Andrew Robson’s acclaimed BridgeCast would make a fantastic Christmas present both for bridge lovers and for those who want to learn this amazing game from scratch.
BridgeCast is now firmly established as the way to learn bridge online with Andrew (Britain’s foremost Bridge player-teacher-writer).
We are re-starting our Learn bridge from scratch for complete beginnersin January, and a gift subscription would make an original and special Christmas present. We also offer well-established BridgeCast “video channels” for intermediate and advanced players.
For only £9.59 for a month’s subscription, you can watch Andrew’s daily videos (or three a week if preferred – £5.99 per month) and learn to play this wonderful game and become part of the community. For more information and free sample videos, see andrewrobsonbridgecast.com/new-beginnings
We have several thousand followers and are confident about the quality and uniqueness of what we offer.
We also offer the chance to practise playing Bridge online, on the brilliant RealBridge site where you can see and chat to the other players and benefit from the help of our supervisors, by joining Andrew Robson Bridge Online (only £5 per month).
This is the perfect gift for the darker winter days, and a wonderful new skill to acquire. Good for your brain and mental health and enduringly fun and sociable.
Vlad the Bad comes out on Top as new deck of Top Trumps hits the shelves
This week, the famous British card game launches Spitting Image Top Trumps, in which politicians, Royal Family members and celebrities battle it out in categories like ‘heart throb’,‘bank balance’, ‘shelf-life’ and ‘world domination’.
DISHY RISHI, THE NATION’S HOTTIE – Rishi Sunak trumps the rest to come out as the biggest heart throb, beating Priti Patel and Meghan Markle to top spot
COVID-19 DOMINATES THE WORLD – Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump battle it out for World Domination, but there is a new kid on the block and Covid-19 is showing them who’s boss
ECO- WARRIOR TO THE END – She’s not going anywhere! Young Greta Thunberg has the longest ‘shelf-life’ in the pack
PRINCE UNCHARMING – Prince Andrew gets a big fat zero for shelf-life after his royal career and public persona took a dive
BIG BUCKS – Elon Musk tops this rich list and makes the others look poor
Spitting Image is back on our screens. One of the most-watched TV shows of the 1980s and early 1990s, the uncompromising, fast-turnaround and uniquely British satirical take on global events returned this autumn to critical acclaim, delivering record-breaking subscriber numbers to BritBox.
It became the most-watched show of the year in its Saturday night ITV slot for a one-off US Election Special, and continues to enjoy incredible global success online with content of the new series watched over 60 million times at the time of writing.
With almost a hundred new characters including Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Kim Kardashian and even Covid-19, what better way to play them off against each other, than with new Spitting Image Top Trumps.
The famous card game, which was also a family favourite in the 1980s (and continues to be so today), has launched hundreds of titles over the years from Cars to Dinosaurs and Breaking Bad to Star Wars. In a game of Top Trumps, the idea is to ‘trump’ your opponent by picking a stat and hoping it beats theirs, and in brand new Spitting Image Top Trump, players have four controversial categories to pick from.
‘Dishy Rishi’ Sunak comes out as the biggest ‘heart throb’ in the pack, just beating Priti Patel, Harry and Meghan. British politician Rishi won the nation’s hearts after supporting the country during the pandemic and therefore take’s the top spot. Ed Sheeran (who is depicted with a turnip coming out of his head in the TV show), comes out almost bottom, only just beating Covid-19, sorry Ed!
Who is after world domination? Who wants the power, or most importantly, who is capable of achieving it? With lots of characters in the pack being hungry for power, who is going to win at ‘world domination’? There are some powerful world leaders, but of course Covid-19 has spread across the planet, wreaking havoc in pretty much every country and is therefore ready to take them on.
The next category is ‘shelf-life’… how much longer will they be seen as ‘relevant’? Well it’s no surprise that Prince Andrew gets a zero, after dropping all his royal duties this year, following his recent scandals. 17 year old Swedish activist, Greta Thunberg however, has many years left in the public eye (and probably a lot more to give the world) and therefore comes out trumps in this category.
Who is the wealthiest? The final category is ‘bank balance’ and with a fair bit of money between them, who takes the lead? Whilst Xi JinPing and The Pope come out as being pretty minted, the winner is of course engineer and businessman, Elon Musk who has a net worth of around $93m, trumping everyone else’s bank balance and taking the win. He does however, only just beat Covid-19 who has rinsed many economies this year.
