Current Affairs Glasgow Harbour Apartments Sell Out £40 million worth of apartments in the new Glasgow Harbour development sold out within 48 hours of going on the market last weekend. Some buyers camped out for two days to ensure they got the flats they wanted, even though the first phase of the Clydeside development will not be ready for occupancy for another twelve months. 194 homes were sold at prices ranging from £147,000 to over £500,000. Some of the houses were snapped up by property dealers who believe that they can sell them on at a profit. A second tranche from the first phase of 651 apartments will be released for sale soon. Scotland's Biggest Hotel When the 321-room Jury's Inn opens in Glasgow later this month it will be the largest hotel in Scotland. The £25 million, three-star hotel has been constructed on a former car park in Jamaica Street (though the site was once the home of Paisley's department store). There has to be suspicion that the creation of 321 rooms was designed to take away the title of "biggest" from the 319-room Glasgow Hilton. There are an estimated 14,500 hotel rooms and 20,000 beds in Glasgow and more new hotels are in the pipeline. Orchid May Uproot New Prison The new £65 million prison to be built on a 35-acre site in West Lothian may never leave the drawing board - because thousands of the protected Common Spotted Orchid are growing in the middle of the site. It is possibly the largest number of wild orchids growing anywhere in Scotland - and other orchids have been found in the same field. The plant has been chosen by West Lothian as its emblem in a "County Flowers" project being organised by PlantLife. And it was a survey by that botanical organisation which uncovered the orchids in the greenfield site between West Calder and Addiewell. The Scottish Prisons Service is now having to carry out an environmental impact study. If the orchids stop the building going ahead, another site will have to be found. "Health of Scottish Men Has Almost Become a National Joke" That's what the First Minister, Jack McConnell, said this week as he launched a national network of health checks services for men which will be available in every part of Scotland. This is part of a campaign to reduce the number of Scots who die prematurely from diseases such as stroke, cancer and heart disease. Far too many men eat badly, drink too much, and don't take nearly enough exercise. And even men who do look after themselves are often far too reluctant to get regular check-ups. Unlike most women, men often ignore warning symptoms until it is too late. A number of pilot health check services will be tried out next year in various locations throughout Scotland. The feedback from these will be used to design a national network of health check services for men over the next few years. Competition Doubles Prices The introduction of competition into providing a telephone directory enquiry service has led to a proliferation of companies, confusing customers with choice and in many cases doubling the cost of the service. Consumer groups say that the sixteen companies offering a service (including the previous monopoly provider, British Telecom) need to publicise more clearly their tariffs. Some companies are charging by the second - and spinning out enquiries by asking callers to spell out the names they are calling about. Some companies are using call centres in India and the Philippines where understanding of UK surnames and places is not as good as it might be. Anyone with access to the Web can use the free enquiry services such as www.118500.co.uk provided by British Telecom. Wedding Bells for Foreign Couples Figures published by the General Register of Scotland have revealed that an astonishing 30% of marriages in Scotland involve couples who do not live here. It used to be that the minimum age for getting married in Scotland with no parental consent being 16 (two years lower than in England and Wales) was a factor. But ever since Madonna chose to get married at romantic Skibo Castle near Dornoch, the numbers of non-residents flocking to Scotland to tie the knot has increased by 20%. Last year, there were 29,826 weddings in Scotland (down from 41,000 in 1951). Of these, 8,947 were of partners who did not live in Scotland. Romantic venues include Urquhart Castle on the shores of Loch Ness, Dornoch Castle Hotel and Eilean Donan Castle on Loch Duich in Wester Ross. Upgrade for Dunoon Pier Concern about the long term future of the car ferry operated by Caledonian MacBrayne between Gourock and Dunoon receded this week when the Scottish Executive agreed to a new £2 million vehicle ramp at Dunoon pier. Locals had feared that the car ferry would eventually be replaced by a passenger-only operation, creating a monopoly for the privately-owned Western Ferries which uses Hunter's Quay to the north of Dunoon. The car ferry is an important access route for Dunoon and is used by commuters who live on the west side of the Firth of Clyde as well as by tourists. Record Number of Cars on Scottish Roads Scottish Transport Statistics, published this week, show that a record number of cars are using Scotland's roads. Traffic volumes are up by 4% on 2001 with 2.3 million vehicles licensed - 27% more than in 1992. Despite the rise in road traffic. serious road accidents in Scotland were at their lowest for 50 years. Public transport use increased slightly in 2002, however, although rail travel fell by 5%. But between 1992 and 2002 passenger miles on local buses fell overall by 23%. Arkleston Road in Paisley was also named as the worst "rat-run" in Scotland. Despite being a quiet residential road, it is used as a shortcut by 10,000 vehicles a day, travelling between the M8 motorway and east Paisley, avoiding the centre of Paisley. Historical Affairs Spitfire Returns "Home" A Supermarine Spitfire, which was once flown by pilots in the RAF's 602 City of Glasgow squadron, has returned to the city, having been restored at the Museum of Flight at East Fortune in East Lothian. Experts say that the five-year project has produced one of Britain's best preserved Spitfires. The legendary single-seat fighter is now being displayed in the Museum of Transport, but it will eventually be an exhibit in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum when it reopens in 2005 after its £25 million refurbishment. The aircraft is a Mk21, so it did not take part in the Battle of Britain - the City of Glasgow and City of Edinburgh squadrons dispute who shot down the first enemy aircraft over the UK when two Ju88 dive bombers attacking Leith were destroyed. This Spitfire was based at Abbotsinch (now Glasgow Airport) between 1947 and 1949 and was used as "gate guardian" at various RAF airfields, including Leuchars in Fife, after it was written off after engine trouble caused it to crash. The Transport Museum in Glasgow is tight for space, so the Spitfire is tucked away in a corner, near the main entrance. Chopin in Midcalder The author of a new play about the Polish pianist and composer Fredéric Chopin says that most people believe that the play's title "Chopin in Midcalder" is an invention. But it turns out that Chopin did spend nearly three months in 1848 at Calder House, the home of Lord Torpichen, next to Midcalder's church. Chopin wrote of his sojourn "The population is ugly... the cows are magnificent". The composer had been invited to Midcalder by one of his pupils, Jane Wilhelmina Stirling, a sister-in-law of Lord Torpichen. Like many of his pupils, Jane is reputed to have been in love with Chopin and she invited him to leave Paris which was in revolutionary turmoil at the time. After a three month's stay however, Chopin, gravely ill from TB, returned to Paris to die. The Chopin Museum in Warsaw has a display case dedicated to his three-month stay in Midcalder and Scotland. Cramond Lioness Returning Home? In 1997, a ferryman uncovered a magnificent carved Roman lioness from the mud of the river Almond at Cramond, west of Edinburgh. It