Evening News - Scotland back issues from April 2008:
Get up to the Castle for a real hoot!
Apr 01, 2008; ... PULL up the drawbridge! Are you telling me Edinburgh Castle'sstewards, to a man and a woman, are delighted with their new kilts/trews uniforms? I mean, have you seen the headwear? Any self-respecting stewards would throw themselves from the ramparts ratherthen be seen in them ....
Leader: Constitutional change: 'Sir Tom got it right with calls for Yes-No vote'
Apr 01, 2008 ... THE SNP came to power last May, promising a referendum onindependence - but not until 2010. And more recently First MinisterAlex Salmond has raised the possibility of a three-way choice wherevoters could rank in order of preference: independence, the statusquo or more powers for ...
TEN QUESTIONS: EMMA OFFORD
Apr 01, 2008 ... Emma Offord runs her own freelance PR consultancy. She is 35 andlives in Murrayfield 1 What is your earliest memory of Edinburgh? I remember goinginto town with my mum to go shopping - we always had to get dressedup and look smart. I enjoyed it because it always felt like a bit ...
Dressed to kilt for a day on site
Apr 01, 2008; ... FORKLIFT truck driver Kris Mills saunters bare-legged through themuddy building site to roars of approval from his workmates. Hand on hip like a true catwalk professional, the 24-year-oldshows off the latest in construction site wear - the fluorescentcraftsman's kilt. The ...
City chiefs fail to see funny side of Dungeon's April Fool prank
Apr 01, 2008 ... COUNCIL chiefs today hit out at Edinburgh Dungeon for planning to"ticket" parked cars as an April Fool prank. The tourist attraction said it wanted to "give people a scare" byslapping around 200 fake fines on vehicles. The tickets, which Dungeon bosses said were "pretty ...
Old, frail and living in terror after fourth raid on her home
Apr 01, 2008; ... A PENSIONER who was grabbed by the throat by a hooded attacker inher own home today told how she feared for her life. It was the fourth time strangers had forced their way into thewoman's home. The 70-year-old was pinned to her chair by one man, as two othersraided her ...
Permit holders slapped with parking tickets after blunder
Apr 01, 2008; ... RESIDENTS have been hit with parking tickets after a councilblunder resulted in enforcers ignoring their permits. Homeowners in the Stockbridge colonies complained after theyreceived fines despite displaying their GBP 80-a-year parkingpasses. The motorists were ticketed ...
Footballer with a goal to get asthmatics involved in sport
Apr 01, 2008; ... TO a boy who always dreamed of playing professional football,heading out for sports practice should have been fun. But on cold crisp mornings, it would take so much effort forAndrew Driver to catch his breath, that he would be left forlorn inthe changing rooms. "Over the ...
M&S faces revolt over Rose
Apr 01, 2008 ... MARKS & Spencer is facing growing discontent over itscontroversial decision to promote chief executive Sir Stuart Rose tothe post of executive chairman. The move goes against the ethos of the combined code of corporategovernance. The code states that firms breaching its guidelines ...
Menzies bags Swedish outfit
Apr 01, 2008 ... LOGISTICS and aviation services group John Menzies has boughtSwedish ground handling business Novia Sverige. Edinburgh-based Menzies said it paid for just under GBP 7 millionfor the wholly-owned subsidiary of Novia Scandinavia which ...
Barr raises a glass to strong rise in profits
Apr 01, 2008; ... SCOTLAND'S "other national drink" is growing its market shareacross the UK, maker AG Barr said today as it announced a strongrise in annual profits. The group said overall sales of both Irn-Bru and its diet versionwere ahead by three per cent while the soft drinks had grown ...
Vote of confidence for YouGov
Apr 01, 2008 ... POLLING group YouGov boosted its pre-tax profit by 30 per cent toGBP 2.3 million in the six months to January 31. Turnover also grew strongly, rising 208 per cent to GBP 18.8m,with organic growth hitting 43 per cent, reflecting ongoinginvestment. However, YouGov said its ...