Spitting Image Top Trumps comes in a limited edition case, features 30 characters from the new series and is available for order (RRP £9.99), alongside Waddingtons No1 playing cards (RRP £3.99) and a 1,000 piece puzzle (RRP £14.99) on AMAZON
Lovers of Italian food and culture, who have been starved of their favourite restaurants or travel because of the pandemic restrictions, are getting a chance to sample and learn about the delights of Italy – without having to leave their homes.
Two celebration events to showcase the food of Sicily – including a rare opportunity for a select group of people to take part in a live cook-a-long with one of Italy’s top chefs – have been planned as Scotland’s contribution to the World Week of Italian Cuisine.
World Week of Italian Cuisine (November 23-29), now in its fifth year, is an initiative started by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to promote the country’s high-quality cuisine around the world.
It aims to boost food and wine tourism, particularly to regions little-known outside Italy, following the spirit of Pellegrino Artusi who 130 years ago published “La scienza in cucina e l’arte di mangiar bene” [Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well] which gathered and united the regional culinary traditions of the Bel Paese.
To mark the week, the Italian Consulate General, Italian Institute of Culture in Edinburgh and the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the UK – in collaboration with Alma and Ambasciatori del Gusto – have organised events themed around how the Mediterranean diet can boost the body’s immune system.
The opening event of the week (A Sicilian Dinner) will see an invited audience of food writers and bloggers take part in a Sicilian-food themed live cookery webinar from Italy with leading chef Carlo Maria Ricci, an ambassador with the acclaimed Italian ALMA cook school in Parma (La Scuola Internazionale di Cucina Italiana) – with the menu actually being delivered to their homes to allow them to sample the exact dishes.
Giovanna Eusebi and chef Sebastian Wereski from Eusebi Deli restaurant in Glasgow and Sabrina Damiani, who runs Edinburgh-based Damiani Sicilian Fine Dining, have been recruited to make the Chef Ricci’s dishes before arranging for them to delivered to each of the writer’s home. They will be present on the webinar to answer any questions.
This event will also be screened live over the internet to allow as wide an audience as possible to watch the demonstration and pick up tips.
The closing event (Cooking in Sicily) – in partnership with Ambasciatori del Gusto (the Italian Association of Ambassadors of Taste – whose members focus on enhancing Italian food and wine heritage) will involve 30 people winning the chance to cook a specially designed menu in their own kitchens through a cookery demonstration beamed live from Sicily with leading chef Bonetta dell’Oglio (above).
The lucky home cooks will also have the chance to ask questions to Palermo-born Chef dell’Oglio who has won widespread praise for her innovative cooking which celebrates her Sicilian heritage and her passion for showcasing organic agriculture and the benefits of healthy eating. There will also be a wine pairing presentation from Mariella Caputo from Ambasciatori del Gusto.
The participants will be judged on their dishes with the winner scooping a luxury Italian food hampers from sponsors Pastificio dei Campi and Berlucchi Wines. Details of how to enter the competition will be made available on social media channels of Italian Institute of Culture in Edinburgh and Italian Chamber of Commerce in Scotland.
The event will also be screened live over the internet to allow other Italian cooking enthusiasts to watch and make the menu.
Fabio Monaco, Consul General of Italy to Scotland and Northern Ireland, said: “While the Covid-19 restrictions have upset our usual planning for the World Week of Italian Cuisine, we wanted to ensure that people still had the chance to enjoy and celebrate the amazing food of Italy.
“We think we have brought some clever thinking to overcome the challenges to bring a taste and education of Italy once more – without anyone having to leave their homes.
“While travel to Italy remains complicated for now, we hope these events will continue to inspire people to learn more of our culture and those of our wide range of different territories – and better still to plan a visit when we can do so easily.”
The controversial Trams to Newhaven project passed another milestone this week when the first tracks were laid in Leith – on Friday 13th.
Contractors have begun constructing the 2.91 mile line and are currently working on the sections next to Ocean Terminal and in Tower Street, Leith.
Thursday’s full council meeting approved the continued construction of the line in light of an updated Final Business Case (FBC) reflecting on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the project.
The report includes a series of scenarios, developed to stress-test the FBC, each of which demonstrate the economic case for the project remains positive, and in all but one scenario the impact on Council reserves if the project is cancelled would be greater than continuing construction.
On Friday, Council leader Cllr Adam McVey visited the site at Ocean Terminal to see work progressing.
He said: “It’s fantastic to see tracks in the ground in Leith – it’s a real milestone for this major project. We’re already beginning to see the route take shape and get an idea of just what a positive impact it will have on the local community.
