Mancini’s appearance is big scoop for Scottish Asian Wedding Show

Mancini’s Ice Cream, the UK’s best ice-cream business, will take part in the Occasions Scottish Asian Wedding Show on Sunday April 4 in the Radisson Hotel in Glasgow city centre.
The 97-year-old Ayr company has won many prestigious awards. Earlier this year, they became Champions of Champions in vanilla and flavour class. They have won the Scottish Vanilla Ice Cream Cup three times in a row – in 2008, 2009 and 2010. In 2008, they also won the British Dairy Vanilla Silver Challenge Cup.
The owner, Filipo Mancini, is the third generation of the family and his son, Mark, is now in charge of production.
Filipo said:  ‘Our speciality is our unique ice cream wedding cakes. Our ice cream cart is proving very popular with the Scottish and Asian wedding market.
‘Our diary is very busy and we’ve already got a lot of bookings for this and next year
‘We have been manufacturing ice cream since 1913 and have always provided our customers with nothing but the best.’
All visitors will have a chance to taste some of the best flavours such as: Jamaican Me Crazeeee, Ferrero Roche, Dairy Cream Vanilla Pistachio, Kulfi Mango Sorbet and white creamy chocolate with a dash of raspberry puree and fresh fruits called Blushing Bride.

ZaynaB to star in Scottish Asian Wedding event

World renowned make-up artist, ZaynaB, will attend the Occasions Scottish Asian Wedding Show on Sunday 4 April in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow. This international professional is known as the make-up Guru to Bollywood stars. She has provided the magic touch for people such as Keira Knightley, Rachel Weisz, Emilia Fox, two Miss Worlds and many Bollywood leading ladies.
Accompanied by her team of award-winning make-up artists, she will give tips to visitors and makeovers for brides-to-be at the glittering Wedding Show. Each visitor will receive a gift voucher for ZaynaB’s Provoke cosmetic range and one lucky person will win a VIP Bridal Make-Over with ZaynaB worth £2000 for their big day. This will include a bridal cosmetics hamper. Five runners-up will also win cosmetics hampers.
Said Tara of Provoke Cosmetics which are sought out by high profile celebrities: ‘Provoke cosmetics is pleased and excited to be taking part in the Occasions Scottish Asian Wedding Show. We are especially excited that our founder, ZaynaB, will be at the show. Visitors can enjoy personalised bridal consultations and tips and advice from her.’
Ladies attending the exciting and glamourous event, which is the third one to be organised by Oceanic, will discover how to get the perfect base for their make-up, how to achieve the current ‘must-have’ look and how to sign-up for make-up master classes with Zaynab.
The show opens at 12 noon and two fashion shows are scheduled. A full complement of wedding day services and companies specialising in organising such important events will be on hand to be consulted. For an outlay of only £5 per person, this glamorous day will be a boon and a blessing to anyone planning a wedding – Asian or Scottish.

Mehndi and charity – a marriage made in heaven

To an Asian bride, the intricate application of mehndi – henna patterns on her skin – is a most significant part of her pre-wedding ritual.
So the fact that Farah Khan, a leading mehndi artist, is to attend the Occasions Scottish Asian Wedding Show on Sunday 4 April at the Radisson BLU Hotel in Glasgow is a great coup for the show organisers, Oceanic. But more than that: Farah, who has written the First British Book of Henna, will create designs for visitors to the show and will donate 50% of the proceeds to Cancer Research.
Bridal mehndi is a most intricate and complex art. Dating back centuries, the elaborate patterns often incorporate the initials of the bride and groom. Legend has it that on their wedding night, the groom must first find those initials by searching his new wife’s decorated body, before anything else.
Said Farah: ‘For Asian brides, their mehndi is something very special. It is a ritual of great importance with a lot of emotional ties and is often very therapeutic for a bride. When I touch her hands she will start to talk – and often she will tell me things she wouldn’t tell anyone!’
Fashion in design currently favours floral motifs with flowers, leaves and paisley patterns flowing and entwined. To see the many wonderful designs which can be created by mehndi artists such as Farah Khan, visit the show which runs from 12 noon till 7pm. Farah, herself, will attend between 12 noon and 3pm and other skilled mehndi artists will also be demonstrating their expertise.
The event showcases clothing, jewellery, make-up and all the other important elements that make for a happy and successful wedding. The professionals who can provide all the services required, will be on hand to advise families planning such an auspicious event. Wedding planners will find unique and exciting elements at this show to give their special day, memorable perfection.

