The_WEE_Vine_23_website_version (1)

0ooooo 

Summer 2022 Issue 23 £1 

The Wee Vine 

news & resources for the community of Kippen 

INSIDE 

● Special Feature ● Clubs ● Community Affairs 

● Did You Know ● Police Report ● Supporters 

theweevine.org 

www.theweevine.org 1

Welcome 


Editor 

Denis Bradley 

Editorial Group 

Ali Thom 

Naomi Hirst 

Rick Dekker 

Stuart Thomson 

Original Design 

Rick Dekker 

Layout 

Stewart Hislop 

Proof Reading 

Annabel Griffin 

Printing 

Mixam 

Website 

www.theweevine.org 

Contact us at: 

enquiries@theweevine.org 

The Wee Vine, The Windings, Fore Road 

Kippen, FK8 3DT 

The Wee Vine is produced quarterly and 

distributed within the Kippen area. 

The Wee Vine magazine accepts no responsibility 

for the return or the condition of unsolicited 

manuscripts, art and photographs. 

Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the 

accuracy of the information contained within 

the magazine, the publishers, printers and their 

agents cannot accept responsibility for the errors 

or omissions. Views held by contributors are their 

own and do not necessarily coincide with those of 

the editorial team. 

We also reserve the right to edit or refuse insertion 

of any article submitted. 

The Wee Vine magazine is published by The Wee 

Vine, which is a not-for-profit organisation. 

Welcome to 

issue 23 of 


This is another packed edition, and our 

Special Feature covers the changes to our 

Village Hall on pages 3/4 

The Street Fayre was unfortunately cancelled due 

to high winds and rain. Thanks to our intrepid 

photographer Annabel, we have a feature on pages 

22/23/24 highlighting the fancy dress competition 

and coronation of the King and Queen . 

Community Council on pages 12/13 Heritage on 

pages 10/11 and Playgroup on pages 18/ 19 plus 

much more.. 

Due to the lack of space the Police Report will be 

in the digital edition. 

We had so many pictures sent in this issue, too 

many to publish so we will put more on our digital 

issue on the website theweevine.org 

Our next issue is scheduled for the second half of 

October and contributions will be needed by 30th 

September. 

Your feedback about the Wee Vine is important 

to us so please get in touch with your comments/ 

ideas for this year. Instances of Covid togetherness 

especially welcome. 

Email to enquiries@theweevine.org or text/ 

Whatsapp to 07736 362011. If you wish to donate 

go to https://theweevine.org/donations/ If 

you would like your photograph featured on the 

front cover, send to enquiries@theweevine. 

org (minimum size 1 MB). This should feature a 

seasonal picture at time of printing. 

Cover photo - Annabel Griffin 

Index 

Special Feature 3 

Clubs 5 

Community Affairs 6 

Did You Know 25 

Police Report 34 

The Wee Vine Supporters 30 

2 www.theweevine.org

KIPPEN VILLAGE HALL 

Special Feature 

2022 has brought lots of changes to the Village Hall in more ways than one! The most 

encouraging change is that the Hall is now in action again most days of the week and we 

are delighted to welcome back our regular users after lockdown, as well as several other 

larger events and parties! Like all other organisations, we are feeling the impact of the 

loss of income and rising energy costs and are keen to encourage new regular and one-off 

bookings in the future. 

To help promote the Hall and to make it easier to find out what’s on, we now have an 

online booking website! It’s simple to use … just click on “calendar” and you can view all the 

daily activities, find out when the Hall is free, and make a booking directly via the website! 

There is also lots of useful info about the Hall as well as all the usual T&C’s, pricing, etc. Do 

have a look at https://hallbookingonline.com/kippen 

You can still contact us for any queries 

via email: kippenvillagehall@gmail. 

com, and we are now actively using 

our Facebook page to promote the Hall 

activities and to give regular updates. 

You can also send us a message via our 

Facebook page. if you have not already 

“Liked” the page then please do! https:// 

www.facebook.com/kippenvillagehall/ 

Our AGM on 28 th April 2022 saw the 

appointment of several new Committee 

members and the retiral of our long-serving Treasurer, Bill Graham. We would like to 

take this opportunity to thank Bill for all the work he has done over the years, not only 

as Treasurer, but as the “go to” person for all matters relating to the Hall’s maintenance 

and keeping everything in order with statutory regulations…. We hope you enjoy your 

“retirement” Bill (but we know where to find you!). Committee Members are now Claire 

Thomson, Jon Evans, Alice Boyd, Toby Ross, Ruth McLaren, and Henry Law. 


Special Feature 

…and the last major change is… the Kitchen!! We are delighted to have been awarded a 

grant from the Kippen Community Fund for the complete renovation of the small kitchen 

at the back of the main hall. We will be putting the finishing touches to it over the summer 

and hope all our users enjoy this new space. 

Finally, here is a list of the regular weekly 

activities… further details available on the booking 

website or our Facebook page. 

Mon 19.00 Yoga 

Tues 09.30 

18.30 

19.30 

Wed 10.00 

16.30 

Thurs 08.30 

10.15 

Playgroup (term-time only) 

Fitness Class 

Badminton Club (resumes after summer) 

Strength & Balance * 

Rainbows (term-time only) 

Fitness Class 

Toddlers 

Fri 09.30 Playgroup (term-time only) 

Sat 08.45 Fitness Class 

*Strength & Balance class temporarily moved to the Hall while reading Rooms being 

refurbished… this is a falls prevention class for adults, with exercises which focus on 

improving balance and mobility to help build confidence. 


Kippen Tennis Club (KTC) 

As Wimbledon got underway, we are very 

pleased to report an excellent start to this 

year at Kippen Tennis Club, with an Open 

Day in April where over 50 children and 

adults came along to enjoy a BBQ and 

friendly play, with games being led by 

James Warwick and Edward Boyd. 

Clubs 

• Interclub competitions (singles and 

doubles) 

• Match play with other clubs 

• Tennis camp in August 

• Tennis lessons resuming on Friday 

evening and Saturday from mid- 

August 

The tennis lessons in the summer term 

were very well attended and we were 

delighted to add a tennis tots’ class on 

Friday at 3:30pm and try out an adult 

beginners taster session, which was great 

fun and will continue in the autumn at 

8pm on a Friday. 

Welcoming players of all ages and abilities, 

KTC will continue to run a great programme 

of activities throughout 2022: 

We continue to welcome new and existing 

members. Find out more and sign up to 

membership and lessons via: https:// 

clubspark.lta.org.uk 

Ahead of KTC marking its 40 th Anniversary 

next year, please let me know if you have 

any photographs or memorabilia from its 

earliest days 1982 onwards! 

With best regards, 

Annabel Gaywood (President 2022-2023) 

Kippen Bowling Club 

The season is now in full swing with competitions, both internal and open, team league 

matches and knockouts and Club nights coming thick and fast. What a transformation after 

the covid related wilderness of the past two years. In fact, three of our lady members have 

qualified for the National Championship finals to be played at Ayr in July. An outstanding 

achievement. 

