Some Other Scotland - Ep33 - Banishment
Some Other Scotland - Ep31 - Parchment
Some Other Scotland - Ep30 - Conkers
This Week:
This week’s news story:Conker competition cancelledchanged to the alternative:
Conkers enter protected category
A combination of factors, including disease and a lack of pollination has led to the horse chestnut tree being added to the list of protected plant life. Recent surveys have shown only a few hundred of the trees had given fruit this year, in comparison to thousands only three years ago. This has already resulting in the cancellation of the Scottish Conker Championships, due to be held in Peebles this year.
Further Information
BBC News - Read the original story.Some Other Scotland - Ep29 - Artists
This Week:
This week’s news story:Arts group attacked by artistschanged to the alternative:
Artists attack bias in funding decisions
A group of Scottish musicians, artists and writers has written a strongly worded letter to the main funding body for the arts in Scotland, in which they raise concerns about the choices made when deciding on which groups will receive support. They claim that worthwhile artistic endeavours which would bring education and business into certain areas of the country are being overlooked in favour of projects that would appear to have little merit or in some cases would actually cause offence. Creative Scotland, the body at the centre of the complaints, has responded that the allegations will be fully investigated.
Further Information
BBC News - Read the original story.Some Other Scotland - Ep28 - Artefacts
This Week:
This week’s news story:Supermarket building on Roman fortschanged to the alternative:
Roman fort under supermarket hides deeper secret
Recent excavations for a new supermarket in Camelon, near Falkirk, revealed a series of Roman forts believed to be a centre of commerce in Scotland from the first century AD. Many of the items dug up from the site have been put on public display in a temporary cabin beside the building site, but one item is causing some confusion amongst archeologists. A petrosphere, or stone ball, believed to date from the neolithic era, was found in what appears to be a kitchen area. Similar items have been found in various locations across Scotland in the past, but this is the first time one has been found in the middle of a Roman site.
Further Information
BBC News - Read the original story.Some Other Scotland - Ep27 - Skeleton
This Week:
- Burnard makes some discoveries.
- Charles spots a face from his past.
- Arthar receives a distress call.
Violent deaths of Stirling skeletonschanged to the alternative:
Skeleton answers lead to new questions
A series of tests on a group of five skeletons found buried under the Royal Chapel at Stirling Castle have shown they were victims of violent deaths. Scientists reported a number of fractures, stab wounds and broken bones that would have proved fatal, but have been unable to explain the injuries inflicted on one of the male skeletons. One archaeologist stated “it was as though he had been sliced in two with an angle grinder, not a sword or an axe”.
Further Information
BBC News - Read the original story.Some Other Scotland - Ep26 - Commonwealth Games
This Week:
This week’s news story:
Commonwealth Games evict grandmother
changed to the alternative:
Commonwealth Games eviction properties still standing
Questions have been asked of Glasgow City Council as to why some buildings emptied for the construction of the Commonwealth Games athletes village have yet to be demolished. Local people who campaigned against the eviction of tenants in the area have complained that certain houses and larger buildings have been sitting empty for at least a fortnight after the date they were due to have been demolished. The council refused to comment, other than to confirm that it is investigating the complaints.
Further Information
BBC News - Read the original story.
Some Other Scotland - Ep25 - Forth Bridge
This Week:
This week’s news story:
Forth Bridge vandals stop trains
changed to the alternative:
Forth Bridge disaster claims twenty lives
A large section of the Forth Bridge was destroyed and a train carrying at least twenty passengers fell into the river in a tragedy that is being compared to the Tay Bridge disaster of 1879. Investigators are still looking into the cause of the collapse, though the driver of the train has been quoted as saying that the rails just split apart in front of him. A small number of local fishermen and residents of North Queensferry also reported seeing something flying up the side of the bridge shortly before the damage occurred, but nobody has any evidence of what the unidentified object might have been. The bridge was completed in 1890 and is one of Scotland’s most recognisable landmarks.
Further Information
BBC News - Read the original story.
Promo for View from Valhalla.
Some Other Scotland - Ep24 - Water Supply
This Week:
- Sykes visits the Merk.
- Charles climbs the Wallace Monument.
- Razer is put to work.
This week’s news story:
Strange-tasting water is still safe
changed to the alternative:
Tap water ban announced
People in certain areas of Dundee and the Carse of Gowrie have been advised to stop drinking their tap water for a period of at least a week, following an investigation into an unusual taste that was reported coming from the Clatto Water Treatment Works. A spokeswoman from the plant has confirmed that they have evidence of raw sewerage having being dumped into the reservoir at Linthrathen Loch, though they have assured residents that it was a small amount and steps have been taken to disinfect all affected supplies.
Further Information
BBC News - Read the original story.
Some Other Scotland - Ep23 - Swine Flu
This Week:
- Erica and Tania arrive in New York.
- Harald finds the message.
- Andy's gig is cancelled.
- Craig gets no chance to relax.
This week’s news story:
Swine flu postpones Singing Kettle visit
changed to the alternative:
Kettle affected by quarantine
The West Coast town of Dunoon has been officially quarantined this week, as one of two hotspots for swine flu in Scotland. The local hospital has already been supplied with a large quantity of flu medications and local politicians are stressing that people should not panic. The quarantine prevents people entering or leaving the town for the next week, initially. The Singing Kettle show at the Queen’s Hall has been postponed and all schools in the area closed. The situation will be reviewed at the end of the week and the quarantine extended if necessary.
