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ARKLESS HIGHLIGHTS WORK OF DUMFRIES BASED COMMUNITY CAFÉ AT WESTMINSTER

MP Richard Arkless has today tabled an Early Day Motion calling on the UK Government to support charity based businesses such as The Usual Place community café in Dumfries.

The Usual Place helps many young adults with additional support needs work towards achieving an SVQ Level 1 in the Hospitality industry. The former Townhead Church on the corner of Lover’s Walk and Academy Street in the centre of Dumfries has been redeveloped as a spacious contemporary venue which retains many original features of the old building whilst providing full disabled access and a changing places toilet. The building also offers various meeting rooms and training facilities for hire at reasonable rates.

The Early Day Motion reads:

“That this house states its support for local charity based businesses like ‘The Usual Place café’ in Dumfries whose core objective is to create employability, training and wider citizenship opportunities for young adults with additional support needs; is committed to offering prospects like these in communities across Scotland and welcomes the aim of awarding qualifications to those who seek employment in the catering and hospitality industry; acknowledges that employability within this sector is crucial to the long term survival of towns and villages who rely on tourism to keep going; will actively pursue the Department for Work and Pensions to recognise this opportunity for individuals with additional support needs as one that will lead to eventual employment and training, and that will not hinder any access to benefit that may be entitled to a claimant given their circumstances.”

The Usual Place café was set up by the Inspired Community Enterprise Trust with support from various funders including The Big Lottery Fund, The Holywood Trust, Dumfries and Galloway Council, NHS Dumfries & Galloway, The Wooden Spoon and Solway Heritage.

Following a recent visit to The Usual Place, Richard Arkless MP commented:

“This café creates wonderful opportunities for employment and training for young adults with additional support needs. Having additional leaning needs should not hold young people back and this relaxed and friendly café provides a safe and caring environment for young adults to fulfil their learning potential.

“I want to ensure that staff who are working hard to gain experience and get qualified do not lose out on any entitlements from the Department for Work and Pensions. Using their new skills and experience in this extraordinary community café should be recognised as a positive step to finding work and my office will continue to communicate with the DWP to ensure this position is stuck to.”

Mr Arkless added:

“I’m from a hospitality background myself and I fully appreciate the important role it plays in the tourism industry as a whole. I commend the work of The Usual Place café as it not only provides opportunities for our young people but also gives people another very good reason to visit the wonderful town of Dumfries”.

GRAB CHRISTMAS BY THE ANTLERS AT THREAVE GARDENS

 

Grab Christmas by the antlers at the National Trust for Scotland’s Threave Garden near Castle Douglas as Santa will be at home in Threave House on 5 and 6 December.

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1 a 1 a threave christmas 3The festive fun starts on Friday 4 December with A Christmas Carol performed by Folksy Theatre. The classic festive tale begins at 6.30pm and tickets cost £12 for adults, £8 for children and £10 for concessions. Book online at www.folksytheatre.co.uk. Or buy tickets at Threave Garden gift shop.
Then on Saturday and Sunday the beautiful baronial Threave House will be decked with greenery from the glorious garden outside, and Santa will be ready to hear Christmas wishes. There will be Christmas crafts, storytelling, music, singing and mulled wine – all perfect for getting into the festive spirit.
Property Manager Richard Polley told DGWGO:“We’re very pleased that Santa will be at home in Threave House to welcome us during this very busy time. We know that visitors of all ages will have their lists ready for him to take back to the North Pole.”
And for extra fun, pick up a pair of Christmas antlers, take a selfie wearing our Christmas antlers and share it on social media with1 a 1 a threave christmas 4 the hashtag #GrabChristmas to be in with a chance of winning a festive prize each week from now until 20 December.
The event runs from 10am until 4pm, with Santa sitting from 11am until 3pm on both days. Entry costs £5 per person.

Threave’s Terrace Café will be serving festive afternoon teas on Saturday and Sunday too – £20 for two.
Take time during the day to explore Threave’s spectacular gardens with its different areas – from the rock garden, patio garden and secret garden to the walled garden and glass houses which display succulent fruit and vegetables. And, explore the wider estate for a wide range of plants and wildlife.

