Opinion Archives - Page 49 of 136

Paul Rodgers, Deborah Bonham. Royal Albert Hall Show for Willows

Nov 212014

Paul Rodgers. Deborah Bonham. The Royal Albert Hall. Add in a Scottish animal shelter and the result was an unforgettable night of music, all to raise funds and awareness for Willows Animal Sanctuary. Suzanne Kelly caught the show and caught up with the generous people who made it happen.

Paul Rodgers and his wife Cynthia Kereluk Rodgers visited Willows a few years back, and became generous, hands-on patrons, who got to know the staff and the animals. Their hard work over the years has helped to make Willows’ future more secure. A horse-mad animal lover, rock and blues singer Deborah Bonham has also joined the Willows cause.

Her husband Peter Bullick, their band and their families likewise have come to Willows’ aid these past few years.

The artists involved are serious life-long animal lovers, directly involved in rescuing animals.

Paul Rodgers said:

“Such a unique charity that combines helping vulnerable people, with their Assisted Therapy Program, plus Willows employs four such people as well as provides a sanctuary before heaven for unwanted, abused, old and handicapped animals. Aiding people and animals is a win, win situation.

“As Patrons both Cynthia and myself are keen to support Willows to help them continue the amazing work they do in the community for mankind and animal kind.”

The generosity of all concerned reached a remarkable climax at the Royal Albert Hall on the 3rd of November: Paul and Cynthia organised a concert to benefit Willows. All profits are going to Willows; everyone who was at this show had a night of music which will not soon be forgotten.

Deborah Bonham commented:

“It was such an honour to be asked by Paul Rodgers and his beautiful wife Cynthia Kereluc Rodgers to appear at the Royal Albert Hall to help raise funds for Willows Animal Sanctuary and Assisted Animal Therapy. It was such an incredible night and one that I won’t forget. Willows is a charity close to my heart and to know that we have raised the much needed funds for them to survive the winter is fantastic. The work they do with animals and vulnerable people is inspirational, I’m so pleased I was able to help and be a part of it all.”

Deborah opened the show accompanied by keyboard artist Gerard Lewis. This was a new arrangement for the band, which normally features Peter Bullick on (blistering) guitars and mandolin; keyboard player Gerard Louis; on bass Ian Rowley; and the awesome Frank Benbini of the Fun Lovin’ Criminals, filling in for regular drummer Rich Newman.

It would have been nice to hear the full line up at the RAH, but as it was, the arrangement of Deborah with Gerard showcased her voice in a way that really filled the hall to great effect. Her powerful lyrics and vocals reach some astonishing emotional highs and lows and were superb on the night.

Long-time follower Lorraine Adams Robertson attended with husband Michael. She said:

“Deborah was brilliant! … and G too her keyboard player… her singing gives me goose bumps as always, and her voice makes me cry with emotion.”

The strangers I sat next to volunteered how much they enjoyed her. I explained that she usually performs with a band: they are determined to go and see her, and pick up Spirit, the latest album.

Deborah’s set included a wide variety of her songs spanning several albums – Love You So, What We Got, Hold On, Grace, Duchess (sassy), I Need Love (haunting, passionate) and Stay With Me Baby. Her voice is what the Royal Albert Hall is designed for. [Note – Deborah is currently recovering from an illness; best wishes for a speedy, complete recovery].

More information on albums and tours for the Deborah Bonham Band here http://www.deborahbonham.com/ .

Paul Rodgers has a career like no one else’s. His iconic work with Free, Bad Company and The Firm are not the full extent of his interests and talents.

The new Royal Sessions work showcases Rodgers’ powerful voice in traditional blues classics which he sings, accompanied by some of the world’s greatest blues musicians. He has gone back to the music that inspired him from the beginning, and paid it a stunning tribute. On his Facebook Page Paul wrote:

“I forget how good these guys and gals are until I play with them again. Rehearsals were fantabulous, even if there isn’t such a word. We are all here in London and are ready to rock and soul.”

The crowds were going wild for it. A favourite with fans, ‘Walk in My Shadow’ was astonishing with such a backing band behind it, and it was a pleasure to be there to hear it live.

Blues staple ‘The Hunter’ was powerful; an interesting arrangement of ‘Walk On By’ was thrilling, and ‘Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love’ had us all in the aisles singing along. ‘I Can’t Stand The Rain’ was another standout: Rodgers was to record that for Jools Holland a day or so later. The track can be found here http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/records/nzq2fj.

