Construction work on Garvald Church

The following letter has been received from the Building Surveyors GLM, responsible for the construction work on Garvald Church:

Dear Garvald Resident,

We are writing to neighbours near to Garvald Church to inform you that construction work is scheduled to commence at the end of June.

The work is part of repairs to the building and we expect it to continue for approximately 6 months. This may be followed by work to the interiors of the building.

We are committed to minimising any inconvenience and ensuring that disruption is kept to a minimum. Construction activities will typically take place between 08.00 and 17.00, Monday to Friday.

We have instructed our contractors to be mindful of noise levels, parking and cleanliness in the area. We have arranged for construction waste to be bagged and transported off-site meaning we can avoid having skips located on the roads within the village.

Nonetheless, if you have any concerns or experience any issues during the construction period, please notify us.

We appreciate your understanding

Yours faithfully

Finn MacMillan

Building Surveyor

Phone +44 (0)131-225-4235

enquiries@weareglm.com

Free Kitchen Units

A resident of Garvald is looking to give away some kitchen cabinets which are being removed in the next few days.  They would rather offer them free to anyone in the village who can use them instead of them going to land fill.

If you are interested, please use the contact form, below, to be put in touch with the relevant person:

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    Request for information about Garvald, from Australia

    Please see the following message from Kim Elsworthy in Australia, who has connections with Garvald. If you can offer Kim any information, please use the contact form, below, or search for and respond directly to her post (which also contains an image from the 1851 Scotland census) on the ‘Garvald Folk’ Facebook group:

    My ancestors came from Garvald. I know that my 2nd and 3rd great Grandfathers George Foggo and William Foggo were born in Garvald and lived at Farr Manse according to the census in 1851. Does anyone know anything about this address or the Foggo family? I would love any info if anyone has any.

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      Thank You Linda

      Thank you to everybody who came along to the History, Music and Thank you event in the Church on Sunday. And a very special thanks to Off Grid for rounding off the event.

      Anne Raitt is hoping to gather some more signatures for the card so if you would like to add your name – please contact her.

      The 1963 film showing the refurbishment of the church at that time lasts for 30 minutes – the file was too big to upload. But here is a short version to give you a flavour.

      Watch in your browser

      Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) switch off on the 30 June 2025

      Please see the link, below, for information and how it may affect you and your electricity meter: https://neighbourhoodwatchscotland.co.uk/communities/energy-advice-from-e-on-next

      Watch Scotland (NWS) are partnering with E.ON Next to help reach communities most likely to be impacted by the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) switch off on the 30 June 2025.

      This will affect households that use an older electricity meter for heating their home and for hot water, with some types of electricity meter needing changed. As part of this partnership, NWS is helping to raise awareness of this issue in Scotland.

      What is the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS)?

      RTS is a radio-based system introduced in the 1980s which enabled older electricity meters to switch between peak and off-peak rates. RTS is used for some traditional multi-rate meters and was designed to support those who use electricity for their heating and hot water. This may include those who use electric storage systems, panel heaters or immersion heaters in water tanks – some of which typically charge up overnight.

      RTS is now reaching the end of its natural operational life. This means that the equipment that produces the radio signal cannot be adequately maintained anymore.
      The Radio Teleswitch service is due to be closed from 30 June 2025 so if you have one, it will need to be upgraded before that happens.

      How to find out if you have an RTS meter?

      If you are not sure whether you have an RTS meter, there are a few things you can look out for:

      • There may be a separate switch box near your meter with a radio teleswitch label on it.
      • Your property is heated using electricity or storage heaters.
      • There is no gas supply to your area, this includes households in rural areas and high-rise flats.
      • You get cheaper energy at different times of day. Your tariff might be Economy 7, Economy 10, or Total Heat Total Control.

      What happens if I do not upgrade my RTS meter?

      If you decide not to upgrade, the heating and/or hot water provisions in your home or business could be affected.- Your heating and hot water may not work correctly. You may find that your heating and/or hot water is left continually switched on or off; or the charging-up happens at the wrong time of day.

      • Your bills could increase. Your electricity supplier will not be able to confirm how much electricity you have used during peak or off-peak times, which means your electricity costs could be much higher than before.

       

      On Sunday 8th June at 3pm everyone is invited to come along to Garvald Church for a short but sure-to-be-interesting event to acknowledge the generosity of Linda Leith in buying the Church and making it available for the community.

      There will be some history, some stories, some music, a special performance by the band Off Grid, and then refreshments (including cake) in the Stables

      Garvald Show Schedule 2025

      The 72nd Annual Garvald Village Show takes place on Saturday 23rd August 2025.  We look forward to another successful event.

      The attached schedule provides details of the show categories and and how to take part: Garvald Show Schedule 23rd August 2025

      The show depends on the volunteers that help out so if you are interested in helping out on the day, or in assisting with the set-up of the show, please contact Malcolm via the contact form, below:

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        Art Exhibition – The Humbie Hub – 4th June until 7th July 2025

        We are happy to let you know about an upcoming exhibition “Through Land, Glass and Lens”, at the Humbie Hub, showcasing the work of Sheila Calder, one of our own local artists!
        Sheila’s latest collection is inspired by the landscapes of the Lammermuir Hills and the Isle of Bute, in which she incorporates textiles, acrylics and natural found objects to create richly textured and atmospheric compositions.  
         
        Alongside Sheila’s work, the exhibition also features the photography of Liz Henry and the fused glass artistry of Irina Stancheva, both bringing unique perspectives to themes of landscape and light.  
         
        Join us for a Social Evening on Friday 13th June, from 6pm to 8pm, where you can enjoy the artwork in a relaxed and welcoming setting.  

         
        We hope you can make it along!

        Lammermuir Parish Garden Fete

        Come for a fun afternoon with cream teas and coffees, games, a tombola and a raffle.

        Saturday 7th June, 2 – 4.30pm, Manse Garden, Tweeddale Avenue, Gifford

        Live music, ice cream and other refreshments, plant and home produce stalls, face painting.

        Adults £5 ( including cream tea)

        Children under 12 – free

        All very welcome