Sep 222017
 

Duncan Harley reflects on Life, the Universe and Everything. A sideways look at the world and its foibles.

It’s been quite a while since Grumpy Jack made the digital front-page. In fact, I am struggling to decide whether number-nine is the correct nomenclature for this edition of the musings.

In number-one, I recall penning something about the risks of texting while driving. Number- two had me misquoting a local daily as having headlined on ‘Titanic sinks, North East man loses pound on Broad Street’.
In Grumpy Jack’s Corner No. 5, Full Metal Prince Harry, Chelsea Tractors and the SS Politician got the bullet alongside 264,000 bottles of best highland malt and a local Inverurie pub called The Butcher’s Arms.

Saville, Warhol and the Great Gale of 1953 all – in their turn – got a good kicking, and why not I hear you say.

A silly fall out with a fellow writer led to Grumpy Jack’s demise in – I think far off 2014. Or was it 2013? I forget. Suitable apologies have been made and neither of us can really recall the reason why. There surely is history.

So why, I hear you ask, is Jack back?

Well, it’s all down to the Lord Provost of Aberdeen really. A splendid chap by the name of Barney Crockett. He recently commented on a misleading post regarding the invasion of George Square on social media and, within Nano-seconds, a piece penned in far off 2013 came back to haunt me.

Picture the scene if you will. The “War to end all wars” has recently ended and the troops have returned home to discover that all is not well in Scotland-shire. There are few jobs for the returning heroes and working conditions are poor with low wages and a long working week.

The workforce which had been in reserved occupations manufacturing the arms and tools for war are unhappy with the cuts in the standard working week due to the fact that the war has ended and there is no longer much demand in France for barbed wire, bullets and explosives. Plus of course the Bolshevist revolution has taken place leading to the early demise of the entire Russian Royal Family via firing squad.

So, on Friday 31st January 1919, after a general strike by 40,000 workers in the industrial heartland of Scotland, there was a mass rally in Glasgow’s George Square.

Now the aim of the rally was to hear the response of the UK government to the workers’ demands so the Lord Provost, Sir James Watson Stewart, and the Trades Council President, Mannie Shinwell, duly entered the City Chambers to have a wee natter.

Sadly, things got out of control. As they talked, the police baton charged the assembled crowd.

A magistrate tried to read the Riot Act but had the document taken from his hands and ripped up and things just got from bad to worse. Seasoned troops from south of the border were instructed to open fire if required to do so and the failure of the police to control the riot prompted the Coalition Government under one David Lloyd George – of Lendrum to Leeks fame – to react.

After Scottish Secretary Robert Munro described the riot as a Bolshevist uprising troops armed with machine guns, tanks and even a howitzer arrived to occupy Glasgow’s streets.

The howitzer was positioned on the City Chambers steps facing the crowd, the local cattle market was transformed into a tank depot, machine guns were posted on the top of the North British Hotel, the Glasgow Stock Exchange and the General Post Office Buildings.

As is usual in such situations no local troops were used. The local battalions who had recently returned from France were confined in Maryhill Barracks while battle-hardened troops from south of the border were instructed to open fire if required to do so.

Amazingly, there was no major bloodshed.

There were broken heads that afternoon but the Southern soldiers were never ordered to open fire. The government of the day obviously decided that it would be a bad idea to provoke social change via bloodshed.

Activist and sometime MP, Mannie Shinwell and fellow trade union activists were jailed for a bit before a 47-hour working week was agreed. Things then smouldered on until the 1922 General Strike. But that’s another story.

The helicopter-door-gunner sequence in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket kind of sums up what nearly happened in George Square in far off 1919:

So, and moving on, here is Jack some years on and suffering from retirement, ill health and old age. More words are on the way probably. Unless, of course, I die soon. I forgot to say that the NHS are out to kill me.

More next week – that is if I survive that long.

– Grumpy Jack

PS: Thanks for the memories Barney. We all love what you do. Keep up the Lord Provosting  – you do it well.

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May 182017
 

By Craig Chisholm.

Inverness based promoter Stephen Robertson is slowly but surely making a name for himself in the world of music promotion.

Over the past year he has put on big names such as Motown star Martha Reeves, The Bad Shepherds, who feature comedian Adrian Edmonston, dub and reggae legend Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Manchester indie stalwarts The Fall, Radio 6 DJ Craig Charles with his popular Funk and Soul Club and former PIL bassist Jah Wobble, with his band Invaders of The Heart, among others.

Though based up North he has put a formidable line up of talented acts on in Aberdeen venues such as Café Drummond, The Tunnels and The Lemon Tree.

