Latest news with #Greig
Otago Daily Times
9 hours ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Butter proving to be a popular fundraiser
While the skyrocketing price of butter may be leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of some, one non-profit saw a golden opportunity. Southland Paws Rescue founder Amy Greig said the organisation made $1 profit on each of the 5560 blocks of butter it sold in its latest fundraiser. Ms Greig said it was the first time it had sold butter and it had been the most successful fundraiser to date. The orders for the 250g Westland Gold blocks started rolling in thick and fast after a post about it was placed on their social media page. "Word of mouth got around and people started ordering." Jingo and cheese rolls had been used to raise revenue in the past, but the butter was less work and easier to sell. One buyer ordered $1000 of butter while ironically, 500 blocks were ordered by staff from a local dairy processing factory. Ms Greig said several orders had been received from people who made cakes for others. Prices were initially marginally lower than supermarkets, but even from the time they first started receiving orders at the start of May, Westgold community fundraising prices had risen from $4 to $5.15. "I'd rather put that dollar that we got back into a local organisation for what we do . . . than letting that supermarket profit that dollar." Orders had to be prepaid and picked up once the delivery had been made because of the logistical challenge of storing pallet loads of butter. Funds raised paid for the care of the multitudes of animals the charity looked after throughout the year. While they had a good relationship with their vet, their bill still needed to be paid. Some animal healthcare expenses ran more than $1000. Leithfield School in Canterbury sold 10,000 blocks of the golden dairy bars in a recent fundraiser, RNZ said. Invercargill's Kaye's Bakery had been importing Australian butter by 10-tonne shipments to make its biscuits. Kaye's Bakery owner Luella Penniall said three years ago the company was paying $11 per kg — now it was up to $15. Stats New Zealand data shows prices have increased more than 65% in the 12 months ending at April 2025. Stats NZ also said dairy prices were the main driver for food price increases — increasing the food price index by 3.7%. The average cost for 500g of butter was $7.42, 12 months ago. Butter hit a record high of $7992 a tonne early in May before falling to $7821 in mid-May. By Toni McDonald
Press and Journal
27-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
New Dons stadium 'might never happen' as leading councillor says beach vision was 'only an idea'
A leading council planning boss says further work to boost Aberdeen Beach – which include a seaside Dons stadium – is unlikely to ever make it off the drawing board. Lib Dem councillor Martin Greig recently cast fresh doubts over the second phase of the multi-million-pound beach revamp, insisting the plans 'were all visionary'. The whole beachfront scheme – including the potential new Aberdeen FC stadium – could cost £441 million. It comes after the Dons scooped a phenomenal win for the city at the Scottish Cup final on Saturday, proudly raising the trophy for the first time in 35 years. Works on the first part of the beach project are already under way, with a huge new playpark starting to take shape and upgrades at Broadhill planned to be done by July. An events field, an amphitheatre, new canopies and an eye-catching gateway building will also be created as part of the £50m transformation. Meanwhile, the seaside stadium and a new pier overlooking the North Sea were supposed to be erected as part of the second phase of the project. But council chiefs last year decided to put the proposals on hold until they find extra cash to pay for the pricey upgrades. And now Mr Greig seems confident these have been taken off the table entirely. The council has several regeneration projects on the go – including the new market on The Green, the first phase of the beach revamp and Union Street central upgrades. The latter, as well as works to turn Queen Street into an urban park, have been delayed due to a series of issues. And with improvements at Castlegate also imminent, Mr Greig was recently grilled over the council's prospects of getting all of these over the line on time and within budget. He was confident about the progress with the Flint market, however, seemed rather puzzled when the second phase of the beach revamp was brought up. Following some further clarification on the proposed further stages of the project, he quickly snapped back: 'Oh, that's all visionary though.' He added: 'There were no firm decisions made about those [plans]. 'It was appropriate to be visionary in imagining how we can improve the beachfront, and encouraging to see inventive solutions to make it more interesting and more varied. 'Clearly, the council has not proceeded with everything that was on the list.' Asked to clarify whether that means the revamp of the promenade and the new stadium might never happen, Mr Greig grinned with an affirmative 'Yeah…yeah…' He added: 'There has been a series of visionary proposals for the beachfront over the last few decades – piers, buildings… 'So, there is a history of planning – and not action-ing.' It comes as the stadium project remains at a stalemate over funding. The tussle centres around who should pay for further studies into the scheme. Aberdeen FC initially agreed to look into replacing Pittodrie with a new ground at the beach when the previous Tory-led administration approached the club about ditching its plans to move to Kingsford. Studies suggested that building a seaside stadium instead would boost the local economy by £1 billion over 50 years. And chairman Dave Cormack argued there would be no 'meaningful benefit' attached to the major beachfront upgrades without the stadium as part of the project. But the tide appeared to change when the SNP and Lib Dems took over the council. And although finance chiefs have insisted the plans are still a possibility, Mr Greig's latest remarks will further dash the hopes of fans who want to see the new beach stadium become a reality. Thousands of supporters lined the city streets this weekend to celebrate their football club's historic win at the Scottish Cup finals. And Mr Cormack thinks this shows how many back the Dons and the new stadium idea. Speaking to Original 106 during the celebrations, Mr Cormack said 'they [the club] will be patient with that'. He added: 'Aberdeen needs capital investment – particularly around the beach – and a community stadium would serve the city well.' Council co-leader Christian Allard neither confirmed nor denied whether the second phase of the beach project will ever come to fruition. He stressed that the esplanade will undergo some work, but this will focus on dealing with erosion issues. And he suggested that whether the plans will ever go any further than that would depend on how much money and time they have. 'It's not only the financial situation, it's also the capacity of what we can do in one term,' Mr Allard added. 'It's good to be ambitious but you've got to make sure that what you start, you can finish. 'The biggest issue with the beach is the erosion and that needs to be done. 'That [second phase of the revamp] was the plan before the economic changes world-wide and UK-wide. Now we will have to review those and see what needs to be done.' You can rad more on what exactly the second phase of the beach revamp was planned to involve here.
