Elly
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Post by Elly on Jun 22, 2005 7:24:02 GMT 10
G8 Protestors Demand a March to Gleneagles There has been a lot of shadow-boxing between the authorities and the protestors who want to take their demonstrations as near as possible to the G8 conference of world leaders at Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire. The main event, with possibly 100,000 people, was being organised in Edinburgh with a "Make Poverty History" march. Then Bob Geldof came along with his suggestion of a million people going to Edinburgh on 6 July (the day the heads of state are meeting at Gleneagles and a Live 8 Concert is being staged at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium). But many demonstrators want to go to Gleneagles to make their point. Initially, the authorities would only allow them to get as far as the little town of Auchterarder, saying that public safety would be put at risk if they got any closer. Bearing in mind that the public park in Auchterarder has a maximum capacity of 4,500 and that organisers say that 20,000 people could turn up, that didn't sound very sensible. So now the police officer in charge of security has said that a march along the perimeter fence would be allowed, "provided that they did not break the law". The steel fence, which encircles the hotel a mile away, has been erected at a cost of £1 million. While peaceful demonstrations are being encouraged by all those involved, past experience of G8 conference protests show that they attract a fringe element that is prepared to resort to breaking the law to make their point. It could be argued that the protestors have already achieved a great deal. Prime Minister Tony Blair and Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown appear to have brokered a deal to wipe out the borrowing of £30 billion by 18 of the world's poorest countries. Green Light for New Forth Bridge Every time it is suggested that the problems of the overcrowded Forth Road bridge should be alleviated by building a second crossing, there is an outcry from those who argue that more users of the over 24 million vehicles who use the bridge each year (up from 18 million in 1993) should turn to public transport, thus removing the need for a second bridge. So it is surprising that plans for a second crossing at Kincardine Bridge, fifteen miles further up the river, have been given the go-ahead. Work is to start next year and completion is scheduled by the end of 2008. Combined with the recently opened eastern Link Road, it means that through traffic will no longer pass through the town of Kincardine. The route was selected with particular care to minimise any impacts on the saltmarsh and mudflats at Kincardine that form part of the internationally important bird feeding grounds in the Forth Estuary. The new crossing will start with a flyover at Bowtrees roundabout at the end of the M876 and pass through the coal yards of a disused power station. The illustration shows the existing Kincardine Bridge.
Scotland's First Marine Park The coastline of mainland Scotland is 6,200 miles long so it is surprising that the idea of a marine park has not surfaced before. Now, however, the Scottish Executive has asked Scottish Natural Heritage to draw up a report on such a proposal - and identify where it should be. Pilot projects have been launched in Shetland, on the Clyde and at St Abbs Head in Berwickshire but the site of a national marine park could cover both land and sea and may come under the same legislation that covers the Cairngorm and Loch Lomond parks. The announcement came in the same week as a report was published by the Marine Conservation society which says that the sightings of basking sharks in Scottish waters has increased by 65% over the last four years. This is due to plankton on which they feed spreading northwards with rising sea temperatures resulting from global warming. Basking sharks can reach 11 metres in length and weigh up to seven tonnes.
Degree of Success for Prince William Prince William, second in line to the throne, will graduate from St Andrews University later this month after achieving an upper-second class degree in geography, the highest result achieved by any member of the royal family in recent times. He had been hoping for this result as his grades indicated that this was likely, but a lot depended on his final year dissertation - on the coral reefs of Rodriguez in the Indian Ocean. The prince will be 23 next week and the Queen and Prince Philip will be attending the graduation ceremony at St Andrews. The illustration shows St Salvator college where Prince William first lodged when he went to St Andrews University.
Edinburgh Motorists Now Need a Tape Measure Proposals from Edinburgh City Council will mean that any cars parked more than twelve inches from the kerb would be liable for a parking fine. There have been recent cases in the city where fire engines have not been able to get through streets where cars are double parked (though this was outside the meter zone) and cars parked sloppily have caused obstructions too. The new rules would apply on roads within the capital. It is estimated that almost a third of cars are parked more than a foot from the pavement. Motoring organisations agreed that irresponsible parking could not be condoned, but they pointed out that there is a chronic lack of parking spaces in Edinburgh. That can often lead to drivers attempting to park in restricted spaces.