He’s also been racking up the miles to promote gigs in Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Stephen started back in the promotion business back 2006 when he started booking acts for several venues in Inverness. In 2014 he started TwentyTen and took things a step further, booking bands in Aberdeen and not just in the Highlands.

As well as established names he has also put on shows by up and coming bands such as Teleman, Fatherson, Bloodlines and Vokovi – all of whom are destined for bigger things.

Upcoming TwentyTen gigs in Aberdeen include an appearance by critically acclaimed influential New York band Swans and a rare intimate acoustic gig by The Rifles.

Coming up in Aberdeen –

  • May 18th – The Rifles (Unplugged) – The Tunnels
  • May 19th – Swans – The Lemon Tree
  • May 21st – Matt Anderson – The Tunnels
  • May 22nd – Natives – The Tunnels
  • June 3rd – Popes of Chillitown – Café Drummond

Tickets are available to these gigs – as well as others in Inverness, Glasgow Dundee and Edinburgh from – https://www.fatsoma.com/twentyten

Facebook –  https://www.facebook.com/TwentyTenEvents/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/2010Management?lang=en

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May 142017
 

By Red Fin Hall.

Inevitable changes were made, with Peter Pawlett and Ryan Jack both injured, and Ryan Christie ineligible to play.
Anthony O’Connor made a rare start in midfield, whilst, surprisingly top scorer Adam Rooney was benched, and his place taken by Jayden Stockley.

A decent crowd  turned up for this Friday evening game.

This was the final game of the season at home, the final BT commentary by locally born Derek Rae, the last game that Niall McGinn and possibly Ash Taylor in front of the home fans, and my final match report for The Aberdeen Voice.

The haar was beginning to hang about as referee Stephen McLean got the match underway. Minutes in, Joe Lewis was called upon to make a decent save from Patrick Roberts after he got the better of Andy Considine. From the resultant corner taken by Leigh Griffiths, Dedryck Boyata headed the ball into the net for the visitor’s first goal. A perfect start for Celtic, not so for The Dons.

0-1

Seven minutes later, Callum Mcgregor fired a ball which Shay Logan blocked well, but Stuart Armstrong reacted quickly and flicked the ball into the net. The defence didn’t seem to be coping at all well with the pace of the champions.

0-2

Just as the fans were still shaking their heads over the state of things, Leigh Griffiths fired a shot from all of 25 yards out. Lewis made a bit of a hash of things, opting to try and palm it away instead of holding it, but he could only look on helplessly as the ball ended up crossing the line for goal number 3.

0-3

Things didn’t look good for the injury hit men in red, and one two fans, even this early, decided to call it a day. More fool them.

These ‘supporters’ would have barely left the confines of Pittodrie when, man of the match, Jonny Hayes, shot in the goal of the game, curling the ball in from outside the penalty area on the right, and straight into the top left hand corner. Much to the dismay of keeper Craig Gordon.

1-3

From such a poor and inauspicious start, in a game that means nothing other than pride, the match was pretty much turned on it’s head by this.

Moments later a fine and deep cross from Kenny McLean found the unmarked Stockley. His back post header should have gone into the net, but the tall striker’s attempt went inches wide of the target.

Aberdeen had their danders up, and kept the pressure on the team from Glasgow, with their defence, in my opinion, having to work the hardest they have had to domestically this season.

20 minutes in. first Hayes had a go, testing Gordon, then Graeme Shinnie had a shot, which he maybe should have hit better. Ten minutes later, McGinn forced the Scotland keeper to concede a corner. The Northern Irishman took the set piece himself, but Taylor could only head the ball into the side netting.

It wasn’t one way traffic though, and Mark Reynolds, then McLean had to look sharp to deny the visitors adding to their tally. Boyata still looked dangerous when up front.

Defender Jozo Simunovic looked a bit slack, and McLean should have at least hit the target. Instead his curling, left foot shot went wide. A free kick to the Dons just 2 minutes before half time was cleared forward by the visitors, and it ended up at the feet of Scott Sinclair. But the player of the year had the ball taken off of him by the persistent Hayes.

Half time: 1-3

As the match resumed, Aberdeen continued their positive and determined play as Shinnie chased after a nothing ball and won a corner. Considine then put in a low and fierce cross into the area, but it was too hard and McGinn just couldn’t make contact with it.

The next incident provided the only real moment of controversy of the evening. The referee spoilt a pretty flawless shift from himself when he denied the home team what looked, to all intent and purpose, to be a stonewall penalty. Shinnie was running through at pace to get to a blocked Logan shot when Gordon impeded him. If it had been the other way round, no doubt a foul at least would have been given. This is not the first time that the Celtic keeper has been lucky to escape punishment this season.

Four minutes later an effort by Anthony O’Connor in a crowded box came to nothing. The flag was up for offside in any case.

