Fetlar is probably most renowned by bird-watchers for the snowy owls found nesting at Stackaberg in 1967. Unfortunately, the cantankerous old male, having driven off all the young suitors, died of old age in 1975 and left several morose females without
NOT since the era of Babe Didriksen and Fanny Blankers-Koen has there been a female athlete of such outstanding potential as the American, Marion Jones, who confirmed yesterday that she not only wants to upstage Carl Lewis and Jesse Owens by winning
A professional housebreaker, who had already committed a string of burglaries in England, was jailed for three-and-a-half years yesterday for cross-Border raids on secluded country houses. One of the mansions targeted by Grant Curley belonged to the
Sir Alan Glyn, former Tory MP; born September 26, 1918, died May 4, 1998 Sir Alan Glyn, who has died at the age of 79, was one of those figures in British politics whose achievements failed to match their promise. An assiduous attender in the House
The man who designed Dounreay's famous ''golf-ball'' sphere has died at the age of 86. The 135ft-high steel sphere was built in the late 1950s to house the world's first fast-breeder reactor on the site of a former airfield
IN a hundred years' time, when New Labour is so old it will have grown whiskers, no-one will remember a single Tony Blair soundbite. So a tip to the spin doctors: identify the Prime Minister with a fashion accessory - lots to choose from in the
houseplant abutilon pictum ''Thompsonii'' The Abutilons have the vernacular name of flowering maples because of their maple-like leaves. It will come as no surprise then that the form Abutilon pictum ''Thompsonii'&apos
the word stimulation derives from the word stimulus. The latter comes from an original Latin root, for which one dictionary offers a number of interesting early translations, including ''a goad used for driving cattle or slaves''
CELTIC'S departing head coach, Wim Jansen, yesterday set out his side of what has turned out to be a bitter war of words between the man who led Celtic to their first championship for 10 years and his employers. Before the day was out, general
I CAN confirm from my own personal experience that the marking practices in universities are less than intellectually rigorous. In one instance I know that the marks of a student from overseas were adjusted from a fail to a pass on the basis that she
SHARES in Allied Carpets hit the floor yesterday after the company warned that trading had deteriorated recently and that, in particular, the Easter and first Bank Holiday in May were substantially below expectations. Some 47p, or 34%, was knocked off
q Scotland booked their place in the finals through the European Nations Cup in Holland (1995), a preliminary round tournament in Port of Spain, Trinidad (1996) and a final qualifying tournament at Harare, Zimbabwe (1997). They go into the tournament
Questions answered by RE Dundas, Christopher Sims and Aidan O'Carroll q I am getting increasingly irritated by the junk faxes I am receiving, usually from organisations plugging information by premium rate phone or fax or trying to sell products
IT is no secret that I am not a fan of former WBO super-middleweight champion Chris Eubank. In fact, even when he was at his best I rated him no better than an average fighter, who sold tickets more for his showmanship than for his boxing. His strutting
THE art of autobiography is sometimes one of concealment. It is often what the subject does not say which fascinates rather than the bland outpourings of what they commit to paper. It would be naive to approach Craig Brown: The Autobiography (Virgin,
THE foreign legion which invades the Scottish Cup final today includes two Italian players who have an old score to settle. Lorenzo Amoruso, of Rangers, will come up against Hearts' Stefano Salvatori, both men already having met in an Italian
MORE than 1000 Republican supporters, accompanied by up to six bands, will parade through the centre of Edinburgh at the end of this month. Edinburgh City Licensing Committee yesterday gave permission for the annual James Connolly Society march and rally
THE wrath of the Office of Fair Trading director-general John Bridgeman has descended upon Northern Rock. Bridgeman has accused the Newcastle-based bank of taking a cavalier attitude towards savers after the former building society decided to restructure
THE NPI Social Index has been launched as the first UK attempt to quantify the proposition that corporate responsibility is a driver of financial out-performance. The index of 158 companies resembles the FTSE-100 in capitalisation and sectoral structure
Allan Laing looks at the life of a hellraiser who took on the world. ON a clear day, you can see the Manhattan Skyline from the blue-collar town of Hoboken, New Jersey. Way back in the Depression years, a local kid, skinny with big ears, would often
Conference A ALTHOUGH the season is still in its infancy, ominous trends are beginning to develop. Grange have reeled off three straight victories without ever looking seriously extended and only Heriot's are still up there with them having won
That printmaker extraordinaire, Willie Rodger, has discovered Italy. Never much one for travelling before, he has discovered the taste for it and brought back a bejewelled and mysterious series of paintings which oscillate between the very human sport
AT the Woodside Stadium, Watford, today a number of leading Scottish male athletes will sail into action for the first time this season hoping to fire the first salvoes in their bid for selection for the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in September
QUEUING in the forecourt shop while deciding not to buy a Dunkin Donut, flapjack, gallon of cola, barbecue lighters or a limp loaf of bread may soon be a joy of the past. Forecourt visitors will soon be able to miss out the shop altogether thanks to
