the
scotland directory
your web magazine for all things scottish april 2010
inside this issue: • arran: a history in miniature • photo gallery: beside the clyde • bonnybridge: scotland’s u.f.o. capital • jane haining: a scot in auschwittz • edwyn collins: still ripping it up • glamis castle: where ghosts roam • plus music, entertainment, leisure and our prize competition Cover image: Glamis Castle, Angus
scotland
the directory your web magazine for all things scottish april/may 2010 what’s in this issue: page 3
index and editor’s column
page 5
the isle of arran - a history in miniature
page 8
bonnybridge: scotland’s u.f.o. capital
page 10
sports and hobbies: programmes
page 12
competition: prizes to be won
page 14
edwyn collins: still ripping it up
page 17
photo gallery: beside the clyde
page 25
jane haining: a scot in auschwitz
page 26
entertainment - scotland’s best films
page 29
glamis castle: where ghosts roam
A warm welcome to Scotland’s newest free web magazine! As the heading says, a warm welcome to this first edition of ‘the scotland directory’, an independent publication which is written and produced in Scotland for people interested in this unique country. In our issues, which will be released onthe first day of each alternate month, we hope you will find plenty to interest and entertain you. Our mixture of serious and more light-hearted articles has been planned to appeal to even the most selective readers, and our use of lots of full colour images should hopefully make the time you spend reading it enjoyable. We’ll be glad to hear your opinions, you can contact us by emailing scotlanddirectory@btinternet.com or - between 10am and 4pm weekdays - by calling us on 01294 227548.
This photograph shows the lighthouse at the south end of Holy Isle, which is located off the coast of Lamlash on the Isle of Arran. Nowadays, the few buildings near to the lighthouse - which is known locally as ‘Wee Donald’ - are home to a religious retreat. You can find out more about the Isle of Arran elsewhere in this publication. 3
Scottish Books & CDs by Post "Is it as it was?" by Nick Smalley
Format: Audio/Music CD
This entertaining collection of stories delves into the 'curious-but-true' events of Scotland's history. Hear about - amongst other things - the ghosts at the Queen Mother's childhood home of Glamis Castle; the Glencoe Massacre; the Tay Bridge disaster and the chilling experiences at the remote Windhouse. 20 Tracks including the popular folk songs 'Wild Mountain Thyme' and 'Killiecrankie'. "A must for anyone with an interest in the real story of Scotland!" Price (inc P&P)
UK: £9.00
Europe: 12 euro
Rest of world: US$ 15
CODE: ISITCD "Is it as it was?" by Nick Smalley
Format: Softback Book
An accompaniment to the above Audio CD, this 64 page book contains all the stories on the CD plus many more short tales including the well-known tales of 'Greyfriars Bobby' and the 'Tartan Pimpernel' and more obsure ones such as 'The Wreck of the Wallachia' and 'The Cave that Inspired an Overture'. Includes many original illustrations. 64 pages containing 39 great stories. Price (inc P&P)
UK: £9.00
Europe: 12 euro
Rest of world: US$ 15
BUY BOTH THE BOOK & CD VERSIONS FOR £15 (20 Euro / US$ 25)
"Brush up your Ayrshire" by Andy Baird
CODE: ISITBK
Format: Softback Book
This sometimes humorous, but always indespensible, guide details just about everything worth seeing and doing in and around Ayrshire. It will take you on a highly descriptive tour of Burns Country, revealing the 5,000 year old connections with Viking Battles, Medieval Monasteries, Knights in Armour, Cuddly Pets, Beautiful Castles and even the odd World Record. Includes a separate section on Ayrshire's most famous son, Robert Burns. Colour & monochrome - 162 pages in total. Price (inc P&P)
UK: £14.99
Europe: 17 euro
Rest of world: US$ 22
CODE: BUYA "Millennium Memories" by Mae McEwan
Format: Softback Book
In her own amusing and unique way, Ayrshire historian and columnist Mae McEwan weaves a tapestry of words and characters which illuminate this part of Scotland's past. Includes many photos of life as it used to be. "Brings back memories, tears and the odd disagreement" Monochrome - 78 pages in total. Price (inc P&P)
UK: £12.99
Europe: 15 euro
Rest of world: US$ 20
IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU PLACE YOUR ORDER SOON: THERE ARE LESS THAN 20 COPIES OF THIS BOOK REMAINING - IT WILL NOT BE REPRINTED.
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CODE: MILMEM
FREE BOOK
To order, please send the title(s) of the items you require by post along with a cheque or postal order for the total amount made payable to N T Smalley, to Book Offer, N.T. Smalley, 3 Five Roads, Kilwinning, Ayrshire KA13 7JX
(value £7.95 or more) with every order received by 30th April 2010
Unfortunately credit/debit card payments can’t be accepted, but you may reserve your titles by emailing nicksmalley@btopenworld.com before posting your cheque. All orders will be despatched upon receipt of payment. Should any title be out of stock, your payment for that item will be refunded. A free book, selected at random from our list of titles, (minimum value £7.95) will be sent with all orders received by 30th May 2010.
