COLINTON NEWS

A COMMUNITY OF FAITH AT THE HEART OF THE VILLAGE

Issue 397 . February / March 2023 . Distributed free

ALL THE BEST

FOR 2023

C HURCH N EWS AND W EEKLY W ORSHIP

C ATCH UP WITH YEAR - END E VENTS
T HE L ITERARY S OCIETY . G ARDEN C LUB . L OCAL H ISTORY S OCIETY
C OLINTON 900 R EVISITED / P ART TWO
T HE S WING . COSY THURSDAYS . C ARE FOR CHINA . C HRISTIAN A ID

COLINTON NEWS is a Colinton Parish Church publication

Registered Charity No. SC 010313 www.colinton-parish.com
Colinton Parish Church Colinton Parish Church
...and our beautiful flowers
Minister
Rev. Rolf Billes Do you appreciate seeing flowers in Church each Sunday?
rbilles@churchofscotland.org.uk Would you like to know more about how these beautiful
0131 466 8384
displays happen? Our small, friendly team
Pastoral Care of arrangers would love to welcome new
Development Worker members to the Flower Group.
Moira Shirreff They will provide help and support to
pastoral.care@colinton-parish.com anyone who is interested. The team work
0131 441 2232 a rota system, whereby each person’s turn
to arrange the flowers
Church Officer comes round about
Alasdair Mackenzie
once every two
Director of Music months, so the
David Turner commitment is not
very daunting.
Dreghorn Loan Hall Letting
Sheila Porteous If you are interested,
please contact either
Flower Convener Helen Drury or
Helen Drury Caroline Pearson:
Givings Convener
Brian Falla Helen Drury (druryhelen@hotmail.com)

Magazine Distribution Caroline Pearson (cm-pearson@tiscali.co.uk)

Irene Falla

Roll Keeper
Irene Falla
Safeguarding Co-ordinator
Jamie Wilson
jamesbellwilson@gmail.com
Session Clerk
Ian Morrison
Treasurer
Graeme Clark

Church Office Secretary
Lindsey Rowlands
church.office@colinton-parish.com
Tel: 0131 441 2232
Dell Road, Colinton
Colinton News Editor
Kath Hay
colinton.news@colinton-parish.com
Colinton News is a
Colinton Parish Church Publication.
Printed by Allander Print Unlimited
COLINTON NEWS ARTICLES PAGE
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Key Information 2
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unformatted Word document technical support
(not PDF) together with
Shine a Light photographs 5
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Colinton 900 Revisited - 6,7
attached separately
Part 2
Article 7
Lent Study Group / Swing
maximum 500 words
Café Catering Manager
Announcement
maximum 150 words Local History Society / 8
Colinton Garden Club
Deadline for the
The Lit 9
April/May issue is
10
Saturday 18th March Care for China
Parish Register / 11
Please note all articles are
Christian Aid
subject to editing. Please send
items via email to the Editor at
the email address on the left,
or contact the Church Office
Thank you
 Page 3
February / March 2023
Issue 397 / Distributed free

W ELCOME
Hello and welcome to Colinton News magazine. We are featuring
photographs from the wonderful Shine a Light event, which took place
last December and was so well supported by our whole community,
together with a reminder of other celebrations held at the end of the year.
Lawrence Mackie continues with the second article on events which took Kath Hay
place during Colinton 900. Editor
I do hope you will find time to read through and enjoy all the articles,
stories and news items written by our friends and colleagues and do get in
touch if you would like to submit something for future issues.
Felice Editrice

