Families on half term are in for a treat at Blair Drummond Safari Park with pumpkins, firepits, hay-bale spiders, and of course, safari animals roaming the park’s large grounds.
Up until 31st October, little ones get the chance to marvel at the antics of the cheeky meerkats, look up to the towering giraffes and say hello to the lions before heading to the dinosaur forest for a truly Jurassic experience.
With a new food menu including wood fired pizzas, tacos, freshly made donuts, and a seasonal hot chocolate shack, it’s a truly indulgent day out.
Entry numbers are strictly limited so book now on:
Local and national resources from Police Scotland will again come together to keep communities across the country safe during the weekends of Hallowe’en and Bonfire Night.
Local area commanders the length and breadth of the country, in collaboration with Divisional Commanders, have designed policing plans for scheduled events and to take into account sporadic incidents.
These plans will be enhanced with national resources, including tactically-located specially trained public officers, if required, who will deploy in support of colleagues where required.
A policing operation under the name Moonbeam has been stood up since 2018 in response to significant public disorder and anti-social behaviour in 2017, which included targeted attacks on the blue light services responding to emergency calls on what is typically one of the busiest periods of the year.
It has been activated as both a reassurance for communities, our officers and their colleagues, and as a deterrent to those who may set out to cause disorder and engage in criminality.
Since the operation was first instigated there have been decreases in the levels of disorder witnessed around these events, including in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic substantially curtailed the number of organised fireworks displays which were held.
The Executive Lead for Operation Moonbeam, Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs, said: “Both Hallowe’en and Bonfire Night fall on weekends this year, which also land during our policing operation for the COP26 climate change conference taking place in Glasgow.
“While this will undoubtedly be a time of exceptional demand on the police, and all of our emergency services colleagues, I can assure the public and our partners that we are fully committed to responding to any disorder which may occur as a result of these annual events.
“Owing to the ongoing impact of COVID-19 , there are far fewer organised events taking place this year, but be assured plans are in place to manage any problematic unauthorised events which may occur.
“I encourage those who are parents to young people to speak clearly and seriously to them about the potential for personal injury when handling fireworks, as well as the devastating damage they can cause to property. In addition, anti-social behaviour and violence can have life-long consequences, including a criminal record, regardless of their age.
“We absolutely will not tolerate our officers, or our colleagues in the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service and the Scottish Ambulance Service, being lured into situations where they face being subjected to violent attacks.
“We will do all we can to prevent these incidents occurring in the first place, but should they happen, we will respond in whatever means necessary to keep our people and our communities safe.”
Campaign for regulation of electrical industryhighlights dangers of sub-standard work
The President of Scotland’s largest trade association says regulation of the electrical industry is essential to prevent the “incompetent and downright dangerous” workmanship that its members encounter on a regular basis.
SELECT President Donald W Orr insists protection of title is the only answer to the faulty electrical work that costs Scotland around £120 million every year.
And he was supported by two professional electricians, who said they signed up to SELECT’s high-profile campaign for regulation after being regularly called upon to fix dangerous work carried out by rogue and unqualified tradespeople.
Mr Orr said: “The level of sub-standard electrical installations that we’re still seeing out there demonstrates that there is an overwhelmingly urgent need to protect the public from the activities of unscrupulous traders.
“We see incompetent and downright dangerous work on a regular basis and it could have tragic results if we don’t act now. Miscreants put the public at risk and tarnish the name of proper electricians and we must weed them out through regulation of the industry.”
Mr Orr’s warning was echoed by two new signatories to SELECT’s Wall of Support, which shows the growing groundswell of support for protection of title, and continues to attract new backing from organisations and politicians.
Jim Kerr of JK Electrical in Glasgow said: “Hardly a week goes where I don’t come across electrical work of extremely poor standard. I’ve seen some truly shocking installations and feel that the problem of unskilled personnel carrying out electrical work is worsening.
“It’s therefore absolutely essential that electricians be given protection of title.”
Another qualified electrical contractor, Brian McKenna, Director of Glasgow-based Enerlek, said: “Too often I have to fix electrical work that’s been installed dangerously and doesn’t conform to the regulations, putting people and premises at risk.
“The title of electrician must therefore be protected and regulated to ensure people are safe.”
