Scoffing yummy cakes for charity - how brilliant is that?

The blog thanks two local ladies (girls?) for their enterprise and initiative in organising a Macmillan Coffee Morning last week.

Linda of Millbrae House, Rockcliffe and Lynn of Birchlea Lodge in Kippford got together and held a Macmillan "Worlds Biggest Coffee Morning" event last Thursday in Rockcliffe.

The cakes, scones, cup cakes, tray bakes and cookies all laid out... where do I start?

The Macmillan cancer charity is one close to all our hearts as there can not be many who are untouched by the distress of this indiscriminate disease. As it says on the Macmillan website 

"Cancer is the toughest fight most of us will ever face. Macmillan is here to make sure no one has to go through it alone. Whatever you raise, you will be helping to improve the lives of people affected by cancer across the UK."

A huge thank you also goes to the friends, neighbours and family who came along and donated, the people who donated items for the fabbie Raffle Prize and especially the two spouses in the kitchen who washed and dried with gusto! Well done chaps, nice one!

The cakes were made by Linda, Lynn and their Mums (aren't Mums brilliant!) and were absolutely delicious.

Around 23 people came despite the rain and enjoyed the scrummy home baking and fairtrade coffee. Our local ukulele group DUKES also supported the event by purchasing raffle tickets and Colvend Shop sold some of the cakes too. These, including the very generous donations and raffle ticket sales at the coffee morning, raised an amazing total of £300.49  for Macmillan. 

My favourite was the chocolate Louche (forground)
but I managed a slice the carrot cake on the stand too. Top marks!

The raffle, a beautifully arranged and decorated box stuffed full of locally made items and produce was drawn on Monday evening and won by Mrs. H. Congratulations!

Locally made and produced items for the Raffle were donated by friends and family. 

Lynn and Linda were like whirling dervishes, the perfect hostesses, greeting everyone personally and making sure everyone was topped up with coffee, cake and lots of chat. It was a lovely morning and all the better for being in aid of a good cause. 

If you would like to donate to Macmillan please click here www.macmillan.org.uk/. Thank you.

Spring Fling Round Up along the Colvend Coast

Memories of Spring Fling 2012

Part 1.

For those of you who were unable to do the rounds at this years Spring Fling we sent out our team of trusty local correspondents who shared their opinions with us. Here is just a taste of the 57 Spring Fling artists who opened their studios.  With the blog having a Rockcliffe and Kippford focus, these are the artists and studios easiest to access from our villages, we would love to have travelled further afield across the region but there's always next year! 


Phillipa Sinclair: Colvend Village Hall
My first visit of this years Spring Fling was to our very own Philipa Sinclair who lives in Rockcliffe. Philipa's signature colour palette was much in evidence as was the European influences on her work. Philipa's paintings, which also include many local scenes and motifs are bold and vibrant and I noticed that she had done some exciting designs on fabrics and cushions which I had not seen before. 

Philippa Sinclair's work displayed at Colvend Village Hall

Philippa, never afraid to experiment, had also achieved some wonderful effects with subtle metallic highlights in some of her work. However, the paintings which really caught my eye, and that of several other visitors, were several exquisitely simple flower studies. Confident and graphic yet conversely subtle and delicate they reminded me of Japanese flower studies and I so wished I could have taken them home with me.
Philippa's website
Philippa is currently exhibiting at Castle Douglas Library Hall until the end of the month.

Phil Mcmenemy: The Gallery, Lauriston
I was introduced to the work of, Twitter addict, Phil at the CatStrand earlier in the year and fell in love with his almost abstract botanic studies so I was keen to see a larger body of his work and hot footed it over to his delightful gallery. The gallery is a converted Galloway barn and with it's simple white walls, slate floor and exposed beams is an ideal gallery space in which to showcase Phil's stunning prints. I was like a kid in a sweet shop, there are so many evocative views and landscapes. Being reared on the Narnia Chronicles, The Little White Horse and Tolkien, Phil's woodland scenes take me straight back to the lands of myth and legend to a time when they were populated by faerie folk. I fell in love with a large black and white print of a close up of the muzzle of gorgeous Galloway cow but it was a bit large to smuggle out under my coat (and I am sure Phil can run faster than me!)