lift our mood. A couple of days As we live through these days

NURTURING HOPE
This time of year can, for some
people, be the most difficult to
cope with. Having come through
the excitement of Christmas and
New Year, we find ourselves in
a time when the days are still
relatively short. With the cold and
damp weather affecting our mood,
January and February can be quite
dreary months. Ordinarily, we
would want to turn on additional
lights in the house and keep the
heating on a bit longer but, this
year, we are probably more likely
to put on an extra layer of clothing
to save energy.
I wonder what ways you have
found to keep your spirits up.
Burns Suppers at the end of
January help us celebrate the good
things in life, through poetry and
song, inspired by our national
Bard, Robert Burns. Going out for
walks on the brighter days can also
ago, while strolling through
Colinton Kirkyard, I came across
the first snowdrops of the season.
These little white flowers instantly
cheered me up and reminded me
that Spring, with its renewed life
and energy, is not far away.
Throughout history, the people
of God have had their fair share of
challenges, which has sometimes
led to feelings desperation and
hopelessness. The biblical writers
saw it as one of their tasks to
rekindle the hope in those who
had become downhearted.
Jeremiah described the Lord as
the "Hope of Israel" (Jeremiah 17,
v13). Isaiah, who was foretelling
the birth of a child, encouraged the
people of Galilee: “There will be no
more gloom for those who were in
distress…The people walking in
darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep
darkness, a light has dawned”
(Isaiah 9, v1-2).
The Psalmist had a very person-
al insight: “Truly my soul finds rest
in God; my salvation comes from
him. Truly he is my rock and my
salvation; he is my fortress, I will
never be shaken…Yes, my soul,
find rest in God; my hope comes
from him” (Psalm 62, v1-2,5). The
apostle Paul, who often found him-
self struggling along the journey of
faith, affirmed: “Be joyful in hope,
patient in affliction, faithful in
prayer” (Romans 12, v12).
and weeks of winter, let us look
for Hope wherever we can find it:
in the smile of another person;
in encouraging each other; in
observing the slow awakening of
nature; in seeking God’s presence
through contemplation and
prayer. Let us focus on that which
nurtures the life within, so that
when the time comes, we will find
ourselves experiencing the very
thing we hoped for. The writer
Emily Dickinson describes it
beautifully in her poem:
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without
the words,
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.
With my prayers and best wishes,
Your Minister
Rolf Billes
P a g e 4 / Colinton News

PASTORAL CARE - A TIME FOR EVERYTHING

Happy New Year. How time flies. It
only seems like a moment ago that we
celebrated another new year, and here
we are almost into February!
As we leave the old year behind and
look to the new, we remember the times
that were special to us in 2022 – time
spent in the company of family and
friends, time spent visiting new or familiar
places, time spent enjoying quiet activities
like reading, writing, listening or contem-
M OIRA S HIRREFF plating, time spent in creating new things,
P ASTORAL C ARE time spent in the outdoors, gardening or
D EVELOPMENT exercising or just enjoying the fresh air and
WORKER appreciating the beauty and colours of the
changing seasons. Time is such a precious
Whatever 2023 thing – some moments we would like to
might bring for you, last forever and from others we want to
ups or downs, move swiftly on.
remember God’s Whatever 2023 might bring for you,  
love for each of us ups or downs, remember God’s love for
is constant... each of us is constant at all times. If you
find you have some time on your hands
during these winter days, we would
welcome you at the Swing Café, both for
refreshments and to spend some time
enjoying a game of Scrabble or dominos
or chess or even adding a few pieces to an
ongoing jigsaw. I look forward to catching
up with you as we move into 2023. I can
be contacted at the Church office on
0131 441 2232, Tuesdays, Wednesdays
and Thursdays.
Best wishes, Moira
Moira Shirreff
The Book of Ecclesiastes in the
Old Testament of the Bible
suggests that there is
A Time for Everything
There is a time for everything, 
and a season for every activity
under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time
to gather them,
 a time to embrace and a time to refrain
from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
 a time to tear and a time to mend,
  a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

MESSY CHURCH GETS UNDERWAY

We will meet on Saturday 4th March
in Dreghorn Loan Hall / 2.30pm - 4pm
Come and join us as we create crafts - as we
sing songs - as we share stories - and have fun and
adventures together in the warmth of the Hall.
Teas, coffee, juice and nibbles will be provided.
Everyone of all ages is welcome.
We look forward Children - remember to bring
an adult with you.
to seeing you
Please ensure you register with us in advance via QR code
on the Church website: www.colinton-parish.com
 February / March 2023 Page 5

