Fred at Aberdeen Voice, Author at Aberdeen Voice

Fred at Aberdeen Voice

Local Magician Scoops Award for Entertaining Act

Sep 252015

Paul Rae accepts the Jocky Scott Trophy for Entertainment from Aberdeen Magical Society president Garry Seagraves.

With thanks to Aberdeen Magical Society.

A local magician is celebrating after winning a highly competitive magic contest. Paul Rae was awarded the Jocky Scott Trophy for Entertainment by members of the Aberdeen Magical Society.

The trophy was presented by president Garry Seagraves after a close competition on Tuesday, September 22.

To fight off tough competition from four other local magicians, Paul performed a unique routine in which he predicted the outcome of a superheroic battle to pick up the trophy, which is awarded for pure entertainment value.

Paul says,

“I am almost speechless. I really never expected to win. I have been playing about with this idea for a while, as I wanted to create something that was interactive and fun with lots of laughs.”

The Jocky Scott Trophy for Entertainment, named after a popular former member of the society, is one of three annual competitions held by Aberdeen Magical Society, and was first awarded in 1985. Judged by a panel of magicians and invited members of the public, the award is given to the competitor who – simply – is the most entertaining.

Aberdeen Magical Society was founded in 1926, and is one of the most active magical societies in the country. With a membership ranging from full time professionals to amateur hobbyists, all those with a genuine interest in magic are welcome to join. Providing a warm and welcoming environment for magicians in the north east of Scotland, Aberdeen Magical Society is dedicated to developing the art of magic. In 2016, the society will celebrate its 90th anniversary.

For more information, visit www.aberdeenmagic.com or like Aberdeen Magical Society on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aberdeenmagicalsociety

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Confessions of Old Susannah (A Northfield Special)

Opinion, Satire and Humour 8 Responses »

Sep 182015

Old Susannah’s feeling sheepish about recent events, and has decided not to duck the important questions surrounding recent articles about Northfield Animal Haven. Rather than going on the lamb or spreading any bull, here are some timely definitions should anyone think she’s chicken. By Suzanne Kelly.

If you’ve been reading the Voice, you may be aware of articles and comments concerning Northfield Animal Haven. Were all of its fundraising appeals transparent and accurate? Did all of the animals it purported to rescue actually exist? Not so much. Now that the dossier of Northfield’s activities has been turned over to the police, it’s time for me to turn myself in. If Northfield were to be believed – and wny wouldn’t you? – then I have done wrong.

Here are a few related definitions to help unravel the Northfield saga.

Alias: (English noun) A false name, often used with the intent to conceal identity and/or to deceive.

Did you know that Old Susannah is actually an alias, and my name is Suzanne Kelly? Well, it’s worse than that.

“She calls herself SueKelly10 on Twitter”, tweeted Fiona Manclark.

Before you judge me too harshly for this subterfuge, please allow me to explain. ‘Sue’ is a name I’m using to try and throw people from thinking I’m Suzanne. I really am amazed that Fiona figured this out. Alas! I cannot ask her how she sleuthed this one through, she and Northfield have me blocked on Twitter and Facebook.

However, should you wish to ask for her opinions about how Suzanne Kelly has the gall to call herself ‘SueKelly10’, tweet to her at ‘Mummyalfi’. Hope this helps.

As an aside, when I first started writing for Aberdeen Voice (some 400+ pieces ago), I was going to only be known as ‘Old Susannah’ and stay anonymous. I thought that might help give me more distance from people who might not like being investigated.

Alas! While I had said to AV editors that my pen name was going to be ‘Old Susannah’, the first column came out with the heading ‘Old Susannah’s Dictionary Corner – by Suzanne Kelly’. With the cat out of the bag, the decision was pretty much made for me that I’d continue investigating and not care whether people knew my name. After all, what was the worst that could happen?…

Death Threats: (English compound plural noun) To threaten to kill someone or a group of people

In various social media locations, Northfield’s Kelly Cable and her father Eric have stated that Kelly’s had death threats. I suppose this could be from The Vegan Conspiracy (see below), militants, etc. But death threats are very serious. Cable claims these have been reported to the police. There isn’t anything funny about death threats – but it is funny that anyone should issue death threats to someone over the veracity of their interesting farming and fundraising frolics. Or benefit fraud.

