One of Scotland’s fastest-growing food brands, We hae meat, is calling for families across the country to bring the iconic square sausage back as a breakfast staple for National Brunch Weekend (30th September – 1st October 2023).
Britain is a nation of breakfast fanatics and is the largest market for breakfast food in Europe. According to data from Mintel, 51% of adults eat breakfast away from the table, while cereals and toast dominate breakfast mealtimes. This National Brunch Weekend, We hae meat is celebrating bringing Scottish families together, and leading the charge in reinstating square sausage as the best loved breakfast food.
Award-winning family farming and butchery, We hae meat, produces high-quality meat products, making more than 21 million square sausages a year. As Scotland’s biggest producer of square sausage, We hae meat consistently make an astonishing 500,000 slices of sausage each week. To put this into perspective, in one year, We hae meat could stretch a square sausage trail, with each slice measuring 11.5cm wide, from the northern tip of John o’ Groats to the southernmost point of Land’s End, and back again.
The origins of the square sausage, also known as Lorne sausage, are a mystery. A well-known Scottish myth is that it was invented by Glasgow comedian Tommy Lorne, contrary to the belief that a West Coast butcher, in the Firth of Lorne created it. Born Hugh Gallagher Corcoran in 1890 near Glasgow, Tommy was a famous pantomime performer and stand-up comedian.
One of his most famous sayings was ‘sausages are the boys’ and his favourite snack between acts was reportedly a sausage sandwich, which many believe inspired the creation of the Lorne Sausage.
Alex Paton, fourth-generation farmer and Co-founder of We hae meat said: “Square sausage is a staple component to the traditional Scottish breakfast, and We hae meat is dedicated to ensuring this custom lives on. This National Brunch Weekend, we extend an invitation to families far and wide, to come together and enjoy a true Scottish breakfast.
“We hae meat are committed to delivering top-quality products using traditional craft butchery methods and techniques to produce food that families can be proud to serve at their tables.”
We hae meat offers a wide variety of meat products from its core range, platinum range, sausage, skinny range, special editions and value range. Available from major retailers in Scotland and selected supermarkets across the UK.
Family-friendly farm village, Craigies Farm in South Queensferry, is welcoming the arrival of October by inviting some spooky visitors to its pumpkin fields!
The popular day-out destination will once again open its popular pick-your-own pumpkin patch on October 1st, and new for this year will also host two Halloween-themed events out in the fields too!
The ‘Spooky Days’ daytime event is perfect for families with younger children, while the nighttime ‘Haunted Tunnels‘ have slightly more scares suitable for older children and families.
Both events will feature a spooky cast of roaming characters, spine-tingling props, interactive games, storytellers and at night time, there will be fantastic illuminated light shows too!
Scottish and Welsh Ministers press UK Government on new partnership
The Scottish and Welsh governments have written to the UK Government calling for a new four nations summit on reaching net zero, to be chaired by the independent Climate Change Committee.
The call follows the Prime Minister’s speech on climate change last week.
The letter, co-signed by Scotland’s Net Zero Secretary Mairi McAllan and Wales’ Minister for Climate Change Julie James, highlights the weakness of current arrangements for working with the devolved nations and calls for greater UK collaboration in agreeing the pathway towards the UK’s legally-binding net zero targets.
The two governments propose that the summit be chaired by the independent Climate Change Committee, which acts as a statutory adviser to all four nations.
The full text of the letter to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations is below:
Rt Hon Michael Gove MP Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations House of Commons London SW1A 0AA
28 September 2023
Dear Michael,
This is a joint letter from myself and Julie James, Minister for Climate Change, Welsh Government.
We write to highlight our disappointment in relation to the Prime Minister’s statement last week (20 September) announcing that the UK Government is significantly changing course on key net zero commitments.