The Club is in good spirits having attracted quite a few new members who seem to be enjoying 

the atmosphere and the experience. However, there is room for more. It is not all about 

competition. Even if you have never played before there is coaching available. Come down on 

a Monday evening at 6.30pm or on a Thursday afternoon at 1.45pm to see for yourself, or if 

you wish more information just contact myself at the telephone number below. 

John Anderson, President, 01786 870 001 


Community Affairs 

DR RAILTON SCOTT APPEAL: Spring Fundraising Week 

In place of our Annual Whist which we were unable to hold again this year, the Committee 

organised a fundraising week which started with an Afternoon Tea in the Village Hall on 

23rd April. We would have been happier to have had a few more customers, but despite 

that £791 was raised thanks to some very generous donations on the day. A wonderful 

spread of baking was donated by kind people in the village, and what was not eaten was 

distributed to helpers, and feeding some hungry players at the tennis club. (Also, my 

granddaughter here from Switzerland was delighted to be taking a selection home to 

Thistle Cottage) 

There were several 

people who answered the 

call to organise a home 

whist evening, and £1,182 

was raised in this way. Moria 

Turner and Diane Loutit held 

a Wee Whist in the Reading 

Room with six tables playing 

which was a great success. 

Kirsty Cuthbert and one 

or two others arranged an 

evening of whist with supper 

at their homes and the pub 

quiz at the Cross Keys raised 

£200. (Thank you to Brian for 

facilitating this). 

The just giving page set up by Stuart Thomson raised £320. The collection box in McNicoll’s 

raised £64. 

In total, the Spring fundraising 

event raised £2,557. This is a 

wonderful sum, and we are, as 

always, extremely grateful to 

the village of Kippen for their 

generosity. 

You will be glad to know that it is 

the intention to return to our usual 

event, with the sale of raffle tickets 

and whist evening in the Village 

Hall on the 1st Friday in February 

2023. It will be wonderful to get 

back to the old tradition……. we’ve 

all missed it 

Naomi Hirst 


Music for New Scots 


On the evening of Sunday 19 th 

June Kippen Kirk was filled 

with people coming together 

to enjoy a performance by a 

Syrian classical guitarist, Ayman 

Jarjour, a musician of world 

renown. Ayman has played with 

the Syrian National Symphony 

Orchestra and the Syrian 

Philharmonic Orchestra. He has 

also performed widely across 

many continents. He holds a 

Master of Music degree from the 

Juilliard School in New York and a 

bachelor’s degree from the Royal 

Conservatory of music in Madrid. Having lived and taught in a number of countries Stirling 

is now his home. 

The evening began by projecting powerful images of the horrors experienced by refugees 

in their home countries of Ukraine, South Sudan, Afghanistan, and Syria. These merged 

into positive images of their recent lives as they settle into new homes in Scotland. Forth 

Valley Welcome plays a very significant role in welcoming and supporting them through 

this transition. 

Ayman invited requests 

before embarking on 

his chosen performance 

which demonstrated his 

immense talent. He played 

pieces from a wide range 

of composers from many 

nationalities. 

With the generosity of many 

villagers, and those from 

further afield who made 

donations, the sum of 

£2,096 was achieved. With 

the added value of gift aid 

this will make a significant 

contribution to the work of 

Forth Valley Welcome. 

Thanks to all who helped with organisation and to all who attended and contributed 

generously to a memorable evening. 

June Waley 

Photography June Waley 



Village Tubs 

Thank you to the team, Una, Wendy, 

Hamish and Sue who organised the 

summer planting in my absence a couple 

of weeks ago. I was laid low with covid, 

as was Fionna, so we were unable to 

participate. A big thank you also to Una’s 

husband, Alastair who gave the tubs a 

spruce up with wood preservative, so they 

now look very smart. Hopefully the flowers 

will flourish so that everyone can enjoy the 

display over the Summer. 

As always, thank you to everyone who has 

contributed with donations in the box at 

McNicoll’s. 

Naomi Hirst 

Kippen Parish Church Guild 

“Look Forward in Faith” - “Wee 

Seeds Big Trees” 

The Annual Gathering being held in the 

Assembly Hall, Edinburgh, on Saturday 

10 th September 2022 from 10.30 a.m. will 

be streamed live. If interested in joining 

in from home, please contact Joanna for a 

programme with details of speakers and 

hymns. 

Prayer 

Loving God, we give thanks for Dr. 

Charteris who had the idea to plant the 

seed, and for all the members over so 

many years who have given of their time 

and talents to the Guild. We think of all 

the people in this country and the wider 

world who have benefitted from the Guild 

and hope your love has been shown to 

them through our endeavours. As we look 

to the future we pray that the branches 

will continue to flourish and perhaps more 

seed may be planted. 

Whose we are and Whom we Serve, Amen. 

Further information is available from 

Joanna M. McPhail 01786 870681 or 

joanna.mcphail@btinternet.com 

RECORD SUM RAISED IN KIPPEN 

The recent house-to-house collection for Christian Aid has raised a record sum - £2,727 

collected, and a further £435 gift aid, making a grand total of £3,162. This is 23% more 

than the previous collection before the Covid restrictions. 

Organiser of the collection, Michael Hirst, said: 

“Can I say a big thank you to everyone who contributed and to those who undertook the 

collecting. This money will go to help those who face hunger and crop failure in too many 

countries. I’m proud of the generosity which our village shows again and again towards the less 

fortunate in the world.” 

Sir Michael Hirst 



Kippen for Ukraine Mini-Market on Saturday, 18 th June 

2022 

Following the unfortunate 

cancellation of street 

activities planned for this 

year’s Kippen Street Fayre 

the Kippen for Ukraine group 

arranged a fundraising 

minimarket to take place a 

week later, on the forecourt 

of Kingdom Court. A variety 

of stalls benefited from the 

generosity of villagers who 

donated baking, bric-a-brac, 

books, and plants. Although 

this was a small-scale 

event there was a lively 

community atmosphere 

with local musicians playing traditional tunes in the background. 

A local mosaic artist also 

ran a stall raising funds for 

a charity working within 

Ukraine. Thanks to all 

who helped, contributed, 

donated, and made 

purchases that achieved 

a total of more than 

£786. These proceeds will 

enable our community 

to provide support to 

Ukrainians living in our 

area. 

Giles Waley 



KIPPEN HERITAGE 

Archaeological Dig at Keir Hill of Dasher May 2022 

Kippen Heritage held its second archaeological dig at Keir Hill of Dasher over four days at 

the end of May. It followed much the same format as the previous dig in 2019, with the 

primary school children attending and taking part on the Friday afternoon and visitors 

invited to come along on the Saturday afternoon. 

However, this year saw a considerably 

increased number of volunteers with at 

least 30 attending every day, including many 

archaeological students and graduates. This 

resulted in a huge amount of excavation 

work over a much larger area. Contrary to 

2019 when excavation work was confined 

to the east and northeast of Keir Hill in a 

more restricted area, this year a trench was 

dug immediately out with the rampart (and 

Scheduled Area) of the Keir and around 18 

trial pits were opened across the field to the 

west of the Keir. 

The trial pits mainly produced shards 

of local Throsk Green Glaze pottery and 

other artefacts dating to 17th and 18th 

centuries. These may have been discarded 

items from local occupation such as nearby 

Cuthbertson Cottage or the result of the field 

possibly being used over the centuries as a 

marketplace. There was evidence of the field 

having been ‘flattened’ by ploughing over the 

centuries. 

