Gatehouse NewsNEWS, INFORMATION & WHAT’S ON IN GATEHOUSE OF FLEET | Summer 2011

Day of the Region WeekendThe Day of the Region weekend will take place on October 1st and 2nd to complete the activities which will have been running around the town over the preceding eight months. February saw the planting of the orchard trees in Garries Park and at the school, followed by the Community Fayre in March. Since then there have been green bowling sessions for beginners, the Burns Club’s Poems and Puddings night, the Midsummer Music Festival, the school children’s seashore project and the Bunkeroo children’s event. Events continue until October and include on 20th August a Magikal Woodland Walk, a three- dimen-sional interactive adventure that leads you into the enchanting world of woodland folklore and imagina-tion, organised by Susi Woodmass; and in September a Drystane Dyking competition will be held at Rainton. Work has been continuing on the High Street and Fleet Street history projects and on Family History: the fruits of these projects will be exhibited during the Day of the Region weekend. Old photos of Gatehouse and Gatehouse people, and more house histories for display in house windows would be welcomed. Stuart Faed, descendant of the artist James Faed, is assembling material for an exhibition at the Mill on the Fleet in October of the life and work of this local artist who died 100 years ago.

From the Editor

The Newsletter has now been running for almost two years and I am very grateful to the many contributors in the community who supply material for publication, and to Ken Smyth who looks after the design and pro-duction. It is not too early, perhaps, to raise one or two issues for the future if the publication is to remain lively and interesting. There is a risk that some of the items become too repetitive (and therefore boring). For example, all events are listed in the Community Diary and contributors should avoid repeating details of events in the text. New ideas for subjects to be covered, either regularly or one-off, would be welcomed. For example, it has been suggested that in addition to the regu-lar Business in Focus feature we could consider doing a profile of a leading Gatehouse of Fleet personality in each issue; would this attract support? Your views please! By no means least, it would be good for the long-term fu-ture of the Newsletter if one or two members of the community would come forward to share some of the workload and become familiar with what is involved in assembling and editing material. Your Editor is not grumbling at his lot but would not be doing his job properly if he did not plan for the future! Enjoy Gala Week, and the Day of the Region celebra-tions in October!

Gatehouse of Fleet Gala: Old Favourites and New Features!This year’s Gala starting on July 31st offers an action-packed programme every day of the week, starting with the formal opening by Gatehouse Citizen of the Year, Graham Wright, at 2pm on Saturday, fol-lowed by the crowning of the Gala Queen, Megan Clark, and the sashing of the Fleet Lad and Lass. The week’s entertainment programme includes old favourites like the Family Picnic, the Treasure Hunts, the Roon the Watter Fun Run and the Torchlight Procession and Grand Fireworks Display. New events this year include a Duck Race on the River Fleet, a cross-country riding of the Marches, a Family Ceilidh and the Chubby Tunes Disco. For sporting enthusiasts there are tennis, bowling and football matches, junior pool and darts competitions and, new this year, a Mat Bowling Tournament. Many of the organising groups have been able to take advantage of Day of the Region funding and publicity to enable them to get started. On Saturday August 6th there will be the Grand Gala Parade of decorated floats and fancy dress heading up through the town to Garries Park where there will be an afternoon of entertainemt

with stalls, shows and races. Laggan Outdoor will offer opportunities to try out team skis and segways, and there will be the birds from the Galloway Falconry. New entries for the decorated floats would be very welcome. A full Programme of Events is available from shops throughout the town, price £1.

Proud sponsors of this edition of the Gatehouse Newsletter

Murray Arms re-launchedNew owners Jim and Helen Stuart and Joanna have ambitious plans aimed at re-storing the traditional leadership of the Murray Arms for hospitality and service in Gatehouse of Fleet. Main features will in-clude consolidating the facilities for func-tions with new windows and wide doors opening to the gardens from the garden room, together with removal of the pillar in the centre of the garden room and a wider doorway between the garden room and the former central dining area, and a separate bar in this area to provide discrete bar serv-ice for functions. The main dining facility will incorporate the former “Lunky Hole” with the former public bar area to double the size of the dining area together with new furniture. The existing main bar area will be opened up, with the service area moved to one end of the present bar. New traditional style furnitire will improve the comfort and ambience of the Burns room, and all ten bedrooms will be progressively refurbished and modernised. All these changes will be carried out in sympathy with the historic importance of the building and will inevi-tably take some time to complete so that disruption is kept to a minimum. Biosphere Reserve one step closerThe Biosphere office in the Kiosk signals Gatehouse of Fleet’s contribution to and interest in the candidacy of Galloway and South Ayrshire for a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, funded by the Ayrshire and Dum-fries & Galloway Leader programme. The decision to make an application has been made because of the area’s unique com-bination of special wildlife, rich cultural heritage and communities that care about their environment and want to develop it in a way that makes wise use of its re-sources. The nomination has now been for-mally submitted to UNESCO and a deci-sion will be made in the spring of 2012. A small grant scheme is being developed and the two Biosphere officers are keen to hear from groups that would like to get involved in helping to shape the next stage of the

