A MAN who has campaigned around the Forres area and beyond to improve facilities and access for people living with disability said he was thrilled after being shortlisted for a national award for his voluntary work.

FORRES seems to be bowling people over in many far-flung places - including New Zealand.

A FORMER pupil of the Moray Steiner School in Forres who has spent the last two years travelling the globe is considering an offer to take up an academic scholarship at an American university.

A TEAM of cyclists, who all used to work at RAF Kinloss, have just completed a long distance cycle expedition to raise cash for Macmillan Cancer Support.

A FORRES toddler who was diagnosed with cancer at just a few weeks old has just celebrated his second birthday, despite facing an ongoing struggle with his health.

FORRES Library is one of nine across Moray which have introduced self-service portals for the issue and return of books.

A FORRES woman went on-line to trace her family tree, but found something else... her long-lost father.

A GROUP of Forres Academy pupils have traded Moray for Malawi as part of a "living and learning adventure" with the school's Friends of Luchenza Action Group (FLAG).

THE Forres Citizen of the Year 2010 was presented with his trophy last week.

A LOCAL teenager has spent the last six months in an exotic new home - Delhi.

TIRED and hungry, soaking wet but delighted were how June McIntosh and Frances Murray described the moment they completed the 'Moonlight Meander' around Culbin Forest at the weekend.

TWO members of staff from your favourite local paper, the 'Forres Gazette', will be pulling on their walking boots at the weekend to raise funds for the Highland Hospice.

With the death of Mrs Jean Taylor of Wellhill, Dyke has lost one of its best known and well-loved inhabitants.

A DYKE youngster got his friends pounding the pavements on a sponsored run in memory of his mother, who died of cancer two years ago.

A LOCAL author is celebrating after being nominated for one of Scotland's most prestigious book awards.

A FORRES hotel manager has beaten hundreds of applicants to win a prestigious scholarship.

A FORRES-born woman who was not expected to see her first birthday has just celebrated her 100th with a personal message from the Queen.

AN official commemoration ceremony, formal dinners, flypasts, parades, speeches, commemorative artworks and flypasts were all on the agenda last week as the Nimrod MR2 bowed out of service.

YOUNGSTERS from Pilmuir Primary School went back to the Victorian era for a special session held at the local museum.

A 10-YEAR-old Forres boy has a busy year ahead of him after qualifying for two major martial arts competitions.

SETTING up and running train sets has for many decades been a popular hobby for children and adults alike.

A FORRES schoolgirl turned a few heads when she was treated to a special birthday surprise.

A FORRES teenager has returned home from a trip Down Under, where she managed to escape the worst of the horrendous Scottish winter.

FORRES Sorting Office delivery manager, Lennie Nicol has hung up his postbag with 45 years of sterling service under his belt after hitting the big 60.

A FORMER Moray man has been appointed to spearhead the bid to promote tourism in Moray and Speyside.

A YOUNG Forres man who gained a degree through the prospective University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) will be using his experience to help others as the new disability support coordinator.

A FORRES-born man is flying the flag for Scots in his adopted country of Canada - and is helping others around the world do the same.

A LOCAL woman whose work has made a direct impact on the lives of children throughout Moray during the last decade, is stepping down.

FORRES and the surrounding area is well known throughout Scotland for its award-winning hospitality and friendly residents.

EIGHT servicemen and women from RAF Kinloss have been awarded personal commendations for meritorious service, by the Air Officers Commanding in conjunction with the New Year Honours list.

A FORRES midwife can now officially call herself a master after she graduated from university last week.

NORMALLY small children's enthusiasm for worms is a cause for concern among their parents and other adults.

A FORRES butcher produces the best Scotch pies in the world, and has the trophy to prove it.

TWO Forres Academy pupils are hoping that people will put their busy lives "on hold" to help them in their fundraising.

FOOTBALL physio Leigh Thomas was living his dream last week when the fitness of English football legends and celebrities was in his hands.

MEMBERS of the Forres and Vienenburg Twin Town Association have returned from a successful visit to Germany, where they were re-affirming links between the two towns.

A FORRES Academy pupil is planting a lasting memorial to her charity fund-raising – a field of daffodils.