The Courier
21-05-2025
- The Courier
Perth child groomer 'Dangerous Dave' gets nine-year extended sentence
A notorious Perth paedophile who referred to himself as Dangerous Dave has been handed a nine year extended sentence for grooming a schoolboy on the other side of the world. Serial sex offender David Greig sent explicit selfies to his 13-year-old victim using the Telegram social media app. Police uncovered the chat log on the 46-year-old's computer devices at his Perth home, along with horrific images of babies being raped by adults. Greig appeared at Perth Sheriff Court for sentencing, having previously admitted this, his third sexual offence. He was told jail was the only option. Protection from public harm Solicitor David Sinclair, defending, said his client had been recommended for the Moving Forward: Making Changes rehabilitation programme for sex offenders. He highlighted Greig's previous Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SOPO) had expired in April 2024, some time before the indecent images and chat came to light. 'His initial offences were of contact nature,' said Mr Sinclair. 'Now we are in the region of semi-contact, in that he was communicating indecently with an apparently underage person.' Mr Sinclair said: 'Mr Greig was in a road accident when he was a young boy and this matter appears to have gone undiagnosed throughout his childhood.' David Greig at an earlier court hearing He said his client struggled to form healthy relationships and 'find his role in society.' 'No real alternative' Sheriff William Wood told Greig: 'Unfortunately for you, there is no getting away from your previous convictions. 'This is the third time you've come to court in respect of sexual offences, and as a result there is no real alternative to a custodial sentence.' The sheriff added: 'You have to understand that simply possessing indecent photos of children contributes to the continued industry and contributes to the ongoing abuse of children. 'Clearly that is a reprehensible thing that the public must be protect from. 'And it is of further concern that you had a discussion with a person online who disclosed they were a child, yet you continued with this highly sexualised conversation.' Greig admitted grooming a 13-year-old boy in November last year. He further pled guilty to downloading indecent images of children between July 14 and November 6 2024. Sheriff Wood said: 'I am concerned that the public needs to be adequately protected against serious harm once you are released. 'For that reason, I am going to pass on you an extended sentence.' Greig was jailed for four years and will be on licence for five more after he is out of prison. He will be subject to the sex offenders register and the sexual harm prevention order indefinitely. Laptop discovery Fiscal depute Emma Farmer earlier told the court police investigated after receiving a tip-off indecent images had been downloaded to Greig's laptop and phone. 'The Telegram Messenger app had been installed and the search indicated indecent communications had taken place, and images and videos were found on both devices,' she said. The material included footage of children as young as six months old being sexually assaulted. In the Telegram chat, Greig's victim – 'who resided an eight-hour time difference away' – told him he was 13. 'The conversation was sexually explicit throughout,' said Ms Farmer. Greig sent the boy photos and videos of himself exposing his penis and carrying out a solo sex act. The court previously heard how the offender, who set up a Skype account under the name Dangerous Dave, had traded hours of sickening child abuse footage on the internet. For that, he was jailed for three years. For more local court content visit our page or join us on Facebook.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
22-year-old driver identified in deadly Dover crash
Police released the name of the driver who died in a crash early Friday morning in Dover. Dylan Greig, a 22-year-old Dover resident, was pronounced dead at the scene after his 2019 Ford Ranger pickup truck left the road and struck a utility pole on Sixth Street near Longhill Road around midnight Friday, according to a news release from the Dover Police Department. Greig was the only person in the truck. Detectives are investigating the cause of the crash. Anyone with information about the crash can call Dover police at 603-742-4646 or leave an anonymous tip by calling the Dover Crimeline at 603-749-6000 or visiting
The Herald Scotland
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Best-selling book One Day to become new Scottish musical
David Nicholls' best-selling novel, which begins and ends in the Scottish capital, will be brought to the stage of the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh next year under plans for its latest in a series of high-profile musical adaptations. Read more: Leading Scottish playwright David Greig, the Lyceum's former artistic director, is adapting Nicholls' book, which has sold six million copies and been translated into 40 different languages to date. The novel explores the twist and turns of the friendship and eventual relationship between the two main characters, Dexter and Emma, over the course of 20 years. The story unfolds after the pair meet for the first time at their Edinburgh University graduation party and revisits their lives each year on the same July day. The Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh will launch a stage musical version of One Day in February. (Image: Will Maidwell) One Day is the first major production to be confirmed by the Lyceum since it appointed a new artistic director, James Brining, who took up his post last month. Greig was approached just over a year ago about a One Day musical by producer Simon Friend, who had spent more than a decade trying to bring an adaptation