The pair spent 37 years of their lives together, having been married for nine of those years. Tracey Howe and Angela White met each other whilst working in a hospital in Sunderland The pair spent 37 years of their lives together having been married for nine of those years The couple moved to Bearsden nearly two decades ago where they continued to raise their sons Will Angela was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Myeloma a type of blood cancer that affects the bone marrow and plasma cells Tracey set off from the Beatson in Glasgow on November 1 a trip she dreamed of making with her wife in a motorhome after retirement The journey has taken Tracey all the way to Lands End and now she is making her way back north towns and landmarks visited during the trip the fundraiser believes the kindness people has been the real highlight of the journey Tracey told STV News: “People are being so generous with their time and donating “People have let me stay in their houses Every time I meet someone I give them one of the crocheted hearts and it opens up the conversation “Often people shed a tear about not just my story but theirs as well.” The whole experience has given the 60-year-old who has received support from Olympic Gold medallist Tom Daly Tracey said: “I used to be a planner and this really is forcing me to live in the moment “I need to enjoy everything and soak up the whole day “I’m focusing on just being.” with the walker hit with wind and rain on some days the memory of her wife has driven her forward The mum-of-two said: “I talk to her everyday “I imagine her being with me and encouraging me “When I’m having a tough day and the terrain and elements are against me I call on her strength to give me a push.” The former professor of rehabilitation sciences has set herself the target of raising £100,000 for five different charities including Brainstrust, Marie Curie and Beatson Cancer Charity is also raising funds for Breast Cancer Now and Coppafeel after her sister-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer To follow Tracey’s Trek on social media click here. To donate to Tracey’s Trek click here. STV News is now on WhatsAppGet all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Follow STV News on WhatsAppScan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country '+scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text+' "+scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title+" "+scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text+" The new £100,000 play area – which was funded through a mixture EDC Capital Funding and the Scottish Government’s Renewing Scotland’s Play Parks funding – involved replacing some older units with new modern equipment The play area also retained some of the existing units that had been previously installed in more recent years well-resourced facility that will benefit young people from the Bearsden area for many years to come Councillor Pamela Marshall – Vice Convener of the Council’s Place Neighbourhood and Corporate Assets Committee - officially opened the impressive new play area along with local children from Killermont Primary School Councillor Marshall added "Children from Killermont Primary members of the Killermont Park Development Group and the local community all had the opportunity to choose their favourite design at a consultation event day and from the reaction of the children here today it would seem they chose well" “It was great that we were joined by children from Killermont Primary School at the opening so they could enjoy the fabulous end result for themselves “I’m sure this upgraded play area will be well-used for many years to come.”  The play area now includes equipment that can be enjoyed by children of all ages and abilities - and even grown-ups too Amongst the new equipment installed is a wheelchair-friendly roundabout and hard-backed disability swing two new multi-play units - one for younger children and a larger one for older kids – and a variety of swings There is also something for the more adventurous grown-ups who want to share in the play experience with their children - a tango swing that both adult and child can go on together Perhaps one of the most impressive units is the new Hurricane Swing - the only one of its kind in East Dunbartonshire – where the adventurous can spin at speed around a central pole the first solo dining venture from chef Gary Townsend has been awarded Three AA Rosettes in just six months of opening and is the only restaurant in Scotland to be awarded a Rosette Award this year Three Rosettes is denoted by the AA as having “achieved culinary standards that demand national recognition well beyond their local area The cooking will be underpinned by the selection and sympathetic treatment of the highest quality ingredients seasoning and the judgement of flavour combinations will be consistently excellent These virtues will tend to be supported by other elements such as intuitive service and a well-chosen wine list.” Formerly of Martin Wishart’s