Features
What might an album by Shirley Manson and Paul Buchanan have sounded like?
THE new albums by Garbage and Paul Buchanan seem like musical polar opposites - one is sleek, hard-edged guitar pop that seems tailor-designed for daytime radio. The other, as you’d expect from the former frontman of the Blue Nile, is music for listening to late at night - slow, sparse, full of quiet ache and longing.
Photographer creates fresh slant on familiar sights of Capital
WITH her towering church spires that pierce the grey sky, the ancient blackened rock which hoists probably the most famous castle in the world into prime position guarding the city below and the prim New Town facades, Edinburgh, for most of us, presents a very familiar face.
Cannes Film Festival 2012: The wrath of Cannes
AS the world’s coolest film festival gets underway today, Stephen Applebaum finds that behind all the glitz and the glamour there lies an institution not to be messed with
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What The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp reveals about Michael Powell
In November last year, Martin Scorsese regaled an audience at the British Film Institute in London with tales of Robert De Niro’s method madness.
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Paul eager for wedding after overcoming Afghan trauma
LIKE most blokes, Paul Lambert is looking forward to getting his hands on his latest hi-tech gadget.
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Motoring
Aberdeen car club first to trial clean fuel cars
A SCOTTISH car club is to be the first in the world to trial hydrogen fuel cell cars.
£90 to fill up your car, motorists warned
MOTORISTS could face a 50 per cent rise in fuel duty within two decades to cover a £13 billion hole in Treasury coffers, according to a report.
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My first car … Alyth McCormack
WHEN my husband once asked me the question, “What was your first car?” I answered “green” so clued up was I on such things, however I believe it was a green Rover Mini Metro. It was a gift from my parents; I was a struggling musician. My granny passed away and they had been left some money and bought it for me as they were worried about all the travelling I was doing, often at odd hours, relying on public transport, hire cars and lifts from other musicians. I had it for about four years – the poor thing was in shock after the first. It had belonged to the mother of a car dealer in Stornoway who would drive it into town and back for her “messages”. In its first ten years it had only done 10,000 miles, in its 11th year it did another 10,000.
Road test: Suzuki will have you making a Swift decision
WHICH one are you? Upstart, or upstanding member of the community? To help you make up your mind, we have enlisted the help of two Suzuki Swifts. Specifically, the Sport and the 1.3 DDiS diesel. They look like twins, but their personalities are poles apart. And no, there are no prizes for guessing which one’s the upstart.
Road test: Nissan X-Trail marks the spot
GATHER your pals for dinner and, as they take their places at the table, kick off the chat by asking them what car, in the entire history of cars, has done more than any other to transcend the boundaries of class, age and gender.
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Food and Drink
Restaurant review: The Lui Restaurant, Invercauld Road, Ballater
HAVING spent a chilly day on the river without catching a glimpse of a fish, we decided to start with a couple of dishes in honour of absent friends.
Wine: New Zealand Riesling Challenge produces a bumper crop
B ecause the many variables make straight comparisons between wines so difficult, Neil Charles-Jones, of Mud House Wine Group, resolved to create something much closer to a level playing field.
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Tom Kitchin: From Orkney scallops to Stornoway black pudding, there is so much to celebrate
I TRULY believe we have some of the best food and drink in the world here in Scotland and recent reports have shown the sector is booming.
Recipes: Rapeseed oil dishes offer a change of gear in your kitchen
I NEVER used to like rapeseed oil, finding it far too strong a flavour, and apt to dominate the other ingredients in whatever I was making.
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Restaurant review: Osteria, High Street, North Berwick
OUR booking at this Italian eatery was for 12:30pm, but it looked empty inside. I peeped through a chink in the closed shutters – no movement.
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Outdoors
Walk of the week: Faskally Wood, Pitlochry
FULL of the cold, I set off on a walk with the nagging thought that my ailment might be flu – or worse.
Leaving Pitlochry, the hustle and bustle gradually died away until the A9 was behind and Faskally Wood enveloped the senses.
Jonathan Trew: “Get off your horse and drink your Darjeeling”
The Borders and Ayrshire may well be the most exciting Scottish locations this weekend; particularly if you have a yen for line dancing and/or biographies. I suspect that any crossover between the two would offer slender pickings for the promoters although slim pickings does sound as though it could be an artist who might play at the Kelso Country and Western Music Festival this weekend.
