Flying High

President  Patsy Paton welcomed Michael Smith of Kirriemuir who gave an account of the aerial photography he and his father carry out  for their firm, Flying Scotscam. 

They survey roofs of buildings to investigate works needing done and build up brick by brick drawings of monuments, for example. He brought along his remote control helicopter with camera and demonstrated how it flew with the aid of a mini version. 

Michael displayed a number of beautiful cards with local scenes, judged members' photography and Marion McDonald proposed the vote of thanks.

Before closing the meeting, Patsy thanked tea hostesses, Elizabeth Duncan and Sandra Boath.

Competitions

Pot Plant 1. Patsy Paton 2. Sandra Boath 3. Caroline Lang

Photo of Angus Monument 1. Susan McLaren  2.  Aileen Pearson  3. Sandra Boath

Flower of the Month 1. Marion Webster 2. Margaret Mackie 3. Patsy Paton

                                           

Next meeting will be held on 4 December. Members are reminded to bring finger food.

Sporting Success

Congratulations! 
to Cortachy WRI who won the Ruralympics, held for the first time in Webster’s Sports Centre, Kirriemuir,

 to the other winning teams - Kingsmuir 2^nd and Menmuir 3^rd. 

'Thank you', to all the teams who competed and without whom, there would be no event.

A Colourful Evening

President Patsy Paton welcomed members and introduced Trish Brown of Meigle who demonstrated her skill in painting silk and embellishing the piece with embroidery and other needlework techniques.

Business of the evening included the report of a meeting, held at Clova hotel, on defibrilators. Cortachy WRI has raised enough money to buy a defibrilator and plans are now in hand to create a secure and accessible store for the equipment and to arrange appropriate training for people in the area.

It was announced that the Association of Country Women of the World's walk round Kinnordy and Kirriemuir earlier this summer, reported and illustrated here, had raised £545.

Caroline Lang thanked Trish for her demonstration and expressed the admiration of the audience for Trish's ability to create atmospheric images from an apparently unstructured grouping of colours.

Competitions –

Strawberry Tart – 1, Sandra Boath, 2, Susan McLaren, 3, Valerie MacAllister.

Painted Stone – 1, Valerie MacAllister , 2, Sandra Boath, 3, Ella McKay.

Flower of the Month – 1, Helen Atkinson, 2, Moira Ronin, 3, Susan McLaren.

Squirrelling Away

The speaker for the evening was Ken Neil, Project Officer for Tayside with SWT. He gave an account of the populations of native red squirrels in Tayside and the alien species, the greys which had been introduced. He summarized what was being done to protect the reds. Saving red squirrels is a partnership between SWT and SNH. 

Ella McKay proposed the vote of thanks.

Before closing the meeting, the president thanked tea hostesses, Moira Ronan and Mary Friedrich 

Competitions

Seed Collage -  1, Patsy Paton    2, Sandra Boath    3, Moira Ronan

Macaroon Bar - 1, Sandra Boath, 2, Margaret Mackie             

Flower of the Month - 1, Margaret Mackie,  2,  Ella McKay 3,  Sandra Boath

Next meeting will be held on 2 October.

Competitions will be a painted stone, 2 strawberry tarts and flower of the month.

Follow, Follow, we will follow Cortachy SWRI!

Welcome to our first 'Follower' Rev. Linda Steven. To follow our blog and receive notification of new posts, click 'Follow' on the right hand side bar.

Fancy taking part in Tayside's attempt to break the world record for the most people knitting together on 8th September 2013 at Tannadice football park in Dundee? 

This is a fund raiser for an Alzheimer's charity. 

Read an article in the Courier by following this link 
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/dundee/monifieth-knitters-hit-snag-in-bid-for-world-record-1.97064

Contact Norma Duncan of Monifieth at thebigknit2013@yahoo.co.uk.

Please share this round SWRI rurals and craft groups. 

A Remarkably Lively 90 Year Old

 Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday, Cortachy Rural,

Happy Birthday to you.

Friends of long standing,

party food,

well prepared 

and presented;

honoured guests, 

good company,

happy memories.

Cortachy's Honorary President, Lady Airlie, and SWRI National Chairman, Isobel Robertson, cut the cake. 

Members,

present

and 

 past.

The Rural family

Cortachy Castle Gardens

A gentle stroll,

through scented azaleas,

to the pond.