to the stage. Greig is working with American singer-songwriters Abner Ramirez and Amanda Sudano - the husband-and-wife duo who record under the name Johnnyswim - on One Day, which will initially run at the Lyceum between February and April next year. Author David Nicholls is best known for his book One Day. Picture: Supplied The show will reunite Greig with Olivier and Tony-nominated theatre director Max Webster, who recently worked on stage adaptations of Macbeth and The Importance of Being Earnest, starred David Tennant and Ncuti Gatwa respectively, as well as the award-winning adaptation of Yann Martel's novel The Life of Pi, which was produced by Simon Friend. Greig and Webster previously worked together on a musical adaptation of the children's book The Lorax and also collaborated on a new version of the Shakespearean play The Winter's Tale, which the Lyceum produced in Greig's first season at the helm. The One Day musical is being billed as 'a celebration of love, fate, and the moments that define us forever, with a soaring original score, and the warmth, wit, and raw emotion of the novel that touched millions.' Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall starred in the Netflix series based on the book One Day. Picture: Ludovic Robert/Netflix Among the highlights of Greig's time as artistic director at the Lyceum was an adaptation of writer-director Bill Forsyth's classic Scottish film comedy Local Hero. Greig's previously adapted Alasdair Gray's novel Lanark, the Greek tragedy The Bacchae and Roald Dahl's classic children's book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for the stage. Greig said: 'I was initially approached around this time last year by Simon, who had the rights to do a One Day stage adaptation. He had previously worked with Max and also knew James (Brining) very well from his time at the Leeds Playhouse. 'I felt that One Day was a very Edinburgh story. They needed somewhere to develop the adaptation. We had already done Local Hero and were doing Wild Rose. I felt that One Day would really work in Edinburgh and it would be a lovely musical for the Lyceum to do next. I felt it could be a real win for everybody. 'It has all worked out very well, we're all really thrilled that it's going to be happening at the Lyceum and we really hope we can pull it off.' Greig's final show at the helm of the Lyceum was a musical adaptation of the hit Scottish feature film Wild Rose, about a troubled country singer dreaming of a new life in Nashville. Nicole Taylor, who wrote both the screenplay and stage adaptation of Wild Rose, was also the lead writer of the One Day series. Greig said: 'The One Day series was a phenomenon when it came out, but I didn't watch it. It hadn't long been out when I got the musical gig, so I wanted to be careful that I didn't copy anything. I'm convinced I will adore the series because I adore Nicole's writing, but I felt I needed to keep a bit of distance to keep my mind clear. 'The strange coincidence over the last year was at the same time Nicole was coming to me for advice about how to write a stage musical and I have been going to her for advice about how to write a stage version of One Day.' Greig can trace his One Day roots back to when he and Nicholls studied drama together at Bristol University in the 1980s and both in a student production at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1988. The production of the 17th century tragedy Sejanus His Fall, was directed by Matthew Warchus, who would go on to replace Kevin Spacey as artistic director of The Old Vic theatre in London. Nicholls' time in Edinburgh that summer is said to have inspired the author to write the book, which opens in 1988. He said: 'We performed in the Fringe play in the room on the top floor of a venue on Chambers Street. There were eight of us on stage dressed in our underwear. I've no idea why, but I guess it sold tickets. I think that is when David fell in love with Edinburgh. 'It has felt strangely fated that I would not only get the chance to work on a story with which I've felt a kind of closeness, but also be able to celebrate the Edinburgh-ness of the story and open it at the Lyceum. 'A musical is a chance to reinvent and think about something in a different way. You have to sort of find a logic for its existence. There was something for me about One Day being rooted in the Edinburgh moment when Emma and Dexter meet, but also its ending, on Arthur's Seat.' Greig said he had jumped at the chance to adapt a book which he had 'adored' when he read it, but admitted its episodic structure made it 'tricky' to bring to the stage. He said: 'One of the absolute joys of the book is how it approaches time passing, how it affects us and shapes us, and how were sort of the same people but also totally different as we age. 'David hit on an absolute truth, which is that time is a character in our lives. When I read One Day I totally knew who Dexter and Emma were and what they were experiencing. There is something really lovely about being able to explore that in real-time on stage. 'David writes about romance and love as we experience it in our real lives. It is deeper, stranger and harder.' Greig said both Sudano and Ramirez, who began writing songs together after meeting in Nashville more than 20 years ago, have been 'obsessed' with One Day since they both read the book. He said: 'Abner and Amanda have been one of the huge energies behind the musical happening. They feel the story is very close to them. Their songs are bringing honestly, vulnerability, beauty and heart to the show, which is allowing me as the writer to let the dialogue be as a dry and ironic as it is in the original book. 'Hopefully the show will have everything people want from it. It won't be sloppily sentimental because the book isn't sloppily sentimental, but it will have real emotion.'
