Drinking den under Friars' Bridge continues to cause trouble

THE underpass at the Friars' Bridge is still an on-going problem for people locally in spite of police assurances that the situation is "rosy", according to Merkinch Community Council.

At their August meeting members heard that the situation was at times horrendous.
One member reported that two girls and a toddler had been seen there drinking at eight in the morning.

A member from Abban Street reported that the residents' association for the area are seeking a CCTV camera to be installed to keep an eye on the location. Often it was found difficult to get a response from the police, members agreed.
They did recognize, however that it was a difficult situation to police.

One community councilor said that he had reported that a drunk person was firing a gun in the West Field; the police said they would come but it took them over an hour to do so. Another member said that of seven calls made recently regarding a situation in Upper Kessock Street, the police had come three times, scattering the troublemakers. The sixth time they had followed them and spoken to them.

"People are asking do we have community policing any more?" said one member. "Why don't the police put them in a van and take them to the police station and ring the parents to come and get them."

Councillor Peter Corbett said that the new area commander, David Connor, had reduced community policing but that people were being apprehended and charged. And Councillor Chrissie Cumming claimed there were "a lot out there under cover". "They admit there is a problem at Friars' Bridge and hope to get a camera there.

Members agreed to invite Area Commander Connor to come along to a Community Council meeting to discuss the problems of policing in Merkinch.

Fliperz to benefit from widow's legacy

Some of the Fliperz children set to benefit from widow's legacy

LOCAL youngsters are to benefit from a legacy from a widow who left almost £45,000 to Merkinch Enterprise "to provide health and care for the children of the Merkinch area".

Mary Mackenzie of Telford Street, herself childless, died last December at the age of 91. Her bequest came as a complete surprise to all those connected with Merkinch Enterprise.

Mrs Mackenzie was the eldest of a large Merkinch family; her father, James Watt, was a fishmonger and ran a stall in the market. Mary had a varied career. After leaving school she went to work at James Pringle's of Holm mills. Later she ran Hawthorndene Boarding House at the Raining Stairs. At one stage she owned and ran the Crown Hotel and later she ran a general store in Coronation Park.

Mrs Mackenzie was twice married. Her first husband, Peter Wight was a plumber; he died in the late 1950s. And her second husband was grocer James Mackenzie who died in 1996.

Merkinch Enterprise chief executive Colin Downie was advised of the legacy earlier this year but only learned last month that the amount was just over £44,700.

"I was really surprised at how much had been left to us," said Mr Downie who said he had never met Mrs Mackenzie. "I can only speculate that she felt it was a good avenue to put some of her money into."

He added, "Clearly we are very happy with the bequest and we'll endeavour to put it to the best possible use."

The money is being channelled into Merkinch Enterprise's centre Fliperz which has been providing child care since 1995. It is proposed that the money will be set aside for capital funding - possibly to go towards extending the former Salvation Army hall premises centre in Simpson's Lane or go towards a new centre.

"The centre is small at the moment and can only take in 23 children at any one time," said Mr Downie. "Obviously the finance could go towards an extension which would mean we could increase our facility."

Local councillor Peter Corbett also welcomed the windfall. "It is a fantastic donation and totally unexpected," he said. Relatives of Mrs Mackenzie were also unaware of the bequest but delighted by the news. Her second husband's nephew, Watson Munro, described it as a typical gesture on her part. "She was one of a very big family brought up in the Merkinch where life was hard and everything had to be fought for," he said.

"She made a great success of her life through sheer hard work. She was very fond of youngsters and would do anything for them. I'm absolutely delighted that the youngsters of Merkinch will benefit."

Family centre set for October opening

Some of the team at the Family Resource Centre… From left: Karen Cox, Nursery Coordinator Teacher for the Merkinch area; Morven Gabriel, Family Resource Centre Manager; Charlotte MacLeod and Myra Brown, both Early Years Workers; and Jenny Fraser, Children's Services' Worker.

LOCAL authority nursery provision and family resources in Merkinch see a major change this session with the establishment of a Family Resource Centre at the former Merkinch Nursery in Coronation Road and nursery classes being divided between the new centre and Merkinch Primary School.

Neither facility is yet ready, but the Family Centre is expected to be ready next month. Meanwhile the term opened with four-year-olds attending nursery at MPS in the community room as a temporary measure while the three-year-olds are being accommodated in the Playroom at the Community Centre. The new Family Centre is designed to serve as a service hub within the community, a one-stop shop for education, social work, child health in partnership with the voluntary section.

"We are all working towards the same end," said the Family Centre's new manager, Morven Gabriel. "But it is crucial to involve parents and we have been holding introductory sessions to see what kind of things they would like to see."

The centre will be open from 8am to 6pm on weekdays as well as operating outreach support to parents, carers and children who have been identified as being in need of such services. For 38 weeks of the year there will be good quality early learning provision for 40 three-year-olds-20 in the morning and 20 in the afternoon. Before sessions even started at the end of last month, 20 had already signed on.

There will be links with Job Centre Plus, Working for Families and the Citizens Advice Bureau and others for those parents/carers who wish to consider training or employment. There will also be the opportunity for supervised parental contact. A prime aim of the centre will be a reduction in child poverty and in anti-social behaviour and an improvement in child health and child care.

Morven Gabriel was born and brought up in Easter Ross. She started her working life as a cardiological technician and after research work and starting her family she graduated in Community Learning & Development from Glasgow University.
Before coming to Inverness she was a youth worker in Aberdeenshire and then Moray. Her husband Ian works in adult learning in Elgin and they have three teenage children.
Meanwhile building work is going ahead on the new nursery accommodation for four-year-olds at the school.

