admin – Page 100 – ardentinny.org

November 29, 2011February 28, 2026

The bag packers guide…

Arentinny Community Trust goes bag packing at Morrisons in Dunoon and find that the public mostly know about the Garden project and are delighted to have it happening in Cowal. Merle Ferguson provides some tips for future bagpacking…

Having had a great day on Saturday at Morrisons supermarket, Dunoon bag packing for the Walled Garden Funds.:

1. You have to book very far ahead so don’t do as we did and have the actual day sneak up on you, like Christmas does, when you think its ages away.
2. At least 2 months before your allocated date, and before they can organize to do something else that day, ask friends and villagers for a couple of hours of their time. We had more than eight good people who would have come (seriously) if they weren’t otherwise booked.
3. Have some extra folks in reserve because someone’s bound to have to pull out on the day.
4. Don’t put a notice asking for volunteers on the village notice board. It doesn’t work. Well, would you make the telephone call? Be honest.
5. Help your till manager by dressing up to cheer up those faces looking at you while queuing (especially the kids). Everyone is actually very patient in the face of the purse fumbling, card losing, bottle breaking public (just like you and me!) Next time we are dressing up as fairies!! (only kidding).
6. Three hours is the absolute maximum to pack before taking a break… best to have three – 2hr shifts shared out. The good bit is that if anyone need to leave they can do just that without any fuss.
7. When everyone tells you they’ve read about your project in the local rag and think it’s just great for Cowal… don’t go kissing them… there isn’t time!
8. Remember to get some coin bags from the Bank and leave plenty more time for counting up the hundreds of pennies.

Merle Ferguson

November 25, 2011February 28, 2026

Local MSP takes a walk around the Glenfinart Walled Garden

Mike Russell Visit-2 — Councillor Ron Simon, Trust Convener Dennis Gower, Mike Russell MSP & Trust Director Anna Williamson.

Members of Ardentinny Community Trust warmly welcomed MSP Mike Russell and local Councillor Ron Simon to the Glenfinart Walled Garden in Ardentinny.

The local MSP and Councillor congratulated trust convener, Dennis Gower, on the Trust agreeing the purchase of the garden from the Forestry Commission, a purchase that has been made possible with funding from Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the National Lottery’s Awards for All program and the creative fund raising efforts of the local community.

Mike Russell, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, enthused about the potential of the garden, siting established projects in Campbeltown and the Organic Growers of Fairlie as great examples of how community gardens can bring positive social and environmental benefits to communities.

Situated near the shores of Loch Long, the Grade B listed walled garden, featuring a unique curved wall, is a ‘hidden gem’. Designed as part of the original Glenfinart Estate the working garden included a series glass houses, orchards and vegetable plots. Now only the walls of the garden and some fruit trees remain.

With backing from the local community, the Ardentinny Community Trust are purchasing the garden with the express aim of turning it back into a community resource and saving it from dereliction. They have plans to reinstate the garden for food growing, recreation and environmental education and have recently appointed a project officer, Hannah Clinch, to support these developments with the backing of funding from LEADER.

If you would like more information about the Glenfinart Walled garden or would like to volunteer then please contact the Ardentinny Community Trust info@glenfinartgarden.org or visit www.GlenfinartGarden.org

Hannah Clinch

November 24, 2011February 28, 2026

What’s happening in Ardentinny Village Hall in December?

Monday: Bridge 19.00 – 21.00
Tuesday: Badminton 10.00 – 12.00
Tuesday: Art Club 14.00 – 16.00
Wednesday: Hobbies 19.00 – 21.00
Thursday: Carpet Bowls 14.30 – 16.30
Friday: Soup & Sandwich 11.00 – 13.30

On Fridays the most delicious homemade soup and home baking is to be found in the Village Hall and we are very proud to keep this social event going throughout the winter, weather permitting. Every month Ardentinny Community Trust takes a table to raise money for Glenfinart Walled Garden. There is also a weekly table to raise money for Clic Sargent. The Village Hall also has a table selling bric-a-brac and secondhand books to raise money for the Village Hall funds. Look out for details of our annual Christmas Drop-in which will be happening in early December (great mincemeat pies!). The Village Hall Committee would like to thank everyone for keeping alive the traditions of a village hall which has now been going for over 100 years.
Merle Ferguson

November 21, 2011February 28, 2026

Michael Russell MSP visits Glenfinart Walled Garden

We hope to to publish a full report on Monday’s visit by Mike Russell to the Glenfinart Walled Garden shortly. Meanwhile you can read his Blipfoto report here.

November 3, 2011February 28, 2026

Recollections of the 50s…

at_PrimroseTearooms-2-2 — Primrose Tearoom 1950’s

Along with my husband, I visited Ardentinny in September 2011 with the purpose of walking down Memory Lane to the late 1950s when I had spent many of my childhood holidays there.

It was certainly lovely to see the village looking so orderly and prosperous with such an apparently active and friendly community. The natural beauty remains as wonderful as my recall. Having looked at the notice board, we met briefly with Sandra Davidson in order to buy some 2012 calendars. She was one of several people from whom we learned a bit about life in Ardentinny today but the purpose of this e-mail is to ask if anyone shares our recall of earlier times.

My Aunt and Uncle owned and ran the Primrose Tearooms in Ardentinny in the 1950s. The tearooms are now known as The Heron and the building is a private residence. Leaving our normal London life behind, my Mother, my two sisters and I spent many summer holiday periods in Ardentinny helping Auntie and Uncle with the busy trade – many coaches came from Dunoon stopping at the tearooms to partake of the good Scottish fare! Uncle worked for the Forestry Commission and they lived in one of the FC houses.

I attach (above) a photo of my Aunt and Uncle and of some of the local ladies who worked for them. Can any of your readers recall these times or recognise the people? We three remember the name Jenny Moffat and we think she is sitting back right. My Aunt and Uncle were Agnes and Neil Wareham who hailed from Campbeltown prior to joining the Ardentinny community. Agnes was of Glaswegian origin, my Mother’s older sister, and Neil came from Bute. They had no children. On leaving Ardentinny they had a small grocery store in Glasgow in order to be nearer to siblings but of course all have long since passed on.

We become more nostalgic with passing years! As sisters, our teenage years spanned the 1950s and therefore our memories now fade. Are any of your readers able to help and share with us any recall of the period or information about these people since that time?

We have such happy memories of The Primrose Tearooms and Ardentinny. We were at that time Rosemary, Margaret and Phyllis and my Mother’s name was Mary. Our surname was ‘Day’.

With kind regards,

‘Pippa’ Greenwood