Category: Entertainment and Arts

Holidays are Coming – Christmas Markets and events you must visit this December

Leave a comment
By Nikita Vance

 

Whether you love it or hate it, the run up to Christmas can bring excitement and wonder to even the biggest Scrooges among us. Now we have Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” drilling in our ears everywhere we go, and we’ve all seen the slightly off looking Santa Clause in the shopping centre we can no longer deny it: Christmas is well and truly coming. What better way to get into the festive spirit than the various Christmas Markets and events Scotland has to offer?

Keeping it local, Stirling has a wide array of Christmas events available throughout December guaranteed to keep the little kids (and the big kids at heart) entertained!

 

Christmas Shopping Fayre

 

The Christmas Shopping Fayre returns to Stirling Castle on the 6th of December!

Image Credit: Stirling Castle

The Great Halls will host a variety of local Scottish brands, crafts and fine foods and drink guaranteed to get you excited and prepared for the festive season. There will also be brass band performances throughout the night, and all the mince pies and mulled wine you could dream of!

The fayre is open from 6pm to 9pm, with last entry at 8.15pm. Tickets are £6 per adults and free for children and carers, available here on a limited first-come-first-served basis.

 

 

Christmas Ceilidhs at The Tolbooth

 

It just wouldn’t be Scotland without a Ceilidh, and what better way to get into the Christmas spirit than a traditional festive Ceilidh with the International Ceilidh Collective?

The Tolbooth is hosting afternoon and evening Ceilidhs on the 10th of December for all ages. Doors for the afternoon session open at 2.30pm, while the evening session opens at 7pm with both sessions beginning 30 minutes after doors. Tickets for both sessions are available here.

You don’t have to be a Ceilidh regular to attend! A caller will talk you through all the dances to ensure everyone has fun, and soon you may even become a Ceilidh professional! It’s the perfect opportunity to try something new, and to support the local Arts community.

 

Christmas Spectacular at Blair Drummond

 

Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park’s Christmas Spectacular is back and better than ever! You’re absolutely spoilt for choice, with attractions and experiences that cater for all ages. For £3 per person, you can experience an enchanting story time with Mrs Clause and her elves as she reads “The Night Before Christmas”. Or why not visit their festive fairground and take a spin on the teacups; a drive in the dodgems; a ride on the train and more! Catch Santa on his drive throughs throughout the park several times a day, with his naughty list in tow so be on your best behaviour.

Image Credit: Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park

There’s also a Christmas market which offers all sorts of festive goodies, perfect for getting those last-minute presents out of the way! There are also hot food and drinks on site including hot chocolate from the hot chocolate bar; toasted marshmallows from the fire pits; fish and chips; and (for the adults) gin cocktails courtesy of Stirling Gin.

 

The Christmas Spectacular runs until the 23rd of December from 10am-3.30pm Monday to Friday, and 11am-7pm on Saturdays and Sundays; and between the 21st and 23rd December. Tickets can be booked here, with prices varying depending on which day you plan on going.

 

 

Santa’s Grotto at Thistles

 

Experience the magic of Santa’s Grotto at Thistles Shopping Centre! Your kids can write a letter to Santa; receive a special gift; and take a ride in his magical sleigh. All proceeds go to charity partner Strathcarron Hospice.

The Grotto opens every Saturday and Sunday until the 18th of December, and daily from 19th December – 24th December from 10am to 5pm. (Note: The Grotto closes for lunch between 1pm and 2pm).

Tickets can be booked here, for £6.95 per child. There is a maximum of two adults and four children per time slot, and all children must be accompanied by an adult over 18 years of age.

 

Cut your own Christmas tree at Duff Christmas Tree Farm

 

Pick your perfect tree and make festive memories at Duff Christmas Tree Farm! With over 350,000 trees on site, you’re absolutely spoilt for choice and guaranteed to find the best tree for you.

Their special ‘cut your own Christmas Tree’ experience allows you to choose and cut the tree for yourself, with staff on hand to give you any assistance you may need. They provide you with a saw, but you’re required to bring your own gloves and something you can kneel on. It is also suggested that you bring or wear wellies, as some areas of the far, can be very muddy. There is also a wide selection of pre-cut trees for you to choose from.

