Festival fringe comedy review: Jason Byrne

A Fringe stalwart and deservedly sold out many nights, Jason Byrne is the archetypal Irish stand up. He berates life, his idiosyncratic working class childhood and then picks on a few brave souls in the audience to tease, mock and generally make them the butt of a stream of jokes. His quick wit and the…

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Book review: Roald Dahl’s Reekin Rhymes

What’s the story? In recent years, many children’s books have been getting rather special makeovers, taking them and translating them into Scots. For example, Roald Dahl’s The Twits became the Eejits, while JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book became The Philosopher’s Stane). The entertaining trend continues with Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes, becoming Reekin Rhymes. Dahl…

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Children could be millionnaires by 43 with pension plan

Children born this year could become millionaires by their 43rd birthday if their families contribute to a pension for the first 18 years of their lives. That’s according to , according to figures compiled by Brewin Dolphin. The wealth manager’s analysis found that parents, or grandparents, contributing £2880 per year (£3600 after tax relief) until…

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Rare bottle of Port Ellen whisky in charity auction

A rare bottle of Port Ellen whisky is being auctioned for two great charities. Fred Laing, chairman of independent Scotch Whisky blender and bottler Douglas Laing, and Greg Dillon, founder of GreatDrams.com, competed on the squash court in aid of the RAF Benevolent Fund and Ollie’s Army, a charity aiming to battle Batten’s disease. The meeting…

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The Restless Wave: My Two Lives With John Bellany

Helen Bellany, twice married to the late John Bellany, is beautifully candid about her life with the renowned Scottish artist in The Restless Wave: My Two Lives With John Bellany. Having fallen in love at Edinburgh College of Art, the couple had three children together, but endured a tumultuous marriage which saw divorce, despair and…

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This new exhibition will appeal to your sweet tooth

Scots are well-known for their sweet tooth, loving soft drinks and confectionery. And now sweetie enthusiasts can explore the story of the Lanarkshire confectionery industry at Sweetie!, a new exhibition. This display explores the story of the Lanarkshire confectionery industry, from snowballs and soor plooms to tablet, is running until 19 August at the Summerlee…

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The Artie Conan Doyle Mysteries: The Vanishing Dragon

Sherlock Holmes has undergone something of a revival over recent times. In addition to two popular films starring Robert Downey Junior as the Great Detective, two modern day Sherlock Holmes series have been created, Sherlock in the UK with Benedict Cumberbatch, and Elementary in the USA, with Johnny Lee Miller. It should therefore come as…

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Runners wanted for Scottish charity events

A charity fundraiser to help raise awareness of men’s health issues and to raise vital funds for the Movember Foundation is coming to Scotland. MoRunning have announced they will host MoRuns at 22 different locations across the UK and Ireland throughout the month of Movember, including in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow. The Edinburgh MoRun will…

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Graham helps British riding team to feel champion

An Ayrshire man has helped the British Young Rider Team win gold at the Young Rider European Championships in Fontainebleau, France. Ayrshire’s Graham Babes, riding under the title sponsor banner of Team NAF, did Great Britain proud by winning team gold. Going into the competition as the current Young Rider Champions it was an incredible…

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How to make money in today’s property market

For those looking for the best way to profit from today’s property market it isn’t as straight forward as pre-credit crunch times. For those that aren’t afraid of a bit of graft, one option worth considering is self-build. Rupert Osborn, a former banker turned landscape gardener, and his wife, Lindsay, already owned a suitable plot,…

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