edurelief, a charity that helps poorer Mongolian families to purchase textbooks for their children that they would be otherwise unable to afford themselves. 

Please visit Faraz’s website to follow his training and blogging from the desert and to donate to Edurelief. You can also follow Faraz on Twitter (@ShibliAdventure) and Facebook.

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Susie was wearing a red collar, is very friendly and affectionate and just loves attention. She is quite old now, so not quite as spritly as in her younger days.

REWARD FOR SAFE RETURN

 PLEASE PHONE Jo on

0141 941 1597

OR

07773944698

OR

email: jomcguire1@virginmedia.com

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Milngavie Book & Arts Festival, now in its third great year, will take place in September 2010 (Tuesday 7th – Sunday 12th September). The festival, the first of it’s kind in the local area, will provide six days of reading, exhibitions, workshops, live music performances and entertainment and a fantastic “Art in the Village” exhibition in the Art Marquee in Station Road. The Festival also includes music, drama and crafts events. We have planned a programme that aims to be diverse, accessible and stimulating and which will appeal to a broad range of people of all ages.

Programme

The programme for this year’s festival once again includes readings and talks from some of cotland’s finest literary talents and our ever popular “Art in the Village” exhibition in the  Art Marquee showcasing the skills of some well established artists.

The West Highland Way Marquee will host talks and serve as the starting point for walks led by the Milngavie & Bearsden Ramblers Association.

Other attractions include a craft marquee, carnival rides for young children, live music and pictorial history. There really is something for everybody this year with Girl’s Guide to Vintage fun fashion evening, sports quiz and the official launch of the Milngavie Treasure Trail from Treasure Trails Scotland

There is a great range of artists, events and authors to see – including multi-award winning foreign correspondent and best-selling writer Fergal Keane whose book ‘Road of Bones: the Siege of Kohima 1944′ tells the story of the epic struggle at Kohima where a tiny British and Indian garrison held off an entire enemy division and halted the attempted Japanses invasion of northeastern India.

To see this years programme click here

About the Festival

Milngavie Book & Arts Festival is being run by Milngavie Traders, who have set up a charitable company – Milngavie Festival Limited. This non-profit organisation will raise funds for the festival and for further festivals and events that we hope to organise in the future.

Objectives

The objectives of Milngavie Festival Limited are to:

• Raise funds in whatever way the trustees deem appropriate for the enhancement of Milngavie town Centre Precinct in order that residents and visitors alike may better enjoy the amenity
• Enhance the Precinct in whatever way the Trustees, with the necessary approval of the local Authority, deem appropriate
• Encourage public participation in events held in the Precinct
• Promote civic responsibility in Milngavie as a whole
• Undertake any activity in the furtherance of the above objectives as the Trustees may deem appropriate

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The Milngavie & Bearsden Highland Games is on at the West of Scotland Rugby Ground, Milngavie - Saturday 12th June 2010. It will be a great day out – perfect for families with lots of attractions and events such as fairground rides, pipe band competition, stunt cycles display, wrestling, highland dancing and much more. Click here to see  the full schedule of events.

How to get there

West of Scotland Rugby Ground
Burnbrae,
Glasgow Road,
Milngavie,
Glasgow
G62 6AQ
http://www.westofscotlandfc.co.uk/

View Larger Map

There are events starting at 10am and continuing on until 5:30pm. This years Chieftain is Murdo Macleod – Football Pundit and Scottish Footballing Legend.

Tickets

• Adult entry ticket admits one – Price £5.00
• Child (under 14) entry ticket admits one – Price £2.50
• 1 x parent plus 1 x child entry ticket – Price £6.50
• Family ticket admits 2 x adults plus 2 x childern (under 14) – Price £13.00

You can order online or pay on the day.

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Bigger bookshops are all very nice but for me, you can’t beat the ambience of our Milngavie Bookshop.

All those lovely books; rainbow coloured arrays of stationery; the children’s’ book corner and of course, the delicious array of home baking in the café!

I remember first going in there when we moved to the area and was immediately struck by how peaceful it was. Glossy coffee book tombs were jostling for attention beside the pastel and glitter of more commercial novels and soft, classical music was drifting through the air.

Being honest, as a writer, the sight of some pretty stationery always attracts my attention – so too does the mouth-watering scones!

So the next time you feel like a browse around some new books, I’d recommend you visit Milngavie Bookshop. Not only are you guaranteed to find some literary works of art, but I bet you won’t be able to resist the café….

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The Zippo Circus is returning to Milngavie. Their show will be held at the West of Scotland rugby pitch from 25th – 27th June. 

They will be presenting their new show “Encore!” a spectacular new circus show for 2010. Britain’s best-loved travelling company brings a show full of the fire, passion, thrills and excitement of the circus to Milngavie.

This all-new production features:

• Norman Barrett MBE, Tom Roberts’
• Liberty Horses
• The award-winning Konyot Clowns
• High Wire walking
• Juggling
• Chinese acrobatics
• The legendary Wheel of Death.

Tickets: You can purchase tickets via the Zippo Circus website or you can buy them direct at the circus.

Check out the short colourful documentary below about the Zippo Circus….

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Milngavie is alive with cherry blossom once again this year!

If there was a competition for the most picturesque town in spring, then I’m pretty certain Milngavie would be a real contender for first prize.

I love spending time in the garden (although I have to admit I’m not very green fingered).

Well done to Milngavie in Bloom for doing such a sterling  job.

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The abuse of disabled parking spaces and Mother and Child spaces appears to be continuing.

Around Milngavie, you can expect to see a disabled person or a harassed Mum with young children desperately circling car parks, trying to find a convenient space.

The only way I can see to try and prevent such blatant abuse of these designated spaces, is to hit the offenders where it hurts – directly in the wallet.

I know there has been talk for a long time about imposing fines on drivers who abuse these parking spaces and if it is possible to bring such legislation into force, then the quicker the better.

In the States, there are far stringent measures in place. Heavy fines, public humiliation via tannoy/publicity and a regular car park attendant presence seems to work.

As one disabled person once remarked to me, “They want our parking spaces. Would they like to have our disability as well?”

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