Ardentinny pup ‘Rowan’ was the star of a visit to Glenfinart Walled Garden recently for pupils from Dunoon Primary Learning Centre when they visited the garden accompanied by their teacher Gail McCorquondale.
Under the guidance of regular volunteer Corrie, the children helped pick fresh produce including delicious apples, carrots, courgettes, blueberries and leeks from the garden.
Back at school, the kids stored their day’s work in the freezer with the intention of using the vegetables to prepare lunch for the garden volunteers in the near future.
The Community Trust were thrilled to receive handwritten letters this week from each of the young visitors which we have included below.
Torrential rain is not usually something that deters the hardy locals and visitors to Argyll from enjoying themselves, and last Sunday’s Big Picnic at Glenfinart Walled Garden, Ardentinny was no exception.
Although, as expected, the garden had a smaller attendance than usual, the event was still a great day out. Despite the challenging weather (which actually cleared later in the afternoon), the Elderly Brothers, along with their guests – Ambrose Harper from Dunoon; Tom McIver from Hunter’s Quay; Benmore’s Sharon Erskine; and Ardentinny’s very own Liz Kohlmeyer – provided an excellent musical backdrop to the day.
Where else in Cowal can you enjoy a free concert with such a range of talent on a rainy Sunday afternoon?
The garden was looking resplendent in its July colours and the tea cabin with its delicious home baking, generously created by volunteers, did brisk business.
Local environmental group AFFtheClyde were also in attendance and added more signatures to their petition opposing the proposed Ardentinny fish farm.
So, all in all, a good day out. The Walled Garden’s next event is the Harvest Fair on 22 September. Fingers crossed it will be blessed with better weather!
Two village banners promoting Glenfinart Walled Garden’s Big Picnic event and AFFtheClyde were vandalised overnight between Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 17 July. Both banners were located on the Ardentinny village road sign at the side of Loch Long. The PVC banners were ripped to shreds with what appears to be a very sharp knife. The vandalism has been reported to the police.
Some weeks ago an AFFtheClyde banner was stolen from the site of the proposed Loch Long fish farm.
Ardentinny Renewables Trust (ART) has announced the latest successful funding applications as follows:
Beneficiary
Purpose
Amount
2019 – July
Ardentinny Community Council
Replacement village noticeboard
£1,160.00
Neil Robinson
Bees and equipment
£632.91
Ardentinny Community Trust
Glenfinart Walled Garden new tables and chairs
£589.72
Ardentinny Bowling Club
2 – 1000L water tanks
£420.00
Ardentinny Heritage Group
Village centre planter and plants
£198.71
2018 – Dec.
Ardentinny Community Trust
Glenfinart Walled Garden lawn mower
£585.00
Ardentinny Bowling Club
Purchase of bowls gatherers
£376.00
Forestry Commission
2 – benches sited along River Finart
£750.00
ART receives and manages the annual income to the community of the mandatory 5% of Feed-in Tariff (FIT) from the local hydro energy projects now underway in the village. The Trust then allocates these funds to local group and individual projects which they consider will be beneficial to the Ardentinny community.
Any Ardentinny resident or group who are members of ART may apply for funding (funding application form below). Membership is free and the application form can be downloaded below.
… and not necessarily in that order at Glenfinart Walled Garden’s first table sale on Saturday.
The Pipes and Drum of Archie and Tom AKA the Hauf Pint Pipe Band opened proceedings and kept us foot tapping through sun and torrential rain. A place in the Harvest Fair’s Quickest Quackers Duck Derby was ensured by sponsoring one or more of Maryjane’s (plastic) ducks; and flower pots Jill, Ben and Buster were just some of the kids’ attractions.
The serious business of buying and selling was covered by a wide range of stalls offering new and second-hand items while the burger bar and tea room kept us all sustained.
Despite the couple of downpours, the day was judged a success and so could be the first of many.
