Fred at Aberdeen Voice, Author at Aberdeen Voice

Fred at Aberdeen Voice

Christmas Ceilidh With Iron Broo

Aberdeen City, Information No Responses »

Dec 112015

With thanks to Charlie Abel.

Ceilidh away the start of the holidays with friends and family at the Iron Broo Christmas Ceilidh 2015.

Popular local ceilidh band Iron Broo will be playing at the St. Margaret’s of Scotland Church hall on the Gallowgate, Aberdeen (opposite the Blue Lamp) on Saturday 19 December.

It’s bring your own bottle as there is no public bar and there will be no food, so if you need a snack or some energy for the dancing bring your own treats. But remember, Santa could be watching so be on your best behaviour!

Open to the public, doors open 6.30pm starting around 7pm, Finishing at 11pm.
Space is limited.
Tickets available in advance £10

Call Charlie on 07802 861390 or 01224 874570
Email charlieabel@ironbroo.scot.

Madison Draws Her Way To Breakfast With Santa

Aberdeen City, Information No Responses »

Dec 112015

Breakfast with Santa

With thanks to Phil Moar, Account Manager, Citrus:Mix.

A Rosehearty primary school pupil has used her creative skills to win breakfast with a very special guest for her and her friends.

Madison Louise Stephen, a primary four pupil at Rosehearty School, came out top in Aberdeen shopping centre Bon Accord & St Nicholas’ Breakfast with Santa drawing competition.

Entrants were asked to draw a festive picture to adorn the walls of Santa’s Grotto which is currently present within the Bon Accord mall in the run-up to Christmas.

Madison’s picture was selected as the winner from over 100 entries from pupils throughout Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, with her Christmas time scene being praised by judges.

Her prize, along with a group of her friends, was breakfast with the man himself last Sunday (December 06) at Di Maggio’s Caffe in the Bon Accord mall before Santa started a busy shift meeting other children within the grotto.

Santa’s Grotto will be present within Bon Accord & St Nicholas on weekends December 5-6 and 12-13 from 10am to 4pm as well as each day from December 19 to Christmas Eve. All donations raised from the grotto itself will go to north-east charity CLAN Cancer Support.

Roselynn Birnie, head teacher at Rosehearty School, said:

“The entire school was delighted with Madison’s achievement and I’m sure that she, along with her friends, enjoyed their morning in Santa’s company.

“It’s fantastic that Madison has had her creative skills recognised in this way and she should be very proud of being selected as the winner from over 100 entries. It certainly is a bit of festive good news for everyone associated with Rosehearty School.”

Craig Stevenson, centre manager at Bon Accord & St Nicholas, said:

“I’d like to congratulate Madison for her lovely drawing and I hope she and her friends enjoyed their breakfast with Santa.

“I’d also like to thank all those who entered the competition; the response from pupils from all over Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire has really blown us away and they’ve all helped add something special to the grotto within the Bon Accord mall.

“We wanted to help create a bit of festive fun for our loyal shoppers this Christmas and our grotto is an integral part of our centre offering in December. It’s already proved popular with customers so far so I’d encourage you to pay Santa and visit and make sure your name is on his list for the big day itself later this month.”

Located in the upper mall on the Bon Accord centre, admission to Santa’s Grotto is £4.50 and includes a free gift for all those that attended. All proceeds are being donated to CLAN Cancer Support, Bon Accord & St Nicholas’ chosen charity for the year.

For more information and opening days, please visit www.bonaccordandstnicholas.com

Bon Accord & St Nicholas are at the heart of Aberdeen city centre’s retail sector, offering 840,000 sq ft of prime space and home to around 100 stores. Scotland’s largest Next, Aberdeen’s only Topshop and Topman standalone store as well as the City’s largest New Look and River Island are among the key retailers.

The centres, which attract an average of 275,000 visitors a week, are owned by BMO Real Estate Partners and managed by specialist retail agency Savills. For further on the centres visit www.bonaccordandstnicholas.com

Take A Dip On Boxing Day For CLAN

Aberdeen City, Information No Responses »

Dec 112015

With thanks to Jessica Murphy, Senior Account Executive, Citrus:Mix

A leading north-east cancer support charity is on the lookout for hardy volunteers to brave a popular Boxing Day fundraising event on its behalf.
Organised by Aberdeen Lions Club, the annual Nippy Dipper event is taking place at Aberdeen Beach on December 26 and will see individuals and teams from across the north-east plunge into the North Sea to raise money for a nominated cause.