SHINE A LIGHT - A SUPERB EVENT

Hundreds of people from our community took part in a procession on
Sunday 4th December, which finished inside Colinton Parish Church,
where a concert raised more than £540 for ‘Shelter’.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE INVOLVED
P a g e 6 / Colinton News
Colinton 900
Revisited / Part 2
Lawrence Mackie
“Colinton is one of the more
ancient villages in Lothian. In
1095 Ethelred, a younger son of
Malcolm Canmore and Queen
Margaret, founded a new Church
in the Dell to be gifted to the
monks of the Church of the Holy
Trinity at Dunfermline. Colinton
village grew around the nucleus
of church, watermill and ford.
Following the well-attended
Hogmanay Watch-night Service
and Fireworks Display which inau-
gurated the celebrations, January
1995 saw the first of four Colinton
900 organ recitals in the Parish
Church. On this occasion Morley
Whitehead, regular accompanist for
established opera companies, choirs
and choral societies throughout
Scotland, was at the console. He
was accompanied by trumpeter
Darren Benyon, who was known for
his work with, amongst others, the
BBC Scottish Symphony and RSNO
orchestras, as well as Scottish Opera
and Scottish Ballet.
The programme included
Master Tallis’s Testament,
Herbert Howells; Toccata
and Fugue in D minor, Bach;
Purcell’s Trumpet Sonata
and Clarke’s Trumpet
Voluntary.
Later in the month, the
sell-out Colinton Burns Club
1995 Burns Supper, held in
Merchiston Castle School,
was, on this occasion, not
only a celebration of the
birthday of Robert Burns, but
also of the 900th birthday of
Colinton Village. The Address to a
Haggis was given by committee
member Edie McCue. The Rev.
George Whyte, the Minister of
Colinton Parish Church, said Grace
and gave the Vote of Thanks. The
Immortal Memory was proposed
by Lord Provost Norman Irons and
the Toast to Colinton 900 was
made by Rt. Hon. Malcolm
Rifkind, then Secretary of State for
Defence as well as Hon. President
of Colinton Burns Club. Councillor
Brian Meek proposed the Toast to
the Lassies, replied to by Margaret
Melluish, Committee Member.
The celebrations also included
a lecture series ‘Towards Better
Communication’, exploring why we
are the way we are and how we can
change if we wish. This was led by
Ken Lawson and Penny Wooding
from St. Colm’s College Edinburgh,
leaders of the Group Relations
Programme at the College. The
introductory meeting in the
Dreghorn Loan Hall in January
was followed by a six-week course
during February and March. This
first series was very successful and
was repeated later in the year.
In February, the Allander
Ensemble (pictured above),
Leader John Cushing, clarinet, and
a group of principal players from
the RSNO, presented the first of
a series of concerts, sponsored
by TSB Bank Scotland plc. The
Ensemble comprised strings,
clarinet, bassoon and horn and
the programme featured Wind
Quintets by Ferguson and
Schubert.
There were a number of
Exhibitions during the year. The
first one during March and April
in Colinton Library. ‘Colinton
Characters, Pictures and Prose’
was compiled by local residents,
Derek Braid, a prolific photo-
grapher, and George Lewis who
contributed the prose.
The Exhibition featured Jim
Cameron, the Woodhall Road
postie; Patsy Downes, village fruit
shop owner; Dante Margiotta;
Anne McGill, senior librarian;
Jim Ritchie, Treasurer of the
Colinton Literary
Society; Gordon
Robertson, Head
Teacher at Bonaly
Primary School;
Lorraine Rutherford,
music teacher; Bill
Shand, BB Captain;
George Stephenson,
Church Officer; and
schoolteacher sisters
Agnes Wright and
Cath Foggo, at that
time two of Colinton’s most
senior residents. Their Colinton
Continued ...page 7

