Nairn Provost declares his "splitter" credentials to the delight of the Nairn West and Suburban Community Council meeting.

At the end of a very interesting Nairn West and Suburban CC discussion on the Common Good Fund this evening in the Community and Arts Centre, Provost Laurie Fraser made a late intervention, he said:

"I just want to say I don't think any of you are really going to get what you want until Nairn opts out of the Highland Council and sets up its own Council." 

Applause followed and Laurie continued: "We want a referendum to take back control."

 There was also a cry of "Freedom!" from elsewhere on the table. 

More from a very interesting discussion on the Common Good Fund when time permits. 

Highlands Extinction Rebellion activists calling for Highland Council to declare a climate emergency

An article published earlier today shows pupils from Nairn Academy calling for more action from the authorities on Climate Change at their regular Friday protest. At midday in Inverness Extinction Rebellion were protesting too - also a weekly action calling on Highland Council to declare a Climate Emergency. 

The Gurn understands that members of Highlands Extinction Rebellion have been lobbying some members of Highland Council and are hopeful that there will be discussion of climate change at the meeting of the Council on May 9th. The group are calling for the Council to declare a climate emergency. Details on other councils in the UK that have done so already in this i article "Councils in England and Wales declare ‘climate emergency’ following UN warnings of future ‘catastrophe."

After their weekly demonstration at the Town House the activists marched to Falcon Square where they engaged with members of the public for around half an hour. 

More images here

Climate Strike Action by Nairn Academy pupils - Regular Friday morning protest

The young demonstraters positioned themselves so the early morning queues of traffic in Leopold Street could see them. More pictures here. 

Smoke from fires in Moray Countryside blanket the Firth

As firefighters continue to tackle a series of fires in the Moray Countryside the smoke was clearly visible from Nairn again today. More details of the fires in a Press and Journal article here. 

A few images here. 

Nairn TSB to reduce hours to two days a week from July

Below is the information concerning the hew hours contained in a letter sent to a local customer of the TSB. It'll be Tuesdays and Fridays only from July.  The retreat of banking services from Nairn High Street continues! 

Charity Cricket Match Sunday 21st April 1pm the Links Nairn

Brian told the Gurn: "the story behind all this is of course the tragic loss of a long-time Nairn resident, NCCC member and regular cricket player Neil Gibson who sadly lost his life a year ago in a snowstorm while climbing in Wester Ross. The bodies of Neil and his brother Alan and their dog were found after many days of searching, by the Torridon Mountain Rescue Team.

So in memory of Neil, and to benefit the Torridon Mountain Rescue Team, the cricket club decided to organise this cricket match as a fund-raising event. We're playing against a visiting team from "The Forty Club", a group of cricket enthusiasts and veterans drawn from clubs around the country. We've got an assortment of sporting memorabilia to auction after the game including a bat signed by Ricky Ponting (Aussie test cricket captain and star batsman), a signed photo of the England T20 team, and also signed footy shirts from NCFC and Caley.... and various other items and raffle prizes."

As seen on twitter - a wedding on Nairn Beach

Such a wonderful day witnessing KAtrin and Fergus’s
B E A U T I F U L wedding this morning at 7am in GORGEOUS sunshine on the beach in Nairn 🧡 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 pic.twitter.com/r5ydVnfpG1

— Kerry Lemon (@kerryannelemon) 13 April 2019

Nairn Coastguard busy on the beach with along with Navy Bomb Disposal Experts

Sandown Allotments phase 2 - seven years on from the first preparatory work onsite.

Nairn is still the envy of many other communities when it comes to allotment provision. At one time in the not too distant past two-thirds of all allotments in the Highlands were in Nairn. The waiting list for a plot in Nairn is not too long either compared with elsewhere with some applicants obtaining a plot within a year. A lot of folk have visited Nairn to get ideas for plots in their communities. The lower picture was taken this weekend. 

The first picture above is from about this time in 2012 and before any work was done on site an incredible amount of effort had gone into the funding application for European LEADER money by a dedicated team from the allotments committee. What has been achieved by plotters since then is remarkable 

As Nairn grows hopefully there will be more spaces like Sandown for people to grow their own fruit and vegetables. It is remarkable what individuals can achieve when they have access to land. 

Team Hamish/NICE AGM Thurs 11th April 2019 - presentation including designs for Paddling Pool area and amphitheatre by Jame's Cafe

Here is a copy of the presentation as a Google document online.  You can also download the power point presentation from the NICE website here. 

Addition Support Needs cuts - information for parents and a draft e-mail to send to local councillors and Highland Council

This in from one of our regular readers who is a Highland Council employee:

"We are aware that many parents in Highland are concerned about the proposed cuts to Additional Support Needs and the loss of PSA posts. This will have an impact not only on the pupils supported by the ASN team, but on all pupils in a class.

Nairn Academy Parent Council have met with the local councillors and they are taking our concerns forward to Highland Council.