Celtic had a bit more of the play for a spell, but the Aberdeen defence had well recovered from their period of sleeping by now, and handled things quite admirably.

McLean should have scored a second goal and therefore really tested Celtic’s mettle when he received a pass from, surely next season’s captain, Shinnie. However, instead of aiming for the bottom corner, he chose, puzzlingly, to send it screaming over the bar and into the Richard Donald stand.

With only 20 minutes left the game turned a tad scrappy, and the only chance of note was a snap shot from McGinn which went high. Even pushing Taylor up front, and trying to break down the defence with high balls, pointless considering the height of the visitor’s defenders, failed to produce.

History was made with just 3 minutes of the allocated 4 of stoppage time left, Aberdeen schoolboy, Dean Campbell, made his first team debut, becoming the youngest player to feature for the Dons. Hope he doesn’t go the way of the previous record holder, Fraser Fyvie, and depart the club too soon.

The game ended, and the fans stayed to give the players a standing ovation.

With two games left before the Scottish Cup Final, both away from home, first to The Rangers midweek, and then back down to Glasgow to play Partick Thistle, two fighting perfomances like that will surely stand us in good stead for the trip back to Glasgow for the final.

Final score: 1-3

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Nov 282016
 

img_4847By Red Fin Hall.

A visit to Hampden for  Aberdeen’s second league cup final appearance in two years, after winning it in 2014 at Celtic Park.

The current holders, Ross County, have only held the trophy for 8 months, due to the changes to format the SPFL introduced.

Despite most people thinking Aberdeen would start with the same winning line up, with maybe Niall McGinn in for Jayden Stockley, the manager surprised us all yet again as he left both of the aforementioned players on the bench, and gave young James Maddison his first start against Celtic.

As the teams ran out onto the pitch to tumultuous applause, the players were greeted by a spectacular display from both sets of fans. The Celtic fans’ one was predominantly green and white cards with the number 100 in the middle representing the 100th trophy the hoped to win, whilst the Aberdeen display was made up of alternate red and silver foil flags, arranged as usual by Stephen ‘Mezzanine’.

Celtic kicked off and immediately started they way they meant to go on, by keeping possession and bossing the game. In 3 minutes they were awarded the first free kick of the game which Jack conceded.

Celtic continued having control of the game for the first 7 minutes, with James Forrest claiming a penalty when he slipped on the wet pitch as Shay Logan challenged and cleared the ball.

Moments later Aberdeen were awarded their first foul when, in a rare moment of having the ball, Kenny McLean was fouled, only to relinquish the ball straight away.

In the 8th minute Jonny Hayes broke down the right side and managed to win a throw in. A very poor ball thrown by Logan gave the Glasgow club the ball back.

Minute 11, a great ball through from the ever willing James Maddison was just too long for Adam Rooney.

In the twelfth minute a Joe Lewis pulled of the first save of the match in Celtic’s first attack. A mere minute later Maddison was fouled just outside the box, but the resultant free kick was totally wasted by Kenny McLean.

The Don’s were getting a wee bit more into the game when a Maddison shot was well blocked by the defence. Celtic went straight into attack mode, and, in the 16th minute, number 18, Tom Rogic scored after after working his way easily through the Aberdeen defence.

0-1

On 18 minutes, Maddison was brought down yet again, and his free kick made Craig Gordon pull off a decent save. Then, Anthony O’Connor was easily robbed of the ball, sending the Hoops off on another attack, which was cleared up by Ash Taylor.

With 20 minutes gone, Aberdeen were finding it hard to get any purchase of the game. Maddison was the victim of yet another two consecutive fouls, with Scott Brown being the perpetrator of the second one. Yet again this came to naught.

cup2a The first corner of the game came in the 27th minute of the game for Celtic, who are well in control. Hayes meanwhile is barely getting on the ball, and in the 31st minute he was heavily bagged in the back, but no booking was forthcoming. Celtic are fouling Aberdeen all over the pitch.

The Dons comfortably break up another attack, but Hayes’ effort was easily held by their keeper. Aberdeen were not utilising the wide open spaces of the National Stadium.

Forrest, at this juncture, found the Aberdeen midfield posted missing again as he ran past them all and put the all easily past Lewis for the second goal.

0-2

The Dons’ first corner of the match came to nothing, and when the ball found its way back to Taylor who proceeded to punt the ball forward into an empty space.

The Dons weren’t lying down though, and in the 41st minute a neat pass from Maddison found Rooney. But, summing up the way the game was going, he skyed the ball well over the bar.

The third corner of the game was awarded to Aberdeen. A decent ball in found Andrew Considine, but his header went straight into Gordon’s arms. Another free kick was given to the men in red, this time in the centre circle, was well worked into the danger area, but the defenders were it in the slightest troubled.

