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An Edinburgh Napier University Veterinary Nursing student had an especially memorable graduation day – as her partner proposed outside the Usher Hall following her ceremony.
After collecting her degree, Shannon Ward met her family at The Napier GRADUATE Graduate pub, where Jamie Carty popped the question – and got the answer he was hoping for. The moment was captured on video by Shannon’s mum Clair and cheered by many other new graduates nearby.
Shannon, from Consett in County Durham, said she had no inkling of what her other half had planned for her big day. She said: “I had no idea! I even pointed out some jewellery I liked as we passed shops on the way here and he stayed quiet.
“My reaction … just shock and awe! Jamie has always said he wouldn’t propose to me in front of people, so it completely took me aback. “It’s been such a great day!”
Jamie, from Darlington, County Durham, said he had a tough time keeping the idea quiet. He said: “I was so nervous, but I just tried to focus on Shannon as I was saying the words – and not think about all the people around!
“I wanted it to happen somewhere which is already associated with so many wonderful memories. It made the nerves worthwhile!”
While the happy couple turn their attention to planning a wedding, Shannon is already putting her studies to good use, finding work in Northumberland.
There is light relief for parts of Scotland’s water environment, with rain over the past week leading to some recovery in river and groundwater levels.
The latest water scarcity report, published by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), reveals the Rivers Annan and Nith in Dumfries and Galloway, Loch Maree in the Highlands and the Outer Hebrides have moved from Significant down to Moderate Scarcity. The majority of Argyll and Bute has also returned to Normal Conditions.
The rainfall has not been enough in other parts of Scotland though, with the Black Isle remaining in Significant for a second week, and the Forth area also rising from Alert to Moderate Scarcity.
Farmers on the Black Isle who are taking water from the environment have been required to temporarily reduce the volume of water they abstract. Those affected have been contacted by SEPA and the restrictions will be for the minimum time necessary.
Head of Water and Planning at SEPA, Nathan Critchlow-Watton, said: “We’re seeing some respite this week in areas of Scotland. Water levels had depleted to a critical point, so the rain came just in time. However, water scarcity is by no means over, and much of Scotland is still facing challenging conditions.
“The Met Office forecast is for a dry period of weather at the end of the month. We know water levels in some areas of Scotland are unlikely to have recovered to a strong enough point to withstand that.
“That’s why we strongly urge businesses to be aware of the conditions for their area and take steps now, rather than waiting until the eleventh hour.”
As well as the weekly water scarcity reports, SEPA also provides an online ‘Drought Risk Assessment Tool’ to help businesses understand current water levels and forecasts the date on which SEPA may take action to reduce or stop abstractions.
Nathan Critchlow-Watton added: “Businesses need to play their part and be proactive in understanding current river flows and their own water requirements, as well as having a contingency plan ready if the amount they can take from rivers is reduced or stopped.
“During dry periods, they should do all they can to reduce water use and check SEPA’s water scarcity report and online tool regularly. Abstraction equipment should be checked to make sure it’s in good condition and any leaks fixed straight away.
“We are here to help and have lots of advice and guidance available on steps to take during water scarcity, and what longer-term actions can be taken to adapt to the changing climate. Working with us will reduce the likelihood of SEPA having to impose further restrictions or stopping abstractions altogether.”
SEPA continues to monitor and report weekly on river and groundwater levels.
More information, guidance and advice can be found at:
A 43-year-old man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for raping a woman in Edinburgh in August, 2020.
Christopher Pringle was convicted in Edinburgh on Friday, 12 May, 2023 and was sentenced at the High Court yesterday .He has also been placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
Detective Chief Inspector George Calder said: “Pringle’s behaviour was despicable, and he will now face the consequences of his actions.
“It is my sincere hope the courage shown in this case will reassure all victims of sexual violence that they can come forward, no matter how much time has passed, and report it to police. Be assured, we will fully investigate, and you will be supported by officers and our partner agencies.
“This case was brought to conclusion by the Divisional Rape Investigation Unit, a specialist unit dedicated to robustly and sensitively investigate cases of this nature, bringing perpetrators to justice and supporting victims and their families.”
The Scottish Ambulance Service is celebrating International Paramedics Day on Saturday 8th July by saying thank you to all their hardworking and dedicated staff, and sharing some of their stories.
Launched in 2022 by the College of Paramedics, International Paramedics Day takes place on the birthday of Dominique-Jean Larrey, who is considered the “father of modern-day ambulance services”. It aims to celebrate the tremendous work carried out by paramedics and first responders, and to inspire the next generation of clinicians.
As skilled clinicians, paramedics and first responders make an extraordinary contribution to health and social care systems across the globe, helping patients when they need it most and providing safe and effective treatment.
