As these are nearly upon us, please remember that this is a time of goodwill to all folk – so please be neighbourly and check on the houses around to ensure that folk are warm and well. It only takes a couple of minutes, unless you are invited in for a wee dram and a mince pie!

Can lightning strike twice? On Saturday 13 August (2005) torrential rains fell in the afternoon, causing the streets to run with water, the road drains to spout like fountains and Portknockie to suffer some serious damage.

While the long evenings are with us enjoy everything that our village offers including inspiring walks, sparkling conversation, glorious sunsets, awesome flora and fauna and friendly pubs and shops.

We have had some extraordinary weather and conditions over the last couple of months – but where was the white stuff? Once again, no winter worth talking about for K’nockers!!

Once again we have been battered by wind and rain, as the remnants of Hurricane Bertha visited the Moray Firth. As usual life in Portknockie was not hampered as badly as many surrounding towns and villages, and our thoughts go out to those who really have suffered.This issue welcomes the second part of Bruce Bishop’s A History of Moray, together with many of our more usual features. We are particularly pleased to re-introduce the ’Welcome’ bit and hopefully will be able to add births and marriages to this section, too. Mhairi McLean gives us an insight into Portknockie Primary School as the threat of closure looms over it.

As you will most certainly have noticed The K’nocker has had to change a little. After Moray Council stopped printing cheaply and in order to keep costs in check, we have had to opt for the A5 size rather than A4 as this uses less paper and ink and the printing bill is therefore obviously lower. However, this change also allows us to give you EVERY page in glorious colour we are sure you will soon get used to the handy pocket and handbag size... The team also welcome Mhairi McLean who has recently joined us and will be looking at new features and using her expertise as a proof reader.

One door closes and another opens, it is so sad to see Portknockie Library close after all these years, and while some of us have not been resident long, we would like to make mention of the tireless and helpful service offered by all past librarians. Once again the school is threatened with closure, probably by 2017, and we shall watch the Council proceedings over the forthcoming months. However, it’s lovely to see that Portknockie Chip Shop has once again found favour, and has opened its doors for our delight. Please make use of it together with all our other local shops, pubs and businesses, surely we owe it to their proprietors to do our utmost to keep them open...

Once again December, Winter and the Christmas & New Year festive season is upon us. Again we can marvel as waves lash the harbour walls, sending foam and spray eighty or a hundred feet in the air, always searching to soak the unsuspecting stroller! We might also marvel at the “Yes” campaign’s White Paper on The Referendum which has just been published - let us know if you feel it has merit or not... Meanwhile, to you all - please have a Very Merry Christmas and a fruitful and peaceful 2014

First and foremost, the library is still open while the councillors digest the large number of responses to the latest consultation. Meanwhile, the Port basked in the warmth that visited the whole of the British Isles this summer. The pool and most of the bollards at the harbour are now freshly painted and there is a new information panel in the Memorial Gardens. There were spectacularly extreme low tides in June, which were caused by the Moon’s close orbit to the Earth. And, of course, the dolphins have visited! See the photos inside