Biosphere project. More information can be found on the web-site www.galloway-andsouthernayrshirebiosphere.org.uk/ or by contacting Nic Coombey at the Kiosk, Main Car Park where he has his office.

Gatehouse of Fleet YMCA Drop-in Centre celebrates its first decade!From the Chairman of Gatehouse of Fleet YMCA Denis Samways: “Ten years of Gatehouse of Fleet YMCA Drop-in Centre will be celebrated later this year. Between October 1st and 8th this year the Centre at 5 Digby Street will open its doors to share with local people and visitors an exhibition of what has been achieved over the years. Some of the young people who were mem-bers in the early days of the Centre are now part of the leadership and management of this much-appreciated facility. I mention no names, they would probably be em-barrassed! Gatehouse of Fleet YMCA has excellent support in the local community, and through its many volunteers – charity shop workers, youth workers, management board members, and financial support from many individuals and organisations. Jose-phine King is our paid Youth Worker and the main organiser of the Centre providing a variety of opportunities and activities for the young people of the area. Apart from a comfortable place to meet with friends on three evenings each week, those who “drop in” to the Centre can themselves become part of the planning and organising process. Another date to note is our Annual General Meeting on Wednesday September 7th.at 7pm in the Centre. We are always pleased to welcome more volunteers to any of our areas of work. So come and join us! Con-tact the Centre on 814704 or myself, Denis Samways, on 814095”.

Salty tales from the sea-shore! A Day of the Region project21 pupils aged between 7 and 9 years from Gatehouse Primary School have just cel-ebrated the completion of their seashore project, with an artwork from the school

which is a reminder of creative and busy learning days on the beach at Cardoness and in the classroom.The children became beach detectives for a day, hunting in rock pools and learning about the creatures that live along the sea-shore from local experts Jim and Pauline Logan. Poet Liz Niven and artist Hugh Bryden joined the class on their trip and helped them undertake many activities. A Cardoness poem was composed by the chil-dren alongside fabulous mosaics made from shells gathered during their investigations.Amy Kelly, P3, said: “When we were look-ing for shells we found a jellyfish. Emily and I had shells up to the top of our bucket and Mr Logan talked to us about the dif-ferent things we found”. Back in the class-room, working with Hugh and Liz, fish head-dresses were made and riddle poems written, inspired by observations from the previous day.Class Teacher Mrs Pringle said: “It was a wonderful opportunity for the children to learn about new things from local and in-vited experts. The class worked very hard over the three days of the project and it has really contributed to the water project they are studying this term”.The resulting panel, with its representation of the view of Cardoness, is a marvellous record of the whole project and includes the poem created by the children during their day on the beach. It will be exhibited at the Day of the Region event in October for the community to enjoy.

Around the Community

NEW OWNERS - NEW MENUSLunches now also served in the garden and courtyard.

Extensive evening menus.Weddings, parties and all functions catered for.Tel: 01557 814207 Email: info@murrayarmshotel.co.uk

THE MURRAY ARMSHotel & Restaurant Gatehouse of Fleet

Fleet Gallery7 & 9 Fleet Street, Gatehouse of Fleet DG7 2JT01557 814228 fleetgallery@btinternet.com

Open daily 10am - 5pm

A wide range of art and gifts from Scotland and the Borders. Plus exclusive baby clothes.