was taken to the Museum of Scotland and, after cleaning, was put on display in the new building. It shows a crouching lioness with what appears to be a human in its jaws. But now the statue is expected to form the centrepiece of a new conservation and management plan being drawn up for the site of a Roman fort and bath house at Cramond. A £2 million project is to be approved by Edinburgh City Council next week for a new interpretation centre to be built near the site. The remains are associated with the Roman Emperor Severus. Entertainment Piping Hot 7,000 pipers and drummers in 230 bands from around the world arrived in Glasgow this week for the World Pipe Championships being staged on Glasgow Green. There was a strong contingent from Canada and the US as well as Australia and the Royal Army of Oman, in bright red uniforms, added their own brand of colour to all the tartan. The bands performed in brilliant sunshine in front of a crowd of 30,000 in five arenas. Last year's winners of the Grade 1 Championships, the Field Marshall Montgomery band from Northern Ireland, were hoping to win a fourth title but at the end of the day it was House of Edgar - Shotts & Dykehead who came first (that's them, pictured above), followed by Field Marshal Montgomery of Ulster and Simon Fraser University of Canada, was third. The championship has been held in Glasgow since 1986 and the city's lord provost, Liz Cameron, was in attendance as "chieftain" of the championships. While the spotlight inevitably falls on the Grade 1 Championship, with crowds gathered round each band as they tune up before going into the arena, one of the delights of the event is the host of other bands in lower grades who are competing with just as much enthusiasm - and tension - in the less crowded arenas. For additional results of the World Pipe Band Championships see Piper and Drummer Gaelic Mod Set to Break Records Accommodation in Oban and surrounding area is fully booked for 10-18 October, the dates for the 100th National Mod which takes place in the Argyllshire town. There are more than 2,000 entries this year and that is far higher than the usual 1,200 to 1,500, as members of the Gaelic community want to be able to tell their descendants that they were at the 100th Mod. Record Breaking Tattoo The final performance of this year's Edinburgh Military Tattoo took place last Saturday, after a record-breaking run. Always a popular event, all the 217,275 tickets had been sold by the end of July, before the first performance. This year, acts on Edinburgh Castle esplanade included the Bermuda National Gombey Troupe, the Top Secret Drum Corps from Switzerland and the US Army Drill Team. There was a special cheer for the band of the Black Watch, straight from Iraq in their desert uniforms, when they joined the massed pipes and drums. Innovations this year included music from the chart-topping band Westlife, the film score from Bladerunner and music by Vangelis.

September 2003

Current Affairs £2 Billion Spending Plan - On Water The publicly-owned Scottish Water organisation, which is responsible for the supply of water and the treatment of sewage across the country, announced this week capital spending projects worth nearly £2 billion over the next three years, to improve the quality of drinking water and reduce flood risk. In addition to major projects such as the Katrine Water Project to upgrade the Milngavie water treatment works (illustrated here), which provides supplies to 700,000 customers in Glasgow, there will be a huge investment in replacing leaking water mains and providing flood prevention measures. Sewage systems in Clyde coastal resorts are also being upgraded so that beaches meet standards laid down by the European Union in Brussels. Government spending on water infrastructure has been at a low level in recent decades and now Scottish Water is having to correct that - and has been increasing the charges to consumers to help to pay for it. Antiques Road Show's £250,000 Find When the TV programme "Antique's Roadshow" visited Dumfries earlier this year, a visitor brought in 23 drawings and watercolours created by Beatrix Potter, the author of the children's books featuring Peter Rabbit and Mrs Tiggywinkle. Clive Farahar, the expert in such illustrations, became very excited as they turned out to be the most expensive items he has ever had to value on the show - the collection has been estimated to be worth £250,000. Beatrix Potter spent a lot of time at Birnam in Perthshire and "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" is said to have been written during one of her many visits to Birnam. National Park Opens Amid Controversy Scotland's second national park, which is the largest in Britain, opened this week as the controversy surrounding it rumbled on. Cairngorm National Park covers 14,665 square miles, but critics say that it is it not big enough as it omits significant areas of the Cairngorms which lie in Perthshire. Robin Harper, the Scottish Green Party Member of the Scottish Parliament, underlined this by climbing to the top of 3,300 feet high Carn Liath above Blair Atholl, which is not in the park, to highlight the issue. The national park covers some of Scotland's most stunning scenery from Grantown-on-Spey to the heads of the Angus glens and from Ballater in Aberdeenshire to Dalwhinnie in the west. The government argue that the boundaries enable better management and more efficient use of resources. An extension of the park will not be considered for "at least five years." Critics say that Scottish Natural Heritage recommended the inclusion of Highland Perthshire but the Executive ignored that advice. Road Tolls Plan for Edinburgh Around one million homes in east central Scotland are to receive information on the proposals of the City of Edinburgh Councils to charge motorists to drive into Scotland's capital. If the council goes ahead, Edinburgh will be the first UK city outside London to levy a toll charge to drive into the city centre. The aim is to reduce traffic volumes, as the capital economy booms on the back of the Scottish Parliament, while at the same time raising £1.5 billion to fund improved public transport. Of course, many of the more affluent commuters will see it as a way of making their car journeys into work faster, by paying an additional "tax" to achieve it. Charges are likely to be set, at least initially, at £2 for the central area. A similar charge would be levied at rush hours for entry to most of the main Edinburgh conurbation. Consultation, enquiries, planning and implementation mean that the charging will not be introduced until 2006 at the earliest. There is a feeling that the charging will go ahead, regardless of the views expressed as it is seen as a way of providing cash to subsidise public transport. Glasgow's Red Square Turning Green Five years ago, Glasgow City Council caused outrage amongst many of the citizens by replacing the grass, flowerbeds and trees in the main square with bright red-coloured tarmac. The transformation occurred without any prior consultation. The council argued that it made George Square more suitable to stage events and certainly there have been more temporary marquees, stages and cheap fencing enclosing funfairs. Over the Christmas and New Year period there is an ice rink and other entertainment. But the question remains - why red tarmac? Could it have been that the Labour-dominated council regarded red as "their" colour? Over the years, the bright red has fortunately faded but repairs in different shades have resulted in a patchwork effect and undulations create large puddles when it rains. And, of course, chewing gum adorns the surface at irregular intervals. Now, after lengthy consultations, the Council are ready to refurbish George Square again - and turning it green again, though not with grass. There are also plans to reduce the amount of traffic in the square by decreasing the number of lanes in the present one-way system round the periphery. A complete ban