Cousland Courier No 10

Cousland Village Hall

Association AGM 7pm

Thursday 26th February 2015 Please come along to the

AGM of Cousland Vlllage

Hall Association on Thursday

26th February. As you know

the Village Hall is the centre

of our community and the

venue for a wide range of

groups from the Playgroup to

the Majority Club, keep fit

classes to indoor bowls as

well as being a popular

venue for wedding

receptions, anniversaries

and birthday parties.

The Village Hall is run by a

dedicated and energetic

committee which in addition

to seeing to the maintenance

and financing of the hall

organises popular and well

attended activities such as

the Summer Party, Village

We are very pleased to

announce the receipt of a

grant from HLF to allow us

to progress with our plans

and would like to take this

opportunity to thank all

those who have

volunteered to help with

the works & fundraising

and supported the Smiddy

Cousland Courier the CVHA newsletter

Issue No 10 February 15

Smiddy Success 2

About the Smiddy 3

Villages Prepare for

Prosecution

3

British Heart

Foundation

4

Youth Group News 5

Winter Walk 5

Trades and Services 6

Clubs and Societies 6

Dates for your Diary 7

Inside this issue:

Contributions by 311/3/15 for next newsletter to ;- [email protected]

Or 19 Hillside Cottages /1 Hadfast Road or put in red post box in Village Hall

Welcome to our 10th edi-

tion . We hope you enjoy it.

We encourage you to come

along to our AGM on Thurs-

day 26th . It was a great turn

out last year and we hope to

replicate this again. It is a

good way to have your input

in what is planned for the

future as well as a bit of a

blether with friends.

Of course we are always

looking for new committee

members but if you feel you

cant commit to being on a

committee or dont really

like that sort of thing maybe

you can help in other ways ?

Without your help the village

would cease being the lively

vibrate community that it is

today.

We hope to see you here.

Kathleen , Lesley, Jean ,

Karen and Fiona

There will wine and

nibbles afterwards.

The meeting starts at 7.00

pm in the Village Hall.

Cousland Smiddy & Local Heritage

Hub celebrates 9,700 Heritage Lot-

tery Fund grant

Day and Scottish Night. The

AGM is an important

gathering which allows the

community to gather

together and reflect on the

past year as well as to

discuss plans and proposals

for the next. Community

participation and support is

central to our success so

please come along.

The main function of the

AGM will be to elect a new

committee for 2015. Fresh

talent is always welcome.

Peter Arnsdorff head of

planning development

policy has agreed to be our

guest speaker and he will to

talk about the Local

Development Plan with any

implications for our village .

Trust throughout the

years.

We look forward to

welcoming visitors to the

Heritage Hub from

Summer 2015 onwards.

Well keep you posted

on the opening date,

there will be a party!

A number of small items

were stolen from the farm

recently. The thieves

drove a vehicle into the

farmyard in the middle of

a weekday, and then

forced entry to a

container inside the barn.

The amount of fly tipping

in the neighbourhood has

also increased enormously

recently, causing more

extra work for the farmer.

So be vigilant, keep

your eyes open, and dont

leave your doors and

windows open for

opportunistic thieves.

Break-in at the Farm

MIDLOTHIAN COUNCILLORS SURGERY

Kenny Young, Labour Councillor Midlothian East ,will

be holding a surgery in the Village Hall on Saturday

14th February from 10-11am.

Cousland Smiddy has received a

Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF)

Sharing Heritage1 grant. This

exciting project, Cousland

Heritage Hub @ Cousland

Smiddy, Cousland, Midlothian and

led by Cousland Smiddy Trust and

Cousland Local History Project has

been given a 9,700.00 Sharing

Heritage grant to:

Catalogue and conserve the

archive held by Cousland

Smiddy Trust and Cousland

Local History project, creating

a searchable database of

items.

Carry out repair works

including damproofing the

smiddy cottage, re-pointing

the gable wall and installing a

damp course throughout the

building. The attic space will

be insulated and floored to

create secure storage. Restorative

redecoration will be completed

after repair works.

Provide regular open days and

visits by appointment, alongside

exhibitions, talks and an art

project with local schools.

Increase volunteer numbers from

20 to 40, training people in skills

such as archiving, databases,

interpretation and conservation of

artefacts.

Cousland Smiddy & Local Heritage

Hub will work with local

professionals, villagers and

volunteers of all ages to repair &

upgrade the Smiths cottage at

Cousland Smiddy providing a

secure, dry environment in which to

archive, store and display the joint

collections of Cousland Smiddy &

Cousland Local History project. The

grant will teach how to digitally

archive images, papers & historical

artefacts and conserve them for

public display & research purposes.

