The Rampant Scotland Newsletter - your weekly insight into what has been happening in Scotland, snipped from the Scottish media, for Scots in Scotland and abroad, bringing you news, events plus a Scottish magazine section. Printed with 100% recycled electrons.Previous editions of this Newsletter are available in the Archive> and the Index to the other pages of the Rampant Scotland site is available here>.
The Scottish Snippets Newsletter in its original format began in April 1997 and continued in an unbroken series for 591 issues. Although no longer produced in that format there is now a regular update on the new and updated pages on the Rampant Scotland site and also "Scottie's Diary" on an intermittent basis, To receive this, kust send an e-mail to Scottie with "Subscribe Newsletter" in the subject line.
Current Affairs
Historical Affairs - Topical Items from Scotland's Past
Entertainment
Sport
In the First Division, Gretna are storming on, 12 points ahead of St Johnstone, though the Perth club does have a game in hand. At the foot of the First Division, Queen of the South lie 4 points adrift from Airdrie.
Greenock Morton now have a lead of 12 points over Stirling Albion in the Second Division. Forfar are struggling at the bottom of the table, 7 points away from Stranraer.
The fight for promotion in the Third Division is a bit closer than the other leagues, with Berwick Rangers only three points above East Fife. Elgin City trail East Stirling by 6 points at the other end of the table.
Magazine Section
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
Weather in the News - Again
After breaking the records for rainfall in November and December, the west of Scotland is heading towards another entry in the record books. Last weekend, 31mm (1.25 inches) of rain fell on Glasgow, much of it on Friday night. The usual rainfall total for the month of January is around 99mm (4 inches). On Monday, there were six hours of continuous rain and it returned again on Wednesday - accompanied by strong winds gusting at over 70mph in the Highlands and islands. Overnight on Wednesday, the temperatures dropped and early on Thursday morning the rain turned to snow. The timing was particularly bad as it was falling heavily just at the rush-hour - except no-one was rushing, as cars slithered on the slush and there was a spate of minor bumps. Many schools were shut and a number of roads were closed or restricted, either because of snow or traffic accidents. Snow gates on the A9 trunk road between Perth and Inverness were closed between Dalwhinnie and Blair Atholl and the M90 motorway in Fife was also closed for a spell. A number of roads in the Highlands were closed too. Over thirty flights from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen were cancelled and the disruption to air and rail services continued on Friday. But England fared even worse on Thursday as they had winds of up to about 100mph - about ten folk were killed by various wind-related accidents and insurers estimate it will cost them billion pounds in claims for storm damage
Retail Sales Grow
The report published this week by the Scottish Retail Consortium and the Royal Bank of Scotland shows that the doom and gloom predictions from some commentators on struggling retail sales in December were unfounded. Like-for-like sales in December were 3.6% higher than in December 2005 and when new outlets were taken into account, total sales were up by 8.2% on a year ago (and up on November's rise of 7.0%). Scotland’s performance in December remained stronger than that across the UK, which saw 2.5% like-for-like growth. Some sectors did better than others though. Overall sales growth was largely driven by food and drink, which saw the strongest growth for eighteen months, while clothing retailers were held back by mild weather for much of the month and forced into more discounting to move stock. Consumers had been holding off their Christmas spending in the hope of benefiting from pre-Christmas discounts and the introduction of these helped lift sales. That was true particularly of non-food sales items, albeit at the expense of some loss in margin. But the Bank of England raised base rates last week, to counter rising inflation, and that could depress the retail sales figures for January.
UK's Most Advanced Cancer Care Centre
The facilities for the care and treatment of cancer patients in Glasgow moved into the 21st century this week as the £100 million Beatson Oncology Centre opened its doors. It is being described as the UK's most advanced cancer centre, with state-of-the-art scanning equipment and radiotherapy. A lot of effort has also been put into the design, colour schemes and use of natural light to create a comfortable, cosy environment for patients, to reduce anxiety and aid recovery. Cancer treatment in NHS Glasgow and Clyde was previously in 12 other buildings at three different sites. Now it has all been brought under one roof, in a custom-built centre within the grounds of Gartnavel Hospital in the west of the city. It will serve over 8,000 patients a year from the west of Scotland.