family on their father’s side, could
be traced back to the 1840’s.
Their great-grandfather was a
mill worker and one of the first
residents of Spylaw Street.
During the year, several guest
preachers filled the pulpit in the
Parish Church. Some were
former assistants and associates,
others represented the shared
traditions of the Church’s history
including the Roman Catholic
and Episcopal Churches and the
Army. The Bishop of Edinburgh
and the Provost of St. Mary’s
Cathedral were amongst the
guest preachers in the Episcopal
Church.
In September, the Very Rev.
James Harkness, Moderator of
the General Assembly of the
Church of Scotland, led worship
in the Parish Church and, as part
of the 900 celebrations, dedicated
new Church gates. The gates
commemorated the 900th
anniversary and were gifted
anonymously by a member of
the congregation. They were
February / March 2023 Page 7
designed by John
Sloan and form a
celebratory
entrance to the
Churchyard and
Kirk. Panels
feature the Church’s
armorial bearings
(pictured below
right) and the dates
1095 - 1995.
A decorative bower filling the
archway contains elements of the
Colinton landscape which Robert
Louis Stevenson featured in his
memoirs. The same kind donor
arranged for the armorial shield
(pictured above) to be laid out in
flowers in the graveyard by
trainees from the Construction
Skills Centre, courtesy of Edinburgh
District Council Management
Services.
The subject of the next article
which will appear in Colinton News,
covers further events held in April
and May, which paved the way for
the centrepiece of the celebrations
in June - Colinton Week.”
CATERING MANAGER
Colinton Parish Church is looking for
one, or two, people to take on the
role of Catering Manager(s) to lead
The Swing Café, which is run by a
team of volunteers.
The role of Catering Manager will be either
a 24-hour per week role, to be carried out by
one person, or by two people job-sharing.
While a Catering Manager is not expected to
be present during the full opening hours of the Café, their
working hours need to ensure that necessary administration
and planning for the running of the Café is carried out,
interaction with, and supervision of, volunteers is achieved,
and, to an appropriate extent, help and guidance is provided
in the kitchen. The salary for this post is £15,840 (£23,100
pro-rata). In the case of the post being carried out by
two people, the salary will be shared, in proportion with the
Managers’ working hours.
To apply, please email your CV, together with any other
relevant information, to Colinton Parish Church Session Clerk
at session.clerk@colinton-parish.com. Please also email the
Session Clerk if you require more information. Closing date is
10th February.
P a g e 8 / Colinton News

Our second half, which started on 6th February

It is looking as if this mixture of Loan
Hall meetings and Zoom meetings is
appealing to our Members, as our
membership is now almost back up
to pre-Covid levels.
Although it is far more sociable
to meet face to face, our Zoom
meetings have meant that many
people have been quite happy to
avoid going out on some very cold
evenings. For the first half of our
season we have enjoyed excellent
Guest Speakers, who have covered
topics such as the little-known
Scottish National Antarctic Expedition
of 1902-1904; Mary Somerville
(Queen of Scientists); 66 Queen
Street; and The Artists in Albany
Street over the Years.
th
16 January, is going to be just as THE PENTLAND RISING
diverse, as you can see from the Dane Love / Zoom
programme. If you are not already
20th February
a Member and would like to attend
200 YEARS OF THE
any of these meetings, please just
UNION CANAL
drop us a note at:
Sandra Purves / Zoom
enquiries@colintonhistory.org.uk
or contact me, Derek Douglas, at: 6th March
TALES FROM THE CITY
ireander@blueyonder.co.uk
POORHOUSE
We are in the process of updating
Alister Macdonald / Live
and condensing our very sizeable
Archives and during this process we 20th March
have discovered a very interesting WW1 GALLIPOLI CAMPAIGN
book on Colinton Village which, in Dave Clarke / Live
1959, was written as a school
project by Susan M. Gavin, who, at 3rd April
AGM
that time, was in Senior 5, making
her somewhere in her late 70s now. Our ‘live’ meetings take place
We feel that if we can find the lady in Dreghorn Loan Hall at 8pm
in question, we would like to return on a Monday evening. Please
this school project to her. Should check our website for details
anyone have any knowledge of and further information.
Susan, or her whereabouts, I would
Derek Douglas, Secretary
be very much obliged if they could
ireander@blueyonder.co.uk
contact me at my e-mail address.

