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Autumn 2023 Issue 28 £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. 

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agents cannot accept responsibility for the errors 

or omissions. Views held by contributors are their 

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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 28 of 


This is a packed issue with so many events during 

the last few months. We have no space for the 

police report but will include in the digital version 

on the website plus more photos of events, so log 

onto theweevine.org 

We are delighted to see and hear the church clock 

and bells. Thanks to support from the Community 

Trust Funding. 

The football club review is on pages 7/8 and 

features on Ukraine Independence Day -page 

12,Kippen for Ukraine-pages14/15. The Village 

Hall is on page 17. 

The Flower Show makes a welcome return on 

pages 26/27,UCI Cycling on page 29 and the 

School report on pages 22/25. 

We welcome Blue Juice Media to our list of 

supporters. 

Thanks again to all our contributors for this issue. 

Our next issue is scheduled for the second half of 

January and contributions will be needed by 31st 

December. 

Your feedback about the Wee Vine is important 

to us so please get in touch with your comments/ 

ideas for this year. 

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. 

Front cover picture - Rev. Ellen Larson Davidson, 

Minister. Spider’s web on azalea bush in garden. 

Index 

Special Feature 3 

Clubs 7 

Community Affairs 9 

Did You Know 28 

Police Report 31 

The Wee Vine Supporters 35 

2 www.theweevine.or

KIPPEN WOODS DAFFODILS 

Special Feature 

Have you ever wondered why in Spring there is such a spectacular display of daffodils in 

the lower part of Kippen woods just behind the football pitch? 

I imagine we have all assumed this has been a natural phenomena, however it has only 

recently been discovered that this spectacle is the making of one of our local residents, 

Forrester Glen. 

Forrester disclosed to 

one of our residents 

that he was solely 

responsible for the 

planting and growing 

of each individual 

daffodil within the 

lower wooded area 

behind the football 

pitch and this resident 

assumed this was 

common knowledge, 

however the private, 

possibly mischievously 

secretive man did 

not boast about this 

achievement. 

For decades Forrester 

has been dedicated in maintaining our gardens in the village and whilst thinning down the 

daffodils on request of residents from their gardens, rather than disposing of them in a 

composite heap, Forrester preserved these by re-planting each one in the woods creating 

this burst of sunshine on the woodland floor. 

Forrester’s efforts have gone without appreciation only because no one knew the lovely 

story behind the yellow springing happy heads of the daffodil path so we are very pleased 

that this story has finally come to our attention allowing us to be able to acknowledge our 

appreciation for the spectacular beauty spot he has created for us and future residents to 

enjoy for many more decades. 

Sadly, Forrester was recently diagnosed with a terminal illness and is no longer able to 

continue maintaining the gardens in Kippen and other surrounding areas. 

Forrester, I know the residents of Kippen shall now be quietly nodding at the daffodil heads 

as they pass through the lined yellow corridor thinking of you in Spring, acknowledging 

your dedication to wildlife through this explosion of happiness. 

Thank you, Forrester Glen. 

Cheryl Hannah 



The final meeting of the old Kippen 

Community Council (KCC) took place on 

11 th April 2023 following which the council 

was dissolved to allow elections to take 

place. As insufficient nominations were 

lodged with the council, the process had 

to be repeated in May. A new Community 

Council was finally formed in late May 2023 

with the inaugural meeting chaired by 

Stephen Bly, a representative from Stirling 

Council, taking place in Kippen Reading 

Rooms on the 11 th July to appoint office 

bearers and sign the constitution and 

standing orders. No community council 

meetings normally take place during July 

and August so the first full meeting of KCC 

occurred on 13 th September. It had been 

agreed that meetings should take place 

on the second Wednesday of every month 

(with the exception of January, July and 

August) at 7.30pm in the Reading Rooms, 

rather than on a Tuesday which had 

previously been the case. One of our local 

councillors usually attends these meetings 

and members of Kippen community are 

also very welcome to attend. 

Meeting schedule 

Meetings take place at 7.30pm in the 

Reading Rooms. 

Wednesday 11 th 

October 2023 


March 2024 


December 2023 

Wednesday 

May 15 th 2024 


November 2023 


April 2024 


February 2024 

Wednesday June 

12 th 2024 

Community Council Members 

Derek Shanks (Chair) 

Barbara Ross (Vice Chair) 

Robert Clubb (Treasurer) 

Margaret Beaton (Planning) 

Scott Crawford 

Ann Milligan 

Christine Stewart 

Michaela Yates 

The role of secretary is to be confirmed. 

We have also appointed a minute taker 

with funds available from Stirling Council, 

so this will free up the secretary to fully 

participate in meetings. 

Local Place Plan 

An important component of KCC’s 

agenda over the next 18 months will be 

coordinating the production of a Local 

Place Plan (LPP). This is a new initiative 

from the Scottish Government aimed at 

increasing community involvement in 

long-term planning by using community 

generated LPPs to help inform local 

councils’ Local Development Plans. The 

aim of our LPP is therefore to answer the 

question ‘What would we like our village 

to look like in 10 years’ time, what are the 

positive features that should be conserved, 

what areas require development and what 

proposals do we have as a community to 

help bring about positive changes?’ 

KCC is very keen to promote community 

involvement in producing our Local Place 

Plan (LPP). 

The consultation process for Kippen’s 

LPP began in April 2023 with a drop-in 

event in the Reading Rooms to both raise 

awareness of this new venture and to start 

the process of community engagement to 

promote a vision and a voice for Kippen. 

The event was promoted in the March 

edition of the Wee Vine, via flyers delivered 

to almost every home and on the village 

Facebook pages. 

When asked what they liked about living in 

Kippen, participants included the following 

areas in their responses: 

4 www.theweevine.org

• Sense of community (welcoming, 

inclusive, friendly) 

• Environment (great views, beautiful 

village, history and heritage, rural, 

low population density, village 

atmosphere and ambience) 

• Good amenities 

• Lots happening 

• Good road links 

Areas for development and concerns 

included the following: 

• Village size (Kippen now big enough, 

over-development would mean losing 

village feel, possible room for modest 

provision of affordable homes) 

• Maintain village centre and green 

spaces 

• Road safety (increased traffic through 

the village, speeding, damage caused 

by construction traffic, parking in the 

main street, need for road repairs) 

• Communication (generally better 

communication needed in the village, 

more information about village clubs 

and events, more people to help with 

community events) 

• Services (need to expand existing 

services to match population growth) 

• Transport (more reliable bus service, 

safer cycling routes, signage for public 

walks) 

• Litter problem, siteing of grit bins and 

recycling facilities 

Air Quality monitoring 

Alongside the LPP drop-in, KCC hosted Amy 

McCarron from Stirling University who 

was working on a project to encourage 

rural communities to take ownership of 

monitoring air quality. Participants were 

invited to comment on the air quality 

in Kippen, suggest possible sources of 

pollution and to suggest locations for air 

quality monitors. Similar monitoring has 

also taken place in other rural Stirlingshire 

locations. A further workshop took place 

some weeks later to share results. Working 


in conjunction with SEPA it is intended that 

a website will be produced to allow rural 

communities to access data about air 

quality. Currently, the nearest air quality 

monitor is at the Craigs Roundabout 

in Stirling. Amy’s report is summarised 

below. 

Particulate Matter (PM) is composed of 

a wide range of materials from various 

sources. This type of pollution is closely 

associated with combustion (e.g., 

domestic fuel burning, traffic sources). 

Particles can also be formed by chemical 

reactions in the atmosphere (which can 

travel long distances) or can be of natural 

origin. Figure 1 shows the effect of solid 

fuel burning on PM 10 

concentrations 

in Kippen. As temperature drops and 

people light fires, we see an increase in 

PM 10 

concentrations. This is a trend that 

we’ve observed in other Stirlingshire 

villages too. Interestingly, and contrary 

to the expectations of many workshop 

participants, the data collected for Kippen 

do not appear to indicate increases in 

PM associated with commuter traffic (i.e., 

between 7am and 9am or between 3pm 

and 6pm). 