arran: scotland in miniature
Dominating the skyline off the Ayrshire coast, the island of Arran is a favourite tourist spot for many people. Almost a quarter of a million visitors cross by boat or ferry each year - sometimes finding their craft being escorted by dolphins or seals part of the way - to sample the delights of an island that is referred to as ‘Scotland in Miniature’ because of its mixture of fertile meadows, deep valleys, beautiful shorelines, dramatic mountains along with a variety of wildlife. Just twenty miles long and ten miles wide, Arran has a circumference of around 55 miles and rises to a height of 2,867 feet (874m) at its highest point, at the top of Goatfell. This a popular corbett that is relatively easy ascended by one of several routes that pass through forestry and open moorland, before reaching its summit (pictured above) where there stands a viewpoint table from which, on a clear day, Ireland can be seen some 50 miles across the sea. Sheltered from the Atlantic by the Kintyre Peninsula, Arran is separated from mainland Scotland by the Firth of Clyde to the east and the Sound of Bute to the north. The island is defined by a geological fault line which runs across its centre. The Highland Boundary Fault, as it is known, divides the rugged, mountainous landscape of the north from the more gentle hills of the south. In turn, the landscape influences the local climate and the relatively lush southern half of the island feels the warming effect of the Gulf Stream to a greater extent than does the more rugged northern area does. The island's main settlements include those at Brodick, Lamlash, Whiting Bay, Blackwaterfoot, Pirnmill and Lochranza. Most of Arran's 5,000 or so permanent residents live in the southern half of the island with around 1,000 of these living the main town and port of Brodick alone. Many tourists tend to stick to the south-eastern part of the island, leaving the west and the north parts of the island relatively undisturbed. Tourism, farming, and forestry are the primary economic activities on Arran and visitors can get an indication of how these industries have changed over the years at the Arran Heritage Centre (pictured) a few miles north of Brodick. The manufacture and sale of dairy products, cosmetics and whisky are also important industries here. A road, approximately 56 miles in length, encircles the island. In addition, Arran is traversed from east to west by the String Road, which runs through mountain glens, and to the south over more gentle terrain, by the Ross Road. 5
Arran's history stretches so far back that it becomes interweaved with the myths and legends of Scotland's past and visible signs of the lives of the first people to live here can be seen around the island. Those first residents were the Neolithic people who lived on the island in the period between 4,500 BC and 2,000 BC. They were farmers, and traces of their field systems have been found on Arran. However, they have left their most distinct legacy on the island in the form of stone circles, standing stones and cairns. It is not known exactly what these monuments were used for, but it is safe to assume that they had some kind of ceremonial function. The first of these megalithic monuments was constructed towards the end of the Neolithic period, and other monuments were built over a long period of time, probably over the next 2,500 years. The grandeur of some of these ancient ceremonial monuments on Arran can best be appreciated by a visit to Machrie Moor, where there are six stone circles all within a short distance of each other. They can be found near the end of a farm track that leads from the A 841 road. The site is easily found, but a walk of just over a mile - along a track that is often muddy and wet - is needed to reach the site. Machrie Moor was a big complex and the megaliths should not be seen as individual monuments, but as part of a larger sacred or ceremonial location. First, during the Neolithic period, several timber circles were erected on the moor in the general area where some of the stone circles now lie. The main wooden circle consisted of about fifty tall posts with an inner ring of taller posts in a horseshoe formation. This wood circle was in use for many hundreds of years, during which time other timber circles were also created. No remains of these timber circles can be seen today, but what can be seen are the stone monuments that were built to replace them. The stones of Machrie Moor are the tallest standing stones on Arran. Only three stones remain in what was part of a circle that was 13.7m in diameter (see photo above). They stand out against the dramatic backdrop of the Arran mountains. Two smaller stone stumps are all that is left of the other stones of this circle. Ancient monuments like those of Machrie Moor can be found all around Arran. There are many Neolithic cairns, such as those at Torlin and Clachaig, and also small stone circles at Lamlash and at Auchagallon. Another aspect of Arran is its whisky, but Arran Single Malt Whisky is relatively one of the ‘new kids on the block’ as far as malt whisky goes. When the Arran Distillery opened near Lochranza in 1995 it was the first legal distillery on the island since 1836, although illegal ones had existed in the 19th century - most of them hidden away from the eyes of the taxman. Set in a scenically attractive area where golden eagles and deer can be seen near close by (see photo on opposite page), the distillery’s visitor centre was formally opened by the Queen in 1997. In celebration, hogsheads of malt were set aside for Princes William and Harry and are maturing in a storage area on the premises. Arran was chosen as the distillery’s location following a geological survey which showed it to be a prime location. The island’s microclimate is ideal for the speedy maturation of single malt whiskies and water quality - the water used in the distilling process comes from Loch na Davie, located high in the hills above Lochranza and is the purest in all of Scotland. 6
Nestled among the wooded hills on the edge of Arran’s main town, stands Brodick Castle (pictured right). The castle which is owned by the National Trust, has a superb history and contains spectacular collections of paintings, furniture, silver and artefacts Brodick Castle and Country Park is unique in being the only island country park in Britain. The Castle offers 600 years of history and a fabulous collection of valuable artefacts, and stunning views over Brodick Bay to the Ayrshire Coast. The Castle Gardens provide an unrivalled experience from the formal walled garden to its woodland walks. The grounds are home to three national collections of rhododendron that flower in almost every month of the year. The Park extends from seashore to mountain top with over ten miles of way-marked trails which are abundant with wildlife. With its backdrop of mountain peaks, its terraced lawns and luxuriant gardens, Brodick Castle and Country Park is the very image of a Victorian ‘Highland’ estate. With the marriage of the daughter of James the second of Scotland to James, Lord Hamilton, the long Stewardship of the island by generations of the Hamilton family dynasty began. In 1843, when the 10th Duke’s son married Princess Marie, the youngest daughter of the Grand Duke of Baden, the enlargement and transformation