Secret Scotland

The UK military will be running two publicised multi-force exercises around Scotland under the title of Exercise Joint Warrior 2008.

NW 081 will run from April 19, 2008 to May 2, 2008, and NW 082 will follow later in the year, running between October 4, 2008 and October 17, 2008. These are the latest in the series of major regular multi-force exercises previously known as Neptune Warrior.

Neptune Warrior provided joint collective training in a multi-threat environment for UK, NATO and Allied units and their staffs, enabling them to operate together in tactical formations as preparation for employment in a component of a Joint Combined Task Force

The Neptune Warrior name was a re-branding of the earlier Joint Maritime Courses (JMC) which ran up to the summer of 2005. In 2006, when there were 3 exercises per year, the third (NW 063) took place from October 21, 2006, to November 4, 2006. From 2007, these reduced to 2 per year, with the Neptune Warrior exercises (NW 071 and NW 072) taking place between April 21, 2007, and May 5, 2007, then September 17, 2007, to September 29, 2007.

Current information from:- http://www.rnopsscotland.com/

In the face if increasing instances of threats issued to passengers and crew by an element intent on making the best of a captive audience to inflict their anti-social behaviour upon, ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne has  called in the Marine Policing Unit of Strathclyde Police to look into the matter, affecting the service between Wemyss Bay and Rothesay on the Isle of Bute.

With the support of the island’s Ferry User Group, the carrier has noted that while it is a Lifeline Service Operator, and has a duty to ensure that people’s right to be transported is upheld, their Conditions of Carriage will also be adhered to, and those who cause trouble will not be carried. Dossiers and records will be kept to identify repeat offenders and abusers of the service, and the services of the police employed as necessary to ensure the comfort and safety of staff, pier staff, crew and passengers.

Read Gall About It, a new exhibition which can be found in Glasgow’s Mitchell Library located in the city’s North Street, and runs until May 3. Opening hours are from 9am to 8pm, Monday to Thursday, and 9am to 5pm, Friday and Saturday. Admission to the event is free.

The exhibition features the work of a legendary cartoonist from Rothesay, on the Isle of Bute, who kept many newspaper readers in Glasgow amused for almost half a century.

Willie Gall, who lived on the island for much of his life, but was born in Lanark, contributed some 9,000 cartoons to the Evening Times newspaper over 49 years, had the ability to spot the essence of the humour that was unique to Glasgow, and for making the locals laugh at themselves, and the best examples have been selected to appear in an exhibition being held at Glasgow’s famous Mitchell Library.

Many will no doubt be reminded of their favourite Gall’s Grin from the past.

Scotland’s natural population of red squirrels is gaining a little help in beating off the assault from the invading grey, which competes aggressively with native species for food, and carries the deadly squirrel pox virus, harmless to the grey, but deadly to the red.

Red Alert South West Scotland was set up seven years ago, to address issues regarding the loss of habitat and disease within the species, and to raise the awareness regarding conservation. The areas it watches over now has 13 save havens - a series of “priority woodlands” have now been established in Dumfries and Galloway to provide safe havens for red squirrels.

Two Grey Squirrel control officers are also employed by Scottish Natural Heritage, and cover the area of Nith, Annan, and Esk river valleys.

So far, the population seems to be holding steady against the potential invasion of the greys.

http://www.red-squirrels.org.uk/index.htm

Cost saving cuts by Aberdeen Council have placed a number of facilities under notice of closure, and some have been noticed here.

The city’s Bon-Accord Baths were mentioned in the news last week, with an indication that despite the efforts of a petition to save them from closure, it was unlikely that that this decision would be reversed, and the baths will close, with the art-deco building then being at risk.

Doonies Farm may fare better, with the announcement that the council has given campaigners until the end of May to come up with a suitable business plan to secure its future. The farm is now due to close permanently by the end of June unless a acceptable plan and funding package can be presented.

The call is for all supporters to visit the farm, on a “use it or lose it” basis.