Latest news with #Alan
Scotsman
5 hours ago
- General
- Scotsman
Scotsman Obituaries: Alan Rennie, journalist whose devotion to his patch saw him nicknamed ‘Mr Stirling
Alan Rennie, journalist. Born: 28 March 1951. Died: 3 July 2025, aged 74 Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Some individuals are destined to become influential figures whose success in life will impact significantly on people, communities and events. Alan Rennie was one. A highly talented journalist, Alan's enormous contribution to the Stirling Observer, very many people (including me) and the royal burgh, towns and villages in which he lived and socialised cannot be exaggerated. In Alan's case, however, what set him apart from and above other similar souls was his humility, deference and humour. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Alan, I suspect, never had any inkling of the colossal regard and affection which many of us had for him. He was my first boss in his role as chief reporter for the Observer and proved to be a brilliant editor, tutor and guide. To his great credit, however, he had no concept of this. I am one of many journalists whose careers owed much to Alan. There is still an unlikely number of Scotland's preeminent journalists and media figures who owe at least part of their success to Alan. For me (and I claim no pre-eminence), perhaps most importantly, we remained friends for life. Alan Rennie was was a Stirling man through and through, a Son of the Rock (Picture: Stirling Observer) Away from newspapers, however, many other people shared the same extreme respect for Alan. Indeed, in the days after his death there was an outpouring in just about equal measure of affection for him as an individual and admiration of his professional achievements. In sport, he was rugby daft and a lifelong member of Stirling County RFC. Some stalwarts of the club credit him with helping County's rise to Scottish champions in 1995. That team's scrum-half, Kenneth Harper, said Alan's promotion in the Observer of all things County drove up interest, attracted players and spectators, and contributed to the title win. Mr Harper also suggested that the change in emphasis from soccer and Stirling Albion to rugby and Stirling County was a brave revolution that had never been done previously. Alan was also a keen golfer and was a member of Stirling Golf Club for many years. In his younger days, he played football to a very decent level, turning out for Bannockburn Amateurs during the club's very successful seasons in the early 1980s. Cricket was another game he played, featuring for the Stirling Observer team in the Palmer Sevens tournament run by Stirling County Cricket Club; and he was known to take to the area's bowling greens from time to time. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Alan was a Stirling man through and through, a Son of the Rock, born in the Raploch, in the shadow of Stirling Castle. His father was a policeman who was posted between Stirling and Falkirk, which meant Alan's education was split between schools in the latter, but mostly at St Ninians Primary and Stirling High School in the former. His working life began as a trainee journalist with Outram, a company which then owned the Glasgow Herald and a stable of local titles. Alan started at the Herald but moved to the Perthshire Advertiser, where he became chief reporter before transferring back to Stirling with the same position at the Observer. His wife, Mary, said: 'Alan's mum once told me that all he ever wanted to do from when he was a small child was to become editor of The Stirling Observer, and he got that in 1982. In 1987, he was offered the job of deputy editor at the Glasgow Herald, and he swithered about it but decided against it.' It was far from journalism alone, however, that marked Alan as a very special person; he had deep roots in his communities and gave back by the bucket-load. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He sat on – and chaired – the community council where he lived near the village of Cambusbarron; he was a Rotarian who toiled through the auspices of his local club for good causes; he served on the board of the highly regarded Smith Art Gallery and Museum in Stirling; he was a trustee of the William Simpson Residential Care Home; and he was, as mentioned, a grand sportsman. He parted ways with the Observer in 2009 after more than a quarter of a century running the paper, the severance prompting thanks from local people. Mary recalls: 'There was a letter in the paper saying that he was 'Mr Stirling' because he knew so much about the place. He was headhunted by Keep Scotland Beautiful because of what he knew and who he knew. He was there for three years until he took early retirement. 