The cast of Scots Opera Project’s revival of the Celtic folk opera The Seal Woman have landed on the shores of Perth ahead of their performance at this year’s Perth Festival of the Arts which kicks of this Thursday.
The Scots Opera Project makes its Perth Festival of the Arts debut with Marjory Kennedy-Fraser’s and Granville Bantock’s Celtic folk opera, The Seal-Woman, based on the folk legend of the mythical Selkie.
Born in Perth, co-writer Marjory Kennedy-Fraser CBE was a Scottish singer, composer and music teacher and supporter of women’s suffrage and pacifism.
This opera, which was first performed in 1924, is inspired and created from songs of the Scottish Hebrides. In this legendary tale of two worlds intertwined, The Seal-Woman features some well-known Scottish favourites, such as An Eriskay Love Lilt, The Seal Woman’s Sea Joy and Sea Sounds, making this the perfect opera for newcomers and seasoned opera goers alike.
This year’s Festival (18-27 May) will see venues across Perth welcome internationally renowned and Scottish talent from across the worlds of music, arts and culture for this 10-day celebration.
Festival goers can expect to see a host of well-known faces from both film and television: Hollywood actor Richard E Grant discusses his new book A Pocketful of Happiness and comedian Iain Stirling headlines a mixed bill comedy night.
Remaining true to the Festival’s longstanding classical core, this year’s programme invites local and international classical performers to take to stages in Perth. The Grammy award-winning Estonian National Symphony Orchestra will be joined by pianist Barry Douglas on 20 May and Red Priest present their brand-new programme A Baroque Extravaganza!
Closing the Festival with a bang, the SNJO’s Tommy Smith reunites with the Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers for a breath-taking performance of The World of the Gods.
Edinburgh’s leading independent convenience retailer is set to expand thanks to £725,000 funding from HSBC UK.
Margiotta is set to open up a new store in the city’s Shandon area on Harrison Gardens after using the funding to purchase and fit out the 2,000 sq ft premises, which was previously owned by an architecture firm.
The store will be the family-run business’ second outlet in the Shandon area of Edinburgh. The new space will be used to host food and drink from local suppliers, such as Fortitude Coffee and Heather Hills Honey, as well as a wide range of homeware products. The existing store will remain as a newsagent confectioner with the addition of homemade gelato, paninis and artisan coffee for sit in or take away.
The new premises is almost double the size of its current store in the area and will enable Margiotta to significantly increase its offering of locally sourced produce, as well as kitchenware items.
The new store is due to open in summer this year and is expected to create 16 – 20 new jobs.
Franco Margiotta, Founder and Managing Director of Margiotta, said: “Both we and our customers value local produce from quality suppliers, so we’re looking forward to being able to expand our product range with our increased footprint.
“HSBC UK’s support has helped us to grasp the opportunity to buy this new space, and explore a new venture as we bring to life our first café-style venture at our older store.”
Ash McBrearty, Corporate Relationship Director at HSBC UK, said:“It’s fantastic to see an independent business born and bred in Edinburgh grow and thrive. We’ve enjoyed working with the Margiotta family to help them expand their retail portfolio and diversify their offering.”
Margiotta currently works with over 45 local suppliers.
The store was established in the early 1970s by Franco Margiotta and his brother. Together they opened their first shop in Marchmont selling food and wine. The family business has gradually expanded over the years and Margiotta has 10 shops across Edinburgh and East Lothian, with its 11th store soon to open on Harrison Gardens.
Vet charity PDSA issues warning ahead of National BBQ Day
PDSA vets are warning about the dangers barbecue leftovers can pose to pets this National BBQ Day (Tuesday 16 May) after a beloved dog needed emergency treatment to remove a chicken bone that had become wedged in his mouth.
Billy, a seven year old Jack Russell, got his paws on fragments of chicken bone – believed to have been scavenged from a local barbecue – and attempted to wolf them down.