of the Castle was commissioned. The work was made possible by the inheritance that came to Susan Euphemia, wife of the 10th Duke and daughter of William Beckford, who was described as ‘one of the most colourful individuals in the history of English collecting’. Beckford’s extreme wealth and fabulous collection was legendary and the portion that came to Brodick is today on display together with an eclectic collection of paintings, furniture, porcelain and silver. The Walled Garden, built in 1710, is laid out with formal borders, a mixture of half hardies and annual plants, some of which came to Brodick from Tresco Abbey gardens. The Woodland Gardens house the world famous Rhododendron collection. Amongst other features in the gardens are the Bavarian Summerhouse and an ice house. Arran lies in the Gulf Stream and its climate allows for the successful growing of exotic plants from around the world. Elsewhere on Arran, there are a host of things to keep visitors occupied. For sporty types, there are seven golf courses dotted around the island and there are tennis, bowls and horseriding facilities to name but a few. For those wishing to enjoy a more sedentary visit, tearooms, craft shops, visitor attractions and galleries abound. Arran is easily reached by ferry from the mainland with a frequent year-round service from Ardrossan in Ayrshire to Brodick, whilst on the other side of the island sailings operate between Lochranza and the Kintyre ports of Claonaig (summer services) and Tarbert (winter services). With so much to see and do - and we’ve only touched the surface in this article - Arran deserves to be called ‘Scotland in Miniature’. 7
scotland’s u.f.o. capital
If someone mentioned Unidentified Flying Objects to you, what location would immediately spring to mind? For many people, the term UFO throws up the image of secretive installations, hidden deep in the deserts of America, far away from inquisitive eyes. For those truly in the know however, the place for unprecedented levels of UFO activity is ... Bonnybridge, near Falkirk. Bonnybridge has, since 1992, been the site of numerous UFO sightings and has been described as the world’s number one UFO hotspot. The small town of around 8,500 people, sits at the heart of an area known to UFO enthusiasts as the “Falkirk Triangle”, which stretches between Stirling, Fife and the outskirts of Edinburgh. It has around three hundred reported UFO sightings annually. Local independent Councillor Billy Buchanan takes the sightings seriously and has raised the matter in public meetings, in correspondence with three different Prime Ministers and has called for the town to be twinned with America’s own extra terrestial hot potato, Roswell in New Mexico. He said: “How do we know aliens aren’t walking about? How do you define an alien anyway? And when people say to me ‘Why Bonnybridge?’ I say, ‘why Bethlehem?’ I have no doubt that Bonnybridge is part of something exciting.” Although a Ministry of Defence report into UFO sightings, recently released under the Freedom of Information Act, concluded that no evidence existed to suggest that the reported sightings are hostile or caused by anything other than natural physical forces, the truth behind the experiences of Bonnybridge residents remains shrouded in mystery. One Tursday night in March 2008 provided eye-witness accounts of a mysterious flying object seen in the skies over the area. Twenty-eight year old Colin Doyle from Hallglen in Falkirk, said: "My colleague and I were just coming back from a job in Bonnybridge about half past nine and we saw this object with flashing lights in the sky. There was no way it was a plane. It looked oval shaped with flashing lights all around it, so we got out the van to have a look. After hovering for a while, it then just shot up into the sky and the speed it was going was phenomenal." He added: "Before I just didn't believe these stories, but now I can safely say I do believe there must be something." Gary Harkins, also 28, from Bonnybridge, said: "I was out walking my dog along the canal at Bonnybridge around about 9.30 and saw this object in the sky and there was not a chance it could have been an aircraft. It was kind of saucer-shaped and was hovering above the ground around the height of high-rise flats and had flashing lights. The object continued to hover about for a few minutes and then just shot away at unbelievable speed. Seeing something like that just takes your breath away." Councillor Billy Buchanan, said: "These sightings highlight that the phenomenon is still ongoing, as people are still seeing something which has no rational explanation." The more people come forward and report these incidents and put them on record, the greater the credibility. If people see something they should report it to the police." In January 2009, video footage filmed by an eye-witness emerged of an apparent ‘UFO’ sighting in Banknock, near Scotland’s flying saucer capital. The extraordinary film came amidst a wave of similar sightings across the UK. 8
UFO-related hysteria had begun a few days earlier when a giant blade measuring almost 19 metres long (65 feet) from a wind turbine had been torn off, and had seemingly vanished without trace after being struck by an unidentified aircraft in the early hours of the morning. A number of people in the area reported seeing white lights hovering near the wind farm at Conisholme in Lincolnshire (see photo on right), whilst a passing motorist reported watching a UFO zoom towards the windfarm before striking the 88 metre (290 feet) tall turbine shortly before 4.a.m. Ecotricity, who own the site, said that the extent of damage was "unique" and that they were not ruling anything out. The Ministry of Defence have already said they are not looking into the incidents because they do not pose a threat to national security, but judging by video footage shown to Scottish TV by a man from Banknock, near Bonnybridge, there just may be someone else out there. The middle-aged witness, who was identified only as ‘Neil’, said: “I had sneaked off to my loft for a cigarette. I opened the skylight and I saw what I thought was a bright star, but it was really bright and orangey in colour. I watched it and then I saw another one. I thought that was an aircraft, but there were no navigation lights or anything like that. “Then I saw another one on the horizon rising towards the others and that’s when I realised I was looking at something very unusual and I started shouting at my wife, ‘get me the camera, get me the camera’. “By the time I had the video camera, two of the objects had disappeared but I put the camera on the remaining one and that’s what you see in the video.” Neil insists he is not a UFO geek. “I don’t go looking for flying saucers or anything like that.” Over in Shetland, an STV cameraman reported seeing exactly the same kind of lights in the sky on New Year’s Day in Lerwick, but to his eternal shame he didn’t have his camera with him. A total of 600 UFO sightings were reported in Bonnybridge in just two years (1992-1994) but over more recent years, the number of sightings has dropped off. However, those living near Bonnybridge still keep their eyes pointing skyward occasionally, just in case there is another passing UFO whose crew decides to make a beeline for the skies above the small Stirlingshire town.
