Opinion Archives - Page 40 of 136

Julian Cope – Not Freaked Out, Not Over Rated

Aberdeen City, Featured, Opinion No Responses »

May 252015

With a career nearly as old as the standing stones he loves, writer, historian, beer lover, singer/songwriter/guitarist Julian Cope rode into town. Cope might not have had a huge audience at the Lemon Tree, but it was another one of those nights that was unmissable for Aberdonians who are interested in music. The faithful, the cognoscenti were there. Suzanne Kelly reviews; photographs by Dod Morrison.

Julian Cope tickets didn’t come cheap; two people would have spent just under £50 to get in.

Buying a ticket was also something of a gamble; would Cope simply ‘emote’ at us all night, ramble aimlessly through decades of psychotropic anecdotes, or would this be a really interesting night. Thankfully, it proved to be the latter.

Some of us were still very dazed and confused indeed, having just made it back to Aberdeen from Spear of Destiny’s / Theatre of Hate’s WestWorld weekend event; a stamina-taxing, unrivalled extravaganza, but I digress.

Then again, Cope seemed to spend much of the night digressing. Songs are interspersed with autobiographical stories of seeking Neolithic monuments and pubs.

Speeches on spiking the authorities’ drinking water with LSD, or comedy sketches about writing songs filled with swear words are interspersed with tunes.

I’d have liked to tell him that this is Aberdeen; everyone in power seems to be tripping as well as power tripping.

We are made to feel Cope’s enthusiasm for our area’s many, unique, important standing stones. We are made to feel Cope’s enthusiasm for real ale, good pubs and craft beer – at least some of the audience is already well with him on these points.

The hair’s long, a US Air Force officer’s hat sits on it. He’s got on biker boots and shorts . With the oversized aviator shades, it could really be almost anyone under all that. Jarvis Cocker once owned up to using a double to take his place on stage; was this Cope?

But then he played ‘Double Vegetation’ from Peggy Suicide.

I found myself remembering every word; to the dismay I’m sure of those around me, I found myself singing. I hadn’t probably played it in a decade; but it was somehow all fresh in my mind.

What exactly it’s on about I couldn’t tell you; and possibly Cope couldn’t either.

There is the word play that he uses so well ‘We’ve discussed and discussed your disgusting routine’. There is the hint of impending environmental doom; ‘Each day we get closer to the big bad fire’.

But as to being ‘lost in the double vegetation’; well, I don’t know what he means but it somehow doesn’t’ really matter.

I’m not sure you’re supposed to take any of it literally – the lyrics or the patter. But we’re royally entertained all the same.

In another 10 years he’ll probably still be doing his thing, adding to his repertoire of tales and tunes. And if I’m around, I’ll go for another serving. It’s a lecture, a discussion, a stand up comedy show with some simple melodies with ethereal words. We’ve only got the one Julian Cope; neither accept nor expect imitations.

No one else can bike around the UK, research standing stones, explain how cultures worldwide use hallucinogens throughout history to access creativity, and talk beer while getting ready to sing about being outclassed. Cope’s not to be outclassed; he’s in a class all by himself.

A Further Conversation With Declan Laird

Articles, Featured, Opinion No Responses »

May 252015

One of Scotland’s fastest-rising young stars in Hollywood is actor Declan Michael Laird. Awarded a fully-funded place at the Stella Adler Academy of Acting based on his performance at a workshop, he’s been busy ever since. Now it seems he’s set his sights on more than acting. Declan talks to Suzanne Kelly.

At age 21 most of us didn’t have a clue what we wanted to do for our career.

Childhood dreams of being a ballet dancer, cowboy or an astronaut were being swapped for aspirations of a more practical kind. For those who wanted careers in sports, arts or entertainment; well-meaning family, friends and school advisors were probably trying to talk them out of it.

‘Too much competition,’ ‘No reliable prospects,’ ‘No money to be made for most people in that field’ would be some of the sensible persuasions used to veer young people towards surer, more conservative jobs.

Luckily for Declan, his family stood by his dreams. Initially he sought a career in football, and was doing well until an injury brought his pro career to an abrupt end.

His second career choice? Acting. And his family stood by him again.

A mixture of support, perseverance and lashings of talent got him roles in River City, short films, and a prestigious scholarship to the legendary Stella Adler Academy of Acting in LA.

If luck plays a part in his meteoric rise, it is the kind of luck that comes from working hard, networking, and trying new things. With offers coming in faster and faster, you might think that sticking to acting alone would be Laird’s game plan; it isn’t.

Declan and I find a chance to speak for half an hour; he’s on his way from one appointment to the next. I’ve done a little advance homework, and am pleased for him when I see that at the ripe age of 21, he’s got his own Wikipedia entry. He’s always keen to talk about what he’s doing, but tonight he’s even more so; his voice is just that bit more excited; he’s speaking just that bit faster.

What do you discuss first with a Scotsman living abroad? The weather, of course. I bemoan the unpredictable time we’re having weather wise and the end of April snows we briefly had.

How’s the weather in LA?

“California’s been in a drought; but now something like a year and a half’s worth of water fell in a day. All the roads are flooded. When it rains here, it’s as if people have never seen it before. It’s carnage; it’s like a futurist film.”

What are you up to right now?

“Right now I’m driving to Stella Adler for two reasons. One – I’ve got work coming up in July, so I am brushing up and making sure I’m in class and all the mechanisms are well oiled. But also two – my photo has been put up on the Stella Adler walls. They put up pictures of alumni such as Mark Ruffalo, Salma Hayek and Robert De Niro and now I’m up there as well. I’ve got a huge smile on my face. “

Laird does sound like he’s smiling and on the verge of happy laughter; he continues:

“I remember coming here three and a half years ago and looking at the wall and hoping someday my face would be there. The Head of School John Jack called last week and told me to bring up a head shot.

“I’m in a class right now called Character Class; the idea is to push yourself to new limits. They assign you something completely different than what you would usually be cast as. I’m playing in Homebody/Kabul by Tony Kushner. I am a 35 year-old heroin addict in Afghanistan. I can grow a decent beard but it’s funny; last night my mum texted me and asked what I was doing. I replied ‘researching heroin’. She thought I was talking about heroines – she didn’t get it.”

Laird’s got a lot on his mind; it’s coming out.

“I’ll launch into what’s going on. I booked a pilot which films in the Nassau in the Bahamas. I go out on 30 July, and the production company manning that are Stone Village. The executive producer Scott Steindorff and he’s a pretty big deal. He was producer of the television show ‘Las Vegas’; he did ‘Lincoln Lawyer’; he’s a pretty big deal.

“I’m a series regular. It is on location at a new Bahamas resort – the biggest and most expensive resort in the world. It’s not open yet; it opens this summer. It is a casino hotel. The story is to do with the employees, the ins and outs and things that go on good and bad. The actor playing the head of the resort is a guy called Rick Fox. He’s an actor now but is a LA Laker’s Hall of Famer and a sports pundit.”

After pausing for breath Declan seems to be thinking aloud when he muses:

“How the hell am I managing to be paid to go to the Bahamas?”

Have you got anything else in the works?

I ask, even though I can tell he’s bursting to tell me more news.

I’m aware that Laird is also a brand ambassador in the US for Scottish brands ‘Kennett Timepieces’ and ‘Dumore Scotland’.