His owner, Frank Menzies (58), noticed Billy’s distress when he spotted his beloeved rescue dog frantically pawing at his mouth and making a chewing motion.
Frank, who lives in Brighton, explained: “Billy was in the back garden and was rubbing his mouth with his paw as though trying to dislodge something.
“I went out to investigate and he looked me straight in the eyes before rolling onto his side on the ground. I immediately realised something was very wrong so I picked him up and took him to the PDSA Pet Hospital as quickly as I could.”
Despite Frank’s swift action, Billy was in a lot of pain and discomfort by the time the pair arrived. After examining Billy, PDSA vets discovered a chicken bone had become wedged behind his lower back teeth.
Frank added: “The PDSA team were excellent. They could see that Billy was in a lot of pain and told me that he needed an emergency procedure, which I agreed to without hesitation.
“The vet was extremely kind and said he would call me as soon as there was an update. I went home and paced up and down the garden for the next few hours, just waiting for news.”
Billy was sedated to allow the bone to be safely removed and x-rays were carried out, revealing additional bone fragments in his stomach. Thankfully, the procedure was a success and Billy returned home later that evening with pain relief and advice to rest.
PDSA Vet Claire Roberts said: “Billy was in a great deal of pain when he arrived at the Pet Hospital, his mouth was so sore that he couldn’t be properly examined. The team had to sedate him so that the bone could be successfully removed and, luckily, there was no damage to his mouth or throat.
“X-rays of Billy’s stomach identified tiny bone fragments so Frank was advised to feed him bulky food to encourage their safe passage through his digestive system.
“Billy was extremely lucky that the bone in his mouth and the ones in his stomach didn’t cause any serious damage. It is cases such as this that highlight the importance of clearing away any debris, including skewers, bones, and litter, after enjoying a barbecue. What may be some harmless fun in the sun for us can easily have disastrous consequences for pets and wild animals.”
PDSA is warning pet owners of many other potential hazards to think about when organising a barbecue this summer:
Dangers of heatstroke
Pets can quickly overheat in warm weather, so it’s important to keep your furry friends cool while they’re enjoying time outside.
Signs of heatstroke can vary from excessive panting, confusion, bright red gums, foaming at the mouth, collapse or even seizures. It’s important to ensure your pet can easily head indoors or find some shade when they need to cool down. If your pet is a sun-worshipper, you may need to shut them indoors to prevent overheating.
If you’re planning to host a barbecue on a particularly hot day, consider scheduling an evening soirée instead, when the temperature should be cooler. You can also provide a pet paddling pool so your furry friend can hop in for a refreshing dip. It’s important that they also have access to fresh, clean water at all times, so they can stay hydrated.
Create a safe space
Having a house full of strangers can be unsettling for our pets, so make sure they can retreat to a comfortable, safe space to relax in peace. Set up a quiet area in a room or corner of the garden, making sure they have access to food, water and a couple of their favourite toys.
Paw-ping hot
Always keep pets a safe distance from a barbecue. Hot food, oils, coals, and ashes can cause severe burns if they come into contact with their skin, so ensure the grill is cooled down immediately once you finish cooking – being careful not to leave four-legged friends alone while there are still hot items in the area.”
Frank added: “I can’t thank PDSA enough for helping Billy – he means the world to me. My circumstances changed dramatically, and pretty much overnight, when I had two heart attacks and the doctor told me that I had to give up work.
“With the rising cost of living and everything going up, it is a weight off my mind to know that I can rely on PDSA to help Billy should anything go wrong with him. Everyone at Brighton PDSA Pet Hospital is so caring and professional – the team always puts the health and welfare of the pet they are treating first and I know Billy is in safe hands when he is there.”
In times of hardship pets like Billy will still fall ill or become injured and need emergency care. While Billy’s owner contributed what he could towards his treatment, the total cost of his care came to over £200. PDSA is appealing for donations so that the charity can continue to provide life-saving care to vulnerable pets, whose owners have nowhere else to turn.