on traffic is being considered, but is likely to be rejected as it could cause gridlock. The Council want to encourage a "cafe culture" and a continental style piazza. Perhaps global warming will eventually help that aspiration. New Trans-Atlantic Air Service There was delight in Edinburgh this week when Continental airlines announced that it was to start a direct service between Scotland's capital and Newark/New York. The airline already operates a daily service to the USA from Glasgow and there was some surprise at a second route from Scotland, with the airports only 60 miles apart. However, the airline is initially going to operate the smaller Boeing 757 instead of the wide-body Boeing 767. But this will have an impact on the size of the cargo hold as well as the number of passengers. Currently, Continental fly 120,000 passengers a year from Glasgow. Continental has been considering the new service for some years - but 9/11 put paid to an earlier plan. There was concern expressed in Glasgow about the future of the Continental service from there, even though it has been highly successful. This week, Scottish entrepreneur Hugh Boyle has suggested that Glasgow could lose out on his planned flights from there to Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax and Ottawa as he is now considering proposals from Manchester airport - where the population catchment area is larger. Ups and Downs of Sean Connery When the elevators in the new Scottish Parliament at Holyrood go up and down, the passengers are likely to be shaken and stirred by the voice of Sean Connery announcing which floor has been reached and stating that the "doors are closing". Sir Sean has agreed to help to promote the new building which, apart from being the home of Scotland's legislature, will also be a big tourist attraction. However, the more cynical Members of the Scottish Parliament, especially those who do not share his support for the Scottish National Party, are not impressed by Connery becoming the country's most famous lift attendant. Holyrood Now Officially Over £400 Million The bill for the new Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood in Edinburgh has now officially topped the £400 million mark - and nobody knows what the final figure will be. The latest price hike was largely due to the delays in completion of the building which resulted in services such as cranes and other items being required for longer. A more detailed breakdown of costs has now been published and it shows that fitting out the debating chamber has risen from just over £5 million in 1998 to a current estimate of nearly £12 million and those fancy windows on MSPs offices have gone up in price from £2.5 million to £5.9 million. A parliament spokesman claimed that a significant part of the increasing costs was due to increased blast-protection in the wake of the September 11 attacks, which also caused major delays to the timetable. But the current schedule is two years later than originally planned in 1998. Historical Affairs Kibble Palace Closing for £8 Million Facelift Glasgow's Kibble Palace - a Victorian glasshouse in the city's Botanic Gardens - is to close at the end of September to allow a start to be made on a £8 million renovation programme. The thousands of plants it houses are being moved to storage at Bellahouston Park. But major work on the refurbishment will not begin until next spring and Glasgow City Council is looking at ways in which the building can be used while it lies empty - jazz and folk concerts have been suggested. The west wing of the neighbouring glasshouse at the Kibble (closed to the public for the last ten years) is also being refurbished and will house the city's internationally recognised begonia collection, which has more than 400 varieties. Finance is being provided by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic Scotland. 400,000 people a year visit the Victorian greenhouses in the Botanic Gardens. The illustration shows a giant Spear Lily (Doryanthes palmeri to the botanists) which flowered at the Kibble Palace for the first time in forty years in 1999. Too Many Visitors for Skara Brae Historic Scotland is being forced to examine whether the thousands of visitors exploring the Stone Age settlement of Skara Brae on Orkney are damaging the walls of the ancient dwellings. Parts of the World Heritage site dates back to 3,000BC and it was uncovered in 1824 when a storm swept away some of the sand which had covered it for thousands of years. Skara Brae is visited by over 50,000 tourists each year but the heritage agency may have to consider limiting the numbers in order to preserve the buildings. Visitors currently walk along the top of the walls of the dwellings and there is concern that this could be causing some of the stones underneath to move. Sensors have been installed to measure this. Archaeologists are also concerned that a glass roof, fitted over one of the houses in the 1930s, may be causing damage because of heat build up inside damaging the masonry. Being beside the sea, salt crystals may also be contributing to damage to the site. There are ten stone houses at Skara Brae, connected by a maze of covered stone passages. Inside, there is stone furniture including cupboards, beds and seats. Entertainment Fireworks Bring Festival to an End This year's Edinburgh International Festival was brought to a fitting end by a spectacular fireworks display with the castle on the top of its volcanic rock as the backdrop. 150,000 people crowded into the capital to see the display which marked the conclusion of the most successful festival to date. Curtain Raised on Scottish National Theatre A government spending package of £6.5 million to create a national theatre for Scotland was announced this week. Its administrative base will be in Glasgow and £2.5 million will become available in next year with a further £4 million the following year. The theatre's first production is likely in 2005. Dr Donald Smith, who chaired a steering group which provided advice on the project for the Scottish Executive, described the announcement as "by far the boldest thing the government in Scotland have achieved in the cultural arena." The plan does not envisage creating a building for the new organisation but will be a commissioning body working with venues across the country. Battle of Britain Air Display The major air display in the Scottish aeronautical calendar took place at Leuchars in Fife on Saturday. Profits from the Battle of Britain Air Display go to the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund. Weather was expected to be dry but cloudy - although rehearsals on Friday took place in bright sunshine. In addition to the roar of high powered jets such as the Red Arrows aerobatic display team (seen in the illustration), there was the growl of piston-engined Spitfire and Hurricane as well as a WW2 Boeing B17 bomber Another Second World aircraft flying in the display was a Fairey Swordfish, a biplane which crippled the German battleship "Bismarck". Monarch of the Glen Returning The fifth series of the drama series "Monarch of the Glen" is returning to TV screens in the UK on 28 September. The backdrop for the series is Ardverikie Castle in Badenoch and Strathspey - though "Glenbogle Castle" looks as though it could have been created by Walt Disney and the area is now marketed as "Monarch Country". The programme is shown in 24 countries in everything from Estonian to Vietnamese. In Scotland, 49% of the Sunday-night audience switch on to see Archie Mackenzie coping with trying to make the estate profitable - and cope with his love life. The latest series sees young Martin Compston, star of the movie "Sweet Sixteen" playing the part of a Glaswegian who moves to Glenbogle with his parents. After the departure of Hector Mackenzie (played by veteran Richard Briers, who wanted back to working in the south-east of England) in series three, it is the turn of Archie to the leave the show during this latest series.

