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Churchill and Scotland: First scholarly research appeal launched

The official society studying the life and work of Winston Churchill has published an edition of its journal Finest Hour dedicated to Churchill and Scotland with a foreword by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

The society is also launching an appeal for more information about Churchill’s many associations with Scotland to enable further study about how the famous wartime Prime Minister and the Scottish people affected one another.

The International Churchill Society (ICS), the official Churchill society founded in 1968, is among the first to collate and consider Churchill’s numerous but not always well-known connections to Scotland.

Churchill said that the three most important things he received from Scotland were his wife, his constituency, and his regiment.

*HGF9BY 1916.Churchill as Lieutenant-Colonel,commanding the 6th Battalion.the Royal Scots Fusiliers.Near Ploegstreert, Belgium. A Sinclair on WSC’s right.*

During the First World War, he commanded the 6th Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers on the Western Front in 1916. His two leading officers were both future Scottish political leaders. Andrew Dewar Gibb, a founding member and subsequent leader of the SNP (1936–1940) was Churchill’s adjutant, and Archibald Sinclair, a future leader of the Liberal Party (1935–45), was his second-in-command. Both men are pictured seated next to Churchill with the other officers of the battalion in May 1916 (above).

Churchill was the Liberal MP for Dundee for fourteen years. First elected in 1908, he was re-elected to the seat four times before finally losing (to a Prohibitionist candidate!) in 1922. The same year Churchill was elected to Dundee, he married Clementine Hozier, a granddaughter of the tenth Earl of Airlie.

In 1912, Churchill was among the first senior British politicians to call for Scottish home rule and UK federalism. He received his first government appointment from Scottish prime minister, Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman in 1906. He was close friends with the former Prime Minister Lord Rosebery, in his time a highly regarded Scottish politician.

Despite Churchill having had many other personal and professional connections with Scotland, there is little in the country today to mark his presence. Two plaques to his time in Dundee were erected in 2008, and there is an outstanding portrait of him by Scotland’s Sir James Guthrie in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh. Otherwise, there are merely a handful of busts around the country including a miniature sculpture in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Museum.

The International Churchill Society is launching a fresh appeal for new stories, facts, photos, and diaries about Churchill’s time in Scotland to expand the field of study further. The team is looking to publish a book in the coming year.

Gordon Brown, former British prime minister (2007–10) said:

“So much has been written about every aspect of Winston Churchill’s life that it is surprising that one important area—his relationship with Scotland—has commanded so little attention.

“That is why this set of essays in Finest Hour must start to rectify this and rescues Churchill’s Scottish connections from the condescension of posterity.”

David Freeman, the editor of Finest Hour, said:

“It’s so rare to find something new to say about Churchill and lo and behold it was right in front of us. There’s a compelling case that England’s greatest Englishman should also be a celebrated hero in Scotland.

“The connections are innumerable and substantial, and we’re thrilled to be among the first to bring these together formally. Finest Hour, our subscription magazine, is free to view this month to kick start this conversation. If you’re sitting with old photos or other memorabilia from one of his many trips to Scotland, please get in touch.”

Allen Packwood, Director of the Churchill Archives, said:

“Churchill is often thought of and referred to as a quintessentially English figure, but this overlooks a multitude of Scottish connections. I am certain that there is new material awaiting discovery in attics and basements that will shed more light on his reception, connections and activities in Scotland.

“We’re delighted to start that process with our dedicated team of academics and enthusiasts, and this is a conversation that we’re delighted to begin with Scotland and, indeed, the world.”

Please get in touch at Scotland@winstonchurchill.org if you would like to learn more or have information on Churchill and Scotland you would like to share with the team.

SJIB and Unite the Union welcome consultation calling for regulation of electricians

The Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB) and Unite the Union have welcomed the launch of a consultation exercise which it is hoped will lead to the introduction of a Member’s Bill calling for regulation of electricians.

Both organisations are supporting the proposed Bill, which MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston plans to put forward following the new consultation announced last week.

The Bill by the Conservative MSP for the Highlands and Islands is calling for the introduction of protection of title, which would ensure that only properly qualified and experienced professionals could call themselves an electrician.

