Latest news with #McLaughlan
Daily Record
08-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
New tourism project plan mooted for Bannockburn battlefield site
The council's leader was quizzed on the possibility of working alongside the National Trust for Scotland for developing plans for the land after trotting track proposals were rejected. Stirling Council and the National Trust for Scotland could team up for a tourism project on an area of Bannockburn recently rejected for a trotting track after Scottish Ministers said it would impact the Bannockburn battlefield. The Trust had been one of the most vocal critics of the track plans, which the harness racing community argued were their last hope of safeguarding the sport in Scotland. But at a recent full meeting of Stirling Council, SNP councillor Gerry McLaughlan asked the council's leader, Labour's Cllr Gerry McGarvey about the possibility of the local authority entering into a joint venture with NTS in the area. 'With the recent decision by the Scottish Government to reject the planning application for a trotting track to be built on the fields immediately adjacent to the Heritage Centre,' said Cllr McLaughlan, 'this now presents an opportunity for an initiative to boost tourism in the area. 'Will the council leader encourage officers to discuss with the Trust the possibility of a joint venture for the use of the land that the application was based on?' Cllr McGarvey said he was happy for officers to enter into discussions about the future of the field with the Trust but warned that the sensitivities of the site would have to be taken into account. 'Following the decision of the Scottish Government Ministers and the [Scottish Government appeals] Reporter, we will need to carefully consider the future impact of any proposals in relation to the dual impact of the green belt and historic asset protection policies which is likely to make any future development in this area very restricted.' Cllr McLaughlan, however, suggested the decision could be a positive element in terms of setting parameters. 'We should note that following the guidance from the Scottish Government that we now have a very clear indication of the green belt and historic assets,' said Cllr McLaughlan. 'It's important south Stirling particularly retains green space but also that opens it up to the public. 'I've already spoken to the National Trust and to the action group that fought the original decision and opposed it and it would be good if we as a council showed a willingness to support work with the National Trust and to work with local people to open that field in particular up to some green space that people in south Stirling can use. I'd hope we can get some support from the council leader for that.' Cllr McGarvey replied: 'I'd like to assure you that we do all we can to ensure that there's a positive use of the space and we will be encouraging officers to engage with yourselves and it would be good for this area ...and for you to engage with the process in a constructive and productive way is to be commended, and I would also like to ensure that officers work alongside you in order to develop that relationship.' The trotting track plans had been recommended for conditional approval by the Scottish Government's appeals report before Ministers vetoed the move and called the application in. Harness racing experts had argued that the track application, lodged by Mr H Muirhead for land west of New Line Road and south of Fairhill Road, was vital to safeguard the future of their sport. But the proposals also attracted strong objections from those concerned about protection of the battlefield and views from the nearby Battle of Bannockburn Centre and rotunda. In their decision, Ministers said they disagreed with the reporter's findings 'that the proposed development would not have significant effects on the battlefield or listed buildings and that it accords overall with the development plan.' The Ministers added: 'The proposed development would introduce new development and urbanisation into one of the few remaining undeveloped parts of the battlefield and it would have a significant adverse effect on the character of the battlefield, its setting and sense of place.' They also said it would 'detract from the prominence of the listed buildings'. As one of the fiercest critics of the trotting plans, Scotland's largest conservation charity, the National Trust for Scotland, welcomed the decision.