Paul Bassett, Deputy Chief Executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service says: “International Paramedics Day is a fantastic way for ambulance services across the UK to come together and sing the praises of all of our dedicated and hardworking staff.
“We want to celebrate our paramedics, technicians and volunteers, as well as the call handlers and dispatchers, who are absolutely integral to bringing care to patients across Scotland. It’s a difficult, emotionally and physically demanding job, but it’s also incredibly rewarding, and we are so appreciative of all that you do.”
Kimberley Davies, a paramedic in Dalkeith (pictured top) says: “I enjoy helping and seeing different people every day from babies to the elderly and being able to make a difference in someone’s life.
“The most challenging thing is being away from home for long hours, but we make up for it on days off. It’s surprising how much your day can vary, from general transfers to emergency calls.”
Stevie Hannah, Special Operations Response Team (SORT) Paramedic Team Leader for the West, says: “I’m 30 years with the service this year so I must be enjoying it. What I like most is that no two days are the same, ever!
“I love meeting members of the public and trying to help them in their time of need, which can also be the worst day of their lives. It’s challenging to be in extreme situations where we are dealing with the public, and also having media focus on us, because of the nature of the incidents we attend.
“But I would advise anyone going into the profession, you are making a difference in people’s lives every day. Treat every patient as if they were a member of your family and you’ll never go wrong and don’t forget to talk and seek advice from your colleagues.”
Leesa Taylor is a paramedic in Banff, and she describes it as being “the best job in the world. You never know what a day will bring or who you’re going to meet! Knowing you can make a small difference to them or their loved ones is really rewarding. The job definitely keeps you on your toes too.
“I think people will find the progression of the role surprising – gone are the days where we just take everyone to hospital. Paramedics also help with triaging calls, within management roles and within our education departments, to name a few. The role is evolving more and more, with scope for progression as practitioners or as specialists in critical care.”
RECKLESS, SAY SCOTTISH CONSERVATIVES
Decriminalisation of all drugs for personal supply is one of a number of polices which the Scottish Government is calling on the UK Government to implement in a new paper on drug law reform.
The move would allow people found in possession of drugs to be treated and supported rather than criminalised and excluded. Decriminalisation would also mean that without a criminal record, people in recovery would have a better chance of employment.
The document has been published by the Scottish Government outlining measures which could be implemented through further devolution, independence, or changes enacted immediately by the UK Government to support the work being done within existing powers to reduce drug deaths.
Among the proposals are:
The proposals follow recommendations made by the Drug Deaths Taskforce in September 2021.
Minister for Drugs Policy Elena Whitham said: “These are ambitious and radical proposals, grounded in evidence, that will help save lives.
“We want to create a society where problematic drug use is treated as a health, not a criminal matter, reducing stigma and discrimination and enabling the person to recover and contribute positively to society. While we know these proposals will spark debate, they are in line with our public health approach and would further our national mission to improve and save lives.
“We are working hard within the powers we have to reduce drug deaths, and while there is more we need to do, our approach is simply at odds with the Westminster legislation we must operate within.
“These policies could be implemented by the Scottish Government through the devolution of further, specific powers to Holyrood including the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 – or through independence. An immediate way for these policies to be enacted would be for the UK Government to use its existing powers to change its drug laws.
“Scotland needs a caring, compassionate and human rights informed drugs policy, with public health and the reduction of harm as its underlying principles, and we are ready to work with the UK Government to put into practice this progressive policy.”
A spokesperson for the Scottish Conservatives said: “Trying to solve Scotland’s drug death crisis by decriminalising dangerous class-A drugs is reckless.
“To tackle the highest drug death rate in Europe, Humza Yousaf needs to back our Right to Recovery Bill.”
The Scottish Liberal Democrats have been calling for the decriminalisation of drug misuse for years. From rehab spaces to support for families, there are pressing areas where action is needed. This is an urgent public health crisis and ministers need to act like it.
One of the key performing arts venues in the Scottish capital, The Studio is managed by Capital Theatres alongside the King’s Theatre and the Festival Theatre and this year it celebrates its 10th anniversary.
To mark the occasion, The Studio team is announcing details of it’s Open@TheStudio programme which has been piloted over the last few months with great success.
Open@TheStudio is a unique, comprehensive programme of practical workshops, useful talks, R&D residencies and scratch nights designed to help those in the theatre industry: new graduates, independent artists, companies and self-producers, offering them a complete support package, from advice and networking, to workshops, free to use space and seed money.
