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Alyth Voice AVID, Pitnacree St, Alyth PH11 8DY 66th Edition, December 2002 Tel: 01828 632 339 Minimum Circulation 1200 E-Mail paulramsay@bamff.demon.co.uk Email: info@alythvoice.com or freida.murray@ntlworld.com Website: www.alythvoice.com

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

5. We sent him to see the Pars play Partick Thistle but he claimed that they weren’t a patch on Alyth Amateurs (more of the fan-tasy syndrome I’m afraid) and that the language of the crowd was not “echt Scots as in the Big Park”.

6. The Alyth Bridge Club must have really upset him – something about no women being allowed to join. We don’t let him near the cards here – not since we found him trying to teach douce Mrs McGrory strip Happy Families.

If any of your readers can fill us in with some of Adam’s background we would be most grateful as he is making our lives a misery and one of these days one of the carers (possibly me) is going to snap and wrap his b***** walking stick around his neck. Yours sincerely, Ailsa MacForty

Can you enlighten Ailsa Please send any comments to the voice…..and we will pass them on!!!

Citizens of the Year

Citizen of the Year, selected by the Community Council from the nominations, was Mrs Elma Mitchell of Cam-bridge Quad, amongst her good works are AMS Prompter for many years, Chair of the Millennium Clock Committee and a current Community Councillor. An able person who has served Alyth well for a long, long time. Amongst other highly qualified nominees was Mr Ander-son at 106 years of age and at that the oldest man in Scot-land. He received special acclaim Young Citizen of the Year is Victoria Harden, Victoria St, a member of the Youth Theatre and an active member of the AYP, she shows exceptional community spirit and leadership for such a young person. Their first duty was performed on the 30th November by leading the parade and switching on the Christmas lights. Secretary Alyth Community Council

Thanks to all of our readers who have contributed to the “Voice” this year. Please keep your articles coming, your input is im-portant. Thanks also to our advertisers without whom there would be no “Voice”. A big thank you to our team of delivery people who brave all weathers to make sure you get your copy of the “Voice” each month. Please remember that there is no issue of the “Voice” in January, our next issue is a Jan/Feb “Voice” which will be published in February sometime.

EDITORIAL By the time you read this we shall be into the first week of December. The Christmas lights will have been switched on by the citizen of the year and the count down to the Festive Season will be well under way.

Thanks to all of you, our readers, for your interest and involvement throughout 2002. Without you there would be no Voice. Please keep your contributions coming in to us in 2003. Paul Ramsay

St Barnabas’ Home, Senior Manager: Mr E Phipps HALBEATH 21st November 2002 Dear Mrs McLean, I turn to you in desperation for help in dealing with one of our elderly inhabitants. About a year ago we admitted a gentleman called Adam Neve. He claims to have been brought up in Alyth but when he was ‘getting past it’ he moved in with his sister in Lochee. She died and he was placed in a succession of homes in the City. Obviously he wasn’t happy, and I gather from some colleagues neither were the people in charge of him. Why Fife should pick up Dundee’s misfits and they accept responsibility for Perthshire’s problems I don’t know but the fact is that he is now with us. His language which was always strong is now intemperate and his firmly held opinions have become downright prejudices. Mr Phipps would not approve of my description but Adam is a cantankerous old *** (which is a lot milder than what he called Mr Phipps last week). When he isn’t spitting out our perfectly good food or annoying the lady residents he is almost lucid even if we don’t understand the context of his remarks about Alyth. Can you expand on some of his comments so that we can further his therapy?

1. He mutters, “And is there still dog dirt (not his actual words) in the Park and up to Pitnacree”?

2. He asks if the new housing up the den (?) road has joined up with Rattray yet.

3. He seems to bear ill will against a farmer, Geordie McGribbin and a fellow Trimble or Turnbull who used to run your newspa-per for making a fool of him over chocolate flavoured berries. This is indicative of a fantasy complex.

4. Occasionally he dances a funny little jig and claims that it is the traditional Alyth Lion Dance as shown him by the Alyth Danc-ing Master.

NEW YEARS DAY BEACON

It is intended to light the Alyth Hill Beacon in the afternoon on New Year’s Day.

