Current Affairs

Hogmanay Celebrations

Cities, towns and villages around Scotland created their own unique celebrations for the biggest Hogmanay Party ever - and millions more people watched the celebrations round the world on TV as midnight raced across the globe. In Scotland, the highlights were:
~ Party and concerts on Princes Street, pop concert on Edinburgh Castle esplanade, and fireworks with the castle as the backdrop.
~ burning a 50ft effigy of a wolf on Wolf's Craig, a rocky outcrop near Stirling Castle; earlier plans to burn an effigy of Robert the Bruce had been abandoned after protests from the townsfolk.
~ Inverness had a "reel" Highland Hogmanay with traditional music (lots of "hoochs" and hollers) and plenty of traditional ceilidhs.
~ in Aberdeen the "Granite City" had more than 40,000 revellers. At midnight there was a fireworks and light extravaganza, using lights installed on the tops of buildings at either end of Union Street.
~ in Fort William a beacon was lit on the top of Ben Nevis at sunset as part of a UK-wide sequence.800 dancers did "Strip the Willow" - a Scottish country dance.
~ at Portsoy the catapult to fire a 100lb ball of molten iron into the air to land in the cold waters of the North Sea on Hogmanay had to be abandoned as- the catapult buckled under the weight, during a test a few days before!
~ the "Loony Dook" at South Queensferry on 1 January where a number of hardy types go for a plunge into the cold estuary of the river Forth.

The Name's Bond, Sir James Bond

The Edinburgh-born film star, Sean Connery, at last was awarded the knighthood everyone had expected him to get two years ago. Other Scots who were honoured with a knighthood in the Queen's New Year Honours List were Dr John Brown, the 98-year-old architect who was a leading member of the team that designed the liners Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth in the 1930s. Also awarded a knighthood were retired sheriff Gerald Gordon, polar explorer Walter Herbert, cancer expert Prof. David Lane and the chief executive of Scottish Power, Ian Robinson. The Scotland Rugby captain, Gary Armstrong was made an OBE.

Shopping Capital of Scotland

Sales figures for Christmas shopping show that Glasgow is second only to London in the value of retail sales. There were record breaking sales in the last two weeks before Christmas, with retailers reporting sales up 10%. The new Buchanan Galleries in the centre of the city is proving popular though the out of town Braehead shopping centre at Renfrew (pictured here) is also doing good business with over 100,000 customers visiting the mall every day. As usual, the "January Sales" started immediately after Christmas.

"Learn Now, Pay Later" Package Agreed

The Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition government in Edinburgh has agreed a 50 million pound compromise on student fees, based on the report produced by a committee led by Andrew Cubie. From this autumn, Scottish and European Union students in Scotland will not pay "up front" fees if they attend Scottish universities but will pay back 2,000 pounds once they are earning above a threshold of 10,000 pounds. English students, on the other hand, will continue to pay fees while at University in Scotland - or in England where all students have to pay fees during their courses. The shortfall in university income will be made up by government funding (found, it is said, from other parts of the education budget). Around 10,000 school leavers who come from families with incomes below 10,000 pounds (US$16,500) a year will receive grants amounting to 2,000 pounds (US$3,300) a year. Students still said they were unhappy at the deal - they consider that no fees should be payable either during their studies or clawed back afterwards.

The illustration shows the McEwan Hall of Edinburgh University where students graduate at the end of their studies.

Wee Sleekit, Cow'rin, Tim'rous Beastie

The House of Commons in Westminster was brought to a standstill this week by a mouse scampering across the floor, in the full glare of TV cameras. The assembled Members of Parliament. MPs smelled a rat, but it was definitely only a mouse. There was a suggestion that at a boisterous Burns' Supper at the House of Commons the night before, someone had produce a "wee sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie" to illustrate his speech, but this was denied.

Too Many Ten Green Bottles

The recycling of glass bottles in Scotland (and elsewhere) is being threatened by a glut of green bottles. The growth in all that red wine being consumed these days, has left the recycling industry was an indigestible quantity of green glass. Attempts are being made to persuade wine importers to use clear glass instead, even if they have to cover it in green shrink-wrap instead because consumers expect red wine to be in green bottles. Surplus green glass is being exported to South America - but at a loss.

Historical Affairs

Makeover for Antonine Wall

Tourist organisations are working on making five sites along the 38-mile Roman Antonine Wall more accessible to tourists. The wall was built across Scotland from the rivers Clyde to the Forth in 139AD, on the instructions of emperor Antonius Pius, to keep out the "barbarians" from the north. It had a stone foundation and 3-4 metres of turf on top, with forts at regular intervals and a military road running beside it. Because it was not built all of stone, much of the wall has disappeared but there are stretches where it is clearly visible. The illustration here is of the Antonine Wall a mile from a well preserved Roman bath-house in Bearsden, a suburb of Glasgow. The surrounding cemetery had nothing to do with the Romans!

Lakota Souix Shirt on Display

The "Ghost Dance" shirt of the Lakota Souix indians which was on display at the Kelvingrove Museum and Art Galleries in Glasgow for over 100 years, is to go on permanent display at the museum of the South Dakota State Historical Society. The shirt had been bought by the Glasgow museum from Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show which visited the city in 1890 . Glasgow Council agreed last year to return the shirt, which is sacred to Souix tribe.

Glenlee Wins Lottery Cash

The Clyde Maritime Centre in Glasgow is about to spend 140,000 pounds of cash from the National Lottery and from European funding to create new displays on the sailing vessel "Glenlee" which is moored at the dockside in central Glasgow. New audio-visual equipment will allow hands-on children's activities and a new exhibition on board the only ocean sailing cargo-ship afloat in Britain.

