Convener’s Chat
Mark Eden-Bushell
I am more than happy to tell you that I have never looked forward to a better year for FORK than this.
On Saturday 12 April, an exhibition about Friends of the River Kelvin opens in Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. This is entirely thanks to Lucy Reynolds, who was looking for somewhere to exhibit the excellent photographs from last year’s FORK Photography Competition. She and a sub-committee have arranged this exhibition, which lasts until Sunday 11 May.
On the evening of 12 April, Sally Johnston has arranged for a party to be held in Maryhill Community Halls with the same person who did the last one. We made £160 from that, so do please come and have fun and help boost our rather bruised funds.
The repair works in Ha’penny Bridge House are due to be completed by the time you read this. This will cost us in the region of £4,000, which accounts for my remark above about ‘bruised funds’. The dry rot has been eradicated and the valley in the roof has been re-lined, which will stop the water coming in again. We are warned that the roof is not entirely waterproof. Small amounts of water come in - nothing to worry about at present. The slates need to be re-laid onto felt, I understand. A sinking fund must be started so that we can sort this. Though I have to tell you, I am furious that the building was handed over in the state that it was. However, I would still rather have it in that state than not have it!
A FORK called Alan Rattray looks after the Boys’ Brigade in his church. Some of his lads are taking their Queen’s Medal. This involves doing so many hours’ community work and they have chosen FORK for this. They will be doing all the painting necessary at HBH, starting over Easter, inside and out.
Another FORK, Cliff Giddings, who is our Canoe Man and our Safety Officer on the committee, will be running his Outdoor Activity office from Ha’penny Bridge House. He has offered to teach any FORK how to canoe: please get in touch with him. (See pages 12 and 13 for his spring 2008 activity programme.) We will be installing a telephone and answering machine in HBH as soon as possible.
The Gala will be held on Saturday 14 June. It will have the usual mix of charity and commercial stalls, with live music. Ha’penny Bridge House will house the bar, run by Sally Johnston, whilst plentiful food should be elsewhere. There should also be some form of Punch & Judy show. There will of course be excellent canoe rides as last year.
The Navy is visiting to do their wonderful work on and in the River Kelvin in greater numbers, as their visit last year was such a success. This will be some time after the Gala on a date to be arranged. Sally Johnston is arranging this, and anyone who has met her will fully understand why the sailors will not mind being bossed by her. I expect by now you will understand why Sally was invited to be our Convener Depute!
Last year, art students from Cardonald College were invited to come to Ha’penny Bridge House for a week, arranged by Sally (who else?), and the class was entertained by various well-kent FORKs, while they made drawings from nature. The Senior Lecturer told me that it was the most valuable out- of-college week they had had and could they please have another this year?
Of course, I am so glad that FORK is showing itself able to influence others outside its immediate membership.
I have just had the most excellent meeting with a FORK called Colin Richardson-Webb. I had been asked to join a superbly brainy lot whose aim was dealing with biodiversity in Dunbartonshire and East Dunbartonshire, where our river curls into. Now please forgive me, but I really did not even know what they were talking about and my first meeting with them was a waste of time as far as I was concerned! most of it was in a language with which I was unfamiliar. Colin has been good enough to take it on! he has agreed to join our committee as he will need to report back to it.
We have received a letter from Unity Enterprise. This is the company which took over the three Nolly Barges on the Glasgow Branch of the Forth & Clyde Canal. The barges have been refurbished by BAE Systems at their Scotstoun Yard. Volunteers are wanted to crew the three barges, and anyone who might be interested in further information, please contact Mary Brown at 945 5908 or 07733 07682
Convener’s Chat is taken from the Spring 2008 edition of Fork News
