Latest news with #MurrayCook
Perth Now
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Which stars showed up to Aussie music's biggest night?
Australia's most talented musicians have strut their stuff on the APRA's red carpet as they celebrate the industry's highest achievers for 2025. Picture: Getty Australia's most talented musicians have come together to celebrate the industry's highest achievers for 2025 at the annual APRA Music Awards. While some performers let their art do the talking, others chose to leave a statement on the red carpet as they sauntered into Melbourne Town Hall. Murray Cook proved he still knows how to wiggle, and the intimidating Jock Cheese was not afraid to don his signature black balaclava as he bypassed venue security. Check out who rocked and who didn't.
Daily Record
29-04-2025
- Daily Record
'Hidden Stirling' uncovered in new book by city archaeologist
Archaeologist, author and Observer columnist Dr Murray Cook's latest book is set to reveal some of Stirling's hidden gems. 'Hidden Stirling: Outlawed, Unknown, Locked, Destroyed, Overlooked and Secret Gems from Scotland's Smallest City' is being released on Wednesday April 30 by local publishers Extremis. In the book, Murray unveils some lesser-known historical gems of this ancient Scottish city and its surrounding areas, offering readers a fresh perspective on its rich past. An Extremis spokesperson said: 'Explore the mysteries of some of Stirling's most celebrated buildings, from the Castle and Tolbooth to the Municipal Buildings and Golden Lion Hotel. 'Then discover the secrets of the surrounding area, where prehistoric fortifications whisper tales of ancient communities. 'Uncover the significance of the grand Church of the Holy Rude, the only surviving church in the United Kingdom apart from Westminster Abbey to have hosted a royal coronation, and unravel the enigmas of the Old Town Cemetery - a graveyard of European significance. ''Hidden Stirling' encourages you to journey beyond the familiar, revealing the city's untold tales and inviting you to see Stirling in a brand new light.' Dr Murray Cook is Stirling Council's archaeologist and has undertaken numerous excavations across the region and published over 40 books and articles. He won a Stirling's Provost Award in 2018 for his work for the council, where he has helped raise over £300,000 to be spent on community archaeology and research. He has appeared on several TV programmes and runs Stirling Archaeology, a Facebook page dedicated to Stirling's heritage. In March this year he was named the winner of the Outstanding Contribution to the City Award at the Stirling Business Awards. He is an Honorary Research Fellow at Stirling University, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, runs an occasional course as an associate lecturer at Forth Valley College in Stirling and also co-runs regular training digs open to all under the name Rampart Scotland. He runs a series of free walks, lectures and digs through the year to allow people to explore their past. Extremis Publishing Ltd, a leading independent non-fiction publisher based in Stirling, was recently named Non-Fiction Book Publisher of the Year for Scotland at the Business Excellence Awards 2025. The annual Business Excellence Awards celebrate outstanding achievement across the UK business landscape, recognising organisations that demonstrate innovation, impact, and a commitment to excellence in their respective industries. Since its establishment in 2015, Extremis Publishing has built a reputation for producing non-fiction titles spanning a wide range of subjects including Scottish culture, history, the arts, and popular media, championing voices that offer fresh perspectives and insightful storytelling. This includes their 'Writing for Publication' lecture series which takes place at Forth Valley College. Extremis Publishing's co-directors, Dr Tom Christie and Julie Christie, said: 'We are incredibly honoured to receive this award, especially during our tenth anniversary year. It's a testament to the hard work and passion of everyone involved in our publishing journey, from our talented authors to our dedicated readers. 'We remain committed to producing books that educate, inspire, and reflect the richness of non-fiction storytelling in Scotland and beyond.' 'Hidden Stirling' is available for pre-order from independent bookstores and online retailers, with a release date of Wednesday April 30. For more information about the book, including participating online retailers, visit: Click here for more news and sport from the Stirling area.
The Herald Scotland
24-04-2025
- General
- The Herald Scotland
People urged to join archaeological dig at Fort of the Maeatae
Dr Murray Cook FSAScot is now hoping people will get involved again at the site on Dumyat in the Ochal Hills. Anyone of any age, skill set or physical confidence are being asked to join the search – even if it is just to be nosy about what might be found. The Fort is believed to have been a political centre for a group of people known as the Maiata. They fought the Romans about 2,000 years ago and several finds were made during a previous dig. Read More Finds included pottery, a brooch and evidence of metal working with carbon dating carried out to discover the exact age. The searches will take place from Thursday 24 April 2025 - Sunday 27 April 2025.
CBC
13-02-2025
- Health
- CBC
At 97, Nova Scotia man still cuts 5 cords of wood each year to heat his home
Murray Cook starts his day the same way he's started it for most of his 97 years. He has hot porridge for breakfast, takes a couple of vitamins, and sets out to chop wood and do other chores to maintain his family home at Cooks Cove, just outside of Guysborough, N.S. Outliving the average Nova Scotian by nearly two decades, Cook has defied the odds by avoiding fatty foods and maintaining an active lifestyle. "No drinking and no smoking," he insists as reasons for his longevity. "But the fast-food places — I've seen so many young girls and young boys alike get too much overweight, and then they can't move around. That's my idea of it." A lifetime of activity However, Cook's strict diet is only part of the story. He has pushed his body since he began his working life in the construction sector as a teenager. He joined his family's sawmill operation in Cooks Cove as a young adult, continuing through the facility's conversion into a pulpwood operation until its closure in the 1990s. In the quarter-century following the mill's shutdown, Cook personally planted 15,000 trees in Guysborough and the surrounding communities as he carried out a one-man reforestation project. He annually cuts five cords of firewood, alternating between an axe and larger equipment, to heat the home he built with his father and brother in 1956. Cook has lived alone in this building for the past eight years, with his wife now residing in a long-term care facility in Guysborough as a result of Alzheimer's disease and its accompanying dementia. They met when he spotted her at a Halifax restaurant and took the chance to ask her if he could sit with her for lunch. When they later married, Cook dug gardens in Cooks Cove because his new spouse had always loved flowers. The couple also grew berries that later became the key ingredients in homemade jams and preserves. Beating the odds in his late 90s Cook has never owned a credit card, always pays his debts and still travels to the towns of Antigonish and Port Hawkesbury every 10 days to run errands. Unlike many of his fellow seniors, he is still able to drive at night. His son, Chris Cook, who works for the Nova Scotia Health Authority in nearby Guysborough, says his father is well known for his active living and has become one of his personal heroes. "Sitting down is not something he does — he doesn't even have a TV," the younger Cook said. "He said one time to me, 'I look forward to working every day, and having a sweat. And the body, that's what it's supposed to do — the body is not supposed to be idle.'" If Murray Cook has his way, his body will never be idle.