Watch out for posters in town with more details

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Alyth Voice Editorial Team Paul Ramsay 632992 Editor Jessie McLean 632684 Treasurer/Advertising Margaret Mackenzie Advertising Marjory Macpherson Advertising Barbara Prettyman 633725 News Jim O’Brien 632484 IBM Voice material/website Will Burns Brodie MBE 632684 Scanning/ Printing Freida Murray 632545 Layout/Typing In Order to avoid disappointment please ensure that Articles/Ads for publication are submitted by 21st day of each month. Note: The views expressed in the Alyth Voice are not necessarily those of the Editors, nor can they accept any responsibility for accuracy/spelling of any article.

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J. & M. KAY

Ladies & Gents Hairdresser. 13 Airlie Street

ALYTH Telephone 01828 632252

Wishing all clients, neighbours and friends a Merry Christmas and a

prosperous New Year All the best to all from

Nancy & Michael

THE CHRISTMAS WINDOW COMPETITION

ALYTH & DISTRICT

BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

Once again are sponsoring a window dressing competition for all businesses in Alyth to take part in. It is intended that the judging will be held over the Festive Period, hopefully between the 8th and 14th of December, by the Alyth Citizen of the Year 2002 and the Young Citizen of the Year 2002. The standard of exhibits over the last five years has been ex-cellent, and it is hoped that this year the businesses will do their utmost to assist in helping to bring Christmas cheer to Alyth for the enjoyment of all. Let’s make the Christmas Win-dows in Alyth the best in Perthshire if not Scotland and also it will make the judge’s task a really difficult undertaking. It is hoped that all the Christmas windows will be on display by the 30th of November 2002 The Christmas Window Competition Shield will be presented to the winner along with certificates for 1st, 2nd & 3rd place. Chairman Michael Kay for ADBA

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

FORTHCOMING EVENTS IN ALYTH 2002

December 8th to 14th Christmas window competition (judging) December 8th Alyth Choral Union Carol Concert December 14th Christmas Lights Coffee Morning December 15th Saplings removal from Den O'Alyth December 16th Saplings planting at school Please send us details of your events for the diary...

Alyth Environmental Group

Alyth Environmental Group will be helping the Countryside Rangers remove beech saplings from the Den O' Alyth in order

to increase biodiversity. Rather than waste these, we will be helping the Alyth Primary School pupils to plant them around the boundary of the school, to form a beech hedge.

We will be meeting at the first car park, in the Den, at 10am on Sunday 15th December 2002, and at Albert Street entrance to Alyth Primary School, at 10am on Monday 16th

December 2002, if anyone would like to lend a hand. Please bring a garden fork, any spare bin bags and wear appropriate clothing.

The next Alyth Environmental Group meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Thursday 19th December 2002, in the Alyth Hotel. For more information, contact Clive Bowman on 632907.

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Useful Telephone Numbers

Blairgowrie Police Station - 01250 872222 Hydro-Electric Emergencies - 0800 300999 Scottish Gas Emergencies - 0800 111999 North of Scotland Water Authority - 0845 437 437 Alyth Post Office - 01828 632301 Alyth Health Centre - 01828 632931 Alyth Primary School - 01828 632462 Blairgowrie High School - 01250 873445 Alyth Environmental Group - 01828 632907 If you offer a Emergency or breakdown Service e.g. Plumber, Electrician, Locksmith, Glazier, Cen-tral Heating or any other trade, Please send us your name and number for our useful numbers section.