Roger Cox: Plentiful snow is great, but if skiers can’t get to it they will slope off
Remember a few weeks ago, when I said the 2011/12 Scottish ski season had been a disaster? Well, I was wrong.
Walk of the Week: Tentsmuir
HOPING for drier weather, a few weeks ago Jimbo and I went to Tentsmuir, so named when a Danish fleet in the 1780s was shipwrecked and some of the sailors settled there, living in tents on the moor.
Outdoors: The Scottish Birdfair isn’t just for twitchers
THE growing awareness of our natural environment and the need to protect it is perhaps one of the most remarkable sea-changes in public perception to have occurred in society over the last 50 years or so.
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Travel
Travel: St Ermin’s Hotel, London
YOU want a discreet hideout right in the heart of London? Go where the spies went. Get off the tube at St James Park, turn right into Caxton Place, right again into an elegant courtyard, and there you are – its name above the foyer in the least obtrusive lights you could imagine: St Ermin’s Hotel.
City guide: Abu Dhabi
NOW it may seem that in a country where summer temperatures top 50°C, the opportunities for meaningful sports-related activity are limited.
Travel: Kirkenes Snow Hotel, Arctic Norway
TIME for bed. I wore merino wool base layers, pyjamas, hat, muffler, balaclava and socks enhanced by heating pads. I was snuggled into a sleeping bag capable of withstanding temperatures of –30°C. I was still cold. Understandable, perhaps, as this was the Kirkenes Snow Hotel in Arctic Norway. Ron, my partner, and I flew for about two hours from Oslo to Kirkenes, an ice-free port inside the Arctic Circle, to stay in the Snow Hotel and then view the somewhat elusive, ethereal, mysterious aurora borealis – the northern lights.
Holiday cash runs out with two days to go
The average British holidaymaker runs out of cash five days into their seven-day break, according to research.
Warsaw packed with value
Poland provides the best-value five-star hotel accommodation, according to a survey conducted by a travel website.
Music
Gig reviews: DZ Deathrays, Flat 0/1, Glasgow
AUSSIE punk duo DZ Deathrays cut their teeth playing house parties around their native Brisbane, so it was a no-brainer to site their Glasgow gig in Flat 0/1, a student bar kitted out in retro kitsch to look like shared accommodation circa 1975. Only cleaner, and with devil drink Mad Dog 20/20 on the optics.
Gig review: The Horrors, ABC, Glasgow
“THERE’S little group of you who are thinking about jumping around, aren’t there?” muttered the Horrors’ singer Faris Badwan.
Classical review: Idil Biret, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
IT’S over 65 years since Idil Biret first started playing.
1 commentClassical review: RSNO: Au Revoir Stephane, Usher Hall, Edinburgh
IT WAS inevitable that Stéphane Denève would make a lasting statement at his final Edinburgh concert as musical director of the RSNO. He did it with a kilt, which, together with his wild, tousled reddish hair, marked him out as the honorary Scot he has become during his seven years in charge of the orchestra.
Gig review: The Temper Trap, ABC, Glasgow
THE Temper Trap just can’t help themselves. Whether starting from a position of gentle balladry or upbeat guitar-pop, their songs inevitably careen into loin-stirring, strobe-bathed anthemics.
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Books
Booksellers award Scotland three titles
Scotland not only has Britain’s best city library, but it has the UK’s best bookshop and bookshop manager too, according to the annual industry awards for booksellers.
£2m facelift for library storage site
The National Library of Scotland’s storage site at Causwayside in Edinburgh, home to more than two million maps, atlases, reference books and periodicals, is to get a £2 million external overhaul.
Book review: Opposed Positions by Gwendoline Riley
THE references to literary greats may be flattering but Gwendoline Riley’s distinctive style puts her beyond compare, says Stuart Kelly
Book review: Curiosity by Philip Ball
WHAT do we mean by curiosity? What do we mean by the terms scientific thinking or scientific method? How have these things changed over the centuries, and what should we even be curious about? Is anything off limits?
Book review: Remembering Che by Aleida March
THE heroes of Cuba’s Rebel Army had their needs too. In this memoir, Aleida March, widow of Che Guevara, recounts her relationship with the revolutionary icons.
Comedy
Review: Jo Caulfield’s Comedy Collective, The Stand
Billed as “experimental comedy”, the Comedy Collective is not nearly as excruciating as it sounds – instead it’s a chance for some familiar faces to try new material, explore character pieces and master the art of quick-fire improvisation.
