St Andrews Brewing Company are delighted to announce the release of “Mistaken Identity” which supports the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.
As with their previous rugby release “38 Year Itch” which celebrated the Scottish Rugby Team’s historic victory at Twickenham, all profits from the sale of Mistaken Identity will be donated to the foundation.
The name Mistaken Identity is a reference to Doddie’s defence when he was alleged to have broken curfew on the 1997 Lions Tour to South Africa.
Philip Mackey, St Andrews Brewing Company MD, said “We are delighted to be supporting such a fantastic cause in our own unique way. In what remain challenging times for many people we hope that Mistaken Identity will bring a little festive cheer and will prove the beer of choice for the opening weekend of the 2022 6Nations Championships.”
Mistaken Identity can be purchased exclusively from the St. Andrews Brewing Company website www.standrewsbrewingcompany.com
2022 is set to the ‘year of the squeeze’, with real wages set to be no higher next Christmas than today, and families face a typical income hit of around £1,200 a year from April as a result of tax rises and soaring energy bills, according to new Resolution Foundation research published today.
The Foundation’s latest quarterly Labour Market Outlook looks ahead to how workers and families will be affected by the big economic shifts in 2022.
It notes that while Omicron is rightly at the forefront of people’s minds at present, it is unlikely to be the defining economic feature of next year as the wave is expected to be relatively short-lived.
Instead, 2022 will be defined as the ‘year of the squeeze’ for family budgets, with inflation set to peak at 6 per cent in Spring 2022 (its highest level since 1992) and pay packets stagnating as a result.
The report notes that real wage growth was flat in October, almost certainly started falling last month, and is unlikely to start growing again until the final quarter of 2022. As a result, real wages are on course to be just 0.1 per cent higher at the end of 2022 than at the start.
By the end of 2024, real wages are set to be £740 a year lower than had the UK’s (already sluggish) pre-pandemic pay growth continued. This shows just how much the Covid-19 crisis has scarred pay packets across Britain, says the Foundation.
The peak of the squeeze will come in April, says the report, which risks being a cost of living catastrophe as energy bills and taxes rise steeply overnight.
The cap on energy bills is expected to rise by around £500 a year. Coupled with a further £100 rise to recoup the costs associated with energy firm failures, this could mean a typical energy bill rising by around £600 a year.
This rise will fall disproportionately on low-income families as they spend far more of their income on energy. The share of income spent on energy bills among the poorest households is set to rise from 8.5 to 12 per cent – three times as high as the share spent by the richest households.
Higher-income families will instead by disproportionately affected by rising tax bills in April. The average combined impact of the freeze to income tax thresholds and the 1.25 per cent increase in personal National Insurance contributions is £600 per household. For families in the top half of the income distribution, the NI rise alone will raise tax bills by £750 on average.
The Foundation says the scale of this April cost of living catastrophe, at a time of falling real wages, means the government is likely to have to act.
While there is little the Chancellor can do in the short-term to tame inflation or boost wage growth, the welcome 6.6 per cent rise in the National Living Wage next April should protect the lowest earners from shrinking pay packets.
The top priority for further action should be tackling rising energy bills, says the Foundation. Options for doing so include:
Reducing the size of the energy cap rise directly. Compensating energy suppliers for a six month, £200 reduction would cost around £2.7 billion, or £450 million if focused on lower-income households on Universal Credit.
Extending the time period over which the costs of supplier failures are recouped, with the £100 bill rise reflecting a policy of recouping costs over a single year.
Moving environmental and social levies currently added to electricity bills into general taxation, saving households £160 per year and costing up £4.5 billion per year.
Extending and increasing the Warm Homes Discount.
Torsten Bell, Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation, said:“2022 will begin with Omicron at the forefront of everyone’s minds. But while the economic impact of this new wave is uncertain, it should at least be short-lived. Instead, 2022 will be defined as the ‘year of the squeeze’.
“The overall picture is likely to be one of prices surging and pay packets stagnating. In fact, real wages have already started falling, and are set to go into next Christmas barely higher than they are now.
“The peak of the squeeze will be in April, as families face a £1,200 income hit from soaring energy bills and tax rises. So large is this overnight cost of living catastrophe that it’s hard to see how the Government avoids stepping in.
“Top of the Government’s New Year resolutions should be addressing April’s energy bills hike, particularly for the poorest households who will be hardest hit by rising gas and electricity bills.”
