Press and Journal, The Aberdeen (UK) back issues from February 2007:
Trying an exclusion test
Feb 01, 2007 ... An exclusion test of the sports folder. An exclusion test ...
Shedding light on granite workers
Feb 01, 2007 ... Was your dad or grandpa a worker at the granite yard of WilliamTaggart & Son in Aberdeen's Allenvale Road in the 1960s? If so, youhave the opportunity to buy a DVD of the men at work in 1965,entitled Sculpture in Granite. The original film was shot by Nan Taggart, whose dad, John, ...
Electing councillors
Feb 01, 2007 ... Sir, - I note that our Highland councillors are still trying topromote the privatisation of care homes and services for the elderly.Also, the same councillors will not accept that the local counciltenants do not want a new housing landlord. The councillors are elected to represent ...
Terror threat is raised to new level
Feb 01, 2007 ... The dawn raids in Birmingham yesterday serve as a soberingreminder - if one was needed - that the threat against Britain isever-present and ever-changing. Kidnapping, filming and ultimately beheading victims is a cowardlyand despicable act, regardless of where it is carried out and ...
Cry wolf in the north
Feb 01, 2007 ... The thought of wolf packs running unfettered around the Highlandsseems to bring howls of joy or fear, depending on which side of thefence you are sitting. This brings us straight to the point of the current debate - tofence or not to fence is the question. Perhaps the best idea, as ...
Stability in oil and gas industry
Feb 01, 2007 ... If One word could sum up the North Sea oil and gas industry duringthe 30-plus years it has based itself in and around Aberdeen, thatword would be "volatile". The industry has traditionally, since themid 1980s when the original bubble first burst, been punctuated byperiods of unbelievable ...
Get skills or dole, Brown warns UK
Feb 01, 2007; ... Chancellor Gordon Brown yesterday warned Britons they faceunemployment in the future unless they constantly retrain as thenumber of unskilled jobs drain away to less than a fifth of currentlevels. The man tipped to be the next prime minister said new technologywas key to future ...
Gordon's girls claim national title success
Feb 01, 2007; ... Robert Gordon's College has won the girls Scottish under-18 indoorhockey championship, going through the national finals tournamentunbeaten. Having claimed the North District title in December with winsagainst Ellon and Granite City Wanderers, they added to their trophycollection ...
SNP ahead of rivals - poll
Feb 01, 2007 ... Nationalists hailed poll findings yesterday which put them aheadof Labour on both votes in the battle for Holyrood. The SNP is running at 33% in both constituency and list votingintentions for the May contest, according to an ICM poll. Labour is running at 31% in the ...
Subway passengers forced to walk through tunnel
Feb 01, 2007 ... Dozens of subway passengers had to walk half a mile through anunderground tunnel yesterday after being evacuated from the fume-filled carriages of a rush-hour train. Up to 100 commuters were escorted along a walkway to PartickStation in Glasgow after an engineering fault caused ...
Race on to make the finals
Feb 01, 2007 ... The final qualifying games for entry into the finals of the men'sScottish championships takes place at Perth this weekend. After the first weekend the Section A leader was Peter Loudon(Perth), unbeaten after four rounds. From Section B Aberdeen's DavidEdwards is well on his way to ...
Domestic abuse soars in Scotland as more men become victims
Feb 01, 2007; ... Reported cases of domestic abuse have rocketed in Scotland overthe past seven years, with violence against men more than doubling. Scottish Executive figures also show that the violence againstwomen has gone up by nearly a third since the turn of the century. The number of men ...
Scots know what they need to do
Feb 01, 2007 ... Chris Paterson has insisted the burden of history is not weighingtoo heavily on his team's shoulders as it prepares for Saturday's sixnations opener against England at Twickenham. Scotland have managed to win only four out of 42 matches at thehome of English rugby since 1911, and ...
Jeff showing he's no flash in pan
Feb 01, 2007 ... Since Jeff Quinney won the US Amateur championship in 2000, manyhave wondered if he might be one of those golfers who peaked earlyand then disappeared. But Quinney has returned in a big way this year and is one of theform golfers entering this week's FBR Open at the TPC ...
