Ö÷²¥´óÐã

Following a post earlier today when I mentioned if anyone would like to share their photos here on the blog with other listeners, Margaret Miller has kindly sent in these two pictures of The Saltire at Athelstaneford, East Lothian, on St Andrew's Day.

The Saltire at Athelstaneford on St Andrew's Day, November 2010

The Saltire at Athelstaneford on St Andrew's Day, November 2010

If you'd like to join Margaret and see your photos here, please email them to us and we'll pop them up too.

As the temperature is still dropping outside and with more snow and chaos on the icy roads, it reminded me of last winter and how - over the space of one week - the River Clyde froze over. Here on the Radio Scotland webteam we took a few snaps each day and put them into a photo gallery. Here's a shot from today, and one from last year. if you've any photos you'd like to share with fellow listeners send them to us and we'll add them to the blog.

The River Clyde in the snow taken from Pacific Quay, Ö÷²¥´óÐã Scotland, 30 November 2010

View of Ö÷²¥´óÐã Scotland reflected on the frozen River Clyde, 8 January 2010

Here's a useful link we've discovered on the Ö÷²¥´óÐã News site which has loads of info about .

Snow in Glasgow

On Sunday I was SO glad to see my studio guests. It was hard enough for me to get into the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Scotland studios at Pacific Quay in Glasgow and I only live a couple of miles away. It was a when I left the house and there was no way my rear wheel drive sports car was going anywhere ( every winter I say I'm going to change it but it's great for that one day of summer!). I called a cab but apparently black hacks are rear wheel too so I had to trek up to the main road to meet it. We Westenders don't do walking. After quite a bit of skidding about, we made it, only slightly late.

Della, my producer arrived a short time after that having taken two hours to plough her way through some pretty treacherous conditions from Edinburgh. I was sure that Kirsty Scott and Brian Monteith would be no-shows coming from Dunblane and Peebles respectively and was bracing myself to do all the talking on today's show. But thankfully they arrived in plenty of time along with editor Paul McNamee and all were completely on top of their subjects as ever. As the show went on we could see the getting heavier through the window and began to wonder if we'd be spending the rest of the weekend there. But all our worries about a bit of snow were put into perspective when we played the interview with this week's special guest.

is ninety one and one of the last survivors of the Japanese prisoner of war camps. His is an extraordinary story of survival against the odds. He worked on the infamous Death Railways and the building of the . He underwent constant torture, suffered dysentery, malaria, cholera, and came close to death many times. He survived a torpedoed ship and the atomic bomb in . Yet, when he and his comrades returned home, there was no welcome or acknowledgement from the government of what they had been through. Alistair had to go AWOL in order to get out of the army and so lost his pension. Hence the title of his book, "".

He never talked to anyone about his experiences. Not even his wife knew. After she died Alistair felt it was time to write it all down. He's an extraordinary man. He still suffers nightmares but says "sheer bloody mindedness" has given him the strength to go on. That and ballroom dancing. Alistair and his friend Helen go dancing at least three times a week. He tells me he does a mean foxtrot. He certainly looks a lot younger than his ninety one years. He reminded me that we'd actually met a few years earlier, when I'd presented him with an adult learners award for teaching computing skills to pensioners. None of life's knocks can keep this man down.

What he learned from the camps, he says, is there's no such thing as can't.
I can't help wonder what Alistair would have made of me complaining because I had to trudge through some snow to get to work in the morning. I think I can guess.

Listen to the extended interview with Alistair below:

Shereen, Sunday 0900 on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland and available to listen again on iPlayer.

Billy Kay has written this article ahead of .

The Bonnie Broukit Bairn spiers whit the future hauds for the mither tongue o ower a million an a hauf Scots fowk in the 21st centurie, fowk like you that micht speak the leid ilkae day, but hae nae kennin o ocht belangin the braw leiterature or gowden history o the langage. I wad be gleg tae haud forrit scrievin tae ye in Scots, but jalouse that maist o ye wad finnd it a sair chave tae follae whit I am threapin on aboot, as gey few Scots are leiterate in their ain leid ...sae like in I'll gae ower tae English...." you wanted the words they'd known and used, forgotten in the far off youngness of their lives, Scots words to tell to your heart, how they wrung it and held it, the toil of their days and unendingly their fight. And the next minute that passed from you, you were English, back to the English words so sharp and clean and true for a while, for a while, till they slid so smooth from your throat you knew they could never say anything that was worth the saying at all."

Read the rest of this entry

Hard to believe that it's the last Sunday in the month already. From the middle of next week, we should be able to mention the word Christmas without cringing, but before that there's another important date in the calendar that bridges the period - on Tuesday the 30th.

I don't remember paying much attention to any of the National Saints Days when I was younger but I think we tend to celebrate them more today - in the way Burns Night has come to mean a lot more to me too.

