Corbett awarded football honour

LOCAL councillor and one-time Highland League star Peter Corbett has won an award for his efforts in promoting football and coaching youngsters over the last 12 years.

At a glitzy ceremony at Hampden last month Peter received the Grassroots Award, which is granted by the Scottish Football Association and McDonalds, from Scottish soccer legend Kenny Dalglish.

In his younger days Peter was prominent in North soccer as he played for Caley, Clach and Thistle as well as Ross County. He has also managed Caledonian and Clach. But apart from past glories on the pitch, one of his prouder moments of recent years has been in taking a team to the Special Olympics two years ago where they won a silver medal. Peter was nominated by Charlie Forbes, Highland Council's disability sports officer.

Good4U school kids

Senior classes at Merkinch Primary stretched their little grey cells last month when the Good4U health promotional team of Scott Macleod and Laura Ferguson came to exercise their minds. Scott and Laura are barely out of school themselves - at the IRA they developed a programme to increase mental agility, concentration and ability to learn. Good4U are Inverness-based but have worked all over the Highlands and even in Glasgow.

Enterprise thanks local councillors

COUNCILLORS Peter Corbett and Chrissie Cumming have once again this year lent their generous support to Merkinch News & Views.
Each has donated £750 from their funds-a very welcome contribution.
Your community newsletter is funded by our advertising sponsors and other donations from community groups such as the Community Council and the Community Centre, with the remainder being met by Merkinch Enterprise itself.
ME Chief Executive Colin Downie expressed his gratitude for the councillors' continuing support.

Old Scots, New Scots - everybody come to an evening of sharing and fun

NEW and old Scots are invited to a multi-cultural night out in Merkinch Community Council on Saturday 10th February to celebrate the culture and traditions of the ever-growing numbers of new Scots who want to live in Inverness.

The expansion of the European Union's boundary has seen a big influx in newcomers - but just as Scots have travelled the world, at home the Highlands has always prided itself on its hospitality and over the years has welcomed many "incomers" such as Italians, Indians, Pakistanis and more recently Kurds.

We all have much more in common, but the differences are interesting and the evening's food, music and other entertain-ment promises to be fun. The night kicks off at 6.45pm and costs £2, food is free.

Residents sign up for petition against housing project

RESIDENTS in the Telford Road area are signing up to a petition criticising the hostel for the young homeless in Telford Road and requesting that the lease not be renewed when it comes up in March.

They complain of noise, drunkenness and frequent police calls in a quiet residential area where there are young children and numbers of elderly people.

The staff are not beyond criticism either it seems, as they park along the limited number of places in the street although they have their own off-street parking of their own. Such is the level of inconvenience that some residents are thinking of leaving. Anyone wishing details of how and where to sign up should ring Alison on 01463 718151.

ACTRA welcomes underpass security

SHEER delight greeted the news, after many years of campaigning, that Abbey/Cameron Tenants/Residents Association have been successful in their application to Highland Council for a close circuit camera to be installed under the Friars Bridge.

Said chairman Ivor Bissett, "Our residents, the people who have been putting up with this antisocial nuisance for years, are not in the least bit surprised of the number of reported incidents to the Police.

"Obviously it surpassed other areas of "hot spots" in the City and was the preference to Northern Constabulary.

"Of course, our problems will not be totally eradicated by having a camera. However we do believe that it will be a tool to support active policing and possibly a deterrent.

"Notwithstanding the serious crimes, there have been acts of mindless vandalism with regard to knocking down flood prevention measures which I'm sure will also be detected by the camera.

"We wish to thank our loyal hard-working Councillor, Christina Cumming for securing this initiative.

"She must hold the world record for perseverance, as along the way she refused to give up and practically begged for this camera."

Cllr Cumming personally had first-hand experience of intimidating behaviour whilst walking under the underpass when she was accosted by two burly chaps who tried to stop her right of passage.

briefs.

• MERKINCH Street League are holding a Race Night followed by a disco and karaoke at the Clach Club on 2nd February. The event starts at 7pm and costs £2 entry, with proceeds going to the young soccer team's trip to Ayr later in the year.