A FORRES woman who took her own life while suffering from post natal depression last year, has been remembered with a special fundraiser.

A FORRES lad is walking tall after being presented with the highest accolade in the Boys' Brigade.

A FORRES dispensing assistant is delighted after completing another construction phase for a charity she established in Uganda several years ago, where she has been building a school and an orphanage, to improve the life of the local community there.

YOUNGSTERS from Applegrove Primary School got the opportunity to "go organic" on a recent school trip.

A LOCAL woman is setting off this week on a mammoth coast to coast fundraising cycle ride from Lands End to John O Groats.

ELEVEN Forres Academy students who are members of the Friends of Luchenza Action Group (FLAG) are hoping to travel to Malawi next summer.

AN American visitor had a reminder of home when he made an unscheduled stop during a Homecoming tour of the area.

A FORRES-based oil worker who commutes by car every day to Aberdeen, is giving up four wheels this weekend in favour of two feet.

A KINLOSS woman says that a quirk of fate which resulted in her having to find work after travelling abroad, turned out to be a life-changing experience.

A LOCAL woman who uses the Towerview Facility on Leys Road in Forres has just returned from a trip to London where she received a special "film-makers" award at a dazzling ceremony where she also got to mix with some TV celebrities.

EXCHANGE students from Mount Dora High School in Florida have recently returned home to America after a trip to Forres.

A MEMBER of the Findhorn Foundation has returned from Switzerland ­after addressing delegates at the ­United Nations.

LOCAL primary school pupils were getting fit and active at a special event organised at the RAF Kinloss gym recently, which was aimed at encouraging team participation.

A FORRES-born airman has been honoured in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

TWO keen Forres cyclists were nursing tired muscles and blisters on their feet after completing an epic fund-raising cycle the length of the country.

FORRES registrar Eleaner Munro blotted the ink dry on her final entry in her records book last week when she retired after 38 years registering births, deaths and marriages for people in the Forres area.

STAFF at the Forres Co-op store want customers to put on their jogging gear and join them for a special fund-raising challenge taking place in Inverness next month.

TWO Forres students were scratching their heads and wondering where their hair went after taking part in a sponsored event at Moray College in Elgin last week.

CHILDREN on the other side of the world are set to benefit from the efforts of youngsters from the Forres area who put on a concert in the Town Hall back in March.

A FORRES teacher has received national recognition for his "continuous learning and development" achievements which have seen him help others returning to a learning scenario later in their life.

THERE was a mass break-out from RAF Kinloss last weekend when 32 men and women ran the equivalent of John O'Groats to Lands End and back again – 1,874 miles over just 24 hours – and raised a staggering £6000 for Breast Cancer UK.

A LOCAL fund-raiser is back down to earth at work and seeing the world through different spectacles after completing a hair-raising experience.

A FORRES granny is recovering after jumping off the side of a castle to raise funds for a charity which helps children diagnosed with cancer and offers support to their families.

WHEN we talk about family holidays we usually have thoughts of sun, sea and sand in mind, not pedalling along Highland roads in all weather conditions raising money for charity.

YOUNG people from the New Findhorn Association Youth Project are well into fund-raising which they hope will pay to take them on the trip of a lifetime to Russia.

A FORRES Guide is looking forward to a trip down under after being specially selected to represent Scotland in the trip of a lifetime next year.

THREE Forres men are preparing to fling themselves out of an aircraft in a thrilling fundraising challenge.

YOUNG cooks at Forres Academy have been getting to grips with some locally grown spuds and sprouts and other vegetables.

A NAIRN postie is through to the UK finals of a prestigous competition after being nominated for a national award for his work providing respite care for youngsters in need.

A FORRES-based composer, who has just launched her career writing music for the screen, is celebrating after being nominated for a national award for one of her film scores.

PALS of Logie Primary School pupil, Erin Jamieson, will be glued to the screens of their television sets next month when the youngster makes her TV debut.

A FORMER Forres man who now lives in Canada and reads the "Forres Gazette" online, is proud to maintain his connections with Scotland and over the years has even become a promoter of famous Scots who made their name overseas.

