A guid Hogmanay!

Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?

CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!

And surely ye'll be your pint-stowp,
And surely I'll be mine,
And we'll tak a cup o kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou'd the gowans fine,
But we've wander'd monie a weary fit,
Sin auld lang syne.

We twa hae paidl'd in the burn
Frae morning sun till dine,
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin auld lang syne.

And there's a hand my trusty fiere,
And gie's a hand o thine,
And we'll tak a right guid-willie waught,
For auld lang syne

Words adapted from a traditional song
by Rabbie Burns (1759-96)

Recycle your Christmas tree!

♻️🎄If you have a real Christmas tree, 

please remember to recycle it! ♻️🎄

The City Council has published some helpful advice about recycling your Christmas tree.

You can read this here.

New Year's Day clean up volunteer opportunity

54th Annual Photographic Competition and Exhibition

Entries to the city’s 54th Annual Photographic Competition are now welcome, with a closing date of 3rd February 2020

Open to all photographers living within the boundaries of Dundee, and to all members of Dundee Photographic Society, the competition is run every year in conjunction with Dundee City Council.

Full details are available here and if you have any queries, please contact Dundee City Council, Neighbourhood Services on 434781.

New Year Fun Run 2020 #dundeewestend

On Thursday 2nd January at 11am and until 1pm, there will be a 5k fun run around the paths of the University of Dundee Botanic Garden to get yourself in shape for the New Year. 

The event caters for all ages and ambitions, just walk or break the record!    Your reward, as well as a good time, will include seasonal refreshments in the education centre at the end of the run.

We recommend you register for free here to ensure catering is adequate on the day.

The event is weather dependent and up-to-the-minute guidance is available on the Friends of the University of Dundee Botanic Garden blog.

Happy Boxing Day!

Boxing Day is widely celebrated in countries that are part of the Commonwealth. 

Its origins are obscure, but they date back centuries. 

Below is an interesting short documentary about the origins of Boxing Day.

 

A very Merry Christmas!

Watchnight service tonight - all welcome!

Bus services - Christmas 2019 and New Year 2020

With thanks to Suzy Scott, a full guide that gives you all the information you need for all bus services during the festive season across Dundee and the surrounding area that makes up the ABC Dundee bus travel zone is now available.

You can download it here.

Family Friendly Christmas Eve Service

All are welcome at the Logie & St John's (Cross) Church Family Friendly Christmas Eve Service!

Getting things done - Brook Street #dundeewestend

Earlier this year, residents in the Brook Street area and in Pleasance Court drew to my attention the problems they had ensuring the bus driver sees they are waiting at the bus stop on Brook Street's north side - opposite Brook Close - due to the lack of a bus bay and vehicles parked right across the stop.     

This also made it a challenge to get on the bus, as passengers had to get through a line of nose-to-tail parked vehicles to get to the bus.

The City Council agreed to my request to paint a bus bay here and I am pleased to say this has now been done – see 'before' and 'after' pictures below :

Further flooding defence works at Riverside #dundeewestend

The council's City Development Committee agreed to further flooding defence works at Riverside.      This will cover the western section from the Bridgeview Station Restaurant to the airport;   as residents will be aware the area east of this was completed at the start of 2018.

The Team Leader in the council's infrastucture team has updated me as follows :

"The works generally consist of repointing the existing sea wall, replacing existing damaged stone copes and resurfacing the existing car parking area directly in front of the new flood-defence set-back wall.  Works also include the installation of a new footpath and drainage directly behind the wall. 

Works are currently programmed to commence on-site in February 2020 and will be completed by June 2020."

As I have long campaigned for car park improvements for the section of parking west of the main public car park, the inclusion of surfacing it is very welcome.

Details of the area of the flooding defence works is given below :

Getting things done - Perth Road #dundeewestend

A number of elderly constituents have raised with me how welcome it would be to have a bus shelter on the north side of Perth Road at the bus stop a little east of opposite the Seafield Road junction.

I raised this with the Parking and Sustainable Transport Team Leader at the City Council who advises :

"A quick look at the street layout indicates that without a redesign of the footway, there isn't sufficient space at this stop for a bus shelter.   