The number of wish enquiries from seriously ill children with less than a year to live is rising fast and children’s charity Make-A-Wish UK is calling on people to help to meet this urgent demand now, before it’s too late.
New statistics by Make-A-Wish, the charity which grants wishes for critically ill children, has revealed that the number of rush or priority wishes for children who have less than a year to live, doubled from 2021 to 2022 from 75 to 151. With 130 of these wishes already granted since September 2022*, that number is expected to go even higher this year.
More than 63,000 children in the UK have been diagnosed with a critical condition and are eligible for a wish. It’s estimated that by 2030, this figure will have risen to over 73,000 and Make-A-Wish UK is worried that without support, they could soon be forced to turn critically ill children away.
Jason Suckley, chief executive for Make-A-Wish UK said: “This year we have seen a sharp rise in the number of children with short prognoses. We want every single one of these children to experience the life-changing magic of a wish but sadly, the demand for wishes is growing faster than we can meet it. For these children in particular, every day counts.
“When a child is diagnosed with a critical illness, the joy of childhood is brought to an abrupt end; replaced by hospital appointments, gruelling treatment plans and endless worry. We’re appealing for the public’s generous support to help make more wishes come true for a critically ill child before it’s too late.
“Families can create lasting memories that they will treasure forever – no matter what the future holds. Their support really does mean everything to the children and families who turn to us.”
Make-A-Wish currently grants on average about 1,000 wishes a year and right now, 1,124 seriously ill children like Oliver are waiting for their wishes to come true.
At just 18-months-old, Oliver Cheng from Leicester, was diagnosed with the incredibly rare genetic condition, FIG 4 neuro development disorder – a condition so rare it’s believed he’s just one of seven or eight children in the world who have it.
With no treatment available, no one was sure how long Oliver had to live. “We were told to take lots of pictures and make as many memories as possible,” said mum Lia who wanted to find a way of bringing comfort to Oliver as often as possible, whilst she still could.
After visiting a hydrotherapy pool and seeing just how relaxed Oliver became in the warm water, the family turned to Make-A-Wish who made Oliver’s wish of having a spa pool at home come true.
“His eyes were glowing,” said Oliver’s mum Lia describing the moment Oliver saw his spa pool for the first time. “He spreads his body out, floats in the water and puts his hands towards the bubbles. He’s not able to do much but this is something fun that he can enjoy every day now and help relieve his pain.
“We love to just sit and watch him relax. We know that our time with Oliver may be short, but Make-A-Wish have helped us make incredible memories as a family that we couldn’t make on our own. I don’t know how to thank everyone enough for what you have given us.”
Dobbies’ Edinburgh store has announced its local Helping Your Community Grow winner, seeing Dalkeith Guerrilla Gardeners receive gardening products, advice, and support to enhance their outside space.
Dalkeith Guerrilla Gardeners is a community initiative run by volunteers who aim to make a difference in the local area from gardening to litter picking.
Dobbies will provide the group with watering butts, plants, bulbs and seeds, alongside support from its horticultural experts to help bring this project to life.
Dobbies’ own-brand peat-free multipurpose compost, recycled and recyclable containers, UK-sourced plants and safer pest control products are among the many products the garden centre will donate to its winner.
Jenna Bavidge, General Manager at Dobbies’ Edinburgh store said: “We are delighted to be supporting Dalkeith Guerrilla Gardeners this year and look forward to seeing the community garden project come to life with our support.
“We’ve been truly overwhelmed with the response to our campaign in Edinburgh! The team and I would like to thank all the worthy causes that got involved in the application process and our customers who helped us crown our Helping Your Community Grow winner by voting.”
Dalkeith Guerrilla Gardeners said: “We are thrilled to have been crowned the local Helping Your Community Grow winner for Edinburgh and would like to thank those members of the public who voted for us.
“Dobbies’ backing will allow us to brighten up our local area in a sustainable way, and we can’t wait to see Dalkeith bloom.”