A FORRES granny was feeling the cold more than most last week after having all her hair shaved off to show support for her baby grandson, who suffers from retinol blastoma, or tumours in the eyes.

A LONG-serving Forres Red Cross volunteer was awarded one of the charity's highest accolades last week in a ceremony at the Mosset Tavern.

PUPILS at Logie Primary School are waving the flag for the environment after receiving a special green achievement award.

THE family of a local man who died over Christmas are remembering how he always brought a smile to the faces of people as he toured the town with his horse and cart, delivering wood.

RESIDENTS of the Nelson Road and Alexandra Terrace area of Forres celebrated the New Year in traditional style as usual.

A NUMBER of RAF Kinloss service personnel and civilians workers have been honoured for their performance over the past year.

A NEW boss has taken over 120 Squadron at RAF Kinloss, with Wing Commander Pete Williamson MA BSc taking over from Wing Commander Martin Cannard.

SERVICEMEN from RAF Kinloss set themselves a quadruple challenge last week when they set out on a special fundraising "ef-four-t".

IT wasn't a case of ships that meet in the desert but soldiers who spot each other across the sandy arena for a pair of men whose family hail from Forres bumped into each other while on separate patrols in Afganistan.

TWO Forres women were delighted after an idea to fund-raise for the Moray (Dolphin) Hydrotherapy Pool trust made a big cash splash.

A FORRES family are hoping for a peaceful Christmas after spending the last few months in a daze taking their five-month-old baby for treatment to save his sight and his life.

LOCHINDORB Estate owner Alasdair Laing, Logie, was has been presented with the Purdey Gold Award for Game and Conservation, along with a cheque for £4,000, in recognition of the restoration of grouse to the 10,400 acre moor.

A DESIGNER based at the Forres Enterprise Park has been selected as a finalist in the British Council's UK Young Fashion Entrepreneur Awards 2009.

A FORRES business woman has just become the first in Scotland to be awarded the special "Accredited Trainer Status" from the body which oversees her professional work.

AIR Cadets were keeping their feet firmly on the ground last week as they took to the tracks around RAF Kinloss for a very special event.

CELEBRATIONS and congratulations are in order for Forres woman Sara Kirkham, a part-time lecturer at Moray College.

AN RAF Kinloss serviceman was hoping to be 'poppylar' with his colleagues last month when he volunteered for a very special fundraiser.

FORRES youngster Erin Jamieson (11) is enjoying a good start to her tattie holidays as she wakes up on the film set of a popular children's TV programme.

FORRES community warden Margaret Cowie has received more accolades for her work in the town, scooping "The Chief Constable's support staff award" for her outstanding commitment and achievements in the community.

NEWLYWEDS Dave and Karen Levon are not joking when they say their wedding was fantastic, but the honeymoon nearly blew them away.

AWARD-winning Forres butchers, Murdoch Brothers, who won a gold medal in the 2008 Scotch Pie World Championships, have just received a further accolade.

A DOCTOR who left Forres Health Centre to go and work in Nepal is due to give a presentation in Forres tomorrow night (Thursday) about his experiences and the people he met during his time in the Himalaya region.

FORRES teenager Juliette Brelsford gave a lot of thought to her Higher psychology coursework, and now she is reaping the rewards after being named one of the most gifted students in the country.

WELL-known athlete Frankie Barton, who is the senior support officer at the Towerview Centre in Forres, is donning a new running vest this weekend in the Moray 10k as he steps out to raise money for a charity in memory of a Forres teenager who died of a brain tumour three years ago.

TWO members of 201 (Guernsey's Own) Squadron are in training for a cycle ride from RAF Kinloss to Guernsey for the squadron's annual visit to the island to raise money for charity and to commemorate Battle of Britain Week.

THERE will soon be a new face patrolling the streets of Findhorn and Kinloss following the appointment of PC Mairi Page as the dedicated community beat officer.

FORRES teenager Alan Burnett (19) is currently serving with The Highlanders 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland in Iraq, providing mentoring and support to the Iraqi Army.

LOCAL man, Trevor Esson, who grew up in Forres, has double reason to celebrate after his wife, Michelle gave birth to twins last week.