Fiona Gibson, CEO of Capital Theatres said: “Everyone at Capital Theatres is hugely excited to continue the vital opportunity that Open@TheStudio offers to performing arts practitioners in Edinburgh and the Lothians, following the very successful pilot earlier this year.
“The Studio is becoming an exciting new hub for emerging creatives – here’s to the next 10 years of celebrating and sharing their fantastic creativity!”
Claire Symonds, Head of Creative Engagement at Capital Theatres said: “We recognise that the pandemic has caused a massive skills drain in the performing arts industry and also broken pathways for early career arts practitioners to emerge from education into professional practice. Open@TheStudio aims to address that.
“Following the runaway success that was the Open@TheStudio pilot, we are delighted to continue the programme which allows the participants to explore their creativity while learning new skills.
“Many arts organisations around the country offer similar support but we think that the comprehensive programme of Open@TheStudio is pretty unique as it addresses so many aspects of creative practice.
“We see it as an important investment in the creative talent of the future and cannot wait to share it with the industry and our audiences.”
The programme includes:
Open Conversations 90-minute sessions on the nuts & bolts of the industry
An insight into how things work and informal networking with local theatre makers and producers, answering questions such as how does tour booking work? How do you get funding? How does programming work? How theatre maths works?
Click here for the latest schedule for Open Conversations. Bookings open on Thurs 6 July.
Open to Ideas residency programme for new theatre makers
The Studio provides 5 free days of space, 2 days free technical support and £2k seed funding. There is no pressure to showcase an end product and the theatre makes no promises to programme. This is a genuine invitation to explore an idea.
Click here for the latest Call for Ideas.
Open Workshops masterclasses and workshops
Taking advantage of the fantastic talent performing at Capital Theatres’ venues, Open Workshops offer a chance to work with visiting companies, from West End touring shows to the hottest new contemporary theatre makers, offering a unique chance to learn from the experts.
Workshop schedule will be announced in due course.
Open Floor scratch nights
Theatre practitioners can test their work in front of a live audience – with the audience giving them constructive feedback afterwards.
The next Open Floor scratch night takes place on 1 November 2023. £5 tickets are available to book here. Bookings open on Thurs 6 July.
Anonymous survey conducted following the pilot of Open@TheStudio reiterated the urgent need for such a programme with the participants saying:
“Please, keep going. Keep offering residencies and space to create and stage our work, keep cultivating connections to grassroots theatre-makers and platforms, keep actually using your venue for the benefit of the local theatre community. (…) Be proud of this and let that pride inform your offerings to the creatives that for so long have been wanting to collaborate with your venue.”
“I think a lot of regularly funded organisations who say that they support local artists, but this doesn’t always translate to real-world opportunities. It is very good to have something open to a range of different theatre makers, rather than very few opportunities which end up going to the expected faces. It allows us to build relationships with a theatre org even if we don’t have a completed shiny product to share right now. I think that’s vital.”
“It feels like there are very few free or cheap workshops for theatre makers in the city. This is the first set of workshops I’ve heard about that offer such in-depth information on a range of extremely relevant and useful topics.”
Open@The Studio is generously supported by Baillie Gifford.
Heritage, community building and creativity were on show at the site of the old Portobello Kilns where a new ‘Collaborative Bannerwork by the Decorators of Portobello’ was unveiled yesterday.
The kilns are the last remaining buildings of the pottery industry in Scotland and have been a community landmark for over a century. The kilns first fired objects in 1906 with the construction of the first kiln by Buchan’s Pottery company.
The bannerwork depicts a range of drawings and paintings from the original illustrations and motifs used at the potteries in the 1960s. The decorators themselves are five local women who worked at the pottery during that time period.
The aim of the project is to showcase the rich heritage of the area and to raise awareness and funding for the renovations and maintenance of the kilns going forward. The bannerwork is expected to be displayed for up to a year.
Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Val Walker said: “It is fantastic news that this new collaborative banner has been unveiled at the historic Portobello Kilns. These are the only surviving bottle kilns in Scotland and represent the rich industrial history of Portobello and the Firth of Forth.
“I would like to thank the Portobello Heritage Trust and Art Walk Porty for their excellent work on this and I’m sure many Portobello residents and visitors will enjoy the installation in the coming weeks and months.”
Chair of the Portobello Heritage Trust, Dr Margaret Munro said: “Portobello Heritage Trust enjoyed working with Art Walk Porty and the decorators from A.W. Buchan & Co. Ltd. in creating this amazing, decorative banner.
“We support the City of Edinburgh Council with their grant applications to rebuild the 1906 kiln and look forward to having it completed in the near future.”