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sports and hobbies If you are interested in football then collecting football programmes may be an area that you could provide you with great enjoyment. Football programmes represent many aspects of the sport. These nostalgic articles record the triumphs, upsets and personalities of the great game and for this reason hold the utmost importance in the history of the game. Your reasons for collecting can be varied and when deciding on how to begin building a collection you have a number of things to consider. The following guide is intended to give you a helping hand as you begin collecting. You may want to group your collection around different Eras of the sport. How you define those Eras is up to you. The 90's World Cup Final may be one of your earliest memories or you may be in your later years and remember the heyday of the Busby Babes. Either way, particular dates, teams, games or times may play a large part in deciding which collections to build. Many of the places that you search will list items both by date and team, which makes searching for the particular items easier. Another way of grouping your collection is to focus on your team of choice. If you are devoted to, and obsessed with, one team then this may be the route that you wish to take. You will have the added benefit of knowing more about the history of the team which will help your judgment further down the line especially when purchasing those unique, more expensive programmes. If you wish to build a collection that will be worth decent money in the future then this may be a good choice. Knowledge really is the key when building your collection.
If you are torn between the two previous groups you can always concentrate on items from significant footballing events. Programmes from FA Cup and World Cup games can become excellent additions to your collection. This is a particular niche area of interest to many other collectors and, as with all collectables, as demand increases so does the price. These programmes can be highly sought after examples and will no doubt set you back more than the average programme - but they will generally increase in value as time goes on. It is not uncommon to see pristine articles selling for hundreds, if not thousands of pounds depending on the history behind the item. 10
However, money isn't everything and you may have reason not to be bothered about future resale prices. If you were at Holland v Scotland in the 1978 World Cup Finals and have kept your programme to this day, then the sentimental value outweighs the monetary one. As you start hunting around for items to add to your collection, you will find that there are so many places to look. Online auctions and classified sales sites are an obvious place to start. These make your search a little easier as you can browse thousands of products in seconds. You can even pinpoint the exact products you require, get them ordered and delivered without even leaving your chair. This does however take some of the excitement out of the hunt! Whilst trawling the internet for your next bargain you will probably come across articles advertising football programme fairs. These fairs are the’ car boot sales’ of the football collectable world, where hundreds of collectors just like you get together to buy and sell programmes, with the aim of adding to their own collections. Apart from the obvious attraction of being able to browse through countless articles, these fairs are an excellent place to meet other enthusiastic collectors. You will be able to pick up some useful information from these ardent fans, especially concerning future values of your collection and items to watch out for to push up your figures. Without wishing to state the obvious, another place to source your programmes is the games that you may go to week in, week out. They may only cost you a few pounds now and may not have the allure of examples from many years ago, but these items will become rarer as time goes on and no collection would be complete without programmes covering recent times. Collecting programmes is a personal hobby and carries far more sentimental value than many other collections. Your passion for the great game is allowed to spill over into the items you begin to collect and you can start a collection to be proud of. Whether you are buying as an investment or because of your love for the game, you are guaranteed to get great enjoyment from your collection along the way. More information about football programme collecting is available at the following websites: Soccer Corner: www.soccer-corner.com Programme Monthly: www.pmfc.co.uk Football Programmes: www.footballprogrammes-uk.co.uk
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our‘about scotland’ prize quiz There are ten great prizes in our springtime quiz, including a bottle of Famous Grouse, Scotland’s favourite whisky which will go to the winner of our competition.. Three contestants wil each win copies of Greenstreet’s game CD ‘Sudoku Master’ which has 10,000 different games to play on your computer, whilst the other six winners will each receive a copy of a specially designed Scottish Landscape print. To enter the competition, answer the questions below and email your answers to scotlanddirectory@btinternet.com or by post (please attach the appropriate postage) to Spring Quiz, 3 Five Roads, Kilwinning KA13 7JX. Closing date is Friday, 23 April 2010. The winners will be annouced the following day. Winners will be notified so please remember to include your name and address/ email address. 1. St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland and which other three countries? a) Slovakia, Greece and Czech Republic b) Norway, Greece and Latvia c) Romania, Greece and Russia
6. What are the three officially recognised languages of Scotland? a) English, Scots and Gaelic b) English, Pictish and Gaelic c) English, Gaelic and Latin
2. What is the name of Scotland’s national poet? a) George Mackay Brown b) Robert Burns c) Robert Louis Stevenson
7. What is the population of Scotland? a) 6.8 million b) 5.1 million c) 7.9 million
3. What is the name of the Scottish flag a) The Lion Rampant b) The Saltire c) The Salt and Sauce