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Karen Koren: What Katy did next is just the job
I’VE just had a lovely weekend in the south of France with my daughter Katy, who has managed to get her first full time job in London since leaving university with a good degree.
1 commentKaren Koren: Egging the boys on to Scottish FA Cup victory
MY recent trip to Oz meant that I had a late Easter egg painting party this year... well, Easter did come early.
Julie and Steph Harris, sisters who used to work for me in the 90s, came to visit from London with their children.
Macaulay stands up to mic
THE STAND’S very own Braveheart, Fred Macaulay takes on compere duties at the York Place comedy club this week, when he checks in for a three-night run, starting tonight.
Film
The Angels’ Share: Scotland finds favour again with Ken Loach’s latest offering
NOT for the first time, Ken Loach has used Scotland as the location for his latest film, although The Angels’ Share is not a typical offering from the director.
1 comment£273 million boost for the UK film industry
MILLIONS of pounds of lottery money will be used to boost the film industry as part of a five-year plan to increase audiences and find new talent.
Lottery millions to boost UK film industry
MILLIONS of pounds of lottery money will be used to boost the coffers of the film industry as part of a long-term plan to increase audiences and find fresh talent.
Interview: Ken Loach, director of The Angels’ Share
KEN Loach’s new film, The Angels’ Share, is about being given a chance in life. it’s a subject close to the veteran director’s heart, and it’s also pretty important to the movie’s unknown Scottish star
1 commentDVD reviews: The Divide | ID
The Scotsman’s film critic Alistair Harkness casts his eye over recent DVDs...
Arts blog
How the world woke up to The Wake
My earliest experience of The Wake – whose first album of new studio material since 1994, A Light Far Out, is released this week – came a few years ago through a vinylphile friend, who arrived at my flat proudly clutching a copy of their 1987 EP Something That No One Else Could Bring, the rare spoils of a day of crate-digging.
Why Simon Amstell as Simon Amstell beats Matt LeBlanc as Matt LeBlanc
Even if one day he becomes the first man to set foot on Mars, Matt LeBlanc will always be better known as “former Friends star Matt LeBlanc”.
The Smarts: In space, no-one can hear you talking about Prometheus
POSTERS for new movies usually include endorsements from critics who have seen it. The latest posters for Ridley Scott’s new sci-fi movie – full-page newspaper ads, a month before the film is released – include quotes from people who haven’t seen Prometheus, talking about how much people are talking about the film.
Who knew that John Peel was an A-ha fan?
“The best of them, the ones that I regarded as being the best… still sound terrific,” says John Peel in the distinctive world-weary sigh which soundtracked an adolescence spent listening to his show just as much as The Fall or punishing, obscure hardcore techno white labels that sound like they were tape-recorded in a Berlin squat.
The weekend Madchester comes to Scotland
The Stone Roses are not scheduled to land in Scotland until early July when they will provide the most pressing reason to attend this year’s T In The Park.
TV and Radio
Alex Salmond to appear on US national TV to reaffirm US-Scottish ties video
FIRST Minister Alex Salmond will tell a national US television audience that an independent Scotland will retain the “firmest and strongest” of bonds with the United States, in an interview with Scottish TV star Craig Ferguson to be broadcast later this evening.
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Mastermind: The GP who rose to summit of nation’s ultimate quiz show
GP Gary Grant loves challenges and has just realised another ambition – to win Mastermind, the first Scot to take the TV quiz title for more than 30 years
1 commentJenna gets the blame for ‘too cheesy’ advert in latest Apprentice battle
The Apprentice hopeful Jenna Whittingham is blamed for making her team’s advert for sparkling wine “too cheesy” when she bases it on her dream wedding in the latest episode of the reality TV show tonight.
BBC unveils London 2012 coverage for a digital age
THE BBC has unveiled plans for its digital coverage of the London Olympics, which will allow fans to watch events on the move – and in the office.
DJ Moyles’ stage debut as Superstar villain Herod
RADIO 1’s Chris Moyles is going from saviour to villain by playing King Herod in stage musical Jesus Christ Superstar.
Performing Arts
Dance review: Danza ContemporÁnea de Cuba, Edinburgh Festival Theatre
ANYONE focusing on the “Cuba” part of this company’s name, rather than the “Contemporánea”, may have found it wanting. There’s no salsa, no high-heeled rumba – just some of the finest contemporary dancers touring the world today.
