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Turriff craftsman's lockdown gift to NHS Nursery


By Rachael Glennie

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With businesses across the country currently closed because of the ongoing pandemic, skilled craftsman are having to find ways of keeping themselves busy, as James West from Turriff Kitchens has recently experienced.

To pass the time, but also as a way of saying thank-you for recent medical support given to a family member, James decided to head out to his shed at home and apply his skills to woodworking

He turned his hand to making something a little unusual, but practical and came up with - a Rocking Fish.

James said: “I’m just really thankful for the way my wife was looked after by the doctors and community nurses with suspected Covid-19 a few weeks ago and wanted to show my appreciation and also wanted to brighten up some lives in these dark days.”

And on the fish James said: “It was just a change from a horse, nothing more.”

James then took to Facebook to offer his work to any local children's hospital or nursery and had many requests.

One of those came from Eilidh Johnston who works at Little Acorns NHS Nursery.

The nursery is a workplace provider of childcare for the children of NHS employees at the Royal Cornhill Hospital in Aberdeen and James decided the nursery the ideal place for his fabulous fish.

The nursery are delighted to have received such a great gift.

Senior Communications Officer at NHS Grampian, Emma Pettis said: "Little Acorns Day Nursery, would like to say a big thank you to James at Turriff Kitchens and Bathrooms for creating a lovely rocking fish that he posted on his Facebook page as a giveaway.

“We were very lucky to be the chosen nursery that he gifted the fish to and James kindly delivered the fish to us last week.

“Since then the children have loved playing on him.

“ Everyone has been thinking of a name for him and he has been proudly named as the “Turra Troot”, and he sits in pride of place alongside our Banffie Bear who was gifted to us over 10 years ago.

“We are sure that the Turra Troot will be a great addition to our nursery family.​"


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