Mr Orr also highlighted a recent case where a tradesperson in Wales was fined for signing off reports stating that the electrics in a domestic property were satisfactory. Subsequent investigation revealed that the wiring was 40 years old and unfit for purpose.
He added: “This case shows the very real danger that exists out there, and how unwitting consumers can be put in danger by unscrupulous tradespeople.
“People who falsely trade on the good name of electrical professionals are a serious danger to themselves, the public and the qualified personnel who are so often called upon to rectify their mistakes, and it’s high time they were stopped.”
The Scottish Government has set up an Electricians Working Group to explore the issue and two high-profile consultations on regulation have also taken place, both of which have overwhelmingly supported statutory regulation.
In Scotland, the need for qualified electricians has become more immediate as the deadline nears for the introduction of new legislation on alarms by the Scottish Government.
Mr Orr added: “Our campaign has attracted a massive groundswell of support but we cannot afford to take our foot off the gas.
“Electrotechnical work is extremely complex and it is of primary importance that the professionals who carry it out are fully trained, qualified and up to speed with the most recent developments and regulations which apply to the sector.”
Research carried out on behalf of SELECT in 2018 showed that faulty electrical installations account for 7.1% of all fires in Scotland, and damage caused to property by these fires costs around £9.6 million.
Not including the occasional major cost of catastrophic incidents, it calculated that the overall cost of faulty electrical work in Scotland is around £120 million every year.
Curious about plans for a new multi generational community hub (The Heart) in Newhaven?
Join The Heart of Newhaven at Ocean Terminal on Friday 22 October 2-4pm for a chat and an exhibition called ‘Forth Reflections and Expressions of Wellbeing.’
The art work, produced as part of the Edinburgh Shoreline project, is created from the passionate responses of over a hundred people to a 1km stretch of the Forth coastline that is special to them.
A storyline of memories and visions of the Forth has emerged, linking the Fife, Edinburgh and East Lothian coasts, biodiversity, people and communities.
With firework season set to whizz-pop into our lives again with the approach of Halloween, Diwali and Bonfire Night, Dogs Trust is issuing advice to dog owners to help pets who might be scared by the unexpected bangs and bursts of fireworks.
Susan Tonner, West Calder Rehoming Centre Manager says: “Dogs have approximately four times more sensitive hearing than humans, so the loud cracks and bangs of fireworks can often be a terrifying and confusing experience for them. Fireworks tend to be sudden, unpredictable and bright. This combination can be distressing and have a lasting impact on dogs.
“There are lots of things dog owners can do to help make fireworks less stressful for their dogs. Simple steps such as providing safe spaces for them to hide or settling them before the fireworks start can make a big difference.
“We would also urge anyone thinking of putting on their own fireworks display to consider the welfare of their four-legged friends and others in the neighbourhood by following our Firework Dog Code.”
Here are Dogs Trust’s top tips: –
Walk your dog before dark – make sure your dog is exercised and has had a toilet break well before any fireworks could start.
Feed your dog before the fireworks begin as they may become unsettled and not want to eat during the fireworks.
Make sure your house and garden are secure during the fireworks, as some dogs may try to run away if they’re scared.
Provide a safe hiding place – make sure your dog has somewhere safe in their favourite room, for example a comfy bed under a table with blankets to make it cosy and help with soundproofing. Close the curtains, turn lights on, and turn up the volume on your TV or radio to mask the firework noises.
Keeping your dog busy indoors can help take their mind off the noise. Play games or practise some reward-based training.
Comfort and reassure your dog. Try to remain calm yourself and avoid telling your dog off as this might make them more worried.
If your dog just wants to hide away then don’t force them to come out of their hiding place, allow them to stay where they feel safe.
If you are planning a firework display at home, please consider:
Letting your neighbours know well in advance, so they can prepare their dogs.
Limiting your display to 30 minutes or less.
Opting for quieter, lower decibel fireworks.
Susan adds: “For those who have welcomed a puppy into their life recently, we also have free sound therapy programmes on our website that can help to gradually expose puppies to different noises in a positive way, so they perceive them as normal.
“If your dog is very worried by fireworks or other loud noises, they might need longer-term treatment. If that is the case, it would be a good idea for owners to have a chat with their vet. They can check there are no underlying health conditions that might be affecting behaviour, and then owners can discuss referral to an accredited behaviourist for support and tailored advice.”
