Giant hole of Rubislaw Quarry suggested as diving centre

It’s funny how you can spend years near something famous, yet have no idea it is there.

Only a few metres from various North Sea oil and gas offices I used to frequent lies one of the largest man-made holes in Europe. Closed in the 1971. what was once Rubislaw Quarry is now a 140+ metre deep(120 metre wide) pool, pond, loch, or lake, depending on your preferred description. I found out about it around five years ago, but had no idea it would turn out to be almost literally in the same Rubislaw Drive I used to head for. You can hide a lot behind a fence and a bit of greenery.

A team of divers recently surveyed its depths, venturing down to 105 metres – not too surprisingly, they found some rusting quarry equipment.

The divers suggested the former quarry could be used as a diving centre, and the new owners – who bought the site in the summer of 2010 – have indicated that they would consider such a proposal.

The price appears to be undisclosed, so we only know that offers over £30,000 were invited, with the agents saying they were ‘inundated’ with enquiries for the site, which had not been sold for 150 years.

The old quarry is credited as the source of Aberdeen’s name of the Granite City.

BBC News – Rubislaw Quarry in Aberdeen could become diving centre

New home sought for deaf puppy Lobes

Even though this might (rightly) be considered to be a ‘crazy cat person’ blog, that doesn’t mean we don’t have any sympathy for our sometimes slobbery neighbours (dogs).

In this case, it’s a mention for an 11-week old puppy known as Lobes, who had the bad luck to be born deaf, to a nice caring owner in Stornoway who wanted a working dog to train, and who thought the best way to deal with the unfortunate pup’s problem was to take her to the vet and ask for her to be put to sleep.

Fortunately, the vet got in touch with the Scottish SPCA, which was able to take the puppy, and move her to a re-homing centre in Inverness.

Lobes will have to be trained using hand signals, and is looking for a home where there is preferably an existing older dog, which can act as a role model as she learns how to behave, and be a companion, especially when she is outside.

BBC News – New home sought for deaf puppy Lobes.

Glasgow family reunited with lost cat after five years

Another story of a lost cat turning up after a long time. I seem to be collecting them here!

This one’s rather unusual, since the cat went missing five years ago – in Hampshire.

And was then found in Aldershot.

So how did Glasgow come to be involved?

Two years after their cat, called Pinks, had disappeared, the family moved up to Glasgow. The change had an interesting side-story, as Pinks was chipped, and when the chip was read, it suggested the cat was making a 400 mile trip to home, but the truth was only that the chip database had been updated with the family’s new details, and the cat was not really far from home – or at least its home as it was when he vanished.

The family headed down south to bring Pinks to his new home, which was nice, since the 11-year old tabby’s twin brother had died a few months earlier, in February.

The only losers in the story are the staff at the vehicle recovery shop where Pinks had turned up. They had adopted the apparent stray, and named it Betty. All they have now is an empty feeding dish.

BBC News – Glasgow family reunited with cat found after five years.

Farcical centenary ‘drive’ of Model T Ford to summit of Ben Nevis

I feel the need to mention the farcical tale of a centenary event staged to celebrate the 1911 drive of Mr Henry Alexander jr – the son of an Edinburgh Ford dealer – and his five-day drive to the summit of Ben Nevis in a 20 horsepower Ford Model T, carried out to attract the attention of the press and prove how rugged the Model T was. The driver encountered rocks, boulders, snowdrifts, and loose sandy paths. The whole ascent actually took much longer, about ten days, as the team scouted out a suitable path for the car to follow, and organised bridging. The return trip down the mountain took barely three hours, perhaps assisted by the gradient, which exceeded 1 in 3 in places. Said only to have adjusted the brakes when he reached Fort William, Mr Alexander jr drove the car home to Edinburgh.

However, in the hundred years that have passed since that drive was completed, Scotland has become a sad place.

In fact, it’s only taken 83 years, since Mr Alexander repeated the climb in 1928. This time the car was a Standard New Ford – Model A Ford – and the final  quarter-mile to the summit was completed with four passengers on board.

I tried to avoid seeing any stories about it, after the John Muir Trust and its associates worked their magic on the attempt and turned it into a joke.

The so-called drive involved the use of a specially prepared Model T which driven approximately halfway towards the summit – 1,344 metres (4,409 ft) – and then stopped. The car was then dismantled, packed into 40 bags, each weighing 10 pounds (4 kg), and the pieces carried to the summit by a team of about 60 volunteers. There, the car was reassembled, then dismantled and repacked into the bags, so the pieces could be carried back down.