On the music front it got me thinking about Scottish songs with which to mark and there are hundreds of them - it's actually quite difficult to pick a favourite although one of Burns' many love songs springs to mind "Ae Fond Kiss" is especially good. There's - and of course the many other songs that praise all the different parts of Scotland... what are your favourites? Is there a song that you think captures the spirit of St Andrew's day, or just your favourite Scottish song. Let me know which one it is and why and we can include it in next weeks show. Write in or
E-mail us.

You know it's a crazy week when the so far is eclipsed by an MSP putting out a press release welcoming the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Office decision to let contestant stay in Scotland. Good luck to her.
Although maybe she'll think twice about staying after THAT debate.

It was hard pounding and we'll reflect on the question: Is that a good thing for the parliament which has its critics - including Jack McConnell, who says it needs to be revised. (Why don't people reach those conclusions when they're in power and can do something about it?) And if it really did merit all that fire, why didn't the opposition follow through and demand a resignation? The truth is that nothing will now happen.

Labour are ahead in the latest poll but not likely to get an overall majority. Will they push for coalition or minority government? They now know how tricky that can be having worked hard to make the SNP's life a misery. I heard from an insider (we met at night in a multi-storey car park) that Iain Gray and Tavish Scott may already have reached a coalition agreement. We speak to a leading academic who says such a coalition will be under intense pressure from the start and that Labour will struggle to live up to their claims to protect Scotland. They will do so by taking a leaf out of the SNP book - and blame London! (I made up the bit about the car park).

We look ahead to Calman next week which, ironically, will amend the ( Scottish Variable Rate) which caused so much trouble. We hear an economist say that Calman is pretty disastrous for Scotland... and also that in releasing his letter about SVR to Alex Salmond, Michael Moore broke the protocols of devolution which demand in the first instance, confidentiality - not media releases to cause embarrassment. Tut tut.

And we have a former editor of the Times, Simon Jenkins (actually he's Sir Simon, but, like me, doesn't use it) who, unusually for a London commentator, thinks Scotland should get everything short of independence which, he says, the majority don't want anyway. It's really unusual to find anyone inside the M25 commentariat who thinks this way. He joins those who say the only way to make the parliament grow up (I'm thinking of the likes of Iain MacWhirter and Joyce MacMillan) is to let all taxes be raised here. He thinks David Cameron missed a trick on this one and it could have helped the beleaguered Scottish Tories who are looking for a new direction this week in the .

And - if my voice holds up - we're in North Korea and Ireland.

I can' t quite shake off the seasonal croak so I'm off to gargle with the best medicine known to man - a bottle of burgundy. Join me tomorrow at 8.

Could it be the most expensive album in the world? For over half a million pounds you could be the owner of the copy of that John Lennon signed for his murderer five hours before he was shot. This piece of music history from 1980 is going up for auction. We'll be playing a track from the recently released, and a lot cheaper, stripped back version tonight on Edith Bowman's Album Show from 8pm. Strangely John never thought much of his singing voice, lowered it in the mix and surrounded it with extra production. Yoko Ono has gone back into the studio and stripped back Double Fantasy to reveal a different side to the album which has changed the style and meaning of some of his last recordings. We think you'll enjoy it.

Edith is back with a new six week series making recommendations for your music collection whether it's new releases, reissues or classic albums. Tonight you'll hear tracks by Orange Juice, Take That, Kings Of Leon, Jimi Hendrix plus another solo Beatle who's just been remastered. We guarantee you'll love the voice of Rumer - a young British Karen Carpenter soundalike who's been discovered by Burt Bacharach. We also have American soul singer John Legend reveal his favourite albums and talk about his new release Wake Up which is a strong set of 60s & 70s soul & funk message songs. Again, another album that's worthy of a place on your shelf.

Hopefully over the next six weeks we'll encourage you to try new things, revisit old favourites and listen to albums as a whole body of work. All of the titles we feature are available to buy now and are great Christmas present suggestions for yourself or someone close to you. We promise that none of them will cost you a six figure sum like the one up for auction here.

Edith Bowman's Album Show starts Friday 26 November at 2005

Gavin Reid: Director Ö÷²¥´óÐã Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Orchestra Director, Gavin Reid writes a few words of appreciation for the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Scottish Symphony Orchestra as it marks it's 75th year.

The red 'on-air' light has shone brightly over the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Scottish Symphony Orchestra for 75 years as it evolved from a humble studio ensemble, into what is now one of the finest symphony orchestras in the UK. The story of how it got here is a colourful one; of hard work, talent and generations of fine musicians; of an orchestra once confined to a studio, to one that now reaches out across the world as an international ambassador for Scotland.