 

• TIRED of modern films with their endless, noisy fast action and incomprehensible stories? A new project has started at Merkinch Community Centre at 2pm on the second Monday of every month that will be just down your street. "Silver Screen" has a programme designed for the older viewer and afterwards there is the opportunity for a cuppa and a chat. February's offering on the 12th is "A Star is Born" with Frederic March and Janet Gaynor. The programme for the rest of the year ranges from comedy to drama. Details from the Community Centre on 239563.

 

• UNAUTHORISED absences from Inverness High School have continued to rise despite a request from the education authorities to keep kids in school. They are partly due to parents taking their families on holiday during term time and Bruce Robertson, Director of Education, is once again asking parents to try, if possible, to book holidays during the 12 weeks when the schools are closed. Mr Robertson, who is retiring, was awarded the OBE in the New Year's Honours List. More school news on page 9.

 

• ALSO honoured was Alan Michael, well-known in Merkinch for his work with Contact the Elderly and his former role in the local Talking Newspaper organisation for 21 years, who was awarded the MBE for his services to the visually impaired.

 

• LUCKY winner of the December Nicol's Killer Quiz is Dennis Platt, Carnarc Crescent, who receives a £10 gift voucher for Nicol's Killer Prices, Grant Street.

Battling with won't power

I DON'T know if you made any new year's resolutions.
I did and already I've managed to break them. It's not lack of will power, I've plenty of that, what I struggle with is won't power.
I think perhaps that I'm doing things the wrong way about. It's not easy giving up something that you've become used to and sometimes that you rely on. I'm comfortable with my bad habits, even though they make life more difficult for me.
Better to replace them with something nicer and then I'll feel like I'm treating myself, and I won't feel like I'm missing out or being deprived.
Why not treat yourself to something new just now?
At the Janny's Hoose we have lots of new activities, as well as all the regular ones. Whatever your new year's resolution we can help you achieve it.
You'll be amazed at the boost it can give you when you make a positive change in your life.
Go on give it a try.

Jean Mackay
Janny's Hoose Healthy Living Centre
Merkinch Primary School
Telford Road
Inverness IV3 8HY
01463 226348

Corbett Centre outlines art effort

LIZ Graham of the Corbett Centre was a guest speaker at the December meeting of the Same as You Local Implementation Group LIG.

She outlined the activities of Corbett Centre artists known as Studi'03 and described how they worked at the Highland Print Studios-formerly known as art.tm-in the Longman. Liz showed samples of the artists work and described the different materials and techniques used.

On Mondays there is printing and etching, working with HPS technicians. On Wednesdays Billy Coghill is helping members Margaret, Rhona and Joan to gain SQA certificates.

On Thursdays there is painting and Joseph does tissue paper sculptures while on Friday they concentrate on line drawing, visits and entertaining groups from as far away as Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Rhona and Joan took part in creating a project in Edinburgh-a huge glass, stone and wire dinosaur which is now hanging in the Chamber Street Museum.

Last month Studi'03 held an exhibition at the Floral Hall at the Bught and this month they are taking in a major event in Glasgow. Meanwhile they have a Colourful Corner hanging in the Community Centre and are working on a piece for the Culloden Surgeries.

Churches mark Culture Year with Art Residency

AS PART of the 2007 Highland Year of Culture celebrations, a group of Inverness churches have been awarded £35,500 by the Scottish Arts Council to fund a series of artist residencies.

The artist will spend time with the congregation and will also engage with the community of Merkinch to create a piece of work based on the theme of Art and Spirituality and will also have time to work on their own practice.

The steering group are currently advertising for a project manager to take the project forward to the next stage of recruiting the artist. It is hoped that an artist will be in place for the residency in Merkinch from May until July.

Community arts worker Annie Marrs said, "This is a great opportunity for not only the church, but also the community to work alongside a professional artist."
Pictured at the Trinity Church are, from left, Annie Marrs, Rev Andrew Murray and Susan Christy, acting project manager.

Pupils show at IMAG

THIS month sees an exhibition of work by pupils from Inverness High School at the newly refurbished Inverness Museum and Art Gallery (IMAG).

Echoing the mood of the IMAG treasure, a watercolour view of Inverness by the famous painter JMW Turner, local artist John McNaught worked with the pupils to create their own contemporary views of the city using a range of modern media techniques. On left is pictured one of the bijou prints carried out by the pupils.

Although they have taken photographs, manipulated them on computer and printed them with monoprint layers, the result has the delicate feeling of Turner's original vision.

