Posts by Grant Dickie
The final straw
In an unanticipated side-effect of the Covid-19 pandemic, shops in Glasgow have been forced to stop selling Buckfast, the iconic tonic wine made by Benedictine monks in Devon which is popular on the west coast of Scotland, as supplies have dwindled. “It’s really bad,” Whiteinch-based shop owner, Sobhan Rashid, told the Glasgow Times. “At the…
Read MoreSaved by their customers
An innovative campaign has seen Dornoch Castle Hotel raise £54,000 in just one week towards the £100,000 crowdfunding target that will save this Highland hotel. Over 200 customers and well-wishers have purchased “pay it forward” vouchers from the hotel, which cost from £50. When the hotel re-opens guests will receive an extra 20% uplift which…
Read MoreFamous Guinness Bread
Famous to all those who know and love The Doyle Collection hotels, their homemade Guinness Bread is a staple on the menu at all restaurants across The Doyle Collection properties and is a nod to the collection’s proud Irish heritage. Served as a side or a light bite, this deliciously moorish bread has almost a…
Read MoreTime for Tunnocks
Sir Boyd Tunnock’s daughter Karen and son-in-law Fergus Loudon have delivered thousands of teacakes and caramel wafers to frontline medical and construction staff at the new NHS Louisa Jordan hospital, at Glasgow’s SEC Campus. The 87-year-old owner of one of Scotland’s most iconic companies is isolating at his home near the company’s Uddingston headquarters, which…
Read MoreTime to learn about the birds and the bees
A survey by animal charity Noah’s Ark has exposed a remarkable lack of knowledge about the natural world from the British public. The curious beliefs held by the public include the fact that 14% of Britons think that the woolly mammoth is endangered, when it is extinct, while more than 1 in ten also believe…
Read MorePoaching and vandalism rise
After several unsavoury incidents of poaching and vandalism – including £30,000 of damage when a pheasant shoot was deliberately destroyed, the vandalising of high seats, poaching at a Kinross fishery, and the arrest of two men for illegal fishing in Kelso – game shoots and fisheries are being warned to be extra vigilant during lockdown.…
Read MoreCapital bagels
One of the tastiest home delivery services in the lockdown is surely Bross Bagels, the Edinburgh-based brainchild of Montreal-born stand-up comedian Larah Bross. With five shops in the Edinburgh area, they can deliver superb bagels as far out as Musselburgh – order before 5pm and your delivery will arrive within 48 hours. For more information…
Read MoreChinese chicken salad
Of the many hats Taiwanese-Canadian fashion designer Jason Wu wears, that of chef ranks among the highest to his close friends. Wu has long been a fan of luxury boutique bolthole Hotel Esencia on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, even marrying at the property in 2016 at which time the ‘chic set’ flocked to Xpu Ha (pronounced…
Read MoreGlasgow online
Glasgow International has announced details of a new, digital programme in place of the 2020 festival, which has been postponed until 2021. The programme will be available on the homepage of the Glasgow International website (www.glasgowinternational.org) from 23 April-10 May, the dates when the original festival was due to take place. Artists including Jenkin van…
Read MoreHave you a tale to tell?
RSABI, which supports people in Scottish agriculture, is urging the Scottish agricultural industry to get behind a new book of light-hearted stories being published to raise funds. The charity is putting together a book of humorous memories and entertaining tales to raise money and morale. The new book, “Farming is Still a Funny Business”, is…
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