Bang on 45, the half time whistle blew, with the second best team in Scotland by far the second best team in the park.

Half time: 0-2

AFC returned to the pitch first after the break with no changes to the line up. Celtic followed, likewise unchanged.

The Dons kicked off attacking towards their own fans. Whatever the manager had said in the dressing room, seemed to have worked as they were looking a but more positive.

Barely two minutes had passed when when Scott Brown became the first player to be booked for a cynical foul on Maddison, who kept trying to create something. But the fact is, that playing both him and McLean in midfield wasn’t working.

The pattern continued when another free kick by the men from the North East, nearly fell to Rooney. Then Maddison was not in quick enough to collect a ball from the Irish international.

The second half was looking better and it appeared that Aberdeen finally wakened up  to the fact that they were here for a reason. The Don’s had another corner given, but Maddison was carelessly caught offside.

Just as they were getting into the game, O’Connor conceded a penalty

With 57 minutes gone, Celtic had their first real attack of the half, but it petered out.

As the Dons pushed forward after a McLean free kick, an attempt from O’Connnor went right across the front of the goal. Another opportunity gone a-begging.

Although they were the better team overall, Celtic knew they had a game on now, and when a Celtic player handled the ball in the Aberdeen goal area, they were given yet another free kick.

Young Maddison was still involved in most things, and the team were making more use of the full pitch, but still not enough. The seemed reluctant to try and get down the wings and try and get beyond the Celtic defence.

Just as they were getting into the game, O’Connor conceded a penalty, by bringing down Forrest.

Moussa Dembélé stepped up to score their third goal, and his fourth of the competition, thus putting the cup well out of Aberdeen’s reach.

0-3

O’Connor was immediately substituted to be replace by Stockley. Celtic likewise decided to make a change too, with Patrick Roberts leaving the field, and Nir Bitton coming on. Stockley was keen to get involved in things straight away, and a pass to Rooney was received well, but the soft shot in from the latter went right into the Celtic keeper’s hands.

Celtic got a corner in the 66th minute.

Aberdeen attacked again, when great running by Hayes, a rare occurrence this afternoon, was spoilt as, under little or no pressure, he ran the ball hopelessly over the by-line.

Manager, Derek McInnes, showed we was not at all pleased by this error, as he decided to take Hayes off and put McGinn on.

A second yellow card was issued to a Celtic player for yet another foul on Maddison. The shocking free kick went straight to the keeper.

The Dons kept trying but to no avail. The fans kept getting behind the team and the singing continued. In saying that, the team leading the match weren’t resting on their laurels, and were keen to get goal number 4.

Two more substitutions were made. First in the 76th minute when Rogic was replaced by Calum McGregor, then in the 78th when Rooney came off and Wes Burns went on.

Another Aberdeen free kick was wasted, much to the frustration of the fans, as McGinn was offside when he received the ball

The action continued when in the 80th minute Celtic caused more problems for Aberdeen, but Taylor, who was having a decent game, put the ball out for a corner. Up at the other end of the park, a poor ball from Burns, meant for Stockley, was easily intercepted by Gordon.

On 90 minutes, man of the match, Forrest came off to great applause from the victorious supporters, and Leigh Griffiths entered the arena.

With only 3 minutes left, good  play and a shot at goal by Maddison, but again, it was routine for the keeper to hold it.

Although 3 minutes stoppage time was awarded, nothing much happened within that time, as the Celtic fans celebrated noisily, and the Aberdeen fans were already making their way out of the stadium.

When the final whistle blew and the referee indicated that the game was officially over, although from an Aberdeen point of view it was well over about 35 minutes before that.

niall-mcginn-cup-finalThe dream of a second trophy in 3 seasons lay shattered and in shreds, much like the remnants of silver and red foil flags which lay on the steps and floor of Hampden Park.

They say ‘money can’t buy love’, but that was proven wrong today when money bought the love of the Celtic Fans – money that bought the players that other teams in Scotland cannot, even remotely, afford. This is proven as Celtic have now gone nine games since a team from Scotland has managed to score a goal against them.
 
Full time: 0-3

Footnote: The match finished at 16.48pm. Due to the ridiculous situation of The National Stadium, we didn’t manage to leave the vicinity of Glasgow until 18.50pm. Two hours. Ridiculous.

Sep 262016
 

It was back to league business today as Glasgow club, The Rangers, travelled north for their first game in the Granite City. By Red Fin Hall.

merkland-crowdfinhallThe one o’clock kick off didn’t stop a sell out, with queues forming early. There was a high police presence and a media encouraged frenzy of panic.