Colinton Garden Club got 2023

back into full swing, with 23rd January: My role as NTS Garden and
talks, a plant sale and Design Landscape Manager / Colin Wren
Christmas Party.
We look forward to three more 27th February: Members’ evening:
Monday evening talks and then  Shona Oliver on Campbell Park
the AGM in April. We shall be holding a general craft  Jon Gibson on NTS Garden of Glenarm
show with the (very appropriate) title of ‘Spring’, so  Kathryn Pitt on Scottish Gardeners
do get thinking and painting or sewing or planting or Forum, Past and Present
hammering - whatever! We’d like your contributions.
27th March: Planting Containers / Andrew
Soon, we plan to announce a Snowdrop Outing,
and also the date of our May evening Garden Cathcart / followed by Raffle
Reception. Our Saturday morning Members’ open 24th April: AGM
gardens, with plant sale, coffees and teas, will be held
on 17th June. We are looking for offers from Members
to open their gardens in the Redford area - any shape
or size or style - they will all be interesting.
Our summer outing will be in July and plans are
being made now to visit Fife. Further details will be
announced soon. Finally, we need more committee
members. If you are interested, do please get in touch
and come and join us! Membership of the Club is
only £8 per household and for further information
please see our website for the latest newsletter and
more details: www.colintongardens.org.uk
Very best wishes to everyone

Penny McKee (Chair) Christmas Party celebrations

 February / March 2023 Page 9

THE LIT CHRISTMAS PARTY, HELD

IN THE DREGHORN LOAN HALL
IN DECEMBER LAST YEAR WAS A
RESOUNDING SUCCESS!
Great company, terrific food
and wonderful music

A variety of songs were We meet each Wednesday

performed by four singers,
Matthew, Sarah, Andrew
and Halla, (pictured top left),
who were from Edinburgh’s
MGA Academy of Performing
Arts. Drinks were meticulously
poured by Ruaridh Davidson,
(pictured left) and a delicious
buffet was provided by the
Committee. Much cheerful chat
and conversation was shared by
the many Members who came
to enjoy the evening.
evening in Dreghorn Loan
Hall, 22 Dreghorn Loan,
Colinton. Talks are
presented by our
excellent Guest Speakers.
Please arrive at 7:30pm to sign
up for either the Talk that
evening, or for the membership
fee which is just £10. Everyone
can then enjoy a cup of tea or
coffee, or a glass of wine, before
the presentation starts at 8pm.

And if you are not already
a Member of The Lit, do please
get in touch as we would be
delighted to welcome you.
We are also on the look-out
for new Committee Members as
well as volunteers to help out on
Wednesday evenings. Or, if you
have IT or publicity skills and
can spare some time,
please do drop me an
email.
With all good wishes
Morag Marshall
morag.l.marshall@btinternet.com
Talks in place for February and
March are:
08th Feb: Beastly Edinburgh
presented by Barclay Price
15th Feb: Scotland’s Role in
Slavery presented by Alan McLean
22nd Feb: The 1956 Suez Crisis
presented by Ian Gardiner
01st March: Gasmasks and
Lipstick presented by
Margaret Collingwood
08th March: AGM followed by a
Talk on geologist Lady MacRobert,
presented by Ann Lindsay
P a g e 1 0 / Colinton News