MICHELIN starred restaurant at Cameron House and head chef of Glasgow’s prestigious Three AA Rosette One Devonshire Gardens Gary’s menu includes North Sea Wild Halibut with shrimps and Highland Roe Deer reflecting his passion for sourcing local Scottish ingredients “I am over the moon that our wee restaurant has gained this prestigious recognition from The AA so soon after opening It’s a goal we’d set for the team from the very beginning and we’ve put our heart and soul into creating a memorable and special experience for our guests it’s testament to our continually evolving menu our hard work and dedication to excellence We’re excited for the future and so grateful to our wonderful customers and suppliers for their continued support ” Privacy Policy They are fantastic!’ was my instant reaction to the performances of the spirituals from A Child of our Time slotted into John Bridcut’s 2023 BBC TV documentary Michael Tippett: The Shadow and the Light I assumed it was one of the big symphonic choruses but the singers didn’t look familiar from BBC Proms appearances they had a wonderfully flexible sound and were responding with precision to the direction of the conductor; and they had an impressively wide age range The orchestra turned out to be the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the choir that had impressed me so much was Glasgow-based Bearsden Choir impeccably drilled for their contributions to the documentary by their musical director since 2014 Bearsden – pronounced with the stress on the second syllable – appears to be a suburb of Glasgow but administratively it is a separate small town lying within the county of East Dunbartonshire and closely linked to the neighbouring town of Milngavie The choir has its origins in these two communities making its debut as Bearsden Burgh Choir in 1968 with a Messiah in the Rio Cinema then organist of the town’s Church of Scotland parish church For most of its subsequent history it continued to be rooted in Bearsden though performances in Glasgow concert halls and churches were frequently interspersed with concerts in local venues especially during the long tenure as musical director (1971-2009) of James Hunter a senior music and arts producer with BBC Scotland The ‘Past Concerts’ page on the choir’s website reveals a varied range of musical styles and repertoire and some interesting programme pairings – Schütz’s setting of Psalm 8 with Stainer’s Crucifixion in Paisley Abbey for example; Rutter’s Gloria with Donald Swann’s Requiem for the Living; a concert that opened with Monteverdi’s Beatus Vir and closed with Randall Thompson’s Alleluia; an evening of Gilbert & Sullivan; ceilidhs church services and BBC Songs of Praise appearances including one at Glamis Castle in honour of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother’s 100th birthday Collaborations with other choirs were frequent and the soloists’ list is a rollcall of well-known Scottish singers plus many from further afield and a 13-year-old violinist called Nicola Benedetti the choir has been conducted by the likes of Yehudi Menuhin and has performed with numerous different orchestras and instrumental ensembles Commissions have included The Lamb by Edward Harper (1990) Harmony of Angels by Jennifer Margaret Barker (1992) Ballade pour prier Notre Dame by Martin Dalby (1998) and 23.VII.32 by Oliver Iredale Searle (2008) celebrating the choir’s 40th anniversary year Under the direction of Andrew Nunn and his immediate predecessor Frikki Walker both of whom have strong connections with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) and with youth and school choirs the demographic of Bearsden Choir began to change In a 2018 promotional video one of the younger members talked enthusiastically about how the numbers of singers her age had grown from a handful to ‘a big bunch of us’ getting the train from Glasgow to Bearsden every week for rehearsals The need to find bigger rehearsal venues to allow for social distancing in the aftermath of the pandemic led to experiments with locations closer to the city centre a huge neo-classical building opposite Glasgow University’s Gilmorehill campus This has completed the transformation to being a Greater Glasgow choir – but after much discussion the decision was taken not to change the name as ‘the brand is just too strong – we want to respect that 55-year history and the reputation built up by my predecessors’ So where does Bearsden Choir sit in the ecology of Glasgow choirs auditioned choir we are comparable to the chorus of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra but our commitment is not quite so demanding and we can prepare for them with just one rehearsal a week plus the concert day Glasgow has lots of choral societies and chamber choirs … there really is a choir for everybody.’ One of the reasons why Bearsden Choir sounds so good is the attention paid to vocal production which dates from Frikki Walker’s time and his skill and experience as a professional tenor Regular sectional sessions benefit from the expertise of soprano Wilma MacDougall a lecturer at the RCS whose many teaching roles have included work with the RSNO Junior Chorus and National Youth Choir of Scotland She was visiting on the night I attended a Bearsden Choir rehearsal which began with her leading an extended general warm-up ‘Wilma’s the boss for anything technical,’ Nunn tells me ‘She really understands and loves the science of voice production and is up to date with all the latest research in vocal pedagogy so I defer to her.’ MacDougall talks to the choir about being aware of the upper partials in their sound and putting spin on their top notes but also uses a lot of metaphors and visual imagery Quite a few of the exercises are unfamiliar to me and there’s a long list of details for the singers to remember as they work on rising phrases … ‘feeling the space around your back; soft knees; floating ribs; you’ve got a marshmallow between your back teeth; and smiling eyes as though Wilma has just come through the door and fallen flat on her face After about 20 minutes the sopranos and altos with MacDougall and pianist Lynda Cochrane move to a smaller hall to work in detail on a very short section of the Agnus dei from Bob Chilcott’s Little Jazz Mass honing in particularly on tuning and blend but also on awareness of other parts and of precise volume Meanwhile the tenors and basses are working with Nunn and the choir’s principal accompanist Christopher Nickol on a section of Will Todd’s Mass in Blue focusing on similar issues but particularly on making sure everyone is singing exactly the right notes and watching the conductor – ‘you can mark in the maths all you want that’s just a note of the composer’s intention I will tell you when I want the note to end!’ Video clips on the choir’s YouTube channel demonstrate that it pays off and there’s a wonderfully intense performance of the Kyrie in The Dream of Gerontius sung from memory before scores are opened for the next section of the work and it’s only in the last 15 minutes of the three-hour rehearsal that they join forces and work intensively on building up one chord in the Credo of the Todd Mass Nunn concedes that he drives the choir very hard indeed at one point he stops and says: ‘I do realise how niche this is how hard you’ve all been working all day … I know some of you are caring for children or your social workers at least one of you is a GP … you’re dealing with really serious issues whereas it is my job to care about these four notes Soprano Sarah Strachan has belonged to the choir for 20 years and now chairs the committee Asked how she decided that this was the choir for her when her husband’s job necessitated a move to Glasgow from Manchester she admits that a Google search was initially responsible ‘A benefit of the name starting with the second letter of the alphabet I explored a couple of other local options but Bearsden was easily the most friendly and I felt at home with the standard of the singing which is very challenging to a keen amateur musician ‘Andrew’s bubbly personality shines out and sets the tone for every rehearsal,’ she adds approachable and his commitment and dedication to the choir are exemplary He has the amazing ability of being able to command respect whilst sharing a joke or a funny story which makes rehearsals fun as well as challenging Andrew has exceptional musical talent and knows the individual voices – and names – of everyone in the choir His acute ear can hear if one person is out on a note and he doesn’t settle until he is convinced that that note is perfect which makes for very polished performances at a high level.’ Nunn struck career gold at an early age when Les Sirènes the upper-voice female choir he founded at the RCS won the 2012 BBC Choir of the Year Competition but he reflects that he was still very young when he took over Bearsden Choir two years later and has learned as much from the choir as they have learned from him ‘I’ve ticked off a lot of “firsts” with them especially under the particularly strict and extended Scottish regulations were among the most successful run by any amateur choir Nunn cites a 2016 choral education project on Haydn’s Nelson Mass involving nine schools and the RCS Junior Conservatoire as another highlight … though he admits that he always thinks the last concert was the best they’ve ever done The recent Todd and Chilcott choral jazz concert was no exception: ‘I loved the music and the Richard Michael Jazz Quartet and our soprano soloist Sarah-Jane Lewis were really fantastic.’ Sarah Strachan is equally enthusiastic about the jazz concert ‘We were incredibly fortunate to have the amazing quartet accompanying us and they really made the evening go with a swing involving the choir as an ad hoc and unrehearsed backing group for their set Sarah-Jane and Andrew was infectious and the choir really upped their game singing to a standard that in my opinion reached an all-time high.’ ‘We are open to collaborations with other choirs of a similar standard and hope one day to get an opportunity to go on tour,’ says Strachan ‘We would certainly welcome the opportunity of singing in some of the bigger scale choral repertoire with full orchestra If you are an existing subscriber to Gramophone, International Piano or Opera Now and would like to upgrade, please contact us here or call +44 (0)1722 716997 The Thornwood Bar is on the market after Marc Ferrier revealed last week that they would not be renewing their lease marking nearly six years of running the popular neighbourhood bar with business partner Kenny Hamilton over the last few weeks the team having been sharing the re-design and refurb of their new bar in Bearsden It is set to open in the former premises of 55 Bearsden Cross on Drymen Road in the next few weeks before opening the kitchen in the weeks that follow “Bearsden Athletic Club will have Thornwood vibes The honesty fridges stocked with great beers will be there and it will be a real laid back community pub serving a comfort food menu with items we are renowned for such as our mac ‘n cheese “The front of house is currently undergoing a refurbishment and we are putting out our own touches on it We want it to feel more pub and less restaurant lighting and will hopefully be what people want in a local We would like to replicate what we have in The Thornwood “There is also a large beer garden at the rear which we will be refurbishing for the summer as well The plan is to open for drinks first and the food offering will follow slightly later while we refurbish the kitchen.” It will continue to serve a cocktail list that includes favourites such as the Negroni Margarita as well as deya brewing on draught The Thornwood is now being offered for lease by Star Pubs Gone are the days of starchy formality and rigid etiquette Stuffy dining rooms and menus you can’t decipher are making way for a more relaxed atmosphere Most of us want to go somewhere that centres around the food and a comfortable dining experience rather than the prestige of listing arcane herbs that no-one outside of Heston Blumenthal has heard of So it was a joyous occasion when I walked into Gary Townsend’s new restaurant on one of those perfectly peaceful Sunday afternoons and was greeted by an unintimidating classic dining room with a buzzy neighbourhood feel Tipped to potentially be Scotland’s next Michelin star destination it’s Townsend’s first solo venture after leaving his post as head chef of One Devonshire Gardens earlier this year The space is snug (just 36 covers) and bright with stunning light fixtures and well lit wine cabinets adorning the stylish deep blue walls The menus are all inspired by the four elements Diners relaxing in their plush velvet seats can see right through to the small kitchen where the busy chefs quietly go about their business You can even book a seat at the chef’s counter a row of five seats along a granite worktop where you can watch the carefully curated plates be put together We are here to try out the lunch menu which starts with rustic French sourdough and two fantastic homemade butters – a cultured Jersey and a miso and poppy seed Proceedings start with a cube of heirloom tomatoes and a perfectly clear consommé The delicate mackerel starter comes with crisp cabbage and shards of toasted sourdough Onto ‘The Middle’ and we both opted for the Ayrshire pork belly The tender meat was succulent but with that much sought after crispy top with hints of black truffle running through it A dollop of celeriac apple mustard cut through the richness of the dish which was brought together with one of the most fantastic sauces I have ever had the pleasure of eating It was the perfect balance of tangy and sweet A slither of chocolate ganache was deliciously rich The lunch menu comes in at £42 – extremely reasonable for the standard of food being served There is a market for Gary Townsend’s fine dining A welcoming space with sensational food and innovation that puts it up there with the crème de la crème of Scottish restaurants without being too intimidating for people to actually walk through the door but sometimes you just want good food in a space relaxing enough to enjoy it Elements Read more Reviews here Subscribe to read the latest issue of Scottish Field IPSO is an independent body which deals with complaints from the public about the editorial content of newspapers and magazines We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your prior consent You can choose to enable or disable some or all of these cookies but disabling some of them may affect your browsing experience Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns it’s hard to keep up with Nico Simone’s quest for culinary domination a Spanish steakhouse and wine bar in Bearsden will see 100% of the profits donated to the Beatson Cancer Charity Bamboleo occupies the site of his former non-profit restaurant which raised more than £1 million earlier this year While Bamboleo retains the moral driving force of its predecessor it’s a new experience and Nico hopes it will help them to reach the £2 million target