Country beats town when time comes to give blood
Apr 01, 2008; ... CITY dwellers are the worst at remembering to give blood, newstatistics revealed today. People living in rural areas are better, but still only one-in-four registered donors remembers to go back when called. Donors can give blood three times in 12 months, but last ...
Potter's Deathly Hallows breathes life into sales for publisher Bloomsbury
Apr 01, 2008 ... STRONG sales of the final Harry Potter novel have helped profitsat book publisher Bloomsbury surge ahead by 243 per cent. On the first day of release, 2.6 million copies of Harry Potterand the Deathly Hallows were sold in UK bookshops ....
Saunders is in liquidation
Apr 01, 2008 ... STEWART Saunders, one of Scotland's largest independent estateagencies, has gone into liquidation - just a year after achievingrecord sales of GBP 65 million. The Edinburgh-based company has been forced to axe ten staffafter liquidator Tenon Recovery moved in. Poor consumer ...
Energy fund backs project
Apr 01, 2008 ... A GREEN energy fund, whose investors include Scottish billionaireSir Tom Hunter, has ploughed GBP 1 million into a project aimed atcutting power bills by a quarter. The Sigma Sustainable Energy Fund II, launched by Edinburgh-based technology investor Sigma ...
Primary school annex to be turned into flats
Apr 01, 2008 ... A PRIMARY school building in Colinton is to be transformed intonew homes and apartments. Plans have been lodged with the council for the scheme, whichwould see the Bonaly primary school annex on Thorburn Road convertedinto four flats. The scheme has been masterminded by ...
GBP 20k expected for paintings
Apr 01, 2008 ... A PAIR of paintings by Scottish landscape artist Sir WilliamMcTaggart are expected to fetch up to GBP 20,000 when auctioned inEdinburgh next month. Auctioneers at Bonham's are hoping the two artworks, titled OffTarbert and Hope's Whisper, will spark a bidding war ...
Quick News: From law to living
Apr 01, 2008 ... A WEST END solicitors' office is set to be converted into a newtownhouse. Developer Kingsford Estates has ...
From old hospital to top-class hotel
Apr 01, 2008; ... A FORMER hospital in Murrayfield is finally set for a new leaseof life as a hotel. Plans have been submitted to the council to convert BeechmontHouse, on Corstorphine Road, into a 23-bed hotel, complete withleisure club, restaurant and bar. The scheme has been drawn up to ...
Quick News: Bag your place here
Apr 01, 2008 ... AN art showcase, called Plastic Bag Art, will show how to turnunwanted carrier bags into something ...
Rabbits are left to die in car park
Apr 01, 2008; ... TWO pet rabbits scarred by months of neglect have been foundabandoned in a car park in what animal welfare officers say is oneof the worst cases they have seen in the Lothians. The male rabbits, less than a year old, were found covered incuts and fleas by a passer-by who caught ...
Pressing the panic button on games
Apr 01, 2008; ... The Government is considering compulsory cinema-style age ratingsfor computer games to help parents monitor what their children areplaying. Gareth Edwards asks whether parents should be worried aboutthe content of today's hit games for youngsters. WE'VE all seen the headlines, you ...
Quick News: Howat to fight for SNP
Apr 01, 2008 ... THE SNP has chosen an activist who once challenged Nationalistlegend Winnie Ewing in 2001 for the party presidency as itscandidate for Edinburgh South at the next Westminster election ....
Search on for apprentice who tops them all
Apr 01, 2008 ... THE hunt is on for the apprentice of the year in Midlothian. The annual competition searches for the best group of appren-tices in the area and rewards them for their commitment to theirtrade. The judges assess various factors such as the youngsters'attitudes, achievements ...
Soldiers pipe up for charity
Apr 01, 2008 ... TERRY WELL DONE: Singer and songwriter Terry Moore (front) andrepresentatives from Combat Stress lead The Royal Regiment ofScotland Pipes and Drums and ...
