The Courier •

Radio 1's Big Weekend: Jess Glynne can't wait to reintroduce herself when festival comes to Dundee

Thanks to seven number one hits, frequent radio airplay and her song Hold My Hand’s ubiquitous presence in summer holiday adverts, it feels like Jess Glynne has never been away. But when she appears at Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Dundee, the London-born singer will be taking her first steps on stage for several years having taken time out to re-focus. Reintroducing herself at a festival in front of thousands of people is a nerve-wracking prospect, but riding high on the success of new single Sill
Press and Journal •

Katie Gregson-MacLeod on rubbing shoulders with Sting and Highland homecomings

As she rubbed shoulders with Sting at last week’s Ivor Novello awards, Inverness singer-songwriter Katie Gregson-MacLeod knew she was definitely on the right track. Complex, the viral hit which last summer that changed her life, was vying for Best Song Musically and Lyrically at the prestigious awards bash, hot on the heels of signing a record deal, moving to London, and making music her full time career.
The Sunday Post •

Bots v Burns: Can artificial intelligence really write love poetry like Rabbie? Well, err, no

The robots are coming and are about to change the world and everything in it. Apparently. A new generation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots have been fascinating and alarming us. Google announced last week it is launching Bard, a rival to advanced chatbot ChatGPT, developed by US company OpenAI, and the new technology is creating a buzz in schools, boardrooms and on social media. These lightning fast bots can write novels like Dickens, paint pictures like Picasso and, basically, do ev
The Sunday Post •

All Quiet on the Western Front's Scots scriptwriter Lesley Paterson on how triathlons prepared her for Hollywood

Her athletic career may have instilled in her true grit and endurance but, even for professional triathlete turned screenwriter, Lesley Paterson, her new movie was a marathon. It took 16 years for her to drive All Quiet On The Western Front on to the screen but now, as the First World War drama is hailed by critics and tipped for some of the industry’s biggest awards, Paterson credits the same determination that made her the only girl to play rugby growing up in Scotland. The German-language N
The Sunday Post •

‘A lot of the things I do are actually incredibly safe’: Robbie Phillips on why climbing isn't the thrill-ride many think

They were, according to ­rescue teams, “incredibly stupid” but the two climbers plucked to safety after heading up Ben Nevis in midwinter in jeans and ­ trainers are, sadly, not alone. Being properly prepared is key according to one of the most skilled climbers in the UK, Robbie Phillips, who has completed a string of spectacular climbs around Scotland and the world. Avoidable mistakes due to inexperience are one of the biggest dangers, he says, while insisting the most experienced mountaineer
The Sunday Post •

INTERVIEW: Artist David Shrigley on his love of Glasgow, Kingsley, and his distinctive style

Combining surreal satire with mischievous, childlike cartoons, David Shrigley’s art has found a home everywhere from galleries and lounges to gift shops and social media feeds. Reaching beyond the world of art and into the public consciousness, the paintings are witty, philosophical and, perhaps most distinctively, drawn proudly like they should be attached to a parent’s fridge door with magnets. Born in Macclesfield, the acclaimed visual artist grew up in suburban Leicestershire before moving
The Sunday Post •

Ross Kemp is relishing his role in Glasgow-filmed The Bridge of Lies

Ross Kemp has faced his fair share of drama in life. As EastEnders’ Grant Mitchell, he became a household name as a soap hard man, before playing an SAS sergeant holding firm in the face of enemy fire on ITV drama Ultimate Force. As himself, he’s plunged down into the depths of the ocean, visited some of the most hostile parts of the world and met with real-life villains for over 120 documentaries. Now, the sense of jeopardy is on the contestants he’s guiding through BBC gameshow Bridge of Lie
The Sunday Post •

Josie Long on falling in love with Glasgow and 'joyful defiance'

Comedian Josie Long on falling in love with Glasgow, going back on tour, and political comedy. How much are you looking forward to getting on the road and touring again? It’s been such a long time since I’ve been able to tour and it’s something that I’ve been doing every year of my life for about 15 years. I feel like every city that I’ve played, I’ve got a favourite little place that I like to go, people that I’d like to catch up with, all these relationships with different towns and cities,
The Sunday Post •

Fiddler John McCusker on 30 years in music, touring the world

Looking back on an acclaimed 30-year musical career, trad star John McCusker admits there was never a grand plan. Instead, the celebrated fiddle player credits only a passion for music, a determination to keep playing and a slice of good fortune. He has worked with some of the most renowned folk musicians and crossed genres, touring the world alongside Mark Knopfler and crafting tunes alongside Billy Connolly. Celebrating his three-decade milestone with a greatest hits compilation and a Celti
The Sunday Post •

Calls to send famous Marbles home to Greece from British Museum

Damaged but beautiful, the Parthenon in Athens is a symbol of Greece. It is a national icon that has stood since the 5th Century BC, surviving conquests, explosions and the ravages of time. The spectacular marble statues, once integral to the splendour of the Parthenon, in Athens, have survived in parts and, while their past has been turbulent, their future is again uncertain as the debate over museum repatriations escalates. Split around various parts of the world, opinion on where the intri
The Sunday Post •