Magnificent blooms

Generations

of members, 

Forget me not . . . fond remembrance.

 A happy group

in a sweetly scented garden.

Cortachy Rural's 90th Birthday Party 

 ended with tea and shortbread, 

 laughter

and sincere thanks for all our blessings. 

AGM & Prizegiving

President Patsy Paton welcomed members to the AGM and prize giving evening.Tickets and trophies from the Federation show were presented as were the prizes and trophies for the institute’s monthly competitions.

The former Boath / McKay Quaich for teenagers which has not been in use for some years was presented in its new role, as the prize for our new, regular ‘Flower of the Month’ competition.

Elsie Nicoll and Jane Butterworth from Memus & Fern institute counted the ballot papers for next session’s committee and the new officials were announced.

Patsy Paton congratulated successful members, thanked retiring secretary Susan McLaren, the session’s outgoing committee members and our guest scrutineers for their services and invited the company to enjoy a scrumptious supper.

Competitions –

Painted flowerpot – 1, Sandra Boath, 2, Helen Atkinson, 3, Ella MacKay.

Individual savoury tart  – 1, Sandra Boath, 2, Helen Atkinson, 3, Margaret Mackie.

Flower of the Month – 1, Margaret Jack, 2, Marion McDonald, 3, Helen Atkinson.
Gypsy Creams - Margaret Mackie.      

Prizewinners

Federation -

Caroline Lang Bulb Salver - Susan McLaren

Institute -

Caroline Lang Salver (Federation Show points) – (joint) Sandra Boath, Marion McDonald;
Jubilee Salver (most points in Fed Show bulb section) – Patsy Paton
Wardhaugh Mitchell Industrial Trophy - Sandra Boath, runner up - Patsy Paton

Mrs Winter’s Horticultural Trophy - Sandra Boath, runner up - Ella MacKay.

Boath McKay Flower of the Month Quaich - Margaret Mackie

A.C.W.W. Women Walk the World

Members of Angus Federation of SWRI were blessed with sunshine for a walk from Kinnordy Loch, though Kirrie Den into the wee red town.

Monday morning was a bright sunny, dry day and it was a joy to walk out through the countryside and to enjoy the beauty of the well kept park that lies at the base of Kirrie Den where the burn snakes its way through a steep ravine forming a naturally sheltered spot, much loved by generations of Kirrie folk. The walk was a sociable event with a staggered start, and some early - and energetic - birds set out from Kirrie and met the later starters from Kinnordy, eventually joining up with the final contingent.

The walk was part of an Association of Country Women of the World 'Walk the World' initiative and after pausing - and posing - for a photograph at local sculptor, Bruce Walker's World globe sculpture, holding flags representing the countries of the World, walkers adjourned to the Old Parish Church hall for a cup of tea, kindly laid on by members of Kirriemuir SWRI. Thank you, ladies for that.

A.C.W.W. World President, May Kidd, spoke very briefly of the plight of women throughout the world, referring to babies dying of HIV in Africa, female infanticide in India and street children living in sewers in Bucharest. May brought along some useful countrymen to the event, one of whom took photos, and the other one minded a Jack Russell at tea time. Her lovely grandchildren Blair and Eve provided a window into the future generation of country men and women, behaved impeccably at the table and added an element of entertainment to those who sat with them.

The youngest walker of all made the journey in her pram, pushed by her very enthusiastic mum.

Thanks to Grahame Hammond for the photograph.

Congratulations and Celebrations!

Congratulations and celebrations to the folk of the Angus Glens for two great, recent community efforts.

Cortachy SWRI’s showing of ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ in Memus Hall on Friday 19^th April raised £574. (Tickets £423, raffle £151) Treasurer, June Rae, summed up her reaction in one word, “Excellent!”

President, Patsy Paton, thanked members for supplying the supper, members and friends for arranging the film show and raffle and the community for supporting the event and sharing in an enjoyable and sociable evening. 

Patsy said, “The night was a great success and a credit to all who were involved. The money raised will go to institute funds for future projects. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the effort in any way.”

