If you missed Aaron and Kevin’s interview with Chris Edgar from Forgetting Jane earlier today then we’ve got the whole interview here for you to listen again.

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A new artist from Dumfries, Forgetting Jane, releases his first album online this week. He will be joining Kevin and Aaron this coming Saturday on the Saturday Afternoon Show between 12 and 2 on Saturday to discuss his roots and inspirations for his music. We’ve included his album preview below to give you an idea of the kind of music he plays.

Gilbert McGill has invited Annette Richards (Thursday Breakfast Presenter) in to his Sunday @Seven programme on Sunday 5th February.  Annette often interviews guests on her show.  Tune in to see who asks the most questions!!

Saturday, 4 February 2012, Launch event; 7.30pm until 10.30pm, then a further viewing day on Sunday 5th February from 1pm – 4pm

Kings is playing host to an exciting one night, one day pop-up gallery, showcasing some great up-and-coming young talent. Following the great success of the Big Burns Supper, last weekend, Kings is proud to be enable people to see some more great budding artists.

Peter Smith, one of the organisers of the event says, “Saturday evening is our opening event, where all the artists will be present and the normal coffee tables will be cleared back, allowing for a proper gallery experience and hopefully some free drinks. Sunday afternoon will allow people who can’t make in on the Friday night, to still enjoy the experience, and enjoy a nice cup of coffee at the same time”.

There’s just one rule however: No Landscapes!

Peter and the team of young artists decided they wanted to show a different side of what art in Dumfries can be: more interesting than just pretty scenery. “We live in one of the most beautiful parts of the country, so it’s not surprising that many local artists lean towards representing that, but there’s more to art than landscapes, so we felt our pop-up gallery should focus on works beyond landscapes”, continues Peter. “We found 7 young, local artists with a voice and something to say:

Rachel Speedie

Adam German

Blossom Mccuaig

Sophie Wilson

Fraser Irvine

Peter Smith

Dave Miller

We’re really excited to welcome the public in droves, to visit our pop-up gallery this weekend … and it’s free!”

As part of an intelligence led operation Police Officers from Annandale and Eskdale and the Force Drug Squad uncovered a cannabis cultivation site within the Westerkirk area near to Langholm on Friday 27 January 2012. Cannabis plants with a maximum potential street value of £114,000 were recovered. As a result a 41 year old man has been reported to the Procurator Fiscal at Dumfries for offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Detective Sergeant Dean Little of The Force Drug Squad stated that this operation was instigated as a result of information received from the public and resulted in a substantial amount of controlled drugs being recovered. He added, if anybody else has any information regarding the misuse or supply of controlled drugs in their area to get in touch with Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary on 0845 600 5701 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Police are again appealing to members of the public to be alert to the activities of bogus workmen after an incident in the Leswalt area of Stranraer. Over the last couple of days two men in white van called at a house offering to do tarmac work. Prior to any agreement being made about the price the men returned and carried out the work, and on completion demanded an extortionate fee for the job. Money was eventually paid to the workmen but clearly the work was not to the standard expected. Police again warn the public not to enter into negotiations with cold callers offering to do work. Use local tried and tested tradesmen whom you know.

Anyone with any information on this incident is asked to contact police on 0845 600 5701 or any police officer. Information can also be left with the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or online at Crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court. Crime prevention advice can be found on the police website www.dg.police.uk

 This week is Dumfries and Galloway’s local Sexual Health Week – ‘Let’s talk about Sex – what’s new 4 u?’

 Alive radio is working with NHS D&G to encourage you to consider your sexual health and what could be new for you.

 Don’t be afraid to talk about it, it’s your body and you must always be happy and safe in how you approach sex and relationships.  Check out what is new in contraception and STI testing on http://www.c4urself.org.uk/

People in Dumfries and Galloway are reporting higher levels of satisfaction with the service they receive from their local police force. This may well relate to falling crime levels in the region, with a markedly significant decrease in criminal damage.

These are the messages coming from the recent Police Performance Report. The figures cover the period between 1 April and 31 December 2011 and with crime down and satisfaction up, the report is a double success for the force.

The satisfaction survey was taken by people who would know the best, those who have had personal dealings with the police, such as calling in looking for advice or to report a crime. The survey showed that the satisfaction levels involving the initial contact with the police have risen and a similar improvement is also shown in relation to overall police response and the general performance of the force.

These most recent crime statistics also show that there have been notable decreases in crimes of dishonesty, fire-raising and malicious mischief, with a particular reduction in criminal damage – falling by almost a quarter. Read the rest of this entry

Work has now begun on the old TJ Hughes store in Dumfries High Street. An unofficial source told Alive it will be rolled out as a £2million refit Desire store. The opening date hasn’t been released, but it’s thought it could be around May, if the refit goes to plan. It’s not expected to have a restaurant, but will feature a number of concessions, as well as Debenhams own brands.

Debenhams explain the Desire concept; “Desire stores were introduced into the Debenhams portfolio in 2005. They are smaller in size than department stores, typically trading from around 15,000 square feet. Desire stores stock a range of own brands – including Designers at Debenhams – and international brands in womenswear, childrenswear, lingerie, accessories and health and beauty. Some Desire stores have high street positions, such as Walton-on-Thames, whilst others are located at out-of-town retail parks, such as Orpington. With their striking double height frontage and distinctive shop fit, Desire stores are proving extremely popular with customers”.

There are currently 13 Desire stores in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Over time, they plan to have up to 100 Desire by Debenhams stores in the UK.

BURNS ON THE BEAT

Primary school children from across Dumfries and Galloway have been learning about the Scots language and how Robert Burns intended his songs to be performed. Throughout January Dumfries Museum has been hosting a series of workshops with Dr Fred Freeman, whose background is in Scottish literature and history, but who is also a renowned bagpipe player and the producer of 30 internationally acclaimed cds of traditional Scottish music, including the complete songs of Robert Burns.

Three workshops have been available to school classes, one concentrating on the immense energy of Burns’ compositions, with the children marching to their rhythm and learning about traditional dance forms such as jigs, reels and hornpipes. They have discovered “mouth music” and “diddling” as well as the stories behind the songs. A second workshop has concentrated on the origins of the language Burns used, and how many words we are familiar with today have their origins centuries ago. A third, introduced for 2012, has looked at Robert Tannahill, considered by many to be Robert Burns natural successor, and the way he used the Scots language.

Several schools took the opportunity to visit the Robert Burns Centre in Dumfries to watch the haunting audio visual about the poet’s life in Dumfries and examine the scale model of the town as it was in the poet’s day. Others visited Robert Burns House, the simple sandstone dwelling where the poet spent the last three years of his life.

By the end of the project Dumfries Museum will have welcomed well over 400 children to the workshops, which received financial assistance from Live Literature Scotland.

Read the rest of this entry