for the cancer charity Bamboleo offers an a la carta menu with tapas dishes and steak variations all paired with an impressively curated wine list The 48-cover restaurant is spread over two levels The bright and sophisticated ground floor is decorated with warm timber and earthy tones Spanish-inspired tiles line the floor with brown leather chairs and an open kitchen We started with some bits from the snack portion of the menu – sourdough bread with a delicious olive tapenade and crispy ham croquettes stuffed with a rich béchamel sauce – before moving on to the tapas Succulent pork cheeks arrived out of the kitchen first alongside garlic and chilli butter prawns The sourdough bread came in handy here for mopping up the incredible sauce from both dishes The serrano ham was perfectly paired with soft while the patatas bravas (which I normally shy away from after having endured many terrible variations) were golden and buttery soft inside we opted for the fillet steak and the Iberian blackened pork The tender steak had a brilliant sear and the glistening meat was perfectly cooked A meat that can be incredibly difficult to perfect Served with the traditional Canary Islands red mojo sauce I would highly recommend this star of the show Our sides were triple cooked chips with paprika salt and fried new potatoes covered in dollops of garlic aioli Bamboleo is one of those perfect neighbourhood restaurants the food is really solid and you are dining to donate – what could be better If Nico’s chefs continue to serve up food as good as this it’s hard to imagine him not smashing that £2 million target Bamboleo, 149 Milngavie Road in Bearsden Read more News stories here situated in the Glasgow suburb of Bearsden opened in July and is the first solo dining venture from Chef/Owner Gary Townsend The restaurant has undergone significant refurbishment and an investment of around £400,000 to create the stunning 36-cover space The new design was created by DBP Architects and has been carefully crafted to Gary’s vision “I wanted the interiors of the restaurant to link closely to the four main elements in our restaurant’s namesake earth and air which also aligns closely to the ethos behind my cooking style “It was really important that our guests at Elements feel welcomed and relaxed as soon as they walk through the door and these were main priorities in the design brief  We worked closely with our architects DBP to achieve this redesigning the layout to open up the area incorporating lots of natural materials like granite and using deep blue and green tones on the walls and ceilings “We also introduced energy saving initiatives wherever possible and have reduced the carbon footprint of the building considerably through various upgrades is a calm and comfy space with lots of energy and positivity that feels special The sandstone exterior is brought to life by the deep blue façade with smart silver branding and a logo which encompasses the four classical elements of nature Upon entering the smoked oak timber flooring gives way to the deep blue walls which have been adorned with large antique glass mirrors that increase the depth and warmth of the space There are also large pieces of modern artwork that bring earthy tones The open kitchen to the right has a stunning marbled granite top and is home to the five seats known as the ‘Chef’s Counter’ This area allows an immersive dining opportunity to observe Gary and his team’s craftsmanship up close Another striking feature is the illuminated wine fridges which have been built into the walls There is also a perfectly formed bar located to the back left of the restaurant which has both a metal overhead and rear brass gantry Associate Senior Interior Designer from DBP so every space has been thought out to maximise functionality and to maximise storage within the smallest of spaces The service bar is very compact but will still allow a large variety of wines and whisky’s to be displayed and incorporates a granite top There has been a lot of head scratching to get this bar to be beautiful and functional in a very small area of the restaurant we have combined darker wall colours with the oversized mirrors mounted on the walls Mirrors have also been inlaid into the wine stores and wall panelling details to maximise the feeling of space and reflect the warm lighting throughout.” “The colour palette has really been led by the ‘elements’ branding colours which were already in place when we started to work on the interiors Dark blues with lighter shades of teal and burnt orange tones The brief was to create a fine dining restaurant which still feels warm and comfortable with natural finishes were possible These finishes have been selected to combine the aesthetics yet still be hardwearing for a busy restaurant setting.” The furniture takes the form of elegant dark wooden tables surrounded by comfortable chairs and some banquette seating which all tones in with the trademark blue colour scheme These are upholstered in high end velvet fabrics and bring a real richness to the space Statement lighting is also introduced through smoked glass pendants and modern chandelier style lights with brass frames which illuminate the space with a warm white glow The space has been totally transformed and the link between the name the food and the design is clear for all to see I certainly felt ‘in my element’ and can’t wait to return Daily news, insight and opinion from the world of restaurants 16-Oct-2024 Last updated on 16-Oct-2024 at 12:27 GMT Working at The Jolly Sailor pub in Portsmouth after I left the Royal Navy in 1979.  