Mr Halcro Johnston said: “Poor quality work has potentially dangerous consequences and presents a risk to neighbours and a financial cost to insurers, as well as placing our emergency services unnecessarily in harm’s way.

“The proposed Bill would ensure that electricians undertaking work are qualified to do so and effectively registered. This will not only benefit the end consumer, but also the electrical industry, which depends on the trust of the wider public.

“Unfortunately, due to restrictions on parliamentary time, my Bill won’t be able to get through during the current parliamentary session. However, by doing this, we have started a process which could lead to an historic and long overdue change after the 2021 election.”

The launch of the consultation was endorsed by the SJIB, which is one of the many organisations backing a rapidly-growing campaign for recognition of electrician as a profession.

Fiona Harper, The Secretary of the SJIB, said: “This consultation is the first part of a very important journey to ensure that only those who are appropriately qualified and experienced are allowed to call themselves an electrician.

“It adds further momentum to the industry’s commitment to improve consumer safety and is another important milestone in protecting people and businesses across Scotland.

“We would like to thank Mr Halcro Johnston for his hard work in getting this important matter to this stage and we look forward to seeing its development.”

Pat Rafferty, Unite Scotland Regional Secretary, added: “This announcement is another step on the road to protecting the reputation of properly qualified electricians, both now and for the next generation.

“Ensuring that skills, qualifications and competence are properly protected will underpin the future of our industry and help raise the bar across our profession as a whole.”

However, Fiona added: “Momentum is everything, so it’s vital that regulation happens as soon as possible. Every day we spend debating is another day that the public are exposed to shoddy and sub-standard electrical work, performed by so-called electricians with no qualifications at all.”

The SJIB and Unite are among the organisations supporting the #BackTheBrick campaign spearheaded by SELECT, Scotland’s largest trade association.

The association has been pressing the Scottish Government for regulation of electricians and has received significant support from MPs, MSPs and major organisations. In May, Liberal-Democrat MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton and SNP MP Alan Brown added their names to the SELECT Wall of Support, following in the footsteps of the 32 MSPs who vowed to support the campaign in November 2019.

The issue has already been debated in the Scottish Parliament, with an Electricians Working Group convened to explore the challenges of ensuring the safety of electrical installations and protecting consumers.

The consultation can be responded to here and is open until Tuesday 10 November 2020.

TOGETHER: Men’s Support Service at Pilton Community Health Project

TOGETHER is Pilton Community Health Project’s new support service for men!

Upcoming events include walks & mindfulness sessions, as well as one-to-one support.

Find out more:

Website: https://buff.ly/2Yb1lZK
Facebook: https://buff.ly/334vdtX…

Survey: Research on communities and active travel

The Scottish Community Development Centre has been commissioned by Sustrans to research how and why communities engage (or don’t engage) with active travel projects

SCDC wants to hear from all types and sizes of community and voluntary organisations across the country.

Wherever you are on your active travel journey your experience matters: from those who have never even considered an active travel project to those that are thinking and planning on to those who have successfully completed one.

It doesn’t matter the focus of your organisation – Sustrans would like to know how they can work with all sections of our communities to deliver the benefits of active travel to everyone.

Complete the short (ten-minute maximum) survey by clicking on the link below. Closes Friday 28^th August at midnight:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/communities_and_active_travel

Back to skool

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has today made a direct appeal to parents to return their children to the classroom when schools reopen in England next week.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “I have previously spoken about the moral duty to reopen schools to all pupils safely, and I would like to thank the school staff who have spent the summer months making classrooms Covid-secure in preparation for a full return in September.

“We have always been guided by our scientific and medical experts, and we now know far more about coronavirus than we did earlier this year.

“As the Chief Medical Officer has said, the risk of contracting Covid-19 in school is very small and it is far more damaging for a child’s development and their health and well-being to be away from school any longer.

“This is why it’s vitally important that we get our children back into the classroom to learn and to be with their friends. Nothing will have a greater effect on the life chances of our children than returning to school.”

