Police Scotland officers in Dumfries are appealing for witnesses after three women had their purses or handbags stolen in different supermarkets in the town on the morning of Saturday 14 April 2018.
Sometime between 10am and 11am on Saturday morning a 79 year old woman shopping in the Aldi supermarket in Annan Road had her purse stolen, a 67 year old woman shopping in Morrisons on Brooms Road had her purse stolen and an 88 year old woman who was shopping in Tesco on Glasgow Road all had her handbag and purse stolen.
Constable Sonya Johnson at Dumfries said “it does appear that these women were targeted in these thefts. Cash and personal banking cards, mobile phones and other personal items were all taken in the thefts. We are reviewing CCTV footage from the store in an effort to identify those responsible. At this stage the only description we have is that of a male in the Morrisons store, who bumped into the victim around the time of the theft. He is described as being in his early 30s, tall and thin and of a Mediterranean appearance, well tanned with dark hair. He was wearing a black jacket and light coloured jeans. We are keen to hear from anyone who may have been in any of these stores on Saturday morning and who may have seen or heard anything suspicious. Callers can contact police at Dumfries on the 101 number quoting the reference PDG0076610418.
“We are also reminding the public about taking care of their valuables in general when out and about shopping. Often it is all to easily to get distracted with the actual shopping, and not on what is going on around us, particularly in some of our larger and busier stores.”
Police in Dumfries are investigating after car parts were stolen from vehicles parked at Lookers VW Garage on Annan Road in the town.
Around 11pm on Friday 13th April 2018, those responsible have stolen four wheels from a White VW Golf, four wheels from a grey VW Golf and the front grill and lights from a VW Golf GTI
Constable Christopher Reid, based in Dumfries said “The wheels stolen are all upgraded wheels worth over £9,000 and it will cost over £3,500 to replace the grill and headlights of the GTI. I am keen to speak to the occupants of a black VW Golf GTD seen in the area around that time. If anyone happened to be driving past the garage between 11pm and midnight on the 13th I would ask them to check their dashcams to see if they may have captured any details of the black Golf. Anyone that can help should contact Police on 101 and quote incident PS-20180414-1108
Stewartry Rugby Clubs P4/5 Sharks squad- travelled to Scotstoun Stadium, home of the Glasgow Warriors on Friday night to take part in a pre-match Warriors v Connacht – festival playing GHK, Greenock and Moffat.
Susan Hind told DGWGO Sporets News “The kids played brilliantly, three of our players were playing contact for the first time. Stewartry and Greenock performed the guard of honour on the main pitch welcoming on Warriors and the Connacht teams.”
Glasgow Warriors went on to beat Connacht 35-22 you can read the full match report HERE
Scotland’s biggest creative community displays talent from all over every part of the country for Kirkcudbright Galleries opening
Wasps, Scotland’s largest creative community, is marking the end of its 40th anniversary year with an exhibition by its art studio tenants from Orkney to the Borders.
40/40 Vision, which features work produced at 16 Wasps galleries and artists’ residencies, will also be the inaugural temporary exhibition at the £3.2 million Kirkcudbright Galleries, which opens on 9 June.
The event comes at a time of rapid growth for Wasps with the recent £1.2m first phase of a creative hub in Inverness underway and a major project starting in Perth.
By the end of 2018 Wasps hopes to be providing good-quality studios, workshops, offices and other facilities for 1,000 creative people – up from around 800 now.
The Kirkcudbright exhibition is being curated by Ian and Claire Cameron-Smith who were among the first to take space in the town’s thriving Wasps studio complex which opened eight years ago.
Ian Cameron-Smith – Image from spring fling
Ian, a visual artist and furniture maker, said: “The exhibition will have a very contemporary feel; it will be bright, bold and exciting. There will be pieces by artists of many different disciplines and from Wasps studios all over the country so it will be a real insight into contemporary Scottish art.
“It’s a huge honour to have been invited to organise the first ever temporary exhibition at the new Kirkcudbright Galleries – and a bit daunting too.” The exhibition was being planned while the galleries were still being created so Claire created a scale model of the interior so they could work out what should go where. Their task was made even tougher by the quality of the applications. “As it was to celebrate Wasps’ 40th birthday the original idea was to have work from 40 artists. But the number and quality of applications was so tremendous we couldn’t whittle it down that far and have ended up with between one and four pieces each from around 60 artists,” said Ian.
