Tag Archives: Aberdeen

Scottish Parliament asked to balance the scales of justice

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In a petition backed by comedian Frankie Boyle and author Iain Banks, campaigners called  on the Scottish Parliament this week to investigate the barriers people face when they try to stand up for the environment.

Lego stunt w/Robin Harper: Robin Harper MSP inspects the scales of environmental justice. Robin Harper MSP inspects the scales of environmental justice.On Tuesday 8 November Friends of the Earth Scotland submitted the petition – which raised over 1000 signatures across Scotland and is backed by top lawyers, academics and organisations including SCVO and RSPB Scotland – to members of the Scottish Parliament Public Petitions Committee.

The petition also pointed out that the current situation leaves the Scottish Government in breach of the United Nations ‘Aarhus’ Convention that requires ‘fair, equitable and affordable’ access to justice on environmental matters.

Currently individuals, communities or campaigners face impossible costs to challenge decisions that potentially break environmental law, as demonstrated in the ongoing case against the development of a new coal fired power station in Hunterston, and by Aberdeenshire pensioner Molly Forbes’ wrangle with Trump’s golf development.

Juliet Swann, Head of Projects and Campaigns, said: “For too long, money and power have been seen to outweigh communities and the environment in the legal process. It’s time to tip the scales of justice so that communities and individuals can defend their rights.

“We want to see the barriers to standing up for your environment removed. Communities should not face massive expenses just because they tried to defend their environment. Individuals should not have to cough up tens of thousands of pounds to challenge decisions that could damage Scotland’s environment forever.

“The Scottish Government should introduce legislation enabling individuals, communities and interest groups to access justice in environmental matters without fear of prohibitive cost.”

Frieda’s DVD predicted to be a hit

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Frieda Morrison has added another string to her bow. A year of filming, a year of editing and the result is The Turning of a Year, a unique snapshot of the village of Finzean from harvest 2008 to harvest 2009.

This very special DVD diary was a community project reflecting life in the Deeside community of Finzean.

“Angus and Alison Farquharson asked me to suggest some ideas on how to celebrate their family’s 400th anniversary on Finzean, which happened to co-incide with the Homecoming in 2009,” explained award-winning broadcaster and documentary maker, Frieda Morrison. “I suggested making a video diary of the community during the build up and the year of the event.”

Frieda has lived in the Finzean area for many years. She’s an award-winning journalist and broadcaster with more than 26 years experience of producing programmes for BBC Scotland. During her years producing and presenting radio and television programmes, she has earned the reputation of being one of the country’s most successful broadcasters, winning a Green Bafta and a New York Media Festival Award for her documentaries.

The Finzean project was unlike anything she had tackled before when work began on it in October 2008.

“Angus was my second grip in the first few weeks, but he had other commitments and he was still Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire at the time,” she recalled, adding that this was her first time behind the camera. “I eventually got the hang of it.”

The Turning of a Year was created in music, words and song and records the changing seasons, the folks and their festivities from the farmers’ ball to fireworks and  hogmany to harvest thanksgiving. There are interviews with residents who have lived in Finzean all their days as had their forebears, with those who returned to visit during that year, and with in-aboot comers who have been absorbed into the community. And there’s music.  Fiddler Paul Anderson is there and so is Finzean resident and bothy ballad king Hector Riddell. Frieda wrote the music which accompanies the stunning footage of the spectacular countryside through the seasons and one tune is dedicated to the late Ab Littlejohn whose contribution to the film is so special.

“We recorded some of the music in my house.  One of the rooms has excellent acoustics and invited some of the best musicians in Scotland, many of who live locally, to participate,” Frieda said.  “If you mix Paul Anderson with four part harmony singers, a whistle player and an autoharp player you get a rather special result.”

Another very special feature of the DVD is the amazing quality of light which Frieda captured, as did Joseph Farquharson, an ancestor of the present Farquharson family and a well-known artist whose work remains a favourite Christmas card scene.

A sense of community runs throughout the DVD. “Because the Year of the Homecoming happened to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the Farquharsons of Finzean it was decided to celebrate the occasion by inviting as many people as possible who had been to Finzean school to a garden party at Finzean House,” Angus explained. “400 attended, including some members of the Clan Farquharson Association. A concert in Finzean Hall, a thanksgiving service in Finzean Church and a family picnic were also held to mark a very special weekend. People attended from all over the world and it was all recorded for the DVD.”

