Hanke joins Glasgow Rocks to add frontline presence

The Glasgow Rocks basketball team have added centre Randall Hanke to their line-up until the end of the BBL season.
New York-born Hanke has come though the US college circuit with Providence, Rhode Island, and wrote himself an impressive point-scoring CV from 2004.
At 6’11’’ tall, Hanke is a formidable presence. He holds British citizenship and has five Team GB caps under his belt.
‘Randall is the body we’ve been searching for, for what seems like forever now,’ said Rocks Coach Sterling Davis. ‘He’s a hard worker on both ends of the floor with a soft touch around the basket. He will definitely give us some added depth on our frontline.’
Hanke will travel with the Rocks to Leicester for Saturday’s encounter and then on to Plymouth on Sunday for what will be a tough away double header.
He is likely to make his home debut on 7 February when the Rocks face Worthing Thunder at Kelvin Hall, tip-off 5pm.
Bullish Davis added: ‘Our squad has grown in depth and with everyone fighting fit we have as good a chance as anyone in this league. We have a talented and athletic group of guys and we just need the belief to take us all the way.
‘Randall adds that extra height and strength which can help us down the stretch.’
The Rocks have announced the date of their Trophy competition second round match. The team progressed to the second round of the BBL Trophy competition with a 69-60 win over Sheffield Sharks in the first on 10 January.
They will now face the winner of London Capital v Everton Tigers in the second round, which is to be decided on 23 January.
The second round match will be played at Kelvin Hall on 11 February, tip-off 7.30pm.

Bike Column Feb 2010

Ok, I must confess that I did very little cycling during the recent snowy conditions. No matter how well I wrapped up my hands always ended up freezing cold. However, I salute the courage of those who kept on biking through the snow. Probably the most reliable transport method compared to delay-prone buses, trains and cars.

Potholes AGAIN

Our roads are falling apart, especially in the wake of the recent cold snap. Water gets into cracks, freezes, expands, and then breaks up the road. In eight years of regular cycling I have never seen road conditions as bad as they are now. There are huge craters at Battlefield Rest and Victoria Road / Calder Street, and the hole at Cumberland Street is still there. I will be organising another pothole patrol with cyclists soon,  to record pothole locations and make bikers aware of how to report holes. Once again, you can report holes at www.fillthathole.org.uk.

Female Cyclists lobby parliament

 

 A group of female cyclists visited Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson to deliver a nine thousand signature petition supporting the urgent call for safer cycling conditions. Lynn Stocks from Sustrans said: ‘Women have told us that they don’t cycle because they don’t feel safe enough.  It’s great to have all these signatures backing our call for safer cycling, but this is just the start.  Governments now have to take all these voices seriously and make changes across the country that will mean more people can choose to make everyday journeys by bike, without feeling unsafe.’ 

The signatures were gathered on Sustrans’ ‘Motion for Women’ petition, which was launched in September in response to research from Sustrans that showed Scottish women are among the least likely in Britain to cycle, with 89 per cent never getting on a bike at all.

 

SQA Wins cycle friendly employer status

The Scottish Qualifications Authority has been awarded Cycle Friendly Employer Status by Cycling Scotland in recognition of their support and encouragement of staff who choose to cycle to work. SQA Chief Executive, Dr Janet Brown, said: “I’m delighted that we have achieved this prestigious award, which recognises the facilities and systems that we have put in place to make it easier for our staff to cycle to work. We are very pleased with the numbers of staff who have got involved and hope the numbers will continue to rise.

 

Government response to Cycling Action Plan

The Scottish Government recently published their response to the Cycling Action Plan for Scotland. There has been a fairly strong reaction to the idea of making cyclists pay road tax. Activist Peter Hayman summed it up nicely: ‘Every cyclist means one less car on the road, and every cyclist means the road gets less damage.’

Glasgow Film Festival 2010

The sixth Glasgow Film Festival launches on 18 February with a special gala screening of ‘Micmacs’, the new movie by Amelie director Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Big name stars who will appear on screen include Nicolas Cage in Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, Robert De Niro in Everybody’s Fine and Pierce Brosnan in The Greatest. The country focus will feature movies from Japan, including a tribute to Akira Kurosawa, whose centenary is celebrated throughout 2010. There will also be a retrospective celebrating the career of Cary Grant. The programme also features several  mini-festivals, including the Glasgow Music & Film Festival, the Glasgow Short Film Festival, FashionArtFilm and FrightFest to showcase the best in horror.

Special guests will include ‘voice of Darth Vader’ James Earl Jones and Scottish directors Peter Mullan and Kevin Macdonald. Star of ‘The Wire’ Dominic West will star along with Maggie Smith in the new Julian Fellowes movie ‘From Time to Time’. Fellow ‘Wire’ alumni Idris Elba and Clarke Peters star in the world premiere of the thriller Legacy, which closes the festival on Sunday 28 February.