October 2003

Current Affairs Excellent Harvest Scottish arable farmers have enjoyed one of the easiest and earliest harvests for many years and a review of the quantity and quality of the grain, which was published this week says that it has been "fantastic" and ahead of the UK average. Yields of winter wheat were 12% higher than last year which means that total production is higher than 2002 despite a below normal acreage of planting. The Scottish barley crop is at its highest level for 15 years and yields were 16.9% up on last year and quality is also said to be "excellent". Oats have also produced good yields and the crop is the largest since 1994. On the Crest of a Wave A multi-million pound testing ground for wave technology opened this week in Orkney. It is designed to harness the power of the sea on the Pentland Firth and with the capability of running four separate trials at any one time, it is the world's largest centre for testing wave technology devices. Wave power has not advanced at the same speed as wind power and it is hoped that by providing a test site, which already has the infrastructure to feed the power generated into the national grid, it will allow companies to concentrate on the technology of their devices. There is certainly plenty of power there - the Pentland Firth is known for its strong tidal flows - and there is nothing between Orkney and Newfoundland but open sea. Glasgow to Canada Flights for £89 Budget Canadian carrier Zoom announced this week that it plans to start services in spring 2004, connecting Glasgow with a number of Canadian airports including Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax, Calgary and Vancouver. Fares will start at £89 for a one-way ticket to/from Calgary, with top prices between £150 and £160 for premium seats and free drinks. Air Canada, who fly the same route, charge £858 in summer. Despite the low cost, the airline claims that seats on their Boeing 767-300 aircraft will have more legroom than most other transatlantic carriers. The flights will operate throughout the year and will do so without a penny of subsidy from the government's route development fund - nearly all the new routes receiving financial support from the Scottish Executive are flying from Edinburgh. See www.flyzoom.com for details of the new flights. Official Recognition for Gaelic There was a time when Gaelic was frowned on and Gaelic-speaking children were taught only in English. While such attitudes have changed, the Gaelic language, which was once the main means of communication in the Highlands, has been in decline - the number of Gaelic speakers in Scotland is at an all-time low. But this week, at the 100th Royal National Mod, the major cultural event in the Gaelic calendar, the First Minister, Jack McConnell, announced that a Gaelic Language Bill will be introduced by the government into the Scottish Parliament. Details were sketchy, but the bill will recognise Gaelic as a language of Scotland for the first time and will require all public bodies to consider the need for Gaelic language plans in relation to their services. Thousands Head for Sun The traditional one week break in October in the school term encourages many families to head off for the sun. Glasgow airport will see 115 charter flights taking off over this weekend as the normal 22,000 passengers a day are joined by 15,000 package holidaymakers heading for the Mediterranean resorts, Canary Islands and Florida. Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness airports will have extra flights too. Seirbhis Luchd Ceannachd Customers in the Asda Walmart supermarket in Corby, Northamptonshire, in the south-east of England, were a bit puzzled this week when they were confronted by in-store signs which incorporated a Gaelic translation. So instead of a "Right Price Guarantee" they were offered a "Dearbhadh Cosgais" and when they asked for Customer Services to explain what it was all about, they were pointed to "Seirbhis Luchd Ceannachd". It was all part of an effort by the supermarket giant to help save the Gaelic language - and Corby has a large Scottish population (though the number actually speaking Gaelic is unknown). The biggest problem the store bosses had was finding someone local to do the translations - and then hope he or she got it right! Male Domination Ends After 443 years, the "stained glass ceiling" in the Church of Scotland is about to crack when it elects its first female Moderator of the General Assembly, its most senior post (which is held for a year). In the largely decentralised church, the Moderator chairs the annual meeting or General Assembly, which has the authority to make laws on how the Church of Scotland operates. Last year it was thought that a woman might be elected, but eventually it was the male candidate who won. This year, two women have ben nominated, ensuring that there can be no male bias at the final stage. The Church of Scotland has its origins in the Calvinist doctrines of John Knox - who published his "First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women" in 1558. In it, he wrote "to promote a woman to bear rule, superiority, dominion or empire above any realm is repugnant to nature, contrary to God." Admittedly, he was railing against the Catholic Mary of Guise, the influential mother of Mary Queen of Scots. Historical Affairs Women Played Football in 1628 An entry in the minutes of the kirk (church) session in Carstairs in Lanarkshire in 1628 reads "The minister has occasion to complain of the insolent behaviour of his parishioners, both men and women, in footballing instead of observing Sunday as a solemn day devoted to