History Archives - Page 10 of 20

Historic Castle Hosts Aberdeen Art Gallery Collection

Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Featured, News No Responses »

Apr 032015

With thanks to Esther Green, Tricker PR.

Dr Alison Burke, Drum Castle Property Manager with the haunting image ‘Gallowgate Lard’ by Ken Currie in the background.

The £30 million redevelopment of Aberdeen Art Gallery has led to an innovative collaboration bringing contemporary art to an historic country castle.

The National Trust for Scotland’s Drum Castle at Drumoak, Aberdeenshire, is hosting key pieces of contemporary art from Aberdeen Art Gallery while the city centre attraction undergoes a major refurbishment.

Works from the city’s collection are being temporarily homed in a specially created gallery at the castle now open to the public – part of a project to ensure works remain accessible to the public during the art gallery’s 18 month closure.

An area of the castle which has, until now, been unseen by the public has been specially adapted to host the works. The area, originally the castle’s long gallery, latterly the property manager’s accommodation, has been transformed into a museum-standard gallery and features more than 20 artworks on loan from the Aberdeen Art Gallery.

The curated selection is called ‘Human Presence’ and includes some of the gallery’s best known works, including ‘Gallowgate Lard’ by Ken Currie.

The exhibition will run for two years and complements the castle’s own artworks, including paintings by Joshua Reynolds and Henry Raeburn.

Drum Castle property manager Dr Alison Burke, said:

“When we found out that Aberdeen Art Gallery was going to be refurbished, and we were looking at developing a gallery space, we thought it would be amazing if we could bring some of the art work here.

“This is an exciting and innovative partnership. Drum dates back to 1323 and is one of the oldest intact castles in Scotland. Visitors can now take a journey from the art and artefacts of the old castle to our amazing new gallery with seminal artworks featuring mid to late 20th Century figurative painting and contemporary installation works on the theme of Human Presence.”

The Art Gallery redevelopment aims to transform Aberdeen Art Gallery and Cowdray Hall into a world class cultural centre, celebrating art and music in the North-east, and to provide a focal point for the creative industries and Aberdeen’s Cultural Quarter. The Art Gallery is due to reopen in 2017.

The partnership with Drum, alongside projects at Aberdeen’s Maritime and Tolbooth Museums, play a major part in keeping art in the public eye during the refurbishment works, says Deputy Leader of Aberdeen City Council Councillor Marie Boulton.

She adds:

“By partnership working we are ensuring that the city’s collection will remain accessible to the public during the redevelopment.

“Aberdeen Art Gallery staff working with the National Trust for Scotland have led to an exhibition being created, which will show work from the city’s collection in a specially created gallery at Drum Castle.”

Among the highlights of the exhibition is ‘Highly Sprung’ by Julia Douglas, a dress made from 12,000 clothes peg springs; ‘Gallowgate Lard’, a ghost-like portrait by Ken Currie; and ‘Restraining Coat II (Female)’ by Julie Roberts, a painting which implies a human presence with no body in it.

Drum Castle is located 10 miles west of Aberdeen off the A93. The castle is set in extensive grounds with walks, picnic area, an historic rose garden, adventure play area, tearoom and shop. Normal castle admission charges apply.

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Saving Private Fury? Dave Watt Reviews

Articles, Featured, Opinion No Responses »

Apr 032015

I watched Fury (Saving Private Ryan with Tanks) starring Brad Pitt as something of a howling sh*t tank commander at the weekend and while the CFG special effects were great and the tension sky-high the plotline was distinctly iffy, opines ‘Voice’s Dave Watt.

The Better Educated Young White Middle Class Hero Who Usually Survives in a Hollywood Movie – like Corporal Upham in ‘Saving Private Ryan’ or Corporal Sledge in ‘Pacific’ he is the team intellectual who, in this case, is thrown into a tank crew having been a clerk for eight weeks.

He has never been in a tank before and he is the assistant driver?

There are no expendable ex-elementary school infantrymen who would be glad of an internal transfer?

Come on, if you’re that determined to waste a qualified clerk at least put him in the infantry where he can step on a Schu-mine and clear the way for a real infantryman. Play the game, HR.

