The Herald

Breathe Easy

hot property Reclaim your leisure time with a home designed for outdoor living balerno offers over (pounds) 550,000 PROPERTY: Every once in a while a property comes along that captures the imagination of even the most hard-bitten estate agent. The hidden gem that is Hannafield Quarry House falls into this category: it's the sort of place you could pass within a whisker of without being aware of its existence. Tucked away within a former quarry, surrounded by trees and falling squarely into th...

Ready Steady Go

It's a familiar routine for all parents during the forthcoming summer holidays - patching up their accident-prone children's cuts and grazes. This year you can make easy work of it thanks to the new range by Seal-On. Seal-On Spray ((pounds) 5.25) contains a natural cotton derivative that absorbs blood and stops bleeding from within the wound. It forms a gel-like protective layer over the skin, so all you have to do is brush off the residue and the result is a clean and tidy wound. The spray a...

She Says She's Not an Actress. But Just Who Is Jodie Kidding?;A Model with a Successful Business, a Besotted Boyfriend and a Future in Racing: It's Some Script. In Fact, It's Too Good to Be True

It was Wallis Simpson (or was it Babe Paley? Some wealthy American stick insect, anyway) who once claimed you can never be too rich or too thin. If anyone knows how much truth there is in that assertion, it's Jodie Kidd. Too thin? As a teenager on the catwalk, Kidd was viciously (if memorably) described by Lorraine Kelly as a "sick, anorexic giraffe" and was later slated for being a poster girl for heroin chic. Ten years on she's obviously filled out a bit, but it's obvious when you meet her ...

Daddy Cool

What's it like to have a famous dad? To mark Father's Day tomorrow we asked five kids to draw their dads and say exactly why they are so special. Compiled by Michelle Crawley George Bowie by Ross, aged 8 Ross Bowie is the eldest son of Clyde 1 breakfast show DJ George Bowie "My dad works on the radio. He puts on songs and tells jokes and donkey stories. I like listening to him," says Ross. "I've drawn a cartoon of him. It doesn't look exactly like him but it's close. The best bits are the hea...

Living in a Box; What Could Be Lovelier Than a Tailor-Made Gift Case Full of Happy Memories? Susan Swarbrick Meets the Designer Who Dreamed Up the Perfect Present

For Jeannine Saba, it all started when she made her father cry. Not intentionally, she would like to emphasise: but fully fledged, big wet tears nonetheless. Never mind that it was his birthday or in front of the rest of the family, or that in the end her mother and younger brother cried too. "I had searched everywhere for a birthday present for my father, but I couldn't find anything that was just right," she explains. "So I decided to make him a book instead.

Life Lines; Coming Close to Death Worked Wonders for Her Career. Now Emma Laird has a Whole New Zest for Living

Of all the things that might spur you into starting your own business, you'd think skiing off a cliff would be pretty far down the list. But it worked for Emma Laird. At least, it did once the 25- year-old from Forfar was back in working order herself. To be fair, Laird was always a budding businesswoman. She is, after all, a graduate in management studies from the University of Aberdeen. But it took her skiing misfortune to make her, ahem, take the plunge and open up a caravan site just outs...

She Awakens Each Day to Squalor, Gang War, Drugs and Corruption.; All She has Left Is Hope; Life Can Be Nasty, Brutish and Short If You're a Child in Colombia

Out of the gloom it's just possible to pick out what looks like piles of rubbish dumped in a shop doorway. It is 3.30am in Colombia's second city and, as the street lights grapple with the equatorial night, one of the piles appears to move. From beneath pieces of filthy cloth, old curtains and shredded patchwork, a bare foot sticks out incongruously. Slowly and cautiously, the faces of ten children appear, all dirty, most etched with scars. Seconds after waking, each child reaches automatical...

Housing Switch Could Give Highlands 1000 Homes

COUNCILLORS are being urged to tackle the acute housing shortage in the Highlands by transferring ownership of its 15,000 council houses to a housing association. The money raised and saved through stock transfer would double investment over the next five years to provide more than 1000 affordable homes, according to a report going before a full council meeting next week. It is less than three years since the council last rejected plans to transfer its housing stock.

Maori Heads Are Returning to Homeland; City Council Agrees to Repatriate Artefacts

AFTER more than a century in the hands of Scottish collectors and museums, three preserved Maori heads are to be returned to their homeland. The Toi Moko, as the tattooed heads are known, date from the nineteenth century and could be given a traditional burial if Maori curators can link them with specific tribes.