A new film from the UK government Better Health Smoke Free campaign has been released to discuss how adult smoker can influence younger people
Experts warn that teenagers whose parents smoke are likely to copy them in adulthood
New film features health experts discussing how adult smokers can act as role models
NHS support offered to smokers – in particular parents, carers and other adults – to encourage them to quit in the new year
Top medical experts have warned that teens whose parents or caregivers smoked are FOUR TIMES as likely to have taken up smoking.
Analysis has also shown that early teens whose main caregiver smoked were more than twice as likely to have tried cigarettes (26% vs 11% ) and four times as likely to be a regular smoker (4.9% vs 1.2%).
A new government Better Health Smoke Free campaign has launched as leading family doctors warn of the issues facing the children of smokers – and calls on people to help prevent this by quitting in January.
In a new film released today, NHS and behavioural health experts discuss the link between adult smoking and the likelihood of children in their household becoming smokers. This includes family GP Dr Nighat Arif, child psychologist Dr Bettina Hohnen, and smoking cessation experts Professor Nick Hopkinson and Dr Anthony Laverty of Imperial College London, who have called on parents in particular to give up smoking in the new year in order to set a good example to their children.
Maggie Throup MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Vaccines and Public Health, explained why the campaign is launching now: “We know that many people make a quit attempt in January, and while there are so many good reasons to stop smoking for yourself, we hope that this new campaign – by highlighting the inter-generational smoking link with parents influencing their children – will be the added motivation many need to ditch the cigarettes for good this year.
“With so much help and support available for parents, carers and anyone looking to quit – including the NHS Quit Smoking app, support on Facebook, daily emails and texts, and an online Personal Quit Plan – you won’t be alone in your New Year’s resolution.”
Recent research from NatCen Social Research has also shown children aged 10-15 were more likely to smoke if either their mother or father currently smoked. Children were also more likely to smoke if either parent had smoked in the past, even if they were not a current smoker.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer and joint lead for the Office for Health Improvement and Disparity, Dr Jeanelle de Gruchy said: “Smoking is terrible for your health but it also has a negative impact on people around you.
“Most people know the dangers of second smoke but we should not overlook the impact that parents have as role models. Every parent wants what is best for their child and will not want them to become smokers.
“By stopping smoking now, parents can help break the pattern of smoking in their family across the generations, protect their children and improve their own health.”
The film forms part of the Better Health Smoke Free campaign from the new Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) in the Department of Health and Social Care, and aims to give smokers a strong motivation to quit in January, offering free and proven NHS resources and advice.
The campaign comes as the most recent data from the Office for National Statistics shows that one in eight adults in England still smokes. There has been a complex picture of smoking patterns since the pandemic, with high rates of quitting but also high levels of relapse and signs of a rise in smoking rates among younger adults.
Professor Nick Hopkinson of Imperial College London said: “Our research findings are clear – adult smoking has a tangible impact on children. Children whose caregivers smoke are four times as likely to take up smoking themselves.
“The most effective way to help prevent this would be for adults to quit smoking – clearly not only does this have enormous benefits for them but it will also benefit their children both now and in later life.”
Dr Bettina Hohnen explains how parents’ behaviours can have a huge impact on their children’s’: “Even if we don’t directly expose children to second-hand smoke, or believe we are hiding our smoking by not smoking directly in front of them, it can still have a major impact and children can pick up the behaviour without you even being aware you’d had an influence.
“Children copy their parents’ and carers’ behaviours, so it’s important to model the behaviour you want from your child – or we can pass on behaviours without even realising. Actions really do speak louder than words, so if you don’t smoke, you will significantly reduce the chances of them taking up smoking in the future.
Family GP Dr Nighat Arif has first-hand experience of helping smokers in her general practice: “One in eight adults in England still smokes, and it remains the leading preventable cause of premature death.
“Stopping smoking is one of the best things you will ever do for your health, and it’s never too late to quit. If you want to quit smoking for your family or for your own health this January, you’re not alone. The Better Health campaign provides tons of proven support and resources from the NHS which can help you quit for good.”
Georgina from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, is 35 and stopped smoking in January 2021 after being a smoker since she was only 16. Her nephews inspired her to quit: “After 15 years of smoking I took the decision to quit because I really didn’t want to pass the habit on to the children in my life.
“I was totally unaware at first, but over time I noticed that my 7- and 4-year-old nephews were watching me smoke. I am a big influence in their lives so obviously I was worried they’d one day pick up smoking too.