Figure 1. Particulate matter (PM 10 

) 

concentrations (top) and temperature 

(bottom) in Kippen from 16th to 22nd April 

2023. 

Figure 2 shows the regional effect of PM 

during an episode, where you have daily 

increases over two monitors at the same 

time across two separate villages. You 

can see from Figure 2 that both the data 

collected from the sensor in Kippen and 

in Thornhill follow similar trends. This 

suggests that the source of particulate 



matter is not local but instead has come 

from further afield. We can look at the 

movement of air masses to help find out 

the source of the PM. 

the day and then falling off at night as the 

secondary pollutant is broken up when the 

sun goes down. 

Figure 2. Regional PM episode has a 

similar impact on air quality in Kippen and 

in Thornhill. 

Like the regional episode illustrated in 

Figure 2, Figure 3 similarly shows some 

regional build up happening across 

both villages with similar background 

concentration. However, at midday on 

12 th May there are very distinct peaks in 

Thornhill. This suggests a very local air 

pollution event (we don’t see the same 

sized spikes at the primary school). For 

example, it could have been caused by 

construction work happening locally or 

someone burning garden waste. 

Figure 3. Local spikes in PM cause by a 

hyperlocal air pollution event. 

Figure 4 shows daily fluctuation of the 

regional secondary pollutant, groundlevel 

ozone. Ozone (O 3 

) is not emitted 

directly from any man-made source in any 

significant quantities. This is a secondary 

pollutant that is formed in the troposphere 

by chemical reactions driven by sunlight 

and primary pollutants (VOCs and NOx), 

and so you see ozone formation during 

Additional issues raised at the September 

meeting 

Other village issues raised included: 

• Safety on Station Brae and speeding 

within the village 

• Damage done to roads, pavements 

and infrastructure by construction 

traffic 

• The poor state of some roads, 

pavements and blocked drains 

• Cyclists going too fast through the 

village 

• Problems with invasive giant hogweed 

spreading along the Forth 

• Removal of the bottle bank at the 

corner of Castlehill Loan and making 

this a more attractive location 

• Upgrading of the panorama engraving 

at the top of Scott Brae 

It was proposed that an application should 

be made to the Windfarm Committee to 

help with funding the last two suggestions. 

Get in touch 

You can email us at 

kippencommunitycouncil@gmail.com 

You can subscribe to our weekly news 

digest – just head over to the website at 

https://kippencc.org.uk and fill in the 

SignUp form on the right-hand side. 


The 2023 season Review – Kippen FC 

Clubs 

After 5 years of hibernation, The Grapes came back to life in 2023. A huge thanks must 

go to the McNicoll family for all the previous work with the club and for passing the club 

over with money in the bank. That was a great starting point, as was the small donation 

from The Windmill Fund, which went towards the purchase of our new kit. On the field 

Thursday night recreational football at the Sports Field helped us with player recruitment 

and to create a buzz about the new team. 

The call for players went far and wide and brought immediate results in us recruiting explayer 

Wallace McGown who stepped in as Assistant Manager and as fundraiser, ad hoc 

bank manager and club secretary. It was vital first step to get us back up and running. With 

the bush telegraph making noise we soon had the Inn at Kippen come on board as our 

main sponsor, followed by Stirling Man with a Van who sponsored all our match reports 

for the season. 

Our call for players was seen by a 

BBC’s production company and a 

day of filming in Kippen resulted 

in a 6 minute film being made 

about our return. It was called The 

Resurrection and featured us on 

the iconic football show, A View 

from the Terrace. The show looked 

at the challenges in our quest to 

return to action and saw us start 

with a pre-season friendly against 

Buchlyvie United. On the day 28 

players turned up to give us enough 

players for two teams, but the many 

trialists couldn’t stop us slipping to defeat to our near neighbours in the showcase game. 

Our mission in year one was to try 

to get the club back up and running, 

and to get to a position that there was 

enough energy and goodwill to ensure 

it was not going to be just a one off 

season. We were helped tremendously 

by having a core of youngsters from 

GSR Central Academy. Boys who were 

going to scholarships in the USA in 

23 or indeed some in 24. Another 

great benefit for the side was to have 

4 or 5 experienced players arrive in 

the village from the new Meadows 

development. 

What we felt essential was to ensure 

that we didn’t end the season without 

any wins or to finish up bottom of 

the league in our first year back. We 

wanted to build momentum and to 

Photo James Mather Top Goalscorer 

and Club Captain and Players player of 

the year Micky Gray in foreground 


Clubs 

make the club sustainable for the longer 

term, so having a wee bit of success on the 

park we knew would be helpful. 

One problem was always finding a regular 

goalkeeper and we went through seven 

willing heroes, who grabbed the gloves 

during the season. It also took us a bit of 

time to find the right blend of experience 

and youth. We had a worrying start where 

we dominated against Aberfoyle but lost 

out to some sloppy defending. Next up was 

an away trip to Killearn which produced an 

excellent 1 st half display but we just ran out 

of stream in the second half, and lost 3-2. 

Finally the long wait for a Kippen victory 

came when we defeated Balfron Rovers 

away from home 3 - 2 to give us our first 

win since 2017. What was becoming very 

apparent was that Kippen were attracting 

a lot of supporters and many were also 

attending away matches too. The fans 

were growing in number and enjoying 

what they were seeing on the park. With 

that first away victory in the bag we were 

confident that we would make good 

progress. There were a few bumps along 

the way with a cup exit away to Blanefield 

Thistle where we played really poorly. A 

second half horror show at Gartochan 

resulting in a solid 0-0 half time score 

turned to a 6 nil defeat as we lost a few 

star players to injuries. However, there was 

more great history made along the next 

part of the journey with a 9-1 thumping 

of Gartochan in the return league game at 

Kippen in probably the only game in the 

season that we had our strongest team 

on the park. It was our biggest victory 

since a 10 - 2 win against the now defunct 

Fintry way back in 2005. Our first clean 

sheet since 2013 came in a gutsy victory 

over Gargunnock FC, our first win against 

them since 2014. Overall, were delighted 

with how competitive we were throughout 

the season and the large crowds were 

entertained with a slick passing game that 

delivered some fantastic goals. 

Off the park we hosted a successful 

Cameron Cup Final, and have prepared 

the changing rooms for a revamp. We now 

have a new committee in place, a second 

change kit has been purchased and we 

produced a professional logo too. We are 

also delighted that both our sponsors are 

with us again in 2024 for the next step of 

the journey. 

On the park we know what we have to 

do better and with most of the team 

signed up already for season 2024, there 

continues to be plenty of hard work 

behind the scenes to make the club 

sustainable for the future. Part of that plan 

is to hold an Annual Awards and speaker 

night at the village hall. The first event is on 

4 th November and will be hosted by BBC 

Scotland’s Amy Irons. 

Proposed Football Club logo 

Awards winners for 2023 

Player of the Year: Ben Mitchell 

Players Player of the Year: Mikey Gray 

Young player of the Year: Charlie Jackson 

Goal of the season: Rory Currie v 

Blanefield Thistle (away) 

Goal assists: Gregor Goodwin 

Top Goal scorer: James Mather 

Played 17 

Won 4 

Drawn 3 

Lost 11 

1 unfulfilled fixture v Killearn Home 

Goals for 32 

Goals against 49 


Kippen Community Trust 

Funding 

A meeting of Kippen Community Trust 

Funding Panel (Windfarm) was held at the 

Kippen Reading Rooms, Tuesday 27 th June 

2023. We were delighted to welcome new 

panel member Ben Walker; his contribution 

will be a welcome addition and will lower 

the average age significantly!! 