Entertainment

Celtic Connections

A Celtic music festival in Glasgow in January? When the idea was first proposed more than six years ago the only thing going for it was the fact that the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall was lying empty for most of the month. Since 1994 the festival has grown in stature - and outgrown the Concert Hall into twenty other venues in the city. This year, its 7th season, it runs from 12th to 30th January with an average of six concerts each night and audiences totaling over 70,000. In addition to established names such as the Runrig, Tartan Amoebas, Wolfstone, Dick Gaughan, Tam White and Salsa Celtica, it is an opportunity for up and coming musicians to get into the limelight. There is also a strong element from abroad - Woody Guthrie's son Arlo will be performing, as will Carlos Nunez, Altan, Anuna and Beth Nielson.

Scotland's Oldest Sprint Race

The 110 metres "Powderhall Sprint" has been run for 129 years. This year, for the first time, it was run at Musselburgh Racecourse where it is usually the horses rather than the humans who are doing the sprinting. In an exciting finish, which was only decided after the judges had examined a photograph, the winner was Edinburgh's Roddy Pitt who was one hundredth of a second ahead of Chris Gillie from Kelso.

Hebridean Castaways

Would you like to spend a year as a castaway on an island in the Outer Hebrides? 4,000 people applied to a BBC television advertisement to do just that. The idea was that around 30 people would be selected to set up a new community on the island of Taransay. During the year, they would use video recorders to film each other and, from time to time to time, professional cameramen would also return to the island to do additional shots. The result, the producers hope, will be a riveting TV series which shows how a group of 21st century people can cope with living in a basic environment - and, most importantly - cope with each other! The first programmes of the series were broadcast this week and already the tensions as well as the pleasures of such an environment were clear to see!

Current Affairs

End Game for Bank Takeover Battle

Although they came in on the coat tails of the bid by rival Bank of Scotland, it was the Royal Bank of Scotland which emerged as the victor in the takeover battle for National Westminster Bank, one of the "Big Four" in London. Royal now have more of the major shareholders and institutions such as Standard Life voting in their favour, rather than Bank of Scotland, who made the initial audacious bid a bank which is twice their size. The Board of National Westminster have now recommended that shareholders should accept the Royal's offer.

There is now speculation that Bank of Scotland could become the target for a takeover themselves. Lloyds TSB has been mentioned in this context. Bank of Scotland say that they are such an efficient bank that anyone taking them over would not be able to wring more profit out of the organisation. But Lloyds TSB, with the potential for merging the branch networks of Lloyds TSB Scotland and Bank of Scotland, must be looking at the options. Bank of Scotland was created in 1695 by an Act of the original Scottish Parliament.

Poem on a Caramel Wafer Wrapper

The silver paper wrappers on Tunnock's caramel wafers have been used for many things, no doubt, but the doggerel which Poet Laureate (ie, appointed by the Queen) Ted Hughes scribbled on a wrapper in 1987 has transformed it into a sought after item at an auction next month. The poet had responded to a request from the St Andrews University "Tunnock's Caramel Wafer Appreciation Society" and it was originally auctioned for charity. The poem reads:

St Columbus ate a heifer
Then wrote a psalm on the hide.
Good News!
So I ate a caramel wafer
And rhymed on the wrapper's inside
Ted Hughes.

Tourists Invited to Search for Their Roots

The Scottish Executive are to put more resources into attracting visitors to Scotland to research their genealogy, as part of a strategy to increase the number of tourists. The industry is also to develop "Project Ossian" an electronic infrastructure with a single database devised by the Scottish Tourist Board. It will link customers throughout the world and tourism providers electronically, allowing bookings for a range of tourism services to be made and paid for in one simple transaction, using e-commerce.

Big Success for Big Signs

A Glasgow company is leading the way in the manufacture of large advertising signs which are now covering up the scaffolding on many building sites. It is now a safety requirement to cover the open scaffolding. Instead of plain plastic sheeting, ADS Visual Group are creating colourful adverts. ADS is the only Scottish company able to manufacture the huge screens. They manufactured the UK's biggest banner for First Glasgow buses which was 80 metres by 40 metres - big enough to cover Hampden Park football ground. A recent banner for Nike pictured the Brazilian football player Ronaldo and another one for "thetrainline.com" is covering the former Post Office building in George Square as it undergoes redevelopment.

Historical Affairs

Wedding With a Difference

The first wedding to take place at Cambuskenneth Abbey, Stirling, in 600 years took place there this week. The happy couple had met at an agricultural show when farmer Andrew Rennie not only met his wife to be for the first time - but also bought a bull. So a special guest of honour at the wedding ceremony was "Heritage Rebel" - the bull.

Uppies and Doonies Do Battle Again

The annual battle of the Jethart Hand Ba' in Jedburgh (Borders) took place again this week, as it has for the last 250 years. The rough and tumble ball game, between the Uppies and the Doonies in the streets of Jedburgh, uses a leather ball stuffed with straw, decorated with ribbons. In 1848 an attempt was made to ban the game as it was considered too rough but the High Court refused to abolish "an old and customary game."

Overhaul for 120-Year-Old Tay Rail Bridge

The longest railway bridge in Europe, the slender construction over the river Tay at Dundee, is not nearly as famous as its soaring cousin over the Forth. It replaced an earlier structure which had collapsed on the night of December 28, 1879 (the supports of that bridge can still be seen from trains passing over on the new bridge). A survey of the Tay Rail Bridge has been taking place over the last few years and now a 15 million pound overhaul is to be undertaken. After that has been completed, the current 35mph speed restriction is likely to be increased to 70mph.

