Ceilidh at Duffus Village Hall

Tickets have gone on sale for a dance in aid of Forres Pipe Band next Friday. It is being held in Forres Town Hall and is being organised by Tommy Dingwall of the Carisbrooke Hotel, with the six-piece Inverness-based band Rhythm and Reel providing the music. The licensed dance, which is open to people of all ages, begins at 8pm and tickets, costing £6, are available from the Carisbrooke on 01309 672585, MacLean's Bakery or from the Gazette office.

Hall role

DUFFTOWN voluntary organisations are invited to nominate one representative to sit on the newly formed Mortlach Memorial Hall management committee. The group is seeking to appoint a new hall keeper, but in the meantime bookings for the hall venue may be made by contacting Kirsten Paterson at 01340 821 158.

Ceilidh night

THE parish of Duffus, Spynie and Hopeman Church of Scotland will be holding a ceilidh in the Duffus Village Hall next Friday, May 28, at 7.30pm. Admission is £5 for adults, £2 for children. Stovies are included, but participants are advised to bring their own refreshments. Tickets are available at Costcutters, the village post office, and from any social committee member.

Car boot sale

A CAR boot sale and cream tea held by the Lythe Nursing Home at Cullen raised £556 for Roxburgh House at Milltimber.

Nevis challenge

LAST minute places for this year's Ben Nevis Challenge in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care are still available for Saturday June 12. The opportunity to get to the UK's highest summit is being supervised by Fort William based West Coast Mountain Guides and follows the "Ben path" mountain track. The return climb takes an estimated 6 to 8 hours. Participants are asked to raise £100 sponsorship for Marie Curie Cancer Care, which has 80 nurses working in communities throughout the Highlands and Islands. For further information, and to register for the Ben Nevis Challenge, call Karen at Marie Curie Cancer Care on 01463 238328 or visit http://www.mariecurie.org.uk/.

Over the limit

A KIRKWALL man who drove his car into a garden wall was found to be more than three times the legal alcohol limit, a court heard yesterday. Alan Campbell, 36, of 15 Craigie Crescent, appeared from custody at the town's sheriff court and admitted failing to stop after the incident in High Street on Wednesday night. He also admitted a further charge of failing to stop and report the accident. Sentence was deferred until June 3 for production of his driver's licence. Campbell has been banned from driving by the court until then.

Thief fined

FORT William man Robert Carter, 23, of 3 Banff Crescent, was fined £650 after admitting at the town's sheriff court yesterday stealing £843 from the Volunteer Arms in February of last year. The court heard that he had since repaid the money.

Drugs guilt

A £450 FINE was imposed on Darren Nicol, 20, of 16 Banff Crescent, Fort William, at the town's sheriff court yesterday after he admitted at an earlier hearing being in possession of drugs, traces of which were found in an inhaler bottle after he was searched by police on March 8 last year.