There’s something very touching about the finished film and most people who have seen it find themselves welling up at the affectionate look at a genuinely close-knit community.  However it is not a sentimentalised, rose-tinted one of a community set in aspic.  The school role is healthy, there are flourishing businesses such as the farm shop and the water mill. But there is also the feel-good factor so often associated with Sunday-evening television programmes.

While devoting two years of her life to this project, Frieda also completed an MSc in management at the Robert Gordon University Business School and produced a CD of her own songs. She also set up her own website and blog which you can access here.

The DVD will be launched at a gathering in Finzean on November 19 and will be on sale in the farm shop, price  £15.

“The finished result is a personal triumph and will become a classic of its kind,” predicts Angus Farquharson.

Girl Geeks comes to Aberdeen

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A networking organisation for business people interested in technology, creativity and computing has announced the keynote speakers for its latest event, which will be held in Aberdeen later this month.

The Girl Geek Scotland event will take place on Tuesday, November 23, from 6.00pm – 9.30pm at Carmelite Hotel, Stirling Street, Aberdeen and is the third event of its kind to take place in the North-east.

Speaking on the evening will be Jacqueline Davey, Vice President for Business Partner Organisation and Midmarket UKI at IBM.

Jacqueline has worked for IBM for 20 years in a variety of roles, originally joining as company secretary, and then moving on to a technical role as a systems programmer. This led to her securing subsequent senior roles in marketing, sales, sales management, european operations and business leadership.

Jacqueline is the chair of the IBM UK Women’s Leadership Team, responsible for the development and execution of the gender diversity agenda for IBM in the UK. Jacqueline is also a much sought after speaker on the business circuit.

Joining Jacqueline in speaking at the event will be Carolyn Pearson, CEO and founder of maiden-voyage.com.

maiden-voyage.com is a global social network aimed at business women who travel alone. The site gives women the opportunity to arrange to meet up rather than having to spend free time on business trips alone.

In February, maiden-voyage.com won the Business Travel and Meetings Show Innovation Awards and in September, Carolyn was also named Forward Ladies Technology Business Woman of the Year.

Prior to setting up maiden-voyage.com, Carolyn held various senior technology roles, including head of business systems at ITV Productions.

Event organiser, Sheryl Newman, operations director at Aberdeen head-quartered Easthaven Group, which is sponsoring the event, is delighted to be welcoming such influential speakers to the event.

Sheryl said: “We are delighted to have once again secured such a high calibre of speakers and both Carolyn and Jacqueline have got a huge amount of knowledge and experience to share with those who attend.

“Although this is a Girl Geek event, it is definitely not restricted to women and in the past, male attendees have also gained a lot from the experience and we are hoping to see a really strong turn out from across the North-east business community.”

Tickets for the event, which cost £10, are available by visiting www.girlgeekscotland.co.uk or by contacting Sheryl on 01224 289 772.

Girl Geek Scotland is a non-profit networking organisation. The Scottish group was formed in 2009 and has already developed a strong following throughout Aberdeen and the North-east of Scotland.

Easthaven is a global training consultancy which specialises in the design and delivery of learning interventions which are relevant and practical across all industries. The company provides a service designed to suit individual business environments, addressing business goals and ensuring learning is fun and engaging for staff.

Julia cycles for ARCHIE next week

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This is an inspiring story about one charity fundraiser. (And one of the Reporter’s great friends so you see it it’s not what you know…..)

We wonder if there are any of you out there who plan to go on cycling trips or walks? If so get in touch and we will be happy to tell Aberdeen all about your story and why you are raising money for charity!

Or if you are doing anything else for charity then get in touch too – we have a section about charities.

