CULTURE AT THE TOWER IN HELENSBURGH
January 24, 2020
125 JOURNALISTS KILLED IN JUST TWO YEARS
January 23, 2020
“The SNP and anti-democratic West Dunbartonshire Council have taken the first steps in regard to silencing the press by banning and boycotting The Democrat, smearing the editor by making false allegations of assault against him, locking him out of council meetings and withdrawing the usual courtesies between local authorities and journalists.” … More 125 JOURNALISTS KILLED IN JUST TWO YEARS
RED FACES FOR SNP AS LABOUR PROVOST TAKES OVER
January 23, 2020
Councillor Bolander was the first SNP politician to become Lord Provost. The SNP came to office after the 2017 council elections but does not have an overall majority. … More RED FACES FOR SNP AS LABOUR PROVOST TAKES OVER
INTRUSIVE AGE CHECKS NOT REQUIRED
January 23, 2020
In a statement accompanying the code yesterday, the ICO noted that there was no exemption for media sites and recognised that children would be attracted to them, but added: “the ICO recognises that digital news media are not a core concern for children online, so the provisions of the code can be applied in a risk-based and proportionate way to reflect this.” … More INTRUSIVE AGE CHECKS NOT REQUIRED
MEDICATION SHOULD BE TAKEN AS PRESCRIBED
January 23, 2020
The £75,000 MAVIS project will see nationally-held digital prescription data from GP practices being shared with hospital doctors to help ensure patients are taking the right medications for them. … More MEDICATION SHOULD BE TAKEN AS PRESCRIBED
CLAIM HOUNDS WERE OUT OF CONTROL DENIED BY HUNT
January 23, 2020
welfare group has accused the Buccleuch Hunt of endangering road users due to an alleged “inability” to control its dogs and called on the Scottish Government to tighten hunting legislation. … More CLAIM HOUNDS WERE OUT OF CONTROL DENIED BY HUNT
POLICE HORSES ATTACKED BY FOOTBALL THUGS
January 23, 2020
This was an extremely serious matter being part of a group that assaulted police by throwing missiles, spitting at them and punching police horses and their riders. … More POLICE HORSES ATTACKED BY FOOTBALL THUGS
EIGHT YEARS FOR THUG WHO BEAT UP OLD LADY
January 23, 2020
McCallum was arrested and charged and appeared at the High Court in Glasgow on 19 December 2019 where he was convicted of robbery and assault. McCallum was sentenced today to eight years in prison and three years on licence. … More EIGHT YEARS FOR THUG WHO BEAT UP OLD LADY
COUNTERFEIT MONEY CIRCULATING IN LOCAL SHOPS
January 22, 2020
Police Scotland are warning the public to be vigilant following a number of incidents where counterfeit banknotes have been used as payment for goods purchased throughout West Dunbartonshire, in particular, Dumbarton High Street, Alexandria and Balloch … More COUNTERFEIT MONEY CIRCULATING IN LOCAL SHOPS
FIRST SNOWDROPS OF THE YEAR AT LEVENGROVE
January 22, 2020
Marion Fox: Blinking shame….the plants and the animals are a bit confused this year…they think it’s spring! Saw some horses as you go into Cardross almost stampeding in the field…they are getting frisky! ( I was informed that this was happening by a well informed horse owner). I was frightened they would jump onto the … More FIRST SNOWDROPS OF THE YEAR AT LEVENGROVE
ALEX SALMOND TRIAL DATE FIXED FOR MARCH
January 22, 2020
The charges are set out in an indictment which includes the specific details of the allegations against the 64-year-old former SNP leader. The attempted rape is said to have happened in June 2014 at the first minister’s official Bute House residence in Edinburgh. He is alleged to have pinned a woman against a wall and to have removed her clothes and his own, before pushing her onto a bed and lying naked on top of her. … More ALEX SALMOND TRIAL DATE FIXED FOR MARCH
£110 MILLION REQUIRED TO FINISH FERRY JOB
January 22, 2020
