Evening Times

Wanted: A Cast of Thousands

THOUSANDS of extras are needed for Scotland's latest film. Directors of Dayoot Theatre Company in West Dunbartonshire promise to find a part for everyone who is interested in their production of Children of the Mist.

Steel Barriers Aim to End Pavement Parking Menace; Safety Chiefs Hope New Railings Will Stop South Side Motorists' Bid to Dodge Charges

STEEL barriers have gone up to prevent motorists posing a risk to pedestrians by parking on city pavements. Council chiefs have erected railings on footpaths on Glasgow's south side to stop fed-up motorists going off-road to try to dodge parking fees.

Cool Award for Top Firm

AN East Kilbride music equipment manufacturer has been recognised as a "cool brand leader". Linn Products is the only company to be selected by Superbrands, a firm which rewards 'cool brands' in the UK for their market appeal.

Hardly a Day has Passed in the Last 37 Years When I Haven't Thought of Lisbon; the Billy Mcneill Story: Celtic Legend Looks Back On the Highs and Lows of His Long and Glittering Football Career

IT was a day that Billy McNeill will never forget. Thursday, May 25, 1967 saw Celtic take on and defeat the polished Italian masters of Inter Milan in the final of the European Cup in Lisbon. The day started with Bertie Auld singing The Celtic Song as the teams waited in the tunnel - and ended with Billy and team-mate John Clark posing with the coveted trophy as they 'slept' in their hotel room.

I Couldn't Match Graeme Souness's Spending Power; Billy Mcneill: Winning the Double...Then Losing My Job

IN 1987 I returned to Celtic Park as manager - and my four years there delivered highs and lows by the barrowload. Top of the list, of course, would be the fact that we won the double - the 11th in the club's history - in our centenary year.

Garages Are Slated Over Car Services; Bosses Say U.S. Model of Education Helping Solve Unemployment

TWO Scots garages came under fire today in a report that said main car dealers' mechanics were missing potentially dangerous faults and were ripping off motorists with sky-high servicing bills. An undercover investigation found franchised main dealers missed an average of 17% of faults compared to independent garages, which missed an average of 7% of faults.

Parents Quizzed On Schools Plan

PARENTS, pupils and teachers are to be asked for their views on a (pounds) 135million plan to transform secondary education. A series of public meetings will be held over proposals to cut secondary schools from eight to five in the Inverclyde area.

Cash Plea Launched

MEMBERS of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution make a special trip up the River Clyde to demonstrate their lifesaving skills. The Troon lifeboat team were helping to launch the Lifeboats of the Clyde appeal to raise funds for crew training in Glasgow. They recreated a rescue operation by plucking a dummy from the water.

American-Style Schools Hailed As a Success

American-style community schools across Glasgow were today said to give teenagers some of the country's best educational opportunities. The American concept could help end the city-wide problem of long term unemployment, according to council chiefs.

Top Awards Close in On Deadline

SCOTLAND'S top performing businesses have just one month to apply for the 2005 Queen's Award for Enterprise. The accolade is awarded to UK-based businesses that have made outstanding achievements in international trade, innovation and development.

Fly Nuisance to Double with Global Warming

THE fly population in Britain could double within five years, experts have warned. A leading biological scientist is forecasting global warming will result in a massive increase in the UK's fly population if temperatures continue to rise.

Police Probe Murder Bid

A MAN was stabbed repeatedly by two men outside his Johnstone home. Police are treating the attack as attempted murder.

Legal Bid to Keep Tributes at Graves; Relatives Take Action to Stop Council Removing Memorials

GRIEVING relatives are threatening legal action to prevent a council removing tributes from their loved ones' graves. Parents are planning to seek injunctions to stop cemetery staff imposing a ban on personal memorials in graveyards.

Coach Driver Hits Jackpot

A RETIRED coach driver is today celebrating a (pounds) 102,000 bingo win. The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, said he will share his winnings with his 34-year-old niece and two friends, who all play in a syndicate together.

Floods Fears As Lochs Put Up for Sale; Families Want Assurances Over Dams

THREE lochs on the outskirts of Glasgow will be sold next week but families fear their homes could be flooded as the lochs' dam walls are dangerous. The stretches of water up for auction are Brother Loch, Pilmuir Reservoir and Little Loch, all near the A77 in Newton Mearns.

Mum's Grief Over Death of Soldier Son; Ross Survived Iraq Duty Before Bike Horror

THE mother of a Glasgow soldier killed in a freak road crash after serving six months in Iraq today spoke of her devastation. Lance-Corporal Ross Chalmers was enjoying a couple of days leave near his Cyprus base when his moped veered off the road in the holiday resort of Ayia Napa.

Profit Slide for Fast Food Giant

FAST food giant McDonald's saw profits at its 770 company-owned UK restaurants fall by 71% to (pounds) 23.6million in 2003. The group said the fall was "entirely due" to a restructuring of its financial set-up but added that it had experienced a "challenging couple of years".

Frasers' (Pounds) 25m Store Card Deal

Department store group House of Fraser was today poised for a (pounds) 25million boost from a partnership with Barclaycard to run its store card scheme. The pair will share profits from the 10-year financial services tie-up, with Barclaycard due to make cash payments to House of Fraser over the next two years, starting with (pounds) 6m in January.

Bigley: I've Been Told My Brother Will Soon Be Free

The brother of hostage Kenneth Bigley today claimed to have received written confirmation that the Briton would be spared. Paul Bigley said a translation of a message posted on an Arab website offered the family new hope that the 62-year-old would be released alive from Iraq.

Kerr Delivers Budget Boost to Transport and Schools

EDUCATION and transport were the big winners in today's Scottish Budget announcement by Finance Minister Andy Kerr. He said (pounds) 85billion would be invested in Scotland over the next three years.