In July 1966 the England football team was about to pull off the impossible and London was fast becoming the hip, groovy and happening place to be.
High in the charts was The Kinks, with their second hit, Sunny Afternoon. This popular four-piece pop combo, fronted by Ray Davies and his younger brother Dave, hailed from North London, and were to become one of the most influential rock groups of all time.
Sunny Afternoon UK Tour cast
Fast forward almost 50 years and you don’t have to be a Dedicated Follower of Fashion to realise that Sunny Afternoon is back and riding high.
In 2014 Ray’s searingly honest musical slipped onto the genteel stage of Hampstead Theatre, blasted out its silver-haired audience, and won a whole new set of fans, before transferring to the West End, becoming a major hit and winning four Oliviers.
England didn’t make the cut at this year’s World Cup but Sunny Afternoon is set for continued success with a national tour playing in Milton Keynes Theatre from next week (August 30) and Aylesbury Waterside Theatre from September 27.
The cast were putting the finishing touches to the show at rehearsal studios on The Isle of Dogs in East London when I caught up with them.
I watched key cast members Ryan O’Donnell, playing Ray Davies, Mark Newnham, as brother Dave, Garmon Rhys as bassist Pete Quaife and Andrew Gallo playing Kinks’ drummer Mick Avory, going through their paces, including a rousing rendition of Sunny Afternoon before sitting down with them for a chat.
Tousle-haired Ryan, a former member of the Jethro Tull entourage, has already appeared in the 1960’s Who musical, Quadrophenia. He had to pass muster with The Kinks’ frontman Ray before bagging the part.
“I remember meeting Ray backstage once, after I’d got the part, and he said ‘Hi, nice to meet you’. He nodded his head and said: ‘So, you’re doing this are you? Ah’. And we shook hands and that was it, “said Ryan.
“Ray is very hands on. He comes to watch it quite a lot and he’s very supportive. He comes to all the auditions and is involved in casting.
“When you go into the final round of auditions there is this quiet man sitting at the back with a steely glare, passing judgement - which is pretty intimidating.
“I didn’t know much about The Kinks before I saw the show a couple of years ago, but obviously I knew the songs. They’re so iconic. But you don’t realise how many they wrote. It can be overwhelming for audiences. Just one great song after another. It’s a helluva show.”
Garmon, who has recently played Agatha Christie’s young detective, Tommy, and Wilfred Owen in the WWI drama, Regeneration at Northampton, here plays disillusioned guitarist Quaife, who suffers a crisis of confidence at the peak of the band’s success.
“My favourite song in the show is You Really Got Me,” he said, “Because it’s the first time you get to see the band play together as a four-piece properly, when they’re on Top of the Pops and you get a real buzz when you hear those first chords. It’s amazing.”
“I like Set Me Free, which is a pretty sexy tune, with all the trippy vocal harmonies and guitar riffs,” added Ryan.
“I have a constant battle with our music director, in songs like Sunny Afternoon. He comes up to me and says: ‘You are singing it like Ray but could you sing it a bit nicer? A bit brighter? It is supposed to be a happy moment in the show!’
“I say that it’s a lazy afternoon but he says: ‘Yeah, but it’s not a lazy moment in the show!’”
Garmon says that Britain can’t get enough of the 1960s. “It was a pioneering era for culture and fashion, especially British music and apparel.
“It was where a lot of modern fashions were started. Our wardrobe department have had it easy because the clothes and shoes, like the Chelsea Boots, are still in fashion.
“And our audiences are not all in their 60s. We have kids of all ages because everyone loves 1960’s music.”
“The reason Sunny Afternoon has been so successful is that audiences don’t just come to hear amazing songs that they remember but there are a lot of familiar themes - money, homesickness, the class struggle.”
“A lot of people come up to me,” said Ryan, “who were around at that time and didn’t know the full story. This has a strong narrative, is a fascinating play, as well as a great musical.”
Andrew Gallo, who came to MKT with Saturday Night Fever, has an impressive drum solo in Sunny Afternoon which earns the admiration of everyone.
“I was originally up for Pete, Mick and their manager. I had five drum songs to learn plus their scenes and, just in case, another song. I hadn’t touched the drums for a year so I booked myself into a studio and drummed for about four hours solid until I gave myself blisters!”
He first heard The Kinks at the age of 12 after discovering a cache of old cassette tapes while sitting with mates in a neighbour’s attic. “We just played them on a loop. They were amazing”.
Mark, who plays wild Dave, swilling fizz, swinging from a chandelier, bedding the birds and wearing a frock or two, used to play The Kinks songs when he was in a band in Brighton.
“I knew that Ray and Dave had a tempestuous relationship. Their songs are so iconic. It was so magical the way Ray wrote about stuff. He came up with some incredible lyrics. I haven’t stopped listening to The Kinks since I got the job.
“Dave is a real gift to play. He’s so flamboyant and has such a verve for life. And the script is fantastic. You could take the songs out and still have an incredible play.
“I auditioned in front of Ray, which was interesting. I had already auditioned for Pete and Dave. I did my Pete stuff first and had my fringe over one way and then, when I did my Dave audition, I said: “Do you mind if I manipulate my fringe?’ which made Ray laugh.
“I moved it into a centre parting and he said: ‘Oh yeah, you’re playing a different character’. ‘Yeah, I’m playing your little brother!’ and again I made him laugh.”
Sunny Afternoon plays at Milton Keynes Theatre August 30-September 3 and Aylesbury Waterside, September 27-October 1. To book visit www.atgtickets.co.uk/miltonkeynes or www.atgtickets.co.uk/aylesbury,