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Date: 10 November 2002 19:25:25 Hello Paul, hope this letter will be of interest to you. Regards, Bert Aitken Article from the Northern Times Website If were not careful well destroy the scenery that brings visitors here Sir I was interested to read Mr R S MacKay's letter in last weeks Raggie. My first reaction is that he would say that, wouldn't he! However, the views of those with vested interests should be tempered and never dominate the wider debate on this issue within our community or the wider Highland Region. The Novar wind farm at Evanton, to which Mr Mackay refers, is perhaps one of the better examples of wind farm location, as the site is about 11 miles from the A9 viewpoints and it should be noted also that the turbines are veritable midgets when compared to the 300ft ver-sions now proposed in current applications. Concerns about transportation implications and access routes are per-fectly justified as they will cause considerable disruption to the commu-nity over many months. It is not just the parts on huge trailers but the endless stream of concrete which is required to create the huge concrete bases for the towers. The communities in Brora, Rogart and the Strath of Kildonan have every right to explore every negative aspect of the Gordonbush proposal before they decide whether to support or oppose the develop-ment. It will be the biggest development in the Highlands so far, with over 50 turbines of around 300ft (equivalent to 30-storey high buildings). Strath Brora is a valued part of our amenity and is immensely beautiful. It is the inspiration for Joan Baxters work, as confirmed by your front page report of her recent grant from the Scottish Arts Council. Strath Brora will be changed for ever if this development proceeds and the scenic single track road to Gordonbush will also be changed beyond recognition. The Highlands currently faces some very challenging decisions. There are upward of 60 wind farm applications coming on stream and, if we are not careful, we will destroy the scenic and wilderness resource which we all enjoy and increasingly brings our visitors here. We would be fools to squander a scenic resource, which will sustain the region in the long term, for a very short-term mess of potage, which will benefit so very few and will change the perception of our region for ever. Environmental arguments from the correspondent are both inac-curate and totally out of place. As he knows perfectly well, wind power development is, in reality, purely commercial. Interestingly, on the day your paper was published Denmark, the world leaders in wind technology, announced an end to wind energy subsidies stating that the environmental benefits are insufficient to justify subsidies. This trend only mirrors what is happening across Europe and the USA where wind power is no longer the focus of the search for renewable generation sources. As ever, we fail to learn much from those who have gone before. Whilst we all recognise the need for clean renewable energy, it is time to pause and consider the Gordonbush proposal with care. That is what the public meeting on 12th November intends to achieve and I hope as many people as possible will attend so that we can all make fully in-formed decisions. W Faassen de Heer, Sycamore Cottage, Moss Hill, Brora.

Bert Aiken St. Ninian’s Road Alyth 27/10/2002 Sir, Hoping that you will be able to include the enclosed item in the next e d i - tion of Alyth Voice.

Yours faithfully Bert Aitken In October issue of Alyth Voice, page 6 contained two items that,

at first reading appeared to be entirely unrelated. One at the top of the page headed MAG-NETIC THERAPY, the other at the bottom with a heading DRUMDERG WIND FARM. Where is the connection I wonder? Well maybe there is! Whilst a very weak magnetic field can be used as an, ‘aid to maintaining and assisting the natural healing process,’ a debate has been ongoing for a number of years on the link between electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from overhead power lines and the potential cancer causing risks. The scientific and medical advisors to the

power groups have always argued that there are no harmful effects, but many families are worried about the possibility that prolonged exposure to electric and magnetic fields generated by overhead power lines can in-crease the risk of Leukaemia in children. It has been established that there are clusters of people with cancer related illnesses who are living in areas where there are voltage transform-ers and overhead power lines. The Department of Trade and Industry has said: ”A group of experts is already considering theories that the EMFs of power lines are associated with a range of illnesses and are expected to report their findings to the National Radiological Protection Board by the end of the year.” A public meeting will be held at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham in December, ahead of which the NRPB will publish a con-sultation document with revised guidelines on limiting public exposure to EMFs. Now to the bottom of the page, we have the DRUMDERG WIND FARM and that is precisely where it should be, as far away from MAG-NETIC THERAPY as possible, certainly nowhere near Alyth and the lovely surrounding rural aspect that we are blessed with, where it has the potential to increase the EMFs by virtue of siting quite a large number of wind power electrical generators together with their requisite transformers and overhead power lines in the open air. No doubt MoD will have objec-tions to the installation as it will interfere with the radar equipment in the many aircraft that use our airspace over Alyth. The argument for wind power is romantic –an endlessly renewable, squeaky clean resource, in the windiest country in Europe-but it is full of holes. When the wind is not blowing there is no power output and when the force of the wind is too strong, again the generators cannot operate. In other words, what we get for a large expenditure of money and energy is a very low load factor. The problem with this is that we will always need back-up for wind farms from conventional power stations. Why bother? Why not plant hundreds of broad-leaf trees on the site to absorb CO2 and supply oxygen at a fraction of the cost? By far the biggest objection to wind power is an environmental one. What is being proposed is sheer vandalism of the most desolate and beautiful parts of the country and the morbid slaughter of many of our wild birds flying straight into the horrendously massive rotor blades from which there can be no protection, in return for the debatable bonus of turning off some power stations for a moment. Apparently Belgium blocked plans for 50 new turbines because of the ruined views, the effect on seabird migration and the risk of marine accidents and pollution. The community council has decided to set up a committee and has been advised, according to Alyth Voice, not to oppose construction of the site but rather to ensure that the town will benefit if it proceeds. This is rather odd, it sounds more like a fait accompli. Has the site been the subject of a compulsory order? There must surely be a question mark over what benefit the town will derive when the main beneficiaries of such schemes are the landown-ers and the commercial groups that are given large financial inducements to carry out these schemes.