Squash: In recent years, a concern within Scottish squash has been the drop-out rate among promising young players. So it is encouraging to have Edinburgh Sports Club's Sally Morton reverse the trend. Morton played for Scotland at Under-16 and Under
I HAVE watched with concern the growing controversy surrounding the proposed football stadium and retail development at Douglas Park, Hamilton, and would be more than happy to step in and organise a public meeting to explain to Hamilton Accies'
STUDENTS have been lining up to cash in on a university scientist's research: instead of being up all night studying, they can lie down all night sleeping. Dr Robert Thurneer, of Edinburgh University, has been offering #50-a-night for volunteers
STAGECOACH was celebrating on two fronts yesterday, as the chances of harsh regulation of its train-leasing operations faded and New Zealand's monopolies watchdog removed its earlier block on the group buying Auckland's Yellow Bus. The Perth-based
RANGERS will go in to today's Scottish Cup final determined to bring a happy end to what has been, by the standards they have set themselves for many years, a disappointing season. It will also be a swansong for many of the players who have been
''THE most stupid right wing in the world'' is an old insult, frequently applied with a masochistic touch of humour to France's divided and scrappy conservative parties. A couple of weeks ago, in an attempt to drum up public
Just as the hopeful unemployed describe themselves as ''between jobs'', the organisers from the Clyde Cruising Club and the 231 crews at Scotland's premier annual race series will be hoping that the prestigous regatta is merely
YOUR front-page report and pictures (May 14) reveal that MPs Dennis Canavan, Michael Connarty, and Ian Davidson together with Scottish Office special adviser Murray Elder are likely to be rejected as Labour candidates for the Scottish Parliament. Your
Harry McGurk, psychologist; born February 23, 1936, died April 17, 1998 Harry McGurk was born and raised in Hillington, Glasgow, where he was a keen member of Jim Currie's congregation and a prominent member of the Youth Associates of the Iona
MAN of many clubs Danny Diver is hoping another OVD Junior Cup final triumph for Pollok will take away the bitter disappointment of having his season punctuated by suspension. The 31-year-old, whose senior career has taken him to St Mirren, Ayr United
SHEIKH Mohammed is now in the delicious position of having to make a serious choice between his Derby candidates. He holds the nap hand, and with it a stranglehold on the ante-post betting, thanks to his talented filly Cape Verdi. She is currently favourite
Birds Eye is up-dating its original 1970s TV commercials for beefburgers featuring a lovelorn girl and a boy. The new TV advertising campaign, which starts next week and stars Scary Spice's nine-year-old cousin Christian Cooke, right. The 1970s
THE Brussels Commission announced a clampdown on rogue trawlers yesterday in a bid to curb over-fishing in European Union waters. A package of measures aims to close existing loopholes which vessels exploit to catch more than their allowed quota of fish
A HUMAN tragedy which has remained buried for nearly 1000 years has been uncovered on a building site in the East of Scotland. A burial ground containing the skeletons of more than a dozen young children and babies has been unearthed by archaeologists
A persistent beggar who alarmed elderly women in one of Glasgow's busiest streets was not committing a breach of the peace, three of Scotland's senior judges have ruled. They said begging itself was not a breach of the peace and whether it
A hillwalker may have been struck by lightning in a fierce electric storm over Wester Ross on Thursday. His body was found 3700 feet up in the Fannich Hills near Ullapool on Friday afternoon by rescuers after a search by more than 50 volunteers from
DESPERATE rescuers used a tractor in a vain bid to free a boy trapped in the wreckage of a crashed helicopter, a court heard yesterday. The helicopter had tried to land in a field when its windscreen had misted up, but it was full of sheep. Pilot Robert
Kenny Dalglish, the Newcastle United manager, will walk out on to Wembley yet again this afternoon in the climax to a season which began so brightly and then withered into inconsistency. Yet as the Scot himself points out, the season has not been one
POLICE were yesterday treating as suspicious a tenement blaze in which two people were injured. Ms Angela Hall, 35, and Mr Paul Bell, 23, were taken to hospital suffering from the effects of smoke following the fire at Patrick Finn Court, Cumnock, Ayrshire
ONE irrefutable fact emerges from The Herald investigation into prostitution: the complexity of the problem, even in a country as small as our own. We deceive ourselves if we pretend to believe in a monolithic prostitution that needs only one solution
RETIRED industrial chemist is planning to abseil down the Wallace monument in Stirling at the age of 87, becoming the oldest person to tackle the monument. Mr John Hatton, of Muckhart Road, Dollar, a cross-country runner and hill walker for more than
The run-in to the end of the season season is likely to be overshadowed by indiscipline. An Oban Celtic player, recently returned from a four-year ban which was reduced to one year, has been ordered off and will now face the wrath of the game's
Kelso coach Bruce Rutherford still hopes to be at Pennypit Park in Prestonpans for his side's Tennent's Velvet Premiership play-off against Heriot's FP, despite suffering a heart scare in midweek. As his squad trained, Rutherford spent