To me this seems like a lot of juggling for a 21 year old fledgling actor; but there has never been any hint of stress or pressure in our conversations or correspondence.

“When I come back I have three other projects, so it’s all on the go. There’s a short film ‘What Happens at Night’ and the director is Gordon Maniskas. Basically I play a new vampire that hasn’t made its first prey. They want to do the festival circuit ; he’s a great director. There’s such a huge built in market with it; people love it. I like the ‘Twilight’ movies, but never got the huge appeal. But if people like it, I can go with it – I can go around biting people.”

I can hear the amusement in his voice at the idea of being a vampire; I’m sure he’ll make a far more complex, frightening and alluring one than some of the recent teen vampire actors have managed.

“I’m signed on for a movie, ‘The Rectory’ a horror about Harry Price, who was the first well-known paranormal investigator. It’s looking for the last bit of funding, and looks likely to shoot in January next year but seems like a million miles away. This summer hopefully there’s another movie I’ve booked.

“The script is in pre-production; it’s called ‘Isolation’ and that’s going to be directed by Peter Foldy, who is Canadian. ‘Isolation’ is a psychological thriller aimed at late teens. Sean, my character is a nasty piece of work. It seems to be the kind of role I fall into. Sean looks clean-cut but is maybe, well a bit of a dick. This month filming the ‘Kali the King’ – a supporting role.

“It’s amazing out here the saying is ‘work creates work’ and I never knew what that meant. But the guy from the Chevy film [Laird had a Chevrolet commercial] called my agent and offered me the part.

“I think it really makes a difference- if you show up on time, are polite and punctual, they want to work with you in the future. Kali the King is a movie about an ex sort of drug cartel leader in east LA trying to go clean; I upset him by accident and it may or may not cost me my life.

“On the other side of things I’m really broadening out. I’m working with Dylan Russell, a big film producer; I play on his footie team on Sundays sometimes. I am learning about producing and writing, and I’m in writing classes right now. I really enjoy it. I’ve a few things on the go – producing and writing a very dark medical-based drama set in east LA doing with Dakota Lupo; he’s very successful.”

We discuss how working on one kind of creative endeavour can bring new, previously unsuspected insight and depth to other areas of work.

“It informs what you’re doing – I think you really have to be smart about it; it’s no use to dedicating time to writing if it takes time away from acting, but there are so many channels – Yahoo!, Netflix, etc., it may be easier to sell things. But you really have to be passionate and I’m passionate. I’m not writing roles for myself; if I love the story I go with it.”

I intend asking what he thinks of the recent events back home from the SNP landslide to Celtic’s season – but I sense he’s not done yet discussing his projects. And he’s definitely not.

“This summer I’ve just got optioned the life rights to the true story of one particular gentleman who was in a Budapest WW2 concentration camp. I am going to go to Budapest this August to do some research and Melbourne later this year to meet with him. We’ll try to adopt his story into a movie, and I have a few different producers working with me on this.

“I’m doing that in August because I’ll be back then after the Bahamas. I’m also doing a thing at the Edinburgh Film Festival. The literary death match is very popular in the US. Three writers write short stories and three actors go up and perform the stories or speak, and have three judges who decide which story / delivery was best. The Edinburgh Film Festival got in touch and asked me to be a judge.

I am producing that short film with Dakota Lupo which will film across Scotland in Glasgow and Aberdeen and then Paris. We will be casting for that when we’re here. It will be fun to cast and be on that side of things. It’s a comedy short; about 12 minutes but we’ll do it across Scotland and day’s filming in Paris. That’s called ‘The Wake Up’.

“My plan is to come to Europe for 3 weeks between Budapest and whatnot and filming ‘The Wake Up’ and get casting, and hopefully spending 4-5 days at home to do nothing. So from now until the end of the year it’s kind of mad. It’s good. I’m getting joy in my classes.”

Home for Declan is with his family, just outside of Glasgow. I don’t see Laird getting either bored or jaded any time in the next few decades. The calibre and diversity of the projects is enviable, and will undoubtedly add considerable further strings to his bow.

Tell me please how Camp Abercorn is coming along? This is a web-based, crowd-funded series based loosely on scouting, and has had support of thousands of people – including George Takei.

“I think it’s wrapped for now; to be honest I’ve not heard much recently. I think they’re shopping it around. Up fronts are when all the pilots get sold to the networks. From what I saw the producers are still to sell it to a network. You just never know. If I get a nice phone call one day, then that’s great.”

I am conscious that time is marching on, and he’ll be at his alma mater soon, but I get a chance to ask what plays he’s reading, what films he’s seen.

“I’ve seen Mad Max’ – I’m very lucky that I’m in the BAFTA Newcomer Programme and get to go to screenings for free which is nice. ‘Mad Max’ was last night and it was absurdly fantastic. It was non-stop action start to finish; truly crazy; it was so fast moving it was almost as if I needed to have a rest after it.”

The film stars Tom Hardy; I know Declan’s about to talk about him. Laird’s previously mentioned Hardy with great admiration.

“Tom Hardy – if someone had to ask me who I’d base my career on, I’d say him. I feel stupid saying this because he’s a huge star; but I’ve followed him for a while now, and now he’s popular everywhere. It’s like when you hear a song first and knew it was going to be massive, but you were one of the first to have heard it.”

Declan’s feeling about Hardy – which he admits is a kind of childish/possessive ‘I was the first to discover this’ feeling is wholly understandable. When you’ve found someone and were struck by their talent before the rest of the world recognised it, you do feel a bit proud, a bit possessive, a bit like you don’t want to be seen as just someone who got on the bandwagon late.

Truth be told, within a year tops it’s exactly, precisely how I am going to feel about having been introduced to Declan Laird so early in his career.

I can’t wait for our next conversation to see what he’s up to next.

Keep up to date with Declan on twitter.

Aberdeen 0 St Johnstone 1 – Pittodrie Stadium 24.05.15

Opinion, Sport No Responses »

May 252015

Saints super sub Chris Kane was the difference between the two sides in the final Pittodrie fixture of the season, opines Voice reporter Andrew Watson.

Fine weather promised to make the pairing a fair and even contest.

However, Derek McInnes’ generosity in awarding starts for departing Nicky Low and Joe Shaugnessy conspired to make his gentlemanly gesture look disrespectful to the visitors.

A hard working and stubborn St Johnstone side gave as good as they got, but had retiring Dons captain Russell Anderson been the only nominal addition to the starting eleven things could’ve panned out much differently.

However, this second string Reds team went close a few times, usually with winger Jonny Hayes being the common denominator in any given attack.

One can’t help but ponder, though, what could’ve been.

What if they had the attacking defensive play of Shaleum Logan? What if they had the as of late midfield command and dead ball specialty of Barry Robson?

What about the man who needs no justification, Adam Rooney?

None of these three were even on the bench.

Moving on, two minutes into the second half, Lawrence Shankland came on for Low.

56 minutes in, defender Mark Reynolds came off the pitch replaced by young gun Scott Wright. The latter was a pleasure to watch and wasn’t afraid to take anyone on.

0-1 (Kane) after 70 minutes. The substitute helped instigate the attack, scoring instantly.

Ten minutes later, Frank Ross replaced Cammy Smith.

It was gutting to see off Anderson in such a way, in a match they really should’ve been able to turn out positively, especially given that it was a home game.

