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Local Border ancestry companies draw crowds at Who Do You Think You Are? Live in London.

Local ancestry companies draw crowds at Who Do You Think You Are? Live in London.

 

 

Edinburgh – Three Borders ancestral and historical research companies recently travelled to Olympia, London to exhibit at Who Do You Think You Are? Live (WDYTYA? Live). Over the last weekend of February, Borders Journeys, Borders Ancestry and Berwick Timelines shared a stand at the live event of the world’s biggest family history show. They chatted to hundreds about connecting with their Scottish ancestry and promoted the stunning but often neglected Scottish Borders, Dumfries & Galloway and North Northumberland as travel destinations.

 

WDYTYA?  sees celebrities explore their family trees, uncovering sometimes shocking truths about their ancestry. The show is beloved worldwide, and the live event is an enormous spectacle which gathers hundreds of ancestral research experts and thousands of enthusiasts keen to explore their ancestry. At the event, Borders Journeys, Borders Ancestry and Berwick Timelines teamed up with VisitScotland to answer questions about Scotland’s Year of Homecoming – though, as Ian Walker of Borders Journeys says, ‘It doesn’t have to be this year that you visit – you can come home anytime!’

 

Ian was keen to invite ancestral enthusiasts at the event to connect with their Scottish roots and to visit the beautiful Scottish Borders and Dumfries & Galloway. Borders Journeys offers ancestral research services as well as individually tailored ancestral tours, allowing people to walk in the footsteps of their Scottish ancestors. The company researches family history throughout Scotland, specialising in the Scottish Borders and Dumfries & Galloway. Unsurprisingly, these tours attracted great interest at WDYTYA? Live.

 

For the event, Ian teamed up with Susie Douglas from Borders Ancestry and Jim Herbert from Berwick Timelines. Susie specialises in researching family histories with roots in the Scottish Borders and North Northumberland, while Jim explores the history of Berwick-upon-Tweed. At WDYTYA? Live the three answered hundreds of queries and were staggered by the level of interest in visiting the Scottish Borders and Dumfries & Galloway. ‘So often people just fly into Edinburgh or Glasgow, travel north to the Highlands, and think they’ve seen Scotland – there’s so much that they’re missing!’ says Ian. ‘We’re trying to change that!’ Ian was invited to join the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) at the event – an international organisation with a strict code of conduct of which Susie was already a member. He’s thrilled by the success of WDYTYA? Live.

 

It’s also good news for tourism in the regions – a recent VisitScotland publication predicted that ancestral tourism could bring around £2.4bn to Scotland over five years. Increased tourism has the potential to boost local businesses – not only museums and cafes, but accommodation providers, shops, craft centres and more. Indeed, tourism can transform local economies. Events like WDYTYA? Live provide an unrivalled opportunity to promote Scotland beyond the Central Belt and Highlands. Ian and Susie can’t wait for the next one – they will be exhibiting together at WDYTYA? Live Glasgow at the end of August.

 

Who Do You Think You Are? Live Glasgow will take place at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre from 29 August to 31 August 2014. More information and tickets will be available nearer the time.

Pictured above is an Australian family that I did research for and organised an ancestral tour to Lockerbie last year – Edith, John & Carol meet their ancestors.

 

 

D&G COUNCIL BOOSTS REGION WITH CAPITAL INVESTMENT STRATEGY

Council boosts region with capital investment strategy

The Council’s Policy and Resources Committee (18 March 2014) gave its unanimous backing to the Administration’s proposals, which will see significant investment in a range of capital projects over future years.

The proposals re-affirm previous commitments to deliver next generation Broadband and the Dalbeattie Learning Campus.

The Committee also agreed indicative funding for the Dumfries Learning Town project, paving the way for a £11 million Learning Hub; a new £21 million northwest Dumfries School cluster, which will include a new build Maxwelltown High school and associated primary schools on the same site; and a £15.5 million refurbishment of St Joseph’s college; all with a target of being completed during the financial year 2017/18.

Work will also be carried out to develop detailed plans for the more complex northeast cluster, which will include a new build Dumfries High School and the refurbishment of Dumfries Academy. Major investment will also continue in other schools in the region such as Langholm primary school, Dunscore primary school, Kirkcudbright Academy, Annan Academy, and Sanquhar Academy.