The Glasgow Film Festival runs from February 18-28th. Tickets are on sale from 11am on 21 January  from www.glasgowfilmfestival.org.uk Further information and updates can be also found at www.glasgowfilmfestival.org.uk 

Thrillseekers sought for zip slide ride across the Clyde

Thrillseekers are being asked to sign up to help a good cause and take a 1,000 foot zip slide ride across the River Clyde.
Charity Action for Children wants brave souls to sign up for a slide from one side of the river to the other and help raise funds for an appeal to help neglected youngsters.
The big charity jump off will take place on Sunday, 21 March at Finnieston from a specially erected crane.
Action for Children estimates that around 100,000 children in Scotland have entered 2010 at risk of neglect. This is more than the total population of Inverness or East Kilbride.
Those who take part in the zip slide will be given training for their big trip. There will also be live music and refreshments available. It all promises to be a great day out – and all for a great cause.
Details of how to register are available by calling Action for Children Scotland on 0141 550 9024 or by e-mailing scotland@actionforchildren.org.uk.

Football academy wants Under 12s players

The Jimmy Johnstone Football Academy is looking for players born in 1998 to add firepower to their Under 12s squad.
Based at the Toryglen Football Centre, the academy’s U12s want to hear from youngsters across the city.
The organisation, set up in honour of the legendary Celtic player who died of Motor Neurone disease in 2006 aged 62, has nearly a dozen coaches running team from Under 7s to 16s. The academy player pool is some 200 strong.
The U12s train at Toryglen on Thursday evenings between 6pm and 8pm. Any budding players should contact coach Gary O’Rourke on 07946 390 387 or surf onto www.jimmyjohnstoneacademy.com for more details.

Hillhead Cricket Club wants warm welcome for new season

The recent cold snap may have wiped out much of the Glasgow sporting calendar, but members of Hillhead Cricket Club can focus on pre-season training unperturbed by the weather.
The cricketers will return to the indoor nets on Thursday, 11 February in anticipation of the new season and more palatable weather conditions. The 2010 programme will include one-on-one coaching as well as the usual batting, bowling and fielding practice.
The club’s training sessions run from 6.30pm-8.30pm at Kelvinside Academy, 33 Kirklee Road, G12, for three weeks before switching to Glasgow Academy in Colebrooke Street, G12, every Tuesday from 2- to 30 March, where they begin at 7pm.
Hillhead Cricket Club, situated on Hughenden Road in the West End, is more 100 years old and keen to hear from players of all standards.
Hillhead runs three senior teams and junior sides at four age levels.
Its website can be found at www.hillhheadcricket.co.uk.

Win tickets for the Scottish Caravan & Outdoor Leisure Show

A one-stop shop providing a look at the latest in caravans, motor homes, camping, holiday homes, marine, industry clubs and associations, the show has become a major fixture on the Glasgow calendar and tickets are in big demand.

The hugely popular Scottish Caravan & Outdoor Leisure Show 2010 is on at the SECC in Glasgow from 4 to 7 February.

 

 

Thanks the exhibitions, you’ll be able to plan a caravan or outdoor holiday from start to finish. You can meet exhibitors who’ll put you on the right road to insurance, on the best tourist trails to the best in campsites or keep you moving with vehicle rental.

The show also offers free 20-minute towing and manoeuvring workshops for budding – and experienced – caravanners under the watchful eyes of Caravan Club tutors. The club reminds all students to bring their driving licence when booking.

Prices have been held at 2009 levels … making it the ideal crunch-beating day out. Advance tickets are £7 or £6 for seniors and on-the-door tickets are £9 each or £8 for seniors. Kids go free. All tickets include a free brochure with a RRP £4.50. The show is open from 10am to 6pm daily. For more information visit www.caravanshowscotland.com or call the ticket hotline 0844 3954000

 In all, the Scottish Caravan & Outdoor Leisure Show 2010 is a very hot ticket indeed, and LOCAL NEWS GLASGOW has 10 pairs to give away for the event.

 To win a pair of tickets, all you have to do is tell us which organisation is offering free workshops in towing and manoeuvring caravans.

 Send us your answers by email to competitions@localnewsglasgow.co.uk. Please write ‘Caravan & Leisure Show’ in the header field. Alternatively, you can enter by snail mail. Please write to Scottish Caravan & Outdoor Leisure Show 2010 competition, Local News Glasgow, YAM Publications, 73 Robertson Street, Glasgow, G2 8QD.

Please remember to include your full contact details –  that’s home address and a daytime telephone number.

This competition closes at 9am on 29 January – good luck.

