Finance Secretary, John Swinney, has now warned that the stand-off at Grangemouth will cause petrol stations to run dry. The current fuel crisis caused by the continiung workers’ strike and management shut down of the plant at Grangemouth Refinery threatens the already volatile condition of Highland petrol stations. Premliminary research conducted by Highlands and Islands Enterprise into fuel prices indicates that nearly half of the Highlands’ petrol stations could clse becaue f rising fuel prices and that there could be a case for Government intervention to prevent this possible collapse. The Scottish Crofting Foundation has highlighted the alarming increase in cost of diesel on the islands, fearing its impact on local businesses.
Monthly Archives: April 2008
4Talent Scotland looking for new audio presenters and producers
Channel 4 Television’s 4Talent Scotland is looking for new presenters and producers to create inspiring audio features which give the inside track on film, television, new media, radio and all things creative. The call for new talent is supported by a one day training course, which will provide successful applicants with all they need to know on how to put together an audio feature for the 4Talent Scotland website. We’ll be offering support and suggestions on how to make your ideas stand out, and tips and hints on how to catch the ear of producers and commissioning editors.
So whether you’re interested in a job in radio, or just want to make your own podcasts sound better, this is the opportunity for you. For more information and details of how to apply for a place on one of our training days, to take place in Edinburgh/Glasgow and Inverness, go to www.channel4.com/4talentscotland
Deadline for applications, 19th May 2008.
Furnace Friday Quizzes
Friday 25th April sees A Table Quiz in Furnace Village Hall – a fundraiser for the Inveraray Box and Fiddle Club. The following Friday – 2nd May – sees another Table Quiz in Furnace Hall, this time in aid of the Hall Restoration Funds. Both events start at 7.30pm.
Argyll’s Social Housing Realities
Councillor George Freeman, spokesperson for Housing and Communities at Argyll and Bute Council has shed a cold light on the Scottish Government’s three-year budget of £25m for developing social housing. In a letter to The Herald he notes that the usual share for Argyll and Bute is 2% (Editor: ‘Why?’), seeking the county given £500,000 – or £166,666 per annum – over the period. As Councillor Freeman points out, this provides fewer than two houses per year. He also points out that the Council has been told that its budget for housing investment for 2008/09 is being cut by 20%. By his figures, this equates to a loss of £2.735m in a single year. The real picture for Argyll sets the proposed new money for social housing of £166,666 per annum for three years against this very significant housing budget cut of £2.735m in 2008 alone. An additional Government imposed cut of £700,000 to the Council’s Supporting People budget has recently seen a knock-on cut of the £274,000 grant to Argyll Community Housing Association for the Wardens who look after around 200 people in sheltered housing.
You Tube signs licence fee agreement with The Music Alliance
In a global first, April 2008 will see You Tube’s first payment of a (confidential) flat rate fee for the onsite use of copyright music to The Music Alliance. This is a not-for-profit partnership of the Performing Rights Society (PRS) and the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (MCPS). The fee negotiated will cover all copyright music broadcast on the You Tube website, from professional videos by established bands to every teenage wannabe’s video performance posted. The deal protects professional musicians whose royalties from The Music Alliance will now cover online downloads and streamed tracks. It also protects You Tube video makers whose use of copyright music will no longer be unlicensed (and therefore illegal) and will be paid for by You Tube under this historic licence. Other social network sites are expected to follow You Tube’s example and sign similar agreements.
There is another side to the issue though. The licence fees charged for online broadcast of copyright music by The Music Alliance and by its fellow agency, Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL UK), can and has put small local online radio stations out of business. During Radio Fyneside’s continuing working-up preparations, it was calculated that for the number of ‘streams’ (the number of people listening to the online service at any moment) the station would need to achieve for viability, the licence fee per annum to both music agencies would amount to £10k – for playing just 15 tracks a day. A radio station in an underpopulated area like Argyll, with a small business base, could never hope to recover such fees from income earned. This station will simply not use commercial music and is developing alternative strategies.
New Glasgow to Mull seaplane service
Loch Lomond Seaplanes has begun a new service to Tobermory in Mull, alongside its existing service from Gasgow to Oban. The link cuts the journey time from Mull to Glasgow from five hours by ferry and car to 35 minutes. Prices are £99 one way or £170 return.
