Crieff Parish Church AT the beginning of the service this week the Rev. Bob Halliday spoke about the work of Tearfund, a leading relief and development charity working in partnership with Christian agencies and churches. They work to defeat disease, resolve economic injustice and tackle disaster in many parts of the world. Bob asked members of the congregation to be faithful in their stewardship and contribute to their work. After welcoming visitors from the Western Isles and Australia the Rev. Jim MacDonald delivered his sermon on the theme of change using the ambition of disciples James and John in Mark chapter 10. The minister gave examples of some changes that have important consequences and linked this to one of the messages of the reading in Mark that followers of Jesus have to give themselves for the good of others. This week the children learned about the celebration of marriage through one of the Bible stories. Once again there has been a good response to the Blythswood Care Christmas Shoebox Appeal. There is still time to fill a shoebox as the final date is October 25. The next task for the team that arranges this appeal is checking the boxes so that they comply with customs regulations. On October 24 there is a day Conference for Men which takes place in Crieff Baptist Church from 10am to 4pm. The event will give those gathered the chance to watch DVD footage of Angus Buchan’s conference earlier this year. Crieff In Leaf THE AGM of Crieff in Leaf Association will be held in the Crieff Hotel on Monday, December 7 starting at 7.30pm, all welcome. Braco WRI AFTER welcoming members and friends to the meeting on October 15, President Jenny Stephen introduced Evelyn Ramsay from Blackford, an acclaimed textile artist and quilter who talked about her love and development of her textile art form which she has practised for 30 years. She displayed many of her impressive works including large quilts and wall hangings incorporating her skills in hand dyeing, painting, burning, beading, quilting and free machine embroidery of fabric. She took time to demonstrate how to make her popular felt corsages and had kindly prepared 40 corsage kits so that anyone who wished to had the opportunity to make one and take it home. Everyone was enthralled with the very talented speaker and her work and interest was expressed in her workshop courses that she regularly holds at various venues. Madderty Church Guild MEMBERS were welcomed to the first meeting of the new session by Mrs E Lyall, deputising for Mrs Moir. After devotions, the speaker Mrs Janice Taylor, Projects Co-ordinator for the Presbyterial Council, gave a comprehensive description of the six projects chosen by the guild for their support throughout the next three years. Mr D Cameron gave the vote of thanks and tea was served by Mrs Lyall and Mrs Haggart. Inner Link Club of Comrie MAISIE Halley club President welcomed a full house and guest speaker Maria Devaney whose talk was entitled “Painted Ladies”. It was all very soon revealed that the “Painted Ladies” in question were not butterflies but images of women from the Collections of Perth Museum and Art Gallery. Maria opened by intimating an interesting exhibition to be shown at the Gallery in January. This will comprise the work of early Scottish painters eg Allan Ramsay and Raeburn which will be on loan from the National Gallery. With some wonderful pictures to illustrate her talk, Maria proceeded to demonstrate how women have been portrayed in art over the years. In Renaissance times the Madonna was a much portrayed subject due to the patronage of the Church, as were women from the Bible. In Victorian times, although the Life Class was central to artistic training, nudity was frowned upon and many paintings of women reflected the strict codes of behaviour and dress adhered to at the time. Certainly no woman could ever admit to being a model. It was also very difficult for women to train as artists. Literature and Celtic myths and legends were a source of inspiration for artists as were social change and rural situations, with women being portrayed as submissive and part of the domestic scene. With works by well-known artists such as Millais, Lavery, Hornel, Cadell, Ferguson and many others we were given a fascinating insight into this aspect of art. Maria Devaney closed her presentation with some examples of work by several highly respected women artists, including Laura Knight, Ann Redpath, Joan Eardley, Barbara Rae and Elizabeth Blackadder. These can all be seen in Perth and this talk certainly inspired a visit there. Friends of Innerpeffray Library THE final talk of the season on October 14 brought a full house of Friends to hear Dr Birgitta Hoffman’s eloquent disquisition on Tacitus’ biography of his father-in-law, Agricola. While many of the audience were of the generation to have studied the Latin text, the interpretation which