“In the end I quit smoking – both for my own health but for my nephews as well. When I felt ready to start my stop smoking journey, I turned to the Better Health website, and looked at the different resources they had available to help me build confidence and give myself the best possible chance of quitting.”
The Better Health campaign gives access to a range of free quitting support and tools including free expert help from local Stop Smoking Services, the NHS Quit Smoking app, Facebook messenger bot, Stoptober Facebook online communities, daily emails and SMS, and an online Personal Quit Plan.
Search “Smoke Free” for free and proven quit smoking tools and advice on different types of support, nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) and e-cigarettes, to help you quit smoking.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will update MSPs on the battle to contain the Omicron variant when she addresses Holyrood this afternoon. Despite a huge push to get more people ‘boosted before the Bells’ and the introduction of tighter restrictions, COVID case numbers continue to rise.
Provisional data for 28 December indicates a continued high level of cases of COVID-19 being recorded. The daily totals for each of the 25, 26, 27 and 28 December are the highest recorded in Scotland since the start of the pandemic.
Given that not everyone with symptoms books a test, and that some people can be infected and not have symptoms, the true number of infections is likely to be higher still.
The figures are:
25 December 2021: 8,252 cases
26 December 2021: 11,030 cases
27 December 2021: 10,562 cases
28 December 2021: 9,360 cases
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “While these figures remain provisional, the significantly increased transmissibility of Omicron is reflected in the steep increase in cases now materialising, and we would expect to see case numbers rise further in the days to come.
“I am grateful for the continued efforts of the public in complying with the guidance issued in the run up to Christmas. Without this, it is likely that the figures would have been even higher.
“These figures serve to underline the importance of people continuing to get ‘boosted by the Bells’ and following the guidance to help slow the spread of COVID while we complete the accelerated booster programme.
“I know it is hard, but it is really important people continue to comply with the guidance over the New Year period. We must not underestimate the impact of Omicron.
“Even if the rate of hospitalisation associated with it is lower than past strains of the virus, case numbers this high will still put an inevitable further strain on the NHS, and create significant levels of disruption due to sickness absence across the economy and critical services.
“In addition to observing good hand hygiene and wearing face coverings, please limit your contacts as much as possible, keep any essential indoor gatherings to a maximum of three households, and get boosted by the Bells.”
Ms Sturgeon with address members of the Scottish Parliament at 2pm this afternoon. Those looking for stronger action are likely to be disappointed, however …
Police Scotland can confirm that a 19-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of a man and a woman in Livingston.
Officers were made aware of the deaths around 11.40pm on Sunday, 26 December, 2021, at a property in Raeburn Rigg, in the town.
The couple can be named as Denis and Mary Fell, both aged 73.
The man is due to appear at Livingston Sheriff Court today (Wednesday 29 December).
DCI Kevin Houliston from Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Mr and Mrs Fell and everyone affected by this tragic incident.
“A continued presence may be seen in the area as officers continue with their enquiries but this was a contained incident and there was no risk to the wider public.”
The 111 service provides urgent care and advice when your GP, pharmacy or dental practice is closed.
Coronavirus
If you need advice about coronavirus, you can find more information on NHS inform or use our online symptom checker for the quickest way to check your symptoms and next steps. This may save you time and help you to decide if you need to phone.
If you or your friends and family would prefer to use an automated phone checker phone 0800 22 44 88.
What service do I need?
If you have a health concern, or you are struggling with your mental wellbeing, you can find information on what to do next via our symptom checkers. These interactive guides will tell you who to contact and provide you with the advice and guidance you need.
Your community pharmacy is also available and can provide advice and treatment for a wide range of conditions including indigestion, diarrhoea or constipation, aches and pains, emergency medication and the morning after pill.
During normal working hours always contact your own GP for urgent advice and treatment. The 111 service cannot arrange appointments at your GP.
When your GP is closed and you cannot wait until they are open, you should phone 111 for out-of-hours advice.
Phone 111 …
If you think you need A&E, but it’s not a critical emergency.
Phone 111 before you attend A&E. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
This service will provide you with urgent care you’ll be assessed for a range of concerns including cuts, burns, suspected broken bones, sprains and other injuries or illnesses.
This may involve a telephone or video consultation with a clinician from your local health board or an appointment to attend A&E or Minor Injuries unit, avoiding a long wait in a hospital waiting room.
Phone 999 or go straight to A&E . . .
