A Senior carer at Strachan House care home in Edinburgh has received a prestigious 20 Year Service Award in celebration of working at Barchester Healthcare for 20 years.
Lyra Quintanilla now a senior carer started at Barchester in May 2006 and has worked with residents and their relatives to ensure that their needs have been met over the years.
Adele Keenan, Employee Services Director at Barchester said: “I’m always pleased to hear stories about the long service of Barchester staff and am delighted Lyra has achieved this milestone.
“It is dedication like this that ensures our residents are provided with a happy place to live.”
Fran Fisher General Manager of Strachan House said: “We’re delighted to be celebrating Lyra’s years of loyal service with Strachan House.
“She has demonstrated her dedication and loyalty to this home and its residents year after year. I speak for all of us here at Strachan House when I say that I’m looking forward to many more years of working with Lyra!”
Strachan House care home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering personalised care across its care homes and hospitals. Strachan House provides residential care, nursing care and dementia care for 83 residents from respite care to long term stays.
Nicola Sturgeon has responded after her estranged husband Peter Murrell was remanded in custody after pleading guilty to embezzlement:
She wrote on Instagram: “My reaction to the guilty plea tendered today by my former husband is difficult to put into words. I am angry, hurt, sad and very distressed about the impact of his actions on family, friends and the SNP.
“To be deceived and let down by a husband I loved and trusted has caused me acute pain. Why he acted as he did is, and always will be, beyond my comprehension.
“To be clear: I had no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever that he was using SNP funds for personal purposes. I am utterly appalled that he did so and cannot begin to understand why.
“That I was fully cleared after a thorough investigation underlines that these are not my crimes. I was misled just as others were.
“I know that there will be political discussion in light of what has happened, and I understand why. However, for me this has also been a profound personal trauma.
“I need to remain focussed on recovering from that and building a new phase of life.
“I will be making no further comment.”
However in a statement later released via her solicitor Aamer Anwar, Ms. Sturgeon added: “I have seen questions raised about how I could not have known about this. I want to reiterate that I had no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever that personal items had been purchased using SNP funds.
“I was cleared of any wrongdoing after a lengthy and thorough investigation
“In relation to many of the items in question, for example expensive watches and games consoles, I was not aware of them having been purchased at all.
“Indeed in relation to the item of largest value – a campervan – I was not aware of its existence until it featured in the police investigation in early 2023, nor was it parked in our driveway as has been claimed by some.
“In respect of any items I was aware of Peter having purchased, I had no reason to doubt that he had used his own money. We were both earning high salaries and, due to the responsibilities of my job, rarely socialised or went on holidays.
“We had separate bank accounts and I had no access to his financial records.”
TODAY (Monday, 25 May, 2026), at the High Court in Edinburgh Peter Murrell was convicted of embezzling funds from the Scottish National Party.
Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston had oversight of Operation Branchform, Police Scotland’s investigation into the embezzlement.
ACC Houston said: “This was a lengthy and extremely complex case due to the scale of criminality over a 12-year period and the lengths Peter Murrell went to try and cover his tracks.
“I commend the professionalism and absolute dedication of the Operation Branchform team who spent more than four years carrying out extensive enquiries across Europe to unpick Murrell’s offending.
“All of this work, in close partnership with colleagues from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, was carried out under the most intense public scrutiny and it was their commitment to gathering such detailed and compelling evidence that brought us to the High Court today.
“This is without doubt one of the most high-profile investigations in recent times and it is testimony to the work of Police Scotland officers and staff that has led to Peter Murrell’s admission of guilt early in the court process.
“I would also like to thank the many witnesses who came forward to provide us with statements as we built the case against Peter Murrell. Their engagement with us was vital.
“Peter Murrell has shown utter contempt for the high public trust placed in him as the Chief Executive of a political party and his position in the wider political establishment in Scotland for many years.
“He abused his privileged position with access to Scottish National Party funds to divert cash into his own accounts and bankroll the lavish lifestyle he craved but could not afford.
“From 2010 to 2022 he spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on luxury goods while carefully trying to hide his criminality with false receipts and accounting.