Dundee Wins Life Sciences Investment
Dundee needed a boost on the jobs front after last week's announcement of the loss of 650 jobs at the NCR automated cash machine factory. So there was delight in the city when it was announced this week that Cellartis AB, a Swedish company, and the University of Glasgow, were to set up a new Intermediate Technology Institute Life Sciences Stem Cell Programme which would create up to 75 highly skilled research jobs in research, development and production.The aim is to develop an automated process to produce high quality stem cells, which is a brand new field. £9.5 million is being invested in the joint research programme, which is also being allocated £1.2 million from the Scottish Executive's Regional Selective Assistance programme. Dundee has already established a name for itself in medical research - Scotland’s four medical schools and the pharmaceutical giant Wyeth are to invest £50 million in creating a research centre to be built at the Ninewells Hospital site, to exploit genetic advances in medicine.
Dark Sky Scotland
Scotland's first nationwide programme of public and educational astronomy events was launched this week by the Scottish Executive. "Dark Sky Scotland" aims to inspire the public to take an interest in astronomy and space science, as well as developing dark sky tourism. Scotland, particularly its forests, have some of the darkest skies in Western Europe, offering spectacular naked-eye views of stars and planets. If you have ever looked up and seen the Milky Way these days, you know you must be far from city lights. It is hoped that the project will also encourage positive attitudes to science amongst young Scots and provoke interest from pupils, teachers and parents alike. 600 people from schools and businesses will be trained to stimulate activity across the country. It is argued that Dark Sky Scotland has real potential to introduce thousands of people to science through the beauty of the night sky. The Royal Observatory at Blackford is leading the project and will promote family events to encourage everyone to enjoy the night sky. They will also show how Scotland's scientists and engineers are at the forefront of exploring the wonders of the Universe. Events will include portable planetarium shows, demonstrations of rocks from space, how to use robotic telescopes such as the Faulkes Telescope in Hawaii and to take images of deep space objects like galaxies and nebula.
Sporting Chance for Glasgow's Commonwealth Games
The bid by Glasgow to stage the Commonwealth Games in 2014 moved a step forward this week when the list of games which would take place in the city was announced - and an updated cost was revealed. Glasgow is playing it safe, with most of the 17 sports being the standard ones included in previous competitions - which keeps the voters from the other countries happy. But judo has been added to the list - it was part of the programme in Manchester in 2002 but was omitted in 2006 and will not feature in 2010. Athletics, aquatics, boxing, badminton, cycling, gymnastics, hockey, rugby 7s, squash, shooting, weightlifting, wrestling, table tennis, netball, triathlon, lawn bowls and judo are the disciplines included. That means that sports such as archery, fencing and basketball will not be represented. Despite Scotland being the home of golf - and with plenty of places to stage an event - it has not been included. Hampden Stadium will host track and field events, swimming will be at Tollcross, with bowls at Kelvingrove, squash and table tennis at Scotstoun, judo and wrestling at the Kelvin Hall. The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre will host boxing, netball, weightlifting and gymnastics. The cost of staging the event had previously been estimated at £250/280 million but, as is the way with these forecasts, that figure has now risen to around £288 million. 80% of the total would be met by the Scottish Executive from its budget.
Regional Sports Centre Approved
Aberdeen City Council unanimously approved the plans this week for a £23 million regional sports centre in the city. The University of Aberdeen is progressing the scheme in partnership with the City Council. Sportscotland, the government agency responsible for sport across the country, has allocated £7 million towards the cost. The new sports facility will include an indoor football pitch and indoor athletics with spectator seating, plus a sports centre, a café, a creche, offices and changing facilities. There will also be an outdoor athletics facilities and a hockey pitch. The council-owned site at Linksfield Road is currently home to an all-weather synthetic hockey pitch, a grassed football pitch, car parking and open space. Construction should start in late summer and be completed in early 2009.
Biggest Ever Forth Bridge Roadworks
Major repairs to the Forth road bridge have gone out to tender that will create the most disruption to traffic flow in its 43-year history. The bridge will be restricted to one lane in each direction for up to two months, as worn-out expansion joints are replaced for the first time. The actual work is to be delayed until the new crossing at Kincardine Bridge is open, in about three years time. The Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA), who are responsible for the crossing, have warned that it will be subjected to increasing disruption as its age means more repairs are needed. Motorists are also facing weekend lane closures every summer until 2009, during installation of equipment designed to halt serious corrosion of the main cables. The Scottish Executive has at last acknowledged that a second crossing of the Forth estuary is required - though that may be more to do with the impending elections for the Scottish parliament than an acceptance that action actually has to be taken.