God." The entry is being quoted in new research to show that not only did Scotland "invent" the game of football but that it pioneered women playing the game nearly 400 years ago. According to the Statistical Account of Scotland, based on information provided by ministers across the country, the first recorded fixture between football teams composed entirely of women was in 1795, when married and unmarried fishwives of Fisherrow played each other in Inveresk, Midlothian. The same minister also observed women playing golf. The Stirling Smith Museum has an ancient battered football (seen in the picture here) which was uncovered in the rafters of Stirling Castle - it has been suggested that it comes from the days of Mary Queen of Scots in the 16th century. Scottish Wills Online A new Scottish Web site has been created by the Scottish Archive Network which offers free access to a fully searchable index of over 520,000 Scottish wills and testaments dating from 1500 to 1901. This is a fantastic resource for genealogists and historians. While the newspaper reports on the site majored on the wills of famous people like Rob Roy MacGregor and Robert Louis Stevenson, it will be the wills of our own ancestors which will be of greatest interest to most people of Scots descent. Of course, it has to be borne in mind that only those with sufficient property thought it worthwhile to make a last will and testament in earlier centuries. Visitors to the site can purchase high quality colour digital images of related documents for only £5 each (around $8 US). See www.scottishdocuments.com. Unknown Local Hero Tobias George Smollet was born near Renton, Dunbartonshire, in 1721. He was educated at Dumbarton and at Glasgow University and went on to become a renowned author, writing such books as "Roderick Random" and a "History of England". His racy style made even a history book popular in the 18th century. Smollet has been described as the "first Scottish novelist and he has never been surpassed." But he has become largely unknown, even in Renton - despite the local council refurbishing a statue to him beside Renton Primary School. Now Renton's housing association is spending thousands of pounds erecting sign-posts emblazoned with Smollet's name in an effort to attract tourists to the area. But local residents are unimpressed and say that the money should have been spent on more down-to-earth projects such as fighting drugs and crime in the run-down town. But the chairman of the housing association says that more people should know about their heritage and he hopes that Tobias Smollet will become as famous in the Leven Valley as Robert Burns is in Ayrshire. For more on Tobias Smollet, see the Tobias Smollet biography on this site. Entertainment Citizens Celebrates Diamond Jubilee The Citizens Theatre in Glasgow was established in 1943 and this year it is celebrating 60 years of being the jewel in Glasgow's theatre crown. Named after a manifesto drawn up in 1909 to create a "Citizens theatre in every sense of the word" it was established by a group of like-minded men, led by James Bridie, Scotland's best-known playwright of the day. Originally based in the Athanaeum in Buchanan Street, its first production was one of Bridie's plays. But it moved to Gorbals Street, in the heart of one of the most run-down parts of the city, on September 11 1945. During the 1970s and 80s, the Citizens became regarded as one of the UKs leading theatres, under the initial direction of Giles Havergal. We're in the Monet Attendance figures at the Monet exhibition at the Royal Scottish Academy have already broken 100,000 and the final number is expected to reach nearly 150,000 by the time the event closes on 26 October. The amount taken in entrance fees is estimated to reach £1.28 million by then. The National Galleries of Scotland have decided that the opening hours should be extended in the final four days to cope with an anticipated last-minute rush. There are 90 paintings by the Impressionist artist in the exhibition entitled "The Seine and the Sea." You can see a review of the exhibition here Military Tattoo for Australia? The directors of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which is always a sell-out on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle, are reported to be considering the possibility of taking the show "Down Under" again. In 2000, it was invited to New Zealand where 1,000 pipers, drummers and dancers performed in Wellington - with a simulated backdrop of Edinburgh Castle - and raised £200,000 for charity. Now they are looking at a suggestion of taking next year's Tattoo to Australia in the spring of 2005. In view of the popularity of pipe bands in Australia and New Zealand, it is likely to be a success if it goes ahead. Greyfriars Bobby Goes Walkies Just as locations and contracts were about to be finalised for the shooting of a new film on the story of Greyfriars Bobby in Edinburgh, Scottish Screen have withdrawn funding of £500,000. They say that there have been extended delays in developing the project. Now the producer says that he will still make the film - but will shoot it in Luxembourg. The story of the famous terrier who stayed by his master's grave in Greyfriars Churchyard was made into a film in the 1960s by Disney Studios. Scottish Screen committed cash to the new project in August 2002, with filming scheduled to start by the end of the year. But there have been persistent delays and a start is not now expected until next January. The new film is to be based on contemporary newspaper reports and will deal with the social issues of the time as well as the loyalty of the Skye terrier.

