Month: July 2012

Letter – Caring for our NHS

Dear Editor

The NHS will care for everyone in the UK whoever and wherever they are; it is our most valuable public service and must remain so.

We are told people are living longer and therefore the workload of the NHS will grow; it follows there must be an increase in staff, fully trained in all aspects of care. It is obvious the existing staff – who are already under great pressure to maintain the service – would not be able to take on extra work and maintain the quality of both physical and mental care that is needed.

I hope those who view the NHS as a drain on the nation will come to realise that no-one is able to predict their needs as one gets older.

There are uncaring and reactionary people who say we cannot afford a comprehensive national service. If we are a caring society we can – and must – do just that.

A Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

Miller Homes releases Belford Campus at Varcity North

Fancy buying an apartment in your old classroom? Miller Homes has released a new apartment campus at their Varcity North development in Edinburgh.  Belford Campus is the second of five apartment blocks being built on the site of the former Telford College, with its name reflecting that heritage.

Belford Campus is a four storey, L-shaped building, which will offer a range of one and two bedroomed apartments with allocated parking.  Prices start from £123,000 for one bedroom and £167,000 for the two bedroomed apartments.  Reservations are being taken now.

The flexible accommodation offers an exciting prospect for investors buying to let, downsizers, newly singles and couples looking to move closer into the city centre.  With open plan living/dining combined with contemporary kitchen areas, the layout lends itself to living and entertaining in stylish, high quality apartments. Lift access to all upper floors, allocated parking and secure entry systems ensures that Varcity North is at the forefront of apartment living.

Situated between the city centre and the waterfront and with excellent transport links to all areas of Edinburgh and beyond, Varcity North combines stylish city living with spacious, practical and affordable homes.

Anne Marie Britton, Sales Director for Miller Homes Scotland East, said: “We’re delighted to bring the Belford Campus to market to complement the existing properties at Varcity North.  Space, quality and price are the differentiators and this development is becoming the place to live for househunters seeking all three.

“Starting at just £123,000, our competitive prices make owning a contemporary city apartment a reality, enjoying easy access to all that Edinburgh has to offer.  From parks to art galleries, the beach to stunning views across the Firth of Forth and restaurants, bars and bistros second to none, you won’t be short of ideas on what to do from your new capital apartment.”

For more information, go to www.millerhomes.co.uk or call 0800 840 8416. The sales centre is open Thursday to Monday from 11am to 6pm. Househunters can also logon via the Miller Homes’ website to book an appointment with an adviser at the development.

Spartans defeated by Blue Brazil

Cowdenbeath inflicted a second home defeat in a row on Spartans on Tuesday night as they ran out 2-1 winners in the pre-season friendly at Ainslie Park (writes Alan Clark).

Spartans had lost 2-1 to Third Division Annan Athletic on Saturday afternoon and succumbed to another Scottish Football League club – this time the Blue Brazil from the First Division.

It was Spartans last home friendly of pre-season while Cowdenbeath will be delighted to win their last preparation match before the serious stuff begins at the weekend when they take on Alloa Athletic in the Ramsdens Cup.

Michael Fleming won it with superb volley in added time after the impressive Greig Stewart had given them a half-time lead.  Spartans pressed in the second-half and took advantage of a goalkeeping error to equalise but were undone late on.

The first action of the encounter came after four minutes when Greig Stewart tested Chris Flockhart in goal with a powerful left-footed drive which was parried for the corner.  After 24 minutes, Stewart was in the thick of it again as he gets a shot away despite being crowded around by Spartans players, only for the ‘keeper to save – albeit with a spill – low to his left.

Stewart made amends just a minute later however with a fantastic individual goal.  The striker went past three defenders to glide into the box, before rounding Flockhart with ease to tap-in to an empty net for 1-0.

Kyle Miller went close with a header for the Fifers a minute later, and on 37 minutes Scott Linton hit the post with a header from four yards. Linton could have done better but it was an acute angle. Colin Cameron’s side were pressing down Spartans at every given opportunity and that was making the home side’s play very jittery.

Cowdenbeath’s domination of the first-half continued as two minutes before the break Linton missed another chance, this one a lot worse than the first. Lewis Milne’s cross gave Thomas O’Brien a great opportunity to score but the defender mis-hit his poked effort. The ball eventually trickled towards Linton who blasted his shot well over the crossbar from inside the six-yard box.

67 minutes had been played when Spartans had their first close encounter with the goal net, when a Cowdenbeath clearance from a corner landed at the feet of left-back Gary Cennerrazzo.  The number three hit a powerful low shot with his right-foot but it fizzled just wide of substitute goalkeeper Ricky Barnett’s post.