More on the landmark Royal Sessions album can be found here http://paulrodgers.com/release/the-royal-sessions/ .

Willows supporters and staff are hugely grateful to the artists and producer (and MC and guitarist) Perry Margouleff who helped to make this show a reality.

Jenny Gray of Willows said

“Willows would like to send enormous thanks to our amazing Patrons Paul Rodgers and his wife Cynthia Kereluk Rodgers for their amazing support and generosity. Huge thanks to Deborah Bonham and Peter Bullick for helping make it a truly amazing night. These people have done so much to help Willows through a challenging time, they are genuine animal lovers and truly care about Willows. Thanks to all friends and family that helped on the night too. This fundraiser will really help the winter feed appeal.”

The funds raised from this night of wonderful music will certainly help Willows, but the charity needs to be able to rely on steady donations large and small in order to budget adequately. Times are tough for everyone; they are very tough for animals. Pets are being abandoned at an alarming rate; horses and ponies too are being neglected and left without food and water.

Without charities like Willows, North East Scotland’s largest animal charity and a centre for animal-assisted therapy which helps many people, young and old (six of Willows employees are vulnerable people), the outlook is bleak.

If you missed the concert, but want a chance at winning some great prizes, here is your chance

Sign up to become ‘A Friend of Willows’ Help make a difference now!

If you sign on to become a ‘Friend of Willows’, at just £1 (2 US dollars) per week, by November 30, 2014 you are eligible to win:

Autographed Bad Company Guitar

Paul Rodgers Autographed Set List from The Royal Albert Hall Concert

Deborah Bonham Autographed Set List (from the Concert)

Paul Rodgers Autographed Royal Sessions LP or Cash Prizes

After careful thought, and with the help of all our supporters (and it will only work with your help) we hope we have found a way to get Willows a regular income. What we are hoping is that every ‘Friend’ who signs up for a minimum donation of £1 (2 US dollars) a week asks two other people to sign up too. It would quickly make a chain of regular donors, with each ‘Friend of Willows’ donating only a very small amount each month, the cost of a magazine or a coffee.

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Labour Must Come Clean Over Trident

Articles, Opinion 1 Response »

Nov 212014

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

SNP MSP Christian Allard has said Scottish Labour must come clean over Trident after Scottish Labour’s Neil Findlay MSP claimed that his party would not toe the Westminster line on the issue under his leadership.

Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme, Mr Findlay claimed that there was no issue with different parts of the UK Labour party having different policy positions – and claimed that the Labour Party in Scotland had opposed the renewal of Trident ‘for some time’.

On 6th August 2014, Neil Findlay and Labour voted against a Scottish Parliamentary motion calling for the calling for the ‘speediest safe withdrawal of nuclear weapons’, and failed to propose any amendment.

At SNP Conference this weekend, SNP Leader Nicola Sturgeon said that any Labour Westminster Government that had to depend on SNP votes would have to “think again” about putting a new generation of nuclear weapons in Scottish waters.

Commenting, North East MSP Christian Allard said:

“Neil Findlay’s latest remarks are yet another example of shambolic to-ing and fro-ing from the Labour ‘branch office’ in attempt to redress their continued free-fall in the polls.

“Mr Findlay voted against a Parliamentary motion supporting the ‘speediest safe withdrawal of nuclear weapons’ before the referendum, and is now trying to pull the wool over people’s eyes by saying ‘it’s already Labour Party policy in Scotland to oppose the renewal of Trident.’

“Yet Mr Findlay’s colleagues, including Jim Murphy, have spoken against the party becoming unilateralist and getting rid of Trident – Labour must come clean on their position.

“Both Holyrood and London Labour have toed the Westminster line and voted for renewal time and again.

“By contrast, as Nicola Sturgeon pointed out at SNP conference, a Westminster Labour Government forced to rely on SNP votes would have to think again on Trident renewal.”

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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.]

VisitAberdeen To Promote City To Global Buyers In Barcelona

Aberdeen City, Opinion No Responses »

Nov 212014

With thanks to Eoin Smith.

Jenni Fraser, Business Development Manager

VisitAberdeen is representing the Granite City at European Incentive Business Travel and Meetings (EIBTM) expo, in Barcelona. The three day annual conference takes place between 18 and 20 November, and is an opportunity for Aberdeen to increase its share of the business tourism market.