Footie fans urged to help give male cancers the boot

Glasgow men who might not be tempted to watch another World Cup without Scottish interest this summer are being encouraged to pull on their boots instead of chucking them at the television – all in support of their own fitness and male cancer causes.
Scotland’s first national five-a-side football championship is on its way to Glasgow. Organisers, Creative Oceanic have teamed up with the Male Cancer Awareness Campaign to raise the profile of men’s health to bring the regional heats of the competition to the SoccerWorld indoor centre at Croftcroighn Road in Easterhouse on Saturday 5 June. There will be a similar event for the East of Scotland, held in Dundee a week earlier.
Creative Oceanic said the aim of the tournament is to celebrate Scotland’s footballing talent and promote an active lifestyle.
There will be prizes and goody bags for the regional heat winners, while the team that wins the national championship will land a weekend of luxury and adventure, experiencing life as a modern sports star.
Teams can sign up at www.scottishchampions.info or contact Fraser on 0141 420 1333 and fraser@creativeoceanic.co.uk.

Hopes high for Clyde as £127m warship plan announced

Clyde shipbuilding could be a beneficiary of BAE’s  four-year, £127m contract from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to develop a new generation of warships for the Royal Navy.
The Type 26 frigate line would replace the Type 22 and Type 23 vessels. While the contract team will be based at Bristol in Avon, BAE yards including those on the Clyde and at Portsmouth could be in line to build the ships when construction begins in earnest.
While the development contract will go ahead, the Type 26 series of warships will face the hurdle of a defence spending review.
Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth told Parliament: ‘It is our duty to provide key equipment that will ensure the UK is properly prepared to meet its own defence needs in an ever changing world, and continue to play an important role in maintaining global security.
‘Programmes like the Type 26 not only ensure the Royal Navy continues to have cutting edge capability but also sustains the industry that supports them. The commitments the MoD has made will protect skills and employment, and preserve the industrial capability needed to carry out future programmes efficiently, in a way that represents value for money.’
The contract team consists of 80 people and that will rise to around 300 over the life of the contract. The four years of work and the team’s findings will also reflect the findings of the government’s defence spending review.
BAE at Govan and Scotstoun is nearing the end of its programme to build a fleet of Type-45 destroyers. Work is also proceeding at Govan on the build for the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, which should enter service between 2016 and 2018.

One thousand go mad in schools cross country race

A thousands youngsters have braved the elements at Nether Pollok Playing Fields to take part in the Glasgow Schools Cross Country Championships.
Boys and girls from Primary 6 and 7 took part in four races, braving the elements as they went, after some gentle warm-ups. Each competitor raced against the clock in an event which was organised by the city’s Primary PE Team in conjunction with the Glasgow Schools Athletics Association.
Andrea Crawford, Primary PE Manager at Glasgow City Council, said: ‘This is a great event and it’s been running for more years than I can remember. The Primary PE Team has been involved for the last nine years.
‘This year, we had a good event, good weather and firm ground, which made for much faster times than previous years.’
Andrea welcomed the strong turnout and the enthusiasm and commitment of the youngsters who took part in the four races. Each race consisted of 250 pupils.
‘The cross country season runs through the winter months, so many of them have been working since October for the race. There’s been more training and it showed. We had some very fast times.’
In the Primary 7 Boys competition, Euan Urquhart of Hyndland was placed first, with Robbie Barr of Glasgow Academy second and Fraser Purves of Jordanhill in third.
Hutchesons secured the first three places in the Primary 7 Girls race, with Charlotte Mason first, Jude Graham second and Jessica Boyle third.
In the Primary 6 Boys race, there was a one-two for Jordanhill, with Jamie Mackinnon and Andrew Morland taking the top places, while Ruaridh Russell of Glasgow Academy was third.
Jodie Knight of Hutchesons came first in the Primary 6 Girls race, while Cari Kiddie of Scotstoun and Abby Jeffrys of Glasgow Academy came third.

Cameroon association brings clean sweep to the Southside

Members of Glasgow’s African diaspora and friends made a big difference on the South Side of the city in two hours after a 22-strong team set about a Govanhill and Gorbals clean-up.
The Cameroon Association & Sympathisers in Scotland (CAMASS) group pitched in with the Clean Glasgow Campaign and Great Gardens recently to get on top of the rubbish accumulating in green spaces near Govanhill Baths in Calder Street, at Kingarth Lane and behind the Adelphi Centre in the Gorbals.
CAMASS arrived in Glasgow nearly a decade ago and aims to help the children of Cameroonians living in Scotland understand and appreciate their culture and heritage. The association and its friends number some 50 people from across Glasgow.