The trench which was dug adjacent to the Keir measured 5.00 x 6.00 x 1.80m deep and 

confirmed the existence of a defensive ditch. Charcoal found at the base of the ditch 

will now be radiocarbon dated and it is expected that it will indicate the earliest date of 

occupation of the Keir as a fortified motte, to late 10th century, thus matching the 2019 

carbon finds. 

Discovered on the last day and of especial interest was the edge of a paved causeway. 

This was 1.00m below the existing ground level and from its position, clearly aligning with 

the entrance to the Keir, indicated a 6.00m wide paved access approach in line with the 

existing mown path. 

As well as the many visitors who came along to learn about the site, we also received a 

visit from archaeologists, Drs Neil McGuigan and Alex Wolf from St Andrews University, 

whose interests lie in understanding how the River Forth functioned as a boundary in premedieval 

times. Both visitors were impressed to see such a small but important site being 

excavated by a local community group, such as Kippen Heritage. 

The significance of Keir Hill is its strategic location on the south side of the River Forth 

overlooking one of the major crossing points at the Brig o’ Frew. Until around the end of 

the first millennium, the river marked a frontier between the Highlands and the Lowlands 



and would have been much 

coveted by both the Kings of 

Alba and the Northumbrians 

whose territory at this time 

extended to the Forth as far 

as Edinburgh and Stirling and 

possibly further west. 

Once again, many thanks to Dr 

Murray Cook, Stirling Council 

Archaeologist, who led the 

dig and to Jeremy and Janet 

Gaywood on whose land the Keir 

Hill stands. Thanks as well to everyone who donated to Kippen Heritage. We raised over £200. 

Also, thanks to our volunteers who helped to make it such an enjoyable weekend, apparent 

from the numbers who asked to be given the opportunity to return next year when we will go 

back to continue our search of a field that over the centuries appears to have featured very 

much in the lives of the Kippen people and their forerunners. We may be able to explore the 

Keir itself, or even find the early church purported to have existed there. 

Plant Sale 

Kippen Heritage held a very successful plant stall on 18 th June, raising over £400 for the 

Kirkyard Restoration Project. Blair Drummond Smiddy very kindly allowed us to sell our 

plants there, following the cancellation of Kippen Street Fayre the previous Saturday due 

to bad weather. We’d like to thank everyone who donated so many beautiful plants, Blair 

Drummond Smiddy for the use of their car park, and everyone who supported us. 

Valuation Day on 20 August from 12 Noon to 4.00 pm at the Village Hall 

Lyon and Turnbull of Glasgow, Edinburgh and London have kindly agreed to host a 

valuation day to help Kippen Heritage to raise funds for the restoration of the old Kirkyard. 

They are offering “Antiques Roadshow” type valuations in return for a donation of £5.00 

for one valuation or £10.00 for three. 

If you have ever been curious about 

the value of one of your personal 

belongings now is your chance to find 

out. More than one valuer will be there 

with different areas of expertise. Teas 

and Coffees will be available while 

you wait. We expect this event to be 

extremely popular and are offering 

time slot tickets to anyone interested in 

paying in advance. Visitors on the day 

will also be very welcome. 

Please phone or text Doreen Edmands 

at 07962 234745 for advance tickets. 



Kippen Community Council (KCC) held 

three public meetings since the last 

update, including the AGM in May. The 

April meeting was via Zoom whereas the 

May and June meetings were held in the 

reading Rooms with the opportunity for 

people to continue to access the meetings 

via Zoom. 

Communication 

KCC is very keen to increase the 

involvement of Kippen residents to help 

to both address problems associated with 

village life but also to explore ways to make 

improvements to the local environment 

and to the lives of local residents. We are 

also keenly aware of the need to improve 

and extend modes of communication 

so that residents are better informed 

about the activities of KCC. Currently we 

disseminate information via the following 

platforms: 

• Community Council meetings in the 

Reading Rooms and via Zoom 

• The KCC website (www.kippencc.org. 

uk) 

• By email (kippencommunitycouncil@ 

gmail.com) 

• Via posts on The Kippen Village 

Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ 

groups/kippen) 

• Via posts on Kippen Action Group 

Facebook page (Kippen Action Group | 

Facebook) 

• Posting information on the village 

noticeboard located between the post 

office and the butcher’s shop. 

• The quarterly Wee Vine village 

publication 

We currently have a small sub-group with 

a remit of improving communications 

and we would very much like to hear any 

proposals that you have to improve or 

extend our communication channels. 

Current issues being addressed by KCC 

Problems associated with the Dawn 

Homes development 

KCC has compiled a list of residents’ 

complaints associated with the Dawn 

Homes construction site and sent them 

to both the construction company and 

to Stirling Council. Issues raised have 

included working outside of agreed 

hours, excessive levels of noise, mess in 

the areas around the construction site, 

damage to roads, pavements, trees and 

street furniture, and closure of core paths. 

Concerns have also been raised about the 

risks of flooding. Initial responses have 

been received but there continue to be 

problems which KCC is following up. 

Problems with village roads and pavements 

KCC has compiled a list of residents’ 

concerns about the roads and pavements 

in and around the village. This has included 

damage to roads, pavements, street 

furniture and trees caused predominantly 

by heavy traffic, potholes, unsafe paving, 

blocked drains, and vehicles exceeding 

the speed limits within the village. There 

have also been concerns expressed 

about the speed of vehicles off and on 

the Kippen Station roundabout and 

dangerous driving on Kippen Brae; there 

was a recent accident there involving the 

local bus service. A member of the Stirling 

Council Roads Department was invited to 

join a recent meeting of KCC to discuss 

the problems, but the invitation was 

declined. Consequently, KCC has sent the 

list of concerns to Stirling Council and is 

awaiting a response. The possibility of a 

zebra crossing between the Manse and 

Castlehill Loan has also been raised with 

Stirling Council. 


The Village Green 

KCC has been involved in issues associated 

with the Village Green including the recent 

successful felling of diseased ash trees and 

safety concerns about sections of the path 

behind Kippen Health Centre. Enquiries 

are currently being made to determine the 

ownership of the Village Green and parts 

of Burnside Woods. 

Planning applications 

The application by Graham’s Family Dairy 

for a new robotic dairy on The Mains of 

Boquhan Farm site has been approved 

with conditions. However, there continues 

to be a lack of transparency about whether 

the cows, during their milking phase, 

will be permanently housed within the 

building without the level of access to 

outside grazing that they currently enjoy. 

A decision about the proposed Anaerobic 

Digester has yet to be made. There have 

been a substantial number of objections 

made to this proposal both by KCC on 

behalf of residents and by individuals in the 

local community. KCC have subsequently 

sought additional clarification on specific 

issues. 

Possible future development: Local 

Place Plan 

KCC are keen to involve residents in Local 

Place Plans which were introduced by the 

Planning (Scotland) Act 2019. This contains 

a new right for communities to produce 

their own plans as part of the new Scottish 

planning system. Local Place Plans 

contain the community’s proposals for the 

development and use of land and provide 

a new opportunity for communities to 

feed into the planning system with ideas 

and proposals. 

