The Daily Thistle
The Daily Thistle – News From Scotland
Monday 25th September 2017
"Madainn Mhath” …Fellow Scot, I hope the day brings joy to you…. Clear skies, and a heaven full of billions and billions of stars, some look so close it’s as if you could reach out and grab them…. That’s the joy of living away from industry… very little in the way of pollution to block the view to the heavens……
TOURISTS DAMAGING WOJTEK THE BEAR STATUE WITH ‘LUCKY’ NOSE RUB…. FIRST it was Greyfriars Bobby. Now the statue of Wojtek the bear has been damaged due to too many people rubbing his nose. Concerns have been raised regarding the condition of the statue of the beer drinking bear in Princes Street Gardens, with the worn material turning his nose a golden colour. Author and Wojtek National Trust founder Aileen Orr, who wrote a book about the life of the bear, said that part of her book may reveal why people have been rubbing his nose. “I mentioned in the book that he liked his nose rubbed,” she said. “He loved the human touch and he would nuzzle into them.” Although Ms Orr does not want people to stop admiring the statue, she is concerned about the damage that has occurred in just two years. She said: “The worry is that it has only been two years, so what will it be like in 50 years? “I would encourage people to touch the memorial - but maybe leave his nose for a little while.”
SIR ROD STEWART WINS FIGHT TO BUILD BACK GARDEN SWIMMING POOL…. SIR Rod Stewart has won a battle to tackle a great crested newt problem at his mansion so he can build a large swimming pool for his son. The rocker was granted permission earlier this year to build the pool for 11-year-old son Alastair who has shown great promise as a swimmer and has already won a host of competitions. But the development was threatened after ecological surveys of the site in the gardens at Sir Rod’s Grade II-listed Durrington House in Harlow, Essex, discovered the presence of newts. The amphibians are a protected species under UK and European law and it is illegal to catch, possess or handle them without a licence or to cause them harm or disturb their habitat in any way. The discovery of the newts meant Sir Rod’s representatives had to submit a detailed plan on how to construct the pool house without disturbing them. He is proposing to create new habitats for the creatures elsewhere in the gardens of the 18th century home and erect “newt barrier fencing” to stop them entering the construction site. The mitigation measures have now been given the go-ahead by officials at Epping Forest District Council paving the way for the development to start.
BESPOKE SWORD-MAKING SERVICE COMING TO EDINBURGH…. SCOTLAND’S leading licensed sword seller, The Knight’s Vault, has launched a bespoke sword-making service in Edinburgh due to popular demand. Local bladesmith Greg Marr will create exclusive custom-made swords for customers of The Knight’s Vault located on West Bow, Grassmarket. Greg is one of only a few professional sword makers operating in Edinburgh. Each custom-made sword is completely handmade from the blade to the hilt, including the guard, grip and pommel. Swords can also be personalised and engraved with lettering, logos or clients’ coat of arms. Made-to-order swords - designed and created in the Assembly Street workshop - range in price from ￡500-750 and are ready in up to three weeks. The Knight’s Vault, home to the biggest display of commercial armoury in the UK, is the only Outlander sword retailer in the UK. As well as offering swords inspired by TV shows such as Game of Thrones, Scottish Highland swords and reproductions of Samurai and Viking swords are also available, as well as a range of gifts, helmets and antiques. Colin Hope, owner of The Knight’s Vault, says: “We’re delighted to be the only weaponry retailer in Edinburgh to offer custom-made swords. We’ve had a huge number of enquiries from customers around the world looking for bespoke weaponry – many customers know exactly what they are looking for, so it’s great to be able to bring their ideas to life. “Being re-enactment grade, these swords are of an extremely high standard, however, they are also perfect as gifts or as ‘wall art’ display in the home.” Greg Marr, bladesmith, said: “We really enjoy working with customers to create something special and bespoke to them, as well as offering something unique to remember their visit to Edinburgh. Everything we can make in-house is created in our workshop in Leith and we’re proud to be one of only a few sword makers still operating in the city.”
OLDEST SCOTS STUDENT, 87, ENROLLS AT UNIVERSITY FOR 8TH TIME…. AN 87-year-old pensioner who left school at 14 “with nothing” is Scotland’s oldest university student after enrolling at university - for the eighth time. Scotland’s oldest graduate, Alex Stewart, returned to classes at Dundee University last week where he is studying for a liberal arts degree. Alex, who lives in Dundee, has already earned degrees in sociology, philosophy and town and regional planning from Dundee, Abertay and St Andrew universities.
He is the university’s oldest student and the one with the most degrees. Born in the days of the jute industry, Alex’s parents told him he had to leave school at 14 to get a job. He previously said: “These were the days when parents would have to pay for the academies and so that was the end of me learning anything. “I left school with nothing.”
IRN-BRU MAKERS LAUNCH PROBE AFTER EXPLODING CAN FRIGHTENS DOG…. THE makers of Scotland’s favourite fizzy drink have launched an investigation after a can of Irn-Bru exploded in a man’s fridge and terrified his dog. Bud Kane was at his home in Aberdeen when the multipack can blew up and blasted the fridge door open. His two-year-old beagle Parker was in the room at the time and got such a shock that he was left with “toilet problems”. Mr Kane is now demanding answers from the makers of Irn-Bru to explain what went wrong. The 62-year-old said: “I’ve been drinking Irn-Bru for years and nothing like this has happened before.
“You don’t expect your fridge to blow up.”
On that note I will say that I hope you have enjoyed the news from Scotland today,
Our look at Scotland today is of Wojtek the Bear in Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh….
A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Monday 25th September 2017 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…
All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in
Be safe out there…
Robert McAngus