In addition to the local win, Nest Nurseries Garden Project located in Keston has been crowned the national winner for the initiative and will receive additional funding and support to help their garden project thrive.
This will include advice, gardening products and plants to help young children explore the outdoors, learn about nature, improve their physical development and better understand the world around them.
Curiosity Collective has distributed over 20,000 ‘Wonderbox’ packs to date
Marking the start of Mental Health Awareness Week, Curiosity Collective has announced that its dedicated offline learning and wellbeing resource, the ‘Wonderbox’, has reached a significant new delivery milestone. Over 20,000 free resource packs have been distributed to date and the charity plans to build on this success with a new longer-term offering to be launched later this year.
Curiosity Collective operates with a vision that every child in Scotland should have the opportunity to learn for fun and receive the support they need to positively protect their health and well-being.
Guided by young people, the charity designs and delivers activities to 1) build confidence and knowledge in children and young people 2) enable them to try new things and 3) equip them with the tools and understanding they need to better protect their mental health and wellbeing.
Responding to new needs, the charity refocused its activities through the pandemic; switching away from online models to concentrate on dedicated offline support helping to reach the often under-supported groups of young people who lack regular online access.
Curiosity Collective packs are provided for free and the pack contains everything needed to enjoy the activities – no additional resource is required. Over 95% of survey respondents say that “Wonderbox” helped them to feel less isolated and stressed.
The charity works with partners and stakeholders operating on a national level such as One Parent Families Scotland, Families Outside and the Women’s Aid network to distribute the resource effectively to those most in need of support, including those who are shut out due to poverty and hardship, including urban and rural communities.
Chloe Goodall, Executive Director of Curiosity Collective said:“Our activities and resources have never been needed more. Almost a quarter of children in Scotland are growing up in poverty, a situation made worse by the impact of the pandemic and the bleak reality of the cost-of-living crisis.
“As a result, children and young people are missing out on opportunities to learn and have fun and this can have a detrimental impact on their health and wellbeing.
“We are proud that we are providing support that works. The demand for our offline resources has been even greater than we anticipated. We thank all our generous funders for making this support possible. Feedback we are receiving from young people has been overwhelmingly positive and the demand continues to grow as children and young people are asking for more resources to enjoy at home.
“We are working with our partners and funders to extend this cherished resource into a longer-term offering that will ensure young people receive a continuous support journey with the resource pack.
“We strongly believe that all children have the right to learn, play, have fun and express themselves, and through our programmes and resource packs we can ensure young people have more tools with which to realise those rights. We have ambitious targets and we look forward to making them happen with our committed partners.”
As a registered charity Curiosity Collective relies on the generosity of its funders, such as The Scottish Children’s Lottery, Wheatley Group, ScottishPower and The Robertson Trust, to enable the organisation to deliver its vital activities.
Lorna Wallace, Funding Officer, The Robertson Trust said: “Through our Education Pathways theme at The Robertson Trust, we are interested in funding projects that support educational engagement and attainment, and in particular projects that include engagement with parents and wider family members.
“Education is recognised as one of the best protections against poverty and we know that access to support such out of school activities which stimulate development, encourage independent learning, build confidence and resilience as well as encouraging participation in learning, helps to close the attainment gap.
“We look forward to seeing how Curiosity Collective progresses and learning from its work on the way and congratulate them for reaching their incredible milestone of distributing 20,000 Wonderboxes to date.”
The Royal Forth Yacht Club is gearing up now with a good number of boats and volunteers for our annual RYA Scotland #DiscoverSailing day at #GrantonHarbour on the #Edinburgh shoreline.
On Sunday 21st May, 1-5pm, we will throw open our doors and offer short sailing trips to all. Many thanks to our members who have volunteered for this valuable event.
We also welcome the following organisations who will be taking stalls on the day:
Don’t miss out on the £301 Cost of Living Payment as a recipient of Pension Credit – submit your application for Pension Credit before FRIDAY – 19 May.