Golf Club NotesGatehouse Golf Course is in immaculate order and ready to welcome members and visitors alike as the Summer Season is in full swing.This year we have available professional coaching by David Broadfoot for Jun-ior Members. Two sessions of two and a half hours each are being held during the school holidays. The coaching will be held at the Tongland Golf Centre and there is no charge for Junior Members. Those interest-ed should contact the Junior Convener on 01557 814428.On June 20th: an outstanding success story for Gatehouse Golf Club in winning the Kirkcudbright Team Championship for the first time since the competition started in 1990! Seven teams from different clubs in the south west competed over the Gate-house Course and in a close finish with a strong entry from Southerness, the Gate-house team consisting of Ian Black, Eddie Bryan, Irvine Hannah, Robert Hope, Gra-ham MacMillan and Greg Taylor won the Team Championship. Club competitions run throughout the summer, so the course is closed to visitors on Sundays before 11am. Captain’s Day is on July 24th, and the Junior Cally Cup will be held on August 13th. We hope to enter teams for the Scottish Breweries Texas Scramble at Castle Douglas on July 24th; the Club will make a block booking and a two-course meal will be included in the overall price of £15 per head.Visitors are always welcome and no book-ings are necessary. Green fees are £20 for 18 holes or all-day golf and £15 for 9 holes, Juniors (17 and under) at half price.

Green Bowling ClubLawn bowls has been played at Gatehouse for over 175 years on a lovely green with the Club’s own bar and opportunities for all ages to hone their skills. Regular play-ing nights are Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 6.45pm, just £3 per visit, or a seasonal membership at a great value price is also available. You can play casually on “sweep nights” or progress to league match-es or even enter open tournaments for

prize money and trophies. The green closes on September 24th. Contacts 814794 or 814059.

Carpet Bowling ClubCarpet Bowling restarts in the Commu-nity Centre in October every Tuesday at 7.30pm.New members are welcome to a friendly Club atmosphere and club bowls are avail-able. Monthly winter tournaments will fea-ture in future Newsletters but include: November - Bank of Fleet Cup December - Jim Irvine Cup January - Jim Clark Cup February - Stenhouse Cup March - Anwoth CupContacts 814059 or 814664.

Gatehouse of Fleet Snooker ClubDespite the seasonal slowdown and attrac-tion of outdoor activities, snooker is pros-pering in the Club Room in the Commu-nity Centre. Members (now over 25 full members) and casual visitors are making good use of the table with variable degrees of success in honing their potting skills. There is a Club night at 7pm on Fridays attended by a regular group and the fort-nightly Monday evening session for inter-ested members of the Drop-in Centre has identified some interesting and promising youth talent which the Club hopes can be developed further. A programme of com-petition matches has been drawn up and the aim is to complete matches and have a nominated Club champion by Christmas. We have also been contacted by Kirkcud-bright Snooker Club with a view to sharing information and possible future inter-club competitions.As part of the Day of the Region pro-gramme we are hoping to run some Exhibi-tion Snooker in early October with the sup-port of Paul Jamieson, a leading former SW Scotland and National champion who has been very supportive in helping us to set up the Club. Contacts 815008 or 814591.

Anwoth & Girthon Curling ClubSince the previous Newsletter the Club has held its AGM and Prizegiving at the Mur-ray Arms where Mr James Finlay presented trophies and medals to the winning skips. The new curling season begins at Stranraer Ice Rink on Sunday October 9th. New members will be welcomed, contacts Keith Kemp 814152, Steve Groome 814428 or Bobby Carson 814284.

Members of the Curling Club with their trophies.

Cricket NewsGood spring weather gave way to the del-uges of May and June and interfered with completion of the programme to date. Play-ers and spectators alike hope that summer is on its way so that the cricket can be enjoyed to the full. Ist XI results have been some-what below par, due at least partly to the absence this year of an overseas player.Thanks to the efforts of Dennis Coombs and Ian Galloway, the covers have been re-furbished, much needed in what has started as a wet season. Much vigour, enthusiasm and energy con-tinues to be applied to fund-raising to meet ongoing coaching and regular club expens-es, and coaching and development activi-ties, so vital to the future of the game in the South West. A Spring Fayre in April fol-lowed by the very successful opening of the beautiful gardens at Dromineen and then a bag-packing day at TESCO on July 2nd are to be followed by another evening of Gen-tle Jazz at Gatehouse Primary School on July 29th, tickets and table bookings from George Creyke 815085 or Dennis Coombs 814404.

Sport

Around the Community

ChurchesChurch of Scotland Gatehouse Parish ChurchRev. Val Ott 01557 814233Sundays: 10.30am Morning Service (2nd Sunday of each month: a short Commun-ion service is held afterwards) Roman CatholicChurch of the Resurrection, RiverbankFather William McFadden 01557 330687Saturdays: Vigil Mass at 6pm Holy Days: Vigil Mass at 7pm Scottish Episcopal ChurchSt. Mary’s Church, Dromore RoadRev. Roger Cutler 01557 330146Sundays: 9.30am Sung Eucharist.(5th Sunday of month a joint service is held with Greyfriars, Kirkcudbright - see noticeboard)Weekdays: 9.30am on Wednesday. Assemblies of GodGatehouse Christian Fellowship, Gatehouse Community CentrePastor Malcolm Macpherson 01557 814894Sundays: 10.30am Morning Service & Chil-dren’s Church (Communion 1st Sun in month) Midweek House Groups meet regularly in Gatehouse district (Wednesdays). Please telephone Pastor for details.

Gatehouse Hospital Car Service – S O SThis service continues to run, thanks to volun-teer drivers, providing transport to and from local hospitals for those with appointments to keep but without transport. The organiser, Derek Budd, is sorely in need of a successor to manage this vital community service and would like to hear from anyone who might be inter-ested. Contact him on 8142578

Useful Opening Hours

Post OfficeMonday to Friday 9.00 - 5.00Saturday 9.00 - 12.30

LibraryMonday 2.30 - 5.00Wednesday 10.00 - 12.30Friday 10.00 - 12.30; 2.30 - 5.00 6.00 - 7.30

Bank of ScotlandMonday 9.15 - 4.45Wednesday 10.00 - 4.45Friday 9.15 - 4.45

Spar ShopMonday to Saturday 6.00 - 10.00Sunday 6.00 - 9.00

Keystore ShopMonday to Saturday 7.00 - 8.00Sunday 8.00 - 4.00

Newsletter Contributions Welcome

If you would like to contribute an ar-ticle or other content for future issues of the Newsletter, contact the editor:

Willie McKie, 51 High Street, Gatehouse of Fleet

Tel: 01557 815008

e-mail: willmckie@aol.com

Bank of Fleet Hotel u Ensuite Rooms u Bar Meals u

Restaurant & Beer Garden01557 814302 u www.bankoffleet.co.uk

Excellent food and a friendly atmosphere

Concerns about the future of the Woodside Garage siteThroughout the community there has been growing concern and increased interest in the future of the old garage site, owned by Southvale Homes. All those who are interested in keeping abreast of the latest developments are urged to check the noticeboard in the main car park or the Gatehouse website where updates on the current position will be posted. Some in the community have also expressed concern about the proposed Community Trust. This group, if established, would provide a mechanism for the community to register an interest in the site should the devel-oper decide to sell it. Should the situation then arise where the community are in a position to acquire the site, it would be for the community as a whole to decide to proceed, and a propos-al for its future with clear community support would need to be in place. As this newsletter goes to press, a public meeting has been organ-ised for Tuesday 26th July at 7pm in the Com-munity Centre.

Public Meetings in GatehouseAssociated with the concerns over the future of the garage site, there have been calls for pub-lic meetings. It seems an appropriate time to remind readers that there is already a public meeting addressing a range of community issues every month, and that is the Community Coun-cil, to which all members of the community are invited. A range of current issues are discussed at every meeting and copies of the minutes are posted on the town noticeboard and on the community website. Members of the com-munity can attend the meetings and have their concerns or suggestions heard. Issues raised can be added to the agenda for future meetings. The Community Council is YOUR local forum for any community issues or concerns you need to raise, and you are warmly encouraged to use it. The Gatehouse Development Initiative is an-other community-wide group, open to all in the community to become a member, or simply to attend. Meetings take place every two months throughout the year. The GDI is project-based

and helps to take forward projects which the community has indicated they would like to see happen. Surveys are usually carried out every two or three years to gauge current opinion on this, but members of the community who have ideas for projects which they would like to be involved with, or would like assistance with, can bring them along to any meeting. Meetings are relaxed and friendly, but if you prefer, you can contact us through the website GDI@gatehouse-of-fleet.co.uk or phone us first 814226 / 814458.

Community Council and Gatehouse Development Initiative Meetings are

open to all.

COMMUNITY COUNCIL2nd Tuesday of every month,

7pm, Community Centre.

GATEHOUSE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVELast Wednesday of every 2nd month,

7.30pm, Community Centre. Next meetings: 27th July, 28th September.