Theatre review: .H.G., Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
NOT suitable for children under nine, says the stern note in the Imaginate brochure about Trickster of Switzerland’s audio installation show .h.g., playing in the studio behind the Modern Art Gallery until today.
Charge of the Light Brigade to dazzle at Edinburgh’s International Festival
ARTHUR’S Seat is the stage for an ambitious, illuminated walking and running spectacle as part of the Edinburgh Festival – and anyone can play a part, finds Gabe Stewart
Vicky Featherstone’s sudden NTS exit sets stage for a new direction
IT IS the most prestigious job in Scottish theatre. So, just days after Vicky Featherstone’s shock resignation as artistic director of the National Theatre of Scotland (NTS), it is perhaps unsurprising speculation over who her successor is already at fever pitch.
Theatre review: Kindur, Musselburgh Brunton Theatre
IN THE last few years, Iceland has acquired an iconic status in Europe, as the little nation that found itself at the centre of the 2008 global banking crash, but somehow managed to survive.
Visual Arts
Scottish independence: MoD ‘will want out’ of separate Scotland Picture gallery
THE Ministry of Defence will “want out” of an independent Scotland, moving defence contracts to territory “controlled by London”, a leading military analyst declared in the latest clash over the impact of secession.
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Scottish portrait gallery’s new director vows to focus on top Scots
HIGH-ACHIEVING Scots from the worlds of sport, food, fashion and music top the wish-list for inclusion at the revamped Scottish National Portrait Gallery, its newly appointed director said yesterday.
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Lothians in Pictures: Forth Bridge
Lights illuminate the Forth Bridge as darkness falls in this atmospheric image taken by 13-year-old Lewis Fraser
Falkirk’s historic town centre to get a facelift
ONE of Scotland’s most historic town centres is set to undergo a £2 million facelift.
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Francois Hollande spends inaugural night as president with Angela Merkel Picture gallery
FRANCE’S newly installed president Franc ois Hollande insisted that he and German chancellor Angela Merkel would “co-operate very closely” to deal with Europe’s debt crisis, following talks between the two leaders in Berlin last night.
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Fashion
Emma Cowing: Sweet little lies are cheap at £2bn, dear
A COUPLE of months ago I was in the ladies changing room of one of Glasgow’s larger department stores helping a friend shop for a wedding outfit, when an older woman emerged from a cubicle in an eye-wateringly bright orange dress. “Um...” the saleswoman started to say, but the customer waved her away. “I want to see what my man thinks,” she said, steaming out of the fitting room, clouds of tangerine chiffon billowing behind her.
Fashion: West End girls
Home to the best contemporary independent retailers, the West End is a must-visit for any style-conscious fashionista who wants to the best one-off pieces to rock this summer’s hottest trends.
Lynne McCrossan: Baby goes hell for leather on lovely couch
SITTING in the lounge was a once majestic piece of furniture.
Hair to the throne
CAN any of today’s stylists make as profound an impact on fashion as the late great Vidal Sassoon did in the 60s? Emma Cowing examines the contenders
Style: From hard-nosed newspaper boss to wide-eyed innocent
Rebekah Brooks didn’t just choose her words carefully at the Leveson Inquiry yesterday. She gave due consideration to her outfit as well.
Homes and Gardens
Lynn O’Rourke: ‘The eager plant watering activity has dried up’
I’M not sure our recent burst of planting activity is going to reap the rewards I had hoped for. Will I ever learn not to absentmindedly make promises?
Gardens: Jason Russell and Lucy Head want to keep their garden a surprise
AS YOU arrive at the Loanhead home Lucy Head shares with her partner Jason Russell, their garden, which was highly recommended by Chelsea silver medallist Stella Rankin, owner of Kevock Garden Plants, and described by Lucy as “a plantsman’s garden, a contemporary woodland”, is nowhere to be seen.
Gardening: ‘The dark purple heucheras give structure and calm’
TO BE a good gardener you have to be on the ruthless side, especially in a small space. There just isn’t room for three-week wonders, which is when foliage comes into its own.
Interiors: ‘We are ready again to inject energy and contrast’
THE citrus hues, which were hot colours for a couple of years, have been introduced this year in a slightly more muted form. Still vibrant, nevertheless they pack less of a punch and reflect our growing appreciation of global influences.
Interiors: Ask the style doctor
Q We converted the attic into a sitting/games room for my son as he can’t afford to move out just yet. The room looks masculine and quite stylish with a wall-mounted TV and two modern sofas. I’m now trying to find the all-important small fridge to hold beers that will furnish the room but not look clinical.