The family must be very upset by this. Death Threats are no joking matter. They are so upset at these death threats that dad Eric wrote on a Facebook Page about me and my articles that he should get an AK-47. But that’s OK, as he also wrote in brackets ‘tongue in cheek’. He probably only meant he’d like to take me out shooting.

Threats are a tricky thing. Old Susannah / SueKelly10/ I must work harder to understand when a death threat is a joke or when it’s sinister.

Clearly the threats to Kelly are very real. In fact, I am quite convinced the death threats are as genuine as the rescue appeal for the six Shetland ponies she recently removed from Go Fund Me. For some reason, some people found the appeal a tad misleading. It was illustrated with a photo of a cute pony – rescued years ago in Wales. The owner of the six ponies has never come forward, we’ve no idea where they are or what they look like. But because Cable says so, we know that only she was going to be allowed to save them. Otherwise they would be turned into meat. Kind of like the lambs on the other side of the Cable business, but I digress.

By the way, it’s important to remember that everything that happens because of my exposing Kelly Cable’s methods of operation is my fault and not hers. I should have just let her continue to rescue animals (though I suspect some are probably more suited to rehoming in a Farmville game than on a real farm). I could have let her take donations, such as the £150 she got from a pensioner. This generous person wrote in a comment that they couldn’t really afford their donation, but they didn’t want the animals to suffer. What nefarious knaves would be making death threats? I have a theory…

The Vegan Conspiracy: (extremely modern English compound noun) Shadowy organisation that is trying to get people to stop eating animals

I am supposed to confess that my interest in Northfield’s inventive fundraising is due to my being part of The Vegan Conspiracy. This is mentioned here or there on Facebook by Northfield supporters. I have a vegan agenda and I have cohorts. As secret as our cabal is, I’m sure the boys won’t mind me telling you a bit more about our little initiative, The Vegan Conspiracy.

Every full moon, a bunch of hemp-clothing clad, tofu-eating, unshaven, unwashed pagans gather at Torry Battery to advance our inevitable world domination.

The nefarious agenda is to get people to realise that fluffy chicks, fleecy lambs, adorable calves should be petted, loved, given space and not shredded alive and un-anaesthetised on birth for being male (chicks), locked in pens so they can’t move (most other critters), or kept pregnant only to have calves snatched away and be re-impregnated again and again until worn out so we can have milk on our cornflakes.

After we paint ourselves in dayglow paint and dance to Morrissey, we strategise how to get people to be more compassionate and switch from meat and dairy to alternatives.

Alas! as I’m only a vegetarian, I don’t get more than associate membership. But I’m working on it, and one day will be a fully fledged Vegan. Possibly.

Karma: (Sanskrit noun) Fate

Happily Northfield’s owners have many friends around them in this difficult time. Many of these are wishing that karma will get me / comment that ‘ karma’s a bitch’ and so on. Needless to say, I am quaking in my boots at the idea. How will I be punished for what I’ve done?

It would be foolish of course to suggest that perhaps karma has paid a visit to New Pitsligo, and has started giving what is owed.

Alcoholism: (Modern English noun) A disease; those suffering from it are best ridiculed, outed and mocked

Fiona Manclark has let the world know I’m an alcoholic – so she says – and she and her witnesses have the proof. These people claim I am often seen ‘falling out’ of BrewDog.

I’ve a few friends who have this disease; and mocking the afflicted is always a great reminder to them of their weakness.

Some illnesses are quite serious. Fiona, who has delighted in tweeting and posting about my alleged alcoholism, has now resigned from involvement with Northfield on ill health grounds. I wish her a speedy recovery.

Also ill, but with nothing funny at all, is Kelly. She’s let us know her brain tumour is giving her problems again. My sympathies.

As with death threats, Old Susannah is not sure which illnesses are to be mocked and which are to be sympathised with. But I’m working on it. Clearly alcoholism falls into the mocking category for Ms Manclark.