Despite the far-reaching implications of the announcements made – with substantial changes in policy that will impact progress in delivering net zero and have profoundly negative implications for the environment and economy across the UK and further affect the UK’s international reputation – there was no prior engagement with the devolved governments. Given that delivery of the climate ambitions of the four nations of the UK are intrinsically linked, this is deeply unsatisfactory.
In addition, almost a week later, it is hugely frustrating that the UK Government has not provided the level of detail required by such significant announcements. We would urge you to provide this immediately to enable devolved governments to fully assess the implications.
Regarding Scotland, the Scottish Government will separately be writing to the UK Government shortly, in more detail, setting out areas in which progress urgently needs to be clarified. Regarding Wales, the Welsh Government has also separately written to the UK Government, seeking further clarity on the impacts of the recent policy changes on Wales.
Tackling the twin crises of climate change and nature loss is one of the most significant challenges facing people and planet this century and all nations of the UK must work in partnership to complete the net zero journey. Delivering progress on net zero requires urgent action and higher ambition from the UK Government on issues reserved to Westminster to complement the action taken under devolved powers. The Climate Change Committee has been clear that action by the UK Government is important for delivery of climate change targets around the UK, just as action in Scotland and Wales is crucial to UK targets.
Since last week’s process shows the weakness of current arrangements, we are now urging you to establish a new, mutually respectful partnership, with the aim of developing an agreed four nation approach to net zero in a collaborative manner. We therefore invite you to commit, in the first instance, to a high-level summit for a four nation approach and to agree with us that our statutory advisers, the independent Climate Change Committee, be invited to chair the summit.
We are also copying in Katrina Godfrey, Permanent Secretary at the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs and the Secretary of State at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Local pubs deliver invaluable socio-economic value, ministers must act to save them, says new report
Government must give pubs which serve as the beating hearts of their communities greater support with tax rebates to safeguard the nation’s locals as vital social lifelines, a report from the think-tank Localis has urged.
According to polling undertaken by YouGov for the report, 75 percent of people felt the impact of pubs to community life to be positive. When asked if pubs are important in bringing people together, more than four-in-five (81 percent) of British adults agreed they are, with just 14 percent feeling that they are not.
Polling carried out for the report showed 68 percent of British adults felt that pubs help combat loneliness in their local area. Among pro-community activities supported by local pubs, nearly half (44%) of people were aware of pub events that bring the community together, a quarter (25%) knew of local pubs that supported charitable causes and 17 percent knew of local pubs that supported vulnerable people in their area.
The research identified from case studies taken pubs across the country some dominant themes on how the sector supports local people and communities, namely by:
combatting isolation
supporting local causes
reflecting local culture
bringing local business together
supporting community through generations.
Pollsters also found that among social uses of pubs in the last three months, more than half of the population (51%) had met a friend in one, while nearly two-in-five (37%) of people had visited the pub to meet up with family, a quarter (25%) had enjoyed Sunday lunch in one and 10% of the public had attended a pub-held birthday party in that timespan. In addition, six percent of the public had used pubs for dating purposes and 13% watched a sporting event.
A key recommendation of the report calls for the re-establishment of a Minister for Pubs post to co-ordinate a cross-government taskforce responsible for long-term strategy for the British pubs sector and to lead on help with tax and regulation, alongside an emergency fund for energy bill support.
The report authors also make the case for business rates rebates for those pubs which take on socially valuable roles such as foodbanks or in providing warm spaces for vulnerable people, with a call for a modest £4m cashpot to help 1,000 pubs to diversify at a cost of a mere £4,000 per pub.
Localis head of research, Joe Fyans,said: “Across Britain, pubs have consistently played a pivotal role in knitting communities together and promoting social cohesion.
“Pubs are the beating heart of many communities, playing multifaceted roles in local daily life. This is why the decline of pubs is cause for great concern. With each closure, both tangible and intangible voids are left behind.