Intrepid Aberdeen mum, Julia McGlashan is set to undertake a mammoth  adventure in November, 2010, where she will cycle 400km from Vietnam to  Cambodia in aid of the ARCHIE Foundation. Julia has already carried out a  series of exciting fundraising events for the challenge since February  2010.
<div>Human Resources Consultant Julia commented, “Last summer my  daughter Cameron (8) was very ill and spent time in the Royal Aberdeen  Childrens Hospital (RACH). After a few weeks they discovered that  Cameron had Osteomyelitis in her arm, which is an infection in the bone.   Following an operation and 10 days of intravenous antibiotics, Cameron  made a great recovery.”</div>
<div>Julia added, “Everybody Cameron and I came into contact with at  Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital was absolutely fantastic and as a  thank you, I have decided to do a Charity cycle from Vietnam to Cambodia  in November this year.  All money raised will go to the ARCHIE  Foundation, which is the official charity for the Royal Aberdeen  Children’s Hospital.”</div>
<div>The challenging cycle route, which is to take six days, will start  from Vietnamese Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City, through the rice paddies  and waterways of the beautiful Mekong Delta into Cambodia. She will  travel through breathtaking rural landscapes, dotted with ruins of  ancient civilisations and small towns where Buddhist temples nestle  amongst French colonial buildings and ramshackle houses.</div>
<div>Julia commented, “It’s the heat and humidity that makes the  challenge so tough.  No matter how hard I train in Aberdeenshire,  nothing will prepare me for the heat!  I have never done anything like  this before and I feel a mix of fear and excitement!”</div>
<div>She added “There are over 20 people doing the cycle but there isn’t  anyone else from Aberdeen and I don’t know any of the other cyclists –  my biggest motivator in my training is that I don’t want to be the  person at the back that everyone is waiting for, so that drives me to do  a 60/70 mile cycle every weekend, and a few shorter cycles during the  week.”</div>
<div>Julia kick started her fundraising by asking for personal  sponsorship from friends and family. The response from this was great  and has continued to come through since she started fundraising in  February 2010.</div>
<div>She mentioned, “People have been so generous – not just friends and  family but also people who I have met who want to support my effort for  ARCHIE.</div>
<div>It was my Dad’s 80th Birthday at the end of January, and instead of  presents my Dad asked for the guests at his birthday celebrations to  contribute to ARCHIE, which raised over £450. This took my fundraising  over my initial target of £3,000 so I doubled my target to £6,000 and  began planning some other events!”</div>
<div>At the end of May, 2010 a dedicated group of friends joined her in a  charity pub-crawl around Aberdeen. They raised over £1,000 and had a  great night out too!</div>
<div>The summer has been fairly quiet but Julia has been busy planning  the next wave of fundraising events.</div>
<div>At the end of August Julia will be opening her house up as a  restaurant where she will provide guests with a 3 course dinner and they  will contribute what they think is a suitable amount to her  fundraising.</div>
<div>She said, “I will provide the food and guests bring their own wine  so 100% of their donations will go to the ARCHIE Foundation. So far I have 4 nights booked which includes, friends, work  colleagues and classmates from Matwork Pilates, and course my daughter  Cameron will be chief waitress on these nights!”</div>
<div>The Grand Finale to her fundraising is in early November when she  will host a Ladies Swishing Party at her house where friends donate  never or seldom worn clothes for sale.</div>
<div>Tickets will cost £10 but guests will be provided with a lunch and a  mini beauty treatment courtesy of a beautician supplied by the B’s  Knees in Oldmeldrum.</div>
<div>Julia commented, “I didn’t have a bike when I signed up for the  charity cycle but one of my friends Helen Turner has given me her bike  for the duration of my training. Although I have invested in a gel seat  and a gel cover to make those long cycles just a little less painful!”</div>
<div>Peter Hutchison, ARCHIE Community Fundraising Manager commented,  “What an extraordinary challenge by an extraordinary person. Julia has  shown fantastic devotion to the ARCHIE Foundation by her series of  fundraising events, and it sounds like she has had a lot of fun at the  same time.”</div>
<div>Should you wish to sponsor Julia, please visit her Justgiving page, <a href=”www.justgiving.com/Julia-McGlashan24″>www.justgiving.com/Julia-McGlashan24</a></div>

Aberdeen Breviary on display at NLS

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Two original copies of the Aberdeen Breviary, Scotland’s first substantial printed book, will go on display in Edinburgh tomorrow (Friday, November 5) to mark the 500th anniversary of its completion.

Dating back to 1510, the copies of this important prayer book will form the centrepieces of the National Library of Scotland’s (NLS) latest ‘treasures’ display together with illuminated manuscripts and some of the earliest printed books brought to Scotland – a not to be missed opportunity to see the two books, held by two different libraries, side by side. One copy belongs to NLS while the other is owned by Aberdeen University Library.