Entertainment, Leisure & CultureMidsummer MusicShameless Hussey meets Jellyroll! - but no camp-ers drowned ...Despite the soggy weekend, the atmosphere at the fourth consecutive Midsummer Music week-end was one of relaxation and contentment as visitors and locals alike ambled from feature to feature, forming comfortably full audiences for all events. On Friday night, informal pub ses-sions supplemented the main attraction in the School Hall. Ideal Crash served up an original and melodic set with contribution from cello, glockenspiel and mini-accordion. Sweet Relief – our locallest young band – justified their grow-ing national reputation. Cameron O’Hagan led his ever-improving Inflictors up from Salford (where the BBC has just moved to be nearer this fine band). And then there was John Otway, some age now but with his lithe physique and talent for minimalist humour, it doesn’t show. And then he brought us another first – the mag-ical Theremin. Bossing the Masonic and engaging admiration wherever he played was accordion maestro Har-ry Hussey. Dexterous fingers, deep harmonic knowledge and musical wit put him above most “box” players, and his genial personality won hearts all round.Harry Hussey lured customers to Wigwam Bak-ery’s Country Market stall with music from the Kiosk, and then went on to provide a knock-out at the Music Café. Hosted by the likeable Jody Mckenna Band, this also showcased contribu-tions from Carrifran and the augmented Jelly-roll Gumdrop (doing the Hootchie Cootchie Coo). The evening programme kicked off with (new to us) Dave Sutherland – South London lad with guitar whose Deptford and Western style secured a friendly welcome from a near-full house. The Geese, highly local band, just get bet-ter and better – now joined by bass and drums and ideal for dancing and listening. Dancers stayed on their feet for the Big Star King Creo-sote, thoroughly engaging, a really nice guy with good songs and sympathetic support.Sunday started gently with a charming acoustic set at the Mill, steered by the unstoppable Susi Woodmass. Later, blues troupers Jellroll Gum-drop filled the forum at the Bank of Fleet. Les Cowley, guest guitarist, travelled all the way from Easter Ross to play this one. Seen strum-ming just before midnight at the Masonic, he

summed it up in few words “I’ve thoroughly en-joyed it all!”, the view shared by all.

Gatehouse Monday ClubRegular Monday Club meetings will start again from October 3rd. Members old and new will be very welcome as always. See the Community Diary for other Monday Club events or contact 814134.

Stewartry Flower ClubMembers and visitors are reminded that from September onwards the Club will be meeting in the Community Centre. See the Community Diary or contact 814944.

Gatehouse Horticultural SocietyWell, it’s that time of year again when we seek entries for the Garden Competition, and you look at your plot and think: “They must be jok-ing!” We had a dry two weeks in April and plants and crops began to awaken, all to be cut short when the cold and wet returned. But should we cancel this year’s competition? No, let’s keep calm and carry on. This year our judge is Mr Roy Bell from Borgue, some of you will know him as a competitor in previous years. Judging in the first week of August, entries to the Secretary be-fore July 20th.This year’s Annual Show will be on Saturday Au-gust 27th in the Community Centre, opening ceremony at 2.30pm by Mr Graham Wright, Citizen of the Year. More trophies this year, in-cluding one generously donated by Mr Frank Maycock for most points in the vegetable sec-tion. We have also tried to make exhibiting veg-etables easier for exhibitors by simplifying what is required; for example, no longer will you be asked to dress a cabbage. Four trophies donated

by Mr Simon Faed for the Children’s Classes 165, 166, 167 and 168 are to encourage little ones to pick up a trowel and win a prize.A reminder that entries should be taken to the Secretary by Wednesday August 24th together with 20p for each entry. Articles for competition can be placed in the exhibition hall from Friday evening between 7pm and 9pm and must be in the hall no later than 10am of the day of the Show. Admission £1, children 50p and Mem-bers free.

Gatehouse Royal Scottish Country Dance SocietyThe branch is a small dancing group which meets in the Church of the Resurrection Hall, Riverbank on Monday evenings from Septem-ber. Classes are taught by Moira Stacey who has recently been awarded the Society’s Scroll of Honour for services to Scottish Country Danc-ing, both in Scotland and overseas.In the last dancing session our branch raised £360 for Children in Need, and donations, dances and music have been sent to RSCDS branches in Queensland and Japan following the recent disasters there.See the Community Diary for dates or contact 815205 or 339308. A session of 12 classes cost £25 and the first two nights are free of charge.

