Service of Harvest Thanksgiving

Sunday 14th October

Diary Dates

for October and November

13th Oct. (Sat) Men’s Breakfast Fellowship in the Kirk Loan Hall at 8.30am

14th Oct. (Sun) Service of Harvest Thanksgiving with the Sacrament of Baptism

15th—22nd Oct Church Office closed for October break

21st Oct. (Sun) Service at 10.30am

23rd Oct. (Tues) Last date for November magazine material

28th Oct. (Sun) Service at 10.30am

29th Oct. (Mon) The Seedling Coffee Morning at 10am in the Kirk Loan Hall

4th Nov. (Sun) Service at 10.30am followed by a short service of Holy Communion

7th Nov. (Wed) Kirk Session meets at 7.30pm in the Session Room

10th Nov. (Sat) Men’s Breakfast Fellowship at 8.30am in the Kirk Loan Hall

11th Nov. (Sun) Remembrance Sunday with Services at 10am and 11.30am

Members of the congregation are invited to attend either service

(N.B. - No 9.40am service today) (N.B.— No tea and coffee today)

14th Nov. (Wed) Fabric Committee meets at 7.30pm in the Session Room

18th Nov. (Sun) Guild Week Service

Our 9.40am service for families with young children takes place every Sunday morning in the High Street Hall, followed by coffee and croissants.

Our Services of Quiet Reflection take place every Wednesday

in the Church at 12 noon.

Corstorphine Old Parish Church, KIRK LOAN, EDINBURGH EH12 8HD SCOTTISH CHARITY NUMBER: SC016009

Sunday Worship at 10.30am - On the first Sunday of every month there is a short service of Commun-ion at 11.30am except March, June, October and December when there are services of Holy Communion at 8.30am and 10.30am Church Office - 2A Corstorphine High Street EH12 7ST. Open during school term time: Monday – Thursday 8.45am – 1.15pm and Friday: 8.45am – 12.45pm 334 7864 corold@aol.com The Thursday Office Hour - In the Church Office, High Street Hall, on the first two Thursdays of every month 7.00-8.00pm. No appointment necessary.

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Letter from our Minister Dear Friends,

This month sees us celebrating our Harvest Festival. It is one of six in which I am involved – two at

school, two at school nursery, and one at a local nursery too, all of which tells us that in times that

people are finding hard, they are still willing to think about other people, and give thanks for what

we have.

Last year at Harvest at the Old Parish we raised over £270 by selling bags of Malawian Fairtrade

rice, which would allow a Malawian farmer to send one of his children to high school for a year. In

fact we were left with a number of bags of rice, because people said they couldn’t carry the bags

home, but received the price of the bag of rice anyway, and were able to make more than the

farmer needed. This year we have decided to keep up the Fairtrade theme, and support another

farmer in Malawi, but if your cupboards are groaning with rice, worry not!

On October 14th, at our Harvest Celebration, we would like everyone to bring a Fairtrade item of

food they have bought locally, donate it to our Fairtrade stall which will be in the church, and buy a

Fairtrade item someone else has brought. We hope this will do several things. The first is it will

help to increase the number of Fairtrade items bought locally, and allow us to see what comes with

the Fairtrade label. Coffee, tea, sugar, flower, bananas, wine, biscuits, chocloate and all sorts of

other things are available at local supermarkets, and the Fairtrade ‘bring and buy’ sale lets us all

see what we might have missed.

It also allows us to raise money for the Malawian farmer and ensures his child has another year of

secondary education, helping his family to live above the poverty line, and increasing the education

rate of one of the world’s poorest countries. And it tells our local shops that we care about

Fairtrade and about the benefits Fairtrade brings to the lives of others in the world’s food produc-

ing nations.

Please support our bring and buy sale. Our local schools are supporting nearby food banks and home-

less projects. The Old Parish can help to boost our thanks for harvest by ‘acting local and thinking

global’.

