Ideas on a Postcard, Please

The Scottish Executive (that's part of the cabinet illustrated here) is to hand out 100,000 pre-paid postcards asking voters to suggest what the priorities should be if it wins a second term at Holyrood. The Labour Party says it is "taking the temperature" of opinion in Scotland after making a number of policy decisions at the party conference earlier this year. But political opponents seized on the initiative, claiming that it showed the Labour Party was bereft of ideas and lacked vision. The postcards, which are being circulated by local activists to homes across Scotland, begins with the words "Dear Jack: Labour in a second term should..." The party claims that the best ideas will be passed to Labour's manifesto development team.

Gains Predicted for Scottish Socialist Party

The latest NFO System Three opinion poll for the Herald newspaper is predicting that the Scottish Socialist Party, led by Tommy Sheridan (pictured here), its present sole Member of the Scottish Parliament, will win up to seven seats on the elections next May. The party has grown to 8% in the regional lists, that part of the election process which involves proportional representation. It could mean that Robin Harper, the sole member of the Green Party in the Scottish Parliament could lose out - though the Greens may pick up seats in rural areas. The Conservative Party are predicted to win only 12 seats, down from 19. Currently, Labour are predicted to lose two seats and the Scottish Nationalist Party could gain two, with the Liberal Democrats unchanged. But ten months is a long time in politics.
Photograph courtesy of the Scottish Parliament © Web site.

HCI Hospital Takes First Patients

The private HCI hospital in Clydebank, which the government has bought for a bargain price of £37.5 million, took its first National Health Service patients under the new regime this week. The deal was signed at the end of last week and the 540-bed hospital and all its staff and equipment are now available to the NHS. The hospital specialises in complex heart operations, major orthopaedic procedures such as knee replacements, plastic surgery and heart investigations.

House Prices Go Through the Roof

According to figures published by the Nationwide Building Society, the annual rate of house price increases rose from 8.5% in the first quarter of 2002 to 12.5% for the three months to the end of June. The increases have been accompanied by a boom in applications for new loans reaching record levels. The British Bankers Association (BBA) said that its members had approved 253,900 new mortgages in the UK in May, worth £16.5 billion. This was the highest since their records began in 1997 (when there was an increase in the number of BBA members). In Scotland, there are dramatic variations in the annual increases in house prices, ranging from 1.29% in East Ayrshire, through 8.67% in Glasgow, to 16% in Edinburgh and 25.96% in Moray. Despite the overheating in the property market, the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee left interest rates unchanged at 4% at their meeting this week.

Britain's Fastest Growing Airport

While growth may be from a relatively small base, there is no denying that Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire (which trades as Glasgow Prestwick International, even though it is 30 miles from the city) is growing at a faster rate than any airport in Britain. Traffic is 35% ahead of last year's figures, with 1.3 million passengers using the airport. The airport's biggest user is Irish airline Ryanair, which swelled its own passenger numbers by 51% last month compared with the same month a year ago. Back in 1992, passenger numbers were small, with the facility being used mainly by cargo after trans-Atlantic traffic had been moved to Glasgow Airport.

Bank Chief Praises "Can Do" Attitude of Highlands

Sir Eddie George, the Governor of the Bank of England, praised the positive attitude of many Highland companies in a speech in Inverness this week. He compared them to the children's TV character Bob the Builder who responds to the question "Can you do it?" with "Yes we can." During his speech he pointed to the 39 successive quarters of growth in the UK economy and he expressed confidence that this would extend to 40. Unemployment was at a 27-year low and he was encouraged by the involvement and partnership between public and private sectors in the Highlands and Islands.

Slow Growth of Scottish Economy

The positive comments of the Governor of the Bank of England were in sharp contrast to a gloomy forecast by the respected Fraser of Allander Institute, part of Strathclyde University, which estimates that growth in the Scottish economy will amount to only 0.9% in 2002, little more than half of the 1.7% predicted for the UK economy as a whole. Scottish manufacturing has been stuck in recession for six consecutive quarters and it is only due to the ever-resilient service sector that the total economy is showing any signs of growth. However, even here, the forecast is for growth of 2.1% in the service sector in 2002.

Plans to Revamp "Outdated" National Museums

The new director of the National Museums of Scotland, who was appointed in February, says that he plans to target "old-fashioned" exhibitions as part of a mult-million-pound redevelopment. He reckons that the Royal Museum in Edinburgh (pictured here), which will celebrate its 150th birthday in 2004, is in particular need of a shake-up. He considers that some of the permanent exhibitions there, such as the natural history collections, require hi-tech multi-media presentations and that the large glass-roofed atrium in the Victorian building should be used more effectively. Over the last four years the national museums have gone through a period of rapid growth, including the opening of the new Museum of Scotland, the National War Museum and the Museum of Country Life at East Kilbride.

630 Redundant at Computer Plant

Less than 18 months ago, computer manufacturer Compaq made 700 staff redundant at its factory in Erskine in Renfrewshire. This week, there was another blow to the workers there when Compaq, now part of the giant Hewlett Packard company, announced that another 630 staff were to lose their jobs over the next three months, leaving the remaining 1,600 employees wondering about their future.

30,000 Homes Without Water

Flood water rose up to five feet on Thursday in parts of Glasgow as two water mains burst during the morning rush hour. Traffic came to a standstill on the south side of the city following the bursts in Eglinton Street and Pollokshaws Road, two of the main arteries into the city centre. The two ruptured mains were within 100 yards of one another. Engineers turned off the water supplies in the pipes, but that left 30,000 homes without a water supply for much of the rest of the day.

Aircraft from Glasgow in Near Miss

A British Airways Embraer 145 aircraft (the type of plane shown here) which was flying from Glasgow to Bristol had to take avoiding action when emergency collision avoidance systems came into action as it flew on the flight path of an aircraft leaving the airport for Newcastle. The BA aircraft had apparently descended further than it should have, but the automatic radar systems did exactly what it was designed to do. A report has been filed with the Civil Aviation Authority.

Marines Fly Back to Arbroath

300 members of 45 Commando who have been in Afghanistan for the last three months flew into Prestwick airport in a specially chartered jumbo jet this week, on their way back to their base at Arbroath. 3,000 marines have been operating in the mountains of Afghanistan and this was the first contingent to return.

Direct Edinburgh to Cardiff Rail Link

Virgin Trains are to introduce a new direct rail link between the capitals of Scotland and Wales as part of the development of its CrossCountry network. The new service will cut the journey time by an hour, to seven hours, and will be only £35 return, a saving of £12 on previous fares. No doubt rugby fans making the pilgrimage to the annual international between the two countries will take advantage of the new arrangements. Some of the trains will also start out from Aberdeen or Dundee, via Edinburgh, making direct journeys possible from there also. The launch of the new service is linked to the introduction of the new 125mph Voyager and Super Voyager trains which have on-board radio entertainment, similar to that on aircraft.

Plans for Clyde Commercial Development Revealed

An artist's impression has been published of the commercial development on a mile long stretch of the north bank of the Clyde in Glasgow, from the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre all the way downriver to the Clyde Tunnel. The drawings show a massive glass-fronted building which will give the occupants a fine view of the river - now much improved from the days when Glasgow was a major industrial city. The £500 million harbour development will also include 2,500 new homes, 650 of which will be built once the demolition of the Meadowside Granary is completed later this year. In order to allow a clear view of the harbour development from the west end of Glasgow, the Clydeside Expressway is to be lowered by several yards and a redundant railway embankment will be removed. The shopping and leisure development will be linked to a revamped Partick Interchange and underground station.

War Games at Britain's Only Private Army

The Atholl Highlanders is the only private army in Europe allowed to bear arms - a privilege conferred by Queen Victoria. But they are now involved in a conflict taking place on the 148,000 acre estate. This is the second largest landholding in Britain, where the regiment parades in front of their commander-in-chief, the Duke of Atholl. Plans for a Japanese version of "paintball" war games, on a 25-acre development on the estate, using plastic pellets instead of paint, are being fought by nearby residents who fear that the tranquillity of the area will be spoilt. The venture is an attempt by the Atholl family (who have lived at Blair Castle, north of Pitlochry, for over 700 years) to attract new business to the area. Advocates of the Airsoft war game claim that it is all about stealth and communications are by radio, not loud shouting. The plastic pellets are biodegradable and make less mess than conventional paint balls. But protestors say that up to a million pellets will be fired in a year and they take three years to decay. And local wildlife such as red squirrels and badgers will be adversely affected.

Game Conservancy Scottish Fair

One of the main events in Scotland's rural and conservation calendar takes place in the grounds of Scone Palace this weekend. The two-day Game Conservancy Scottish Fair attracts around 27,000 visitors each year and they will be able to see 250 trade stands, including the Game Conservancy Trust, which this year is focusing on the reintroduction of species which used to roam in Scotland - including beaver, pine martin and wild boar. The Red Arrows RAF display team will perform overhead and there will be falconry, gundog displays, clay-pigeon shooting and, of course, pipe bands. The "Trompes de Chase", a 15-strong troupe of horn-blowing French huntsmen and women are also taking part.

Rescue in Reverse for TV Personality

Media personality Sir Jimmy Savile, whose children's TV show "Jim'll Fix It" ran for many years, fixed himself a "rescue" with a difference this week. He had heard that the volunteer Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team needed new equipment, so he offered them a donation of £1,000 if they would stretcher him from his home in Glencoe to the summit of the 3,658ft Stob nan Lochan. He said that he was delighted to scale the mountain "in comfort" and get a bird's eye view of his cottage from the peak. And the mountain rescue team were not only grateful for the donation - they got some free publicity for their essential work. But they did comment that the climb would have been easier if Sir Jimmy had taken off his notorious gold rings before the trip!

Windscreen Wipers for Bass Rock

The CCTV cameras on the Bass Rock off North Berwick which are linked to the Scottish Seabird Centre on the mainland, currently use electricity provided by a diesel generator. This is expensive to run as a helicopter has to be used to deliver diesel oil. This also disturbs the huge colonies of seabirds on the island. So it seemed appropriate to change over to solar panels. But there was one problem - the large quantity of guano dropped on the panels would soon put them out of action. But after experiments on the Isle of Mey off the coast of Fife, where a similar problem exists, car windscreen wipers proved to be the most effective way of keeping the panels in action. The Bass Rock has the largest nesting gannet population in the world and is also home to thousands of puffins and other seabirds. The CCTV cameras can pan, tilt and zoom under the control of visitors and the pictures are displayed on giant screens within the Seabird Centre.

Receivers Whistled in for Referee's Company

Top Scottish referee Hugh Dallas reached the highest point of his career at the World Cup final in Japan when he was the fourth official in the match between Brazil and Germany. But he returned home to find the future of the building company in which he is a director hanging in the balance after the company called in the receivers. Corporate recovery experts PriceWaterhouseCoopers are hopeful that the businesses within the Wilson Group can be sold as a going concern, either together or individually. But 51 redundancies amongst the 260 employees have already been announced, including Hugh Dallas. But the World Cup referee has registered an interest in mounting a management buyout of the Watson Dallas window business, part of the group.

Prickly Problem for Island Hedgehogs

The days of hedgehogs on North and South Uist are numbered after the animals were found guilty of destroying the nests of native wild birds by Scottish Natural Heritage. The environmental body is considering a mass cull of more than 5,000 hedgehogs. Whether the sentence is carried out or not is now up to the environment and rural affairs minister, Ross Finnie, who has to decide whether to protect the immigrant hedgehog or the indigenous wader birds. Other options include fencing, sterilisation, capture and removal to a life sentence in permanent captivity or transportation to the mainland. Four hedgehogs were introduced in 1974 by a home owner as a way of controlling garden pests and numbers have escalated ever since. Defence advocates of the hedgehogs say that they are being used as scapegoats and that other predators such as otters, mink, gulls and skuas should share the rap. The owner of the Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Buckinghamshire is threatening legal action if the hedgehogs are given a death sentence.

No Jackpot for Aberdonian

James Zhang, a mechanical engineer from Aberdeen, was scratching his head this week. He had decided to scrap his old car and sent off an application form to the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency in Swansea for a refund on his road tax. When the brown envelope arrived he opened it, expecting to find a cheque for £40. Instead, he pulled out two National Lottery tickets - both of them out of date, so there was not even a faint chance of a lottery win from them. He is totally mystified and says he hopes the Agency wasn't joking as government agency employees shouldn't be joking with customers. He has been told to contact the DVLA - but wonders what he might receive next time?

Language Problems for Canadian Otters

Staff at the national sea-life sanctuary at Oban are mounting a 24-hour guard over a new pair of Canadian otters as they believe that local wild otters might attack them because of the "foreign accents" and strange scents of the newcomers. An animal expert at Stirling University agrees that because of the different sounds made by the Canadian otters, they would have difficulty in communicating and speaking the local "dialect." The new otter sanctuary at Oban is believed to be within the territory of at least one family of wild Scottish otters.

Ceilidh Band "Not Scottish Enough"

An Aberdeenshire-based ceilidh band, which has two English performers, won a court case this week claiming that they had been refused their fee for a Hogmanay booking because of resentment about the English members of the band. Ceilidh On The Breinnh said that they had performed at a dinner-dance at the Buchan Tennis League and had been asked back for Hogmanay at the Bancar Hotel. But the audience that night subjected them to anti-English comments and complained to the hotel management that the band were not playing enough traditional Scottish music. The manager then refused to pay their full fee. But at Peterhead Sheriff Court they won their full fee plus legal costs. The manager at the hotel refused to discuss the anti-English racial abuse - she's English herself.

Capercaillie Heading for Extinction

The largest game bird in Britain, the capercaillie, is being pushed nearer to extinction in the Highlands, despite conservation efforts to save it. It is estimated that in 1980 there were 20,000 birds. But the population has been falling by 16% a year since the early 1990s and there are only around 1,000 left. Capercaillie thrive in areas where there are Scots pine and blaeberry, but they also need large areas to thrive and these are becoming fewer as the years go by. The large black turkey-sized birds weigh as much as ten pounds and can barge through slender branches of trees, but frequently fail to see deer fences and crash into them. The bird disappeared from Scotland in 1785 but were reintroduced about 160 years ago from Sweden. The illustration of this shy bird is of a series of scultures representing the bird.

Wettest June Since Records Began

It rained every day in Glasgow in June, except on the 28th. Edinburgh was only slightly better with two dry days. Arid Aberdeen had all of three days without precipitation. The total amount of rainfall this June in terms of inches didn't break any records (there was "only" twice the normal amount in Glasgow) but the lack of dry days made it the wettest June since such records began in 1914. The rain and clouds also affected the amount of sunshine - Glasgow and Edinburgh had only around half of the normal hours of sun. Aberdeen, however, managed to reach the long-term average for sunshine hours. One consolation from the meteorologists was that the longest period of continuous rain in Britain (58.5 hours) was way back in 1903.

Weather in Scotland This Week

There were photos in the media of a spectacular tornado spotted in the north-east of Scotland in open fields near Old Meldrum and Ellon in Aberdeenshire. The mini-twister did not cause any damage, however, as the clouds twisted into a cone shape which reached the ground during thundery conditions. The rest of the weather was again "autumnal" with temperatures dipping to 13C (55F) in the central Scotland belt on Monday though the thermometer rose later in the week - Glasgow recorded 20C (68F) on Wednesday.

This week's illustration of current flowers in Scotland is of a Wild Rose, shortly after a shower of rain and in one of the few spells of sunshine. It was growing as part of a garden hedge on the outskirts of Glasgow.

Urquhart Castle Visitor Centre Officially Opened

Hamish Clark, who plays the gauche Duncan in the TV series "Monarch of the Glen", officially opened the controversial new visitor centre at Urquhart Castle on the banks of Loch Ness this week. The £5 million development attracted opposition from the local community and has taken two years to construct. The new building has an exhibition area, cinema, cafe and shop and more space for car parking. The popular castle used to have cars parked along the verge of the busy main road at peak times for visitors. Over 200,000 people are attracted to the ruined castle each year.

Broughty Castle Refurbished

The upgrade to the museum at Broughty Castle in Angus was officially unveiled last weekend with a family fun day in which visitors were greeted by a piper and were given sparkling wine and strawberries in a garden party in the castle grounds. Located on a promontory at the Dundee dormitory town of Broughty Ferry, the castle began as a 15th century keep built by the Gray family. When the English invaded Scotland in 1547-50, the 4th Lord Gray treacherously delivered up the castle to the invaders. In the 19th century it was extended with artillery emplacements. It now houses a museum of whaling and fishery, arms and armour.

Top Secret

The World War II 'secrets' of Dumfries and Galloway are revealed for the first time this month in an exhibition at Stranraer Museum from July 6 to September 21. The area was used for a series of secret programs during the war as it was so far away from the action and stood little chance of being bombed. There are fascinating photos of testing and developments going on in the region relating to the D-Day Landings. Ken Ryan port was a secret deep water port created during the war and was the point of arrival for many US troops heading to Britain. Many airfields were built as it was a seen as a fairly safe and secure area, attracting the likes of the Dambuster Squadron who practiced on the moors above Stranraer. Numerous Italians and Germans were put into camps in Dumfries and Galloway near the end of the war. Many became involved in farming, made friends with the locals and a number even settled in the area after the war. Their stories, which now extend over two and three generations, are included in the exhibition.

The Remarkable Mr Hill

A major exhibition, honouring the Scottish artist and pioneer photographer David Octavius Hill RSA, is running at the Perth Museum and Art Gallery from July 6 to October 12. Hill is best remembered as one of the pioneers of the development of photography as an artistic medium during the 1840s. He took up photography as a means of assisting his aspirations to commemorate the creation of the Free Church in May 1843 with a huge painting including portraits of all the ministers who left the Church of Scotland at that time (see illustration here). Hill was born in Perth and was the most gifted artist yet to emerge from Perthshire. Included in the exhibition are 30 lithographic views of "Sketches of Scenery in Perthshire," the earliest examples of lithographic prints of the Scottish scenery ever produced. Hill executed these from 1821-1823.

Search for Sunken Treasure

When Cromwell's army under General George Monk invaded Scotland in 1651, they ransacked many of the wealthy houses in Edinburgh, Lothian, Angus, Fife and Perth, killing 500 civilians in a campaign designed to crush support for King Charles II during the second Civil War. The loot was taken in a fleet of heavily-laden 60 ships which were heading back to England. But the were met by an unexpected storm and heavy seas at the mouth of the river Tay and they were all sunk. Over the years, a number of attempts have been made to recover the sunken treasure, which is in water only 40 feet deep. But silt has covered up the wrecks and so the gold plate, coins and religious artefacts, worth up to an estimated £2.5 billion at today's prices, has remained unrecovered. Now a team is working in the estuary with hi-tech metal detectors over the next ten weeks searching for the missing loot.

Facelift for City Clock

The 400-year-old Tolbooth in Glasgow was undergoing repairs this week after a water pipe burst and damaged some of the internal workings of the clock at the top of the tower. The Tolbooth is all that remains of a number of buildings which used to be located at Glasgow Cross, once the centre of the city. The civic chambers used to be there and it was also the location for many executions.

Plans for Legal Action Over Castle Tioram

The millionaire owner of 13th century Castle Tioram in Moidart is considering legal action after his £4.5 million plans to restore the castle, including reroofing and creating a clan museum as well as living accommodation, were rejected again by Historic Scotland. The proposals have the backing of the Highland Council who are concerned that if nothing is done the castle will crumble. Castle Tioram was once the ancient seat of the Lord of the Isles but was torched in 1715 by the chief of the Clan MacDonald to prevent it falling into enemy hands.

This Week in History

• July 7 1548 - Treaty of Haddington, between France and Scotland, confirming the betrothal of Mary Queen of Scots and Dauphin of France.
• July 7 1817 - First publication of Walter Scott's Waverley Novels.
• July 7 1930 - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle author of the Sherlock Holmes detective stories, died.
• July 8 1249 - King Alexander II died on Isle of Kerrara, Oban Bay.
• July 8 1790 - Forth and Clyde Canal between the rivers Forth and Clyde, 22 years in the making, opened.
• July 8 1822 - Henry Raeburn, portrait painter, died.
• July 9 1867 - Queen's Park Football Club, first senior football (soccer) club in Scotland formed.
• July 10 1451 - King James III born at Stirling.
• July 10 1559 - King Henri of France died. Mary Queen of Scots' husband, Francis, becomes King of France.
• July 11 1924 - Eric Liddell (later famous as a result of the film "Chariots of Fire") won Olympic 400 metres sprint in Paris.
• July 12 1690 - William III defeated James VII in the Battle of the Boyne, Ireland, 1690
• July 12 1698 - Darien expedition left Leith for Panama.
• July 13 1174 - King William surprised and captured by the English at Alnwick.
• July 13 1249 - King Alexander III crowned at Scone
• July 13 1469 - King James III married Margaret of Denmark 1469

Biggest Salsa Dance in the World

380 couples turned up in Glasgow's George Square to help the city become a dance capital again by creating a world record for salsa dancing. All age ranges turned up - and for those who were a bit rusty on the steps, there was a 20-minute lesson organised by the Academia de Salsa before the big event got under way. The bid to create the record was part of the Glasgow Jazz Festival which started this week.

Celtic Festival in Skye

The 12th annual Fèis An Eilein/Skye Festival takes place in a spectacular location at Arainn Chaluim Chille, Ostaig House, Teangue, overlooking the Sound of Sleat on the Isle of Skye from July 9-19. The festival attracts top Celtic performers from Cape Breton, Scotland and Ireland to create a programme that stretches its horizons to feature some interesting and unusual cultural surprises. These include music, song, dance, storytelling, theatre, films, workshops and festival fun days. For more information visit www.feisaneilein.com

Bidding War for New Radio Station

The Radio Authority, the government agency which administers the allocation of radio transmission frequencies, has given the go-ahead for a new radio station in Glasgow. Bids for the new licence will be invited next year. A trial broadcast has already been undertaken by a group of Scottish business people, including Kirsty Wark the TV presenter and her husband Alan Clements who run a TV production company. Also involved are John Boyle, former owner of Motherwell Football Club, Charan Gill a restaurant owner and Bryan Burnett a TV and radio presenter. It is surprising that Glasgow does not have its own dedicated radio station - Manchester, a smaller city than Glasgow, has four stations.

Britannia's Record High

Perhaps as a result of the Queen's Golden Jubilee, visitor numbers at the former Royal Yacht Britannia at Ocean Terminal at Leith reached a new record high last month. 35,000 people toured the yacht, 50% more than the same month last year. In 2001, the Britannia became the third visitor attraction in Edinburgh to be awarded a five star grading by the Scottish Tourist Board.

Film Premier in Greenock

Despite an invitation to hold the British premier of the award-winning film "Sweet Sixteen" at the Edinburgh Film Festival, director Ken Loach wants the premier to be held in Greenock (where it was filmed) or Glasgow. Martin Compston, an 18-year-old Greenock Morton football fan, was nominated for a best actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for his role in the film. The picture won the best screenplay prize at Cannes and it has been described as one of Loach's strongest films for years.

Rangers Chairman Stands Down

In a sphere where journalistic rumours and speculation are rife, David Murray, chairman of Rangers Football Club, surprised everybody by announcing this week that he was standing down and handing over the reins to deputy chairman, John McClelland. Murray, who bought a controlling interest in the club in 1988 for £6 million, will continue to be the majority shareholder and honorary chairman. He says he will concentrate more on his wide business interests in charge of Murray International Holdings. While his investment in Rangers has increased in value over the years (it is now estimated to be worth £150 million), he has ploughed between £45 and £50 million of his own cash into the club. The state-of-the-art training facility for the club (pictured here) was named Murray Park by the Rangers Board (despite Murray himself not wanting it named after himself).

Celtic Manager to Fulfill Contract

Martin O'Neill, manager of Celtic Football Club, has brushed aside suggestions that he could be the next manager of English Premier club Leeds United by commenting that his contract with Celtic has another year to run. But Leeds United have confirmed that he is one of five names on their short list for replacement manager after the sacking of David O'Leary. O'Neill could perhaps double his £1 million a year salary by making a move at this stage, but Celtic fans are hoping that the Celtic Board will negotiate a new contract which would tie him to the club for longer. But if Martin O'Neill moves to Leeds, it has been suggested that deposed manager David O'Leary would be keen to replace him at Parkhead!

Dundee Management Team sacked

After a showdown with the club's major shareholders, Ivano Bonetti, the Italian manager of Dundee Football Club was sacked this week along with his assistant and brother Dario Bonetti and club co-ordinator Dario Magri. Bonetti and his team have been at Dundee for two years but spent much of the last few months of last season in Italy, supposedly scouting for players, after getting married at Easter. Dundee are in the process of selling six of their better players. The club finished 9th this season in the Premier League. The club moved quickly to appoint Jim Duffy who left the club in 1996 to move to Hibernian.

Airdrie Rising from the Ashes?

Although insolvent Airdrie Football Club was wound up two months ago by administrators, it now hopes to spring back into life and play in the Scottish League. This Lazarus effect has been achieved by the newly-formed Airdrie United offering to buy out Clydebank which is also in dire financial straits and has been without a ground of its own for the last few years. Airdrie would not only be back in business, but would be in the Second Division, playing the fixtures previously allocated to Clydebank. However, a group of Clydebank supporters are desperately trying to preserve their club and have been given a deadline of next Monday to provide the necessary cash guarantees to the administrator. No-one has been given preferred bidder status but the accountants acknowledge that the Airdrie bid is currently the front runner.

Saints Boss Challenged

As St Johnstone toasted a new sponsorship deal for their shirts with coach operator Scottish Citylink, the club chairman demanded that manager Billy Stark should get the club back in the Premier League by the end of the coming season. The sponsorship money will be increased if Saints can win the First Division title. On the other hand, if the club cannot get back to the SPL, the chairman has warned that if they hang around in the lower division, the players will face the prospect of part-time football and wages.

Scottish Open at Loch Lomond

The Scottish Open Championship, part of the PGA European golf tournament, takes place at the Loch Lomond Golf Course, Luss from July 11-14. The Open Championship takes place a few days later, from 18th to 21st July at Muirfield, which is about 20 miles east of Edinburgh.

Rocks Move to Braehead

Scotland's national basketball team, Edinburgh Rocks, have played the last four seasons in the capital's Meadowbank Sports Centre. But the team are moving to an impressive state-of-the-art 4000-seat stadium at Braehead in September. The team will now be renamed Scottish Rocks.