“It’s particularly encouraging to know that the economic and business cases for Trams to Newhaven remain sound, despite the challenges of this year. Now we can progress with this exciting stage of the scheme safe in the knowledge that it will deliver the maximum benefits for local residents and the city as a whole.”
Despite the council facing mounting financial challenges the Trams to Newhaven project has the full backing of the Labour group, the SNP’s partners in the ‘Capital Coalition’.
Depute Leader, Labour’s Cammy Day, said: “It’s essential that we continue to invest in sustainable, clean transport and Trams to Newhaven is a key example. There is no doubt in the positive effects this scheme will have on the environment, the local economy and in encouraging development along the line.
“I’m delighted that the updated business case supports this as progress with construction continues apace.”
Work on the Trams to Newhaven project was instructed to stop on 25 March following guidance from the First Minister on COVID-19 and recommenced in June. An updated programme shows that the project is still working towards Spring 2023 for completion and is forecast to be delivered within the agreed £207.3m budget.
The council says the project’s completion will play a key role in the future growth and development of the city.
Delivering the tram line to Leith will unlock a large area of the city for housing and economic development, while providing a low-carbon, clean mode of transport to densely populated communities, they maintain.
Meanwhile rumblings persist that all is not well with the project’s finances, and Lord Hardie’s inquiry into the original Edinburgh Trams fiasco – years late, tens of millions of pounds over budget and delivering far less than was promised – rumbles on …
The food and drink sector is getting £5 million to help its recovery from coronavirus (COVID-19) and prepare for Brexit.
A new joint industry and government plan containing more than 50 actions has been developed to assist in stimulating demand for produce in key markets and supporting businesses to capitalise on consumer demand.
The plan aims to mitigate and reverse the damage caused by both the pandemic and the lack of clarity regarding Brexit and aid the industry’s progression to be greener and more resilient.
It also builds on the work of the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership in delivering Ambition 2030, the shared vision for the future of Scotland’s food and drink sector. The industry is expected to contribute £3 million of private sector funding to support delivery of the plan through to 2023.
The food and drink sector has been one of the areas hardest hit by COVID-19, with industry forecasts predicting up to £3 billion in revenue lost this year alone, and the lack of clarity regarding a Brexit deal will amplify those challenges.
Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said: “The food and drink industry is one of the true success stories of Scotland’s economy, with exports worth a record £6.7 billion in 2019. Across the country, particularly in many of our rural areas, the sector creates highly paid, highly skilled jobs and contributes directly to the public purse in taxes.
“Food and drink businesses have shown remarkable resilience and innovation in responding to the pandemic, from finding new routes to market themselves or in the actions they have taken to support their workforce and keep food on our tables. However, in addition to the many challenges presented by COVID-19, we now need to prepare for the disruption and uncertainty the end of the Brexit transition period will bring in just six weeks’ time.
“This funding commitment will enable Scotland Food & Drink and industry partners to come together to work on fairer, greener and sustainable solutions to the challenges that lie ahead. Scotland is home to much of the world’s greatest produce and we must do all we can to protect and promote it.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yp-S7E0-bXs
Scotland Food & Drink CEO James Withers said: “2020 has been a year like no other. The trauma wreaked by COVID-19 has affected all of us and following that earthquake comes the next great disrupter: Brexit. But despite this volatile and uncertain world, Scotland’s food and drink sector remains resilient and full of talented and dedicated people that will help drive the recovery.
“The plan announced today brings together industry and the Scottish Government in an agreed strategy of tangible action to stimulate demand in domestic and international markets. It also supports businesses to take advantage of opportunities, recover from COVID-19 and, as far as is possible, navigate Brexit.
“This is a time for action and we’re delighted to have the backing of the Scottish Government and the industry for the work that will start now.”
A two-year-old boy has died after being found seriously injured in a flat in Muirhouse Place West, local police have confirmed.
Chief Inspector David Happs, from Drylaw Police Station, said: “Around 9.30am on Saturday, 21 November, 2020, officers and emergency services were called to an address in the Muirhouse area where a two-year-old child was found seriously injured.
The wee boy, who has now been named as Julius Czapla, was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later.
“A 40-year-old man has been arrested in connection with this incident, enquiries are at an early stage and ongoing.
“We understand an incident such as this can cause distress and alarm to the local community. There will be a continued police presence in the area as we conduct enquiries.”
“Anyone with information that may assist the investigation should report this to Police on 101, quoting incident number 1010 of 21 November.”
Christmas is coming early for hundreds of British families this year as almost 1 in 5 already have their Christmas tree up, a new survey has revealed.
Data commissioned by NetVoucherCodes.co.uk shows that out of 4,566 respondents, nearly 20% already have their tree up and a further 33% will have their festive decorations up before the end of November.
After an unpredictable and chaotic year, hundreds of British households are choosing to embrace the festive spirit early.
Almost 20% already have their tree up, 12% are planning on having it up before the middle of the November, and another 21% will put it up towards the end of the month.
That means that over half of the respondents will have decorated their homes before the festive month of December even begins.
Another 39% of respondents are waiting until the first weekend of December to get in the festive spirit, and the remaining 8% will put the tree up in the final weeks running up to Christmas Day.
This means that the number of people getting their trees up in November this year has more than doubled in comparison.
A spokesperson for NetVoucherCodes.co.uk: “After the year we’ve had, people need something to lift their spirits and to look forward to, so it’s no surprise that there’s been a massive increase in people getting their trees up in November.
“Even celebs like Michelle Keegan are getting in on the early action! (Who is Michelle Keegan? – Ed.)
“It’s also a clear sign that people are well and truly done with 2020 and are keen to round off the year and put it behind them.
“Who knows what Christmas is going to look like this year, but if getting the decs up early helps families stay positive and brings some light to an otherwise dark and dreary year, then we’re all for it!”
Which? has announced that not one, but two mince pies have landed its coveted Which? Best Buy in festive food blind consumer taste tests, with both Asda and Iceland coming top.
Asda Extra Special Mince Pies (£1.75 for six/29p per pie) certainly lived up to their name this year and were awarded a 73 per cent rating, scoring well for overall flavour, texture and appearance. Which?’s panel noted the “crisp” and “buttery” pastry and the intricate design, with one panelist saying it would “lure them in”.
Iceland’s Luxury All Butter Mince Pies (£1.89 for six/31p per pie) were rated just as highly for their taste, aroma and texture, and also coming in with a rating of 73 per cent. One panelist told Which? these pies “tasted like a more expensive product”.
Tesco Finest All Butter Mince Pies (£1.75 for six/29p per pie) missed out on a Best Buy with a 72 per cent rating, as while these pies delivered and the pastry was described as “melt in the mouth” by one taster, a few panellists were not keen on the firmer filling.
M&S Collection mince pies (£2.50 for six/41p per pie) were some of the pricier pies included in the taste tests, but these had some of the best pastry on test, as well as scoring well for flavour. It received a not-too-shabby rating of 71 per cent.
When it came to the bottom of the table, Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Mince Pies (£2 for six/33p per pie) came out the worst in the taste tests with a rating of only 58 per cent. Some panelists told Which? these were “claggy” and tasted “stale” and “overcooked”.
Morrisons The Best Mince Pies (£2 for six/33p per pie) were also somewhat of a disappointment, managing a score of just 64 per cent, with more than half the panel describing these as “too dark”.
Harry Rose, Editor of Which? Magazine, said:“Nothing tastes more festive than a delicious warm and crumbly mince pie straight from the oven, and while this year Christmas might be a little different, we want to make sure that at least your mince pies don’t disappoint.”
A potential treatment for COVID-19, which has shown early promise in China and Japan, will be trialled in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Glasgow is the first area in Scotland to have access to the drug, which can be taken at home when patients are in the early stages of disease as well as by hospitalised patients.
Over 300 eligible patients with COVID-19 will be invited to join the new research study into the effectiveness of the antiviral drug, favipiravir.
The trial will target early treatment of the virus for those who test positive and must be taken within four days of a COVID-19 swab test. This treatment is intended for people with milder symptoms.
The ground-breaking research is a collaboration between NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and the University of Glasgow, funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government.
The study, Glasgow Early Treatment Arm Favipiravir (GETAFIX), will assess the effectiveness of the drug to help with symptoms and reduce the time it takes to recover from COVID-19.
Favipiravir has been developed by Fujifilm Toyama Chemicals in Japan and an early study on its effectiveness has shown it to alleviate some symptoms.
Three hospitals are taking part including Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Royal Alexandra Hospital. Patients may receive treatment in hospital or as outpatients.
The antiviral treatment is taken in tablet form. Half the patients involved will receive the drug twice a day for 10 days alongside standard treatment, with the other half receiving standard treatment for comparison.
The study is organised by the Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit in Glasgow and supported by the Glasgow Clinical Research Facility.