Threave is also a designated Bat Reserve – follow the bat trail to spot wonderful rare bats.

STEWARTRY YOUNG CHEFS PROGRESS TO DISTRICT ROTARY FINALS

The four girls and one boy that qualified for the 2015 Rotary Area Final of the Young Chef competition are pictured above together with the two competition judges Martin Avey, seated on the left and Tom Fitzpatrick, seated on the right. Also pictured, from left to right standing at the back, are Rotarians Paul Tebay, Colin MacLaine and David Butler.

The competition this year was jointly sponsored by the Rotary Clubs involved and also by Castle MacLellan Foods Limited .They provided some very smart aprons as well as goodie bags and prize money for the winners. A further prize offered by Castle MacLellan will be the opportunity for the winner of this Area competition, Nicole Geddes from Dalbeattie (seated in the middle) and the winner of the earlier local Kirkcudbright event, Ailsa McCulloch, to spend a day working with the Development Chef in the Development Kitchen at Castle MacLellan Foods Limited in Kirkcudbright in the New Year.

The winner, Nicole Geddes and the runner-up, Karlie Jamieson, pictured at the end of the second row on the right, in the Area final now go forward to the Rotary 1020 District Young Chef Final on Saturday 6th February in Livingston.

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The winner of this year’s Rotary Area Young Chef Final, Nicole Geddes, pictured with her winning meal. Nicole presented a main course of Greek chicken and a lime and chocolate creams dessert.

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The runner-up in this year’s Rotary Area Young Chef Final, Karlie Jamieson, pictured with her winning meal. Nicole presented a main course of tarragon chicken and a peach crumble dessert.

DOUBLE DEFEAT FOR SHARKS AS CUP TIE LOOMS LARGE

After three successive double headers, Solway Sharks have just a single game this weekend, with Billingham Stars coming to the Dumfries Ice Bowl on Saturday night (7pm face off).

The Sharks – sponsored by Building Craftsmen Dumfries – saw their five match winning run ended last weekend, falling to a home defeat against Sheffield before a narrow road loss on Teesside to Saturday’s opponents Billingham.

Last Saturday a lacklustre middle period saw Sheffield score three times without reply to take a 4-1 lead before running out 5-1 winners in the end. Solway had started brightly, taking 16 shots on net in the first period alone. The Sharks finally found a way past Brandon Stones 67 seconds from the end of the first period – Marc Fowley getting the final touch from Juraj Senko’s assist for the lead.

Sadly the advantage held for only 38 seconds as Sheffield levelled at 19.31 through Maros Stefanco after a turnover in the Sharks defensive zone. The teams went to the dressing room tied at 1-1.

Sheffield took the lead at 21.23 as Nick Manning fired past Kieran Hobbins in the Sharks net, before visiting captain Oli Barron made it 3-1 before the half hour. Barron then assisted on the Sheffield fourth goal at 34.34 scored by Stuart Brittle and the visitors were in firm control.

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An improved final frame from Solway saw them with another 13 shots on target but they couldn’t find a way past Stones and the visitors added a fifth marker from the stick of Shaun Wild on the powerplay (51.36). Brandon Stones was named Sheffield’s man of the match with 43 saves from 44 shots faced, Juraj Senko picked up the award for Solway Sharks.

Less than twenty four hours later, the Sharks made the trip to Teesside and a clash with Billingham Stars.

Billingham opened their account early with a James Moss goal at 3.31 and the Sharks struggled to get a foothold in the game. Solway did find their form in the 16th minute as Stevie Adams continued his recent goalscoring spree with the equaliser, with helpers from Steven Balmer and Marc Fowley.

The Stars’ response was rapid with a go-ahead marker from Michael Elder (15.44) followed by the same player again at 17.54 for a 3-1 lead at the first interval.

Whatever was said in the Sharks dressing room paid dividends as the Solway side dominated the middle frame, outshooting Billingham 12-6, getting back into the game and halving the arrears with Michael Corbett’s goal at 24.37 making it 3-2 after 40 minutes.

