HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR READERS

The team producing this weekly ENEWS  wishes each reader a Happy New Year – may good health and success abide with you throughout 2012.

Remember – if you find this version of LOCAL NEWS GLASGOW of use – you can pass it on to your friends and business associates who can also subscribe FREE. Just click on the last line of this newsletter. Since it goes direct to the inbox of around 1000 people, this weekly ENEWS can also be a useful advertising and promotional platform. Contact the ENEWS EDITOR, Grace Franklin on: grace.franklin@ntlworld.com for details.

 

 

Double Gold for Lindsay of Shettleston Harriers

by Alex Mackay

At the end of the year, Lindsay MacNeill of Shettleston Harriers, claimed the West District Senior Women’s title with an aggressive run over a muddy Irvine course.

Returning to the form which saw Lindsay being a regular member of the international team, she tracked the other athletes during the first lap before pushing clear over the last half mile. It was a great day for the ladies with Shona Robertson taking the Masters title in the over 40, when finishing 9th overall and with Avril Mason closing in the team in 18th position Shettleston took the team title for the first time in the club history.

Avril did a great job getting out a strong team with Carole Setchell (23rd)

and new member Neah Evans ( 24th ) supported by Susan Breckenridge

(69th) and Joanne Harkins (89th ).

The ladies were delighted with their success and it set up the men to defend their district title.  Trying to claim the title for the 5th year in a row did not get off to a great start. Thomas Fay suffered a pulled hamstring in the first 100m and Tewelde Mengisteab also failed to finish because of a back problem. It looked as if the Club was in trouble.

Strength in depth is the key to success in team competitions and with 17 athletes starting for the club and strong competition to make the team we were never in danger.

Inverclyde athletes broke clear to fill the first three positions but then Shettleston athletes closed in.

Junior star Lachlan Oates returned to great form finishing first in the under 20 athlete then finishing 4th in the Senior race and leading his team to victory.

Medical student Michael Gillespie,  just off night duty, finished 5th and with Scottish Hill Running Champion Jethro Lennox coming in 9th,  it made a good base for the team.

Later, Mike Deason was competing in a 28 mile race so the 6 miles of Irvine must have been light relief for him when finishing the course in 11th position. Matt Sullivan returned to cross country for the first time this season after helping the club dominate the Hill Running scene in Scotland during the summer and took 5th position for the team.

New boy Adam Peters had a big smile on his face claiming his first ever district medal and closing the team in to win from Cambuslang and Inverclyde. Since 1991 the club has taken the title 8 times placing second 11 times and third once. Congratulations to all who have made this possible.

The under 20 athletes,  Gary Turner and Gary McBride, combined well with Lachlan to take silver in the team competition. This was repeated by the under 17 girls with Stella Winters in third position just beating club mate Laura Penrice who finished 4th.

The team was closed in by Victoria McGloin in 21st position. The first race of the day at Irvine was the Under 13 Girls in which Shettleston had four finishers. The team finished 8th with Natasha Mackay 32nd, Claire Mason 49th, Emma Arbuckle 57th and Georgia McDonald 64th. In the under 15 Girls, Myrtle Breckenridge finished 13th with Amy Harkins 21st.

Ryan Flanagan finished a credible 12th in the under 15 Boys race with Daniel Tolland coming in 24th.

The Glasgow Athletics Association is now on Facebook and Twitter!

click “like” on their Facebook to stay up to date on all GAA activity – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Glasgow-Athletics-Association/131911086885981?ref=tn_tnmn

Follow them on Twitter -https://twitter.com/#/glasgowath or see the GAA website: www.glasgowathletics.org.uk/

Duncan in orbit

Glasgow based science writer Duncan Lunan has had an exceptionally good Christmas and is looking forward to more in the New Year. As this ENEWS letter is circulating, a two hour long interview he did with Nancy Wallace of the United States online BBS Radio will be broadcast. In it he will discuss his book –’Children from the Sky’. This is his investigation of the mediaeval mystery of the Green Children of Woolpit. Two children – green in colour – speaking a strange language and dressed in unidentifiable clothes, suddenly appeared in the village of Woolpit in Suffolk.

Listen online: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/nancywallacewhatdoyouthink/2011/12/28/what-do-you-think and click on: “Download this episode”

Another programme from the online station will interview Duncan on Friday 6 January 2012. And other online radio stations have picked up on his work. The book can be ordered through Amazon and was accepted by Mutus Liber, publishers early in December. Duncan signed two new book contracts in September with international publishers Springer Science & Business Media.