The Aberdeen Breviary was compiled under the direction of Bishop William Elphinstone (Bishop of Aberdeen, founder of Aberdeen’s King’s College and counsellor to James III and James IV) and was designed to be recited by the Scottish clergy throughout the liturgical year.

It is also the book which brought the printing press to Scotland.  The country’s first printers, Walter Chepman and Androw Millar, were granted a patent by James IV in 1507 to ‘bring home a printing press…for printing within our realm’ breviaries and other service books, of which the Aberdeen Breviary was the only one to be printed.

Helen Vincent, Senior Rare Books Curator at the National Library of Scotland, said: “Only five copies of the Aberdeen Breviary are known to survive, along with some fragments – we know of others which are now lost, such as one which vanished from the Scots College in Paris during the French Revolution. This may be the first time these two copies have come together since they sat side by side in Walter Chepman’s printing house five hundred years ago.

“The Aberdeen Breviary illustrates how active the Renaissance was in Scotland. Elphinstone’s engagement of humanist scholars to investigate the lives of Scottish saints, James IV’s love of new technology and desire for a modern centralised state, the enterprise and initiative of Walter Chepman – all these combined to produce one of the great neglected achievements of the period. We hope this exhibition will rekindle people’s interest in this exciting period of Scottish history and in the Breviary itself – incredibly it has never been completely translated into English.”

The National Library of Scotland (NLS) was delighted to join forces with Aberdeen University Library (AUL) to make the treasures display possible.

Professor Peter Davidson, Chair in Renaissance Studies at the University of Aberdeen, emphasised the huge significance of the Aberdeen Breviary, calling it “one of the greatest intellectual enterprises of Renaissance Scotland”.

He said: “This book, rich in commemorations of the feasts of Scottish saints, is an attempt to foster a distinctively Scottish church, within the frame of international Catholicism.

“This book was only one of a series of modernising initiatives which Elphinstone supported as Bishop of Aberdeen and Chancellor of Scotland. He encouraged the compilation of Hector Boece’s History of the Scots, which was for many centuries a key text of Scottish identity, and he founded Scotland’s third ancient University – King’s College, Aberdeen – which later joined with the other Aberdonian University College, Marischal, to form the modern University of Aberdeen.”

The two magnificent books will be in good company alongside contemporary treasures from the collections of NLS and AUL, including a carefully-selected collection of illuminated manuscripts and incunables – books printed before 1500. (See notes to editors for a more detailed breakdown of exhibition items).

The display ‘The Aberdeen Breviary: the 500th Anniversary of the Printing of ‘Our Own Scottish Use’ – which will be showcased within the National Library of Scotland’s public exhibition space  on George IV Bridge, Edinburgh – will run from November 5 until January 9.

If you would like to find out more about the items on display, visit the National Library of Scotland’s Rare Book blog during the exhibition, at: http://blogs.nls.uk/rarebooks

Aberdeen Solicitors criticise Hospital cleanliness

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Chris Gordon, Partner of Thompson’s Solicitors in Aberdeen has criticised Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital for failing to do enough to step up hygiene controls, 15 months after an outbreak of maggots forced the closure of three operating theatres.

Thompsons Solicitors represent the families in the public inquiry into 18 deaths following an outbreak of Clostridium Difficile, C-Diff at Vale of Leven Hospital. Mr Gordon was speaking after the publication of a report by the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate into hygiene standards at the Aberdeen Hospital.

The report found that the general standard of cleanliness at the hospital was good but identified a number of areas for improvement.

Mr Gordon said: “It’s very alarming that the Inspectorate has found that hand hygiene standards are not being applied rigorously enough and that RACH has not done enough to ensure public awareness of the dangers and the need for infection control.

“The fact the Inspectorate also want to see better reporting arrangements with the paediatric ward at Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin where two people died after an outbreak of C-Diff last year, is equally alarming.

“Hospital Acquired Infections can have a devastating effect, and the hospital authorities and the Health Board must do everything in their power to stamp them out.”

Northsound Cash for Kids

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A luxury Raymond Weil designer watch, a hospitality box for eight people at an Aberdeen FC game and an original framed Howard Butterworth painting are among the star lots up for grabs in the 2010 Northsound Cash for Kids live charity auction which kicks off this Saturday, November 6.