'In 1992, he was contacted by someone in London saying he had been chosen to represent the Guild of Newspaper Editors, of which he was president, at a conference in Colorado Springs in America. He thought it was a joke call but it wasn't. He went off to Colorado and had a great time.' A keen traveller anyway, Alan later took Mary to the same place and they became frequent visitors to the United States, journeying to Colorado annually. He also made yearly trips to South Africa with golfing chums. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'He would do anything for anybody and was well liked by his staff,' said Mary. 'He had a great sense of community; he was also a member of the Guildry of Stirling and the Stirling Hammermen; and he was chieftain of the Stirling Highland Games in 2004. "But he never did anything for personal kudos.' Another of his achievements was being a major influence in delivering city status for Stirling in 2002; the paper campaigned hard for the accolade. Alan was a loving husband to Mary, whom he married in 1987; she was equally devoted, as was evident during his last weeks and days when Mary was seldom away from his bedside, often sleeping in a chair beside his bed in hospital and care home. The best of company, he was well-known for enjoying a drink and over-imbibing on occasion. Famously in Stirling, he once approached the door of a nightclub in the town after a tipple or two more than was advisable only to be told he would not be admitted. 'Do you know who I am?' he demanded. The bouncer shook his head. 'I'm the Observer of the Stirling Editor!' he proclaimed. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He was not, of course; he was the Editor of the Stirling Observer – and a damned fine one. His funeral is on Monday 28 July at 10.30am in Holy Spirit Church, Stirling, then Falkirk Crematorium at 12.15pm. Obituaries
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Kilkenny Pride Festival 2025: All you need to know about the inaugural four day event
Staring on Thursday, July 24, the Kilkenny Pride Festival will host a variety of events including a festival highlight, Kilkenny's first ever Pride parade, which will light up the streets of Kilkenny city on Saturday July 26. Whether you are a Kilkenny local or just passing through for the day, everyone is invited to the celebrations. With so many events to choose from during the Kilkenny Pride Festival, here are some of our top picks: Kilkenny's first Pride Parade When: Saturday July 26 Kilkenny will host its first Pride parade on Saturday, July 26, from 1 pm. The parade route sets off from the city's iconic Kilkenny Castle at 1.30pm, proceeding from Parade Plaza towards High Street and the Market Yard, before concluding at the Butler Gallery at Evan's Home on John's Quay. An Garda Síochána will accompany the procession to manage traffic. "We want to show the world what a welcoming city Kilkenny is,' said co-chair of Kilkenny Pride, Alan Slattery. 'For a destination renowned for its festivals, it's high time there was a Kilkenny Pride festival here too. "We're looking forward to celebrating a lively, positive event in the city, and we hope to see lots of people lining the streets, whether they're walking in the parade or cheering from the side lines." As the last county in Ireland to host a Pride march, this parade in particular is a momentous occasion for Ireland as it means that every county, in every corner of the country now has a parade dedicated to celebrating LGBTQI+ citizens. ADVERTISEMENT 'I heard that Roscommon and Kilkenny were the only counties in Ireland not to have a Pride festival,' Alan told the Irish Independent. 'A week after I found that out, I heard that Roscommon were now organising a Pride festival and parade. "As Kilkenny was now the only county without a Pride festival and parade, we knew we had to act. We couldn't let Kilkenny be the only county in Ireland without a Pride festival or Pride parade.' Kilkenny Pride family fun day When: Saturday July 26 Following the parade, everyone is welcome to the free family fun day, in association with Butler Gallery, Ossory Youth, and Kilkenny County Council. Organisers advise those attending "bring a blanket and settle into the gardens at Butler Gallery" to enjoy an afternoon of family-friendly fun, sponsored by State Street with performances from Seafall, MARYANN, local poet Samantha Joyce, Antanna, as well as bubbles, face painting, a silks performer and more. "We hope that this festival and parade will grow into an annual celebration, one that belongs to the whole community, where everyone has the opportunity to get involved and feel part of it,' added Alan. 