Already he and his wife Linda are preparing for a book launch party and have ‘booked’ a cake from Sugarcraft of Mosspark.

Children from the Sky is expected to feature in an issue of 55 Life Glasgow magzine around now. (www.55life.co.uk)

Dunan’s other book signings are for ‘The Stones and the Stars: A New Stone Circle for Scotland’ and ‘Incoming Asteroid! What Could We Do About It?’ Both titles will be illustrated by Sydney Jordan from Dundee, the creator of Jeff Hawke, the world’s longest-running science fiction strip cartoon which appeared, worldwide, from 1954 to 1988.

The ‘Stones and Stars’ book is the story of the building of the first astronomically aligned stone circle in the UK in 3000 years – at Sighthill in Glasgow. Duncan was the manager of the Glasgow Parks Department Astronomy Project in 1978-79 which commissioned the circle. Funding ran out and it remains unfinished though current moves may allow it to be completed in 2012. In his volume, Duncan puts that project into a wider context of ancient astronomy and of earth’s place in the Solar System and the Galaxy.

The other title – ‘Incoming Asteroid!’carries on discussion among experts and thinking amateurs about what could be done if it was known there would be a Big Impact in 10 years’ time.

Duncan Lunan has written three previous books on space research, edited the first anthology of science fiction by Scottish writers, contributed to 19 other fiction and non-fiction books, and published 30 short stories and over 700 articles.

More information on Duncan and his work can be found at: www.astronomersofthefuture.net and

www.childrenfromthesky.com

 

 

Winning a blinder of a contract

Glasgow based City Building has won a £2million contract to supply kitchen units and worktops for homes in East Ayrshire. The range of units and worktops will be manufactured by Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries (RSBi) which is a supported facility operated by City Building. The three year contract will provide 3000 kitchens for East Ayrshire Council’s Housing Asset Services which will install the fixtures.

John Foley, managing director of City Building, said: ‘We’re delighted with this contract win. The RSBi produces furniture and construction products to high standards, while giving genuine and lasting employment opportunities to local people, including those with disabilities. We look forward to working in partnership with East Ayrshire Council on this important project.’

Recently the RSBi gained Gold Certificate standard from the Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA), an independent industry authority which recognises high quality products and professional craftsmanship. This is understood to have been a factor in City Building’s successful bid. Said Chris McAleavey, head of housing services at East Ayrshire Council: ‘We are confident that the finished product will match our high expectations. RSBi is well known for its high quality products and unique social ethos.’

City Building has been successful in gaining a separate contract with East Ayrshire Council, to fit kitchens, bathrooms and to carry out rewiring.

One of Europe’s largest supported employment facilities, RSBi has 240 workers of whom more than half have a disability. The company works closely with a range of organisations including Glasgow’s Helping Heroes and various disabled ex-servicemen and women’s groups.

City Building has delivered more than £28 million in cash surplus over the last five years, which is passed to Glasgow City Council for investment in frontline services.

City Building’s award-winning training academies in Queenslie and Laurieston are the most successful apprentice-training centres in Scotland.

 

 

 

 

Service of thanks in Dunblane Cathedral

Action of Churches Together in Scotland

and

Scottish Friends of Ecumenism

will hold a service of thanksgiving

for

Scottish Churches House

on

Saturday 21 January 2012

at

2.30pm

Dunblane Cathedral

Yet another Christmas

Russian Orthodox church styled singers – Russkaya Cappella – will have a concert in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery on Sunday 18 March next year. Before then, they will perform in Edinburgh on Thursday 23 February under the auspices of the Princess Dashkova Centre.

But their first concert of 2012 will be on Saturday 7 January at 10.25am in the Chapel of St Andrew in Meadow Lane, Edinburgh EH8 9 NR to celebrate the Orthodox Christmas. The following day – Sunday 8 January – they will sing in Glasgow Cathedral at Castle Street. G4 as part of the St Mungo Celebrations. The events around that time will mark the 1400th anniversary of the founding of Glasgow by its patron saint who is also known as St Kentigern.

For more information see Russkaya Cappella’s website: http://russkayacappella.yolasite.com/news-and-concerts.php

MSPs see homeless helpers at work

Several MSPs  spent time over the Christmas holiday seeing, for themselves, what is being done by volunteers to help homeless people.