Not really much better, and more of stunt than a centenary recreation, but at least involving a proper Model T, was a plan to fly the car to the summit, and deposit it there using a helicopter.

I was going to carry on and have a swipe at the John Muir Trust, which seems to an organisation that people either like or dislike as I look at comment around the web (but to be fair, a lot of trusts seem to do the same), and as an engineer, I have to say I was already singularly unimpressed when it recently produced a report on wind power which was so heavily loaded with negative spin on all the facts it referred to, can only have been written by people who spent the rest of time sticking pins in dolls that looked like wind turbines.

If such event was being proposed as a regular event, then I would be on side with the JMT, since it is abundantly clear that all wheeled vehicles damage both the ground and man-made paths and tracks. But when the event concerned is one that might occur only one every hundred years, then I would suggest the trust, and its associates which fared not better as they came out in support of the ban, would do well to consider that they really want to get (more) people on their side, and not turn them away with silly decisions, or miss opportunities to win new friends.

I really think an opportunity to win some positive publicity was wasted, and apart from the faithful few who see it do no wrong, more people will have looked at this negatively than positively.

Well, at least one, that I know.

(I’ve deliberately left out any links to the story, lest I find myself accused of ‘spin’ by cherry-picking those that make the JMT – and associates – look silly. All the articles about this sorry event can be found easily, just by carrying out a quick web search of the relevant key words.)

Perth delivers application for restoration of city status to UK Government

Perth has submitted a formal application to be granted city status.

City status is a reserved matter, granted by the Queen under royal prerogative on advice from ministers.

Perth lost official recognition as a city in 1975, when a local government shake-up meant the status was removed. It celebrated its 800th anniversary last year, 2010, and is classified as an ‘ecclesiastical city’ because it has a cathedral, but is legally considered a town.

The current application is based on Perth’s history as the country’s first capital, and was delivered to London by Perth and Kinross Provost Dr John Hulbert.

Perth and Kinross Council began its claim for formal city status in 2005, when a search of its archives uncovered the ‘Golden Charter’ of 1600 to back its claim.

Scotland currently has six cities: Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow. with Stirling and Inverness being the most recent.

50-page Perth city submission

BBC News – Perth delivers city status bid to UK government

Dunoon – Gourock car ferry service ends in June 2011

After years of wrangling, argument, claim, counter-claim, and accusations best not repeated, confirmation of the cessation of the car ferry service connection Dunoon and Gourock was announced today.

The service has been operated by CalMac for years, and the State-owned company has been forced to operate a strangled service with limited numbers of sailing, in order to avoid direct competition with the nearby Western Ferries service, which operated without restriction between Hunter’s Quay (near Dunoon) and McInroy’s Point (near Gourock).

The CalMac service was limited to one sailing per hour, while Western sails up to four time per hour at peak periods. (I hope my recollection of reading the rules a few years ago is correct – I’m sure some reader will let me know if I am mistaken).

The CalMac car ferry will now be replaced by a passenger only service operated by Argyll Ferries, part of the Caledonian MacBrayne group David MacBrayne Ltd.

Two passenger ferries will be available to the new passenger only service, a larger vessel with a capacity for 244 passengers, and smaller alternate. The new service will operate a half-hourly service.

EU rules only allow a subsidy to be applied to passenger services on this route, and the State owned carrier is obliged to operate within EU rules.

Despite claims to the contrary – Ferry subsides ruled fair by EC – with private individuals claiming the EU requirements were being wrongly interpreted, and community support for the car ferry to be retained, it seems that the claims did not carry any weight, and in reality, it was not possible to maintain a subsidised operation on the car ferry.

It will be interesting to see if the battle of who was right or wrong, or who was lying, continues now that the final ruling has been made and the tender awarded. I suspect the appearance of recriminations and claims of ‘foul’ are yet to come, and there may still be considerable reading to come in the wake of this change.

The car ferry service between Gourock and Dunoon town centres is to come to an end.

CalMac currently operates a car ferry crossing on the route in competition with private company Western Ferries.

The new tender, for a passenger only service, has been awarded to CalMac’s Argyll Ferries and starts on June 30, 2011 .

Both Argyll and Bute and Inverclyde councils had hoped it would be possible to find another way of keeping a car service going.

BBC News – Gourock-Dunoon ferry route to be passenger only

Dunoon ferry memories

Although the CalMac car ferry was one I often sat and watched from both sides of the Firth of Clyde, it was not one I ever had any need to sail on. Although I’ve made more journeys between Glasgow and Dunoon that I’d like to admit (and with the price of fuel, might not make again), it was always at holiday time, so part of the day was the drive, which is a great way to spend a couple of hours, and there is so much gorgeous scenery to take in along the way.

Been on Western Ferries though – and had no idea if I was coming or going after a while.

Not as a passenger though, but repairing the battery system. Locked below decks, in the dark, and having to work on the system while the ferry sailed all day (they could not afford to take it out of service as long it could be made to sail), after an hour or two you lose count of the sailing, and have no idea whether you are coming or going, or at Hunter’s Point or McInroy’s Point. At least they always remembered to moor at the mainland end… where y car was lying.

McDonald’s promotes abuse of ‘Health and Safety reasons’ to refuse drive-through customer

There are days when I am glad to say that I will never be seen in, or give a penny to McDonald’s.

They have now joined the ranks of Jobsworths and wasters that do nothing but discredit the real work of the Health and Safety Executive (a reputable thing) by giving unspecified “health and safety reasons” as their justification for refusing to serve the driver of a horse and cart at one of their drive-through facilities.

Their decision was reported after Debbie Murden from Pinxton, Derbyshire, was surprised turned away from McDonald’s Alfreton branch. an outlet she says she had used before.

McDonald’s is reported to have stated that it could only serve certain types of vehicles for health and safety reasons.

Of course, there is no report of the reasons, or reference to any specific Health and Safety legislation, but the result of this refusal will be to add to the general mockery that is being generated toward health and safety because of throwaway remarks and stupid rulings such as this one by McDonald’s.

Ms Murden was quoted as saying: “They said it was dangerous, I’m not sure who they meant it was dangerous for, them or us or other people in the drive-through. But there was no danger there. I got in touch with McDonald’s head office and asked why, if horses and motorbikes are not allowed through, are there no signs to say so? And why is it different from branch to branch?”

A spokesperson for McDonald’s was reported to have said: “We’re sorry to have disappointed Ms Debbie Murden and for any confusion caused. The health and safety of our customers is our top priority and for this reason we are unable to serve customers in a horse-drawn carriage. We will ensure this policy is reiterated to our employees so any inconsistency is avoided.”

BBC News – McDonald’s turns away horse carriage at drive-through

I suppose it is too late now, and the cat is well an truly out of the bag, but I would love to the the Health and Safety Executive take such companies and individuals to court, and sue them for misuse of the name. Much in the same way as big companies and authors do when their names are misused, or their IP (intellectual Property) rights abused in a similar way.

Endless claims by little Jobsworth types that something cannot be done for unspecified “health and safety reasons” does nothing to actually improve health and safety, but has done much to reduce the term, and the organisation it is taken from, to little more than a laughing stock in many cases.

And the sad thing is, the actual Health and Safety Executive will seldom, if ever, have been contacted by the little Jobsworth perpetrator, and have no knowledge of their apparent implied connection, or approval.

National Trust for Scotland receives Scottish millions

It doesn’t seem to be that long ago since I wrote about the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) having the good fortune to receive at least £2.5 million from a distant American benefactor, and now it is in line for something in the order of another £3.5 million from the bequest of an Aberdeen family.

National Trust for Scotland receives American millions

The bequest is described as one of the largest in the history of the NTS, and was made in memory of George Anderson, who died in 1952, and represents the residue of his family’s estate following the death of his daughter, Clovella Mutch, of Elgin, in December 2010.

BBC News – Family bequeath £3.5m to National Trust for Scotland

Scottish towns – and Parkhead Cross – secure significant restoration grants

I know I don’t claim to have the sharpest memory around, but I thought it had taken a turn for the worse after I had read about some grants awarded during the past week, as the story seemed to be changing as I read more about it from various different sources.

Fortunately, when I finally decided to sit down and make some notes, I found that more than one award had actually been reported, and some of the lucky towns concerned were due to benefit from more than one successful application, which is quite an achievement these days, largely thanks to their original applications having been made years ago.

It clearly pays to plan ahead.

Historic Scotland – Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme

First noted was a series of grants awarded under the Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme run by Historic Scotland.

This will see six Scottish towns receive a share of some £3 million in funding to be used for building preservation, shop front repairs, and the maintenance of town centre landmarks:

Anstruther, Fife: £500,000
Ayr, South Ayrshire: £498,244
Dingwall, Highlands: £420,000
Irvine, North Ayrshire: £500,000
Portsoy, Aberdeenshire: £500,000
Rothesay, Argyll and Bute: £499,933

(Apart from Dingwall, I know them all – unfortunately, Dingwall gets bypassed as it’s just off the road to Ullapool.)

Since 2005, this scheme is reported to have benefited conservation areas with some £16 million, and the grants come with back-up and advice from Historic Scotland for the local authorities and building owners involved.

BBC News – Scottish towns awarded £3m for revamp work

Heritage Lottery Fund

The second is even larger (per project), and comes from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and amounts to £1.5 million for Rothesay, and £1.76 million of Parkhead Cross in the east end of Glasgow.

The award for Rothesay is easy to understand, as the town’s fans have watched it decay ever since the arrival of the package holiday during the 1970s, which sucked all the patrons away from the town (and all the Clyde resorts of course) and off to the guaranteed sun of places such as Spain, leaving the former bustling local resorts deserted, and starved of income.

Although there have been efforts to regenerate Rothesay, and there is no criticism of the owners of many buildings which are now decaying along the front, the cost of merely keeping aged buildings weathertight can be crippling, especially if they no longer generated income. They can swallow cash just to keep them safe. leaving none for development or restoration to make them more attractive. In recent years, the most decayed examples have had to be demolished and removed.

This dereliction and demolition has taken place in some prominent areas, leaving obvious and unattractive gap sites, raw gable ends and frontages in poor repair. The money will be used to restore the heart of the town – Guildford Square – which lies beside Rothesay’s medieval royal castle, and is one of the first features seen by visitors arriving on the ferry. Project will include the refurbishment of Duncan’s Hall on East Princes Street, buildings in Montague Street, and the former Guildford Court Hotel in Guildford Square itself.

In comparison with Rothesay, the award of £1.76 million to Parkhead Cross is something of a surprise. Often rolled in with adjacent areas such as Shettleston and Tollcross when the media wants to make references to “the most deprived areas of Scotland”, and show images of vandalism, decay, and bad behaviour, the area does not immediately jump to into one’s mind when grants from sources such as the Lottery Heritage Fund are mentioned – and I live in the same area!

However, I am also aware of the wonderful Edwardian building in the area, often neglected, and in recent years, beginning to sprout odd sculptures created in scaffolding, added in order to hold them together for a few more years.

The award will be used to fund the restoration of 20 shop fronts to improve the appearance of the area, and provide a series short-term lets for artists, traditional crafts people, and start-up businesses. This is an interesting development. Many years ago I was slightly involved in further education in the area, and even then people such as writer Liz Lochhead | www.lizlochhead.com (now the second Scots makar) were involved with evening classes being held in local schools.

While the ferry trip might preclude me keeping too close on eye on developments in Rothesay – but I think I will be able to follow them in the ‘Daily Pics’ here: Zak’s Photo Galleries of Bute – I will be able to take the odd walk down to Parkhead Cross, and see what is happening there every now and then, but the cross is just a bit too far away to do this on a daily basis.

BBC News – Rothesay in line for £1.5m revamp to boost tourism

National Parks – still can’t really see the point

It doesn’t seem to matter what the story is, or what the involvement is, but I really can’t work up any enthusiasm or support for National Park Authorities (NPA). They seem to be good at promoting themselves, and making sure they have a reason (in their own eyes) for being.

This time, I find my first thought regarding some cash handouts from the European Union is one of “Why is the NPA getting any – it’s not a community”. The communities that should be benefiting from receiving the total cash handout lie within the NPA. I can just about understand a council getting some, as it has a responsibility to the communities it is serves, and we can see what return is to be had for the cash concerned, but not so in the case of the NPA.

Looking at the cash breakdown…

Laggan Community Association received £17,100 and will use part of this to launch WiFi in its area.

Glen Tanar Estate received £15,943 and will upgrade Aboyne telephone exchange, Aberdeenshire.

These improvements will provide broadband access.

Cairngorms Mountain Rescue Association received £10,000 and will buy a new 4×4 ambulance.

Highland Council received £5,000 to be spent on play equipment in Aviemore and Carrbridge.

Abernethy Old Kirk Association received £4,980 and will repair stonework and seal the kirk against the weather.

But…

The Cairngorms NPA will receive a total of £17.715 which will be spent on a Landscape Partnership Feasibility Study project and a junior ranger exchange scheme.

Sorry, but compared to those listed above, there is no tangible or material benefit for any of the communities in the area. Money spent on a study merely produces some paper (and justifies someone’s job) and while a ‘junior ranger exchange scheme’ may be nice, once it’s over, again there is no tangible result to show for the spend.

So, to my tired old eyes, the NPA has frittered away an amount of money that a community could have used to by hardware to improve broadband delivery, or repair some building at risk.

Not good value at all.

BBC News – Euro funds to upgrade internet in Glen Tanar and Laggan