THE war between rival motoring organisations stepped up a gear yesterday when a new player appeared on the scene and claimed it would offer a breakdown and recovery service up to 50% cheaper than the market leaders. Direct Line said it was throwing down
A MOTORIST who ruined a police officer's life and threatened his career by driving a car at him was jailed for five years yesterday. The court had heard that Paul Sheridan, 23, maintained all his problems stemmed from eating Spam at school. However
A prisoner found dead at Perth prison is believed to have taken his own life. The body of Ian Watt, 33, from Coatbridge, serving seven months for theft, was found in his cell yesterday. He is believed to have been found hanging. There will be a fatal
Learner drivers could face a longer test on higher-speed roads from spring 1999, the Government announced yesterday. The new test could also see the scrapping of such moves as reversing round a corner. Announcing a period of consultation on the changes
Cricket: Scottish Cup Penicuik have been forced to abandon the chase for Pakistani batsman Sajid Ali. The ambitious Border League side had hoped to lure the former Poloc player after their original professional, West Indian Adrian Murphy, was refused
SELF-RELIANCE may not always involve surviving on a desert island with only a tin opener and an elastic band, but it is always a life-enhancing quality. It's more than physical sustenance; it's more than financial or even emotional independence
If you fail to bite bullets and leave them lying around in a room in which things get heated, don't be surprised if eventually some of them go off or are aimed at people. That's one way of describing what has been going on in the Church of
AN educated guess suggests that if Marilyn Orcharton were to be presented with the concept of the half-empty glass and the half-full one, she would reach straight for the latter. She would probably market it, and while making a cool million out of the
SCOTTISHPOWER's chief executive, Ian Robinson, left, and his wife yesterday made a near-#600,000 profit on the exercise of share options and immediately realised most of it in cash. Ian Robinson exercised options to purchase 286,457 shares at 335p
TWO cabinets snapped up for #50 by at a Glasgow second-hand shop by Kate Bennett, 41, from Helensburgh, and later found to be by Charles Rennie Mackintosh each fetched #5060 at a Phillips auction in Edinburgh yesterday. Both went to a private collector
A workmate of a young Wick man who died in a harbour tragedy yesterday denied seeing the victim involved in a fight in a nightclub shortly before he went missing. A fatal accident inquiry has heard claims that Kevin MacLeod was assaulted after trouble
So often at school the girls who take an interest in sport are viewed with suspicion. All that running about, getting hot and sweaty, is perceived as a testosterone zone. Boys are welcome to the hurly burly. The PE class is only marginally worse than
David Toulmin (alias John Reid), distinguished author, born July 1, 1913, died May 13, 1998 DAVID Toulmin was a rarity among Scottish writers in that he was born with an undoubted gift for the task yet had to wait until his 60th year before his prose
Snooker Ronnie O'Sullivan was last night said to be ''deeply ashamed'' after failing a random drug test which showed traces of cannabis. O'Sullivan's solicitor Gerard Sinclair confirmed that the player had failed tests
The Princess Royal is to visit a manufacturer of label and labelling equipment this summer to mark its 25th year in business in Scotland. Princess Anne will tour the Weber Marking Systems factory at Macmerry industrial estate, East Lothian, on July
ANGLO-Norwegian shipping and construction giant Kvaerner said yesterday that unchanged first-quarter results for 1998 were unsatisfactory. The company, which owns the Govan shipbuilding yard, reported pre-tax profits of 224 million crowns (#18.4m) whereas
Alex Salmond may be jockeying for position with Donald Dewar in a two-horse race to be Scotland's First Minister, but yesterday in Edinburgh he was celebrating a very different winning streak as The Herald's racing tipster. When he took over
THE #2200m West Coast main line modernisation moved ahead yesterday with news that US engineering giant Brown & Root is to join Railtrack in managing one of Britain's most challenging engineering projects. It was also disclosed that GEC Alsthom
n Big Night (15) (Columbia Tristar, available to rent/buy - #12.99 - from Monday) Set in New Jersey in the Eisenhower years, this gentle, melancholic comedy tells the story of two Italian immigrant brothers, Primo (Tony Shalhoub) and Secondo (Stanley
folk/rock SMITHEREENS, NICK HARPER (QUIXOTIC) Were success earned purely on singing, songwriting and guitar playing talent, Harper would be a megastar. Produced by Squeeze's Glenn Tilbrook, this tightly-focused, band-based third album courts mainstream
Glasgow District 29 (preliminary round): Singles - Weir Recreation 21, Templeton 8; Clarkston 21, Queen's Park 6, King's Park 21, Cambuslang 17; Stamperland 21, Kingswood 19; Overtoun Park 21, Cathcart 9; Kirkhill 21, Giffnock 12; Castlemilk
TONY Blair at the G8 Summit in Birmingham yesterday stepped up the pressure on the Indian Government to commit itself to no more nuclear testing, while at the same time trying to lessen the tensions between India and the United States. The Prime Minister
IF dedication, commitment and leadership were the principal criteria for success in the international sports arena, then the International Hockey Federation could inscribe Scotland's name on the World Cup prior to the commencement of 13 days of
The King's Own Scottish Borderers line up at Holyrood Palace to salute the Lord High Commissioner, Lord Hogg of Cumbernauld, who will be attending the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which starts today.