Prices for a tree vary based on type and size, and are as follows:

  • Fraser Fir Christmas Tree: 4ft – £35, 5ft – £40, 6ft – £50, 7ft – £60, 8ft – £70, 9ft – £80 – 10ft and above – £10 per foot.
  • Nordman Fir Christmas Tree: 4ft – £35, 5ft – £40, 6ft – £50, 7ft – £60, 8ft – £70, 9ft – £80 – 10ft and above – £10 per foot.

Each weekend in December there will also be various food trucks on site including Traditional artisan pizzas available from Base Pizza, ethically sourced specialty coffee from Fallen Tree Coffee and delicious treats from Flour Bake Girl. The farm also sells their own homemade jams, marmalade, and mince pies.

Duff’s Christmas Tree Farm is open daily until Christmas Eve between 9am and 5pm, and there’s no requirement to pre-book your visit. Perfect for a last-minute outing!

 

 

A Jailhouse Christmas Carol

 

A new festive performance experience at Stirling Old Town Jail takes an original comic spin on the much beloved classic A Christmas Carol. Join the grouchy, scroogey governor of the Old Tolbooth as he’s visited by three spirits – the Cells Ghosts of Prisoners Past – ‘all eager for him to mend his wicked ways and embrace the season of goodwill to ALL convicts’. Guaranteed to be a fun time for all ages!

The performance tour will be running every 30 minutes each weekend between the 3rd and 18th of December, and then daily from the 27th to the 30th of December. You will also have the opportunity to tour the cells of the prison, and the roof-top observation tour which boasts stunning views of Stirling.

Image Credit: What’s On Stirling

Tickets are £12 per adult and £7 per child not including concessions and can be booked here.

 

Support local businesses this Christmas. For all your festive fun, choose Stirling!

Fleetwood Mac singer-songwriter Christine McVie dies aged 79

Leave a comment
By Nikita Vance

 

Her death comes after a period of short illness, says family.

 

A statement posted on McVie’s official Facebook page read: “On behalf of Christine McVie’s family, it is with a heavy heart we are informing you of Christine’s death.

“She passed away peacefully at hospital this morning, Wednesday November 30th 2022, following a short illness. She was in the company of her family. We kindly ask that you respect the family’s privacy at this extremely painful time and we would like everyone to keep Christine in their hearts and remember the life of an incredible human being, and revered musician who was loved universally. RIP Christine McVie.”

Image via Wiltshire Live

McVie shot to fame in 1970s as singer-songwriter and keyboardist for the British American Rock band, alongside Stevie Nicks; Mick Fleetwood; her husband, John McVie; and Lindsey Buckingham. The band has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the most successful groups of all time.

The band paid tribute to McVie in a statement which reads: “There are no words to describe our sadness at the passing of Christine McVie. She was truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure.”

“She was the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life.

“We were so lucky to have a life with her. Individually and together, we cherished Christine deeply and are thankful for the amazing memories we have. She will be so very missed.”

Billy’s back in new exhibition exploring Bremner’s Raploch roots

Leave a comment
By Peter Humfrey

 

Delving into the past of Scotland and Leeds international, Billy Bremner, researchers at the University of Stirling have worked with the local community to unearth new memories from Billy’s life.

 

The online exhibition features key details about a confident and gifted boy from the Raploch, born William John Bremner, in 1942. Billy was described as sure of himself, even “brash”, and this would translate into his skill with a football, and his no-nonsense play at Leeds United.

 

The exhibition is the sum of work from researcher, Professor Richard Haynes, who has worked closely with St Modan’s High, where he went to school, and the Raploch community Billy once frequented. The project also includes a heritage trail starting at the Raploch Community Campus passing through the streets Bremner used to call home before finishing near Sainsburys, where Gowanhill United used to be based. There is also a campaign to create a memorial here for Billy.

 

Haynes underlined Billy’s stardom in the 1960s and 70s and underlined how important it was to preserve local stories now as his friends and acquaintances  enter old age. He stressed that “ these memories were in danger of being lost for good.”

 

Gowanhill United 1957-58, Billy Bremner at the front on the left.
Image Credit – Fae Raploch to Elland Road Exhibition, University of Stirling

 

Bremner started off his youth career at Gowanhill United before eventually moving to Leeds United, racking up a massive 587 caps and 91 goals from midfield.

