Posts by Kenny Smith
Worrying figures for deaf school children in Scotland
Less than one in three deaf pupils in Scotland get to university and one in ten leave school with no qualifications at all. According to findings, less than one in three deaf pupils (29%) go to university, compared to almost half (45%) of their hearing classmates. The gap is even wider for gaining Highers and…
Read MoreFringe: A Sinatra show – and not what you expect
If you are expecting a tribute singer to Frank Sinatra you are in for a disappointment. This production cleverly weaves the biography of the old crooner through a clever song collection. Sinatra is reminiscing his life, exploring his Democrat liberal views, his ruthlessness with those that crossed or stood in his way and his exploits…
Read MoreRabbi Burns bagel will feed the Fringe festival
Renowned Bross Bagels in Edinburgh have officially launched their festival pop up in the city – and to celebrate they have a brand new Edinburgh Festival limited edition bagel, The Rabbi Burns. It is an all day breakfast bagel complete with Haggis, bacon, smoked applewood cheese, tattie scone and rock sauce – £6.75, available in…
Read MoreFestival do’s and don’ts for the 40s and beyond…
Archie Hume of A Hume Country Clothing issues advice for those in their 40s and 50s bitten by the Festival bug. Summer festivals are attracting a growing number of us away from our traditional summer pastimes, namely cricket, golf and slapping another prawn on the barbie. I felt quite strongly that should you feel at…
Read MoreFringe: Any job will do in entertaining Not Quite
Cassie Symes and Georgina Thomas are 2016 graduates from CENTRAL drama school. Not Quite is written and performed by the two artists. It is an amusing and well observed comedy about the absurdities of interviewing for that first tenuous grip on the job ladder. With pithy wit it regales us with their desperation for employment.…
Read MoreMagnificent seven in a baronial Victorian villa
A seven bedroom baronial style Victorian villa, set within generously proportioned garden grounds, is now on the property market. Craigendarroch House is an imposing granite built seven bedroom detached Victorian villa, built during 1869 by the Hall family in Ballater, Royal Deeside. During the 1920s there were a number of structural additions, while it is…
Read MoreThe butterfly making a big Scottish comeback
A beautiful blue butterfly which has been struggling for the last 40 years could be making a comeback in Scotland, wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation can reveal. The Common Blue is the most widespread of the UK’s blue butterflies and during the record-breaking hot weather in 2018, the butterfly’s numbers increased by 29% across Scotland compared…
Read MoreFringe: Bringing prohibition USA to Edinburgh
For those that don’t know the work of Damon Runyon he was a short story writer that encapsulated the prohibition era in America. His colourful characters were gangster and hustlers with wonderful 1930’s names such as Harry The Horse and Good Time Charlie. Runyon’s work is best known as the basis to the musical Guys…
Read More10 fascinating facts about… Ardnamurchan
The Ardnamurchan peninsula near Lochaber is a wild, remote yet beautiful place full of wonderful scenery. It’s noted for its unspoiled and undisturbed scenery. But there’s more to it than that – we present 10 fascinating facts you probably never knew. 60 million years ago this was a major volcanic site – some craters are still…
Read MoreFringe: One man and his bagpipes with a sad end
Thunderstruck is a one man show written and performed by David Colvin who acted in the acclaimed play The Black Watch. David tells the story of Gordon Duncan and how this Highland genius bin cleaner of a bagpiper changed his life. Gordon Duncan was, like so many exceptionally talented musicians, gifted with both the classical…
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