Sharks continued to enjoy the better of the play at the start of period three, and deservedly tied the game at 44.52 through Ross Murray. The two sides, who have served up several top drawer encounters over the past few seasons, went back and forth as the sides played out another classic.

Just over ten minutes from time the home side struck the crucial blow as Stars Swedish forward Dennis Bostrom found space and time to net the eventual game-winner at 48.54. James Moss put the icing on the result for Billingham with an unassited fifth goal at 57.39 to finish the scoring.

There was still time for Stars Jack Davies and Sharks Ross Murray to drop the gloves and go toe-to-toe after a skirmish round the Billingham net. Both men received double minor penalties for roughing after an entertaining, bruising bout.

So the Sharks have nothing to show from the two weekend games after a previous run of five straight League wins. Head Coach Martin Grubb said: “Saturday was a disappointing performance, we went back to how we were playing earlier in the year. Sheffield outworked us and deserved their win.

“On Sunday after a slow start we dominated the second period and the first ten minutes of the third and we showed great character to come back and tie the game. Billingham edged the decision in the end but there were a lot of positives to take out of the Sunday game.

“We need to continue that approach and mentality this weekend in our Cup game with Billingham. The game will no doubt be another open encounter with both sides playing a good, entertaining brand of hockey. It’s important to get back to winning ways and look to put another run toghether.

“The League this year is very competitive and there are several teams battling to make the Final Four playoff weekend – if any side can put a consistent run of wins together they can move up the table in quick time. Likewise if you lose a few games you can be out of the picture before too long.”

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Jamie Scott

Saturday’s NIHL Cup game versus Billingham Stars is at Dumfries Ice Bowl at 7pm. Doors open at 6pm with tickets on sale from reception priced £8 adults, £5 concession, £16 family (2+3). Season tickets are not valid for this game.

* On Saturday Sharks’ defenceman Jamie Scott suffered a multiple fracture of his collarbone and may miss the rest of the season. Everyone wishes him well for a full and speedy recovery.

WAGTONGUES POP UP SHOP COMES TO DUMFRIES HIGH STREET

WagTongues pop-up bookshop comes to Dumfries High Street on Saturday and Monday as part of The Stove’s three-day festival of light and literature.
1 a 1 a wag 1Coinciding with the switching-on of the town’s Christmas lights, shoppers will have the chance to browse and buy books by local writers and meet the talent behind them.
Authors Miller Caldwell, Thelma Hancock, Julie Bowmaker, Lynn Otty, Angus Macmillan. Derek Ross, Claire Cogbill, Donald Adamson and Chik Duncan will be giving interviews and readings from their latest works from 10am.
A “genre bending” workshop will invite aspiring writers to try their hands at poetry and prose and visitors can also have a moment of their own lives immortalised in verse by the resident poets of the Poet is In.
Run by the Dumfries Writers’ Collective, WagTongues is a bookshop which pops up without warning across Dumfries and Galloway and over the border.
Its remit is to sell precious things: local books by local writers, including poetry, fiction, memoir and history from Sally Hinchclife, Donald Adamson, Hugh Bryden, Mary Smith, D D Hall, Gwen Kirkwood, Margaret Elphinstone, Claire Cogbill, JoAnne McKay, Sara Bain, Kriss Nichol and Janet Walkinshaw.
Member Mary Smith, said: “WagTongues runs a programme of events whilst we’re open, so there’s the opportunity to meet authors, listen to readings, hear interviews and attend mini-workshops as well as browse through and buy wonderful books.
“We take books from any writer or publisher in the region and anyone who would like to join us should send an email wagtongues@aol.com”
WagTongues takes no commission with the full price of sales going directly to the authors and the events will raise funds for Arthritis Care Scotland.
Further information from http://wagtongues.wordpress.com
The Stove is at 100 High Street, Dumfries, and the event closes on Saturday at 4pm.