Proposals were also agreed to invest over £1 million in the Kirkcudbright Charter project and to set aside £2.5 million towards the proposed £12 million Whitesands Flood protection scheme, which is currently the subject of a funding bid to the Scottish Government for the remaining funds. Councilors also agreed that detailed proposals be drawn up for a Newton Stewart flood prevention scheme for future years.

Additional investment was agreed for the region’s infrastructure, including major investment in local road improvements. More than £13 million has been agreed from the Council’s 2014/2015 capital budget to cover a range of projects, including road resurfacing, core paths, and providing vehicles for the new kerbside waste collection service due to be introduced this year. The additional capital is over £3.5 million more than the budget agreed in October 2012, which emphasises the importance of improving the region’s roads. This is in addition to approximately £6m a year on road repairs from the council’s revenue budget.

It was also agreed to support a range of land based projects over the next year, including a new 3G pitch in Lockerbie and increased investment in play parks and playing fields.

More than £2.2 million of funding for Economic Development projects for the year ahead was also agreed, including £1.5 million for regeneration in Stranraer.

The Policy and Resources Committee:
• Noted the estimates of funding available to support capital investment, as reflected at appendix 1, and that the estimates in relation to the period beyond 2015/2016 will be subject to further review/change;
• Noted the funding amounts available for allocation, over and above the indicative funding allocations previously agreed by the this committee, as reflected at para 5.2 and appendix 2;
• Noted the funding bids for both Corporate Priority Projects and Asset Classes, which are outlined in the funding bid documents attached at appendix 3; and
• Agreed funding allocations for financial year 2014/15 with provisional applications for the subsequent 2 years recognising that, beyond 2014/15, capital investment proposals will be determined alongside revenue budget proposals as part of the determination of the Council’s overall Financial Strategy.

For full report see: http://egenda.dumgal.gov.uk/aksdumgal/images/att32522.pdf

STATISTICS SHOW DROP IN SCOTTISH LIVESTOCK CONTINUES

Winter crop areas up, but reductions in livestock continue

 

A National Statistics Publication for Scotland.

 

A first look towards this year’s harvest shows an increase in winter crop areas.

Scotland’s Chief Statistician today released the latest results from the December Agricultural Survey.

The area of winter-sown crops in December 2013 was up 12 per cent on the previous December, with 20,000 hectares more wheat and a thousand hectares more oilseed rape and oats. The area of winter barley remained fairly similar to 2012, but most barley is sown in the spring. These increases bring the total winter crop area back to levels last seen in 2010.

Livestock numbers, however, continued to fall. Compared with December 2012, there were decreases in each of the four main categories, sheep (down three per cent), cattle (down two per cent), pigs (down nine per cent) and poultry (down six per cent), though there was a two per cent increase in the number of dairy cattle.

The results also show that the amount of hay, grass silage and arable silage all saw increases in 2013. There was also a fall in the number of tractors and various other categories of machinery, which may reflect the increased use of contract working.

The figures released today were produced by independent statistical staff, free from any political interference, in accordance with professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

SOLWAY SHARKS WEEKLY ROUNDUP

Solway Sharks Ice Hockey Club

 

Match Report


 

This Saturday the Solway Sharks face one of their most anticipated challenges of the season so far when they face the Blackburn Hawks in a do-or-die cup clash at Dumfries Ice Bowl with the winner progressing to the two-legged Northern Cup Final against Sutton Sting. Currently Sutton sit atop the round-robin table with Blackburn level on points, but ahead of third placed Sharks, courtesy of a six-three victory at the Blackburn Arena back in December. Should the Sharks record any type of victory over Blackburn they will leap-frog their opponents and cement their place in the final in two weeks time. The last time the Hawks visited Dumfries the supporters were treated to a thrilling game that could have gone any way before Solway eventually prevailed one-nil. Face-off at Dumfries Ice Bowl is at the usual time of 7pm.

