Remembrance Sunday

On Sunday, November 11th, Edderton remembered its wartime dead and, along with the rest of the United Kingdom, commemorated the centenary of the Armistice that ended the First World War and brought peace to the world. Prior to the laying of wreaths at the War Memorial a well-attended service was held in Edderton’s church that was conducted by Irene Roberts. Campbell Smith was the organist and Michael Brown gave a reading.

Lay Preacher Irene Roberts

Piper Sandy Gordon led the procession to the War Memorial.

Piper Sandy Gordon

Wreaths were then laid at the War Memorial. By Donna Laing on behalf of Edderton Community Council; by Jim McGillivray on behalf of Highland

Council, and by Albert Fraser on behalf of the Royal British Legion.

Donna Laing

Albert Fraser

Jim McGillivray

Assisted by Alistair Sutherland, village children then placed crosses in front of the War Memorial.

Winter Edition - December 2018

The placing of crosses by village children

The War Memorial after the Ceremony

Although much of Remembrance Sunday this year was concentrated on the ending of the First World War at eleven o’clock in the morning of November 11th, 1918, other conflicts were not forgotten. The Second World War that broke out on September 3rd, 1939 was a reminder that the peace of 1918 did not last for long. Even after 1945 when the Second World War ended conflicts continued and continue today. Worldwide peace is a laudable goal that all nations should endeavour to achieve - and soon!

Ted Venn

Edderton School Remembers the 1918 Armistice

On Friday, November 9th we went to the War Memorial where we “planted” our poppies, had a two minute silence and P7 pupils laid a wreath to remember those killed during the First World War and other wars since. The P7 girls read the poem “The Inquisitive Mind Of A Child”.

At the War Memorial on Friday, November 9th

The senior pupils of Edderton Primary, along with Miss DJ, have been researching the Edderton War Memorial and have launched a website to show what they have found out. You can visit the website at www.edderton.wixsite.com/warmemorial

The launch of the website

Maureen Simpson

Edderton Community Council

Nikki Beesley and Phyllis Ross

At the end of the meeting on October 2nd Nikki Beesley made a presentation to Phyllis Ross on her retirement as Secretary to Edderton Community Council, a position that Phyllis had undertaken so well for the last six years. The meeting on November 6th covered the following issues: (1) Redburn Wood: Work will start on the car park on the A836 on November 15th and last for two weeks. Traffic lights will control traffic whilst the work is in progress. Tree felling will commence early in the New Year. (2) Roads and Road Signs: It was again reported that no work had started to mend potholes, re-paint white lines or replace and erect road signs. Further contact will be made with Jamie Stone MP about reducing the speed limit to 30mph along the A836 as

it passes through Edderton, as nothing has been heard from him since the recent meeting with him. Efforts are still being made for “20’s plenty” road signs to be erected within the village and on School Brae, and this will be extended to include “30’s plenty” on the main road through the village. (3) Police Report: No crimes or incidents worthy of note have occurred in Edderton since the last meeting. Speeding through Edderton remains an issue and speed checks have been carried out, though no one has been caught during the past few weeks. (4) Play Park: Fencing is still awaited, but funding for the Play Park equipment has been secured. It is hoped that the fencing will be erected in the next week or so, and the new play equipment installed early in the New Year. Highland Council will remove the old play items that have been discarded. (5) Core Path Consultation: Proposals for paths to Tarlogie (RC15.11C), Dounie Hill Fort (RC15.12C) and on Edderton Hill (RC15.14C) will proceed, as Edderton Community Council supported these. The other two paths being considered, Struie Hill (RC15.13C) and Admiral’s Farm to Aultnamain (RC15.10C), are likely to be removed from the planned core path extensions. (6) Sutherland Community Engagement: A survey is currently being undertaken by the Kyle of Sutherland Development Trust (KoSDT) to help shape the future of Edderton and to produce a Community Plan. A presentation by KoSDT’s James Turner explained why and how the survey is being carried out. Completion of the survey by individuals is an opportunity to express their aspirations for the community. Children from the age of 12 are invited to take part in the survey, and to encourage their participation arrangements have been made for a workshop to be held on November 15th at Tain Royal Academy. It is to be hoped than a minimum response of at least 20% of villagers will be achieved. Full details can be found on page 6 of this Newsletter and on the Community Website. The deadline for responses to the survey is January 1st, 2019. Edderton is included in the survey even though the village is in Ross-shire.

A summary of all Community Council meetings can be found on the Community Website - www.edderton.com.

