Memories of Tarves

I spent most of my childhood in Tarves, my father was James Argo the bank manager. I remember cycling all around the grounds at Haddo House, attending Evensong at the private chapel on a Sunday night. I remember Duthie Webster and the Christmas parties they gave for the children of the village. I remember singing in the choir at Craigdam Church. I remember the Presley brothers, George the butcher, and Charlie the farmer and their sister who taught me to play the piano. I remember the deaf dressmaker in Duthies who used to make our clothes, and the Massie farmers at Nethermill who used to give me lovely teas and to look around their farm. I remember Charlie Webster who married the local nurse, and the old road down to Thornroan and of course our weekly walks to run around in Tolquhon Castle and the plays we made up and acted out there. I was also married from there and had connections till my father retired, so I have many happy memories.

Written by Margaret Chick.

A memory of Tarves in Aberdeenshire shared on Saturday, 5th September 2009.

More Local Memories

Residents warned of new Phone scam of hoax computer support calls

Tarves residents should be aware of a telephone scam where people receive a call saying they are from a hoax computer support Support service from Microsoft and trying to get residents to go online and allow them access to their computers.

The people known as India Scammers have already targeted homes in the Methlick and Tarves area.

Check out the Guardian Article for more information:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/18/phone-scam-india-call-centres

The Microsoft company has noticed the problem. “Microsoft does not make unsolicited phone calls to help you fix your computer,” it says on its website.

“If you receive an unsolicited call from someone claiming to be from Microsoft Tech Support, hang up. We do not make these kinds of calls.”

Tarves’ Dixon and Davidson take a bow at Kirriemuir

Kirriemuir music festival hailed a success

John Dixon, Tarves and George Davidson in the winning way.

MUSIC lovers gathered in Kirriemuir over the weekend for the annual Festival of Music and Song. The three-day event, which is in its 29th year, saw a variety of groups and musicians perform, including Crieff-based singer and storyteller Margaret Bennett, traditional Scots singer Jock Duncan and Angus Folk and the Forfar Instrumental Band.

The event also saw musicians from throughout Scotland compete in a number of competitions.

Festival spokeswoman Helen Gardiner said: “It was a tremendous festival with a lot of people attending the various events. We were also very pleased with the competition results.

“There were lots of different things on at the same time so there was a lot for people to do.

“The Chorus Cup, which isn’t the best singer or the best song but the one that everyone gets involved in, proved very popular with visitors.

“We also had a band playing in the square on Saturday afternoon, which was super as you could hear music around the town.

“There were a lot of things on this weekend with the countryside fair at Glamis and the Dundee Flower and Food Festival but we still managed to attract a lot of people to the event, which was very pleasing.”

RESULTS:

Men’s singing – John Dickson, Tarves. Women’s singing – Sarah Simpson, Aberdeen. Bothy ballad singing – John Dickson, Tarves.

Novice singing – Sarah Simpson, Aberdeen.Local singing – Edith Garrow, Arbroath. Open accordion – Keith Rennie, Brechin. Junior accordion – Alex Stewart, Stanley. Open fiddle – Anne Nichol, North Hatton of Aboyne. Junior fiddle – George Davidson, Ellon. Pairs instrumental – Heather and Eilidh Anderson, Tarland. Melodion – Ian Russell, Aberdeen. Concertina – Belinda MacLaren, Lennoxtown. Mouth organ – Murray Douglas, Kemnay. Tin whistle – Manuel Balaguer, Cortes, Alyth. Jew’s harp – Manuel Balaguer, Cortes, Alyth. Diddling – Ian Russell, Aberdeen. Oral whistling – Pat Newman, Cortachy. Senior story telling – Pat Newman, Cortachy. Doric verse (eight to 11 years) – Charisse Hawson, Dundee. Doric verse (11 to 16 years) – Kendra Coutts, Brechin. Senior Doric verse – Gary Stewart, Keith. Chorus cup – Joyce Cunningham, Castle Douglas, and Graham White, Aberdeen. Overall winner – John Dickson, Tarves.

Published: 06/09/2010 Read more: http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1904223#ixzz0ylsopNOV

Medical group seeks permission for in-house pharmacy

An Aberdeenshire medical group has applied to operate an in-house pharmacy – weeks after its future was plunged into doubt. Haddo Medical Group’s application for a licence at Pitmedden has the support of the community councils of Udny, Methlick and Tarves.

They opposed an application for a rival commercial pharmacy at Tarves last year, which went ahead after an appeal. NHS Grampian rejected the proposal by Semple and Semple, but the ruling was overturned by a national appeals panel.

The company then made a request to have the Haddo group’s dispensing rights – which it also provided at its surgeries at Methlick and Pitmedden – removed. That could cost it hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.

A joint statement issued by the community councils said: “We carried out a properly-conducted, extensive consultation with local people about what they wanted. This was ignored by the national appeal body, despite NHS Grampian agreeing there was no need for a separate commercial pharmacy in Tarves.

“We sought a meeting with the Haddo Medical Group and, after detailed discussions, we will strongly back a move by it for the practice to have its own pharmacist at its Pitmedden/Udny surgery. This was the course of action which reflected the very overwhelming wishes of local folk in the extensive survey.”

Local councillor Paul Johnston welcomed the news, saying: “This is not about an argument between a pharmacy and doctors over who gets money for dispensing. This is about a community having a say about the provision of medical services in their area.”

A spokesman for Haddo Medical Group said if its application was approved there would likely be little change to the service that patients in Pitmedden and the surrounding area receive. He added: “A pharmacy situated in the medical premises would provide a pharmaceutical service to any practice patient who no longer had access to the dispensing service that was previously available to them.

“Haddo Medical Group wish to continue to deliver a high standard of medical services, including the dispensing of medicines, to all the patients that need them outside the areas covered by any Tarves pharmacy.

“The Pitmedden surgery application, on balance, is the best option for our patients and we welcome the support of the local community in our aim of delivering the excellent services they deserve.”