Commenting on the award, Sheena

Irving, Chair of Cousland Smiddy

Trust said: Cousland is such a

fascinating place with historical

connections back to the Iron Age,

Mary Queen of Scots and the Battle of

Prestonpans, to namedrop a few! Now

we have the opportunity to properly

archive and display the collection of

the Local History Project in perfect

context for locals, visitors and

researchers, within the restored &

upgraded smiths cottage at the 18th

Century Cousland Smiddy in the heart

of the village. It will also provide a

location for people to bring along

their artefacts, images and local tales,

in the knowledge that they will be

archived into a secure collection

within the Heritage Hub, which will be

available for everyone to see.

Colin McLean, Head of the Heritage

Lottery Fund in Scotland said:

Sharing Heritage is a wonderful

opportunity for communities to delve

into their local heritage. Cousland

Heritage Hub is bursting with stories

and pictures that give us clues about

what life was like and how that has

shaped the village into what it is

today. We are delighted to be able to

support a project which will protect

and share this fascinating archive.

Well done to all involved.

PRESS RELEASE re SMIDDY SUCCESS

Page 2 Cousland Courier the CVHA newsletter



The aim of the Trust is to preserve

the Smiddy buildings and their

surroundings as a key part of the

village's heritage and amenity and

keep alive the tradition of rural

blacksmithing. The Smiddy was

threatened with closure in 1986,

when the then blacksmith Kit Sked

(well into his 70s), announced his

retirement. The Cousland Smiddy

Working Group was formed

believing that Cousland Smiddy

could become a superb local

heritage and educational facility.

Cousland Smiddy Trust was

established in 1989 as a small

company. The Trust secured a 10

year lease on the property. The Trust

eventually became the owner of the

Smiddy property in March 2001.

Our on-going work has been to

improve the environment to provide

a pleasant resource at the heart of

the village and engage villagers in

enjoying it. We regularly provide

volunteering opportunities. The

exhibition space within the cottage

tells the story of the blacksmiths of

Cousland and the work of Cousland

Smiddy Trust. It is also used to house

temporary displays of local

importance to the village, e.g.,

outcomes of research projects by the

local history group and with

Cousland Local History Project

(formed in 2000). We will expand this

to house the whole of the extensive

local history archive and provide

hands on volunteering opportunities

in archiving and display techniques.

Sharing Heritage

Sharing Heritage is for any not-for-

profit group wanting to explore their

communitys heritage. With a

commitment from HLF of 3m each

year, Sharing Heritage grants

between 3,000 and 10,000 are

available to groups who want to

discover their local heritage.

Projects can cover a wide spectrum

of subject matter from exploring

local archaeology and a communitys

cultures and traditions to identifying

and recording local wildlife and

protecting the surrounding

environment to managing and

training volunteers, and holding

festivals and events to commemorate

the past.

Heritage Lottery Fund

Using money raised through the

National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery

Fund (HLF) aims to make a lasting

difference for heritage, people and

communities across the UK and help

build a resilient heritage economy.

From museums, parks and historic

places to archaeology, natural

environment and cultural traditions,

we invest in every part of our diverse

heritage. HLF has supported almost

36,000 projects with 5.9bn across

the UK. www.hlf.org.uk. Images

available on request.

For further information, images and

interviews, please contact Gordon

Brown, Secretary, Cousland Smiddy

Trust, 31 Hadfast Road, Cousland

Midlothian EH22 2NZ

email: [email protected]

Dog fouling continues to be an

unacceptable problem around the

village. Not only have residents had

to deal with the unpleasant task of

cleaning

up in their

own

homes, it

has also recently been trailed into the

village hall. Parents should be aware

that both the village football field and

the track at the East End of the village

are contaminated.

Dog walkers who allow their dogs to

About Cousland Smiddy Trust For more information go to www.cousland.net/smiddy.asp


Contributions by 31/3/15 next newsletter to [email protected]


use the football pitch should be

aware that dog mess contains

potentially life threating diseases

for young children and while dog

excrement is

unpleasant in all

areas to leave

excrement in a park

where youngers play difficult to

comprehend.

Advice has now been taken from

Midlothians Councils Dog Warden

as to what steps would need to be

Villagers prepare to prosecute

irresponsible dog walkers

Dog Fouling taken to prosecute the irresponsible

dog walkers who are leaving

excrement lying where it lands.

