Latest news with #Tunnock's
Glasgow Times
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Callum Beattie surprises shocked walkers taking part in Airdrie event
Callum Beattie surprised walkers at the Wear Yellow Walk in aid of St Andrew's Hospice. The sponsored event, which took place on May 7, saw more than 2,200 primary school pupils walk around Strathclyde Park to raise money for the hospice. Read more: Fundraising day to honour legacy of former Glasgow Times sports reporter (Image: Supplied) (Image: Supplied) 'What do you call a wizard's dog?': Pupil reaches joke competition final After the walk, the pupils were treated to a guest performance from Beattie, who sang several of his popular hits, including Salamander Street and Heart Stops Beating. One lucky girl was even invited on stage to join the musician in a song. Beattie met with everyone who took part in the event, even going so far as to sign their yellow hats, which were sponsored by Scottish Confectionery company Tunnock's. The walking event ended in a triumph, with Beattie rounding off his performance with a particularly appropriate rendition of The Proclaimer's smash hit I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles).
Glasgow Times
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Tunnock's teacakes honoured in new song by Glasgow musician
Award-nominated musician Kenneth I MacKenzie has supported huge artists like The Waterboys during his time in a Glasgow pipe band and even wrote a song about Oor Willie. Now, the award-nominated trad music fanatic has released a song dedicated to Scotland's best-known biscuits and cakes - Tunnock's. The song, Tunnock's The Legend, was inspired by 'everyone having cupboards full of the stuff' and a chance meeting with Boyd Tunnock, the idea then "snowballed" from there. READ NEXT: Tunnock's boss shares vintage vehicle passion before Glasgow open day Speaking about the song's inspiration, Kenneth, 63, said, "I had the idea years ago and never did much with it. "I met Mr Tunnock a few years ago at a business-type lunch, and I bounced the song off him. "He thought it sounded like a great idea, and it just 'snowballed' from there. "He's quite a character, actually." The man who invented the Tunnock's Teacake Boyd Tunnock with his Tunnock Teacakes (Image: PA) Kenneth explained he was then prompted to finish the song by Tunnock's decision to sponsor Celtic Music Radio's broadcasts from Glasgow's Celtic Connections. He "tried to write a verse for every product" in the song and used it as a theme throughout. However, the Glasgow Times always asks the difficult questions, and we got Kenneth to pick his favourite. He said: "I just discovered it last night... I've just decided the Caramel Log is my favourite. "It really is something else, you know." READ MORE: RAF ban on flying with Tunnock's Teacake could be lifted 60 years on Kenneth's career has seen him play all around the world, and he's graced the Barrowland Ballroom to support The Waterboys as part of The City of Glasgow Pipe Band. Speaking about that time, Kenneth said: "What an experience that was! Oh, it was great fun." The song was produced by musical arranger and musician Will Marshall, who arranged Kenneth's last album. Will is also the musical director for the pantomime season at the Eden Court Theatre and has started writing film scores. Sir Boyd Tunnock with Martin Walker and a vintage bus (Image: Jane Barrie) Kenneth has been involved in Scottish traditional music since the age of 14, and often frequents Glasgow's trad music hub, the Park Bar. Kenneth, who stays in Scotstoun, said: "I'm in the Park quite often on Thursdays for the session. "I've got a lot of connections up north and up in the West Coast. Ardnamurchan is like a second home, and I write and sing about it a lot. "That's where the passion for traditional music comes from." He's no stranger to honouring Scottish icons with his music, having put together a tune about Oor Willie - Scotland's Oldest Wee Boy - which was produced by Stuart 'Woody' Wood from the Bay City Rollers. READ MORE: 'Legend': Michelle McManus beams as she celebrates birthday Kenneth also keeps a secret with the song, he explained: "I've brought in a well-known Scottish singer, but no one has revealed their name yet. "So, it's top secret adds to the mystique of the whole thing. "They're very well known in the Scottish folk scene and said 'I'm going to do it, but don't tell anybody it's me'." Producer, Will Marshall (left) and Kenneth Mackenzie (right) (Image: Supplied) Tunnock's director, Fergus Loudon, said: "Without exception, we all thought Kenny's song was very catchy. "We don't have any use for it at the moment, but we'll certainly keep it on file for any future marketing initiatives we are running." The song was first aired by Andy Hood on Celtic Music Radio at the start of Celtic Connections this year and has been played many times since. It's now available on Spotify here.
BBC News
05-04-2025
- Science
- BBC News
'Exploding' Tunnock's teacakes cleared by tests to fly again
BBC The story goes that 60 years ago, Tunnock's teacakes were banned from RAF flights after a cockpit marshmallow explosion. The chocolate-covered treats were apparently all the rage, eaten by nuclear bomber crewmen on training sorties at the height of the Cold War. But in the summer of 1965, a captain and student pilot forgot they had placed unwrapped teacakes above their instrument panels. When the captain pulled an emergency depressurising switch the iconic Scottish treat erupted - leaving a sticky mess over the airmen, the instruments and cockpit canopy. Now the RAF Centre of Aerospace Medicine has now given them the all-clear to fly again, after tests in an altitude chamber found the teacakes did not explode. The experiments were covered by the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) at the centre based at RAF Henlow in Bedfordshire. BFBS First the teacakes were put into an altitude chamber - normally used in the training of new fast jet pilots - and were lifted to 8,000ft, climbing at 4,000ft per minute, They were then rapidly decompressed to 25,000ft in three seconds to see if they would blow up. As air pressure in the chamber decreased, the air inside the teacakes expanded until the chocolate cracked and the mallow filling puffed out. BFBS reporter Hannah King, who witnessed the tests, said while the mallow escaped from the chocolate casing, they "did not appear to explode and cause a risk to in-flight safety". It was also discovered that when they were frozen before being placed in the chamber, their hardened shells were more resilient to cracking at altitude. Pilots have been offered some advice by Dr Oliver Bird, an instructor at the RAF Centre of Aerospace Medicine, who carried out the tests. "The best advice is that the snacks are kept frozen and in their foil wrappings until pilots are ready to consume them," he said. Fergus Loudon, sales director at Tunnock's, which is based in Uddingston, near Glasgow, said: "If we really are talking about the people who fly our supersonic jet fighter bombers, then I'm inclined to think that Tunnock's Tea Cakes wouldn't be the highest thing on their list of worries, but I'm glad to hear that they can now enjoy them, like everybody else, with official approval." An RAF spokesman said he was not aware of any "banned confectionery list", adding that the tests were not carried out in an official capacity.