Updates to on-going projects were 

discussed and two new applications 

assessed and supported. 

• Kippen Women’s Institute 

• Kippen Church Automated Clock 

Chimes and Bells 

Grants are funded by Renantis (formally 

Falck Renewables) and administered 

by the Kippen Community Trust with 

support from Foundation Scotland. 

The fund can support a wide variety of 

community projects in the Kippen area 

and residents are encouraged to submit 

qualifying applications for consideration. 

If anyone wants further information about 

applying for money they should contact 

Margaret Beaton (margaret.beaton@ 

yahoo.com or 01786 870536) or Caroline 

Thompson (carolinewthompson@gmail. 

com or 07880 717493). 

We currently have a vacancy on the panel, 

a diverse group of volunteers reflecting 

our neighbourhood is really beneficial, 

so if you think this may be of interest to 

you or would like further information, 

please contact Caroline as above. This 

important and interesting role influences 

the distribution of available funds to our 

community but isn’t demanding on your 

time. 

The date of next meeting is currently 

scheduled for Thursday 2 nd November 

2023. 

Community Affairs 

Over 60s Christmas Dinner 

2023 

This year’s event will take place on Monday 

4th December in the Village Hall at 2pm. 

A new committee chaired by Dawn 

Warttig is already making preparations to 

welcome you. At the recent AGM there was 

discussion about adjusting the age range 

for inviting guests. It has been agreed at 

the present time not to raise the age but 

to continue with the restriction to over 

60s. However, places are limited, and 

guests should return their reply slips at the 

earliest opportunity. 

The Christmas dinner is a true community 

event where the whole village comes 

together to provide a wonderful social 

occasion for our senior residents. It is 

much appreciated and anticipated each 

year. Those who participate and who 

contribute are equally rewarded by the 

warmth of the occasion. We are looking 

for helpers on the day for transport, 

set up, serving and clear up. Invitations 

require to be delivered in early to mid- 

November. Organisations are invited to 

donate towards the cost and collecting 

tins are available for individuals to donate 

in the pubs and shops. An opportunity to 

sign up will be available on social media. 

Alternatively, speak to Dawn, Allan Hunter, 

Patsy Muir Simpson, Laurence or Tracy 

Hepburn. 

Thank you to all who supported the plant 

sales and the Street Fayre plate smashing 

stall during the summer and a special 

thanks to Playgroup and Toddlers who 

again donated a substantial portion of 

their profits from the bottle stall. 

Tracy Hepburn, Tel. 01786 870385 

Mike Bastock 



You are invited … 

The Friends of Kippen Kirk Trust (FKKT) 

is hosting an informal evening of music 

and songs in Kippen Kirk on Friday 17 th 

November at 7.30pm. The performers 

will be from the Royal Conservatoire of 

Scotland, under the direction of Kathleen 

McKellar Ferguson. There will be wine and 

canapes and a brief presentation on the 

work of the Trust. Admission is free, but as 

places are limited overall, anyone wishing 

to come, should e-mail their name and 

address to Michael Hirst (smh@glentirran. 

co.uk) or Mary Lawson (mary.lawson1@ 

btinternet.com) or phone 07884 423797. 

FKKT is a Scottish Registered Charity 

which was formed some years ago to help 

support the fabric and setting of Kippen’s 

unique church which has been acclaimed 

as one of the most beautiful country 

churches in Scotland and described as 

a ‘jewel.’ The Trust commissioned the 

vine mosaic outside the front door of the 

Church and supported the expansion of 

the community orchard in the Church’s 

gardens. It also hosts the biennial Village 

Burns Supper. 

Michael Hirst, chairman of FKKT, said that 

Kippen Kirk, quite apart from being the 

village’s place of worship, was a valuable 

community asset. “Sadly, the Church 

of Scotland is currently having to close 

churches, but thankfully Kippen Kirk is 

not one of them. The Trust is very keen 

to support the use of Kippen Kirk for 

community events like that in November. 

As a community, we should value our 

beautiful church, and membership of FKKT 

enables local people to help to do so. In 

two years,’ time, we’ll be celebrating the 

bicentenary of Kippen Kirk, as well as the 

centenary of its major refurbishment in 

1925. We’re keen to see it continuing to 

thrive into its third century.” 

Kippen and Norrieston 

Churches - Guild 

Look Forward in Faith - “New Wine, New 

Wineskins” 

All men and women are welcome to attend 

Guild Meetings, now held on Wednesdays. 

If something interests you please come. 

Members are always pleased to see 

occasional visitors. 

11 th October 2.00 p.m. Kippen Church, 

Fore Road, Kippen 

Kevin and Linda Clarke will present an 

illustrated talk entitled 

“A Return to the Far North – Exploring the 

East Coast of Greenland” 

Kevin and Linda are excellent speakers 

and wonderful photographers – a meeting 

not to be missed. 

8 th November 2.00 p.m. Norrieston 

Church Hall, Main Street, Thornhill 

Rev Ellen Larson Davidson will speak on 

the Guild Theme 

“New Wine, New Wineskins” 

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, 

and he will establish your plans. 

(Proverbs 16:3) 

Further information is available from 

Joanna M. McPhail - joanna.mcphail@ 

btinternet.com or 01786 870681 



Heritage talks at the Reading Rooms 

All talks start at 7.30 p.m. Doors open at 7.00 p.m. Refreshments will be available. Tickets, 

only at the door, are £4 with a £2 concession for under 18’s and students. 

Innerpeffray Library, Perthshire, Thursday 26 th October 

Lara Haggerty, Keeper 

of Books, will speak to 

us about Innerpeffray’s 

unique place in history, 

as Scotland’s first free 

public lending library 

and how and why it 

was founded in 1680. 

Just 4 miles from Crieff, 

and less than an hour’s 

drive from Kippen, you 

can still visit the library 

and read the rare 

books in Innerpeffray’s 

fabulous collection. 

Kippen Walks, Tuesday 28 th November 

Steven McEwan will introduce us to his new 

publication, ‘Kippen Walks,’ helping us to 

explore the countryside round Kippen and 

find out more about its rich history and 

natural beauty. Steven’s book and artwork 

will be on sale after the talk, and we will be 

offering wine or soft drinks with savoury 

snacks. There is no ticket charge for this 

event, but donations will be welcomed if you 

intend to stay for refreshments. 

Kippen Smiddy 

Once again, we had a very successful Doors 

Open weekend at Kippen Smiddy. A total of 94 

visitors came to see the 18th c Smiddy at the 

top of Rennie’s Loan. They enjoyed hearing 

about the life of a working Blacksmith and 

seeing the old forge and tools of his trade. 



Ukraine Independence Day 

These photographs were taken on 

24 th August 2023 to show the type of 

commemorations taking place around the 

world on ‘Independence Day of Ukraine’. 

On this day, Ukrainians living in the Stirling 

area created “Chains of Unity.” The main 

goal of the “Chains of Unity” project was 

(and still is) to keep the world’s attention 

on Ukraine’s ongoing situation with a 

vast populace seeking victory and a 

positive and expeditious outcome to the 

current conflict. In the meantime, Ukraine 

expresses its sincere gratitude to the UK for 

its support and assistance during the war 

that is waging against Ukraine. 

On behalf of all Ukrainians living in Kippen, 

and Stirling (and its surrounds), they would 

very much like to show their appreciation: 

“We are very happy to 

give a heartfelt thankyou 

to the people of 

Stirlingshire who have 

opened their hearts and 

homes to those in need. 

The ‘Chains of Unity’ 

project also extends to 

rally the international 

community around, and 

beyond Scotland, with 

the purpose of thanking 

all countries for the 

assistance provided.” 