 

The Solway Sharks were on the road last Sunday when they made their way to Ice Sheffield for their final NIHL Moralee Conference fixture of the season. With the league title already retained the Sharks had little to play for other than pride but Sutton Sting had to win and hope that Whitley slipped up at home to Telford for them to make the play-off’s. In the end Sutton did all they could do with a four-two victory but Whitley claimed the last play-off place with a resounding eleven-nil win over Telford.

From the opening face-off Sutton caught the Sharks cold when Thomas Dant broke up the left before passing across the face of goal to Stuart Ashton who immediately sent the puck to the back post for Jamie Spurr to converted with just fifty-six seconds on the clock. Sutton had several chances to extend their lead over the next eight minutes but failed to capitalise due to a combination of sloppy finishing and good netminding from Kieran Hobbins in the Solway goal. Gradually the Sharks then came back into the game and could have punished their opponents but a string of missed chances of their own, combined with a couple of superb saves from Dmitri Zimozdra, saw the hooter sound for the first interval with no further scoring.

Sutton started on a powerplay after the break due to Juraj Senko’s hooking penalty late in the first period and Matt Jeffcock and Stuart Ashton took just twenty-nine seconds to work the puck to Ryan Johnson to score from the high slot. The Sharks responded strongly and within two minutes they were on the board after a surging skate down the left by Stevie Moore saw him feed Craig Thurston in the low slot. Zimozdra did well to block the forthcoming shot but could no nothing to prevent Pavol Melichercik converting the rebound with authority. Six minutes later Hobbins did well to block a low shot from Myles Dacres and from the rebound Solway counter-attacked and Zimozdra had to be at his best to save a Frazer Goldie slapshot,

However, the Sutton stoppers best save may have come a little later when he was forced to dive across his crease to stop a team-mates misplaced pass from crossing his goal-line. With three minutes remaining in the session Solway equalised with a powerplay goal when Stevie Moore and Struan Tonnar combined to work the puck across the blueline for Juraj Senko to power home a slapshot from the blueline. Parity was short-lived however, as within twelve seconds Matt Jeffcock picked off a loose pass in the Sharks “D” and rifled a shot into the roof of the Solway net to see the teams leave the ice with the home side three-two ahead at the second break.

The final session saw the Sharks try to fight their way back into the match but resolute defending and a string of fine saves from Dmitri Zimozdra kept them at bay. With six minutes to go a very obvious “too many men” call was missed by the referee and in frustration a thrown water bottle led to the Sharks being a man down and on a penalty-kill when it should have been the opposition. On the resultant powerplay Iain Bowie was sent clear up the middle of the rink but as he closed in on goal Zimozdra produced a tremendous save to deny the Solway sniper a short-handed goal. Thomas Stuart Dant collected the rebound and sped off down the left wing before passing inside for Jamie Spurr to cut inside his marker and add his second of the game with another fine finish from the slot. The final action of the game saw Stevie Moore denied by the home goal frame but overall it was a match where the Sharks had chances to win but Sutton needed and wanted the result more and were worthy winners.

Scoring statistics for the Sharks were as follows: Juraj Senko and Pavol Melichercik both one goal and no assists, Stevie Moore 0+2, Struan Tonnar and Craig Thurston both 0+1. Kieran Hobbins in the Sharks goal saved twenty-four of the twenty-eight shots that he faced (save percentage 85.71%). Stevie Moore was named the Sharks Man of the Match with two goal Jamie Spurr gaining that accolade for the home side.

EMMA HAY IS KIRKCUDBRIGHT ROTARY CLUB YOUNG CHEF STAR

Emma Hay is Kirkcudbright Rotary Club Young Chef Star!

Last Saturday, Emma Hay travelled to Glasgow Clyde College to take part in the Regional Final of the annual Rotary Young Chef competition. Having been previously successful in the Area and then the District rounds of this competition, Emma was, once again, representing the Rotary Club of Kirkcudbright and her school, Kirkcudbright Academy at this next stage of this competition.

The Rotary Young Chef competition which has been run for the past six years and is open to anyone aged 11 to 17 years, was created to give young people the chance to show their creative culinary talents, to promote healthy eating and to learn important life skills. The young chefs are judged on their healthy menu, planning and organisational skills, hygiene, preparation skills and of course, the taste and presentation of the final dishes.