Forsyth pips Sean as most inspirational
Apr 01, 2008 ... SEAN CONNERY has been voted Britain's second most inspirationalolder man. The 007 star was pipped to the post by sprightly Strictly ComeDancing host Bruce Forsyth, 80, who took almost half of the votes inthe Co-op Insurance Survey. Connery, 77, took a quarter of the votes, ...
New hotel is planned for heart of city
Apr 01, 2008 ... AN Irish-American hotel operator is planning a new 63-room hotelin the heart of Edinburgh. The Fitzpatrick Hotel Group, which owns hotels in New York andDublin, is expected to move into the north side of Waterloo Place,close to the Balmoral Hotel and Waverley station, next year, ...
T5 is running smoothly, but a bag backlog remains
Apr 01, 2008 ... PASSENGERS arriving at Heathrow's Terminal Five today saw nothingof the chaos that has engulfed the building in past days. Travellers were moving so smoothly through the system at the newterminal that queues barely had a chance to form at bag drop desks.Security points were also ...
Around town
Apr 01, 2008 ... STAFF at the Dogs Trust in West Calder have been training Buster,a two-year-old Collie cross, to bark less on walks - and so raisehis chances of finding a home. Fans of Leith flocking to use Facebook page A PAGE on a social networking site dedicated to fans of Leith hasnow ...
Friends will Do Anything to back Ashley
Apr 01, 2008 ... FRIENDS of city drama student Ashley Russell are planning totravel to London each week to support her in the BBC1 talent showI'd Do Anything. Fans of the 24-year-old Queen Margaret University graduate were"ecstatic" after she made it through to the next round on Saturdaynight ....
On your bike for cyclist film
Apr 01, 2008 ... A FOUR-PART documentary on round-the-world cyclist Mark Beaumontis to be screened later this month. The programme on the world record-breaking cyclist will be shownon April 7, 8, 14 and 15. The 25-year-old, from the New Town, earned worldwide ...
Study of head count impact
Apr 01, 2008 ... THE growing population of Edinburgh and the Lothians is to beanalysed in a bid to assess the impact on neighbouring ScottishBorders Council. The watchdog scrutiny committee of the Borders council is to forma working ...
Quick News: Speed cameras alert
Apr 01, 2008 ... MOBILE safety cameras are operating locally this week. TheLothian and Borders Safety Camera ...
Bar staff shaking things up in cocktail contest
Apr 01, 2008 ... BAR staff will be creating cocktails against the clock in acompetition in Edinburgh. Martin Duffy, from Leith, is organising the competition at fivecity centre pubs and bars. The 28-year-old bar manager at the Point Hotel hopes to encouragepeople to invent new cocktails and ...
Gardeners see red as brown bin service cut
Apr 01, 2008; ... GARDEN waste collections in Edinburgh have been scaled back at atime when composting is more popular than ever. Last year the city council began emptying brown bins in earlyMarch, but this year's scheme is only getting under way today. At the same time, calendars for bin ...
Fraud experts fly in for city conference
Apr 01, 2008 ... WORLD experts in business fraud and corruption will gather for aconference in the Capital later this month. The specialists are set to warn Scottish companies theirbusinesses are at increasing risk due to widespread complacencyabout soaring levels of corporate crime. The ...
Epilepsy charities in link-up
Apr 01, 2008 ... A CHARITY in the Lothians for people with epilepsy is to mergewith a national organisation. Enlighten's Lothian-based operations is to become part ofEpilepsy Scotland's services that help nearly 40,000 people affectedby the neurological condition. The decision to merge was ...
Majority south of Border think Scotland should pay for services
Apr 01, 2008 ... A MAJORITY of people in England believe Scotland should pay forits own services, according to a new opinion survey. It also found that English support for Scottish independence hasfallen. Three-quarters of those questioned agreed with the statement "NowScotland has its own ...
Salmond joins the Revolution on visit to US
Apr 01, 2008 ... SCOTLAND'S First Minister has given his full support to a"revolution" across the pond. At the start of his Scotland Week programme in the United States,Alex Salmond met up with Scotland and Liverpool football star SteveNicol, now head coach of Major League Soccer outfit New ...