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Health
Ruth Walker: It’s more than skin-deep, cosmetic tattooing changes lives
TATTOOS. It seems that everyone has one these days. Whether it's a tramp stamp à la Christina Aguilera, something a little more esoteric, like Jessica Alba’s (she has the Sanskrit symbol for a lotus flower on her wrist), or a full-on body inking in the David Beckham league, all the celebs are now wearing their art on their sleeves.
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Health: Serums - helping you stay forever young?
SERUMS promise to brighten dull complexions and impart a youthful glow, but do they deliver?
Interview: Dr Andrew Murray, GP and long-distance runner
Endurance runner extraordinaire and Scotland’s fitness champion, Dr Andrew Murray tells Roger Cox why he considers public health a very individual challenge
NHS at risk of ‘combusting’ due to patients with multiple illnesses
RADICAL changes to the NHS are needed to prevent it “combusting” as the number of patients with multiple health problems soars, doctors have warned.
Lifelines: Long distance relationships
Pauline Nimmo, a registered family mediator gives advice on the difficulties involved
Technology
Broadband providers urged to be more open with consumers on speeds
BROADBAND providers are being called upon to improve the information they give consumers about speeds during the sales process.
1 commentMobile phones allowed on Virgin flights
Passengers on Sir Richard Branson’s airline, Virgin Atlantic, will be able to make and receive phone calls while in the air, it has been announced.
Gadget review: i-temp Terrier Programmable Radiator Control
IF there’s one thing I hate wasting money on it’s heating. Pennies spill out of the radiators in my house like a Las Vegas slot machine, especially if my girlfriend’s in charge of the controls.
Alex Salmond launches smartphone app to celebrate Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
A FREE Queen of Scots smartphone app is to be launched by Alex Salmond’s Government to commemorate Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee, it has emerged.
5 commentsGadget: NeuroSky MindWave + MyndPlay
IT was with some trepidation that I positioned the NeuroSky MindWave EEG headset on my forehead.
Heritage
Falkirk’s historic town centre to get a facelift
ONE of Scotland’s most historic town centres is set to undergo a £2 million facelift.
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Aberdeen University becomes font for Scotland’s Catholic heritage
TWO priceless collections of manuscripts, books and letters from the archives of the Catholic Church are to be returned to the north-east of Scotland for the first time in more than half a century.
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Rescue deal to bring William Adam mansion back from brink Picture gallery
THE future of one of Scotland’s most important listed buildings has been secured under a rescue deal set to trigger a £12 million overhaul for the crumbling 18th-century mansion in the Lothians.
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Scottish Word of the Day: Rook
Not the common bird, but an old Scots word meaning plunder. Although one of the most common uses is to indicate that you have no money left, it is unclear whether this is a general term, or whether it implies (as plunder does) that it was lost or stolen.
Diamond jamboree as Bonnie Prince Charlie’s gem auctioned off Picture gallery
A YELLOW diamond brooch once owned by Bonnie Prince Charlie and a rare stone worth £3 million are among jewels going under the hammer at auction today.
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Pictures
Scottish independence: MoD ‘will want out’ of separate Scotland Picture gallery
THE Ministry of Defence will “want out” of an independent Scotland, moving defence contracts to territory “controlled by London”, a leading military analyst declared in the latest clash over the impact of secession.
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Lothians in Pictures: Forth Bridge
Lights illuminate the Forth Bridge as darkness falls in this atmospheric image taken by 13-year-old Lewis Fraser
Francois Hollande spends inaugural night as president with Angela Merkel Picture gallery
FRANCE’S newly installed president Franc ois Hollande insisted that he and German chancellor Angela Merkel would “co-operate very closely” to deal with Europe’s debt crisis, following talks between the two leaders in Berlin last night.
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Rescue deal to bring William Adam mansion back from brink Picture gallery
THE future of one of Scotland’s most important listed buildings has been secured under a rescue deal set to trigger a £12 million overhaul for the crumbling 18th-century mansion in the Lothians.
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Francois Hollande breaks protocol to kiss crowd as he is sworn in as president Picture gallery
FRANCOIS Hollande was sworn in as France’s president in a ceremony that saw the country’s first Socialist leader in 17 years arrive in an environmentally friendly Citroen during a rain-soaked ride to the presidential palace.
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Weather for Edinburgh
Wednesday 16 May 2012
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 6 C to 12 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 5 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: East