Writer Mick Parkin also worked alongside pupils to create some highly imaginative poems.

Curiously the exhibition is hung in the café area, some distance from the Turner which graces a wall in the first floor!

The exhibition, which is called "Inverness Re-Viewed", opens on 1st February and runs until the 25th.

The refurbished IMAG opened on 13th January, coinciding with the official launch of the Highland Year of Culture 2007.

The museum has some new exhibits and some old favourites, such as the Discovery Centre, the Café and the Museum Shop.

But the major exhibition, which runs until 17 March, is "Fonn's Duthchas: Land and Legacy". This show features iconic objects, paintings and manuscripts to highlight the Highlands' rich and diverse culture. It looks at the Highlands today as well as exploring its past.

After its opening in Inverness the exhibition will be travelling to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stornoway later in the year.

Recalling festive fun

Concerts at the Community Centre always prove popular and this winter was no exception with packed houses.

Above. nervously waiting to go on stage at the Christmas event are these young tap dancers.

Left. One of the groups which took part in the earlier X-Factor event. The winner was Roanne Morrison from Merkinch Primary who sang a Britney Spears' number. The X-Factor organisers, Merkinch Youth Matters, made £391.00 for the Friendship Club that night. MYM say Big Thanks to all the local talent who took part and to the enthusiastic audience.

Right. You're never too young to play Santa!

Then.

MERKINCH exile Jimmy Chisholm wrote to us from his home in the USA and sent a picture of Nelson FC players.

"My name is James (Jimmy) Chisholm and I live in Missouri in the USA. I was born in Shoe Lane in the Merkinch and, left Inverness at the age of 21 in 1953.

While reading through the History Section of your News & Views, I came across the section that mentioned the Nelson Football Club.

It so happens that my father Jim Chisholm played for Nelson in the late 1920s early 1930s.

In this photo of the team my father is seated first left, I hope this photo might find its way into your wonderful and informative History of the Merkinch, keep up the good work."

Yours aye, Jimmy Chisholm

...and now

Bruce McCraw (right) from Clach football club presented Robbie Williamson, manager of the Merkinch Under-15 year street league) and one of the players Sean

Ross with £300 from his testimonial fund. This money will go towards funding the team's trip to Ayr next Easter. They also held a prize bingo in the Clach Club recently and raised an amazing £1091. In total the team are looking towards raising about £4,000 for the trip.

Out of School

TWO local MSPs-Maureen McMillan and Eleanor Scott - will be visiting youngsters at Merkinch Primary School on 23rd February. The children, from Primaries 6 & 7, will have the opportunity to discuss various issues of interest to them. Last month, in preparation for this visit, an education worker from the Scottish Executive came to talk to them about the workings of the Parliament.

THE new Merkinch Primary School Nursery for 4-year-olds opened on 15th January - on the previous Friday parents had the opportunity to preview the facility at an Open Day.

LOCAL ceramicist Kira Brown was working with pupils at MPS for a couple of days last month to help the children create a lasting work of art to celebrate the Highland Year of Culture 2007. Every youngster in the school is to decorate a tile and these will be mounted in a special Heritage Wall. Head teacher Mrs Sheena Morrison says there are lots of exciting projects planned for throughout the year.

MISS Mhairi Leslie who has been teaching Primary 3/4 for the last four years has left Merkinch for a new job in Orkney. Not only is she changing jobs, she is also changing status as she is to marry a local farmer. Staff, colleagues and pupils wished Miss Leslie good luck in her new life; her post has been taken by Miss O'Donnell.

Council review threatens Huntly House hostel

A REVIEW of the operation of the hostel for the homeless in Huntly Place has revealed a gap in the funders', Highland Council's, vision and that of the Salvation Army which runs it. And the hostel may be threatened with closure if it does not align itself to the Council's.

For the local authority sees the 22-year-old facility as a short-stay solution to the homeless problem, while the Salvation Army admits that some of their 27 residents have been there for some years. The review also says people with alcohol, drug and mental health problems are not being dealt with as they would like.

The matter was due to be discussed at a Council meeting on 29th January after we went to press.
Huntly House has a staff of 23 and the average cost per resident is reported as being £406 per week.