Healthier Options
Government statistics published this week show that Scottish families are buying more fruit and vegetables and reducing the consumption of fast food in favour of healthier alternatives. But it was not all good news, as Scots still spend 25% more than the UK average on cigarettes and alcohol. Despite the increased purchase of healthier foods, and reduced spending on confectionery and soft drinks, the purchase of some products high in saturated fat, such as cheese and butter, have increased. However, households are continuing to switch from whole milk to semi-skimmed and sales of yoghurt are up. We are all encouraged to eat five portions a day of fruit and vegetables and that is being achieved by many Scots via increased purchases of pre-packed vegetables - sales of small micro-waveable packs of vegetables grew by over 23% in the last year.
Train in the Sky Plan
You always know when an election is on the horizon. The leader of the Conservative Party, David Cameron, arrived in Scotland this week, along with all his Shadow Cabinet colleagues on a fact-finding and "meet the people" exercise. Cameron said that his party had failed Scotland by not offering a sensible centre-right alternative to Labour - a surprising acknowledgement. But it was the party's transport spokesman who captured the media headlines with the statement that the Conservatives want a business plan drawn up to examine the building of a magnetic levitation (maglev) train system between Edinburgh and Glasgow. He claimed it would cut journey times to eight minutes, hurtling non-stop at over 300mph on a suspended track. Maybe the fact-finding visit will reveal that there is not a huge demand to travel from Edinburgh to Glasgow in 8 minutes (far less in the opposite direction) - just an improvement on the present journey time of around 50 minutes (no different from over 20 years ago) and trains that more often run on time. Any politician achieving that might pick up a few votes.
Picture via Wikipedia.
Number of Reported Flu Cases at Eight-Year High
Over 8,000 Scots have been hit by flu this winter - and that's just the number who have been in touch with their doctors, with many others just coping as best as they can at home. In the second week of this year there were five times as many Scots going to surgeries with flu symptoms than at the same time last year. The virus doing the damage is one of those included in the vaccine available this year - but due to delays in obtaining adequate stocks, many people missed out or had their shots later than usual.
Too Much Water for Salmon Fishing
This year's salmon season on the river Tay was launched with the traditional ceremony at Kenmore (that's ther village shown here), where the river leaves Loch Tay. Sponsored by Dewars World of Whisky, there was a pipe band to lead around 400 hopeful anglers through the village, before a toast was given using a Highland quaich (a two-handled silver cup) full of whisky. Similar ceremonies were held at other beats along the river. But if the anglers were following tradition, the river was not in a receptive mood. With the Tay running at some points 13 feet above its summer level after torrential rain in the catchment area, spring fish were having difficulties moving up river. As a result, the trophy for the heaviest fish caught on the opening day was postponed until February. Which was just as well - by the end of the day only one fish was reported to have been caught.
Stone Age to Trump Golf Resort?
The billion pound world-class golf resort being pushed forward by Donald Trump on the north-east coast of Scotland may founder on Stone Age relics, according to the principal archaeologist at Aberdeenshire Council. The shifting sand dunes nearby have already produced finds dating back 7,000 years. A full environmental assessment is required "sooner rather than later" according to Ian Shepherd, as he lodged his recommendations with the local authority's planning department last weekend. The US entrepreneur's scheme covers 1,400 acres and includes two championship golf courses, a 450-room hotel, a 10,000sq ft conference centre, 950 holiday homes, 36 guest villas and residential units. There would also be a 25,000sq ft clubhouse, golfing academy and an accommodation block for 400 employees. The scheme has wide support from business leaders and politicians - all the way from the local council to the First Minister in Edinburgh. A spokeswoman for the Trump Organisation confidently predicted that a full environmental assessment would be filed in March. The project has an ambitious opening date of spring 2009 - with threats by Donald Trump to walk away from the project if he gets held up by lengthy planning procedures.
Record-Breaking Year for Glasgow Hotels
It was being claimed this week that the marketing campaign "Glasgow: Scotland With Style" has been responsible for average occupancy rates in hotels in the city rising to 74% - the best since records began, seven years ago. The campaign, funded by Glasgow City Council, with contributions from the private sector, is now in its third year and retailers and restaurant associations are also reporting increased levels of business. Of course, the re-opening of the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in July, which has seen over two million visitors since then, has contributed as well.
The illustration shows the Radisson SAS Hotel in Glasgow.
