Canal Festival launches

 

KIRKINTILLOCH CANAL FESTIVAL

Monday 22 – Sunday 28 August 2011

A great event with lots of activities for all ages.

www.kirkintillochcanalfestival.org

 

Kirkintilloch – historically the canal boat building capital of Scotland

EDITORIAL

With all the furore over the phone tapping in Murdoch’s newspaper empire an important factor is being lost -it was journalists who discovered what was happening. Most journalists have ethics which would not allow them to carry out the criminal activities known to have happened in the News of the World. Those who are members of the National Union of Journalists have a Code of Conduct which they sign up to on joining. And, over-riding all the ethical questions and evasive, vague, Select Committee public answers, there is an even more fundamental issue – freedom of the media to investigate possible wrong-doing.

With a narrow number of media owners and an increasing dependency on a few major sources of advertising, there is a struggle to maintain a balance. It costs money to run newspapers and pay sufficient journalists to find the news. When the number of workers is dramatically reduced, as it has been in Glasgow in recent times – those remaining have to work twice as hard to maintain the daily – or hourly momentum. Going out to FIND and CHECK stories becomes a luxury. What is in hand, provided by public relations people from companies who can afford them, is used as the easy option. Often such releases go out after the event, so that journalists don’t have the opportunity to attend even if their bosses wanted to send them. The opportunities to FIND news and meet real people whose lives are the actual story, are reduced considerably.  Uncovering anything that has been hidden or may be corrupt takes a lot more time, people and resources than now exists in media offices across the land.

Fergie’s gone but not forgotten

Fergie Millar, a tough news editor on the Daily Record for almost 30 years in its halcyon days, will be remembered on Thursday 28 July in Glasgow at his favourite football ground – Firhill.  He died in May, aged 83. He left instructions for an ‘informal, not sombre’ gathering to be held and had even written a speech to be read out by one of his long-standing friends.

Asbestos trail continues

A recent story about the concerns of people in Summerston area of Maryhill who believe they were exposed to asbestos when houses were being ripped apart to instal new bathrooms and kitchens,  is gathering momentum. Several individuals have contacted this website and told of their fears. If you have concerns about asbestos in your home being disturbed during major renovations in any part of Glasgow, please contact us by leaving a comment below in the comment box. Or phone 0141 226 4712.

Silverburn beauty bonus

Shoppers at Silverburn will receive expert advice on the art of beauty from skilled Barry M make-up artists at Superdrug. on Thursday 28 July and Thursday 4 August from 1.30pm to 7.30pm. The workshops are free but people need to book in advance by visiting Superdrug in Silverburn or calling: 0141 881 4692. Silverburn’s marketing manager, Lynne Butler said: ‘Getting stuck in a make-up rut happens to us all. This is a great opportunity to have fun with make-up and experiment with different looks to discover what works for you.’

Kelvin canoe convoy

Paddling up the Clyde has long been an urban myth. But the Friends of the River Kelvin have organised a couple of outings to paddle along the upper reaches of the River Kelvin. There are still places left for the trip on Friday 22 July and on  Wednesday 3 August. A maximum of ten can go on each outing.

Said canoe master and expedition leader Cliff Giddings: ‘This is a chance to be nudged along slowly by the current, learn some canoe skills and see this rarely paddled stretch of water. The upper and middle sections of the River Kelvin are classed as simple, moving, water. They do not pose any significant difficulties to negotiate.’  Except, perhaps an occasional redundant supermarket trolley! For more information contact Cliff direct: 0141 777 6211 or email: info@wildbynature.eu at his Kirkintilloch headquarters.

Iron will to take the hard road

Lorne Brown is a quiet man with a strong will. When he decided to raise funds for Guide Dogs for the Blind – a charity totally without any government resources – he chose his fund-raising events carefully.

Now he is in training to climb some especially challenging mountains in the Italian Dolomites – by using the Via Ferratas. These ‘Iron Roads’ start above 3000ft and are serious climbs with lots of iron pegs and wires requiring nerves of steel.

A great cause at any age. But the indomitable Lorne is doing this to celebrate his 80^th birthday!

He was hooked on climbing when he scaled his first Munro as a 75^th birthday present.

