-
-
Terror of striking council worker run over on picket line by boss
A STRIKING council worker told of his terror yesterday after being knocked down by a manager who drove through a picket line.
-
Shoe fetish attacker tagged
A man with a shoe fetish who ripped a high heel from a teenager's foot has been electronically tagged.
Mark Barrie, 35, from Perth, will wear the device on his ankle for three months and will not be allowed out between 2200 BST and 1000 BST.
He was also placed on probation and his name has been added to the sex offenders register.
Barrie admitted attacking the 18-year-old in January because he was "sexually excited" by the footwear.
He targeted her in broad daylight in front of other shoppers in Perth.
He claimed he had gone into a "trance" before pouncing on his victim and lying on the ground with his arms locked around her ankles. A man with a shoe fetish who ripped a high heel from a teenager's foot has been electronically tagged. ... more -
12-year-old youth carried out sex attacks on children
A teenager was detained for three years after carrying out sex attacks on children when he was only 12 years old.
Even though Steven Thain, who is now 19, had been assessed as having a mental age of between nine and ten at the time of the offences, the judge rejected a defence plea to spare a jail sentence.
The judge, Lord Woolman, stated: "The protection of children from sexual abuse is of vital importance to society. In this case, I am satisfied that only a term of custody is appropriate."
Thain, of Buckie, Banffshire, was convicted of indecent behaviour towards a six-year-old girl in 2002, when he exposed himself to the child. He was also found guilty of assaulting and sodomising two boys, aged eight and ten, in the same year.
Thain's laywer argued that the crimes were committed under special circumstances, because his client was a child at the time, had learning difficulties and was very immature for his age. Lord Woolman replied he had taken into account Thain's age at the time of the offences, but also had to consider other matters, including the very serious nature of the offences and the effect they had had on his victims. A teenager was detained for three years after carrying out sex attacks on children when he was only 12 years old. ... more -
Is eating deer genitals the secret to success of Chinese athletes?
Scotland's gamekeepers have revealed that they export a secret 'weapon' to help China's athletes make it to the top of the Olympics gold-medal table: the "pizzle" from Scottish deer.
Apparently, Chinese athletes use the male animal's sexual organ to boost stamina and for its alleged anti-inflammatory, immune stimulant and injury-healing properties.
The deer is a symbol of health and longevity in oriental medicine, with the first mention of their by-products noted more than 2,000 years ago.
The pizzles, which are frozen or dried before export, are rich in protein, vitamins, calcium, magnesium and hormones and low in cholesterol. Pizzles can be consumed in various ways – defrosted and eaten; mixed with alcohol, which is then drunk; served in soup; or dried and made into capsules or a paste.
Pizzle traders from China have been visiting the Highlands to view the deer, regarded as the most virile in the world, and have been training Scottish game dealers on how to process the parts for export.
Alastair Lyon, 42, head keeper on the Ralia and Milton Estate, confirmed the trade was part of the gamekeeping world. He said: "Stalkers sell off all the bits and the game dealer takes the carcase."
Christian Nissen, managing director of Highland Game, venison and game dealers in Dundee, whose company received training from the Chinese, said: "The meetings with the Chinese have been one of the most interesting negotiations I have ever had. The pizzles are creating an extra income for the estate, just like the meat." Scotland's gamekeepers have revealed that they export a secret 'weapon' to help China's athletes make it to the to... more -
Glasgow gets 'City of Music' honour
The UN cultural body, Unesco, has today announced that Glasgow has been named a United Nations City of Music.
Its been given the award to acknowledge 'the city's musical past and its role in music-making, performance and enjoyment.'
Glasgow joins 10 other members of the 'Creative Cities Network' which was launched back in 2004 to encourage cities to fulfill their musical potential. The UN cultural body, Unesco, has today announced that Glasgow has been named a United Nations City of Music. ... more -
Scots know more about British history than the English
A survey has found that Scots know more about British history than other people in the rest of the UK.
Ten multiple-choice historical questions, ranging from "When was the Battle of Hastings?" to "Which two kingdoms were merged in the Act of Union of 1707?" were put to 1,000 people. Scots scored an average of 69 per cent, compared to the national average of 63 per cent. The Welsh managed only 58 per cent.