Perth Now
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Nine incredible pics that show how much Perth has changed
Trends have a way of going full circle. What's old becomes new again, what is nostalgia for some, others see for the first time with wide eyed enthusiasm for the past. Now, the State Library of Western Australia is demonstrating their strong throwback game, posting photographs from their archives of Perth suburbs and iconic locations, much to the amusement of social media users. For some viewers, it will be a trip down memory lane and a chance to reminisce, for others, a glimpse into Perth's past. Here are a selection of nine photos from the libraries archive that show how far we've come as a city. Sheraton Hotel lounge bar, 1982 Credit: SLWA;Fritz Cos 'The State Library's collection is extraordinarily vast with over 700,000 photographs and we're always collecting and digitising new material, so there are certainly no concerns of running out of things to share,' Nico McLaughlan State Library of Western Australia's community awareness coordinator told PerthNow. 'We have librarians who are always interacting with fascinating collection material, conservators working on preserving some of our most fragile items, creative program officers who curate our exhibitions and many, many more,' Ms McLaughlan said. 'We have been building the account for roughly two years, and we hope to continue doing so for the foreseeable future.' Inglewood Hotel Credit: Betty Smith Crushed velvet seats, intimate booths and 80s strip lighting can be seen in the Sheraton Hotel Lounge Bar from 1982, as well as a newly refurbished Inglewood hotel. Car yards showing now vintage vehicles and even more vintage prices, demonstrating how times have changed and what had value on the roads a few decades ago. 'We love reading the comments when people share their memories associated with certain places or events. 'It's also interesting for us to see which posts resonate with our audience and when they're surprised by unexpected things we have in our collection,' Ms McLaughlan said. City Motors Perth Credit: SLWA;Stevenson, Kinder and Scott Corporate Photography Mal Brown Motors Credit: SLWA;Stevenson, Kinder and Scott Corporate Photography SLWA; Autoways Credit: Stevenson, Kinder and Scott Corporate Photography Once iconic West Australian brand Jeans West is highlighted too, with a picture of one of their first stores on Barrack Street in the Perth CBD. One comment on the Instagram post noted that they were the first clothing store in Perth to play music. Jeans West Credit: SLWA;Stevenson, Kinder and Scott Corporate Photography There are also older pictures of our iconic beaches, a look back at the Perth CBD from decades ago, with some recognisable buildings and some noticeable absences — some from Perth's booming mining sector that had yet to be built. Scarborough Beach around 1980 Credit: David Rose St George's Terrace in 1979 Credit: Stevenson, Kinder and Scott Corporate Photography And, the fluorescent and neon light filled shopping centres of the suburbs in the 90's. Dianella Plaza 1991 Credit: SLWA;Stevenson, Kinder and Scott Corporate Photography One Instagram user noted, 'Keep 'em coming, loving all of these pics.' Another said, 'thanks for sharing, what a throwback!' Enjoy the trip down memory lane, whichever generation you're in. Find more pictures on the SLWA Instagram: here.
Otago Daily Times
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
McLaughlan unable to resist challenge
Seasoned adventure racer Bob McLaughlan is preparing for an epic challenge. He tells reporter Adrian Seconi why paddling 1000 miles down the Yukon River beats a family holiday. Bob McLaughlan is not like most of us. He is made of different materials. He's probably a combination of spider silk and limpet teeth. But he has his kryptonite. The 54-year-old adventure racer cannot resist a challenge. That is how he agreed to paddle 1000 miles (1609km) down the Yukon River from Canada to Alaska. McLaughlan looks at the world through a different lens. He sees opportunity where others see mostly pain and suffering. In July, he will join Gordon Townsend, and the pair will compete in the Yukon 1000. It is the world's longest canoe race at 1000 miles, the same distance The Proclaimers were happy to walk "to fall down at your door''. And another fun fact — "more people have been up Everest than have been beyond Dawson City," the website proudly claims. The slogan for the race is "Push Past Impossible" and "an epic, high-risk adventure" is promised. That is a lot of red flags but it is catnip for adventure junkies like McLaughlan. He is supposedly retired from serious racing. But Townsend called and, well ... "I don't know what it is about me. I called a friend about it when Gordie asked me to do it, and I was like, 'Oh, no, I can't do that'. "But then it was the intrigue — why would I do a race like that when I could actually go on a nice holiday somewhere, and I was like, I could actually do a race like that. "So I don't know what it is inside, but I was quite driven to go and give it a crack, and it's a really