Aberdeen will be showcased as a buoyant business travel destination to over 9000 global industry buyers in the meetings and events industry looking for cities suitable to host their events.

Jenni Fraser, Business Development Manager and Andrew Pratt, Business Tourism Executive of VisitAberdeen will be networking with decision makers and organisers of business travel to explain why they should make Aberdeen their choice of destination.

Jenni says:

“The quality of the 9000 buyers attending EIBTM and the decision making authority they hold is what marks this event out from other business travel industry expos. I will be selling Aberdeen at a number of pre-scheduled appointments with leading buyers and at networking events.”

As the oil and gas capital of Europe, Aberdeen has a strong pedigree in delivering meetings and events and with inbound international business tourism on the rise, Aberdeen will play a central role in attracting further economic benefits. In 2013, international business tourists to Scotland spent £296.6 million during their visits, which represents a 20.9% rise on the previous year.

By attending the EIBTM expo, Jenni Fraser and Andrew Pratt, ensure that Aberdeen remains at the forefront of influential buyers’ minds.

In addition to increasing expenditure, there is also a rise in the number of incoming business trips: up 5.3 % on last year and a growth of 6.6% in total number of nights spent in Scotland during business trips.

Jenni says:

“People attending business meetings and events in Scotland are increasingly enhancing their stay by experiencing the culture that their host cities have to offer.

“This opens up opportunities for local leisure providers to capitalise on the disposable income business travel visitors are willing to spend. Aberdeen is a city which has the support services to make a business trip a diverse experience, with award winning restaurants and cocktail bars, historic Old Aberdeen and bespoke outdoor activities in conjunction with the capacity to hold large and intimate scale events.

“Aberdeen is widely accessible to the international community due to the long established routes to key European hub airports in Frankfurt, Heathrow, Amsterdam and London therefore it is easy and convenient to reach Aberdeen from across the globe.

“With the new four star Village Urban Resort, opening this December, along with seven more brand new hotels there is rising room capacity and choice in the city which will be central in sustaining Aberdeen as a top business travel and meetings destination.”

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Dons v Buckie: Rare 1907 Football Poster Discovered

Aberdeen City, Featured, Sport No Responses »

Nov 212014

With thanks to David Innes.

Buckie Thistle and the AFC Heritage Trust today announced the rediscovery and restoration of a very rare football poster from 1907.

The poster was used in December of that year to advertise the Aberdeenshire Cup fixture to be played at Pittodrie Park between the two clubs.

The poster was tucked away at Victoria Park in recent years until it was brought to the attention of the AFC Heritage Trust who approached Buckie and undertook to have the poster, which was not in great condition, restored.

It is believed that the design of the poster was produced by famous London artist Frank Dadd, still well known for his many classic advertising posters and in particular for many from the First World War.

It was printed by Petty & Sons of Leeds and Reading, now a part of the Polestar-Petty Group.

The work of renewal was painstakingly carried out by the Scottish Conservation Studio near Edinburgh. This involved bathing the poster in special fluids to remove acids and stains that had accumulated over the years.

Many small pieces of the poster had to be captured during this process and carefully placed – in jigsaw puzzle style – in their positions on the poster as it was reassembled in one piece. The final stage was to mount the restored poster in an acid free mount ready for framing.

Framing was completed in Aberdeen and the poster is now protected behind an acid free, anti-ultra violet, acrylic pane.

For the time being the original poster will be displayed in the Black and Gold Lounge at Pittodrie where it will sit alongside other material from the early 1900s period. Eventually, because of the need to keep this important object in the correct atmospheric conditions it is hoped that the original will be put in the care of a specialist Gallery that has the appropriate storage conditions and a facsimile print will be displayed in its place.

Buckie Thistle will also have one of these limited edition prints and a limited number of A3 size prints will be offered through the AFC Club Shop for sale to help recover the costs of restoration and preservation.

A spokesman for AFC Heritage said:

“This has been a lengthy process and we are grateful to Buckie Thistle for allowing the poster to come back into the public gaze. We have been told by experts at the Scottish Football Museum at Hampden Park that this is a very rare and unusual item and that they have not seen one before. Perhaps now that we have publicised the piece someone will be able to tell us otherwise, we’d certainly be glad to have more information.”