FORRES-based community warden Margaret Cowie has scooped a national award recognising the work she does within the local community.

A FORRES man has proven he is no "Woodentop" after he was named "Apprentice of the Year" by the construction company he works for.

A GRANDMOTHER who set out five years ago to run around the world as a personal challenge to raise awareness of prostate cancer and in support of a Findhorn charity which helps Russian orphans, has finally arrived back in the UK.

A WEEL-KENT face around the streets of Forres has been recognised in a national awards scheme.

IT was the end of an era when site worker Henry Omand filled his last bag of rubbish at the Waterford Amenity Site near Forres last week.

A DALLAS Primary School teacher was all smiles last week after being named as runner-up in the finals of the Scottish Teacher of the Year award.

FORRES banking adviser Shirley Luxon, who lives in Woodside Drive, has recently returned from a week in South Africa – but this was far from a holiday jaunt.

GIRLGUIDING groups are still going strong in the Forres area, 90 years after being established in the town, with around 147 members currently registered around Kinloss or Forres.

YOUNG Forres baker David Dingwall certainly had the recipe for success when he scooped first prize in a competition to find Scotland's best young baker.

A DENTAL hygienist from RAF Lossiemouth and an MoD civil servant from RAF Kinloss are leaving behind their RAF duties in July to take part in a journey of a lifetime.

THE "Forres Gazette" photographer, Neil Ellison, is well known around the town, as he often pops into local schools, events and homes and businesses to take photographs for the paper.

A FORRES soldier found himself marching into the history books when he stood guard at Buckingham Palace.

KINLOSS Guider and RAF servicewoman, Catherine Clarke was celebrating enough for two after receiving the highest accolade awarded in the Girl Guiding movement.

YOUR 75th birthday is fast approaching and you want to do something a little bit different... so what do you do?

FORRES Academy S6 pupil Claire Pozorski represented the school earlier this year in a fact-finding visit to the European Parliament in Strasbourg and last week she reported on her trip to the Rotary Club of Forres.

A FORRES youngster is preparing for the trip of a lifetime after being selected to take part in a popular children's TV adventure game show.

FORRES photographer Scott Hogg could be forgiven for feeling snap happy after scooping a clutch of prestigious photography awards at a special event.

A FORRES optical assistant has recently returned from a trip to a small community in a remote region of Uganda, for whom she has been raising cash to help build a school and an orphanage.

A FINDHORN man has welcomed a fundraising drive launched by staff at the Forres Co-op last week, who plan to boost the kitty of a very worthwhile cause.

FORRES photographer Les Hester is this year celebrating 30 years in business in the town.

FORMER Forres Academy student, Andrew Gillespie (18), is off to India next month for a four month adventure as part of the Transform programme, run by Christian relief and development charity Tearfund.

FOR most of us, our summer holiday means relaxing somewhere hot, preferably with a swimming pool and a handy bar.

FORMER Lord Lieutenant of Moray, Air Chief Marshal (ret'd) George Chesworth was back at RAF Kinloss recently when he presented two awards to members of the 663 Volunteer Gliding Squadron.

WITH the ringing of the school bell at the end of lessons last Wednesday, Applegrove Primary School janitor Billy Laing headed off into retirement.

A STUDENT chef from Forres is getting ready to battle it out at a restaurant founded by one of Britain's best-loved, but most temperamental, TV chefs.

FORRES teenager Heidi Edmunds proved she was a cut above the rest last month when she picked up a top award at a hairdressing competition at Inverness College UHI.

LOCAL youth group, the 446 (Forres) SQN, Air Training Corps, is on the lookout for your old mobile phones.

BBC broadcaster Nancy Nicolson, who grew up on the family farm in Dunphail, has been presented with a prestigious award for a television report broadcast on BBC Scotland's rural affairs programme, "Landward".

A FORRES mum is heading off on holiday this summer, but it won't be your usual kind of sea and sand vacation.

A SERVICEMAN from RAF Kinloss has been made an MBE in the Queen's New Year's Honours List.

AFTER nearly three years in post, the man in charge of policing in the Forres area is to retire.

AN RAF-KINLOSS based service woman has ben honoured by the Queen for her work at the base.