8. Who wrote the novels ‘Rob Roy’ and ‘Waverley’? a) Between 5 and 10 million b) Between 10 and 20 million c) Between 30 and 40 million
4. How many Scottish Islands are there? a) 800 b) 30 c) 15
9. Which location featured in ‘The Da Vinci Code’? a) Fyvie Castle b) Roslyn Chapel c) Abbotsford House
5. What connects Sherlock Holmes to Scotland? a) The author Arthur Conan Doyle was Scottish b) Sherlock Holmes was Scottish c) Both Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle were Scottish
10. On which Scottish Island did George Orwell write his novel ‘1984’? a) Jura b) Islay c) Iona
Answers by post (see above) or email to scotlanddirectory@btinternet.com by 23rd April! 12
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edwyn collins: still ripping it up This issue’s music file looks at Scottish musician Edwyn Collins. Edwyn Stephen Collins, born 23 August 1959 in Edinburgh, is a Scottish musician whose musical style is mostly electric guitar-driven pop. In 1976 he formed the musical group Nu-Sonics which became Orange Juice three years later. Orange Juice earned a devoted cult following in Glasgow’s neo-pop scene but little commercial success. They are best known for their hit single with "Rip It Up", which reached number 8 in the charts - their only UK Top 40 single and biggest commercial success. In 1985, Orange Juice disbanded, and Collins went on to pursue a solo career. Collins released a 1994 single, "A Girl Like You", which was a hit in both the UK and the U.S. and was also featured in the films ‘Empire Records’ and ‘Charlie's Angels’. "Magic Piper of Love", a 1997 single that featured on the soundtrack of ‘Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery’, was also released. In 1994, Collins built his own recording studio and produced his own third solo album, “Gorgeous George”. He has also worked extensively as a record producer with other artists, including The Proclaimers, Robert Forster, The Cribs, and Little Barrie. In 2005, Collins produced the The New Fellas album recorded by The Cribs. In a BBC 6 radio interview in February 2005, Collins had said he felt unwell, but ascribed the nausea and vertigo to food poisoning, but two days later, he was admitted to intensive care in London's Royal Free Hospital after apparently suffering a major cerebral haemorrhage. After suffering a second haemorrhage he had an operation on 25 February 2005, which was followed by a long programme of neurological rehabilitation owing to right-sided weakness and difficulty with speech. However. in May 2009, he celebrated his comeback from illness by winning an Ivor Novello award. Collins has also produced and starred in the Channel 4 sitcom, ‘West Heath Yard’ and released his first book of illustrations in 2009. He lives with Grace Maxwell, who is also his manager in London. They have one son, William, who maintains his father's MySpace page. In October 2009, Grace detailed her "running battle" with Warner Music Group and MySpace over his right to allow fans to listen to "A Girl Like You" for free on his MySpace page. 14
Collins is still on the road to recovery and he has returned to singing live including playing a gig at The Arts Theatre in London. A tribute song, celebrating his return, was recorded by the Indiepop band The Candy Twins. In November 2009 Collins walked on stage at London’s Bloomsbury Ballroom looking dapper in a black suit and leaning on a silver-topped cane, he spoke slowly to the crowd, his right arm curled up at his side. But when he started to sing, his baritone proved as powerful as ever. A BBC Scotland documentary, ‘Edwyn Collins:Home Again’, in 2008 was narrated by Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos. Filmed during 2007, it followed Collins's progress in recovering from his illness, and his first return to live performances at the BBC’s Electric Proms. Edwyn Collins also performed at the famous Glastonbury Festival, which was broadcast on BBC2 on 28 June 2008 and at ‘T in the Park’ on 10 July 2009. On 20th February 2010 he joined The Maccabees onstage at the close of the Shockwaves NME Awards Tour at the 02 Brixton Academy after the band from Brighton had invited him to take part in their encore. Collins performed the vocals on a storming rendition of "Rip It Up." Edwyn Collins has released a new song in 2010, his first since he was incapacitated by the cerebral haemorrhage.’I’m Feeling Lucky’ is the singer’s contribution to the ‘Mavis’ album, a compilation inspired by American R&B singer, Mavis Staples. Collins said: ‘It’s my first song after the stroke. ‘I’m Feeling Lucky’ is all about positive music. The lyrics are simple and direct.... it’s inspirational in a way. It’s a good song. My 19 year old son William did the lead guitar solo.’The song was debuted at the launch of ‘Mavis’ at the Luminaire in London in February. The album also features contributions from Ed Harcourt, Cerys Matthews, Candi Staton andSarah Cracknell. He is also working on a new solo record. ‘It’s coming along slowly’, he said. ‘I’ve written eleven new songs with my lyrics. Simple songs... I’m getting there. It’s taking a long, long time but I’m finally raring to go’.
Getting Married ?
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This 64 page ‘ebook’ is available now from our website: www.thescotlanddirectory.org 16
photo gallery: beside the clyde
the clyde waterbus passes glasgow science centre
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glasgow city chambers at night
botanical gardens, glasgow
the scottish exhibition and conference centre
glasgow cathedral
kelvingrove art gallery and museum
the waverley paddle steamer passes the s.e.c.c.
hampden park a cruise liner sails past cloch lighthouse
the clyde arc, a.k.a. ‘the squinty bridge’
view over the city from glasgow necropolis
night in the west end
‘big bertha’ towers over the clyde.
the scot who died in auschwitz The woman who became known as the "Scottish Schindler" after the Second World War received a posthumous British honour in March following a campaign to win recognition for her heroic actions. Jane Haining is thought to have died in the gas chambers of Auschwitz-Birkenau during 1944, having been taken there by the Nazis after she refused to abandon dozens of Jewish orphans in her care.