Chief Medical Officers and Deputy Chief Medical Officers of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales made a weekend statement on the evidence of risks and benefits to health from schools and childcare settings reopening, which says:

We are confident in the extensive evidence that there is an exceptionally small risk of children of primary or secondary school age dying from COVID-19. The infection fatality rate (proportion of those who are infected who die) for those aged 5 to 14 is estimated at 14 per million, lower than for most seasonal flu infections.
We are confident that there is clear evidence of a very low rate of severe disease in children of primary and secondary school ages compared to adults, even if they catch COVID-19. The percentage of symptomatic cases requiring hospitalisation is estimated to be 0.1% for children aged 0 to 9 and 0.3% among those aged 10 to 19, compared to a hospitalisation rate of over 4% in the UK for the general population. Most of these children make a rapid recovery.
We are confident that there is clear evidence from many studies that the great majority of children and teenagers who catch COVID-19 have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all.
Control measures such as hand and surface hygiene, cohorting to reduce number of daily contacts, and directional controls to reduce face-to-face contact remain key elements of maintaining COVID-19 secure school environments and minimising risk.

Children return to school in Northern Ireland this morning, while Welsh children go back next month.

Pupils in Scotland start their second full week of school this morning, and parents are reminded to observe guidelines on social distancing.

Steps include:

Limiting the number of family members at drop off and pick ups where possible
Following the specific guidance issued to them from their schools
Following national advice on keeping two metres apart.

Edinburgh’s Education Convener Cllr Ian Perry said: “We realise it will take time for parents and pupils to get used to the new arrangements around our schools and I want to thank everyone who has been following the advice such as dropping children off away from schools gates so there is no overcrowding.

“We would urge everyone to remember the physical distancing guidelines they have been following so well for the past few months as these also apply outside our schools. Please take on board these simple steps so we can keep everyone safe.”

Education Vice Convener Cllr Alson Dickie said: “Each school is different so specific advice has been issued to parents about the best ways to help with physical distancing at drop off and pick up times.

“Discussions between parents and schools will continue as we find solutions that best support each school. In addition a number of temporary measures have also been put in place as part of our Spaces for People programme to give pupils and their families safer access so they can physically distance using buggies, wheelchairs and other mobility aids.

“We are continuing to encourage parents/carers to travel to school by walking, cycling and scooting where possible so please follow the national guidance so we can keep the virus suppressed.”

Silverknowes Golf Club CLOSED

Silverknowes Golf Club issued the following statement last night:

We found out this morning that a member entered the clubhouse on Saturday morning for a very brief period of time, after having returned from Spain. He did not self isolate and we have been left with no other option but to close the club.

Myself and the staff have santised all of the clubhouse today but as a precautionary measure, we are closing the club for 72 hours. If you were in the clubhouse on Saturday and show signs of Covid please contact us as soon as possible so we may inform the track and trace team.

The club will be open for business on Thursday unless there are any repercussion from this.

Thank you for your understanding in this matter and I hope you appreciate that your safety and the staffs are paramount to us.

Regards

Carol

The Norhet Bar in Davidsons Mains has appealed to any customers who visited Silverknowes Golf Club on Saturday to stay away as a safety precaution.

Meanwhile, life in Aberdeen will begin to get back to something like normal this week ….

Following a SGORR meeting yesterday (Sunday 23 August) the First Minister has set out a timeline for the lifting of travel restrictions, limits on indoor meetings and the opening of hospitality.

A number of restrictions were lifted at midnight tonight so that today (Monday 24 August) Aberdeen will be broadly in line with the rest of Scotland. The five-mile travel limit, restrictions on gatherings and limitations on hospital and care home visits will be lifted.

Businesses due to open in line with the national route map can also reopen, with the exception of cafes, restaurants or any hospitality element within them.

These, along with restaurants, pubs, casinos and other hospitality premises, will be able to open from Wednesday 26 August, only once an environmental health check has been completed.

Hospitality business owners are being urged to get in touch with Aberdeen City Council if they have not already had an environmental health check.

The SGORR meeting included partners from Aberdeen City Council, NHS Grampian and Police Scotland, and heard the latest update from the Incident Management Team on the level of the virus and its transmission in Aberdeen.