Former MCC secretary gets 2 years' probation

FORMER Merkinch Community Councillor Alec Macleod was sentenced to two years' probation when he appeared in court last month. Macleod (59) of Abbey Court eventually admitted conducting himself in a disorderly manner, repeatedly making inappropriate, suggestive and sexual remarks to two teenagers, following them and putting them in a state of alarm and committing a breach of the peace at Inverness Cathedral on 28th May last year.

Macleod, who was on the now-disbanded Highland Housing Association, has also been put on the Sex Offenders' Register for two years and is obliged to take part in the Sex Offenders' Programme as a condition of his probation. He has already spent six weeks in custody; the maximum sentence for his offences is understood to be three months.

Sporting Nooz

Latest darts results

Results Thursday 18 January

A League - Portland E 4 Portland B 8, Fluke 5 Portland A 7, Oscars 8 Tarradale 4, City Taxis 9 Uncle Bobs 3.
B League - Brockies Lodge 6 Legion A 6, Caley Club 1 Culloden Moor Inn 11, Smithton 7 Deenos 5.
C League - Legion B 4 Drover 8, Finlays 6 Mojos 6, Thistle 4 Raigmore 8.

Fluke staged a spirited come back in the previous week's game against league leaders Portland A. After being 4-1 down they took the score to 5-5 before just losing out in the last two doubles.

The match produced a brace of maximums from both Peter Macdonald of Portland A and Tommy Macdonald of Fluke, Jim Hunter of Portland also hit a 180. Gordon Morison (Portland A) checked out 124 and Barry Maclean (Portland A) and Davey Mackay (Fluke) both finished 120.

Taxis lost the first game of the season to Uncle Bob's but they gained their revenge in the first game of the second half with a 9-3 win which moves them into third place ahead of the Nairn team who have now dropped from second to fourth in the space of two games.

This match also produced five 180s two from Derek Maclean (Uncle Bob's) and one each from Kevin Chisholm (Uncle Bob's) and Steve Mitchell and Andy Leckie of City Taxis.

There were 16 maximums scored that week which is well and away the biggest weekly total for the season so far.
The others were hit by Steve Munro and Colin Robertson of Deeno's, Sandy Morrison (Culloden Moor Inn), James Macmillan (Portland E), Gordon Matheson (Oscar's) and Ross Cameron (Tarradale).
The only other high finish was 103 by Ian Cushnie (Oscar's).

In the B League Culloden increase their lead to six points after nearest challengers Deenos were beaten by bottom-of-the-table team Smithton and third-placed Legion A dropped a point to Brockies.

C League leaders Finlay's shared the points with second placed Mojo's. Raigmore join the latter in second place after their win over Thistle but Legion B failed to make it a three-way tie in the runners-up spot when they went down to bottom of the table Drover. This win pulled the Hilton team away from the bottom spot leaving Thistle with that dubious honour.

Results Thursday 11 January

A League - Portland B 7 Uncle Bob's 5, City Taxis 11 Tarradale 1, Oscar's 5 Portland A 7, Fluke 9 Portland B 3.
B League - Keppoch 6 Deenos 6, Smithton 2 Culloden Moor Inn 10, Caley Club 9 Brockies Lodge 3.
C League - The Drover 4 Raigmore 8, Portland X 3 Mojos 9, Finlays 7 Legion B 5.

Portland A, Culloden Moor Inn and Finlay's all went a further point ahead in their respective divisions after the week's results. In the A League Uncle Bob's lost both the game and second place to Portland B.

Deeno's were held to a draw by Keppoch but just hold on to second place in the B League, one point ahead of Keppoch and Legion A. Mojo's leap-frog Legion B to go into second place in the C league.

Derek Maclean of Uncle Bob's scored two 180s and hit a 15-dart leg this brings his maximum tally for the season to nine.

Results Thursday 4th January

Supreme Cup - Portland A 7 Finlays 1, Thistle 5 Culloden Moor Inn 7.
Consolation Shield - Keppoch 11 Brockie's Lodge 1, Portland X 2 Portland E 7, Raigmore 4 Legion A 8.
James MacMillan (Portland E) scored a 180 and Allan Johansen (Brockies Lodge) had a 167 check out in the first games in the new year.

The first round of the John Price Threes were to be played at various venues on Thursday 25th January, after we went to press.