What we learned this week….
IT WAS like a scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds – and it proved there’s only going to be one winner when an Aberdeen gull decides to lock horns with a drone.
Local resident Natalie Hood was determined to make the most of a stunning sunset and film Aberdeen’s skyline using the £800 device, but mayhem ensued with the drone crash landing in Torry.
She said: “I noticed a group [of birds] and the next thing I saw was a vicious gull had attacked my drone. It was not an accidental collision – it had deliberately targeted it.”
It’s proof that gulls don’t just want to have fun. They aim to rule the skies.
Medal honour for veteran
A BLACK Watch veteran who fought in one of the Korean War’s pivotal battles has received an Ambassador for Peace medal in honour of his service 70 years on.
In 1953, Andrew Glassford, of Glasgow, fought in the Third Battle of the Hook between British and other UN troops against the predominantly Chinese attacking forces as the war neared an end. Seven decades on, the 92-year-old was surprised by his son, Paul, and grandchildren, with the honour and described it as “very special”.
PLANS were revealed for a celebratory weekend as Aberdeen FC’s Gothenburg Greats get ready to receive the Freedom of the City this spring.
The legends of the 1983 European Cup-Winners Cup victory over Real Madrid will be honoured during three days of tribute with a gala dinner on May 11 – 40 years to the day of their success in Sweden – as the prelude to a special ticketed event at Pittodrie, followed by a guaranteed post-split home game after consultation with the SPFL.
TRAFFIC wardens rarely attract positive comment, but a Scottish local authority has gone to extremes in deciding it will not fill the post left by the retirement of the region’s only warden. Miranda Macdonald vacated the role last year and the Western Isles Council, which is faced with a £6m “black hole” in its budget, has eventually reached the conclusion that not replacing her will be….just the ticket.
No bank holiday for coronation
SHETLAND’S council workers discovered they will not be granted an extra bank holiday on the Monday after King Charles’s coronation.
The event is taking place on Saturday May 6, with an additional bank holiday scheduled on May 8, but members of Shetland Islands Council’s policy and resources committee were unanimous in their decision that staff would continue working as normal.
They raised concerns about the prospect of schools closing at a time when learning has already been severely disrupted by teacher strikes.
THE STAR of the controversially scrapped Batgirl movie said the production had faced “obstacles” while the cast and crew were trying to create cinematic magic in Glasgow.
American actress, Leslie Grace, admitted in an interview with US trade publication Variety that the troubled project was not short of problems and added: “Half of the shoot was night shoots in Scotland where it never stopped raining”.
Maybe, if they had filmed it in Aberdeen, the sun would have shone on Warner Bros.
A YOUNG Fort William woman has become the ninth recipient of a prestigious accolade for her unstinting dedication to the great outdoors.
Steph McKenna, 22, has been volunteering in various roles in Lochaber to enhance her skill set, while teaching others about the surrounding mountains. And now, for her efforts, she has been awarded the Scottish youth award for excellence in mountain culture by the Fort William Mountain Festival.
Creme Egg theft was no yolk
IT WASN’T eggxactly the crime of the century, but a thief is facing jail after admitting he stole almost 200,000 Cadbury Creme Eggs in a heist worth more than £31,000.
Joby Pool, 32, who was dubbed “the Easter bunny” by police, used a stolen lorry cab to make off with the gooey chocolate items after breaking into a Telford industrial unit with a metal grinder. But his crackpot scheme was soon rumbled.
He has been told to expect a custodial sentence when he’s back in court next month.
HIT band S Club 7 announced they were reuniting for a UK and Ireland tour later this year, to mark their 25th anniversary.
The group wowed many fans with a string of cheesy, but best-selling singles including their 1999 debut Bring It All Back, as well as Reach and Don’t Stop Movin’.
All seven original members, including solo star Rachel Stevens and actress Hannah Spearritt, will hit the road again together for the first time since 2015.
A SCHOOL janitor has locked up for the final time after 48 years of service to pupils and staff across Aberdeen.
Tears filled John Mackland’s eyes as he stepped into the assembly hall at Kittybrewster Primary School to the sound of applause on his last day of work. Dozens of pupils, teachers and parents shouted “hip hip hooray” in honour of his long career.
They had gathered to give “the world’s best janitor” an emotional send-off.
Have a happy retirement, John.