Phil Mcmenemy teamed up with local songwriter and musician Zoe Bestel for Spring Fling on Friday afternoon

The afternoon turned out to be a rare treat as my visit coincided with an unplugged set by local musical phenomenon 14 year old singer/songwriter Zoe Bestel. Zoe, who accompanies her haunting lyrics with a ukulele, sat surrounded by an entranced and very appreciative audience in the corner of Phil's studio and played a selection of her own work and a couple of inspirational cover versions. As I joined the queue to buy her latest single I was touched by her natural confidence and easy way with people. I am sure we will all be seeing and hearing a lot more from her. We are delighted to be told that Zoe's "Just Another Girl" has been short listed to win a Young Song Writers’ Competition. The competition is held annually and is run by an Anti-violence Against Women team here in our local region of Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland You can hear her song and vote here  Just Another Girl

As if the afternoon hadn't been memorable enough I can't fail to mention the awesome afternoon tea and cakes in the Lauriston Village Hall. A choice of three cakes selected from a whole A4 sheet list and either coffee or tea. This must surely be heaven! Thank you ladies.


Phil's website

John Threlfall: Rockcliffe Gallery
No Spring Fling is complete for us without a visit to see John's work. John, deservedly voted Bird Artist of the Year 2007, also lives in Rockcliffe so can often be seen out and about, particularly at the RSPB Mersehead Reserve where he gets lots of inspiration. 

John Threlfall at work at the Rockcliffe Gallery on Sunday morning

Two things struck me at John's show this year: first there was an interesting mix of media with some exiting new work using both oil pastels and acrylic paints. Two paintings in particular used this to great effect, Puffins and Eider Ducks, both of which John has had made into very accessible giclee prints. The second was the stronger use of colour. Influenced by the local landscape John's earlier work adopted a more muted palette but since his visit to a Tiger Sanctuary in India where he painted the local wildlife, his palette includes stronger bolder colours giving his work a new edge. His signature bird studies were much in evidence and sadly for me (but fantastic for John) my favourite painting of two Lapwings sold to his first visitor on the first day of Spring Fling. I did not go away empty handed though. Being unable to chose between the strong graphic image of a Tern in water colour or the detailed subtlety of two Rooks executed in pastel I solved the conundrum by buying them both!


John's website

Christine Smith: Barnbarroch Pottery, Barnbarroch
The creative talents of Christine Smith are showcased at this working pottery which once housed the local school. Christine's unique style and quirky humour produce some fascinating and distinctive pieces which seem to draw on local influences and medieval bestiaries in equal measure. The shop glows as the lights reflect the subtle pigments and glossy glazes of the pieces ranging from simple domestic ware to complex and monumental flights of fancy. On Monday afternoon the pottery car park was jam packed, a tribute to the wide appeal and enduring popularity of Christines work. The pottery is open all year round and has a shop where Christines work can be viewed and purchased.


The Barnbarroch Pottery website

Spring Fling is planned from the 25th to 27th May. Part two of Memories of Spring Fling will be posted soon.

Afternoon tea anyone?

I shouldn't really be telling you this as I want to make sure there is some left for me, but here goes:


As part of the Flavour Taster Abbey Tearooms are putting on delicious Afternoon Teas this week end from 2.00 to 16.30. A real, old fashioned spread like Granny used to do so not to be missed.


They have just won another prestigious award for their yummy treats and use local produce wherever possible. 


Get more details here


On trips down to Dumfries I try allow extra time so I can call in. It's a very picturesque cottage in a spectacular location, next to the beautiful Cistercian Abbey. A real treat!

Help with the New year's Resolution...

Saturday morning, and a good time to get out for a walk, I can't quite believe it's a week since the annual community walk designed to kick off Health Week.

I had made a New Years Resolution to get out and walk more and a quick glance at my Winter muffin tops confirmed I needed it so I joined around 56 folk at Colvend Village Hall for the off and I was glad I did.  We had a great walk, designed to suit all ages and well within my winter hibernation mode capabilities.

The walk, organised by our very proactive village Primary it was attended by pupils past and present, parents friends, community members, staff and an array of dogs of all shapes and sizes. It was a great opportunity to catch up with friends and have a natter. Walkers ages ranged from about 3 years to ..... well, dare I say without fear of being lynched at the next community event, let’s leave it as.... the more mature. There was much interest and curiosity as, for the first time on the walk each of us were issued with a pedometer. 

