Blinded by science

Blinded by science

BAILIE Liz Cameron, executive member for Glasgow City Council, reflected on her schooldays at an event hosted by the Italian Chamber of Commerce this week.

The former Lord Provost said her former science teacher Mrs Fleming would be "revolving in her grave" over her appointment as the city's ambassador for science by council leader Gordon Matheson.

Addressing guests at Argyle Street restaurant Piccolo Mondo, where a dinner was held to celebrate the Italian presidency of the European Union and the twin cities of Glasgow and Turin, Ms Cameron conceded that in her school days she "didn't known one end of a Bunsen burner from the other".

Wrong direction

IT'S broadly accepted that staying active, eating well and cutting back on smoking will serve people well as they approach old age. But the Ready for Ageing Alliance has come up with a secret weapon in the battle against ageing. In a manifesto devised to help policy makers respond better to the challenges of ageing, the organisation has recommended people listen to One Direction at least once.

The idea is that people can keep their minds active and engaged by talking to the younger generation and keeping up with technology.

It all sounds eminently sensible, but we imagine one listen to Harry Styles and co would be enough for those reared on The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

Sales opportunity

AN offbeat sales opportunity has come the way of Mackie's, the Scottish ice cream and crisps maker, thanks to the latest social media craze sweeping the country, the charity Ice Bucket Challenge.

It was served up by Jason Fraser, an Aberdeenshire refrigeration and air conditioning engineer, who tweeted: "Are you doing ice bucket challenges? Nip down to Tesco for the key ingredient #ice @mackiescotland".

Osborne the red

IT COULD well be the first, and last, time Chancellor George Osborne is used to illustrate a maxim from Vladimir Illyich Lenin, the Bolshevik revolutionary.

Promotional literature for a fringe event to be held at the National Association of Pension Funds' (NAPF) conference in October borrows a quote from the socialist icon over pensions.

The words from Lenin is that "the world changed overnight" when it was announced people would no longer have to buy an annuity. Our source said: "I sense there might be a violent rotation in the mausoleum in Red Square."