Proposals on February 29

Even in these days of gender equality, it is still usually the man who makes the proposal to get married (assuming, that is, that the couple decide to get married at all). But on February 29, there is a tradition that these roles can be reversed and women can ask their sweethearts "Will you marry me?" According to a newspaper report this week, the tradition goes back to Queen Margaret, the wife of King Malcolm III (also known as "Canmore") who decreed in 1288 that in a leap year a woman could propose to a man and, if he refused, he could face a fine!

Entertainment

Art to the People

Timothy Clifford, the colourful director of the National Galleries of Scotland, (who was responsible for the Gallery of Modern Art where this representation of the Queen caused amusement - and outrage) says that he is keen to encourage a wider audience for art and has suggested to the Scottish Parliament that public access shoukld be improved by organising bus trips to the galleries from peripheral housing estates. He is also proposing that lectures should be held in community centres but, of course, such schemes would require government funding. The National Galleries own five buildings in Edinburgh and have satellites in Banff and Berwick.

Baby for "Beam me up" Scotty

James Doohan, who played the engineer "Scotty" in the Star Trek series, is going where few men of his age have gone before - to ante-natal classes. 79-year-old Doohan's wife, Wende (43) is expecting a baby.

Applause for Refusing TV Show

There were mixed reactions this week to the news that Billy Connolly had refused to allow any of his filmed performances to appear in a TV series entitled "Hoots" which is celebrating Scottish humour. While many would think that a programme about Scottish comedy would be incomplete without a contribution from Connolly, he considers that he is an international comedian and that in any case there is not a uniquely Scottish brand of humour. Comedians Andy Cameron and Paul Young agreed with his view and Elaine C Smith, who appeared in the programme, sympathised with Connolly and criticised the "Wha's like us?" mentality of the show.

Current Affairs

Historic Address Strains Coalition

It should have been an historic occasion - the first time that the UK Prime Minister addressed the Scottish Parliament. But Tony Blair's speech to the assembled MSPs was described as a "party political broadcast" and ignored the contribution made to the Scottish Executive by the Liberal Democrat coalition partners. The Prime Minister was fulsome in his praise of Donald Dewar, the beleaguered Scottish First Minister (who had already given a good defense of himself in a candid interview on a political programme on Sunday). He was also critical of some of the Scottish press, saying that "scepticism is healthy, cynicism is corrosive". Afterwards, Jim Wallace the Liberal Democrat Deputy First Minister said that the Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer should be investing more in public services and less on cutting taxes.

Parliament Debate in Gaelic

For the first time in nearly 700 years (though they couldn't agree whether it was 1307 or 1309) a debate in the Scottish Parliament was conducted in Gaelic. True, there were only two real Gaelic speakers (with a few other brave souls mugging up from a phrase book) with everyone else having to wear earphones to get a translation into English. In the public gallery, children from the Gaelic Unit at Edinburgh's Tollcross Primary School applauded the Gaelic speeches (and clearly did not need earphones). Those watching the proceedings on TV at home got an English "voice over" which must have been irritating for the 1% of the population who wanted to hear the "language of the angels." The debate itself? It was agreed that there was a need for more Gaelic teaching in schools. But when one of the Gaelic speaking MSPs asked for an English to Gaelic translation he was slapped down by the deputy presiding officer who said that as he had made previous contributions in English, he understood the language well enough.

35,000 Scots Students Save 2,000 Pounds

Scottish students who start university courses this October will benefit from the scrapping of tuition fees. But the legislation for the new system whereby graduates repay 2,000 pounds in instalments once they are earning above a threshold of 10,000 pounds does not come into force until 2001. So this year's intake of 35,000 students will not pay fees and will not have to pay this "graduate endowment" either. And the 85,000 students already studying at university will stop paying fees from next year - but will not pay back any money once they graduate. Scots students at English universities will continue to pay fees as they are continuing there with the "up front" payment of fees.

Scottish Banknotes Not Dead Yet

A report from the European Central Bank (ECB), publicised last week, was negative about the 300 year-old Scottish bank notes being allowed to continue if the UK joined the European Monetary Union. However, a spokesman for the ECB said this week that the Scottish banks could "apply for permission to print their notes in Euro currency." Whether such an application would be approved, of course, is in no way guaranteed.

Revamp for Gallery of Modern Art

The Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow, housed in a former merchant's house, is one of the city's most visited attractions. The art critics who condemned it when it opened as "populist" were right - it has been extremely popular both with the citizens of Glasgow and tourists. Now the City Council are planning to upgrade the building and incorporate a library and a learning and information centre as well as the gallery. Quite how they expect to squeeze all that into the existing building is not yet clear.

National Marmalade Day

It is unlikely that many people knew it was National Marmalade Day on Friday, 3 March, but it was celebrated in Dundee where marmalade was supposedly invented by Janet Keiller in 1797 after buying a load of oranges from a ship in Dundee harbour.

Unknown American Benefactor Gives $2.5 Million

Glasgow University (pictured here) got a phone call a few months ago from Las Vegas asking how much it would cost to fund a professorship at the University. He was sent the relevant details about making donations but the University did not expect anything to come of it. But a few weeks later the Friend's of Glasgow University Society in New York received a cheque for $2.5 million. A university representative has since met the mysterious benefactor who has no previous connection with Glasgow or even Scotland. All that is known about him is that his name is Mr Lindsay - and he wants to remain anonymous. He had apparently phoned St Andrews University first - but had been given the brush-off as they thought it was a hoax call.

SeaCat Switches to Troon

The entire high speed catamaran service from Stranraer in Galloway to Belfast is being switched to Troon in Ayrshire. Half the service was moved just over a year ago to Troon which is much nearer to the population centres in Central Scotland. Seacat ferries carry 80 light vehicles and up to 430 cars. The Stranraer trip took 90 minute crossing to Belfast. The Troon service takes an extra hour but will save many passengers a long drive to Stranraer on tortuous roads.