The weather was not quite as sunny as forecast, but did not disappoint as it stayed dry and crisp, as an army of us set forth at 10 am for an hour and a half walk. Not 'hat and gloves' weather but my thermals (although over hot at times) were appreciated on the top of the hill, where a cool breeze blew away the cobwebs.

From the Village Hall the walk took us around the NE shore of White Loch and at Barean Loch turned right past Smithland Bothy and up Barcloy Hill. The views of the stunning Solway coastline were our reward for the final push. Living here and usually seeing the views from just above ground level – not that I am that vertically challenged, it’s great to get up high and get a real feel of the whole area. Colvend Church (built on the site of a medieval building during the Rev. James Chalmers' ministry and opened in 1911) sits 

beautifully in the rolling Galloway countryside and further away Rockcliffe nestles around the crescent of beach. You can see our approximate route here:

Route courtesy of Google Earth™ mapping service

Participants arrived back  at the Village Hall, some muddier than others, at around 12- 12.30 to a wonderfully tasty, healthy, lunch. There was a selection of homemade soups with rolls (I went for the celery – delicious),  home made salads of cous cous, coleslaw and potato followed by (perhaps not quite as healthy but very yummy) flapjacks with tea or coffee. 

Pedometers read varying distances from 4.5km to 7km depending on how many times they had been shaken up and down by, might I suggest, the more mischievous amongst us, well you are not telling me all those little legs walked that distance in that time!

The event raised a sum of £125 for the school and a big thank you to all that organised it, prepared lunch and, the worst job of all, washed up!

Well the sun has just peeped out so it's time to don my walking boots and head on out!

New events page... Spring Fling inspired!

This week I have added a new page to the blog. The link to it appears in the line of text/links above Ed Inglehart's stunning landscape shot of Kippford and Rockcliffe - above. (Thanks' Ed for making that shot Creative Commons, it's a gorgeous photo)


It is a summary of the the exciting festivals and events held across D&G throughout the year and shows just what a diverse and fascinating region this is. Before putting it together I didn't realise just how many events and festivals there were. All added incentives (if any were needed) to visit the area. 


I just love the idea that these events and festivals add to the mix so that everyone in a family or group will have something that suits them on their visit to D&G as, after all, it's unusual for a whole group to have all the same interests. You may get an avid birder on holiday with a book worm or an active young family who want to cycle and canoe with a foodie Mum or a Dad interested in the Arts. These specialist events mean that everyone will be happy. I will update it as new ones come to my attention so keep checking back.


I was prompted to add the new events page by all the excitement being generated locally by this years Spring Fling. For those who are not familiar with it the Spring Fling is an Open Studio event across the region held annually in June. (For more info go to the D&G Events page or visit: http://www.spring-fling.co.uk/. It always creates a buzz but this year is the 10th Anniversary and promises to be even more exciting.
Spring Fling encourages everyone to get behind the scenes of the studios of some incredibly talented artists and makers in the region and even, in some cases, try your hand at new skills. The idea is you pick up a map and hop from studio to studio at your own pace. There is some superb work on sale from a wide range of artists and makers from painting, wicker structures, ceramics, hats and jewelry to photography, glass, gilding, sculpture and mosaics to name but a few (but no pressure to buy) and usually some tasty refreshments. It's a great way to spend a day.... or two.

Painting by Val Macadam: www.valmacart.com

During last year's Spring Fling I visited two of my particular favorites Ailsa Black (Example of Ailsa's work and short bio) and Val Macadam (Examples of Val's work and short bio) who live just along the coast from Rockcliffe and Kippford and really capture the spirit of the area in their colourful, quirky and original work. We were made very welcome and had a chance to chat with the artists, view their works and (in Val's case) see where she worked. Val's humorous take on the famous Galloway Beltie is illustrated above and includes an example of a local Galloway cottage. She has lovely views from her studio window, no wonder she is so inspired by the region.


Ailsa was working on a new piece at Kirkbean Village Hall, you can see the touching finished work below. It was so interesting to see how she developed the painting and the media she used. I also got to chat with her 'model'. A special thanks go to the volunteers who served a selection of delicious homemade cakes.


I fell in love with a painting called 'Follow my Master' and bought a print as a gift for a friend. It reminds me of the spit at Mersehead with the shorebirds at the high water roost. Ailsa is so talented! I am looking forward to discovering some new talent this year... have an explore and find your own favorites this June.

Painting by Ailsa Black: www.ailsablack.com