External relations director at St Andrews University, Mr Peter King - the most senior non-academic employee at Scotland's oldest university - has been suspended from his post, although mystery still surrounds the full circumstances of the decision
qTHE final meeting on the Northern area schedule of the year takes place at Corbridge today, writes Gordon Brown. Having supervised her first evening card of 1998 last night, Hamilton Park chief executive Hazel Dudgeon turns her attentions to the Open
A drugs courier who was caught with nearly #5000 worth of cannabis took deadly revenge on a man he thought ''grassed '' on him to police. Andrew Gillon hacked his former friend Gary Johnstone to death with a spade, chopping part of
n Omnibus: Jeffrey Archer - the Self-Made Man (BBC1, Wednesday) n Berkeley Square (BBC1, Sunday) n Hidden Hollywood (C4, Sunday) n Tee Time (C4, Tuesday) THE most telling moment in Omnibus: Jeffrey Archer - the Self-Made Man (BBC1, Wednesday) came when
On April 25, you carried a letter by AB of Glasgow, about finding work. I was in a similar situation eight months ago, and feel able to offer some constructive advice. Firstly, AB should not give up hope. It only takes one successful application to get
Just over one month ago you published several letters regarding the destruction of large parts of Ayrshire through opencast mining and the part played by the ruling Labour Group of East Ayrshire Council in the granting of planning applications to allow
The complexity of living with the ancient system of crofting no longer fits the needs of a modern democracy, says Iain Macaskill Smith, who argues for land reform. Land reform is a difficult and controversial subject. It arouses strong emotions even
A cleaner at a private school for girls, who was caught with a large amount of cocaine and amphetamine in her home, walked free from court yesterday. A jury returned majority not proven verdicts on charges that Ms Elaine Riley, 37, possessed the drugs
As we walk through our city centres and detect ahead the presence of a beggar asking for money, we invariably manage to find something much more interesting to engage our attention. The sky, for instance. Anything to avoid a meeting of eyes and an inevitable
REPRESENTATIVES of the community-led Knoydart Foundation yesterday tried to persuade the Bank of Scotland to call in some of Knoydart estate's reported #1.4m debts to force the new owners to put it back on the market. Meanwhile, one of them, Mr
A MAJOR display of grass cutting, harvest-ing, baling and wrapping equipment will be staged at ScotGrass '98. The event, is being held at Douganhill and Chapelcroft farms, near Castle Douglas, on May 28. The organisers plan to harvest 100
THE complaints emanating from North Charlotte Street of typical English bias from the BBC echo with the familiar sounds of SNP paranoia. When Question Time last visited Glasgow neither the Scottish Conservative Party not the Liberal Democrats were represented
THE Chrysalis entertainment group will be busy over the next few months with a clutch of promising new television series. They include the new Australian serial drama Breakers, which has been sold to 18 countries and will be shown on BBC1 this autumn
Week seven of the NFL Europe League and the Scottish Claymores are in the unusual position of playing mainly for pride at Murrayfield against England Monarchs tomorrow. While both of the British teams still have a mathematical chance of reaching next
BERNARD Kilkenny and I sat in the Corradino Sports Pavilion in Malta, and watched the match which was being played out on the court before us. The teams involved were Iceland and San Marino and they were trying to smash each other off the court. It was
LUDICROUSLY, the gentle art of tickling trout is to be outlawed in England and Wales under by-laws introduced by the Environment Agency. South of the Border, the childhood pursuit of tickling is to be made illegal and punishable by fines of up to #2000
A SCOTTISH appeal for blood donors will be launched in a fortnight's time - all because of a football match on June 10. Blood transfusion authorities are not suggesting that the Scotland versus Brazil World Cup match is going to lead to bloodshed
ABOUT 4000 Railtrack workers belonging to the biggest rail union, the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), have rejected an inflation-breaking two-year pay deal and will be sending officials back to demand more. It seems the staff, who include signalworkers
JAMES Graham, development director of the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society, is to succeed Ed Rainy Brown as chief executive. Brown is joining the National Farmers' Union of Scotland to head its executive team. Graham is an honours graduate
THE Scottish Veterans 10-mile championships at Blairdrummond, Perthshire, tomorrow looks like being a close encounter with several riders in this age-related handicap event in contention. Leading the G-force gang (those aged 70 and over) is the remarkable
Scots racing ace John Cleland has thrown down the gauntlet to the young pretenders in the Auto Trader British Touring Car Championship ahead of tomorrow's double header at Brands Hatch. ''Come and beat us if you can,'' the 45
jazz AIN'T IT NICE? - THE RECORDINGS OF ALEX HILL (TIMELESS HISTORICAL, CBC1-050 JAZZ) Alex Hill, who died at the age of 30 in 1937, was a respected pianist as well as the prolific composer and arranger of many a jazz classic. Although forgotten
Margaret, 39, from Glasgow, sent in this week's dream, which she says has recurred many times. Margaret, who has written a novel, says that more than anything else in the world, she would love to get it published. This dream illustrates exactly
LISTENING to the Eurovision Song Contest live on Radio 2 without the distraction of the naff costumes, and the distracting enjoyment of boom booma boom dance routines of the predominantly style-free contestants, without Wogan's irreverent ridicule
AS Rangers and Hearts prepare to lock horns for the fifth time this season, in today's Scottish Cup final, there is one man inside Ibrox who could be forgiven for lending equal support to both sides on show at Parkhead. Sandy Jardine, who for the
It is 11.00am in the vaulted kitchen of Floors Castle in Kelso. Coffee comes with shortbread, scones, butter and jam. The shortbread is crisp, buttery and melting but it is the scone which jolts my senses. A rare find. The perfect scone! When the late
Today's Scottish Cup final at Parkhead will be the twenty-seventh meeting of Hearts and Rangers in the competition. Below are the previous East v West clashes between the pair. 1895 - Rangers 1, Hearts 2 (first round). 1899 - Rangers 4, Hearts 1