Further Information
BBC News - Read the original story.
Promo for Wiener Blut.
Some Other Scotland - Ep22 - Forest
This Week:
- Harald takes drastic steps to collect his prize.
- Craig starts a fire.
- Razer gets a history lesson.
This week’s news story:
Villagers agree to buy forest
changed to the alternative:
Villages buy forests
A number of community groups across Scotland are in the process of bidding for local woodland areas to be owned by villages as part of the Forestry Commission’s National Forest Land Scheme. Residents of Closeburn in Dumfries and Galloway were amongst the first to take advantage of the scheme, with several other villages in the Borders and across central Scotland starting the process of community ownership.
Further Information
BBC News - Read the original story.
Some Other Scotland - Ep21 - Bees
This Week:
- Charles finds music and a lift.
- Razer picks a side.
- Erica and Tania find a clue to Sengar's whereabouts.
This week’s news story:
Human race could perish without bees
changed to the alternative:
Bee disappearances a growing threat to Human Race
A debate in the Scottish Parliament has raised concerns about the rapidly declining bee population in the UK and beyond. A number of reasons, including the increase in the population of the Varroa mite ongoing use of pesticides in farming and even the prevalence of mobile phone masts, have been attributed to the fall in numbers, but scientists have yet to identify a means of reversing the trend. Agricultural experts have highlighted the impact on crops that is already being seen, due to the lack of cross-pollination by bees.
Further Information
BBC News - Read the original story.
Some Other Scotland - Ep20 - Baby Records
This Week:
- Calum researches the list of unmarked graves.
- Sykes follows the new lead.
- Calum discovers unexpected links in his list.
This week’s news story:
Investigation into stolen baby records
changed to the alternative:
Decades of baby records stolen
A hospital in Aberdeenshire has confirmed that birth records dating back over twenty years have been stolen. The files contained details of parents’ home addresses as well as details about each birth, blood types and dates of admission. NHS Grampian have instigated a full investigation of how the records were taken and have issued a statement of apology to all affected patients.
Further Information
BBC News - Read the original story.
The Boom Effect - Bid for SOS and more
Several months ago I pulled together all the short stories I have written within the world of "Some Other Scotland" and produced a small, 40-page booklet for promotional use only. It features all the short tales written up to that time, as well as one story that has yet to be published (and will not be for at least another threee months). Only six were produced and most have now been given away as competition prizes. I have donated another signed copy of the booklet to "The Boom Effect", along with a signed copy of the Lunacy Board's first album, "Eponymous Debut".
Tee Morris was the first person to podcast an audio-book and is widely-respected in the world of new media, having also published books on Twitter and podcasting. The recent death of his wife, Natalie, prompted his close friends in the online community to set up a fund to help support his young daughter, known online as 'Sonic Boom'. "The Boom Effect" is holding an online auction on the 27th February 2010 to raise more money for this fund and features an incredible range of signed books and artwork, jewellery and bespoke services (such as getting a song written for you).
Update:
The auction raised a total of $8,343.75, with $55 of that being for the two items below. Thanks to all bidders for showing an interest and congratulations to the winners!
Some Other Scotland - Interlude 03
Interlude 03:
- New website location.
- Introducing the Wiki
The new website address is www.someotherscotland.com
The 'Some Other Scotland' Wiki can be found at www.someotherscotland.com/wiki
Thanks go to Katharina from the Luscious Leftovers podcast for her amazing work in bringing the wiki to life.
Some Other Scotland - SpinOff 03 - The Three Coos
The next spin-off story to feature at Some Other Scotland is a little different.
This is a variation on the popular fairytale 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff', but this is as told by Razer, so it has a little more local flavour.
It was inspired by odin1eye from the View From Valhalla blog. That is a good source of reviews of other podiobooks you might want to investigate if you are enjoying SOS.
Some Other Scotland - Ep19 - Great Scot
This Week:
- Harald moves in closer to Charles.
- Razer deals with a sinking feeling.
- Charles starts to hatch a plan.
- Erica and Tania assess the Merk damage.
- Sykes' suspicions are confirmed.
This week’s news story:
Peter the Great's right-hand Scot
changed to the alternative:
Pages missing from diary of Peter the Great's Scottish General
Scholars have announced that they believe several pages have been removed from the diary of Patrick Gordon, a Scot who held a senior rank in Peter The Great's army. They claim inconsistencies in the text suggest that up to a month's information may have been replaced by a series of paragraphs indicating the soldier was offered work in Vienna, only to be told shortly afterwards he was no longer required. The diary was published in full for the first time in the UK this year.
Further Information
BBC News - Read the original story.
Promo for "Luscious Leftovers" podcast.
Some Other Scotland - Ep18 - Submarine
This Week:
- Razer meets his kidnappers.
- A bid for freedom ends in disaster.
This week’s news story:
Radioactive leaks from submarines
changed to the alternative:
Leaking submarine disappears
Following the release of a report on safety issues at the Faslane base, it has emerged that a submarine identified as having leaked radioactive material on three previous occasions, has disappeared. The last known contact with the vessel was as it left the East Coast of the USA on a return trip to Scotland. MPs have called for a full investigation into why a ship with a poor safety record was released for travel in international waters.
Further Information
Promo for The Gearheart.
Please note - episode 17 has been written out of order and will follow later, but this will not affect the flow of the story!
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