“The lessons are clear: pubs, in all their forms and across all locations, remain integral to British social cohesion as hubs of activity, community, and social capital. This makes their presence all the more crucial as community safety nets and beacons of light, offering a lifeline hope for many people looking for a real sense of local belonging.”
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association,said: ““The stories highlighted in this report truly are just a snapshot of the hugely positive impact pubs have in communities across the country every single day.
“There are few businesses that can say they add both social and economic value and pubs are delivering that value in neighbourhoods from Lanarkshire to Liskeard, and everywhere in between. Pubs provide solace to people in tough times and a place to celebrate in others and to lose them would have a serious impact on people’s lives.
“With closures continuing to rise and pubs under threat from further duty and business rates cost hikes we hope the Government will seriously consider the proposals put forward by this report so the foundations can be laid to help pubs continue to do this brilliant work in their communities long into the future.”
Becky Barnett who runs The Lamb Inn in Swadlincote, which features in the report,said: “We support our local community in a number of ways, including offering free food and drinks to people on Wednesday mornings. People can come into the pub, have a free hot meal, and in winter, sit by our log fire in comfy chairs, no questions asked.
“When times are tough, we want to be a place where people can come for help and local people have been incredibly grateful of us opening our doors at no cost. At the same time, we also face challenges with high energy bills and other rising costs so it’s a scary time for our business as well, we want to continue to provide a non-judgemental warm space for people but we’re facing our own difficulties as well.”
Pub is The Hub chief executive, John Longden,said: “Pubs and publicans are the heroes at the heart of community life that provide essential local services and activities that create social value.
“They are a lifeline for many rural areas providing vital local services and activities such as village stores, allotments and community cafes as well as offering a safe space to tackle the major societal issue of loneliness.
“Pub is The Hub now estimates 1,000 more pubs and local areas could benefit from services if they can be directly supported in the future to diversify.”
The North Edinburgh Create Community Wealth team would like to invite you to our End of Project Celebration Event at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre, which has been the home of the project for the last two years.
There will be taster sessions, workshops, short film screenings and possibly a mini market where you can see the fantastic work and hear the stories of the talented Create Community Wealth participants. This is a drop in event from 5 – 8pm, and everyone’s welcome to come along.
Police Scotland have released images of a man they believe may be able to assist their enquires into an incident which occurred on a Stagecoach bus between Dunfermline and Edinburgh on Wednesday 12 October 2022 at approximately 4.20pm.
The man was travelling on the Stagecoach X55 bus having boarded the bus at Dunfermline bus station.
He is described as white, aged between 25 and 40, dark facial hair, wearing a dark hooded top, striped tracksuit bottoms and carrying a holdall type bag.
Police Scotland are appealing for the man pictured, or anyone who knows him to get in touch via 101 quoting incident reference number 2550 of 12 October 2022. Alternatively, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be passed anonymously.
Social Security Scotland are reminding clients who receive a Universal Credit migration notice to apply before the deadline to ensure their benefit payments are not interrupted.
The migration from Tax Credits to Universal Credit will affect the processes for some Social Security Scotland benefits, including Scottish Child Payment, Best Start Foods, Best Start Grants and Funeral Support Payment.
The Department for Work and Pensions will send a letter to people who receive Tax Credits, urging them to make a claim for Universal Credit. The letter will include the deadline for claims – people are strongly advised not to miss the deadline as Tax Credit support will end after this date. Clients affected by this migration can find more information from the DWP website.
Social Security Scotland are asking stakeholders to help their clients apply before the deadline to make sure they don’t lose financial support. This will allow SSS to continue making payments without the need for further action.
This new change will affect eight Scottish Government schemes:
Best Start Grants: Pregnancy and Baby Payment, Early Learning Payment and School Age Payment
National Museum of Scotland Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Beyond the Little Black Dress Until 29 Oct 2023 Special Exhibition Gallery, Level 3 Ticketed (concessions available)
From design classics to cutting-edge catwalk creations, this exhibition deconstructs the little black dress and examines the radical power of the colour black in fashion.