A FORRES minister was busy packing his bags and furniture last week as he prepared for his final fortnight serving his congregation in Forres.

CHRISTMAS is coming and to prove it a number of pre-festive events have been taking place around Forres, with lots more happening this week and in the run-up to the festive holdays.

A FORRES butcher was celebrating last week after he was named as the second best pieman in Scotland.

THE recently created Parent Council at Forres Academy is hoping for good feedback and interest from a parents' evening for First Year pupils taking place at the school on Monday (December 3).

A FORRES publican who used to play in a local band during the 1980s has been tempted to take out his guitar again for a charity fundraising event being held in Forres at the end of the month, which aims to raise funds for people struggling to cope with disability.

THE wife of a Kinloss-based serviceman has been honoured for her fund-raising efforts.

A FORRES fitness teacher who is due to become a sprightly 70-year-old in the next few weeks, proved she was not past doing high kicks when she headed-up a special healthy exercise session with friends and colleagues to celebrate 50 years in the keep fit business.

RETIRED RAF Police Sgt, Michael Parry realised a long held ambition earlier this month by graduating with a BSc in Natural Science from Moray College.

TWO Forres lads have a very good reason to put their feet up after finishing a marathon cycle ride to raise cash for various charities.

A FIVE-YEAR-OLD schoolgirl has conquered a mountain in a marathon fundraising effort to help raise cash for a new school building.

A MORAY man who believed age was no barrier to learning new skills has died at the age of 98.

ON-GOING fundraising for renovations at St John's Episcopal Church in Forres has been boosted by the news of a cash windfall which will make a significant dent in the amount still needed.

A FORMER Forres Academy pupil is dancing her way to the top after being accepted for a place at a prestigious musical theatre college in London.

FOR most of us, Christmas is a time of family reunions and over-indulgence.

WHAT do you do when you've just returned from a marathon 15,200-mile run that has taken you all around the world? Take a well-earned rest? Not if you're Paul Rogan.

A FORRES granny with a taste for adventure went up in the world recently when she was winched off a speeding lifeboat into a helicopter hovering overhead... and all for the good of charity.

A FUND-RAISER was all shook up and ready to hang up his Blue Suede Shoes next to his bicycle clips after an attempt to cycle from Elvis, in Shetland, to Presley, near Logie, to raise cash and awareness for a local charity, was cut short just a few miles short of his goal.

WAY back on June 1, Forres Harrier Paul Rogan set off from the United Nations in New York with a simple plan in mind – run right around the world in 95 days in a non-stop relay.

THREE years ago, Forres man Douglas Cowie, already into his 50s, took part in the Olympic Torch Relay as it made its way around the world from Sydney, site of the 2000 Olympic Games, to Greece, to mark the centenary of the modern Olympics at Athens 2004.

STUDENTS from Forres's twin town of Mount Dora in Florida have been visiting the area, staying with host families whose teenagers will be making a return trip to the USA during the October holidays.

A FORRES nurse has been presented with a special award for her work as a nurse with a charity which gives palliative care to cancer sufferers.

LOCAL pensioners Hugh and Nannie MacLennan had double reason to cele­brate thanks to two of their grandchildren who graduated from the same university within two days of each other.

A LOCAL woman is saddling up for a horseback challenge which will she her representing her country in a British event against English, Welsh, Irish and other Scottish riders.

A FORMER German prisoner of war who spent more than a year in the Forres area following the conflict, made an emotional return visit last week.

AN INNOVATIVE crutch designed by Forres man Iain Airey while a student at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen, just missed out for a major design prize after being short-listed for the BP Design Award at Gray's annual Degree Show.

AFTER spending nearly 10 years in training, a member of St Margaret's Roman Catholic Church in Forres is just about to take the final step on his journey to become a priest.

A BRIEF childhood acquaintanceship between an Aberdeenshire boy and a German prisoner of war, which grew into friendship in later life, was further cemented earlier this month when members of that PoW's family paid a visit to the Forres area.

AN Australian woman tracing her family roots visited Forres the other week – and took time off to thank the 'Gazette' for the part it had played in bringing her and members of her wider family together.

FINDHORN Foundation's Universal Hall now has visitors green with envy as it sprouts a totally new lease of life.