I hope to bump into you in Scotmid, Tesco, Sainsburys’, Marks and Spencer and many of the other

shops in our parish selling products bearing the Fairtrade label, and finding out on October 14th

what we have all brought to our Harvest.

Best wishes,

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The Chaplain is on Fire!

I’m always feeling guilty that because I am spread pretty thinly, and only have a part time post,

I don’t get to spend valuable time with various people in my care. One such group who deserve

more support are the firefighters at Edinburgh Airport. So it was great when I was able to

spend a morning with Blue Watch doing some training. (Picture below!) And I was interested to

read of Rev. Monica Arnold. She’s a minister from Bloxwich, and has been awarded a Citizen

Recognition award for her chaplaincy work with firemen. Her duties are split between general

work around the parish churches of Bloxwich and an innovative chaplaincy role with the West

Midlands Fire Service. It is part of a scheme organised by West Midlands Fire Service and the

Diocese of Lichfield.

“Fire Service chaplaincy is a national thing” says Rev. Bill Mash

of the Black Country Urban Industrial Mission, a charity part-

nership of four church denominations. “We now have chaplains

in seven fire stations in the region, and the aim is for every

station to have their own chaplain.

“The community puts its fire-fighters in difficult and danger-

ous situations and then subjects their actions and decisions to

detailed scrutiny. Chaplains are there to complement other wel-

fare provision that the fire service makes, picking up on the

concerns that this gives rise to, to be a listening ear.”

As Rev. Monica puts it. “People in church often don’t understand what being a chaplain is about.

It doesn’t translate into bums on seats on a Sunday. It is about being an expression of Christ’s

love to people in their workplace. Faith is about relationships and vulnerability.

“There are four fire service watches based at Bloxwich Fire Station plus an ambulance.

"When I began, most of my time was spent getting to know the crews. Now we know each other

well, there are no no-go topics in the office”.

But being supportive to staff isn’t what has earned her recognition and an award from Walsall

Borough Council. The nomination was made by the Fire Service for her work with the wider com-

munity. The Fire Service currently spends a lot of time in the community on preventative work.

“We’re all about making people safe in their homes,” says Station Commander John Kempson.

“There are many people who won’t open their doors. Monica is an important link who meets and

works with community groups, spreading the Fire Service message and enabling us to make con-

tact with those who need us to fit alarms – both smoke and community/panic alarms which we fit

in partnership with Social Services.”

“She comes into the station every week, and is always willing to offer a compassionate ear to

anyone. We inducted her in and all Watches have received her very well. I can’t praise her

enough really, we’ve a very good working relationship.”

Describing the award as an acceptance of the church within the community, she said:

"Chaplaincy is not about the person offering the role but the people who are open to receiving

and embracing what the role can offer a community. It was a great privilege to receive the

a w a r d on b eh a l f o f t h e B l o xw i c h F i r e S t a t i o n c om m u n i t y . ”

Rev James Stewart

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Guild News

Tuesday 9th October

7.30pm in the High Street Hall

West Craigie Farm—John Sinclair

Tuesday 23rd October

7.30pm at Corstorphine Old Parish Church

Area Joint Meeting Rev Cammy Mackenzie

(followed by refreshments in the High Street Hall)

Tuesday 6th November

7.30pm in the High Street Hall

CrossReach — Heart for Art — Guild Project Mrs Corrine Gillies

Sunday 18th November

10.30am in the Old Parish

Guild Week Service

For more information please contact

Brenda Russell,

President of the Guild on:

0131 629 1456

Seedling Coffee Morning

The next few dates for the Seedling Coffee Morning are as follows: We meet at 10am for about

an hour in the Kirk Loan Hall.

Monday 24th September

Monday 29th October

Monday 26th November

Monday 17th December

All welcome!

Magazine Donation

Issued with every copy of the Church Maga-zine this month is a Magazine Donation en-velope. This is to provide an opportunity for all who receive the Church Magazine to help offset the cost of paper and production. There are nine copies of the Church Magazine produced in a year. The cost of producing the magazines continues to rise and a donation of £5 is suggested.