The number of £110m [the extra money needed to finish the project] has been arrived at from a very detailed examination of the two vessels and an understanding of the work that needs to be done in order to bring them up to a viable standard. … More £110 MILLION REQUIRED TO FINISH FERRY JOB
PROVIDING HEALTHY MEALS IN ARGYLL AND BUTE
January 22, 2020
Young people need to be given choices in all aspects of life and food is no exception. Veganism has grown in popularity over the last few years, so it is wonderful to hear that the catering staff at Lochgilphead Joint Campus are giving pupils the opportunity to explore it. … More PROVIDING HEALTHY MEALS IN ARGYLL AND BUTE
POLICE SEEK INFO ABOUT STEWART STREET ASSAULT
January 22, 2020
Police and the QE University Hospital. By Democrat reporter Police in Clydebank are appealing for information following an assault in the Dalmuir area. The incident happened around 12.50am on Sunday, 19 January, 2020, on Stewart Street outside of a pub. A 48-year-old man and his 27-year-old daughter were involved in a verbal argument with a … More POLICE SEEK INFO ABOUT STEWART STREET ASSAULT
BILL HEANEY’S NOTEBOOK
January 22, 2020
What they have been up to has seen lots of poor outcomes, confrontation and lack of consultation with the public – and money disappearing out the Church Street and Hall Street windows like snow off a dyke. … More BILL HEANEY’S NOTEBOOK
POOREST STUDENTS HIT HARDEST BY LOAN DEBTS
January 22, 2020
Dumbarton and Lomond constituency MSP Jackie Baillie, left, said: “When the SNP came to power they promised to “Dump the Debt Monster”. Instead they slashed student grants and bursaries and looked on as students from West Dunbartonshire and Argyll & Bute were forced into borrowing more to survive. … More POOREST STUDENTS HIT HARDEST BY LOAN DEBTS
BOOKS: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO ROBERT BURNS
January 22, 2020
Burns is one of the most well-known poets in the world, but there’s still so much to learn about him. Through our archives we’ve discovered more about the man behind the words and we’re excited to share these findings in The Ultimate Guide to Robert Burns. It’s a fantastic guide to Scotland’s National Bard.” … More BOOKS: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO ROBERT BURNS
CORONAVIRUS CAN BE TRANSMITTED TO HUMANS
January 22, 2020
Some experts say the new virus may not be as deadly as SARS, but there is still little known about it, including its origin and how easily it can be transmitted between humans. … More CORONAVIRUS CAN BE TRANSMITTED TO HUMANS
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
January 21, 2020
I was expecting a VISIT [from the Earl and Countess of Dumbarton] to open the new building, but I guess that’s not happening now. … More LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
KEIL SCHOOL IS PART OF ABUSE INQUIRY
January 21, 2020
Victims of abuse at Scottish boarding schools have been urged to share their experience with the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry. … More KEIL SCHOOL IS PART OF ABUSE INQUIRY
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION NEEDS DRASTIC REFORM
January 21, 2020
UNISON Scotland will also be highlighting the impact of austerity cuts to public services on FOISA, including through cuts to staff numbers and increasing pressures on staff. … More FREEDOM OF INFORMATION NEEDS DRASTIC REFORM
SALMON MAKE GREAT ESCAPE AFTER THE STORM
January 21, 2020
Almost 74,000 fish escaped through a tear in the cage netting. A conservative estimate of their cost is £750,000. … More SALMON MAKE GREAT ESCAPE AFTER THE STORM
SNP HOLD ON TO McCOLL DESPITE MENTAL ILLNESS
January 21, 2020
It’s no longer something to be kept quiet if you are mentally ill. Nearly everyone it seems is mentally ill, or so it appears here in Dumbarton. … More SNP HOLD ON TO McCOLL DESPITE MENTAL ILLNESS
