New Year, New Technology

Jack MacDonald with his digitally painted landscape of Glen Prosen

Cortachy institute started the new year by taking a step into the age of digital photography and image manipulation, holding the hand of a friend of long standing.

Well known photographer, Jack MacDonald, generously agreed to talk to members when the scheduled speaker had to cancel the engagement and he demonstrated the process by which he creates his digital paintings. Jack set his use of technology into the context of the great masters who have used aids and developments from mirrors and studio assistants to camera obscura and photographic references. Working from a photograph of his wife Marion, one of our members, Jack used his visual skills and computer experience to produce his unique style of artwork on a screen, without so much as a brush needing to be washed.

Referring to a previously produced landscape, he indicated how he changed the composition and lighting of an original photograph and transformed photographically accurate detail to painterly textured impression in his final digital painting.

Mary Friedrich thanked Jack for the entertaining, enlightening and inspiring demonstration and urged members to consider learning new digital skills.

Competitions –

Thank You card – 1, Ella McKay, 2, Margaret Jack, 3, Sandra Boath. 

Mango Chutney – 1, Ella McKay, 2, Margaret Mackie, 3, Sandra Boath.

Flower of the month – 1, Marion Webster, 2, Caroline Lang, 3, Margaret Mackie.

Anyone interested in helping in the co-operative effort for the Federation show should meet at Patsy's on Wednesday 16th at 7.30pm.

Jack MacDonald presented a painting of Kirriemuir town centre and Peter Pan statue to the 'Gateway to the Glens ' museum. (pic reproduced from Angus Council website)

not a creature was stirring ... not even a kangaroo organ ...

President Patsy Paton welcomed members to the Christmas party and Gloria Mitchell provided the entertainment in her inimitably convulsive style. Her programme of games and contests saw members in fancy dress and other disguises, undertaking Bushtucker trials and similar! tasks.

The whole company contributed to a varied and seasonal supper, of entirely recognisable foodstuffs, enjoyed by all - without a kangaroo organ in sight.

Competitions –

Gift Wrapped Parcel – 1, Patsy Paton, 2, Gloria Mitchell, 3, June Ray.

Tree Biscuit – 1, Susan McLaren, 2, Sandra Boath.

Flower of the month – 1, Margaret Mackie, 2, Pat Harrow, 3, Caroline Lang.

Variety Show

Congratulations to the Orkney team which won the recent 'Variations on a Theme' final at Dunfermline.

Cosy Antarctic Evening

President Patsy Paton welcomed members and our speaker for the evening, David Laird, and his assistant, Alex. She reported on the success of the institute’s recent Silent Auction which raised £835.20p and the performance of Cortachy in Angus Federation’s Ruralympics and Quiz night, in both of which the respective Cortachy team was, by coincidence, placed sixth. 

A reminder was also given of the forthcoming showing of the film ‘Chicago’ in Memus hall on Friday, 30^th November at 7.30pm. 

Ably assisted by his granddaughter Alex, David Laird spoke on his trip to Antarctica, which followed Shackleton's Endurance Expedition of 1914-16.

Alex operated the technical side of the evening, running the slide show to accompany her grandfather’s talk which ranged from the humorous results of taking a shower during a passage though choppy seas to the serious and detrimental effects of climate change on the populations of wildlife in the Antarctic region. He humanised his lecture with views and anecdotes of his family who travelled with him, the Falklands equivalent of the WRI and the apparently uncommunicative but vigilant Russian ice master, who assessed masses of ice encountered on the journey for their potential threat to the safety of the ship. 

Pat Harrow thanked the Lairds for their joint production, for the wealth of factual knowledge of the Antarctic, its wildlife and history which Mr Laird had made his own and for the efficiency of Alex’s projection skills. Pat expressed the appreciation of members for the timeliness of the talk, in advance of the unveiling, on Saturday 8^th December, of the new memorial, at Scott's View in Glen Prosen, sculpted by Bruce Walker to commemorate the local connection with Scott’s expedition to the South Pole. 