KIRKCUDBRIGHT SKATE PARK SITE GETS APPROVAL AS NEW LOGO IS UNVEILED

The proposed site for Kirkcudbright Skatepark has been approved by Dumfries & Galloway Council following a site visit made a few weeks ago.
Nick Jackson from Dumfries & Galloway Council, John Brown from Police Scotland, Diane McColm from Community Safety, Colin Wyper, Community Councillor and Alan McClure, Chairman of Kirkcudbright Skatepark Committee were all present at the site inspection.
The outcome of the inspection means that Dumfries & Galloway Council will adopt the skatepark upon its completion. The project is estimated to take a couple of years and will be dependent on the level of community support and interest as well as committee applications meeting all criteria required by the relevant funding bodies which have already been identified.
1 a 1 a skate 4Gartshore Park, on the opposite side of Kirkcudbright swimming pool, is already ear-marked by Dumfries & Galloway Council for recreational use and scored highly on almost all criteria used to mark up the suitability of the site. This included scoring the site for suitable maintenance, lighting, pedestrian access, visibility, noise, emergency access and the availability of public toilets. It was recognised however that the ground conditions will need attention in terms of drainage.
Councillor Tom McAughtrie, Chairman of the Council’s community and Customer Services committee said;
“Officials have met with group members to look at Gartshore Park which has been proposed as the location of a skatepark in the town. It scored highly in all but one of the criteria required.
This location is currently recreational land and has excellent facilities nearby along with good lighting. Although the ground requires some drainage work, the Council have agreed to this site in principle, however the full proposal will require to be formally approved through the planning process.


Once built, the skatepark would be managed and maintained by the Council. Once again, our Council has demonstrated that were are committed to listening to the views of our public, and will provide a first class facility for skateboard enthusiasts.”

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Meanwhile a primary 5 student at Kirkcudbright Primary School has won the competition to design a logo for Kirkcudbright Skatepark.

Photo caption: Aaron Baty of Kirkcudbright Primary school (p6) has won the logo competition for Kirkcudbright Skatepark. Aaron's logo will be used on publicity materials, t-shirts and corporate funding packs in a bid for Kirkcudbright to have its own skatepark
Photo caption: Aaron Baty of Kirkcudbright Primary school (p6) has won the logo competition for Kirkcudbright Skatepark. Aaron’s logo will be used on publicity materials, t-shirts and corporate funding packs in a bid for Kirkcudbright to have its own skatepark

A vote was taken at the last committee meeting and Primary 5’s Aaron Baty’s logo will be used on marketing materials including news releases, corporate publicity packs and letterheads to represent the committee’s aims. Other logos, designed by both primary and secondary school children, will be displayed at a later date with opportunities to use their ideas in various ways to promote the benefits of having a skatepark in the town.
A committee for Kirkcudbright Skatepark was set up in May and will be obtaining charitable status with ongoing fund raising efforts including the latest bag packing in Tescos. Donations are also being kindly received for various parts of the community.
The Committee do need more members, specifically to fill the role of Secretary so if you are able to lend an hour a week or would just like to attend a meeting with suggestions then please contact committee Chairman, Alan McClure on alanmcclure70@hotmail.com or message the committee via the facebook page ‘Kirkcudbright Skatepark’.

To find out more  there is a meeting tonigh Thursday 26th November 6pm at Kirkcudbright Primary School.

FOUR STARS ARE VERY ‘ICE’ FOR HISTORIC STRANRAER COTTAGE

 

 

The historic Ice House Cottage, in Lochinch Castle Heritage Estate, has been awarded four stars from national tourism body, VisitScotland.

The self catering accommodation opens its doors for guests in May of this year and has since proven very popular.

Ice House Cottage is a peaceful haven, sleeping up to four people, and ideal for families or individuals. Beautifully restored and carefully finished to an exceptionally high standard, the self-catering property retains many of its original features and is situated close to the remains of the Victorian Ice House.
The uniquely designed self catering accommodation is a charming single storey building with luxurious interiors including a mixture of antique and contemporary furniture. The cottage enjoys a peaceful aspect overlooking an extensive garden and the picturesque hill known as Balker Brae and Balker Moor beyond.
The property was inspected by a Quality & Tourism Manager from VisitScotland, who visited Ice House Cottage last month and awarded four stars based on the quality of the accommodation which continues to delight visitors through into the new year. The property now joins two other unique, properties on the estate with its four star status; Balker Lodge and The Chauffeur’s Apartment.