WASTE NOT, WANT NOT. THEY’RE ONLY BINS AFTER ALL
January 21, 2020
Meghan Markel would be proud of it title, as would her husband, the Earl of Dumbarton, who could use it to replace the old HRH title his granny has just deprived him of. … More WASTE NOT, WANT NOT. THEY’RE ONLY BINS AFTER ALL
PARKING NIGHTMARE AT LOCAL HOSPITAL
January 21, 2020
Patients and visitors to the hospital from the West Dunbartonshire side of the River Clyde have complained for years about the lack of parking at the RAH. … More PARKING NIGHTMARE AT LOCAL HOSPITAL
MEDICS ACCUSED MUM OF MUNCHAUSEN’S SYNDROME
January 21, 2020
A mother who was wrongly accused of trying to kill her disabled daughter by medical staff is to sue the hospital where the claims were made. … More MEDICS ACCUSED MUM OF MUNCHAUSEN’S SYNDROME
POLICE CALL FOR WITNESSES AFTER TWO CAR CRASH
January 21, 2020
By Democrat reporter Police Scotland can now confirm the identity of the Argyll man who died in a road crash on the B842, south of Stewarton, Ayrshire, around 5pm on Saturday, 18 January, 2020. He was Ian Smith of Campbeltown, Mull of Kintyre, Argyll. The 30-year-old man’s vehicle was involved in a collision with another … More POLICE CALL FOR WITNESSES AFTER TWO CAR CRASH
DUMBARTON ACADEMY PUPILS LURED BY LEONARDO
January 21, 2020
A government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government does not provide funding for the manufacture of munitions – either directly or via Scottish Enterprise.” Any support provided was focused on helping firms to diversify and develop non-military applications for their technology, the spokesperson added. … More DUMBARTON ACADEMY PUPILS LURED BY LEONARDO
SHORTHAND: WHO NEEDS IT?
January 20, 2020
Mitchinson later went on to argue that because the law has not changed to allow recording in courtrooms, any reporter he hires must have shorthand so they can take notes of legal proceedings. … More SHORTHAND: WHO NEEDS IT?
THE DEMOCRAT: WHERE ADVERTISING PAYS DIVIDENDS
January 20, 2020
That is what happens when you have a local paper with a local editor prepared to take on the establishment, and citizen journalists and photographers who really know the area and respect the people. … More THE DEMOCRAT: WHERE ADVERTISING PAYS DIVIDENDS
TRIBUTE TO NORMAN MacARTHUR
January 20, 2020
It was a fascinating period in modern Lewis history as Arnish grew and grew, generating a huge amount of work for the local shipping agents. Brot saw it as a golden age for the island with plenty of well-paid work, which has never been repeated. … More TRIBUTE TO NORMAN MacARTHUR
TRAVEL: THE BEST TOWN EN HAUT SAVOIE
January 20, 2020
Of the bigger towns Angers, Le Mans, Bayonne and La Rochelle scored top. … More TRAVEL: THE BEST TOWN EN HAUT SAVOIE
EARLY LEARNING AND CHILDCARE PLACE
January 20, 2020
Parents of children in Argyll and Bute, which includes Helensburgh, Rhu and Cardross, who were born between 1 March 2017 and 28 February 2018, are being invited to register them for a funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) place next week. … More EARLY LEARNING AND CHILDCARE PLACE
COURTS MAKE IT EASIER TO GIVE EVIDENCE
January 20, 2020
Justice secretary Humza Yousaf said the act marked a significant milestone in Scotland’s journey to protect children as they interact with the justice system. … More COURTS MAKE IT EASIER TO GIVE EVIDENCE
DUMBARTON MSP LOOKS FAVOURITE TO BE LABOUR DEPUTY
January 20, 2020
The Dumbarton and Lomond MSP said she would be “travelling the length and breadth of the country, listening to the views of members and supporters”, adding: “For Scottish Labour to win again, we must first understand the reasons for our losses. … More DUMBARTON MSP LOOKS FAVOURITE TO BE LABOUR DEPUTY
ROTARY CHARITY CONCERT AT THE DENNY
January 20, 2020
Eddie Devine makes a visit to his home town where he will compere the show.