 

Billy’s decision to head south was surprising considering his love of Celtic but, in the exhibition, William McQuillian recounts how Billy’s French teacher, Mr Sykes, told Bremner not to play for the Hoops, but to “get yourself south”.

 

After his time at Leeds, Bremner would play for a few seasons at Hull City, before finishing his career at Doncaster Rovers.

 

Working his way up from the Scotland Schoolboys, Bremner would go on to rack up 54 caps and 3 goals over a decade of appearances for the Scotland national team. He is generally considered by many to be one of the greatest players to ever represent Scotland, and turned out for the famous 3-2 victory at Wembley in 1967. Billy would go on to captain his country in the 1974 World Cup, with the team coming within goal difference of getting out of a group containing Yugoslavia and defending world champions, Brazil.

 

In covering this exhibition The Stirling Scope has reached out on social media to Stirling locals for their memories and stories of Billy. Amongst the many replies it was impossible to find a bad word said by anyone, showing how loved Bremner was as a larger-than-life figure.

 

A former chief technician from the university, Bob Lavery, 69, attended St Modan’s and later worked there. He described how Bremner was looked upon as “a real hero” at the school. He went on to outline a funny story about Mr Sykes and some graffiti that said “BB is brilliant”.

 

Billy Bremner at a photo call for Leeds in 1960.
Image Credit – Fae Raploch to Elland Road Exhibition, University of Stirling

 

“He at first thought the graffiti was Brigitte Bardot [a famous French actress]. He didn’t approve but he said at least the pupils are interested in something French! He was relieved to hear that it was in fact Billy Bremner the graffiti was about!”

 

He went on to talk about how he’d seen Bremner play on a few occasions for Scotland and seen Billy score for Leeds United in the European Cup semi final against Celtic in 1970.

 

“He opened the scoring with a stunning goal! The crowd at Hampden was and still is the record crowd for a European match, Billy Bremner actually silence around 140,00 fans! The ground was silent after the goal. Fortunately Celtic back and won 2-1 to reach the final”

 

Another local, Neil Mcrobbie, 59, talks about how “When I was very young in the Cornton he srtopped and had a kick about with us! Always been my favourite non Celtic footballer!”

 

Bremner would later enjoy a career in management taking in two stints at Doncaster Rovers, seperated by a 3 year period, 1985-1988, as Leeds United manager.

 

In his final years Bremner resided in the village of Clifton, near Doncaster, where he sadly passed away from a suspected heart attack in 1997, days before his 55th birthday.

 

Bremner memorial flagstone at Riverside Walk on the heritage trail
Image Credit – Fae Raploch to Elland Road Exhibition, University of Stirling

 

A researcher from the project, Dr Karen Fisher praised the reactions and summed up what he meant to those who engaged with project.

 

“It was an honour to talk to people who knew Billy as a friend before he became the footballing legend, and to record their thoughts. Their pride and affection for him shone through as they spoke about his talent, his humour and sense of fun, his loyalty to his friends, his love of Raploch and the fact that he never really left this behind, even when miles away playing and then managing.”

 

For those wishing to find out more about Billy’s journey “Fae Raploch to Elland Road” [Leeds United’s home ground], you can find the exhibition and information about the heritage walk here.

Visitor attractions featured in Outlander have soared to 67% say Glasgow Caledonian University.

Leave a comment
By Katherine Rosenius

 

Visitor attractions in Scotland have soared due to hit TV show Outlander. Outlander is a popular STARZ show based on historical novels written by Diana Gabaldon. The historical accuracy of the show must, for obvious reasons, be questioned as its’ genre is not only regarded as Historical Fiction but also as Fantasy, Drama, Adventure and Romance.  

Gabaldon claims to Parade.com “The history/historical detail in the books is as accurate as history is, i.e., what people wrote down wasn’t always either complete or accurate, but they did write it down” Considering her statement, it seems that she has authored her book based on history itself, even though the stories in our history books have the potential of being false.  

However, regarding the show’s adaptation of the book, Gabaldon admits the TV show has a certain pressure to make things more fantastical or exiting for the viewer that the books would not.  