November 2003

Current Affairs Celtic Move Goal Posts It's enough to make Guy Fawkes turn in his grave. Generations of children have celebrated the Gunpowder Plot on 5 November, recalling the time in 1605 when Catholic Guy Fawkes was arrested under the Houses of Parliament with 20 barrels of gunpowder to blow up parliament and King James VI. Parliament declared 5 November a day of public thanksgiving. In recent years there has been a bonfire and a fireworks display on Glasgow Green, attended by around 90,000 people. But this year, Celtic are playing Belgian team Anderlecht that night - so Glasgow City Council has moved the goal posts, or rather, the fireworks display, to 6 November. Glasgow Style Best, Bar None Many years ago, Glasgow used to have a reputation for bars which, if they didn't have sawdust on the floor, were certainly rough and tough and not the place for anyone looking for a drink in cultured surroundings. But all that has changed. Now the author of a new guide "Scotland's Top Style Bars" says that Glasgow is the undisputed capital of such establishments. 42 of the 92 most trendy bars in the book are in Glasgow, with Edinburgh contributing just 26. Scotland is said to be far ahead of English cities like Newcastle and Manchester in providing up-market, stylish bars. Scotland Failing to Meet Environmental Targets The recycling of household waste by 4,000 Scottish families has been examined in detail as part of a government report. The survey shows that while better off families regularly dispose of newspapers, glass and cans at recycling centres (usually located in supermarket car parks), less affluent families do not show the same commitment. As a result, European targets for recycling are unlikely to be met. People in high rise flats or those without access to a motor car find it harder to take items for recycling. And those with larger houses and garages can often find the space to store items and take them in bulk to collection points. Those who made the greatest efforts have been found to be well educated, often with a university degree or professional qualification. On average, Scots recycle 6% of their rubbish - one of the lowest rates in Europe. Those in remoter areas such as the Highlands were even worse, with only 2%. At the other end of the scale, Austria recycles over 64% of household waste and Belgium 52%. Everest Conquered - In a Kilt A local councillor from Perthshire has climbed to the summit of Mount Everest wearing a lightweight Macpherson tartan kilt to raise money for charity. But the Nepalese Sherpas were concerned that Bob Ellis might suffer from frostbite as he wore nothing under his kilt, in traditional fashion. He said the weather was warm - but he had to be careful when he sat down in order to save the blushes of the local population. He met three other Scots who had been climbing on the world's highest mountain and they were surprised and delighted to see someone there in Scotland's national dress. Out of respect for Nepalese culture he did not wear the kilt in Katmandu but wore it every day on the mountain. Gleneagles for G8 Summit? It is looking increasingly likely that Gleneagles could be the venue for the G8 global economic summit in 2005. But that event attracts thousands of anti-capitalist protestors and it has already been estimated that policing such an event at Gleneagles would require 9,000 police officers - nearly two-thirds of the entire Scottish police force. 25,000 police and military personnel were involved by the French and Swiss authorities at the meeting at Evian last June. While there are perhaps not so many banks and MacDonald fast food outlets to be vandalised in the Perthshire countryside, gleeful anti-capitalist activists were predicting that "not much of the golf course would be left" after they had finished with them. No final decision has been taken by the UK Prime Minister who is to host the event - but he will know that having a Positive Signs on Scottish Economy The latest survey of purchasing managers published by the Royal Bank of Scotland shows that private sector economic growth is "accelerating to its sharpest since June 2000, with the improvement supported by impressive gains in both the services and manufacturing sectors." The index of new business is up by 5% compared to August and the bank's chief economist claims that 2004 will see a solid year of growth. He says that optimism in the Scottish business community is on an upward path and the economic situation is getting stronger by the day. The improvement is thought to be due to an upturn in the recovery of the world economy which is leading to an inflow of orders. Within the UK, Scotland has a greater involvement in exporting goods and services and benefits from improvements in world trade. Crescent Bridge Sweeps to Victory Although it was described as a "long way for a shortcut", a crescent-shaped bridge has won a design competition for a new pedestrian crossing over the river Clyde in Glasgow. Designed by leading British architects Richard Rogers Partnership, "Neptune's Way" was selected from a short list of six proposals. The new bridge will connect two new public parks at the financial centre being built on the north bank at Broomielaw and Tradeston on the south side, where a new residential area is to be created. There will be a new mooring point for the "Pride o' the Clyde" river taxi service which runs downriver to Braehead near Renfrew. It will be another year before work starts on the new bridge and it is expected to be completed in 2007. Rising From the Ashes of Ravenscraig Over ten years after the furnaces at the steelworks at Ravenscraig in North Lanarkshire were extinguished, the Scottish Executive has given its approval to a controversial plan to create on the site what is virtually a new town with 3,500 new homes, a retail and leisure complex and an industrial park. There will be a new train station and large areas of parkland. Ravenscraig is the largest "brownfield" site in Britain and the development is estimated to create 9,000 new jobs in shops, offices and services. Visitors Swallow Haggis Stories Perhaps we should stop telling all those stories about haggis being made from wee furry animals which run around the Scottish mountains - with one leg shorter than the other because of the genetic advantage on steep slopes; longer left or right legs, of course, are two different varieties, depending on whether they run round the hills clockwise or anti-clockwise. Fanciful? Well, it appears that in a survey of 1,000 Americans by haggis producer Hall's of Broxburn, 23% said they believed that if they came to Scotland they would be able to go on a haggis hunt to catch the famous dish. The same survey found that 20% of the same Americans who responded to the questionnaire claimed direct descent from Bonnie Prince Charlie, so maybe we shouldn't put too much reliance on the data. The survey was published in the run-up to St Andrew's Day on 30 November, when Scots around the world celebrate the patron saint of Scotland - an event largely ignored by most Scots in Scotland! Historical Affairs Rebuilding Plan for Buchanan Castle Rejected The Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park has rejected a proposal to demolish the internal walls of Buchanan Castle, near Drymen in Stirlingshire. The plan was to retain only the south and east walls and then build 39 flats in the interior space of what is currently a ruin. To make the development viable, six houses were proposed for the adjacent wood, which would have to be felled, apart from 19 specimen trees. There was strong local opposition and all the agencies involved raised serious objections. But the National Park's planning board has left the door open for a "more sympathetic development". The castle became a ruin in the 1950s because the empty building had its roof removed to avoid the owner paying local taxes. The gardens of the castle (originally designed by "Capability" Brown) have become a golf course and a number of houses have already been built on the estate. Chessmen on the Move The 11th-century Lewis Chessmen, which were discovered 170 years ago on a beach at Uig on the Outer Hebridean island of Lewis, are to form part of a special exhibition at the British Museum in London entitled "Buried Treasure: Finding Our Past." Of the 78 pieces of walrus ivory, carved by Viking invaders, 67 are already in the British Museum. The remaining 11 pieces are being taken from the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh to take part in the special showing. The purpose of the exhibition is to show the great part played by the public in discovering historical artifacts. 