News / In brief – 24 March, 2010
Second ambulance
SHETLAND is to have a second ambulance serving the islands from the 9 April, the Scottish Ambulance Service has announced.
The vehicle will be based in Lerwick after attempts to recruit volunteers to operate the service from Brae were unsuccessful.
However a question mark still hangs over the Lerwick operation after only six volunteers came forward to help. Paid staff have promised to cover any periods when no one is available until more volunteers are trained.
NHS Shetland chief executive Sandra Laurenson said it was “very good news” for Shetland and she hoped the service could become “sustainable”.
Lifeboat launched
AITH’S standby lifeboat The Duke of Kent was launched yesterday morning (Tuesday) on service to attend a small survey vessel with a fouled propellor in Scalloway harbour.
However the vessel was safely towed back to the quay side by the Scalloway pilot boat and the lifeboat was stood down and returned to Aith.
Total pipes
A PIPE mill in Hartlepool run by steel firm Corus has won a £200 million contract to supply 220 miles of pipe to export gas from the Laggan-Tormore fields west of Shetland.
The contract is an early outcome of last week’s announcement that Total and Dong Energy were going ahead with the £2.5 billion development, with gas being exported to the UK via a new gas plant at Sullom Voe.
Total managing director Roland Festor said: “Developing the Laggan and Tormore gas fields in 600 metres of water in the harshest environment on the UK Continental Shelf will be a major challenge and the support and expertise of suppliers such as Corus will be vital to the success of the project.”
Town centre bid
LERWICK Town Centre Association are putting together a bid to develop a BID – a Business Improvement District.
The Scottish government awarded the association a grant, which has now been matched by Shetland Islands Council, to get the BID off the ground.
Now adverts are going out for a project manager and project assistant, and a steering group is being set up with local business representatives and the council
Red Show
GLASGOW-based three piece band The Red Show, featuring singer Gareth Goodlad and bassist Chris Cope from Shetland, yesterday came out top in the inaugural Scotcampus ‘Be Our Band’ competition after a public vote.
The trio beat four other unsigned bands after being whittled down from a total of 100 hopefuls who entered the competition run by student newspaper Scotcampus.
Victory means promotion in the paper and gigs at events such as the Freshers’ Festival, in Glasgow’s George Square, as well as “advice and guidance from industry heavyweights”.
A band spokesman said: “Hopefully with promotion from Scotcampus behind us, 2010 will be a year to remember for The Red Show. Since the start of the year we’ve brought in a manager to help guide us, and we’re lining up a digital single release in the coming month or two as well as the recording of our next EP, so we’re certainly going to be kept busy.”
The band’s EP ‘Little Miss Lynch Mob’ can be bought at Clive’s Record Shop in Lerwick, Shetland. More information is available at www.myspace.com/theredshowuk.
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