I first heard the Ö÷²¥´óÐã SSO in in 1985 - by which time the orchestra was already 50 years old - when the incredible trumpet player joined them to play concertos by and - as an aspiring young trumpeter myself (I was 19 and Marsalis was all of 24), it was inspirational and an experience that I'll never forget.

From the early days with our incredible founder, the pioneering Ian Whyte, through a long line of colourful characters - conductors, soloists and orchestral players - groundbreaking tours, recordings, commissions and education projects, to the present day and the orchestra's rightful place as one of the finest, most adventurous and innovative musical ensembles in the UK - the Ö÷²¥´óÐã SSO looks forward to its next 75 years, with as much excitement, passion and enthusiasm as ever before.

As we reach three-quarters of a century the red 'on-air' light is still shining. It's a great time to be the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Scottish Symphony Orchestra and a wonderful time to be working with them.

Watch former Ö÷²¥´óÐã SSO Associate Principal Conductor share his memories of the orchestra in the lead up to its 75th Anniversary and visit the Culture Zone to hear archive performances, documentaries and interviews with past conductors, soloists and players.

One of our topics this week concerned airport security. New so-called 'porn scanners' in the USA reveal travellers' ahem, private parts in all their glory. So companies have started making radiation-proof underwear so that passengers can retain their modesty. Nothing quite as exciting as that for Jason from the Borders...

"About 7 or 8 years ago I was flying through Zaventem (Brussels) Airport on my way home as I did every 4 weeks or so (lucky enough to work 1 week in 4 in Brussels at the time) and I stepped through the metal detecting arch as normal, but abnormally it didn't go off as I passed through....

Read the rest of this entry

Each Friday night from 2005 you'll hear recommendations for your music collection from new releases, reissues and classic albums. Coming up over the next few weeks we have a very special interview and session with a brilliant new American singer-songwriter called Lissie whose album Catching A Tiger is one of the best of the year. John Legend, Mark Ronson and The Proclaimers will all reveal their favourite albums and you'll hear Edith interviewing Alison Goldfrapp when she was in Glasgow recently.

Plus we'll be celebrating 30 years since the recording of Heaven 17's debut album Penthouse & Pavement, it was a groundbreaking album that mixed politics with dance music. Martyn Ware and Glenn Gregory start a UK tour on Monday 22nd November. They'll be playing the whole album live for the first time with a full band. Their first two dates are in Edinburgh and Glasgow and you can hear them talk fondly of their Scottish audience as a teaser of their interview with the Album Show.

We've blogged already about John Beattie and Bill Whiteford's participation in , which challenges men to change their appearance and the face of men's health by growing a moustache during November.

Well, we've discovered that Music Cafe and Travelling Folk presenter Bruce MacGregor is also participating, here he is...

This week's programme was a fiery affair for a Sunday morning. Perhaps it was too much coffee beforehand but my guests were a pretty argumentative bunch today. It started before we even went on air when Sun columnist Bill Leckie began winding up journalist Jane Graham about Page 3 girls.

This was one of our hot topics for discussion on the show as it's the fortieth anniversary of . Bill's always one for making bizarre connections but this time he surpassed himself by comparing Page 3 to The Archers and the Shipping Forecast! As he sees it, they're all national institutions so even if you never listen or watch them you'd be outraged if they were axed. Mmmmh. Jane didn't buy it. She thinks Page 3 is misogynous and sends a dangerous message to young girls. She said she was mortified trying to explain it to her seven year old daughter. She's incandescent that , of all people, wrote an article in this week's Sun defending Page 3 as "harmless fun". The argument continued on air.

We played a vox pop of a guy saying he didn't mind Page 3 "so long as the girls are fit. If they're not it's disappointing". By this time there was steam coming out of Jane's ears. To my surprise, my third guest, political journalist David Torrance, a very measured, even handed kind of guy who describes himself as a feminist, weighed in on Bill's side.
Eventually I had to call time and we moved on to a less contentious subject: when confronted by creepy crawlies on : did anyone have any sympathy for her, I asked. Cue Bill, calling a spade a spade. "She smells pooh for a living, what does she expect?"

Other targets for my panel this week: the Pope for his change of heart on condoms, the Ö÷²¥´óÐã for its reverential coverage of the Royal engagement, and all the political parties for their response to the Scottish budget cuts. Maybe they were just in a bad mood.

By the way, I dare our picture editor to use a photo of a page 3 girl to go with this blog!

Did news of the Royal engagement leave you all misty-eyed and nostalgic this week? Probably not, but I'm sure that, like me, it brought back memories of a much earlier coupling, almost 30 years ago, when the young Lady Diana Spencer and the Prince of Wales, were joined together in .

I remember it well, as young graduates living in Edinburgh, we had the world at our feet - or so we thought, and four of us, firm friends - celebrated the day sunning ourselves in The Meadows. Job prospects weren't great - so nothing's changed - fashion was good, all legwarmers and headbands, and for some, pie-crust collars were all the rage, and the music was good.