Photography Annabel Griffin 


Risk and Resilience 

The lockdowns seem far behind us, and, 

for a while, it seemed that Covid had 

become a thing of the past. It has, of 

course, reared its head again recently, 

and, even in my own family, two members 

have tested positive. 

We await further jabs from the surgery. 

But Covid has ceased to be an emergency 

for which we needed to conduct an 

emergency plan. Instead, we are now 

becoming conscious of other types of 

emergencies, for which we are able to plan 

and for which we have some experience. 

The most immediate effects of war in 

Europe have been the development of 

a refugee problem and shortages of fuel 

which have led, in turn, to cost increases 

and the threat of power cuts. 

We have also seen food shortages in 

the UK which have become visible as 

supermarkets have actually run short of 

certain foodstuffs. We require, as a nation, 

to develop resilience, and also in the home. 

During the first lockdown we circulated 

leaflets which were intended to indicate 

where goods and services could be found 

during the lockdown. 

We are now working on a more specific 

leaflet which is intended to remind 

residents how to meet the specific needs 

when power or other services fail. Other 

towns and villages are also doing this 

as we are unlikely to be alone in facing 

problems. The leaflet will also contain a 

section for those who may wish to join us. 

One thing is clear, however. Help will not 

be available from central governmental 

sources. When problems are experienced 

everywhere at once, it is wrong to expect 

help from the centre. This is where local 

teams can help, often on a street-by-street 

basis. 

Our aim is therefore to update our 

Resilience Team, to prepare a village leaflet 


and thereby to reach everyone in the 

village. We also require to nominate team 

leaders and to develop new routines to 

meet the range of emergencies currently 

foreseen. 

We look forward to bringing new villagers 

into the list of volunteers – especially as we 

have a large number of new houses and 

residents. Our new volunteers will play a 

vital role as we face the future. 

That far off distant threat may be just 

round the corner – just as it was in March 

2020. 

Jeremy Gaywood 

Classics@Kippen 

Last year we had a wonderful Christmas 

Concert in the church in aid of MND & 

Parkinsons UK. We so appreciate all your 

support and encouragement. Our next 

concert will be sometime in the Spring and 

will be in aid of Diabetes UK. Watch this 

space for further details. 

Wee Whist 

After an absence of a few years, we are 

back!! The Wee Whist takes place in the 

Reading Rooms on the second Wednesday 

of each month at 7:00pm. All are welcome. 

£4.00 – includes Whist, raffle, and supper. 

Diane Louttit 



Kippen for Ukraine 

In July Kippen was the chosen venue for Ukrainians 

living in our community to celebrate together the 

mid-summer festival of Ivana Kupala. It was made 

possible through the support of Kippen locals, The 

Inn and village organisations. The Ukrainians were 

very happy to be given the opportunity to share their 

culture with others. 

Participants arriving were welcomed through an arch flanked by two large Motanka 

figures, symbolising fertility and good luck. There was a range of delicious traditional 

food on offer and the opportunity to participate in singing and dancing around a fire. 

Women and girls made head garlands from wildflowers and helped locals to make 

their own. At the end of the evening the garlands were thrown into the curling pond 

and wishes for the future were made. It was a happy event for Ukrainians currently 

separated from husbands, dads, family, friends and their homeland. 



The Kippen Flower Show kindly offered the opportunity to fundraise by selling plants and 

bunches of flowers. Despite the wind this stall raised £230 which will enable ongoing rental 

of the Reading Rooms for English language lessons. A local Ukrainian, always enthusiastic 

about being part of village life, won prizes in 8 classes including beetroot. An excellent pot 

of borscht followed! 

In late August Ukrainian Independence Day was marked by having a small gathering in 

Kippen, before joining a larger one in Stirling, as part of a world event to have people 

across the globe joining in unity and solidarity. “Our weapon is unity.” 

Some Ukrainian families have moved into rental properties or moved location, but those 

remaining are always keen to integrate into the community, socialise with each other and 

share their cuisine and culture with us. Suggestions are always gratefully received. 

“It takes a village to welcome a refugee.” 

www.theweevine.org 15 

Photography Annabel Griffin


Scottish Women’s 

Institute – Kippen 

FRANCES CARLAW -The Pearl Lady – 

delighted a large company of members 

and friends at September’s meeting, 

beginning the 104 th year of Kippen Rural. 

Frances brought along an astonishing 

display of pearls from her collections, 

gems of all shapes, sizes and colours, 

including a very rare Scottish river pearl 

set in Scottish gold. No one will ever think 

about pearls in the same way or consider 

them dull and uninteresting after hearing 

Frances speak so passionately about their 

life cycle, history, and enduring fascination. 

Her interest, and quest for even more 

knowledge of these remarkable gems, 

have taken her round the world to every 

pearl-producing nation. Frances skillfully 

answered questions before exploding the 

myth that oysters make pearls from grit 

inside the shell. 

An opportunity to study these fabulous 

pearls up close was eagerly taken up while 

a cup of tea was enjoyed, and purchases 

made. 

Two lucky ladies were able to take home 

pearl earrings and a pearl necklace, gifted 

by Frances as raffle prizes. 

The competition for the evening – a 

favourite piece of jewellery – was won by 

MARGERY STIRLING. 

Kippen SWI would like to thank Kippen 

Community Trust for financial support 

given through the Windfarm Fund 

RENANTIS. 

Future meetings take place in Kippen 

Reading Rooms at 7:30 p.m. usually on the 

3 rd Wednesday of the month. All are most 

welcome (visitors £3). 

Future meetings: 

• 18 th October – Ukraine 

• 15 th November – Stories, Books, Verse 

• 13 th December – Pot Luck Supper 

• 17 th January – Haggis supper with 

traditional music 

• 21 st February – Travel talk 

• 20 th March – Craft night 

• 17 th April – visit to Japanese Gardens 

• 15 th May – business meeting, Music 

Further information about Kippen SWI 

may be found on Facebook, or by calling 

Helen Wilson, secretary, on 01786 870672. 

Helen Wilson / Fiona Clark 

Kippen Cuppa 

Kippen Cuppa welcomes anyone who 

wants to come along to meet up with 

friends, or make new friends, whether 

you’re lonely, new to the village or just 

wanting to have a laugh over a cup of tea. 

It is run by a merry team of village 

volunteers, and we offer a friendly, smiley, 

and welcoming atmosphere. And, if you’re 

lucky, we like to share our baking attempts. 

Entry is free however we would appreciate 

a wee donation of £1 to help cover the cost 

of renting the room. 

Every Thursday, 1.30pm - 3.30pm in 

Kippen Reading Room. 

All welcome to the real village chat room. 

Ali Thom 


THE KIPPEN VILLAGE HALL 


After a busy summer which saw the return of the hugely successful Kippen Flower Show, 

as well as the Kippen Dance Club summer workshops for children between P1 and S1, life 

in the Hall has settled back into its autumn routine... a list of all the regular activities can be 

seen below. It’s good to see the Booking Calendar filling up with private bookings between 

now and the end of the year! 

The Kippen Dance Club return to the Hall during the 2-week school holidays in October, 

with workshops taking place Tuesday-Friday each week. November will see the Kippen 

FC holding their Annual Awards Night on 4 th Nov; on 24 th Nov there will be a Surgery for 

constituents to attend and discuss concerns or issues with Evelyn Tweed, MSP for the 

Stirling Constituency (by appointment only); on 25 th Nov, the Kippen Playgroup & Toddlers 

hold their annual Christmas Market. 