Pop icon is a phrase that has been applied so promiscuously to so many evanescing stars that it has little, if any, value left. But when it did mean something Frank Sinatra, who crooned his way through 50 years of this century, was its personification
Orienteering: Graham McIntyre, many times a British relay title winner with Bristol in the 80s and currently enjoying a run of good veteran results, makes his return to top-line competition for the Interlopers squad. The Edinburgh team, which also includes
LAST August, attention was being drawn - repeatedly - in this space to the quality of the woodwind music of Richard Strauss. (The reason at the time was that the Chamber Orchestra of Europe soloists, at the Edinburgh Festival, were playing everything
BRITISH Airways was last night standing by to lay on extra flights as the Foreign Office urged Britons to flee Indonesia. A warning was also issued against travelling to the area. There is now a huge exodus of foreigners from the riot-torn country after
MANY private investors are facing a dilemma. They have seen the UK stock market rising strongly over the past three years and don't want to miss out on further gains, but they are nervous about a possible market crash. So what should they do now
qNEVIO Scala, who failed to persuade Paul Lambert to stay on at Borussia Dortmund, where the Italian's season as coach ended in disappointment, is now interested in following the Scottish midfielder to Celtic. The 50-year-old is on the look-out
A RENOWNED artist has turned dream into reality with a painting of Scotland scoring against England in the World Cup final. Glasgow painter Peter Howson, who was born in England but moved to Scotland as a child, has included the work, above, in a special
Athletics: YVONNE Murray, Scotland's Commonwealth 10,000 metres champion, bids to put a nightmare year to rest tomorrow, at the Britannia 10 kilometre race in Glasgow. She was 11 seconds clear at two-thirds distance 12 months ago, and seemed en
AS Scotland prepare to jet off to the United States for the final leg of their World Cup preparations, former international full back Stuart Kennedy reflected on the infamous calamity that was Argentina '78 and how it had all looked so good during
Perceived or real fatness causes more angst in the Western world than all other stressors put together. Everyone from Bridget Jones to Fergie has suffered tortured sessions with the scales, endured months of eating lettuce and cardboard (aka crispbread
In the month of May we can really see plants springing into life. Deciduous trees are laden with leaves again, clumps of herbaceous are putting up plenty of strong new shoots and the grass now needs its regular weekly cutting. Of course this also means
Murdo MacLeod assesses the finalists When Richard Gough is in the side he gives the rest a lift. He is the original leader-type and whether he plays well or not so well his presence gives players a boost FEW people have given the two cup finalists
It was 1972. The Very Rev Ronald Selby-Wright was presiding over the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland when a young, newly-ordained minister fresh from his Clackmannanshire parish experienced for the first time the atmosphere of the Kirk&apos
LAST week in Skye, near Kilmahog, I heard, quite clearly, a cuckoo. The last time I reported a first hearing in your letters columns, there was a deluge of letters, all claiming to have heard the cuckoo before me. No doubt the same will happen this year
Colours inspired by ocean and shoreline . . . fabrics light as a sea breeze. Engagingly fragile and beguilingly feminine, Giorgio Armani's spellbinding Emporio womenswear collection for spring/summer 1998 evokes all the romance and mystery of the
Call us bleeding-heart liberals if you like, but there was a case at Falkirk Sheriff Court on Thursday that would have softened even the hardest heart towards the time-honoured plea in mitigation that ''Society is to blame''. (If
Robert (Bob) Ruthven, teacher; born April 2, 1917, died May 5, 1998 Born into a West of Scotland farming family, Robert (Bob) Ruthven decided that a life on the land was not for him. Some prominent people have cause to be grateful for that decision
jazz LATE SPOT AT SCOTT'S, TUBBY HAYES QUINTET (REDIAL) Fetching #300 on vinyl, but released on CD at a tenner, this 1962 session not only supports all claims for Hayes' massive individual abilities, but with trumpeter Jimmy Deuchar and pianist
In case you haven't already stumbled across it, there is a brilliant new range of bath and body products in larger Boots stores just now. Altro products are made by 4W, the company which created the cult Mio Essential Fragrances, and like Mio, Altro
The RSNO moved out of their usual stamping grounds for the first in a four-concert tour of less-frequented venues, and attracted a good (but less than full) house for their trouble. The programme of well-established repertory works was conducted by the
Built around 1914, this detached house was designed in the Art Nouveau style of the period, much of which is still evident in the fireplaces, windows and cornice work. In the intervening years the house has been extended in keeping with the character
WHEN the presidency of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club moves from Andrew Stevenson to Ken Scott halfway through the governing body's annual meeting in Perth on Wednesday, circumstances have contrived to ensure that Stevenson will be handing on
WHILE the likes of you and I are quite possibly still wondering what to do with the personal equity plan (Pep) ration for this year, those far-seeing chaps the fund managers are worrying about the new individual savings accounts (Isas) which will replace
Murray Ritchie toasts a paper making the news itself. For a tiny newspaper it began life with an impressively grand masthead - the Eskdale and Liddesdale Advertiser and Monthly Journal. Tomorrow the first penny newspaper in Scotland is 150 years old
THE suitcases are packed and ready to go but the next destination on the comeback tour of Ross Matheson is a matter of much speculation and will be totally dependent on his financial situation. Which is why the 27-year-old Glaswegian - and three other
Wigtown in South-west Scotland will today be officially launched as Scotland's first book town. Ten booksellers already operate from Wigtown on the Solway coast which has a population of around 2000. Exhibitions, displays, talks, workshops and musical
