Latest news with #Braid
Edinburgh Reporter
4 days ago
- Sport
- Edinburgh Reporter
Scottish Cup win for Braid tennis women – at last!
Runners-up in each of the past two years, Braid tennis ladies made it third time lucky by defeating favourites and perennial winners Newlands to lift the Scottish tennis cup in a thrilling final at Whitecraigs, Glasgow. The capital club edged through 5-4 after the teams had gone into the last of three three rounds tied at 3-3. Player/coach Mhairi Beattie said: 'Key was undoubtedly the fact that we won each of the head-to-head championship tie-breaks, ie couples 1-1, 2-2, 3-3. 'It was our same team as last year but this time we tried to mix things up a bit by pairing youth with experience, strong hitters with good volleyers, etc, etc– that sort of thing. 'It was a good tactical victory for us underdogs!' Braid are now hoping to complete a double on Tuesday evening when they visit Thistle for a top of the table clash which could see them retain the VMH Solicitors East League title. Captain Suzie Provan says they will not be losing focus despite denying Newlands a sixth successive Scottish Cup. 'There is still work to do this season but winning the Cup in its 101st year and for the first time in our club's history was amazing but very, very nerve-wracking. 'In the decisive match Sarah McFaden and Emily Gates had to come back from a set and 1-3 before winning the Championship tie break 10-7. 'We were interrupted by rain for an hour and there was always a threat it would come down again; fortunately the artificial clay courts, though puddled at times, drained quickly. 'We actually put a lot of thought into our pairings even experimenting in some league matches because some staleness can creep in. Fortunately these tactics worked out. 'It was a long and exhausting day and by the time our celebration meal back in Edinburgh was due to start we were just leaving Whitecraigs. Thankfully the restaurant were very understanding and accommodated us later! On the way to the final Braid defeated Montrose, Thistle and Western (Glasgow). The match pairings were Sarah McFadyen and Emily Gates, Mhairi Beattie and Eva Vrhunec, Suzie Provan and Heather Croll. Reserve Sophia Okusawa played in the round of 16 and the semi-final. The men's Scottish Cup remained in Glasgow with 1 5-1 victory for Thorn Park against Newlands. Show us your medals! left to right – Sophia, Eva, Heather, Suzie, Mhairi, Emily and Sarah. Like this: Like Related
Powys County Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
Machynlleth Golf Club plans new building as memberships rise
A Powys golf club has revealed plans for a new building on its site driven by a rise in the number of players taking to its fairways. The application by Machynlleth Golf Club is for a replacement shed to store machinery and equipment used by the greenkeepers to maintain the golf course on the outskirts of town. Planning agent Jonathan Davies explained the proposal in a planning statement. Mr Davies said: 'Over the past few years, the golf club has been fortunate to see an increase in the number of members and visitors playing golf. 'The increase in footfall has led to the club having to invest in additional machinery to maintain the golf course.' Mr Davies explained that at the moment machinery and equipment is stored in a steel framed shed that 'needs repairing' a storage container and wooden garden shed which are next to it. Mr Davies said: 'The area has become an eyesore. 'The current situation is no longer fit for purpose and an increase in storage is required immediately.' Before the new building can be built the existing sheds need to be demolished and the storage container removed from the area. Mr Davies said: 'The new shed is essential to maintain the golf course and support the future success of the business. ' 'The shed will be a simple steel portal frame building, finished externally with box profile/corrugated metal sheeting to match the existing shed. 'The shed is located adjacent to clubhouse for convenience and security reasons. 'CCTV is located on the clubhouse which provides 24 hour surveillance of the area, reducing the risk of theft.' A decision on the application is needed by July 2. The picturesque nine-hole course at Machynlleth was opened in 1904, and like nearby Aberdovey it was designed by the great James Braid. Braid was a Scottish professional golfer and along with Harry Vardon and J.H Taylor was a member of the 'great triumvirate' that dominated the sport on this side of the Atlantic Ocean early in the 20th century. Braid won The Open on five occasions and became a renowned golf architect designing dozens of courses all over Britain and Ireland, also including in Welshpool and Llandrindod Wells.
NZ Herald
11-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
How to have your dream wedding without blowing the bank
She says couples often do things in the wrong order by starting with the styling first. 'You should start with your budget, then you should create your guest wish list, and then you should decide on the style of the day - and very much in that order. So, it's your guest list that fundamentally dictates your budget.' Wanting something fancier than you can afford isn't just an issue for those with a small budget, Braid says. 'Even when we are doing these high-end budgets, their budget doesn't necessarily align with the vision that they're seeing from these weddings happening in Dubai and in the States where budgets are really an afterthought.' But she says there are a number of ways to economise that your guests won't notice, including some tricks of the trade. 'We have been known on really beautiful events to serve Moët or Tattinger and use the bottle and showcase the bottle post-ceremony. 'And then when we get to the sit-down reception and we've got speeches and toast, we're out the back topping those glasses up with Deutz or Lindauer. 'A lot of the time guests have got no clue that they're not still being served that fancy champagne from earlier.' Braid recommends not skimping on things like a great photographer but advises there are areas that aren't worthy of investment. 'We don't really advocate having favours, because 99% of the time we are picking them up at the end of the night, we are reboxing them and handing them back to our client the next day to take home. So actually, they are a colossal waste of money.' Listen to the full episode of The Prosperity Project for more insights into the rising costs of weddings, and other tips to try and keep things within budget, including why destination weddings could save you in the long run. The podcast is hosted by Nadine Higgins, an experienced broadcaster and a financial adviser at Enable Me.