Gatehouse Scottish Coun-try DancersFor our Day of the Region event we will be holding a “Toon Ceilidh” on August 5th dur-ing Gala Week (see Community Dairy). Entry is

Galloway Lodge Preserves

... and now we make the scones to go with our jamcoffee shop gifts cards

The Inflictors at Midsummer Music by Kim Ayres www.kimayres.co.uk

free and tea/coffee, juice and biscuits will be pro-vided. Come and enjoy the live music, dancing and local entertainers, fun for all the family. We also dance for the newly crowned Gala Queen on July 31st at approximately 2.15pm in Garries Park. Weekly classes restart on August 29th in the Community Centre (see Community Diary) and are aimed at introducing beginners. Costs are kept low.

Gatehouse SingersThe Gatehouse Singers regularly present a con-cert of festive music every December and a pro-gramme of varied choral items in the spring. We also enjoy occasional invitations to perform elsewhere.Conductor John Duncan (on the left of the pic-ture) and Chairman Peter Carpenter are already planning for the season opening in September. They are always keen to meet singers who may be interested in joining the group, especially

altos and basses. If this is you, please phone 860628 for John or 814432 for Peter for more information.

Mill SessionsThe popular music events have been running regularly through this year bringing a varied pro-gramme to the excellent acoustics of the Faed Gallery at the Mill. Most of the performances have been recorded and it is hoped to compile a CD next year, working together with the artists involved. Local photographer Kim Ayres (ki-mayres.co.uk) has been photographing the artists and some of the portraits can be viewed along with samples from the concerts on the Mill web-site (millonthefleet.co.uk). Looking forward we have Doug Carroll and Mary Barclay in August and rising star of the folk scene, Ewan McLen-nan in September. Full programme details are on the Mill website.

Exhibitions at the MillForthcoming exhibitions at the Mill include the Fleet Valley Open exhibition during July into August of works which celebrate the beauty of the Galloway landscape. This is followed in the Faed Gallery by an exhibition celebrating the night sky as part of the Galloway Dark Skies project. Finishing the season in the Faed Gallery is the work of James Faed (jnr) which completes a run of exhibitions over recent seasons on the different members of this local family of artists. In the Bookshop Gallery will be work by artist Hugh Bryden during August, and painter Wil-liam Spurway during September.

Riverside Café at the MillFollowing a busy and successful season and a flow of satisfied customers, the Riverside Café is now open until 6.30 in the evenings to cater for the late tea/early supper demand. These opening hours will continue through the school holidays and well into September.

The Bakehouse : LiTerary arTs Live

Bookings01557 81417507891 803027

44 The High StreetGatehouse of Fleet

DG7 2HP

www.thebakehouse.info

Hatterick’s House DesignYour Local Gatehouse Design Service

Website Design u Graphic Design u Brochures u Flyers

t: 01557 814458 w: www.hatterickshouse.co.uk

Becc Sanderford at the Mill Sessions by Kim Ayres www.kimayres.co.uk

From a London background in dress-design-ing for Jasper Conran (and the late Princess Diana) to a holiday cottage in Borgue with partner Peter Elliott, Kevin Butler’s relation-ship with SW Scotland and Gatehouse of Fleet in particular has gone from strength to strength over 30 years.The holiday cottage at Knockbrex led on to a small business start-up in the then Angel Ho-tel building, followed by the purchase of the present house and integrated shop premises on the corner of Ann Steet and High Street in 1997 when The Potting Shed was born.Unlike the modern tendency for retailers, even in small towns like Gatehouse, to be closely connected with or dependent on larg-er parental organisations (Spar, Boots, the Bank of Scotland), or wider markets (Franca Bruno, Galloway Lodge), the services pro-

vided from The Potting Shed and the friendly informal style have attracted and retained the loyalty of local customers from Gatehouse, Creetown, Newton Stewart, Kirkcudbright and Castle Douglas.The business is very personal, and has grown steadily, focussing mainly on flowers (sup-plied from Carlisle), interior decoration, house and garden plants, local art, with some unconnected services such as laundry and dry-cleaning (of great value to holiday home owners), and the sale of wild bird food. During the winter months when demand for flowers and houseplants is lower, an inter-esting range of gifts and stationery suitable for homes and gardens provides a valuable source of income. Special occasions and family celebrations, whether birthdays, wed-dings or funerals are a mainstay.

