The Herald

The Diary

Prat and proud of it RORY Bremner was slightly apprehensive when phoned by his local MP, the late Tory philanderer Alan Clark, shortly before the 1997 election. Promoting his new tome, You Are Here, at the Herald's Glenmorangie-sponsored book series, Rory told a packed Oran Mor that Alan had cited the latest musical satire devised by TV's Bremner, Bird and Fortune. It was an anti-Conservative take on D'Ye Ken John Peel?, with a catchy new chorus: "We may be a bunch of sleaze- ridden prats/ Bu...

Bulger Killer 'Tracked Down After Tip-Off'

THE issue of how to deal with crimes against children was reignited yesterday after the mother of James Bulger, the murdered toddler, reportedly tracked down one of her son's killers. Denise Fergus told a tabloid newspaper that she had found Robert Thompson, now 21, after receiving an anonymous tip-off, but could not summon the courage to confront him.

Music Rsno/Walker, Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow 4/5

AS intriguing as it looked on paper, conductor Garry Walker's first real concert to introduce a firm element of change into RSNO programming policy - and let us hope that is what it was - worked even better; or, rather, most of it did. The one piece that didn't fit was Strauss's Four Last Songs, gleaming rather than glowing, in a performance by soprano Janice Watson that felt uncomfortable in the company of Einojuhani Rautavaara's Cantus Arcticus, the clean-cut, translucent lines of John Cage...

Boy, 8, 'Attacked Headmistress'

A headmistress was treated for back injuries after allegedly being attacked by an eight-year-old pupil. The boy, who attends Pinewood Primary school in Drumchapel, Glasgow, has been reported to the children's panel. Details of the incident were revealed as a new report showed soaring levels of indiscipline in schools.

Election Crisis Threatens to Split Ukraine in Two

THE crisis in Ukraine deepened yesterday with the pro-spect of the country being split in two. The stakes were raised in the struggle for control when politicians voted to hold a referendum on autonomy for the eastern Donetsk province.

'Mortified' Blunkett Calls for Inquiry Into Lover's Claims; Home Secretary Acts Over Allegation About Nanny Visa

DAVID Blunkett last night tried to quash allegations of professional misconduct by requesting an independent review into claims that he misused his position to help a former lover. On the eve of opening the Commons debate on security measures in the Queen's speech, Mr Blunkett took this unprecedented step after Kimberly Quinn claimed he had fast-tracked a visa for her Filipina nanny to allow her to stay in Britain indefinitely.

Police Seal Off Seaside Town After Banker Shot Dead

A HUGE manhunt was under way last night after a bank manager was shot dead. Police sealed off the town of Nairn after Alistair Wilson, 30, was gunned down in his home at Crescent Road.

Jamieson Releases Warning for Parole Board

THE justice minister has intervened in the row over the early release of prisoners by calling for the parole board to be made accountable to politicians and victims. Cathy Jamieson hinted at challenges to parole decisions and said the board should make use of powers to tag prisoners on release amid concern about the numbers reoffending.

Heading Home

FREE AGAIN: Annetta Flanigan, right, of Northern Ireland, and Shqipe Hebibi of Kosovo, United Nations workers, joke as they say goodbye to colleagues in Kabul, Afghanistan, yesterday. The two, who spent nearly a month in the hands of Afghan kidnappers, waved and smiled as they flew out of the country to return home.

Arran Laird Warns He Aims to Maintain Feudal Right

AN estate is trying to reassert its right to buy back property from its former feudal tenants as laws abolishing Scotland's feudal system came into effect yesterday. Strabane Enterprises, a subsidiary of Arran Estates owned by Lady Jean Fforde and her son Charles, has told islanders that it will continue its right to pre-emption, which was originally granted to the estate in its role as feudal superior.

Artist's Photos Put Real People of Clydeside Back in the Frame; Unique Project Documents Town for Future Generation

A GAGGLE of Port Glasgow residents dressed up in their party gear dance with their hands in the air. A young man holds his fists high, training at a boxing ringside; another, black-and-white shot, shows seagulls flapping around empty goalposts.

A Timeless Snapshot of the Area's History

A moment or a lifetime? A minute, a month or a century? Mark Neville's book of photographs, entitled Port Glasgow, captures the town at the start of the 21st century - but you could be forgiven for thinking it's a much broader historical record. From art deco interiors to the Ferguson shipyard once memorably painted by Stanley Spencer, or the micro-moment in which dancers are caught by flashbulb at a party in the town hall, Neville's Port Glasgow is curiously timeless.

Gone with the Wind Claims Cinema Crown

GONE With the Wind has gathered a bigger British cinema audience since it hit movie screens more than 60 years ago than any other film released before or since. The classic has been seen by 35 million cinemagoers, placing it top of a poll by the British Film Institute of best-selling movies, from the early "talkies" to modern-day blockbusters.

Young Boys Orphaned in Road Crash

TWO young boys from Argyll have been left orphans after their mother died in a road accident. Robbie Crawford, eight, and his brother Alastair, six, survived the accident last Monday when the car they were in was in collision with a van on the Lochgilphead road on the outskirts of Oban, but their mother Louise, 40, was killed.

Scott Library Gives Up Rare (Pounds) 500,000 Book

ONE of the world's rarest books, valued at (pounds) 500,000, has been discovered in the library of Scotland's greatest literary figure. The lost medieval manuscript had lain undisturbed for almost 200 years under a plain leather cover at Abbotsford House, on the banks of the River Tweed in the Borders.

Mandelson Coup Claims Dismissed

Headteacher 'Attacked by Boy of Eight'; Woman Is Treated in Hospital for Back Injuries

AN eight-year-old boy is at the centre of an investigation after allegedly attacking a teacher at a Glasgow primary school. The pupil is alleged to have attacked Margaret Henderson, 47, headmistress at Pinewood Primary in Drumchapel, last week.

Gas Leak Prompts Oil Rig Evacuation

Man Killed in Knife Attack

Police Name Death Crash Motorist