Woods lure hides American problem
Feb 01, 2007 ... The greatness of Tiger Woods should never be doubted. He hastranscended golf and become the greatest sporting superstar on theplanet. Every professional golfer in the world should doff their cap everytime they come into contact with the American. They owe theirincreasingly ...
Keep improving or Els - tiger's warning to Ernie
Feb 01, 2007 ... Tiger Woods has warned Ernie Els he will not give up his worldnumber one position lightly as the South African continues his pursuit of the top spot in this week's Dubai Desert Classic. Els last year outlined a three-year plan to surpass Woods in theworld rankings by 2010 and gave ...
Findlay gets a telling-off from his dad
Feb 01, 2007 ... Former British boys' golf champion Jordan Findlay has been toldoff by his dad, Iain, in a transatlantic telephone call after the 18-year-old from Fraserburgh was forced out of his latest Americancollege tournament. Jordan was diagnosed with pneumonia while back in Scotland ...
Today
Feb 01, 2007 ... Golf: Dubai Desert Classic - Sky Sports 1 5.30am. DARTS: Premier League meeting - Sky Sports 1 7.30pm. SNOOKER: Malta Cup second round - Eurosport ...
Remains identified as missing woman
Feb 01, 2007 ... Human remains found in a house were those of a grandmother who hasbeen missing for more than four years, police confirmed yesterday. Detectives have been trying to trace Agnes "Nessa" Mechen, 62, since she disappeared in August, 2002. Ms Mechen worked as a credit agent and had ...
30,000 Scots join civil service strike
Feb 01, 2007 ... Courts, driving-test centres and other Government agencies inScotland were hit yesterday as about 30,000 civil servants joined anationwide strike. The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) said about 90% ofits members were out during the 24-hour stoppage over pay and ...
Executive urged to foster green procurement
Feb 01, 2007; ... Schemes running in Aberdeen and Dundee that are environmentallyfriendly would be extended if Scottish Green Party proposals toimprove public spending are adopted, it will be claimed today. The Greens will argue in a parliamentary debate that taxpayers'money is not being spent in ...
HIV victim says man rejected condom use
Feb 01, 2007 ... A Woman told a court yesterday a man accused of infecting her withHIV "aggressively" refused to wear a condom when they had sex. Italian national Giovanni Mola, 38, is accused of passing the HIVvirus and Hepatitis C to the woman by refusing to wear a condomduring ...
Fishing leaders back calls for crews to remain vigilant
Feb 01, 2007; ... Fishing industry leaders last night gave their backing to callsfor crews to remain alert in the face of long working hours. The Department of Transport's Marine Accident Investigation Branchis to put out leaflets at fishing ports following the deaths lastsummer of two Burghead men ...
Ex-boxing champion Harrison, 29, is arrested on drugs charges
Feb 01, 2007 ... Former world champion boxer Scott Harrison has been arrested ondrugs charges. Harrison, 29, was arrested in Glasgow city centre with a 35-year-old man on Tuesday night. A Strathclyde Police spokeswoman said: "We can confirm two menaged 29 and 35 were arrested and detained ...
Elected health boards bid fails
Feb 01, 2007 ... The Scottish Executive last night survived a feared backbenchrevolt when Holyrood voted down plans for directly elected healthboards. MSPs voted 64-55 against the general principles of a bill broughtforward by Labour MSP Bill Butler. If the bill had won backing at this and ...
Post office users urged to air views
Feb 01, 2007; ... Post office users were warned last night by a watchdog that theyhave just over a month to influence plans to axe 2,500 branchesacross the UK. Postwatch Scotland chairman Professor Alan Alexander urgedcustomers to write to the Department of Trade and Industry to maketheir views ...
Major deals a boost for market Experts agree that the commercial property market in Aberdeen enjoyed a prosperous year in 2006. Colin MacLaren, head of the property services group at law firm Paull & Williamsons, reflects on some of the major deals struck last year and offers some speculation about the prospects for a successful 2007
Feb 01, 2007 ... Experts agree that the commercial property market in Aberdeenenjoyed a prosperous year in 2006. Colin MacLaren, head of theproperty services group at law firm Paull & Williamsons, reflects onsome of the major deals struck last year and offers some speculationabout the prospects for a ...