New "Retail Parade" Approved
Perth and Kinross Council has approved plans for a £5 million tourist centre at the Caithness Glass production facility at the Inveralmond Industrial Estate, on the outskirts of Perth. The world-renowned glass manufacturer has been under threat ever since its parent company, Edinburgh Crystal, went into receivership last August. The new owners plan to demolish the present 1970s building and replace it with a "retail parade" of seven units attached to a smaller glass-making plant. This will safeguard the jobs of most of the 60 employees on the site. There will be a scaled-down version of the Caithness Glass operation, with a manufacturing unit, gift shop and restaurant. The remaining retail units will be aimed towards the tourism sector.
Dolphins Win First Round
A decision on whether to allow exploration of the seabed in the Moray Firth to see if there is any oil, has been postponed by UK Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling, so that a more thorough "appropriate assessment" of the threat it might pose to dolphins. As a result, the area will no longer be included in the next round of applications for licenses to explore for oil or gas. Environmentalists and tourist industry representatives have been concerned about the impact of oil rigs in the Moray Firth where dolphins have become a major attraction. A major concern is the impact of seismic surveys as underwater blasts are likely to affect the hearing of dolphins which is sensitive to sonar. The European Union Habitats Directive requires more rigorous investigations than the environmental assessments carried out under previous conservation rules.
Picture via NASA.
Corstorphine "Moved to Glasgow"
The residents of the up-market Corstorphine area of Edinburgh are proud of their "village" - and high house prices reflect it reputation. There is a real community spirit there, even though it just a residential suburb of the Capital. So there was a positive reaction to the announcement that the Glasgow-based Scottish Television (STV) channel was to produce dedicated Edinburgh news as part of its improved regional coverage for the east and west of Scotland. But many residents were baffled when they continued to get news reports with an increasing bias towards Glasgow. It then turned out that many of the aerials in Corstorphine were tuned to Blackhill on North Lanarkshire - which is continuing to broadcast the Glasgow news as that is the main transmitter for the west. The main Edinburgh transmitter is Craigkelly in Fife, but many homes in Corstorphine cannot receive that signal, because of intervening hills. The local councillor of Corstorphine has commented dryly: "I know Corstorphine is in the west of the city, but I didn't realise it was that far west. And I never knew it was now technically in Glasgow, as STV seem to think it is." Few residents are likely to shell out £50 to get their aerials repositioned, even if they can get the "Edinburgh news" from STV via Craigkelly. STV point out that all their local bulletins are now available online.
Drivers Demented by Squinty Bridge
The City of Glasgow is proud of its latest river crossing. The Clyde Arc arches across the river at an angle, so is known more often by its nickname of "Squinty Bridge". It is a fine-looking structure - but access is severely restricted. Drivers approaching along the northern bank of the river face signs prohibiting them from turning onto the crossing - the only access is from one road, from due north. And driving north across the bridge, there is no right turn at the end - resulting in detours or dangerous U-turns by motorists once they are clear of the bridge. Vehicles that reach the south side, can't turn left but have to make a detour of two-thirds of a mile to a round-about. Access from the south is likewise restricted to traffic coming from Pacific Quay. Of course, many drivers either ignore or don't see the signs - which can be dangerous, as they may then be driving over a pedestrian crossing when it is at green for travellers on foot. The bridge was originally created to allow BBC Scotland staff to move easily from their new HQ building at Pacific Quay back across the river. It achieves that admirably - but the rest of the motoring public are badly served by the flashy new bridge. A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman is reported to have said: "The council is aware there is a degree of confusion caused by the traffic management."
Badgers Sett for Luxury
The local authorities in the Highland often show that they have an understanding of the needs of the wild life in their area. A few years ago, a rope bridge was built between trees in Glenmore Forest Park so that the local red squirrels could learn the "green cross code" and avoid being run over by passing cars. Now Moray Council has just finished a project to re-house a large family of badgers. The animals had created a large sett under the main road between Keith and Cullen, which was causing the road to subside. Repairs would have been impossible without upsetting the badgers, so the council consulted an expert and also Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Executive in Edinburgh - nothing in local government is ever simple. An alternative home for the badgers was built nearby, but away from the road, using clay pipes, with chambers furnished with straw and a slabbed roof to keep out the rain. The badgers were able to explore their new home and then gates were set up to allow the badgers to leave their old home - but not get back. The badgers have now settled in - and the road repairs can now go ahead.