This exaggerated situation compounded itself when everybody was searched before being allowed through the turnstiles.

When I say everybody I mean everybody. OAP’s, kids, people with learning difficulties.

Over the top.

Aberdeen made three changes to their starting line up with Jonny Hayes, Peter Pawlett and Mark Reynolds replacing James Maddison, Jayden Stockley and Ash Taylor.

Referee John Beaton started the game on a sunny day where everything was pitch perfect, including the fans as they sang along to The Northern Lights.

The Rangers earned their first corner with just two minutes gone, which keeper Joe Lewis dealt with very comfortably. Aberdeen got their first a moment later.

The home team were allowing the visitors too much possession culminating in an incident between Anthony O’Connor and Joe Garner in the eleventh minute.

As anticipated, the home fans started the minutes applause in a humorous celebration of the demise in 2012 of the company formerly known as Glasgow Rangers FC. The authorities expected this to be a flashpoint, but obviously, it passed without incident. Apart from an attacking run forward by Peter Pawlett, which ran out of steam.

The Rangers were knocking the ball about better and in 17 minutes they headed over Lewis’ goal. Pawlett then won a free kick, but it too came to nothing. The game followed a similar pattern to Thursday’s cup quarter final, with the Dons not anticipating where their teammates were putting the ball.

The first booking came in in 21 minutes when the aforementioned number 7, Garner was the recipient. The Glasgow team were awarded another free kick, this time just in front of the Aberdeen goal at the Richard Donald Stand, but Lewis wasn’t troubled by it, although a moment later he made a top class save which he deflected on to the crossbar.

The home fans were getting restless, the referee didn’t help as he kept stopping the game for seemingly nothing. And Aberdeen carried on not using the wings enough, not closing down and not utilising the spaces. The first real shot from Aberdeen was on 30 minutes when Kenny McLean was tipped over the bar.
The players were arguing with each other as passes kept going awry.

Next, a neat ball was played in from the wing by Graeme Shinnie, but neither Adam Rooney nor Pawlett got to it.

As the first half was drawing to a close, Hayes was tackled from behind by Halliday, but mysteriously the referee gave the decision the other way. The first half finished when Niall McGinn played a ball in which was easily held by the keeper.

Half time 0-0.

How would the second half fare? Would the Dons keep making a poor opposition look good, or would they step up to the plate and give the capacity crowd something to rouse them from their slumbers?

As the players returned to the pitch, Maddison replaced Pawlett, who had put in a good shift.

From the restart the Dons were upfield, but then the ball came back to Lewis who cleared it forward; Rooney headed it on to Hayes who raced onwards and shot the ball into the net past Wes Foderingham.

1-0.

A minute later there was a second booking for The Rangers after a cynical foul on Hayes, and from the resultant free kick, 19 year old Maddison
shot just past the goal.

The second half was livening up, with Reynolds the next to be booked, then Lee Wallace for the visitors shooting well over the bar, and then Maddison doing the same at the other end.

The Dons’ defence looked strong dealing with everything that The Rangers tried, although if truth be told, it wasn’t that much.

The ref continued his erratic performance by booking O’Connor in the 64th minute and then not booking Halliday when Hayes was chopped down yet again.
Aberdeen were showing a lot more positivity, but still allowing The Rangers too much space in midfield. Shay Logan was fouled close to the corner flag, and the free kick, taken again by young Maddison, was cleared for a corner. Another poor set piece.

More substitutions followed with Wes Burns coming on for McGinn. Kenny Miller also came on for the visitors.

On the latter’s first foray forward, his pass to Lee Wallace saw Jonny Hayes caught out of position and bringing down The Rangers number 5 to give away a penalty. Andy Halliday scored from the spot kick.

1-1

The action continued with McLean being booked and Burns being brought down in the Glasgow Team’s penalty box, but Beaton waved played on.

In the 90th minute Hayes was brought down, yet again, this time by Andy Tavernier. This time the young player on loan from Norwich City made no mistake when taking the free kick as he powered the ball well past Wes Foderingham and into the net to claim victory for Aberdeen.

2-1

Taylor was then brought on to bolster the defence moments before the final whistle was blown leaving the home fans deliriously happy. Although the game and atmosphere wasn’t the blood and thunder affair as most had anticipated, the victory meant the end of a tough run for Aberdeen.

3 games, 3 victories, two of which came in 90 minutes, resulting in the end of a great week for Aberdeen, who have now climbed back up to second place in the league.

Footnote: A special extended print edition of The Red Final, brought out for today’s game, was all but sold out by the sellers around the ground.

Jul 082016
 

The Homeless World Cup changes lives; David Duke, Founder and Chief Executive of Street Soccer Scotland, is living proof. Aberdeen man Austin Leslie is expected to take part. With thanks to Suzanne Kelly.