Conference B Anyone who thought West of Scotland would be hampered by the absence of Jason Arnberger, reckoned without the form of the Australian's replacement, Corey Richards. A half-century in each of his first two Conference innings have been
May 16, 1966 AS THE UK's first official strike by seamen for more than a century began to bite, The Herald reported: ''A request by David MacBrayne Ltd that crews be allowed to operate services to the Western Isles to avoid hardship
THE Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has declared its support for the Scotch Quality Beef and Lamb Association's farm assurance scheme, writes Robert Ross. The SSPCA will, in future, co-operate with SQBLA in
ONE of the most impressive financial advertising campaigns belongs to Jupiter. The entrepreneurial fund management group has doubled its share of the Pep market in two years, largely on the back of its performance claims, which nearly always show its
The time, the place: ITV, 1961-1966 - the Golden Age of Gerry Anderson and his greatest creations, Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray, and Thunderbirds. But really: Various 21st-century world-government technological utopias in which all swords had been
THE National Farmers' Union of Scotland and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors in Scotland have added their voices to those advising the Government that the way land is managed is more important than who is the landowner. In its submission
NOW that India's technology has mastered the production of nuclear weapons perhaps India will now devote its efforts to providing drinking water for hundreds of millions of its rural population and the tens of millions who live in abject poverty
LITTLE did I ever think I would bump into the President of the United States on the banks of the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. Well I did. We exchanged pleasantries and he shook my hand as well. It could have been any European city. The sun was shining
AN investigation has been launched into allegations of overcharging and heavy-handed selling techniques in the funeral industry, the Office of Fair Trading announced yesterday. The move comes in the wake of a television documentary this week which claimed
houseplant abutilon pictum ''Thompsonii'' The Abutilons have the vernacular name of flowering maples because of their maple-like leaves. It will come as no surprise then that the form Abutilon pictum ''Thompsonii'&apos
Wallyford is a small village in East Lothian famous for dog racing, mining and being the boyhood home of former Rangers manager Jock Wallace. What many people do not know, however, is that as Wallace was embarking on his managerial career, a young man
AS the stock market once again hit record heights this week, investors are asking if prices can really continue to rise. It is, of course, a conundrum that's cropped up many times, as the FTSE-100 - better known as the Footsie - crashed through
SCOTTISH Industry Minister Brian Wilson yesterday rounded on critics of the Government's inward investment strategy which has been ridiculed following Taiwanese company Lite-On's decision to impose huge redundancies. Clearly smarting over reaction
Welcome to The Herald Magazine's unique Readers' Photograph page. Each week, courtesy of Fujifilm UK Ltd, we will send 10 x 36-exposure rolls of colour film to the amateur photographer whose picture appears on this page. Any of the standard
EDWARD, our Spanish donkey, I suppose you could say, is virtually a pet. He'll strike a photogenic pose in the manse field for visitors to Papa Westray and on demand will set up a suitably extravagant braying. He once caused dismay when a bagpiper
A man who has now been convicted twice of frightening people to their deaths was jailed for five years yesterday. In 1992 an 82-year-old woman suffered a fatal heart attack after John Waldie broke into her home, and in December last year a 33-year-old
AN OPEN LETTER TO FERGUS McCANN AND JOCK BROWN AFTER 10 years of wandering aimlessly in a stewpond of despondency, the Celtic ship has finally reached the shore. And what an overwhelming, if not unprecedented, explosion of emotion it was that so desperately
SHEEP farmers are to get a boost from Brussels to help cope with plunging prices. Support payments for sheepmeat will be increased by as much as 60% to compensate for falling returns. The payment for heavy lambs has been set at just over #18 an animal
SCOTLAND'S Fiona Lothian is using tomorrow's European duathlon championships in Poland as a warm-up for the world long distance title in Zofingen, Switzerland next month. The St Andrews-based athlete has been in fine form recently with victories
ANTI-nuclear campaigners were predicting the beginning of the end for Dounreay's nuclear activities last night following the news that the Government's two main watchdogs are about to launch a major safety audit of the Caithness plant. The
In 1947, a discovery was made in caves at Qumran near Jerusalem that was to astound and fascinate the world. A Bedouin boy, searching for his lost goat, hurled a pebble into a rock fissure in an attempt to chase out the animal. Hearing the sound of breaking
soul THE COMPLETE STAX/VOLT SINGLES 1959-1968, VARIOUS ARTISTS (ATLANTIC) A nine-CD, 244-track boxed set whose awesome historical completeness is enhanced by the inclusion of an informative and lavishly-presented booklet about the record company which
THE #735m Monks Investment Trust has taken advantage of declining interest rates with the issue of #40m of debenture stock, but has no plans to immediately invest the cash. Edinburgh-based fund manager Baillie Gifford intends to eventually spend the
WEST of Scotland Water are at it again. In spite of the assurances given, following the contamination debacle, the company's arrogant approach to its so-called customers has reared its ugly head again, this time in the West End of Glasgow. Residents
IN A busy weekend of sporting action, by far the best of the racing comes from the Lockinge meeting at Newbury this afternoon. Mind you, I won't be watching myself, choosing instead the real pressure of Celtic Park and the Jam Tarts' attempt
Katie Grant on the fear and loathing that betrays a generation Where can I go to be insulted, racially harassed, offended and disgusted? A bookshop? Actually, no. These days one needs look no further than the loos of Glasgow's many educational institutions
Ah'm walkin down the street, the Purple Sage announces. He is, in fact, standing at the bar of The Jury Room. But Gus has always had a Scottish weakness for the historic present. In his stories things haven't merely happened. They continue