I dare say Low served his purpose last season, but I am genuinely sad to see Shaughnessy move on, who I’ve always considered a solid player with an authoritative stature ideal for the Scottish game.

Final score: 0-1.

Old Susannah No. 176 – Just Plane Stupid

Opinion, Satire and Humour 2 Responses »

May 222015

Voice’s Old Susannah takes a look over the past week’s events in the ‘Deen and beyond. By Suzanne Kelly.

Tally ho! It’s been quite a week in the Granite City and wider world. Well done all you who voted Conservative!

The SNP is now on the move; not since the Covenanters has Scotland been so unanimous. A new Independence Referendum can’t be far off, so I hope you’ve all saved your ‘YES’ banners and Saltires.

Perhaps the best news is that nice Mr Farage tried to resign but they wouldn’t let him. Who else indeed could lead UKIP? Mr Fromage is indeed the man for the job, although I think they were considering a gay Romanian immigrant at one point.

That nice Mr Trump’s coyness and modesty were on display at the end of April. Well, on display in two obscure small legal notices in the back of the Evening Express.

I can’t imagine why, but the pre-application public consultations for a second golf course, 850 houses and 1900 leisure units, whatever they are, came and went with no publicity from the Press & Journal or the Evening Express. I suppose with stories vying for space, some minor issues like Trump building on the Menie Estate have to be overlooked.

‘Cow found in Field’, ‘Man wins Inverurie Rowie baking award’ and ‘three clothing stores may or may not open in Aberdeen’ trumped the Trump news. When alerted to these ads, I wrote to the contact address given for information. Sadly, the nice man hadn’t the time to get back to me. In fact he was too busy to get back to at least six other people who also wanted information in advance of the deadline in order to praise the scheme.

A cynic might think that the Trump organisation, spearheaded at Menie by the planning supremo, golf expert and beauty queen Mrs Sarah Malone Bates, were trying to sneak one over on us. But I’m sure it was just a case of not wanting to brag about these exciting plans that kept any news of them off the pages of AJL papers, except for those ads on the back of the EE.

I guess it’s now too late to get in your notes of praise for the scheme; it would be a pity if the Shire’s planning people thought that this lack of information were sufficient grounds to throw the exercise on the scrap heap. That would be just awful.

Despite having to re-write my original column ‘Hooray for the Liberal Democrat Landslide’, it’s been a great week. I’ve been part of the Aberdonian contingent at the Westworld Weekend in Crewe; the bands were Spear of Destiny, Theatre of Hate, Kirk Brandon acoustic, Folk Grinder and the Death Valley Surfers. The beer was just as impressive: bottles of Punk IPA AND BrewDog Abstracts Nos. 15, 16, 17 and 18. For some strange reason the bar ran out of Punk, I can’t imagine why.

Old Susannah extended her weekend with a night of Julian Cope at the Lemon Tree, where BrewDog also flowed. Cope’s a bit madcap and a bit behind the times. He joked that it would be good if those in power tried LSD. I’m pretty convinced most of them are tripping as it is.

When you’re having a great weekend, you want to prolong it. Therefore my sincere thanks to the guy who decided to have a cigarette in his plane’s toilet when my and other planes should have been landing at Aberdeen.

clearly he was a genius of some sort

What good sport it was to circle for an extra 30 or so minutes, to be told that a plane on the runway had smoke coming out of it, and that we might have to divert.

I had the great pleasure of seeing the suspect explaining himself to the six or so police who surrounded him as my flight finally filed through the airport. A woman PC was saying:

“You have been identified as the man who was smoking in your plane’s toilet.”

I wondered whether he were a famous movie star, international scholar, or perhaps even an ACSEF member. He must have been someone very important indeed who simply needed a smoke. His slightly dirty clothes, his stubbly chin, his knuckles dragging on the floor and his simian posture were just too good a cover; clearly he was a genius of some sort, disguised as a posturing, swaggering self-centred ignorant chav.

Then he spoke and in an instant I knew I was listening to an Einstein. He answered the woman PC thus:

“You’re kidding right?”

Old Susannah is only an amateur student of psychology and human behaviour, but I am reasonably certain the police weren’t kidding. They almost seemed angry for some reason, and they didn’t at all seem the Laughing Policeman kind.

She continued:

“I am not going to search you”

I suppose he must have previously baulked at that prospect,

“but one of my colleagues may want to. Empty your pockets.”

Again confirming my assessment of the man’s undeniable wit, and reaffirming my belief in his complete innocence he said:

“You’re kidding right?”

My own acting skills are little better than novice; but surely no one could have looked as perfectly innocent as this poor man. I’m sure he was set up. The faint whiff of cigarette smoke that was in the area surely had come from one of those policemen.

Then again, if someone as important as this man obviously is, needed a cigarette, then who are the Civil Aviation Authority, the police, Aberdeen Airport, several hundred people wanting to land, and a hundred people on his plane needing to travel to get in his way? I’d feel guilty if I’d inconvenienced our man.

Besides, imagine what a good adventure it must have been for those on his flight: to be airborne and smell smoke, and see it coming out of the plane’s toilet, just like it must have been for the doomed Canadian flight several years ago that started this unfair no-smoking on planes backlash.

It’s not as if anyone circling around was getting nervous with every new announcement that we might have to be diverted elsewhere, that a plane on the runway had to be evacuated and fire was involved.

No worries. It’s not as if anything terrible ever happens to planes or at airports. There weren’t any older people getting worried or upset; there were no stressed out ground crew. Just you and your smoke. Some people just can’t take a joke though, and as a second thought, maybe next time, if they let you fly again, you might want to look into this nicotine patch business.

And so, my sincere thanks to the as-yet unnamed 31-year-old man for giving me the thrill of a lifetime. Really, if I ever get the chance to repay your kindness, I’ll do so. A mention in my humble column will have to do for now. However, if I can find out who your employers are, I’ll be delighted to drop them a suitable commendation for all the fun you provided.

Also in the news there was an election. England wants five more years of David Cameron, and somehow failed to appreciate all that Nick Clegg’s done for them. Scotland wants the SNP.

The voting public has spoken. Some people are puzzled by some of the election outcomes and how votes metamorphose into fair, democratic representation in Parliament. As I’m one of those people, herewith some timely terms for those baffled by ballot box bamboozlement.

First Past The Post: (Modern Conservative compound Noun) A system of counting election results to allocate seats in the English Parliament.

I’m sure you’re as happy as I am at how the elections throughout the UK turned out. This is down to the exciting, but fair ‘first past the post’ voting system. It’s no more complicated than understanding how the Hadron Supercollider’s quest for the God Particle demonstrates that anti-matter underpins the known universe, why you never get all your socks back after doing a load of laundry, or the arbitrary nature of the offside rule, depending on who the ref is.

For those of you slower of wit, here is a bit of number crunching:

The sad thing is that there are some sore losers out there, who would change this system. Take for instance Electoral Reform UK. This band of brigands should be rounded up, and probably will be once that nice Mr Gove gets rid of this Human Rights nonsense, see below. Here is a quote from their radical website:

“[Most] people’s votes were essentially wasted. Of the almost 31 million people who voted on the 7th, 15.4 million voted for losing candidates. That’s 50% of voters who backed a candidate that didn’t win, making the vast majority of voters feel unrepresented. That doesn’t sound like democracy to most people.”