CBC
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Ambur Braid got her dream opera role — and singing it still makes her cry
Ambur Braid always wanted to be a singer, but it wasn't until she saw Alban Berg's opera Wozzeck as an undergraduate student that she knew she wanted to pursue opera as her career. Now, the Canadian soprano has come full circle with a leading role in the Canadian Opera Company's new production of Wozzeck. "It's so visceral. This show hits you," Braid say in an interview with Q 's Tom Power. "At the end, there is this incredible moment that's so simple. And it's heartbreaking. And it just destroyed me. And I said, I need to be a part of this." Even after countless rehearsals, Braid is still struck by the power of Wozzeck. Partially inspired by World War One, the opera tells the story of soldiers and citizens living in a militaristic small town in the early 20th century. "I just cry every time. It's so beautiful when it resolves." WATCH | The Canadian Opera Company's trailer for Wozzeck: Braid says its themes are timeless — both narratively and musically. "I mean, it's society now," she explains. "It's the wealthy taking advantage of the poor. It's poverty. It's jealousy. It's love. It's murder…. But humans are humans, and this is the beauty about art, right? We're reflecting it all." Wozzeck is a groundbreaking piece of work because it was one of the first atonal operas. This means that the music isn't in one particular key — and it often sounds off-kilter and strange. That atonality allows the audience to hear the world from the perspective of the character Wozzeck. "It's very hard to memorize the correct notes, because nothing is expected," Braid tells Power. "It has this oral landscape of what Wozzeck hears. So think of yourself as being totally drunk … and you hear music in a different way. And it's this very trippy experience." Wozzeck is a demanding show. It's both extremely technical, and intensely emotional. But Braid is more than ready: she has dedicated her whole life to performing at this level. "You can liken it to being in a monastery at times, because you do have to be so cautious about everything you do, so aware of what's happening with your body and your health," she says. "And then, then you have the constant learning. The work that is never done…. I mean, my life is planned out until 2028, 29 now. And that is a wild thing to think about. Every week off it's, 'When can my coach come? When are we doing this?' And you live for the work."
MTV Lebanon
06-03-2025
- Business
- MTV Lebanon
Airlines face overflight payment risks as planes divert over Afghanistan
Airlines are turning to a network of third parties to pay fees to Afghan authorities as more planes use the country's airspace, increasing the risk of legal disputes and money laundering, according to pilots, aviation executives and lawyers. In the last year more airlines have started flying over Afghanistan as conflict in the Middle East widened and as aviation regulators softened their stance on using Afghan airspace. The Taliban says publicly that this has led to a surge in overflight payments - fees that countries typically charge airlines for navigation services in their airspace. However, the process of making these payments to the Taliban-run aviation authorities is complicated by the freezing of Afghanistan's government bank accounts overseas and Western sanctions on Taliban leaders. The challenges airlines face making overflight payments to Afghanistan, including a reliance on intermediaries and a lack of invoices, are detailed here for the first time. Before the Taliban came to power in 2021, the International Air Transport Association industry group collected overflight charges on behalf of Afghanistan's aviation authority. IATA told Reuters that it ceased this service in September 2021, leaving millions of dollars in charges collected for the previous Afghan government frozen in its accounts. Airlines and private jet operators have instead turned to third-party intermediaries, known as trip support firms, to process payments to the Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority, according to six people familiar with the process, including pilots, airline officials, and third-party payment firms. Some third-party permit specialists use additional intermediaries - primarily based in the United Arab Emirates - to facilitate payments to the ACAA. This has added to the complexity of making payments to Afghanistan, and, according to lawyers and sanctions experts, could pose legal and financial risks for the industry. For instance, several Western trip support firms have never received an invoice for overflight fees from Afghan authorities, making it near-impossible to make payments, said Jon Braid, who owns Jet Team, a British-based trip support company. "The biggest difficulty is basically finding a way to pay the bills ... no one sent us a bill yet," Braid said. The Taliban did not respond to a request for comment. According to flight tracking data, major airlines which have started using Afghan airspace over the last year include Lufthansa ( opens new tab, Air Baltic, TUI ( opens new tab, KLM ( opens new tab, British Airways (ICAG.L), opens new tab, Singapore Airlines ( opens new tab, China Airlines ( opens new tab, EVA Air ( opens new tab, Air India [RIC:RIC: and Vietnam Airlines. In response to Reuters questions, a Lufthansa spokesperson said the airline was in full compliance with relevant sanctions, declining to comment further on its payments to Afghanistan. The other airlines declined to comment or did not respond to questions on how they pay Afghan overflight fees. Reuters found no indication of any sanctions breaches or wrongdoing by airlines or financial intermediaries. The U.S. Treasury in 2022 provided expanded authorisation, including for air navigation services, to allow financial transactions with Afghan institutions, including those run by the Taliban.