For Buckie Thistle, Chairman Garry Farquhar observed

“It is a great thing to see such an unusual piece of football history returned to life more than 100 years after it first saw the light of day. We are delighted to work hand in hand with the AFC Heritage Trust on this and look forward to an ongoing partnership whilst a small range of merchandise is produced around the image to help both the Trust and ourselves.

“We hope that fans of both clubs will get enjoyment from the poster and perhaps owning a beautifully produced copy.”

Footnote: The tie, which was played off on Saturday 14th December 1907, ended in a 3-0 win for the Black and Golds’ Reserve team. The match kicked-off at the unusual time of 2:20 p.m. to allow it to be played in daylight.

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A Hieroglyph Too Far

Articles, Featured, Opinion No Responses »

Nov 212014

By Duncan Harley

In a remarkable interview, Philae comments on the success of the Rosetta mission to 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimrnko

We had arranged to meet in downtown Aberdeen in the March of 2004 but events moved fast and furious after fridge size robot Philae took off on a ten year mission atop the Rosetta spacecraft.

In the November of 2014 we finally met on the day after the landing.

Although initially Philae was uncharacteristically upbeat about the mission, the tone changed at the mention of mission gain.

“Congratulations on a successful mission. Folk on earth are dying to hear more about the sacrifice and endeavour which has led to this achievement. Tell me, in your own words, the story of the Rosetta mission from day one to the present day.

Beep. Yes, we took off ten years ago with the intention of answering some of the questions about comets. Rosetta is a spacecraft on a ten-year mission to catch the comet “67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko” (C-G). Rosetta will be the first spacecraft to soft-land a robot on a comet and also the first spacecraft to accompany a comet as it enters the inner solar system.

Folk on earth will be wondering about the mission’s backers. In particular, who funds the Rosetta Programme?

Beep. Yes, this daring international mission was spearheaded by the European Space Agency (ESA), with key support and instruments from NASA. NASA also contributed three of the orbiter’s instruments (ALICE, MIRO, and IES) and part of the electronics package for the Double Focusing Mass Spectrometer – one of two detectors on the Swiss ROSINA instrument. NASA is also providing science investigators for selected non-U.S. instruments. In all, NASA is involved to a greater or lesser degree in Alice, MIRO, IES, OSIRIS, Radio Science, ROSINA, and VIRTIS experiments. NASA’s Deep Space Network provides support for ESA’s Ground Station Network for spacecraft tracking and navigation.

That’s confounding, thank you. Folk on earth will be keen to hear more about why the name Rosetta became the mission programme name.

Beep. Yes, the Rosetta spacecraft is named after the ancient Rosetta Stone that you can visit today in London’s British Museum. The Philae lander is named after the Philae Obelisk which, together with the Rosetta Stone, provides the key to our understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphs. Scientists hope that the Rosetta spacecraft will enable us to translate the even older language of comets, as expressed by their thermal signatures, into new knowledge about the origins of our solar system and, perhaps, life on Earth. Comets are probably as old as time, whatever that is.

Our listeners will probably already know that. Do you have any more astounding facts?

Beep. Yes it turns out that 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is made of ice.

But surely folk on earth knew that already? How much did this mission cost?

Beep. Beep, Bee……ppppp……………pp……………………p…..”

More about comets can be found for free at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet

At certain times of year, you are likely to see a great number of meteors in the night sky. These events are called meteor showers and they occur when the Earth passes through the trail of debris left by a comet as it orbits the Sun.

These showers are given names based on the constellation present in the sky from which they appear to originate. For example, the Leonid Meteor Shower, or Leonids, appear to originate in the constellation Leo.

It is important to understand that the meteoroids (and therefore the meteors) do not really originate from the constellations or any of the stars in the constellations, however. They just seem to come from that part of the sky because of the way the Earth encounters the particles moving in the path of the comet’s orbit. Associating the shower name with the region of the sky they seem to come from just helps astronomers know where to look!

In far off 1957 Perry Como had a take on it at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t_PDU5RmBw

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City Date For Scots/US Jazz Duo

Articles, Opinion No Responses »

Nov 172014

By Rob Adams.

Scottish Saxophonist Laura Macdonald and New York pianist David Berkman mark the release of their new Duets album with a EFG London Jazz Festival launch and a series of Scottish gigs including the Blue Lamp in Aberdeen on Thursday, November 20.