The series has astonishingly resulted in a dramatic increase in tourism to certain locations in Scotland, so much so that Diana Gabaldon received an International Contribution to Scottish Tourism award following the published paper by VisitScotland, ushering how sites used in the filming of the STARZ show have seen visitors soar.  

Visiting the different sets, “Set-jetting,” as the publication calls it, became a trend in Scotland partly due to Outlander. Where “Visitor numbers to attractions featured in the show have soared by 67%”, says Glasgow Caledonian University’s twitter account @CaledonianNews 

Malcolm Roughead, the chief executive of VisitScotland, said: “The impact of Outlander on Scotland has been truly extraordinary. It has been amazing to see the global reaction to Diana Gabaldon’s stories of adventure, romance, and Scottish history – and the subsequent television adaptation – and seeing it translate into visitor growth for Scotland.”  

Fiona Hyslop, the cabinet secretary for culture, tourism, and external affairs, added: “Scotland’s wonderful landscapes, rich history and culture continue to captivate visitors from home and abroad, making tourism one of our most important industries.” (BBC) 

The show has generally been well received with mentions of it not being for the feint hearted. As the series is already coming to its 7th season there has been a slight decrease in the average audience of just 520’000 per episode in season 6. Comparing this with the 810’000 for season 5 and 1.51 million in season 3.  

This, however, is a phenomenon well known with many shows being cancelled or discontinued after many seasons. Now it is up to STARZ and the writing team for Outlander to tell how many more seasons of this historical fantasy we will get to see. 

 

McGill sends History Boys to 4th Round Tangerine Dream

Leave a comment
By Peter Humfrey

 

History was made earlier this week as the University of Stirling’s Men’s football team were drawn to play topflight side Dundee United away, in the Scottish Cup.

The side, who currently sit second in the Lowland League, made history after becoming the first University side in Scottish history to make the 4th round of the Scottish Cup.

 

Euan McGill celebrates win against Albion Rovers – Image Credit: George Vekic

Their place in the hat was assured after a weekend victory over Scottish League Two side Albion Rovers, 1-0, in a tense encounter, with midfielder Euan McGill tapping home a winner in the 111th minute.

They will now face 12th-placed Scottish Premiership side, Dundee United, nicknamed “the Tangerines” on the weekend beginning 21st January.

Former striker-turned manager, Chris Geddes has said he was “absolutely delighted” with the historic result. 

On the win he said “the players put in a phenomenal performance, their best of the season so far, and deserve all the plaudits they will receive on the back of this”

Ahead of the Fourth Round draw he was full of praise for their “outstanding performances all season” speaking on how they were “being rewarded for their efforts.”

The result, from a club in existence less than a decade, came against fourth tier side Albion Rovers, who currently sit 7th in the league above the University’s team.

Midfielder and Captain – Matthew Berry – Image Credit: University of Stirling Football Club

Speaking after the victory, captain Matthew Berry, hailed “the morale, the attitude and the work rate” from his teammates underlining the bond in team; “we are so together both on and off the pitch.”

Before the draw Berry said “To make history in the Scottish Cup is incredible”, going on to talk of the team’s anticipation for the fourth round.

“We can’t wait for the next round – a Premiership tie would be amazing!”

 

Following the draw, Geddes stressed there were a lot of games before that they need to focus on but that it’s an “exciting game for the whole club and University” and that the “boys will be really looking forward to it”

This marks quite the year for manager Geddes, who was named Scottish Student Sport Coach of the Year after leading his side to consecutive titles in the British and Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Premier North Division.

Manager – Chris Geddes (37) – Image Credit: University of Stirling Football Club

The fourth round tie will be played at the 14,000 capacity Tannadice Park, in Dundee. 

Whilst ticketing information has not yet been released, it is expected the team will take a small contingent of away fans and The Stirling Scope will keep fans up-to-date with any travel arrangements made by the club or the University.

 

The setting sees big change for the side who are more accustomed to playing at the 3,800 capacity Forthbank Stadium, who they share with Scottish League Two side, Stirling Albion.

Stirling Albion enjoyed their own magical fourth round tie at the beginning of this year, travelling to Ibrox, where they lost 4-0 to Old Firm giants, Rangers.

 

TikTok challenge claims life of young Scottish boy

Leave a comment
By Katherine Rosenius

 

Warning: Do not try any of the ‘TikTok Challenges’ mentioned in this article.