Spartans were looking more dangerous in this period and they were rewarded – some might say gifted – an equaliser 12 minutes later.  The half-time substitute Barnett made a horrendous error and the ball dropped to the feet of Sean Wringe, who passed to Jordan Finnie to comfortably pass into the net.  Finnie had lightened up the Spartans approach after coming on just a couple of minutes prior to the goal.

That was all to be for nothing though as Cowdenbeath snatched a late winner.  The corner-kick came in from the left and made its way to Michael Fleming on the right-hand side of the area, and Fleming rifled in a volley to the top corner of Flockhart’s net to win the game for the 2011/12 Second Division champions.

SPARTANS:  Chris Flockhart, Robbie Manson, Gary Cennerrazzo, Kevin Sivewright, Danny O’Donnell, Alastair Woodburn, Mark Whatley, John Grant, Sean Palizcka, Chris Anderson, Sean Wringe.  Subs: Ian McTurk, Jonathan Seeley, Jordan Finnie, Neil McCuish, Callum Donnelly.

COWDENBEATH:  Lee Wilson, Dean Brett, Murray Christie, Thomas O’Brien, Callum McNiel, Dale Finnie, Lewis Milne, Kyle Miller, Trialist, Greig Stewart, Scott Linton.  Subs:  Ricky Barnett, Michael Fleming, Arron Linus, Ben Anthony.

Letter – My Tears

Dear Editor

My tears are for all children, women and men who are suffering extreme poverty and starvation.

My tears are for all animals, birds and wildlife.

My tears are because of all the cruelty and the destruction of trees and natural habitat.

But my tears are not tears of despair, they are tears of knowing how different things could be.

We have allowed a relatively few powerful financial organisations to control and exploit – with unbelievable callousness – people, animals and the natural environment for their private profit.

These same people created the biggest financial mess ever seen worldwide and are now passing it on to everyone.

This “system” must be changed.

Wealth created by the work of people must be used for the benefit of all people; we would then be able to deal with all these terrible problems.

A Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

'Shock and Dismay' over speeding figures

Speeding drivers caught every two minutes during police campaign

Police chiefs are ‘shocked and dismayed’ following a three-day crackdown on speeding drivers. A total of 1837 drivers were detected breaking the speed limit during the 20 -22 July campaign across Scotland – equivalent to one every two minutes.

In addition a further 62 drivers were reported for driving dangerously or carelessly during the campaign organised by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland.

Among the worst offenders were a 21-year-old man travelling at 114mph in Aberdeenshire, a woman travelling in Edinburgh at 71mph in a 40mph limit with three children in the vehicle, and a man detected at 95mph through road works on the M90 in Fife.

About 12.37pm, Friday 20 July, Road Policing officers stopped a Mercedes ML300 on Cultins Road, Edinburgh as the driver was driving whilst using her hand held mobile telephone. Enquiry revealed that the driver’s driving licence had been revoked earlier this year for an accumulation of 12 penalty points. The vehicle was seized under the terms of section 165 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the driver reported to the Procurator Fiscal. The current value of the vehicle is in excess of £30,000. About 9.50pm on 22 July, Road Policing Officers stopped a 17-year-old from Tranent on the A1 near to Wallyford for speeding. The speed was recorded at 101mph, the driver was reported to the Procurator Fiscal.

Chief Superintendent Derek Robertson from Lothian and Borders Police, who is the ACPOS lead on Casualty Reduction, said: “I am shocked and dismayed at the level of speeding and inappropriate driving which my fellow officers have dealt with during the three days of the campaign. The links between excessive speed and collisions causing death or serious injury are clear and those who flout the speed limits put themselves and others at risk.

“Almost 115,000 speeding offences were recorded in Scotland in 2010/11 which represents over a third of all motor vehicle offences. Speeding is dangerous, costly and unacceptable. This has only reaffirmed the intention to continue our focus on irresponsible drivers, to make sure speed limits are acknowledged and the roads are made safer for everyone in Scotland”.

“Remember that speeding carries a minimum penalty of a £60 fine and three penalty points on your driving licence however, if you are convicted of dangerous driving, you will lose your licence for at least 12 months and you may be ordered to re-sit your driving test.”

 

‘Shock and Dismay’ over speeding figures

Speeding drivers caught every two minutes during police campaign

Police chiefs are ‘shocked and dismayed’ following a three-day crackdown on speeding drivers. A total of 1837 drivers were detected breaking the speed limit during the 20 -22 July campaign across Scotland – equivalent to one every two minutes.

In addition a further 62 drivers were reported for driving dangerously or carelessly during the campaign organised by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland.

Among the worst offenders were a 21-year-old man travelling at 114mph in Aberdeenshire, a woman travelling in Edinburgh at 71mph in a 40mph limit with three children in the vehicle, and a man detected at 95mph through road works on the M90 in Fife.