WHITEBOARD JUNGLE ATTACKS EXPOSED BY LIB DEMS
January 20, 2020
“We will never be able to ensure that every child gets the best possible start in life unless we make sure that schools are places where both pupils and staff feel comfortable, confident and ready to learn. … More WHITEBOARD JUNGLE ATTACKS EXPOSED BY LIB DEMS
ARGYLL FINANCIAL CHALLENGES ARE ‘UNIQUE’
January 20, 2020
Geographically we have the second largest mainland area and the highest number of inhabited islands of all of Scotland’s councils. We therefore deliver services most other councils do not, such as air and ferry services. … More ARGYLL FINANCIAL CHALLENGES ARE ‘UNIQUE’
NEW RULES ARE NEEDED TO GOVERN POLICE PHOTOS
January 20, 2020
Assistant Chief Constable Duncan Sloan said that the current rules around what the police can do with images of the public are “not as clear” as the rules around fingerprints and DNA, and that new governance arrangements would be “absolutely valued and very much welcomed”. … More NEW RULES ARE NEEDED TO GOVERN POLICE PHOTOS
WESTERING HOME AND A SONG IN THE AIR
January 19, 2020
This is what the sky looked like looking West from West Bridgend, taking in Dumbarton Rock, Levengrove Park and the Renfrewshire Hills at Langbank. … More WESTERING HOME AND A SONG IN THE AIR
SPRINGTIME IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER
January 19, 2020
Gardening question: Is this outside? I’ve been given 4 of these and I am nervous about putting them out just now. Do you think I should wait until spring and then put them out? Kay says: This lives outside all the year round – it’s a Christmas Hellebore ( I think). Dies down on in … More SPRINGTIME IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER
RED SKIES OVER KIRKTONHILL …
January 19, 2020
After all that rain, we deserve some fine weather in Dumbarton. Carolynn Bowman has been out and about walking near her home in Kirktonhill this evening. She brought home the goods in the form of these terrific sunset photographs and watched some ships pass on the River Clyde. The weather forecast on BBC CountryFile is … More RED SKIES OVER KIRKTONHILL …
THE BRIAN WILSON COLUMN
January 19, 2020
I offer contrasting cameos to illustrate why this might be happening. Last Saturday, an indeterminate number of people splashed their way through Glasgow, waving flags. (Incidentally, should Scotland’s Education and Justice Ministers really be sharing a march with banners which denounce opponents as ‘scum’ and “c`***s’? … More THE BRIAN WILSON COLUMN
WHEN HARRY MET GRANNY …
January 19, 2020
In the end, it took just over a week for Prince Harry to announce and finalise the terms of his exit from the royal family. The settlement: he and Meghan have agreed to give up their ‘royal highness’ titles . They’ll still be entitled to them, but won’t use them. They’ll perform no more royal duties and – ergo – receive no more taxpayers’ money. Moreover, they’ll refund the £2.4 million cost of refurbishing Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, which they’ll keep as their UK home. … More WHEN HARRY MET GRANNY …
HEALTH BOARD STATEMENT ON HOSPITAL DEATHS
January 19, 2020
Our thoughts and sympathies remain with the families of two patients who were treated for a Cryptococcus infection and sadly later died. The safety of our patients is at the centre of everything we do and we encourage any family with any question or concern to speak to a member of staff so that this can be responded to personally. … More HEALTH BOARD STATEMENT ON HOSPITAL DEATHS
THEY USED TO LOVE IT, BUT IT’S ALL OVER NOW
January 18, 2020
Dumbarton didn’t even get a mention despite the fact that they were supposed to be also the Earl and Countess of Dumbarton, where they have never so much as visited since their wedding two years ago. … More THEY USED TO LOVE IT, BUT IT’S ALL OVER NOW
NOT THIS WEATHER, IT DOESN’T …
January 18, 2020
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
January 18, 2020
Hat tip to David Scott of the GMB trade union.
UNIONISTS ARE NOT WELCOME IN MASON’S OFFICE
January 18, 2020
John Mason also ruled out “speaking up for” people in Glasgow Shettleston who wanted lower taxes or supported the Orange Order’s right to stage marches. He made the comments in an online row about how often religious marches should take place. … More UNIONISTS ARE NOT WELCOME IN MASON’S OFFICE
SECTARIAN MARCHES HIKE UP THE COST OF POLICING
January 18, 2020
Mr Livingstone pointed out that there had been an almost 20% rise – from about 1,500 to 1,800 – in the number of loyalist and republican marches in Scotland, as well as a higher number of spontaneous protests such as those by Extinction Rebellion. … More SECTARIAN MARCHES HIKE UP THE COST OF POLICING
