Falkirk shopping , Valentine Gifts

Linlithgow Palace pictures

David — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:01:07 +0000

Linlithgow Palace HDR picture

Linlithgow Palace is a popular subject for pictures because of its attractive location next to Linlithgow Loch. The Palace is the birthplace of Mary , Queen of Scots . The fountain in the courtyard has been restored recently. This picture is an HDR image produced using Photomatix. The picture is available as a screensaver

Top ten tips for a perfect Christmas

David — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:04:18 +0000

Everyone is looking forward to having a nice break at Christmas . Here are 1o tips for having the perfect Christmas

1. Create good first impressions when guests arrive with fairylights , candles and Christmas cards

2. Decorate the tree with colourful decorations , gifts and interesting baubles

3. Bake cookies and biscuits cut into festive shapes

4. Create a Scandinavian gingerbread house

5. Use Christmas theme dressings and centrepieces for the dining table

6. Enjoy delicious hot drinks such as mulled wine or hot chocolate

7. Fill your house with fairylights of all colours to add a sparkle

8. Shop online for presents for a less stressful experience

9.Wrap and tag all your gifts in advance

10.Organise all your Christmas jobs so none are left until the last minute

Pippa Middleton , the younger sister of Duchess Catherine – has penned a guide for the Party Times online magazine she edits as part of her family’s mail order business in order to help people have a “stress-free” festive season.
Pippa cites “first impressions” as the most important thing to remember and goes on to offer advice on decoration, food, gifts and entertainment.

She suggests: “Have guests met by a beautiful red berry wreath and windows decorated with silver snowflake cut-outs, reindeers and Christmas trees using snow spray.

“At this time of year everything seems to gleam so fill your house with lots of tiny lights such as green Christmas fairy lights.

“Fairy lights play an essential part and can be draped from beams, twisted round staircases and hung around door frames for a winter sparkle.
Rustic rattan reindeers nestled in a corner and wrapped with fairy lights look stunning and magical,

Airport Transfers Stirling

David — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 09:29:17 +0000

Stirling is in an ideal position for commuting to either Edinburgh or Glasgow, being located right in the centre of Scotland. Airport transfers from Stirling are fairly short journeys . Edinburgh Airport is about half an hour away from Stirling by airport taxi and Glasgow Airport is about an hour’s journey. Edinburgh Airport caused controversy recently with their drop-off charge and it now looks as if the charge is going to be subject to a legal challenge . Edinburgh Airport had its busiest month ever in July

The Park Gallery, Falkirk shows In Visible Ink exhibition

David — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 09:45:02 +0000

A unique exhibition of the work of world-renowned artists is being shown at The Park Gallery in Falkirk in July and August. Visitors will also have the opportunity to hear from, talk to and learn from Kip Gresham, the master printmaker behind the work. The exhibition, In Visible Ink, features a selection of original prints created by artists at The Print Studio in Cambridge. One of a very small number of professional, multimedia and experimental workshops in the UK, the studio produces beautiful images in collaboration with the artists. The results of that collaboration can be seen in the work on display with, for example, etchings by Willard Boepple sitting alongside screenprints by Stephen Chambers RA and plate etchings by Trevor Sutton. Many of the pieces are already in major art collections worldwide and the artists on show regularly feature in major exhibitions like the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. “In Visible Ink is a walk through the variety of methods used by a range of different artists at The Print Studio,” master printmaker Kip Gresham says. “Each piece is beautiful in its own right. Together, the collection presents an astonishing array of talent and techniques.” Kip Gresham will be explaining the printmaking process further in a Printmaking Master Class at Forth Valley College in Falkirk

Falkirk Council increases finance by £1 billion

David — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 15:14:48 +0000

Falkirk Council has announced plans to launch a tax increment financing (TIF) scheme it believes could deliver £1bn-worth of investment.
It has completed an ambitious bid to tap into Treasury funds to get dozens of projects which could create hundreds of jobs off the drawing board. The UK wide economic downturn has had a major impact on development across Falkirk. A viable business plan has been produced to deliver not only Falkirk Gateway but many other key projects as well. The Council has produced a very exciting and innovative proposal which could bring absolutely massive benefits.

A business case to win the cash through the Tax Increment Financing scheme will be put to the Scottish Government’s Scottish Futures Trust team by the deadline of August 19.

