Home News Five things you need to know today

Five things you need to know today

July 15, 2013 11:45 am

MSP demands local food – Burntisland Games today – At Holyrood Park this weekend – Important artworks to be sold in Edinburgh – Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Research by Alison Johnstone, Green MSP for Lothian, shows none of the chicken being served in schools in the region is Scottish, with much of it coming from Holland and Thailand.

Using FoI (Freedom of Information) requests the Green MSP asked East Lothian, Midlothian, West Lothian and Edinburgh City about the sourcing of chicken for school meals, after the Scottish Government said it did not keep track of such information.

All the Lothian councils use chicken from elsewhere in the UK, along with a product from Thailand. All of them, except East Lothian, use a product from Holland, and Edinburgh also uses chicken from Brazil and Poland.

None of the UK chicken sourced by these councils is free range; it is all indoor reared.

By contrast councils such as Stirling source 90 per cent of their chicken from Scotland. Stirling is involved in the Soil Association’s Food for Life scheme, which sets standards for sourcing food locally.

Green MSPs are looking at opportunities in the forthcoming Procurement Reform Bill to increase the incentives for buying Scottish produce.

Alison Johnstone, Green MSP for Lothian and food spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, said:-

“There shouldn’t be so much of a divide between the pioneer councils and the food laggards when it comes to something as important as our children’s meals. I have longstanding concerns about imported meat and there’s got to be a better way than flying chicken nuggets from Thailand.

“I commend the Food for Life scheme and in light of the horsemeat scandal I feel it is the sort of scheme all public bodies should be adopting with some urgency. We must aim for local, high quality food on our children’s plates as the norm. The Government’s Procurement Bill should be a chance to set some new standards to achieve that aim.

“Councils are under pressure to award contracts on cost rather than make choices that would have positive impacts for the local economy and animal welfare. The Scottish Government’s food policy is too focused on exporting whisky and salmon and needs to do more to get local food used in meals bought with public money.”

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Today the Highland Games are taking place in Burntisland. A short trip in the train from Waverley and you will find all manner of strong men and dancing going on.

More information on the VisitScotland website here.

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You are invited to Holyrood Park on 21 July 2013 to take a step back in time by taking part in a fun-filled day of ancient royal sports and outdoor pursuits.

The event is free and takes place from 12 noon until 4:00 pm. McCabe, Interpretation Ranger at Historic Scotland said: “Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the long heritage of these activities and their links to the rich past of Holyrood Park, together with its importance as a royal hunting ground.

“Come and find out about some fascinating traditional outdoor activities which are less common today, for example you can come along and try your hand at archery, a favoured sport of kings and commoners through the ages.

“Falconry was another great pastime of centuries past and we’ll have a variety of magnificent birds of prey here for people to get right up close to. And if ground conditions permit, we will also be hosting a display of artificial lure coursing with whippets. Queen Elizabeth I formalised the rules of this sport which, as a result, is historically known as ‘The Sport of Queens’.

“This is the fifth year we’ve been running this event which is always a popular and entertaining day out. If people haven’t come to Holyrood Park before, why not come along on Sunday – it’s a great way of being introduced to the Park and try something different.”

For more information people should contact the Ranger Service on 0131 652 8150, or by email aths.rangers@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

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An important and comprehensive collection of Scottish Art amassed over 20 years by a private collector in Canada is to be sold in Edinburgh at Bonhams Scottish Sale on 12 September 2013. It is expected to fetch as much as £2 million.

All the major names in modern Scottish painting are represented in the collection which is over 40 pictures strong. The star lot is Cassis, the White Villa, by Francis Cadell which is estimated at £150,000- £200,000. Cadell and his fellow Colourists spent many years in France and provide the most direct link between British art and the revolutionary artistic developments on the Continent in the early 1900s. Other works with a French connection include, Bather Cap d’Antibes by J D Fergusson (est £100,000-150,000) and Samuel Peploe’s Paris Plage (est £80,000-120,000) and Luxembourg Gardens (£70,000-100,000).

The collection reflects the full range and quality of modern Scottish art with fine examples by artists as significant as William McTaggart, George Henry, Arthur Melville, Samuel Peploe, Francis Cadell, Anne Redpath and Joan Eardley whose Glasgow Boy is an exceptional example of her work. The Glasgow School is represented by a particularly fine full-length portrait by Henry, in the Whistlerian style, and a sparkling view of a Spanish bullring by Melville which could fetch £80,000.

The collection will be previewed in New York, Paris and London before returning to Scotland to be sold.

Head of Scottish Pictures at Bonhams, Edinburgh, Chris Brickley comments:

“This is one of the most rounded collections I have seen in many years, rich in quality and put together with great love and attention. I’m sure our buyers will jump at the chance to view it when the pictures come home, and fully expect to convert some new enthusiasts to Scottish art along the way. Many of these works have a real universal appeal.”

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The box office for the Fringe is open on the High Street from today onwards. The opening hours are 10:00am to 6:00pm.

An estimated 24,107 performers will take to the stage in Fringe 2013. There are 713 free shows, 1,585 world premieres and 41 different countries represented.

What are you going to see?

Would you like to write a review for us? Then use our Submit your Story feature and send us your views on the shows when they get going from 2 August.