, and various other new romantics, and songs like Smokey Robinson's "" or Randy Crawford's "" were in the charts.

What music do you remember from that period - from that day even? Perhaps you too got married that year - what songs were special for you?

Let me know and we could play them on the show.

Edith Bowman was backstage at the Children in Need Rocks event at the SECC, she caught up with a whole host of celebrities and musicians including...

Alexandra Burke

John Barrowman

McFly

The Wanted

Pearl and the Puppets

Craig Hill

And many more including Fred MacAulay, comedienne Susan Calman, ventriloquist and .

If you missed the 4 hour extravaganza, you can listen again via the Ö÷²¥´óÐã iPlayer.

In his final two appeals Bryan discovers how Ö÷²¥´óÐã Link Family Support and benefit from you generous donations.

I'm still hoping to present the programme tomorrow although my daughter's cold has gripped my throat. I sound like a cemetery gate creaking open. Still, it may have matured into a George Clooney drawl by 8 tomorrow morning, although I still won't look like him.

We've some interesting stuff for you starting with the budget. We'll analyse just how difficult it is to implement cuts with a man who has had to do it as a former civil servant and council executive, Bill Howat. He can separate the rhetoric from the reality. We have a hot disco too. (Disco is what we in the media business call a debate with two protagonists, each with a differing view). Angus Macleod and Hamish Mcdonnell try to outdo each other on the SNP decision to allow the income tax variation to lapse. Constitutional crisis or mere technicality?

Thinking about it... wouldn't it be great if Westminster also let lapse the right to increase tax? We get the Brussels view on Ireland's bail-out from an Irishman who lives over there, although, confusingly, he will be in London!

We have a report on Scotland's pathetic showing in the . How can it be that a highly developed, rich country like ours has people dying younger than in eastern European countries barely fully emerged from soviet rule? Do we need to get serious about the nanny state instead of soft pedalling? It seems that those most at risk from poor "lifestyle" choices are most resistant to health messages. We seek a solution.

We're in Singapore where wealth mixes with draconian government... for criticising the regime. If that was the rule here, there would be no Newsweek.

And finally we have a world exclusive... there's a wedding planned for next summer and we speak to the happy couple about their plans and how they'll cope with the publicity.

The producer says I have to remember to be deferential! Wedding bells on Newseek... next there'll be a photographer from magazine. Join me tomorrow at 8.

Tom's show is live from Pacific Quay. Tom's baking bread live on the show and is joined by guests Cherry Ghost and Kassidy.

Tom live from Studio 1, Ö÷²¥´óÐã Scotland. With guests Kassidy and Cherry Ghost.

Today's programme comes live from Pacific Quay with a live audience.

Brian Taylor's Big Debate, Ö÷²¥´óÐã Scotland, 19 November 2010

Richard Gordon and Susan Calman present MacAulay And Co live from Studio 1, Ö÷²¥´óÐã Scotland in front of a live studio audience with special guests.

MacAulay And Co presented by Richard Gordon and Susan Calman. Studio 1, Ö÷²¥´óÐã Scotland, 19 November 2010

Formed almost a decade ago the provides a place of safety and support for children and adults. Bryan finds out how support from Ö÷²¥´óÐã Children in Need has helped the charity.

Your donations help the Moira Anderson Foundation to build coping skills and confidence of child victims of sexual abuse by providing respite and play opportunities.

In the second instalment of Get it On's Ö÷²¥´óÐã Children in Need appeal, Bryan visits the . The centre provides educational, cultural and recreational activities for young people of African origin which helps to improve their wellbeing.

Movember challenges men to change their appearance and the face of men's health by growing a moustache; John Beattie and Bill Whiteford are now halfway through their challenge. The moustache becomes the ribbon for men's health, the means by which awareness and funds are raised for cancers that affect men.

Bill Whiteford and John Beattie photographed halfway through their Movember challenge

In the first of his Ö÷²¥´óÐã Children in Need appeals, Bryan Burnett visits the Notre Dame Centre in Glasgow.

If you have ever wondered what happens to the money you donate to Children In Need in Scotland then I hope I can offer you a bit of insight this week. I've been visiting some of the projects who have benefited from your generosity and across the week on Get It On I'll be reporting on some success stories, and at the same time providing five more great reasons to donate to Children in Need this year.

There have been winners and losers here at Ö÷²¥´óÐã Scotland today; the Children in Need Tombola started at 1100. It's going to be a busy week for Pudsey and I'll be putting bits and pieces like these photographs up. If you've any pics you'd like adding to the blog, please send them to us at the Radio Scotland website.

One thing I love about doing this show is that it can be a strange mix, often veering from the sublime to the ridiculous.