The two musicians, who have worked together in various line-ups since appearing in a band Macdonald formed for an Edinburgh Jazz Festival concert a few years ago, first played as a duo when they were asked to fill an hour’s slot in the festival’s programme at five minutes’ notice.

They had more preparation this time and exchanged emails with ideas and suggestions until they settled on a selection of romantic standards, including It Could Happen to You and My Romance.

The album was recorded, with trumpeter Ryan Quigley producing, at Gorbals Sound in Glasgow, where the studio engineers, who are used to rock musicians working at a more leisurely pace, were surprised that Macdonald and Berkman could record an album in one day.

“We spent some time sorting out microphone positions,” says Macdonald.

“Once we started playing, though, it was like we were playing to an audience. The guys in the studio were amazed. But that was definitely the way to work for us because things happened spontaneously in the music – the sort of things that normally happen on a gig and disappear into the ether – and we were able to capture them. We had a break between tunes but they were all recorded in one take.”

Macdonald has previously released two albums of her own and one with the group she co-leads with Swedish drummer Martina Almgren as well as working extensively with the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, saxophonist Donny McAslin and drummer Tom Bancroft.

She hopes that the new album will lead to further performances with Berkman, possibly involving a trip to the U.S. to play on his home territory.

“I always enjoy working with David,” she says.

“He has this great sense of jazz history in his playing, having worked with so many people including Sonny Stitt and Tom Harrell, and like me, he likes to know what a song is about before he plays it. The standards on the album have all been played so many times before but working with someone like David you hear new ways of playing them every time.”

Bi Gled O The Rain

Creative Writing, Opinion No Responses »

Nov 142014

By Bob Smith.

A hiv noo ti confess masel’
A’ve cursed fin it dis rain
Canna git on the gowf course
Greens flooded eence again

Bit hae a wee bit think fowks
If we didna hae the rain
Kwintraside aa leukin gizzent
Baith here an in Dunblane

Nae watter rinnin doon the hills
An inti oor rivers tumblin
The fairmers tryin ti growe craps
Wid fair hae cause fer grumblin

Nae greenery in hills or glens
Trees stuntit in their growth
Nae watter ti the distilleries
Noo aat wid raise an oath

Fin yer plowt’rin throwe the dubs
An aa the rainfa it is measur’t
Jist myn withoot the rain
We’d be like the Gobi desert

Gweed Lord lit the rain doon faa
On golden locks an baldy heids
Ca cannie wi hivvens’s watterin can
Jist aneuch fer aa oor needs.

©Bob Smith “The Poetry Mannie” 2012
Image Credit: SKY MOUNTAIN 1 © Alexandru Mitrea | Dreamstime.com

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Graffiti moments No 46 – The Birlinn Wall

Articles, Featured, Opinion No Responses »

Nov 142014

In yet another of the controversial 52 part series Duncan Harley and Janice Catto take cognisance of the political comments on a wall near you.

It’s more than 25 years since the story of Leith was painted larger than life itself on the gable end of a tenement on North Junction Street.

Now partly hidden behind a bush the wall art, penned by Tim Chalk, Paul Grime and David Wilkinson, went up at about the same time as the Berlin Wall came down.

At a time when the once prosperous town of Leith was at its lowest ebb, the Scottish Development Agency found some cash to fund a three-story high mural capturing the pivotal moments in Leith’s living memory.

Part of an economic re-generation programme, this gable end art piece was the culmination of a series of minor artwork programmes intended to take Leith to new artistic heights.

Tim Chalk recently told the media that:

“It was very much the fact that Leith was going through this huge change. It had been a thriving prosperous place right through the Nineteenth Century and into the Twenties and by the time this mural was painted in 1986 it was in a really depressed state.”

Tim described the people of 1980s Leith as having a “bruised pride” as a result of the “run down” condition of the area and the questions that it presented for the future.

“There was the inevitable anxiety that the whole process was going to be a gentrification and all the original Leithers were going to be edged out and obviously there has been an element of that but I think people were looking at similar things that were happing in other parts of the country and there were a lot of understandable anxieties.”

“It was at a time when there was a strong mural movement in the country and there were a lot of us who saw murals as serving the same purpose. We wanted to produce works of art that were in public places that gave a voice to people and told their story rather than rarefied images in galleries which were purely personal views.

“The idea was to get as many voices as possible from Leith speaking through the mural.”