This week, Humza Yousaf, SNP MSP for Glasgow, went out with a street team run by the charity Al-Khair working in conjunction with the Simon Community and Emmaus in the city. Said Humza: ‘The street team help people with addiction, mental health, social exclusion, employability, literacy and numeracy problems. The Muslim community spends a lot of time and effort tackling social problems. I was privileged to join those volunteering over the festive period. And am always touched by the amount of work people do to help others at this time of year.’

A few days earlier, James Dornan, Glasgow SNP MSP for Cathcart spent a night patrolling Glasgow city centre with the Street Pastors. He said: ‘Seeing first-hand the work these volunteers do and how positively they are received by people of all ages, was an eye-opener. Their support of those in most need, particularly the homeless, was fantastic – from giving out blankets, gloves and socks to ensuring they were welcome at Glasgow’s City Mission.

‘At this time of year we should give a thought to those unfortunate people who find themselves on the streets. But we should also pay tribute to the volunteers and organisations that do so much to make life as bearable as possible for them.’

In Aberdeen, Mark McDonald, SNP MSP for North East Scotland, visited a winter shelter run by the Bethany Christian Trust. He said: ‘The experience was deeply humbling. I heard the stories of some of the individuals using the shelter; how they became homeless and how important the services provided by the Trust are to them at this time of year. I spoke at length with the volunteers, including a group from a local recruitment firm who were giving up their time, and making a donation, to assist the work of the Trust. It is important we take time to remember the many people who face real hardship. I commend the work of organisations such as the Bethany Trust, for what they are doing to help homeless people.’

 

Editorial

This website wishes all our 6500 visitors each month – a HAPPY CHRISTMAS and a SUCCESSFUL 2012.

In fact, we wish everyone a joyful time at this festive season. But more than that, we hope that people will share what they have to make life better for all.

It is a curious thing that, often, the more people have the less they are inclined to share.  However as hard times arrive, an increasing number of us will have no choice but to make do and make everything go further.

An abiding memory for me is the day spent in the company of a woman who had two dresses, slept on a wooden shelf in a tiny wooden hut in a warm climate, but who had a natural respect for all and no bitterness.

Shelling peas, she was unperturbed when pods were opened to reveal wee beasties had got to the peas before her. ‘They have to eat too,’ she said. She sent me on my way with fresh eggs from her own hens which clucked around her feet.  She was happy to share what she had. In her belief system nothing was her’s to keep anyhow.  She was simply the custodian of what was around her.

That contentment with little could mean a lot in times ahead.

 

 

 

Pram fire takes 13 to hospital

Thirteen people were hospitalised after a pram in a close was set on fire. All were later released after being treated for varying degrees of smoke inhalation.

The incident, in Calder Street on the city’s Southside, highlights the dangers of storing anything in common areas.

Polmadie and Castlemilk fire crews wearing breathing apparatus, quickly extinguished the minor blaze. But it generated an extremely large volume of thick smoke which quickly rose to the top of the four storey tenement.

Alarmed residents on opening their doors to check on the commotion in the building, breathed in the potentially dangerous fumes. As fire service personnel brought residents out of the building, ambulance and police ensured everyone was taken to safety, quickly.

Strathclyde Fire and Rescue personnel emphasise that especially at this time of year with Christmas decorations and parties, they will come to give a free Home Fire Safety Visit at an agreed time.

Experience fire crew assess the individual home and offer fire safety advice tailored to that property and the people living there. This can include the fitting of smoke alarms.

Vacant space at Occupy Glasgow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pic by ’FasterStrongerDeader’

The harsh experience of living in tents in sub zero temperatures has been shared by Occupy Glasgow people with others from the worldwide ‘Occupy’ movement. The weather conditions forced the group to move off the site at Kelvin Way which they’d occupied for several weeks.

Called ‘Winterisation’ the details of what that entailed were discussed this month at a national conference in Edinburgh of  more than ten ‘Occupy’ groups from around the UK.

The Occupy Glasgow camp set up in Glasgow’s George Square in October. Soon they had negotiated with Glasgow City Council to leave the Square to allow the November Remembrance Service and the commercial Christmas entertainments to take place uncluttered. The site at Kelvin Way had been provided with toilets and electricity.

Their aim was to seek a more egalitarian and fair society and to confirm their commitment to campaigning for changes to enable society to cater for the needs of the 99% of people instead of being geared to supporting the top 1%.

In their conference statement the Occupy Movement declared: ‘We seek a twenty first century Enlightenment.’ And they say they haven’t gone away but are ‘ready to forge ahead in 2012, with resources in place to enable new members and occupations no matter where they are in the UK.’

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