Perhaps less surprisingly, the study also confirmed that younger people know far less than those aged over 65.
Historian Tom Devine, professor at the University of Edinburgh, said the recent growth in a sense of Scottish identity, merged with an ignorance of Scottish history because of poor education in the 1960s and 1970s, might be boosting an interest in history in the country.
He said: "This quiz tests specific facts and that is important, but it's very basic. What's important is interpretation, explanation, trying to find out why things came about the way they have. The past becomes increasingly intriguing as people mature. I don't get the same sense of enthusiasm from the younger population."
The survey also revealed men have more historical knowledge than women, with an average score of 70 per cent compared to 57 per cent.
Historian Dominic Sandbrook said: "It's heartening that after decades of politically driven teaching and Mickey Mouse empathy exercises, most people still have a vague idea of what happened when. That suggests an enduring appetite for history in general, and for the rich drama of our national story in particular." A survey has found that Scots know more about British history than other people in the rest of the UK. ... more -
Scottish Falsetto Socks Edinburgh Diary - What Scotland's Made
Reporting daily from the Edinburgh Fringe, today we celebrate Scotland's achievements in song (stop us if you've heard this, this song comes from last year's stage show).
RETURN OF THE SCOTTISH FALSETTO SOCK PUPPET THEATRE 8.45pm, Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh July 30 - Aug 24 2008. Reporting daily from the Edinburgh Fringe, today we celebrate Scotland's achievements in song (stop us if you've heard this,... more -
TEAM GB win gold on the cycle track!
The trio of Chris Hoy, Jason Kenny and Jamie Staff defeated world champions France to take Team GB's total to three golds and raised expectations of more cycling medals over the weekend.
Also on the track British cyclist Bradley Wiggins, who is aiming for three golds over the next five days, broke his own Olympic record with the fastest qualifying time for the individual pursuit, completing 4km in just over 4mins 15seconds.
Think about that when your cycling this weekend! The trio of Chris Hoy, Jason Kenny and Jamie Staff defeated world champions France to take Team GB's total to three golds and rai... more -
United Kingdom Talk Saturday 16th August 2008
Saturday's edition of my three times a week talk show. Watch the show here on CURRENT TV on Tues, Thurs & Sats.
In today's show :
Yet another email catch up show ! LOL.
Sunny spells & showers.
Only flowers.
Itchy ear.
It's raining.
Monica is now a viewer.
Rubbish everywhere.
Setting up the new computer.
Size does matter.
Delivering newspapers.
Do I need to slow down ?
Surrounded by friends.
Do you think you are younger than your age ?
Learning to speak again.
Matty no longer goes to McDonalds.
Trying to hire a bungalow.
Ross & his letters of complaint.
Beloved Scotland.
An important statement.
We are running out of cheap oil.
A bit of a stirrer.
The Steam Coach in Hemel Hempstead and it's lovely pub garden.
Animals in with the Tigers.
How long would the Earth take to sort itself out ?
"The World Without Us".
What was the alarm caused by ?
Take the bus.
The picture may get bigger.
Can we have larger font please ?
Any news on the strollers anyone ?
And now also a direct ITUNES Video subscribe button. Find this here on the main UnitedKingdomTalk.co.uk website to the left underneath all the dates.Again, Thank you to Joe from Americantalkusa.com for this.
Computers with names.What's your computer called ?
Not in the garden.
Beep beep beep beep.
AH ! the backlog is cleared.
Email : chris@unitedkingdomtalk.co.uk
WWW.UNITEDKINGDOMTALK.CO.UK Saturday's edition of my three times a week talk show. Watch the show here on CURRENT TV on Tues, Thurs & Sats. ... more -
Norwegian regiment knights Scottish penguin
A penguin called Nils was knighted today by a royal Norwegian regiment visiting the Edinburgh Tattoo. The king penguin from Edinburgh Zoo, whose full name is Nils Olav, became the first penguin-shaped Norwegian Sir after inspecting the Norwegian King's Guard.
The Edinburgh festival season just gets sillier... A penguin called Nils was knighted today by a royal Norwegian regiment visiting the Edinburgh Tattoo. The king penguin from Edinburgh... more -
Military honour for penguin
An Edinburgh zoo penguin who is a Colonel-in-Chief of the Norwegian Army is set to be bestowed with a new military honour.