Competing against six other Young Chefs from Scotland, Emma prepared and cooked a three course meal. Her starter of seared Kirkcudbright king scallops with chorizo, resting on a minted pea purée was followed by a main course of pan fried Gressingham duck breast served on a bed of braised red cabbage with sweet potato mash and a gin and redcurrant jus. Her dessert, which was judged as the best dessert, was Scottish raspberry cheesecake served with a homemade honey and oatmeal ice cream, a brandy snap basket and a raspberry coulis​.

The competition was judged by three resident tutor chefs who work at Glasgow Clyde College and all were genuinely astounded by the high standard of dishes produced by all six of the young students. They commented that the food that was served up by all of the Young Chefs was on a par with, if not better than, the food being produced by their own full time students, and suggested that they might now use the Young Chef’s menus for their own students to try and then use in the College restaurant! They also made a point of complimenting and congratulating the girls’ Home Economics teachers for helping to develop such talented young people.

The judges went on to say  that, on the evidence of the food that had been prepared and served, any one of the six Young Chefs could have been chosen to go forward to represent the Region in the UK Final in Dundee in April. It was therefore very unfortunate for Emma that she was not judged to have won the competition. However, she must be congratulated on the consistently high standard that she has achieved in this competition this year as well as the very professional way she has approached this challenge at a time when she has been heavily involved with school examinations. This competition has clearly demonstrated how a school and a community based organisation like Rotary can successfully work together to develop young people to their full potential.

 

Emma has asked that it be known that she would like to thank Ballards the Butchers in Castle Douglas for sponsoring the duck for her main course and The Talk of the Town in Newton Stewart for glittering the glasses for her table setting. Finally she offers her sincere thanks to Miss Porteous, her Home Economics Teacher at Kirkcudbright Academy, and to Paul Tebay of Kirkcudbright Rotary Club for his continued support in each and every round of the Young Chef Competition.

 

R.B BAGS HIS FIRST ROSNES BENCHES

 

 

1 a 1 a rosnes bench mapOn Sunday I packed my Camera and headed off into the Galloway Forest Park determind to Track down and Bag my First two Rosnes Benches 
DSC_6133
A couple of months ago I read an article in D&G Life magazine all about this fantastic Art Project happening up in the Galloway Forest Park , The Article inspired me to get out there and start finding some of these wonderfully tactile looking Benches that are scattered at Scenic spots all over the Forest Park .
I headed off up the Queen’s Way Road a wonderful  17-mile   stretch of the A 712 road that winds through some of D&G’s most stunning locations  and holds many happy memories for me . The Road itself was designated in 1977 by the Forestry Commission as part of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee celebrations,  Princess Anne opened the route by unveiling a  marker stone   on the 27th July of that year.
The road runs from Newton Stewart to New Galloway and this is where i hoped i might  find my first bench  , Unfortunately the Raiders Road was closed , but I traveled onwards to the Clatteringshaws Visitors Centre and parked up there ! Headed off down the footpath Heading for Bruce’s Rock , and While passing through the woods , on the side by the loch , looming in amongst the trees , I spotted them , My First two Rosnes Benches , well my Heart leaped with joy , And even though they were damp with all the rain , i had to try them out ! I have to admit though , i was shocked to find out on closer inspection that they are made of Plastic and not stone , as they look like they have been carved from a piece of Grey Rock ! But as a lay down and looked up at the sky . I realised Just how amazing these structures are , and they really do connect you with the environment that you are visiting , especially if you lay quietly and listed to the peace and quite too !

The Rosnes Bench was an idea developed for the vast and diverse landscape of Dumfries and Galloway by Scottish artists Dalziel + Scullion. To really experience the Rosnes Benches Project  you  have to get out and about   into nature but now we can let  benches slow us down, create stillness, change our viewpoint and help us to remain in the moment and absorb the wonders of D&G . ‘ Wide Open’ commissioned Dalziel+Scullion to create Rosnes Bench for the Biosphere/Dark Skies Park. The focus of this project is to reconnect people to the environment and to the ecology of place.

