Blog

West Primary School are having a Summer Fair on Sunday 13th of May from 1 - 3pm.   Entry is free and activities include owl handling, face painting, pony rides and St Mirren Street Football.  There will also be gift/craft stalls including hand made jewellery, soaps and cupcakes.

To coincide with the Quentin Blake – As Large as Life exhibition at Paisley Museum the Outreach Team at Renfrewshire Arts and Museums are running weekly interactive storytelling workshops for children aged 2 – 5. Each workshop at Paisley Museum will be unique with plenty of interaction, song and visual art inspired by Quentin Blake’s famous illustrations. The goal of each workshop is to help your child to create their own illustration for a storybook that will become part of the exhibition for everyone to see. Workshops run from 11am – 12pm and begin every Tuesday from 1 May to 29 May and 12 Jun – 19 June. Each workshop costs £4 per adult (children go free) and tickets can be purchased by calling 0141 887 1010. Max of 15 adult places. Booking is advisable however tickets will be available at the venue. Quentin Blake is one of Britain’s best-loved and most successful illustrators and is known by young and old alike, his name having been synonymous with his illustrations for Roald Dahl’s books. Recently he has been commissioned by hospitals in the UK and Europe to produce works which have a therapeutic effect on their patients. This exhibition brings together over 50 works to Paisley Museum, for visitors to experience the effect for themselves. For further information on the Quentin Blake workshops, future events and exhibitions log onto www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/events or follow us on www.facebook.com/renfrewshirearts  

An unassuming corner of Paisley’s west end has received a makeover to mark a historic Paisley case which changed the legal system forever. The work has been carried out by Renfrewshire Council with contributions from Co-op Funeralcare and Reid Kerr College, ahead of the 80th anniversary of the landmark legal case which originated from the site. The area, on the town’s High Street, at the top of Lady Lane, sits on the site of the former Wellmeadow Cafe where in August 1928, a Mrs Donoghue met a friend who bought her a bottle of ginger beer. As she enjoyed her drink, part of a decomposing snail fell out of the bottle, leading to Mrs Donoghue suffering shock and a severe stomach upset as a result. However, because she hadn’t bought the drink, Mrs Donoghue had no legal contract with the café owner. Instead, the case made on her behalf focussed on whether the manufacturer and bottler of the drink, David Stevenson should be held responsible. This was ground-breaking as previously the law had declared there was no legal connection between consumer and manufacturer. The matter got as high as the House of Lords who ruled in 1932 that there was indeed a case to hear. One of the five judges, Lord Atkin, looked to the Bible story of the Good Samaritan and the principle of loving your neighbour to help him decide. He found that just as neighbours should look after each other so should manufacturers care about the consumers of their ...

Cumbernauld Theatre presents Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson at Paisley Arts Centre on Friday 27 April, 7.30pm. This fantastic new adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s timeless classic Kidnapped.  Set against the backdrop of revolution in Scotland, this epic tale brings a host of memorable characters to life onstage with all the evocative language of Robert Louis Stevenson.  A terrific and exciting story of intrigue and adventure. Ed Robson, Artistic Director of Cumbernauld Theatre said: “Robert Louis Stevenson was simply a genius and Kidnapped is one of the best known stories in all the world – adapting it for the stage has been a fantastic experience. It’s a true classic because it’s all about us, the Scots, our hopes and fears, the people and the country we live in.  Right now, when there’s talk of independence in the air, Kidnapped has never been a more important story to tell.” Robert Louis Stevenson is one of Scotland most well known and well loved authors, his powerful and evocative descriptions along with ship-wrecks, murder and deadly pursuit all combine to create a production which young people and adults will thoroughly enjoy. Tickets cost £10 (£7 conc) £6 under 18s or £16 (£13 conc) £12 under 18s as part of Paisley Arts Centre Plate and a Play option. Tickets are available by calling 0141 887 1010 or logging onto www.renfrewshire.gov.uk. Suitable for all ages from 8+. For further information log onto www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/events or follow us on www.facebook.com/renfrewshirearts.

Following the official affiliation of Renfrewshire & Dunbartonshire Chambers of Commerce - members from both Chambers are invited to a lunch event on the 1st May at the Erskine Bridge Hotel. At the event, members will hear from both Chambers, learn about the benefits of affiliation and get the chance to network over a buffet lunch. To register for this free event please visit www.renfrewshirechamber.com or call 0141 847 5450

Seventy egg-cited walkers put their best feet forward for a fun Easter walk at the Glennifer Braes recently. The free event saw young and old alike head to the braes to enjoy some fresh air, get moving and show off their colourful Easter bonnets. After the walk, which explored the lower braes, everyone enjoyed an Easter egg hunt. Senga McLeod, Renfrewshire Council’s Walking Development Officer, said: “A great time was had by all at our annual Active Renfrewshire Easter bonnet egg-stravaganza. A wide range of people including families, children, and older walkers enjoyed the day which was a huge success and was rounded off with an egg hunt at Glen Lodge."