In the summer of 1944 a bespectacled, almost unknown Scots woman stood out among the tide of human misery shuffling from the railway cattle trucks into the barracks at Auschwitz. Her fair skin and bright blue eyes marked her out instantly as an Aryan, a non-Jew. She had been transported from a holding camp east of Budapest to Auschwitz where she was murdered in the gas chambers within a matter of weeks. Jane Haining died for helping Jewish children in her care to survive the Nazi regime.
Jane Haining was born in Dunscore near Dumfries in Scotland in 1897. She lost her mother at the age of five and grew up a determined, capable woman. She worked for ten years in a threadmaker's in Paisley, but at a meeting in Glasgow about the Jewish Mission she turned to a friend and said: 'I have found my life-work.' She began to work at a Church of Scotland mission to the Jews in Budapest in 1932. Famous for her broad Scots accent, she was popular with the 400 children, a mix of Christians and Jews, attending the school. Many were orphans, from broken or poverty-stricken homes, while others were sent simply because they got an excellent education from the Scots. She loved her little ones. In one letter, she wrote: 'We have one nice little mite who is an orphan and is coming to the school for the first time. She seems to be a lonely wee soul and needs lots of love. We shall see what we can do to make life a little happier for her.' Another letter read: 'We have one new little six-year-old, an orphan without a mother or a father. She is such a pathetic wee soul ... she certainly does look as though she needs heaps and heaps of love.'
She was in Scotland on leave when World War 2 broke out, but immediately undertook the hazardous journey back to Budapest to help the Jewish children. Later the missionaries were ordered back to Scotland to safety when the Nazis invaded Hungary in 1944. Jane Haining disobeyed. 'If these children need me in the days of sunshine', she said, 'how much more do they need me in the days of darkness?' Her sister Nan O'Brien later recalled: 'It was no surprise that she refused to come back. She would never have had a moment's happiness if she had come home and left the children.' During the war the Nazi brutality accelerated with murder, violence and terror and the little Jewish children were increasingly under threat. Jane protected them to the best of her ability. She was denounced to the Nazi authorities and SS men raided the school early in May. They gave her 15 minutes to get ready and took her away. She was thrown into jail on charges of British espionage and helping Jews; she was accused of working among Jews and also accused of weeping as she was made to sew yellow stars of David onto the dresses of her children. Jane Haining was deported along with some of her Jewish children to the death camp at Auschwitz. In three months 1,300,000 were liquidated in Auschwitz, among them prisoner number 79467, Jane Haining, who refused to reject her children and was gassed along with a batch of Hungarian women on August 16th, 1944, at the age of 47. Later, the Church of Scotland was sent her death certificate from Auschwitz. It stated she had been arrested on account of justified suspicion of espionage against Germany and had died in hospital, July 17, of cachexia (physical wasting) caused by intestinal catarrh.
Jane Haining is thought to be the only Scot to be slain in the Nazi death camps. In 1997 she was honoured by the Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Memorial in Jerusalem. She is remembered in the stained-glass windows of Queen's Park Church in Glasgow and at the Church in Dunscore where she worshipped.
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entertainment A question sure to be a conversation starter is anything that begins, “What’s your favourite....?”, so in this issue, we are asking you, ‘What is your favourite all time Scottish film?’ We’d love to hear what our readers think and we and ask you to let us know what your favourite all time Scottish film is, and why. A few suggestions follow, but even if the film you like isn’t on our list, let us know what your personal favourite is. You can vote by emailing us at scotlanddirectory@btinternet.com (please mark the subject line ‘Film’) and we will collate the votes and print the results in a future edition. Without further ado, here’ is our list: The 39 Steps (1935) Dir: Alfred Hitchock One of Hitchock’s best British films, featuring the definitive Richard Hannay in Robert Donat, struggling to prove his innocence against the gathering forces of darkness. Madeleine Carroll plays the femme fatale who accompanies him on the fast and furious chase, including the famous Forth Bridge sequence. At one point they find themselves handcuffed together in one of the director’s seductive master strokes. Bill Douglas Trilogy (1972-78) Dir. Bill Douglas The autobiographical trilogy, about growing up in a mining village, Newtongrange, close to Edinburgh in the Forties. Shot in gritty and evocative black and white. In "My Childhood" (1972), Douglas evokes a childhood of poverty and pain; "My Ain Folk" (1974) reveals that the man living next door is, in fact, his father; and "My Way Home" (1978) deals with personal emancipation as the autobiographical hero goes off to Egypt on National Service. A remarkable body of work. Braveheart (1995) Dir. Mel Gibson A passionate and bloody account of William Wallace’s rebellion against the English starring Mel Gibson as a Mad Mac set to right wrongs and bring freedom to the oppressed. Patrick McGoohan makes a wonderful villain out of Edward 1st with Sophie Marceau and Catherine McCormack as the women in Wallace’s heart. Epic battle scenes of the highest order. Gregory’s Girl (1980) Dir. Bill Forsyth Endearing and quirky comedy about a girl (Dee Hepburn) who infiltrates the school football team, causes male angst and resentment, and stirs romantic yearnings in the lanky Gregory (John Gordon Sinclair). Strong on observation and naturalistic performances, it proved a huge hit. 26
Above: Gregory’s Girl
Local Hero (1983) Dir. Bill Forsyth In the great tradition of Ealing comedy yet with an identity all of its own, Forsyth persuaded the late great Burt Lancaster to play the Texan tycoon, tired of corporate stresses, who falls under the spell of the tiny town his ambitious chief exec (Peter Riegert) has been sent to buy. Charming, refreshing, full of unexpected twists and colourful cameos. This is vintage Forsyth. Trainspotting (1995) Dir. Danny Boyle Irvine Welsh’s interior monologue is transformed into an exhilarating exposé of aimless lives fuelled, and made bearable, by drugs. Launched a raft of the Mac pack: Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle, Ewen Bremner et al. Web site The Maggie (1953) Dir. Alexander Mackendrick Another classic Ealing comedy with Scottish roots from Alexander Mackendrick, with Paul Douglas as an American financier who falls foul of the captain of a leaky boat hired to carry a precious cargo to a remote Scottish island. In the spirit of Whisky Galore.