provide training and expertise for

Chinese partners. The SCCG funded travel
for partners to come to Scotland for this
training as well as enabling Scottish experts
to travel to visit Chinese partners. It is
hugely rewarding to be able to respond
quickly to partner requests for support.
It is fair to say that the turmoil caused by
the pandemic, plus the current political
situation in China, has meant we have had to work
CARE FOR CHINA very hard, and sensitively, to support our Chinese
By Rev. Patricia Johnston partners.
Scotland has a long connection with China, and many If you would like more details about our work
of you will be aware of our country's historical or would like to be added to our mailing list, please
Christian connections, in the early 20th century, contact Rev. Patricia Johnston by email at
through the pioneering medical and educational patricia.johnston@sccg.org.uk
work of figures such as Eric Liddell.
Today, the Scottish Churches China Group (SCCG) The Scottish Churches China Group
is an ecumenical charity that works with Chinese is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation
partners in public health and education. We are a (SCIO). Scottish Charity Number SC033740.
small charity but proud to still be part of the long Further information is on our website at
history of Scottish connection with China. Modern www.sccg.org.uk
China is a huge - and rich - country. Because of its
size, however, there is still an incredible amount of
poverty. For hundreds of millions of people there
are massive inequalities in health and education. We
respond to requests from Chinese partners working
on the front line in health and education, where
there is most need.
Our Chinese partners include The Amity
Foundation in Nanjing, a large non-governmental
organisation (NGO) charity set up in 1985 by Chinese
Protestant leaders for Chinese Christians to bear
witness to their faith through good works; the Rende
Foundation in Shanghai; the Caritas Social Service
Centre in Liaoning Catholic Diocese, the main focus of
which is care for the elderly and HIV/Aids, and
Spiritual and Palliative Care professionals at Shengjing
Hospital. Projects range from training for staff, who
look after children with additional support needs,
including autism, to projects which are helping to
train medical staff involved in palliative and end of
life care, neither of which are yet fully recognised
Every Thursday
specialisms in China. 10am - 12noon
The SCCG draws on expertise within Scotland and
the UK. We have partnered with Scottish Autism,
Macmillan Cancer Care and Alzheimer Scotland to
 February / March 2023 Page 11

P ARISH R EGISTER

BAPTISM
Tristan Hamish Hunter
8th January 2023

FUNERALS
Raymonde (Ray) Cowie
1st December 2022

Andrew Fyffe
2nd December 2022

John (Ian) Clifton

20nd December 2022

Amelia (Milly) Young

21st December 2022

HARUN: DREAMING OF BIGGER HORIZONS

Nine year old Harun was tiny when his family
fled Myanmar, but he still remembers seeing
violence that no child should see. In the camp,
The news has moved on...but he loves to sit with his friends and watch the
planes. “We see the sky and talk about visiting
Rohingya refugees have not abroad.”
It’s five long years since 720,000 Rohingya refugees “My dream is to become a pilot”
fled persecution, violence and death in Myanmar.
Nearly 60% of them were children. They witnessed
unspeakable brutality. Many lost their parents. They
have now spent most of their lives in Cox’s Bazar, the
world’s largest camp, where there are now approxi-
mately 919,000 refugees. Rife with danger (floods,
fires, violence, trafficking), this is no place for a child
to grow up.

F ATIMA: KEEPING
DREAMS ALIVE
Fatima has seen things
no child should ever
see: armed groups
storming her home,
seizing possessions,
attacking innocent
people. Yet after five years as a refugee, her spirit is
not broken. She’s determined to become an advocate
to sort out the problems in her community.
“My dream is to study higher and
become a lawyer.”
So many children like Harun and Fatima have
been through ordeals that they can never forget.
Yet they have not given up on their dreams.
If you could help them to keep their
dreams alive, please donate at
‘Never Forget' Rohingya Appeal
(Donate) - Christian Aid
Thank you.
Patricia Brignall
patriciabrignall@gmail.com
Colinton News . Issue 397 . February / March 2023

COLINTON NEWS is a Colinton Parish Church publication

Registered Charity No. SC 010313 www.colinton-parish.com