Win tickets for the Scottish Wedding Show at the SECC

Scotland’s largest event for brides-to-be, The Scottish Wedding Show, will take place at the SECC, Glasgow on 20 & 21 February 2010.
The show brings together more than 300 of Scotland’s leading specialist wedding companies, showcasing everything needed to make the big day just perfect.
LOCAL NEWS GLASGOW has 10 pairs of tickets for this fantastic show to give away in our easy-to-enter competition.
Visitors to the show will see all the latest products and services, from wedding planners to romantic honeymoons and everything in-between.
There will also be the chance to watch the spectacular fashion show, which will be staged four times each day. The catwalk features top models and the largest bridal collection in Scotland, from top designers and well-known high street names, for the bride, groom and the bridal party.
There will also be …
Free make-uppers by Benefit Cosmetics;
Free bra fitting by Ultimo, the UK’s leading designer lingerie brand;
Free expert advice and dance demos at the new Inspiration Theatre, where visitors can obtain free expert advice and inspiration for wedding hair and make-up, find out what dress suits each body shape and get some great tips on how to put the wow into your wedding;
Free cocktails from Badaboom Bars.
For more information on special offers, ticket prices (which start at £9) or to purchase tickets visit www.thescottishweddingshow.com or call 0141 587 6088. All tickets include brochure RRP £5.

For your chance to win a pair of tickets just write and answer the following question: Scotland’s largest wedding show will take place in which Glasgow venue?

Send us your answers by email to competitions@localnewsglasgow.co.uk. Please write ‘Scottish Wedding Show’ in the header field. Alternatively, you can enter by snail mail. Please write to Scottish Wedding Show competition, Local News Glasgow, YAM Publications, 73 Robertson Street, Glasgow, G2 8QD.
Please remember to include your full contact details – that’s home address and a daytime telephone number.
The first 10 correct entries will receive a pair of tickets to The Scottish Wedding Show.
This competition closes at 9am on 12 February – good luck.

Rik’s train of musical tradition rolls into Whiteinch

American musician and storyteller Rik Palieri delighted the staff and pupils at Whiteinch Primary when he visited as part of a Scottish tour.
Rik is an accomplished performer on the guitar, banjo, Polish pipes and Native American flute. He also weaves stories and narratives into his performances, in the style of his mentors, Pete Seeger and Utah Phillips.
He performed a set of songs for the younger nursery children which the kids were delighted to join in, and later told the schoolchildren stories of spending time with Native Americans in a sweat lodge.
After Rik finished, the pupils and staff returned the compliment by singing Tattie Time, a song about picking potatoes in rural Scotland, and finished with a rendition of Auld Lang Syne.
Rik, from Vermont, has contributed a song to a CD called Singing Through the Hard Times, a Tribute to Utah Phillips, which has been nominated for a Grammy award. The Grammys will be announced on 31 January.
Speaking about his love of performing for children, Rik told LOCAL NEWS: ‘It’s all part of what I call the train of tradition. You start by scattering the seeds amongst the young, by going into schools. And you sing the songs and give the kids a feeling of something different, a feeling that you can have a life in music, that dreams are possible.
‘When I’m in schools I do a specific programme that I know is going to excite the kids, time-tested songs that I know are going to work and are going to light up that school. Part of me has to acknowledge that learning from masters like Pete Seeger, I want the kids to experience the same joy that I had from hearing his songs. He can’t do it any more cause he’s 90 years old. It’s almost like today, times have changed, I’m more like a dinosaur, I want it to be authentic, I sing about things I know about. And when I’m telling the kids a story about sitting in a sweat lodge in South Dakota with Indians, they can imagine what its like, it was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before, and the music is this road that takes you into situations that you could never have got to.’
Rik added: ‘My hope is that five years from now some of these kids I’m performing for in Glasgow will be up on the open stage (at Celtic Connections) and will remember the joy that they felt through music. They won’t be playing what I’m playing, but that’s not my goal.
‘During a show at a school the other day I was with some older kids, and I played one of my songs and asked them to think for a moment about the people in Haiti who are suffering at the moment after the earthquake. Because they were older kids I felt they could understand that its not always fun and games.’

Guiding centenary reunion planned for Giffnock South

Guides, Brownies and past leaders from Giffnock South have been invited to a reunion to celebrate 100 years of Guiding.
Organisers say the task of tracking down past members and old friends is progressing but a push is required for the event, which takes place on 22 February in Giffnock South Parish Church Hall.
‘We have a great evening planned,’ Guider Marjory Grimmond said. ‘All former members are warmly invited and the evening should bring back many happy memories with some old favourite activities and even the prospect of a camp fire.’
Marjory added a centenary appeal: ‘We are keen to track down past members who may have moved outwith the area and also to gather memorabilia – old photos, uniforms, etcetera, which will help us to look back and celebrate 100 years of Guiding.’
Further information on the reunion can be obtained from the Giffnock South Parish Church office on 0141 638 2599 or giffnocksouth@btconnect.com.

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