The Kippen village Hall AGM took place on 5 th September and Committee Members were 

joined by two members of the community... their participation and input to the discussions 

was most welcome. A new Committee was appointed, including the appointment of two 

new members: 

Claire Thomson (Chair); Richard Boyd (Treasurer); Alice Boyd (Secretary); Rosie Cochrane 

(Bookings Secretary) 

Ordinary Members: Jon Evans; Henry Law; Frances Carlaw; George Carlaw; Ruth McLaren 

Due to relocation, Toby Ross who served as Treasurer over the past 18 months, has 

stepped down from the committee. We are extremely grateful to Toby for all the work he 

has done during his time as Treasurer, particularly in getting us up to speed with online 

banking and streamlining our finance processes! We are also very fortunate to be able to 

“co-opt” the skills of James Thomson to help with issues related to the sound system/PA 

and heating as and when required... thank you! 

As always, please consider using the Village Hall for any events/functions happening within 

the community or your families! You can book online at: https://hallbookingonline.com/ 

kippen. 

Mon 19.00 Yoga 

Tue 09.30 Playgroup (term-time only) 

18.30 Fitness Class 

19.30 Badminton Club (resumes 5 th Sept) 

Wed 10.00 Strength & Balance Class 

Thu 08.30 Fitness Class 

09.15 Move It! Class 

10.15 Toddlers 

Fri 09.30 Playgroup (term-time only) 

Sat 08.45 Fitness Class 

Ruth McLaren 



Kippen Community Woodland Group 

As regular users of Burnside Wood will be aware, our main focus 

over the summer has been the area around the pond. Thanks to 

Wallace Weir, a large ash tree near the pond affected by Chalara 

dieback, a disease caused by a fungus, has now been felled. 

The location of the tree in a well-frequented area of the wood 

combined with its poor condition meant it was best for it to be 

felled rather than leaving it to fall naturally. 

Felling the tree 

was a complex 

operation which would not have been 

possible without the skill and equipment 

of Weir Forestry. A huge thanks to 

Wallace Weir (and his family) for giving 

up time on a Sunday in exchange for 

the timber. Thanks also to members 

of the Woodland Group who provided 

support on the day and to everyone for 

respecting the footpath closure and no 

parking signs. 

It has been 5 years since vegetation was 

cleared from the pond and it is starting 

to look over-grown. We have attempted to clear some vegetation away from the sides of 

the pond as we investigate alternatives to an excavator going into the pond. The clearance 

and felling has started to open up the area around the pond. 

It has become apparent that the 

boardwalk along the west side 

of the pond is nearing the end of 

its life. Rather than attempting to 

repair, it is intended to remove it, 

culvert the outlet from the pond 

and infill with aggregate to provide 

an even surface. We are in the 

process of obtain quotes prior to 

applying for funding. 

Woodland work mornings continue 

to be held on the first Sunday of the 

month with a start time of 10.30am. 

All equipment is provided, and we 

would encourage local residents 

to become involved. Committee 

meetings are held quarterly, and our next meeting (the AGM) will take place towards the 

end of the year. Please get in touch via kippenwoodlandgroup@gmail.com if you would 

like find out more about the work of the Group, come along to the AGM or receive details 

of our activities. 

Paula Watson, Secretary 


Minister’s Musings 

Spooky and Eerie 

The weather has changed in the last few 

weeks, cool evenings and misty mornings 

allow the dew to settle on the spiders’ 

webs in the garden. Walks to school are 

eerie in the mist spotting the bejewelled 

webs on the hedges and bushes. The tree 

covered paths when the September glow 

of evening comes earlier leaves spooky 

shadows accompanied by the soundtrack 

of birds and beasts preparing for the winter 

months. Leaves changing and falling. The 

apples in the orchard have been picked, 

eaten, or kept safe for months to come. 

Autumn welcomes the time of year when 

nights draw in along with the spooky and 

eerie holiday of Halloween. All Hallow’s Eve 

marks a three-day remembering within 

the ancient church of those who have 

died (All Saints and All Souls are the other 

two days) while recognising that death is 

a mystery and we humans fear what we 

don’t easily understand or can see fully. We 

acknowledge our fears. 

Halloween now days has scary costumes 

and sometimes spooky, eerie activities. 

People dress up and sometimes go above 

and beyond to scare or be scared. The 

unexpected and unexplained can cause us 

to fear anything that goes bump in the dark. 

I know I used to fear a lot at Halloween and 

hate going out at night and even though I 

am not a fan of horror films I love a dark 

night down the garden. 

In the bible it is often said that there are 

365 verses that have the phrasing ‘fear 

not’ or ‘don’t be afraid’ as a way of telling 

people who follow Jesus that we are not a 

people of fear but of faith. A people who 

face the challenges and spooky or eerie 

aspects of life knowing God’s love is bigger. 

In the gospel of John, the words about Jesus 

coming into the world says that the ‘Light 

shines in the darkness, and the darkness 

can not overcome it.’ Fear happens in life. 

We experience scary, frightening things. 

Fear is our response; however, we believe 


that with God our fears will not overcome 

us. We believe Jesus – the light of the world 

– is with us even in our fears. 

The future is unknown, there are things in 

the darkness that scare me, and at times I 

am afraid. Yet, I hold onto hope amid my 

fears, right when all seems dark, there is 

love and light to see me through. Whatever 

the challenges, do not be overcome with 

fear when faced with the spooky and even 

scary things. Jesus came into the world to 

show us light and love and face our fears 

with us. God’s love is steadfast amid all the 

times and changing seasons. Even if we 

can’t be fearless, we can fear less knowing 

we are loved and good exists. 

God bless, Ellen 

Creative Church for Children - If you have 

been in Kippen Kirk recently, you may have 

noticed that there are cushions and tables at 

the front, some books, toys and a big bean 

bag. During our 11.15 am service there is 

space for the children to be creative and 

learn about bible stories and how much God 

loves us through art, creating and even a few 

science experiments (lemons can light up 

lights and Oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid). 

Creative Church is not every Sunday but 

throughout the year many Sundays during 

school time, there is something creative 

happening during worship from painting to 

making something with clay. So, if you are 

curious come along or contact Ellen. 

Remembrance Sunday, 12 th November 

at 10.45 am - an Act of Remembrance with 

wreath laying will take place at the War 

Memorial at the Cross followed by an All-Age 

Worship service in Kippen Parish Church at 

11.15 am. 



KIPPEN READING ROOMS 

The Reading Rooms are now very much back in action, and we 

welcome all comers to use the rooms as a meeting place in the 

village. 

As the winter beckons, we start to think about indoor activities, and 

some very good talks are now happening in the Reading Room. 

The Kippen Cuppa continues every Thursday. 

Booking a spot is still a manual process, contact Betty McAllister, 

although we will shortly adopt a new system, similar to that used by 

the Village Hall. 

With the building renovations and internal re-organisation and 

improvements now complete, the Management Committee has been 

assessing the potential priorities for further changes, replacements 

and improvements. 

Subject to funds being available, it is hoped to replace the projector system in the main 

room as the current one is now over 25 years old and not particularly easy to operate. 

Secondly, in order to increase general awareness of the rooms and facilities, serious 

consideration is being given to printing a promotional information booklet which would 

be delivered to all houses in the community at the same time as the flyer for the next 

jumble sale. That sale will take place on Saturday 4 th November opening at 10.00am. 

Please note, the Reading Room will be open for the receipt of items on Friday 3 rd 

November between 4.00 until 7.00pm. Anyone interested in helping with the sale will be 

most welcome but please contact a committee member first. 

Richard Muir-Simpson 


Playgroup 


We were delighted to be back at Playgroup after the summer holidays. After saying 

goodbye to the older children last term as they headed off to school, the next year group 

down are revelling in their newfound position of being the eldest. It’s a joy to watch them 

grow, gain confidence and care for the younger members of the group. 