Rather than propose an artwork that is designed to be iconic in scale and be about the physicality of the artwork itself, the philosophy of this project dictates that the artworks focuses attention on the landscape that hosts the work. The artists want to make a series of works that assist people to slow down and tune into their surrounding to have fun and be part of the art itself ! 

I can not wait to get out there again soon , and start bagging a few more of these fantastic Little bits of Art that we are very lucky to have in our Wonderful wee corner of Scotland !

 

If you want to start Bagging some of these wonderful Sculptured Benches for yourself click this link for the full list of locations and maps and directions http://www.rosnesbench.com/location.html

For More info about the Galloway Forest park Click this link  http://scotland.forestry.gov.uk/forest-parks/galloway-forest-park

 

Pictures by R.B Photography

 

A NEW FREE SERVICE TO HELP PEOPLE AFFECTED BY WELFARE REFORM

A NEW FREE SERVICE TO HELP PEOPLE AFFECTED BY WELFARE REFORM

 

the hub – your community action centre on Friars Vennel in Dumfries has introduced a new service to help people who do not have computers or internet access at home and who now have to apply for welfare benefits and universal job match searches on-line.

 

Free internet access drop-in sessions are now available on Tues from 10.00am to 12.00 noon and on Weds from 2.00pm to 4.30pm every week with volunteers available to assist and support people to complete on-line applications.  

 

Claire Ross from the hub said “Not everyone will have used a computer before nor be familiar with filling in the new e-forms and submitting them. Our volunteers provide a friendly, accessible and confidential service to help people with this.  No need to book, just turn up”.

 

Dumfriesshire MSP Elaine Murray said:

“This is a very welcome service.   Welfare reform has vastly increased peoples’ reliance on IT to claim benefits but many claimants don’t have access to computers or aren’t confident about using IT to fill in forms.  Moreover, in some parts of Dumfries and Galloway broadband and mobile phone access is still poor. The Hub is to be congratulated on this initiative.”

 

Dumfries and Galloway MP Russell Brown said:

“The Government are pushing more and more people towards making benefit claims online and this can be very intimidating for people not used to using computers. As a result, there is a real fear that people could lose out simply because they complete the application incorrectly. Providing free internet access but also that crucial support to complete the forms correctly is an invaluable service being offered by the Hub”.

Beautiful Beltie Wins Spring Fling National Poster Competition

Beautiful Beltie Wins Spring Fling National Poster Competition

Top entries now on show at Gracefield Arts Centre

 

A delightful drawing of a Belted Galloway cow by a talented six-year-old schoolgirl has won the Spring Fling poster competition.

The picture by Naomi McCreath, of Primary 2 at Carsphairn Primary School, is now being used all over the country to promote Scotland’s premier visual art and craft open studios event which takes place from 24-26 May.

The two runners up were Lewis Saunderson from Crossmichael and Nathan Gibson from Heathhall. There were also 19 winners of individual school prizes.

All the winning entries are now on display at the Gracefield Art Centre in Dumfries, where the Spring Fling @ Home exhibition is underway.

Leah Black, Spring Fling Director, said: “The competition was really popular with over 230 entries from 20 primary schools across the region. There were some really lovely pictures and it was very hard to decide on winners.

“We chose Naomi’s picture in the end because it’s really bright and lots of fun – and because belties are such a distinctive symbol of the region. I would like to thank everyone who took part and congratulate them on the great work they produced.

“We are grateful to Lesley Sloan at Education Services who did all the liaison with the schools and whose department co-ordinated and funded the creation of an educational film by artist Ailsa Black which was used to inspire the young people.”

The theme of the competition was What Dumfries and Galloway means to me. Some 300 copies of the winning picture have been turned into posters and are being distributed across the UK as the official poster for Spring Fling 2014.

Councillor Jeff Leaver, Chair of the Council’s Education Committee, said: “It’s great to involve young people in the cultural life of the region at an early age.  Dumfries and Galloway is brimming with artistic talent. I hope that some of the young artists have been sufficiently inspired to become our future Spring Fling artists or visitors.”

First prize was £100 for the winner and £200 for their school and the runners up received £50 each plus £100 for their school.

The competition was supported by the Archie Sutter Watt Trust, which was set up in memory of the famous and well-loved Galloway artist.