The Crew – You simply don’t have to behave like Bluto to be part of a Tank crew. It’s not necessary to be eight foot high and covered in red hair with attitude – you’re in a metal tank with a 3″ thick armour and a 76mm gun for God’s sake!

You might as well be a shy, unassuming, five foot three trainee librarian with an interest in macrame. Perhaps the screenwriter found a couple of old Sven Hassel paperbacks holding up a table leg somewhere. Who knows.

I don’t know if tank crews in the Yank army really behaved in this posturing macho fashion towards new crewmen but British ones certainly didn’t if WWII tank crew like celebrated author Ken Tout and Michael Green (author of the Coarse Rugby books) are anything to go by.

Needless to say, following the approved Stephen Spielberg formula, as the film goes on the crew become a lot nicer and border on the maudlin and the downright mawkish if not schmaltzy by the end.

Bluto encounters a Tiger tank – Even at this stage of the war the German tankies were doing a minimum twenty week training course and the cardinal rule which would have been drummed into them every day since 1940 would be – ‘You do not fire when you are moving’.

1) The Tiger – opens fire and promptly brews up Tank #2

Brad Pitt orders the rest to put smoke down in front of the Tiger.

2) Bearing in mind the Tiger has the Shermans considerably outranged it has three choices :

a) Move back a couple of hundred yards behind the smoke and wait for the shooting gallery to appear through the smoke (best)
b) Stay where it is and wait for the shooting gallery to appear through the smoke (next best)
c) Advance through the smoke and fire while moving while reducing the firefight to a melee. (absolutely the worst – and because it’s Hollywood, what the Tiger does).

The mission – the tank squadron is ordered to guard a crossroads with no infantry, artillery or air support. Unusual. Very unusual as it’s April 1945 and by this point the Allies have air and artillery support coming out of their ears. However, by the time the tanks get to the crossroads there is, courtesy of the Tiger, only Pitt’s tank left which promptly runs on to a solitary mine.

Finding that they are about to be attacked by a battalion of SS infantry (apparently SS infantry Uruk-Hai as they didn’t seem to mind casualties one little bit) and only having the disabled tank the crew sensibly decide to vote with their feet before Brad shames them into staying.

Bugger the fact that it’s April 1945, what’s left of the German army is totally screwed in the west, the Soviets are in the suburbs of Berlin and this will make very little difference to the outcome of the war anyway. Brad does his High Noon shtick and the crew actually decide to stay, the idiots.

I remember once being in an office and (being the only ex-serviceman in the place) a guy had seen some film that involved some John Wayne type figure asking for volunteers for the heroic rearguard and him asking me if that was the case in real life and myself bursting into rather coarse laughter with the equally coarse words “F**k me, they wouldn’t get many fu**ing volunteers”, and pointing out that your unit would simply detailed as rearguard by the commanding general and your views on the matter were not generally canvassed.

Hollywood has a lot to answer for.

Anyway the SS Uruk-Hai repeatedly charge up to the disabled tank and are shot down in droves but eventually they overrun it and almost everyone dies heroically but quite picturesquely considering the mayhem which has preceded it. The exception is the young intellectual who presumably goes on to live a full and happy life teaching Ethics at Illinois University.

Roll credits.

For the benefit of those who may want to climb on their high horse and say I’m dissing WW2 tank crews – it’s okay, it’s only a film.

However, I sat inside various Chieftains courtesy of Four Guards Armoured in my army days and thanked various dieties that I was in the Signals. You can’t see a bloody thing from inside a tank and if you are a tankie you’re always convinced there’s some bugger farting around under your armpit with an RPG-7. Not good.

For further reading – see a surprisingly good article in the Telegraph.

Bob Smith The Poetry Mannie – A Lost Voice

Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Featured 3 Responses »

Apr 012015

By Duncan Harley and Fred Wilkinson on behalf of the Aberdeen Voice team.

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

Bob Smith has passed away at age 74. He signed himself “Bob Smith © – The Poetry Mannie” and told us all that Doric wirds are mair expressive, than onything else ye micht hear.

In true Bob style he kept his last illness very quiet saying only that he was unable to write at the present.

His daughter Kerry later got in touch regarding his passing. He died at home.

To the best of our knowledge, his last published piece, The Wireless appeared in the February 2015 edition Leopard Magazine. A fitting tribute to the man’s talent, the poem reflects on past times when he was a loon.