The Dog Warden Team will shortly

be carrying out a clean-up operation.

Thoroughly fed up residents will

identify and report and anyone who

is seen allowing their dog to foul

public areas and not cleaning up

behind them.

A huge thank you to everyone who came along to the CPR training in the village hall

on Sunday 25th January.

We now have a further 15 villagers equipped with the skills to save lives.

30,000 people who have a heart attack outside of hospital die every year due to the

lack of first aid CPR.

Cousland is well on the way to being a

Village of Lifesavers.

Would you know what to do if someone

you love had a heart attack?

For more information please contact Car-

ol Mitchell,

[email protected] or visit the website

BHF.org.uk

Cousland Smiddy & History Project

are looking for a number of sturdy

boxes and newspapers to pack up

items in the Smiths cottage whilst

interior refurbishment work is going

on. Please contact

[email protected] or

Sheena 663 2730 and we will arrange

to collect.

We hope to be able to keep all the full

boxes in the cottage, but it will mean a

moving exercise each time a room

needs worked in if anyone does

have a bit of room for a few months in

a garage or dry store we would be

really pleased to hear from you. Some

of the items may be paper items which

need to be kept dry & intruder free!

British Heart Foundation

Cousland Community

Heritage Hub @ The Smiddy




TYNEWATER COMMUNITY

COUNCIL

In the recent survey put out to all

the villages in Tynewater 90%

agreed that our former school site

should be developed for all weath-

er sports for the Tynewater area.

So now we need to get a group

together to develop the idea . So

watch this space.......

Anyone wanting to get involved

contact Kathleen Donald

Household tipsto rescue a

pot that has burnt dry.

Fill pot with cold water and biological

washing powder to make a strong

solution. Bring to the boil and simmer

for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and

allow to cool. Wipe over the burnt

surface with a cloth or nylon scourer

and the black will just lift off.

C.R.A.P.S.

Held a very successful evening at the

Tyneside on Friday 6 February.

Next outing in April.

Date to be announced.

Another Cousland Celeb

Check out BBC iplayer to see Billy

Lumsden on the One Show

WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE

VILLAGE COMMITTEE FOR THE MOST

ENJOYABLE MEAL YOU PRODUCED

FOR OUR CHRISTMAS DINNER AND

ALSO A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE

WAITRESS STAFF WHO DID A

WONDERFUL JOB.

THANK YOU ALL AGAIN

GEORGE & ELIZABETH RAMAGE.

The end of 2014 was a busy one for

Youth Club with our annual visit to the

panto at the Brunton. Thirty three of

us went and enjoyed Jack and the

Beanstalk on Saturday 13th

December (oh yes we did!) and we

followed this up with our Christmas

Party on the Sunday when we were

joined by the Golden Citizens and

Santa! Everyone had a great time and

by then we were all ready for our

festive break.

We came back to Youth Club in 2015

Youth Group News


Contributions by 31/3/15next newsletter to ;- [email protected]


Very Warm Welcome to:-

Fergus and Jackie Pringle and Family,

63 Hadfast Rd

and

The Rowse Family, 13 Hadfast Road

We look forward to getting to know you.

with a healthy living theme and on

our first evening back we made fruit

kebabs - which we were assured

were 'yummy'! We've since followed

this up smoothie making using a wide

range of fruits - they too went down

very well.

Gemma Yoxall has also been keeping

the young people on their toes with

fortnighly dance lessons, we

certainly have some very talented

young dancers in our village!

The youngsters have also enjoyed

varied arts and crafts and even a Harry

Potter themed night! We are looking

forward to our annual pancake making

on Wednesday 25th February and our

Easter Egg hunt on 25th March.

We'd like to take this opportunity to

thank all the parents who volunteer to

help us out, without them Youth Club

wouldn't be able to carry on!

Youth Club runs every Wednesday

during term time from 6.30pm - 7.45pm.

FAREWELL

Betty Cooper, Pardivan has moved to

Dalgety Bay

We wish her well

Fourteen villagers of all ages

enjoyed a glorious sunny walk on

Saturday 3rd January. Along our

circular route via Crossgatehall, the

railway path and the path link back

to Pardivan we enjoyed seeing

horses and deer, and catching up on

village news. We finished up at the

hall for a home made soup and

baking lunch. Many thanks to the

cooks.

Village Winter Walk

William Fleming

It is with much sadness that we report the passing of William Fleming of

Hadfast Road.