FORRES fund-raising charity cyclist Tim Rooke (19) was celebrating at the weekend after completing a marathon journey around the North of Scotland, equal to the distance between Land's End and John O'Groats, which is around 937 miles depending on the route.

CEILIDHS have been held in the clubroom at Altyre Estate, owned by Sir Alastair Gordon Cumming, on a regular basis since 1988, and each event has become a "must" for the area's music lovers.

A BUS driver and his new bride were treated to a very special wedding celebration by some of the pupils he has been ferrying to school for the past few years.

A MORAY College student who lives in Forres is celebrating after being crowned with a prestigious cookery title for a menu that she created using local ingredients and produce.

A FORRES woman has been delighted by the support shown for a charity she has founded to provide a school in Uganda, and thrilled that a local runner is picking up the fund-raising baton to help her raise vital cash.

FORRES fundraiser, Mrs Tish Murray, is back in the greenhouse again, nurturing her home-grown tomato plants which will soon go on sale to raise cash for Breast Cancer Care.

TWO of the longest established and best-known bakeries in Moray, with a combined total of more than 200 years of service to their communities, merged earlier this week.

STAFF AND organising committee members got together at Abbeyfield House last week to say farewell to the historic building.

A DAFFODIL, which was one of the many species which once flourished in the gardens of Brodie Castle, is gracing the castle lawns once again, thanks to a New Zealand bulb expert who sent one back from the southern hemisphere.

A FORRES youngster is the pride of his school, and he is 'purrfectly' content with his efforts to save big cats in Africa.

DALLAS Primary School head teacher Arlene Wilson will soon be packing her suitcase and heading off across the Atlantic to promote the Scottish education system in the United States.

A FORRES man who has been campaigning for the provision of better disabled access for people around the local area has been backed by local organisations who have taken some of his projects forward.

A FORRES woman who attributes her longevity to hard work – and the odd toffee or caramel – celebrated her 100th birthday in style at the weekend with family and friends.

THERE will be no more jokes about lady drivers here on the "Gazette".

TRIBUTES have been paid to Forres woman Irene Mackenzie who died earlier this month, aged 86.

THE Cluny Bank Hotel in Forres has an established reputation for quality of service amidst a friendly and welcoming atmosphere and charming surroundings.

A FORRES woman has just returned from a three-week trip to Uganda where she is in the process of building a community hall to double up as a local school. She has even established her own charity to raise the cash and see the project through.

A RAFFORD firm has taken delivery of machinery which will put them at the forefront of plans to provide a new source of renewable energy.

MEMBERS of the Dava Way Association are busy preparing the route between Forres and Grantown in anticipation of a busy year.

FORRES Community Librarian Elizabeth Parker stamped her last books at Forres Library last Wednesday (January 31), when she left the Moray Council area for a move into the Highland region, where she is taking up a new post with the library service.

A FORMER lifeguard at Forres swimming pool, who also worked during the holidays as a council tip worker, must be the envy of all his pals after appearing in a Sunday newspaper as number 15 in the list of Scotland's 100 most eligible bachelors.

A RESEARCH institute, aiming to become a world leader in digital media and communication technologies, has set up shop at Horizon Scotland on the Forres Enterprise Park.

FRIENDS and supporters of the Falconer Museum in Forres have launched a regular e-newsletter in a bid to keep the facility at the front of people's minds while it is closed for renovation works.

FOLLOWING a seven-year break, Moray is set to have its own Territorial Army base through the reformation of 236 Field Squadron.

A YOUNG woman who grew up in Findhorn has become the latest singer-songwriter to put her talent on display by setting up her own record label.

CHRISTMAS EVE shoppers at a Forres supermarket were a bit surprised when some Royal visitors popped into the store for some last-minute Christmas goodies.

PUPILS at Forres Academy turned teacher to help pilot an eight-week project organised in conjunction with Age Concern and the Forres-based community development team at Moray Council.

A FORRES man is warning pet owners living around the Knockomie Rise development to watch out for their animals after his cat suffered a horrific death when it became caught in a snare near the family home.

WORK on the Moray Arts Centre is well underway and it is on course to open in the spring.