The exhibition will chart a century of fashion in a series of themed, immersive displays. Iconic early pieces by Yves Saint Laurent, Dior and Jean Muir will be juxtaposed with recent looks by ground-breaking contemporary designers and brands like Gareth Pugh, Simone Rocha and Off-White.
Rising Tide: Art and Environment in Oceania Until 14 Apr 2024 Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3 Free
Delve into the most important and pressing issue of our time, humanity’s damaging relationship with planet Earth. This urgent issue is felt especially deeply in Australia and the Pacific Islands where sea levels are rising due to climate change and the oceans are filling with plastic.
Rising Tide considers our relationship to the natural environment through contemporary artistic responses to climate change and plastic waste by Indigenous Australian and Pacific Islander artists.
Uniquely Scottish Silver Until 26 May 2024 Grand Gallery Free
Uniquely Scottish Silver brings together five distinct Scottish silver object designs: mazers, quaichs, thistle cups, ovoid urns and heart brooches. Discover some of the earliest and rarest survivals within the Scottish silver smiths’ craft.
Theravada Buddhism Until 09 Jun 2024 Grand Gallery Free
This thought-provoking display charts the history and influence of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition across the world, including its role in Scotland today. The display includes a Buddha on loan from The Dhammapadipa Temple in Edinburgh. The Buddha was designed and made in Thailand in 2013, then later gifted to Temple where it is now used in their garden meditation room. The image takes inspiration from the Phra Phuttha Chinnarat (Great Victorious Buddha), one of the most revered Buddha images in Thailand.
National Museum of Scotland Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Fashionably Late 06 Oct 19:30 – 22:30 £16 – £22 including exhibition entry Strictly 18+
Our legendary Museum Lates return in October restyled for one night only as Fashionably Late. Join us for an evening of fun, frolics and fashion in the beautiful setting of the National Museum of Scotland at night.
Museum Socials 20 Oct – 15 Dec Third Friday of the month 10:30 – 12:00 Free
Our Museum Socials events are created for anyone affected by Dementia and their relatives, friends and supporters. Museum Socials create a friendly environment where everyone is welcome and all contributions are valued.
Morning Curator Tour: Rising Tide 01 – 09 Nov 09:15 – 10:00 (doors open at 09:00)
Join curator Dr Ali Clark for an exclusive morning tour of our Rising Tide: Art and Environment in OCeania exhibition. Add a voucher to upgrade your experience with refreshments in one of our museum cafés.
Curiosity Club 25 Nov – 24 Feb 2024 10:30 – 12:00 £10 (Members and Concessions £9)
Unleash your creativity and curiosity topic each month, we’ve captured some of the museum’s most exciting and child friendly collections and themes, for kids to explore through games, activities, and visits to some of our most interactive galleries.
Magic Carpet Minis Until 20 Dec 10:30 & 14:00 (Wednesdays) £15 per child for block of 3
Magic Carpet Minis introduces you and your little one to some of the wonderful galleries, objects and themes in the museum in a fun and gentle way. Taking place in different spaces around the museum, you will explore subjects such as the Natural World, Space, World Cultures and Scottish History through songs, stories, rhymes, actions, objects and sensory play.
Collection Centre Tours Until 20 Mar 2024 National Museums Collection Centre
Go behind the scenes on a tour of our state-of-the-art collections and research centre in Granton, Edinburgh. Discover the secrets of how we store our Natural Sciences, Science & Technology and Scottish History & Archaeology collections, and find out how these objects and specimens are used in international research.
Friday Friends Until 28 Jun 2024 Selected Friday afternoons 14:00 – 16:00 Free, pre-booking required
Our Friday Friends programme offers a welcoming space for visually impaired and D/deaf children and their families. The groups meet monthly and explore the themes of the museum through objects, music, art and activities.