We would be grateful if envelopes could be returned as soon as possible and certainly within the next four weeks. As in previous years, those who receive their magazine by post will receive a sepa-rate request for the cost of postage if they wish to continue. Please note that we are now also able to send the magazine via email to those who request it (please just email the office if you are interested : corold@aol.com) and you can also access it on the website: www.corstorphineoldparish.org.uk Many thanks. David Drummond, Magazine Editor

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Our Torwood Castle Connection

All that remains of the Forresters’ Corstorphine Castle, which used to be situated between Dove-

cot Road and Castle Avenue, is the large heavy padlock in the vestry! However, most of the For-

resters’ Torwood Castle, located north of Larbert, still stands albeit in semi-ruin. In my article

on Forrester flags in the June edition, I promised to expand on the link between Torwood and

the Corstorphine Forrester family who founded our church.

1. Over the summer the church displays both the heraldic banner of the Lords Forrest-

er and that of the Forresters of Torwood (differenced by a central star) from the

balcony. This is because Sir George Forrester, 1st Lord Forrester and Baron of Cor-

storphine, inherited Torwood Castle (via the Baillies of Castlecary) in 1653 from his

cousins, the Forresters of Torwood and Garden. Two charters bearing the Great

Seal dated 1450 and 1463 had conveyed the lands known as the King’s Royal Forest

of Tor Wood to the Forresters of Garden. Sir Alexander Forrester of Garden built

Torwood Castle in 1566 to an L-shaped plan in early Scots Baronial style, most likely partly on

remnants of an older castle. Sir George Forrester of Corstorphine is thought to have completed

buildings (now collapsed) enclosing the north courtyard and created a large garden to the east.

The Castle commands views over the Rivers Forth and Carron and the vicinity was a forward posi-

tion used by Bruce just before the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

2. A local Corstorphine walking group including the writer visit-

ed Torwood Castle as part of a walk by the Tor Wood to

Denovan near Denny in March this year We also saw the

2500 year old Pictish Tappoch Broch, the route of a Roman

Road and the mysterious blue pool in the forest. Those on

the walk were surprised to see how complete the walls of

the Castle are despite being a shell in overgrown surround-

ings. Fellow Corstorphinites may wonder, as we did, why it

appears abandoned and yet not perhaps beyond restoration.

3.

The decline of the Castle doubtless began in the early

18th century when the Baillie-Forresters were falling

into debt. Following the death of the 6th Lord Forrest-

er of Corstorphine, Torwood Castle was sold to Thomas

Dundas of Fingask in 1751. Further changes in ownership

left it in a sorry state, but then in 1946 Gordon

MacLachlan Millar, a Glasgow accountant, acquired the

Castle. He dedicated nearly fifty years of his life to

stabilising the structure in particular repairing the ground floor vaulted space in the main

rectangular block and the spiral stairs. Apparently he lived or camped in it for a time! Before he

died in 1998 he established the Torwood Castle Trust, a registered

charity dedicated to the building’s restoration. The Clan Forrester

Society is involved but the plans seem to be in limbo, said to be par-

tially over differences of opinion with Historic Scotland regarding

4.

Crèche Rota

October

7th Aileen Drummond

14th Tracey Berry

21st Keren Henderson

28th Norma Thomson

November

4th Linda Ingle

11th Eilidh Sinclair

18th Liz Allan

25th Aileen Drummond

Liz Allan: 332 5809

5

the extent of works needed. Hopefully a satisfactory solution can be found to what will be a very

expensive project.

For members wishing to take a gentle boot-walk by the impressive Torwood Castle, drive (or take a

bus) northwards from Larbert on the A9 towards Stirling, then take the Glen Road in Torwood vil-

lage and turn left at a sign saying ‘Public Right of Way to Denovan 3km’ There is an informal car

park not far up the track and the Castle is a short distance ahead. A visit there helps to give more

meaning to our church’s medieval past in Scottish history.