The latest figures show a total of 427 cases have been identified in the Grampian Health Board area since 26 July. Of these 259 are associated with the same cluster linked to Aberdeen pubs, and 1,258 contacts have now been identified from those.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I am grateful to people in Aberdeen – the local authority and health board, local businesses, and everyone who lives there – for complying so well with the rules that were put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In particular I am grateful for the understanding of the businesses that were required to close in order to help beat the virus.

“It’s due to the commitment of people in the city, as well as world class contact tracing that means we are now able to lift some of these measures from Monday and then again from Wednesday, but it is vitally important that everyone follows the FACTS rules in order to prevent an outbreak of this scale occurring again.

“That way we can move forward and get our economy, our society and our lives generally back to as much normality as possible.”

Susan Webb, Director of Public Health for NHS Grampian said: “We must be cautious to ensure the progress we have made is maintained.

“Crucially, we must all be observing physical distancing from those not in our immediate household; whether at work, meeting socially, in a supermarket or out for exercise and recreation. It is also vitally important that anyone identified as a close contact of a detected case follows the guidance on isolating for 14 days.”

The Scottish Government has not ruled out extending restrictions if necessary to protect public health.

Remember FACTS for a safer Scotland:

F – Face coverings. These should be used in shops and on public transport (buses, trains and taxis)
A – Avoid crowded places.
C – Clean your hands frequently, using water and soap whenever possible.
T – Two metres – observe physical distancing.
S – Self-isolate and book a test if you are suffering from COVID-19 symptoms.

SNP Ministers ‘hurting Edinburgh’s tourist industry recovery’

Scottish Government officials tried to block a tourism campaign to encourage visitors from the rest of the UK to come to Scotland, according to the Daily Mail.

Emails between Visit Scotland and the Scottish Government show that government officials altered a press release removing references to England and Northern Ireland. However, Visit Scotland highlighted the pressure they were receiving from the tourism industry to target tourists from the rest of the UK.

The tourism body say they have still not extended the campaign to the rest of the UK due to Scottish Government guidance.

Figures from Scottish Enterprise show that UK based tourists made up 77% of overnight tourism trips in Scotland in 2018.

A recent study by the University of Edinburgh Business School said that UK visitors are most interested and able to afford visits to Scotland and should be targeted, according to The Times.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “Tourism is a key part of Edinburgh’s economy and decisions by SNP Ministers are actively hurting the capitals economic recovery.

“English, Welsh and Irish tourists are welcome to Edinburgh, despite the SNPs nationalist agenda.

“Local coronavirus guidelines must still be followed, but sending this message to the rest of the UK about visiting Scotland is not helpful.

“With international free movement being limited for the foreseeable future, tourism from other parts of the UK will be more important than ever for getting Edinburgh and the South East of Scotland’s economy back on track.

“It is vital that we protect and global reputation of Edinburgh as an inclusive and welcoming city – that fundamentally starts with our brothers and sister in other parts of Britain.”

Football fans raise funds in memory of former player David Hagen

Football supporters dig deep in memory of one of their heroes

Supporters of Falkirk Football Club, and those of other clubs across Scotland, have come together to pay their respects to former player David Hagen who sadly passed away last month after a long battle with Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

MND is a rapidly progressing terminal illness, which stops signals from the brain reaching the muscles. This may cause someone to lose the ability to walk, talk, eat, drink or breathe unaided.

David Hagen played with Rangers, Hearts, Falkirk, Livingston, Clyde, Peterhead and Bo’ness United.

As part of Falkirk’s regular 50/50 draw, supporters raised £3267 for MND Scotland to support the charity to fund vital research and support services for those affected by MND.

David began his footballing career locally in Falkirk before earning big moves in the senior game to Rangers and Hearts respectively. He joined Falkirk, and was a popular figure among the fans with a notable assist for Paul McGrillen in the 1997 Scottish Cup Semi-Final win against Celtic. David played 173 games for Falkirk over five years before continuing his career with Livingston, Clyde, Peterhead and Bo’ness United.

