Flower Power

They say that the first 100 years is the worst. Well, we are now 3 years into the next century and let's hope that two World Wars don’t interrupt us before we reach our bicentenary!

We are, incidentally, talking about the Saline and District Horticultural and Handcraft Society that was formed in 1905.

In 2003 we celebrated our centenary and the annual flower show broke with tradition and invited entries from anyone who purchased a schedule.

Hitherto, entries were only accepted from folk living within a 4-mile radius of Saline Parish Church. Now, anyone from the West Fife villages, Dunfermline or even Timbuktu can enter the show, as long as they pay £1 for a Show Schedule. (Available at the show or from Bill Phillips, the Show Manager, tele: 01383 852755)

Over the years a number of horticultural societies in the west of Fife have unfortunately disbanded and Saline has only survived by the tenacity and determination of a small, aging and dwindling committee.

The Annual Show this year will be held on Saturday and Sunday, the 6th and 7th of September, in the Saline Community Centre and the doors will be open from 2 pm till 4.30 pm.

There are 158 classes in various categories including pot plants, vegetables, fruit, preserves, baking, industrial and floral art.

There are also children’s classes for different age groups; these are always well supported.

Anyone who is interested in finding out more about the Society should contact Muriel Phillips, the Society secretary, on tele: - 01383 852755.

Vintage Ploughing Day

In September of last year Saline held a “Vintage Ploughing Day”.

This event revived an old tradition, as a ploughing day had not been held in the parish for 50 years. Prior to about 1957, ploughing days had been an annual event going back a good few years.

It was a fine day with a good number of competitors, all enthusiastic and pleased about the reintroduction of the event in West Saline.

Fortunately, the event is being held again this year on Saturday 20th September at West Saline. (A field adjacent to the B913 Saline/Dollar road a short distance east of the old Solsgirth colliery site)

The event will start from 9.30 pm and light refreshments will be available.

Charity Race Night

A race night in aid of Dunfermline Group of the Riding for the Disabled Association is to be held on Saturday, 30th August, 2008, at Kingseat Bowling Club, Kingseat, Dunfermline, at 7.30pm.

To obtain tickets (£2 including buffet), please phone 01383 88667.

Dunfermline Group Riding for the Disabled Association's annual Fun Day will be held on Sunday, 7th September, 2008, from 12-4pm.

There will be stalls, a band, pony rides and a barbecue.

Plans for
Balgownie Wood

The West Fife Woodlands group were shown around Balgownie Wood by Forestry Commission Scotland’s ranger, Colin Peacock.

It was also a chance for the group to try out their Kelly Kettle for the first time.

Many of its members visit the wood frequently. However all were surprised at some of the things they’d not noticed before, lurking deep in areas of Sitka spruce plantings. For example, there is evidence of oaks having been coppiced, with their stools still alive and in some cases reaching 2m in diameter.

There are also oaks with a distinct band on their trunks.

Colin reckons these are trees that have defied death when the Sitka was first planted.

The foresters of the day would have cut out a band of bark in order to kill the oaks, so that they did not compete with the commercial crop. However they are still surviving!

The FCS management plan is to progressively clear the Sitka to allow these oaks to regenerate.

Already you can see young oak seedlings starting to appear.

WFW is looking to build a bridge across Bluther Burn so that the wood is accessible from Blairhall.

West Fife Woodlands has a programme of walks which take place on the third Saturday of the month.

Why not join us?

John Le Marie, chair

Proposals for wind farm near Saline revealed

Proposals for a wind farm about 2km north-west of Saline have been revealed.

If planning permission is granted, construction work on the wind farm would start in around three years time and take between six and nine months to complete.

It would involve the building of seven, 120m high turbines, along with associated access tracks.