National Museum of Flight East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF Open daily 10:00 – 16:00
Half Term Bricks Sat 14, Sun 15, Sat 21 and Sun 22 October 11:00–13:00 & 14:00–16:00 Concorde Hangar Free with museum admission
Inspired by our current Brick History display, each day we will have a different build theme. Choose to make something inspired by the theme or build your own creation. For something a bit more energetic, take part in our speed build challenge and see if you can make it to the top of the champions’ board.
Behind the Scenes Tours Until 26 Oct 12:00 – 13:00 Free with museum admission
National Museums Scotland has one of the most comprehensive collections of aircraft engines anywhere in the world, some of which are in the Object Store at the National Museum of Flight, not normally open to the public. Join Aviation Curator Ian Brown for one of our regular guided tours of the museum’s Object Store.
Conservation Hangar Tours Until 31 Mar 2024 Free with museum admission Booking required
See behind the scenes of the work carried out in the museum’s Conservation hangar with a guided tour and find out more about objects from the collection that aren’t normally on display.
Autumn Explorers 17 – 20 Oct 10:30 – 15:30 Free with museum admission and Annual Pass
Become an Autumn Explorer this October half term at the National Museum of Rural Life. Enjoy family storytelling, an outdoor trail and creative crafts as you learn all about Scotland’s bugs, beasties and creatures.
Adult Workshops: Willow Crafting 28 Oct Age 16+ Tickets £30 – £35 Advance booking required
Join Max Johnson from Seileach Basketry for a fun, relaxed introduction to willow weaving at the National Museum of Rural Life. Choose from two half-day workshops where you will create your own willow bird feeder or willow platter.
Plan for drivers ‘will sit alongside continued investment in public transport and active travel’
new long-term government plan will support drivers and put the brakes on anti-car measures
plan will address drivers’ everyday concerns with new measures to keep traffic moving, make parking simpler, and clamp down on overrunning road works
guidance to be reviewed on 20mph limits and low traffic neighbourhoods in England to ensure local support, ending blanket imposition of anti-driver policies
Transport Secretary Mark Harper has set out plans to protect drivers from over-zealous traffic enforcement, as part of a long-term government plan to back drivers.
With 50 million people holding a driving licence in Great Britain and more than 40 million licensed vehicles in the UK, the government’s new plan will support the majority who drive, by keeping motoring costs under control and ensure people have the freedom to drive as they need to in their daily lives.
The measures include reviewing guidance on 20mph speed limits in England to prevent their blanket use in areas where it’s not appropriate and amending guidance on low traffic neighbourhoods to focus on local consent.
As part of the ongoing review into low traffic neighbourhoods, the government will also consider measures for existing anti-driver policies that did not secure local consent. The plans also aim to stop councils implementing so called ‘15-minute cities’, by consulting on ways to prevent schemes which aggressively restrict where people can drive.
Drivers across the country will also soon be able to benefit from new technology to simplify parking payments. The national parking platform pilot will be rolled out nationwide so that drivers can use an app of their choice to pay instead of downloading multiple apps.
In the continued drive to tackle potholes, the government will support councils to introduce more lane rental schemes, where utility companies are required to pay to dig up the busiest roads at peak times. Under the proposals, at least half of the extra money raised from these fees will go directly towards repairing road surfaces.
To further clamp down on overrunning street works, the government will consult on extending fines for repairs which run into weekends and increasing current levels of fixed penalty notices.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “For too long politicians have focused on the short-term decisions with little regard for the long term impact on hardworking families.
“We’ve seen this consistently with people’s freedoms on transport. The clamp down on drivers is an attack on the day to day lives of most people across the UK who rely on cars to get to work or see their families.
“This week the UK government will set out a long-term plan to back drivers, slamming the brakes on anti-car measures across England. We are taking the necessary decision to back the motorists who keep our country moving.”