“He must now face the consequences of his actions.”
Murrell was remanded in custody and will be sentenced next month.
“If your garden is packed with quality, character and interest, and is admired by friends and family we would love to hear from you,” says Dr Richard Claxton, Chief Executive of the National Garden Scheme.
The charity is inviting garden owners across the country to open their gates in 2027 to celebrate its landmark centenary year.
Founded in 1927 to support district nurses, the Scheme has spent a century transforming private passion into public good.
Dr Richard Claxton adds: “Whether you have an historic estate with rolling acres, a country cottage, an enthusiastic village of gardeners, a tiny urban sanctuary, or community allotments, we’re asking garden owners across the country to help raise vital funds for some of the UK’s leading health and nursing charities and to make 2027 a record-breaking year.”
Why Open in 2027?
Join a Legacy: You will be part of a uniquely British tradition that began with King George V opening the gardens at Sandringham in the inaugural 1927 season.
Celebrate Together: Centenary openings will be supported by national, regional and local media campaigns and owners will be invited to celebrate the centenary with a number of events and special offers on plants and garden merchandise.
Who Can Apply?
Whether your space is a wildlife haven, a productive veg plot, or a country idyll, the primary criteria are quality, character, and interest.
Important Deadlines:
To be featured in the 2027 Centenary Garden Visitor’s Handbook and to receive full promotional support:
Prospective garden owners should contact their local County Organiser as soon as possible to arrange a time to visit during the current growing season – you can do this by completing the online form and uploading a photo of your garden here:
Registration Deadline: All gardens must complete their official registration by mid-September to be included in the centenary publications.
“Our centenary is a celebration of the generosity of garden owners over the last 100 years,” adds Chief Executive Dr Richard Claxton.
“By opening your garden in 2027, you aren’t just sharing a beautiful space – you are providing a lifeline for nursing and health charities that need our support more than ever.”
Workplace expert Acas has offered some recommendations to help employers manage workplace challenges due to hot weather.
Acas Chief Executive Niall Mackenzie said: ““The warmer weather will be welcomed by many, but for some staff getting into work, or those working in warmer environments, it can be uncomfortable.
“Some workers with certain health conditions or disabilities may be adversely affected by the heat. The hotter weather can also impact public transport, which can hinder workers travelling to work.
“Acas has some top tips for employers to help ensure their businesses remain productive during the heatwave while keeping staff happy too.”
By law, employers have a ‘duty of care’ to make sure working temperatures are reasonable for their staff. This includes at the workplace and working from home.
Acas’s recommendations for hot weather working include:
Workplace temperatures should be reasonable
There is no legal maximum working temperature. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) advice is that the temperature in all workplaces inside buildings must be reasonable.
Switch on any fans or air conditioners to keep workplaces comfortable and use blinds or curtains to block out sunlight. Staff working outside should wear appropriate clothes and use sunscreen to protect from sunburn.
Stay hydrated
Employers must provide staff with suitable drinking water in the workplace. Workers should drink plenty of water throughout the day to prevent dehydration and not wait until they are thirsty. Employers could allow extra breaks for staff to get cold drinks.
Dress code
Employers are not under any obligation to relax their uniform or dress code requirements during hot weather but where possible it may be advisable to for employers to relax the rules for wearing ties or suits.
Getting into work
If public transport gets adversely affected by the hot weather, this could affect staff attendance and their ability to get into work on time.
Workers with health conditions or disabilities may be affected more by hot weather.
Employers should assess for any risks and discuss what they need to reduce or remove that risk. This might include providing fans, portable air-cooling units or more frequent or longer breaks.
Keir Starmer has set out how the government is delivering real progress now while rebuilding Britain’s foundations for the future. But does anyone believe him?
PM says “our plan is working” as government delivers results on costs, migration control and growth
Net migration down sharply to its lowest since 2021, inflation down faster than expected to 2.8%, and UK the fastest-growing economy in the G7 in the first quarter of the year
“Great British Summer Savings” to help families afford more time together this summer
The Prime Minister has set out how the government is delivering real progress now while rebuilding Britain’s foundations for the future.