 

A viral social media challenge has shockingly claimed the life of Scottish teen in north Lanarkshire.  

TikTok is a video hosting platform where users can submit video content. The platform hosts a variety of content, ranging from pranks stunts, and tricks to jokes, music, and dances. It has become clear that TikTok and its challenges and trends are not always as harmless and fun as they seem. Some of the challenges going around are incredibly dangerous and should not be tried out.

Leon Brown, 14, from Cumbernauld tragically passed away following an attempt at the viral ´Blackout Challenge’. His body was discovered by his mother, who has since spoken out to warn other parents about the dangers of social media and the ‘game’ which took her sons life.

Leon Brown(14). Image via Daily Record

Lauryn Brown, 30, recalling the awful moment said; “One of Leon’s friends told me he had been doing the challenge on FaceTime with them after seeing it on TikTok. My Leon thought he would be the one to try it first.

“Him and his friends probably thought it was a laugh and a joke. One of the kids who he was on FaceTime with told me what he had done. She said they thought they would wake up. But Leon didn’t come back around.

“It went horribly wrong. I had heard of this challenge, because of what happened to Archie Battersbee. They aren’t worth ‘likes’ or whatever they are doing it for.”

A spokesperson for TikTok released a statement saying, “Our deepest sympathies go out to Leon Brown’s family during this incredibly difficult time. The safety of our community is our priority and we take any claim about a dangerous challenge very seriously. Content of this nature is prohibited on our platform and would be removed if found.”

The blackout challenge sees users holding their breath until they pass out from lack of oxygen. Because of the TikTok trend, we are not only seeing people do this to themselves, but also doing it with and to their friends.  

Image via Cafe Mom

Dr Nick Flynn, a GP in Cork, warns that the risks associated with the challenge includes fainting, oxygen deprivation in brain, seizures, brain damage and in the worst case, death.  

Doctor Flynn explained to the Irish Examiner, “In performing the pass out challenge they are mimicking suffocation. They are stopping the chest muscle from moving, which stops the chest from working and can´t get oxygen to the brain. The brain is then starved of oxygen and the person loses consciousness” 

According to the magazine People, this challenge has been around since 2008 but resurfaced on TikTok in 2021. Experts have warned young users not to try this trend. 

The blackout challenge, however, is not the only one who could put the youths’ lives at risk.

Countless new challenges come out every day and it is important for parents, kids, and teens to be warned whenever a potentially dangerous trend is released or ´trending´.

  

 

Stirling set to become world’s first fully augmented reality city

Leave a comment
By Nikita Vance

 

The “cutting-edge” software developed by BT and Seymour Powell, with the involvement of Stirling Council aims to completely transform the tourism industry in Stirling, by allowing visitors a unique view of the city through their phone screen. The £200,000 project was funded by Stirling Council via funding from the Scottish Government’s Place Based Investment Programme.

Through the free Stirling XP app (which is available to download here), tourists can use the AR technology simply by opening the app and holding up their phones as they make their way around the city centre. The AR technology detects key points within the city and, utilising sound; video; and other mediums, brings the rich history and heritage of Stirling to life.

Seymore Powell’s Head of Immersive Experiences, Chris Doughty, expressed his pride in the app saying, “Using Google’s new Geospatial platform, we were able to design a truly immersive experience that brings the city to life by revealing an exciting digital layer, gamifying local history, and providing tourists with local challenges that encourage them to go out and explore the city.

“We are delighted to have been able to deliver a project which firmly positions Stirling as a world-class digital destination and paves the way for continued, industry-leading, development.”

The app also features a rewards system, in which you win prizes for your ‘collection’ through playing and winning interactive games which include the “Stirling Wolf” and the “Chained Unicorn”. You are also able to unlock new areas and landmarks on the 3D map by visiting and interacting with them. Abbey Craig and Stirling Bridge are amongst those available to unlock, as well as Old Town Jail; The Tolbooth; and the Highland Hotel.

Of this exciting new venture for Stirling, Councillor Chris Kane, the leader of Stirling Council, said: “Offering this complete AR environment across Stirling is an exciting world first and will revolutionise the visitor experience in our amazing city.