David Cameron

5. Photographs 1. Forrester family banners on church balcony 2. West elevation over fields from Public Right of

Way 3. South elevation with grand windows at first

floor 4. Stair tower in cobbled courtyard to North 5. Approach to Castle with building in silhouette

Footnotes

Garden (Caerdun) was the site of the demolished fortified tower between Kippen and

Buchlyvie owned by the Torwood Forresters

Other skions of the Stirlingshire Forresters owned lands around the neighbouring Dunipace

area in the early 13th and late 14th centuries

Access to Torwood Castle can be arranged by phoning the local contact person, readily found

by googling the Clan Forrester Society website

Fairtrade Bring and Buy Stall

Sunday 14th October

As mentioned in Moira’s letter this year we

are hoping that everyone will bring along a

Fairtrade item of food and donate it to the

Old Parish Fairtrade Bring and Buy Stall at

our Service of Harvest Thanksgiving on Sun-

day 14th October.

We then hope you will purchase a different

Fairtrade item. All proceeds raised will go

towards supporting a Malawian farmer to en-

sure that his child has another year of sec-

ondary education. For more information

please speak to Moira after any service.

Duties for November

Welcome, Uplift and Count

S Simmons I Laing J Darling P Salton I Stewart

Sunday Beadles

4th D Pearson 11th A Thom 18th R Allan 25th D Salton

Bell Ringers

4th A Sinclair 11th P Carnie 18th R Ingle 25th I Laing

Sunday Coffee

4th Guild 11th Remembrance Sunday (no coffee today) 18th R and M Bowerbank

25th R and L Allan

Thursday Beadle

1st D Drummond 8th S Bryson

Wednesday Church Opening

7th S MacFeeters 14th D Davidson 21st D Stewart 28th D Baird

Magazine Distributor Required

We are currently seeking a volunteer church magazine distributor for District 19. This involves 3 houses in Gylemuir Road and 2 in Glasgow Road (total of 5 magazines). If you think you would be able to help out, please contact Rena Ingle on 334 9467 or the church of-fice, 334 7864, email: corold@aol.com

13th Edinburgh Boy’s Brigade

As well as taking orders for our Webb Ivory catalogue we will also have available an extra item as a

special order this year. We will print labels, to your design, for you to use inside your Christmas

Cards, hopefully saving you a lot of writing e.g.

Wishing you a merry Christmas And a Happy New Year John and Jean (Smith)

The cost will be £5.00 for 5 sheets of labels (minimum order) and £1.00 per sheet for each extra

sheet. There will be 14 labels per sheet. To order please contact:

Donald Baird 0131-334-7591 or donald.r.baird@blueyonder.co.uk

Kevin Aitchison 0131-334-7731 kevin.aitchison@moredun.ac.uk

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Corstorphine Literary & Geographical Society

Forthcoming Events

Monday 8th October Spotlight on Scotland’s Cinemas

Elizabeth McCrone, Historic Scotland

Monday 15th October Pack-ice and Penguins (Antarctica)

by George Sutherland

Monday 22nd October Farming in Scotland in the 21st Century

Nigel Miller, President, National Farmers Union of Scotland

All events commence at 7.45pm in the Public Hall, Kirk Loan. Membership £16. Visitors £2 per evening. For more information please contact Valerie Thomson on 339 6115.

13th Edinburgh Company, the

Boys’ Brigade (http://13edinburgh.boys-brigade.org.uk)

The Anchor Boys and Junior Section started

back at the beginning of August and we are de-

lighted to say that all the boys have returned

and we even have a few more. The Senior Fel-

lowship is due to start back at the end of Sep-

tember. We hope to get into the Schools over

the next few weeks to try and recruit new mem-

bers. We meet as follows on Monday nights (All

groups meet in the High Street Halls), and if

anyone knows of potential new members please

pass on this information/ contact details.