Stars Say Goodbye to 'Genius of Soul'; Thousand Pay Their Respects As Ray Charles Is Laid to Rest

A WHO'S Who of American entertainment, including Clint Eastwood, Little Richard and Stevie Wonder, gathered in Los Angeles yesterday for the funeral of Ray Charles, after thousands of fans filed past his open coffin to pay their last respects. BB King, Willie Nelson, Glen Campbell, Wynton Marsalis, actress Cicely Tyson and Billy Preston were among the blues, country, jazz and soul stars to perform for the singer known as the "Genius of Soul" who died last week, aged 73.

History in the Making with New Constitution for 25-Nation Union : Background

EUROPE'S historic new constitutional treaty distils more than 50 years of European rule-making and a total of seven treaties into one 300-page rule book for the new 25-nation Union. The document, brokered by Bertie Ahern, the Irish prime minister, now has to run the gauntlet of national parliament ratification in all member states and referendums in at least six countries, including Britain, all of which must approve it before it can become the EU "bible". If it is finally endorsed, the "trea...

Blair's Battle to Hold the 'Red Lines'

IT took two full days of summitry, but Tony Blair signed up to a new European constitution in Brussels last night with Britain's "red lines" intact. Tortuous disputes with Jacques Chirac, the French president, and other leaders marked the hours of protracted negotiations before the prime minister could eventually fly back to London with his stance on tax, voting rights, and the charter on fundamental rights all securely protected.

Climbers Oppose Warning Signs On Mountains As Height of Nonsense

CLIMBERS on the slopes of Ben Nevis and other Scottish mountains could soon be faced with fatuous reminders such as "Beware of heights" and "Danger: ice ahead". The idea of safety notices started in Brussels under EU Directive 2001/4EC, aka the Work at Height Regulations.

Mcconnell: The Highlands and Islands' Economy Is an Inspiration

THE social and economic renaissance of the Highlands and Islands may herald a similar rise in fortunes in the rest of Scotland, according to the first minister. Jack McConnell travelled to and from Skye by ferry yesterday to give the annual Sabhal Mor Lecture at Skye's Gaelic college. He avoided paying the tolls on the bridge, and mentioned them in his lecture.

Msps Tell Ministers to Scrap the Easy Targets

Ministers are being urged to scrap meaningless targets by a powerful committee of MSPs. Holyrood's finance committee said some of the Scottish Executive's targets appeared to have been chosen simply because they were easily achievable or easily measurable.

Fife Suffers 30% Rise in Race Attacks

THERE was a 30% rise in reported racial incidents in Fife last year. Police said the increase may have been prompted by international events, and Fife community safety committee be-lieved it was also partly due to increased willingness of people to come forward.

Mcaveety has 'Full Support' of First Minister; Mcconnell Backs Arts Minister Amid Scottish Opera Fiasco

FRANK McAveety, the beleaguered arts minister, last night received what many football managers have long regarded as an effective death sentence - a vote of full confidence from his boss. The statement from Jack McConnell's official spokes-woman - "The first minister has full confidence in his minister for culture" - was possibly not what he wanted to hear after a week in which Mr McAveety was condemned by a sheriff, and the Scottish Opera crisis came to a head with the sacking of the chorus.

Gambling Giant Wins Go-Ahead for Casino; (Pounds) 40m Project to Bring 200 Jobs to Clyde Development

GLASGOW took another step towards becoming a mini Las Vegas yesterday when a major international gambling company was given a licence to open a casino on the Clyde. London Clubs International (LCI), which operates casinos in London and abroad - including Las Vegas - claimed its (pounds) 8m development at Springfield Quay would be Scotland's most prestigious casino, and would create 200 jobs.

Glencoe Owners Looking to Ski Resort's New Future As Year-Round Activity Destination

TWO Glasgow businessmen are preparing to turn the Glencoe ski resort into a year-round outdoor pursuits centre after taking control of the operation. The new company, Glencoe Mountain Resort, will follow in the footsteps of Cairngorm and Aonach Mor in developing summer facilities to support Scotland's increasingly precarious ski season.

New Forth Bridge Will Ease Congestion . . . At a Cost of (Pounds) 1bn

A NEW crossing for the Firth of Forth could cost more than (pounds) 1bn and take nine years to complete under fresh plans to relieve traffic congestion across central and eastern Scotland. Detailed costings put the bill for a new bridge in the range of (pounds) 500m - for a structure with no rail facility - to more than (pounds) 1bn including provision for trains. The costings include provision for terror attacks.