Culture
Lest We Forget our war heroes and the poppy makers
When visiting Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory in Edinburgh a few weeks before Remembrance Day, it would be easy to expect a flurry of activity with last minute poppies being assembled and the finishing touches being added to wreaths. But the poppy makers are surprisingly laid back having finished preparations for this year and already crafting…
Read MoreThrowback Thursday to a special steam visitor
The Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway had a visitor of note in 2013. Central Scotland’s steam railway by the Firth of Forth is run by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society. And they welcomed the 60009 Union of South Africa, an LNER Class A4 steam locomotive built in Doncaster in 1937, to their tracks. It is one…
Read MoreChristmas is coming with a Nativity to behold
Christmas is coming – trees and decorations are going up in shops, movies are appearing on TV, and right now, there’s a nativity being performed in Glasgow. But this isn’t just any nativity, as it’s Nativity! – The Musical, currently being performed at the King’s Theatre in Glasgow. Based on the hit film of the…
Read MoreHonours for five First World War Scots creatives
Five historic creative figures who told their stories and experiences of the First World War through their poetry and art have been awarded commemorative plaques by Historic Environment Scotland (HES). Coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, and Armistice Day this weekend, the plaques will be unveiled in cities…
Read MoreSorry seems to be the easiest word for Scots
Scots are renowned for their overuse of apologies, with the word ‘sorry’ firmly established as a staple of Scottish phraseology, according to new research. A survey of 1,004 adults carried out by leading online florist SerenataFlowers.com, has revealed that the average Scot now says ‘sorry’ as many as eight times per day, with the most apologetic Scots…
Read MoreAcclaimed ballerina to debut The Mother in Scotland
A thrilling dance adaptation based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Story of the Mother is to debut in Edinburgh. Starring internationally acclaimed principle ballerina, Natalia Osipova, this enchanting production, The Mother, has a strictly limited run of only two performances. As a young single mother sets out to save her child, she must face impossible…
Read MoreMissing bank robbery comedy would be criminal
If you’re anything like me, when you visit London, you always keep an eye out for posters for the latest theatre shows. One that caught my eye in recent times was The Comedy About A Bank Robbery – after all, you’d expect it to have a title like Smash and Grab, rather than describing exactly…
Read MoreGunpowder Plot document found in city archives
An ancient document relating to the origins of Guy Fawkes Night has been found in the archives of a Scottish city. The fifth of November is a night to remember and the Lord Provost of Aberdeen Barney Crockett was keen to find out if the city’s archives had anything relating to the events of 1605.…
Read MoreMacmillan clan chief keeps the wheels turning
In the impressive grounds of Finlaystone House, Port Glasgow, stands an ancient Yew tree, known as the John Knox Tree. The tree, which survived a shell exploding on the lawn during the Second World War, provided the canopy under which Knox gave his first communion in the west of Scotland in 1556. Today, George MacMillan,…
Read MoreScots casualties at the Battle of The Alamo
The Alamo is known as ‘the Shrine of Texas Liberty’. Ever since the victory at San Jacinto in 1836, Texans and other Americans have shouted ‘Remember the Alamo’ as they charged into battle. But 80% of the men who died at the Alamo in 1836 were Scots or of Scots descent – and all of…
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