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What a week: Rock royalty visits pub and king’s wives star on stage

Six the musical earned  rave reviews when it took to the stage at Eden Court in Inverness. Image: Johan Persson.
Six the musical earned rave reviews when it took to the stage at Eden Court in Inverness. Image: Johan Persson.

Sir Ranulph Fiennes took to the airwaves to plug his show, An Evening With The World’s Greatest Living Explorer, which will come to Scotland next year.

The 78-year-old has braved some of the world’s most inhospitable environments, pursuing a life of extreme adventure and daring.

Just the man to attempt Union Street after dark.

News that an expert taskforce could be formed to revitalise the Granite Mile (The P&J, Nov 10) comes not a moment too soon as readers shared concerns about Aberdeen’s famous street.

Union Street in Aberdeen has been the subject of much discussion this week. Image: Wullie Marr / DC Thomson.

“It feels like a war zone in the evenings,” said one, “I don’t feel safe anymore on Union Street, I wish something could be done,” said another.

Craig Munro (The P&J, Nov 8) walked the street for eight hours and was struck by how many people expressed reservations about visiting at night.

“You feel like you have to have your wits about you,” said one woman, while another told of a frightening incident in a charity shop.

At an emergency meeting about the street, one pundit offered a helpful summary, calling it “a bit of a s***hole” to a mixture of shock and laughter.

Around 170 people attended an emergency summit on the future of Union Street in Aberdeen. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson

I think we can all agree this is not what we want for what should be the jewel in the city’s crown – but agreeing on what precisely should be done is more tricky.

Rebecca Buchan (The P&J, Nov 9) suggested we take inspiration from a project in San Francisco and reminded us that high streets in the north, the north-east and the world over are facing the same problems.

Shell suits

Energy giant Shell revealed its Union Street office won’t have a gym or canteen, encouraging staff to inject cash into the city centre.

“The more suits we can get on the street, the better for hospitality and retail – for the cafes, bakers and sandwich shops and for people nipping to the shops on their lunch breaks,” said Councillor Marie Boulton.

Now Marie, we know what you mean, but with all the will in the world we’re going to have to sell a lot of brie paninis to reverse what Aberdeen Inspired chairman Allan Henderson admitted is a “spiral of decline”.

A visualisation of how Aberdeen Market could look as part of a city centre revamp.

Things are happening though, with a £20 million levelling up grant for a new Aberdeen market (The P&J, Nov 9) and a million-pound plan for Union Street landmark Jamieson and Carry to transform two nearby premises (The P&J, Nov 9).

The prestigious family-run jewellers says it will allow for an “increased Rolex window”.

Thank goodness for that. Just yesterday when I was putting my dressing gown on over my jumper to stop our heating bill from entering the stratosphere I thought, the only thing I’m missing is a luxury timepiece to really pull this look together.

Jamming session

Rock royalty Robert Plant has probably gone through his fair share of Rolexes but he wasn’t too fancy to join an open mic night in an Aberdeen pub (The P&J, Nov 9).

The Led Zeppelin frontman popped into Under The Hammer after a gig at The Tivoli for an impromptu jamming session with fans who described it as “absolutely amazing”.

aberdeen robert plant led zeppelin
Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant and his new band Saving Grace at Under The Hammer in Aberdeen. Image: Under The Hammer/ Facebook.

Actual royalty had a less fun time of it this week when they were pelted with eggs in York.

King Charles proved it takes a lot more than that to ruffle his feathers these days and carried on as if nothing had happened.

He has, understandably, become a lot more composed since Inkgate at the very start of his reign when he lost his cool over a leaky pen at Hillsborough Castle.

Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown, but even more uneasy were the six women who were married to it between 1509 and 1547.

Six the musical is presented like a pop concert with Henry VIII’s six wives as the stars. Image: Johan Persson.

Six the musical is presented as a pop concert starring the wives of Henry VIII, and earned rave reviews at Eden Court in Inverness (The P&J, Nov 9).

As dazzling as it may be, it dims in comparison to the story of 10-year-old Jay Edward, a quadruple amputee who is gearing up to represent Scotland at the World Para Surfing Championship (The P&J, Nov 9).

Now that’s girl power.

The Edward family from left, Lisa, Jay, Linsey and Fraser. Image: Paul Glendell / DC Thomson.

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