If you weren’t in kitchens, what would you do? What industry figure do you most admire, and why? Has to be Gordon Ramsay for his sheer talent and determination – you don’t get to the top in this game without talent thankfully. Spoons left at the bottom of sauce containers after service which are then put back in the fridge. It just says lack of concern to me. What’s the oddest thing a customer has said to you? A place I used to work served chicken breast on the bone. A female customer complained and said: “Look at my breasts, they don't have a bone!”  Sum up your cooking style in a single sentence… Flavour, colour and neat presentation, in that order. What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry? Learn from everyone and observe everything -  that's how you pick up the skills! Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without? What would you choose to eat for your last meal? A rack of lamb served with dauphinoise potatoes, green beans, and a nice red wine sauce with mint. What’s the best meal you’ve ever had in a restaurant? An amazing lamb curry, cooked by Tony Singh, whilst sat at the bar in Oloroso in Edinburgh. Pizza Express used to be good, but I've not been for a while. What’s the dish you wish you’d thought of? The classic Scottish dish of mince and tatties.  You’re restaurant dictator for a day – what would you ban? Who would your dream dinner party guests be? Stevie Wonder, Nile Rodgers and Denzel Washington. What’s the closest you’ve ever come to death? Nothing, really, and hopefully it’s a long way off. Where do you go when you want to let your hair down? Rehearsal studio with a band and play some drums. What’s your favourite food and drink pairing? What do you consider to be your signature dish? Beef wellington in filo de brick pastry with fondant potatoes, kale, and peppercorn gravy. Whet your appetite with beers from the European UnionPaid for and content provided by European Union Lost Revenue from Downtime: How It Cripples Your Delivery App Visibility and SalesPaid for and content provided by Deliverect Staffing costs rising — how smart hiring solutions are helping UK restaurantsPaid for and content provided by YoungOnes The upper floors inside Bearsden Snowsports Club were shut down after a fire in July 2023. The catering space inside Bearsden Snowsports Club was shut down after a fire in July 2023 left the upper floors of the building unsafe. The damage was caused after a bin on the upper floor caught fire and the blaze spread to the rest of the building. On Thursday, the club announced that all of its facilities had been formally reopened with an improved function suite, bar and glazed panoramic viewing point where skiers of all ages can be observed skiing down both the club’s slopes. In a further development, the 60-year-old club received a “substantial” cash boost from renowned businessman and philanthropist John Watson OBE. As a thank you the Club bestowed the rare accolade of Honorary Membership on Mr Watson. John, a former President of the ski club, cut a ribbon to mark its full reopening. He said: “I’m delighted that the Club is fully operational again after the fire. The improvements are remarkable and enhance the facilities enormously. Here’s to the next 60 years!” Firefighters from the Scottish Fire and Rescue service were invited along to join the re-opening celebrations. Gordon Scott, general manager of the club, said: “The fire was a real blow but happily we were up and running with our sporting facilities within a week. “But due to the damage to catering area it was not possible to reopen this aspect of our operation. But we’re back now fully operational with new, enhanced and stylish facilities of which we can all be very proud. “We want to say big thank you to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service whose skill in tackling the blaze last year prevented a much worse outcome. We will be forever grateful for their heroic actions.” Club president Billy McNeill added: “We are thrilled to be back operating at full strength for our members and the local community of which we are proud to be part. “We will now redouble our efforts in encouraging the community to use our new enhanced facilities notably our function suite for events ranging from lunches to special occasions so we can share our facilities with a wider audience. “We can’t thank John Watson enough. He has a long and proud association with the Club and his generosity is greatly appreciated by all members.”