The Fife Herald has kindly given the Dairsie web site permission to copy the Dairsie News that is printed in the Fife Herald every week.
The youngest was a babe in arms, suitably attired in a kilt - the oldest who knows? Suffice it to say that the dance was a real family occasion, with a number of very welcome newcomers. It was very well supported, and all were there to have a great time. The raffle proved to be a great success, perhaps because it was agreed that the £200 raised would be donated to the Disaster Relief Fund - the horror not forgotten as folk greeted the New Year. Bethan Owen made a great job of running the disco, and again this year, Andrew Littlejohn piped in the New Year. There were warm greetings to all at the dance, and thoughts and love to all wherever they may be in 2005.
It was announced in church on the 2nd of January, that the retiring collection at the Christmas Eve service raised the excellent sum of £260 towards the cost of installing water at the top-of-the-hill manse in Transylvania.
First on the agenda at the next Community Council meeting, to be on Thursday, 20th January at 7.30pm in the Memorial Hall, is to be the 20mph speed limit and the traffic islands to be built out at intervals to slow vehicles down. Why was notification of the proposals delivered on 20th December - so near to Christmas? The committee have persuaded Colin Stirling, Traffic Management Lead Officer (East) to answer the questions and concerns raised by residents, and to delay the work, which by pure chance, residents learnt was to start on 10th January, 2005 without any consultation!
All who may be affected please make the effort to attend this important meeting.
The church was a hive of activity on Monday, 10th January when the decorators arrived with scaffolding, etc. to paint the interior of the church. An hour later, a delivery of 20 tonnes of blaes arrived - the lorry could not access the car park, so the way in was blocked, until the volunteers arrived, and spread the blaes to cover in all the potholes etc.from the road to the car park entrance. The volunteers, Henry Braid, Bobby Hamilton, Bill Sinclair and Susan Martin barrowed and raked valiantly, and deserve the warmest thanks. It is hoped all who use the road will appreciate the smooth surface and hard work. The cost of materials to the church is £384.23.
If the painters have not finished in time, The service will be held in the church hall at the usual time 10am.
ALEX MAXWELL, of Osnaburgh Court has been awarded the MBE in the New Year's Honours List. Alex, who is a Captain in the Royal Marines, was born near Dairsie and attended the local school before the family moved to Pitscottie. Alex attended Ceres Primary School before moving on to Bell Baxter High School.
He has served for 37 years in the Royal Marines and during his Service career has spent time in Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and the jungles of Malaya learning how to survive and fight in an adverse environment. He also spent a year in the Falkland Islands, from 1972-73, and has visited places such as Canada, Jamaica, Peru and Argentina. During his time in the Falklands, Alex helped to build a base in the Antarctic at Halley Bay.
Alex has also served in Northern Ireland during the troubles and has spent many winters training in the Arctic wastelands of Norway, as well as exercises in Holland, Denmark and Portugal. Specialising in Mountain and Arctic warfare, Alex became an instructor in rock and ice climbing, mountaineering, ski-ing, parachuting and survival techniques.
Alex has been responsible for Naval recruitment in Yorkshire and Scotland, before taking up his present post as Operations Manager in the Recruiting Headquarters at Rosyth.
During his spare time he enjoys playing golf as a member of the St Andrews Golf Club.
As was thought probable, Sunday's service had to be held in the hall, whilst decorating continued in the church. One comment - it was a pleasant change, as the congregation intermingled, rather than all heading to their customary seats in the church. It was also warmer - it has been more difficult to find the right temperature in the church with the current strong, cold and penetrating winds.
Numbers were down a little at this first meeting of the New Year, perhaps due to the wild weather, or the many folk reported to have flu-type colds. However, there was a warm welcome for the speaker, Anne Hoggan, who gave an interesting talk on her hobby, patchwork. Her many samples of pieces she had made, from quilt to bags, cushions and more were much admired, and she was given appreciative thanks.
Colin Stirling, Lead Officer, Fife Council Transportation Services and Cllr Peter Douglas attended a lively meeting on Thursday 20th January, where the first part gave residents the opportunity to air their views about the proposed 20mph zones and traffic calming measures to which many residents of Osnaburgh Court objected.
In his introduction, Cllr Douglas said he had received 60 letters about traffic in the time he had been a councillor in Dairsie and the biggest single issue was the speed of traffic. About five years ago funding for traffic calming measures in Main Street was lost because residents discarded the plans.
Dairsie had tried for a long time to change the 30 limit outside the school to 20. This was tied in with complaints of speeding traffic in Osnaburgh Court. There were legal implications and would include the minimum possible under the law.
Mr Stirling explained that there was a Scottish Executive Directive and Funding for 20mph zones outside all schools. Fife Council's policy was to expand 20 zones to local residential areas. The longer goal was to change driver speed culture.
The plan for Dairsie was that Main Street up to the garage would be 20mph part time three times a day with flashing lights and the buffer zone extended west. The vehicle activated slow speed indicator would be relocated to the east end of the village.
He had endeavoured to come up with a sympathetic scheme with minimum intrusion in a pragmatic manner and avoiding mandatory priority signs. This was less than was required in National Policy, which included more signs and more humps. 20 zones in residential areas must have some road engineering measures or there would be no police support. It was proven that pedestrian vulnerability was reduced at speeds of 20mph.
The mood of the meeting was that there were no objections to a 20 zone but that the short notice, intrusion of buildouts, and loss of parking spaces in Osnaburgh Court was causing disquiet. Priority over Main Street and Station Road was questioned as well as proof of speeding. There was one suggestion about reverting to a cul-de-sac, which led to concern about the volume of traffic on Station Road. There was a worry about on street parking in Main Street and damage to cars and disbelief that 2000 cars used Osnaburgh Court as a diversion after a traffic accident.
In answering the many points of view and opinions, Mr Stirling indicated -
Mr Stirling agreed-