Well whoever’s heard of smoking a haggis before? How interesting to read all about Asheville’s Burns night celebrations with an American twist . It’s always great to have news from our friends across the pond – particularly when they are involved in activities that bring our communities closer together. I wonder what the equivalent for us would be … hosting a July 4th party perhaps?
I’m looking forward to the Niel Gow Festival on 20-22nd March. There is a packed programme celebrating the life of our village’s most renowned musician. We’re eagerly awaiting news of the bronze statue due to be unveiled in the village later this year. It is very encouraging to hear that £1,000 has been contributed to the statue from the profits of Asheville’s Burns Night and we wish Pete and the team all the very best with the final stage of fundraising. Also, can I draw your attention to the Niel Gow exhibition that has been mounted by the archives. Pop into the archives on Monday, Wednesday or Friday mornings to find out more about life in Inver back in the eighteenth century when Niel was fiddling away.
March will hopefully see the safe return our Osprey’s to Loch of the Lowes. Last year the male returned on the 15th and the female on the 23rd. I have to say I like this idea of sending the husband on ahead to straighten out the twigs and get the heating on. Let’s hope all these ghastly gales will have stopped by then and that there is more spring like weather for their nesting.
I’m delighted to hear that our village - that has almost everything - is now even closer to having everything with the arrival of legal services. From 4th March, Mitchells Solicitors of Pitlochry are commencing two open sessions a week based at the Community Coworking Space at Lagmhor (The Old Doctors Surgery) on Wednesdays and Thursday between 9 and 12:30pm. Why not pop along to their open evening on 20th March to find out what services they can offer you.
Finally, to slugs – and a very interesting and enjoyable article with The Field’s findings about these gastropods in response to a national initiative requesting a survey of … slugs. I guarantee that you will never see slugs in the same light again. Enjoy!
 
Sally Robertson

February is a funny month.
After the long, dark days of winter the increase in daylight is noticeable and you get the odd day when it feels like the sap is rising, there is a hint of spring, the air seems softer. It is almost enough to get me out in the garden! Then you get hit with winter again in the form of storm Dennis. But the memory of that softer day lingers; an intimation of better things to come.
It reminds you the winter is not here to last. There was a prominent Scottish churchman of the 20th. Century, a man called the Rev.Archie Craig, who used this as an illustration of the spiritual experience. In fact, when Elizabeth Templeton came to write his biography she gave it the title ‘God’s February.’ He was a parish minister, University Chaplain, Academic and a leader in the fledgling Ecumenical Movement. He spoke of those odd days, in Scotland it is usually around mid-February, when you feel spring stirring.
He saw in it a good illustration of the life of faith. We can be lumbering along, struggling with the darkness of wars and rumours of wars, climate change and personal issues then we get a glimpse of something better to come. Call it a moment of revelation, a renewal of faith or just a sense of something beyond, but it lifts us, inspires us and though we may still have to go back into the darkness, we have an intimation of a better day to come and it keeps us going.
This was the experience of many Biblical characters, not least Jesus. He had many difficult times of hostility and opposition but, along the way he had moments of confirmation like his Baptism, or after the Temptations in the wilderness when he sensed angels ministering to him, or the experience of the Transfiguration – mountaintop experiences which were enough to sustain him for the journey to Jerusalem and the cross. Then Easter came, the day he had seen hints of when down in the valley. For us these can come in a moment of prayer, a time of worship, a chance encounter or an experience of wonder.
Walking in faith does not mean that life is a bed of roses but God gives us those moments of brightness; a glimpse of the vision set before us, the hope of resurrection which keeps us on his path. God’s February,
a day when the promise is made clear and hope is restored.

Fraser Penny

Is it February already? I must be getting really old as time seems to be going nowhere.
The Council is currently looking at setting this year’s budget! To say that it is going to be challenging will be an understatement. I have been asked that my contribution to the Bridge is not too political so I will say no more on the subject other than; with budgetary constraints, expect substantial cuts to frontline services.
There are some great things happening with our Council at the moment. It appears that we are getting things right when it comes to homelessness. The Scottish Government figures have revealed that Perth and Kinross has seen the biggest drop in homelessness across the country, with the number of people presenting themselves as homeless falling from 1025 to 780 between April and October, a drop of 24%. Let’s hope that this is a continuing trend.
Malcolm X once said, “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” I am sure that this was no more pertinent than at the recent Lifelong Learning committee where, I am very pleased to report that plans to build a new Primary school at Bertha Park were approved. The committee were told that an extra 2582 homes were predicted to be built within the proposed new school’s catchment area resulting in an estimated 700 extra primary school aged children over the next decade.
I smile sometimes when I try to comprehend what the great British Public are thinking! The front pages of all of the newspapers and magazines are filled with reports and analysis. News programmes and social media are
going into melt down. So, what is this phenomenon?
With everything that is happening in the world at the moment such as, bush fires in Australia, a world Coronavirus outbreak, polar ice caps melting etc it seems that all that matters is that Phillip Schofield had announced that he is gay! Was that it? Seriously? OK, I guess that it is mildly better than listening to Brexit tales of woe, but really is  there really a need for a public broadcast and the ensuing media storm for announcing one’s sexual preferences? If it is neither illegal or causing me hardship then like most people, I am really not interested. I just think that everyone has the right to live their life the way they please without the need to justify it to everyone else. Let’s just worry about the things that really do matter.

Councillor Ian James