good challenge. "And for me, it's that peace and quiet of being away from everything." They will certainly be away from everything. It is absolute wilderness. "All you're thinking about is your race for that whole week. There's nothing else. There's no phone coverage. You can't even get satellite coverage there." Even for McLaughlan, it is at the limits of what is achievable. He first tackled the Coast to Coast as a teenager, so he has been involved in multisport and adventure racing for nearly 40 years. His career has featured some stunning highs. He placed second in the longest day at the Coast to Coast in 2016. "Big Water Bob" killed the kayak leg to move from seventh to second. It was a stunning effort and, the following year, he reached a new high at the Cowboy Tough World Adventure Racing Championships in Wyoming. He was part of a powerful New Zealand team that dominated the 725km race through the Grand Teton National Park from Jackson Hole to Casper. They raced for just under 80 hours on three and a-half hours of sleep. He will not get much sleep on the Yukon either. He will be paddling for 18 hours a day for five or six days in a row. They have a mandatory six-hour stop every day. In that time they have to set up camp, feed themselves and get what sleep they can. It is also fairly important not to be eaten by a mother bear. "Just sitting in a boat for that many hours a day is going to be, you know, right up at the top of those challenges. "And also just because of the remoteness. There's obviously a lot of wild animals, like bears and moose and things out there, and they all have their young at that time of year. "Then there's the risk of the elements — wind, smoke, you know, from the wildfires." Just getting to start is quite an achievement. There are about 6000 entrants each time and they only accept 30 two-person teams. "You have to send in a bit of a resume on what you've done in the past. ''And it's not just about kayaking. "A lot of it's just about survival skills in the back country because help's a long way from anywhere." New Zealand has a proud record in the race. New Zealanders Nathan Fa'avae and Sophie Hart won the race last year and the New Zealand crew of Ian Huntsman and Wendy Riach edged fellow Kiwis Simon Woods and Neil Taylor in 2018. Huntsman and Riach won the 2014 race as well. "It is a huge adventure. "We'd love to win and we're definitely going to go for it and hope to do as well as we can. But paddling the entire 18 hours of the day without getting out of your boat each day is our goal. "And then just to be really efficient in and around the campsite. You only stop for six hours a day, and you want as much sleep in that six hours as you can. "There's quite a lot to do in that time as well as getting sleep, and it's 24-7 daylight. "So, yeah, there's a whole lot of elements to it that make it challenging, and weather as well." They will have to make one other brief stop. "Once you leave the start line, there's nothing for 1000 miles, really. "But you do have to stop and make a phone call when you cross the Canada-US border into Alaska. "You've got to get out, make a phone call, tell them who's crossing the border. "There's no-one there, just a phone box, and then you're in Alaska, and you paddle up to just above the Arctic Circle." You cannot really prepare adequately for an epic adventure on the scale of kayaking the Yukon. But the pair took on Clutha River recently and got in some hard paddling. They got to try different paddles and they experimented with food. "You can't afford any dead legs or sore bums, and that's something we can't really test because we have to rent a boat for this race, so we'll have to adjust seats and make it sort of fit us when we get there." "There's an element of just staying within a zone of your effort that you can sustain because, if we went at a pace that you would paddle the Coast to Coast race at, you'd only last about a day and then you'd be burnt out. "So you actually have to taper it back a little bit. "Your training can be at a higher intensity to develop strength and develop really good technique, and then you take that into a race at a lower intensity, and that's probably our key is not going out too fast and just being very consistent throughout that race. "You can't train for 18 hours a day because you'd be exhausted if you did. So you've just got to train so that you can do 18 hours a day." Navigating is another major challenge. It is a huge river and picking the best route is crucial. "It's not a white water river by any means, but people fall out. But probably the biggest thing for us is just being able to read the water because the river can get up to 6-7km wide in places. "Being able to read the maps really accurately is a really important part of the race as well." Try doing that on four or five hours of sleep. It would probably be harder than combining spider silk and limpert teeth, two of the strongest natural substances known. AI says it "is an intriguing idea, but it presents significant scientific and engineering challenges''. Let's get McLaughlan on it when he gets back from the Yukon.