Paula McDonald, Regional Director of VisitScotland, said;

“I am delighted Ice House Cottage has achieved a four star award. This property offers visitors a quality stay in a very special part of Dumfries & Galloway and visitors will love the location which is within one of Scotland’s finest gardens, Castle Kennedy Gardens. VisitScotland’s Quality Assurance Scheme is highly valued by people who are looking for reassurance when booking a stay and the national tourism agency’s star rating system is regarded by visitors as a trusted stamp of approval.”
Guests staying in Ice House Cottage enjoy unlimited access to Castle Kennedy Gardens and Lochinch Castle Heritage Estate, a traditional sporting and agricultural estate. The estate is owned by Stair Estates and includes Lochinch Castle which is the private home of the Earl and Countess of Stair.

THE DGWGO WHO REVIEW DOES ‘THE CAIRNDALE COMEDY CLUB’

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The Park House within the Cairndale Hotel

Friday 20th November saw the return of Cairndale Comedy (as the comics billed it). I got to go along and sample the evening entirely and personally I am so glad I did.
The Park House within the Cairndale Hotel in Dumfries was the setting and as far as the majority of comedy clubs go it’s one of the nicest I have attended. A stunning two course meal served with military precision to a packed room of over a hundred guests went so smoothly with the entire meal completed within an hour yet there was no feeling of being rushed. 1 a 1 a ali 4
Nine o’clock brought the compère for the evening rushing to the stage in the form of Jojo Sutherland, with 15 years of experience performing worldwide she brought her own down to earth brand of comedy and controlled the room with a roving eye and forked tongue. I often wonder why people want to sit so close to the stage at comedy gigs making themselves easy targets for professional put downs and utter embarrassment.
Jojo entertained the crowd flawlessly for fifteen minutes before introducing the opening act of the night Keir McAllister with his unique brand of everyman observational humour, he provided a strong set of joke upon joke weaved into its story telling mode.
1 a 1 a ali 3The evening brought two relatively new performers to the comedy scene firstly Chrissy Ross with his slighter darker outlook on life and gravel throated Scottish accent and of course beer over his head (you have to be there). Then we had Stuart McPherson who delivered a very introspective view of his comedy mind, he reminded me of a young Stuart Lee with the soft tones and provoking punch lines.
Throughout the evening one group within the hall had imbibed rather heavily which led to the unfortunate loss of control over their personal volume switch, after being asked repeatedly by JoJo to dial it down a bit they carried on regardless and suffered heavily at the hands of the evenings headliner John Scott. Clearly a seasoned comic with a no nonsense attitude to destroying any hecklers or noise makers. He had the audience in the palm of his hands and cheering for slaying any off putting noise. His set was smooth polished and hilarious, I felt I could’ve been at any of the big stand up clubs in the country.
Congratulations must go to the Cairndale Hotel for their foresight in returning the Comedy Club to the town, with the next show scheduled for Friday the 26th of February 2016 you are for a great night out from beginning to end.

To Book Tickets for future events at the Cairndale click this link http://www.cairndalehotel.co.uk/entertainment

 

Written by Ali Donowho for DGWGO Entertainment News.

LANDLORDS AND TENANTS TO “FOLLOW THE CODES”