Weather in Scotland This Week Temperatures hovered around 15/16C (59/61F) for much of the week but on Friday the thermometer rose and reached a pleasant 21C (70F) in Edinburgh and nearly that in other parts of the country. Sunshine was in short supply again this week, though Aberdeen recorded 6.7 hours on Friday. 18 hours of heavy rain in Moray on Monday raised the spectre of flooding, similar to that in 1997 and 2003 but fortunately the rain eased off and the rivers subsided.
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Post by smudger on Jun 22, 2005 7:38:42 GMT 10
Wow Elly as i read the title "march to Gleneagles " , it brought back memories for me . In the sense of during my High School years , i was so often at Gleneagles working as a caddie .
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Elly
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Post by Elly on Jun 23, 2005 18:56:50 GMT 10
Wow Elly as i read the title "march to Gleneagles " , it brought back memories for me . In the sense of during my High School years , i was so often at Gleneagles working as a caddie . Really, I bet that was an interesting experience I heard about that conference being held at home but just assumed it was in Edinburgh
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Post by LLady on Jun 26, 2005 23:50:39 GMT 10
Prestonfield place for Romance
Prestonfield, a 17th century mansion in Edinburgh has won the Room for Romance Hotel of the Year award for 2005. Room for Romance is the definitive guide to romantic get aways in the UK and Ireland. Prestonfield's damask and velvet decor beat off 140 castles, manors, inns and mountain hideaways to win the much coveted awars.
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Elly
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Post by Elly on Jul 4, 2005 20:22:24 GMT 10
Making Poverty History Over 200,000 people are estimated to have marched through the streets of Edinburgh on Saturday in support of the "Make Poverty History" campaign to alleviate the plight of those living and dying in appalling conditions in many parts of Africa. A spokesman for Edinburgh City Council described the crowd as "extremely good-natured". The march coincided with the Live 8 concerts in London and in cities across the world in which top entertainers head up concerts which are likely to be watched by billions of people on TV. On Monday, a "Carnival for Full Enjoyment" is planned by anarchists targeting Job Centres and Edinburgh's financial district. On the same day, a blockade has been planned for the Royal Navy's nuclear submarine base at Faslane on the Clyde. On Tuesday, a "Global Warming 8" summit is being organised by Friends of the Earth at Our Dynamic Earth visitor attraction in Edinburgh. On Wednesday, there is a Live 8 concert at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh and on Thursday there is an Aids/HIV rally in Princes Street. Of course, all these activities are being prompted by the G8 summit itself is taking place at Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire from Wednesday 6th to Friday 8th July. The heads of government from the United Kingdom, France, Russia, Germany, USA, Japan, Italy and Canada will be participating and all these marches, demonstrations and concerts are being held to encourage them to address the issues of world poverty and global warming. A march is planned to the edge of the grounds of Gleneagles Hotel from nearby Auchterarder while the anarchist Dissent! network is planning to disrupt the conference with blockades and protests.