Talk about sour grapes. I’m sure we all feel well represented. If you want to contact Electoral Reform and tell them to leave well enough alone, you can do so here, which is also where you can sign their petition asking for electoral reform. But just ignore that bit.

Still, a system that would leave the beloved Liberal Democrats out in the cold can’t be fair. Old Susannah is every bit as upset at the defenestration of the LibDems as you might think. Once the equal partners of Dave Cameron’s Conservatives, the chargers of tuition fees, and the slayers of the vermin roe deer, it’s sad to think these noble animals have been metaphorically shot between the eyes, just as they rightfully insisted was done to some 46 Tullos Hill Deer.

If I can stop sobbing into my LibDem logo-embroidered handkerchief long enough, I’ll send a consolatory email to Aileen HoMalone and ask her for a few words on this sad defeat. But back to the fairness of the system.

Special thanks should go to the 33% of UK residents eligible to vote who didn’t do so. It’s not as if getting the opinion of a third of the country’s voters could have made any real difference, not under First Past The Post anyway.

Thank you for staying home to watch the Heartbeat Omnibus, reruns of Neighbours, playing Grand Theft Auto 27 or whatever it was that kept you from spending ten minutes to pick the UK’s future direction. I’m sure those who didn’t bother to join in had very important reasons. Just like the reasons the important man had on that aircraft to smoke in the bathroom.

Human Rights Act: (Modern European Union compound noun) A declaration of inalienable freedoms each person should be entitled to, but never is.

As far as I can work out, this is some kind of wishy-washy left-wing Liberal law from 1998 that brought in the EU’s Human Rights declaration and enshrined it in UK law. It’s even supposed to make the NHS and the Police treat people as if they had rights, even people suspected of crime, just like that guy who smelled of smoke who came out of the plane’s toilet seen by many, who could only comment ‘You’re kidding right?’.

This has been problematic and a nuisance. It’s been implemented fully, as we can see in practice all around us.

We’ve got a war on drugs, a war on terror

The parents of Ashya King were arrested for taking their son for the successful medical treatment he had abroad, because the NHS swore out an arrest warrant.

The police officers who cleverly infiltrated various legal protest groups, sleeping with and impregnating women they pretended to love were only doing their job of course, but under Human Rights law, these women, who were probably criminals anyway, seem to be able to claim damages and child support.

There’s only so much a Conservative government can stand. They’re sending top gun Michael Gove in to correct this over-application of human rights. Any day now, all these freedoms we’re enjoying, like the right to protest the elections in London free from police harassment, may be a distant memory. Too right, too. We’ve got a war on drugs, a war on terror… there’s no room for sentimentality when it comes to breaking a few bones – sorry – breaking a few criminal gangs.

These rights include:

“These rights are: Right to life, right not to be tortured or subjected to inhumane treatment, right not to be held as a slave, right to liberty and security of the person, right to a fair trial, right not be retrospectively convicted for a crime, right to a private and family life, right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, right to freedom of expression, right to freedom of assembly and association, right to marriage, right to an effective remedy, right not to be discriminated against, the right to the peaceful enjoyment of one’s property, and the right to an education. The Act also imposes a duty upon governments to provide free and fair elections.”

If you want to see how hard it is to be a police officer, and the kinds of things they have to put up with from protesters, here’s a little story. It may look like the police are harming citizens who are on the ground at a protest against the Tories, but I’m sure it’s just some form of massage therapy I’m not familiar with.

As if anyone would want to protest against the Tories: we’ve just elected them by a landslide. Apparently.

I get why our rulers want to get rid of this education nonsense and privacy stuff, but since we’ve already got a completely free and fair election system, surely they’ve no complaint on that score. So for those renegades and anarchists who enjoy these so-called rights, enjoy them while you can.

Next week: That’ll depend on whether or not the Conservatives continue to allow political satire.

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Aberdeen’s Own National Karate Federation Do It Again

Aberdeen City, Sport No Responses »

May 222015

By Charlie Abel.

Aberdeen, and Scotland can once again hold it’s head high on the international stage of Karate having just lifted another bag of medals at the WKC World Karate Championships, this time from Riga, Latvia at the weekend.

Ronnie Watt’s NKF team have never disappointed when it comes to putting Scotland on the world’s Karate map.

The team themselves hosted the WKC World Championships in Aberdeen in 2000 at the AECC, said to have been one of the most memorable championships to date.

Ronnie, already a legend himself, is no stranger to the limelight having won numerous titles, championships, medals, awards, an OBE from the Queen, The Order of the Rising Sun and is one of the few genuine 8th Dan black belts.

This year Ronnie will celebrate his 50 years of involvement in Karate! The medals won by the squad are a testament to the quality of the Karate they are taught.

The NKF squad have returned from the WKC World Karate Championships in Riga, Latvia held on 16th and 17th of May. Nearly 500 Karate-ka from 19 countries took part.

After lots of hard training at home under the careful supervision of chief instructor (Ronnie Watt 8th Dan) and squad coach (Jock Calder 6th Dan) the NKF Scotland team took home 9 medals from the competition, including 1 gold medal, 4 silver and 4 bronze. Quite an amazing feat for a small self-funding club, and a proud moment for Scottish Karate.

The Championships began with a special training session specifically for the referees and judges on the specific techniques and criteria to be considered and assessed during the championships.

Ronnie Watt was invited as the special guest speaker and instructor to the seminar where he explained and demonstrated to 50 referees and judges what they should be looking for in making their judgements.

After 3 years of hard work Chris Davidson, one of the senior club members also became a fully qualified WKC referee at the seminar in Riga. No easy feat!

It’s been a great year so for the squad having won so many medals at Riga. Preparations are now under way for the next festival the club are hosting in Aberdeen in June, and for the next major international competition in France in October where they hope to repeat their success

Results:

Nissara Kirk – 1 gold and 1 bronze
Chloe Calder- 2 x silver.
Emma Stuart – 1 bronze
Girls team (above)- took a further 2 bronze medals in separate events
John McInnes took silver in Kumite
Mens team took silver in team Kumite and narrowly missed out on a medal for the team Kata against stiff competition.

Anyone interested in training Karate should call Aberdeen 734607 for more information.

Said Chief Instructor Ronnie Watt:

“We are always keen to attract new members of all ages.”

The club meet in Aberdeen, Cults, Kintore and Inverurie.

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War And Peace In The Denburn Valley: A Review

Aberdeen City, Featured, Opinion 1 Response »

May 222015

David Innes reviews Diane Morgan’s Aberdeen’s Union Terrace Gardens – War and Peace in the Denburn Valley.

One of Aberdeen’s finest vistas is the 270 degree panorama of the northern city centre visible from the comfort of His Majesty’s Theatre’s glass extension, not uncontroversial itself as an architectural development.

Robert Gordon’s College, Cowdray Hall and its War Memorial, the Triple Kirks’ sadly-neglected but worthy brick spire, the beautifully-restored Belmont Street buildings, the impressive traffic-swallowing jaws of Union Bridge and Union Terrace’s imposing geometric granite facades can all be taken in with little more than a single swivel of the head.

In any weather, the view warms the heart of those with a love of sympathetic, integrated urban development. It defines Aberdeen.

At its centre is Union Terrace Gardens, the floor of the Denburn Valley, its greenness contrasting yet complementing the stark beauty of native granite.

Who would think that such an unimposing but beauteous defile would have caused controversy for centuries during its development, and very recent real conflict as its future divided opinion and caused lasting damage to political and even personal relationships in Aberdeen?