Committee members and meetings 

The composition of KCC following the AGM 

is as follows: 

Derek Shanks (Chair) 

Hugh Aitchison (Vice Chair) 


Scott Crawford (Secretary) 

Robert Clubb (Treasurer) 

Margaret Beaton (Planning Liaison) 

Sarah Hill 

Barbara Ross 

Christine Stewart 

Vacancy 

Meetings take place in The Reading Rooms 

on the second Tuesday of the month at 

7.30pm, with the exception of January, July, 

and August. If you wish to attend in person 

just turn up, or to participate via Zoom 

please email in advance to receive a Zoom 

invitation (kippencommunitycouncil@ 

gmail.com). Meetings are usually also 

attended by local councillors. 

The schedule of meetings for the 

remainder of 2022 is as follows: 

13 th September 

11 th October 

8 th November 

13 th December 

There is currently a vacancy so if you 

are interested in being a member of the 

Community Council please get in touch. 

Even if you are unable to be an active 

member of Kippen Community Council but 

would be willing to be called on from time 

to time to provide expertise on a variety 

of areas, we would love to hear from you. 

Examples would include planning, the 

environment, and legal issues. 



Kippen Reading Room 

The Committee of the Reading Room and 

the Mitchell Trustees wish to record their 

appreciation and thanks to Winnie Dunlop 

for her exceptional work as Secretary to 

the Mitchell Trust over many years. 

As indicated in the last Wee Vine article, 

the Reading Room have seen action as 

an activity hub in support of Ukrainian 

families. A general meeting for hosts and 

volunteers was held in the main hall. This 

was followed by screen projections of 

the two World Cup rounds involving the 

Ukrainian national team including the 

serving of pizzas at half time. This sort of 

activity is exactly what the rooms are best 

suited for, and many congratulations are 

due to Adrian Chamberlain and June Waley 

for their work in promoting this initiative. 

Even as other village activities have 

also begun to revive however, the 

school holidays are now upon us. The 

management committee has taken the 

opportunity to close the rooms for the 

summer, and to concentrate on the 

COVID-delayed Kitchen Project, involving 

substantial structural alterations and 

refurbishment. The kitchen, once moved 

to the rear of the building, will be larger, 

better equipped, and able to serve the 

main hall directly, in safety. 

It is also hoped to create direct access to 

the garden by installing French Windows 

on the south side of the building. 

now like to establish a specific fund to help 

pay for additional equipment and future 

improvements. 

As a result, it has been agreed that a direct 

approach to all village residents should be 

made which reflects the wide spread of 

current users. All donations will be most 

welcome and, if requested, the names of 

individual donors will be displayed inside 

the Reading Room in due course. 

It is currently intended to hold an “Open 

Evening” in the autumn so that everyone 

who so wishes will be able to see the 

significant improvements and to gauge 

how the facilities will be of use to their 

organisation or for personal events. 

The committee is also studying how best 

to establish an active relationship with all 

villagers, building on the experience of 

links developed during the Pandemic. 

As the village expands the committee also 

believes that the Reading room can and 

should play an important part in bringing 

people together to face the difficult times 

which seem to lie ahead for all of us. 

That new kitchen may yet prove to be a 

godsend. 

Meanwhile, there will always be an 

opportunity for a good party! 

Jeremy Gaywood 

Disabled access will be at the front of the 

building and will be much improved. 

By making these alterations, a considerably 

enhanced facility will be available for the 

village, one in which all age groups can 

enjoy themselves at their leisure. 

The committee is delighted to have 

received very considerable support from 

the Kippen Community Trust without 

which the current improvements would 

not be possible. They would, however, 


Kippen Community Woodland Group 

Early June saw the sides of the main path 

strimmed and saplings removed from the fen 

area; the fen is an important habitat which 

would be lost if it became overgrown with 

trees. 

Woodland work mornings continue to be 

held on the first Sunday of the month with a 

start time of 10.30. All equipment is provided, 

and we would encourage local residents to 

become involved. 

Committee meetings are held quarterly and 

at the last meeting in May we identified a few 

tasks that the 1 st Carse Cubs could kindly help 

us with whilst developing new skill. 

If you would like to find out more about the 

work of the Group or receive details of our 

activities, just email kippenwoodlandgroup@ 

gmail.com or find us on Facebook. 

Paula Watson, Secretary 


The Group has been busy in Burnside Wood since the last 

edition of the Wee Vine and it’s been great to have some new 

voluneers joining us. 

At the beginning of April we carried out work to improve the 

condition of the main path near the old coup, including digging 

some new drainage channels to prevent water accumulating. 

In May repairs were carried out on some of the boardwalks and 

lots of litter was removed from the wood and also the footall 

pitch. 

Date for Your Diary 

The Village Burns Supper will take place on Saturday, 28th January 2023 in the Village Hall. 

The Burns Supper will be organised once again by Friends of Kippen Kirk Trust, and there 

will be a good line up of speakers. 

Further information will appear in the next edition of The Wee Vine. Anyone seeking 

further information in the meantime can contact Michael Hirst (870283) or Mary Lawson 

(870202). 

Michael Hirst, Chairman, FKKT 



Old and New 

Some of the old things have found their way back into the new world we find ourselves in. 

Kippen Street Fayre kind of happened amid some wild weather. Ayman Jarjour, a classical 

guitarist, played in Kippen Kirk and helped raise over £2000 for Forth Valley Welcome. The 

end of term school service took place. Concerts and gatherings are returning like before 

the pandemic. 

I love music and I am so grateful to be singing again with others. I missed singing in church 

and I missed singing at concerts. Singing at home alone is not quite the same but better 

than not singing. My faith is strongly influence by songs ancient and music of more recent 

years. I know many people think all the songs we sing in church are ancient, and to be 

honest some are many thousand years old like the psalms (songs) of King David. Half 

a dozen times in the psalms and twice in the prophetic books, people are told to ‘sing a 

new song to the Lord’ and the writers are encouraging people to express the feelings and 

experiences in song. I wonder what songs will become the old songs we remember from 

this time and what will be the news songs we will be singing in the decades to come. 

Recently, I watched Sir Paul McCartney play 

at Glastonbury (from the comfort of my sofa 

in Kippen) a week after his 80 th birthday. 

Other concerts and gatherings have been 

happening and the music makes my heart 

sing. Old classics and new fun tunes that 

may one day be classics we know all the 

words to have been great to join in the 

expression of the human experience, 

naming the old and giving rise the newness 

coming into being. 

Dave Grohl and Bruce Springsteen both 

joined Sir Paul McCartney on the stage of 

Glastonbury and lead the massive crowd in 

old favourites. I know these musicians will still be wondering what new songs they will still 

write within their lives. What songs will they express to capture not just the glory days but 

also give language to the longing and hope of these days we are living breath by breath. 