Prof Rob Jones, Director of the CRUK Clinical Trials Unit, Glasgow, and Chief Investigator of the study commented: “COVID-19 was a disease few of us had even heard of before the spring. Although hopes are high ongoing vaccine trials will help prevent infection, this trial aims to improve current treatment for those unlucky enough to contract it.
“With the GETAFIX trial, we will be rapidly looking at whether this antiviral treatment may help kill off the virus in those affected and prevent more serious complications.”
Dr Janet Scott (MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research) said: “This drug is active against many viruses, it is used already for influenza in Japan. We are able to offer it not just to patients in hospital but also for home use.
“Our hope is that it will stop mild symptoms developing into serious ones. We are targeting volunteers who are at higher risk of progressing to serious COVID19 such as those over 60 years old or with underlying health problems.”
Further awards from the Culture Organisations and Venues Recovery Fund
Thirty further organisations across Scotland have received a total of £1.4million through the Scottish Government’s Culture Organisations and Venues Recovery Fund.
The funding provides welcome emergency support to a range of venues and organisations covering comedy, music, nightclubs, performing arts, publishing, visual arts, as well as festivals and cultural support infrastructure.
Designed to protect jobs and support the sustainability of organisations threatened with insolvency by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, today’s news follows the announcement of £11.75million awarded to 203 organisations and venues through this fund on Thursday 5 November.
Culture Secretary, Fiona Hyslop said: “The £15 million Culture Organisations and Venues Recovery Fund is crucial for supporting the culture sector through this pandemic, and is designed to help organisations cope with the immediate issues they are facing and to help save jobs.
“This emergency funding will be a lifeline for a wide range of organisations from craft to theatre, galleries to production companies.
“We are determined to do everything within our powers to support the culture sector and we will continue to work closely with stakeholders and Creative Scotland to provide additional help where needed.”
Iain Munro, CEO, Creative Scotland said: “In addition to those announced previously, these funds provide much needed emergency support to even more venues and organisations across Scotland which are experiencing significant difficulties as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Today’s announcement forms part of a broader package of support for people and organisations that we are working at pace to deliver on behalf of the Scottish Government, with more to come.”
The further 30 organisations receiving funding from the Scottish Government’s Culture Organisations and Venues Recovery Fund are:
Organisation (Trading name)
Funding Amount
Local Authority Area
Active Events
£15,000
North Ayrshire
A-Line Group
£70,000
Aberdeenshire
Alzatar Ltd (B Bar)
£65,000
City of Edinburgh
BD 2011 Ltd (Blue Dog)
£16,000
Glasgow City
Ceilidh Club
£29,917
Midlothian
Charco Press
£15,000
City of Edinburgh
Compass Gallery
£42,203
Glasgow City
Cove Park
£20,795
Argyll and Bute
Cuba Club Ltd (Club Cuba)
£37,517
City of Edinburgh
East Ayrshire Leisure
£71,000
East Ayrshire
Edinburgh Open Workshop
£30,000
City of Edinburgh
Edinburgh Science
£115,000
City of Edinburgh
Elderco (Word Up)
£104,482
Inverclyde
F4F event services Ltd.
£50,000
Fife
Flag Promotions Ltd
£15,214
Glasgow City
Great Junction Events Ltd (Old Dr Bells Baths)
£75,000
City of Edinburgh
Hemelvaart Bier Cafe Ayton Ltd
£24,000
Scottish Borders
Kelburn Arts Limited (Kelburn Garden Party)
£65,000
North Ayrshire
Panoptic Events
£15,299
Glasgow City
Red Bridge Arts
£85,000
Fife
Rogue City Productions
£26,500
City of Edinburgh
Scottish Sculpture Workshop
£36,580
Aberdeenshire
Shazam Theatre Company
£20,000
Aberdeenshire
Skye Live
£40,000
Highland
SS Press
£40,000
City of Edinburgh
The Birchvale Players
£15,746
Dumfries and Galloway
The Biscuit Factory
£50,000
City of Edinburgh
The Dovecot Foundation
£125,000
City of Edinburgh
Venue 45 Ltd (the SpaceUK)
£40,000
City of Edinburgh
West End Festival (Glasgow)
£24,000
Glasgow City
Total
£1,379,253
Updates on all emergency funds are being published regularly on this website and publicised through media and social media communications.
Image: Sparks from the iron furnace at the Scottish Sculpture Workshop’s 40th birthday celebrations (Creative Scotland)
