Ninewells Hospital Parking Charges

There is an article in today’s Courier (see http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2008/12/31/newsstory12445454t0.asp) regarding the continuing – and, indeed, increasing – parking charges at Ninewells Hospital and I spoke on Radio Tay this morning about the issue. I made clear that SNP Ministers are shedding crocodile tears over the matter, having made little effort to tackle the issue of [...]

Nick Clegg’s New Year Message

See : http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=6B1cqj-oVdY
2009 must be a year of real change and of hope says Nick Clegg in his new year message.
Britain is facing a difficult year.
Every day, 200 families are now at risk of losing their homes, and three million people could be out of a job.
The government got us into this mess and haven’t [...]

Happy Christmas!

 As in past years, the blog takes a short break over the festive period, so can I wish everyone in the West End, a very Happy Christmas and New Year. The photo above is of the West End Christmas Tree at Seabraes and the photo below is from the fireworks display during West End Christmas [...]

Productive bus talks

Yesterday, in my capacity as the City Council’s Planning & Transport Convener, I met with Lawrence Davie, Director of Travel Dundee – together with the company’s Operations Manager and the City Council’s Acting Head of Transportation – to discuss the numerous complaints about Travel Dundee’s bus service changes introduced last month.
The meeting was productive and [...]

Photocall at Magdalen House!

We had a lovely photocall at Magdalen House yesterday. As part of the West End Christmas Week, Greggs the Bakers very kindly donated 100 Christmas Pies, and the Christmas Week Committee decided to donate them to the folk at Magdalen House in Roseangle. See photo above!

Many thanks to the Courier, who covered the story in [...]

I’ll be home for Christmas

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=A0W1G71Z-zE

TACTRAN publishes transport strategy

TACTRAN, the Regional Transport Partnership for Tayside and Stirling, which I chair, today issued a news release about the publication of its Regional Transport Strategy – I reproduce this below :

NEWS RELEASE :  

“The Tayside and Central Scotland Transport Partnership (TACTRAN) has published its Regional Transport Strategy for the period 2008 – 2023. The Strategy [...]

Magdalen Green

 A beautiful winter’s morning at Magdalen Green today.

Digital Radio in the West End

News on Friday from the BBC that “Radio ‘could go digital in 2017′” indicated that :
“Radio listeners could have just nine years to switch to digital sets, a government-backed report has said. The Digital Radio Working Group (DRWG) says that by 2015, less than half of all radio listening could be via traditional FM or [...]

Nick Clegg : The Liberal Democrats are changing Britain

See : http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=tOqr0XwldBM

 
Nick Clegg writes :
Dear Fraser
A year ago, I was elected as leader of our great party. It has been a challenging and exciting year. I am very proud that in that time we have made all the running on so many of the important issues facing us.
I am announcing our “Green Road out [...]

Catalyst Launch

Here’s a few photographs from yesterday’s unveiling of Catalyst, a new permanent art work at Greenmarket, by Dalziel and Scullion. I had the pleasure of introducing award winning journalist and broadcaster Lesley Riddoch, who officially launched Catalyst, and – as you can see below – assisted with the unveiling.   A great turnout to the launch too.   [...]

Post Office queues

Last night’s “Evening Telegraph” featured an article regarding my concerns about the long queues at the GPO following the recent Post Office closures in the city, including Nethergate Post Office and Lochee Road Post Office in the West End. You can read the article by going to : http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/output/2008/12/17/story12396911t0.shtm

Hallelujah

It is really rather difficult to choose between the Alexandra Burke X Factor winning cover of Hallelujah and Jeff Buckley’s haunting version. Buckley’s is probably remembered more because of its use as a moving tribute to 9/11, ironically coming four years after Buckley’s untimely death at the age of just 30.
Anyway, the Alexandra version is [...]

sQuid card

I have had a number of constituents mention the newly launched sQuid electronic purse. The e-purse can be used to pay for small value transactions like buying a cup of coffee, newspaper or packets of sweets.

sQuid is an independent company and chose to launch this service in Dundee due to the City Council’s role [...]

San Damiano

I have always liked this unlikely Christmas hit by Sal Solo (backed by choristers from the St Philip’s Choir) from the 80s.  See http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ezqKZQ4Pnb4

West End Christmas Week – winners’ list

 If you go to http://dundee.prai.co.uk/resources/sites/82.165.40.25-4354cb46e84541.81564487/West%20End%20Ward%20-%20Various%20Resources%20Directory/West+End+Christmas+Week+2008+-+List+of+Winners.pdf, you can see the list of winners of the shops and children’s window spotting competitions from this year’s Christmas Week. All winners have been notified and the attached notice will shortly appear on the Community Council Noticeboard on Perth Road near Union Place and at the Magdalen Green Notice Board opposite [...]

TV Highlight of the Week

In the immortal words of Harry Hill, here’s TV highlight of the week – no, its not the X Factor final tonight, but Eggheads – on BBC 2 at 5.40pm tonight.
The “Cube Rooters” team from Dundee included Ian, our nephew, complete with this exchange with Jeremy Vine :
 
Ian : “I know everything, yes.”
 
Jeremy Vine [...]

Latest fundraising initiative by Riverside Boys!

This morning, I was down at HMS Discovery to support the latest fundraising initiative by the “Riverside Boys” West End junior football team. The boys and their parents are undertaking a sponsored walk across the Tay Road Bridge today raise funds for the team and, as you can see above, despite today’s rainy weather, there [...]

On Radio Tay News – Peddie Street issue

I was on Radio Tay news this morning welcoming the Closure Order on a flat in Peddie Street, following complaints from residents about anti-social behaviour.    I am very pleased residents will get some respite from the anti-social behaviour during the festive period.   See http://www.dundeewestend.com/2008/12/on-radio-tay-news-peddie-street-issue.html

 
 

Busy week thus far!

A very busy week thus far, starting with a day job meeting at Glasgow City Council on Monday, followed by council committees that evening.

Apart from the Planning & Transport Committee I chair, there were a number of committee meetings that night. At the Education Committee, the SNP group came under fire for the failure of [...]

STPR Announcement

Today saw the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change announce the outcomes of the Strategic Transport Projects Review. There was some good news for our region in this, and although not every project the Tayside & Central Scotland Transport Partnership (TACTRAN) would wish to see included was there (so far as one can see [...]

Ordinary people will pay for the mistakes of the Government and the bankers

Latest LibDem video at :  http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ89oKzF0fw&eurl

December Community Council Update

I have today launched my December 2008 update to West End Community Council.

Subjects covered include :

• Refuse Collection

• Bus Service Complaints

• Lighting Issue

• Bandstand Repairs

• Christmas Week Success

The Community Council meeting takes place this Tuesday at 7pm at Logie St John’s (Cross) Church Hall.

You can download a copy of the update by following the link [...]

Positive progress on local television provision for the future

I was pleased to see the Scottish Parliament last Thursday pass the following motion – after considerable debate – on Ofcom’s Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) Review :
 
“That the Parliament notes that 4 December 2008 is the final date for submissions to Ofcom’s Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) Review, Preparing for the Digital Future;
recognises that, while broadcasting [...]

Back from the snow …

The lack of blog entries since last Sunday is explained by the fact that I have been away most of this week running a Conference in Crieff (with the “day job”).

As you can see (above), Crieff Hydro Hotel was a beautiful, winter wonderland during the conference, although it was all a bit touch and [...]