Did you know, if you get Pension Credit you could also get a help with your council tax, housing costs, broadband fees and energy bills?
More than 1,500 UK troops are set to train alongside thousands of personnel from NATO Alliance countries, as part of a major exercise in Estonia
Personnel from all three services of the UK Armed Forces are deployed in Estonia, carrying out exercises and operations as part of our commitment to NATO.
More than 1,500 troops have been deployed for Exercise Spring Storm, demonstrating the reinforcement of the UK-led NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battlegroup to Brigade-sized strength.
14,000 personnel from 11 NATO countries will demonstrate interoperability in multi-domain training scenarios as part of the exercise.
More than 1,500 UK troops are set to train alongside thousands of personnel from NATO Alliance countries, as part of a major exercise in Estonia.
Exercise Spring Storm is the largest annual military exercise involving the UK-led NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup, comprised of both UK and French forces, with more than 14,000 personnel due to take part from 11 NATO countries.
At last year’s NATO summit, the UK committed to increase the size of its eFP commitment, with this year’s exercise marking the first time the UK has conducted a brigade-sized deployment to Estonia – involving hundreds more personnel than in previous deployments.
Spread across tough and varied Estonian terrain, ground units will be tested on realistic battlefield scenarios including trench assaults, reconnaissance missions, and light infantry tactics, moving up to armoured vehicle manoeuvres and combined arms warfare.
Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, said: “Hundreds of UK troops from across our Armed Forces will again train with personnel from eleven NATO nations, demonstrating the strength of our interoperability with partner nations and our combined commitment to the NATO Alliance.
“While the Russian Army continues their illegal invasion of Ukraine threatening stability in Europe, the UK and our allies will continue to support Ukraine and defend our shared values and freedom.”
Beyond the land-based elements of the two-week exercise, members of the RAF will carry out training exercises in reconnaissance and air-land integration, while Royal Marines Commandos will also carry out a beach assault exercise to test the UK’s maritime strike capability.
The eFP provides a continuous NATO presence along its eastern border, with deployed troops acting as a deterrence against any aggression towards the Alliance’s borders. Recent actions carried out as part of the UK-led eFP include air intercepts of Russian aircraft by RAF fighter jets.
Personnel from the British Army’s 7th Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team (7LMBCT) HQ and Light Dragoons Battlegroup (LD BG) join the Queen’s Royal Hussars (QRH) for the exercise, which will include Challenger 2 tanks, Warrior and CV90 Infantry Fighting Vehicles, Jackal, CAESAR self-propelled howitzers, and other artillery pieces, including British GMLRS and US HIMARS.
Supporting air-based exercises will be four Wildcat and five Apache helicopters, as well as three RAF Typhoon fighter jets.
The Queen’s Royal Hussars Commanding Officer Lt Col Steve Wilson said: “The eFP is looking forward to the opportunities provided by Exercise Spring Storm. The chance to train over the terrain we might need to defend adds to the gravitas of the exercise.
“Our Battlegroup is fully integrated with 1st Estonian Brigade and brings a highly trained and capable UK and French troops to the field. We will be bringing a wide range of hard-hitting capabilities from Main Battle Tanks (MBT), anti-tank, and artillery to snipers, mortars, engineers and tactical air controllers.
“We look forward to demonstrating the capabilities and resolve of the NATO alliance over the coming days.”
The exercise is conducted in a peer-on-peer format, allowing the reconnaissance capabilities of the LD Battlegroup to be tested against the heavy armour of the QRH Battlegroup, and vice versa.
National Galleries of Scotland is delighted to have acquired a fascinating portrait of renowned human rights activist and scientist, Professor Sir Geoff Palmer, created by Scottish artist, Graham Fagen.
The contemporary video portrait is available to view for free at the Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh. Filmed in the building’s impressive Great Hall, the portrait is now on display in the ambulatory. In the compelling 19-minute video, Graham Fagen truly captures Sir Geoff’s story and spirit.