So far this term the children have been 

adventurous palaeontologists (tracking 

dinosaur footprints down Rennie’s Loan), expert 

foragers (gathering brambles for painting as 

well as eating of course!) and budding scientists 

(deciphering how Gerry the Church’s robot 

lawnmower manages to travel about). All this 

whilst still managing to find the time to have 

regular tea parties with their best china. 

If you spot us when we are out on a ramble, 

don’t be afraid to come say hello, we are very friendly and love to chat. 

We currently have space in our Tuesday morning group. If you know an adventurous 

2–5-year-old, please contact Lindsey at kippenplaygroup@gmail.com to arrange your 

free trial session. 

Our Thursday toddler group has also been 

very busy. When cycling fever hit the village 

in August, we joined in the fun with our own 

speedy cycling session in the hall. We have also 

been getting creative painting our own faces, 

hosting our own cinema session, and we had a 

brilliant sing song with Bookbug. We also hosted 

a family fun day during the summer holidays. 

We had a brilliant turnout and enjoyed a BBQ 

very kindly cooked by Skinners and beautiful 

gelato from Farrah’s. 

Over the last few weeks, we have also instigated a much-needed new group. Lois from 

Move It! has very kindly agreed to host a child friendly fitness class in the village hall on a 

Thursday morning prior to our usual Toddlers session. So, for all you parents and carers, 

there is now no excuse to not stay in shape and you can also enjoy the much-deserved 

cake after the session (but maybe don’t tell Lois about that bit!) Message us or email Lois 

at lois.spn24@gmail.com for more information. 

Lastly, it’s that time of year again, our annual 

Christmas market is back. We will have local 

craftsperson’s, food and drink stalls, gifts and 

jewellery as well as crafts to entertain the 

children and delicious home baking. It truly 

is the best way to start of the festive period. 

This year it is on the 25 th of November. 1-5pm. 

Email kippenchristmasmarket@gmail.com if 

you are interested in having a stall. We’d love 

to see you all there. 



Primary 1/2 

At Kippen Primary School our Primary 1/2s have looked specifically at the Lighthouse Keepers 

Lunch by Ronda and David Armitage. This book has been hugely enjoyable and has inspired 

some very creative learning through, art, play, science, writing and learning about nutrition. 

Through continuously creating cross curricular links we created healthy sandwiches which 

we would like to find inside our pack lunch boxes. 

We discussed why certain foods can be given 

as a treat and how others are important to help 

us grow big and strong. Primary 1/2 expressed 

a great deal of interest with where lighthouses 

are located. We spoke about why they may be in 

different places and which animals we could find 

surrounding them. We used this experience to 

produce some super writing and illustrations. “The 

seagulls liked the sandwiches but not as much as I 

liked the Nutella sandwiches we made.” 

“I didn’t like it when the seagulls started stealing the sandwiches.” Due to this, we created a 

piece of writing discussing what we class as a disgusting sandwich. We looked at a variety 

of food groups and looked within our packed lunch boxes. 

During art we have created our very own seagull sculptures, healthy pack lunch drawings 

and paintings of our very own lighthouses. “I like doing the paintings and being able to use 

different colours for the stripes.” 

We have all had so much fun and we can’t wait for next term! 

Primary 2/3 

Primary 2/3 settled into the first term of the school 

year very well. Our learning context this term has 

been the ‘Oceans and Seas.’ We started out by 

reading the non-fiction ‘The Blue Whale’ by Jenni 

Desmond. We learned so much and were able to 

create our own fact files about blue whales. We 

now have our very own giant stuffed blue whale in 

our classroom. We have named him David. David 

has a bad habit of eating all the class stationery! 

We also read ‘Dolphin Boy’ by Michael Morpurgo 

and wrote newspaper articles about the exciting 

events of the story. Our classroom is full of all our 

lovely work, and we have been inspired by our 

lovely aquarium wall full of fantastic colourful fish 

that we made from paper plates. 

Alongside reading these lovely books we have 

learned about where the oceans and seas are in the world and the effects of plastic 

pollution. We have learned about ‘floating and sinking’ and participated in some exciting 

STEM activities to investigate it. Our classroom was very wet at the end of the day, but we 

had lots of fun and learned a lot! We continued our investigation of plastic in our oceans 

and explored different materials we could use instead of plastic. We also talked about 


ways that we could recycle plastic and even discovered that teddy bears and soft blankets 

could be made out of recycled plastic bottles! 

“I have enjoyed learning about ocean animals. We know lots about the blue whale and know 

lots about sharks too.” (Lisa P3) 

“I made a raft with wood and balanced 5 people on it…it was a bit wobbly, but it floated quite 

well.” (Alfie P2) 

“I made a boat with lolly sticks; it was a proper boat and it floated really well!” (Anders P2) 

“My boat was made with 2 toilet roll tubes, and I covered them with a plastic bag to stop them 

getting soggy. The bag made my boat waterproof, and I even had a steering wheel on it” (Belle P2) 

Primary 3/4 


Here in Primary 3 / 4 we have been learning about The Romans. We started off looking 

at maps of the World and the areas that the Romans had invaded and conquered. Next 

we looked at how the Romans lived and the influences they made, many of which are still 

seen today. We looked at what life like in the Roman Army and learned that they often 

marched 20 miles a day in heavy armour! 

Next we looked at some of the things 

the Romans had built such as roads, 

aqueducts bridges and buildings like 

The Colosseum. Did you know that 

wealthy Romans enjoyed Dormouse 

as a delicacy? We know the wealthy 

Romans liked to party and we did 

learn the song ‘ Walk Like a Roman ‘. 

We created some artwork by drawing 

Roman pillars in crayon and using 

water colours to create mosaic 

flooring like in the Roman Villas. The 

Romans loved going to the theatre 

and the actors shouted and overacted 

to keep their audience awake! We made theatre masks of different characters with our 

own ideas for Roman plays. We also made Roman helmets when we learned about the 

armour and body wear they would need for battle. We wrote reports about what we 

would remember about The Romans and this is what some of us thought. 

The thing I will remember most about the Romans is how they built the roads (Sorcha P4). 

The thing I will remember most about the Romans is that they ate mice! (Calvin P4) 

The thing I will remember most about the Romans is the Roman builders. (Isla P3) 

The thing I will remember most about the Romans is the ‘turtle formation’ army move. 

(Noah P3) 

We learned a lot of different facts about the Romans and the impact they have had on 

our world. 



Primary 4/5 

In P4/5 our context for learning this term has 

been based on our class novel ‘The Creakers’. 

The Creakers is a great story about a hidden 

world which can be found through a portal 

that appears under your bed. As well as being 

an exciting and funny story with lots of great 

characters and adventures, it also includes 

a theme of sustainability. So, as well as lots 

of learning opportunities around the novel 

itself, P4/5 also got to explore how we can all 

live in a more sustainable way. We finished off 

the topic by carrying out a series of lessons to 

create a sustainable city. We looked at cities 

around the world and how they use different 

innovative ways to be more sustainable. Then 

in groups the children generated some ideas 

of what they could include in their sustainable 

city under the headings of transport, energy, 

food, nature and waste. They created a 2D 

plan of their city before building a 3D model. 

The children brought in loads of recyclable 

materials to build their models and have 

demonstrated amazing teamwork to create 

interesting and thoughtful sustainable cities. 

Primary 5/6 

This term, P5/6 started by doing a novel study on Why The Whales Came by Michael 

Morpurgo. This book was about people living on an island called Bryher, set during WWI, 

and was about how people treated each other and how to look after the nature around 

you. 

To go with this novel, we created whale art with colourful backgrounds based on art by Ted 

Harrison. “I liked the whale art because of all the colours in the background for the whales’ 

– Orlagh. We also created bird art by following instructions step by step and colouring our 

drawings in with pencils. Some of us chose a hawk for our wall piece and others chose our 

eagle. We created a blended blue background for these to make them stand out and then 

we wrote descriptive poems to go alongside them. “I liked the textures of the birds, and 

the background makes it look as though they are high in the sky.” – Daniel. 