Development of the attractive shop interior has gone hand-in-hand with steady domes-tic improvements to the house as a home for Kevin and Peter. New windows and exterior signage are next on the programme of im-provements, but these developments keep pace with the ability of the shop income to support them.Kevin is an all-too-rare optimist among small-town shop-keepers and is very positive about the future of the business. Limited space is a problem, as many of his suppliers do not take kindly to orders for small quan-tities such as compost, for example. He is wedded to good service and sees that as the best way to develop a loyal customer base; he relies on word of mouth rather than adver-tising and publicity to enlarge his customer base.

Business in FocusEach issue we feature an in-depth interview with a local business to highlight individual contributions by the business sector to the local economy. This issue our choice is The Potting Shed.

McCULLOCH KEYSTORE Tel 01557 814783

FRESH FRUIT & VEG : LOCAL BUTCHER MEAT : IRVINES BAKERY : LOCAL HONEY, JAM & EGGS : FILLED ROLLS TO ORDER :

WHEAT & GLUTEN FREE FOODS : ORGANIC RANGE

Open Daily: Mon-Sat 7am-8pm, Sun 8am-4pm

Day of the Region ProgrammeEvents held so far include: the Community Fayre; Tree Planting in Garries Park and at the school; Green bowls introduction eve-nings; Poems and Puddings with the Burns Club at the Mill; the Midsummer Music Festival; the School Seashore project; and the Bunkeroo song night. The children’s sea shore project has been enhanced by a suc-cessful visit to Ornockenoch Loch to do fresh water pond dipping. Some money left over from this project and from the Nation-al Scenic Area Officer will be used to involve a group of adults in a writing exercise to be showcased alongside the children’s work.

On-going eventsFamily history projects are continuing. Fleet Street 10 Years On is photographing the owners outside their houses, repeating a project done for the Millenium. High Street Histories: Short histories have been put up in the windows of a number of High Street premises and more will follow. A complete ownership record of all High Street properties is nearly finished and new photographs and deeds have come to light. A new Gatehouse history booklet has been written and the publication is now being designed to be launched in October.

Upcoming events5th August: Carpet bowling tournament5th August: Family ceilidh20th August: Woodland Day Forest school and woodland magicScout campfire and National Scenic Area writing event (dates to be confirmed)24th September: Dry Stone Dyking at Rainton. 1st-2nd October: Day of the Region week-end. Various community events in planning.October: James Faed exhibition in the Mill. Check the Gatehouse website for details.

July14th Green Bowling: Molly Holmes trophy16th Monday Club Coffee morning 10.30am, Parish Church Hall20th Horticultural Society: closing date for entries to the Garden Competition24th Golf Club Captain’s Day29th Cricket Club: Gentle Jazz evening, Gatehouse School Hall30th Fleet Star football season opens31st Scottish Country dancers dance for Gala Queen31st Green Bowling Open Mixed Pairs sponsor Redfield Filling Station Twynholm31st Ecumenical Songs of Praise, 6pm, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church garden August1st Monday Club Gala Tea 2pm, Parish Church Hall 1st- 6th Gatehouse of Fleet Gala2nd-3rd Book sale in Parish Church Hall, 4pm daily3rd Green Bowling: Bobby Telfer Trophy5th Scottish Country Dancers Ceilidh 7pm, Primary School “Day of the Region”5th Carpet Bowling: Open Pairs competition sponsored by Neil Pickthall and Joe Salfenmoser, Community Centre5th Scottish Country Dancers: “Toon Ceilidh” 7pm, Gatehouse School6th Cricket at Cally: Galloway vs. Irvine6th Green Bowling: John Callen Memorial Cup6th The Bakehouse: John Manson, 7.30pm7th Open Air Service, 3pm Cardoness Chapel. Rev.Val Ott13th Golf: Junior Cally Cup13th Cricket at Cally: Galloway vs. Hillhead13th The Bakehouse: Roncadora Poets evening, 7.30pm18th Green Bowling: Senior Mixed American Triples sponsor Cream o’ Galloway20th Magikal Woodland Walks 11am to 4pm, Garries Park22nd Gatehouse YMCA Drop-in Centre open session for S1s and families, 3pm24th Horticultural Society: closing date for entries to Annual Show25th Mill Sessions: Mary Barclay and Doug Carroll, 7.30pm, Mill on the Fleet27th Cricket at Cally: Gatehouse of Fleet vs. Whiteinch27th Gatehouse of Fleet Horticultural Society Annual Show, Community Centre29th Scottish Country Dancers weekly classes begin, Community Centre 7.30pm

