Topcat enters the world of Dancing on Ice again this Friday when he talks with Mark Hanretty.

Mark is the professional partner of Rosemary Conley, 65 but with the verve and energy of a woman half her age.  Find out their experience on the ice just after 5pm this Friday.

 Robin Braidwood from Braidwoods Solicitors is in the studio talking about your rights with faulty or “not as described goods”.

http://www.braidwoods.com/

Alive Radio’s Burns Supper today, on air from 12 noon until 1pm. Hosted by Cameron Murray, with input from Dumfries, Italy and Canada it is truly international. You can listen worldwide here by clicking on the links on the top right.

Don’t miss it! This is one of the events in the Big Burns Supper festival in Dumfries, which runs over the coming weekend.

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.

Last Friday, 20th January, Top Cat and Officer Dibble interviewed Frankie, well known as the professional skating partner of TV Presenter Mark Rhodes.

Frankie Poultney began skating at the age of 10. She says her first attempts on ice were disastrous as all the other kids were whizzing around and Frankie couldn’t let go of the barrier. However, she persevered and soon competed in regional competitions before entering the world of professional shows aged just 18. Frankie started as a chorus skater at a show in France and soon got promoted to Principal Adagio skater which she continued doing across Europe for five years. She has also toured, South America, the States and Canada.

Listen again to her appearance live on Alive last Friday.

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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

This weeks interview with Queen of the South FC Manager, Gus MacPherson. Stig Nordkil interviewing:

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Thanks to Pauline Jack from Hollywood Carpets for the Style Council today.  Lots of good ideas and tips.

Are you wanting to declutter for the spring?

Pauline gives use some top tips!

1. Deal with your clothes. Clean out wardrobes and drawers. Throw out anything that you no longer love or that no longer fits you. If it’s beyond repair, out of style, unflattering, or useless (like one sock only), then au revoir. 
2. Clear out your loft. Let go of those old love letters, broken chairs, old baby clothes, mouldy rugs, useless tools, old towels and sheets, extra blankets, anything you no longer need. If you haven’t used it for the past 2 years, chances are you don’t need it, and perhaps someone else could make use of it. 
3. Kitchen. Remove everything from your kitchen counters that is not essential for every day cooking (blenders, mixers, jars of dried beans, rice, flour, etc.). These items should be stored in cupboards. Clean out the cupboard and fridge to make sure nothing is expired, moldy or rotten. Make sure to also check under the kitchen sink.
4. Recycle paper. Magazines, junk mail and newspapers should be tossed out weekly. Books – especially paperbacks that you’ve read can be donated to the charity shop. Keep only books that are essential and irreplaceable. Old textbooks, paperback classics, can be given away to book car boot sales and friends. 
5. Don’t forget the garage. Broken items, scraps of wood, rusty tools, parts of appliances, electrical equipment that no longer works are all candidates for the recycle bin, refuse bin or skip. Fix it, use it or let it go.
6. What about your bathroom. Clean out medicine cabinets often. Keep a minimum of towels out. Make sure the linen cupboard is up to date and neat.
7. Stop clutter at the front door. Only buy what you need and have a place for it. Stop buying purely on impulse, throw out junk mail, it has a tendancy to grow. Accept other people’s stuff only if you really need it. If you acquire a new piece of furniture, let go of a piece of furniture that someone else can use. Recycle cans, bottles, papers, and plastic at least monthly.
8. Clean out your car. A car is an extension of your personality.  Is it tidy?  It speaks volumes about you. 
9. Ask yourself these questions:
• Do I love it?
• Do I need it?
• Is it essential?
• Does it enhance my life?

Then: Sort your things into 3 piles:

• Yes – I love it and I need it, it works and it’s useful
• No – Someone else can have it

No – Toss it out

More in a fortnight!

Join Topcat for an icy delight this Friday! He will be chatting with Frankie Poultney, Dancing On Ice Professional and a firm favourite with fans everywhere.

4-6pm this Friday Topcat with special guest Frankie Poultney!