Diane Morgan is meticulous in her narration of the controversies that have surrounded the Valley’s development since its days as a bleaching green on the banks of the burn between Mutton Brae and Corbie Heugh.

As in her previous essential heritage volumes, she brings history to life, as if James Matthews and James Forbes, early pioneers of the Gardens’ development, are flitting in and out of the pages along with the original occupants of Union Terrace as that grand avenue’s status grew from tenemented cul de sac to become a highly-desirable residential and commercial location.

Conflicts are not new, we discover. Arguments over railway routes, disputed hotel names, kirk developments, bridges, Denburn Viaduct and even the trend for placement of inappropriate city artefacts in the Gardens, has seen the Denburn Valley a continual focus for debate and even rancour in the city. The current Dandara development on the Triple Kirks site means that controversy continues.

Of course, it is the recent divisive controversies that most will remember, and the author hands over to Mike Shepherd, the tireless former chairman of the Friends of Union Terrace Gardens, to examine in detail, and subsequently fillet, the business case for the City Square/City Garden Project, all the while displaying the emotional attachment that Aberdonians have for their Trainie Park.

Side-swiping at the mania for ‘connectivity’, Ms Morgan points out that Union Bridge and Denburn Viaduct have already solved issues with “the physical barrier of the Denburn Valley” which marks “the place where the new city took over from the medieval town”.

This is a superb perspective of the troubled history of Aberdeen’s centre, as impressive as the view from HMT.

Aberdeen’s Union Terrace Gardens War and Peace in the Denburn Valley by Diane Morgan
Black & White Publishing
ISBN 978-1-84502-494-9
238pp
£14.99

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Westworld XIII – XI Out Of X

Articles, Opinion No Responses »

May 152015

Apologies to those who will (probably) castigate me (I’m used to it) for putting a piece in Aberdeen Voice which is arguably not strictly related to Aberdeen. I hope though that as AV has over the years carried pieces on everything from the history of instant coffee to UFOs that there is room for one more piece tenuously related to the granite city. It’s the absolutely infectious fandom of some Aberdeen music lovers that got me to this event last year, and while I wasn’t going to write a piece on this weekend concert, they asked me to. Turn away now if this piece offends you. Suzanne Kelly reports (unapologetically).

It isn’t British summertime without a few dozen music festivals.

(Dad) rock fans descend on Glastonbury for several (increasingly expensive and increasingly sanitised) days of events and bands; it’s become a bit like Marie Antoinette playing peasant at her pretend peasant village.

Punk fans converge at Blackpool for four days of ear-piercing, liver-damaging mayhem; sometimes forgetting the festival is over for a week or two after it’s closed (Dod this means you).

Classical music fans recline on blankets on Glyndebourne’s lawn, drinking champagne while Chopin hangs in the air (not literally). Fans of a different sort gather in Crewe for Westworld.

By all accounts this thirteenth Westworld was the best one so far. If it’s possible to have more fun on a £40 weekend ticket anywhere else in the world, I’d be surprised, and I’d definitely be in – let me know.

Westworld is a music festival featuring sets from Kirk Brandon, Theatre of Hate, Spear of Destiny, and support acts. There is something about the musicians and the fans that sets it apart from any other festivals; there is something of the crazy carnival feel-good party that the Grateful Dead and the Deadheads created, only without the LSD, hour long instrumentals, hippies or patchouli.

Westworld and its music is more intimate, friendly, frenzied, electric, gentle, dark, uplifting, and inspiring than anything else. This is not T in the Park.

Fans of Kirk Brandon, Spear of Destiny and Theatre of Hate from all corners of the world make their way to Crewe’s intimate performance space The Box. There is a faithful following from Aberdeen who go every year, and the ranks are swelling. Some people – notably longstanding Aberdonian fans Roddy Kennedy and Steve Watt – have already bought tickets for next year.

This year sold out in record time, and with fantastic video snippets and high praise floating around on Facebook, the demand for Westworld XIV is going exceed capacity. Two hotels for the (unofficial) 2016 dates 6 and 7 May have already sold out. Westworld XIV, I do believe, is going to need a bigger boat.

Here briefly is what we got. We few; we happy few.

The Family:
The Westworld weekend is a sort of family reunion (without the relatives you’d rather not see). Friendships were renewed and made; the conversations were lively and great fun. Musicians mingled with the crowds; if it was a chore or obligation for them, they hid it well. There were a few people down for the first time; they were introduced and welcomed. Strangers went for curry dinners with strangers, and emerged as friends.

Facebook friend requests were flying around nearly as much as the newly shot photos and videos. The newbies vowed to return next year; I know they will.

Aside from risking some serious bruising at the front of the stage, it was all comrades together; there will be people who appreciate this good humoured fellowship nearly as much as they do the music.

Masterpiece Theatre:
The Royal is the bar connected to the venue The Box; it began filling up with loud and happy voices hours before Theatre of Hate were to open the weekend’s bacchanalia on Friday night. Those who had previously met at Westworlds past greeted each other warmly as long lost friends do. Newcomers were welcomed and included in discussions about music, music, drink, football and music.

As if some unseen unheard signal had been given, everyone emptied out of the bar and upstairs to the weekend’s theatre of operations.

Theatre of Hate’s members are Kirk Brandon (guitar, vocals), Stan Stammers (bass), John Lennard (saxophone), Adrian Portas (guitar) and Danny Farrant.

The opening piece for Westworld was Do You Believe in the Westworld.

This wild west tinged song was flawlessly and energetically executed.. (It put me in mind of a soprano I know who opens her shows by singing Queen of the Night to show the audience just how strong a singer she is).

ToH recently released a stunning four track EP, Slave; their first new material for some time or so I understand. The song Slave is a hyponotic, intoxicating entrancing piece which was beautifully performed; it’s one of those pieces of music which makes you wish it went on for far longer than it does. In fact, the song order for the rest of the weekend is kind of a blur that comes and goes out of focus in my memory after this piece, which I can practically hear in my head now.

Also from the Slave EP is a powerful political piece Eyeless in Gaza. (Over a curry with a dozen fans later in the weekend we discuss Eyeless in Gaza and the need for musicians and artists to comment on the world’s problems. Over the naan bread we wonder about the freedom an artist has over their work if they’re independent as compared to being signed to a record label. We decided very few labels would have happily released and promoted works like Eyeless or Spear of Destiny’s newly-released single, Fascinations).

The set seemed to be over before we knew what hit us; everyone wanted more. But that was it for Friday.

Also on the weekend bill were two brilliant, individualistic support acts. The Death Valley Surfers provided speedy rockabilly punk (or something to that effect). Without much persuasion I picked up their CD ‘Last Dance Saloon’ which has a left of centre cover of Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison Blues.

When Folk Grinder took the stage everyone sang along with them; and cries of ‘Heave Ho!’ bounced off the walls. This trio mixes folk, sea shanties rock and commentary with great effect. Kirk Brandon has produced their new album, The Devil’s Mariner; a single has been uploaded to youtube, which you’ll find here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dJdt8PGock&feature=youtu.be .

Kirk Brandon Acoustic Set:
Accompanied by a cellist and keyboard artist Steve Jones, Saturday afternoon’s performance was elegant. This was music to tame the most savage of punk breasts. Roddy and I stood near the merchandise stall. A man on my other side and I started talking before the set; he was from Newcastle and he was built like a particularly large rugby player.