The auction runs until Sunday, November 7, and will be broadcast simultaneously on Northsound 1 at 96.9FM and Northsound 2 at 1035MW.

A team of DJs will be encouraging listeners to dig deep and place their bids for items in the hope of securing them.

The more unusual items going under the hammer include a wedding dress and the services of an electrician for eight hours.

A huge range of other fantastic lots are up for grabs, ranging from bed and breakfast packages at luxury hotels to a stand alone wine cooler.

All of the items have been kindly donated by businesses and individuals across Aberdeen City and Shire and the money raised will be spent locally to help children with a disability or illness or who are living in poverty or deprivation.

Michelle Herd, Cash for Kids Charity Manager, said: “We have a fantastic and diverse range of lots for this year’s auction and this variety will hopefully lead to a great deal of cash being raised to help local disadvantaged children.

“The auction always proves incredibly popular with our listeners and we hope they will once again show a great deal of generosity and support in bidding for some of the fantastic items on offer this year. After all, every penny raised will be used to help better the lives of the most vulnerable children in our city.”

Cash for Kids, Northsound’s listener charity, was set up to make grants towards individual youngsters as well as children’s groups, organisations and projects throughout the North-east. Each year it aims to raise £200,000.

For more information on Cash for Kids, visit www.northsound1.com/cashforkids or call 01224 337010.


Inspectors report on Aberdeen Children’s Hospital

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The general standard of cleanliness at the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital is good, according to a report by the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate.

The inspectors’ report, published today, found that staff at NHS Grampian had made progress in their efforts to protect patients from infection. The hospital was clean, isolation practices and management of patients with known or suspected infection were good and there is a clear understanding of antimicrobial prescribing for paediatric patients.

However the report also identified a number of areas for improvement:

* Hand hygiene and dress code standards must be adhered to rigorously
* A lack of integration across infection prevention and management structures needs to be addressed

* Reporting arrangements between the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital and the paediatric ward at Dr Gray’s Hospital need to be formalised
* Surveillance data and information on display should be made more meaningful and suit the needs of patients and visitors
* Public awareness should be increased to ensure everyone is involved in infection prevention and control.

Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said:

“I had made tackling hospital infections my top priority. This report shows that the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital has adopted a number of good practices, but there are areas where issues have been identified in the past and I would like to see NHS Grampian implement the recommendations to improve these as a matter of urgency.

“We want patients and their families to have the utmost confidence in the cleanliness of our hospitals and the quality of care.”

Alford Millers go to town!

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A family-run business that runs the last commercial water-powered oat mill in Scotland is supplying Waitrose Scottish stores with two exclusive products.

This month, Oatmeal of Alfords’ Scottish Porridge Oats and Scottish Muesli with Strawberry & Hazelnut go on sale exclusively at Waitrose stores in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

The Oatmeal of Alford, based in Aberdeenshire, is run by the Medlock family. They mill oats at Montgarrie Meal Mill and turn them into traditional oat products such as oatmeal, porridge and muesli.

The three Waitrose stores in Scotland now stock around 300 Scottish lines including Alford’s Medium Oatmeal.

Tracey Marshall, Waitrose Local and Regional Sourcing Manager, said how pleased Waitrose were to be adding two more Oatmeal of Alford lines to their Scottish selection. She said:

“The products are made from home-grown Scottish oats, which are traditionally prepared and processed. They’re delicious and authentic and Oatmeal of Alford’s are a perfect example of the type of local supplier we love to work with.”

John Medlock is delighted to be working with Waitrose:  He said:

“Waitrose really understand about good food that’s carefully and sustainably produced. We pride ourselves on being “the best of the best” in Scottish oats products, so I am thrilled to be able to offer oat aficionados more of our authentic products through Waitrose. Working with them, is a fantastic way to build our business and introduce our products to a wider audience.”

The Medlock family pride themselves for selling 100 percent home grown oats from their farm at Mains of Haulkerton, Laurencekirk.  They are harvested at the farm and then transported to the mill where they are dried on an iron kiln and milled using traditional methods which have been used for over a century.  After milling they are then taken back to the farm to be packed, or other ingredients such as dried fruit and nuts are added, depending on what the final product is.