What has gone before has songs that we still cherish. What is coming into being is giving 

rise to new songs. What has yet to happen may be written in the hopes of songs we sing as 

we find our way of being in the world post-pandemic. I pray the songs in our hearts name 

the heartache, lament, struggle, but do not leave us in the miry muck and lift our eyes and 

hearts to something greater than just the moments we live. May God meet us in the music 

we sing. May we sing with joy and express our hopes and fears. May we bring our prayers 

to God even when we don’t understand what may come. Old and new find their home in 

our days. May you know rest, joy, peace, comfort, and songs old and new. 

God bless, Ellen 

Sunday Worship in Kippen Kirk 11.15 am. 

3 rd Sunday of month prayer time in the church from 4-5 pm. All welcome. 

Rev. Ellen Larson Davidson, Minister 

Kippen linked with Norrieston Parishes, Church of Scotland 

Reg. Charity No. SC004286 (Kip) & SC028719 (Nor) 


RISK AND RESILIENCE 


Earlier this year we had been gently 

winding down our monitoring of the 

Covid Pandemic and considering how we 

might consolidate our village experience 

as volunteers by possibly setting up a 

more permanent village arrangement as a 

reserve resilience team. 

As events unfolded in Ukraine it was clear 

that a refugee initiative would be required, 

and a committee was formed under the 

leadership of June Waley and Adrian 

Chamberlain. 

The Reading Room became designated as 

a Hub for Ukrainian families. 

Although only one family has so far been 

placed in Kippen, the Hub is serving as a 

meeting place for other families in the 

general area. These activities are covered 

elsewhere in this edition. 

But risk and resilience are also concerned 

with looking ahead and planning for the 

future. 

In Europe, that future is beginning to 

look darker as Russia and NATO trade 

threats and the economics of Europe are 

disturbed. 

Those economic changes have already 

brought hardship and unrest to this 

country. 

In these circumstances, common sense 

suggests that we should retain, and even 

strengthen, our team of volunteers who 

have supported the village so well and 

with such goodwill. We are also building 

new links with Stirling Council. 

By the Autumn, the Reading Room will 

have hopefully commissioned a larger 

kitchen, capable of providing warm food 

to an increased number of people. We will 

also be refurnishing a comfortable room 

at the rear where people can meet. 

World events need not cause personal 

anxiety to those who are worried about 

the future. 

Indeed, all we must do is to keep clear 

heads, and respond to challenges as they 

occur. 

Risk and resilience are about hoping for 

the best while preparing for the worst – 

which we hope will never happen. 

But if it does, we aim to be ready. 

Jeremy Gaywood 



Kippen Playgroup and Toddlers 

We’ve had another busy Spring with the 

Playgroup children enjoying most of this 

term at our camp in Burnside woods. 

We are so lucky to have the woods on 

our doorstep and it provides a fantastic 

learning space for the children. Nearer the 

end of term, we were delighted to be able 

to organise two outings for the children; a 

trip to Old Leckie Farm, near Gargunnock 

to learn about the farm and meet some 

of the animals, and also a visit to Flanders 

Moss, to take time to explore some of the 

unusual plants and wildlife. 

Playgroup has finished for a break over 

summer holidays, and we said ‘goodbye’ to 

Belle, Charlie, Elsie, and Isabella who will 

be starting school in August. We wish them 

well for their next adventure and we hope 

they have a great time. 

We have spaces on our Tuesday and Friday 

Playgroup sessions (9:30am – 12noon) 

starting after the summer holidays, if you 

know any little people (2 years plus) who 

would like to join our adventure please get 

in touch. 

Our Toddler sessions run every Thursday 

from 10:15am until 12noon, in Kippen 

Village Hall, and will continue during 

summer holidays. There is no need to 

book, just come along and join us for a 

play and a chat. Adult and child’s snacks 

are provided. If you would like more 

information, please email below. 

2022 is a milestone year for us, as we 

celebrate our 50 th year. We were delighted 

to celebrate and mark the occasion on 

Saturday 16 th June, with a teddy bears 



picnic at Kippen Sports Field where we 

were joined by a number of past and 

present Playgroup members and Play 

Workers. It was a lovely opportunity to 

look at photos from over the years, and 

to share stories of everyone’s time at 

Playgroup and Toddlers. The children were 

kept entertained by the bouncy castle, face 

painting, Annie the Alpaca, and went on a 

bear hunt in the woods to find some teddy 

bears enjoying their picnic. 

We were also able to hold our fundraising 

bottle stall, which along with donations for 

face painting raised a fantastic £700 which 

is an essential contribution to our running 

costs. 10% of these funds raised from our 

bottle stall will be donated to the over 

60s Christmas Dinner. A huge thank you 

to everyone who supported our efforts, 

especially those who donated bottles and 

helped run the stall. 

We are also delighted to announce that our 

Christmas Market and fundraising raffle 

will return to Kippen Village Hall this year, 

being held on Saturday, 26 th November 

2022. Should you be interested in having 

a stall at the market, please contact use 

below. 

For further details of any of our activities 

please contact us at: playgroup.toddlers. 

kippen@gmail.com 







A Visit to the 1980’s for P6/7 

For the final term this year, Primary 6/7 have been 

learning about life in the 1980’s. In exploring this era, 

they have discovered more about pop bands of that 

time and also about key social and political events 

which took place in this decade. From the death of 

John Lennon in 1980 to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 

1989, there was much to research and learn about. 

The class also created lots of catchy art to capture the 

era. 

‘We learned about the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin 

Wall.’ Cameron McNeish (P6) 

‘When we created a Powerpoint about a 1980’s musical 

artist, I chose ACDC and Queen.’ Harry Hewines (P6) 

‘I enjoyed creating 1980’s pop art and using bright 

colours.’ Erika McMillan (P6) 

Rainforest Explorers 

P2/3 have had a fantastic term learning about and exploring the rainforests of the world. 

We now know about the different layers of the rainforest and all the animals and creatures 

that live there. We understand how important these habitats are and found out some 

fascinating facts about animal adaptations. Did you know, a sloth only needs to go to the 

toilet once a week? 

To extend our learning 

we went on a brilliant 

trip to Blair Drummond 

Safari Park, where we 

saw some of these 

amazing creatures up 

close. We especially 

loved seeing the tigers! 

Learning about the 

climate and vegetation 

of the rainforest gave us 

lots of opportunities to 

develop our STEM skills, 

and we designed and 

built rainforest cable 

cars, rope bridges and 

tree houses up in the 

canopy! 


P3/4 


During our Summer term, we have had a 

fantastic time learning about the history 

of Kippen in our ‘Kippen Past and Present’ 

topic. We explored what our streets looked 

like, what businesses were here and what 

school life was like in years past. Our 

class learned all about our world-famous 

Kippen Vine and about the historical 

story behind our well-known village. We 

also had the opportunity to attend the 

local archaeological dig and discovered 

techniques to explore and find ancient 

artefacts. We also designed our own local 

businesses, collected data from our school 

population and imagined what life in 

Kippen could be like in 100 years. 

We also had the fantastic opportunity to 

visit Stirling Castle. We were able to share 

our knowledge of Mary Queen of Scots 

and events that took place later in her life. 

At the castle we learned more about the 

childhood of Mary Queen of Scots and 

about her Father King James V. We learned 

about what life would be like as a child in 

the 1500s. This was a great opportunity to explore Stirling’s history. 