Rosy Naylor from Art Walk Porty said: “Art Walk Porty is really delighted to have been able to collaborate with artist Nicky Bird and some of the decorators who worked at A.W. Buchan & Co Ltd potteries in the 1960s, to create this beautiful new bannerwork for the site of Portobello Kilns.
“We hope it brings some colour and enjoyment to the area, while work is underway to source funding for the rebuild. Many thanks to City of Edinburgh Council and Portobello Heritage Trust in helping to realise this project.”
Industrial action suspended as improved offer to be put to union members
A record 12.4% pay increase for junior doctors and doctors in training for 2023/24 has been agreed with the British Medical Association.
Following discussions with Health Secretary Michael Matheson this afternoon, BMA Scotland have agreed to suspend strike action while they consult their members on this deal.
Coupled with the pay raise of 4.5% awarded in 2022/23, this amounts to a cumulative increase of 17.5% over two years.
The deal also includes a commitment to future years pay, contract and pay bargaining modernisation.
Health Secretary Michael Matheson said: “Following months of negotiations with BMA Scotland, I am delighted that we have agreed a pay deal for 2023/24 for our Junior Doctors. BMA have agreed to suspend strike action in Scotland while they consult with their members.
“I hope this investment and the significant commitments we have given around pay and contract reform will show Junior Doctors how much we value them, and that we are determined to ensure that Scotland is the place for Junior Doctors to work and train.
“Some patients may have been contacted to say their treatment has been cancelled. We are working hard with health boards to make sure appointments that can go ahead do, and that any others are rescheduled as soon as possible.”
Next week’s planned Scottish junior doctor industrial action has been suspended after the latest period of intense negotiations ended with BMA Scotland agreeing to put an improved offer from the Scottish Government to its members.
This year, Junior Doctors will receive a pay rise of 12.4%. For the following three financial years, Junior Doctors will receive a guaranteed minimum pay uplift of inflation every year. Over this three-year period, the Scottish Government has committed to negotiate further annual pay rises on top of inflation that must, “make credible progress on the path towards pay restoration”.
In addition, BMA Scotland will enter contract negotiations with the Scottish Government from Autumn 2023 with the aim of improving the working and training conditions of Junior Doctors in Scotland by April 2026.
As part of these negotiations, they will agree a new Pay Review mechanism, the aim of which is to reach a “mutually agreeable path to achieve pay restoration and prevent erosion recurring in the future”.
This mechanism once established should complete the process of restoring Junior Doctor pay and ensure it is protected against any recurrence of pay erosion in the long term.
On this basis, the BMA’s Scottish Junior Doctor Committee (SJDC) yesterday agreed unanimously that it would recommend members accept the offer in a consultative vote in the coming weeks.
Speaking after a full meeting of the committee, where the decision to put the offer to members was made, Dr Chris Smith, chair of SJDC, said: “This has been an intense period of negotiation with the Scottish Government.
“At this stage, our negotiating team feel they have reached the limit of what can be achieved this year and do not think strike action would result in a materially improved offer. As a result, we have agreed to suspend next week’s strikes and put this offer to our members.
“This offer commits the government to working with doctors to restore our pay and prevent pay erosion from occurring in the future.
“This is an unprecedented shift from the Scottish Government, which is a recognition of the huge decline in real terms pay that doctors have experienced over the past fifteen years, and the huge amount of work needed to undo the damage this has caused to the NHS.
“By agreeing to address the way our pay has been cut, and setting out a clear mechanism for doing so, the Government is making a serious, welcome commitment to ensuring that pay for Junior Doctors in Scotland is restored to a fair level.
“The agreement is clear that the increases above inflation over the next three years must be substantial enough in real terms to make credible progress on the path towards pay restoration.
“We will now deliver wide ranging and comprehensive details of the offer to members over the coming days and will open a fresh consultative vote as soon as we can.
“While we have suspended next week’s strikes, our mandate to strike still has months to run, so all options will remain open. Indeed, regardless of the outcome of the consultative vote, the collective power junior doctors have demonstrated by consistently and powerfully speaking up on behalf of the profession should ensure that we are never again taken for granted as we have been for the last 15 years.”
The Scottish Government says the pay deal represents a £61.3 million investment in Junior Doctor pay – the largest in the last 20 years and the best offer in the UK – and means a doctor at the beginning of their career would receive a salary increase of £3,429 in 2023/24. For those at the end of their training the rise would be £7,111 over the same period.
Yellow warnings are in place this morning across Scotland for thunderstorms.
Please drive to the road conditions, plan ahead and be aware of increased stopping distances.
There are also a number of outdoor events taking place over the weekend and we would remind people to be prepared and dress appropriately for the weather.
Follow Traffic Scotland and Met Office for more information and updates.