AT a public meeting prior to the last General Election a lady sitting next to me asked Labour MP Donald Dewar if he would promise to do away with water quangos if the Labour Party won the General Election. Donald Dewar assured her with a pledge to do
An 11-year-old schoolgirl is heartbroken at the prospect of being forced to hand back the violin she has lovingly learned to play over the past two years. Joanna McCurry's violin is owned by the cash-strapped local education authority that has recently
GLASGOW, 1953. Young guy, ordinary Joe, walks out of the Central Hotel alone, takes a taxi skywards to the Empire Theatre in Sauchiehall Street. Does his set, bit of applause, he leaves. A few years later, Sinatra would have been hard pushed to walk
EXCLUSIVE INMATES at Noranside Prison are today expected to lobby the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland for the reinstatement of controversial former minister Helen Percy as their chaplain. They have written to the General Assembly calling
A MAN cleared of drug dealing yesterday pledged he would apologise to Scotland's most senior judge. Mr Stephen Dormer, 37, said he was writing to say sorry to Lord McCluskey after a court heard that deadly rave drugs were found in a car owned by
AS if foreign holidays were not stressful enough, you have to buy the relevant currency, devise and memorise an equation to prevent you tipping the waiter #50 instead of 50p, and then calculate your spending so that you have just enough left to buy the
BRIAN Meek in his column, Flying high (May 14), makes a very cogent point of the irresponsibility of the Ryanair cabin crew in supplying drink to passengers who were already well-oiled. However, as he says, he has found Ryanair to be ''a very
Badminton: Scotland players will face a ''trial by fire'' before earning their places in Scotland's Commonwealth Games team for Kuala Lumpur in September. National director of coaching Dan Travers wants to assess how his squad
The two boats arguably with the most to prove, pre-race favourites Toshiba and Silk Cut, which overall lie sixth and seventh respectively, continue to duel as they lead the sprint over the final 290 miles to La Rochelle in France and the finish line
l World Cup widows need not stay at home while their other halves do the Tartan Army trek across France. In fact, it's worthwhile following them to France because there are some perks attached to being abandoned by a World Cup fanatic. The Relais
DISTILLERS taking advantage of low cereal prices are at risk of forcing the whisky industry into another scenario of over-production like that which ravaged selling prices between 1980 and 1983. Although supply excesses today are not as high as in the
TWO young girls, aged one and seven, were being treated yesterday for E-coli 0157 poisoning after sharing a meal. Dr Colin Ramsay, consultant in public health medicine with Lothian Health, said: ''The most likely explanation is that the infection
THERE have been only five previous finals, plus the two replays of 1903 played at Celtic Park. Hibernian beat Celtic 1-0 there in 1902. It became a home match for Celtic when the SFA moved the final across the city following the disaster at Ibrox during
COUNCILLORS were urged yesterday to end their squabbling over who pays for the education of children with learning difficulties or those requiring specialist education. The plea came from Cosla chief executive Douglas Sinclair after councillors had failed
Marks & Spencer, which dropped organic fruit and vegetables five years ago, is to bring them back in response to customer demand, it was announced yesterday. Initially only seven products, all from overseas, will be available in stores around London.
THINGS have certainly come together, rather well, since the Curve Foundation faced up to a free preview (earlier this month) with one man injured and some loose choreographic ends in need of tidying. Now, with the company back up to strength - and with
There is nothing quite so acutely gratifying to all your sensory accoutrements as a freshly-plucked bunch of herbs. The term fresh herbs instantly conjures up romantic notions of ye olde walled gardens with ornamental configurations of aromatic plants
Partick Thistle Update Partick Thistle yesterday were at the centre of another major crisis after stunning their fans with financial cutbacks . . . and the outcome was that manager John McVeigh and assistant Peter Hetherston left the club. Not only that
The probe into the 21 E-coli food poisoning deaths heard yesterday of more blunders by food authority watchdogs. In trying to stop the spread of suspect cooked meats from butcher's John M Barr & Son a senior official did not tell his boss that a
Fattorini loves a good action film and recently spent an evening away from the wine engrossed in the Lewis Collins SAS thriller Who Dares Wins. Imagine his surprise then when, 20 minutes into the film, who should appear but Oz Clarke, slurp and gargle
I THOUGHT I had seen the last of Frank Sinatra that July evening of 1990 when he came to Ibrox Stadium to put the ultimate touch of melodic class to Glasgow's Year as European City of Culture. ''He's finished!'' they said
AYRSHIRE farmer Alexander Fergusson was last night selected to contest the Galloway and Upper Nithsdale constituency for the Scottish Conservative Party in the elections to the Scottish Parliament. Mr Fergusson, 49, was educated at Eton and the West
FORTY-two years ago today, playing for Surrey against the Australian tourists at The Oval, Jim Laker performed the amazing feat of taking all 10 wickets in an innings for 88 runs. Ten weeks later he repeated the feat for England in the test match against
RICHARD Booth, founding father of the world-wide ''booktown'' movement, officially opened Booth's Books in Lowmains Street, Dalmellington, yesterday. It is the only branch outside Hay-on-Wye - the Welsh border town he rescued
TEACHERS yesterday demanded greater protection from violent parents amid claims of increasing levels of harassment in school grounds. They also threatened to strike if they were denied the right to exclude disruptive pupils from classrooms. The Government
Mellowed by his young family and immersed in his expanding businesses he may be but Colin Montgomerie yesterday served a timely reminder to his rivals that his inner fires still burn as fiercely as ever. Driving to the Oxfordshire GC as dawn was breaking
PROVOST Patrick O'Neill of West Dunbartonshire died last night. He was 70. The first Provost of West Dunbartonshire and the last of the former Dumbarton District, Mr O'Neill was awarded an OBE for his services to local government in the New