September4th St. Mary’s Church BBQ at Loch Ornockenoch. Tel. 814215 to book a place 7th YMCA Drop-in Centre AGM, 7pm at the Drop-in Centre 8th Stewartry Flower Club Demonstrations by Shirley Henderson10th Green Bowling: Ladies Triples - Annie Margaret Johnstone Trophy19th Royal Scottish Country Dancers weekly classes begin, Catholic Church Hall21st U3A Geoff Keating: “Behind the scenes with the Solway Sinfonia”24th Day of the Region Drystane Dyking competition at Rainton24th The Bakehouse: Double bill with Donald Anderson and Tom Hubbard, 7.30pm24th Mill Sessions: Ewan McLennan, 7.30pm, Mill on the Fleet24th Green Bowling season closes

October1st Golf Club presentation night1st-2nd Day of the Region final weekend celebrations, Community Centre1st-2nd Snooker Club exhibition matches, Community Centre1st-8th YMCA Drop-in Centre 10th Anniversary exhibition and celebration1st-30th Day of the Region James Faed Exhibition, Mill on the Fleet3rd Monday Club meetings begin9th Curling season opens with practice session at Stranraer Ice Rink13th Stewartry Flower Club Sapphire Anniversary lunch, Cally Palace Hotel19th U3A Dr Tom Smith: “A humorous look at family doctoring in SW Scotland”28th Golf Club: Ladies AGM & dinner29th The Bakehouse: Jonathan Falls: Translations from Italian and Spanish authors30th The Bakehouse: Workshop “How to become a Novelist: The Craft of Fiction”

Gatehouse Community CouncilProvost Mrs Pat Jacques 01557 814425Gatehouse Development InitiativeChairman David Steel 01557 814226Gatehouse Gala CommitteeChairman Mrs P Logan 01557 814667Gatehouse Community CentreChairman Paul Jacques 01557 814425. Bookings 07563 758533Mill on the FleetChairman Ken Smyth 01557 814458 Front Desk & Information Centre 01557 814099Anwoth & Girthon Curling ClubSecretary Mr Keith Kemp 01557 814152Bunkeroo (Young theatre & talent group)Sarah-leigh Cain 01557 814627Earl Haig Poppy FundMrs Wadsworth 01557 814349Fleet Star Football ClubSecretary Mr A I Hannah 01557 814829Galloway Cricket ClubCaptain Pat Druce 07881585431Gatehouse Bridge ClubMr G Swann 01557 814663Gatehouse Burns ClubPauline Logan 01557 814667Gatehouse Carpet Bowling ClubMrs Annie-Margaret Johnstone 01557 814059Gatehouse Drop-in Centre (YMCA)Chairman Denis Samways 01557 814095 Josephine King 01557 814704 Gatehouse Family History & ArchivesMargaret Torrance 01557 814620Gatehouse Festival MusicTed Percy 01557 814461Gatehouse Golf ClubClubhouse 01557 814766 (messages will be dealt with by a Committee member) Gatehouse Green Bowling ClubMrs Annie-Margaret Johnstone 01557 814059Gatehouse Horticultural SocietyMrs Suzette Harris 01557 814511Gatehouse Investment Club (”Spend a Penny”)Caroline Taylor 01557 814716Gatehouse Lions ClubSecretary Arthur Brown 01557 814168Gatehouse Monday ClubMrs P Benney 01557 814134Gatehouse Music SocietyMrs Helen Keating 01557 814376Gatehouse of Fleet Pre-School Under 5’s GroupSally Dunlop 01557 814242Gatehouse Scottish Country DancersCarol Clark 01557 814259Gatehouse Scouts, Cubs & BeaversMark Grieve 01557 814763Gatehouse SingersChairman Peter Carpenter 814432Gatehouse of Fleet Snooker ClubWillie McKie 01557 815008Gatehouse Women’s Rural Institute (WRI)Kathleen Gilligan 01557 814462Royal British Legion Gatehouse BranchChairman Willie McKie 01557 815008Royal Scottish Country Dance SocietyBarbara McFarlane 01557 814205Stewartry Flower ClubAngela Paul 01557 870202 or Val Hunter 01557 814944University of the Third Age (U3A)Anne Levi 01557 814738

Clubs, Societies & Voluntary Bodies Community Diary: Summer-Autumn

Editor’s note: If your club or group is not listed or you wish to advertise your event, please provide details to the editor and I will make sure it features in the next issue of the Newsletter. Tel. 01557 815008.