My lawyer and the entire staff of BrewDog don’t believe I’m an ‘alkie’ and that I should do something about these claims of Fiona’s but that’s a matter for another day. I’m sure her repeated posts, comments and tweets about my being an alcoholic (and liar AND keyboard warrior to my shame) were just meant to help me recover from a debilitating disease. Otherwise, her behaviour might be misconstrued as a brutish, libelous, ill-thought through attempt at intimidation.

Intimidation: (English noun) The attempt to subdue, silence, cow another person

Eric Cable, likewise, doesn’t want to intimidate me. When he posts on Facebook remarks to the effect he’s found interesting things on the internet, I tremble. He probably just means he’s found cute looking pony photos to save for future reference or something. I know it’s not about me, but my heart still skips a beat nonetheless. What if he found something out about me?

Could it be that time I jumped in the Trevi fountain fully clothed? There’s the time I streaked through the Queen of the South v Hearts game last February. What if he found out that I was Cancer with Leo rising? Does he have the video from that incident with the ACSEF members, the double-sided tape, and AFC’s changing rooms?

We will soon find out. But until then, and probably even after then, I’ll keep doing what I do.

Tally ho!

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[Aberdeen Voice accepts and welcomes contributions from all sides/angles pertaining to any issue. Views and opinions expressed in any article are entirely those of the writer/contributor, and inclusion in our publication does not constitute support or endorsement of these by Aberdeen Voice as an organisation or any of its team members.]

French-Born MSP Reminds Politicians Word Choice Matters

Aberdeen City, Information 1 Response »

Sep 182015

With thanks to Gavin Mowat, Constituency Assistant to Christian Allard MSP.

Christian Allard MSP debating at the Scottish Parliament

Whilst debating the Global Refugee Crisis today, Christian Allard MSP has highlighted that our Word Choice Matters.

Speaking today in the Scottish Parliament, he encouraged accuracy in terminology used and commended those who are currently discussing the Refugee Crisis with appropriate terms.

The North East MSP has recognised that when discussing the Refugee Crisis there must be clarity between the terms ‘Migrant’ and ‘Refugee’.

Christian Allard MSP explains that by ensuring the separation of the two terms it will protect the refugees from implications that the ‘M’ word can carry and, we can support the current crisis through truthful, informative discussions.

The North East MSP recognises that there has been a positive change of tone surrounding the situation but continues to urge that we all must continue to watch our language.

SNP MSP Christian Allard said:

“The damaging effects of using an incorrect term is very relevant and will influence our own perception and attitude towards refugees. Accuracy is key, Word Choice Matters.”

“The careless use of our words won’t help, calling people names is not the solution, helping them is.”

“They are not migrants …I am a migrant and I am no refugee.”

“Let’s remember where we all come from because, in Scotland’s Story, we are all worth the same.”

Commenting on the difference between migrants and refugees, a spokesman for EUHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) said:

“Yes, there is a difference, and it does matter.

“The two terms have distinct and different meanings, and confusing them leads to problems for both populations”

Note: A video of the debate will be available on the Scottish Parliament website in due course.

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Prime Minister Dodges Serious Questions On Young’s

Aberdeenshire, Opinion No Responses »

Sep 182015

With thanks to Kenneth Hutchison, Parliamentary Assistant to Dr. Eilidh Whiteford MP

Prime Minister David Cameron needs to give a serious answer about the UK Government’s involvement in proposals to use state aid to entice jobs from Fraserburgh to Grimsby, following a parliamentary intervention from Banff and Buchan MP, Eilidh Whiteford.

Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Dr Whiteford (pictured) asked the Prime Minister directly what action the UK Government was doing to keep jobs in Fraserburgh. The Prime Minister, in response, gave a much vaguer political answer about keeping inflation and taxes low – failing to address the UK Government’s involvement in Grimsby’s bid as a base for centralisation of Young’s operations.

It was reported earlier this month that North Lincolnshire Council, in conjunction with the UK Government, will deploy a £1.34 million funding package to persuade the company to move jobs from Scotland to Grimsby.

It is understood that the money comes from unused cash in the area’s Regional Growth Fund.