"For Sale" Sign on Mountains of Skye

John MacLeod of MacLeod, the 29th Chief of the Clan MacLeod announced this week that he was having to sell the Black Cuillins mountain range on Skye. He says it was the most difficult decision of his life but it was necessary as money is needed to repair the ancient Dunvegan Castle. There are times, he says, when he has to sleep with an umbrella above his bed due to leaking roofs. The Cuillins have been in the ownership of the MacLeods for over 800 years. The 35 square miles of the hump-backed hills are a paradise for climbers, botanists and geologists. They have been immortalised in many romantic songs such as "The Road to the Isles" and are an important symbol of Skye. The estate includes 11 Munros (mountains over 3,000ft) and 14 miles of coastline. The name "Cuillins" probably derived from the Norse for "upturned boat" and Bonnie Prince Charlie sailed there with Flora MacDonald while escaping after Culloden. Anyone who buys the Cuillins will have to meet stringent conditions about continued public access to this important part of the island.

RAF Told to Avoid "Nessie"

Low flying Royal Air Force jets have been told to avoid Loch Ness over the weekend so as not to disturb "Nessie" the monster which is reputed to inhabit the 24-mile long loch. The request for a quiet weekend came not from Nessie herself but from a Scandinavian expedition which is trying to track her down using sophisticated sound equipment, 70 metres below the surface. The roar of the jets 200 feet above the surface interrupted a trial run on Wednesday and the leader of the expedition put in a call to the RAF base at Lossiemouth. The researchers were convinced that a sensitive creature such as Nessie would lie low with all that racket and the RAF were polite and co-operative. One jet heading for the loch the next day was seen to veer away and an RAF spokesman said "We wish the chaps out on the loch good luck,"

Historical Affairs

New Lease of Life for Greek Thomson Church

Designed by Alexander "Greek" Thomson, Caledonian Road Church in Glasgow's Gorbals district has lain derelict for the last thirty years. With no roof, after a disastrous fire, and with young trees sprouting from its stonework, it was a sorry sight during Glasgow's year of architecture and design last year. But the church is about to be rejuvenated with a 10 million pound restoration programme so that it can be integrated into the Crown Street project which is aimed at recreating the Gorbals area. The church was designed in 1856 and its distinctive square tower and Grecian columns have been a distinctive landmark in the city. It now stands in a derelict area (part of an earlier Gorbals "renewal") surrounded by the roar of traffic passing to and from the bridges over the Clyde.

Lady of the Loch's 100th Birthday

It is perhaps not polite to draw attention to a lady's increasing age, but the steam ship Sir Walter Scott which takes sightseers sailing on Loch Katrine (pictured here), will be exactly 100 years old this weekend. Originally built on the river Clyde, the ship was then dismantled and carried by horse and cart to the Loch. Much of Glasgow's water supply comes from Loch Katrine and so a diesel replacement would not be allowed. And of course thousands of tourists enjoy the experience of sailing on the last screw-driven steamer in Scotland. The centenary was marked by a special sailing on the loch in which descendants of the original voyage participated.

Entertainment

Glen Lachart Online Website (G.L.O.W.)

Regular readers may recall the item in last week's Newsletter about a Web site extolling the virtues of Glen Lachart in an amusingly presented way. The site developers say that finance has been raised for the projected film based on the village and the local characters and that it is currently scheduled for production in September. Of course, the 25,000 visitors a week to Glen Lachart (the Web site that is, we have to keep reminding ourselves that the village is a fiction!) have helped. I am told that there is a net-playable version of that local golf course in the works plus Web cams going into the Pig & Bicycle and t-shirts being designed. If you want to see this latest Scottish "tourist attraction" go to Glen Lachart

Monarch of the Glen

It was with some trepidation that viewers in Scotland watched the first episode of "Monarch of the Glen" on BBC TV last Sunday. Was it going to be an excruitiating parody of Highland life (as seen from London) or a reasonable adaptation of the Compton MacKenzie stories? In the end it turned out to be an enjoyable programme, with Richard Briers as a stereotypical Highland Laird but consummate actor that he is, managing to make it acceptable, The scenery, of course, was stunning - but sunshine every day??

Carreras Sell Out

A concert to be given by the Spanish tenor José Carreras has sold out before the ticket hotline had officially opened. All 1,500 tickets for the charity concert on 8 December at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh were ten times oversubscribed. 15,000 people registered an interest and the tickets will be balloted and offered to them first. The organisers hope to raise 200,000 pounds in aid of leukemia research.

Life of Boswell Film

James Boswell, who is best known for his biography "The Life of Johnson" about the 18th century essayist, is to be the subject of a multi-million pound film starring Richard Dreyfus. It will be filmed later this year and concentrate on the biographer's final years as he looks back over his years of debauchery which involved alcohol, drugs and excessive eating. Bruce Beresford, who directed "Driving Miss Daisy" is to be in charge of the film.

Kiwi Tattoo

The Westpac rugby stadium in Wellington, New Zealand was reverberating to the skirl of the pipes this week as the Edinburgh Military Tattoo got underway. This is the first time in its 50 year history that the world famous Tattoo has performed abroad. The full contingent of 1,100 performers are taking part. The replica of Edinburgh Castle which has been constructed will make them feel at home. It will have to be convincing - it is estimated that half the audience will have seen the real thing on the other side of the world! The 80,000 tickets for the show sold out within hours of going on sale. The show started with eight cannon firing on the ramparts and the massed pipes and drums of six Scottish regiments and New Zealand bands marching in formation through the replica of the castle gatehouse.

