Latest news with #ScotSquad
Glasgow Times
10 hours ago
- Health
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow students visit Scottish Ambulance Service's ScotSTAR
The 13 students from Hollybrook Academy, which supports young individuals with additional learning needs, were given a hands-on learning experience as part of the Young Minds Save Lives Programme. Mariam Rahman, an S5 student at Hollybrook Academy, said: "I've had the best day, ever. (Image: Supplied) "I really liked seeing the aircraft and hearing from staff about the jobs they do. "Looking in the back of the ambulance was fun and I loved trying on the helmet that the paramedics wear when they're in the air. Read more: Glasgow businesses named and shamed for 'deliberate' unpaid tax 'Fabulous' Glasgow flat that is unexpectedly back on the market selling for £95k River City and Scot Squad star on his new 'polar opposite' role in Glasgow "I can't wait to go back to my family and tell them all about it." At the base located at Glasgow Airport, home to the air ambulance team, the Emergency Medical Retrieval Service, and neonatal and paediatric teams, the students received a comprehensive overview of the service. They learned about the roles of the paramedics, nurses, advanced practitioners, doctors, and pilots who provide specialist care to critically ill patients across Scotland. (Image: Supplied) The students were also addressed by air ambulance paramedic John Prichard, who detailed his role and the specialist equipment used daily. His demonstration included the communication methods used while airborne, the necessary flight operation safety gear, and the medical bags carried on each mission. The visit concluded with a guided tour of the base, including a look at specialised equipment used for transporting critically ill babies and children, a visit to the GAMA Aviation workshop where aircraft maintenance takes place, and an opportunity for the students to explore an ambulance designed for neonatal and paediatric transfers. Mr Prichard said: "It was an absolute pleasure to speak to the young people today about my role as an air ambulance paramedic, to show them round the base and to also answer the many interesting questions they had. 'It's important that all young people have the chance to see what kind of opportunities there are for volunteering and future careers in healthcare. "Hopefully, I've inspired some of them today to consider these roles going forward."
Glasgow Times
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
River City gangster on his 'polar opposite' role in Glasgow
Jordan Young, the actor who plays both, agrees. 'That's the absolute beauty of being an actor - you hope you will be able to play a huge variety of roles with as much colour and character as you can,' he says, with a grin. 'And with these two, I've been very lucky, as they are polar opposites.' Jordan Young outside the Tron Theatre (Image: Colin Mearns/Newsquest) Jordan is about to take to the stage at the Tron Theatre as the aforementioned Ronnie in Douglas Maxwell's Man's Best Friend, a one-man play about love and loneliness. 'It struck a chord with me immediately,' nods Jordan. 'It's a huge challenge, of course, just me on the stage for an hour and a half.' He pauses. 'The fear of it …' he says, paling slightly. 'It's relentless. There's no time to breathe, or pause while the other actors do their bit, because it's just me. 'It's my job to bring out the story. If you're a runner, you prepare for a 5k, then a 10k, a marathon, then an ultramarathon … this is definitely an ultramarathon.' (Image: Colin Mearns/Newsquest) Writer Douglas Maxwell, who staged his first play at the Tron Theatre 25 years ago, says a one-person show is 'an intimate thing.' He adds: 'It can create a powerful theatrical connection between a skilled storyteller and an audience, built in empathy, imagination and shared experience, which in the end becomes something much bigger. 'That's also what Man's Best Friend is about. Our need to connect with the world, to be of use, to be bigger. And dogs. It's also about dogs.' 'I genuinely love dogs,' says Jordan, enthusiastically. 'My mum was a dog trainer and she used to show dogs. My entire life has been spent with dogs – sometimes we had about 10 in the house at the one time 'So this is the perfect part for me.' Ronnie is 'very complex', says Jordan, adding: 'I mean. there isn't a human being alive who isn't complex, but I feel like there is an awful lot going on in Ronnie's life. And he's not in charge of any of it. 'Life happens TO him, he's not proactive. It's a comedy, but a dark one, full of pathos, with a lot of heart.' Jordan grew up in Fife, where he was 'never one of those really young kids who went to acting classes', he says. 'I just liked making people laugh,' he explains. 'There was probably always a bit of a performer in there. 