However, Scottish politicians have cast doubt on the funding package, highlighting European Union State Aid rules which place strict limits on the direct financial support governments can offer to companies. Since the UK Government and North Lincolnshire’s offer, the Scottish Government has stated that it will match the funding package – provided it can be demonstrated that such a move would be within the law.

Last month, Dr Whiteford and local MSP Stewart Stevenson wrote to the UK Business Secretary, Sajid Javid, asking for more information about the UK Government’s legal basis for making the offer.

Speaking afterwards, Dr Whiteford said:

“I asked the Prime Minister a straightforward question, and he tried to dodge it. It won’t rub with my constituents, who stand at risk of losing their jobs because the UK Government plans to directly subsidise Grimsby’s rival bid.

“The Prime Minister made no effort whatsoever to address the fact that his Government is in the process of breaching state aid rules, with the specific goal of consolidating jobs in Grimsby – to Fraserburgh’s direct detriment.

“The Scottish Government will aim to match this assistance – if it emerges that it is legal to do so. However, it is disappointing to note that the Prime Minister cannot defend his own Government’s role in damaging the local economy.

“I will continue to ask difficult questions at Westminster, and my colleagues in the Scottish Government will continue to ensure that Fraserburgh remains an attractive place for Young’s to continue doing business.”

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New Head Coach At City Tennis Centre

Aberdeen City, Sport No Responses »

Sep 182015

With thanks to Dave Macdermid.

Westburn Tennis Centre has appointed a new Head Coach whose remit is to steer the direction of the venue’s coaching programmes and work with Sport Aberdeen to increase the breadth of programmes on offer.

Glaswegian David Campbell joins the centre from Thorn Park, where he worked with several junior national players and before that he was head coach at Drumchapel Tennis Club.

The 24 year old is looking forward to his latest challenge.

“Westburn has huge potential that I’ll be looking to capitalise on and I’m very confident indeed that in the team there and their ability to grow and develop tennis there.”

Sport Aberdeen Tennis Development Officer Matt Kerswell added:

“We’re delighted to have David on board. He’ll take a lead on the development of the coaching team through on-court mentoring and regular support and will manage the centre’s members, including the entering of teams in the local leagues for the first time.

“David will also assist with the marketing and business support relating to the Westburn programme and his appointment will result in a significant enhancement of what the centre will have the ability to deliver going forward.”

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Motoring Memorabilia For Sale At Transport Museum

Aberdeenshire, Information No Responses »

Sep 182015

With thanks to Martyn Smith.

Grampian Transport Museum will again be offering motoring enthusiasts the chance to clear out the garage or workshop with this year’s Autumn Autojumble.

The annual event, which takes place on Sunday 27th September, sees traders from across the country converge to sell a wide range of automotive parts, memorabilia, miscellanea and even vehicles.

One vehicle which is to go on display for sale this year is a 1987 Ford Fiesta XR2i which has been part of a key display inside the museum in 2015.

The Fiesta has spent the season next to the museum’s Rover SD1 Vitesse police car. The Rover found fame on the Channel 4 show ‘For the Love of Cars’ when broadcast in April.

Alongside the traditional categories this year’s Jumble has now been extended to include general car boot, trade and craft stalls ensuring there really is something for everyone. As well as providing the opportunity to clear space in the garage or shed, the Autojumble provides the ideal opportunity to find a new winter project.

Gates open to the public at 9am with admission just £3 for adults and children under the age of 16 are admitted free of charge.

The museum will also be offering reduced price admission, meaning visitors can enjoy the 2015 exhibition including the Made in Scotland display or the only Ferrari Enzo on show in Scotland – one of only 400 ever produced!

Anyone who wishes to book a stall can do so for just £12 in advance, which includes 2 complimentary passes to the museum. Entries will be accepted on the day at £15 on a first come, first served basis.

Name Sought For Part Of New Roof Garden

Aberdeen City, Articles No Responses »

Sep 182015

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

A competition has been launched for primary school pupils in Aberdeen to get involved with the relaunch of a popular city centre greenspace.