Current Affairs

Report on Parliament Building

The report by a leading architect into the project to build the new Scottish Parliament building has suggested an option of reducing the specification of the building to keep the costs under 200 million pounds in total. Much of the confusion in the past over cost has been due to whether or not fees, taxes and contingency sums should or should not be included. At one stage, officials in the Scottish Executive deliberately withheld contingency costs of 27 million pounds from the First Minister because "they were not identified in firm cost terms" and considered that they should be managed out. But the size of the building has also grown from 20,000 square metres to over 30,000 square metres. A recommendation to pull down Queensberry House, which he says is not value for money, is unlikely to be accepted due to its historic status. The consultant's report recommends freezing the design and proceeding as quickly as possible with a detailed scheme design and cost plan. It is estimated that the building could be completed by the end of 2003, a year later than originally envisaged.

April Shower

Shoppers in Edinburgh's Princes Street were surprised on Friday to see a girl having a bubble bath in the "British Telefoam Booth" outside Jenner's Department store. A sign claimed it was the "world's first public street shower" and the booths were to be introduced across the country to aid the nation's hygiene crisis. The demonstration was actually a day early - it should have been April 1.

Newspapers in Scotland entered into the spirit of the day. The Daily Record reported that tiny cameras were to be fitted in goalkeepers kneecaps so that the images could be transmitted as part of the TV match broadcast. The Scotsman reported that the cost of the Scottish Parliament was to be slashed by dismantling the old Bundestag building in Bonn (no longer required since the move too Berlin) and re-building it in Edinburgh. The Daily Mail had a woolly tale of socks which could eat fat to help people lose weight and the Daily Express reported on a pager system for summoning cows to milking. On the Web, a Glasgow sunbed company set up an advert for a "new technology" by Dr Rolf Poail (an anagram of April Fool, if you hadn't spotted it) which allowed surfers to create light frequencies on their computer screens to give them a sun-tan. After a 15 second "free trial" (with flashing lights) users are recommended to try the real thing in the company's salons. Thousands logged on and the owner had offers from someone wanting to invest in the "new technology."

England Lapping Up Irn-Bru

The Glasgow-based makers of the orange-coloured carbonate drink "Irn-Bru" announced this week that their sales of the product in England grew by 16% last year. A G Barr, who make "Scotland's other national drink" as their advertising slogan used to proclaim, now have nearly 5% of the overall UK soft drinks market. But their sales in the US are not likely to be helped by the producer there ignoring e-mails asking for the location of sales outlets in New York! For those of you who are missing this elixir, here at least is a photo of a can of the stuff.

Tartan Day, 6 April

All across North America this week there were events and celebrations marking "Tartan Day" - officially approved by the US Senate in 1998 in recognition of the "monumental achievements and invaluable contributions" made by Scottish Americans. There was a parade in the sunshine of New York's Central Park last weekend and a ceremony on the steps of the US Capitol Building, Washington, on 6 April. And of course, many smaller events in the US and Canada. In Scotland, on 6 April, the 680th anniversary, the Declaration of Arbroath was read out in Arbroath Abbey. The list of places having events which was included in last week's Newsletter has grown to nearly 40 locations, thanks to feedback from readers. The full list can be seen at this Web site and will form the basis for an even larger "Gathering" next year!

"Big Mac" Rejected by the Scottish Borders

The MacDonalds fast food chain, which has outlets in 113 countries is struggling to establish one of their restaurants in the Scottish Borders. They purchased an abandoned garage showroom in Galashiels, opposite a hardware superstore and aimed to make it a flagship project. But the local councillors have rejected the planning application believing that the site should be used for a manufacturing unit instead. This, despite a petition with 2,500 signatures in favour of the development.

New Logo for Scottish Parliament

An official badge for the Scottish Parliament was unveiled this week. It incorporates a St Andrew's cross and the Scottish crown and will be used on official documents, stationery and merchandising. But the design was immediately criticised because it looks too much like the logo of the Westminster parliament which has a crown and a portcullis.

50,000 Parking Tickets

The new army of traffic wardens introduced onto the streets of Glasgow six months ago have already issued 50,000 parking tickets. 105 attendants (increased from 78) have hand-held computers and motor scooters to help them nab motorists who park illegally. Parking fines amount to 40 pounds (US$64) but this is reduced to 20 pounds if it is paid inside 14 days. If the car is causing an obstruction it can be towed away and that costs 105 pounds (US$168) to recover from the car pound.

Heart Operation for First Minister

Donald Dewar, the Scottish First Minister (Prime Minister) who has just returned from a business trip to Japan, was admitted to hospital this week for tests after a routine check-up last month revealed "minor irregularities". After staying overnight at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, it was announced that he would be undergoing surgery in two weeks time to repair a faulty aortic heart valve. The operation, described as "major but routine" will mean that the First Minister will be out of action for three months, certainly until the end of the present session of Parliament. Nevertheless, he returned to Parliament on Wednesday to field questions as usual, claiming that he was "in good form." He was welcomed back by Alex Salmond, the leader of the Scottish National Party and Mr Dewar beamed as he replied "I am glad to be able to agree with something Alex Salmond has said."

Award for Scots Poet

Prof. Edwin Morgan, who was appointed "poet laureate" of Glasgow last year, has been awarded the Queen's Gold Medal for poetry. Previous recipients have included Ted Hughes, Philip Larkin, John Betjeman, W H Auden, Sorley MacLean and Norman McCaig. Morgan celebrated his 80th birthday this week.