'We are excited to unveil our plans for the upcoming Pride celebration." Nerd Pub Quiz: Pride Edition When: Thursday July 24 Opening night of the Kilkenny Pride Festival will see Kyteler's Inn in Kilkenny City host the Pride edition of the Nerd Pub Quiz. Doors open at 7pm with the quiz starting at 7.30pm. Tables are free to enter and Kilkenny Pride will be collecting donations to help fund the pride weekend. Karaoke night at Biddy Early's When: Thursday July 24 Also taking place on opening night is a karaoke night at Biddy Early's. Doors open at 9pm and entry is free. Kilkenny's Comedy Pride When: Thursday July 24 The spotlight turns to comedy as the Kilkenny Home Rule Club hosts Kilkenny's Comedy Pride, supported by Cartoon Saloon. The evening features headliner Gearóid Farrelly, recently seen on RTÉ's Dancing with the Stars, joined by popular returning performers Sinéad Walsh and Kate Feeney. Drag & Draw When: Friday July 25 On Friday, the Butler Gallery presents Drag & Draw, an 18+ life drawing class that blends art and performance, with drag artists as models. The session is suitable for beginners and experienced artists. Pride After Dark When: Friday July 25 and Saturday July 26 Walsh's Toyota brings Pride After Dark to Cleere's Theatre on both Friday and Saturday night from 8pm. Friday night will feature Mis White and DJ Eddie B, while Roo Honeychild, and Pól Pogba will all take to the stage on Saturday night. Tickets are €20. Queer Céilí When: Saturday July 26 Fennelly's of Callan invites all to enjoy an evening of ceol, craic agus damhsa at Queer Céilí, featuring live music from Cré and guests. The event starts at 7pm and runs until 10pm with tickets €10. Barbecue and open mic session When: Sunday July 27 The festival concludes on a relaxed note with a barbecue on Sunday, sponsored by Lighthouse Studios, followed by an open mic session held in collaboration with Cult Collective at the Kilkenny Home Rule Club. Kilkenny Youth Pride When: Various dates during the festival The Kilkenny Youth Pride Committee (Ossory Youth) has planned youth-focused events as part of Kilkenny's Pride festival, including an improv show by Dreamstuff Youth Theatre in Ossory Youth on July 24 for all ages. A film screening of But I'm a Cheerleader will be held in Young Irish Film Makers for ages 15 to 21 on July 25. While a pre-parade brunch will be held in Ossory Youth on July 26 for ages 14 to 21 with lots of food, arts and crafts, face painting, photo ops and music.
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Backyard garden oasis earns high praise
Green-fingered Canterbury nurseryman Alan Watson created an Eastern-inspired oasis in the backyard of his Allenton home. Watson's plantings include Acer palmatum varieties and cultivars, kalmias and other unusual trees and plants. It features covered walkways, gazebos, arched red bridges, lanterns and stone towers. And now Alan has been named as a 2025 Fellow of the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture. The 73-year-old said it was a surprising and emotional accolade. "I never expected it. You don't expect it," Alan said. "I'm pretty honoured and humbled to be rewarded for your lifetime efforts, it's really special." Alan has become one of just a handful of Ashburtonians to earn the title. Those before him include Alan Trott, Ian Soper and Dave Askin. "When I got it, I was pretty upset," Alan said. "You just don't expect it, do you?" During his career, Alan has volunteered at Trott's Garden, a New Zealand Garden of International Acclaim, and led trips to Mt Hutt to photograph and study alpine plants. He helped renowned landscape gardener David Hobbs with the initial tree planting and totara hedging for the development of Broadfield Garden, near Christchurch, which is now a six-star Garden of International Significance. In 2002, after moving to Allenton, Alan established his own garden in his spare time. "I grassed the section down because I was working, and then I just started in the corner and did a bit as time allowed