Notwithstanding, we'll add it to our list of 'shelter requests' and score it in due course to see where it ranks against other requests for bus shelters."

Winter Planetarium Shows at Mills Observatory #dundeewestend

This Friday - 20th December – you can take a tour of the night sky in the observatory's planetarium room and learn about constellations, galaxies and the latest space news and much more.

Please note that Winter Planetarium Shows are suitable for children aged 5 and over.

£1 Adults, 50p Children with shows at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm.

Booking essential on 435967.

Getting things done - Forest Park Road #dundeewestend

I have had further complaints about recurring litter strewn right along the west side of Forest Park Road.

I have asked the local environment manager if the litter here can be tidied up.

As this is not the first time I have raised this problem in Forest Park Road, I have also asked that more attention is given to the state of the street here.

#Dundee Drop in services over the festive season

DUNDEE DROP IN SERVICES

     Christmas/New Year Opening 2019

University of Dundee Candlelit Carol Service

The University of Dundee's annual service of Carols by Candlelight will take place tonight at 5pm and will return to St Paul's Cathedral at 1 High Street.

The service takes the form of nine lessons/poems and traditional carols.    The singing will be led by the University Choirs who will also contribute a number of choral pieces.    There will be a reception with mince pies and mulled wine after the service.

University Chaplain, Rev Dr Fiona Douglas says, "The Carol Service is one of the highlight of the University year when staff and students, their families, and the local community come together to mark Christmas."

All welcome!

Community facility offer from Revival Church #dundeewestend

Many residents will know of the Revival Church situated in Taylor's Lane.

Pastor Stephen McCluskey of the church is taking forward some community initiatives such as school holidays breakfast and lunch for low-income families, in partnership with Dundee Bairns.

However, he has also mentioned that the church facilities may be available for community and charity activities during 2020 and if any local group wishes to find out more, the church can be contacted here.

Getting things done - Blackness Library #dundeewestend

A resident recently suggested it might be helpful in advertising events within Blackness Library is there was a noticeboard outside advertising activities within the library.

I took this excellent idea up with the Head of Library and Information Services and she has responded positively as follows :

"We are in agreement that this is a great idea.  Budget and planning permission may be hurdles, but we will look into this and see what is achievable."

I will keep residents updated with progress.  

Support Daniel today!

Please support my friend, colleague and Dundee West resident, Daniel Coleman in today's General Election - for a hard-working and local MP - many thanks!

Harris Education and Recreation Association - HERA new classes #dundeewestend

Here's the details of the upcoming evening classes from Harris Education and Recreation Association - together with information about enrolment night.    You can click on the images below to enlarge and can also find more details are available here :

West End Community Council meeting #dundeewestend

West End Community Council meets at 7pm tonight at the Logie & St John's (Cross) Church Hall in Shaftesbury Terrace - all welcome!

The agenda is as follows :

WEST END COMMUNITY  COUNCIL  MEETING

TUESDAY 10th DECEMBER AT 7.00PM

LOGIE AND ST JOHN`S (CROSS) PARISH CHURCH  HALL

(ENTER FROM SHAFTESBURY TERRACE - OFF  BLACKNESS  AVENUE)

1. WELCOME AND APOLOGIES

2. OFFICE BEARER & OTHER ROLES- Appointment (votes if required)

3. MINUTE OF PREVIOUS MEETING - 8th October 2019

4. CORRESPONDENCE

5. POLICE SCOTLAND UPDATE

6. PLANNING  UPDATE 

7. OTHER MEETINGS ATTENDED ON BEHALF OF WECC

8. AOCB – MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC INPUT

9. DATE  OF  NEXT  MEETING 

Light refreshments will be provided.

Weekly Road Report – West End Ward #dundeewestend

DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL - WEEKLY ROAD REPORT

REPORT FOR WEST END WARD - WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY 9 DECEMBER 2019

Blackness Road (at Oxford Street) – temporary traffic lights from Monday 9 December for one week for BT work.

West End Tennis Club - Big Christmas Party! #dundeewestend

Dundee Afternoon Lecture

West Port Christmas Lights Event tonight! #dundeewestend

The West Port Christmas Lights are switched on tonight – at 5pm – all welcome – don’t miss it!