Mr Fleming was originally from Fisherrow in Musselburgh and spent most of

his life as a Fisherman at sea, off both coasts of Scotland and beyond.

He and his wife and family moved to Cousland in the late 1960s and Mr

Fleming retired some years ago. He was a very keen gardener and also

enjoyed many long walks around Cousland.

We extend our condolences to Mrs Elspeth Fleming and Family.

THANK YOU

I would just like to thank everyone for all the love and warm wishes I

received after my recent operation. I am sure it contributed to my speedy

recovery.

A big thank you from Kathleen

Cousland Village Hall Association

Minutes of Meeting - 5th January 2015

1.Matters Arising

Sign for Village Hall,

Extractors in Kitchen and Bar,

WRI Storage

2.Hall Updates

Scots Night Profit 517

Cheque sent to Jim Sorrell for outstanding balance on

the CAAOC Invoice - 430

Thanks to Julie and Darren Sweeney for their efforts

making the Scots Night a great success

3.AGM 28 February 2015

4.Planning Updates

Planning for 4 dwelling houses at Airybank withdrawn

5.AOCB

Kitchen and Bar Refurbishment discussed

DONM 2 March 7pm Hall All welcome

Meeting Days -

Clubs and Societies

Majority Group 1st Mon in Month 2.00pm

Circuit Training Monday 7.30pm

Carpet Bowling Tuesdays until

end April 7.00pm

SWRI (Rural) 3rd Tues in

Month 7.00pm

Parent & Tots Wednesday 9.15am

Youth Club Wednesday 6.30pm

Girl Guides Friday 6.30pm

History Group 1st Sat every 2nd

month 9.30am

Village Trades and Services Builder & Plasterer Clark Millar 07812 780 017

Child Minder Carol McArthur 0131 660 2315

Fencing, Railings & Metalworker Steve Gilhooley 07702 188 692

Gardener Andy Raeburn 07858 791066

Painter/Decorator Stewart Naysmith 0131 454 9707

Personal Trainer Phil Calvert 07525 046 436

Physiotherapist Dougal Coward 07921 618 568

Plumber /Heating & Boiler Servicing Gordon Dunn 07850 246 810

Vet Beattie & John Buxton 0131 654 2266

Village Clean Up Day

28 March - 10.30am - Meet at Hall

That time of year again come along and help to keep

our Village looking beautiful




Cousland Courier the CVHA newsletter



Dates for your diary February 2015

26 AGM 7.00pm Village Hall

March 2015

2 CVHA Committee Meeting 7.00pm Village Hall

2 Majority Group Simon Fairnie 2.00pm Village Hall

7 Community Caf 10.30am-12.30pm Village Hall

10 Smiddy Trust 7.30pm Smiddy Cottage

17 SWRI Sculptor Alan Heriot 7.00pm Village Hall

28 Village Clean Up Day 10.30am Village Hall

28 Clocks Change !!!

April

4 History Group 9.30am Village Hall

4 Community Caf 10.30am-12:30pm Village Hall

6 Majority Group;- 2.00pm Village Hall

(Douglas Yuill Harbours & Ports)

6 CVHA Committee Meeting 7.00pm Village Hall

7 Smiddy Trust Meeting 7.30pm Smiddy Cottage

21 SWRI - 96th Birthday Party TBA 7.00pm Village Hall

CRAPS Date TBA

End of Indoor Bowling Season and start of Ptanque season

May

2 Community Caf 10.30am-12:30pm Village Hall

4 Majority Group - Thirlestane Castle 1.00pm (Meet for Bus) Village Hall

4 CVHA 7.00pm Village Hall

5 Smiddy Trust 7.30pm Smiddy Cottage

19 SWRI AGM 7.00pm Village Hall

(Flower arrangement in small teacup)

June

20 Village Summer Party TBA

Your CVHA

committee

Dougie McKenzie

(Chair)

Norrie Brown

(Secretary)

Claire Thomson

(Treasurer)

Brian Ellis

Andrew McGovern

Stuart Buchan

Caroline Pearson

Alison Vikis

Fiona Dunn

The Village

Committee meet 1st

Monday of each

month in the Village

Hall.

Members of the

community are

always welcome to

attend.

SUNDAY

PAPERS

Anyone wanting a

Sunday paper

delivered,

Please contact

Jack on

0131 660 2315

HEN and

DUCK EGGS

FOR SALE

At the Kiln on

Quarrybank Road

Cousland Courier No 10

Documents

Transcript of Cousland Courier No 10