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Post by dreamy on Jul 7, 2005 2:55:19 GMT 10
Anti-G8 protestors enter a field at Gleneagles shortly before attempts were made to storm the fence. Picture: Getty Images Gleneagles fence breached by protesters Liam Paterson and Will Springer Several hundred G8 protesters have made a concerted effort to storm the perimeter fence surrounding the G8 summit at Gleneagles. Riot police and mounted officers charged the crowd as attempts were made to set fire to a police watchtower. Reinforcements of riot police were rapidly flown to the site by helicopter. As the police formed a cordon round the damaged area of fence, a sit-down protest started and a stand-off situation began to ensue. The group who attacked the fence had broken off from the official march and represent the first sign of trouble at the site of the G8 summit itself. The official anti-G8 march on Gleneagles took place after it was previously cancelled on the grounds of 'public safety' following outbreaks of violence in Stirling and Auchterarder. Numerous complaints were made about the earlier decision with many feeling that the cancellation would be seen as provocative. However, following a round of negotiations between anti-G8 groups and police, the go-ahead was given, although only protesters already within a sealed-off area around Auchterarder were allowed to take part. The 4,000 marchers, holding banners, chanting and accompanied by a piper, made their way to the Gleneagles perimeter fence where they began their protest. The march was led by lawyer Aamer Anwar, SSP leader Colin Fox and Respect MP George Galloway. Mr Galloway commented: "When, exactly, did this become a police state? When did the police get the power to call off demonstrations here in this free country of ours?...If they [the police] wanted to do the human race a favour, they should march into Gleneagles and arrest the whole gang of them." Peter Wilson, the chief constable of Fife Constabulary, described the decision to allow the march to proceed as "very difficult". He felt, however, that there had been a "reasonable guarantee" of a peaceful protest, although he made it clear that his sympathies with the protesters demands to march had to be weighed against the rights of the local citizens. In Edinburgh, approximately 300 protesters who had been turned back from Auchterarder gathered on Princes Street and blocked traffic. Later a smaller group broke away from police and ran up Cockburn Street chased by officers. Control was soon regained and the crowd were moved up South Bridge toward the University area. Police confront protestors near the fence. Picture: Getty Images Earlier trouble in the G8 zone included: • About 200 people dressed in hooded tops with scarves obscuring their faces barricaded roads and hurled missiles at police in Stirling. Cars and shop windows were damaged. A spokesman for Central Scotland Police described the actions as "isolated incidents". There were two arrests. • Several police officers have required hospital treatment following the Stirling confrontations. Seven police have since been released. Their injuries are believed to be minor. • Near Stirling, about 30 demonstraters took part in a blockade on the M9, forcing shut the main north-south motorway. Police have warned motorists to avoid the area leading to Gleneagles Hotel, the summit venue. Heavy disruption is predicted around the A91 in Bannockburn, near Stirling, with traffic being diverted. • Around 50 so-called eco-warriors blockaded a bridge between the town of Crieff, where American delegates are understood to be staying at a top hotel, and Auchterarder. The group used tree trunks and branches to block either end of the bridge and held up a sign stating: "G8 Democracy has to wait". The town of Auchterarder has since been sealed off by Police. • In Edinburgh, at least 200 police encircled most of the main Exchange financial district, which includes the headquarters of the Clydesdale Bank, Standard Life Group and Scottish Widows, from about 6am. Uniformed officers with small riot shields close at hand had closed off all the entry points to the area although workers were allowed to go through on foot (source: TheScotsman.com)
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Post by LLady on Jul 8, 2005 3:35:58 GMT 10
Aberdeen Considers Rickshaws
Last winter, Aberdeen councillors debated the merits of adding to the city's transportation options. The proposal under consideration called for an initial fleet of 25, with additional numbers added if the experiment proved successful. Although clearly a plus for tourism and the environment. some councillors worried about safety issues, so the licensing committee voted 7-6 for a more detailed assessment of the idea.