But when my producer Della told me we'd be doing an interview this week to mark Orangutan Awareness Week, I must admit I burst out laughing. With the student riots, the G20 summit, the row over the Scottish Government's Alcohol legislation, and the over this year's , orangutans weren't exactly top of my agenda.

She'd arranged for me to speak to , the founder of the . Ashley talked so passionately about this endangered species (our closest relative) and the need to preserve its rainforest habitat that I was soon captivated. And I'm not the only one. The boss of Scottish shortbread maker was so affected by a visit to Borneo that he's pledged to stop using in his products. The rain forests are being cleared to cultivate the oil.

Ashley's got some pretty high profile people to support her cause, from to , and even in these stricken times she's confident she can raise £200,000 to mark the 20th anniversary of the Foundation. Having heard her talk I believe her.

When I came off air I got a text from a friend saying never had she heard such a smooth transition from orangutans to poppies. All human (and ape) life is here!

Listen to Shereen, Sunday 0900 on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland and available to listen again on iPlayer.

I see that Neil Diamond is bringing out a new album of songs called Dreams. At seventy years of age, he's a good example of someone who's never tired of his craft as a singer/songwriter, but I suppose when you've seen your songs covered by the likes of Elvis and Frank Sinatra, you don't need further proof that you must be doing something right.

Neil Diamond

I well remember songs like "Sweet Caroline", "I am, I said" "Longfellow Serenade" and my all time favourite - "Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show" There's something about his gravelly voice and the energy he puts into his music that I enjoy, but there's always that reminder of my youth when I first started listening to music, and given that it wasn't quite so available then as it is now - you would pretty much listen to anything that was around, and then decide whether you liked it or not. Fortunately or otherwise, I did, and pretty soon Neil Diamond joined a growing collection of singer/songwriters like Johnny Cash, Paul Simon and Bob Dylan. And they've all stood the test of time - I still listen to them and enjoy their music.

If you'd like me to play your favourite Neil Diamond song on the show, get in touch and perhaps you want to dedicate it to someone. You can e-mail me at
greetings@bbc.co.uk

Nearly forgot to write the blog... I've been so busy. Wasn't so busy last week, though. Saturday was a strike day so I was alone in the dark in the freezing cold outside the Pacific Quay building at 6 am... the lone picket. Never strike in winter, that's what should be on our placards. With predictions of other stoppages while the government tries to reduce the deficit, I hear IKEA are doing a line in flat-pack braziers.

To the programme:

After the debacle of the in Holyrood we ask if this is really the legislature we expected a decade ago. With heavy suspicion that the drinks lobby "got" to MSP's and that Labour may have been too tempted to down what could have been landmark SNP health legislation (think ) at the expense of public interest. Is this the New Scotland or a new (wee) version of Westminster.

We have hot news from Mesopotamia. Newsweek isn't behind the news for long... you may think that is just history for anoraks but a new book uncovers fascinating parallels with 2003 and the invasion of Iraq. Listen to my interview with the and see if you can spot them.

They say the only people who really understand the benefits system are those in receipt. try to simplify them. We have a discussion - which gets a bit cross at times - about just how difficult that is.

We hear about a dreadful narcotic habit which has developed in South Africa: and how yet another . It's the kind of thing that puts my job into perspective. Join me tomorrow at 8.

On Friday we were looking for electrical appliances that had stood the test of time, following the news that the in captivity is in Wales, still going strong after 42 years. Kathleen Stewart from New England got in touch:

"Hello Tom, Greetings from Autumnal New England!

I have just the appliance you're speaking of today. It is a clock radio that my beloved father gave me when I went off to college in 1981. Its a dual alarm with a stereo radio ...he knew I'd need both alarms to get up in time for class. It's in perfect working order still, though a bit scratched from all the moving during those years. I wouldn't part with it for the world.

My Mum has the ultimate appliance - a General Electric refrigerator that she bought when she and my dad were first married in 1951. It works great, though has to be manually defrosted which is a royal job! She still uses it, though its been relegated to the overflow of food during the holidays and stocked with cold soft drinks in the summer.

Thanks for the great tunes!"

Bryan reveals the themes for next week's Get It On.

The heart-stopping, pants-dropping, house-rocking, earth-shaking, booty-quaking, Viagra-taking, love-making - Le-gen-dary ! Because let's face it, this celebration we're about to have is about togetherness. It's really about how one performer, has shaped rock 'n' roll music over the last 35 years. But it's also about how he has allowed everyone to come along on the ride.

So we can't take you to a gig but what we can do is give you a sense of why Bruce Springsteen's music is so vital and in particular, why he's made such a connection to country people. His songs have been cut by , Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash. Trisha Yearwood, and Emmylou Harris have all recorded songs and Patty Griffin has a particularly female take on an iconic Bruce song.

