Primary Schools War Memorial Competition Winners 2014

 

Dumfries Primary School Wins Royal British legion war memorial Competition

The Royal British Legion Scotland was so impressed with the entries they  received from schools across Scotland into our Primary Schools War Memorial Competition which was organised as part of the Voices of Veterans Campaign. The level of all entries was exceptional and they had a hard time even trying to arrive at 4 regional finalists which were announced the week beginning the 17th March 2014.

 

The prize is a tour and overnight stay for pupils from both schools on board original Royal Navy War Ship and floating war museum, HMS Belfast, in London. They will also present their research to veterans at the Royal British Legion Scotland Annual Conference.

 

Children from St Andrews Primary School Dumfries

As the standard of the entries was so high the judges  decided to pick joint winners, so a huge congratulations to: St Andrews Primary school Dumfries and Fair Isle Primary School .

 

Kevin Gray, CEO of the Royal British Legion Scotland said:

“The films made by Fair Isle Primary and St Andrews Primary showed how much they had engaged with their history and war memorial heritage through the stories of real people. Well done to both for their achievements.”

Minister for Transport and Veterans, Keith Brown who helped judge the competition said:

“The quality of the entries is very strong and shows the great creativity and imagination of the children. With more than 70 entries to choose from it was clear to see that young people have a thirst for knowledge about our history. Innovative competitions like this are an excellent way of teaching children about World War One.  The competition made such an impression that the Scottish Government is meeting the costs of providing a second top prize to the winners.”

 

St Andrews Primary pupils produced a film featuring pupils in character as local soldiers whose stories they uncovered during their research. One local story uncovered was that of Norman MacWhinney from Caerlaverock, a Sergeant Major who was decorated with the Military Medal for his bravery. His platoon was near the river Aisne in France when he was hit by a German shell. He died in battle.
As well as online research and the roll calls on the walls of the memorial inside the chapel itself the pupils from St Andrews also got information from the ‘blue books’ records of service stored in the Chapel.

St Andrews Primary School teacher Joanne Aitken said, “The children have been so enthused by this project. It’s the first time they have learned about World War One. It was their idea at first to shoot the film as if they were in the trenches. Then the pupils decided they wanted to act in the film and get into the character of soldiers they learned about.”
She added, “I think all the pupils now have a global understanding what happened during World War One. The competition really brought it home to them. I think it gave them a chance to get a real breadth of learning, from how the War started to the experiences of life in the trenches.”

Thank you again to all schools who entered and for the effort put into the competition.

 

All Info for this article was Shared with full permission from the Royal British Legion Scotland

 

The Buccleuch & Queensberry Arms Welcomes the World

Dumfries and Galloway Hotel Opens its Doors for Launch Weekend after Extensive Refurbishment

 

April 2014

 

Zoe Bestell entertains guest in the restuarant

 

Over 80 people attended a champagne reception to mark the occasion, accompanied by music from the Almeida trio and followed by a tour of the stunning Queensberry estate which covers more than 100,000 acres of the surrounding area.

 

Working closely with local suppliers, businesses and Visit Scotland, the family behind the hotel’s refurbishment is working hard to spread the word about the region’s scenery, abundant wildlife and host of unique outdoor activities to visitors across the UK.

 

Hotel owner, Dolf Sweerts de Landas, said: “We first visited Dumfries and Galloway 15 years ago and were so overwhelmed by its beauty that we found it very difficult to leave! Our vision for the hotel was not only to bring new visitors to the area, but to provide a hub for the local community so it’s very satisfying to see everyone enjoying the results of our hard work.

 

Sophie, Dolf and Caroline Sweerts de Landas, Richard Scott 10th Duke of Buccleuch and Arthur Sweerts de Landas

 

Paula McDonald, Regional Director of VisitScotland, said: “We welcome the re-opening of the Buccleuch and Queensberry Arms Hotel in Thornhill which is a fantastic asset to Dumfries & Galloway.