After Kirk’s performed ‘I’m So In Love With You’ the guy turned to me and commented:

“That’s given me goose bumps that has.”

Him and a few hundred other people. Sam Sansbury’s cello brought a warmth giving some of the music new nuances; the keyboards were nearly as expressive as Brandon’s voice and playing. This set probably deserves a full in-depth review on its own. Suffice it to say if someone had dropped a pin we’d have heard it. The audience was rapt. Here’s to next year’s acoustic set.

Spear of Destiny:
Spear went onstage Saturday night a little past 10pm. In a set which must have stretched every musician to heroic proportions, an hour and a half set ended in a frenzied fever.

SoD took us everywhere. Early on we heard ‘Walk in my Shadow’ – classic, upbeat traditional rock and roll (Brandon had performed this live on Jools Holland’s radio show some months back; hearing it again was great and great fun). A good portion of material from the (deservedly acclaimed) album XXXI got an airing; my own favourites the uplifting, rejuvenating Here Comes The Sun and Sputnik were remarkable.

This version of Sputnik had an interesting percussion treatment; another reminder why live music can and should throw up surprises subtle and large (the larger ones were still to come). Fascinations, the newly-released single began to steer the set towards darker, deep emotions. Also from XXXI were Failure and Delusion.

‘You could be anything in this life, but you chose every time falling down’ ‘This is the sorry state of our life’ ‘The sunlight’s a happy place, but I guess you wouldn’t know’ – we were in dark waters for a while, with Brandon remarking to the effect ‘this ends the happy part of the show’.

The gears switched violently and swiftly; ‘Once in her Lifetime’ was captured on video by Roddy; as he filmed it he said ‘well, that’s me completely satisfied then.’

He and I briefly said in between songs of course that we were nearly done in just from standing and watching; how anyone could play/sing/drum for this length of time with such precision and power was beyond us.

It wasn’t exactly freezing cold in the Box, and the small overhead fans did little more than mock us.

Perhaps one of the things Brandon’s writing does best is to highlight political and social ills. The video for ‘Fascinations’ features images of bondage and abuse, with the face of a known serial abuser (eyes covered with a black bar) as Brandon sings about power, abuse, degradation and anorexia, leaving you asking more questions about society than can be answered.

Further, and particularly timely social commentary came with ‘Playground of the Rich’ a contrast of the privileged and those who were born to serve them ‘Playground of the rich, you know it’s – it’s kind of sick’ was sung by the audience with a fair amount of understanding. The anti-war anthem Mickey likewise was sung by everyone in the room.

I find myself hoping there will be more social commentary/protest music coming from Brandon at some future point; somehow I am sure there will be.

The venue was filled with energy, cheering, screaming and singing. More was to come. It seemed like seconds later we were all singing along to Rocket Ship. We are at a party; no one wants this to end; no one can figure out where they’re getting the strength to continue with. And then a surprise special guest arrived on stage – Alan St Clair.

World Service pleased absolutely everyone; the entire room was singing every line by this point. The final encore was Liberator and all the players took to the stage. Stanley Stammers shared a mic with Craig Adams; John Lennard’s sax added to the absolute frenzy that had broken out everywhere. Limbs and heads pitched up and down in the pit and I was glad to be far from this mad crowd (a few bruises and bumps are no longer my idea of a great souvenir).

Wrapping up:

That this has been a carefully, precisely, thoughtfully considered weekend is not lost on anyone. Theatre, Spear, Folkgrinder, Death Valley Surfers – each person involved in bringing off this huge success of a weekend deserves serious respect (particularly Vince Davey, who must have nerves of steel). As to Adrian Portas’ guitar; his solos never cease to amaze the audience, and it looks effortless; I remember someone poking me in the ribs during one such passage to ensure I was getting it. I was.

If you were there, you won’t forget this weekend any time soon

Stan Stammers has truly thrilled the crowd and seems perpetually smiling ear to ear. Steve Jones was perfection for the acoustic session and in Spear; offstage, he was chatty, friendly, and witty.

Craig Adams is a formidable presence and player; I still can’t reconcile the man’s soprano/falsetto vocals with his physical presence. The lynchpin of the weekend is Kirk Brandon; he’s brought 30+ years’ worth of material spanning several acts to us with emotion and energy. That voice. That playing. There is no other combination of people and musical elements that resembles what’s happened here this weekend; it was Avengers Assemble.

If you were there, you won’t forget this weekend any time soon. If you weren’t, best try and get a ticket for next year.

Want to get something of the flavour of what it was like? Get to Facebook or Youtube and find some footage; there is plenty about.

Don’t take my word for it:

Many people feel this year’s event was the best ever; social media sites are filled with fans singings its praises. I’d only been once before, but I’ll agree with the majority that this had to be a new benchmark.

Kirk Brandon posted on Facebook:

“Arguably the best ‘Weekend at Westworld’ ever. The finale to the whole weekend last night at the 100 Club, London. Thank you every single one of you who came! A weekend to remember. Kirk”

Koozie Johns of the remarkable Folk Grinder said:

“I would say that WESTWORLD is an experience like no other. so much love for a common cause the love of great music good people and a lot of respect. Folk Grinder are produced by Kirk Brandon and it is an honor to work we such a legend.”

WW is not strictly a boys’ club either as some might assume; new fan, first-time attendee Cheryl Cotterill said:

“[I was] recently introduced to spear of destiny and thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and the dedication Kirk has to his music.”

Of the Aberdeen attendees, Roddy Kennedy said:

“Ever since I first saw Kirk Brandon’s Spear of Destiny play at the Capitol back in 1985,I’ve tried my best to see them as much as possible and they never disappoint, I’ve seen them play in venues like the Capitol right down to an upstairs room in a Dundee pub with no more than 20 people including the band, the one constant being Kirk Brandon who never seems to give less than 101% to his performance.

“I’d heard about Westworld Weekend a few years back but never had anyone else who’d commit to a weekend of all things Spear of Destiny/Theatre of Hate to go down with,by strange coincidence one of my friends Steve had also fancied the pilgrimage down to Crewe where it’s been held for over a decade.

“Anyway that was back in 2013 and within minutes of the opening song to their first set Steve and I had made our minds up that we were coming back, just an amazing atmosphere in good company, every year has gotten better and better and I’ve yet to see any trouble there, just rock n roll in its purest”

Steve Watt said:

“There is something about TOH/SOD fans that come here that makes it so special, three years ago me and Roddy were WW virgins, but was taken in by the most wonderful ppl you could meet even before we left the hotel to go to the venue. After the first song a cover of Joy Divisions Transmission, we turned around to each other and said we’re back next year.

“I can’t think of any band, except New Model Army have a near cult following like this, and go camping together, drive from all over the country just to meet up for nights out, even if no bands are involved, yes we do like a party. It doesn’t matter wherever everyone comes from, there is no animosity and everyone looks after everyone else.

“Of course it helps that the music is amazing, and Kirk Brandon does try and mix it up every year, and every year I say that it can’t get any better but it does, this one though will take some beating…”

And Phil Beefy Bergin said:

“All I’ll say about Westworld is it was very emotional spent with wonderful people.”

