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What We Learned this week… About Trump, Local Hero, Haribo, Pittodrie and the Big Yin

Donald Trump is aiming for a return to the White House.
Donald Trump is aiming for a return to the White House.

What we learned this week…

HE’S still fighting criminal charges, following the fatal Capitol riots in Washington two years ago, but Donald Trump called a press conference to announce his intention to stand in the race for the White House in 2024.

However, his rambling speech did little to convince even his own supporters that the 76-year-old deserves another chance. The Rupert Murdoch paper, the New York Post, which once backed Trump to the hilt, summed it up with the words “Florida Man Makes Announcement P26”.

IT featured in the smash-hit 1983 film Local Hero, but Banff’s The Ship Inn is being transformed, despite protests the changes will be a “great loss” to the town.

The interior of the C-listed 18th Century pub was used as the fictional Macaskill Arms in the movie, directed by Bill Forsyth, and fans have made pilgrimages over the years.

But now, the bar area will be refurbished as the venue is brought back to life as a cafe – with the former lounge being turned into a flat.

The Ship Inn’s ‘iconic’ pub featured in the 1983 film Local Hero. Image: Aberdeenshire Council.

THERE was no sweet smell of success for a German chap who found a cheque worth over £4 million, issued to sweet giants Haribo, on a train platform.

The 38-year-old dutifully contacted the company, who told him to destroy the item and send a photograph as proof that he had done so.

However, after complying with their demands, he was a little crestfallen when he received his reward: six bags of their sweets and a peremptory thank-you card.

THE saga of a new Pittodrie expansion has had more comebacks than Frank Sinatra and continues to be a stormy topic between the Aberdeen club and the city council.

Plans for an £80m stadium, predicted to bring about a “billion-pound boost” were rocked when the local authority’s co-leaders Ian Yuill and Alex Nicoll insisted it would be down to Aberdeen FC alone if they chose to construct the new facility.

Lib Dem leader Mr Yuill said: “We are not in the business of putting council money into football stadiums.” And that lit the touchpaper on a furious row.

Plans for Aberdeen’s new football stadium on display at Pittodrie.

THE Big Yin turns 80 next week and the comedian was in good form as he launched a new Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award, which will be presented in April.

Connolly, who learned to love rock ‘n’ roll on a school trip to Torry in Aberdeen and became the Laird of Candacraig later in life, expects the winner to be a bit… unusual.

He said: “Many great men and women have tried to describe Glasgow’s spirit and failed miserably. What do you say about a town that dances, sings, plays and jokes differently from everybody else? The winner of this award will have to be a nutter like me.”

TRAINS were running again on the Cairngorms mountain railway for the first time in four years – though they are moving under test conditions for now.

The UK’s highest railway has been closed to visitors since 2018 because of major structural problems, but it is close to resuming operations later this winter.

That’s in stark contrast to the rest of the country’s rail services which are still bedevilled by a wave of strikes and cancellations.

Isabella Donald from Inverurie died at the grand age of 108.

SCOTLAND’s second oldest person, mother-of-10 Isabella Donald from Inverurie, died at the grand old age of 108. She was grandmother to 22, great-grandmother to 28 and great-great-grandmother to 13 children.

When asked for the secret to her mother’s long life, her daughter Mary put it down to her lack of interest in cigarettes and alcohol, her liking for plain food and the absolute joy she derived from doing everything she could, every day, for her family.

BROADCASTING regulator Ofcom received 1,100 complaints about former health secretary Matt Hancock appearing on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!

Matt Hancock is skipping parliamentary duties for the I’m A Celebrity jungle.

There was widespread criticism of the Tory politician participating in the programme, while he is a serving MP, with even PM Rishi Sunak refusing to defend him.

MEANWHILE, a past visitor to the jungle, Nadine Dorries, revealed she is writing a book about the “dramatic downfall” of a previous Downing Street resident with the working title The Political Assassination of Boris Johnson. There is so far no word on whether this should be classed as fact or fiction.

BUT there was some good news from Australia for those who love their soaps. Just months after it was axed, Neighbours is coming back for a new series

Amazon Freevee and Fremantle announced the return of the popular programme with a brand-new series to begin filming in Australia next year.

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