“I really enjoyed the Kippen archaeological dig. I liked seeing the old objects and listening to 

the historian telling us about their history. It has made me think about going digging myself.” 

Lucy P4 

“I have really enjoyed my topic this term. I now know more about our history and about the 

Great Vine. I found it interesting learning about the family behind the vine and how famous it 

had become.” 

Noah P3 

“Our trip to Stirling castle was so 

much fun. I learned all about King 

James V and Mary Queen of Scots and 

why they choose to decorate the castle 

in tapestry and symbols. I found this 

really interesting.” 

Ella P4 

www.theweevine.org 23


Street Fayre 

Due to the strong winds on Saturday 11th of June, the Kippen Street Fayre Committee 

had to make the very difficult decision of scaling down the whole event to a ‘Mini Kippen 

Street Fayre’. The Reading Room Committee kindly offered the use of that venue for the 

smaller event. 

This ensured that the 

children’s fancy dress 

competition, the collection 

of donations for Start Up 

Stirling, the Coronation of the 

village King and Queen and 

the highly anticipated raffle 

could still take place. The host 

for the scheduled mornings 

events, Alison Bradley, did a 

fantastic job of judging the 

fancy dress competition and 

upholding the traditional 

Coronation ceremony. This 

part of the day was moved to 

the bike shed of the nearby 

Kippen Primary School as 

the number of children and 

parents that came out in the 

rain and wind was just too 

many to fit indoors at the 

Reading Room. We would like 

to thank the Piper, Murray 

O’May for piping the Royal 

party over to the awaiting 

crowd in the playground. Our 

Kippen Street Fayre Queen 

this year was Charlie Sullivan, 

with her two attendants Freya 

MacKinnon and Emma Foran. 

And our Kippen Street Fayre 

King was Kobie Ferguson 

and with his attendant Fraser 

Weir. 

The raffle took place back inside The Reading Room and was live streamed via Facebook 

and the best was made of a worst-case scenario. 

What heartened the committee most was the support shown to the local businesses 

such as Skinners of Kippen, The Cross Keys pub, Rhubarb Lime, The Inn at Kippen, and 

McNicolls Country Store. All these venues would have expected a much busier day, I’m 

sure, but the village did come out and support them and for that we are very grateful. 

The 90s Disco went ahead as scheduled and was a resounding success, with its own Toy 

Story themed Tuck Shop. Special thanks to Simon and Alice Gooden for organising this 

event. 



Photography Annabel Griffin 







The Kippen Street Fayre would like to thank all the stall holders and entertainment 

vendors for them being so understanding of this difficult decision and we look forward to 

welcoming you all back again next year for a (hopefully) sunnier Kippen Street Fayre 2023. 

Morag Lewis 


Stirling based club win The Blackpool Cup 

Did you know 

GSR Central Academy the Kippen based under 

17 team who play in the Central Scotland 

Football Association League have brought 

home the prestigious Blackpool Cup. The 

team was undefeated in the round robin 

section having faced teams from Northern 

Ireland, England, and Ireland. It allowed them 

to proceed to the semi-final of the competition 

where the faced the tournament favourites, 

Lurgan Town FC from Northern Ireland. GSR 

Central Academy comprising of boys from 

across Stirlingshire, many of whom hope to 

secure a scholarship to American Universities, 

played some of their best football since their earlier season Scottish Cup run that took then 

to the Quarter Finals. Played at Preston North End’s training complex, the team secure a 

fine 3 nil semi-final win over Lurgan Town. This took GSR to the final where they faced 

Parkvilla FC from Ireland. Despite the loss of 3 players to injury and their keeper having 

to come off at half time, GSR looked the more likely to score as the game was played at a 

frantic paced in the Easter sunshine. It finished 0-0 and went straight to penalties with GSR 

winning 5-4 in the shoot-out. 

Stirling University Masters student and team Manager Mark Carroll said, “It was a fantastic 

achievement for the team and showed great character and resolve to play 5 games over 

the two days and be undefeated in all of them. I am really proud of the achievement for 

everybody involved in the team.” Club president former Scotland international star Dave 

McPherson echoed that.” We know we have some quality players in the team; but it is 

never easy in tournament football to bring everything together at the right time. It is a 

testament to the work of the coaching staff that they managed to get the most out of the 

team when it mattered most.” 

SAVE THE DATE!! 

Saturday 3rd December Christmas Concert 

After nearly 3 years of silence, we are back in business!! We 

cannot wait to present a lovely concert of Christmas music 

and to introduce to you John Logan, Head of Brass at the 

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. John is moving to Kippen 

this Summer and is keen to be involved in village life. So, 

between us, we will be bringing our students from the 

Conservatoire to perform a rich and varied programme of 

Christmas classics old and new. The programme will include baritone, Daniel Barratt, who 

has sung here several times before and is now studying for his master’s degree at the 

Royal College of Music in London and soprano, Claire Lumsden, who is in her second year 

of masters at the RCS. John is going to bring a 10-piece brass ensemble which will raise 

the roof, I’m sure! This is going to be a splendid concert at the beginning of Advent which 

will hopefully bring you into the Christmas season with smiles on your faces and warmth 

in your hearts! Please put the date in your diary and bring your friends. 

Kathleen McKellar Ferguson (Coubrough) 


Did you know 

Garden Lovers - Open Your 

Garden for Charity! 

Many garden lovers eat, drink and sleep 

in the garden as well as looking after the 

garden when time allows so why not share 

your garden with others and at the same 

time join a long tradition of supporting a 

local charity. This can be done individually 

but to reach a wider audience many 

people use Scotland’s Gardens Scheme 

to provide the maximum effect. Garden 

Openers throughout Scotland have 

raised over £1 million for charity over the 

last five years by sharing their beloved 

gardens, raising funds through entrance 

fees, refreshments, and plant sales. It’s 

also a wonderful opportunity to meet 

many people who share your passion for 

gardening and the opportunity to inspire 

others. 

Although wandering round a large estate 

garden is very inspiring and pleasurable 

viewing smaller gardens as part of a village 

trail say often provides an equal amount 

of pleasure and new ideas. This is already 

happening around Stirlingshire and for 

Kippen to join in would be an asset. 

If you would like to know more about 

opening your garden please contact 

your local Scotland’s Garden Scheme 

representative, David Ashton (Mob. 07870 

729473) who lives in Kippen, and he would 

be happy to help you coordinate an event. 

Depending on the interest shown David 

is proposing, through Scotland’s Gardens 

Scheme, a Kippen gardens trail for 2023 

and would like to hear from any garden 

owner who would like to join in. Visitors 

would meet at a central location to collect 

a ticket and then wander from garden 

to garden, uphill or downhill visiting all 

gardens signed up to the event. A cup 

of tea and a cake would, no doubt, also 

be available at some point. The event 

would probably take place on a Saturday 

or Sunday, late June, early July though 

cognisance would need to be taken of 

other events around that time such as the 

Kippen Fayre, bicycle races, etc. 

Alternatively, if you feel your garden is of 

a size and provides sufficient interest to 

stand alone speak direct to the Garden’s 

Scheme main office in Edinburgh (0131 

226 3714) with your name and address, as 

well as a short description of your garden. 