90% of all items discovered in recent years have been by enthusiasts with metal detectors. Entertainment Billion Viewers See Leith Event It was estimated (by somebody in the media?) that a billion people around the world saw the MTV Europe Awards in Leith on Thursday. The hope is that they were impressed by what Scotland had to offer though in reality most just wanted to see their pop idols. There was disappointments when Britney Spears had to pull out after being struck down by flu. But stars such as Kylie Minogue, Beyoncé Knowles, Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Lopez, Minnie Driver, Missy Elliott, Anastacia, Pink, Christina Aguilera and Scots singers Sharleen Spiteri and Shirley Manson all performed at the glittering occasion. Only 2,000 tickets went on sale to the general public last month - and sold out in under 15 minutes. Scottish Museum Lands Concorde A British Airways Concorde made a final flight from Edinburgh airport to London Heathrow on 24 October to join two other Concordes landing, one after the other, for a final farewell. BA have now withdrawn the supersonic airliner from service and announced a few days later where the remaining seven aircraft would be preserved. And the Museum of Flight at East Fortune in East Lothian is one of the successful bidders. Part of the Royal Museum of Scotland, the bid to secure one of the world's first supersonic airliners was backed by the Scottish Executive and Historic Scotland. Even before the announcement about a Concorde being displayed at East Fortune, the Museum had already planned a £6 million upgrade to its facilities. Other Concordes will be displayed at aerospace museums in New York and Seattle as well as in England. 250,000 Pantomime Fans Seats for this year's pantomimes over the Christmas and New Year season in Glasgow are being snapped up by followers of the classic format of a children's story, music, humour, a principal boy (always played by a girl) and a Panto dame (played by a man). The King's Theatre has already sold 65,000 tickets for "Sleeping Beauty" starring Elaine C Smith and Gerard Kelly. The Pavilion is selling tickets like hot cakes for "Pinocchio" - 50,000 tickets have been sold, 50% up on this time last year. The Citizens Theatre is hoping for another sell-out of its performances of "Cinderella." Although pantomimes are being staged across Scotland, Glasgow has always had a love affair with them - in the 1940s, the Princess Theatre in the city used to run its panto until July.

December 2003

Current Affairs Mobile Phones Banned A new law came into force on 1 December across the UK which makes it illegal for motorists to use a mobile phone while driving. Tests have shown that drivers using a mobile phone become distracted and are involved in six times more accidents than ordinary drivers. It is claimed that using a mobile is almost as bad as driving over the alcohol limit. Although they can also be distracted, drivers are allowed to use "hands-free" kits for their phones while on the move. In England, police are giving motorists a two month"grace" period and will only issue a warning to anyone caught using a mobile. But in Scotland, police began issuing £30 fines immediately (or up to £1,000 if the conviction is taken to court). Whisky Industry Swallows Compromise The Scotch Whisky Association managed to broker a deal this week on the move by drinks giant Diageo to produce its Cardhu brand from a mixture of five malts and call it "pure" malt to distinguish it from all other malt whiskies which are "single malts" from one named distillery. The company said it was forced to do this as it had built up a following for Cardhu in Spain, France and Portugal - and then could not produce enough from its Cardhu distillery. Purists in the industry had condemned Diageo's strategy, claiming that it would confuse the public and damage Scotland's biggest export earner. Diageo has now agreed to alter the packaging for its new Cardhu pure malt and will no longer suggest that it is the same product - and have undertaken not to follow the same strategy with any of its other malts. The industry has now decided to define the different categories of whisky - starting with single malts. The exercise should be fairly easy - everybody knows what the categories are, it's just that in the past it has not been formally laid down by the industry. BBC Approves List of Scots Words BBC Radio Scotland is to encourage presenters to use more traditional Scots words in broadcasts to help keep the language alive. Members of the Scottish Parliament are understood to have put pressure on the corporation and a list of about 100 words has been drawn up which presenters should feel "comfortable" with on air. The list includes such pearls as "glaikit" (stupid), dreich (dreary, tiresome, long-winded), crabbit (bad tempered) and haar (a cold sea mist on the east coast). BBC insiders say that some presenters feel more at ease with Scots words than others. Some already slip in Scots words as they are part of their normal vocabulary. The move has been described as "tokenism" and campaigners want BBC Scotland to allocate more time to Scots language programmes. National Dishes of Scotland It could be argued these days that Indian curry and Chinese sweet and sour dishes should figure in any list of Scottish national dishes. But the results of a survey published this week of 6,000 people asked to identify Scotland’s national dishes, listed Scotch broth, smoked salmon, haggis and neeps (turnip root), Aberdeen Angus steak, lamb, venison, baked salmon, Tayside raspberries, clootie dumpling and farmhouse cheeses. The Minister for Environment and Rural Development, Ross Finnie, suggested that a list of Scotland's top foods could also have included Cullen skink (a soup made with smoked fish), Arbroath smokies, west coast scallops, langoustines, herring and Ayrshire potatoes. Edinburgh's Floral Clock Changes to Winter Time In previous years, tourists looking for Edinburgh's Floral Clock in Princes Street Gardens in winter time have been met with a disappointingly empty space. But now the city council's parks department has covered the electrically driven clock (which is accompanied by a cuckoo which pops out every 15 minutes) with frost-resistant, evergreen plants. At the moment, the predominant colour is just green from the foliage of plants such as heather and sempervivums. But they are expected to flower later in the winter and early spring. Cards Have Edinburgh City Council Greetin' The Scottish Executive, in a bout of political correctness gone mad, recently banned the words "Merry Christmas" from its seasonal greetings cards on the grounds that it didn't fit everyone's religious beliefs. Edinburgh City Council thought that they would play safe and have a "Season's Greetings" message in their cards. But due to a printer's error, the cards came out with "Seasons Greetin" instead - and greetin' is a well known Scots word for crying... Scotland Retaining More Graduates While many graduates still