Above:Trainspotting
Mrs Brown (1997) Dir. John Madden An intriguing and insightful exploration of the relationship between Queen Victoria (Judi Dench) and John Brown (Billy Connolly), distinguished by fine performances from all and sundry, including Antony Sher as Disraeli, and Geoffrey Palmer as the queen’s private secretary. Handsomely mounted by director John Madden who captures the full flavour of the times. Regeneration (1997) Dir. Gillies Mackinnon A meticulously crafted adaptation of Pat Barker’s Booker prize-winner with Jonathan Pryce as the psychiatrist trying to rebuild the confidence of his patients to enable them to return to the horror of the First World War trenches. Rob Roy (1996) Dir. Michael Caton-Jones A stirring historical drama from a sharp script by Alan Sharp, and robustly directed by Michael Caton-Jones in which Liam Neeson’s kilted warrior finds himself locked in emnity with John Hurt’s Montrose. Best of all is Tim Roth’s foppish yet dastardly Cunningham and Jessica Lange’s sensuous Mary in a film that has the sweeping feel of a Western until it was unjustly dwarfed by Mel Gibson’s Braveheart. Seaward the Great Ships (1961) Dir. Hilary Harris Based on a treatment by John Grierson, this documentary about Glasgow’s seafaring tradition, it won Scotland its first Oscar for best short film (live action) in 1961. Silent Scream (1990) Dir. David Hayman The true story of Larry Winters, a Scot sentenced to life for the killing of a Soho barman, which gets under his skin and inside a mind scrambled by drugs. Won Iain Glen a best actor award at the Berlin Film Festival. Small Faces (1995) Dir. Gillies MacKinnon This rites of passage journey which is set in 1968 Glasgow, directed by Gillies MacKinnon and co-written by his brother Billy, follows three brothers (JS Duffy, Joseph McFadden and Iain Robertson) as they make decisions about where their loyalties and ambitions lie in between relationships, peer pressure and tribal warfare. MacKinnon always has been regarded as a masterful director of actors, and none more so than here. His portrait is uncompromising, honest, and above all invested with a questing intelligence. 27
The Spy in Black (1939) Dir: Emeric Pressburger and Michael Powell The first collaboration from the legendary tandem of Pressburger and Powell -- a spy melodrama set in Orkney and featuring Conrad Veidt as a naval captain trying to make contact with a German agent. Valerie Hobson shimmers her way into the equation as the femme fatale. Stella Does Tricks (1996) Dir. Coke Giedroye A tough and gritty exploration of a girl drawn into prostitution in London to escape her Glaswegian background. Written by acclaimed author A L Kennedy, the script provocatively plays with the humour and tragedy of the situation. Kelly McDonald confirms her position as one of Scotland’s brightest acting talents. Tickets for the Zoo (1991) Dir. Brian Crumlish Down and out, struggling on the wild side to keep body and soul together in a pre-Trainspotting Edinburgh. Siblings Carol and George try to think positive, but she loses her flat when she refuses to do a little bondage on the side. Powerful and moving with gritty performances from Alice Bree, Tom Smith and Micky MacPherson. Venus Peter (1989) Dir. Ian Sellar A marvelous evocation of a childhood imagination taking flights in a small fishing community. Filmed in Orkney, but based on Christopher Rush’s semi-autobiographical "Twelve Months and a Day", set in St Monans, it marked the first collaboration of producer Christopher Young and director Ian Sellar. Peter (Gordon R Strachan) leads a magical existence, brought up by his grandfather (Ray McAnally) and taught about life and beauty by his teacher (Sinead Cusack), all against a background of an inbred and insular community.