Langside rally date for election-bound coalition

A coalition of socialist parties and groups which is preparing to contest the forthcoming general election is to hold an inaugural rally in Langside Halls.
The Scottish Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition (STUSC) will announce its slate of candidates at the meeting on March 31 at 7.30pm. The UK-wide organisation includes Bob Crow, General Secretary of railworkers’ union RMT, Jane Godrich, National Secretary of the PCS civil servants’ union, Solidarity, International Socialists and Socialist Workers Party (SWP).
The coalition has a number of candidates in place for the general election. Veteran campaigner and co-convenor of Solidarity, Tommy Sheridan, is standing in Glasgow South-West. Angela McCormack of the SWP will be vying for Glasgow North, while Solidarity’s Graham Campbell will stand for Glasgow North-East on the STUSC ticket.
Brian Smith, Branch Secretary of Glasgow Unison, is standing in Glasgow South.
STUSC says British people face a ‘ruling class offensive’ and offers a ‘clear left-wing alternative to policies of public sector cuts, privatisation, militarism and environmental degradation’.
Philip Stott, STUSC spokesman, said the coalition is standing in 50 seats across the UK, 10 of them in Scotland, to ‘ensure voters have an alternative to the business parties’.
Voters would look at those mainstream parties with a ‘strong mood of lesser evilism in mind’, said Philip, adding that he hoped that not only would STUSC have an impact in May 2010, but ‘would look to deepen its support base and aim for the Scottish parliamentary elections’ in 2011.

Equality sought in Europe by Cardonald mum

A mum of three from Cardonald has returned from Europe’s political centre, Brussels, after fighting to secure a fairer deal for women across the continent.
Thirty-four-year-old Therese Kazadi came from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to Scotland and found out – just like in her country of birth – women here are more likely to experience poverty than men.
Therese represents a Glasgow-based group for refugees and asylum seekers called Karibu. She was in Brussels earlier this month to take part in the GenderWorks conference.
GenderWorks was a two-year project, led by Oxfam, which investigated women’s experiences of poverty and social exclusion in Europe.
The conference brought together more than 30 women from across Europe to deliver a strong message to European policy makers.
Therese said: ‘The majority of people living in poverty around the world are women and that is no different in Europe.
‘I’ve experienced poverty in the DRC, when I came to Europe I expected that poverty would not be such a big issue. But in Glasgow women are also more likely to end up in poor conditions than men.
‘Women take on added responsibility in times of hardship. They may already work a regular job but also have to look after children and their partner.
‘The cost of childcare wipes out any money they make. Then there is the huge issue of domestic violence, which often leads to women being excluded from society or being made homeless when the relationship ends.’
Therese believes that access to information is the key to helping women out of poverty, but she also argues that public attitudes to gender issues have to change.
She said: ‘To help women out of poverty in Europe they need to be know their rights – and how to access those rights.
‘However, society must also accept and understand that women are equal to men. For example, equal pay is still not a reality in many industries.
‘When it comes to migrant women in Europe, the way they are integrated into life here almost sets them up for a life of poverty before they even start.
‘The European policy makers have to take action now and put the policy recommendations of GenderWorks into place.’

Merrylee pupils gear up for road safety drive

Pupils and staff at Merrylee Primary School in Cathcart have joined Glasgow City Council’s Community Action Team in a road and traffic safety drive as part of the Go Safe Glasgow campaign.
The Merrylee school campus, which is found at the busy corner of Friarton and Ashmore roads, is one of many schools chosen by the campaign. The aim of Go Safe Glasgow is to keep Merrylee’s environs clear of vehicles, which allows children to cross roads in safety. Drivers are warned not to park on zig-zags and respect the red and green zones.
Go Safe Glasgow is also seeking to introduce ‘walking buses’ and develop road safety measures with input from the children who will use them.
Meanwhile, Merrylee is moving closer to achieving its goal of having an ‘outdoor classroom’ by the summer thanks to hard work by the school community and a grant from the Forestry Commission.
The government agency has contributed £3,500 towards the project, leaving Merrylee children, parents and staff to raise the remaining £2,500. When in place, the outdoor classroom will provide all weather learning facilities for the pupils.
Headteacher Liz Mahindru said: ‘Studies have shows that getting outdoors and working outdoors improves a child’s mental health.’

Next Page »