Letters to the editor

WHAT DO YOU THINK? PLEASE SEND US YOUR VIEWS ON THE WINDFARM PROJECT…… DO YOU BELIEVE THAT IT COULD BE A HEALTH RISK? DESTROY THE COUNTRYSIDE, AND THE WILDLIFE? YOUR VOICE IS IMPORTANT !!!!!YOU LIVE HERE!!!!

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Public Notices

Ian Miller Local Councillor. SURGERY AT ALYTH TOWN HALL (Old Council Chambers) on 1st MONDAY OF EACH MONTH AT 7.00PM OR CONTACT BY Tel: SNP OFF: 01250 876576 Home 01250 873304

P&K Council Tel: 01738 475018 E-Mail: imiller@pkc.gov.uk

ALYTH AREA TENANTS &

RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION Meeting in Lesser Town Hall December 10th 2002 at 8 pm

We would like to take this opportunity to Wish You a Very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year

The organiser of the Ceilidh Dance held on 8th Novem-ber in the town hall, would like to thank everyone con-cerned who helped to make the evening such a success. –From the band—Ian Cruickshanks for the lovely music, to all who helped in the kitchen, & with the raffle, to Alyth Voice, Radio Tay and Radio Scotland for the pub-licity & to all the shops who displayed posters and sold tickets. A very special thanks to all young and old who attended the evening. £750 was raised for the “Raise the Roof” fund for Alyth Parish Church

Alyth Choral Union

Carol Concert On

Saturday December 8th At 7 pm

Alyth Parish Church Perthshire Brass and Soloist Ian Manson (Baritone) ADMISSION BY Programme at the door or from Choral Union Members £3.00 To include refreshments £1.50 concessions at the end of the concert Dorothy Lindsay Secretary 16 Sidlaw Crescent Alyth Tel. 01828 632 390

Beaver Waiting List Update If your child is between the ages of 6 and 8 and you would like to put his name on the Beaver waiting list please contact me on 07763373108. Also if your child's name is already on the list then call the above number to find out when we can ac-cept your son as a Beaver. Thank you Heather Jackson B.S.L.

ALYTH AFC Prize Bingo

Alyth Town Hall Monday 30th December

Eyes down 7.30 pm SNOWBALL FLYER

“ Craggan” Moira McGibbon & Bob Stewart

New CD Now available

At Nordic Café or Tel. 633144

Christmas Lights Association

COFFEE MORNING

14th December Airlie Street Hall

All proceeds to Christmas Lights. SANTA CLAUS will be in attendance. DONATIONS for the Coffee Morning . We shall be very grateful for any donations of HOME BAKING and PRIZES FOR RAFFELS. Please contact Libby Melloy on 632284

}

Scottish Country Dance Class We finish our winter session with a dance / party with the Kirkmichael Group on December 12th. Any queries about this please telephone Helen or Ruby. The last few evenings the weather has been very bad and we thank members for their support. We start again in Airlie Street Hall on January 9th, We wish everybody happy Christmas and a Good New Year. Helen-632929 Ruby-632939