Recent figures show the plan is working:
Net migration has fallen by almost three quarters to its lowest level since 2021.
Inflation has dropped faster than expected to 2.8%.
The UK is the fastest growing economy in the G7, with growth beating expectations at 0.6% in the first quarter.
Together, this progress is strengthening the UK’s resilience in an uncertain world – easing immediate pressures on families while putting the economy on a more stable footing for the long term.
That progress is being felt more widely across the country, as the government rebuilds the public services working people rely on:
Homicide is at its lowest levels since the 1970s, knife crime is down by 10%, and we have taken more than 63,000 knives off our streets.
NHS waiting lists are at their lowest level for three and a half years, with the largest single month performance improvement in 17 years.
There are 4,000 additional teachers across secondary schools, special schools and further education.
With families still feeling the squeeze – and global instability continuing to drive uncertainty – the government is going further to help households with the cost of living, so people can enjoy the everyday moments that make life better.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “We now have the fastest growing economy in the G7, net migration has fallen, and NHS waiting lists are at their lowest level in three and a half years.
“Our plan is working. And as summer begins, we are going further to bring down the cost of living and make life easier for families, so they have more room to enjoy it.
“This government will keep pushing forward to deliver the change the country voted for.”
Building on that progress, the Prime Minister and Chancellor have acted to ease pressure on families, announcing further cost of living support including VAT cuts on hospitality, free bus travel for children aged 5 to 15 in England throughout August, and targeted tariff reductions to bring down the price of everyday essentials. Together, these measures will help families go further while supporting high streets and local businesses.
That action is being underpinned by growing economic strength. GDP has increased every quarter since 2024, forecasts have been exceeded in the first quarter of this year, and the IMF has upgraded the UK’s growth outlook – all clear signs that economic stability is returning and resilience is being rebuilt.
The government is also driving that resilience by backing businesses to invest and expand, including a landmark trade deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council – the first such deal by a G7 country – and new legislation to give small firms stronger protection from late payments and the certainty they need to grow.
This comes alongside action to make work pay and back working people – with the National Living Wage increased, 30 hours of funded childcare delivering savings of up to £8,000 per child each year, and stronger rights for 11 million renters through the Renters’ Rights Act.
At the same time, the government is restoring control and strengthening security – closing more than half of asylum hotels and taking further action to tackle the criminality that undermines communities.
Alongside this, the government is rewiring the state to support delivery, with a delivery team in every department, led by a senior civil servant, and performance incentives strengthened so that senior leaders are rewarded for driving results.
This week, the government confirmed senior civil servants’ pay rises will be directly linked to performance to reward the doers, not the talkers. As a package, this is the biggest change to senior civil pay in decades.
This is a government taking a different path – not returning to a status quo that failed working people, but building a stronger, fairer Britain.
From lowering costs and backing families to restoring control and driving growth, the government is delivering the security and stability people expect – and laying the foundations for long-term change.
SECURITY? Peter Mandelson scandal
STABILITY? Internal civil war forcing unneccesary by-election
Today (22nd May) marks the anniversary of the worst rail disaster in British history, the Quintinhsill Rail Disaster, which will be marked at an annual Memorial Service at Rosebank Cemetery in Edinburgh on Saturday.
Taking place on 22nd May, 1915, at the height of the First World War, the event occurred at the Quintinshill signal box near Gretna Green. A train packed with nearly 500 members of the Leith Battalion of the Royal Scots, travelling from Larbert, collided with a local passenger service at Quintinshill.
Straight afterwards, a Glasgow-bound express train smashed into the wreckage at Quintinshill, setting off a devastating fire which engulfed the troop train. In total, around 226 people were killed (215 of whom were soldiers) and a further 246 people were injured.
Some bodies were never recovered, having been wholly consumed by the fire, and when the bodies of the men of the Royal Scots were returned to Leith, they were buried together in a mass grave in Rosebank Cemetery.
As we mark the 111th anniversary of this disaster, it is heartening to see continued recognition of this event, which I suspect few are aware of.