Bruce Springsteen is in the line that brought Chuck Berry, Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Robert Johnston, Merle Haggard and Jimmy Rogers and that, my friends, is a great line. We welcome you if you love Bruce or if you've only ever heard the odd track on a car radio. If you think he was only good in the seventies and eighties we'll try to bring you up to date and if you only came along when came out we'll try to convince you that there's a whole load of great things that went before. However as people in the music business always say, "It's all about the songs."

It's a final show for this year tonight. I'm taking a break and will leave you in the care of the wonderful Edith Bowman. I know for a fact that Edith has great things in store for you on the albums show. I'll be back over Christmas with a special show and Another Country proper will return in January.

On Sunday Morning's Show:

It's remembrance Sunday so we'll talk to Army Chaplain, Donald Prentice. We find out more about The Heart of Midlothian players who went to France in 1914 and I discover what makes a Transition Town. (I'll give you a clue: it's no longer relying on fossil fuels and is trying to explore new alternatives) We'll play music from Radiohead, Michael Marra, The Korgis....and Joni Mitchell too.

It's becoming very clear that Children In Need is next week. The are few corridors left at Ö÷²¥´óÐã Scotland which are not glowing in the bright yellow light cast by Pudsey. Take today for example; while sitting at my desk a few members staff dressed up in their break to raise some funds and there was a big second hand book sale also in aid of Children In Need.

Here's a couple of pics from today to share with you.

On Thursday 11 November and Remembrance Sunday Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland is broadcasting a number of programmes to mark Remembrance Day.

Remembrance Day (Thursday 11 November)

1050: Poppies to Remember Part 1 - every year the simple red poppy stands as a powerful symbol, helping us all to remember. As the two-minute silence approaches we hear some of the thoughts this iconic image evokes, including the voices of the war veterans who make them.

1315: The Movie Café - looking at the World War 1 archive films held in the Scottish Screen Archive - the archive's curator Janet McBain talks Janice Forsyth through footage of soldiers heading off to war and of field hospitals staffed entirely by women.

1530: The Forgotten 51st - Iain Macdonald tells the remarkable story of what happened to the men of the . The story of those forced to surrender at St Valery en Caux, the story of those that escaped and of those who spent the rest of the war in prison camps. Rich with archive and poignant first hand accounts, this colourful and moving programme brings a rarely aired story back to life to claim its rightful place in history 70 years on.

Major General V M Fortune, GOC [General Commanding Officer] 51st Highland Division (right), with General Major Erwin Rommel at St Valery after the surrender of the 51st Division to Rommel's 7th Panzer Division. (12 June 1940)

1800: Get it On with Bryan Burnett - songs of remembrance and thanks. Which songs remind you of a family member who made the ultimate sacrifice? Email getiton@bbc.co.uk.

Remembrance Sunday (14 November)

1030: Poppies to Remember Part 2 - Anna Magnusson talks to people about the iconic image, including some of the war veterans who still make the poppies of Remembrance.

1055: Remembrance Service - an ecumenical service from Govan, led by the Rev Moyna McGlynn, with Father Peter Dowling and Major Derek Tyrell. Congregations of the Govan Citadel, Govan and Linthouse Church of Scotland, and St Anthony's Roman Catholic Church, join the Salvation Army Band and Choir.

1705: Classics Unwrapped - Jamie MacDougall plays the music of war and peace.

Available now

Conversation Zone - Marking the annual time of Remembrance, Anna Magnusson introduces conversations with those whose lives have been affected by wars in Europe, Afghanistan, Iraq and beyond.

Edinburgh Trams

Can we , should prisoners get the vote, and will the ever be finished? These were some of the burning issues we were debating on the show this week.

My guests were The Guardian's , who likes to adopt the role of resident curmudgeon, writer , who keeps Sev in check, and Sports writer , whose soft Irish brogue charms everyone into submission.

Needless to say, the trams were the topic that really got everyone going. Tom put it all into perspective though by cheerfully telling us about a new road tunnel in Dublin which went years over schedule and millions over budget. When it finally opened they realised the roof was too low for lorries! How very Irish, he said, though he thinks the Scots are now putting the Irish in the shade.

Joining us live from Edinburgh was , the leader of the Green Party who won the Greens' first seat at Westminster in May. She's an engaging woman
who's so passionate about her cause that she speaks at ninety miles an hour. It makes for an easy interview.

I always set the radio alarm at home for nine o'clock so that my partner can hear the show. I ask questions afterwards. When I got home this week he was asleep. Later he told me that the show had weaved itself into his dreams so that when I was asking the panel a question he would try to answer but would be continually talked over by one of the guests and ignored by me.

He's a man not short of strong opinions. By the time I got home he was in such a foul mood with me I had to let him re-run all the debates to let him have his say. It was either that or invite him on the show. That would be a step too far.

Listen to Shereen, Sunday 0900 on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland and available to listen again on iPlayer.