Ted Venn

Poppy Appeal

Graham and Phyllis Ross would like to thank all who contributed to the door-to-door collection that raised £262.92p for Poppy Scotland.

Edderton Community Hall

The Hall’s Secretary is Gary Urquhart. Gary can be contacted by phoning 07769 698 986 and/or e-mailing - Travelling-scotsman@hotmail.com.

Church of Scotland

Apart from the usual Second Sunday Service at Edderton on December 9th, the only known Christmas Service at the time of going to print is at Ardgay on December 23rd - a Family Service starting at 11.00am

Edderton Old Church Preservation Trust

The Church followed the usual practice during the summer of being open twice each month on Saturday afternoons. Visitor numbers were not great with just a few each time, but all very appreciative of the uniqueness and setting of the building. The Pictish stone is always a draw together with the Preaching Ark. Thank you to our band of volunteer guides. The Church is now having a little wash and brush up ready for a wedding at the end of the year! Listen carefully and you might hear the Church bell.

Robert Wylie 01862 821 325

Edderton Primary School

A number of sporting events have taken place this term, particularly benchball and basketball. Well done to all the pupils who took part in those competitions!

Benchball Team

Basketball Team

Our Rotary Quiz team took part in the Mid Area competition and WON! – An excellent performance! They now go through to the next round in Dingwall.

The Rotary Quiz Team

Our Christmas Show, “CHILDREN OF THE WORLD”, will take place in Edderton Community Hall on Tuesday, December 18th at 6.30pm. There will be refreshments and a Christmas hamper raffle. All welcome. We look forward to seeing you on the night! School closes for the Christmas holidays at 3.00pm on Friday, December 21st and re-opens on Monday, January 7th at 9.00am.

Maureen Simpson

Edderton Kids’ Club We now also have a breakfast club from 8.00am to 9.00am Monday to Friday. Kids’ Club runs from Tuesday to Friday in the Community Hall from 2.30pm to 5.00pm, and costs £2.50 per hour. The children have been enjoying lots of activities at the Kids’ Club - arts and crafts, sports activities, baking and lots more. Our Christmas Fair is on Sunday, December 9th from 2.00pm to 4.00pm. With over 20 stalls you are sure to find lots of nice gift ideas for Christmas. Please come along and support us.

Donna Laing

Kids’ Club Lottery A fund-raising lottery has been running every Saturday since September 1st. The winner is drawn from the Bonus Ball of the National Lottery. So far 42 balls have been sold at the weekly cost of £2.50 each. The winner receives half of the weekly pot, with the remainder going to the Kids’ Club. If anyone is interested in joining this local lottery by buying a ball I can be contacted on 07769 698 986 or by e-mail - Travelling-scotsman@hotmail.com.

Gary Urquhart

Edderton Drama Club Rehearsals for our performance of ‘Olivia’ are going well. Olivia will be a female Oliver, A brilliant show set in Victorian times traces the steps of Olivia, from downtrodden orphan to star of the stage. On her journey to the bright lights of London she is befriended by Eliza Doolittle, and after a series of adventures becomes a singer in a new Gilbert and Sullivan show, thanks to the unlikely assistance of Fagan and The Artful Dodger. The show will be performed in the village’s Community Hall in the Spring.

Donna Laing

Gardening Club The Gardening Club met in September for the AGM and a social evening to catch up after the summer break. It was decided that the charity donation this

year should go to local charity “Made in Tain”, specifically for their garden in Edderton. We were delighted to welcome Jean Richardson, who looks after the garden, to our October

meeting to receive the donation and tell us more about the garden. Jean (seen on the left in the photograph) gave an interesting talk about the garden and the many different ways in which it helps people and supports the work of “Made in Tain”. Our speaker in November was Sarah Speakman, winner of the best commercial business idea category in the 2017 Inverness College/UHI business competition with her idea for a business

based on miniature gardens. As Head Gardener at the Inverness Botanic Gardens, Sarah is well qualified horticulturally, and her talk entitled “Miniature Gardens: all of the pleasure, none of the pain” gave us all many ideas to take away. Sarah brought several examples of miniature gardens with her, and the detail was fascinating; they were far more than just bonsai trees in containers.

