Hi there from Don and me.

This month's Showcase on www.clydevalley.net features a painting ' Loch Etive', by Muriel Andrew, a short story 'A Chance Encounter' by William-John Deerin, a song 'Driving Round in Circles', written and performed by Peter Nardini, a lyric 'Caravaggio's Eye' by songwriter Dave Gibb, an embroidered 'Lord Cornet's New Standard' by members of Biggar Embroiderers' Guild and a photograph 'Portrait of a Woman' by Stuart McAllister. We hope that you will enjoy them as much as we do. Congratulations and thanks to each contributor. Thanks too to all those who have been sending us work for inclusion in future Showcases.

There are now around 150 individual and groups on our listings and we are hoping to contact each one over the Summer months. We want to know that each listing is still accurate and also to find out what events are planned for the year ahead.

Regular visitors will have already noticed the arrival of the first entries on the 'Marketplace'. The success of www.clydevalley.net, in attracting visitors and in coming up well in Google searches, has encouraged us to open this small section for local businesses, using the same format as for the other listings and, hopefully, in a way which does not disturb the ethos and layout of the site. To make this facility attractive to smaller businesses, we have set prices at a very reasonable level and, to encourage takeup, are offering generous discounts to the first advertisers. If you know of one which might be interested, then by all means pass on this information.

Up until now, Galleries have been listed free of charge as places where work by local artists and craftspeople could be seen. With the creation of the Marketplace, we are now able to include them with the business listings, but still free of charge for a limited period. And local artists can still inform us of any of their exhibitions in local galleries. These will be publicised free-of-charge as usual in the visual arts or craft events pages.

We are welcoming about ten newcomers on to the site this month, but we know that there are yet more working out there and we hope to hear from them. Sadly, we also hear that Lesmahagow Accordian and Fiddle Club is winding up after many years of bringing people together to make and enjoy music.

And now, after that serious note, to get on with the serious business of enjoying the Scottish Summer.

Joanne and Don