Plans for the roof garden near the St Nicholas Centre were announced earlier this year, with over £200,000 in funding secured for the project, including support from Aberdeen Inspired, Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeen Forward, Aberdeen Greenspace, Bon Accord & St Nicholas, Atkins and Creative Core.

The area has been earmarked for a number of additions in an effort to encourage more people to use the city space on a regular basis.

At the heart of the space will be a children’s play area, with environmental charity Aberdeen Forward committing £25,000 to this section of the garden. Business organisation Aberdeen Inspired, along with shopping centre Bon Accord & St Nicholas are looking for the help of schools from across the city to come up with a name for what will be the focal point of the garden.

The revamp is set to be unveiled on October 3 at a family friendly open day, where the winning name for the play area will also be announced and marked with a special plaque.

Craig Stevenson, manager of Bon Accord & St Nicholas, said:

“Work on the roof garden continues to gather pace and we really are delighted with the feedback we’ve received since we announced we were coming together with a range of partners to enhance what is a popular space in the heart of Aberdeen’s city centre.

“With the play area being a new addition, we want to involve as many local primary schools as possible in a competition to come up with a name for this aspect of the space. We’ll be sending information packs to every primary school in the city and we’d be delighted if a class managed to take some time out and put forward a couple of suggestions.

“The winner will be picked in advance of the opening in October and the victorious class will be invited down to the event to help play a part in officially opening it. It’s a chance for a school to be an integral part of a greenspace that is set to serve the community and its visitors for years to come.”

Alongside the children’s play area, vastly improved, modern lighting is also set to be installed to create a safe and welcoming area for families and individuals to enjoy.

An impressive array of wildflowers and plants are also set to breathe new life into the existing planters, with 18 flowerbeds in total aiming to enhance the area’s green space. Improved seating, including provision for picnics, is also part of the plans.

Gary Craig, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, said:

“The roof garden enhancement continues to move forward and we’re pleased with how things are shaping up; you can really notice a difference already to the aesthetic of the space.

“We’re delighted to be working in partnership with a number of city centre businesses and organisations and this legacy project is a working example of how a joint project approach within Aberdeen can come together to the benefit of the wider city.

“The schools competition adds another element to the project as, with the new play area set to be a main focus of the garden, we are keen to let as many youngsters as possible know about the plans for the space. We want to help create a buzz of excitement in advance of the work being completed and I look forward to reading through the suggestions that are submitted.”

Interested schools that would like to take part in the play area naming competition are asked to contact The Roof Garden team on theroofgardenabz@gmail.com. Further details on the garden’s opening event will be announced in due course.

Picture Credit: “Inside the Bon Accord centre – geograph.org.uk – 1241608” by Stanley Howe. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons

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Vile Voice Vegan Troll – Staggering Revelations

Creative Writing, Featured, Satire and Humour 4 Responses »

Sep 182015

By Pete Stevens.

Danger! Danger! Breaking News! There has been an unsettling development within AV. Most people think these initials stand for ‘Aberdeen Voice’ but recent reports, received by cable, have indicated that the initials actually stand for a secret organisation known as ‘Alcoholic Vegetarians’!

The aim of this organisation is simple. They will tackle the horrors of the meat industry and their first aim is to systematically end the trade of animals bred for meat.

We are told by a source, beyond repute, who advertises the huge medicinal benefits of marijuana on their personal face-book pages that their first target is to tackle the 8,000,000 sheep bred in Scotland each year.

Rather than focus on any of the major farms in the area, this evil group have decided to concentrate their efforts on a small producer. Their master plan was to gain maximum public sympathy by targeting a local animal rescue charity and discrediting them, thereby endearing themselves to animal lovers everywhere.

How they did this is unclear, but somehow they managed through an operative, a well known alcoholic animal abuser known only by her initials as S.K. (Sheep Killer?) Was to plant true information in the public domain.

Her first cunning plan to discredit them was to inform the public about their secret background. It appears that their so called ‘animal haven’ was simply a front for a small scale sheep rearing facility which raised 20 or so sheep each year raising hundreds of pounds possibly reaching as much as a staggering £1,000.00.