About 12.37pm, Friday 20 July, Road Policing officers stopped a Mercedes ML300 on Cultins Road, Edinburgh as the driver was driving whilst using her hand held mobile telephone. Enquiry revealed that the driver’s driving licence had been revoked earlier this year for an accumulation of 12 penalty points. The vehicle was seized under the terms of section 165 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the driver reported to the Procurator Fiscal. The current value of the vehicle is in excess of £30,000. About 9.50pm on 22 July, Road Policing Officers stopped a 17-year-old from Tranent on the A1 near to Wallyford for speeding. The speed was recorded at 101mph, the driver was reported to the Procurator Fiscal.

Chief Superintendent Derek Robertson from Lothian and Borders Police, who is the ACPOS lead on Casualty Reduction, said: “I am shocked and dismayed at the level of speeding and inappropriate driving which my fellow officers have dealt with during the three days of the campaign. The links between excessive speed and collisions causing death or serious injury are clear and those who flout the speed limits put themselves and others at risk.

“Almost 115,000 speeding offences were recorded in Scotland in 2010/11 which represents over a third of all motor vehicle offences. Speeding is dangerous, costly and unacceptable. This has only reaffirmed the intention to continue our focus on irresponsible drivers, to make sure speed limits are acknowledged and the roads are made safer for everyone in Scotland”.

“Remember that speeding carries a minimum penalty of a £60 fine and three penalty points on your driving licence however, if you are convicted of dangerous driving, you will lose your licence for at least 12 months and you may be ordered to re-sit your driving test.”

 

Triumphant Technophonia!

Triumphant Technophonia! Local students perform Olympic music

Disabled musicians using new technology took centre stage with City of Edinburgh Music School students when they performed Technophonia, an orchestral arrangement to celebrate the Olympics, to great acclaim recently. 

The disabled musicians played specially designed, weird and wonderful instruments – with brilliant names like skoog, soundbeam and brainfingers! – which detect tiny movements, making it easier for people with disabilities to perform. The ensemble rehearsed weekly at Broughton High School, home of the renowned City of Edinburgh Music School, the new wave instruments playing in harmony with the conventional.

The children have been working with the charity Drake Music Scotland, established in 1997 with the ethos that ‘disability is no barrier to making music’. DMS’s Thursa Sanderson said: “We had no pre-existing link with the school, but our artistic director knew Tudor (Morris, head of the City of Edinburgh Music School).  When we were applying for the New Music 20×12 funding for the commission, we thought it would be great to approach Tudor and ask if pupils from the City of Edinburgh Music School would like to be involved as they are recognised as the best young players from Edinburgh and the surrounding area.”

She went on:  “It makes a huge difference for our young musicians with disabilities to play in an ensemble with them, because they rarely, if ever, get the chance to play or perform along with their peers, so it is a great experience for them. I think it works both ways, as it opens the eyes of the CEMS students to the technology and what you can do creatively with it, allowing them to see how young people with disabilities are able to play music – they just need the right resources and support.”

Tudor Morris said: “We were delighted to be involved in this initiative with Drake Music Scotland. It has been an incredibly rewarding project and a really great experience for our students.”

Scots composer Oliver Searle (pictured above) was one of twenty composers commissioned to write a twelve-minute piece to celebrate the Cultural Olympiad. He said: ”Part of this project was trying to write specifically for these instruments so you could say: this is a skoog piece, this is a piece for soundbeam and chamber ensemble, or this is for brainfingers. Not only have we used these instruments, but there are also solos for them!”

The soloists were Anthony Swift and Chris Jacquin, who both have cerebral palsy, and Stephanie Forrest on soundbeam, brainfingers and skoog respectively.

Andrew (15) said: ”When I was wee all I wanted to do was play an instrument. It’s just so amazing to get the opportunity to show people what I can actually be capable of.”

Pic: BBC

Technophonia, Scots composer Oliver Searle’s specially commissioned piece, was premiered in Edinburgh’s Queens Hall on 15 June, followed up with a Royal Conservatoire of Scotland on 22 June before a gala performance at London’s Southbank Centre on 15 July as part of the New Music 20×12 Weekend Celebration.

The performances received great acclaim. Triumphant Technophonia!”, “momentous achievement”, “brilliantly conceived” and “astonishing demonstration” were just a few of the many glowing comments on the three performances.

Technophonia demonstrated just  how technology can aid disabled musicians perform on an equal footing with their peers, and that skoogs, soundbeams and brainfingers could become a regular sight in orchestras and bands. And yes, that disability is no barrier to making music. Congratulations to all concerned – bravo!