25 June 2023

Starts: 11:30

Sunday 25 June  11.30
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Academy Street, Fortrose

Diana Hamilton-Jones writes

James Braidwood was my great great great grandfather and the Father of the Modern Fire Service, which was formed in Edinburgh in 1824. He was Superintendent of the world’s first municipal fire service. In 1833 he was invited to form a municipal fire service in London which later became the London Fire Brigade. At this time he was known internationally as The Expert on Fire Fighting. He was killed on active duty on Tooley Street, London on 22nd June 1861 and each year around that date the congregation of my local church holds a special service for the fire service. It is attended by local fire crews as well as senior officers from Glasgow & Edinburgh.

This year the service will be held on Sunday 25th June at 11.30 and all are most welcome. It is an opportunity to thank our brave fire fighters for all they do to keep us safe at home, work or on the roads and lochs as well as to commemorate the life and legacy of James Braidwood.

 

25 June 2023

Starts: 11:00
Ends: 16:00

Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 June    11.00 - 4.00   Cromarty

Cromarty Open Gardens

makes a welcome return on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th giving locals and visitors the chance to see behind the walls or peer over the fence at the many lovely gardens around the town, large and small, each one a special haven for its owners. It is a wonderful opportunity to pick up ideas for your own patch and, with around 30 gardens (including some new ones) and the allotments to visit, you are sure to find something of interest.

Plants and books will be on sale plus there is the chance to win a prize on the Tombola. Two gardens will be serving tea and home baking and, with many local shops and places to eat and drink, it all adds up to a great day out. And don’t forget to call in to the Art and Flowers display in East Church.

Gardens are open from 11am to 4pm. Admission is £5 per person (under 12’s free) and tickets are valid for both days. Tickets and lists of open gardens are available from The Hub at East Bellevue House on Church Street or from the dedicated Open Gardens car parking area on The Links.

Dogs are welcome on leads in many of the gardens but please respect the wishes of owners where a ‘No Dogs’ sign is displayed. 

The Open Gardens and the Art and Flowers display are big fundraising events. It is hoped that this year we will be able to better the £5,600 raised last year – this amount was distributed between 10 local charities and organisations. Many local businesses provide generous sponsorship for these two events so please do give them your support.

Can you help with Tombola prizes?

We will be running a Tombola this year at £1 per go – if anyone can donate small items for prizes we would be most appreciative. If you can help please contact:- Julie & Jeremy Price 01381 600709, Alison Palmer 01381 600466, or Ginny Hourston 01381 600409

Find us on Facebook – Cromarty Open Gardens

 

Cromarty Open Studios

is also scheduled for this weekend, running from 11 am to 4 pm each day. 

This year, a select group of artists and makers will participate, including Liz Hall (Paintings), Andrea Huntley (Linocut prints), Emma Nightingale (Glass), Jim Pennie (Woodturning), and Neil Thomson (Paintings).

An exciting addition to the Cromarty Open Studios weekend is the establishment of an open-air gallery along the front gate of Cromarty Primary School. This gallery will showcase the creative works of local pupils from Cromba Creative, ranging from P2 to P7. Cromba Creative is an innovative program of creative workshops driven by the principles of recycling and repurposing materials from the environment and the local community. These workshops, organised and led by local friends Andrea Huntley and JoJo, aim to inspire curiosity, nurture creativity, and support mental health. During the Open Studios weekend, the students will offer their beautifully original handmade crafts for sale, with proceeds going towards fundraising for their school. Don't miss the opportunity to explore and acquire these unique creations! For more information, you can visit their Facebook page here

Both Liz Hall and Emma Nightingale will be hosting short workshops during the weekend, focusing on Mixed Media and Glass, respectively. Limited spaces are available, so sign up soon to secure your spot. To register for the workshops, simply send a message to cromartyopenstudios@gmail.com. Please include your name, the number of places you require, your contact details, and specify which workshops you are interested in.

Emma Nightingale will be leading Glass Making workshops, where participants can enjoy the fun experience of creating colourful and artistic coasters or pendants. The cost of £30.00 per person covers all materials and firing. Workshops will be held from 9.30 am to 10.30 am and from 4.30 pm to 5.30 pm on both Saturday 24 June and Sunday 25 June.

Liz Hall will be hosting Time and Tide workshops on Saturday 24 June and Sunday 25 June from 9.30 am to 11.00 am. All you need to bring is a beach-find as a source of inspiration, or Liz can provide one if you don't have the time to find one yourself. All materials will be provided and the cost is £20.00 per person.

To secure your place in either of these workshops or if you require more information, please express your interest by messaging cromartyopenstudios@gmail.com.  Spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. When registering, include your name, contact details (email and mobile), and specify whether you are interested in the Glass or Time and Tide workshop. Please use "COS Workshops" as the subject line in your message. If a workshop reaches maximum capacity, any additional participants will be placed on a waitlist. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Prepare to be amazed by what you can achieve!

This promises to be an incredibly exciting weekend, filled with a vibrant creative atmosphere across Cromarty's studios and gardens. Let's hope the sun shines on us all!

 

25 June 2023

Starts: 11:00
Ends: 16:00

Saturday 17 to Sunday 25 June  11.00 - 4.00   East Church

Chelsea may be over but, don’t worry, Cromarty will have plenty of horticultural and artistic colour on show with a cornucopia of flowers, botanic art and open gardens to enjoy starting  from Saturday 17th June.

Do take time out to visit this year’s Art and Flowers display being held in Cromarty’s East Church from Saturday 17th June for eight days. It is always an outstanding event enhanced by the atmospheric setting of the historic old church.

‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’ is the theme of the floral displays created by local flower arrangers and co-ordinated by Evelyn Wilson. Well over 2000 blooms will be used to assemble the floral works of art with a team of arrangers and helpers working together to achieve the designs.

Alongside these elegant flower displays detailed Botanic and Wildlife artworks will be exhibited, the work of up to fifteen pupils studying with local Botanic artist, Julie Price. Each work can take hours of concentration in order to achieve the intricate detail of the flora and fauna being painted and the results are beautiful to observe.

The Art and Flowers display is open daily from 11am to 4pm from Sunday 17th to Sunday 25th June 2023. Admission is by donation with an amount of £1 per person suggested. All monies raised are part of the Open Gardens/Art & Flowers fundraising event and will be distributed to local charities and organisations, including towards the upkeep of East Church. The art element of this will be dedicated to the memory of the late Campbell McCracken who had been attending the classes for 9 years. He was a talented and prolific painter who produced some beautiful and delicate work. Many of his paintings will be in the church in a special display dedicated to him.