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Post by andi on Aug 5, 2005 17:38:17 GMT 10
Rise of the home-owning surferHOME-OWNING, web-surfing Scots with access to two cars are on the increase, according to a survey published yesterday. Nearly two-thirds - 65 per cent - of Scottish households are owner-occupiers, with the most noticeable rise being those who now own their properties outright. In 1999 the figure was 23 per cent. It has risen by one percentage point every year since then, reaching 28 per cent last year. The larger group of owner-occupiers, those still paying a mortgage or other loan on the property, has remained steady - at 37 per cent in 2004 compared to 38 per cent in 1999. Just over a quarter - 27 per cent - of households were renting from a social landlord last year and 6 per cent from a private landlord. The 2003-4 Scottish Household Survey - based on interviews with 30,822 households - suggested tenure type influenced how people felt about their area. Overall, 92 per cent of adults said their area was a "very good" or "fairly good" place to live. Nearly two-thirds of outright owners and over half of those with a mortgage rated their neighbourhood as very good. But only a third of social rented sector tenants did so. The survey also reveals a rise in Scots with internet access in their homes. More than two-fifths - 43 per cent - of households had it in 2004, 2 per cent higher than the year before. Nine in ten households with an annual income above £40,000 had home internet access compared to 17 per cent of those with a yearly income of £6,000 or less. The proportion of households with access to two or more cars has risen from 17.8 per cent since 1999 to 22.9 per cent in 2004. Keith Kintrea, senior lecturer in housing studies at the University of Glasgow, said the latest figures came as no surprise. He said: "What we are seeing is the continuation of trends established around 20 years ago. Outright home ownership, for example, will increase as more people reach an age where they have paid off their mortgage. "The increase in internet access is to be expected with so much of commercial life geared towards it. What was once a marginal interest is now relatively inexpensive and a necessity - try booking a ticket on a budget airline without it. "But we must remember that while the population is spending a lot on leisure, a lot of consumption and the lifestyle which goes with it is underpinned by debt." Recycling is becoming more popular, 59 per cent of households saying they had recycled some glass, paper, metal or plastic in the past month. The survey reveals a quarter of households contain children and just 5 per cent contain five or more people of any age. Just over half - 54 per cent - of Scots adults are married, 8 per cent cohabit with their partner, 20 per cent are single having never been married, 10 per cent are widowed, 5 per cent are divorced and 3 per cent are separated. Households with a bank or building society account have risen since 1999 - from 85.8 per cent to 89.9 per cent. But only half of households have savings or investments. Only 27 per cent of adults smoked in 2004, down from 28 per cent in 2003 and 30 per cent in 1999. thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1730442005
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Post by andi on Aug 5, 2005 17:41:06 GMT 10
Festival to make terror and bombings 'fun'ARTISTS and performers are reacting in many ways to global terrorism in shows at the Edinburgh festivals this year - but some have altered their acts after the London bombings. A Muslim stand-up comedian, the Danish-born Omar Marzouk, has been touring Europe with an act in which he "blows up" his audience with a fake suitcase bomb. The "bomb" is designed by a television special-effects team and explodes on stage, but the Fringe performer is planning to cut the scene following fears it may cause offence. The leading Irish comedian, Andrew Maxwell, said he had originally written a large segment of his show on the theme that it was impossible to have a British suicide bomber. "That was a very key section of my show, about the Britishness of Muslims, more interested in the car and making a cup of tea than extremism," he said. "It was in a nutshell that you would never get a British suicide bomber, that the 'normalness' of British Muslims would preclude them ever being fanatical enough. "The audiences loved it but it proved to be completely wrong and irrelevant." There are at least ten major shows at the Fringe and the Edinburgh International Festival that explore terror. They range from the major opera, the Death of Klinghoffer - about the true-life terrorist murder of an elderly American - to The Wrong Man, a play exploring a family caught in the Irish troubles and written by a former publicist for Sinn Fein. One production, the modern opera Manifest Destiny, shows a suicide bomber putting on his explosive belt. Keith Burstein, the composer, said producers "agonised" over whether to change the show, at St George's West, following the bombings, and will cut the scene if requested. "Our show does have graphic scenes of the ritual dressing of a suicide bomber before his team goes on a mission. "Stress levels have gone up since 7 July, so if the Assembly think it is too upsetting then we will cut the scene." Marzouk's show, War, Terror, and other Fun Stuff, runs at the Pleasance. He said of the "bomb": "People haven't had a problem with it while the terror attacks were going on in Iraq. But it changes when it's close to you, and somehow it seems improper." Performers could face tough questions if they are seen as making light of victims of terror or aiming jibes at Muslims. But Maxwell said yesterday comedians could only