Now twinned with Rio de Janeiro and with the Royal Yacht Britannia hidden behind a bland shopping centre, Leith is not what it was yet again.

Mind you, neither is the faded gable end mural at the end of North Junction Street.

When we asked the staff of Leith Library about the gable end mural we wrote the following:

“In a surprise urban move, Leith library service gets asked about the 80ft by 140ft graphic on the gable end of the building on the road outside the main door.
– so what’s that wall all about?
– que?
– There is an 80ft by 140ft graphic portraying workers and shipbuilding and theatre painted on to the wall outside your door. Can you please tell me about it?
– que?

– There is an 80ft by 140ft graphic portraying workers and shipbuilding and theatre painted on to the wall outside your door. Can you please tell me about it?
– que?
– It’s huge, in fact there it is just outside your window, look at the big red flag.
– Let me ask a colleague please.

– Can I help you please?
– There is an 80ft by 140ft graphic portraying workers and shipbuilding and theatre painted on to the wall outside your door. Can you please tell me about it?
– we get asked that often. I suppose we should know.

– As a library service?
– Yes, that as well.

– Let me ask a colleague please?

– So what’s that 80ft by 140ft graphic portraying workers and shipbuilding and theatre painted on to the wall outside your door, Jesus wept.

– Maybe we can Google it.

– It’s just outside.
– Where?
– Your window.
– Erm. Where?
– Over there.

– Helen, can you help?
– Can I help with what, who are all those people?
– It’s just outside, it has a red flag and some images of workers plus some big trees. What the fuck is wrong with you people?

(Stage left … head proud Library assistants remain engrossed in Google. Whatever happened to common sense?)”

Should you be inspired to try your hand at wall art, an instructional video by Northern Exposure can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeYR0vKNspQ

Next time we will be checking out the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Aberdeen Voice does not condone the painting of buildings without the express permission of all relevant authorities. 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. There are no figures of speech intended and no animals were exploited in the writing of this piece.

Just saying you understand …

Yours contritely, Duncan Harley and Janice Catto.

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We Need To Talk About the Police 5: Women

Articles, Featured, Opinion No Responses »

Nov 142014

“They didn’t value my mum’s life and they certainly didn’t value my sister’s life. Ultimately, they’re dead. I will never, ever heal. Ever.”
– Stacey Banner to the BBC, on murders committed by John Lowe. Police returned guns to him despite his threat to ‘blow off’ Stacey Banner’s head.

The police certainly have problems. Previous articles in this series have looked at the issues of institutionalised racism, guns and how our rights are being chipped away, little by little. With all the powers of surveillance at their disposal, police surely are able to determine when people are in potential danger. How are the 21st century UK police treating women? Suzanne Kelly reports.

Christine Lee and her daughter Lucy are dead. Like so many murdered women, they knew their killer. It was 82-year-old puppy farmer John Lowe, who was husband and stepfather to them.

Surrey Police had confiscated guns from 82-year-old John Lowe when he threatened to kill his stepdaughter and his wife.

The guns were returned some eight weeks later. The women are dead. The police are sorry.

There will be the usual inquiry; the usual wrists have been slapped. The women could still be alive, like so many other women who turn to the police, only to be let down again and again.

Domestic Violence:

Women who come forward to report abuse, or the threat of violence, are still being dismissed by the police. The old, outdated notion of dismissing marital violence as ‘just a domestic’ seems to be alive and well, as the murders committed by John Lowe attest.

The police launched a visible offensive against domestic abusers in February this year. One has to hope that the partners were warned in advance; but if so, surely that would have caused anxiety. If the victims of abuse were not warned in advance of their partner’s arrests, the consequences could be very serious: in domestic abuse the pattern is to blame the wife/partner for everything that goes wrong.

One can only hope the women were and are being given all the help and support they need. Otherwise, this particular exercise seems like a headline grabber with potentially lethal consequences.

Sexual Assault and Rape:

One in five women aged 16-59 has experienced some form of sexual violence since the age of 16 according to Rape Crisis.

This is a statistic which should shock the government and police into action. Victims of rape and other violence are often afraid to come forward, and the way they are sometimes treated when they do leaves much to be desired.

In a famous interview Ken Clark in 2011 spoke with an extremely brave woman who reported an attempted rape, endured examinations, court battles, hours spent with police and legal teams. Her attacker, a repeat offender, spent about a year and a half in custody.