Jimmy Shand, Sports Report and that Prince Charles favourite the Goon Show all get a mention.

This extract tells of Dick Barton Special Agent plus ace detective Paul Temple, famous sleuth and amateur private detective:

“The Wireless ah the memories
O listenin fin I wis a loon
On dark winters nichts roon the fire
Oor Ecko radio it sure wis a boon

There wis Dick Barton Special Agent
Fa took on aa the baddies
It fair sharpened the imagination
O fowk like us as laddies

Paul Temple an ace dectective
As weel as yon PC49
Solvin aa the nations crimes
Their adventures I likit fine ……… “

Robert Smith was born and brought up on a farm in Skene, Aberdeenshire and educated at Garlogie Primary School and at Skene School. He only took up writing poetry after he retired.

Married to Linda, Bob’s daughter Kerry lives in Dubai. His son Steven sadly pre-deceased him in early 2014.

Bob worked for many years at Aberdeen Journals before taking early retirement to pursue his other interests which included the buying and selling of antiques, playing golf and passionately following the Dons. He proclaimed himself as their number one fan.

A deep love of the North East of Scotland, it’s landscape, it’s people, it’s traditions and it’s natural heritage are recurrent themes in Bob’s written work. Such passion would be expressed not only by celebrating such treasures, but also by questioning, satirising and pouring scorn on any figure or process which threatened or detracted from that which he held dear.

Bob reserved his hard hitting political comments for those whom he felt deserved them. Donald Trump, Sir Ian Wood and a good few Aberdeen councillors often got a good bashing both in the form of his letters to the local papers and his poetry, which was usually in the Doric.

Bob was widely published. A search for “Bob Smith” in the Aberdeen Voice search box will return around 100 of Bob’s Doric poems. There are of course many more.

When the man was asked if he knew of a poem in the Doric to use at a friend’s mums funeral, he replied in the negative but said he would immediately pen one. It was duly read out by a grieving grandson last November in an Aberdeen church to an audience of relatives. Bob of course was unrepentantly shy regarding his contribution to the ceremony, only saying that he was glad to help.

It would be comforting to think that this unpublished piece might become a classic. The Catto family have a cherished copy and if asked would no doubt share freely.

Alongside his weekly Aberdeen Voice column his Doric poems featured in Leopard Magazine and his take on the Turra Coo featured in the Scottish Review.

The Bonnie Dunes o Menie, stuff about Fitba and the Spikkin o Doric all came under his wry scrutiny.

Smithy’s Scribblins aboot the naitural warld included lines such as:

“Foo lang afore ess prophecy becomes a reality? And Weel the wye we’re gobblin up the Earth’s resources, maybe seener than ye bliddy think.

“The fowk fa war native tae America lang afore the supposed civilised warld visited their shores kent fine foo tae live alangside naitur.”

His take on Trump was less forgiving. But apart from a ribald comment or ten, Bob was content just to criticise the man thus:

The Donald’s bocht a golf resort
Doon on the Ayrshire coast
A’ll get ti host The Open
Wull noo be his prood boast

Thirty Five million he did spen
He got Turnberry fer a snip
Es o coorse micht mean
Interest in Menie taks a dip

Jist cast yer myn back
Fin winfairms he did detest
The mannie made a vow
In Scotland he’d nae mair invest

Fit ti mak o ess U-turn
As he cums crawlin back
Bein economical wi the truth
The chiel still his the knack

Hud on a wee meenitie tho’
It micht nae be plain sailin
The spectre o affshore winfairms
Cwid yet hae Trumpie wailin

Marine Scotland it his reported
Aboot a site jist oot at sea
Far ye cwid plunk win turbines
They’d be richt in Donald’s ee

Fergus Ewing says ess plans
Fer noo are aff the radar
Yet fair refused ti rule oot
Returnin ti them later

If a winfairm cam ti pass
Wid The Donald then renege?
Or wid he maybe in a rage
Blaw up yon Ailsa Craig

At Doonbeg he’d ti stop some wark
Did he nae hae richt permission?
He can tho’ noo gyaang ahead
Maybe efter a new submission?