2/7/16 EMIRATES ARENA Glasgow Homeless world cup volunteers. Jacqueline Allen, Sheila Steinan, James Sloan , Graham Buchan, Martin Bilsland, Maiana Mercado

Glasgow Homeless world cup volunteers. Jacqueline Allen, Sheila Steinan, James Sloan , Graham Buchan, Martin Bilsland, Maiana Mercado

The Homeless World Cup Foundation has announced that over 350 volunteers will be involved in the delivery of the Homeless World Cup, which kicks-off this Sunday (10 July 2016).

Today’s final training session, held at the Emirates Arena, brought together many of the volunteers who have willingly given up their time to support the global tournament.

A group from Glasgow posed for a set-piece picture (available royalty free, captions embedded) outside the venue as the seven day countdown begins.

With building work starting today on George Square, anticipation is rising ahead of the 14th Homeless World Cup. Scotland’s men and women take on Hong Kong and Norway, respectively, in their opening fixtures, following the opening ceremony which starts at 12.30pm.

Volunteers will work in four key areas: Team Relations, Sport & Tournament Management, Media & Content Services, and Spectator Services.

Many of the Spectator Services volunteers will come from a strand of legacy activity funded by the Big Lottery Fund. This will see about 120 participants who have previous or current experience of homelessness supported as part of a long term strategy to support them to build a life they want for themselves. Around 40 of the group have also travelled from all across the world – at their own expense – to be in Glasgow to support the competition.

100,000 spectators are expected to visit the Homeless World Cup during the week-long festival. Entry is free & no tickets are required, albeit it is expected at key times (particularly when Scotland play) it will be very busy so spectators should arrive in plenty of time for games they wish to see.

The Homeless World Cup arrives in Glasgow as part of a three way partnership between the Homeless World Cup Foundation, the Scottish Government (delivered via EventScotland), and Glasgow City Council (delivered via Glasgow Life). Homeless World Cup volunteer manager Mariana Mercado comments:

“The Homeless World Cup tournament wouldn’t be possible without the support from all of our volunteers, they are the ones that make it happen. This year’s response has been amazing and we have engaged 350 volunteers. All these volunteers are donating their time and energy to help us deliver this world class event, and we couldn’t be more grateful.” 

Councillor Archie Graham OBE, Depute Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow Life, said Glasgow Life:

“We’re providing a life-changing opportunity for an army of volunteers, many of whom have been affected by homelessness themselves, with a package of support and opportunities which will continue long after the last ball has been kicked. The Homeless World Cup not only shines an issue on the problem, but inspires people to do what they can to tackle the problem.

“With the support of the Big Lottery Fund and our partners, I have no doubt that our volunteers will be equally inspired – and be the heart and soul of what promises to be yet another outstanding event for the city.” 

The legacy project will not only support volunteers who have faced homelessness during the event, but will continue with sport and cultural opportunities on offer to those participating. Maureen McGinn, Chair of the Big Lottery Fund in Scotland added:

“The Homeless World Cup inspires people to change their life for the better. That is an aim shared with us at the Big Lottery Fund as we want our funding to make a truly life-changing and inspirational difference to people across Scotland. This volunteering initiative is unique not just for the impact it will have on people during the event but afterwards as well through a range of sports and cultural activities.

“We know from our previous funding that Glasgow Life has a proud record of delivering volunteering opportunities at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and this is another legacy project which we are delighted to support.”

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Dec 172015
 

Xmas_mask__c__Duncan_HarleyBy Duncan Harley.

As support for Trump hits a new high, the discontents of Xmas are upon us. Dances with Santa under the mistletoe and brandy-laced puddings are on the cusp, as the traditional festival drops from on high.
Personally I have a particular hatred of Xmas.

Family fights and feuds blighted my enjoyment of the season to be joyful, and many a festive turkey witnessed huffy uncles sniffing at wicked aunties who had caused uproar by omitting to knit fitting pressies last year or the year before.

I prefer funerals to be honest. Amongst the eulogies and the wee burnt up sausage rolls there is a least a common theme of how to bury the dead.

When my children were young, Xmas had some attraction. Hiding the truth about Santa ranked with being wakened up at some god-forsaken hour to be told,

“Santa’s been, look what I got!”

The trashing of carefully wrapped presents ranked equally with the cleaning of chocolate covered faces prior to the granny visit. Happy faces all round usually led to cries of “When can we go home”, and the desperate playing of Monopoly. The only winners were Waddingtons.

The very best festive season I ever had was in Glasgow.