Historical Affairs

Lewis Chess Men

The temporary exhibition in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, of some exquisitely carved bone chess men, has revived the debate about whether or not these 12th century Norse treasures should be returned to the island where they were originally found. The collection of carved pieces (actually from a number of different sets) were uncovered in the sand at Uig, Lewis. Most of the pieces were taken to the British Museum in London with a number also on display in the new Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. The last time the Lewis chess men were displayed in Stornoway (in 1995) the Local Council threatened to keep them saying "They're ours." Despite this, the British Museum are allowing the pieces to travel back to Lewis, under tight security. But comparisons are already being made with the "permanent loan" of Lindisfarne treasure to Durham Cathedral... Of course, if they are returned to Stornoway, the village of Uig where they were found, might mount a campaign to have them displayed there!

Wallace Monument Turnover Soars

The 225 feet high Wallace Monument in Stirling is the tallest memorial to an individual anywhere in the UK. It was completed in 1869 as the "Wallace National Monument". Of course, following the Mel Gibson movie "Braveheart" the number of visitors to the monument have soared. Seven years ago the turnover, including modest sales in the souvenir shop, was only 40,000 pounds a year. Now with over 200,000 visitors a year and two gift shops, turnover has reached a million pounds a year. The monument is owned by a private Trust and the extra revenue has allowed them to carry out a major refurbishment of the "Hall of the Heroes" which contains busts of many of Scotland's historical figures such as Robert the Bruce, John Knox and Robert Burns. Situated on Abbey Craigs, high above the site of the Battle of Stirling Bridge, it is visible for miles around in the valley of the river Forth. If you want to read more about the monument (and see more illustrations) see this Web site.

Entertainment

Glasgow Art Fair

Set up in a series of canvas marquees in the city's George Square, the 5th Glasgow Art Fair attracted 15,000 people this week. True, some of these visitors were only browsing, but there were a lot of works sold too. While there are some expensive items on display, the Art Fair prides itself in having art at prices which are more affordable to the average man in a Glasgow street. There are more details at the Art Fair Web site.

Super Scots Slam the Door

The items in these Newsletters are not straight copies from press articles but a precis of sometimes more than one article from a number of papers. But this item from the English-based Daily Telegraph is worth quoting, word for word: "NO RESPECT, these Scots. Give them a parliament and this is their thanks. They took the Calcutta Cup for the first time in 10 years and England's Grand Slam in the process. As God in his kilted kingdom sent sleet and rain sweeping across Murrayfield, so the Scottish side down below whipped up a storm of their own making."
Yes, described as one of the greatest upsets in the history of rugby internationals between Scotland and England, the Scots achieved a remarkable victory at Murrayfield, Edinburgh, last Sunday, winning by 19-13. Before the match, England had won all four of their games in the Six Nations tournament. Scotland had lost all four, including the game against Italy, the newest country to join the event. But a combination of guts, determination and tactical skill saw them come from behind to convincingly win for the first time in 10 years. In the process, they won the Calcutta Cup (played for each year by Scotland and England), denied England the "Grand Slam" of winning all their games and lifted themselves off the bottom of the table, above Italy.

Top Tourist Attractions

The most popular tourist attraction in Scotland continues to be Edinburgh Castle, with 1.25 million visitors last year. Figures published this week show that the Royal Museum of Scotland, where a new extension (pictured here) opened in November 1998, has leapt into second place, pushing an old favourite, Edinburgh Zoo, into third slot. Stirling castle, Royal Yacht Britannia, Burns National Heritage Park, Dynamic Earth, Palace of Holyroodhouse, Urquhart Castle and Blair Drummond Safari Park were also in the top ten of the paid-for attractions. Of the free attractions, Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery with over a million visitors and the Transport Museum with 650,000 visitors were top of the list.

Current Affairs

New Scottish Parliament's First Birthday

There was some reminiscing this week as the first anniversary of the reconvening of the Scottish Parliament was reached. Supporters pointed to the legislation and activities which had taken place over the last year. Others still called it a "talking shop" which did not have a major impact. The First Minister, Donald Dewar, despite his health problems, was upbeat about what had been achieved. He pointed to legislation for the care of people unable to look after themselves, the creation of Scotland's first national parks, abolition of university tuition fees, budget reforms, revisions in the system of appointing judges, a freedom of information act which went further than that for England and Wales. He also highlighted the fact that a coalition government had been shown to work and that unemployment was at a lowest level for many decades and there were high numbers in employment.

Scots Shop Till They Drop

A survey by a market research company claims that shoppers in Scotland spend an average of five hours a week in shops - twice the UK national average. Despite that, the Scots live up to the national stereotype of being cautious with their money (or have less to spend) - on average, they buy less than the UK norm. Cut throat competition and price wars have also trained customers to shop around to get the best bargains. Retailers are also encouraging shoppers to spend more time in their stores with restaurant facilities to the extent that shopping is now regarded by some as a "leisure activity".

Scots are Smiles Better

A survey published this week says that the Scots are more likely to smile than anywhere else in Britain. Hardly surprising, bearing in mind earlier surveys which reported that Scotland's hotels were voted the friendliest in Britain.

Polish Community Remember

Last Sunday, members of the Polish community in Scotland, some of them ex-servicemen, held a memorial mass in Kirkcaldy to honour the victims of the Katyn massacre which took place in Poland in 1943. 15,000 Poles were executed under the orders of Stalin. Many Poles who escaped after the German invasion of their country in 1939 came to Scotland to continue the fight. After the war, quite a number of them settled down in Scotland.

The illustration is from a memorial at a church in Partick, Glasgow, where Polish servicemen worshiped in their own language during WW2.