Micht Donald hae fresh concerns
A snail in Ireland is protectit
Bi speecial environmental laws
An ess canna be correctit

Trump says he’s gyaan ti wark
Wi environmentalists an sic fowk
If he’d deen aat ower in Menie
He micht nae bin classed a gowk

Noo ere’s nae doot the mannie
Oot the news he winna bide
Wull we next aa be hearin
The bugger’s bocht the River Clyde …

He wrote about many folk and commented wildly according to his well held views. Bob knew how to make those wee moments special.

In not so far off December 2013 he referenced some prophetic words by a Native American tribal leader by the name of Chief Seattle.

“A’ll leave the last wird tae a Native American tribal leader, Chief Seattle, fa said awa back in 1854:-

Humankind has not woven the web of life, We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves, All things are bound together.
All things connect.”

One of his most heartfelt classics is Spikkin Doric published in the Voice some years ago, the piece reflects on the banning of the native tongue of the north east during the difficult days when locals were encouraged to speak the queens English and stand to attention when listening to the national anthem. Bob would have none if it.

A’ve ayewis spak the Doric
Sin a wis jist a loon
A dialect still weel loo’d
Fae the Spey tae Bervie toon

Fin a wis at the local skweel
In classrooms it wis banned
Ye were threatened wi the scud
Fit wid hae wairmed yer hand

Bit eence oot in the playgrun
It flowed oot o yer moo
An wi yer freens an neipers
Doric wisna thocht taboo

We canna lit iss language dee
It’s pairt an paircel o oor lan
The Doric an the North east
They aye gyang han in han

A’m loathe tak in fit a’m hearin
Young fowk canna say “ch” as in loch
Fit’s the warld cumin tae
If ye canna git yer tongue aroon roch?

Doric wirds are mair expressive
Than onything else ye micht hear
Thunk hivvens fowk still spik it
In kwintra placies like New Deer

The braw wird “dreich” a like
Instead o jist sayin “dull”
Or maybe gyaan “heelster-gowdie”
As ye tummle doon a hull

Robbie Shepherd he still spiks it
An a Doric sang he’ll sing
Sin the days o “The Garlogie Fower”
Iss chiel’s bin the Doric “king”

Lits aa fecht fer the Doric
Hae it taacht in aa the skweels
Instead o aa the lah-de-dahs
Thinkin the Doric is fer feels

© Bob Smith “The Poetry Mannie

Fred, the Voice Team and I could of course go on. Robert is a man well missed by all who knew him. Well met and well written Bob, we miss you.

Comments are of course very welcome.

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Kelly’s Cats To Be Phased Out Says Council

Aberdeen City, Articles 2 Responses »

Mar 312015

By April McNulty.

Aberdonians may be asked to vote in a Putin style referendum later this year as the city council deliberate whether to replace the outmoded Kelly’s Cat sculptures with a 21st Century equivalent.

Subjects such as manhole covers, phone boxes and even red squirrels are under consideration.

However Aberdeen City Council says that all suggestions are welcome.

“Those anoraks among us relish street furniture” said a council spokesman.

“It’s all around us and much of it, especially the older pieces, has attained iconic status. The humble cast iron manhole cover and the quite majestic GPO red phone box are fine examples. But the Kelly’s Cat sculptures are part of a much darker era” he told assembled press.

“We really want to seek out what the citizens of the Granite City want. Be it the retention of the present Leopard sculptures or replacement with something like a cute Collie dog or a nice cat, its all up for discussion” said council spokesman Bryan Cromlet.

“We have had many complaints over the years and it’s probably time to move into the 21st century.”

Aberdeen residents have been quick to point out that there has been a long standing debate as to whether Kelly actually created the cats, after all he was busy designing much larger structures such as the Harlaw Monument near Inverurie.

“I don’t think Dr Kelly was much into cats” said one local resident. “He was more of a dog lover” said another.

Supporters of the council proposal point to the undisputed fact that the leopard is a member of the Felidae family which has a wide range throughout Africa, Siberia and tropical Asia. Not much chance of being confronted by a leopard in Aberdeen or the shire perhaps.