Growing hotel business looking for offers
Feb 01, 2007 ... Specialist licensed trade property agent Christie & Co has beeninstructed by Bill Hall and Susan Bruce to sell their business, theGordon Arms Hotel, at Fochabers. This substantial property and business is situated on High Streetin the heart of the town. Christie & Co said: ...
Spick and span
Feb 01, 2007 ... It Is well past the point of taking down decorations and throwingout old Christmas cards. Now it is time to breathe some new life intoyour home. Now is the perfect time to give your humble abode a well deservedhealth check, to dust every nook and cranny and have a proper ...
Teen sentenced for bottle attack on woman
Feb 01, 2007; ... A Girl who scarred a woman in a drink and drug-fuelled attackwith a bottle was yesterday put on probation for two years andordered to do 180 hours of community service. Joni Liddle, 17, was told at Stonehaven Sheriff Court that onlyher age and "unstable" background at the time of ...
Lerwick sleeps off up-helly-aa celebrations
Feb 01, 2007; ... What a difference a day made to the streets of the Shetlandcapital yesterday. The pavements that were thronged with cheering crowds forLerwick's annual Up-Helly-Aa parade on Tuesday were bare the morningafter, but for the last casualties stumbling sorrily home from thefrenetic ...
Energy bills to be cut, sse promises
Feb 01, 2007; ... Thousands of Scottish households will see their energy costs startto fall following a series of hefty increases, it was announcedyesterday. Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE), the north's biggest electricityand gas supplier, signalled its intention to cut bills for the firsttime in ...
Angus helpline launched for those struggling with debt
Feb 01, 2007; ... People in Angus struggling with money matters can now call aconfidential helpline for advice. Angus Council has teamed up with the local branch of the Citizens'Advice Bureau (Cab) to launch the guidance service through the AngusAccessLine. Residents will still be able to call ...
Dundee rector nominations close
Feb 01, 2007 ... Nominations for the Dundee University rectorship closed lastnight. Candidates who want to replace departing rector Lorraine Kellywere asked to provide 50 signatures of support to the university'sstudents' association. The Dundee-born TV presenter, who served asrector for three years, ...
New York food critic dishes up scorching for ramsay
Feb 01, 2007; ... Gordon Ramsay's first New York restaurant has suffered a scorchingat the hands of the city's top food critic. The New York Times's fearsome Frank Bruni awarded Gordon Ramsay atthe London just two stars out of four. Bruni said he laid into a "cloying, gummy wedge of turbot" and ...
Passchendaele donation
Feb 01, 2007 ... The Scottish Executive is donate pounds5,000 to commemorate Scotskilled in a World War I battle 90 years ago. The move was announced by Deputy Communities Minister Des McNultyin a short debate in parliament on the 90th anniversary of the battleof Passchendaele. The debate was ...
Monkfish ban by Asda is attacked
Feb 01, 2007; ... Supermarket giant Asda has announced it is dropping monkfish fromits UK stores to protect stocks. The chain said it was concerned about the impact of some monkfish-catching methods on the marine ecosystem. It will ban the fish from all its shop shelves from February ...
Wiseman milk-price decision greeted with sigh of relief
Feb 01, 2007; ... Dairy giant Robert Wiseman handed an unexpected bonus to farmersyesterday as it held ex-farm milk prices at current levels to May 1. It had been thought that the East Kilbride-based firm would dropits price in the wake of pressure on cream that has in the last monthseen its value ...
Golden mile's balhousie on market at pounds2m
Feb 01, 2007 ... Huge interest is expected in one of the best farms to come on themarket in Scotland for years. Balhousie at Muirdrum, Carnoustie, is being sold by cattlefinisher Scott Watson, twice a winner of the Royal Smithfield Showchampionship. The 188.56-acre unit is on the market at ...
Salmon firm has recipe for success
Feb 01, 2007 ... Strathaird Salmon, part of the Young's Seafood group, yesterdayreported buoyant sales over the Christmas period. Inverness-based Strathaird said the strong performance was helpedby a string of awards and endorsements for the quality of itsproducts. A total of 20 new lines ...