We are also learning to use code through Scratch and BBC Microbits, and we are going to 

create mini lighthouses with recycled bottled which will have a flashing light. “I liked that 

you could make shapes which lit up on the Microbits which say things like hello!” – Dougal. 

We are hoping to use the Microbits to control a circuit which will light up the lighthouse 

with our own flash patterns and we will learn a little bit about morse code so that we can 

send messages through our lighthouse too. 


Primary 6/7 


It has been a very exciting and fun filled term for P6/7. We started our journey with our 

House Captain and Vice-Captain elections, which were a great success. We continued this 

theme of responsibility and introduced school-wide responsibility leaders. These include 

lunchtime clubs, playground monitors, health 

and wellbeing groups, community links, head 

teacher feedback and learning leaders. We 

enthusiastically look forward to the challenge 

of being role models and are ready to explore 

these roles throughout the year. 

In terms of our topic focus this term, we have 

been studying WW2. We began by exploring 

the causes and the ‘Road to War.’ We briefly 

explored WW1 and the countries involved in 

this conflict. We then made our way through 

the timeline of WW2 and explored what life was 

like for adults and children throughout WW2. We have been reading ‘Carrie’s War’ by Nina 

Bawden, which follows the experience of young evacuees who 

were sent to the Welsh countryside to escape the conflict in 

the city. Throughout this study we have created diary entries, 

letters home and even made our very own suitcases fit for an 

evacuee. Additionally, we designed and created our own Gas 

masks. We explored the impact on the Home Front such as 

the ‘Blitz’ and the ‘Women’s Land Army.’ We have designed our 

own propaganda posters that would influence people to think 

or act differently to help the war effort. Furthermore, we have 

explored the various methods of fighting which include land, 

sea and air. We created black and white detailed drawings of 

air force spitfire planes designed for various countries fighting 

in the war. We were also very fortunate to have experienced 

a modern-day rationing kit, brought in and explained by 

a parent who has military experience. We were given that 

chance to taste different foods that are given to soldiers in 

modern day conflict, and we reflected on what may have been 

given to soldiers during WW2. 

“It was really interesting to find out all the different reasons why WW2 happened. I didn’t realise 

there were so many causes!” (Fraser D P7) 

“The thing I found most interesting was exploring how many European countries Nazi Germany 

and the Axis powers were able to invade” (Denny P7) 

“I found learning about the leaders of different countries very interesting. What their policies 

where and how they treated their own country. I think the treatment of certain groups 

throughout the war was incredibly cruel and hurtful.” (Anna P7) 

“I enjoyed learning about the Women’s role in WW2. The women’s land army and the munitions 

works in factories were so brave and strong.” (Bryony P7) 

“Anne’s Frank’s diary and life experience was so sad and so interesting. It must have been so 

difficult to experience.” (Marlie P7) 



Kippen Flower Show celebrates 120th Birthday in Style 

After an absence of 3 years, Kippen’s 120th Flower Show returned with a shiny new(ish) 

committee comprising professional horticulturalists, knowledgeable amateurs, and enthusiastic 

novices. All with the common desire to prevent the sad demise of this much-loved village 

tradition. The format was largely unchanged from previous years but with some minor tweaks 

which hopefully made it more inclusive. This year we allocated prize money to all the children’s 

sections, in the hope that we will inspire our next generation and future proof the flower show 

in years to come. We hope to build on this in the future. 

The show took place on Saturday 19 th August with everyone receiving a very warm welcome 

resulting in an encouraging 86 entrants, and 430 entries in total. 

Many trophies were rendered including the brand-new Muriel Maitland Memorial Trophy for 

floral art (confined). The trophies have now had major restoration and outstanding engraving 

completed back to 2017. Winners of the trophies are listed below: 

Best in Show 

Best Onion 

Best Carrot 

Best Leek 

Best Begonia in a pot 

Best Decorative Dahlia 

Best Pom-Pom Dahlia 

Best Rose 

Winner 

G Gourlay 

J Burrows 

J Burrows 

S McIntyre 

S McIntyre 

D Muirhead 

D McIlroy 

Cup Category Winner 

A. Kerr Cup - Best in Show Best in Show - Judges Choice R. Armstrong 

(Gladioli) 

William Dougall Memorial 

Cup 

Cowan Trophy - Junior 

Margaret Muirhead Memorial 

Trophy 

Highest Sunflower 

Best in Children’s Section - Judges 

Choice 

Best In Dahlias 

Carole Seymour 

B Warttig 

S. McIntyre 

Maitland Trophy Floral Art Margery Stirling 

Also, to be won were prizes 

for the Kippen bake off, and a 

raffle prize which was drawn 

from the entrants. 

Following our AGM on 27 th 

September, we have started 

work in earnest for next 

year’s Kippen Flower Show, 

which will have new classes 

which, we hope, will be more 

inclusive and current. Please 

email and let us know if 

there is anything you would 

like to see next year, we will 

consider anything! 

Billy Davidson Memorial 

Cup 

Award for Open Classes 

Best Double Begonia (pot) 

S. McIntyre 

A Buchanan Trowel Best in Begonias S. McIntyre 

Ross-Anderson Challenge Most points in plants/cut flowers S. McIntyre 

W. Low Cup Best collection of potatoes L. Hepburn 

Muir-Simpson Cup Most points in veg J. Burrows 

Kippen Environment Centre 

Cup 

Best in Organic Gardening Classes N. Hirst 

Ogilvie Cup Judges Choice in Floral Art Margery Stirling 

Awards for Confined Classes 

Aileen Smith Memorial Best in herbaceous flowers D. Shaw 

Fraser Cup Most points in cut flowers D.Shaw 

Will Johnston Memorial Best in Gladioli R. Armstrong 

Willie Low Memorial Cup Best in Rose D.Shaw 

Glentirran Cup Sweet Peas D.Shaw 

Pankhurst Salver Most Points in Vegetables R.Johnstone 

Spowart Cup Best Collection of Potatoes Lawrence Hepburn 

Colville Trophy Most points in Industrial Classes M. Armstrong 

Scotch Oven Trophy Most points in baking classes M.Armstrong 



Photography Annabel Griffin 

So, get your recipe books dusted off, your 

gardens prepared, your craft box opened, 

put 17 th August 2024 in your calendar, and 

we look forward to seeing you there. 

kippenflowershow@hotmail.com 


Did you know 

28 www.theweevine.org

Did you know 

Stirling celebrates record crowds for UCI Cycling World 

Championships 

Stirling is celebrating after record crowds 

attended the 2023 UCI Cycling World 

Championships events in the area. 

An additional 75,000 people packed into 

Stirling city centre during the three days of 

the Individual Time Trials (9 th - 11 th August) 

compared to the same days the previous 

week, while other spectators cheered on 

the athletes along the race routes in rural 

communities and dedicated fan zones. 

On Friday (11 th August), Stirling hosted 

80,000 people with many cycling fans 

travelling from across the world, creating 

an unforgettable carnival atmosphere for 

the Men Elite and Junior Individual Time 

Trials. 

Millions tuned in around the world for the 

thrilling events, with Stirling’s spectacular 

scenery, iconic attractions and beautiful 

rolling countryside taking centre stage in 

the summer sunshine. 

With an event of this size and scale, 

inevitably there was some disruption for 

residents and businesses through road 

closures, and the event organisers and the 

Council would like to thank them again for 

their patience and support. 

Stirling Council Leader, Cllr Chris Kane said: 

“We were proud to welcome the world 

to Stirling during the 2023 UCI Cycling 

World Championships, and to attract an 

additional 75,000 visitors into the city 

centre over the three days of the Individual 

Time Trials is simply phenomenal. 