David’s Former Manager Alex Totten, along with his daughter Rhia Hagen presented a cheque to MND Scotland’s Chief Executive Craig Stockton.

Falkirk FC’s Commercial Director Kieran Koszary said: “The backing shown by Falkirk supporters, and those of other clubs, is a great testament to how highly David was thought of by everyone who knew him.

“We were grateful for the opportunity to pay our respects as his funeral cortege passed the Falkirk Stadium but also to make this donation to MND Scotland. We know the charity will work tirelessly on behalf of people like David and to support others affected by this terrible condition.”

Former Falkirk Manager Alex Totten said: “David fought a courageous fight against MND and will forever be remembered by everyone associated with the club. He was a good friend and a fantastic footballer and he’ll be greatly missed by his family but also by the friends he made along the way in his football career.

“The memories I have of David in the Challenge Cup Final against Queen of the South and his inspired performances in the 1997 run to the Scottish Cup Final will never leave me. He will be sorely missed.”

Accepting a cheque on behalf of the charity, MND Scotland’s Chief Executive Craig Stockton said: “We very grateful for this extremely generous donation and I would like to everyone who helped raise such a fantastic amount.

“Without supporters like this, we would not be able to continue providing essential physical, financial and emotional support to families affected by MND across Scotland, or fund cutting-edge research to find a cure.

“This is a wonderful tribute to David. During times like these, people with MND and their loved ones need us more than ever, so these funds will go towards helping us stay connected to families to ensure no one goes through MND alone.”

UK parents urged to warn children don’t assume it’s Covid if they fall ill at university

Parents of UK students are being urged to ensure their children don’t confuse Covid-19 with other killer diseases such as meningitis. The message, from the meningitis charity, Meningitis Now, comes as thousands of young people prepare to leave home for university for the first time.

With as many as half a million students setting up home, often in Halls of Residence, in the coming months, many universities will be expecting the usual health issues such as Fresher’s Flu and hangovers to be complicated by Covid-19 this year and all will be taking measures to help prevent it.

“But what about meningitis?” says Dr Tom Nutt, CEO at Meningitis Now. “The harsh reality is that some students will contract meningitis whilst at Uni this coming autumn and how easy will it be to put a headache and feeling unwell down to Covid-19 and self-isolate?

“And whilst this is the correct response for Covid-19, it could be disastrous if the illness is meningitis. When meningitis strikes it does so quickly and any delay in diagnosis or treatment can cost lives.

“Our message to parents as they battle with the uncertainties of university starting dates, online tutorials, and living arrangements, is to be certain about meningitis and to ensure that their children are aware of the signs and symptoms of meningitis and that if they are feeling unwell they shouldn’t simply assume it’s Covid-19 or a hangover and that they should seek medical help immediately by calling NHS 111 or their GP.”

Nineteen-year-old Ben, a student at the University of Portsmouth knows how quickly meningitis can strike having contracted meningococcal B in November 2019.

Keen to pursue a career as a Naval Officer, Ben was just one month into college when he became unwell, disorientated, and confused.

He was told that it was a hangover. Ben, who had been given the MenACWY vaccine, had contracted MenB – a strain of the disease he was not vaccinated against. The quick thinking and speedy action of his flatmates saved his life.

“Being told that our son was the sickest patient in the hospital, will live with me forever,” says Ben’s mother, Arlene de Souza. “The outcome for Ben could have been very different if he and his mates had also been dealing with the added confusion of Covid-19. Ben has been lucky.”

Ben has now recovered fully and intends to restart his university studies this autumn.

The student environment is the perfect breeding ground for diseases such as meningitis, as large groups of people start to cohabit and mix for the first time – some of whom will unknowingly be carrying the bug that causes this disease.

This is further exacerbated by the fact that up to a quarter of 15 to 24-year-olds carry meningococcal bacteria in the back of their throats, compared to one in 10 of the general population.

Whilst many students going to university or college this year are likely to have been protected against MenACWY, having received the vaccine at school, up to half a million people aged up to the age of 25 may have missed this important jab, and very few will have been vaccinated against MenB – a strain that causes most cases of bacterial meningitis in the UK.