By highlighting the history of the havens owner, a known fraudster with a criminal record she made her second blow by targeting this poor unfortunate, who suffers from a range of disabilities including a brain tumour, emphysema and some other stuff, by attacking her fund raising campaigns to save animals!

Having managed to obtain copies of her public twitter accounts and go fund me adverts she discovered that most of the photos in these appeals displaying ‘animals in need’ were in actual fact other peoples pets, either living happily, or whom had been put to sleep years ago in foreign countries, or even in one instance a real animal somebody actually wanted them to take!

Pictures on their face-book pages also revealed happy healthy animals at their farm, but sadly these proved not to be rescues but simply other innocent animals bred for either slaughter or the public’s pleasure and enjoyment in seeing pictures of cute young baby animals.

S.K. and her many, no doubt drunken vegan cohorts, are seemingly responsible for endangering this ‘safe haven for all farm animals’ by printing facts and therefore responsible for causing public resentment resulting in Death Threats not only against the owner, of this safe haven (now suffering fits as a result) but are also responsible for threats against a group of 6 rescued unknown, unseen Shetland ponies with their babies held, despite all odds, in safekeeping at a secret location somewhere, by somebody who nobody knows!

However, all is not lost and support continues for this brave band, against the evil cohorts of ‘anti carnivores’ and the cry has gone out, (no doubt tongue in cheek) for an AK47 to fight off this evil troll who carries a vendetta against honest farmers simply doing their job producing animals for us to eat so that they can save some other animals which we might or might not want to eat….but deserve not to be eaten because they just don’t!

It seems that the will of this ‘not for profit’ but ‘just the same as a charity’ group has decided to hand back the funds they have raised, (just like they handed back the money they defrauded before being found guilty of benefit fraud and sentenced to 180 hours community service, which they ‘only did to save the farm’) has been broken along with the heart of their AK47 loving father who is left pining after the sudden ‘re-homing’ of some of their rescues back to their original owners and no doubt other local rescues.

We can only wonder what they will do with the many donations of goods and services ranging from cctv cameras used in the lambing shed and incubators for raising chicks which were of course only used for the rescue and care of the animals in their safe haven and which had no practical or commercial use at all for the farm side of their business.

We can only hope that the real victims in this sad situation are not the animals, real or imagined, and that justice will prevail and the truth ‘be out’.

Meanwhile we have been informed that during the past two weeks over 300,000 sheep have been slaughtered……but hey! We all gotta eat…Don’t we?

Photo Credit: Fred Wilkinson. Permission granted to photograph animals by new owners Mike and Pat Rae even though the pics were taken before they bought these animals from Fred Wilkinson. The animals depicted have gone to good, loving, permanent homes and their condition will be monitored by the previous owner whenever the new owners invite him round for a booze up … which may be frequent.

Note: All proceeds from the sale have been donated to Newarc animal sanctuary.

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Nessie In National Dream Award Challenge

Articles, Featured No Responses »

Sep 182015

With thanks to Eoin Smith, Senior Account Executive, Tricker PR.

Loch Ness Marathon selfie with Nessie story. Tricker PR

Tricker PR’s Nessie Selfie campaign hit the headlines across the globe, offering £50,000 to anyone who is photobombed by the iconic loch beastie.

A low budget PR campaign to promote the Baxters Loch Ness Marathon – with a fund for props of just £5.99 – will go head to head with global brand giants Sky Atlantic, PG Tips, The Discovery Channel, Acer Computers and Eurostar Trains in the national Dream Awards.

Nessie will be involved in a six-way challenge with animatronic polar bears and sharks – and a knitted monkey that scaled The Shard in London – at the Grosvenor Hotel in London in a bid to be recognised as one of UK’s most remarkable marketing campaigns.

The big idea and creative concept behind the Nessie Selfie campaign has been nominated in the Best PR Event or Stunt category for Aberdeen PR agency Tricker PR.

The stunt involved offering a £50k cash prize for any marathon runners who could have the race day selfie photobombed by the internationally renowned prehistoric sea monster … and World Hide and Seek Champion since 565 AD.

“In times of trouble and consternation, we have a little mantra in the Tricker PR office – WWKKD,” says Managing Director Beverley Tricker.