She reminded members that visitors are welcome to the Saltire Society’s Kiriemuir branch talk by Brian Kelly of Dundee Heritage Trust - 'From Glen Prosen to the Pole - Scott, Wilson and the Antarctic' in Kirriemuir Old Parish Church on Wednesday 14^th November at 7.30 pm.

Competitions -

Custard Creams – 1, Margaret Mackie, 2, Ella MacKay, 3, Aileen Pearson; 

Pot Plant – 1, Ella MacKay, 2, Marion MacDonald, 3, Margaret Mackie; 

Flower of the Month – 1, Joyce Little, 2, Marion Webster, 3, Gloria Mitchell.

Federation Quiz Night

As usual the Federation quiz night was an evening of fun in good company with a bit of friendly rivalry thrown in to get the adrenalin flowing. Our ever cheerful Chair, Nora directed the off stage operation and mine host of the The Plough, Ian, was question master par excellence.

The evening was very well attended with only three or four institutes unrepresented.

Airlie & Menmuir were equal with 63 points but Menmuir won the tie-break so final result is  - 1st - Menmuir, 63 points; 2nd - Airlie, 63 points; 3rd - Newbigging, 61 points; 4th - Tayside, 60 points.  Farnell was awarded the booby prize and Cortachy's final score was 56.  

l to r - Margaret Dayman, Jane Scott, Suzanne Bennett, Alison Paterson, Norah Meikle.

(thanks to Frances Gazzard for presentation photograph)

Remember - Cortachy Rural tonight, - competitions: custard creams, pot plant and flower of the month.

No Silent Night

It might have been a Silent Auction, but it wasn't a Silent Night!

Memus Hall was packed out with rural members and friends, folk from the Glens and weel kent faces from the wider Strathmore area extending into Perthshire. Beyond the tremendous figure of £900 raised, Cortachy WRI evening was a great success - from the buzz of friendly chat, through the well stocked buffet table to the heavily laden cars driven home packed with treasures.

Thanks to all who donated, attended, bid, bought, baked, officiated, served and tidied up. "Thank you," particularly to absent friends who contributed despite their committments to events elsewhere in the district.

"Thank you," especially to the kitchen staff who ran the bar and washed up in an exemplary fashion which will undoubtedly encourage the Women's Rural to call on the services of the Rural Men to run future catering projects.

Sincere thanks to all.

(pictures to follow when available)

News update - Fresh from the triumph of the auction, Cortachy SWRI team was at the Angus Federation Ruralympics next day, and came 6th equal out of 25 teams. Fowlis and Liff, an institute known for its athletic prowess, came 1st.  We think Tarfside was 2nd, but that is based in a third hand report. Congratulations! to Fowlis & Liff and Well done! to all who participated.

Lemonade for Green Fingers

President Patsy Paton welcomed members, intimated the busy programme of federation, institute and local activities available to members in the months ahead and introduced our guest speaker.

Gardening guru, Ali Bruce, well known to his audience as a former local nurseryman, talked on his work at Dundee College. He described the great improvement in the quality of plants over past decades and the precise production standards of the modern market. The horticulture lecturer spoke passionately about the tradition of passing on technical skills and talents from generation to generation of gardeners and discussed the varied experiences and abilities of his students and the facilities and levels of study available to them at Dundee College.

Marion Macdonald thanked Ali for his humorous, knowledgeable and insightful talk. Hostesses Margaret Mackie and Margaret Jack provided sandwiches and cake for all. 

Ali appreciated his judging stint and commended the winning lemonade. 

Competitions –

Lemonade – 1, Sandra Boath, 2, Marion Webster, 3, Patsy Paton,

Animal Photograph – 1, Sandra Boath, 2, Patsy Paton, 3, Sine Robertson,

Flower of the month – 1, Mary Friedrich, 2, Aileen Pearson, 3, Patsy Paton.