'I lost my dad at 14, and while I didn't know it at the time, I think maybe I found drama cathartic, a way of coping with an incredibly difficult time in my life.' He pauses. 'It's only looking back that I can work that out now. 'And it just grew from there. I went to drama college, and 30 years later, here I am.' Jordan as Alex Murdoch with Dawn Steele in River City (Image: BBC) Jordan is a popular and respected stage and screen actor who has appeared in everything from Shetland and Still Game to Rebus and Scot Squad. It is as notorious villain Alex Murdoch in River City, however, that he is probably best known. The news that River City will end next year was a 'bolt out of the blue', he admits. 'It will definitely be a seismic change in my life, but it was never a job for life – there aren't many of those any more, and especially not in this industry," he says. 'When I was leaving drama college, if you'd said I'd have a job that would last 12 years, I would not have believed it.' He will miss Alex, he acknowledges with a laugh. (Image: Colin Mearns/Newsquest) 'Yes, talk about complex characters ...' he says, smiling. 'Alex just never seems to be able to do the right thing. 'He's been a joy to play though, and I've had the chance to work with some amazing folk. It is sad, of course, because River City is a huge part of the Scottish industry's eco-system.' He pauses. 'But you have to look at the positives, always, and this is a reset for me,' he adds. 'It's an opportunity to get back out there, to see what else there is.' Originally staged at Òran Mór as part of A Play, A Pie and a Pint, this longer and fully-staged version of Man's Best Friend, directed by Jemima Levick, will be at the Tron Theatre from June 19 until July 12.
Glasgow Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Greg Hemphill news, interviews and updates on the actor
Hemphill was born in Springburn and spent much of his childhood in Canada before returning to Glasgow when he was 18 to study at the University of Glasgow in 1988. He first made waves with Kiernan with their sketch show Chewin' the Fat, which he co-wrote and performed. Read on for all the latest Greg Hemphill news, interviews and updates. Latest Greg Hemphill news As reported by the Glasgow Times, here is a selection of the latest Greg Hemphill news stories. Still Game star makes exciting career announcement Scot Squad and Still Game stars take the plunge for new series Still Game's Jack and Victor to meet fans in Glasgow How old is Greg Hemphill? Hemphill is 55 years old. He was born in Springburn, Glasgow, on December 14, 1969. Greg Hemphill's wife Greg Hemphill is married to actress Julie Wilson Nimmo and they have two sons together. Nimmo is famous for playing Miss Hoolie in Balamory. Greg Hemphill and Julie Wilson Nimmo (Image: BBC) They renewed their vows earlier this year after being married for 25 years. The couple announced on Instagram in May that they are releasing a book titled Jules & Greg's Wild Swim: The deep dive companion to the hit TV series. The book has been described as an accessible guide for anyone who is interested in wild swimming. What TV shows has Greg Hemphill been in? Hemphill is well known as the co-creator of Still Game and Chewin the Fat. He also wrote and directed the 2014 comedy Gasping, which received the Best Short Film nomination at the BAFTA Award Scotland. Last year, he appeared in a six-part sitcom called Dinosaur, which was shot in Glasgow. It tells the story of an autistic woman whose sister gets engaged after only six weeks. Greg Hemphill Deadpool Greg Hemphill played a barman in the film Deadpool & Wolverine. In the trailer, his character says to Wolverine: 'I told you, you're not welcome here, you're not welcome anywhere. Now get the f*** out of my bar.' Greg Hemphill and Ford Kiernan Hemphill and Kiernan created the iconic Still Game as a one-act stage play in 1997. The comedy duo played pensioners Jack Jarvis and Victor McDaid, characters based on their wildly popular series, Chewin' The Fat. Still Game's Jack and Victor (Image: Archives) Still Game was picked up originally as a six-part series on BBC Scotland. It ran from 2002 to 2007, before returning after a nine-year break for three more series from 2016 to 2019. Kiernan and Hemphill appeared in The All-Star Euros Sketch Show in 2024 alongside Two Doors Down's Jonathan Watson and Grado. The special one-off show involved sketches that mixed audience favourites with brand-new characters to get viewers excited for the Euros 2024 last summer. Will Still Game return? Ford Kiernan, who played Jack Jarvis, confirmed in a social media post that 'no film' is being created. This comes after rumours were circulated that the iconic sitcom will be returning as a 'film'. Kiernan addressed the rumour, calling it 'crap' in a TikTok video.