Row rumbles on over the accuracy of farm figures
Feb 01, 2007; ... Scots farm incomes plummeted 27% last year, even though the valueof the agricultural industry's output soared by almost a fifth. Figures from the Scottish Executive yesterday confirmed thedramatic impact of rising energy costs, part of which wasorchestrated by the Government ...
Ua in new alliance as property arm is sold
Feb 01, 2007; ... Glasgow's Elphinstone Group has disposed of its rural property andchartered surveying arm. Macdonald Fraser has been bought by CKD Galbraith for anundisclosed sum. The deal also sees CKD Galbraith agree an alliance with UnitedAuctions (UA) in which both firms will work ...
Nomis adds pounds7m tug to fleet
Feb 01, 2007; ... Nomis Shipping, of Aberdeen, the UK's largest privately owned tug-supply vessel owner, has added another new-build anchor-handling tugto its fleet. The company has taken delivery of the Dea Hercules, the second ina three-ship deal, from Jaya Shipbuilding in ...
New bosses on board at first Africa
Feb 01, 2007 ... Scottish oil and gas operator BowLeven said yesterday thatfollowing last week's announcement that its offer for FirstAfrica Oilhad been declared unconditional, Robert Rainey, Anthony Marsh, GordonHall and Matthew Sutcliffe had resigned as directors of FirstAfrica.They have been replaced ...
Footsie holds on above 6,200
Feb 01, 2007 ... A Strong gain at steel group Corus could not save the FTSE 100index from falling during a lacklustre session in London yesterday. The Footsie ended the day down 38.9 points at 6,203.1, but Corusclimbed nearly 7% to 601.5p as investors cheered the 608p offerfrom Tata ...
Bus pair opt to accept regulator's 'out-of-step' decision
Feb 01, 2007; ... Bus operators Stagecoach and Scottish Citylink have provisionallyagreed to sell off routes run through a joint venture to preservecompetition, it was announced yesterday. The Competition Commission had previously ordered the two busfirms to sell some jointly run services to a new, ...
Fos to face flak from peer
Feb 01, 2007 ... Former "sleaze watchdog" Lord Neill of Bladen will today deliver astinging attack on the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) over thetreatment of victims of the Equitable Life debacle. Lord Neill is expected to tell a European inquiry into the crisisthat the service provided by the ...
Funfair owners deny charges over boy's 'fall'
Feb 01, 2007 ... A Ten-year-old boy suffered serious injuries after he was thrownfrom an Aberdeenshire fairground ride which did not meet safetyrequirements, it has been alleged. The boy is said to have hit moving mechanical parts when he fellfrom the ride known as the Cyclone Twist, owned by ...
Ms sufferer urges MSPs to oppose assisted suicides
Feb 01, 2007; ... A Multiple sclerosis sufferer yesterday pleaded with MSPs toresist any attempts to legalise assisted suicide in Scotland. Petitioners to the Scottish Parliament said they feared thathelping people to decide to end their own lives could become an easyoption at the expense of ...
Scheme to tackle bad behaviour in Perth
Feb 01, 2007; ... Pubs and clubs in Perth city centre have signed up for a pilotradio-link scheme to help tackle antisocial behaviour. Radio equipment will be used by 10 licensed premises to warnpolice and fellow publicans of troublemakers causing havoc on nightsout. The technology has been ...
Assistant fire chief named
Feb 01, 2007 ... A Graduate of Aberdeen University was appointed yesterday asassistant chief fire officer for Grampian Fire and Rescue. Peter Murray, who joined the service in 1986, has served in anumber of senior roles including area manager and commander ofAberdeenshire Command. He will also ...
Supermarket giants 'playing poker' in race to build stores
Feb 01, 2007; ... Three supermarket giants have been accused of "playing poker" withTain as they vie for the chance to build stores in the Easter Rosstown. Tesco, Asda and Lidl are all keen to move into Tain - claimed tobe the oldest royal burgh in Scotland - and Highland councillorsyesterday ...