For further advice about preventing and dealing with fear of loud noises such as fireworks, please visit www.dogstrust.org.uk/fireworks
PM Boris Johnson paid tribute to Sir David Amess MP in the House of Commons yesterday:
The passing of 72 hours has done little to numb the shock and sadness we all felt when we heard of the tragic and senseless death of Sir David Amess. This House has lost a steadfast servant, we have lost a dear friend and colleague and Julia and her children have lost a loving husband and devoted father.
Nothing I or anyone else can say will lessen the pain, the grief, the anger they must feel at this darkest of times. We hold them in our hearts today, we mourn with them and we grieve alongside them.
Sir David was taken from us in a contemptible act of violence, striking at the core of what it is to be a Member of this House and violating the sanctity both of the church in which he was killed and the constituency surgery that is so essential to our representative democracy.
But we will not allow the manner of Sir David’s death to in any way detract from his accomplishments as a politician or as a human being. Because Sir David was a patriot who believed passionately in this country, in its people, in its future.
He was also one of the nicest, kindest, and most gentle individuals ever to grace these benches.
A man who used his decades of experience to offer friendship and support to new members of all parties. Whose views often confounded expectation and defied easy stereotype. And who believed not just in pointing out what was wrong with society but in getting on and doing something about it.
It was that determination to make this country a better place that inspired his outstanding record on behalf of the vulnerable and the voiceless. The master of the private members bill and 10-minute rule bill he passed legislation on subjects as diverse as animal welfare, fuel poverty and the registration of driving instructors.
He was a prodigious campaigner for children with learning disabilities and for women with endometriosis, a condition in which he became an expert after meeting a woman at one of the constituency surgeries.
Behind the famous and irresistible beam lay a seasoned campaigner of verve and grit whether he was demanding freedom for the people of Iran or courting votes in the Westminster Dog of the Year contest whether he was battling for Brexit or fighting his way to the front of the Parliamentary Pancake Race.
And as every member of this House will know, and you just confirmed Mr Speaker, he never once witnessed any achievement by any resident of Southend that could not, somehow, be cited in his bid to secure city status for that distinguished town.
Highlights of that bulging folder included a world record for playing most triangles being played at once; a group of stilt-walkers travelling non-stop from the Essex coast to Downing Street; and a visiting foreign dignitary allegedly flouting protocol by saying he liked Southend more than Cleethorpes.
A compelling case, Mr Speaker, and as it is only a short time since Sir David last put that case to me in this chamber, I am happy to announce that Her Majesty has agreed that Southend will be accorded the city status it so clearly deserves. That Sir David spent almost 40 years in this House but not one day in ministerial office tells everything about where his priorities lay.
He was not a man in awe of this chamber, nor a man who sought patronage or advancement. He simply wanted to serve the people of Essex, first in Basildon, then in Southend. And it was in the act of serving his constituents that he was so cruelly killed.
In his recent memoir, Sir David called surgeries a part of “the great British tradition of the people openly meeting their elected politicians”. Even after the murder of Jo Cox and the savage attacks on Stephen Timms and Nigel Jones he refused to accept that he should be in any way deterred from speaking face to face with his constituents.
And so when he died he was doing what he firmly believed was the most important part of any MP’s job: offering help to those in need. In the awful moments before we knew the full horror of the tragedy a member of Sir David’s constituency association, her voice breaking with emotion, told an interviewer that “we need him, the country needs him”. And we do.
This country needs people like Sir David, this House needs people like Sir David, our politics needs people like Sir David. Dedicated, passionate, firm in his beliefs but never anything less than respectful for those who thought differently.
Those are the values he brought to a lifetime of public service.There can be few among us more justified in their faith in the resurrection and the life to come. And while his death leaves a vacuum that will not and can never be filled, we will cherish his memory we will celebrate his legacy and we will never allow those who commit acts of evil to triumph over the democracy and the Parliament that Sir David Amess loved so much.
Are you a parent or guardian of a 2-5 year old in Edinburgh, East Lothian or Midlothian? Check out this important update regarding flu vaccine appointments
More information on the children’s flu vaccine is available here:
