D-Day Retreat for First Minister

First Minister Jack McConnell had to (eventually) reverse a decision to turn down an invitation to attend the ceremonies in Normandy to mark the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings. It emerged that failing to attend was because the First Minister (a keen golfer) was to be at a function in St Andrews, hosted by Duke of York, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club. There was an outcry, not least by representatives of many of the veterans who were travelling to the French beaches to see an event attended by world leaders, including the UK Queen and Prime Minister and the presidents of France, USA and Russia. The First Minister had earlier decided to send his finance minister, saying that the invitation to St Andrews dinner had been accepted prior to the arrival of the invitation from the French government. The finance minister will now attend the R&A dinner at St Andrews.

Prince of Wales Visits Blast Victims

During an official visit to Glasgow this week, Prince Charles visited the victims and relatives of those involved in the explosion at the ICL Plastics plant in the Maryhill area of the city on 11 May. He praised emergency workers for their "fantastic" response and offered his sympathies to the relatives of the five men and four women who died in the tragedy in which a four-storey building collapsed. During his visit to Scotland, Prince Charles also visited Glasgow's Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and hosted a garden party for National Health Service workers at Holyroodhouse Palace in Edinburgh.

Dalai Lama Visits Scottish Parliament

Tibet's Dalai Lama, on a visit to Scotland, called in at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh this week. He addressed the assembled MSPs (Members of the Scottish Parliament), describing it as "unique" and adding that Scotland and Tibet had similar concerns about saving their respective cultures. Fortunately, he didn't continue the analogy by suggesting that both countries were under the domination of an invading foreign power. Instead, he suggested that Tibet could survive only by unity with China - and that the Scottish Parliament could be a model for a new form of government in his part of the world. During his visit to Scotland the Dalai Lama will meet church leaders at Dunfermline Abbey, including the moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

Cars to be Banned from Edinburgh City Centre

The day when cars are banned from Princes Street, the main shopping area of Edinburgh, is edging closer with media reports that the City Council could bring in the ban next May. Cars were barred from the eastbound side of the street (beside the shops) nine years ago and banning cars from the other side of the street (beside the castle and Princes Street Gardens) has been a long-term aim. Of course, if some of the predictions for what will happen if the city goes ahead with road tolls to enter the capital come to pass, a lot fewer cars drivers will be wanting to travel into the city centre anyway. Buses, taxis and cycles are still to be allowed to move along Princes Street, so the area will not be completely pollution free (especially as elderly diesel buses belch their way along). In Glasgow, the main shopping areas of Sauchiehall Street, Buchanan Street and Argyll Street were fully pedestrianised years ago.

Consultation on Pedestrian-only Union Street

Aberdeen City Council has begun a major consultation exercise on plans to pedestrianise Union Street, the city's main thoroughfare, between Bridge Street and Market Street. The public is being asked to respond to questionnaires before a final decision is made. If the plan gets the green light, the plans could be implemented within three years.

High Speed Ferry Across River Forth?

Travel consultants have concluded that a high-speed ferry across the Firth of Forth to link Fife with Edinburgh would be commercially viable. Hydrofoils or catamarans linking up with bus links to the centre of Edinburgh could help to reduce the numbers of commuters using the congested Forth Road Bridge (pictured here). The ferry trip could take as little as 15 minutes from Burntisland in Fife or 25 minutes from Rosyth or Kirkcaldy further up the Fife coast.

Broadband Promise for Remote Areas

The Enterprise Minister Jim Wallace has announced that the Scottish Executive will step in to ensure every community in Scotland has access to affordable broadband by the end of 2005. This means the more remote and rural parts of Scotland will be able to access the vital technology, even where it is not feasible to provide broadband commercially. Enterprise Minister Jim Wallace also announced that Broadband service has been established in each of Scotland's three main island communities. Residents in Kirkwall on Orkney, Lerwick on Shetland and Stornoway in the Western Isles already have access to the technology and the advantages it brings. It means around a third of households and businesses on the three island groups will have access to broadband. Coverage of ADSL Broadband in Scotland now stands at 78% and is expected to increase to 95% by the summer of next year - but only 80 per cent in the Highlands and Islands. 400 of the 600 UK exchanges not on the BT list heading for conversion are in Scotland, mostly in the Highlands and Islands

Aberdeen's Offshore Windfarm Plans

An Environmental Forum in Aberdeen is encouraging the residents of the Granite City to get involved in the consultation process for a proposed installation of around 20 two-megawatt wind turbines, one kilometre offshore from Aberdeen Beach. These are linked to a programme of work aimed at making Aberdeen a major player in the renewable energy sector, bringing new jobs to the city to ensure it continues to prosper long after the oil industry has declined. 84% of those polled in a survey on Aberdeen's windfarm proposals on a local paper's website, thought they would be good for the city.

Compulsory Physical Exercise for 3-Year-Olds?

Government ministers are said to be supportive of plans to introduce compulsory supervised physical education classes of at least two hours a week in all state schools, including nursery classes for kids as young as three. The radical plans are being formulated to combat what is increasingly being regarded as an obesity "crisis" in the population at large and youngsters in particular. A recent report concluded that the soaring rate of obesity could eventually lead to the collapse of Scotland's public health care system. It suggests that more than 20% of 3½-year-olds are over-weight and a further 4.5% are clinically obese.

Protest at Invitation to Chinese Army

The spectacular and ever-popular Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which takes place this year on the esplanade (forecourt) of Edinburgh Castle from 6th - 28th August, will have military bands and performers from five continents. But the invitation to the People's Liberation Army of China to participate has sparked a storm of protest. Human rights campaigners point to the violent suppression of pro-democracy protestors in Tiananmen Square in 1989 and the continued occupation of Tibet. There are threats of a protest campaign against the inclusion of the People's Liberation Army in the Tattoo. The organisers say that the invitation was to "hold out the hand of friendship" while also admitting that they "produce a pretty good show." It is also claimed that the performers are musicians and not soldiers and that the Tattoo is not political.

Young Scots Fizz

A study by the World Health Organisation claims that Scottish youngsters drink more fizzy drinks than nearly all other countries in the world. Out of 35 countries in the world, Scotland ranked second in the consumption of sugary drinks by young people. And the report says that 44% of 15-year-old boys and 42% of Scottish girls claim to consume at least one alcoholic drink each week.

Transformation Plan for Derelict Clyde Shipyard

A £250 million plan to create 1,200 new homes, a new waterfront and a massive shopping and office development at the former John Brown's shipyard at Clydebank, has been given the go-ahead. It will significantly increase the population of Clydebank and continues the regeneration of the river Clyde which is gradually evolving, after years of neglect. The development will, however, retain the massive steel crane which was a symbol of the once proud shipyard which launched such ships as the Lusitania, the Queen Mary and the two Queen Elizabeths.

Aberdeen Safest UK City to Own a Car

A survey of car insurance claims by an insurance company has shown that Aberdeen is the safest town or city in the UK to own a car with the lowest level of accident and theft claims. In Aberdeen, only 1.1% of drivers made a claim for theft in the last five years. That compares well with Leeds in England where the rate was 5.3%. Edinburgh also came out of the survey well, with only 1.7% of car owners claiming for theft in five years. But Glasgow was tenth from the top in the UK in accident claims - around 12% of owners make an accident claim each year. London was even higher, of course, with 18.1% having an accident claim each year.

"Scotland's Biggest Car Park"

They used to say that because of the rivalry between Scotland's two largest cities, the 50 miles between Edinburgh and Glasgow were the "longest 50 miles in the country". But traffic statistics on the A8/M8 road link between the two cities show that the saying is becoming truer as the years pass. The average rush-hour journey time has grown in the last two years from 57 minutes to 64 minutes, despite various improvements being made to the road. With traffic frequently coming to a halt, the M8 is sometimes being referred to as "Scotland's Biggest Car Park". Of course, since most of the route only has two lanes in each direction, despite the volume of traffic, the chances of anyone reaching the statutory speed limit of 70mph during the rush-hour are remote. There have been calls for the road to be upgraded to three lanes - even though the chaos caused during such roadworks would cause even more delays. As someone who travelled that road in the 1980s, I know that the city-centre to city-centre journey time can be as little as 40 minutes at quiet times, thanks in part to the motorway going right into the heart of Glasgow. As journey times increased over the years, more and more people (myself included) gave up the car and went by train, even though this increased the overall journey times. But you can read and write - or even sleep - on train.

Fight to Save Inverclyde Royal Hospital

Residents of Greenock and staff at the Inverclyde Royal Hospital, which sits high above the town (the large black building on the hillside), are fighting a plan to remove all acute in-patient facilities from the hospital. This would mean all serious emergencies being sent to Paisley, 18 miles away. There are concerns in the town not only about the loss of local health care facilities and the problems of relatives and friends visiting patients, but also about employment. Greenock as Argyll and Clyde Health Board is a major employer in an area which is already an unemployment black-spot. More money is being spent on the National Health Service in Scotland these days, but there is great pressure to concentrate resources in fewer but larger units.

From Russia with Love - and by Air

A new direct air service between Edinburgh and Moscow opened this week, operated by Russian airline Transaero. Initially, flights will only be once a week. But if the route is successful, the airline plans to increase the frequency in the future. Until now, travellers between the two capitals had to travel via Strasbourg, Amsterdam or London. One of the first passengers was Erkin Touzmoukhamed, who writes books about Scottish whisky and publishes a magazine entitled "Angel's Share" dedicated to the pleasures of whisky. According to VisitScotland, 22,000 Russians came to Scotland last year, an increase of 5,000 on the year before.

Prestwick Airport Beats Glasgow

The airport at Prestwick in Ayrshire was delighted this week to find that Civil Aviation Authority figures showed that the fast-growing facility had handled more scheduled international passengers in March than its much bigger rival 30 miles up the road, at Glasgow. Prestwick attracted 91,578 passengers on scheduled international flights while 85,441 passengers flew from Glasgow. Of course, when charter flights are taken into consideration, Glasgow is far larger with 110,862 such passengers compared with 4,861 using Prestwick. Overall, Glasgow copes with over 8 million passengers a year, while Prestwick has only recently reached 2 million a year.

Software Glitch Grounds Flights

Tens of thousands of air travellers were delayed as flights were held up or cancelled as a result of a software error in an air traffic control system at West Drayton in Sussex. The problem affected every airport in the UK, but the worst affected routes were those between Scotland and London. At Glasgow (pictured here), 57 flights were delayed and eight others cancelled. 30 flights were affected at Prestwick and Edinburgh was also badly hit with 9 flights cancelled and 2,000 passengers delayed for up to three hours. The system crashed as a software upgrade was being tested. It is astonishing to think that testing was being carried out on a live system rather than a back-up test facility. The computer system dates back to the 1970s, but is not due to be replaced until after 2010. New systems are not always the answer, however. A new £623 million HQ at Swanick, England, was delayed by software problems for nearly six years.

New Milestone for Weir's Way

Nearly thirty years ago, a television series, fronted by explorer, climber, naturalist and author Tom Weir, began to explore the highways and byways of Scotland. "Weir's Way" visited many of the small villages and scenic and historic places in Scotland's countryside and his stories about ordinary folk and their lives became popular viewing in the 1970s. In recent years, the series has been televised again. Even though it is broadcast in the "wee sma' hoors" of the morning on Scottish Television, it has attained a large following with a 30% audience share at that time. Tom's knitted hat, plus-fours and knap-sack have become compulsive viewing, even amongst the younger generation still awake at that time (or having the fore-thought to set the video recorder). Tom, a Glasgow city-dweller as a youngster, says his love of the out-doors originated with a six-mile hike in the Campsie Fells, north of Glasgow. Now, to celebrate his impending 90th birthday, East Dunbartonshire Council and Strathclyde Ramblers Association is planning a sign-posted walk in the Campsies where his trekking career began. Health permitting, he will inaugurate the new Weir's Way later this summer.

Comma Butterfly Makes a Mark

Last year there was some excitement in the world of butterfly conservation when the beautiful Comma butterfly (one of the Fritillary family) was seen in the St Andrews area of Fife. The Comma (so-called because of underwing markings which look like the punctuation mark) has not bred in Scotland for 180 years. There were a number of sightings and it had been hoped that it might start breeding in Scotland again. There are breeding colonies as far north as Northumberland in England. So you can imagine my delight when I spotted a Comma butterfly last week during a visit to Cambo Estate in north Fife. It was sitting on a leaf in the late afternoon sun, and I was able to take some photographs of it. I got in touch with the environmental department of Fife Council and initially they were very interested in the sighting. But later this week, the department said they had received a report suggesting that a batch of Commas had been released last summer by a hobbyist in Kincaple village, further along the Fife coast. Comma's are capable of over-wintering. All the sightings seemed to be of older butterflies and all the reports of the butterfly were in the general area of release. Of course, there is always the chance that the survivors may breed in the area and become established, but that is probably a long shot.

Aberdeenshire Man's £5.4 Billion Tax Bill

None of us like paying income tax and we all believe that the amount we pay from our income is always too much. But when Craig Gallagher from Newmachar, north-west of Aberdeen, opened the envelope from the Inland Revenue last Saturday, he thought that the Chancellor of the Exchequer must be in big trouble. The document claimed that he owed the government £5.5 billion and that £4.1 billion had to be paid by next January. The Inland Revenue also claimed that he owed them £2.7 billion for the last financial year - on "earnings" of only £85 million - which works out at a tax rate of over 300%. Because it was the weekend, Craig could not contact the Inland Revenue officials immediately. When he did so on Monday, he was told "not to worry" and that it was due to a "technical error". But he checked a revised statement very carefully, just in case there are any more "technical errors" - even though it said he now owed the government a mere £2.

34 Aberdeens

Fred Bull from Deeside in Aberdeenshire has recently travelled over 90,000 miles around various parts of the world - all to visit and find out about the 34 other places named Aberdeen. He visited 28 of them in just 16 weeks and has now written a book about his travels to Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Aberdeen...you get the picture. He has also produced a video on all those Aberdeens and a DVD is to follow. He was unable to visit Aberdeen in Sierra Leone because of the civil war there, but reached Aberdeen in such diverse locations as South Africa, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Guyana, Australia. Antigua, Canada and of course 18 Aberdeens in various parts of the United States. And there is even a suburb of Manchester in England named Aberdeen. Aberdeen Round the World is being published by Scottish Cultural Press in Aberdeen (the one in Scotland) on June 22.

Beer We Go for Beer Flavoured Ice Cream

Scottish Borders Tourist Board are reported to have commissioned ice-cream manufacturer John Mackay of Eyemouth, on the North Sea coast of the area, to create an ice cream flavoured with local Buccleuch Beer for sale in the seaside resort. The product will not be available to anyone under 18 (at least, officially) but it is hoped that adults will enjoy the new flavour. Mackay claim that it "tastes fantastic".

Weather in Scotland This Week

Much of the sunshine this week was confined to the early part of the week, with Glasgow, Aviemore and St Andrews all recording 20C (68F) on Monday and Glasgow managing to repeat that temperature on Wednesday. Aberdeen managed to reach 21C (70F) and there are predictions of 23C (73F) next week in the west of the country. Although there was a fair amount of cloud this week, rainfall was mainly intermittent light showers.

This week's illustrations of current flowers in Scotland show first of all irises growing in Geilston Garden, a National Trust for Scotland property in Argyll. The poppies and the magnolia sieboldii below were also photographed at Geilston this week. But the thistle was growing at the roadside in the countryside just north of Glasgow earlier this week.

Time Capsule for Linlithgow Fountain

Craftsmen working on the restoration of the 16th century King's Fountain in Linlithgow Palace have built into the middle basin a time capsule to provide a snapshot of Linlithgow at the start of the 21st century and the work of Historic Scotland, the organisation which looks after many of the ancient monuments in Scotland - including the palace in which the fountain has been located for over 400 years. The capsule included a book on historic Linlithgow, a set of uncirculated UK coins and a copy of the Historic Scotland quarterly magazine containing an article on the fountain restoration project. Work is still being carried out on the stonework but it is hoped that it can be completed this year.

Scottish Borders Common Ridings

Common Ridings were established back in the lawless days, when towns-people would ride their boundaries, or ‘marches’, to protect their common lands. The annual Common Ridings and Festivals held now in each town are survivals of the old practice of riding the town’s boundaries to preserve burgh rights and to prevent encroachment by neighbouring landlords. Long after they ceased to be essential, they continued in commemoration of local legend, history and tradition. The Common Ridings in the Scottish Borders are colourful events which take place in the various towns between 10th and 26th June.

Historical Figures from the Court of Mary Queen of Scots

Visitors to Falkland Palace in Fife this weekend may be in for a shock as various historical figures from the court of Mary Queen of Scots will be seen wandering around the palace and gardens. The Keeper, Royal Falconer, Baker, Valet and others will greet the tourists as they walk round. The costumed National Trust for Scotland staff will be re-enacting scenes from the lives of the characters they represent and will talk to the visitors about the palace and its history.

Next Week in History

• June 6 1560 - Treaty of Edinburgh between France and England, recognising sovereignty of Mary Queen of Scots and her first husband Francis II.
• June 7 1329 - Robert the Bruce died, Cardross Castle.
• June 7 1811 - Sir James Young Simpson, pioneer of anaesthetics and chloroform, born.
• June 8 1333 - King Edward III orders the capture of the Isle of Man from the Scots.
• June 8 1772 - Robert Stevenson, engineer, who constructed 18 lighthouses around Scotland, born Glasgow.
• June 9 597 - St Columba died.
• June 9 1942 - First US troops (over 10,000 men) disembark from Queen Mary on the River Clyde.
• June 9 1982 - The 20p coin came into circulation.
• June 10 1688 - James Francis Stuart born. In honour of the "Old Pretender", this is known as "White Rose Day" in Jacobite circles.
• June 10 1727 - Death of King George I and accession of George II.
• June 10 1768 - Construction of the Forth and Clyde canal started. It was to take 22 years to complete.
• June 10 1903 - The floral clock in Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, began operation - driven by clockwork and with only an hour hand. But it was the first of its kind in the world.
• June 10 1939 - Sir Jackie Stewart, three-times world motor racing champion, born in Dunbartonshire.
• June 11 1488 - Battle of Sauchieburn during which King James III died attempting to subdue a group of rebel barons.
• June 11 1930 - Empress of Britain launched from Clydebank by the Prince of Wales.
• June 11 1975 - First oil pumped ashore from British oilfields in the North Sea.
• June 12 1298 - William Wallace routs English at the Battle of Black Ironside.

Scottish Opera Fail to Agree Deal

The board of Scottish Opera failed to agree an action plan on the company's future at a meeting this week. It is understood that they were having to consider an offer from the Scottish Executive which would provide up to £5 million "transitional" funding - but only if the company restructures with job losses of around 80 staff, including the entire opera chorus. The company has already been granted a £4.5 million advance on future years' funding, but has a track record of overspending and then appealing to the government for additional cash. That has worked on previous occasions but Frank McAveety the culture minister is taking a hard line this time. However, performances at the Edinburgh Festival have been threatened with industrial action as singers from Scottish Opera say they are prepared to strike over redundancies

One of the 30 Best Festivals in the World

Named one of the 30 best festivals in the world by the Independent on Saturday, the Glasgow West End Festival’s 9th year is going to be a great one for music. Running from 10 to 27 June, local heroes Belle and Sebastian will be playing in the glorious setting of the Botanic Gardens and folk favourites Capercaillie will launch the new Oran Mor (big music) venue on Byres Road. All this, plus the usual mix of theatre, film, exhibitions, kids events and the now legendary Midsummer Carnival on 13 June make this year one of the best ever. See www.westendfestival.co.uk

Summer Nights at Edinburgh Castle

A star-studded series of concerts have been booked for the esplanade (forecourt) of Edinburgh Castle this summer, before the annual Military Tattoo comes along in August. Sir Cliff Richard, Tom Jones, Donny Osmond and James Taylor will be performing on different nights from 16 to 25 July. Some of the concerts are already sold out.

Pipers from Calgary Entertain Glaswegians

The Calgary Police Service Pipe Band from Canada joined with their counterparts in the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band to entertain onlookers in George Square, Glasgow this week. They were helping to publicise the "Safe and Sound in Glasgow" event which aims to advise on community safety issues. The Calgary pipers and drummers had stopped off in Glasgow on their way to the ceremonies in Normandy marking the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

Royal Scottish National Orchestra Promenade Season

The Royal Scottish National Orchestra ScottishPower Proms season for 2004 runs from 10 to 12 June at the Usher Hall Edinburgh, and 16 to 26 June at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall (pictured above). The season began at the Caird Hall in Dundee from 26-29 May and Aberdeen from 3 to 5 June. This is a series of popular classics that will appeal to a wide and varied audience. Every night is a highlight, but book early for ‘An Evening with Bond James Bond’ , conducted by Carl Davis. The season begins with a Russian Night followed by Symphonie Fantastique, West End Gala, Kids’ Concert, American Night, Classical Gala Night, Sinatra Song Book and the unmissable Last Night of the Proms. For more details, see www.rsno.org.uk.

Scotland 4 Trinidad & Tobago 1

This was the Scotland international football team's biggest win during the stewardship of manager Bert Vogts and the biggest victory since the 4-0 defeat of San Marino three years ago. All four of the home team's goals at Easter Road, Edinburgh, were scored in the first half. The scorers were Darren Fletcher, Gary Holt, Gary Caldwell and Nigel Quashie. By the time the visitors scored their goal in the second half, Scotland were cruising - and missing goal-scoring chances. True, the standard of football being played by Trinidad & Tobago was not high, but it may help to instil a little confidence in the team.

Inverness Denied Promotion

There was dismay in the northern capital of Inverness this week when the First Division champions were denied promotion to the Scottish Premier League. The existing twelve clubs voted on the question this week and Inverness had support from 7 out of the 12 clubs - but needed 8 to gain approval. Inverness do not currently have a ground which meets all the rules laid down by the SPL, but they had agreed a ground-sharing arrangement with Aberdeen which appeared to meet all the conditions. But the SPL works in mysterious ways, behind closed doors. No reason has been given publicly as to why the clubs voted against the promotion of Inverness. Indeed, the media has had to speculate on which clubs voted for and against as the ballot is "secret". The self-interest of Partick Thistle is understandable - they will avoid relegation if Inverness are not promoted. But the reasons for the other clubs denying Inverness the prize they won by being First Division champions remain a mystery. Maybe they just didn't fancy having to travel so far to Aberdeen and eventually Inverness from central Scotland? Both Rangers and Celtic have made it clear that they voted in favour of Inverness. Inverness planned to appeal the decision to keep them out of the SPL next season, but then Hearts and Hibs joined together to force the SPL to meet again (later this month) as they questioned the way the way the vote had been taken and counted. Faced with a possible about turn, the Partick Thistle's chairman is reported to have said that the club would accept relegation quietly - if they receive £1 million compensation. As the whole messy business descended into farce, it reduced still further the credibility of the SPL to properly manage club football at the top level.

Red Faces - But Scotland Rugby Team Recovers

The Scotland rugby team tour to Australia got off to a disastrous start with a loss by 41-5 against Queensland Reds, with weaknesses in defence being matched by an inability to score. The team on the field was said to be "experimental" and presumably lessons were learned and they recovered in the second game of the tour with a 48-10 win over New South Wales County. This win (against a team made up of amateurs) brought to an end a run of eight losses by the national rugby side. The Scotland squad then moved to Wellington, New Zealand, where they notched up their biggest-ever win against Samoa, 38-3. The Scots play at Aussie Stadium, Sydney on 8 June against NSW Waratahs - that club is missing ten players who are involved in the Australian national team. Scotland then play the Wallabies at Telstra Dome, Melbourne on 13 and 19 June.

Mountain Bikers Flock to Fort William

The biggest sporting event in Scotland this weekend, attracting a crowd of around 20,000, is the third stage of the Mountain Bike World Cup at Fort William. Over 400 world class riders from more than 35 countries will race in the most exciting and extreme competition in the mountain biking calendar. These are wild adrenaline fuelled action events where speed, skill, nerves, fitness and bike technology determine who is the best. This event was first staged at the Nevis Range in 2002 and the International Cycle Union World Cup Organisers awarded Fort William the prize for the best Downhill and 4-X event for 2002. The annual award is decided by voting from competitors, teams, and media who had attended events in Scotland, Canada, France, Slovenia and the USA. See www.fortwilliamworldcup.co.uk for more details.

Photograph by Andy McAndlish.

Scotland v USA Polo Match

The first ever international polo match between Scotland and the USA kicked off the Newport International Polo Series on Saturday, June 5 at 5:00 pm. The match is sponsored by Continental Airlines, who introduced their newest nonstop service to Edinburgh only a few weeks ago. For those who know about polo, there will be 6 chukka's. The Series takes place in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, at picturesque Glen Farm, the last 100 acres of what was once an 800-acre manorial farm. For more details, see www.newportinternationalpolo.com/.