Last year 30 people jumped into the icy water for CLAN, helping raise around £4,000, with all money brought in going towards the charity’s provision of free support services to anyone affected by cancer across the north-east of Scotland.

CLAN is now looking for fearless souls to replicate this feat and help raise funds for the charity.

Susan Crighton, CLAN’s fundraising manager, said:

“We had a fantastic response to our call for people to take the Nippy Dippy plunge in 2014 and hope to repeat that this year.

“We are so pleased to be involved with the Boxing Day event again. It really is something fun and different to do and we would be delighted to hear from anyone who would be interested in taking part for CLAN, either as an individual or in a group.”

The event begins at 10.30am on Boxing Day, with registration at 9.45am. For further information please contact CLAN’s Moureen Wilson on 01224 651026 or email moureen.wilson@clanhouse.org.

CLAN Cancer Support is an independent charity which provides comfort support and information, free of charge, for anyone, of any age, affected by any type of cancer. CLAN aims to support people to reduce anxiety, stress and to increase their ability to cope with the effects of a serious illness.

Based in Aberdeen, the charity covers the whole of north-east Scotland, Moray, Orkney and Shetland. CLAN has a presence in Ballater, Banchory, Elgin, Inverurie, Fraserburgh, Lossiemouth, Peterhead, Stonehaven, Turriff, Kirkwall and Lerwick.

For further information about CLAN Cancer Support please call (01224) 647 000 or visit www.clanhouse.org

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Local Porter’s Gin Available For Purchase

Aberdeen City, Featured No Responses »

Dec 112015

With thanks to Jessica Murphy, Senior Account Executive, Citrus:Mix

The first bottles of gin to be distilled in Aberdeen for over 100 years are now hitting the shelves.
There is a rich history of whisky distillation around the city and shire, and a UK-wide gin boom, but there were previously no gin brands from the Granite City.

Porter’s was created by a team of licensed trade professionals Ben Iravani, Josh Rennie and Alex Lawrence, and named after Professor Andrew Porter from Aberdeen University, who sourced their distillation equipment.

In spite of being Aberdeen’s only gin in living memory, the team are quick to understate this claim to fame. Multi award-winning bartender, Alex, said:

“We are delighted to be playing such a big part in gin’s revival in the north-east, however it is our story and distillation technique that really make Porter’s unique.

“Gin is so important to bartenders across the world as a key component for cocktails, yet most brands were produced by large companies or family distillers. Porter’s is one of the few brands that was created by bartenders for bars.”

With bottles now available to pre-order from the first batch, the flavoursome spirit features aromatic and citrus notes which the trio are confident will win over traditional gin connoisseurs as well as those less inclined towards the juniper-based tipple.

The unique flavour profile comes from a fusion of traditional and modern distillation techniques. The equipment procured by Professor Porter, which is known as a rotary evaporator, allows botanicals to be “vacuum-distilled” at low temperatures. Through hundreds of small scale distillations and experiments with botanicals, the team discovered that this process extracts light refreshing flavours that cannot be produced in a traditional copper still.

The traditional component of the gin adds depth and balance to the flavour, and is created in partnership with a Warrington distillery that has been operating for over 250 years.

Ben, managing director at Langstane Liquor Company, said:

“Our whole production method is based on creating a unique but bold flavour for mixing drinks, and we put a lot of hard work into balancing the modern and traditional elements of the gin. We also use only 100% British grain wheat alcohol and certified ethically sourced botanicals. This all results in a world class product.

“The anticipation for Porter’s has been fantastic and we have been delighted to receive order requests already. Our first batch will consist of around 3,300 bottles which we are sure will go quickly. We have been in talks with a number of retailers both local and national, so there will be a number of different options for people wishing to try it out.”

Orchid and Ninety-Nine Bar and Kitchen in Aberdeen are owned by the sister company Monkey Bars Ltd and the group plan to sell Porter’s within their cocktail bars.

For more information or to pre-order a bottle please contact info@portersgin.co.uk or visit www.portersgin.co.uk

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Donald’s Degree Fae RGU: Remembering Bob Smith

Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Featured 2 Responses »

Dec 112015

Aberdeen Voice’s ‘poetry mannie in residence’ Bob Smith, who passed away on March 5.

In March 2015, Aberdeen Voice lost one of it’s most prolific writers and best loved team members, our ‘poetry mannie’, Bob Smith.