Which ever way the April 1st vote goes there will be winners and losers said one City Councillor who pointed out that:

“The Kelly’s Cats on Union Terrace Bridge are of course nowadays on a nightly suicide watch alongside the Samaritan posters which urge would be jumpers to think again and seek kind words, advice and help before taking that last drastic step into the void.”

Many Aberdonians may however decide to vote against the removal and smelting down of these somewhat black but iconic metallic cultural icons.

Kelly’s great-niece, writing in Leopard Magazine several years ago related how during rag week, the students used to tie ribbons around the leopards’ necks. Seemingly the ribbons have now been removed.

Since then there has been debate as to whether Kelly actually designed the leopards, or whether it was Sidney Boyes, the sculptor who designed the bronze panels on either side of Union Terrace Bridge.

Dr Kelly seemingly used a similar leopard design on the savings bank in Union Terrace and sketches of the actual finials are in the Kelly Archive in Aberdeen University.

The debate continues unabated and the jury is of course still out.

A spokesman for Aberdeen City Council said that he was unable to comment but whispered privately to ‘Voice that:

“All is good in Kelly Land, despite the threat of smelting down … moves are afoot to quash the move to melt down the iconic symbols of Scotland’s oil capital.

“There is no way this confounding sacrilege will be allowed to happen … heads will probably roll.”

The good citizens of the Granite City will hopefully make their views known in the local referendum in early April.

Aberdeen City Council might welcome comments on the issue.

Words and image © April McNulty

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Enzo Ferrari At The Grampian Transport Museum

Aberdeenshire, Information No Responses »

Mar 312015

Rare supercars and steam car on display for 2015 season. With thanks to Martyn Smith.

A million pound supercar is to go on display at the Grampian Transport Museum, Alford, this season.

The Enzo Ferrari – named after the company’s founder – is the only such example in Scotland and has been loaned to the museum for the duration of the 2015 season.

With a price tag believed to be in the seven figure mark the Enzo was established to commemorate Ferraris first Formula 1 title of the new millennium and initially just 349 were produced.

However, after numerous requests from enthusiasts, Ferrari gave the green light to an additional production run of 50 vehicles. In 2004 one final Enzo was built and donated to the Vatican for charity – this example later sold at auction for $1.1 million, taking the total production figure to 400!

Another exclusive vehicle to feature in the museum this season is a 1910 Stanley Steamer.

This unique example is one of just three Stanley steamers in Scotland – and almost certainly the only one of its kind. This is believed to be the most original Stanley in Britain having not been subject to any restoration work to date. Stanley, of America, were the most successful steam car manufacturers and in fact held the world land speed record between 1906 and 1910, reaching an astonishing 127.65mph!

As part of a ‘Made in Scotland’ display for 2015 only, a rare Scottish supercar will also feature this season. The Argyll name was brought back in the mid 1970s by a new company who produced a mid-engined sports car, the ill fated Argyll GT, in Lochgilphead. Founded by Bob Henderson this new car was named in honour of the grandfather of one of the investors, who worked in the original Argyll factory at Alexandria.

The Argyll GT was based on a sturdy box section chassis and fiberglass body shell. The museum is displaying the original prototype that features a turbocharged Rover V8 engine however later examples used a non-turbocharged version of the Douvrin V6 which was featured by Renault and Peugeot.

Mike Ward, curator, is delighted with the latest additions to this years exhibition.

“The GTM is well known for its policy to change at least 33% of the exhibitions every season. This rate of change is very high and accounts for our high visitor numbers – visitors come back every season to see what’s new.

“This year has seen significant changes: virtually all of our motorcycles are new, including for the first time ever a Brough Superior, we have our first ever steam car and a section devoted to the surprising but rather sad story of the once great Scottish Motor Industry. I wonder how many people remember the Parabug which was made in Aberdeen?”

Engineering And Science Careers Event At GTM

Aberdeenshire, Information No Responses »

Mar 272015

With thanks to Martyn Smith.

The Grampian Transport Museum (GTM) is holding a Careers Morning on Saturday 28th March from 11am to 12.30pm.

The event is targeted at Academy aged children from S2 to S5 from Aberdeenshire who are interested in finding out more about the subject choices and career stories from a number of people.

Our speakers will each cover a range of questions including:

What did they do at school?
What were their reasons for choosing science or engineering?
What’s their current job and what do you do?
What do they know now which you wish you knew when you were at school?