it. "I might do a bit one year, do a bit the next year, nothing the next year, just expanded it out over time." His garden featured last year in NZ Life & Leisure magazine. Alan said his backyard plantings included a mixture of maples, choice trees and shrubs. Choice trees were hard to come by or hard to source. His favourite was a Sciadopitys verticillata or Japanese umbrella pine, which grew next to the walkway viewed from his living room. "I wanted a theme of some sort … and chose the Asian theme because I could incorporate maples that I like and spend time doing structures, building." Alan said a builder made the basic tea house and walkway structures at the rear of the 1040sq m section and, over the years, he had embellished them. He said he has completed his backyard project, as there is no more room to expand on. Plantings include a 4m tall maple tree, golden weeping willow, Chilean bell flowers or Lapageria rosea , dwarf conifers, Japanese splurge or Pachysandra terminalis ground cover and varieties of Calico bush or Kalmia latifolia in pinks, reds through to whites. "They're hard to grow but pretty choice. Well-worth persevering with, if you can get them to grow here." They gave a colourful display in full bloom. Over the years, Alan has hosted a variety of groups at his garden in spring and summer. They were welcomed by arrangement, he said. He said his nomination for a fellowship with the institute was made by his long-time friend Alan Jolliffe of Christchurch, the current institute president. It is the latest highlight in a career that started after Alan was inspired as a youth during the Christmas holidays. "I went to Nelson in the school holidays picking raspberries, and I wandered through the forests up there and just liked the trees - outdoors and the trees. "I thought I would get a job in Ashburton doing something (along those lines) and got a job, an apprenticeship with Allenton Nurseries." Alan began his apprenticeship and joined the RNZIH in December 1970. He completed his trade certificate in 1973 and continued studying towards the RNZIH National Diploma in Horticulture. He has worked at Allenton Nurseries, Duncan and Davies Nursery, and Millichamps Nursery to gain experience in a range of horticultural and production techniques. Alan established his own nursery in 1978 on a property in Ashburton, specialising in garden shrubs and dwarf conifers. He also undertook tree pruning, lawn laying, contract tree planting and other gardening work, such as travelling around Mid Canterbury giving pruning demonstrations.
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Jaw-dropping TV documentary series on romance frauds and cheats back for a second series
CHANNEL 4 is playing dirty once again by lining up a fresh batch of adulterous scandals for viewers to shake their heads disapprovingly at. I can reveal bosses have commissioned a second instalment of docu- series Advertisement 8 Fake aristocrat Lord Bertie Underwood — real name Robert Madejski — was jailed for fraud offences Credit: facebook 8 Megan Clarke was scammed by Madejski leaving her £30,000 in debt Credit: Channel 4 And the broadcaster is on the hunt for more real-life victims of relationship scams and lying partners. The original run hit the headlines courtesy of a fake aristocrat called He was later jailed for fraud offences involving another victim. Advertisement Read More on TV A TV insider said: 'The first series made such a big impact Channel 4 chiefs couldn't wait to green light a follow-up.' Research teams are collating more extreme cases to feature and cast their net far and wide. The source added: 'It's shocking so many people's lives have been destroyed by these con artists but there is some consolation that the culprits' actions can be outed in such public fashion.' Other big storylines from series one included a man falling in love with a mum of one who faked having cancer to con him out of almost £10,000, plus twin sisters who were defrauded by a scammer posing as a firefighter. Advertisement Most read in News TV Plus, across the pond, a comic-loving man fell for the charms of an equally geeky girl with He paid for her medical care, as well as rent, before digging deeper into his pockets to fund the 'life-changing treatment' she desperately needed. I was scammed by fake 'lord' who left me £30K in debt In all, he paid out £80,000 of money he didn't have. And when he realised his dream girlfriend was a scammer, she falsely accused him of domestic abuse, fled to Japan, and targeted more victims. Advertisement Not a very likeable bunch . . . A GRAVE ERROR ON TRAITORS Stephen joined the Chatty Man on his Life's A Beach podcast – and the topic turned to the BBC1 show, which was filmed in Scoland and will air this autumn. 