Bob was a fierce critic of Donald Trump, and would never miss an opportunity to ‘mention’ Trump in his popular poems, which he contributed weekly in Aberdeen Voice for a period of over 4 years.

In all, Bob contributed in excess of 200 poems, and a monthly column entitled ‘Smithy’s Scribblins’

As we digest the news that Donald Trump has had his honorary degree revoked by RGU, His Global Scot status revoked by Nicola Sturgeon, and a petition to ban him from the UK, launched by ‘Voice’s Suzanne Kelly, becoming the most popular petition ever to appear on the Government’s petition site, with, at the time of writing, nearly half a million signatures, our thoughts turn to Bob and how we miss his unique brand of humour.

Bob would have loved to have seen this day, and undoubtedly would be frantically scribbling down some new verses to mark the occasion.

Therefore it seems fitting to republish one of his many poems, this from September 2010, and raise a glass to a warm and genuine friend we were glad to know and very much miss.

– Fred Wilkinson, Editor.
.

(Noo the Richt Gits University)

by Bob Smith.

The Donald his been awarded
A University honorary degree
His the principal gin aff his heid
At yon learned placie by the Dee?

Continue reading »

Welcome From Councillors As Trump Stripped Of Awards

Aberdeenshire, Opinion 3 Responses »

Dec 092015

With thanks to Martin Ford.

Two Aberdeenshire councillors have welcomed the decisions to strip businessman Donald J. Trump of an honorary degree and his ‘Global Scot’ status.

Following intense public pressure, the Scottish Government has agreed to revoke Mr Trump’s appointment as a ‘Global Scot’ business ambassador.

Meanwhile, Robert Gordon University has taken back the honorary degree it awarded to Mr Trump in 2010.

Aberdeenshire councillor Martin Ford said:

“I welcome the long overdue decisions to revoke Mr Trump’s honorary degree and Global Scot appointment.

“He should never have been considered appropriate for either of these things.

“Mr Trump’s behaviour in Aberdeenshire has been appalling ever since he announced his plans for a development here. Mr Trump is neither an appropriate role model for students, nor a suitable person to represent Scotland – or the USA.”

Cllr Nan Cullinane said:

“I am relieved the university has revoked his honorary degree. It was a mistake to give it to him in the first place.

“I hope the UK Government bans him from the country for his shocking comments.”

Martin Ford joined the thousands who signed the petitions to block Donald J. Trump from UK entry and to ask Robert Gordon University to revoke the honorary degree it awarded to Mr Trump in 2010.

Both petitions were initiated by Aberdeen resident Suzanne Kelly.

Cllr Ford is the councillor whose casting vote saw Aberdeenshire Council decide to refuse planning permission for Donald Trump’s proposed golf resort at Menie in 2007.

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Entries Invited For The Toulmin Prize 2016

Aberdeen City, Featured, News No Responses »

Dec 082015

The University of Aberdeen’s Elphinstone Institute has launched the 2016 Toulmin Prize, with a cash prize of £500 for the winning entry. Courtesy of Leopard Magazine.

The competition, now in its eighth year, commemorates the work of one of the North-East’s finest exponents of the short story. John Reid (1913-1998) was an Aberdeenshire farm labourer from Rathen, near Fraserburgh, who spent most of his life working long hours for very small rewards.

In odd moments, he jotted down short stories, character studies and bothy tales.

Eventually, as David Toulmin, he had a few articles printed in local newspapers. The first of his ten books was published when he was 59.

The books consist mostly of short stories and reminiscences, with his one novel, Blown Seed, painting a harsh picture of farm life.

In the later years of his life, Reid moved to Pittodrie Place, Aberdeen, and later to Westhill. He was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Aberdeen in 1986.

The Toulmin Prize is open to all amateur writers over the age of 16. The short story, up to 4000 words in length, should be concerned with some aspect of life in North-East Scotland and may be written in Scots, including Doric, or English, or a mixture of the two. Previous prize-winners cannot submit an entry.

In addition to the cash prize, the winning entry will be published in Leopard Magazine and subsequently featured on the website of the Scots Language Centre.

The award for the best entry will be made at the University of Aberdeen’s May Festival 2016, when the winning story will be read aloud by the well-known North-East writer, Sheena Blackhall.