We note the contents of Heart of Midlothian’s statement yesterday and accompanying letter signed by the club Chair, Calum Paterson. In the interests of transparency, we are happy to set out the facts.
Regarding references to a ‘premature ending of the match’, the Scottish FA’s Chief Governance Officer, Gary Booth, the Head of Refereeing, William Collum, and VAR Manager Martin Atkinson reviewed the audio-visual footage of the period in question on Monday at the club’s request, with Mr Paterson in attendance.
While it was the agreed intention for this meeting to be conducted privately, recent statements have compelled us to consider the public interest in providing clarification and chronology.
To that end, we are happy to publish the relevant audio-visual footage:
It was made clear at that meeting that the match official, Don Robertson, took the correct action in ending the game.
We note there has been speculation regarding the blowing of a final whistle. The Laws of the Game require the referee to signal the end of the match, but do not prescribe the method of that signal.
In the context of what unfolded – which is verified by the footage and the Match Incident Report submitted to the Scottish FA – the match official clearly communicated that the match was ended and not abandoned.
In addition, the match clock does not stop when a goal is scored. The footage shows that when the match official confirms the game has ended, the clock is at 53.07 [98.07], more than the minimum additional time of eight minutes signalled.
It was also apparent from the audio that this decision was taken following dialogue with the Hearts Head Coach, who had intimated concerns over player safety.
For the avoidance of doubt, Law 5 of the IFAB Laws of the Game state that ‘the decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play are final’.
We fully support the decisive action taken by Don Robertson and his team to end the game.
The Scottish FA was responding to Wednesday’s statement from Hearts, who requested a prompt response:
Heart of Midlothian Football Club would once again like to thank our incredible supporters for their magnificent backing throughout this season, and to provide an update in relation to the events which unfolded at Celtic Park on Saturday.
As previously noted, the Club is investigating events before, during and after the match, and will offer Police Scotland our full support as they continue with their enquiries.
We have also written to the SFA and SPFL setting out our observations and questions regarding the circumstances surrounding the premature ending of the match, and expressing our concern that a troubling precedent has been set whereby a pitch invasion can effectively determine the duration of a football match, rather than the match officials. We have asked them for a prompt response to the points we have raised.
The incursion of spectators onto the field of play must never be condoned under any circumstances, and the seriousness of the potential consequences must be fully understood by supporters and clubs alike.
We are aware of highly irresponsible comments made publicly this week, which appear to seek to defend those who entered the pitch on Saturday and undermine the gravity of the situation.
Those remarks carry dangerous implications, and we call upon the football authorities to ensure that this matter is addressed with the seriousness it demands, and with the full cooperation of all involved.
This has been an excellent season for Heart of Midlothian. However, it represents only the very beginning of our plans for long-term sustained success. We look ahead to next season with confidence, supported as ever by the exceptional backing of our fans, sponsors and partners.
Edinburgh City Paramedic, Jay Watt, is running in this weekend’s Edinburgh Marathon to raise money for SAMH, clad in a full suit of metal armour.
Jay has been running the Edinburgh Marathon every year since 2011 in a new costume to raise money for local and children’s charities. Previous years’ costumes have included Buzz Lightyear, aliens, and a bunny suit, raising money for The Yard and The Teenage Cancer Trust, amongst others.
Speaking about his latest challenge, Jay said: “In my job, I have encountered patients struggling with their mental health, so this year I wanted to raise awareness of the support SAMH give and raise money to help them continue their important work.
“This is my 20th marathon, and I’ve run in big mascot costumes before, but this year I wanted to break through the stigma of mental health and let people know it’s okay to have a chink in your armour.”
In addition to running the marathon, Jay has been putting the suit through its paces by skiing, boxing, kayaking, and more. He has had some help from a Scottish blacksmith, Kev Paxton, to ensure his suit can withstand each challenge.
Jay said: “Kev has helped me adjust the suit so I can do these activities in it and raise as much awareness as I can.
“By taking part in these sports and fitness activities, I am looking to encourage a positive vibe about mental health and encouraging people to reach out.”
Follow Jay’s journey and donate to his fundraiser here:
