Whiteford Praises Local Business Following 'Best Bar None' Award

Banff & Buchan MP Dr Eilidh Whiteford has congratulated a Fraserburgh business, after it received a prestigious award for innovation.

http://cheersbarfraserburgh.com/

The local MP visited Cheers Café and Bar in Fraserburgh after the venue was awarded a ‘Best Bar None’ Award for Innovation. The latest award comes in the wake of more than a dozen similar awards and nominations in recent years, which have established the café and bar as a major attraction in the town.

Owner Dennis Forsyth welcomed Dr Whiteford, along with Troup councillor Hamish Partridge, to learn more about his business and its success. The visit was also an opportunity for Dr Whiteford to meet staff, and offer her congratulations on the venue’s recent award.

Speaking afterwards, Dr Whiteford said:

“It was an absolute pleasure to visit Cheers, and to see for myself the good work that Dennis and his staff are undertaking on the site. The astonishing number of awards and nominations Cheers has received from national bodies indicates the quality of the service being offered, and the business is a credit to Fraserburgh and the surrounding area.

“I look forward to congratulating Dennis on further awards in future.”

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MP Congratulates Macduff on Community Engagement Event

Banff & Buchan MP Eilidh Whiteford has congratulated the organisers of the ‘Macduff and its Community’ Coffee Afternoon held at the Buchan Street Hall on Saturday.

Eilidh Whiteford MP with
Cllr Hamish Partridge (l) and Ricky Taylor (r)

The event was organised to allow local people to come together and also view old photographs of Macduff which had been featuring on a community Facebook page.

Commenting, Eilidh Whiteford MP said:

“This was a truly fantastic event and it was good to catch up with some Macduff people I hadn’t seen for quite some time.

“The hall was fairly packed when I was there which is a testament to the organisers and the interest people have in local heritage. Of course, the fine pieces probably also helped draw the crowds!

“The organisers deserve a huge vote of thanks for arranging the event and making it such a success.”

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MP Takes to the Sea with Broch Lifeboat

Banff & Buchan MP Dr Eilidh Whiteford has paid tribute to the dedication of volunteers at the Fraserburgh Lifeboat Station, after taking part in a lifeboat exercise off the town’s coast in the lifeboat ‘Willie and Mary Gall’.

Cllr Hamish Partridge and Eilidh Whiteford MP, with Lifeboat volunteers Barry Pitchford, Rachel Masson and Stephen Brown

Dr Whiteford and Troup councillor Hamish Partridge joined Coxswain Victor Sutherland and the volunteer crew at the station to discuss the challenges involved in running a lifeboat service. They then participated in the crew’s weekly exercise, which saw the crew rehearse a fire drill and man overboard recovery. Dr Whiteford and Cllr Partridge were given the opportunity to pilot the lifeboat at sea, and during the return to port.

Speaking after the event, Eilidh said that even in mild conditions, it was clear that lifeboat volunteers were risking their lives to save others. She said:

“It has been a great privilege to be able to take part in this exercise, and to see the work that goes into responding to a maritime emergency.

“It was really thrilling to be part of the crew’s training evening – experiencing what the Fraserburgh crew face firsthand gives a whole new insight into the risks that these men and women take on a regular basis in order to save the lives of others.”

Troup SNP councillor Hamish Partridge added:

“Victor and the whole team at the Broch lifeboat are very highly respected by the local community who appreciate just what an important job they do.

“It’s been great to see that up close for myself and certainly gives me an insight into the dangers faced when carrying out a rescue.”

Lifeboats have been launching from Fraserburgh Harbour since 1806, and crews from the station have been honoured with 16 awards for gallantry. The station has also seen witnessed tragedy over the years, with thirteen volunteers losing their lives in the act of saving others.

The RNLI is prides itself on being funded by donations from the public and donations are gratefully received and can be made at rnli.org/donateorbecomeamember

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MP Hails Fraserburgh 'Super Saturday' Event

Banff & Buchan MP Eilidh Whiteford has hailed yesterday’s Fraserburgh ‘Super Saturday’ event as a great success for the town.

The local MP attended the event during the morning and toured the street stalls before calling in at some of the local shops and visiting the Fraserburgh Lifeboat, which was open to visitors. She was accompanied by local councillors Hamish Partridge (Troup) who was also one of the organisers of the days events and was acting as a steward, and Charles Buchan (Fraserburgh & District).

Commenting on the event, Eilidh said:

“This was a tremendous event for Fraserburgh and I congratulate the organisers and all those involved with it.

“Luckily, the rain subsided and didn’t put too much of a damper on things. There seemed to be a good large crowd of people when I was there and I hope that both stall-holders and local businesses have had a good day.

“I think this idea has got the potential to be really good for the town centre and for bringing in new people and customers to Fraserburgh. I wish it every success for the future.”

Troup councillor and one of the co-organisers of the event Hamish Partridge said:

“I was delighted to have the support of the local MP for the first Fraserburgh ‘Super Saturday’. It meant a lot to the organisers to have her support.

“I’m very pleased with how the day went. We had a terrific range of stalls ranging from crafts and plants, to jams and seafood, along with street entertainment. The weather wasn’t too kind to us in the morning but that didn’t seem to deter the large crowd of people who contributed to making today’s event such a success.”

Broch councillor Charles Buchan added:

“There was a real buzz about the Broch today. I think this was a fantastic initiative and add my congratulations to all involved in the hard work setting it up.

“I hope that this can become a regular event aimed at attracting people back into the town centre.

"I'm very pleased that the event was such a success. The crowds enjoyed the various musical events, and the other entertainments. Sales were very good, with some of the stall-holders selling out completely.

“Thanks are due to the organisers, and the many participants, including the Business Association, Fraserburgh Development Trust, Aberdeenshire Council, and Ann Bell, as well as the fishing industry contributions, the Lifeboat Service, and all the musicians, and the many people who contributed their time, and equipment, and who allowed the use of their property on the day.

“I look forward to the next set of Super Saturdays, and hope that even larger crowds turn out."

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