More recently, UKIP member and donor Demetri Marchessini said women cannot be raped by their husbands.

It’s sometimes hard to believe that it’s 2014 when we look at how rape victims are treated. The news last week carried the story of Eleanor de Frietas. This vulnerable woman went to the police with a tale of being drug raped. What happened subsequently led to her suicide.

The police had no grounds for thinking she was lying, but when the alleged rapist took her to court in a private action for £200,000, the Crown Prosecution Service decided to go after her as well. Unable to stand the ordeal, she took her own life.

When the Police are the Perpetrators:

Women are being abused by serving officers. An online resource lists various police officers in the UK and the vast array of charges levelled against them, which include rape, sex with a vulnerable woman, and child abuse.

Then there is the case of Ryan Reid, 27, a special constable who used his position to illegally search police files for information about women he was veritably stalking; he sent naked photos and sexual messages to half a dozen women. According to the Daily Mail:

“Reid, of Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire, who was stationed at Carluke Police Office, pleaded guilty to seven charges involving five women … one of his victims was just 15 when he began contacting her…. He admitted two charges of stalking women, three under the Communications Act and one under the Sexual Offenses Act…he also pleaded guilty to an offence under the Data Protection Act that he did ‘knowingly or recklessly and without the consent of the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Scotland obtain and disclose personal data by repeatedly accessing various police systems with no operational reason for doing so.’”

Reid apparently made a social media comment that when men in the forces drop their trousers they are in trouble, when women do so, it is promotion. Is sexism as rife as racism is within the forces? Is this case the tip of the iceberg, indicating institutionalised misogyny? You could be forgiven for thinking so.

This may well explain the number of women who, despite making numerous pleas to the police, are attacked, sometimes fatally, by persistent stalkers. Three years ago a Guardian article pointed out the dismal failure of the police and courts to protect vulnerable women:

“Two-thirds of victims said the police and Crown Prosecution Service did not take their complaints seriously enough, with offenders not being charged in nearly nine out of ten alleged cases.

“The survey of 140 victims was conducted by the charity Protection Against Stalking (PAS), which found “low level” stalking offences were dealt with too leniently and could escalate into more serious offences, including murder.

“The majority of victims are women. One told how the criminal justice system had failed her:

“The police told me to switch my phone off and ignore him. They said nothing could be done. I showed them dozens of texts and they were not really interested. They said nothing could be done unless he actually tried to hurt me.”

“Another victim said:

“Being abandoned by the police while being stalked only adds to the fear and distress of what is already a terrifying situation.””
http://www.theguardian.com/law/2011/nov/13/stalking-not-taken-seriously

Ryan Reid may have been found guilty of data access and sexual crimes. But what can a Police Scotland officer expect if accused of illegally accessing data on an ex-partner? As reported in the Evening Express, Police Scotland’s DC Duthie has astonishingly been cleared of any wrong doing when his ex’s personal data was accessed by someone within the police.

“DC Duthie, whose address was given in court papers as care of Police Scotland [note – I doubt a member of the public would be allowed to give their work address to the court – SK], had denied accessing the secure information himself.

“He accepted that the files were viewed on February 27 and April 2, 2012 using his unique username and password but said someone else must have used a computer he was logged on to. But today he was found not guilty of the charges.”

Who else would have wanted to look at the data in question? If someone other than Duthie had an interest in this matter, how did they manage to get Duthie’s personal login information? Why hasn’t the person who accessed this information come forward? Have the police identified who it was, and if so, why is no prosecution forthcoming?

This may seem like a case of one man snooping into his ex-partner’s affairs without due cause. What the court decision has done however has set an extremely dangerous precedent: police officers can now access any data they want, and claim that the unique password and login must have been used by an unknown police operative, who will not be sought.

This tiny decision gives the police legal sanction to do whatever they want with our data. It may have passed unnoticed by the mainstream news, but this is a potentially dangerous legal precedent.

WPCs:

It should be noted that women don’t always fare well inside the police forces, either. Unequal pay, discrimination and sexual harassment are all realities. The Scotsman reported in April this year that women in the force are not getting equal promotion opportunities.

Being a domestic abuser is not a barrier to re-joining the force, either.

However, there are a growing number of women in the force. Perhaps positive, real change is within reach.

But as a Guardian investigation found, there is sexism and bias against women making claims of sexual assault against police officers.