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “Too often the private car is vilified when it has been one of the most powerful forces for personal freedom and economic growth. That’s why the government is taking the long-term, necessary decision to back the motorists who keep our country moving.
“We’re introducing a plan to ensure drivers can enjoy smoother journeys, park more easily and no longer face unfair and oppressive traffic enforcement measures.
“Our plan will sit alongside our continued investment in public transport and active travel as part of a package of measures designed to help people travel in the best way that works for them.”
A call for evidence will be launched on options to restrict the ability of local authorities to generate revenue surpluses from traffic offences and over-zealous traffic enforcement, such as yellow-box junctions.
To make life easier for drivers and help traffic flow better, the Department for Transport will strengthen guidance to make sure bus lanes only operate when necessary and a consultation will be launched on motorcycles using bus lanes. Further measures and the full plan will be published in the coming days.
The measures follow the Prime Minister’s new approach to net zero announced last week, which committed to ending the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035, while supporting people who rely on their cars in their daily lives. The long-term plan to back drivers will protect people who rely on their cars from anti-driver policies.
The plans also follow the government’s support for drivers by cutting the fuel duty rate by 5p per litre since March 2022, saving the average driver around £100 a year. This is in addition to £5 billion government investment since 2020 to resurface local roads, and new rules to clamp down on utility companies leaving potholes behind after street works.
Contractors will start installing signage around the LEZ city centre boundary from October to help drivers plan their journeys in advance of enforcement beginning on 1 June 2024.
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, which support enforcement, will be installed in late 2023/early 2024 and a mobile enforcement vehicle will be active from June 2024 onwards.
In early 2024 there will also be changes made to some street layouts and signals around the LEZ boundary to cut congestion and improve safety for everyone.
Independent market research carried out in June indicates that a majority of drivers in Edinburgh continue to support the LEZ and think protecting public health is important. Awareness and understanding of the LEZ has improved since 2022, highlighting the success of the local and national communications campaigns.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “It may seem some way off, but we are beginning to approach the start of enforcement of the LEZ, and we want to make sure drivers are prepared.
“Air pollution harms both our physical and mental health, so by restricting the most polluting vehicles in the LEZ we will create a healthier place for everyone, reducing inequalities and making the city centre a more welcoming place.
“I’m pleased that compliance with our emissions standards continues to increase, driven by the upcoming LEZ restrictions and support funds, and that support remains high. Lothian Buses are now LEZ ready, and the Council fleet will be soon.
“There’s still work to be done though to ensure everyone else who enters the zone is compliant. As we begin preparations for enforcement, I would encourage all drivers to check if their vehicle is compliant through the online vehicle checker tool, and find out more about the support funds available.”
A city centre LEZ was introduced in Edinburgh on 31 May 2022, along with LEZs in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee, restricting the most polluting vehicles and benefiting everyone’s health. In Edinburgh, a two-year grace period is in place, meaning no penalty charges will be issued during this time.
Compliance is particularly high amongst the local buses (97%), with Lothian Buses being 100% compliant. Petrol cars (95%) and lorries (86%) also have high compliance rates yet diesel cars are only 50% complaint.
Restricting the most polluting vehicles will significantly reduce harmful emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from vehicles by up to 50% within the LEZ. Further air quality improvements are expected beyond the boundary, improving public health around the city.
LEZ restrictions will apply to motor vehicles, except motorcycles and mopeds. Vehicles must meet the minimum emissions standards to drive within the zone, though national exemptions apply including for blue badge holders and emergency vehicles.
Edinburgh’s LEZ will issue penalty notice charges, or fines, in line with Scottish regulations, from 1 June 2023. Penalties start at £60, for non-compliant vehicles driving within the Zone though this is reduced by 50% to £30 if paid within 14 days.
Penalties escalate and surcharges will be issued if drivers repeatedly enter the LEZ within a 90 day period. These surcharges are capped at £480 for cars and vans, and £960 for buses and lorries.