Short presentations from the GTM Young Engineers Club, which meets regularly on a Saturday morning at the Museum, will also take place.

Commenting on the event, Trustee Paul Lawson, who has helped oversee the Young Engineers team, said:

“The Grampian Transport Museum, as an educational charity, is here to help do its bit to address the current skills gap in the UK and Scotland in engineering disciplines.

“We are here to explain to local youngsters through real life experiences how interesting and rewarding a career in science and engineering can be. Our Young Engineers club has definitely inspired several young people to choose engineering and we feel we can do more!“

Please note that all school aged children must be accompanied by an adult.

Anyone who would like to attend should email youngengineers@gtm.org.uk.

Exciting New Displays At Transport Museum

Aberdeenshire, Information No Responses »

Mar 242015

With thanks to Martyn Smith.

The award winning Grampian Transport Museum in Alford is preparing to open for the 2015 season with exciting new displays and a packed outdoor arena programme.

The museum has been closed to the public since the end of October, allowing the team of volunteers and staff to refresh and update the exhibition.

Following on from last years Independence referendum the museum will be unashamedly showcasing vehicles produced in Scotland with ‘Made in Scotland’.

Few people realise that in the dawn of the last century Scotland was amongst the world leaders in car production – Argyll’s palatial factory in Alexandria was often described as being amongst the most modern and advanced in the world!

Made in Scotland will include examples of each of the famous 3 ‘A’s (Albion, Argyll and Arrol Johnston) and will be brought forward to the modern era with the evocative Linwood story. Included is the very first Hillman Imp to be produced in the plant, which was sent to the national motor museum and has been loaned to the Grampian Transport Museum for the season.

The sense of lost opportunities is captured by the Proclaimers 1987 hit ‘Letter from America’ playing in the background.

A Rover SD1 Vitesse Police Car, a unique addition to the fleet of the then Grampian force, will also be on display and is due to appear on the forthcoming second series of the Channel 4 show ‘For the Love of Cars’ Presented by Life on Mars & Ashes to Ashes star Philip Glenister. Commissioned in 1985 the vehicle was bought at the Coy’s auction at the NEC in Birmingham at beginning of the year for a world record price of £9,750.

The vehicle will also be making a star appearance at the museums first activity of the season ‘Emergency Vehicle Rides’ which takes place on Friday 10th April.

The majority of the motorcycle display has been changed and for the first time in the museums 32 year history is headlined by one of the rarest and most sought after of all vintage motorcycles, the Brough Superior SS80.

Another key exhibit for the forthcoming season is a Foster Traction Engine – affectionately known as Olive – so named as it was new to the military in WW1 and has been repainted by the museums volunteers into War Department olive green livery.

Every year the museum aims to refresh around one third of the vehicles on display, however a few old favourites remain. Billy Connolly’s famous Boom Lowrider Motortrike, as seen on his ‘World Tour of England, Ireland and Wales’ TV series, can be enjoyed for another season. The popular Pop Icons collection, charting the rise of popular culture

Scotland’s Cruel Sea: David Innes Reviews

Articles, Featured, Opinion No Responses »

Mar 132015

By David Innes.

The recent Pentland Firth tragedy in which the Cemfjord was lost with all hands, demonstrates that no matter how sailing and marine technology improves, the treacherous Scottish coastline and our frequently-inhospitable weather refuse to be tamed.

45 years have elapsed since the twin tragic losses of lifeboats from Fraserburgh and Longhope and whilst technology and training have improved, there remains considerable scope for losses at sea.

In a clockwise circumnavigation of this coastline in Scotland’s Cruel Sea, Robert Jeffrey charts how along its entirety, marine disaster has befallen the unwary, the unprepared and the unlucky.

He recognises the bravery of those who have fought elements, waves, currents, rocks and fortune, be they mariners or rescuers.

He also tells of the frequent crass stupidity which saw seafarers ill-prepared for almost certain death – a steam-driven submarine with folding tunnels and multiple vents? You don’t need to make that up – it happened and is well-documented here.

Likewise, his exacting prose describes clearly how the Iolaire sank just outside Stornoway harbour on New Year’s Day 1919, with over 200 men, who had survived the brutality of The Great War, lost within sight of their homes, a tragedy that is still mourned in the Hebrides.