The exhibition will include paintings, drawings, original prints, willow work, freestanding sculpture, digital art, jewellery, ceramics, furniture and more. It aims to highlight the value of providing centres where creative people can work, mix and build their businesses, something that can be especially hard to find in rural areas.
Ian said: “Before Wasps came to Kirkcudbright our residents had to work from their homes, or sheds or garages. The difference is just night and day. It’s everything Wasps is supposed to be – light, clean, affordable and pleasant places to work.
“The building is just great, it’s brought together a really broad selection of practices in one place. It’s been a huge step forward.”
The new Kirkcudbright Galleries is of national significance and will provide a permanent home for the magnificent Kirkcudbright Artists’ Collection which includes works by the likes of John Faed, Edward Atkinson Hornel, Jessie Marion King, Samuel John Peploe and Robert Sivell. It will also host temporary and visiting exhibitions.
Among the pieces at the exhibition will be Crossing Point, a large collage by Janie Nicoll from the Wasps centre at South Block in Glasgow. Photographs were taken of the work, (which incorporates imagery and text from old newspapers in a reworking of an old map with a Saltire superimposed on the contours) to be used in a “four winds” bus shelter in Bhaltos Glen, Loch Miavaig, Uig, on Lewis (see below).
Among the pieces at the exhibition will be Crossing Point, by Janie Nicoll from Wasps studios at South Block in Glasgow. She is exhibiting a large collage work, originally commissioned for a “four winds” bus shelter located at Bhaltos Glen, Loch Miavaig, Uig, on Lewis (see below) which incorporates imagery and text from newspapers in a reworking of a map of the area, and a Saltire.).
Janie said: “Kirkcudbright has such a strong artistic tradition so it’s great to have an opportunity like this, especially as the original collage has never been exhibited before. I like the idea of having work from all across the country because while there are a lot of individual studio complexes, Wasps has a national perspective.”
Like many others Janie was attracted to Wasps because it offers affordable space and a sense of being part of a creative community.
She said: “In South Block you are surrounded by all sorts of creative people – artists, designers, architects which gives it a really lively vibe. Having a studio at Wasps also gives you opportunities to show your work through things like open studios events and ties you in to a wider creative network.”
Audrey Carlin, Wasps Chief Executive Officer, said: “The exhibition is a great way to mark the end of a 40th year which has seen so much progress and in which we have laid the foundations for an even more ambitious and vibrant future. “There is so much creative talent in our studios in every part of Scotland. So it is very fitting that the exhibition is being staged at a new gallery of national importance in a Kirkcudbright where we have a thriving studio complex that is helping uphold the town’s great artistic traditions.”
“Flying Scotsman” from Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway makes early impression in title quest
Ross Wylie has got his BritCar Sprint Series title quest off to a flying start. The 26-year-old from Thornhill near Dumfries posted brilliant second and third places in the opening two races at Rockingham, Northamptonshire, last Saturday (14 Apr).
It was a stunning début for reigning BritCar Endurance Champion Wylie who was racing for the FFCorse team and sharing its Ferrari 458 GT3 with David Mason for the first time.
Wylie was in scintillating form from the off, securing pole-position by over a second, and stormed off into the lead, handing the Ferrari over to amateur racer Mason with a healthy 25-seconds lead advantage in the 50-minute race. But Mason was delayed rejoining the race when the London businessman had an issue selecting first gear and eventually finished second.
Ross began the 50-minute second race from the front row but swept majestically to the front of the field in the early stages and duly stretched his lead out impressively to over one minute before pitting to Mason. Unfortunately, a small technical issue caused a 20-seconds delay at the pit-stop but Mason nevertheless resumed still leading the Sprint category.
But in the closing stages, Mason slipped to second and then cruelly dropped to third on the final lap of the race. The next races are staged at Silverstone on 12 May.
Ross Wylie (GB): Age 26. Born & Lives Thornhill nr Dumfries, Scotland:
“It was great to start the new season with a double podium for David and I. I really enjoyed working with the guys at FF Corse, an ultra-professional outfit and everyone gelled well. The 458 GT3 was a real joy to drive as always, particularly in qualifying where you can just give it everything. We had a couple of small hick-ups in both of our pits-stops which cost us some vital time but that is something we can all work on moving forwards for the rest of the season.”