The council has been working on a bid for the last 18 months. It hopes it will see funding made available to get massive projects including the upgrading of the M9, A9 and A801 Avon Gorge road links and development at the Falkirk Gateway, Grangemouth Docks, Earls Gate, Gilston and Helix sites started.

Approval allows councils to borrow cash from The Public Works Loan Board to deliver essential infrastructure like roads, lighting and utilities which have to be in place before building can start. Once completed and the sites are occupied, the rates the council receives from its new tenants is used to repay the money.

The idea has been used elsewhere and, in the current economic climate, is seen as an important regeneration tool. The TIF idea is already understood to have cross-party support in principle.

Councillor Craig Martin, leader of Falkirk Council, claims it is an opportunity the council cannot afford to miss.

Harbour by Andrew Macara from Photogold Gallery

David — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:42:21 +0000

Harbour by Andrew Macara from Photogold Gallery. Harbour by Andrew Macara . Limited edition mounted giclee print Giclee print . Supplied in a 4″ double mount with extra deep bevel and presentation wrapped. Image size 22 by 17 inches . Limited edition of 495 Andrew Macara giclee prints . Price mounted £250

Edinburgh Airport favoured by Falkirk holiday makers

David — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 11:22:06 +0000

Edinburgh Airport is the most convenient airport for Falkirk holiday makers and it continues to grow in popularity across the board.

March, April and May were the busiest in Heathrow and Edinburgh airports’ history, according to BAA’s latest figures.
Heathrow Airport handled 5.9 million passengers last month, while Edinburgh Airport handled 826,000.
Traffic at BAA’s six airports increased by 9.2% on last May to 9.3 million passengers, although the airport operator said the figures were skewed by last year’s figures that were affected by volcanic ash and industrial action.
Edinburgh screensavers can be downloaded at Edinburgh castle Screensavers

Smiths Lounge has reopened as The Courtyard

David — Mon, 09 May 2011 11:38:03 +0000

Smiths Lounge , one of the oldest pubs in Falkirk , has reopened after a lengthy closure as The Courtyard. The refurbished Courtyard has been warmly welcomed by visitors to the pub . The food and the new interior are of a high standard with customers praising the new set-up . Cask Ale is available.

Falkirk BID aims for another five years

David — Mon, 09 May 2011 11:28:16 +0000

Falkirk Business Improvement District (BID) recently completed its first three-year term and is now asking local firms to give them the opportunity to continue for a further five-year period.
First launched in 2007, BID represents the interests of town centre traders and works alongside Falkirk Council in delivering projects which benefit both firms and the public.
The introduction of taxi marshalls, a re-launched monthly farmer’s market and visual enhancements such as floral arrangements and a graffiti response team are among the projects successfully introduced.
BID covers the main shopping area of the town, from Garrison Place in the north, Cow Wynd and Williamson Street in the south, Cockburn Street in the west and Bellevue Street in the east.A minimum of 25 per cent of businesses in the area are required to take part in the ballot, with more than 50 per cent voting in favour, if the project is to continue. The taxi marshalls have attracted a range of opinions from people using the taxi rank. Some are concerned about the cost of the marshalls and who is paying for them.

Falkirk taxis controversy

David — Mon, 09 May 2011 11:20:19 +0000

NHS bosses are spending a fortune ferrying confidential medical files around by taxi after building a new hospital with nowhere to store them.
Hospital chiefs have now had to fork out £40,000 to decontaminate an old X-ray department to provide storage space for the estimated five miles of patients’ files.
The new Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert, Stirlingshire, opened last August at a cost of £300million and boasts some of the most modern facilities in Europe.
It was built to replace nearby Falkirk and Stirling Royal Infirmaries, which are being turned into smaller community hospitals.
Bosses want to transfer all their medical records on to computers, but that could take up to five years.
In the meantime, there is nowhere at the new hospital to store the tens of thousands of confidential patient records inherited from the old hospitals. Instead Forth Valley staff have to make five trips every day by taxi to Falkirk and Stirling to collect records ordered by doctors for patient consultations.The hospital have been using a local taxi company well-known for paying its drivers low rates , usually £1 a mile against the normal tariff of £1.80. The taxi company were not available for any express comment. Two local taxi firms have over 150 taxis in Falkirk now.