Industry leaders are calling on all landlords and tenants to adhere to new guidance being issued jointly by NFUS, SLE and STFA.
This follows well attended meetings held in Kelso, Dumfries, Bridge of Allan, Inverness and Inverurie to promote emerging Joint Industry Guidance on topics as diverse as rent reviews, tenant’s improvements and limited partnerships.
The meetings also heard of plans to publish further guidance by Christmas on fulfilling landlord’s and tenant’s obligations, as well as a long list of subjects to be addressed during 2016. This includes guidance on way-go compensation, succession and assignation, management of sporting leases, maintaining soil fertility, and effective landlord/tenant relationships.
In its flagship Land Reform Bill currently passing through the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Government has included the appointment of a Tenant Farming Commissioner with a remit to produce codes of practice for landlords and tenants. The Commissioner will have a duty to promote adherence to these codes, as well as powers to investigate alleged breaches and impose penalties for non-compliance.
NFUS, SLE and STFA have been working with the Scottish Government’s Independent Adviser on Tenant Farming, Andrew Thin, to get interim guidance (in effect voluntary codes) in place in advance of the new legislation coming into force so that landlords and tenants have the chance to get used to the new arrangements before they become mandatory.
Speaking after the Inverurie meeting, Chris Nicholson, STFA Chair, said: “It is encouraging that so many people have decided to come to these meetings and tell us of their experiences. Some tenants have reported real change for the better, notably in relation to the conduct of rent reviews.
“But we are still finding that a number of landlords, and even some professional land agents, are either unaware of or are ignoring our guidance. We need to find a way of reaching these people, and the industry bodies will be asking Andrew Thin to investigate in situations where we think there might be a problem”.
Allan Bowie, NFUS President, picked up on the same theme. “Most landlords and tenants enjoy an excellent relationship and work in close partnership for mutual benefit” he said. “But the introduction of new mandatory codes will demand of everyone an alignment with best practice that may come as a bit of a shock to the recalcitrant few.
“It is essential that everyone comes on board now at this formative stage, not least so that the industry bodies are in a position to advise government on the practicalities of all this. We currently have a window of opportunity, and I would ask all landlords and tenants to engage with this and help us to get it right”.
David Johnstone, SLE Chair, made it clear that his organisation would be encouraging all its members to adopt the guidance as routine practice. He said: “The take up of the Joint Industry Guidance has been encouraging but it is still early days.
“Where there are instances of the guidance not being followed, we will be working with the NFUS and STFA to find out why. Major firms of land agents, and RICS itself, have signed up to the new guidance, and we need to help them turn that commitment into reality at every level in their respective organisations”

• Further information about the Joint Industry Guidance, and the Scottish Government’s Independent Adviser on Tenant Farming can be found at – http://www.gov.scot/Topics/farmingrural/Agriculture/agricultural-holdings/Tenant-Farming-Adviser

Trading Profits Show Rapid Progress at First Milk

Trading profits show rapid progress at First Milk

First Milk has confirmed that its turnaround plan is delivering tangible results, with its financial performance in the six months ended 30 September 2015 showing significant improvement over the previous year.

Operating profit for the first six months of the year was £1.1m compared to a loss of (£7.6)m for the same period last year – an improvement of £8.7m. It is anticipated that the results for the second six months to March 2016 will also show a positive operating profit – compared to an operating loss of £(12.3)m in second half last year. As a result for the current financial year as a whole, the business will also make an operating profit.

Debt has continued to reduce, and at the end of September 2015 was £46.1m, compared to £60.7m as at March 2015.

First Milk CEO Mike Gallacher commented,

“The actions taken to reduce costs, improve quality, and drive operational performance are delivering results, with further progress planned over the next year. We are confident that this will deliver improved milk prices and a more sustainable business model for our farmer shareholders.

“My team and I are very aware of how tough it is at present on farm and the need to sustain this improvement trajectory to deliver benefits to our members.”

NFU Scotland Chief Executive, Scott Walker said:

“A successful First Milk is hugely important to the Scottish dairy industry as many Scottish milk producers are wholly dependent on First Milk as their milk purchaser.

“The turnaround plan has returned First Milk to profit and delivered a sustainable platform for the company but it is clear that, in doing so, much of the risk has now been passed back to members through an unsustainable price for their milk.

“In his comments, it is clear that Mr Gallagher recognises the severe financial position of his members and the need to deliver a much improved milk price that allows both First Milk’s producers as well as the company to be sustainable. That can’t come quick enough for many grass roots farmers.

“NFUS will continue to work with everyone who produces, sells and consumes milk to move towards a supply chain that delivers a fair reward for the risk taken by dairy farmers. And we will continue to work with First Milk on delivering the action needed to ensure that farmers in their Scottish milk field receive a price that allows them to see a future in milking cows.”

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