Summing up:

Women are being ignored at best, and attacked at worst, by the people paid to protect them. Rape victims are victimised, domestic violence is often downplayed, and stalking victims are routinely brushed off. The recent cases mentioned are only the tip of the iceberg, and the kinds of problems women face also include trafficking and forced marriage, among other issues.

No doubt there will be some kind of investigations into the senseless deaths of Christine and Lucy Lee, and the farcical CPS attack on Eleanor de Frietas which led to her suicide, as her note indicated.

But the system has gone down these routes before without reforming, and reform is possibly farther away than ever before. Change is long overdue, but with comments like those coming from UKIP donor Marchessini, that a husband can’t be guilty of raping his wife, coupled with the scale of abuse either ignored by or perpetrated by the UK’s police forces, it’s hard to see things improving any time soon.

If the situation for grown women is brutal, then it is a far worse reality for children dependent on the state for protection. The next piece in this series will look at issues such as Rotherham, child abuse and how the state and in particular the police, are involved in the neglect and sometimes abuse of children.

Support Services:

Samaritans Aberdeen

60 Dee Street Aberdeen AB11 6DS
Tel: 01224 574488
Email: jo@samaritans.org
Usual hours open to receive callers at the door: 9am – 10pm

Rape and Abuse Support

88 John Street Aberdeen, AB25 1LE
Office Tel: 01224 639 347
Helpline: 01224 620 772
Email: info@rasane.org.uk
Web: www.rasane.org.uk

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Westminster Act Against Interests Of Scottish Fishing

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Nov 142014

With thanks to Gavin Mowat and Paul Robertson.

SNP MSP Christian Allard has criticised the Westminster government for acting against the interests of the Scottish fishing industry.

Just days after Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) President Ross Dougal said“We [the SFF] are fully supportive of the Scottish fishing minister taking the lead in fisheries negotiations where appropriate”, the UK Government sent an unelected peer to represent Scottish fishermen at EU talks.

Mr Allard, who attended the SFF’s annual dinner in Edinburgh where Mr Dougal made his comments, said the decision to draft Rupert Charles Ponsonby, 7th Baron de Mauley into the negotiations is wholly inappropriate and further proof that Westminster is failing to prioritise the interests of the Scottish fishing industry.

The SFF have been fully involved in the Smith Commission process and have expressed a desire to see the Scottish minister take a lead in EU fishing negotiations, yet the actions of Westminster have quite clearly ignored this appeal.

Commenting, North East MSP, Christian Allard said:

“This is yet another brazen example of Westminster showing a blatant disregard for the will of the Scottish fishing industry.

“As one of the longest serving ministers in Europe, Richard Lochhead is best placed to negotiate on behalf of the Scottish fishing industry – something which the Scottish fishing industry understands.

“Yet the Westminster government has failed to grasp this fact and continues to work against the interests of Scottish fishing.

“How dare the UK government use every opportunity to brand EU institutions undemocratic when they have enlisted a hereditary peer to represent the Scottish fishing industry? This is a wholly inappropriate decision in what are incredibly important negotiations for Scottish fishing.”

The Scottish Government’s Fisheries Minister Richard Lochhead, who has been in post for 7 years, put in the request to the UK Government to speak in the talks. However, Conservative Lord deMauley was instead chosen to represent the UK in the discussions.

Matters being discussed at this week’s EU Council included the landing obligation, or ‘discards ban’, which fishing industry leaders have warned could be disastrous for Scottish fishing if key concessions are not won.

Commenting from Brussels, Mr Lochhead – who is Europe’s longest serving Fishing Minister – said:

“Today we found ourselves in the crazy position of un-elected Lord Rupert Ponsonby, 7th Baron de Mauley, representing the UK Government and making the briefest of interventions – after being passed a note by an official – on a crucial discussion on the issue of fish discards – an issue the Scots industry tell me is one of the most important they face.”

Banff & Buchan MP Dr Eilidh Whiteford, whose constituency hosts Europe’s largest fishing port, added her voice to the condemnation:

“This week’s Council meeting addressed issues which largely impact the Scottish industry yet an unelected Lord with next to no experience of fishing was chosen by Westminster to speak on the industry’s behalf. With the discards ban looming large on the horizon, we need the strongest voice for our fishermen. Instead, Scotland’s interests were completely frozen out of these critical talks.”

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