Young People had plenty on offer to keep them occupied over the recent spring break. Renfrewshire council’s Youth and Sport services rolled out a free and packed programme from the 2nd until 13th April at venues across Renfrewshire for 10 to 18 year olds. Activities ranged from fishing trips, youth drop-ins and film projects to dance workshops, water sports and Commonwealth sport sessions (including athletics, rugby, hockey and football). Jim Blythe, Renfrewshire Council’s Sports Development Co-Ordinator, said: “Our spring break programme was packed full of sports and activities Renfrewshire young people told us they enjoy. There was such a wide range on offer and there really was something for everyone. “The feedback from the young people was fantastic – and we can’t wait to get planning for summer when we get to do it all over again.” For further info please visit: www.activerenfrewshire.co.uk

Roddy Woomble returns to Paisley to showcase new and old solo material alongside Idlewild classics. Familiar to many thousands of music fans as the front man in the Scottish rock band Idlewild, Roddy Woomble is also a celebrated solo songwriter & performer. A native of Irvine - small-town Scotland writ large - Roddy Woomble co-founded Idlewild in 1995, naming the band for the quiet haven featured in his then-favourite book, Anne of Green Gables. Given that the NME likened their early punk-fuelled sound - deftly revisited on their latest album, 2007's Make Another World - to "a flight of stairs falling down a flight of stairs", the quiet haven part was initially somewhat ironic, but gradually came closer as Idlewild meanwhile progressed through sweeping melodic rock to rootsy, melodic sparseness. Extending that softer lyrical vein of Roddy's songwriting, 2006 saw his first solo release, My Secret Is My Silence, winning rave reviews across both the rock and folk press. He was also a key instigator behind the acclaimed 2007 album Ballads of the Book, bringing together leading Scottish poets and musicians to collaborate on new songs. Roddy went on to record and release the album 'Before the Ruin' with Kris Drever and John McCusker in 2008, which they toured extensively around the UK to much praise. The new album, ‘The Impossible Song and Other Songs’ was recorded on the isle of Mull and produced by John McCusker. This was released in the spring of 2011 to critical acclaim and Roddy and his band have ...

Monkey Poet presents Welcome - Half Price Offer Saturday 21 April, Paisley Arts Centre, 7.30pm Tickets - 50% discount: Now £5 (£3conc) *Simply quote 'What's On Offer' when booking.Suitable for ages 16 + Described as a cross between Bill Hicks and Mark Thomas, Matt Panesh brings his double bill of critical acclaimed comedy to Paisley Arts Centre. Act 1 – Welcome... to Afghanistan The first half of the show is a one-man comedy play telling the story of the first Afghan wars in the 1840s. Monkey Poet leaps from character to character, from cynical Generals to Indian beggars, and all walks of life in between. A Stage Must See show - Edinburgh Fringe. Act 2 – Welcome... to the UK The second half of the show is a selection of Panesh’s verse on the state of the UK today. Targets include the economy crisis, the BNP, the tabloid media, celebrity culture and whatever else is on his mind on the night. Act 2 is satiric stand-up in rhyme. Likened to Lenny Bruce, Bill Hicks, Mark Thomas & Billy Bragg this is not for the faint-hearted or dainty-eared! Welcome is mixture of theatre, comedy and poetry from a very enthusiastic performer who has won 7 fringe awards for poetry including Best Poet at San Francisco Fringe two years running. www.monkeypoet.co.uk To book call 0141 887 1010 or log on to www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/onlinebooking www.facebook.com/renfrewshirearts

Local Paisley resident, Grant McFarlane, has been announced as the winner of the Mòd Phàislig 2013 Tune Competition. The tune, ‘Paisley welcomes the Royal National Mòd 2013’ will celebrate the historic visit of the renowned Gaelic festival to the town in 2013. Grant fought off stiff competition from 36 other entries and will have the honour of his composition being recorded, with the support of Reid Kerr College, and used as the official soundtrack to the Mòd Phàislig celebrations. Judging the competition was the responsibility of three stalwarts of traditional music, Duncan Nicholson, Pipe Major of Strathclyde Police Pipe Band, Brian Laurie of the Brian Laurie Accordion Music School and Andrew Gifford of the renowned band Fiddlers Bid. Ealasaid MacDonald, chair of Mòd Phàislig 2013, said: “We were delighted with the number and standard of entries for the tune competition. Grant’s tune will be a fantastic soundtrack to the preparations for the Mòd, and will be a lasting legacy.” Grant and his band will be performing the tune later in the year at the Mòd Phàislig 2013 Midsummer Dance. For regular updates on local news and events follow @RenCouncilNews on Twitter or the council’s Renfrewshire page on Facebook.