The Longhope lifeboat TGB, from which all crew were lost exactly 45 years ago on a mercy mission doomed to failure, was recovered intact, re-fitted and went on to serve for another ten years and 41 call-outs in Ireland. Who knew that?

He describes the June 1916 loss of the Hampshire as a harrowing experience for Britain, as Lord Kitchener was the most high-profile loss on Orkney’s west coast, in an ill-considered venture into a raging summer storm. The effect of Kitchener’s death, and the conspiracy theories it spawned, Jeffrey says, would be akin to the more contemporary deaths of John F Kennedy or Princess Diana.

Of most interest to Voice readers, of course, will be the marine losses affecting NE Scotland, including Piper Alpha which caused “collective shock” not only in the oil industry, but in the country and where the bereaved and survivors found it, “as difficult to extract fairness from the multinationals as it was to get the oil and gas to the surface”.

Linked to North Sea exploration, is the insightful chapter on Chinook and Super Puma ditchings and near misses along with a tribute to pilot skills which, Jeffrey points out, have prevented many more losses in extreme conditions.

The Tay Bridge collapse of Hogmanay 1879 also gets its own chapter and Jeffrey’s frustration is obvious as he tells of the forewarnings of structural instability, inappropriate train speeds and the fears of an ex-Provost of Dundee who would only travel southbound on the ill-fated structure. It’s a surprise to learn that the final death toll has never been enumerated and that the locomotive was recovered from the Tay and put back into service.

Scotland’s Cruel Sea is informative, sympathetic, cautionary and written so that non-technical readers can appreciate the issues behind the human suffering associated with our being an island race.

Scotland’s Cruel Sea by Robert Jeffrey.

Black & White Publishing
ISBN 978 I 84502 886 2
£9.99

Jersey Boys At HM Theatre Aberdeen – A Review

Aberdeen City, Featured, Opinion No Responses »

Mar 052015

Lewis Griffiths, Tim Driesen, Sam Ferriday and Stephen Webb in JERSEY BOYS UK tour – Credit: Helen Maybanks

By Duncan Harley

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame arrived in Aberdeen this week in the form of the 1960s era, jukebox-style musical, Jersey Boys, and it would be fair to say that the audience went wild.

From curtain rise to curtain call this is a highly polished and electrifyingly energetic production.

After almost a decade touring worldwide, who would expect otherwise.

With a pedigree of 27 Top 40 singles including Big Girls Don’t Cry, Walk Like a Man and Rag Doll, the original Four Seasons’ tough but tender doo-wop harmonies continue to wow Rock ‘n’ Roll fans of all ages.

Add to the mix around 100 million record sales, and it’s difficult to see how Director Des McAnuff’s musical portrayal of the group’s often troubled rise and fall could fail to please the theatre audience.

As always, casting makes or breaks a musical, and the choice of Belgian-born actor Tim Driesen – Rock of Ages and We Will Rock You – to play lead Frankie Valli is more than satisfying. Bearing a passing resemblance to the young Frankie, Tim’s stage presence and ferocious falsetto vocal range steal the show.

Sam Ferriday as songsmith Bob Gaudio, Lewis Griffiths as the gentle Nick Massi and Stephen Webb as the renegade Tommy DeVito complete the band lineup and in numbers such as Sherry and Bye Bye Baby, the quartet’s performance bordered on the magical. At times it was difficult to separate performance from reality.

After all we are talking here about a group which disbanded in 1977. The 20th century rock genre still commands massive audience appeal however, as gems such as John Byrne’s Tutti Frutti and Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show indicate.

The narrative is neatly subdivided Vivaldi-like into Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter, with each band member taking a turn to relate his own particular version of the band’s rise and fall. Interspersed throughout by around 30 original Four Seasons hits, this approach works well.

As the rags-to-riches story plays out and the discord between band members becomes unbearably raw, the musical score keeps pace.

Spring’s I Can’t Give you Anything But Love leads on to the prohibition-inspired Oh What a Night of Summer.