Penguin Nils Olav has been an honorary member and mascot of the Norwegian King's Guard since the 1980s. Over the years, he has been promoted and is currently the regiment's Colonel-in-Chief.
The regiment recruited its first penguin when a young lieutenant called Nils Egelien first visited the zoo in the 1970s. When the original bird died about 20 years ago, Nils Olav took over the position. Ever since, he has received regular visits from the Guardsmen when they are in Edinburgh to perform at the Military Tattoo. He has received medals for long service and had a 4ft bronze statue built in his honour.
David Windmill, chief executive of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, the charity that owns Edinburgh Zoo, said: "We have a long-standing history with the Norwegian King's Guard and it is something we are extremely proud of.
Norwegian King's guardsman, Captain Rune Wiik, stated: "We are extremely proud of Nils Olav and pleased that an enduring part of the Royal Guard is resident in Scotland helping to further strengthen ties between our two countries." An Edinburgh zoo penguin who is a Colonel-in-Chief of the Norwegian Army is set to be bestowed with a new military honour. ... more -
The City The Credit Crunch Forgot
It is the city the credit crunch forgot. The rest of the UK may be feeling the pinch, but life is good in Aberdeen, the oil capital of Europe.
World energy prices are soaring with Brent Crude now trading at the once unimaginable figure of $120 a barrel.
The oil industry is booming and as a result Aberdeen and its residents are enjoying a prosperity not seen since the 1970s.
Trade is as brisk as ever at the city's best-known restaurant the Silver Darling.
Owner and chef Didier Dejeun says the credit crunch is having no effect here at all.
He said: "All the oil executives and their families are based here, they have to spend their money somewhere and they spend it in Aberdeen.
"There is no limit to how much some people will spend. They arrive at the restaurant in their Ferraris and their Bentleys and order champagne."
The five-star Marcliffe Hotel and Spa is situated in the Pitfodels area of the city, which boasts the highest proportion of millionaires anywhere outside London.
Owner Stewart Spence says the hotel has never been so busy and customers are still willing to spend money on life's luxuries.
He said: "Aberdeen is basically all about energy and the price of oil worldwide means more employment and exploration, which all comes back to the city.
"People's spending habits haven't changed at all. Customers are still asking for the best wines and the lobster."
But some believe Aberdeen cannot buck the trend forever and that the big companies like Shell and BP will be unable to keep posting record breaking multi billion pound profits each quarter.
However, former Lord Provost and city councillor John Reynolds disagrees.
"The price of oil will not go down, it will get up to $150 maybe even $200 a barrel in two years time," he says.
"We will continue to benefit from that here."
The downside is that the people of Aberdeen will still have to pay the price at the pumps. For many though, that is a price worth paying. It is the city the credit crunch forgot. The rest of the UK may be feeling the pinch, but life is good in Aberdeen, the oil capital of... more -
Oil-rich Aberdeen is the city the credit cruch forgot
Well apparently those in Aberdeen have not noticed the credit crunch (which still sounds like a kind of breakfast cereal to me - something Lidl might start stocking for people like me who can no longer afford the regular brands.. ANYhoo), despite a decided tightening of belts and purse-strings across the rest of the UK. This, it turns out, is because the Scottish city also happens the be the oil capital of the UK. With world energy prices soaring, Brent Crude now trades at the once unimaginable figure of $120 a barrel. As a result Aberdeen and its residents are enjoying a prosperity not seen since the 1970s, even if their petrol is still at 2008 prices like everyone else (well, they can afford it).
And they say Edinburgh's sposed to be the posh one and moan about rich Southerners... are we going to see a flip of the North-South divide as Scottish towns benefit from oil revenue unavailable to the rest of the UK? Well apparently those in Aberdeen have not noticed the credit crunch (which still sounds like a kind of breakfast cereal to me - somet... more -
Dead body left unattended on hospital ward
A body was left alongside other patients in a Glasgow hospital ward for seven hours.
Christine Martin told BBC Scotland how her husband David was admitted to Stobhill hospital in June. The male patient in the next bed died at about 1100 BST, but his body was not removed until after 1800 BST, it was claimed.