On a personal note:

I’d firmly planned not to write a Westworld review for several reasons. First, I will now confess that since starting (quite late in the game admittedly) to see Theatre, Spear and Kirk Brandon acoustic shows, I’m a biased convert (and I’ve grown respect and fondness for all concerned). I’d question my own objectivity but for the fact every single attendee and musician who I spoke with thinks that all the bands we saw were strikingly, undeniably on top form.

Whether or not this belongs in Aberdeen Voice may be open to debate, but I’d argue that it’s the passion and devotion of Aberdonian fans like Steve and Roddy that help make Westworld such a unique animal, and which drew me in in the first place. I also wasn’t going to spoil my fun by having to write a review; I can’t now remember the last time I’ve tried to have a holiday without some kind writing project being involved or arising.

However, the fact is this weekend demands to be written about. Not to write about what we experienced in Crewe would be like a UFO spotter watching a volcano explode with spaceships landing without bothering to write about it. So, either skip this little review if it’s not for you or thanks for bearing with me.

More:

You’ll find some Westworld photos, comments and video here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Sod.toh.fans/

Folkgrinder – https://www.facebook.com/folkgrinder?fref=ts

Death Valley Surfers – https://www.facebook.com/DeathValleySurfers?fref=ts

Blink And You Missed It: Trump Consultation On The Quiet

Aberdeenshire, Featured, Opinion 5 Responses »

May 152015

If you hadn’t known there were consultations about Trump’s further plans for the Menie Estate, you were in good company. Few people found out about it in time to meet the deadlines to submit opinions to a pre-planning application lodged by the Trump organisation. Those who asked for information on the proposals which the legal notices offered were treated with less than timely and less than courteous regard. Suzanne Kelly reports.

Donald Trump has always let his presence in Scotland be known.
There was the unprecedented way Holyrood intervened in the Menie Estate carve-up.

There was Trump’s attempts at wind farm derailment, with Trump famously declaring at a Holyrood hearing ‘I am the evidence’ against wind farms.

The man couldn’t fly into Aberdeen Airport without red carpets and escorts (cost to taxpayer for unprecedented police presence c. an estimated £2,000 per visit).

Issues of the local newspapers (presided over by Trump’s Scottish VP Sarah Malone Bates’ husband Damian Bates) normally carried glowing accounts of the course, the food, the allegedly tasteful décor, the concrete fountain at MacLeod House and/or advertisements of some sort.

But when it came to asking the public for their thoughts on going ahead with 850 homes, 1900 leisure units (whatever exactly that means) and a second golf course (with the first one hardly at capacity or even near it), the Trump organisation’s normally insatiable lust for publicity was positively flaccid.

What could have caused this sudden coyness? How were the people who found out about the pre-application consultations treated when they asked for details of the plans? What kind of information was available? Where did Aberdeenshire Council’s planning chiefs stand on the matter?

The legal notices advertising the plans appeared in the Evening Express on Monday 20 April. Unless someone were looking for a 40th birthday classified ad, a used pushbike, or a part time job delivering the Evening Express, chances are the back section of this local paper was not the place they’d turn to find legal notices on the most contentious planning development Scotland has ever seen.

But with Aberdeenshire Council’s blessing (after the fact and possibly before it – this is yet to be determined) two small, discreet advertisements announcing the pre-application consultations appeared in the back of the paper, and went largely unnoticed.

The people who did see these ads learned of the proposed 850 homes, 1900 leisure units and second 18 hole golf course. The ads made an invitation to either attend an open event at MacLeod House, or to obtain further information from Cameron McKenna’s Mr Jamie Hunter by email.

This particular exercise is not to be confused with the actual planning application; it is a small exercise, but an important one.

If there were no objections to the pre-planning application, and only positive comments were submitted, Trump would be able to claim a small but important victory over the opposition. Could it be that the Press & Journal and the Evening Express’ editor (married to Trump’s VP it should be remembered) decided this important news was not newsworthy – to keep the many opponents of the proposals in the dark?

By the time concerned local residents got wind of this pre-application consultation, it was nearly too late to make an objection by 5 May to the 18 hole golf course. But several people intended to do just that. Writing to Jamie Hunter for the ‘further information’ offered, they waited patiently to receive something. And waited.

The Clock Was Ticking

On the afternoon of 4 May, Hunter was sent an email requesting information on both proposals.

It was assumed that since the advertisements promised information would be forthcoming if requested that someone had bothered to prepare at least an outline of the proposals that could have been emailed swiftly and with very little administration needed.

Over 24 hours elapsed since information was requested, but no information or even a holding email arrived.

The Hunter Cornered

When chased on the last day for submissions for the required information in advance of the deadline, Jamie Hunter had enough. He fired off a rather angry email – but no information on the schemes.

His lack of attention to what should have been a simple matter of forwarding information by email became the subject of a complaint and he was one of the addressees on this complaint. Hunter’s answer displays what hardships and strains he was under; it was all just too much for one man to deal with (it would be interesting to learn how many emails and how many people he had to see to determine how arduous his task was).

He replied:

“I note that I was afforded 28 minutes to respond between your first and second emails yesterday.

“I was at that time consulting with the members of the public, residents and community councillors etc who appear to have seen the widespread national and local coverage in March as well as the adverts for the consultations themselves placed in the Aberdeen Journals more than two weeks ago.

“Obviously the purpose of consultation is to garner views from interested parties. The information you seek has in fact been open for consideration at the consultation events.

“The reason the telephone was not answered yesterday (twice within 26 minutes by your own timing) was because I was at the consultation event, as you will have known from the out of office notification. On the basis of your emails I assume you would prefer that I was available to respond to you on a near instantaneous basis rather than discussing the application with interested parties at the event.

“I would be grateful if you could advise which version of the public notice you are referring to which states that there were or would be ‘information packs’, given that so many of your requests for rejection etc are apparently dependent upon their existence. We are planning to send copies of the display boards from each of the events by .pdf as a copy has today been requested by one of the community councils.”

Happily for Hunter, if not so for the would-be commenters on the course, the 5th was a bank holiday, making the deadline somewhat ambiguous, and making it imperative to get something in.

Hunter’s position seems to be that because the information was at the consultation events then there was no need to comply with the ad’s offers to send information as well. Not everyone would have been able to make their way to Menie. Furthermore, one attendee at the event asked for written information, to be told words to the effect ‘there are no information packs per se’. So, not many points awarded for information sharing on this exercise.

As to Hunter’s conclusion that a ‘near instantaneous basis’ for response was being irrationally made, I think he’d find that in other arenas not answering emails within a day when a deadline was involved would be considered rather unprofessional; perhaps things are a bit more laid back at his firm Cameron McKenna.

Cameron McKenna were asked to comment on Hunter’s email; no response has yet been received. One will be sought, allowing of course a generous lapse of time so as not to pressurise any sensitive souls in the legal profession.

The response to Hunter reads in part:

“You were allowed a day to answer a simple email. My emails did not even get the courtesy of a holding email in return, and with your firm not answering its phone, with a deadline looming,

“I am interested learn that your phones go unanswered by anyone else and don’t go to voicemail or an answering system of some sort if you are unavailable. This still does not explain the gap in replying to my email of at least one business day while the deadline approached.

“I am sorry if you are confused by my choice of language in requesting information from you; I assumed that as the legal notices attached advise readers to email you for information, that some form of briefing note/information pack/document/dossier/report had been created with the details of the planning applications in question, perhaps reflecting the public exhibition.