8 Stephen Fry is staying tight-lipped about his time on Celebrity Traitors Credit: Alamy Advertisement Alan said: 'We holidayed recently near Inverness in a castle. But we can't say anything.' Stephen replied: 'Not a word.' Alan continued: 'Nothing. And there's already clickbaity things happening. Apparently there's a funeral. There's no bloody funeral. 'We are obviously talking about Celebrity Traitors, which was a wonderful experience. I had to mention it but our lives wouldn't be worth living if we start giving out spoilers.' Advertisement Ok, we get it . . . PERFECT MATCH, ENGLAND IT'S a line up of look-a-likes almost as impressive as the team they're impersonating. The cast of Dear England, the BBC adaptation of the West end play about Gareth Southgate's career, came together to start filming last week. 8 Joseph Fiennes as Gareth Southgate in Dear England Credit: CLICK NEWS - SPLASH Advertisement 8 Michael Watson as Kieran Trippier in the BBC adaptation Credit: Click News and Media 8 Francis Lovehall as Raheem Sterling Credit: Click News and Media 8 Edem-Ita Duke as Marcus Rashford Credit: Click News and Media And it was incredible just how much like the England players who feature in the show, which was using posh public school Harrow to double up as the squad's Stafordshire training ground. Advertisement Former Shakespeare in Love star But the rest of the 'players' were just as convincing - right down to some of the ball skills they were showing off too. We can all witness for ourselves when it airs next year on BBC One. CHANNEL 5 has unveiled a raft of new dramas. Advertisement They include Imposter, starring ex Corrie actress Kym Marsh and Neighbours' Jackie Woodburne. While detective mystery Cooper and Fry, from Stephen Booth's novels, features Downton Abbey's Robert James-Collier. FANS ARE BROWN'S BUOYS The Irishman says having a live reaction to the gags brings something extra special in an age where hardly any sitcoms are filmed in front of fans. Advertisement 8 Brendan O'Carroll says Mrs Browns Boys would be nothing without its studio audience Credit: BBC Brendan, who also co-writes the hit series, will be back as matriarch Agnes Brown as the show returns to BBC One for a new four-part mini series, on August 1. Agreeing with 'So many times, at the end of rehearsals, our director, Ben Kellett will say, 'All this needs now is the audience' and he is so right. Advertisement 'They follow every move, every line and add so much to our performances. We would be lost without them.' Sadly, it's a dying art.
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
RTÉ Soccer Podcast: LOI trio's European challenges and Euro 2025 final furlong
Richie Towell, Shelbourne's Rachel Graham and Alan Cawley join Raf Diallo as Shelbourne, St Pat's and Shamrock Rovers face European first legs, Euro 2025 reaches the semi-final stage, Evan Ferguson looks set to sign for AS Roma and crucial LOI fixtures await after the FAI Cup weekend. TIMESTAMPS 00:30 Richie and Alan discuss Shelbourne and St Patrick's Athletic's progression past Linfield and Hegelmann and into the second qualifying round in the Champions League and Conference League respectively, before previewing their respective first leg fixtures versus Qarabag and Nomme Kalju, and Shamrock Rovers' entry into the Conference League against Gibraltar side St Joseph's. They also discuss Shels' signing of former Arsenal midfielder Jack Henry-Francis and Leon Pohls' Shamrock Rovers exit. 28:25 Alan and Richie discuss the Sports Direct Men's FAI Cup second round and how it leads into this Friday's trio of crucial SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division fixtures. 45:55 Alan and Richie talk Evan Ferguson to AS Roma with the loan-with-option-to-buy move from Brighton & Hove Albion now on the verge of completion. 55:15 Rachel reacts to the fallout from the Euro 2025 quarter-finals and looks ahead to Tuesday and Wednesday's semi-finals as England meet Italy and Spain take on Germany, all live to watch or stream on RTÉ. 01:12.30 Rachel talks Women's Premier Division as her Shelbourne side returned to winning ways to close the gap on leaders Athlone Town, while DLR Waves made it two wins on the trot.