Two of Sarah’s miniature gardens, photographs courtesy of Russell Wood. On Monday, December 3rd club member Steve Farquharson will be talking about his trek in the Canadian Rockies with the Highland Hospice fund-raising group, and the plants en route. Everyone is welcome to attend. In the New Year there will be a members only lunch in January, then meetings in Edderton Hall will resume on February 4th with a quiz night. We hope that JayJay Gladwin from Old Allangrange Garden will be able to come and speak in March. JayJay’s earlier scheduled visit was postponed because of the “Beast from the East” so we are hoping for better weather this time. New members and visitors are always welcome. For more information phone Patricia on 01863 766 061 or e-mail pahannah@hotmail.com, or Esther on 01862 811 381 or e-mail esther@bumblebeecottage.me.uk

Patricia Hannah

Knitting/Crochet Group A knitting/crochet group is being held in the village hall on a Monday evening from 7.00pm to 9.00pm. Some of us have been learning how to crochet and knit, as well as enjoying a cup of tea/coffee and a blether. All welcome to come along whether you are a beginner or an expert. There is a £2 charge to cover hall rental fee.

Donna Laing

Broadband At the beginning of November, Highland Wireless & IT Solutions Ltd became the first Scottish WISP (Wireless Internet Service Provider) to receive the UK Wireless Internet Service Providers’ Association’s Quality Mark. Well done, Cameron!

Mobile Post Office The last posting dates for Christmas are: December 4th: South Africa and Middle East

December 7th: Cyprus, Malta, Asia, Far East,

Eastern Europe except Poland, Czech Republic and

Slovakia

December 8th: Caribbean, Central and South

America

December 10th: Greece, Turkey, Australia and New

Zealand

December 14th: Canada, Czech Republic, Italy,

Poland and USA

December 15th: Finland and Sweden

December 17th: Austria, Denmark, Germany,

Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia,

Spain and Switzerland

December 18th: Belgium, France, Ireland and

Luxembourg

December 18th: UK 2nd class and 2nd class recorded

December 20th: UK 1st class and 1st class recorded

The last day that the Mobile Post Office will be open before Christmas will be on December 19th. The service will resume three weeks later on January 9th.

Jason Headon

Kyle of Sutherland Development Trust

The Kyle of Sutherland Development Trust has been commissioned by the Sutherland Community Partnership to carry out a community engagement across Sutherland. This will ultimately provide Edderton with a Community Plan that can assist local groups and individuals in identifying and evidencing a need for projects and other developments that can ultimately improve the community. The more people living within Edderton Community Council Area that contribute to the creation of the Edderton Community Plan, the stronger it will look to potential funding bodies. We therefore sincerely hope that people in and around Edderton will take the time to fill out the questionnaire and attend the follow-up activities displayed on the poster.

Martin Thomsen Community Engagement Officer

Kyle of Sutherland Development Trust

Your Voice, Your Council, Your Future Throughout November, Highland Council is reaching out to communities, staff and partners to better understand what is important to our communities. We want to understand what the Council is doing well but where we can improve and

do better. We want to hear from you about what is important to you, your families and your community and what the Council should be focusing on. We are facing challenging financial times as an organisation but we believe we can meet that challenge and your feedback will help us plan and shape what we do over the next three years. There are different ways you can provide your views:

(a) An on-line survey: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/YourvoiceYourCouncil (b) A series of public engagement events, details of which can be found here: www.highland.gov.uk/yourvoice (c) You can complete the Council’s budget challenge that is an on-line tool that gives residents of the Highlands the opportunity to consider how and where Highland Council’s income should be spent; the ultimate aim being to balance the Council’s budget: www.highland.gov.uk/yourvoice (d) A series of Facebook conversations on specific topics, details of which can be obtained from: www.highland.gov.uk/yourvoice

We appreciate you taking the time to share your views.

Alister MacKinnon Budget Leader, Highland Council

Helping Hands - Volunteers Sought

Could You become a Volunteer Befriender and offer a Helping Hand?

In 2015 Highland Hospice created the Helping Hands befriending service as a way of benefitting people within their own communities.

Helping Hands is a volunteer befriending and support service delivered by Highland Hospice throughout Easter Ross, the Black Isle and Inverness. Volunteers regularly visit people in their own homes, providing social and practical support in an informal way to people with on-going health concerns that limit their ability to socialise and get out and about. The service is open to all individuals in need, regardless of their diagnosis.

Helping Hands’ volunteers may offer companionship, help with practical tasks such as shopping, provide emotional support at times of change or difficulty, accompany their client to appointments or a social group or offer respite for the carer to enable them to have time for themselves. Core to the success of the service is the real connections made between the clients and the volunteers. Helping Hands is now integrated into the local community and has been positively evaluated by the clients, carers, referrers and volunteers.