A very kind Greetings listener sent me a parcel of rosy red apples this week, along with a request for a song, which I am only too happy to play. Indeed you don't have to send me anything other than a note of your request and I'll happily oblige. But as we all know - the trend for sending parcels is much lower than it once was - and I suppose that's what makes receiving one all the more exciting.

I remember in the pre-internet period, when, if you lived outside the metropolis, mail order was the thing and parcels were the equivalent of a day at the shops. So I wanted to say thanks - and since playing music is my stock in trade, what better than a suitable tune. There are quite a few that crystallize the sentiment, such as Abba's Thank You for the Music, Dido's melancholic Thank You and Kirsty MacColl, with Thank You for the Days. And this is where I hand over to you - what are your suggestions for songs that say "Thank You".... And how about if you want to say thank you to someone - family, friends, a neighbour even...let me know by dropping an e mail and your suggestions to greetings@bbc.co.uk.

Ricky takes his dog Phamie for her morning walk.

It's cold and wet here and frankly, the cheery way I turned up my coat collar last week has now been overtaken by a dark scowl. I've been telling my son and daughter (who both have November birthdays) that it's really a great month, who wouldn't love autumn...etc... for 10 years. Maybe even I should acknowledge that it it's tough out there. That's why it will be nice to welcome a man from sunny Kentucky on Another Country on Friday - Mr Darrell Scott.

He's hot off the Band of Joy tour and he's playing solo in Glasgow on Saturday night. What instrument Darrell plays will be a good guess. He's master of guitar, mandolin and steel and he (apparently) became quite excited about using the 9 foot grand piano in studio 1. We'll talk about Robert Plant and his recent touring and writing with Beth Nielsen Chapman. We'll hear all about those Nashville sessions he's taken part in and ask what it's like when you hear that Faith Hill or the Dixie Chicks are going to cut one of your songs. And, yes, we'll talk about his new album The Crooked Road.

Great exclusive track from Lissie tomorrow night too. Richard M was at her gig recently. We also have music from Sara Watkins (in Glasgow Saturday too), Dylan LeBlanc, Ray Davies and Lucinda Williams (I Know!!) and The Jim Jones Revue. I'm visibly excited...and that, I'm pretty certain will make your dank November Friday evening come alive like a veritable fireworks display. Sorry, did you have one planned already?

On Sunday...

We take a visit to The Anatomy lab in where Humanist Cleric, Tim Maguire checks out the institution to which he's leaving his body for medical science. I don't go with him, but I get a chance to chat to the Anatomist. We talk Post Conflict Tourism - Pakistan, Iraq and Yemen. If you've had enough of The Dordogne, Arran or Costa Brava do you fancy a trip to Iraq? We meet the man who will organise your trip.

We also talk to and about a conference called "What Has The Reformation Done for Us?"

Music from Michaels Jackson and Marra, Josh Tillman and Marvin Gaye. All from 8 on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland this Sunday Morning.

Like many Scots, I was first introduced to the poetry of at school. It was a revelation to me that poetry could be so simple yet so meaningful. Poems like 'So Many Summers', 'Visiting Hour' and 'Assisi' became embedded in my consciousness. So it was with a great deal of excitement that I took on the task of producing a special programme to mark the centenary of his birth in 2010 for Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland.

The remit was to use his poetry to explore his beloved in the North West Highlands. Although very much an man - he was born there and worked as a teacher for most of his adult life in the city - MacCaig spent every summer at , and then . Much of his poetry reflects his deep attachment to the particular landscape of this part of Scotland - the remarkable mountains, the glittering lochs and coral beaches like Achmelvich.

It was a dark and dreich afternoon earlier this week when Mark Stephen, writer, and I went to Achmelvich to do some recording, but that didn't detract from its beauty.

Andrew Greig, Cathal Macleod and Mark Stephen at the Glen Loch

Andrew explained to us that the - the rock - at Achemelvich is amongst the most travelled part of the earth. It is astonishing to think too that this rock, which once lay at the South Pole, predates all life - there are no fossils because nothing existed. All these mind blowing thoughts influenced MacCaig's Assynt poetry, the contrast between the ancient mountains and rocks and his transience as a human being. But this didn't detract in any way from his emotional connection to Assynt, and his memories of fishing for trout on the lochs with good friends like AK MacLeod really kept him going during the winter months in Edinburgh. As the three of us stood by Loch na Gainmhich and gasped at the splendour of Quinag in the cloud, we were shaken by a bolt of lightening flashing incongruously amidst the thick cloud; it felt as if Norman MacCaig was speaking to us from somewhere he didn't believe in, a mischievous reminder of our tiny place in this ancient and momentous land.

View down the loch from the Kylesku road.