Police Scotland is warning the public to be alert for counterfeit Bank of Ireland £50 notes.
The fake cash is mainly being used in Dumfries and Galloway, The Borders, Stirling and Tayside.
Detective Inspector Iain McPhail said: “Suspects are using both an old style £50 note which is green in colour and the newer note which is purple. Shops should only be accepting the newer purple note.
“If anyone is presented with a green old style £50 note they should be declined and the customer informed to take them to their local bank.
“All genuine new style purple Sterling notes feature a watermark, a hologram that changes, a series of dashes which become a solid line when held up to light and has the name of the Bank in raised print. Each note has an individual serial number.
“Please ensure all notes are robustly examined to establish their authenticity.”
If anyone suspects they’re being presented with a fake note they should decline it and consider contacting Police Scotland via 101.
At around 07:10am this morning Sunday, 15 April 2018, the A75 Newton Stewart – Glenluce (A747) at Halfway House Kirkcowan was closed to to an HGV vehicle overturning and blocking both sides of the road.
Emergency services quickly arrived on the scene to deal with the situation. The driver allegedly had two passengers onboard one of which was possibly a child. There are no reports of any one being seriously injured, and no other vehicles were involved in the incident.
Police have put a diversion in place –
Eastbound. Closure of A75 at Glenluce Bypass (A747) – take right onto A747 and continue to Port William – continue straight ahead 1st exit at roundabout onto B7085 Main Street and High Street – continue to junction with A714 – take left onto A714 and continue through Bladnoch and Wigtown to junction with A75 at Newton Stewart. Distance: 29.7 miles.
Westbound, Commence diversion on A75 at Newton Stewart Roundabout (A714) – leave taking left onto A714 – continue to Wigtown on A714 – travel through Wigtown to Bladnoch – remain on A714 – at junction with B7085 take right onto B7085 – continue to Port William – at Main Street continue through roundabout onto A747 – continue on A747 to Glenluce Bypass to rejoin A75.
Fire and Rescue arrived on the scene to deal with any fuel spillage. The road will remain closed during the clean up operation. We will post any updates we receive on the DGWGO facebook page HERE you can find out more on the Traffic Scotland website HERE.
A unique new book showcasing the country’s stunning scenery, diverse settlements and historic sites will teach readers how to understand and appreciate the presence of Scotland’s past within the modern landscape.
A History of Scotland’s Landscapes is the most comprehensive work to date on Scotland’s remarkable landscape history. Aimed at a general audience, the book contains hundreds of historic, landscape and aerial photographs, maps and rich artworks alongside an engaging narrative.
Written by medieval historian and broadcaster Dr Fiona Watson, and Historic Environment Scotland archaeologist Piers Dixon, the book offers an entirely new guide to Scotland by deciphering the shapes and patterns of its surroundings from the earliest times up to the present day.
The book draws on the results of an unprecedented 18-year project carried out by Historic Environment Scotland: the Historic Land-Use Assessment (HLA). The landmark study mapped present land-use activities – everything from industrial farming to ski areas – alongside past activities, such as charcoal burning and prehistoric agriculture and settlement, to show how the traces of history have survived today and can still be found all around.
A History of Scotland’s Landscapes explores how landscape features developed and are continuing to evolve, and the ways in which land-use influenced the distinct characters of Scotland’s regions. Through the book, readers will be able to identify the features of the past that may be present when they walk out their front door: from knowing what a ‘cruive’, ‘hagg’ or ‘henge’ is, to how to spot ‘lazy beds’ or ‘runrigs’ – words once used every day but are slowly slipping from modern vocabularies.
Dr Watson said: “The book’s main purpose is to explore how to ‘read’ a landscape; how to notice, even in passing, the depths of the past all around us.
“It is intended to be a celebration of what remains of the nation’s historic landscapes and the work that has gone into revealing them.
“Thanks to the latest research that forms this book, we have a good idea of not only just how much remains, but also the extent to which the activities of our predecessors have shaped, and still shape, the places we live and work in today, even in the depths of our biggest cities.”