CONSUMER ADVICE

What to watch out for when buying a car

BUYING a car can be an exciting purchase especially if you find the exact model you want at a price you can afford. However, there are pitfalls for consumers to consider when purchasing a car and rights that consumers should be aware of before they part with their cash.

All goods are covered by Sale of Goods Act 1979. The law gives buyer and seller rights and responsibilities and applies to the sale of used cars in the same way as to other goods. When a consumer buys from a trader, the car must be of satisfactory quality, fit for its purpose, including any particular purpose made known, and as described.

The term "satisfactory quality" means that the car should meet the standard that a reasonable person would expect. However, this standard should also take into account the price of the car, its age, its mileage etc.

Consumer's expectations must be tempered therefore according to these other factors. For instance, there will be a difference in performance and durability of a car when comparing a two-year-old model with low mileage as against a 10- year-old car with high mileage.

The reliability of the older car must come into question before the buyer goes ahead with the sale and how much the running costs of the car may be relating to servicing, repairs and general maintenance. It is always advisable to get a car checked over by an experienced mechanic before going ahead with a purchase.

However, any car sold must still be fit to be used on the road; in a condition which reflects its age and price, and reasonably reliable.

It is important for consumers to understand that these rights only apply to purchases made from a motor trader, and can't be taken away. An example of an attempt to do so is a notice such as "sold as seen". Such phrases are meaningless and do not affect your rights. Also an offer of a free repair under a warranty or guarantee contract does not mean you cannot pursue the trader for a refund or replacement if appropriate to do so.

Consumers can take legal action under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 for up to six years after the date of the contract, but it is unrealistic to consider legal action for defects on used cars - especially older vehicles - once a consumer has had the car for a reasonable length of time.

Consumers' rights are reduced in relation to "private sales". This is where a consumer purchases a car from a private individual who may have advertised in the classified advertisements of a newspaper for instance or on the notice board or a local shop or supermarket. The general rule is "buyers beware". It is up to the consumer to ascertain if the vehicle is of satisfactory quality before the purchase goes ahead and if serious about the purchase, to get the car examined by experienced mechanic. The seller is not liable for the reliability of the vehicle in such contracts and are only liable for any statements made (either verbal or in writing) relating to the description of the vehicle. If for instance the advertisement states that 'Ford Focus 2000', 'excellent condition', then there is a description relating to the quality of the vehicle and the car should meet that description. If it does not, the buyer may have rights against the private individual to both reject the vehicle and ask for a refund or negotiate compensation in relation to repairs etc to meet the description made.

Similarly consumers should adopt the same approach if buying a car from auction. A sale made at an auction is not considered to be a consumer sale and therefore consumer rights are greatly reduced.

Greater care must be taken in buying from an online auction such as eBay, where a purchaser could be bidding for a car from a trader or a private individual. If the purchaser's bid is accepted then the contract is binding on both parties.

Finally consumers do have extra protection if they purchase a car on credit. If a consumer buys a car on hire-purchase, the implied terms of the Sale of Goods Act 1979 are incorporated into the Consumer Credit Act 1974. The car should still be of satisfactory quality, fit for its purpose and as described.

Other rights and advice relating to consumers in regard to purchasing of vehicles can be obtained from Consumer Direct on www.consumerdirect.gov.uk or telephone on 08454 040506.

Alternatively consumers can visit or write to:

Trading Standards Unit
38 Harbour Road
Inverness

Youngsters step out for Centre refurbishment

A group of youngsters from the Sing'n'Shout group went on a sponsored walk from Merkinch to Bellfield Park last month to raise funds for the Community Centre refurbishment. They are seen with the Centre's development worker Elsie Normington as they set off, and below with Anne McCreadie, from the Centre's management committee, who presented the proud youngsters with their certificates of achievement.

Getting back in the groove

THE Sing 'n' Shout group for youngsters started again on Tuesday 22nd August. These highly enjoyable singing sessions are on every Tuesday at 6.30pm and the cost is just £1.

Says Elsie Normington who runs the group, "We will soon have our new stage and a chance for lots more big community concerts. So don't miss out!"

And Cheerleading sessions began again the same week. These are held on Mondays at 4pm. Again the cost is £1 per session.
For more information ring Merkinch Community Centre on 01463 239563

News & Views volunteers

We are looking for volunteers in the following areas to help us deliver your community newsletter. On average this takes around half an hour, once a month. And we don't expect you to go out in the rain!

• Madras, Nelson, and Brown Streets.
• Anderson Street
• Maclennan Crescent.

If you can help, ring 240085 or drop in at Merkinch Enterprise, 14 Grant Street.

Independent bookies for the off within the month

NESS BET, a new bookmakers office in Grant Street, is set to open around the end of September, according to its independent owner, Danny MacRae.

Work has been continuing on the premises, situated between the Nip Inn and the Evergreen Chinese takeaway, for the last few weeks.

Mr MacRae (32), a born and bred Invernessian, has a background of leisure management in various Inverness hotels and has also worked for Scotscoup, the bookmakers' chain.

He is well-known in local soccer circles as he coaches for Clachnacuddin's first team and has also sponsored their away strips.

Merkinch Tots

Tuesday and Thursday mornings in the Community Centre from 10am to 12 noon. Cost is just £1 per visit. An opportunity to get out of the house, meet other mums and have a cuppa. Among the activities available are arts and crafts, exercise and gym activities, story time and singing time.

Healthy snacks and juice are provided and coffee for the adults.

For more info ring Lorraine on 07789 666 725.

Come and have a taster visit free!

This project is being part-financed by the European Union under the Inverness and Nairn CED programme.