Whilst we’ve been off enjoying our Summer Holidays, we may have missed many of the exciting events taking place on our doorstep. Its time to brush off the cobwebs and catch up with what you’ve missed at home in Scotland and in the UK.

2018 European Championships

Earlier this month, the European Championships were held in Scotland with several events being held across the country such as Aquatics, Cycling, Gymnastics, Rowing, Triathalon and Golf. Throughout the course of the 11 day event, Team Great Britain won 26 Gold medals, 26 Silver medals and 22 Bronze medals, winning 74 medals overall. Although Team Great Britain won the most medals overall the team slipped into 2nd place with Russia winning 5 more Gold medals racking up 31 Gold medals, 19 Silver Medals and 16 Bronze medals. For more information on this awe inspiring event, read our review of the 2018 European Championships here : https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/sl/oystercatcher/2018/08/21/2018-european-championships/

 
Record Amount of Registered Organ Donors

In the UK and Scotland there has been record amounts of people registering to be organ donors, saving thousands of peoples lives throughout the country. This has been the first year where over 1,500 people after their death have donated their organs allowing more people than ever to receive a transplant that has changed their life. From the last financial year there were 1,575 deceased donors which from 2017/18 there was an increase of 11% from the previous financial year. This has been the highest year after year increase in 28 years.

In Scotland alone over half of the population (more than 2,724,000 people or 50.4% to be exact) has already registered to donate their organs and or tissue after their death in comparison with the UK’s average of which is only 38%.

Donald Trump Meeting the Queen

On Friday 13th of July, President Trump met the Queen at Windsor Castle. As many of you can guess, Trump and First Lady Melania broke etiquette on numerous occasions within only minutes of meeting her. This included Trump and Melania failing to bow and curtsy but instead opting to simply shake hands with her, showing disregard for the monarchy. Although bowing and curtsying is not considered to be obligatory it is widely considered good manners and practised by nearly everyone when meeting the Queen.

2018 Highland games Cancellation

The 37th annual Invercharron Highland Games was cancelled this year because of the long spell of dry weather that we received this summer. The dry conditions caused the growth process of the crops on the land to be slowed down not allowing enough time for the farmer to water his winter harvest.

These games are famous for their heavy events, for example tossing the caber, shot putt and hammer throwing. The game were due to be held in Sutherland on September 15th

Westminster Crash

On the 14th August, Salih Kharter a 29 year old originally from Sudan who was grated asylum into the UK, crashed his car into the security barriers outside the Houses of Parliament during the mornings rush hour just before 7.40.

3 people were injured in this crash causing the case to be treated as a terrorism nature this is because the location of the crash and the alleged targeting of both civilian and police officers.

Kharter is being charged with one count of attempting to murder persons outside parliament and with a second count of attempting to murder police officers.

MossSide Shooting

Just outside the heart of Manchester in Moss Side on Sunday 12th August at 2.25am a shooting took place at a street party after a Caribbean Carnival which has been held annually since 1972, regularly drawing in thousands of people each year.

There has reported to have been nine victims with ‘pellet type wounds’ and also a man who has suffered a broken leg and is said to be in a serious state. Police believe that the weapon was a shotgun due to the ‘pellets in its rounds’. This attack is being treated as an attempted murder of ten people.

The National Heatwave

This Summer was not only set to be the hottest but driest on record. This is due to there being no considerable rainfall since May and continually rising temperatures which were set to pass 30C (86F).

June 2018 being the driest on record since 1925, having many of the rivers dropping well past its lower than normal level for that time of year.

Our summer has been compared to the summer of 1976 which had the longest heatwave in living memory, spanning from mid June to the end of August. The Met-Office announced that there had been a recorded 385 hours of sunshine across the UK this summer as of Mid July. This makes it no surprise that the sales of ice cream went up by 45% and sun loungers hire rising by 25%!

Manchester Fire

On the 15th August a fire broke out at a converted mill near the Strangeways Prison in Manchester.

At roughly 04:45 Greater Manchester Fire Service announced that 10 engines and 2 hydraulic platforms were dispatched to Southall street. This has caused massive disruption within the local area, causing more than 30 homes to be evacuated.

This has also lead to the prisoners at the Strangeways Prison to have their privilege of outside expertise to be revoked due to risk of fumes as well as having all visits to be cancelled for the day due to all roads near the scene being closed.

Deaths

Over the course of the summer holidays we have lost many beloved Brits and Scots, some of them being:

  • Leslie Grantham, a British actor best known for his role as ‘Dirty’ Dan Watts on Eastenders who died at age 71.
  • Eunice Gayson, an English actress who is well known for playing Sylvia Trench, James bond’s first love interest in the first 2 Bonds films. For this reason, she was considered to be the first ‘bond-girl’ who sadly passed away at 90 years old.
  • Clive King, an English author, who is most known for his children’s book, ‘Stig of the Dump’ passed at age 94.
  • Alan Longmuir, a much celebrated Scottish musician who was one of the founding members of ‘The Bay City Rollers’ which became greatly famous in the 70’s as a pop group.
  • English Artist and Puppet maker who is known for being the creator of BagPuss, Peter Firmin died at age 89.
  • Sadly Barry Chuckle, one part of the Chuckle Brothers Duo which made many of our childhoods and creator of the catchphrase ‘to me, to you’, passed away at only 73 years old on 5th August. This is after fighting a long battle with cancer unbeknown to anyone due to his belief that he wanted to work till he died. He knew that if he had shared the knowledge of his struggle that he would of been made to retire which is not at all what he wanted to do.

It’s certainly been a long, hot and eventful summer full of sporting success, sunshine and loss.

  • by Niamh McGroarty, Scotland and U.K. Editor
  • Sources: BBC News, Daily Mail, Channel 4 News, Daily Record
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