“Stirling’s historic city centre and world-class attractions will be overlaid with interactive information, graphics, 3D models and much more, creating a fully immersive and dynamic experience that no other city currently offers.

Image via Stirling Council

“Stirling is already a must-visit destination, and this pioneering product will raise the city’s profile and attract more people to come here, boosting the wider tourism economy.

“The new free app will also open up a plethora of fantastic opportunities for local businesses and will make Stirling a more inclusive and accessible place that’s setting the world standard for next generation tourism.”

There’s no doubt that this incredible venture will do wonders for tourism in Stirling, as it gives the city an ‘edge’ over other heavy tourist areas such as Glasgow or Edinburgh. It is simply a matter of time before other cities follow suit and jump on the AR bandwagon.

Of this potential tourism boost, VisitScotland Regional Director Neil Christison said, “AR enables people from anywhere in the world to experience Stirling from the palm of their hands and learn more about this historic and vibrant city in an interactive way.

“It is also great to have a new platform that local businesses can take advantage of and a tool that visitors can use to plan their trips to Scotland.

“We know that tourism is a force for good with an impact that spreads far beyond the industry itself – it benefits our economy, our community and our wellbeing.”

A Lament that Lacks

Leave a comment
By Peter Humfrey

 

Earlier this month the ‘A Lament for Power’ exhibition opened at the Tolbooth, as part of the Stirling Science Festival and coinciding with Black History Month.

The Lament takes the form of a digitally animated short film, from artists, Larry Achiampong and David Blandy, that explores “ the ethics of scientific discovery” inspired by the true story of Henrietta Lacks, or ‘HeLa’.

It cycles through various scenes, starting with a wooden hut, moving through a lab, a hospital campus, a slum, and corridors with a voiceover that explores the concepts of ownership and exploitation in the name of scientific discovery.

The context for the piece comes from the story of Henrietta Lacks, a black woman who was diagnosed with cancer in 1951 at John Hopkins hospital, in the US. A sample was taken and, unlike others collected up to that point, the cells in the sample survived and multiplied.

The cells became known as “immortal” and to this day have directly contributed to breakthroughs in cancer treatment, vaccinations, and a wide variety of other medical treatments.

What makes this story so compelling and controversial is that, whilst the cells are being used even today, the Lacks family did not become aware of, nor were asked consent for the usage of the cells until the mid-70s.

The Henrietta Lacks story has prompted introspection about consent and privacy issues with some, including presumably the artists for the Lament, viewing the usage of her cells as exploitation.

Whilst the piece explores a profoundly important and incredibly interesting piece of recent history, it lacks the emotional punch that the topic should evoke. The animation feels very basic, almost dated, and comical, and the dialogue feels monotonous at points, droning away in the background. There will be many that can engage with this piece but for those with short attention spans or an inability to focus easily the Lament lacks any real pull. The piece definitely isn’t one that will appeal to children which is a disappointment as the topic is compelling and an important lesson for younger generations on the impact and contribution made by a person of colour.

Credit must be given though to Achiampong and Blandy, who have delved into a topic that few, if any, will have given much thought to and given much-needed exposure to a historical figure of who many people are unaware. Illustrating this exact point is that of the 20 or so people I have discussed this exhibition with; students, taxi drivers, cleaners, and people from all walks of life; just one had heard of Henrietta Lacks. This person was a high school biology teacher.

The story of Henrietta Lacks is one that is woefully unknown and unappreciated, so whilst the piece isn’t particularly engaging it is something I could recommend to at least go and sit throw the 4-5 minutes that piece lasts.

The Lament comes against the backdrop of Black History Month, which runs throughout October, with the exhibition being in the Tolbooth from the 6th to 29th October. The exhibition is free to all and comes as the result of a 9-month residency by Achiampong and Blandy at the University of Essex.

Computers are key at The Thistles Shopping Centre

Leave a comment
By Nikita Vance

 

The Thistles Shopping Centre is all about computers this week, as they host a coding challenge and an electronic art instalment for the Stirling Science Festival which is set to end on 22 October. The festival has been providing a plethora of events aimed at children and young people, to keep them entertained while still learning over the autumn break.