“People have advised they attended the public exhibition and requested information in a paper format, only to be told that ‘no information packs were available per se’ – that is the genesis of my use of the expression ‘information pack’. I am sorry you were unable to deduce that I was after the ‘further’ information the legal notice told me I could obtain by emailing you.

“I certainly hope that some form of information briefing note was created for the public – whatever you may wish to call it. Had I and at least one other person who emailed you (who likewise did not have a response from you) had such a document, then we would have been able to give detailed representations about the proposed development before the deadlines expired.

“It is also unfortunate, in the eyes of the person who attended the exhibition that they could not take away any form of information to digest the proposals in depth and over time.

“As the notices give virtually no specifics of the proposals, I would have thought being prepared with at least a general document/information pack/whatever pleases you to call it would have been a given, basic, common sense approach to adopt.

“Perhaps someone can explain whether or not there is a legal requirement to supply information when a legal notice tells me information will be available?

“I am interested in how this consultation was managed by your firm. Are you saying you were the sole person responsible for answering any emails, letters and the only person at the consultation to talk to the public? Again, I would have still expected an answer before now to my email of (even allowing for the bank holiday). Were you greatly deluged with correspondence to answer?

“Some organisations have assistants helping to answer phones, emails and letters; and some organisations use laptop computers so that people working on location have access to their emails. Some institutions also use voicemail, answering machines, or supply a general phone number to call rather than the extension of a person as obviously busy as you must be.

“As to the notices’ claim that ‘written comments on the proposals are welcome’, this certainly seems at odds with my experience in receiving any reply, any useful information, or indeed a respectful reply as to the failure to supply information in a timely manner.”

Another opponent wrote Hunter a holistic email, which read in part:

“I am sorry that I missed the small notice in the Evening Express on 20 April 2015, and therefore did not attend the public exhibition. Perhaps it was your intention that most people would be unaware? The Evening Express has a very small circulation in this area. Why was there no mention on the Trump International Golf Links page on Facebook, or in the Press and Journal which is much more widely read?

“When considering an planning application Aberdeenshire Council Planners do not normally allow reference to any other application. In this case, however, I do think cognisance should be taken of the performance of the Trump organisation with regard to the existing course.

“Accounts lodged at Companies House detail the Trump resort losing £1.82 million for 2013, following a loss of £1.75 million for 2012. Reservations for rounds of golf are low. There is therefore no evidence of demand for a second golf course, the present one being underused. The golf course has not in any way delivered the promised jobs.” (Ms. M Murray)

It’s Not Over Until It’s Over

The deadline came and went. Don’t let that be the end of it. Anyone who feels they would like to have commented one way or the other should go ahead and do so anyway (or so I feel), writing to Jamie Hunter at Jamie.Hunter@cms-cmck.com; their local councillors (see www.writetothem.org ) and perhaps copying Aberdeenshire (try Elaine.brown@aberdeenshire.gov.uk ).

Tell them whether or not you feel this was a robust, transparent exercise. Tell them that you will be keeping an eye open for the actual planning application, and that you want to make a representation then.

The existing first golf course hardly delivering what it promised to do in terms of jobs or tourism. Trump is so adamantly against wind farms that he threatens to pull the plug on the development; this shows him to be rather less than constant. Furthermore, there is a case to be made that not all Trump developments the world over get completed as originally planned. Therefore does it really make sense to continue to destroy countryside for this project?

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Aberdeen 0 Celtic 1 – Pittodrie Stadium 10.05.15

Opinion, Sport No Responses »

May 112015

Aberdeen hoped for a consolation win over league champions Celtic but fell short, says Voice reporter Andrew Watson.

Spitting rain threatened to unfurl in the skies above Pittodrie, but thankfully held back. In fact a dull day soon turned into uncharacteristic Scottish sunshine.

Aberdeen were sportsmanlike enough to give the Hoops a guard of honour before the game for securing the championship, though went all out with their rivals during the game to discard the conduct of gentlemen in favour of gamesmanship.

Some would argue that the Parkhead men were dirty, and abetted by an official secretly donning Celtic’s colours under his garb of referee.

The Dons started strong, though one of their best efforts, through ex-Celt Barry Robson, went just wide. His next effort was closer, though straight at the keeper.

Although it took Celtic awhile to establish themselves, thereafter they cottoned onto Aberdeen’s methods and moved to nullify them.

After the break, Celtic made a point to rectify their slow start in the first half. Slackness from Robson gave opportunity for the men in green and white to exploit.

0-1 (Scott Brown) after 49 minutes.

56 minutes into the game, striker David Goodwillie came on the pitch replacing Adam Rooney. Thirteen minutes later, Robson came off replaced by Peter Pawlett.

Niall McGinn had good chances to equalise on a few occasions. He would have been on top of his game conversion-wise if he’d been playing rugby, though.

At the other end of the pitch keeper Scott Brown kept the Reds in the game at least two or three times with some spectacular saves.

Three minutes before the death Lawrence Shankland came on for Ryan Jack. Five agonising minutes of injury time were added to those tense, sometimes bad tempered, 90 minutes.

The latter substitute came close to goal with a diving header via a cross from Jonny Hayes.

In conclusion, Aberdeen frequently tried the Celtic back four though the latter formed a curtain meaning their keeper was rarely tested. Consolidation or improvement will only come if Aberdeen figure out how to take points from Celtic next season.

Final score: 0-1.

Pro-Rail Councillors Urge Consultation Response

Aberdeenshire, Opinion No Responses »

May 072015

With thanks to Martin Ford.

Democratic Independent and Green Aberdeenshire councillors are urging residents to respond to a North East of Scotland Transport Partnership (Nestrans) consultation survey on transport options between Fraserburgh, Peterhead and Aberdeen.

Councillors Paul Johnston and Martin Ford see the Nestrans survey as a potentially important source of information that could strengthen the case for re-opening the rail line from Dyce to Ellon or beyond.

The survey asks a range of questions on roads, bus services, cycling and walking, but also specifically on reinstating a rail service.

The Nestrans study follows backing from Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee, including Green councillor Martin Ford, for an investigation into the feasibility of restoring a modern rail link to the ‘Buchan area’.

Cllr Martin Ford said:

“This Nestrans survey on transport between Fraserburgh, Peterhead and Aberdeen is well timed, given the increasing support for including rail re-opening to Ellon in the proposed Aberdeen City Region Deal.

“There is no doubt we need better public transport to cut road congestion and the emissions that are causing climate change.

“Reinstating rail services on part of the Formartine & Buchan line does look a potentially achievable option that would undoubtedly bring considerable benefits.”

Democratic Independent councillor Paul Johnston said:

“I urge residents to take part in the Nestrans survey – and if they support re-opening the rail line to Ellon or beyond, to say so in their response.

“It’s also important to start thinking about what intermediate stations would be needed, for example Udny Station and Newmachar, to serve the population along the route.”

Another decision to be made about a possible re-opening is whether the line be reinstated past Ellon. Peterhead is the largest town beyond Ellon, but the direct route to Peterhead – the former Boddam branch – is blocked by development over the alignment. The route to Peterhead via Maud (currently part of the Formatine & Buchan Way) is probably too circuitous to compete with road transport.

“The 14 miles from Dyce to Ellon are, I believe, the most likely prospect for a rail re-opening scheme with a favourable cost:benefit ratio,” said Cllr Martin Ford.

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