The Rig on Amazon: Watch stars of North Sea drama at Edinburgh premiere

Drawing on the real-life science of the climate crisis, the brutal isolation of a North Sea outpost and a touch of the supernatural, new drama The Rig aims to pull viewers in to one of the world’s most extreme working environments. The mystery thriller, which comes to Amazon Prime in the new year, follows the crew of the Kinloch Bravo oil rig as they battle for survival in a crisis that also threatens their families back home on dry land. Amid a strange fog, they’re cut off from communication
The Sunday Post •

Radio 6 Music DJ Nemone Metaxas on how music is tuned into the rhythm of life

With a unique power to impact our mood and mental health, music is often something we turn to in times of great joy or sadness, to fill the void of silence or when congregating and sharing special moments with friends and family. No one knows that more than DJ and presenter Nemone Metaxas, who has surrounded herself with music all her life and, when she’s not on the airwaves, tunes into her clients’ stories in her other job as a psychotherapist. “For me, the comfort of music has been immense,”
The Sunday Post •

History of the clans: Author and historian Simon Sebag Montefiore on why the past is a family affair

“Those who do not remember their history are condemned to repeat it” is one of the world’s most famous quotes but, ironically, one of the most misquoted and misattributed. The problem with philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism is that there is not a definitive account and history changes according to who gets to tell it. Today, in uncertain times, the story of the past is being coloured and shaped around the world to justify actions in the here and now. Simon Sebag Montefiore has, in his ne
The Sunday Post •

‘This is not Russia’s war. It is Putin’s war': Pussy Riot bring their protest tour to Scotland

They bravely delivered their damning verdict on Vladimir Putin when too many at home and abroad remained silent. Today, as they tour Europe with a protest show against the Russian president’s catastrophic invasion of Ukraine, punk rock activists Pussy Riot dream of the day he is judged in The Hague. The Russian group has, over the past decade, drawn the eyes of the world to the Kremlin’s actions with their guerrilla performances and balaclava-wearing protests. As dissenting action has become
The Sunday Post •

Wheels to reels: Wildlife filmmaker Libby Penman on how skills were honed at the skate park

Growing up hooked on the thrill of skateboarding, BMX, and rollerblading, Libby Penman fell in love with filmmaking while shooting the tricks of her twin sister Pip at their local skatepark. But after a few broken bones and several operations to fix them, the 27-year-old from Kirkcaldy found a new passion that also combines fast-paced action and extreme environments – wildlife cinematography. Having worked with the BBC, produced her own documentaries and found a friend in fellow Fifer and worl
The Sunday Post •

Mòd 2022: Wild swimmer and broadcaster Calum Maclean on sharing Gaelic to the world online

As a lifelong Gaelic speaker, outdoor enthusiast and broadcaster Calum Maclean is keen to do his bit to help safeguard the future of the language. Best known for his wild swimming adventures, which have amassed thousands of views online, he’s joining forces with the Royal National Mòd to help show young people the opportunities that are out there using the language. As part of this year’s festival, taking place in Perth this month, Sruth – Buainidh Aon Fhacal Ceud’ (Gaelic Conversation for you
The Sunday Post •

Cuban Missile Crisis: 60 years on, historian Max Hastings on why lessons must be learned

Almost exactly 60 years ago, the world held its breath. For 13 days in October, 1962, as President John F Kennedy decided how to react as Russia deployed ballistic missiles on Cuba, 450 miles from the coast of Florida, the world stood on the brink of unthinkable conflict, on the edge of nuclear war. When he started researching the story of the Cuban Missile Crisis, author and historian Sir Max Hastings believed he was detailing a moment when the world got lucky. He did not suspect events in Uk
The Sunday Post •

Natasha Raskin Sharp: ‘Barack and Michelle would be great on Bargain Hunt. They would be hard to beat’

Every day, millions of people tune in at lunchtime to see Red take on Blue as two teams battle it out on Bargain Hunt. But it was in a different battle between red and blue that the show’s presenter, Natasha Raskin Sharp, found one of her most treasured possessions – a letter of reference from Barack Obama. On a summer internship in 2007, she worked out of New Hampshire on the ultimately successful Democrat campaign to take back control of the White House. She was fortunate enough to meet the
The Sunday Post •

How Glencoe scared the Dickens out of novelist as he toured the world’s wonders

His classic novels may feature some of the most sinister characters in literature but it was travelling through one of Scotland’s most beautiful and desolate glens that gave Charles Dickens the heebie-jeebies. The acclaimed author was best known for chronicling London life in enduring classics like A Tale Of Two Cities and Oliver Twist but after becoming a best-seller he travelled to visit the marvels of the world, ancient and modern. His touring often brought him north but, in Glencoe, he stu
The Sunday Post •

Edinburgh Fringe is the latest stop for comedian Vidura Bandara Rajapaksa's 'chaotic' life journey

Fringe debutant Vidura Bandara Rajapaksa hopes his show will help write the next chapter in an already ‘chaotic’ life story. The well-travelled stand-up heads to Edinburgh for the first time next month with his eyes firmly set on making comedy his career. Born in Sri Lanka, he left the country in 1999 as his parents went in search of a better job. He spent his teens in New Jersey before a stint at medical school in Malaysia. Swapping medicine for software engineering, he sent his resume to al
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