I’d read some of Charles Bukowski’s work prior to taking a seasonal job in the local sorting office … sic … it was Xmas nineteen-something-or-other and I was charged with sorting out postal packets in Dixon’s Blazes.

A former ironworks, the place was built by one William Dixon (1788-1859). In days long past the industrialist’s furnaces lit up the night sky on the south side of the River Clyde and earned the ironworks the nickname “Dixon’s Blazes”.

When the furnaces died down the Royal Mail set up a sorting office in the old red-bricked factory buildings.

After the job interview, I signed the Official Secrets Act. The exact detail escapes me to this day; but I remain convinced that the paperwork specified that I should not divulge state-secrets to any foreign power including Wales or St Kilda. It was the time of the Cold War and the postal authorities were decidedly edgy, and on the lookout for left-wing infiltrators.

Burnhervie_edited-1Despite the long hair, I must have come across as a nice young right-wing non-activist and the very next day, I began work as a sorter-out of the nation’s Xmas parcels.

In those far off days parcels were sorted out by chucking them into mailbags hung on metal posts and labelled by destination. My postal station had around 30 of these bags and featured towns such as Cambridge, Carnoustie and Coventry alongside Dundee, Dundonald and Dunkeld. The procedure was to stand well back, pick a parcel from the line and chuck it into the appropriate destination mailbag.

In those far-off days, only Aberdeen featured post-codes, and the Postal Authorities in Glasgow were a bit sniffy about the new technology.

Needless to say, my aim was poor and my knowledge of geography was even worse.

A man by the name of Dutch Hendry took me under his wing and informed me that the name of the game was smashing up the mail. A full-time sorting-office employee he had plenty of tips.

“Chuck it into the bags, who cares where the stuff’s meant for.”

“What about the children?”

“The children? Just smash the toys.”

Dutch was of course both permanently drunk and permanently childless. His only claim to being from Holland was his liking for Dutch courage.

During the night shift some other drunks drove a red ‘by Royal Appointment’ Post Office van through the sorting office doors and got suspended for 24 hours. No-one seemingly cared about the wrecked van. Things were desperate at the sorting office.

One colleague had been fired last year for sticking it in big time. He had met a supervisor in the canteen and beat him with a loaded mail bag. You just never know who you’re associating with. They took him on again. Unbelievable.

Anyway, in nineteen-something-or-other, we all felt privileged to be looking after the Royal Mail despite the obvious blemishes.

In his classic American bestseller “Post Office” Bukowski describes the delivering of mail as a menial job worthy only of low life absurdly governed and powerless drones.

“You got any mail for me?”

“How the F… ck should I know … I’m only the mailman.”

“You got any mail for me?”

“How the F… ck should I know … I’m only the mailman.”

“You got any mail for me?”

“Who the F…ck are you and why should I even care?”

“You got any mail for me?”

Bukowski throws you over the place. After all, he’s dead and even when he wasn’t he didn’t give a shi …………

Apologies to Post Office Workers everywhere … you do a great job folks!

Merry Xmas everyone … unless you’re a Donald.

Words and images © Duncan Harley

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Feb 052015
 
Copyright: Newsline Scotland

Steve Harris, Chief Executive of VisitAberdeen

With thanks to Stevie Brown.

VisitAberdeen has responded to news of an unwelcome award for the City.

Aberdeen has been awarded the ‘Plook on the Plinth’ trophy having been named as the winner of the title ‘most dismal town in Scotland’ at the latest of Urban Realm magazine’s annual ‘Carbuncle Awards’.

Referred to on the Urban Realm site as “where architecture goes to die”, Aberdeen was awarded the trophy ahead of towns such as Cumbernauld, East Kilbride and Leven.

Steve Harris, Chief Executive of VisitAberdeen says,

“I am pleased that we have been given this award as anything that draws attention to Aberdeen can only help people realise how preposterous and ignorant its award is.

“Aberdeen is a stunning city with beautiful parks and gardens, a beach that runs for miles right into the city centre and some stunning architecture.

“Marischal College is the second largest granite building in the world and stands comparison with buildings in any city. At the other end of the scale, the stunning, modern Sir Duncan Rice Library has won awards from both the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) and Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

“In between there is the fabulous granite architecture created by Archibald Simpson, amongst others.  Not only was he responsible for Marischal College but also many other fine buildings including The Athenaeum, what was The North of Scotland Bank and Bon Accord Terrace.

“Aberdeen also is blessed with many fine merchant houses, a sunken Victorian garden and a theatre designed by Frank Matcham (who also had the Blackpool Tower Ballroom, London Palladium and London Coliseum amongst many others to his name).

“With development proceeding apace in many parts of the city and a new City Centre Regeneration Plan due this summer, the future looks bright.

