What we learned this week….
SCOTTISH sport has its share of ups and downs, but there was nothing but positive news as Bruce Mouat and his curling compadres swept to golden glory at the World Championship in Ottawa.
Mouat, who previously savoured Olympic success, was in imperious mood and, although the Canadians were favourites on their own ice, they were thrashed 9-3 in the final by the Scots, not “Team GB” as some media outlets claimed. Bruce Almighty indeed!
BRIAN Cox has portrayed the dominant patriarchal figure Logan Roy in the multi-award-winning American TV series Succession for the last few years, but without revealing any spoilers, the Dundee actor will now be working on other projects.
Having completed his stint after four seasons on the programme, Cox is moving on to pastures new – and possibly a reprise of his Broughty Ferry burger-seller Bob Servant.
IT might be the middle of April, but there’s still plenty of snow in Scotland’s high places and Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team was left “very impressed” by the tenacity of a child they rescued near the Lost Valley.
The organisation launched the rescue mission after it was informed by police that a party of three had become separated in the area. But, happily, their professionalism and patience was rewarded with a successful outcome.
They wrote after the incident: “We were all very impressed by the resilience of the child involved, who was still in good spirits following their unexpectedly big day in the hills.”
SCOTLAND captain Andy Robertson was in the wars during Liverpool’s fiery Premier League match with Arsenal at Anfield. As tempers frayed, he found himself being elbowed in the face – not by an opponent, but one of the linesmen!
Assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis appeared to make contact with Robertson’s chin at the end of the first half in one of the more surreal episodes of the season.
However, the Scot received no sympathy from former Manchester United star turned TV pundit, Roy Keane, who called him a “big baby” after the spat. Hatzidakis, meanwhile, was suspended while the matter was investigated.
THREE ancient Iron Age settlements in Shetland are among the contenders to be given much-valued Unesco World Heritage status.
Collectively known as the Zenith of Iron Age Shetland, they have been submitted by the UK Government and could join the likes of Stonehenge, St Kilda and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef as world heritage sites of “outstanding value to humanity”.
The bid includes the settlements and structures of Mousa, Old Scatness and Jarlshof.
FERRIES have recently become synonymous with farce and fiasco in Scotland and now, another service has hit the buffers, causing severe disruption.
The route between the Ardnamurchan peninsula and Corran provides direct road access to Fort William, carrying more than 270,000 cars every year.
A reduced service has been in operation since January while repair work is carried out on the main MV Corran, but the replacement Maid of Glencoul has also broken down and Highland Council confirmed there could be no service for several weeks.
PRODUCTION is under way on the new season of Shetland, in which acclaimed actor Ashley Jensen step into the lead role on the drama following Douglas Henshall’s exit.
The BBC has also announced a slew of guest stars, including Phyllis Logan (Downton Abbey), Jamie Sives (Annika), Dawn Steele (Holby City, Granite Harbour), Don Gilet (Sherwood), Ann Louise Ross (River City) and Lorraine McIntosh (Outlander).
Members of the cast and crew will be working on the island until next weekend.
PIERRE Lacotte, the French ballet choreographer who helped Rudolf Nureyev defect from the Soviet Union more than 60 years ago, died aged 91.
Lacotte helped Nureyev to escape from KGB agents in Paris and seek asylum at the capital’s Le Bourget airport in 1961.
His story was recounted in the film, The White Crow, directed by Ralph Fiennes.
AN SNP councillor argued that links with Big Noise Torry should have been severed last year – even after his own government stepped in to save the project.
The charity helps hundreds of children in the deprived area of Aberdeen, providing free music lessons and trying to make sure youngsters stay on the right path.
However, Christian Allard, chairman of Aberdeen City Council’s anti-poverty committee, said the authority “wouldn’t give them the money even if they had it”.
Yet, amid uproar about the move, the Scottish Government swiftly stepped in with a grant to keep it running alongside sister projects elsewhere.
BUCKIE woman Barbara Cormack picked up almost £40,000 in two different competitions on the same day.
She was at the bingo with her husband when she got the first call from Bounty Competitions, announcing she had won the choice of a Land Rover Discovery or £30,000 in cash, as well as £300 Amazon vouchers.
Then, when she returned to her bingo, she won more than £7,000 in a £1 game.
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