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If you think you need to visit A&E but it isn’t a critical emergency please call 111 for expert help to get you to the right place for treatment.
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A campaign encouraging householders in Scotland to minimise the risk of a fire has been launched by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
Latest figures show firefighters attended more than 450 accidental house fires in just one month last winter. Sadly, during the same period, accidental house fires claimed the lives of seven people and resulted in 58 casualties.
The incidents happened between 7 December, 2020 and 11 January, 2021.
Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Ali Perry is the SFRS’ Head of Prevention and Protection. He said: “Fire is a risk for everyone, but some people are more at risk than others.
“If you know someone who is over 50 and smokes, and who has either mobility issues or uses medical oxygen or lives alone, please arrange a Home Fire Safety Visit on their behalf.
“One death because of a fire in the home is one too many. Reaching out to those who are vulnerable can help save lives in our communities.”
A free online self-assessment on the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s website is available to everyone in Scotland to find out how fire safe their property is.
On completion, participants can download a unique report about their home, which gives advice on how to rectify risks and problems. Since its launch last year, more than 2,000 reports have been downloaded.
There are nine steps to a safer home – as participants are asked to consider their use of smoke detectors, cooking in the kitchen, smoking and candles, electrics and heating, emollient creams, medical oxygen, air pressure mattress, night time routine and fire action plan.
DACO Perry said: “By walking through the nine steps you can massively reduce the risk of a fire in your house.
“Taking a few minutes to do the self-assessment and identify the hazards in your own home can help keep you and those around you safe.
“Colder months ahead this winter mean an increased use of heating and electricity combined with festive lights, trees, decorations, and candles – all of these can heighten the risk of fire potentially taking hold within the home.
“If you can’t get online, then get in touch with us through your local station who will be more than happy to offer help and guidance.
“We want everyone to remember this winter, and the festive period, for all the right reasons.”
The Winter Safety section of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service website has lots of information on how to heat your home safely during the colder months.
Community Safety Minister Ash Regan said: “Fire prevention is always much better than emergency response when it comes to safety in the home.
“As we reach the coldest and darkest part of the year, I would encourage everyone to follow the easy, but important steps laid out by SFRS that will help prevent fires.
“The free online safety assessment offered by SFRS is an important way to identify the hazards in your own home and please contact them direct if you think you, or any family and friends, might be at higher risk of fire.”
Please ‘Make the Call’ to SFRS to support those who are most at risk of fire. If you know of someone who needs a Home Fire Safety Visit get in touch by calling 0800 0731 999. Or text FIRE to 80800.
During a Home Fire Safety Visit SFRS staff will identify fire hazards and risks in the home, help plan escape routes and provide information about smoke, heat, and carbon monoxide alarms.
The Casey/Malone family; mum Dawn, dad Jamie and sons Jamie (10) and Thomas (4) along with two-year-old Jack Russell Duggee, were already no strangers to a Barratt home. They’ve been living at the homebuilder’s ‘The Strand’ development in Portobello for the past three years in a three-bed apartment a stone’s throw from Edinburgh’s only beach.
After initially being drawn to The Strand because of the location, the beach, surrounding amenities and great schools, after moving in, it was the sense of community within the development that cemented the family’s desire to really make a home there after forming a close-knit group of friends and socialising at the communal green space.
However, when the pandemic hit, so too did the desire for a garden space for the active family to call their own.
After falling in love with the location and the quality finish of their apartment, they didn’t want to compromise or move away from The Strand, so, having already built a great relationship with the Barratt sales advisors, Dawn looked into what larger properties were becoming available in new phases.
Dawn and Jamie quickly fell in love with the ‘Coull’; a stylish three-bedroom home with the coveted private garden space.
Due to the huge popularity of the development, Dawn had the sales team “on speed dial” and luckily managed to reserve a plot amid high competition – with Barratt even helping them find a rental apartment to move into while their new build completed.
Dawn described the whole experience as “smooth, with great communication with the sales team who are always on hand to answer any questions and accommodating with any last-minute changes we made to our upgrades.”
The great thing about a new home is not only the peace of mind of a 10-year National House Building Council (NHBC) warranty, which provides decade-long protection for the building and foundations, but also that the fixtures and features are completely customisable as well as being covered under a two-year warranty.
Just some of the additions Dawn and her family made were upgrading the kitchen to include a dishwasher and fridge freezer, tiling, mirrors and towel heaters in the bathroom and cloakroom, flooring throughout the home and the addition of an outside light fitting and tap.