“Urban Realm, the creator of this award, is Glasgow based and has no presence in Aberdeen. Their circulation isn’t available on their website and their page on “forthcoming issues” is blank.  (http://www.urbanrealm.com/magazine/forthcomingissues) They clearly need all the publicity that they can get!”

VisitAberdeen is a partnership between Aberdeen City Council and the industry including Aberdeen City and Shire Hotels Association and Aberdeen Inspired. For further information contact VisitAberdeen on 01224 900490 or visit www.visitaberdeen.com.

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Jan 232015
 

Leo piano With thanks to Rob Adams.

Leo Blanco has never forgotten the night he played at the Blue Lamp as part of Aberdeen Jazz Festival in 2007.
Now the Venezuelan pianist is playing at the mammoth Celtic Connections event in Glasgow with a band he has named after the Gallowgate venue.

Blanco played at the Blue Lamp with three of Scotland’s leading musicians, alto saxophonist Paul Towndrow of horn quartet Brass Jaw, Mario Caribe the Brazilian bassist with klezmer-jazz band Moishe’s Bagel, and the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra’s star drummer, Alyn Cosker and the audience response stayed with Blanco when he was invited to appear at Celtic Connections with the same musicians.

The Blue Lamp Quartet was how he remembered them, and that’s the name he’s chosen for them eight years on.

“Musician” seems hardly adequate to describe Blanco, whose group appears at Celtic Connections on Sunday, February 1. As well as playing in groups such as this South American-Scottish quartet, Blanco is a concert pianist who has worked with top symphony orchestras.

He is also a composer, whose works have been performed by leading string quartets in the United States and by the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, and a professor of piano studies at the famous Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts.

But that’s not all. Blanco’s first instrument was the violin, which he played in the youth orchestra from the age of eleven in his home town of Merida, in Venezuela’s Andean region, and when he moved to the capital, Caracas, to study piano in his teens, he worked as a bassist in one band and as a drummer in another to improve his knowledge of these roles when writing for his own group.

“My parents weren’t musical,” says Blanco,

“but they wanted their kids to at least get some enjoyment from music and when I was about seven or eight, a piano arrived in our house. I was immediately drawn to it, to try and work out melodies I’d hear on the radio or on records. But I also liked the violin because it seemed to me at the time the closest instrument to the human voice.”

Practising was never a chore to Blanco and the hours he put in set him on the fast track, firstly to Caracas, where he studied at the Ars Nova Institute and the University of Musical Studies and then to Boston, where he attended both Berklee and the New England Conservatory.

He quickly became recognised in the United States, becoming the first Latin American to win the prestigious Boston Jazz Society and Billboard Grant awards and he has gone on to perform all over the world, including at the Edinburgh Fringe, where in 2006 he was presented with The Herald newspaper’s Angel award for excellence in performance.

More recently Blanco has toured the UK in 2013 as a solo pianist, a trip that included a successful return visit to the Blue Lamp and helped to keep the memory of his first Aberdeen gig fresh.

“I’m really looking forward to working with Paul, Mario and Alyn again,” says Blanco.

“That gig we played in Aberdeen felt electric and the crowd were so responsive. So it’ll be great to meet up again and bring some sunny Latin American music to the Scottish winter.”

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Jul 312014
 

By Bob Smith.
Commonwealth_of_Nations

The Commonwealth Games in Glesga
So far hiv bin praiseworthy
Apairt fae the openin fifteen meenits
Fit a fun a bit cringeworthy
.
The spectators hiv bin fantastic
Their noisy appreciation ti the fore
Nae at ony time hiv a said
Es is sic a bliddy bore
.
Competitors hiv aa deen their bit
Some elated some in shock
Wi lots o smiles an some tears
Efterwards fin they took stock
.
Weel deen ti the organisers
Maist things gyaan withoot a hitch
Lit’s hope aat es cairries on
An fowk can traivel withoot a glitch
.
Nae ony trouble or arrests
Fowk jist enjoyin the fare
Cheerin on freen or foe
Be they sweemer or rugby player
Nae sign o Neanderthal bigots
At national anthems nae jeerin
Jist gweed aal-farrant rivalry
An lots an lots o cheerin
.
Nae anti-English or anti-Scottish
Ti spyle the fowks day oot
Fitba fans shud tak heed
An gie aa bigotry the boot
.
Ae thing we hiv bin spared
Es micht hae caused some ire
Is the sicht o Alex Salmond
Ahint the podiums wi Saltire
.
Weel deen ti aa concerned
‘Speecially the fowk o Glesga toon
Ye’ve deen yersels richt prood
An nae lit auld Scotia doon.
.
.
.
.
©Bob Smith “The Poetry Mannie” 2014

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