Mr Dixon said: “We hope our book shows how the activities of our ancestors still fundamentally influence our modern world.
“Now we can see for the first time just how extensive the traces of prehistoric, Roman and medieval landscapes are in Scotland: from the surviving remnants of forts and settlements, to the first roads and deep marks left by millennia-old ploughing to farm fields.
“We have also been able to highlight important findings from the HLA study to provide insight on land-use today. We can see, for instance, that while the majority of people live in just 1.4 per cent of Scotland’s land, forestry takes 15 per cent, fields and farms take up 23 per cent, and ‘rough grazing’ – areas that are too poor in quality for anything other than grazing sheep, deer or cattle – makes up a remarkable 51 per cent of the country.”
A History of Scotland’s Landscapes is published by Historic Environment Scotland and is available now from all good booksellers. A launch event will be held at Golden Hare Books in Edinburgh on Wednesday 18 April. For more information about the event, visit: https://goldenharebooks.com/event/history-scotlands-landscapes-book-launch/
Dumfries Historic Buildings Trust announced earlier this week that they have managed to purchase the derelict Rosefield Mills situated on the side of the River Nith in the town. The sale was completed on Thursday 29th March 2018.
A spokesperson for the trust said “The Trust would like to thank the people of Dumfries and beyond, the volunteers of the Rosefield Mills Project Working Group, Dumfries & Galloway Council and everyone involved in supporting the project so far.
This is only the beginning of an exciting journey and opportunity for the creation of something special, attractive, accessible and of significant benefit to the community of Dumfries and the region.
We offer a Big Thank You for the overwhelming support to help reach this pivotal point in the project! The next stage will be the testing of options for the use of the building, and producing an Options Appraisal Report and Outline Business Plan to support funding applications to take the project into the Development Stage.”
They Continued “Please keep following us for updates on progress. You can continue to support us by raising public awareness and through donations to support the Trust and the Rosefield Mills Project.”
WOMAN ON FIRE is an original play that will take you into the fiery heart of one of the most dangerous women, in history. Ruthless terrorist or impassioned freedom fighter? This original, dynamic solo-performance is coming to The Swallow Theatre, Whithorn, Dumfries and Galloway in April.
2018 is the centenary year of the UK’s Representation of the People Act 1918, which gave SOME women the vote for the first time – women over the age of 30 who met a property qualification to vote. Women had to wait until 1928 to achieve the same voting rights as men. This year Woman On Fire will take you back in time to experience one suffragette’s fiery journey fighting for women’s right to vote.
Presented by award-winning company Certain Curtain Theatre, ‘WOMAN ON FIRE’ recounts the turbulent life and times of Mrs Edith Rigby – mild-mannered doctor’s wife, with a secret identity – that of arsonist, bomber and jujitsu-trained militant suffragette. Jailed six times she went on hunger strike to the point of starvation. Released, she went toe-to-toe in ferocious pitched battles with the police. Written and directed by John Woudberg and performed by Claire Moore (Lady In Red) the play presents both sides of this eccentric woman.
“The story of Edith Rigby remains largely unsung,” Says Claire, “She is best known for burning down Lord Leverhulme’s house in Rivington – But she was a woman of ‘firsts.’ She was the first woman, in Preston, to ride a bicycle – in bloomers! She founded one of the first branches of ‘The Women’s Social and Political Union’ and devoted her life to improving the lives of girls and women. She was shunned by neighbours but her fiery spirit was not easily dampened. Her story and the wider suffragette struggle is one worth sharing and I hope audiences agree.”
“I wanted to tell the story of the UK Suffrage cause through an unsung Suffragette’s eyes – to take the audience on her journey and let them ask themselves how far they might go for something they believe in?’ Says writer John ‘It’s a story that takes us from Preston to Manchester, London to Glasgow. We are also having an optional after-show discussion – so it will be wonderful to hear directly from our audiences on the night’
Venue: The Swallow Theatre, Whithorn
Date: 27th April
Time: 7.30pm (75mins plus optional aftershow discussion with the writer and performer)
Ross Wylie has got his BritCar Sprint Series title quest off to a flying start. The 26-year-old from Thornhill near Dumfries posted brilliant second and third places in the opening two races at Rockingham, Northamptonshire, last Saturday (14 Apr).