MSP tells of fears over 'danger' A90 junction
Feb 01, 2007; ... A North-east MSP revealed yesterday that he never used a junctionoff the A90 Aberdeen-Dundee road in his constituency because it wastoo dangerous. A petition calling for a slip road at the Portlethen SouthBruntland Road junction was debated by the parliament's publicpetitions ...
Oil operator lifting output
Feb 01, 2007 ... Tullow Oil, the oil and gas operator, said yesterday that itsproduction averaged 64,720 barrels of oil equivalent per day(boepd) last year, 11% higher than 2005, and had reached 75,000boepdby the year-end. It added that production was expected to average more than80,000boepd ...
Mobile phones signal rise in emergency calls to RAF
Feb 01, 2007; ... Mobile phones may have contributed to a sharp rise in the numberof emergency calls handled by the national rescue co-ordinationcentre at RAF Kinloss over the past year. The nerve centre, which is responsible for overseeing rescuemissions in an area covering 1million square miles of ...
Commission to investigate multibillion-pound buyout
Feb 01, 2007 ... The proposed pounds11.6billion takeover of energy firmScottishPower by a Spanish company is the subject of a EuropeanCommission investigation, it was confirmed yesterday. The move follows SNP claims that the buyout is being helped byunfair tax incentives from the Spanish ...
Sky success tarnished by churn-rate rise
Feb 01, 2007 ... A Large rise in the number of BSkyB customers leaving thesatellite broadcaster took the shine off figures from the groupyesterday. Chief executive James Murdoch said 27,000 customers had quit afterthe group raised its prices last year in an attempt to refocus oncustomer ...
BBC plans 'catch-up' TV service
Feb 01, 2007 ... The Bbc outlined plans yesterday for a pounds131million "catch-up" service that could revolutionise the way viewers watch BBCprogrammes. Under the proposals, viewers will be able to watch TV streamedlive over the internet and catch up for seven days on cable oronline. Earlier ...
Manager jailed for defrauding bank
Feb 01, 2007 ... A High-flying manager was jailed yesterday for three years fordefrauding Barclays of hundreds of thousands of pounds. Old BaileyJudge Richard Hayward said Rajesh Patel had to be jailed despiteprisons being full. He said: "It is necessary to punish you and markthe public disapproval of ...
Organic groceries 'add pounds5 to shopping'
Feb 01, 2007 ... Swapping a basket of supermarket own-brand groceries for organicadds around pounds5 to the cost, researchers have found. It rises by nearly pounds10 when supermarket economy items areupgraded to pesticide free, according to Which? magazine. Which? researchers bought 11 ...
Unions seeking reassurance after tata bolts on steel giant Corus
Feb 01, 2007 ... Indian group Tata Steel's victory in the battle for British-Dutchfirm Corus was hailed yesterday as a dream result forshareholders, but unions called for urgent talks with Tata to discussits investment strategy. Tata won the Takeover Panel-organised auction early yesterday ...
Concern for industry jobs
Feb 01, 2007 ... Almost 8,000 UK manufacturing jobs were lost last month, accordingto the British Chambers of Commerce. It said the figures showed the fragile state of the sector,where employment had hit a new low. Director general David Frost said 2007 was looking ominous forthe ...
Move to extradite drug-case pair to us
Feb 01, 2007 ... A Legal bid to extradite a Bo'ness couple to the US over analleged international operation to produce a deadly druggot underway yesterday. Brian Howes, 43, and Kerry Ann Shanks, 29, are wanted by theAmerican authorities to face 82 charges over the alleged supply ofchemicals ...
Driver wins case then gets speeding ban
Feb 01, 2007 ... Last week, businessman Brian Wiltshire celebrated victory over aspeeding charge after successfully challenging the accuracy of apolice speed gun. This week he was banned from the road completely - for doing130mph on the motorway. Mr Wiltshire, 48, from Caton, near Lancaster, ...
Aurora invests in biotech
Feb 01, 2007 ... Aurora Private Equity Partners, an Aberdeen-based "business angel" syndicate, said yesterday it had invested an undisclosed sumin Cytosystems: a new business specialising in advanced diagnosticsfor cancer. The input from Aurora was supported by backing from the ...