Posts by Peter Ranscombe
George Leslie Hunter paintings at Bonhams’ Scottish art sale
TWELVE paintings by Scottish Colourist George Leslie Hunter are going under the hammer at Bonhams’ Scottish art sale in Edinburgh on 19 October. The collection was assembled by Hunter’s cousin, Arthur Leyden, and is being sold by the descendants of Leyden’s daughter, Peggie. The paintings coming up for auction include The Blue Teacup, a work…
Read MoreREVIEW: “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”
Kenny Smith reviews The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow. HANDS UP – I have to admit, I’ve never seen the hit film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. However, I do know about it and its basic concept, which sees an eclectic group of British retirees travel to India to embark…
Read MoreKillin gets its first dentist
KILLIN now has its own dental practice, saving villagers a round-trip of up to 100 miles. Chris Barrowman, who founded Infinityblu Dental Care in Pitlochry in 2007, has invested £330,000 in his new clinic in the Perthshire village. “The community has been amazing,” said Barrowman, who also owns practices in Alyth, Auchterarder, Crieff, and Dunkeld.…
Read MoreReady Player One: Strathallan opens ‘esports’ suite
PUPILS at Strathallan School can now play “electronic sports” (esports) against each other in a new facility. “Esports” are computer games that are played on professional equipment, with Scotland fielding an esports team at this summer’s Commonwealth Games. “It’s a great time to be a student at Strathallan,” said former pupil Josh Martin. Martin, who…
Read More‘Internet of things’ helps Hebrides peatland
SENSORS connected to the “internet of things” (IoT) are helping to monitor the health of peatlands in the Western Isles. The year-long trial is measuring the water content of the peat surrounding Loch Orasaigh on Lewis. Normally, people need to walk to remote monitoring stations to measure the water content, and so the sensors should…
Read MoreREVIEW: Yotel Glasgow
Peter Ranscombe straps himself in for lift-off as he reviews Yotel in Glasgow. I’VE never been a great one for gimmicks – “A sprat to catch a mackerel” was one of my Granny’s favourite sayings and often echoes through my lugholes. But the spaceship theme running through Yotel in Glasgow even managed to make the…
Read MoreGlasgow faces Liverpool in race to host Eurovision
GLASGOW and Liverpool have been shortlisted as the final two cities to host the Eurovision song contest. Ukraine won last year’s competition, but can’t host next year’s final because of Russia’s ongoing invasion. Instead, the UK will host Eurovision, with Glasgow making it down to the final two contestants. Aberdeen and Edinburgh had also been…
Read MoreREVIEW: “The Cher Show”
Kenny Smith reviews The Cher Show at the King’s Theatre in Glasgow. THERE are some constants in life – we’re born, we pay taxes, we have good days and bad – and Cher. Since the 1960s, her distinctive deep, powerful voice has regularly featured in the charts, and there will be few people today who…
Read MoreFirefighters get hi-tech help from robotarium
SCOTTISH firefighters are testing new kit from the National Robotarium that could help them find casualties faster. The equipment, which sits on top of standard helmets, could also keep firefighters safer. The technology includes thermal cameras, radar, and motion sensors. Data is then fed to a computer program that uses artificial intelligence (AI), which provides…
Read MoreCampaigners warn of turbine threat to salmon river
SALMON and pearl mussels in the Lower Oykel river in the Highlands could be threatened if a proposed wind farm receives approval, according to campaigners. Steven Mackenzie, manager of Lower Oykel Fishings, has written to Scottish rural affairs secretary Mairi Gougeon to outline his concerns. “The construction process – traffic, the building of new roads,…
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