Music and fun from around 4.45pm!

Meet at the Christmas Tree in front of Molly Malone’s (previously The Globe).

Botanic Garden event #dundeewestend

From the Friends of the University of Dundee Botanic Garden :

Talk by Kate White, Head Gardener, Cowden Castle Japanese Garden

Sunday 8th December at 2pm - Education Centre, Botanic Garden

Created in the early 20th century, the garden was vandalised in the 1960s, but an ongoing restoration project began in 2014, overseen by a team of experts including the renowned Japanese architect and garden designer Professor Masao Fukuhara.

See more about the Japanese Garden here.

We hope you can come along and hear Kate talking about this beautiful garden - have a walk round our own Botanic Garden and a cup of something in the Coffee Shop and make an afternoon of it!

House insulation - Logie area - an update #dundeewestend

As residents are aware, I have long campaigned for insulation improvements for the Logie area.  

Logie's properties are a hundred years old next year and, given the conservation status of the estate, cannot benefit from external wall insulation.   

I have therefore been pressing the council to progress internal insulation improvements and discussed this recently with Logie tenants at a residents' meeting I organised at the Lime Street sheltered lounge.

I recently asked the council's Director of Neighbourhood Services for an update on progress and have received the following helpful reply :

"I can confirm that we have completed two pilot installations in the Logie estate and that these have been successful in raising the Energy Efficiency levels to a rating which ensures EESSH* compliance. 

Overall, prior to this pilot, Logie has some 85 out of 120 houses which are compliant with the EESSH standard. 

It is our intention to develop a programme of IWI installation for this estate for the 2021/22 Financial year subject to available resource. This project will benefit tenants only as it is not our intention given the nature of the works involved to offer to owner occupiers.  I can confirm that it would be all (council owned) properties regardless of EESSH 1 compliance.   We are looking ahead towards complying with EESSH 2.

In the meantime we will look at houses in the estate that are not compliant with EESSH at present to establish whether there are short term measures we can carry out in the interim that ensure EESSH compliance until the IWI programme is carried out (this may be as simple as supplying Energy Efficiency Light bulbs).

In terms of other stock that has missed out on the EWI programme the Housing Asset Management Unit are currently developing options for these properties one of which is IWI to individual tenants properties . They will keep you updated on progress with these discussions and any outcomes."

* EESSH = Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing.

Latest update from Friends of Wighton

From Sheena Wellington :

Tomorrow - Wednesday 4th December at 1.15pm

Lunchtime Recital with The Wighton Singers

Wighton Heritage Centre, Central Library

The last event of the Friends of Wighton year is traditionally a concert with our own Wighton Singers and this year is no exception.  

Under the musical direction of Amy Lord, the Wighton Singers have had a busy year with concerts at sheltered housing complexes, guilds, day centres and Inchture Folk Club.  

Amy’s harmonious arrangements are beautiful and there will be the usual rich mix of Scottish and seasonal songs.

Admission free, although donations welcomed.

Weekly Road Report - West End Ward #dundeewestend

DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL - WEEKLY ROAD REPORT

REPORT FOR WEST END WARD - WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY 2 DECEMBER 2019

Westfield Lane – closed for up to one week for building repair works.

Glamis Terrace – closed from Monday 2 December for one week for sewer connection to new house.

Blackness Road (at Oxford Street) – temporary traffic lights from Monday 9 December for one week for BT work.

Wasps Dundee Designers + Artists Christmas Market today! #dundeewestend

Wasps Dundee Designers + Artists Christmas Market

Today - Sunday 1st December - 11am-5pm

Wasps Meadow Mill, West Henderson's Wynd

The much anticipated Wasps Dundee Christmas Designers and Artists market at Meadow Mill Studios is back and now in it’s 6th year! 

A wonderfully festive event with original art and sparkly handmade items by Meadow Mill's talented tenants and a few of Dundee’s well known creative guests to boot. 

Join and get merry with Meadow Mill tenants: a cosy glass of mulled wine in one hand and all your handmade gifts in the other!