Scottish Web Domain Address

Nominet, the authority which registers Web names, has confirmed that they are discussing the introduction of a Scottish second level domain address of ".sco.uk" for Scotland and a ".cym.uk" for Wales (Cymru). This could be bad news for so-called cyber-squatters such as Webhound who have bought up 15,000 UK place names such as Bannockburn and hope to sell them on at a fat profit. A "top level" domain name would need to be negotiated by the UK government and this seems unlikely, although Jersey and Guernsey in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man all have their own registered name. Even the British colony of South Georgia with a population of 50 has its own address.

Floods Cause Lottery Shut-Down

The National Lottery, which offers multi-million pound prizes every week, had a serious break-down last Friday in the Edinburgh area as a result of flooding at a computer network centre. 600 terminals, from a total of 3,000 in the whole of Scotland, were out of action. The shut-down lasted for more than 24 hours and meant that thousands of people were not able to play for the seven million pound jackpot.

Application to Build New Clyde Bridge

A detailed planning application has been lodged with Glasgow City Council to build a new bridge across the Clyde to link the new developments at Pacific Quay on the south side to Finnieston on the north. The construction of the bridge was a pre-condition of the BBC moving from Queen Margaret Drive to the Pacific Quay site, where the new National Science Centre is also under construction. Pacific Quay was the site of the Glasgow Garden Festival in 1988 but has been derelict ever since. A final decision will eventually have to be made by the Scottish Executive in Edinburgh as the bridge will result in the end of navigation further up the river. Scottish Enterprise in Glasgow is backing the scheme and providing most of the funding. If it goes ahead it could be carrying vehicle, cycle and pedestrian traffic by 2003.

National Park Bill Approved

MSPs approved in principle the bill to create Scotland's first national parks. Loch Lomond (pictured here), the Trossachs and Cairngorms will be the first areas to be given protection when the legislation is finally passed.

Jenners Moving West

Jenners department store is an Edinburgh institution, which is hardly surprising as it is the oldest independent department store in the world, having been founded in 1838. Its rambling building in Princes Street is a famous landmark (and any bright whiz kid who tries to "modernise" it will kill it stone dead). But Jenners is now considering plans for expansion and is reported to be negotiating with the developers of Lomond Shores, a 60 million pound "visitor experience" on the shores of Loch Lomond, to open a branch there.

Mobile-free Zones on Virgin Trains

In an effort to woo customers (the rail franchises are coming up for renewal in the not too distant future) Virgin trains are to ban the use of mobile phones on parts of its train service. They will be the first to have "quiet carriages" where ringing tones and loud voices using phones will disappear. Surprisingly, Virgin Mobile, the telephone arm of the Richard Branson empire, is said to have welcomed the development.

Historical Affairs

Historic Buildings Open Their Doors

The Landmark Trust, which owns 30 historic buildings across the UK, is opening the doors this weekend to allow people free access. A number of these are in Scotland, including the "Dunmore Pineapple" - a summer house built in 1761 with cantilevered masonry in the shape of a realistic, prickly pineapple which is 45 feet high. It has been described as the "most bizarre building in Scotland".

Royal Company of Archers Compete

In what is one of the oldest sporting trophy events in the world, the members of the Royal Company of Archers (the Queen's official bodyguard in Scotland) competed this week on Musselburgh Links in East Lothian for the Silver Arrow trophy. It has been contested every year since 1603. The winner not only gets the trophy, but he also gains the right to graze a goose on Musselburgh Common for a year.

Plea to Return Lakota Waistcoat

Glasgow City Council were this week considering a request by representatives of the descendants of Rain in the Face, a Lakota Sioux warrior who is credited with killing General Custer at the Battle of the Little Big Horn in 1876. The descendants want the city to return a buckskin waistcoat which is said to have belonged to Rain in the Face. It has been in the Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow since 1891 when it was sold to the city council by a member of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, which was visiting the city at the time. The Museum returned a Lakota Sioux "Ghost Shirt" last year, as the tribe persuaded the city council that it was of religious significance to them. The head of Glasgow Museums is resisting this new request as the waistcoat is of significance to an individual (a descendant of Rain in the Face) rather than the Lakota people as a whole.

Sailing Ship Faces "A Big Bonfire"

The world's oldest clipper sailing ship, which plied the route between Britain and Australia in the 19th century, is facing destruction. The s.v. Carrick was launched in 1864 as the City of Adelaide and immediately cut the journey time to Australia from 100 days to 65. She was renamed the Carrick in 1923 and for 40 years was moored in the centre of Glasgow as the headquarters of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. She was donated to the Clyde Ship Trust in 1990 but sank in Princes Dock in a storm. The Carrick was refloated and was moved to the Scottish Maritime Museum at Irvine where she has lain, slowly rotting away, ever since. The Museum has been unable to raise funding for restoration and, despite its historic importance, the museum trustees have now applied for permission to destroy the wooden ship in "a very big bonfire".

Entertainment

Wild, Wet and Wonderful

Scottish National Heritage want us all to appreciate the ecological importance of Scotland's boglands, so they have sponsored an exhibition on these peat wetlands within the Museum at Kelvingrove, Glasgow with lots of colourful illustrations and interactive demonstrations. Bogs are said to be as important to Scotland as the rainforests to South America. They slow down global warming by absorbing carbon - and they give many brands of whisky their distinctive taste.

Current Affairs

Challenge to Tyson Boxing Match Rejected

An appeal to the Court of Session by Glasgow's Rape Crisis Centre to have the decision by the Home Secretary to allow Mike Tyson to enter Scotland, was rejected by the court. Tyson, convicted of rape in 1992 is due to fight at Hampden Park (pictured here), Glasgow on 24 June. The legal costs involved in raising the case could threaten the future of the Rape Crisis Centre. All the tickets for the fight have been sold.

