Community News

Ellon Farmers Market - added 7th July 2010 The Farmers' Market is set to return on Saturday mornings in Neil Ross Square. The new co-ordinator is Sarah Bonner of Arthrath Preserves who takes over from George Rennie. The market will meet fortnightly from 8.30 - 12.00 and the first date is Saturday, 17th July.

Nature Images - added 7/07/2010 Have you seen the striking images of Ellon's natural environment hanging on our lamp-posts. There is an otter, a swan, a squirrel, a heron, a woodpecker and an owl.

Continental Market - added 1/05/2010
The popular Continental Market is to return to Ellon on Saturday, 12th June, 2010. Look here for further information.

Ythan Fiddlers - added 08/03/2010
The Ythan Fiddlers will restart a new session for beginners of all ages after the Easter Break. This gives players the opportunity to play with others in a group context. It is recommended that you can play simple melodies before joining. We meet every Monday starting at 6.30pm in the Kirk Centre, next to Costcutters.
For more information, call Colin on 01651 851721 or Trish on 01358 720598.
e-mail: c.r.critchley@btinternet.com

Want to trace your ancestors? - added 08/03/2010

Find out how you can use a local facility to trace back your family roots. Go to the tourism menu and click on genealogy. You never know, you may be related to a famous person or even a sheep stealer!!

Ellon Talking Newspaper - added 07/03/2010
Do you know anyone who would benefit from receiving The Ellon Times on tape each week Ellon Talking Newspaper sends out tapes every Thursday evening to people who are blind or visually impaired and we would welcome requests from anyone who does not already receive a tape and would like to do so. Please contact:
Mike Rice - Tel (01358)721069 or Elizabeth Cameron (01358)720130

Menie Complex takes another step forward - added 03/03/2010
The planning application for the first phase of the Menie complex has been submitted to the Formartine Planning Office by the agents for Trump International. You can view all of the various aspects of this complex proposal online and make comments on this application which has already generated a great deal of interest and you can read the application details by clicking this link.
The Application Reference is APP/2010/0423. The expiry date for comments is 17/03/2010

Ellon Town Art Group - Added 03/03/2010
There is a small group of people currently considering what further public art there should be in Ellon Town Centre. The last major piece was the OTTER. The members of the group would be interested in your views and in the location of any new piece of art work. There is currently a considerable sum of money available (as a result of planning gain) for "Public Art". This can be in the form of a sculpture, a painting, a water feature or a light feature or even something which lasts only for a short time (such as an installation or an event) but draws the community together. We would welcome any ideas. Please contact Alan Cameron, the Convener of the Group by
e-mail aicameron21@googlemail.com
or by mail: Alan I Cameron, c/o Formartine Area Office, 29 Bridge Street, Ellon AB41 9AA.
We would also be interested to hear from anyone who wants to contribute to the group as a member or simply to share their ideas on a on-ff basis.

Ellon hoping to enter Scotland in Bloom - added 19/01/10
Building on their success in the Formartine in Bloom competition, and in previous national competitions, Ellon is intending to enter "Beautiful Scotland" (formerly called Beautiful Scotland in Bloom).

This is a major competition and will reflect on the whole town, with categories including ornamental planting, sustainable development and biodiversity, and street cleanliness. The judges will also be interested in the involvement of businesses and schools.

The competition is designed to encourage and reward communities for the continuous improvement of their general environment, and Ellon already has a head start in this area, with the ongoing work that is done by Ellon Civic Pride, EBAG, the Friends of McDonald Park, Ellon Community Council and Aberdeenshire Council.

If you can help in any way or give some of your valuable time or expertise, the organisers will be delighted to hear from you.

For further information please contact Graham Waters on 01358 726414.

Food Hygiene Inspection Scheme - added 03/03/2010
The above scheme was launched in Aberdeenshire and details the findings for Ellon food outlets.
You can find the Information at their website. http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/foodsafety/fhis/ellon.asp

New promotional Leaflet launched - added 26/09/07

Ellon Tourism Group have launched a new leaflet designed to promote the town. Delegates from Greece, Poland and Sweden - members of the SusSET project - attended the launch party on Monday along with Council officials and members of the towns various organisations.

Speaking at the launch, Christopher Parkes of Ellon Community Council and Ellon Tourism Group said, "I'm delighted that we are, at last, launching the new leaflet to promote our town and its website. Both projects have been driven forward by local people for the benefit of the town we love and I am proud to have been a part of these projects."

Mr Parkes went on to say, "Promoting Ellon is an important task - I feel that there is much that Ellon has to offer visitors to the North East - and the Tourism Group, with these two new and very different media have succeeded in reaching as wide an audience as possible."

The Ellon Tourism Group are calling on businesses, groups, organisations and members of the public to get involved with the group to share ideas and suggestions on promoting Ellon in the future. Further information on becoming part of the Ellon Tourism Group can be obtained by contacting Mr Parkes on 01358 724557 or by e-mail at info@visitellon.co.uk

The leaflet is available to download in PDF format HERE

Community Gift Exchange - added 09/08/07
Louis Thomson of Ellon Community Council handed over a Community Council 2008 Calendar as a small token of appreciation upon receipt of the Minutes & Accounts Book once belonging to Ellon's private Tennis Club from Davie Thomson (no relation!), owner of Daviot Emporium, Main Street, Daviot - a real aladdin's-cave of antiques and collectables. (www.daviotemporium.co.uk )

Following the Community Council's appeal for information on the Gordon Park Tennis Club earlier this summer, Davie got in touch to say he had in his stock this wee gem of a book, which he, having lived in Ellon in his younger days, wished to donate back to the town.

This being Gordon Park's centenery year (gifted to the folk of Ellon in 1907 by Arthur J L Gordon, CMG, of Ellon Castle to mark the 21st Birthday of his son, and only child, Cosmo Alexander Gordon) it is quite fitting for the town to receive a book that was being used at the time of Mr Gordon's generous gift - though the private tennis club was not sited in Gordon Park itself, but within the grounds of 'The Willows' on Ythan Terrace.

The book is an important piece of Ellon's history as not only does it give an insight into who mixed with who and some of what they got up to in their social lives - bringing the names laid down in Ellon's history books a little more to life - it also gives us an idea of the companies that were in existance and the services/goods they supplied along with the prices of the era. The book contains the constitution and bye-laws of the club (which was established in 1896 and ran until 1927) and lists all members, including the families of local dignitaries such as Dr Andrew Fowler, Provost John Rae and the Reid family (Sir James Reid 1st Bart, GCVO, KCG, LLd was Physician-in-Ordinary to Queen Victoria, Edward VII and George V), as well as noting that in 1922 while members paid £-1-1s-0d annual subscription and raised £17-10s-0d at a Cake and Candy Sale and £1-15s-0d from the sale of cut down trees, expenditure incurred by the club included £13-17s-6d to Cruden Bay Brick Company for brick dust for the court, £10-0s-0d to Great North of Scotland Railway for ashes and a total of 7s-6d for Borough and Parish Rates.

While Ellon does not presently have a heritage centre to display the wealth of history on our town, it is hoped that the book may at some point be put on display at the Library so that everyone can view it.

The present-day tennis club holds regular meetings at the tennis courts and pavillion in Gordon Park. Anyone wishing further information on the club should contact Alan on 01358 723145.