If you would also like to take action please see the Highland Parent Council Partnership website here where there is lots more information and a draft email to send to local councillors and Highland Council."

Whatever happened to the idea of a LIDL store for Nairn?

Recent conversations on social media about development at Balmakeith next to Sainsbury's got this observer thinking of way back when in 2014 when there was a consultation event in Nairn where we were shown pictures and plans of how a proposed Lidl store would look. Here's a Gurn article from the time.   And here are images we took at the consultation event that showed us what we might have been getting.

And it seems the consultation process was well received by Nairn residents. 

It's 2019 now though and nothing more has been heard from Lidl since. We decided to ask them on twitter if they were still interested. Here's what we said:

Hi @LidlGB In Sep 2014 there was a consultation event in Nairn for a Lidl to be built (Developers Ziran). Pics, plans etc, we gave our views then heard no more. Do you still have plans to come to Nairn? I'm sure most shoppers would welcome you.

— A Gurn from Nurn (@GurnNurn) April 10, 2019

And a response came the next day

Hi, thanks for getting in touch. Unfortunately we don't have any news to share regarding this at the moment. Sorry for any disappointment this may cause.

— Lidl GB (@LidlGB) April 11, 2019

That's that then folks, doesn't look like we will see a Lidl in Nairn in the near future anyway. It is a pity because it is a cheaper shop and some families in Nairn do not have the ability to travel for bargains and so have less choice.

World Tattie Scone Championships and market - Taste of Nairn - 13th April 2019 - pictures

Individual images here. 

Random Saturday Picture - Tom Heggie speaking to some of Nairn's Green Hive environmental activists in Viewfield prior to the picnic in the park

Larger images here. 

Positive Team Hamish/NICE meeting on Thurs night

Very good too to see Donna Manson, Chief Executive of Highland Council, at the meeting. From what she had to say it looks like the new dawn has finally arrived with a team at Glenurquhart Road looking at ways to speed up Team Hamish initiatives. She obviously wishes to rebuild the relationship between this community and the Council. It might not be too long before the proposal for the paddling pool area goes forward for planning permission and that will be followed by the amphitheatre idea for the bank close to Jame's Cafe. Interesting times indeed for our community. 

Below is a link to a report of the evening from Andrew Randerson of the ever-popular Nairn - Our Town - Our Views Facebook page.  The Team Hamish designs should soon appear online too. 

Interesting Pictures of the Courthouse work by Stuart Black

The Director of Development & Infrastructure, Highland Council, Stuart Black, has posted some interesting pictures of the ongoing work at the Courthouse on his twitter account.

Good to see renovation work progressing at the #Nairn #Courthouse The building dates back to 1818 @HighlandCouncil #investment in the #historic #environment pic.twitter.com/ZYw1fAlYcC

— Stuart Black (@THCDirector_DI) 11 April 2019

"Battle lines drawn as Angus parking charges row continues" The latest from a parallel parking universe

 Here at the Gurn we have been following closely the impact of parking charges that were imposed on the Angus towns last November.  It's real time evidence of how similar charges could damage Nairn if they were to go ahead here.  Anyway here's the latest instalment:

"Battle lines have again been drawn over parking charges in Angus, as moves to remove the fees in some towns are set to go before elected members next week.

The opposition SNP group are demanding free parking in Kirriemuir, Brechin and Carnoustie, where they say the charges have brought “devastating effects on the fragile town centres”.

More here on the Courier website. 

Living Better with a long term condition - Self Management Course - Thursday afternoons 02, 09, 16, 23, and 30 May URC Church Nairn 1.30 to 4.00 pm

An Audience with Archie - Friday 3rd May 7,30 pm Nairn Community and Arts Centre

Green Hive litter-pick in Tradespark Wood - pictures and video interview

Individual images here.

Nairn Academy Pupils Week 4 of Climate Change Action protests - video interview

Week four of the regular protest and we went up for a wee blether with the young activists at the railings on the Leopold Street/High Street corner.

A few images here. 

Bhòt an t-sluaigh agus a h-uile cail eile - beachd a th' againn an seo

Bhòt an t-sluaigh. Nach e daoine a bhòt an turas mu dheireadh no an robh e bhòt na Gerbils a bh'ann? Cò aig a bheil fios dè an daineamaigs eile a thig às a ’bhogsa a dh'aithghearr leis an t-suidheachadh cunnartach a tha againn an-dràsta. A bheil am PNA a ’cluich cus de gheama Westminster? Taigh-cluiche Westminster agus bhòtaichean gun chiall le luchd-poilitigs is luchd-aithris a ’snàmh timcheall anns a' mhùn fantasachd aca-fhein gun stad air na sianalan 24/7. 

Tha e mar mheasgachadh de Yes Ministear agus Beatha Brian. Mas e dìreach taisbeanadh comadaidh a bh ’ann!

1068 Nairn Air Cadets Coffee Morning - The Legion Saturday 6th April 10-12