'Norman MacCaig in Assynt', a special edition of Out of Doors will be broadcast on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland on Saturday 6th November at 7.06 am and again on Sunday 7th November at 11.05. You can also view more photographs from Assynt.

Angus MacColl - 2010 Overall Winner

This year's took place on Saturday 30th October at Blair Castle in Blair Atholl. Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland's Pipeline were there to record the event and Ö÷²¥´óÐã Alba were on site armed with cameras.

Watch a short interview below with Liz Maxwell from Glenfiddich Piping & Fiddling to find out more about the event. Also keep an eye out on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Alba next year for a programme going behind the scenes of the piping world with footage from the Glenfiddich and other major piping events.

Pipeline producer Iain MacInnes gave us his rundown of the event:

The Argyll contingent headed home from Blair Atholl at the weekend with a spring in the step and a trunk-load of silverware, as the top three prizes went to Argyll pipers, born and bred.

Angus MacColl from Benderloch took his third Glenfiddich title (the first being in 1995), with a poised performance of the grand old pibroch 'The End of the Great Bridge', followed by a blistering display of march playing as he launched into 'John MacDonald of Glencoe' with serious intent. The cautious approach is never for Angus, and on this occasion he was at his absolute best.

Also in good trim, and with a beautifully resonant instrument, was Inveraray's Stuart Liddell. As the defending champion, Stuart laid out his stall with a well-structured 'Lament for Donald Bàn MacCrimmon' (all 21 minutes of it!), followed by a free-flowing March, Strathspey and Reel, ending in GS McLennnan's tricky 'Little Cascade'. Many have come a cropper on this tune. Stuart has made it his own with an intuitive understanding of the tune's rhythmic complexities.

In third place overall was Willie McCallum from Campbeltown (by way of a short stay in Bearsden), who celebrated his 23d consecutive appearance with a measured performance of the beautifully poignant tune 'The Daughter's Lament'. Tunes of this type require a well-set instrument, particularly on the top hand. Willie was equal to the task.

In fact it's been a while since I've enjoyed a pibroch competition so much: good tunes from all concerned (including a marvellously gritty 'Donald Gruamach's March' from Roddy MacLeod); well-set instruments; and a consistency across the field which hasn't always been evident at the Glenfiddich. Particular mention should be made of the two newcomers to the event, the Oban Gold medallist Faye Henderson, and the Inverness medallist Andrew Hayes. Both played extremely well, and neither looked or sounded out of place in such exalted company.

If the MSR competition perhaps fell short of the quality evident in the pibroch, this was nonetheless an impressive showcase for Highland piping, heard in the best possible surroundings. We'll be featuring highlights on Pipeline on the 6th and 13th of November.

Results:

Ceòl Mòr

1st Angus MacColl

2nd Willie McCallum
3d Dr Angus MacDonald
4th Andrew Hayes
5th Stuart Liddell

MSR

1st Stuart Liddell

2d Angus MacColl
3d Roddy MacLeod
4th Iain Speirs
5th Willie McCallum

Overall

1st Angus MacColl
2nd Stuart Liddell
3d Willie McCallum

Make sure to tune into Pipeline on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland and also Crunnluath on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio nan Gaidheal for further highlights from the event.

Much as I love doing this show, the early starts on a Sunday morning can put a bit of a dampener on your Saturday night. The show may be on air at nine am but I'm there from six thirty(ish) going through the scripts, reading the morning papers (homework, you understand), and chatting to the guests. Unless I'm in bed and asleep by ten thirty the night before, I'm totally incapable of stringing two coherent sentences together, as my producer, Della will testify. Not the best way to present an hour long discussion programme.

If I'm being honest the early nights aren't such a big sacrifice. My clubbing days are, sadly, long since over, something that was brought home to me when I was leaving for work just as the teenager in the house was coming home. These days my idea of a great Saturday night is a glass of wine with Strictly followed by and . Bliss! I know, I need to get out more.

This weekend was to be even more blissful. The clocks went back, so a whole extra hour! But I couldn't decide how to make the most of it. Go to bed an hour later, or go to bed at the same time and get an extra hour at the other end? Shift workers will know that you do end up fixating on optimum sleep patterns. In the end I opted to go for the extra hour in the morning. Big mistake. Couldn't get to sleep for two hours. When I did, I kept waking up in a panic. Did I set the alarm? Did I put the clock back or forward? Did I sleep through the alarm? I didn't, but somehow I didn't get the benefit of that extra hour.

Some full strength Ö÷²¥´óÐã coffee did the trick, and I was lucky to have a strong panel of studio guests in the form of David Pratt, Sarah Oates, and newcomer to the show, Margaret Gibson.

This week's big interview is was Scottish actor who tells a wonderful story about a childhood road trip with his Mum in a real gypsy caravan. You can listen to the extended interview below:

Listen to Shereen, Sunday 0900 on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland and available to listen again on iPlayer.