Mrs Martin said curtains were drawn around the dead body but "were open sufficiently for me to see this man, whom we had got to know over a period of 10 days, lying dead, face uncovered, propped up on white pillows."
The standard practice if someone has died in a four bedded ward is to access a single room where the deceased could be viewed by the family. In this case there was a delay as the hospital had agreed to leave the body until a relative arrived. The dead man's son told BBC Scotland that hospital staff acted with "utter compassion" to his request to see the body on the ward before it was taken to the mortuary. However, he confirmed he left the hospital at 1500 BST and there was a further delay in the removal afterwards.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said the case highlighted its campaign for all patients to be given more dignity. "This case highlights the campaign we're running and highlights the kind of problems nurses come across, because no nurse would want a deceased patient lying on a ward for seven hours." A body was left alongside other patients in a Glasgow hospital ward for seven hours. ... more -
The Meeting
In this Current At The Fringe pod we meet 3 young actors who are putting on a hilarious satire in a rather unusual venue.
-
Bird terror: couple rescued from bird attack
A couple from London was attacked by angry seabirds on the Scottish island of Orkney and had to be airlifted to safety by the coastguard.
The pair was targeted by great skuas after accidentally stumbling on their nests. Most residents of the Northern Isles know to stay well away from the great skuas, or "bonxies" as they are known, which are renowned for their swooping assaults on humans who invade their territory during the breeding season.
A direct "hit" is extremely uncommon, but the aerial bombardment, designed as a scare tactic, can be frightening and intimidating for the victims.
Doug Gilbert, an ecologist with RSPB Scotland, has experience of being hit by bonxies and Arctic skuas: "I've been dive-bombed in Shetland and elsewhere, it's an occupational hazard. They swat the back of your head with their feet or use their wing tips to belt you. I've felt the 'sting' from a great skua's feet; it's like getting a whack on the head with a ruler. If you're not expecting it it can freak you out." A couple from London was attacked by angry seabirds on the Scottish island of Orkney and had to be airlifted to safety by the coastgua... more -
Gobstopper is 'offensive weapon' according to court
Jamie Harvey, a 20-year-old man from Edinburgh, was fined £400 for carrying a gobstopper in a sock. Harvey admitted to carrying the snooker-ball sized gobstopper with him, arguing he needed it for protection. The gobstopper was deemed an 'offensive weapon' by the court. Jamie Harvey, a 20-year-old man from Edinburgh, was fined £400 for carrying a gobstopper in a sock. Harvey admitted to carrying the sn... more
-
Glasgow Mods
We have had an active scene since 1979...We are bringing back those memories...We are the Glasgow Mods!
-
Sales up at Edinburgh festival
This year's Edinburgh International Festival will open with a record £2m worth of tickets sold in advance.
This represents a 17% rise in pre-event sales, for the events which include drama, opera, music and dance acts. This year's Edinburgh International Festival will open with a record £2m worth of tickets sold in advance. ... more -
Kilts for male US Postal Service workers?
Dean Peterson, a 6-foot-tall, 250-pound mail carrier, is working on a campaign to add kilts as a uniform option for men working for the U.S. Postal Service .
Even though the proposition was defeated in July, Peterson is not giving up: he spent $1,800 to mail about 1,000 letters and photographs of him wearing a prototype Postal Service kilt to union branches across the US.
"Unbifurcated Garments are far more comfortable and suitable to male anatomy than trousers or shorts because they don't confine the legs or cramp the male genitals the way that trousers or shorts do," he wrote. "Please open your hearts — and inseams — for an option in mail carrier comfort!"
Peterson has never considered himself an activist. He has Finnish and Norwegian ancestry but not Scottish. He began wearing kilts a couple years ago when his wife brought one back from a trip to Scotland; now he does not leave the house in anything but a kilt.
Even though the union's executive committee recommended disapproval, saying there was not enough demand for kilts to be worth the bother of the resolution, Peterson has many co-workers who expressed their support after his resolution was voted down.
Do you think mail carriers, and perhaps even men in general, should be allowed to wear kilts as part of their uniform? Would you mind if a man delivered your male in a kilt and if so, why? Dean Peterson, a 6-foot-tall, 250-pound mail carrier, is working on a campaign to add kilts as a uniform option for men working for th... more
-
related topics
Scotland
Contributors (331)
Scotland