Birgitta gave it shed new light on a particular period of the Roman Empire and on the art and craft of biography and history. The work itself is a thrilling tale of derring-do, conquest, adventure and desperate scenes of battle - and of a good man, Agricola, being able to prosper under a bad emperor, Domitian. It is also a sophisticated example of the oratorical, balanced literary style so admired in classical times. What it definitely is not is a factual account of Agricola’s supposed ‘conquest’ of Britain, particularly the Caledonians. Calgacus, the noble warrior who rallied his troops before the battle of Mons Graupius with a stirring speech on freedom, is nothing more than a literary stereotype (the name Calgacus simply means ‘The Man with a Sword’), taken almost word for word from a similar description in Caesar’s Gallic Wars. Indeed, the battle itself, the site of which has been disputed by archaeologists and historians for many centuries, may never have taken place. ‘Agricola’ is a political pamphlet, brilliantly constructed to promote the close-knit clique which orchestrated the fall of Domitian, established the Emperor Nerva and paved the way for the eventual succession of Trajan. “As to its historical accuracy”, Birgitta concluded, “well, does it really matter if it’s a good story”? The Innerpeffray Singers, under their conductor, Alison Hunter, will present ‘Carols at Innerpeffray’ on Wednesday, December 16. Tickets, priced £8, including mulled wine and mince pies, are available from John Hughes, 01764 654323. Early booking is essential. Parking for the event will be on hard standing with a shuttle bus conveying the audience to and from the Chapel. Crieff Camera Club CRIEFF Camera Club held its first open competition of the year on Thursday, October 15 when the judge was David Clark, a professional photographer from Glasgow. Judging such a competition requires the exercise of skill and diplomacy in making constructive comment and David successfully charted his way through the minefield of commentary as he set out his marking results. The competition secretary reported the number of entries was one of the highest in recent years and expressed the view that he would like to see even more in the forthcoming competitions. There were 35 entries in the coloured print section with Phil Dyer, Bill Clark and Susan Sinclair all judged first equal. In the black and white section there were 16 entries. First equal were Peter Davenport and Bill Clark, with Phil Dyer, Hazel Brown and another Bill Clark entry all adjudged third equal. With 21 entries in the digital screen images section, Richard Murray and Bill Clark were first equal while Phil Dyer and Hazel Brown shared third place. Entries for the next competition have to match the title “Where Water Meets Land”. President Eleanor Miller thanked David on behalf of the club for his tremendous input resulting in a very successful evening. The next meeting of the club is on November 5 where the speaker will be John Graham from the Orkney Islands and his subject will be “Exhibition Pictures”. New members and visitors will be welcome at 7.30pm in St Andrew’s Hall. Strathearn Arts Society THE first evening meeting of the Autumn took place in St Andrews Halls, Crieff on October 8 when a large turn out of members and visitors was given a demonstration with jewellery by Annie Stenhouse of the Stenhouse Gallery and Cafe in Crieff. For most of her adult life Annie has pursued her love of creating delightful and intricate work, mostly in silver and copper. She gave a fascinating demonstration of her craft and the keen interest shown, not only by the ladies but also the men present, was underlined by the many questions put to her. Ann Taylor thanked the speaker for providing such an enjoyable evening. Crieff Parish Church Guild CRIEFF Parish Church Guild met on Wednesday, October 14 when the guest speaker was Captain Carol Tucker who gave a most inspiring talk on her work with the Salvation Army in Perth. Carol was born and bred in Kirkcaldy where she worked as a physiotherapist with the NHS. It was when she was working there she felt God was calling her, and also her husband Gordon, to work for Pastoral Care in the Salvation Army. After two years and six months training in London they came back to Scotland where they spent three years in Dunfermline before coming to Perth where they are now group leaders in the Salvation Army. The dedication Carol has for her work in the Salvation Army was obvious throughout her talk. Captain Gordon Tucker came along to the meeting with his wife and at the end of the talk played the guitar and they both entertained the meeting with their beautiful singing. Muthill WRI VICE-PRESIDENT Margaret Melville welcomed members to the meeting of Muthill WRI on October 14. After business was concluded she introduced Jackie Doe, project manager of Perth and Kinross Healthy