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MERRY CHRISTMAS

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*NEW SERVICE TO MOTORISTS*

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Highland Dancing Exams Pupils of the Linda Grant School of Dancing, Alyth sat High-land Dancing exams on 27th October 2002 in Ogilvy Rooms Alyth. All participants passed with high marks. Examiner was Miss Linda Tosh. Uni-ted (All Highly Commended) Justine Adams, Molly Boylan, Emma Bryce, Rebecca Fother-ingham, Rheanna Thom, Louisa Ramsay, Ellie Forbes, Ra-chel Tripney, Sarah Tripney, Louise Milne. Introductory Grade 5 (Highly Commended) Rachel Glen, Laura Nicoll Introductory Earl of Enrol (H/C) Lindsey Milne Pre-Bronze (H/C) Catriona Ferguson Bronze (H/C) Rachel Mitchell Bronze Bar (Commended) Lexi Plaster Silver Bar Mairi Aitchison (Honours) Kate Eno (H/C) Rebecca Borrett ( C ) Gold Bar 1 Lindsey Milne, Danielle Borrett (H/C) Lisa Murison ( C ) Gold Bar 2 Fiona Martindale (Com) Gold Bar 3 Joanne Smith (Honours) Presidents Award Carrie Ann Northcott (Honours) 10 year Allegiance Award Elaine Halliburton (Honours)

THANK YOU

Jean Redgrave wishes to thank friends, neighbours and art class students for all their help and good wishes received dur-ing her illness. Your kindness is very much appreciated . Adult Classes will resume in January.

Wishing everyone the Compliments of the Season

Jean Redgrave

ALYTH & DISTRICT BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

Notice of Office Bearers and Committee Members after the Committee meeting on Thursday the 21st of November 2002

Office-Bearers Chairperson Mr.Michael Kay Telephone Alyth 632252/632690 e-mail mike@atcalyth.freeserve.co.uk Vice-Chairperson Mrs.Flo McNeil Telephone Alyth 632986 Secretary /Treasurer Mrs. Nancy Kay Telephone Alyth 632690

Committee Mr. S. Eno, Mr. D. Brough, Mrs. R. Hognadottir , Mrs, K. Donaldson and Mrs. J. McGill The Chairman and all Committee Members wish a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all members, busi-nesses and business personal, the editorial staff of The Alyth Voice and all their clients/customers from the Alyth & Dis-trict area.

Christmas Lights “200 Club” As reported in last month’s Voice the “200 Club” has been

started to provide funds for the annual lights display Cost is £12/year and monthly prizes of

£50, £30 and £20 will be drawn

WHY NOT USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE A “WINNING NUMBER”

as a Christmas present Tickets available from Liz Gordon, 7 Airlie St

Tel 632017

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They’re at it again!

This time folk and dogs. If it’s not folk it’s dogs! When (NOT IF) I find out whose canine pettie defecates at my gate, I assure you they could find same-some returned to their midden door-step!!!! A visitor from another land even commented on the nasty stuff on the various pathways around our beloved Alyth. Great image, eh!

DECEMBER 2002 ARTICLE FOR THE ‘ALYTH VOICE’ BY PAUL RAMSAY As I begin this article I am sitting in my kitchen, looking out of the window over a sodden landscape. Wind and rain have stripped the leaves from all but the most resistant deciduous

trees: the oak and beech still have some, but otherwise they have fallen from the other species and are lying, rotting on the ground, where they give cover to woodcock and hedgehog. Eventually the leaves will be broken down altogether by bacteria, moulds, fungi

and minibeasts, and enrich the soil from which new growth will come. Redpolls and siskins flit about among the alders and willows, searching for and eating the seeds of these trees. Parties of long-tailed tits are easy to see now among the leafless birches as they hunt for insects concealed in the twigs and branches. Quite often they forage in mixed parties with other tits. The occasional cries of the geese make me look up and I watch the skeins as they fly through the rain grey skies.

November is the season of planning for next year. 2003 will be a year of consolidation so far as the management of the woods at Bamff is concerned. Trees will have to be ordered to replace those that rabbits have browsed, or which have failed for other reasons in the new pine plantation on the edge of the hill. Perceptions of abundance are interesting in this respect. Those who are involved in taking clients out to shoot rabbits around here note a great reduction in their numbers and look back to the abundance of twenty years ago as they would to a golden age. I notice that there may be fewer rabbits, but think that from the point of view of establishing and regenerating woodland there are still too many. I wonder what the buzzards think.