Weather in Scotland This Week
An earlier paragraph in this newsletter has described some of the wet, windy and snowy weather experienced in Scotland this week. On Monday, maximum daytime temperatures will still hovering around 9/10C (46/50F) and on Tuesday and Wednesday there was sunshine in many parts of the country. But the clearer skies brought the temperatures to below freezing overnight - and paved the way for that snowfall. More snow is being forecast for next week.
This Week's Colour Supplement
This week's large format photographs taken in Scotland to show the current season and its flora and fauna include a snow-covered Dumgoyne Hill and Campsie Fells; a view down the lovely Tay Valley at Perth (see thumbnail here); Huntingtower Castle; flowering catkins; leafless trees; and Balhousie Castle - museum of the Black Watch Royal Highland Regiment. See this week's Colour Supplement.
Last Hope for Historic Sailing Ship Sunk
Despite the efforts of nautical enthusiasts, politicians and genealogists in Scotland and in Australia, North Ayrshire Council has agreed that the 143-year-old sailing ship "Carrick" should be dismantled. The present owners, the Scottish Maritime Museum at Irvine, had hoped to be able to restore the ship when it was donated to the museum in 1990. But feasibility studies (and there have been many, over the years) concluded that the cost of well over £10 million would have required so much of the wooden structure to be replaced, it would effectively created little more than a reproduction. Other proposals to transport the ship to South Australia and another to convert it into a hotel or a restaurant also foundered. The ship is arguably the oldest sailing clipper in the world and took thousands of emigrants from the UK to South Australia in the 19th century. Originally built in 1864 as the "City of Adelaide", it made 22 trips to Adelaide, carrying as many as 270 passengers on each trip. The ship was so fast that she cut the journey time for the 12,000 miles to Australia from 100 days to 65 - a record that still stands for a ship of this type. Now the next move is to "deconstruct" the sailing ship, preserving a number of sections - and learning more about how ships were built in 1864 in the process.
The Da Vinci Code Effect
The latest accounts from the Rosslyn Chapel Trust Ltd show that the profits have soared in the last year to over £500,000. The 560-year-old building was the centerpiece of the blockbuster film "The da Vinci Code" and the publicity from that has seen the visitor numbers grow from 30,000 a year to 170,000 in 2006, with each visitor paying a £7 entry fee.. Rosslyn is undergoing a lengthy £12 million restoration programme and has had scaffolding and an unsightly steel roof to try to dry out the fabric of the building. Fortunately, the rich carvings inside are still as splendidly impressive as ever. The extra profits will be invested in the restoration programme and an extension to the visitor centre.
Next Week in Scottish History
Europe's Biggest Comedy Festival
A host of TV celebrities were on hand in Glasgow's George Square this week to launch this year's Magners Glasgow International Comedy Festival. Now in its fifth year, the programme is the most expansive and inclusive yet. Masters of comedy such as Paul Merton, Jimmy Carr, Cannon and Ball and Sean Hughes will be joined by international superstar Joan Rivers and new sensations Russell Brand and Alan Carr. Other hot US acts include master of laconic satire Rich Hall and fearless Reg D. Hunter. Canadian comics are also on the bill, with appearances from the inimitable Phil Nichol and the coolly laidback Tom Stade. The finest acts from the Southern Hemisphere are also flocking north, with Aussies Sarah Kendall, Jim Jeffries and Brendon Burns all performing solo shows. The festival runs from 8 to 24 March and has 288 shows in 40 venues throughout the city. This is the first year that Magners Irish Cider is the title sponsor of the festival. The product was launched in Scotland in 2003, the same year as the Glasgow International Comedy Festival was launched. The sponsors claim that both brands have "grown to become leaders in their field." New for this year, there will be late night cinema shows featuring everything from Dr Strangelove to Airplane and the musical comedy drama Tutti Frutti.
Bob Dylan's Highland Home
Music legend Bob Dylan and his brother are reported to have bought Aultmore House, a mansion outside the village of Nethybridge, near the Cairngorm mountains in Inverness-shire. The price for the former up-market, 5-star bed and breakfast and wedding venue, with 25 acres of grounds, is thought to be in the region of £2.2 million. The Edwardian building has ten bedrooms and was built to a high standard early in the 20th century by a wealthy department store proprietor. Dylan is reported to have already spent a week there, but seldom ventured outside. Dylan was in Scotland in 2004 when an honorary degree of Doctor of Music was conferred on him by the University of St Andrews. That was only the second time in his life that he had accepted an honorary degree.