 

“Investing in tourism is an investment into Scotland’s future and this quality accommodation is second to none in terms of service and style offering visitors an exceptional tourism experience. I’d like to wish them every success in their venture and I’m thrilled this additional offering to the region’s tourism product portfolio comes in what is a highly significant year for tourism in Scotland with the Commonwealth Games, Ryder Cup and Homecoming Scotland events programme all shining the international spotlight on our great country.”

 

Richard Scott, 10th Duke of Buccleuch raises a glass to the BQA Hotel

The main hotel has 10 individually designed bedrooms and 2 stunning cottage bedrooms with disabled access. There are meeting and function rooms, making the hotel a perfect venue for weddings, executive meetings or any event for business or pleasure.

Ends

ONE YEAR ON

 

As we reach the first anniversary of Police Scotland, the focus on ‘Keeping People Safe’ has never been as important to Dumfries and Galloway Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent Kate Thomson.  “The past year saw unprecedented change across Scotland when all eight legacy forces merged into Police Scotland.  However, through the significant change that such a huge reform brings, our officers and staff across the Division have kept their eye on the ball, their feet on the ground and carried on delivering what I still consider to be a first class service to the communities across the region. Where some of our processes and procedures may have changed over the past year, the way in which our people do business has fundamentally not changed.  We still consult with and listen to our communities to make sure we are tackling the problems that they tell us they have.  We still work hard with our partners to help address these issues, and to be honest, local policing continues to deliver results.  When I go about the region I do get the impression that there has been little noticeable difference for the public in our day to day dealings with them.

 

“Yes we have had a very busy start to the new service here in Dumfries and Galloway, and the Division was tested early on with some very serious crimes and incidents.  What we were able to do, under Police Scotland, was to take advantage of the national support available across Scotland to help tackle some of these issues.  Support has been given by the Major Investigation Team for some of the serious crime issues we have had to deal with.  Support was given from the force helicopter and marine and underwater unit in specialist searches for missing persons, as well as assistance from the mounted division and  mobile support units to help police some of the larger events across the area. 

 

“This is still very much a work in progress” explains the Commander.  “Year two will bring just as many challenges as we move to further transform the service.  However, I am confident that we have the right people in the right positions to keep the Division, and the force moving forward and performing to what I have heard described as ‘at a phenomenal level.’  We will continue to work hard to maintain our very strong community links.  This is the cornerstone of how we do our policing here in Dumfries and Galloway, and it fits right into Police Scotland’s plans to ‘strengthen the connection between the Service and its communities’.

 

“Listening to our communities gives us the basis for planning our priorities for the coming years.  We understand that antisocial behaviour, violence and disorder in our communities are a concern, and our plans aim to continue to address these areas as a matter of priority.  Likewise, keeping safe those who use our extensive roads network in the region is also a priority.  Our focus on domestic abuse will continue on from year one, where every reported incident of domestic abuse was thoroughly investigated.  Our approach to incidents of domestic abuse now means that victims feel much more confident about coming forward to report this type of crime.  I do think that the confidence of the public in Police Scotland is strong in Dumfries and Galloway and this is perhaps reflected through our policy of stop and search, which has gained much media attention.  Stop and search is carried out on a proactive, intelligence led basis which focuses on weapons, drugs and alcohol, and our experience in this area indicates that many of our searches prove positive.  This in turn helps to build public confidence in the manner in which we carry out the searches, the overall goal being to maintain the safety of the public and keep our communities safe.

 

“Overall, my thoughts are that whilst we have done a lot, we have a lot to do, but are definitely on the right track to keep the people in this area of Scotland as safe as they have been, and as safe as they can be.  We are not alone on this journey however and I fully acknowledge the support and assistance we continue to receive from our communities, our partners and our local elected members in all their efforts to help us keep Dumfries and Galloway as safe a place as it can be.