A week later, the Glens’ community Spring Fair in Memus Hall on Saturday, May 27^th  drew exhibitors and customers from throughout Angus. Treasurer, Jane Butterworth, said “It is heartening that we can attract such a range of stalls from Cortachy School and Memus WRI to artists and craftspeople from Edzell, Kirriemuir and Forfar to come to our community hall and that the public travels some distance to support the sale. We particularly appreciate the work of the ladies in the kitchen who keep the customers fed throughout the event. Our homemade soup is an attraction in its own right.”   

Memus Spring Fair

Rachel & Iona Leslie cast an appreciative eye over the vintage jewellery heading for the fair

The annual Memus Spring Fair will be held in Memus and the Glens Hall DD8 3TY (next to the Drovers Inn) on Saturday, 27^th April 10 am – 2pm.

As well as a range of stalls including home baking, produce, attic treasures, jewellery and craft materials will be a café serving morning coffees and soup and crusty bread lunches.

Tea, Women and Song

Cortachy's co-operative effort 'Autumn', placed 2nd in the Federation show

President Patsy Paton welcomed members and our guests from Northmuir institute and extended an invitation to the showing of ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ in Memus Hall on Friday 19^th April at 7.30 pm.

The ladies of Northmuir concert party entertained us for the evening with songs from musicals and the pop charts of past years, amusing poetry, a quiz and a selection of taste and try recipes to be sampled.

A bring and buy table provided a range of treats and made a sizeable contribution to institute fund raising efforts.

Marion MacDonald thanked the ladies of Northmuir nstitute for a varied and entertaining programme.

The evening finished with a tempting supper prepared by Caroline Lang, Aileen Pearson and Mary Friedrich.

Thank you to Susan and Pat for help reporting the meeting.

Competitions -
Decorated Hard Boiled Egg – 1, Ella MacKay, 2, Aileen Pearson, 3, Sandra Boath.

Plain Gingerbread – 1, Patsy Paton, 2, Sandra Boath, 3, Caroline Lang.
Flower of the month -1, Patsy Paton, 2, Margaret Mackie, 3, Pat Harrow.

Exotic Night Out

Cortachy SWRI film night with supper is on Friday, April 19th, 7.30 pm. 

The film is ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’

Buffet supper is included in the £5 cover charge

All guests welcome.

Congratulations and Celebrations

 Front (l to r) - Patsy Paton, Sandra Boath, Gloria Mitchell, 

Back - Susan McLaren, Caroline Lang (see album)

'Well done' to everyone in Angus who contributed in any way towards Angus Federation show in the Reid hall, Forfar, Friday - Saturday 23th - 24th March.

Congratulations to those who participated in Cortachy's co-operative effort. We were 2nd in the large institute section. Well done, to Tealing Institute which came 1st. 

Dress rehearsal of our 'Autumn' setting, still lacking any freshly made produce.

 

Cortachy's honours include - winning the Babington trophy with 155 points; most points in the large institutes section; most points in the housewives section and most points in the large institutes group in the bulbs section. Susan McLaren won the best bowl of bulbs in the show - Congratulations to Susan, who joins Patsy as the only other Cortachy name on the salver.

major trophy winners and office bearers - see detailed pic in album above

Well done, too, to our friends at Eassie & Nevay and at Tannadice & Oathlaw who were equal first for the 'most points' (whole show) in the smaller institutes.

Full of Care

President Patsy Paton welcomed Jackie Johnston, fundraising manager for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Jackie talked about the work of the Marie Curie nurses, who care for those nearing the end of their earthly life and seeing out their final days in the familiar surroundings of their own home. She explained that the nurses tend to take on night time care to relieve family members for a night’s rest.

Jackie told the audience that 70% of Marie Curie Cancer Care funding comes from the public, with the greater part of that coming through collection boxes and thrift shops.

Gloria Mitchell thanked Jackie for her enlightening talk and for answering the many questions from the floor.

Tea hostesses were Gloria Mitchell and Valerie McAlister.

Competitions -

Easter cupcakes – 1, Susan McLaren, 2, Patsy Paton, 3, Moira Ronan.
Small bowl of crocus – 1, Caroline Lang, 2, Pat Harrow, 3, Margaret Mackie.
Flower of the month – 1, Patsy Paton, 2, Pat Harrow, 3, Margaret Mackie.

Thanks to Susan, Pat and Ella for their joint effort on reporting and photographing the evening in the unavoidable absence of the Press Secretary.

REMINDER - Co-operative and Committee meetings at Patsy's  Wednesday 13th March 7.30 pm