Communities Collaborative. This project is led by teams of local older people who work in conjunction with professionals to tackle health related issues within their own communities. The topic for the evening was prevention of falls, and the key recommendations were - Footwear, Environment, Vision, Exercise, Medication, Reviews. After a number of questions were asked and personal experiences discussed, Isabel Johnstone thanked Jackie for an information packed evening. Competitions: Small dish of apple crumble – 1 Beenie Mills; 2= Margaret Melville, Isabel Johnstone. Tea hostesses were Beenie Mills and Isabel Johnstone. MAMAS OCTOBER'S gig at MAMAS was a bit different with the guest act, Blue Dubh, performing three powerful sets without the help of an opening act, to entertain the crowd with some authentic blues sounds. With Sandy on vocals, harp and sax, the two contrasting guitar styles of Allan and Nelson and a solid rhythm provided by Charles on bass and Brian on drums the band have been playing together long enough to give a relaxed sound with a smile on their face as they enjoy the gig as much as the audience. The contrasting styles of guitar is one of the highlights of a Blue Dubh gig, perfectly illustrated by Allan opening the first set with the rousing Born in Chicago then Nelson featuring on slide for Willie Dixon's Little Red Rooster. The tempo was maintained throughout the rest of the set apart from the moody Since You Left Me Baby and after a short break the second set introduced the band's brass section with Sandy on sax for a slow, mellow build up of St James Infirmary then Nelson on trumpet for 29 ways - a great example of how a simple drum and bass with good harmonies can hold an audience's attention. For the rest of this set the band warmed to the task to end with an amazing version of High Heel Sneakers featuring top class guitar work from Allan and Nelson as they swapped lead back and forth. After the now infamous MAMAS raffle the band showed another side of their skills by showcasing some of their own contemporary blues numbers alongside classics like Stormy Monday and Mojo Working. With songs like So Much Whisky and Station Blues the future of blues music is in safe hands. If you missed Blue Dubh this time round, have no fear. The band is playing Muthill at the end of November to help raise funds for Muthill Pre School. A good gig for a good cause. Watch local press for more information. Before that The Spikedrivers will be back at MAMAS on November 2 for the last gig of 2009. Probably the best band ever to play MAMAS. So come along to see them before we cannot afford them. More details later or have a look at www.mamas.org.uk Crieff 30 Club CRIEFF 30 Club members and guests visited Blair Atholl Castle for their annual outing on Thursday, October 15. Stuart Shields enthralled the bus party with his background talk on the history of the castle and its owners, describing the South African origins of the present Duke and linking him back to his forebears in the 17th century. The tour of the castle rooms was conducted by resident guide Donald Strathairn, son of the late Hubert Strathairn, a 30 Club stalwart for many years. Donald described how the castle has been rebuilt and extended over seven centuries in its strategic situation on the main north-south corridor through the highlands. It has often been involved in the shaping of Scotland’s history, most notably during the Jacobite risings. The rooms contain a wealth of weapons, artefacts and documents relating to the Murray family and reflecting their interests at home and abroad through the generations. After lunch, the party split up to visit House of Bruar or stroll around the grounds, in which the renovated Hercules Garden is now a main attraction. A third group toured the farmlands of the estate, with the estate ranger describing wildlife developments, and 30 Club member John Dakers giving a most informative commentary on the development of the farm business from his perspective as a consultant to the estate for many years. Auchterarder SWRI PRESIDENT Maureen Stewart welcomed members and visitors to the monthly meeting held in the U F Church. After the business was concluded she introduced Mr and Mrs Mitchell who gave a very interesting slide show and talk on their tour of ‘The Trans-Mongolian Experience’ following which a vote of thanks was given by Phyllis McNaughton. Competitions: Family photo – 1 Mary McGraw; 2 – Maureen Stewart; Banana loaf – 1 – Maureen Stewart; 2 – Elizabeth Simpson. Empire biscuits (Mrs Murchie’s Anniversary Trophy) – winner Fay McGregor. Flower of the month – Phyllis McNaughton. The next meeting is on November 19 in the U F Church at 7.30pm. Strathearn JAC THURSDAYS meeting of Strathearn JAC is speech making in Muthill Hall at 7:30pm. Well done to the girls hockey team who came first and the boys who were second in the Perthshire hockey