It will be interesting to see whether there will be successful regeneration under the old pines west of the Hilton, following the efforts of the wild boar there last summer. In other places, such as the plantation on the back of the Bamff Hill, where there are gaps due to wet ground, I shall plant willow. As for the blasted pine that has been struggling for the last two or three years: this will have to be fertilised. For some years I resisted the idea that I should fertilise the trees in the first New Native Pinewood Scheme here because it seemed to me to run contrary to the spirit of trying to establish a native woodland, but now there is the prospect of failure. There was a time when I thought that the presence of some boletes suggested that a healthy mycorrhizal flora would develop and this would make nutrients in the soil available to the trees. But this doesn’t look like being the case for the moment and the long run may be too late.

Willow cuttings of different species will proliferate in all sorts of places as I go about planting them, and I hope to have learned from failures last spring, when many of the cuttings were too short and, as a consequence, were smothered by the abundant weed growth of the summer.

This has been the first year of the beavers here at Bamff and, as the year comes to a damp end, it is interesting to note that they have built four dams between them and that these are holding back a considerable volume of water. Not that this is making much difference to the flooding down at Aberbothrie. It will be interesting to follow developments next year as the trees browsed, or laid, in the beavers’ first year coppice and change the character of the woodland.

Some evenings ago as I stood at dusk in the Wet Wood and watched the light changing to the darkness of night a tawny owl landed silently in an ash tree nearby. Hardly had I raised my binoculars to look at the bird than it flew away and I realised too

late that it had seen me as clearly as if it had been daylight and had interpreted my movement as a threat.

Well, that’s that then. It’s night now and the shutters in the kitchen are closed. In the wet world outside the boars are as snug as they can be in their nests and the beavers are busy still on various ploys. What to write about next year, I wonder? A Happy Christmas and the best possible New Year to you all.

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The Property Market in Alyth has been so buoyant this year that we’ve sold almost everything on our books and need to re-stock. Can things go on getting better? We can hope, but we can’t know. So please don’t dither-sell now, while the market is still healthy.

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If you haven’t already found the house of your dreams, Tell Valerie what you’re looking for and get us all to join the search.

Mrs Susan Marsh (Cert Ed) Cherrybank, Lands of Loyal

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Fitted Furniture 1 Strathmore View Telephone Alyth 01828 632467 Perthshire Mobile:07736248718 PH11 8JD

Carpet Care

Carpet, Upholstery and Leather Cleaned and Protected

Call Neil Stewart

for a Free Quote: 01828 632771 or 01250 875216

Mobile: 0771 391 5546

Established 1975

MURRAY PENNY-MURRAY PENNY-MURRAY PENNY-COOKCOOKCOOK

PLUMBING & HEATING GAS, OIL & SOLID FUEL

Clar-Innis, Meigle Road, Alyth

Second Time Round now trading as

MEGS MINI MARKET

Come and see our new stock of Kitchenware- Pots & Pans, Electric Kettles, Irons, Toasters, Cutlery Sets, Utensils, Brushes, Mops, Buckets, Swing Bins, Laundry Baskets and many more. Linen- Hand Towels, Bath Towels, Bath Sheets and Dish Towels. Bedding- Single, Double, and King Size Flannelette Sheets, Duvet Sets, Pillow Cases & Pil-lows, Duvets, Cushion Covers & Liners. Lighting- Lamps, Bulbs, and Shades, Timers, Ext. Leads, Lava Lamps, Fibre Optic Lamps, Touch Lamps, Torches and assorted Batter-ies.

CENTRAL GARAGE St Andrews St ALYTH

* SEASON’S GREETINGS TO ALL OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS, THANKING YOU ALL FOR YOUR

CONTINUING CUSTOM. FESTIVE TRADING TIMES

CLOSING 24TH DECEMBER AT 4 PM OPEN 30TH DECEMBER AT 8 AM-5 PM OPEN 31ST DECEMBER AT 8 PM-4 PM

REOPENING 6TH JANUARY 2003

DON’T BE CAUGHT OUT IN TNE COLD WINTER CHECK STILL ONLY £10 BULBS, BATTERIES,WIPER BLADES,

SCREENWASH LARGE SELECTION OF AVON TYRES INC. SNOW GRIP AND MUCH MORE IN

STOCK READY TO FIT. JUST CALL 01828 632492

SEASONS GREETING FROM ALL OUR ADVERTISERS