The spell of find weather has created the perfect conditions to get the scaffolding up to the Rutherford monument.  The scaffolding arrived on 4th June and was immediatley taken up to the monument.   Work should be completed by the end of the week allowing Luce Bay construction to start work on taking down and rebuilding the top sections of the monument.

Representatives from 5 different  countries will gather in Gatehouse on 5th and 6th June to discuss progress on a European project.  The Gatehouse Development Initiative is part of the Erasmus+ project Eco-management, yesterday's knowledge, tomorrow's know-how.

Cally gardens will open again on 17th April and entry will be free.The gardens, which were put on the market in the New Year have been bought by Kevin Hughes, who ran a specialist nursery, Kevin Hughes Plants, in Wiltshire.  Kevin stresses that there is a lot of work to do to get the gardens looking at their best but he has brought a good selection of plants with him from Wiltshire and there is still stock at Cally, so he is keen to get the gardens up and running and welcome visitors as soon as possible.

During the autumn of last year, the Drop-In’s kitchen area was refurbished with a new cooker and a much-expanded working area.  The old kitchen was tiny and very limiting in what could be cooked in it.  Now the space feels like a café cum deli!

Around 20-25 young people use the Drop-In facilities during an evening session and take part in various activities - pool, darts, quizzes, camera club, maths club, gym evenings, and DJaying are very popular.  There is great enthusiasm to participate in the kitchen and the young people, assisted by our volunteers, have had great fun baking and cooking.

Anne Ross Cousin's hymn "The sands of Time are Sinking" is known as the Anwoth hymn because it recalls the life and writings of Samuel Rutherford and his time at Anwoth. The Rev Val Ott and the choir have researched the hymn.   Against the background of scenes of the old kirk at Anwoth and other views of Anwoth the choir sings this lovely hymn accompanied by David Mackay on the organ.

Gatehouse Development Initiative has teamed up with five other groups from across Europe to develop a project designed to bring together older people, younger people and the wider community to share knowledge and help protect the local environment. The project will see older members of the community passing on traditional skills to young people and the community undertaking landscape management projects.

As Local Authorities withdraw from providing services across Europe, volunteer groups must step in, if key features of the local landscape such as core paths or, here at Gatehouse, the town hall garden, for example, are to be maintained.