Arrangements can then be made for a 

local Organiser to contact you to discuss 

further arrangements and schedule a visit. 

Amongst the many things to consider is 

access to a garden, parking space, disabled 

access, etc. 

Scotland’s Gardens Scheme has been 

operating for over 90 years has many types 

of gardens currently under its umbrella, large 

and small gardens, community gardens, 

allotments, kitchen gardens, and those of 

horticultural interest, seasonal interest such 

as snowdrops and autumn colour. 60% of the 

funds raised through each garden opening 

goes directly to support the organiser’s 

agreed charity of choice with the remaining 

40% of funds raised providing support to 

the Scheme’s own charities, of which there 

are three core charities; The Queens Nursing 

Institute Scotland, Maggie’s (providing 

free cancer support and information) and 

Perennial (helping people who work in 

horticulture and their families when times 

get tough). 

E: info@scotlandsgardens.org 

W: scotlandsgardens.org 


Did you know 


Did you know 

Fuel your wellbeing with a weekend in Kippen 

Towering mountains in the distance, lively 

burns, happy farms, and incredible views 

nurtured my soul a few weeks ago while 

visiting my in-law family in beautiful Kippen. 

The weekend was off to the best start with 

blue skies (rare, I know!), and a truly pleasant 

walk along Arngomery. It was so nice to see 

so many healthy sheep and lambs, calmly 

pasturing around, during the entire walk. 

It is funny to think that this was my first time 

to be so close to a lamb (typical city girl!). We 

even met a couple of Highland cows, with 

their straggly coats and sweeping horns. 

They seemed to be daydreaming to me – at least I hope they were. 

The view was superb: nature 100%. After a busy week at work, the lush scenery made the 

clock stop for me. 

The village of Kippen has something 

magical. It might be the enviable views 

over some of Scotland’s finest scenery, 

or the sense of community you feel when 

stepping into any of their local pubs. Or it 

might also be the warmth of their whisky, 

who knows. 

What I would certainly say is that we can 

formally inaugurate the term “Kippen 

bathing,” as a wellbeing weapon and as 

an antidote for stress. While I sit now in 

32 www.theweevine.org 

And while walking along the forests, looking at the 

animals, I was thinking how true it is what they say 

about the importance of connecting with nature to 

boost our wellbeing. And how easy it was to do so 

in Kippen. The walks, the warmness of the people 

and the fresh air calmed me down in an energetic 

kind of way. It made me feel effervescent with new 

ideas for the week. 

So, I could not help but wonder about the power 

of being in contact with nature. Science has 

demonstrated how much it improves our immune 

system. Not only that, it also increases our ability 

to innovate and help us make better decisions. The 

Japanese call this shinrin-yoku, which means “taking 

in the forest atmosphere” or “forest bathing.” 

Mindfully walking in the woods helps breaking the 

sometimes-endless mental trap. I felt this way in 

Kippen.

my study writing 

this, I am already 

looking forward 

to being back (and 

I live in beautiful 

sunny Barcelona!). 

Kippen, see you 

soon! 

Carmen Gonzalez 

Leon 

Did you know 

Evelyn Tweed MSP Welcomes Scot Gov Giving Power to 

Stirling Council to Run Bus Services 

Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, has 

welcomed the SNP Scottish Government 

giving power to Stirling Council to run the 

bus services in Stirling. 

Powers from the Transport (Scotland) Act 

will now be utilised and allow councils 

across Scotland to run bus services in local 

communities as they see fit. 

When the Act was developed, local 

authorities asked for the ability to run 

their own services to be included and the 

SNP Scottish Government has reacted to 

that request by allowing them to do so, if 

they wish. 

Commenting, SNP MSP Evelyn Tweed 

said: 

“Bus services are vital to Stirling for those 

wanting to get around, but they are also 

a vital tool in our response to the climate 

emergency. That is why it is welcome that 

the SNP Scottish Government is rolling out 

these powers to local authorities across 

the country, including Stirling Council, to 

ensure we have a bus service that is fit for 

purpose and serves the needs of people in 

Stirling. 

“This is just one measure the SNP Scottish 

Government has taken to revitalise our 

bus network here in Stirling and across 

Scotland by providing half a billion pounds 

in long term funding for bus priority 

infrastructure, coupled with the roll out of 

free bus travel to under 22s and significant 

investment to encourage a shift to zero 

emission buses. 

“Buses will play a key role in achieving 

Scotland’s world-leading target of reducing 

car kilometres by 20% by 2030 and this 

measure to empower local authorities will 

be another step on the path to achieving 

that goal.” 

Olivia Pullman 

Communications and Research Officer, 

Office of Evelyn Tweed MSP for Stirling, 

The Scottish Parliament | Edinburgh | 

EH99 1SP 

E: olivia.pullman@parliament.scot 


Police Report 

Community Engagement and 

Reassurance 

It is important to you to have community 

officers who you know, who are accessible 

and who address local problems 

PC Steven Graham is the Ward Officer 

for the Forth and Endrick area. He is 

based at Balfron Police Office and can 

be contacted at the office, on 101, or at 

ForthEndrickCPT@scotland.police.uk. It 

is recommended that this email address 

is used by the local community for email 

contact. 

Please remember that we regularly publish 

useful information and updates on social 

media, including appeals for information, 

updates about road closures and crime 

prevention advice. Our Facebook and 

Twitter pages can be found at 

www.facebook.com/ 

forthvalleypolicedivision 

www.facebook.com/policescotland 

www.twitter.com/stirlingpol 

www.twitter.com/policescotland 

Poaching 

Hare coursing is illegal under the Wildlife 

and Countryside Act 1981. Anyone 

involved in this activity will usually use 

lurchers, greyhounds, and whippet dogs to 

chase the hares, but the motive is rarely to 

take the hare but to treat it as a sport. It is 

predominantly a seasonal crime occurring 

during the Spring as crops emerge into 

fields and during late Summer and early 

Autumn when the crops have been 

harvested. However, it can occur at any 

time of the year. In the past persons have 

been reported and caught by the Police 

for hare coursing in fields along the A811 

in the Kippen and Gargunnock areas so 

please contact Police should you have any 

suspicions about anyone. Descriptions of 

persons, dogs and vehicles are very handy 

in trying to trace persons involved. Most 

people have a mobile phone now so any 

video recording would also be beneficial 

however do not approach suspects as you 

may put yourself in danger. 

Theft 

A male was seen on CCTV at the building 

site in Burngreen acting suspiciously. Police 

attended and a search was made however 

there was no trace. Just over a week later a 

container at the site was broken into. 

Round about this time a report was 

received of a suspicious person near a 

dwelling house No attempts were made, 

and extra attention was given. No thefts 

occurred. 

A report was received of possible prowlers 

at a garden in Kippen. This turned out to be 

a false call as it was another neighbour in 

his own garden however these suspicious 

calls are welcomed and are always treated 

seriously. It’s better to call and it turns 

out to be false than not to call when it’s 

required. 