Welcome to the new home of world athletics..the Old Town
Apr 01, 2008; ... A MULTI-MILLION-POUND athletics arena would be built in the heartof the Old Town under plans unveiled today for the replacement ofMeadowbank Stadium. The developer Mountgrange has agreed to ditch many of the mostcontentious parts of its proposals for the Caltongate site, just ...
The Fratellis add Capital to gig diary
Apr 01, 2008 ... SCOTS rockers The Fratellis have added an Edinburgh date to theirupcoming European tour. The trio, who have had hits with the likes of Chelsea Dagger andWhistle for the Choir, will play the Queen's Hall on May 2. They will also play this year's T In The Park alongside REM ...
Peer's inquiry calls for cap on number of immigrants
Apr 01, 2008; ... PEERS today dismissed the Government's claim that immigration isgood for the economy and called for the numbers entering the countryto be capped. A parliamentary inquiry, including former Chancellors NigelLawson and Norman Lamont and several other Cabinet ministers,delivered a ...
Robber in cash machine attack
Apr 01, 2008 ... A WOMAN was knocked to the ground and robbed by a man inTollcross. The man snatched the 19-year-old's handbag near the cash machineon Earl Grey Street at about 12.45am yesterday, before heading offdown Lothian Road in a silver sporty-style car ....
Leon has X Factor for award win
Apr 01, 2008 ... X FACTOR winner Leon Jackson has been presented with a nationalaward for being a "great role model" for young Scots. The 19-year-old from Whitburn, West Lothian, has won a Young Scotaward for entertainment. He was given his prize at an awardsceremony in Glasgow City Hall. A ...
Chemical charges couple get wed before deportation fight
Apr 01, 2008; ... A COUPLE fighting extradition to America amid claims that theysold banned chemicals over the internet today prepared for the nextstage of their legal battle - by getting married. Brian Howes and partner Kerry Ann Shanks were due to beaccompanied by their four young daughters as ...
Call for action on playpark
Apr 01, 2008 ... A COMMUNITY organisation set up to revive the fortunes of a citypark has appealed to local people to get involved. Friends of Montgomery Street Park have composed an online survey,but need another 150 responses from locals before they can take thecampaign forward. The park, ...
RBS staff to walk the Way
Apr 01, 2008 ... MORE than 1500 staff from the Royal Bank of Scotland are set towalk the West Highland Way to raise money for charity. The participants will cover the distance of more than twomarathons and ascend heights equal to climbing Ben Nevis twiceduring the event, ...
Real lives: Maths maestro's death a sad loss for his students
Apr 01, 2008 ... RENOWNED mathematician and keen cyclist Dr Stanley Richardson hasdied aged 64 following a heart attack. Dr Stanley Richardson was a long-serving and influentialmathematician at Edinburgh University, winning widespreadrecognition not only for his outstanding maths brain but also ...
City ready to rock with new venue for the stars
Apr 01, 2008; ... A STRIKING image of how a new 10,000-seat indoor arena could lookat Scotland's national showground in west Edinburgh was unveiledtoday. The venue, designed to rival the O2 Arena in London and play hostto big-name pop and rock concerts, forms part of a GBP 275 millionproject to ...
Quick News: Frankfurt link takes off
Apr 01, 2008 ... NEW budget flights between Edinburgh and Frankfurt were due tostart operating today. The Ryanair route to Germany ...
Golden opportunity to get close to Ryder Cup
Apr 01, 2008 ... GOLF enthusiasts will be able to get up close to one of thegame's most famous trophies at Ingliston later this week. The Ryder Cup will be on display at this year's Scottish GolfShow at the Royal Highland Centre on Friday. Held every two years, the Ryder Cup sees Europe's top ...
New probe at Seafield after complaints of 'terrible smell'
Apr 01, 2008; ... A FRESH probe is under way into the infamous "Seafield stench" aswork begins to replace broken machinery at the sewage works. Staff from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency have beencalled in to investigate the return of the stench over the past fewdays. Scottish ...