Sam Ferriday, Stephen Webb, Tim Driesen and Lewis Griffiths in JERSEY BOYS UK tour Credit: Helen Maybanks

The Big Man in Town of the Fall gives way to Winter’s Fallen Angel and Who Loves You. In the end of course, all is calm on the wrong side of the tracks, and the Four Seasons are admitted to the Hall of Fame.

Yes of course the quartet’s story is told in a somewhat fictionalised form. As a musical though, the story works well.

The gang connections, for example, might be ever so slightly romanticised, two rather than one of Frankie Valli’s daughters actually died, one by apparent suicide and one by drug overdose in 1980; and the real Tommy DeVito denies being an untidy room-mate who peed in the sink.

“I was probably the cleanest guy there … I don’t even know how they come up with this kinda stuff,” he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal recently.

But this is theatre after all, and a wee bit of spin in the name of entertainment is not unwelcome.

If there is one minor criticism it would be that there is little reference to the contemporary music scene.

The storyline exists in an explosive bubble of doo-wop and aside from a reference or two to Bob Gaudio’s pre- Four Season’s hit Short Shorts and some discussion about how to get airplay on prime time radio, we are pretty much left in the dark about the general music scene in the far off 1960s.

The supporting cast were superb with Nathaniel Morrison’s Barry and Charlie Allen’s Swing due special mention, as of course is Matt Gillett who plays record producer Bob Crewe.

Lighting, sound and set are slick and the costumes are both pin sharp and iconic.

All in all Jersey Boys is a show well worth seeing.

Jersey Boys plays at HM Theatre Aberdeen until Saturday 14th March.

Tickets from Aberdeen Performing Arts Tel: 01224- 641122

Aberdeen Asset Management Back Traditional Boat Festival

Aberdeenshire, Articles, Featured No Responses »

Feb 272015

With thanks to Esther Green, Tricker PR.

Aberdeen Asset Management (Aberdeen) has stepped back on board as sponsors of the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival which takes place in Portsoy annually and is worth in excess of £1 million to the local economy.

Last year’s event festival attracted more than 18,000 people, with a significant growth in the number of visitors attending from outwith the region and just under 12% of visitors attending from overseas.

Aberdeen Asset Management’s four year sponsorship deal of the festival came to an end in 2014, but with the flagship event finding it difficult to find a successor, Aberdeen have thrown organisers a lifeline and agreed to back this year’s event, and to provide further funding in 2016.

Festival chairman Roger Goodyear has welcomed Aberdeen Asset Management’s intervention, saying it protects the continuation of the popular event in the short term, while buying more time for organisers to secure an alternative main sponsor for future years.

Roger says:

“We are delighted that Aberdeen Asset Management has generously agreed to back us with this extra support. It comes at a time when we are involved in a number of additional projects that are taking up a considerable amount of time and attention but will bring significant community benefit, including the creation of a boatshed, the building of a traditional salmon coble and, in association with the North East Preservation Trust, the restoration of a listed building to create a bunkhouse.

“Aberdeen has been a generous supporter of the festival since 2011 and that has meant that it is an extremely hard act to follow, but we are pleased to have this safety net in place as we seek other sponsors for future festivals.”

Martin Gilbert, chief executive of Aberdeen Asset Management and a keen sailor, says of the sponsorship award:

“The Scottish Traditional Boat Festival is a key highlight of the tourism calendar and, as well as being the largest gathering of traditional boats in Scotland it has an excellent range of on shore activities for all ages.

“When we became aware that the festival was finding it a challenge to secure a main sponsor, we wanted to show support that will help safeguard this vibrant community-run event which attracts a high level of tourists to the area every summer, as it continues to seek a long term sponsorship supporter.”

Scotland’s former First Minister Alex Salmond, a frequent visitor to the festival in Portsoy on the Banffshire Coast also welcomed the sponsorship announcement.

“The Scottish Traditional Boat Festival is one of the most popular events in Scotland’s tourism calendar and I am absolutely delighted that Aberdeen Asset Management are back on-board for another two years.

“Portsoy welcomes thousands of visitors during the festival each year and during the Year of Food and Drink 2015 there are even more opportunities to promote and celebrate our award-wining local producers.”

The 22nd annual Scottish Traditional Boat Festival takes place on 4 and 5 July 2015 and promotes maritime links and heritage, as well as maritime crafts, food, music, traditions and local sports.

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