LOGIE Steading Visitor Centre has been honoured at the prestigious Northern Lights Tourism Awards ceremony at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.

THE green credentials of Forres Academy pupils and staff have been given a boost with the news that the school has achieved the Green Flag under the Eco School Scotland project.

A VISITING family of Americans popped their heads into the “Gazette” office last week to say hello. They came from Fort Worth in Texas and were on their first visit to Scotland… and to Forres.

A FORRES woman with a love of the performing arts is hoping to make her television debut next year – and win some money to back a dance spectacular in her home area into the bargain.

A FORRES man who has dedicated the last 46 years to serving the RAF, both as a serviceman and a civilian, including service in two conflicts, has finally called it a day.

LOLLIPOP man Bob Stephen bowed out of a job he loved last Friday when he bade farewell to his young charges at Anderson's Primary School.

A FORRES woman who is well known for her tireless fund-raising efforts to build a hydrotherapy pool in the town has been honoured for her work with the Arth­ritis Care charity which originally spurred her involvement with the project.

MORAY MSP Richard Lochhead was in Forres last week, putting his money where his mouth is. Mr Lochhead, who is the SNP's Shadow Minister for Energy and the Environment, was collecting an energy-saving solar panel that is to be installed at his home.

KINLOSS businesswomen Joan Wilmot and Jacqui Jones of J & J Publishing have been honoured for the cookbook they produced to highlight the fresh vegetables they produce locally.

THERE’S no excuse for letting the benefits of recycling slip your mind, thanks to an innovative new idea from Moray Waste Busters.

FORRES Community Council members have been told that all three Forres local councillors – Iain Young, Rex McIntosh and Alasdair Urquhart – have agreed to meet with them in a bid to clarify the details of the Forres Common Good Fund.

A WONDERFUL servant to Findhorn in general and the James Milne Institute in particular was honoured recently when he retired from the management committee of the village hall.

FORRES photographer Scott Hogg has entered the ranks of the Master Photographers Association (MPA) after being awarded a prestigious qualification for the professionalism of his work.

LOCAL residents and history buffs got their last look at the Falconer Museum in Forres last month before it closed for a period of refurbishment which will include the introduction of access for the disabled.

MEMBERS of the Forres and District Vienenburg Twinning Association are looking forward to visiting Germany at the end of this month for some very special celebrations.

A FORRES woman who has been 'mum’ to two young girls from Chernobyl for the past month is looking forward to putting her feet up.

TWO local teenagers are working hard to raise cash to spend part of their gap year working on projects overseas to help disadvantaged youngsters.

A TEAM of RAF personnel including a policeman based at Kinloss are preparing to make tracks in the frozen wilderness of the South Pole.

IT will be a sad day when Forres businessman Michael Laycock takes his last trip down Memory Lane in the autumn, shutting up shop after 30 years in business on the High Street.

VOLUNTEERS at the Falconer Museum in Forres have been working hard to complete essential research on its collections.

A FORRES Academy pupil has come out top in a by-election for a seat in Parliament.

MOVES to introduce more nurses into Scottish hospitals who specialise in a little known genetic condition have encouraged a Forres woman to embark on a fund-raising campaign.

A DUTCH couple, who arrived in Forres seven years ago to turn a Victorian town house into an up-market hotel, are moving on.

WITHIN two years of quitting the Moray Firth for a new life at the other end of the UK, former Findhorn environmental activist Mary Gregory has taken on green issues on the Isle of Wight and won a clutch of gold awards for her Shanklin guest house.

A Forres teacher found extreme poverty - and hope - in Africa reports Tanya McLaren

A FORRES woman has been honoured by her peers in an awards ceremony held in Edinburgh.

A YOUNG hairdresser has fulfilled her dream of running her own hair salon with the help of The Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust (PSYBT).

TIRED, saddle-sore and glad to be home, that's Forres community warden, Margaret Cowie, who cycled from Land's End to John O'Groats and raised more than £1,000 for various charities, writes Tanya McLaren.

THREE Forres women put their best bust forward for a fundraising event aimed at making people aware of the dangers of breast cancer and the good work being done to support sufferers and their families.