Above:The Wicker Man
Whisky Galore (1949) Dir: Alexander Mackendrick Fine vintage Ealing comedy, in which canny Hebridean islanders hijack a wrecked wartime cargo of whisky. Much imitated, but it stands repeated viewings. The Wicker Man (1973) Dir. Robin Hardy Christopher Lee claims he gives his best performance in a film whose cult status soars with every showing. Lee heads a pagan cult on a Scottish island community, leading to a heady examination of Christianity and devil worship. Chilling, bizarre... and erotic. Flood Tide (1949) Dir. Frederick Wilson A Clydebank apprentice, played by Gordon Jackson, becomes a ship’s designer and falls in love with the boss’s daughter in a 1940s drama which also features Jimmy Logan, Rona Anderson, John Laurie and Elizabeth Sellars. Evocative as social history...and a particular time and place. So that’s our summary of Scottish films. Please let us know which is your favourite. Even if your favourite is a film that doesn’t appear on our list, you can still vote... just let us know the title and we’ll add it into our results. Just send us an email at scotlanddirectory@btinternet.com
The next edition of this publication will go on general release from our website, www.thescotlanddirectory.org on 1st June 2010. Please forward any editorial, news or items for inclusion to us at the email address below. If you wish to subscribe (free of charge) email scotlanddirectory@btinternet.com 28
the ghosts of glamis castle
Glamis Castle is the historic seat of the Bowes-Lyons Family, who received the lands as a gift from Robert the Bruce in 1372. The family still own the castle as the Earls of Strathmore. Family members include the late Queen Mother, who was born here and gave birth to Princess Margaret here. The main keep of the castle dates from the 14th century, and the majestic towers and turrets were added in later years. Despite its fairy-tale appearace, Glamis is one of the most haunted castles in Britain, The family chapel within the castle is haunted by a Grey Lady, who is said to be the unsettled spirit of Lady Janet Douglas, who was burned at the stake as a witch on Edinburgh’s Castle Hill in 1537 as punishment for plotting to poison the King. It is likely that the charges were fabricated for political reasons. Lady Janet’s apparition has been seen relatively recently in the chapel by a number of witnesses. Her ghost is also said to appear above the Clock Tower. The ghost of a woman without a tongue is one of those said to haunt the grounds. She has been seen looking out from a barred window somewhere within the castle. She is reported to roam the extensive grounds pointing at her mutilated face. There is no suggestion as to who she might be. A young boy, the ghost of a Negro servant who was badly treated around 200 years ago, haunts a stone seat by the door of the Queen's bedroom. One of the more infamous ghosts is known as ‘Earl Beardie’, or the Tiger Earl, otherwise known as Alexander, Earl Crawford. He was a cruel and wicked man whose spirit is said to wander the castle and there have been reports of children waking to find his figure leaning over their beds. Probably the most resounding piece of folklore that crops up, is the story of a hidden room somewhere within the castle that harbours a dreadful secret. At one time a towel is said to have been hung from every window in the castle, but when the castle was viewed from the outside a window without a towel was visible, suggesting a hidden room. This secret room has many tales about its origin; the most popular is that it holds a ‘monster’. In 1821 the first son of the eleventh Earl is said to have been born horribly malformed. To hide this fact the story was circulated that the boy had died. Although, if legend is to be believed, the infant was locked up in a secret room within the castle. The malformed boy survived, and in time a second son was born, who was told of his older brother when he came of age. In some versions of the story the boy grows to become incredibly strong, and live to be 100.
the sitting room at glamis castle 29
It is said that by tradition, the secret of the hidden room had to be passed down to each heir on their 21st birthday. The 13th Earl of Strathmore, Claude, inherited the title after the death of his older brother who had died without leaving an heir. Claude was by all accounts a kindly man who was married with five children. He was not the eldest son, and therefore not an heir, so he hadn’t been privy to the secret when he reached his 21st birthday. When he first heard of the family secret, Claude often joked with his wife about it; but having learned the full story of the mystery of Glamis, his personality changed. When his wife flippantly broached the matter during dinner one day, he told her: “I have been into that room. I have heard the secret. If you wish to please me, then you will never mention that subject again”. There is a story concerning a workman who is said to have accidentally broken through a wall while making alterations to the castle, revealing the passage into the secret room. He was alarmed and agitated by something he saw. The Earl was summoned from Edinburgh by telegram and quizzed the frightened workman at length. The man was then bribed with a large sum of money, and told to leave the country along with his family, and that he was never to speak about what he had seen. In another tale, the room is said to hold the bodies of men who were enemies of the Bowes-Lyon family and were captured, walled up and starved to death. One popular explanation for the ‘secret room’ tells how, one Saturday evening, Earl Beardie was guesting at the castle. After a heavy drinking session with the Earl of Glamis, one which ran into early Sunday morning, he was in a drunken rage shouting for a partner to play him at cards. In those days, playing cards on the Sabbath was taboo, so nobody accepted his challenge. Finally he raged that he would play with the Devil himself. Inevitably there was a knock at the door, and a tall man in dark clothes came into the castle and asked if Earl Beardie still required a partner. The Earl agreed, and they went away to a room in the castle, slammed the door shut, and started to play cards. The castle was rocked with the sounds of swearing and shouting from the room and one of the castle’s staff, giving in to curiosity, peeped through the keyhole. A bright beam of light blasted through the keyhole, blinding the servant in one eye. The Earl hurried out of the room and yelled at the servant for spying on him. However, on returning to the room, Earl Beardie found that his card-playing opponent, who was none other than the Devil himself, had disappeared... taking with him the Earl’s soul, which he had forfeited in the card game. The Tiger Earl is said to have been damned to play cards with the tall, dark stranger in that walled up room for all eternity. Some lucky visitors to Glamis are shown the exact spot in the servant’s quarters (pictured right) where, if they put their ear to the wall, they may just hear the faint slap of phantom playing cards being laid down by the doomed Earl Beardie and his diabolical opponent.
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