find it necessary to move to England or abroad to make full use of their qualifications (and earn a higher salary), it appears that more graduates who study in Scotland are choosing to stay here. Statistics, published this week, show that 88% of Scottish graduates and diplomates going in to employment in 2001/2002 remained in Scotland, up by 2% compared with the previous year. A higher number of graduates from the rest of the UK and from abroad also took up employment in Scotland. Scottish Economy Picking Up While economic growth in Scotland is still lagging behind the rest of the UK, a report by the Royal Bank of Scotland, based on regular reports from purchasing managers across the country, suggests that growth in the current quarter is likely to be the strongest so far this year. Scottish exports are apparently doing well and, in a reversal of the usual trend, the manufacturing sector is even showing higher growth than services. The growth in exports has been a surprise, as the pound has been strengthening against the dollar - since September sterling has surged from around $1.56 to $1.73, making Scottish exports about 10% more expensive in the US and south-east Asia. Stagnant economies in Europe have caused a slump in these export markets, however. Nothing of Interest in Dundee? Ford, which owns the UK luxury car companies of Jaguar, Aston Martin and Volvo, has branded the City of Dundee "of no interest" in its satellite navigation system, fitted to the top models. Dundee, with a population of 150,000, is Scotland's fourth largest city and home to a world centre of excellence for the design and production of bank auto-tellers. But the navigation system not only ignores Discovery Point, an award-winning tourist attraction which has Antarctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott's research ship Discovery moored alongside, but the system also has no record of the castles, parks, museums and historic buildings in the city. The Tay Bridges across the water to Fife, of course, start in Dundee. Even worse, the city's hotels are nowhere to be found on its database. Asked for "points of interest" it reports "For Dundee, there are no points of interest". Ford say their information is provided by an outside source. Clan Links Save a Life Genetic research has shown that people with the same clan name are much more closely related than was previously thought. That was brought home this year when 20-year-old Millie Forbes, from Aberdeenshire, was struck down by a return of acute myeloid leukemia. She needed a transplant of matching bone marrow to save her life, but no matches were found amongst donors in the UK. But her grandfather is Chief of the Clan Forbes and the US clan members were asked for assistance. An anonymous donor was found and she is expected to have the operation shortly. Other research into the clan MacDonald has found that an unexpectedly high percentage of 20% are directly descended from Somerled, the 12th century warrior who founded the clan. Scotrail Blames Passengers for Late Arrival of Services Passengers who arrived from Glasgow at Edinburgh's Waverley station in a train delayed by 15 minutes didn't know whether to laugh or cry when the guard announced over the loud speaker "We apologise for our late arrival. This was due to passengers overcrowding the train." A Scotrail spokesman said later that the delay was actually due to a train in front running late. The following train was more overcrowded than usual as it was short of some carriages due to an engineering failure. Of course, Scotrail could legitimately blame passengers for causing delays because so many travellers don't buy a ticket before boarding the train at stations along the way. If Scotrail staff man the ticket barriers at the terminus, long queues develop, delaying passengers from boarding the train on its next journey. Next year, automatic ticket barriers are being introduced which should alleviate that problem - and force more travellers to buy a ticket in the first place. Historical Affairs World Heritage Bid for Architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh is certainly Scotland's best known architect. But his status could become even greater if the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society is successful in obtaining backing for an application to UNESCO, the United Nation's cultural wing, to make his landmark buildings a World Heritage Site - along with the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal and another 750 properties on the UNESCO list. In Scotland, Old and New Towns of Edinburgh, the heart of Neolithic Orkney, the island of St Kilda and the village of New Lanark are World Heritage sites. But the task of having buildings spread across Glasgow and the west of Scotland accorded heritage status is formidable. And UNESCO are currently concentrating more on bids from outside Europe and North America. But the Catalan architect Antonio Gaudi was given the status on the basis of buildings across the city of Barcelona, so "nothing ventured, nothing gained." Back on Track on Royal Deeside Over thirty years ago the railway line at Banchory was closed. But this week enthusiasts from the Royal Deeside Railway Preservation Society drove a diesel locomotive along a short length of the tracks which they have relaid. The society has permission to reopen a four-kilometre stretch of the railway between Milton and Banchory and they are also working hard to restore a battery-operated railcar which was used by members of the royal family. It ran from Ballater between 1958 and 1962.. For more information, see www.deeside-railway.co.uk/. Entertainment David Bowie to Headline T in the Park 10,000 fans at a David Bowie concert at the Scottish Exhibition and Concert Centre (SECC) in Glasgow were delighted to hear from the popular entertainer that he is to headline Scotland's biggest pop festival next year. The organisers of T in the Park, which will takes place each year at Balado, Kinross on 10 and 11 July have landed a major coup with the announcement, which was made just hours before tickets went on sale for the event. The Bowie concert at the SECC sold out in 20 minutes when the tickets went on sale. T in the Park is sponsored by lager firm Tennents. Boost for Visual Arts Festival Plans for a Visual Arts Festival in Edinburgh next summer have received a boost with the allocation of finance by the Scottish Arts Council to help to provide for a full-time co-ordinator. While it might be argued that Edinburgh has more festivals can you can shake a baton at, supporters of the project argue that the visual arts have been neglected. Space has been allocated in the grounds of the Dean Gallery, one of the National Galleries of Scotland. BBC's Big Read Makes Libraries Winners In recent weeks, the BBC has been running a series of TV programmes called "The Big Read" in which a host of celebrities spoke on behalf of their favourite book - from an initial list of 100 selected titles. Viewers were then asked to vote on their own favourite book and the series came to a conclusion last weekend. Across the UK, the top book was Tolkein's "Lord of the Rings" with 750,000 votes and Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" was second. During the preceding weeks, as the votes mounted, lending libraries across the country stocked up with extra copies to meet the demand, although in some cases this was so high, the libraries ran out of some titles. There were, of course, regional variations. In Scotland, the list of top ten books was headed by "To Kill a Mockingbird", followed by "Catch 22" and Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island". In fourth place in Scotland was "Catcher in the Rye" while "Lanark: A Life in Four Books" by Scottish author Alasdair Gray was 9th.

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