Glasgow wedding band auction one night’s music on eBay

You can buy pretty much anything on eBay these days -from soviet rocket launchers to odd socks and grilled cheese. But one band have decided to play a new tune and auction their services online.

From Monday 18 June 2012, the three piece wedding band, Surround from Glasgow, Scotland will be found among gold rings and old concert memorabilia on the popular auction site.

Bidding starts at a recession busting 99p and the successful bidder will secure the services of the band for a full evening’s entertainment including a four- hour set.

David McSweeney, guitarist and singer explained: ‘Money is tight for everyone at the moment and we wanted to try something a bit different. We thought that putting ourselves up on eBay would be a fun experiment. There’s no strings (pardon the pun) and we’re offering the same service – for a wedding or function – that we would normally charge around £1000 for. It will be interesting to see what we go for. But it will be a bit embarrassing if we don’t get any bids!’

The world’s largest online marketplace, eBay has a global customer base of 223 million. Since launching in 1999, the site has grown to become one of the most recognisable services on the internet with over 10 million live listings at any one time and 14 million users in the UK alone.

Surround have been performing around the UK for over 15 years in venues such as King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow and The Cavern Club in Liverpool.  The threesome are: David McSweeney on guitar/ vocals; Stephen Murray  on bass/vocals and Grant Anderson on drums. For more information on the band and a link to the eBay auction visit www.surroundweb.co.uk

The band has opened up their services to a public auction for one night only.

 

 

Re-launch for an old favourite

The discount store TJ Hughes, will have special treats for customers on Saturday 1 October as it celebrates its relaunch. Almost closed in August when the company went into administration, it was saved by Liverpool entrepreneur Anil Juneja who bought the Trongate business along with five other TJ Hughes outlets in England, including the Liverpool one.

His action saved 110 Glasgow jobs and 700 throughout the previous company’s stores. Said Mr Juneja: ‘We’re all extremely excited about the relaunch and want to let the people of Glasgow know that the TJ Hughes store is back and better than ever. We’re hoping that customers will be able to come and join us to celebrate and get a taste of the fabulous deals that TJ Hughes has to offer.’ Among the brands on offer will be Nike, Paul Smith and Elizabeth Arden. The company also plans to sell online soon so check out their website: www.tjhughes.co.uk

Formed in 1996, A

nil Juneja’s main business is Benross Marketing Ltd which supplies home and garden wholesale products across the UK and Europe. Quality is a watchword and clients include some of the biggest retail names on the high street.

Riverside regatta

The river will come alive a little on Saturday 16 July from 10am till 6pm when a regatta will be in full sail around the new Riverside Museum. Billed as a ‘great day for all the family’, expect to see water displays including wakeboarding – a cross between jet skiing and surfing – with the WaveScot team and the first ever Riverside Rowing Regatta featuring Sea Cadets. The tall ship Glaciere will sail in from Liverpool to tie up near the existing Glenlee. Both vessels will welcome people aboard though there will be a charge for that. There is, still, no charge to go into the Riverside Museum which is now taking the title of Scotland’s Transport Museum.

Outside the Riverside Museum, there will be a variety of exhibitors including Clyde Waterfront, Galgael, the Royal Marines and various children’s activities brought as part of the Cadbury’s Spots and Stripes London 2012 Olympics campaign.  

Councillor George Redmond, Chair of Glasgow Life, said: ‘The Riverside Museum has been enormously popular since it opened last month and many visitors have been delighted by the close links it has to the River Clyde. The Clyde Waterfront Riverside Regatta will be a spectacular day for all the family.’

* IF you have visited the Riverside Museum – what are your comments on the experience?  Email us on: franklinfeatures@gmail.com

Glasgow City to take on Liverpool

Scottish champions Glasgow City take on Liverpool this Sunday, 21 November, in a Scotland versus England glamour challenge match at Petershill Park.
Without doubt, City have set the benchmark in the Scottish game, recently winning their 4th Premier League title in a row. Sunday’s match will allow them to test themselves against one of the top sides south of the border.
Liverpool are one of the sides allocated into the new English Professional Super League to be launched in March on the back of a 4 year deal with broadcaster ESPN who will televise the matches.
City and Scotland striker Jane Ross, is 1 of 5 City players at the SFA National Academy and trains up to 8 times a week, despite being a full time student at Stirling University. She and her team mates can only look on in envy at how the game is developing in England, but is looking forward to seeing how her side can compete at that level.’

She said, ‘What is happening in England with the Super League is obviously fantastic for the women’s game as it brings a professional league for the first time to the UK. We all wish it could happen here in Scotland as at present we could only dream of that level of sponsorship and FA financial support. Although at Glasgow City we are entirely amateur, each player trains a minimum of 5 times a week and although we combine it with full time jobs and studies as opposed to being paid for it, in terms of commitment, attitude and ability, I think we are right up there with the best of them. We have done extremely well in the Champions league in recent years and have aquited ourselves very well against teams and players who are the best in the world and are earning salaries we could only dream of. I hope we get a good crowd on Sunday as I really do think if people come and watch us play they will be impressed by the standard and will hopefully enjoy it enough to come back again.
Glasgow City versus Liverpool kicks off at 2pm on Sunday 21 November at Petershill Park, Springburn.

Gymnasts save for Switzerland

The amazingly agile members of Glasgow Gymnastics Club (pictured here) are saving hard to attend a Gymstrada festival in Switzerland next year. Said Head Coach Louise Bradley: ‘ We are raising funds because it will cost £680 for each of the 42 members who want to go. However, we are currently concentrating effort on the British Championships which will be in Liverpool in November. Two years ago our Junior Squad won the Junior title. We’d like to get that back and get the title for the seniors too.’

Training in Castlemilk Sports Centre Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, the 84 strong Club now has boys as well as girls and there are eight trained coaches to keep everyone on their toes. ‘As a child, I never could sit still,’ said Louise. ‘Maybe that’s why gymnastics appealed to me – it is an art form that directs energy. But it also helps develop motor skills and co-ordination skills.’

With three boys aged from four months old to eight years old, Louise and her husband Stephen who was the bus driver for initial expeditions by the Club and is now one of the coaches, have their work cut out to keep the Club at peak performance. Members range from seven to 29 years old.