Anchor Boys 6.30 - 7.30 (Primary 2 & 3)

Junior Section 6.30 – 7.30 (Primary 4, 5 & 6)

Company Section 7.30-9.30 (Primary 7 - 6th

Year)

We will be running our usual Webb Ivory Christ-

mas Catalogue – this is our major fund raising

for the session. If anyone would like a catalogue

please contact Ken Swinney (334 3461) or my-

self. The more money we can make on orders

the more we can subsidise Company activities.

Many thanks once again to all who supported us

by collecting Tesco vouchers. I received our

first package which included stuff to make bird

houses and puppets, coloured activity card, a

stopwatch, electronic whistle, CD’s of sounds

with flash cards and some sports equipment. We

are also awaiting 2 remote control cars and a

computer memory stick. We also had about 100

vouchers that were to late for us to use, but we

were able to donate these to the Tesco charity

so they were not wasted.

Kevin Aitchison

Captain

334 7731

Golden Wedding Celebration

Congratulations

to Rena and Ken Ingle

who celebrated their

50th Golden Wedding Anniversary

on 15th September 2012

From everyone at the Old Parish!

TV FILMING AT THE

OLD PARISH - OR

WAS IT US?

Passing pedestrians in Kirk Loan on Thursday, September 20 must have blinked when they looked

at our church notice board there …. because it proclaimed we were Oaklands Old Parish Church,

with worship led, not by the Rev Moira, but by Father Thomas Hughes!

The Loan was of-

ficially closed to

traffic all day by

the City Council

to allow filming of

scenes for a new

series of the

BBC3 television

situation comedy

Pramface to take

place, with our

permission, in and

around the Old

Parish Church.

Up to around 50

technicians, pro-

duction staff and

cast (including

Scarlett Alice

Johnson, who

p l ayed V ick i

Fowler in BBC-tv’s

“EastEnders”

from 2003-4) were there, along with large technical equipment, lighting and sound vans.

Our Congregational Board Clerk, Ken Harrower, kindly volunteered to keep an eye on things and give

advice to the BBC people (including finding a blacksmith at short notice) – with his day beginning at

6.45am and continuing till 7.30pm (with just a quick visit to the dentist late afternoon when his wife

Moira took over). Things were not made easier by persistent and at times heavy rain lasting virtual-

ly all day, so a medal is due to the Harrower family!

The BBC are due to return to Oaklands Old Parish Church (sorry, us!) for two more full days’ filming

in late October/early November with a bigger cast list, when it is possible they will be looking for

“extra cast” playing worshippers in the church. There are no details yet, and any news about this

will be given by the Minister from the pulpit on Sundays.

Fees will also be paid to the Old Parish by the BBC for the facilities they are being given.

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Parish Records

Baptisms

16th Sept. Blair Andrew Lewis, son of Laura and Simon Lewis, 16 Roull Road

Death

6th Sept Jim Moyes, South Gyle Gardens

25th Sept Jimmy Anderson, 101 South Gyle Gardens

Wedding

9th Sept. Helen Ellis and Jim McBride, Forrester Road, Edinburgh

Officebearers, Elders and Magazine Distributors are asked to note these announcements

and to adjust their records accordingly.

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Flowers

7th October In memory of Jim and Ina Henry from the family

In loving memory of Freda Davidson from Peter and family

14th Mr and Mrs Higgins

Norman and Anne Irons in memory of Bill and Jenny Buckley

Mrs Pirrie and family in memory of her husband Tom

and mother-in-law Janet

21st Margaret Scott and family in loving memory of Ian

Wedding: Lauren Finlay and Martin Gallagher

28th In loving memory of Stan Richardson from Brenda and family.

Margaret Scott, Flower Convener

Tel: 334 3319

Thank You

I would like to thank everybody who sent me cards for my 70 years

with the Scottish Swimming Association. It was a lovely surprise to

be presented with my medal down in London at the Olympic Games.

Susan MacFeeeters