Call for Stephen Hester to refuse his bonus

This week, the headlines have been dominated by Stephen Hester, chief of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), who has been awarded a bonus worth £1 million.

The public purse has already bailed out RBS to the tune of billions of pounds. It must not be expected to find up £1 million to reward the chief executive as well.  I am supporting calls for Stephen Hester to refuse his bonus. 

Useful link:

BBC - What has Stephen Hester achieved? - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16759963

Speak Up, Speak Out

This evening, at Hyndland Parish Church, there was a special event to mark Holocaust Memorial Day. As part of the evening, pupils with extraordinary musical talent from local secondary schools provided a varied programme of classical music. 

The organisers were two local pupils who made a visit with other young people from across the West of Scotland to Auschwitz, last November. They shared their experiences and projected images of the concentration camps taken on their trip.  It is the 67th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz Camp this year.

The recent genocides in Rwanda and Darfur were also remembered by a representative of Amnesty International. 

I was glad to be able to support this event and link up with young people promoting peace.

Useful links:-

Holocaust Memorial Day - http://www.hmd.org.uk/

Auschwitz Museum - http://en.auschwitz.org.pl/

Getting the celtic connection

Yesterday, I made my way to the City Halls to enjoy an evening of traditional folk music from Martin Simpson, Dick Gaughan, June Tabor and Finbar Furey. It was a great musical escape for three hours.

There were various stories shared by each musician about their tunes. One example is Finabar Furey's recollection of recording "New York Girls" in Rome for Martin Scorsese's fim Gangs of New York.  I was impressed with Dick Gaughan's performance of "The Green Linnet". He recalled singing this song over 35 years ago with Martin Simpson and you can find it on his album published in 1972.  

I hadn't heard June Tabor sing for many years and was absorbed by her performance, especially singing "Strange Affair". One of the songs "Brothers Under the Bridge" on Martin Simpson's new album "Purpose and Grace" was also one of the highlights for me.

These musicians have been long term associates and provided an amazing performance of songs from across the years.  As you may have gathered, I am a strong supporter of our musical talent and music festivals generally.

Flytipping creates public health concerns

I have been very concerned about the impact of flytipping in Clarence Lane, Hyndland. Over the last month, I have asked for assistance from council services to clear up the lane which has become a risk to public health.

Mud and rubbish have built up

Thankfully, graffiti has been removed by Glasgow Community Safety Services and items dumped have been cleared by Land and Environmental Services. 

 The site is clear!

Let's hope it can stay tidy and safe for local pupils to use as a meeting place. I will keep monitoring the area in the coming months.

Refurbishment of local primary underway

One of the local schools located in Woodside, St. Joseph's Primary, is undergoing refurbishment at the moment. This school was build in 1964 and in a 2009/10 conditions’ survey completed by the Council, it was rated as D condition.

St. Joseph's Primary School undergoing refurbishment, 8th January 2012.

The Council approved plans to invest in improvements to the building in the last year. I would anticipate that energy efficiency will be enhanced through the upgrading of the heating system and general fabric including windows.

Develop reuse projects

Today, I was inspired by meeting people who have developed projects to reuse everyday items including broken umbrellas, tetrapaks and plastic bags.

You will have experience of seeing a broken umbrella abandoned on the street. It is possible to reuse the umbrella fabric to create various items such as recycled umbrellas and bags.

An recycled umbrella and poster with suggested uses for umbrella fabric.

I have been shown how to create small purses from tetrapak containers for fruit juices. It is easier than you think - just cut top and end off, then fold!

Various tetrapak purses.

 

Plastic bags can be shredded to create thread to create household items such as table mats and recycled bags.

Samples of woven plastic bag thread.

Useful links:-

Tetra Pak Craft Recycling - http://www.veggies.org.uk/page.php?ref=433

Recycled plastic bag weaving - http://www.weavezine.com/summer2008/wz_su08_JanaTrent.php

Rain or shine: recycle umbrella fabric - http://www.recyclescene.com/how-to-recycle/rain-or-shine-recycle-umbrellas

Edinburgh Glasgow Improvements by Rail (EGIP)

On Thursday 12th January 2012, I attended a community consultation event hosted by Network Rail at Hyndland Community Hall. It provided information about strategic investment proposed by Scottish Government, including an additional platform at Hyndland Railway Station.

I will be submitting my comments in support of this investment but seeking completion of a fully accessible ramp or lift from Queensborough Gardens as part of any plans.

Useful Links:

Have Your Say about EGIP - http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/11743.aspx