Betty the Basking Shark is a sculpture created by Edinburgh artist, Johnathan Elders, with the sole aim of outlining the sheer magnitude of the electronic waste problem in Scotland. It was created using various second-hand electronic devices which include more than two hundred keyboards and water panels, each one being saved from going to landfill; alongside two projector lenses and TV screens which show a film detailing the real and raw impact of e-waste that gets shipped overseas each year.

Talking about his inspiration behind the piece Elders said, “I chose the basking shark, native to Scotland, as I encountered one as a child whilst on a boat trip to Bass Rock in North Berwick. This moment had a huge impact on me, and it has stayed with me ever since.

“I didn’t want to be subtle. As a nation, we have so much to be proud of – like these magnificent creatures – but we also have a massive problem that we’re just not doing enough to address. Like producing such vast quantities of e-waste.

“As the footage shows, much of this waste is shipped away to other parts of the world so that we can forget about it. But that needs to stop.

“Betty is the name of a lovely local lady – a total character who knows everybody. She lives overlooking Newhaven Harbour but won’t go anywhere near it because she is scared of the sea. Hence the reason I called the shark Betty, because like the real-life Betty, this shark will never go to the sea!”

It is only fitting that this computer constructed sculpture be accompanied by a coding challenge, which is available to interact with around Thistles via a QR code. The prompt for the challenge is “Create a text based adventure game using any piece of software. In a classic interactive fiction book your story would change depending on what option you picked at various points …there was always more than one ending to the story or you sometimes never made it to the end of a story! We would like you to create a similar story using software.”

Some of the suggestions for software entrants can use include Scratch; Python; Makecode; and Javascript or you could simply create a game using an interactive Google Slide which utilises hyperlinks to make each choice and progress the story. Thistles also encourages entrants to get creative and tell whatever story their heart desires, provided it is appropriate for public consumption.

Learn more about the coding challenge here.

Stirling gets starry-eyed for observatory

Leave a comment
By Peter Humfrey

 

The Observatory has opened it’s doors for the evening as part of the Stirling Science Festival, giving locals a chance to see inside one of the city’s hidden gems.

The event, yesterday evening, was hosted by the Stirling Astronomical Society, the custodians of the observatory and it’s Newtonian reflector telescope. 

More than 120 people attended, greatly exceeding expectations, with chairman, Deirdre Bryce, describing the turnout as “excellent”

Groups of people were taken up a narrow spiral stairway to the roof of the old High School, now Stirling Highland Hotel, and from there into the small wooden observatory.

 

Observatory guide, Bert Mackenzie, was on hand to talk about the observatory and explain the use of the 133-year-old telescope and answer questions from visitors.

The plan had been to gaze out at giants such as Saturn, Jupiter, and Earth’s closest planetary neighbour, Mars. Sadly the weather had other ideas and, faced with poor visibility the telescope was instead pointed at the Wallace Monument to show off its powerful zoom.

Chairman Deirdre Bryce, the society’s first female chairperson, spoke of how it was “very nice to know people are interested enough to turnout to something they didn’t know existed”

Speaking to The Stirling Scope, Bryce spoke of her path into astronomy, with a Christmas present of a telescope from her eldest son, before joining both Falkirk and Stirling’s astronomical societies when she moved north to Scotland.

The observatory has a storied history, dating back to 1889, being a gift from then MP for Stirling Burghs, Henry Campbell-Bannerman, who was later knighted and went on to serve as Prime Minister from 1905 to 1908. The observatory tower was designed by former pupil, and architect, James McLaren, who sadly died before it’s completion.

The centre-piece of the observatory, the 9ft telescope, was designed, constructed and installed in 1889 by 27yr-old, and later knighted, William Peck, City Astronomer of Edinburgh.  From 1906 onward it fell into disuse until the appearance of Comet Kohoutek in 1974 prompted staff and pupils to begin work on restoring the old telescope. By April of that year the telescope was restored and has been used regularly ever since.

For those inspired by last night’s event, or who simply have the time, next week on Tuesday is a partial solar eclipse. For those viewing the eclipse it is advised you do not stare directly at it but instead make use of a pinhole viewer, of which the instructions on how to make one are available online.

Anyone interested in joining the society or seeing what it’s all about they meet on the last Friday of each month at the Stirling Highland Hotel. Other than it’s historic telescope in the observatory, the society also has an array of smaller telescopes they loan out to members.

1 2