“It’s not a code word to crack out bizarrely coloured alcopops. It’s an acronym for the question, What Would Kim Kardashian Do? Faced with the challenge of dreaming up a way to get global coverage for the Baxters Loch Ness Marathon, we looked to Kimye for inspiration and once again found the answer in her sage advice. Take a selfie, of course!

“We made a splash with our headline-grabbing stunt, generating coverage in consumer press, television shows and running magazines across the continents. In the digital world alone, the story was seen by 2.13m people and shared on social media 4.19K times. Even Nessie herself sent us a Tweet to say she’ll be there for the right price so who knows what will happen on race day?

“Our team estimate that their budget was considerably less than those of the competitor campaigns which included the PG Tips monkey scaling The Shard for Comic Relief, sharks in the boating pond in Finsbury Park and a moving polar bear on the Tube.

“But even with little budget for major ‘stuntery’ and scant allowance for props for a photo, we’re now in the finals of a national award against global giants. Who’d have thought the wee beastie in the loch could still command such global reverence?

“And more to the point, who would have thought that we’d be sitting slack-jawed by the conversation we had with a US-based journalist who obviously thought Nessie (whisper it) was real! Total circulation of the media coverage exceeded 4 million and it received international coverage in Europe, North and South America, Australia and Africa.”

Tricker PR’s trophy cabinet already holds more than 30 industry awards for their creative campaigns such as the ‘Save Our Dram’ campaign which sought the validation of the ‘dram’ as an official measure for whisky to promote the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, and the introduction of Venison Ice Cream for the Royal Deeside Venison Festival. Tricker PR also works for a host of business to business clients including Clark IT, Hall Morrice and Aberdeen Asset Management.

More about Tricker PR can be found at www.trickerpr.com, by calling 01224 646491 or by emailing pr@trickerpr.com. Like Tricker PR on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TrickerPR1 and follow @trickertweets on Twitter.

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Karate Hall Of Fame For Celebrated City Instructor

Aberdeen City, Featured, Sport No Responses »

Sep 182015

If you think about karate or martial arts in Aberdeen, or even in Scotland or in the UK, one name that will spring to mind should be our very own Ronnie Watt (8th Dan, OBE, ORS) who this year celebrates training in Karate for 50 years. Ronnie has never been out of the headlines and this month is no different, as it has just been announced that Ronnie is to receive yet another significant award in recognition of his karate, this time from an international organisation. Charlie Abel reports.

The President of the IBSSA (International Bodyguard and Security Services Association) has acknowledged Ronnie by entering him into the European Hall of Fame for Martial Arts.

The honorary award ceremony will take place in Rheine, Germany at their black tie Gala where Ronnie will attend as their special guest.

Ronnie is delighted to receive the award, which came as a great surprise, and is another very prestigious occasion for Ronnie and his family. It also brings Aberdeen to the forefront of International Karate, the city again recognised on the international stage as having a living legend in our midst.

Only last year he was awarded another honorary title from the Slovakian Government in recognition of his services to Karate in their country:

“for the promotion of understanding, tolerance and friendship among nations and regions”

In recognition of his services to karate, Ronnie has previously been honoured by the Emperor of Japan with the Order of the Rising Sun and has been appointed an OBE from her majesty the Queen.

Ronnie has now been inducted in to the European Martial Arts Hall of Fame 2015.

After 50 years of training karate, competing and winning medals around the world, not to mention teaching tens of thousands of children and adults, many students reaching black belt and going on to win medals in various world championship karate events, Ronnie’s place in history is already clearly stamped, though there’s still plenty ink left!

Ronnie continues to train and still teaches to his private members in Aberdeen three times a week and is constantly receiving invitations to travel abroad to train at karate festivals and self defence courses.

Anyone in Aberdeen of any age (over 5) interested in becoming a member of Ronnie Watt’s Karate Academy should call 01224 734607 or visit www.karate-scotland.info. If you are interested in self defence, getting into better shape and keeping fit while learning an ancient Japanese discipline, this is an ideal opportunity to train with a real master of karate….here in Aberdeen! What are you waiting for? It just doesn’t get any better!

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