Daily Record
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Grado and Stephen Purdon bringing comedy tour to Airdrie Town Hall
The panto double-act will be tag-teaming up for the 'Grado & Purdon: Shellsuits & Spandex' show that is sure to leave audiences in stitches. Two of Scotland's favourite funnymen and familiar faces are heading to Airdrie Town Hall for an evening of laughter. Grado, the wrestler and star of TV's Two Doors Down and Scot Squad, and River City's Stephen Purdon, aka the BBC soap's Bob O'Hara, will take to the stage at the Stirling Street venue on June 10 as they hit the road for a hilarious tour across Scotland. The panto double-act will be tag-teaming up for the Grado & Purdon: Shellsuits & Spandex show that is sure to leave audiences in stitches. From Shieldinch to Latimer Crescent, the duo will share late tales from their careers in television, wrestling and panto, plus plenty of personal anecdotes. Boab and Grado promise "a night of laughter and fun that audiences won't forget", with a chance to meet the pair after the show. Grado & Purdon: Shellsuits & Spandex at Airdrie Town Hall starts at 7.30pm, with tickets priced £25 for standards and £39 for meet and greets. For tickets, and more information, call the box office team on 01698 274545 or visit here. *Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here. And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.
Glasgow Times
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow restaurants visited by beloved Two Doors Down star
The beloved star, who played Alan in the hit BBC sitcom Two Doors Down, has dined at multiple top eateries across the city. The Ayrshire-born lad is also known for appearing in several other TV programmes such as Scot Squad, World of Sport Wrestling, and Scotland's Greatest Escape. On top of that, he is also known for hosting a podcast, titled A Pint and Two Shots, alongside Stephen Purdon and Chris Toal. READ MORE: Two Doors Down stars reunited in Glasgow to support 'icon' READ MORE: Two Doors Down star pictured with famous pal at event Here are all the Glasgow food joints the well-known actor has visited over the years: Amalfi (Image: Instagram) READ MORE: Two Doors Down star praises 'five-star' meal during visit to Glasgow restaurant One of the Glasgow eateries, Grado, real name Graeme Stevely, has visited in the past is Amalfi on West Nile Street. The 36-year-old star dined at the city centre venue in December 2023. During it, the wrestler took to social media to share a short video of his experience at the Italian restaurant, which he praised as being 'five-star'. Celino's (Image: Instagram) READ MORE: Two Doors Down star spotted at popular Glasgow restaurant READ MORE: Two Doors Down star praises 'unreal' dish at popular Glasgow restaurant Another food spot the talented star has visited in the city is Celino's in Partick. The sitcom actor stopped by the Italian restaurant for a cup of coffee in March 2024. (Image: Instagram) It's not the first time Grado has visited the much-loved eatery in the West End, however. In August 2023, the funnyman dined at the venue and enjoyed a calamari as a starter and a tasty-looking plate of seafood paste. Seoul Korean BBQ READ MORE: 'Best scoff': Two Doors Down star raves about Glasgow restaurant Another eatery Grado has visited in Glasgow is Seoul Korean BBQ on Cambridge Street. The Scot Squad actor shared a snap of his experience at the authentic Korean eatery in the city centre on Instagram. In the post, the Stevenston-born actor claimed the restaurant was the "best scoff" he had in ages. Grado claimed: "Best scoff I've had in a long time. You need to try this." Gost (Image: Instagram) READ MORE: 'Monday club': Two Doors Down stars reunite at swanky Glasgow steak restaurant Another restaurant the professional wrestler has been spotted at is Gost on Bothwell Street in the city centre. Grado was pictured at the swanky steak restaurant alongside Jonathan Watson, who plays Colin in Two Doors Down. The pair were pictured at the plush venue with sports commentator Chick Young, Tam Cowan and Phil Differ. In the image, the group looked chuffed.