New digital broadcast facility in Skye underpins growth for Gaelic media
The First Minister, Alex Salmond, has opened Fas (Gaelic for ‘growth’) at Skye’s Gaelic College, Sabhal Mor Ostaig, on the Sound of Sleat near Armadale. The centre will provide today’s best creative media environment with a full broadcast standard digital television recording studio, sound recording studio, post-production facilities and theatre. The facility will support and develop the work of the Gaelic digital television channel, expected later this year. Fas will also house Canan, a long standing Gaelic print and online publishing house, the National Centre for Migration Studies, Faclair na Gaidhlig (an inter-university initiative to produce a historical Scottish Gaelic dictionary) and some incubation units for new businesses. One of the first businesses in is Young Films, an independent film development and production company set up in 1986 by Chris Young whose work includes Venus Peter, Gregory’s Two Girls and Festival. The opening of Fas represents the last major milestone in the development work at Sabhal Mr Ostaig driven since 1983 by its leader, Professor Norman Gillies who retires this year.
Core member of Young British Artists group found dead near Bridge of Orchy
The British art world was devastated by the death of Angus Fairhurst, a central member of the Young British Artists group which includes Damien Hirst and Sarah Lucas both of whom collaborated with him in various creative initiatives. An irrepressible joker, he once hotwired the phone lines of a series of London art galleries to make them telephone each ther. The resulting confusion was transcribed and published in Frieze magazine, to widespread hilarity. But it has been pointed out that behind the anarchy he was making a serious point – about how closed the art world is and how its denizens talk only to each other. He was part of a conceptual band called Lowest Expectations, making its debut supporting Pulp at Brixton Academy. Their setup had all the accoutrements of a rock band – instruments lying around the set, massive sound systems, psychedelic lighting and video projectins – but when the band hit the stage they didn’t play a note. They spent the set miming to selected pre-recorded music, satirising the posturing of the rock world. Hugely influential but never confident of this, he is thought to have taken his own life on a woodland walk near Glen Orchy in Argyll. The musician turned farmer, Alex James formerly of Blur, paid tribute to his friend, calling him ‘an unassuming but vital part of the mushroom cloud of creativity of the Nineties’.
Comedy in Mid Argyll
The Argyll Arms Hotel staged Ardrishaig’s first ever comedy night on the 14th March.
“Yer havin a laugh comedy club” presented four of Scotland’s top stand up comedians to a packed house in anticipation of an evening of fun and laughter.They weren’t to be disappointed as the four, who perform their comedy acts mainly in the Edinburgh and Glasgow stand up clubs and occasionally internationally, put on a fantastic evening of entertainment.
The evening was compered by the ridiculously funny, Bathgate born or south side of Edinburgh as he put it,Bill Dewar who kept the odd heckler at bay while performing his hilarious routine between acts.
Kicking off the set were the improvisation comedy superstars,the phenomenal Stu Murphy and Gary Dobson.Stu and Gary combined their unique and successful style of comedy to an appreciative audience,very different and very funny.
Next up was local lass Kerrie McLeod who did a short ,but highly entertaining ,open mike spot.
Kerrie who is the main organiser of the event is keen to develop the club and is encouraging any other budding comedians out there to come forward and try their luck with an open mike spot the next time the comedy club comes to Ardrishaig.
The headline act was the irrepressible Paul Sneddon aka Vladimir McTavish a regular on BBC Scotland’s “live floor show” who is a comic in the true Scottish tradition and royally entertained a spellbound audience.
Looking forward to the next side splitting night!
Matt Campbell
Colonsay Aerodrome Ready and Waiting
The retained operating staff for Colonsay Aerodrome have now completed their week-long induction training and successful technical examinations at Oban – by all accounts the three participants enjoyed the stimulating and challenging course. The training was completed on 31st March, and the Terminal Building has now been examined and approved by Building Control. A small amount of additional landscaping which was required to improve sight-lines for the emergency services has also been completed. Aircraft movements have increased in recent days and it is believed that the facility now awaits inspection by officials of the Civil Aviation Authority.
The new air service is awaited with much anticipation, although there are reports of continuing difficulties at Oban (Connel) Airport which are now giving rise to some impatience. The very early Easter and challenging weather conditions have reportedly made for a difficult start to the tourism season for 2008, and in future years Colonsay’s ferry is to be excluded from substantial fare reductions which are proposed for both Coll and Tiree.