Artist Fagen was inspired by Sir Geoff, after seeing and hearing him speak at public events. Sir Geoff’s warmth and compassion, while expressing his life experiences and views on contemporary Scotland and its historic relationship with the transatlantic slave trade, motivated Fagen to create a contemporary portrait that captured the sitter’s essence and personality.
In this single channel video portrait, Fagen captures Sir Geoff talking about his life, from growing up in Jamaica, to becoming an esteemed academic in Edinburgh. We are shown close ups of a bracelet adorned with the Jamaican flag, which Sir Geoff wears proudly on his wrist showing his connection to his homeland.
Fagen’s portrait breaks the boundaries of what we think of as traditional portraiture. He wanted to show how Sir Geoff can command our attention with his humility and consideration as he engages us in a brutal history with harsh truths.
Sir Geoff’s research experience as a life scientist enables him to evidence, in a matter-of-fact way, the truths of the history that connects Jamaica, the country of his birth, with Scotland, the country of his home, via the experience of the Windrush generation. By working in collaboration with Sir Geoff, Fagen has made a work that expands our perceptions and offers new thought and knowledge on the complexities of portraiture.
From seeing and hearing Sir Geoff speak, Fagen wanted to capture his personality in the portrait – his voice; his autobiography, his thoughts, his hopes – as well as a likeness: his head, eyes, nose, ears and mouth. To bring the soundtrack to life Fagen worked with reggae musician Ghetto Priest, with whom he had previously collaborated on The Slave’s Lament.
Sir Geoff Palmer OBE is a life-long human rights activist and historian of Scotland’s relations with the Caribbean. His story is a remarkable one. After leaving Jamaica for London in 1955 aged 14, he attended school in the city, eventually continuing his studies at Leicester, Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt universities.
As a scientist, his research at the Brewing Research Foundation from 1968–77 led to the discovery of the barley abrasion process – which makes the malting process more efficient. For this research, he was awarded the American Society of Brewing Chemists Award of Distinction in 1998. In 1989, Sir Geoff became the first Black university professor in Scotland.
He is the author of a critically acclaimed book, The Enlightenment Abolished: Citizens of Britishness, in which he argues for maintaining but reinterpreting public monuments associated with the transatlantic slave trade.
Graham Fagen is one of the UK’s foremost contemporary artists. In video, performance, photography, sculpture and text, he creates works which explore how national and personal identity is created by, and is a response to, one’s cultural contexts.
Although his works draw on varied references and embrace all manner of materials and media, they all, in some way, touch on the role of society, history and cultural turning points in the lives of both individuals and communities.
Whether made for a gallery or in the public realm, Fagen’s works are frequently developed over time, involving the collaboration and participation of others. Fagen’s points of departure include the history and effect of the transatlantic slave trade, the cultural influences of music, nature and the symbolic power of flowers, urban planning and regeneration.
Born in Glasgow, Fagen studied Sculpture at Glasgow School of Art from 1984-88, followed by Art and Architecture at Kent Institute of Art & Design from 1989-90. Alongside his own work, he is a Professor of Fine Art at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design.
Exhibiting this portrait will enable a public sharing of the history, legacy and humanity of Sir Geoff’s human rights work. It will stand as a valuable marker and evidence of the contemporary relevance of the shared history between Scotland and the Caribbean.
Graham Fagen said: “I was extremely honoured to work with Sir Geoff in order to make an artwork that shares his life and work.
“Geoff’s life is one that has profoundly influenced and shaped the world we live in today.”
Professor Sir Geoff Palmer said: “We cannot change the past but we can change consequences such as racism for the better using education.
“I hope my portrait can help bring awareness to these matters.”
Sir John Leighton, Director-General of National Galleries of Scotland said: “We are proud to display Graham’s wonderfully moving portrait of Sir Geoff Palmer.
“This work recognises Sir Geoff’s many achievements and is an important acquisition that we are delighted to welcome into Scotland’s national collection.”