Old, frail and living in terror after fourth raid on her home
Apr 01, 2008; ... A PENSIONER held hostage as thieves ransacked her property todaytold how it was the fourth time strangers had forced their way intoher home. The 70-year-old was pinned to her chair by one man, as two othersraided her house in Bathgate on Saturday night. She admitted to ...
Ten years on tennis club is celebrating
Apr 01, 2008 ... A TENNIS club is celebrating its tenth anniversary a decade afterlocals saved it from closure. The three courts, at Newbattle Terrace, looked doomed after thecity council decided it could no longer maintain them back in 1998. But residents formed the Falcon Bowling and Tennis ...
Firms' chance to tap into a new water supplier
Apr 01, 2008 ... BUSINESSES in Scotland were today able to choose betweendifferent water suppliers for the first time. The Central Market Agency, a newly-created not-for-profitorganisation jointly owned and funded by Scottish Water and itssuppliers, is now responsible for administering the GBP 350 ...
Wind warning for Lothians
Apr 01, 2008 ... FORECASTERS have warned of severe weather today, with winds of upto 70 miles per hour. The Met Office says there is " a moderate risk" of severe galesin the Lothians today, with very strong westerly winds. They arepredicting a cool start to the month, with temperatures ...
Scots prescription charges cut as price increased in England
Apr 01, 2008; ... HUNDREDS of thousands of Scots today saw the cost ofprescriptions fall by a quarter. Suffers of chronic or long-term conditions are benefiting from aneven bigger reduction of 51 per cent. The cost of a prescription fell from GBP 6.85 to GBP 5. The moveis a major step ...
Scotland's private hospitals given a clean bill of health
Apr 01, 2008 ... PRIVATE hospitals in Scotland have been given a glowing reportfrom the Care Commission. Inspectors rated the quality of care in 14 private hospitals and15 voluntary hospices as good. They highlighted several areas of good practice, including theway staff were recruited; ...
Rapid response for lung patients
Apr 01, 2008 ... ABOUT 600 people with debilitating breathing problems are tobenefit from the launch of a new rapid response service. The physiotherapists will also look to improve the quality oflife of people suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Patients will be taught simple ...
Tories take credit for business rate cut
Apr 01, 2008 ... TORIES today claimed the credit for cuts in business rates thatcame into effect for thousands of small firms across Scotland. The SNP had planned to reduce the rates for small businesses overa three-year period, but agreed to speed up the cuts to secure theConservatives' support ...
Leith cash in on switch to Links and dump Thistle
Apr 01, 2008 ... LEITH ATHLETIC were given a marvellous boost by their opponentsLothian Thistle prior to their seventh-round Scottish Cup replay,when Thistle asked for the game to be switched to Leith Links astheir home pitch at Campbell Park was in such poor condition - andthe Leith outfit took full ...
Burley hails Paatelainen for turning Hibs around
Apr 01, 2008; ... SCOTLAND manager George Burley today praised the impact that Hibsboss Mixu Paatelainen has had at the club since being appointed atthe turn of the year. The Finn took charge at Easter Road in January and hastransformed the fortunes of a team that were struggling towards ...
The best is yet to come for Chunk, says Robinson
Apr 01, 2008; ... EDINBURGH rugby coach Andy Robinson has sung the praises of hisinternational prop Allan Jacobsen with remarks guaranteed to easethe pain of a groin strain which has brought a premature end to theseason for the man they call "Chunk", writes BILL LOTHIAN. And, as encouragement goes, ...
Carrickvale out to call shots again as teams prepare to enter the Dispatch
Apr 01, 2008; ... AFTER getting their hands on the Dispatch Trophy for the firsttime in 2007, Carrickvale will be aiming to put up a stout defenceof the most famous piece of silverware on the Capital golfingcircuit in this year's Edinburgh Evening News-sponsored event. Craig Elliot, Darren Coyle, ...