respond by being irreverent and funny. He plans to make fun of Londoners' reaction to the bombs. "You can't placate. You have to make fun of them all, the actual terrorists, the government, our leaders, the lot. When there's earnestness and seriousness about, that's where comedians get into the fray." Even at the Pleasance's launch show yesterday, comedian Robin Ince joked that terrorists would be more popular if they put fireworks in their bombs. Danny Morrison, the former IRA member, Maze prisoner, and Sinn Fein PR director, wrote The Wrong Man about a family conflict after the finger of suspicion is pointed at an informer. He said the Fringe needed to tackle the issues of modern life, though he drew sharp differences between IRA terror and al-Qaeda terror, where "the whole point is to take civilian life". "Blowing up a bomb on stage isn't funny," he said. "That sounds sick. The explosion on the Tubes in London and the deaths are very fresh in people's minds and I don't think you can make fun of that." A show entitled Terrorist! The Musical, is about seven unemployed terrorists who decide to become entertainers after George Bush wins the so-called war on terror. Jessica Black, the director of the play, said the show will definitely go ahead. "We have a message to get across. We need to look at why people are doing these things, the idea that people committing terrorist acts are just crazy extremists is inaccurate." The show includes only one Palestinian character - not a suicide bomber - among others ranging from the kidnap victim-turned-terrorist, Patty Hearst, to the London nail bomber, David Copeland. "We look at all sorts of different terrorists. We don't have anyone from al-Qaeda," she said. "We need to look at why and what's going on to make these people give their lives to commit these acts." Other Fringe shows include Guardians, examining the story of the Abu Ghraib prison, while My Pyramids focuses on Private Lyndie England, the US soldier awaiting trial in her homeland. Paul Gudgin, the Fringe director, said: "It is right that performers give their views on terrorism. At this time it is even more pertinent and important for performers to talk about it." thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1730432005
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Elly
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Post by Elly on Aug 8, 2005 3:13:16 GMT 10
Britain's Biggest Landowner Makes a Loss The ninth Duke of Buccleuch (pronounced "Bukloo") who owns 270,000 acres of land, mainly in the Scottish Borders, and whose wealth has been estimated by the "Sunday Times" as £65 million, made an operating loss of £3.6 million on the running of his estates. The figures highlight the problems facing rural economies, despite farm subsidies and grants awarded by the UK government and from the European Union. It is argued that a major factor contributing to the problem of agriculture is the low farm gate prices paid by supermarkets. The Buccleuch estates have 220 tenant farmers and employs 1,000 people. It produces annually 127,000 sheep, 13,500 cattle, 18 million litres of milk, 20,000 tonnes of cream and 50,000 tonnes of timber. For many years the duke has opened his historic homes (such as Drumlanrig Castle, pictured here) to the public - the Buccleuch Estates paid over £5.8 million to the Buccleuch Heritage Trust which looks after the upkeep of these historic houses. The Buccleuch Estates are regarded as one of the best-run rural estates in Scotland - and yet still cannot make a profit.
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Elly
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Post by Elly on Aug 8, 2005 3:15:51 GMT 10
For Freedom Alone The latest technology is being used to protect the Declaration of Arbroath when it goes on display as the centrepiece of the "For Freedom Alone" exhibition in the new Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh. Heriot-Watt University has created a purpose-built, hermetically sealed display case which is filled with inert gas to slow the effects which cause organic material to deteriorate. The declaration, drawn up on April 6, 1320 at Arbroath Abbey (see illustration), is in the form of a letter to Pope John XXII declaring the independence of Scotland from England. It famously declares "For it is not glory, it is not riches, neither is it honours, but it is liberty alone that we fight and contend for, which no honest man will lose but with his life." The exhibition will run from August 15 to September 9.
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Post by andi on Aug 31, 2005 4:55:09 GMT 10
Scotland is home to more millionaires than London
SCOTLAND has the wealthiest neighbourhoods in Britain, a new survey of millionaires' postcodes shows. The research reveals that four of the top ten millionaires' neighbourhoods in the UK are north of the Border. The figures show districts of Edinburgh and Aberdeen contain more residents in the financial elite than any area in London. The top postcode for millionaires in the UK is EH4 in Edinburgh, which includes Blackhall and Barnton. EH4 is the home of 277 millionaires and is followed in second place by AB15 in Aberdeen, which contains 240 of them living in the Blacktop, Kingswells and Fairley districts. Bearsden near Glasgow came seventh in the list, with 176 millionaires, while EH10 - Morningside in Edinburgh - was fifth, with 215. The Millionaire Neighbourhood Report features the top 100 postcode areas where the UK's millionaires reside. Hampstead, the top London area, appears in third position - behind the two top Scots addresses. news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1843892005
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