Not everyone got the significance of this 

chicken on the road, painted by a Dutchman. 

Kippen is Dutch for chicken and the writing is 

“Kippen wall”, a term I think used in the Alps 

in the Tour de France. 

June Waley 

www.theweevine.org 29 

Photography Annabel Griffin

Did you know 

Northern Lights 

This is Anastasia Mizina’s photo taken about 

1:00am on Tuesday 12 th September. 

Mary Lawson 

Across: 1 Reorganisations, 9 Bullion, 10 Overdue, 11/22/20 The acting profession, 

12 Nondescript, 13 Ableseamen, 15/3 Alec guinness, 18 Sept, 23 Charcuterie, 25 Gas, 

26 Subside, 27 Passage, 28 Engagement rings. 

Down: 1 Rebuttals, 2 Oil well, 4 Ninon, 5 Stone-deaf, 6 Thence, 7 Old Bill, 8 Sheet, 

14 Airstream, 16 Canisters, 17 Assessor, 19 Peatbog, 21 Ingrain, 23 Caste, 24 Ripen. 


Police Report 

PC Matt McCammon 

On 14 August 2023 PC Matt McCammon joined the Community Policing team at Balfron 

Police Office for the Forth and Endrick ward. Matt arrives in his new post with nine years 

Policing Service, having previously worked in the Callander and Stirling areas. 

Theft 

There have been a number of thefts/ attempted thefts of motorcycles in the Kippen area. 

Please remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to Police. 

A report was received were by a secure garage was broken in to and an attempt made to 

steal Motorcycle within. 

A report was received of a Motorcycle having been stolen from within the curtilage of a 

dwelling. 

A further report was received of a Motorcycle having been taken from a property in the 

Kippen area. 

Enquiries remain ongoing in regards to the above crimes. 

Furthermore, there has also been a number of thefts of chickens/ hens in nearby villages. 

Road Safety 

A number of speeding offences have been detected in on the A811 around the Kippen and 

Arnprior areas with thanks to the Camera Safety Partnership. 

A male was stopped by Police at Main Street, Kippen after seen driving in an erratic 

manner. The male was subsequently arrested and charged in relation to drink driving. He 

was released to appear at court at a later agreed date. 

Antisocial Behaviour 

Reports were received in relation to tacks being discarded onto Fore Road, Kippen at 

the time of the UCI Cycling Championships. This has been recorded as a Culpable and 

Reckless Conduct however remains undetected at this time. 

Reports were received of two males fighting outside a local licensed premises. Police 

attended however there was no trace of the males. 

Is your motorcycle a target for thieves? 

Motorcycles and scooters are an easy target for thieves, but theft does not have to be 

inevitable, a few simple steps could reduce your chances of becoming a victim. 


Police Report 

Security tips when out and about 

• Ensure your bike is fitted with a combined alarm and immobiliser 

• Fit a tracker 

• Attach a combination of chain, disc lock and U-lock. Do not rely on one device, the 

more security placed on your bike, the less attractive it is to a thief. The longer it takes 

to overcome the security, the more of a deterrent it is 

• Try to park under streetlights 

• When applying your locks, ensure they are secured to a solid anchor point or a 

permanent piece of street furniture. Keep the lock off the ground where possible as 

this makes it difficult to cut off. 

• Cover your motorcycle and ensure the cover is attached to the security device 

• If possible use Thatcham , Sold Secure or Secured By Design approved devices. These 

have been industry tested and are generally agreed to be amongst the most robust 

security devices available. 

• Ensure you always activate the steering lock 

• Do not leave your helmet or other possessions on the motorcycle or in luggage space 

or panniers. 

• Look out for car parks that are accredited to the Parkmark scheme, as they are safer 

places to park vehicles. Log onto parkmark.co.uk for a list of car parks on your area 

• Be vigilant, ensure that you are not being followed home and check for suspicious 

items attached to your motorcycle or transporting vehicle/trailer that could be used 

to track your whereabouts 

Social Media 

The increase in use of Social Media and GPS Tracker apps are making it easier for criminals 

to plan their thefts from the comfort of their home. Think about what you share on any 

app. and regularly review your security settings - make sure your posts do not identify 

your home. 

Tracking Devices 

Tracking devices are an effective covert security measure. Although they may not prevent 

a theft, they assist Police in tracing and recovering vehicles quickly. 

Marking and Identification Systems 

Datatag ID - Datatag is a piece of technology which can be attached to various parts of 

your motorcycle. It comes in different forms, dependent on what is most appropriate and 

is unique to each individual. 

Datatag assists Police identify the owner of the vehicle should it be stolen and later 

recovered even if the motorcycle has been taken apart. 

For more information on this product, please visit www.datatag.co.uk 

Alternatively, you can mark your motorcycle by adding your own unique markings. For 

example, mark your postcode or registration number on various parts of the bike. 


Police Report 

Security Tips at Home 

If you have a garage, shed or storage area consider securing your motorcycle there. 

• Fit a hasp and padlock with dome headed non-return screws to prevent tampering. 

Consider Sold Secure soldsecure.com or Secured by Design www.securedbydesign. 

com products 

• Secure windows and don’t enable people to see inside with curtains or opaque film. 

Fit grills, heavy mesh or reinforced glass 

• If you have a house alarm consider extending it to cover, garages and outbuildings 

• If your garage adjoins your home and there is a through door it should be external 

quality and kept lock 

• Secure your bike within the storage area with a ground anchor and chain 

If you have any information in relation to stolen motorcycles please contact Police Scotland 

via 101 or 999 in an emergency 

Report anonymously via the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 

What basic steps can I take to protect my home? 

Having your home broken into is not common. There are however many ways that you 

can help secure your home. They don’t all cost money – some are common sense and 

good housekeeping. 

First, think about basic good housekeeping routines that aren’t expensive: 

• 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 

• See details on letter-plates, glazing and adjacent windows advice below 

• Don’t put your name or room number on your keyring if you live in shared 

accommodation, if it is lost or stolen, the thief will have information that could direct 

them there 

• 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 


Police Report 

website - this includes mobile phones, cameras, laptops and tablets 

• Don’t leave valuables where they can be seen through a window - for example, 

around the tree at Christmas time 

• If you have a wall calendar, avoid having it shown near a window from where 

appointments can be seen - people may see when there will be no one in. 

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’s Graeme McNulty and Matt McCammon are the Ward Officers for the Forth and 

Endrick area. They are 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 however this should not be used 

to report crimes. 

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 


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) 

Blue Juice Media 

Brian Reynolds Carpentry (870531) 

Cameron Skinner, Skinner of Kippen (870203) 

Central Auto Repairs (Glengyle) (870254) 

David Kirkwood, Fishmonger 

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

Kippen Singing Studio 

McNicolls Country Store (870237) 

Renantis 

Stephen Paul Associates (870906) 

The Cross Keys (870293) 

The Inn at Kippen (870500) 

The Woodhouse (870156) 

For those not familiar with the name “Renantis” this is the parent company of the 

community facility known as “The Windfarm,” to whom our grateful thanks are due for the 

significant support provided. 

A welcome addition to our family of supporters is “Blue Juice Media”, who provide 

video coverage of many local (and non-local) events. 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 


McNicoll’s Country Store 

Licensed Grocer - Open 7 days 

• Large Freezer Section 

• 5 Metre Dairy Cabinet 

• Newsagent 

• Fresh Fruit & Vegetables 

• Fresh Bakery Rolls Daily 

• National Lottery Outlet 

• Post Office Services 

• Payments can be made by 

credit/debit cards 

• Contactless Payments Available 

Main Street, Kippen. 

Tel: 01786 870 237

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