Hazel Campbell, one of the trustees, said: “The poster competition has been one of the most fun things we have done! There was such a positive response from the primary schools. Archie Sutter Watt was dedicated to developing the visual arts in our region and would have really enjoyed seeing so many young people being inspired to use their artistic skills to create pictures showing what Dumfries and Galloway means to them.”

The competition was run by Spring Fling in partnership with Dumfries and Galloway Council Education Services and The Archie Sutter Watt Trust.

All the winning posters can be seen at www.flickr.com/photos/spring_fling/sets/72157640539821825/

DG ONE REPAIR’S TO START ON 6TH OCTOBER 2014

DG One update

 

 

The Council’s Policy and Resources Committee (18 March 2014) agreed to capital development of the Loreburn Hall to provide fitness facilities during the closure of the dry side of DGOne.

The committee also agreed to transfer the building to the Loreburn Hall Community Trust, which will operate the facility with a full-cost lease.

The committee agreed to provide a temporary swimming pool at Dumfries Ice Bowl while the wet side of DGOne is closed, the cost of which will be included in the claim against against Keir.

It was agreed by the committee that capital works will now start on 6 October 2014 or the earliest opportunity after that.

In January 2013, the Policy and Resources Committee was informed of the capital remedial works required at DGOne and the estimated time that the building would need to be closed.

In May 2013, the committee was updated on progress in making alternative arrangements for customers and staff during the closure, which was estimated at 17 months.

In June 2013, the committee was given information on legal proceedings, planned capital remedial works, alternative provision of services during the closure, and staffing implications.

In September 2013, having considered available options, the committee agreed that a temporary pool be erected at the Ice Bowl in Dumfries and that a fitness suite be temporarily located in the Loreburn Hall in Dumfries, with information on funding to be the subject of a future report.

In November 2013, the committee received information on progress made on legal proceedings, planned capital remedial works and timescales, and options for service provision during the closure, including the Loreburn Hall and a temporary swimming pool to be located at the Ice Bowl in Dumfries. It was agreed that capital works would start soon as possible on 25 August 2014 as possible. To allow sufficient time for the regulatory planning process and detailed programme planning, and to ensure that the annual Blue Bonnets event can take place at DGOne from 3 to 5 October, the committee agreed today that the capital works will start on 6 October 2014.

Councillor Ronnie Nicholson, chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee, said, “We now have agreed an achievable programme of action and timescale for capital works at the Loreburn Hall and Dumfries Ice Bowl to ensure that we can provide appropriate alternative facilities while DGOne is closed for remedial repairs. It is important that our council continue to provide first class leisure services while having essential repairs done at DGOne. By agreeing that DGOne won’t close until October for repairs, we can ensure that the alternative facilities are in place before the closure. It will also allow the Blue Bonnets conference to take place in town and it will mean that the centre stays open over the busiest period during the summer. ”

OPPORTUNITIES GALORE FOR BROUGHTON HOUSE VOLUNTEERS

Do you have a passion for local history, gardens or lovely old houses? If you do, and you have a few hours to spare each week, Broughton House and Garden in Kirkcudbright would like to hear from you.
The National Trust for Scotland property in the town’s historic High Street, which was the home of ‘Glasgow Boy’ artist E A Hornel, is gearing up for the new season by welcoming current and new volunteers at a practical induction session at the House on 27 March.
Recently appointed Property Manager Sheila Faichney said:
“We have several new volunteers this year, but always welcome more. Volunteers are highly valued by the Trust for the valuable work they do in making visitors feel welcome and maintaining collections and facilities. Some of the Broughton House volunteers have given many years of service, returning each season to help tell the story of the house and in some cases to do invaluable cataloguing or to help care for the collection.
“We try to ensure that volunteers do what interests them most at a time to suit them, and the Trust offers support in the form of training each year. We have an interesting season ahead, with lots of new events and activities planned, so it’s an exciting time to join us.”
The season starts again at Broughton House on 31 March, so there’s still time for anyone who is interested to register and take part in the induction.
Contact Sheila Faichney on 0844 493 2246 Monday to Friday 9 – 5, or email [email protected] for more information.