And it’s been a Christmas gift come early, as the move-in date was brought forward from February 2022 to the end of November, and the boys can’t wait to enjoy their new home and additional space over the festive season. In the new year, Jamie has already set his sights on adding a bar at the bottom of the garden where he can enjoy summer cocktails with friends and family parties.
A range of two bedroom homes with a bespoke design for Portobello are currently available at The Strand, and the two-bedroom ‘Ness’ Show Apartment is available to view by appointment. Prices start at £281,995.
On sale now, small coach tour operator Rabbie’s (www.rabbies.com) has unveiled a new series of Europe tours – exploring the most beautiful sites across Italy, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland – which will hit the road from May next year.
To celebrate the launch, guests booking a 2022 Europe tour with Rabbie’s can save five per cent when booking before 31st January 2022, using the promo code EUROPE5 at rabbies.com.
20 new tours, each six or 13 days in duration, will take guests on a journey uncovering the continent’s incredible cuisine, history, landscapes and culture.
Similar to the company’s popular UK trips, guests on Rabbie’s European tours will travel in luxurious mini-coaches, with a maximum group size of just 16. The small size of Rabbie’s coaches allows the tours to access off-the-beaten-track and less-touristed destinations that larger operators are unable to reach.
Each trip is hosted by one of Rabbie’s expert guides, offering guests insider knowledge on everything there is to know about the places visited – including where to find the best spot for lunch!
The six-day South of Spain & the Treasures of Andalucía tour travels from Madrid to Lisbon, taking in Spain’s former capital Toledo, Córdoba, Granada including Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada National Park, dramatic Ronda, Seville and the charming Algarve town of Tavira en route.
Visit a Spanish olive oil production site for a lesson in olive oil-making while soaking in the endless olive grove views. Be entranced by the ornamentation of the Alhambra Palace before delving into the rugged landscapes of the Cumbres Verdes mountains on the forefront of the Sierra Nevada.
Stroll the city walls and picturesque plazas of cliff-top Ronda and join a half-day tour to Jerez de la Frontera – the heartland of sherry and Spanish brandy.
Finally, cross the Portuguese border with a stop at Tavira in the Algarve – a town on the River Gilão that exudes an irresistible charm. Prices for the six-day tour start from €1,185 per person based on 4 July 2022 departure.
Alternatively, the 13-day Vistas of Switzerland & Italy tour travels from Milan, visiting places of exquisite beauty like Lake Como, Interlaken, Zermatt, Cinque Terre, Pisa, and Florence, before arriving in Rome.
Explore Italy’s stunning lake region while admiring its mountainous vistas and colourful villas on a boat trip across Lake Como to Lenno. Head deep into the Alps for sky-touching mountain views and take the winding roads to Simplon Pass – a key historical route.
Discover the most admired peak in all of Europe – the Matterhorn – before travelling by train to car-free Zermatt. Back on the coach, travel south, and sample Parma ham and Parmesan cheese in Parma, the place of their origin.
Architectural wonders aren’t so hard to find in Northern Italy, a certain leaning structure begs for your attention in Pisa and Lucca’s completely preserved city walls are the perfect warm up to the breath-taking wonders of Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance.
Sample one of Italy’s most famous exports in the famous Chianti wine region, before arriving in Montepulciano, your hilltop home for two nights in rural Tuscany. Expect delights of the culinary and aesthetic variety in this part of Italy, before travelling further south to Rome. Prices for the thirteen-day tour start from €3,465 per person based on 23 May 2022 departure.
Other European tour options available:
In Spain/Portugal
Portugal, Galicia & the Heart of Spain
The Mountains and Mediterranean Marvels of Spain (Departing from Barcelona or Madrid)
Passions of Spain
In Italy/Switzerland
The Italian Affair
The Best of Northern Italy (Departing from Milan or Rome)
Italy’s Iconic Coasts and Cities
Highlights of Italy and Switzerland
Rabbie’s European tour prices include transport in a luxury air conditioned mini-coach with a local driver, the stories and services of an English-speaking guide, accommodation in 3-4 star hotels with continental breakfast and selected excursions.
For more information and to book, please visit www.rabbies.com.
The 12 Online Safety Tips Of Christmas for Children with New Devices.
Edinburgh Police & The City of Edinburgh Council’s Christmas wish is to #KeepXmasSafe for young people whilst online & keep parents & carers more informed.