GERALDINE Rees, the first lady to get round in the Grand National when eighth on Cheers in 1982, saddled her first winner as a trainer when Piccolo Cativo landed the opener at Hamilton Park last night. Mrs Rees had only a handful of runners since taking
SCOTTISH doctors were yesterday urged to use more of a cheap drug which scientists have found to be one of the most effective treatments in the fight against breast cancer. Research carried out by Professor Richard Peto, of Oxford University, has shown
CUPS are meant to be filled afresh and to circulate. They are designed to go round. What happens on the park, though, can be a hard rectangular world. However, it takes only a little fond romance to creep into austere record books to give a shout for
The SRU are on the point of agreeing a new long-term deal with sponsors Tennents, covering the entire domestic game. In order to maximise their investment, the company have been eager to extend their involvement to the newly formed super teams as well
A GLASGOW hospital trust yesterday reaffirmed its plans to replace the city's Western Infirmary with a new hospital. West Glasgow Hospitals University Trust, which runs the present infirmary, plans to build the new Western on the Gartnavel General
The most recent American musical to have run for more than two years on Broadway is now here. Rent, a life-enhancing update of La Boheme, has just opened in London. It brings four men from the original cast and excellent they are, too. Anthony Rapp,
PRESIDENT Clinton stepped into the fragile peace process in Northern Ireland again last night with a stark warning to paramilitaries that any return to violence could end the friendly relationship between Ireland and the United States. At the same time
HERIOT-Watt University last night attempted to shoot down ''scurrilous stories'' that students received degrees with less than an aggregate of 40% in exams. The university claimed an exclusive by The Herald's education correspondent
There will be no repeat of the Scottish Cup final rout of two years ago - when a stricken Hearts' team left Hampden in despair after losing 5-1 to Rangers - when the two teams meet again this afternoon at Celtic Park. Nor will there be any repeat
Tea's up: entertainer Jimmy Logan launched Glasgow's biggest ever tea break yesterday by pouring a cuppa for bus driver Robert Wilson. Until May 27, homes and businesses throughout the city are being encouraged to have a charity tea break in
SHARE shops involved in the Thomson Travel flotation are being investigated by the Securities and Futures Authority over administrative errors which caused an estimated tens of thousands of potential investors to miss out. SOCGEN Asset Management has
WHILE our New Labour Government pays lip service to the abolition of the feudal system one of its acolyte councils, West Lothian, is milking the same system for all it is worth. Solicitors have received notification that Labour-controlled West Lothian
THE 56 matches in this season's Tennents Scottish Cup compet-ition have produced 173 goals at an average of 3.09 per game. This is a slightly higher average than that for games throughout Scotland in all competitions this season. q TWO cup games
CHANGES in court procedures, which followed a long campaign by Scottish police bodies over time wasted in court, have freed up the daily equivalent of 300 front-line officers, a Government Minister claimed yesterday. Mr Henry Mcleish, Scottish Home Affairs
I don't know if any of you have read the Hawks newsletter. In the ''chairman's chapter'', a beautifully written piece of elegant English, there is the following fascinating little passage: ''So, what of the future
THE Chairman of the Board has stepped down after a lifetime of taking care of business. Frank Sinatra, the skinny kid from Hoboken, New Jersey, who rose to become the world's greatest entertainer, is dead. He was 82. The ol' blue eyes closed
In the month of May we can really see plants springing into life. Deciduous trees are laden with leaves again, clumps of herbaceous are putting up plenty of strong new shoots and the grass now needs its regular weekly cutting. Of course this also means
Conference C BEWARE of the ''BMW'' in top gear. That was the strident message directed at Clydesdale yesterday from Ayr captain Ian Masterton as he prepared for today's intriguing encounter at Robertson's Field. Opener Bruce
THE price of palladium rose sharply on the London precious metals market yesterday as dealers grew concerned over the suspension of supplies from Russia. The metal was fixed at $392.00 an ounce yesterday afternoon, a new all-time high. Palladium&apos
Who says size doesn't matter in basketball? A player who at the end of last year could not command a place in the starting five of the Edinburgh Burger Kings junior side and will not be 17 until December has been called into the Scotland team for
EXCLUSIVE Grampian's controversial departing chief constable, Dr Ian Oliver, is asking the Joint Police Board to pay the #3000 lawyer's bill he ran up taking advice on how to prevent it forcing him to retire. The Herald understands his request
Despite yet another setback with the health scare suffered by coach Bruce Rutherford ahead of today's vital Premiership play-off, Kelso remain confident they can bounce back in some style at Pennypit Park. The Borders club may have taken part
Hundreds of mourners packed Kirkcaldy crematorium yesterday to say farewell to Scotland's longest serving regional council convener, Mr Bert Gough. The Labour stalwart, who served his beloved Fifers for almost half-a-century and headed Fife Regional
Best Bets Arsenal and Rangers to win the Cup outright. Stake a #10 double at Coral prices (almost 6-4). HOW about Ally McCoist to score first in a 3-1 victory for Rangers in today's cup final against Hearts? The combined first goalscorer and correct
Rob Adams salutes a genius who's taken jazz back to first principles. Although there's been a pretty decent service over the past ten to 15 years, particularly with the establishment of various festivals, appearances by jazz musicians in Scotland
THE South Africans arrive this week and one of the most interesting rivalries in cricket will resume. One of the oldest too, because Sir C Aubrey Smith, destined to play umpteen major-generals and chiefs of police in Hollywood films, had captained an
How do you get rid of someone from your life when they don't want to go? I was engaged to Kenny for two years but finished with him eight months ago because I could not see things working out for us. I have since met someone else and could settle