Recently, as training,  he completed the tricky Aonach Eagach ridge in Glencoe and finished the day by climbing Sgor nam Fiannaidh at the end of the line. ‘That was a brilliant climb,’ said the retired newspaper designer who produced the LOCAL NEWS GLASGOW newspaper for many years. ‘It was quite something to look down on either side and know if I put a foot wrong and slipped, there was nothing to stop me for 100 metres.’

In between his significant birthdays,  he managed to gain his Husky Dog Driving Licence in the Arctic Circle and played his bagpipes to the Huskies. He already has a volunteer to carry his ‘pigskin piano’ so that he can serenade other Via Ferratas climbers when he completes his self imposed task of climbing 8 Via Ferratas in 8 day in the 8^th month of this year to mark his 80^th birthday and raise £8888. So if you want to support his valiant effort and help fund a guide dog, put your pledge onto his website: www.justgiving.co.uk/Lorne-brown

Oh – he’s already trying to work out what he’ll do next year to top the 8×8 Via Ferratas challenge! Ideas into our comments box!

Gambia Day of Action

As part of an Amnesty International Day of Action, the Campaign for Human Rights in the Gambia will hold a rally, information day and vigil on Friday 22 July starting at 11am at the Donald Dewar Statue at the top of Buchanan Street, Glasgow.

It co-incides with a Gambian national holiday called Freedom Day which has been celebrated since President Yahya Jammeh took over the running of the West African country in 1994 after a bloodless coup.  Speakers in Glasgow will include Westminster MP for Glasgow Central, Anas Sarwar; National Union of Journalists Past President, Pete Murray and Green Party elected representatives Patrick Harvie MSP and City Councillor Danny Alderslowe.

Said Campaign Chairman, Arthur West: ‘We hope the event will be well supported. The main purpose is to raise awareness of the very worrying human rights situation in the Gambia at present.’

Amnesty International has compiled a dossier on the situation. People who were selling t-shirts with a political slogan for a legitimate political party recently, have been charged with sedition. Politicians,

journalists and other community leaders have disappeared, been  jailed, tortured and murdered. The only common thread seems to be they have said or done something to upset the government which is controlled by the President. ‘This has created a climate of fear in the country,’ said exiled journalist Alieu Badara Ceesay.  He added: ‘Fear, intimidation, torture and killing have no place in a democracy. The Gambian people deserve a free media and to live in a plural society with open debates and freedom of expression. We hope the efforts of Amnesty International, the international community and civil society groups around the world will lead to tangible reform in The Gambia.’

Cafe floored by flood

Gorbals Youth Cafe is out of business for the next few weeks because of flooding. ‘It is very frustrating,’ said Tracey Boyle, the project manager.
At summer holiday time an average of 120 young people a week would be through the doors and collecting pack lunches for outings. ‘We can’t use the cafe or the kitchen. The place was flooded ankle deep in sewerage and it will take weeks to clean up at great cost,’ said Tracey.
Flooding outside the building was reported before the Glasgow Fair holiday weekend. ‘But it took a week for Scottish Water to come to sort out the problem. By that time the flooding was inside the building too,’ said Tracey who has been the driving force behind the place since 1996. Because of the holiday weekend and the building being closed for five days, the staff did not know the water had penetrated their premises until they went to open up on Tuesday 19 July.
‘It will be a real issue for us how we cope with running the project without the cafe to generate income,’ she added.
An alternative kitchen elsewhere in the complex can be used from next week to make the packed lunches. ‘In the meanwhile the young folk just need to buy their own food. That probably means the local chippy which is not what our healthy eating policy encourages.’
A Scottish Water spokesperson said their contractors had attended the sewer flooding incident in Wadell Court to clean up the affected area. They said: ‘It will be necessary for our engineers to investigate our waste water network in the area further to establish the possible cause of this incident. We would like to take this opportunity to apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.’

New media empire founded in Oatlands

As media empires fall, a new one is arising in Oatlands! The first editorial meeting of ‘The Gab’ was held in the Blue Hut on Friday 8 July when The Oatlands Press Gang got down to business. Photographed here, the TOP Gang decided what they’d like to see in the monthly Newsletter, agreed a title and fixed to produce it monthly.
Their first main story will be about…. well ….the www.localnewsglasgow won’t reveal their exclusive! Just get your copy when it comes hot off the press.

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