It is important to recognise that Highland Hospice does not just support people at the end of life, and this service offers support for people at various stages of their ill-health journey. The earlier people receive support, the greater their benefits will be from having a befriender.

Highland Hospice is keen to spread the message about the benefits of befriending, and Helping Hands has a very active Facebook page with short video clips from clients, carers and their befrienders.

Volunteers are always needed to implement the service well in Ross-shire. To volunteer all you need are a couple of hours every week or fortnight and the desire to help somebody in this rewarding role. If you would be interested in becoming a Helping Hands volunteer, please contact Susan Smith, Service Manager on 01463 423 202 or by sending an e-mail to s.smith@highlandhospice.org.uk.

Forthcoming Events

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Edderton’s Christmas Lights

The switching on of the lights will take place on Saturday, December 8th. Everyone is invited to meet at the Community Hall at 7.00pm. The Tain

Pipe Band will lead the assembled company to the crossroads, where the switching-on of the lights will take place. Then back to the Hall for mince pies and more pipe music.

Ewen Simpson

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Christmas Fayre

Edderton Community Hall

Sunday, December 9th

2.00pm to 4.00pm

Over 20 stalls, tea/coffee & cakes, raffle

Visit from Santa Claus

All proceeds going to Edderton Kids’ Club

We would be extremely grateful for donations to our raffle and some home baking.

Donna Laing

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Children’s Village Christmas Party

Edderton Village Hall on Saturday, December 22nd from 2.00pm to 4.00pm. Donations of party food will be most welcome.

Donna Laing

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Mike Vass: Save His Calm

Saturday, February 16th, 2019

Tickets cost £10 and £8 and can be obtained on-line from ruairidhgollanmusic.eventbrite.co.uk or at the door.

Mike Vass presents 'Save His Calm' with support from Calum McIlroy, Megan MacDonald and Ruairidh Gollan.

Raffle | Baking | Tea/Coffee

One of Scotland's foremost musicians is returning to Edderton Community Hall and will be performing his remarkable new song cycle.

Mike Vass, previously a nominee in the Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) award and winner in the Scots Trad music awards composer of the year category, is a creative force of nature on the Scottish music scene.

His critically acclaimed 'In the wake of Neil Gunn' was described as 'a terrific album, an adept weaver of electronic and acoustic textures' (The Guardian). Vass' music transcends genre boundaries, drawing influence from the neo-classical, indie-folk and electronic worlds; his songs run the gamut from darkly comic to heart-wrenching narrative and all with an unmatched melodic sensibility. 'These songs are all, piece for piece, immaculate and time and again they hold testimony of the excellent song writing ability and artistry of Mike Vass' (Arctic Drones). Much in demand as a producer and collaborator over the past several years, Mike has worked with the likes of Kathleen MacInnes, Fiona Hunter, Malinky, Runrig, Battlefield Band, Siobhan Miller and Findlay Napier - to name but a few. 2019 sees him back touring his own music for the first time in four years. Not to be missed!

Ruairidh Gollan

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Deadline for the Spring Edition

The deadline for contributions to the next edition is:

February 15th, 2019

However, event notifications, articles and reports can be sent in at any time. News is always welcome, and so are pictures! Please either send an e-mail to me at tedvenn@uwclub.net or phone 01862 821 750. My postal address is: Sloibcoyle Croft, Edderton IV19 1LQ.

And don’t forget to have a look at the Community Website - www.edderton.com

Ted Venn

Edderton Community Council Invitation

Senior Citizens’ Annual Dinner

You are warmly invited to attend the Senior Citizens’ Annual Dinner. This invitation is open to ladies aged 60 or over and men aged 65 or over, who live in Edderton.

Venue: Carnegie Lodge, Tain

Date: Friday, January 18th 2019

Time: 6.00pm for 6.30pm

Could we please ask that each guest brings along a wrapped gift to the value of £5 for our Secret Santa.

If you cannot attend you will receive a voucher for Tesco.

Please could you tick the appropriate reply below to let us know if you can attend or not and send this form back to Lorna Sutherland, Old Shop, Edderton IV19 1JY

Donna Laing

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Name........................................................................................

Address...................................................................................

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Telephone................................................................................

Yes Please Dinner

No Thank You, I would like a voucher

Do you require transport? YES/NO (delete as appropriate)

Any queries please contact Lorna on 821 277 or Donna 821 771

Please RSVP no later than January 9th, 2019