Emeritus Professor Ian Russell, former director of the Elphinstone Institute at the University of Aberdeen, says:

“We’re proud to be able to honour John Reid and his work in this way. His writing is powerful, evocative and witty, and he is one of the finest exponents of writing in the North-East. We have had a terrific response to the previous competitions and the standard of entries has been superb.”

The closing date for entries is the 31st March 2016. For entry details and a form, please visit: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/elphinstone/public-engagement/toulmin.php

Text and photo courtesy of Leopard Magazine.

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Rewilding Scotland And Tackling Climate Change

Environment, News No Responses »

Dec 082015

With thanks to Richard Bunting, Director, Richard Bunting PR.

People can help rewild the Scottish Highlands and take action on climate change this Christmas by having specially-dedicated trees planted for family and friends through conservation charity Trees for Life.
A dedicated native tree will be planted in the Caledonian Forest for each recipient of Trees for Life’s Christmas tree certificates – creating a home for wildlife and forests for the future.

A personalised certificate accompanies the planet-friendly gift, with one tree costing £15, and further trees £5 each.

Trees will also be planted for recipients of the charity’s ‘plant a tree’ winter gift card. Each card costs £6 + P&P, and contains information about the tree that will be planted and the wildlife that will benefit.

“People all over the world will be hoping that an effective global deal can be reached by the world’s governments currently gathered at the Paris Climate Change Conference. Alongside international agreements, we can all take personal action for our environment, with one tangible and specific way being the planting of a dedicated tree in the Caledonian Forest,” said Alan Watson Featherstone, Trees for Life’s Executive Director.

“Every tree dedicated will help reduce the impact of climate change by replacing the carbon footprint and packaging of Christmas presents with a gift that instead soaks up carbon dioxide, and that benefits wildlife and Scotland’s wild landscapes. It’s a meaningful and inspiring way of celebrating the festive season, which also makes a real positive difference for the planet.”

Only a fraction of the ancient Caledonian Forest now survives, but Trees for Life volunteers have helped to plant more than one million trees across the Highlands. Each tree dedicated for Christmas will help the charity to establish one million more trees by planting and natural regeneration by 2018.

Trees for Life also has available a range of unique Winter Gifts – including original artwork, T-shirts, and shopping bags – with all proceeds helping to restore the forest. The charity’s 2016 calendar (£10.95) provides an annual celebration of the richness of the Caledonian Forest and features stunning photography, while the beauty of the Highlands is also showcased in its 2016 Engagement Diary (£14.95).

A Sponsor a Squirrel gift pack (£30) – featuring a photographic print from wildlife photographer Peter Cairns and a soft toy or a signed limited edition Tori Ratcliffe art print – will help red squirrels return to areas of the Highlands from where they have been lost.

It’s also possible to sponsor an acre of wild forest at Trees for Life’s Dundreggan Conservation Estate near Loch Ness. Each sponsorship gift of £60 is recognised with a special certificate, and will help to expand Caledonian pinewoods for red squirrels, pine martens, wood ants and Scottish wildcats, and to create and restore precious habitats from wildflower meadows to wetlands.

For more details, please visit www.treesforlife.org.uk or call 01309 691292.

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Spread Some Yuletide Cheer With CLAN

Aberdeen City, News No Responses »

Dec 082015

With thanks to Jessica Murphy, Senior Account Executive, Citrus:Mix

CLAN Cancer Support is appealing to the public to think of them when sending Christmas cards this year.

The leading north-east charity has a range of festive cards available across all of its bases and charity shops, with packs available for £2 and £3.50.

CLAN is also providing an E-card service for those who want to save a bit of time and help the charity by making a donation through their JustGiving page.

Susan Crighton, CLAN fundraising manager, said:

“We have a lovely selection of Christmas cards in stock and it would be great if people think of us when sending theirs out this year. For those that want to do something different, we also have our E-card service, which continues to grow in popularity.

“Whichever option you chose, know that every penny spent either on traditional cards or our online service makes such a difference to us and helps us continue to provide our range of support services across the north and north-east.”

To make a donation to CLAN visit www.justgiving.com/charity/clan/clanchristmascards2015

Based in Aberdeen, the charity covers the whole of north-east Scotland, Moray, Orkney and Shetland. CLAN has a presence in Ballater, Banchory, Elgin, Inverurie, Fraserburgh, Peterhead, Stonehaven, Turriff, Kirkwall and Lerwick.

For further information about CLAN Cancer Support please call (01224) 647 000 or visit www.clanhouse.org