Death of Gaelic by End of Century?

A linguistic expert forecast this week that Gaelic could be extinct by the end of this century because fewer young people are learning the language. There are under 70,000 people in Scotland who can speak the language (and even fewer who can write it) out of a total population of five million. This is despite a large increase in funding, including TV programmes and Gaelic-only schools. The expert from the Planck Institute in the Netherlands is also predicting that many of the world's 6,000+ languages will have died out in the next hundred years as English, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese expand faster than any other language. It is being argued that only a significant increase in financial support will stop the decline.

Sailing Down the Clyde Was Never Like This

A favourite leisure activity of Glaswegians in days gone by was to go for a sail "doon the watter" in a paddle steamer. But now a new high-speed power-boat trip is the latest attraction on the Clyde. Travelling at 30mph, the Seaforce Power Boat takes passengers in a launch similar to the one used in the James Bond film "The World Is Not Enough". Passengers have to don lifejackets for the 12 minute trip which gives a unique view of the city.

New Look for Ayr

South Ayrshire Council have announced a design competition for architects to put forward plans to brighten up the seafront at the coastal resort of Ayr. Once a popular holiday spot for visitors from the industrial belt in central Scotland, Ayr has seen better days and could certainly do with being improved. Much of the area behind the beach is just empty grassland. Fine for the youths who want to play football, but not much use for anything else. The surrounding buildings, including the Pavilion Theatre (pictured here), are also run-down and could do with a face-lift.

Historical Affairs

Crumbling Church Tower Saved

The famous tower of Alexander "Greek Thomson's church in Glasgow's St Vincent Street is to be restored as result of cash from the New York-based Robert Wilson Foundation, Historic Scotland and an unnamed UK organisation. Built in 1859, the tower is an amalgam of Egyptian, Graeco-Roman and even Indian motifs. The Grecian style church beneath, has Egyptian style doors and a sumptuous interior which is not what you expect from a Calvinistic presbyterian church. No longer used as a place of worship, the building is unfortunately now hemmed in by modern, concrete office blocks.

US Founding Father Honoured

John Witherspoon was one of those who signed the US Declaration of Independence on 4 July 1776. Indeed, he rallied the delegates who had been hesitating about taking on the might of the British Empire. Now a house in which the minister of religion lived for twelve years before emigrating to America, is to be refurbished as part of a multi-million pound project in the centre of Beith in Ayrshire. Witherspoon was the Principal of Princeton College in New Jersey - and a descendant of John Knox. He was the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence and he supported the independence fight because he believed that his native land had "gone soft on religion".

Mackenzies and Munro Clans Call a Truce

Two clans who started feuding in the 14th century have - at long last - agreed to bury the claymore. The present clan chiefs of the Mackenzies and Munros are not too sure what caused the original quarrel (land, livestock or a woman were the usual triggers) but later this summer Hector Munro of Foulis, has been invited to participate in the Clan Mackenzie gathering at Castle Leod, Strathpeffer, the ancestral clan seat. The last time the two clans fought one another was when they were on opposite sides in the Jacobite Uprising of 1745. But there was a long history of battles, murders and ambushes before that.

Harry Lauder X-ray Discovered

An X-ray of Sir Harry Lauder's hand has been found by the entertainer Jimmy Logan among some documents bequeathed to the Scottish Theatre Archive at Glasgow University. The image was taken by Dr John MacIntyre who established the first X-ray department at Glasgow's Royal Infirmary. Dr MacIntyre loved hosting dinner parties and he entertained many of his celebrity guests after dinner by demonstrating an X-ray machine with which he used to photograph his guests' hands. This was before the dangers of X-rays were fully understood.
This photo of Sir Harry Lauder is by kind permission of the Scottish Theatre Archive.

Entertainment

Garden Show Visitors Grow

Despite traffic problems in the approaches to the showground, organisers of the Gardening Scotland 2000 show at the Royal Highland Centre at Ingleston, near Edinburgh, said that visitor numbers on the first day on Friday had exceeded expectations. The organisers are confident that the event will break even if they have over 40,000 visitors over the three days of the show.

Midges Menace Monarch of the Glen

When the first series of "Monarch of the Glen" was being filmed at Ardverikie Estate in the Highlands of the Scotland last summer, the cast and crew were plagued by the notorious local midges (mosquito-like insects which enjoy biting humans). The English actress, Susan Hampshire, was particularly popular to the local midge population. Filming for the new series started this week and strenuous efforts have been made to fend off the clouds of insects. The cast and crew have been issued with special insect-repellent creams, undergrowth has been cut back, midge nets are being provided during rehearsals and portable buildings with nets over the windows are being set up. Assuming that the midges can be conquered, the new series will be screened in the UK early next year.

Tyson Rolls Into Glasgow

Sporting at various times a Scotland football shirt and a kilt (with denim jeans underneath) the Mike Tyson circus rolled into the Glasgow Hilton this week. Continuing his theme of identifying with the locals, Tyson said that he felt like Braveheart - "betrayed by nearly everyone I trusted". The boxer and his entourage have booked 30 rooms at the hotel and will train at the hotel's Health Club where a heavy punchbag has been added to the usual equipment.

Meet the Navy

The Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Invincible docked at Greenock last weekend and as part of the navy's "Meet the Fleet" programme the ship was open to visitors on Saturday and Sunday. Since the weather was warm and sunny, lots of people took advantage of this rare visit - the queue to get on was quite long, the queue to get up on the flight deck even longer and the queue to get off the longest of all! But the vast aircraft hanger below decks had lots of display stalls and there were Sea Harrier jump-jets and anti-submarine helicopters on display on the flight deck to keep aircraft as well as naval enthusiasts happy.