Elton John for Highland 2007
Pop superstar Sir Elton John is to perform this summer at a concert in the Highlands for the first time, as part the year-long cultural festival Highland 2007 which got underway last weekend. The event will be staged on 15 July at Tulloch Stadium in Inverness, home of Inverness Caledonian Thistle football club. Around 17,000 fans will be able to use the existing seating at the stadium and there will be additional seating on the pitch. Tickets are expected to be priced from £40. The concert is part of Highland 2007, a celebration of Highland culture, which aims to promote the Highlands as a place to live and to visit. Tickets for the concert will go on sale on Tuesday, 23 January.
Sunday and Mid-Week Football Results
Heart of Midlothian 1 Celtic 2
Kilmarnock 0 Hibernian 2
Ayr United 1 St Johnstone 2 (Scottish Cup, Third Round replay)
Hibernian 4 Aberdeen 1 (Scottish Cup, Third Round replay)Bank of Scotland Premierleague Results - 20 January 2007
Celtic 5 St Mirren 1
Heart of Midlothian 1 Falkirk 0
Kilmarnock 1 Dundee United 0
Motherwell v Aberdeen was postponed. Dunfermline v Rangers and Inverness Caledonian Thistle v Hibernian are scheduled for Sunday.Scottish Football League First Division Results - 20 January 2007
Clyde 2 Ross County 4
Dundee 1 Queen of the South 0
Gretna 4 Livingston 1
Hamilton 2 Partick Thistle 1
St Johnstone 4 Airdrie United 3Scottish Football League Second Division Results - 20 January 2007
Alloa 1 Ayr United 1
Forfar 2 Cowdenbeath 0
Greenock Morton 2 Stirling Albion1
Peterhead 5 Stranraer 0
Raith Rovers 1 Brechin City 0Scottish Football League Third Division Results - 20 January 2007
Albion Rovers 6 Elgin 2
East Fife 0 Berwick Rangers 2
Queens Park 5 Montrose 0League Tables
Celtic keep marching on, making life difficult for the clubs trying to catch them up. The Parkhead side is now 20 points ahead of Rangers, though the Ibrox club have a match on Sunday. Hearts are currently within two points of Rangers, with Aberdeen one point less. Dunfermline will have to work hard on Sunday against Rangers if they are to reduce the 9 points they trail behind St Mirren at the foot of the SPL.
Tartan Army to Travel Far
The Italian Football Federation has (at last) announced that their Euro 2008 qualifying match against Scotland will be played at Bari on March 28. The town is on the Adriatic coast at the "heel" of the Italian peninsula and will mean that Scottish supporters will have a limited availability of scheduled flights - Ryanair fly there from London's Stansted airport only four times a week.
More in Sorrow than Anger
Tommy Burns, who was assistant to the former Scotland manager Walter Smith, as well as first-team coach at Celtic and head of youth development, has resigned from the role with the national side. In view of his previous record, there were some who felt that he was at least "in the frame" for the top Scotland job. But as the days rolled by, nobody in the Scottish Football Association had the courtesy to even speak to him informally. After much thought, he decided he didn't want to be assistant for yet another manager, having supported both Berti Vogts through troubled times and then Walter Smith. Meantime, back at Parkhead, both the Celtic chief executive (Peter Lawwell) and manager (Gordon Strachan) expressed delight that Burns would now be concentrating full time on the club. They emphasised his hard work and dedication and the contribution he was making to the success of the club. It's nice to be appreciated!
Huskies Welcome Snow
The snow which fell this week may have caused the usual travel chaos, but in addition to the skiers who would welcome the white stuff, competitors in this year's Siberian Husky Club Sled Dog Rally at Aviemore were also delighted. It will be the first time for sixteen years that the races will have been run on snow - usually the huskies have to pull sleds on wheels along the forest tracks. Some competitors had to rush at the last minute to get the right gear. The huskies will enjoy the snow too!
Andy Murray
Scottish tennis star Andy Murray, seeded 15, won his first match in the Australian Open this week, losing only one game in a 6-0,6-0, 6-1 victory over Spain's Alberto Martin. In the second round, he had to come back from 4-1 down in the second set to come through 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 6-4. That meant that in the third round Murray was up against Juan Ignacio Chela - the man who beat him in last year's first round. Once again Murray stormed through this match without losing a set. He now faces an even tougher challenge - the second seed Rafael Nadal, who has won the French Open twice.