competition on Tuesday. Good luck to Ross and David who are competing at Member of the Year on Saturday. Money is now due for all members who have ordered club tops. All members who still owe money please bring it on Thursday. Membership is now due. For more information please contact Chairman, Mr Keith Kirk on 07827814243 or Secretary Miss Gillian Stewart on 07933191934. Comrie and Dundurn Guild. EVELYN Baker welcomed members, visitors and National Vice-Convener Helen-May Bayne to the first meeting of the Winter season on Wednesday, October 14. After opening devotions Evelyn gave a short report on her visit to the September Annual Guild meeting in Dundee.The Guild theme for 2009-10 is “Called to act justly” and Moderator The Right Rev. Bill Hewitt and Mrs Mary Miller spoke about their visit and work in South Africa and Zimbabwe respectively and the projects in place to address the inequality and injustice found there. She told members about the new Guild projects they hope to support over the next three years. Union 3+1 from Lenzie Union Church gave a series of songs and poems based loosely on the theme of justice which was greatly enjoyed by everyone at the Annual Meeting. After the report members took the opportunity to ask Helen-May Bayne about her forthcoming year in office. Elma Milne thanked Helen-May and on behalf of the Guild asked God’s blessing on her work during the coming year. Comrie WRI COMRIE WRI President Jean Benn welcomed members, friends and visiting institutes to the 79th birthday and called upon Muriel Howie to cut the cake. She then introduced Brig Belly Dancers from Bridge of Earn. The group gave a dazzling display of dancing dressed in beautiful costumes. To add to the enjoyment they persuaded quite a few members to join them, teaching them the basic steps and movements.Competitions: Gingerbread – 1 Evelyn Baker, 2 Dot Dahl, 3 Anne Lawson. Favourite earrings – 1 Evelyn Baker, 2 Carol Field, 3 Margaret Douglas. Anne Lawson gave a comprehensive vote of thanks. Soroptimist International of Crieff MANY people remember history from schooldays as being rather dry and dusty, a list of dates, battles, kings and queens seemingly totally unrelated to the here and now. How different was the talk at the club’s meeting last week when the guest speaker, Colin Mayall, brought the past so vividly to life. Entitled ‘Strathearn and the Scottish Diaspora’ he told of the scattering of millions of Scots during the 19th century to the far corners of the world, very often forcibly evicted by landlords in the most heartless way to make way for sheep. These ‘Clearances’ as they came to be known are generally thought of as taking place in Ross and Cromarty and Sutherland, especially by the infamous Duke of Sutherland, but they also happened as far south as Perthshire. Glen Quaich was once home to some 500 inhabitants but the land that provided their livelihood was taken over by the Duke of Breadalbane and many found their way to the new worlds of Canada, America, Australia and New Zealand, leaving the glen as we see it today - beautiful but deserted. Colin explained that, of course, it was not always forced evictions which sent so many abroad. Financial necessity was also involved as crops failed or the land simply became unprofitable. After the Napoleonic Wars, kelp became a valuable crop used in the production of soap and glass, so many of the evicted crofters were removed to the coast where they eked out a bare living harvesting the kelp while the landowners reaped the profit. However, eventually that was no longer profitable and they were left with little alternative but to seek a new life across the seas. It was a decision born of desperation, for the three month journey to Canada took a terrible toll with three out of every twenty dying during the crossing while many others were so ill they died shortly after arriving. Despite the hardships suffered, many descendants of those who had left their homes in such sad circumstances feel a very strong affinity for Scotland and claim a great pride in their ancestry. it is not known how many there are worldwide who can claim a Scottish heritage but an estimate of 40 million is probably very conservative. Colin’s extensive knowledge and detailed description of that period of our history enthralled the members and seemed specially relevant in this year of the Homecoming. Colin’s latest book will soon be published in which he looks particularly at those emigrants who left Strathearn to make a new and, they hoped, better life thousands of miles away. There is little doubt that it will make fascinating reading. The club’s next meeting is on November 19 when Wendy Duigan will talk about a Woman’s role in the Firefighting Service. Contact numbers for anyone interested in coming to the meeting or finding out more about the club are 01764 653379 (Corrie McNeil) or 01764 654367 (Iris King). | 