Although no other thefts have occurred in 

the Kippen area vehicles have been stolen 

from domestic dwellings in Killearn and 

Blanefield over the last few months. Due 

to the security of modern vehicles the 

perpetrators generally need a true key on 

order to steal the vehicle therefore access 

is gained to the house in order to obtain 

the key. Please note the following advice: 

• Keep your home locked at all times 

• Many thieves do not need to break in at 

all because a door or window has been 

left open or unlocked 

• Don’t leave keys on the inside of door 

locks, under mats or anywhere else they 

can be easily found 

• If you have a ‘thumb turn’ lock on the 

inside of a door, ensure that it cannot be 

accessed from outside. 

• Don’t keep house keys and car keys on 

the same key ring 

• Don’t keep a lot of cash in the house• 

Mark your property with a UV marker pen 

or Security DNA marking Kit - these can be 

bought online or in some stores 

• Look for the Secured by Design 

accreditation on the product and register 

- you can place an invisible imprint of 


your postcode and house number on 

your possessions 

• You can record and register details of 

your valuables, serial numbers and 

features or marks, on devices on the 

national mobile property register on the 

immobilise website - this includes mobile 

phones, cameras, laptops, and tablets 

• Use timer switches on lights and radios 

to make it look as if your home is 

occupied. 

• Ensure all doors and windows are secure 

when you leave and when you go to bed. 

• If possible, use secure lighting at the 

front and back of your property. 

• Make sure all garden tools and ladders 

are locked away when not being used. 

Don’t give the thieves the tools to break 

into your house. 

• Use a good quality lock on any garden 

sheds and outhouses. 

• Make a note of all makes models and 

serial numbers of expensive items in 

your home. 

• If your house is fitted with an alarm then 

please use it. This is a good deterrent 

should thieves manage to force entry to 

your house. 

• If you note anything suspicious in your 

neighbourhood report it on 101. 

Road Safety 

The Central Scotland Safety Camera 

Partnership have continued to operate 

on the A811 near to Kippen. These have 

included vehicles travelling at 75, 85 and 

88 mph. All drivers were reported to the 

Procurator Fiscal. 

A 3 vehicle RTC occurred on the A811 

near Kippen Roundabout. Fortunately, no 

injuries were sustained to any party, 

Fraud 

There have been further cases of 

attempted fraud in the Kippen area. One 

being whereby a text message was sent 

from someone pertaining to be from Royal 

Mail and the link requested bank details 

for a forthcoming delivery. Fortunately, 

Police Report 

the details were not sent so no money was 

transferred. On another occasion a male 

contacted a person intimating to be from 

the bank fraud team and stated that he 

had blocked the customer’s account due 

to fraudulent transactions on the account. 

A further call was received from another 

number from another pertaining to be 

from the bank fraud team and stated he 

had been made aware of her account being 

cancelled due to fraudulent activities and 

requested the customer go to her branch 

and transfer £20,000 to a bank account. 

The customer was told that no monies 

would be transferred from her account 

but stated that she would be helping with 

an ongoing investigation between the 

bank fraud team and the Police. At the 

branch, the bank did not transfer the cash 

and contacted the Police. No funds were 

taken from the account however on many 

occasions’ money has been scammed from 

persons. A further reminder in included in 

this report as it is still very relevant. Please 

heed the following: 

• Consider making your phone number 

ex-directory. 

• Don’t give out any personal information 

unless you are the one who made the 

call, and you are certain of the identity of 

the person you are speaking to. 

• Don’t give out your credit card or 

bank card details to strangers on the 

telephone. 

• NEVER tell somebody your bank PIN 

number, even if they claim to be the 

bank or police. If the caller is genuine, 

they will never ask for this information. 

• Don’t give out information which may 

infer that you live alone, are older or 

vulnerable. 

• Never send money to anyone who claims 

to have a prize for you. 

• If it sounds too good to be true, it 

probably is. 

• Contact local trading standards – they 

may be able to use approved ‘call 

blocking’ technology. 


Supporters 

Across: 8 Captains, 9 Serif, 10 Snow, 

11 Yellow flag, 12 Ice cap, 14 Mortuary, 

16 Teenage, 18 Haddock, 21 Reporter, 

23 Parole, 24 Blistering, 26 Chum, 27 Stint, 

28 Intrigue. 

Down: 1 Barnacle, 2 Stew, 3 Tidy up, 

4 Asylums, 5 Oslo, 6 Profounder, 7 Affair, 

13 Censorship, 15 Ria, 17 Get, 19 Calculus, 

20 Prairie, 22 Enlist, 23 Pigsty, 25 Eats, 

26 Chic. 

McNicoll’s Store reaches 30th Anniversary 

John and Isobel McNicoll hit their 30th anniversary in June. 

Congratulations from all at The Wee Vine and thanks for the support to our magazine 

over the last 5 plus years. 


Supporters 

The Wee Vine Supporters 

Without our supporters, there would be no Wee Vine. They offer support in a variety of 

ways. All essential. 

Firstly, our financial supporters. Printing and other costs are totally met through the 

support of a number of local organisations. These have all been affected to a greater or 

lesser extent by the current Covid crisis, but continue to provide support, which is greatly 

appreciated. Currently, these are (in alphabetical order): 

Acorn Cottage (03454986900) 

Arnbeg Farm Stay (01786 871121) 

Arnprior Swimming Pool (870481) 

Brian Reynolds Carpentry (870531) 

Cameron Skinner, Skinner of Kippen (870203) 

Central Auto Repairs (Glengyle) (870254) 

Classics@Kippen 

David Kirkwood, Fishmonger 

Falck Renewables 

Graeme Thompson Plumbing and Heating Engineers (870648) 

John Coubrough & Son, Joiners & Funeral Directors (870737) 

McNicolls Country Store (870237) 

Munro Electrical Service (07951 913983) 

Stephen Paul Associates (870906) 

The Cross Keys (870293) 

The Inn at Kippen (870500) 

The Woodhouse (870156) 

Each of our financial supporters is entitled to use the magazine to publicise forthcoming 

events, or significant awards obtained. Anyone who would like to offer support in this way, 

can do so by contacting us at enquiries@theweevine.org. 

Secondly, many thanks to those who have supported this issue by contributing articles. 

The Wee Vine is for Kippen, about Kippen and by Kippen. We would like to know about 

events as they happen, and also those which are planned. Also, organisations, clubs and 

their programmes and activities. Plus, comments, queries, photos, and anything else that 

takes your fancy. 

“Letters to the editor” on paper or electronically are welcome from all. 

And finally, those who support by offering help in many ways, such as the delivery of the 

magazine round the village. 

Stuart Thomson 


Kippen Post Office 

Full Postal Service 

• Free cash withdrawals from 

all named banks 

• Full banking service- 

Business and Personal 

• Utility bill and road tax 

payments 

• Full Bureau de Change 

• Euros and US Dollars 

stocked 

• Money Transfers 

Opening Times 

Mon-Tue-Thur-Fri 0900-1300 1400-1730 

Wednesday 0900-1300 

Saturday 0900-1230 

Mobile Outreach Service 

Van 1 - Buchlyvie-Croftamie-Fintry Village, Sports Centre 

and Caravan Park- Gargunnock-Killearn-Thornhill 

Van 2 - Blackford-Braco-Carnock-Clackmannan 

Village and Town- Torrance

The_WEE_Vine_23_website_version (1)

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?