No lazing on a Sunny Afternoon for new cast ahead of Milton Keynes and Aylesbury dates.


In July 1966 the England football team was about to pull off the impossible and London was fast becoming the hip, groovy and happening place to be.


Sweet melodies and deep jealousies combine in Bedfordshire Youth Opera’s next show.
The group presents A Little Night Music by Stephen Sondheim at The Place in Bedford from Tuesday August 30 to Saturday September 3.
The story tells of Fredrick Egerman, a wealthy lawyer, who has a new wife, Anne. But at a mere 18 years of age, she is a tad flighty.
Enter Desirée Armfeldt, the famous actress and ex-lover of Fredrick, determined to lend a helping hand, with little regard for what her current lover, Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm might think.
But there’s her young daughter, Fredrika, Carl-Magnus’ wife, Countess Charlotte, and Fredrik’s son from his first marriage, the pious priest in training, Henrik Egerman to consider.
And when the entire cast is invited to the Armfeldt Mansion for A Weekend In The Country, things spiral out of control – with a nail-biting game of Russian Roulette with a duelling pistol involved.
A Little Night Music is a bittersweet tale of lost love, scandalous liaisons and youthful passions that intertwine over a midsummer’s eve at a country home in 1900s Sweden.
The show is filled with Sondheim’s signature wit and some of his most gorgeous melodies, including Send in the Clowns.
Bedfordshire Youth Opera welcomes back professional performer Fred Broom, who was artistic director of the company for six years as well as playing roles like Sweeney Todd and the Pirate King in his youth, to design and direct the show. He joins BYO regulars David Knight as musical director and Chris Phelps as assistant MD, as well as a talented cast of faces old and new.
Tickets cost £15 or £12 for concessions. Visit www.theplacebedford.org.uk/tickets or call 01234 354 321 to book.

Light and dark entertainment in popular Sondheim musical at Bedford venue


Sweet melodies and deep jealousies combine in Bedfordshire Youth Opera’s next show.


The world’s largest aircraft was damaged this morning after hitting a telegraph pole during its second test flight.
The £25m Airlander 10 - which is part-plane and part-airship - is understood to have sustained damage to its cockpit when it ploughed into the pole.
Aftermath of the Airlander 10 crash on Cardington Airfield, Bedford. Photo: Glyn Dobbs
No-one was injured in the accident, which happened as the aircraft was coming in to land at Cardington Airfield at around 11am
Following the collision, developers Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) Tweeted: “We’re debriefing following the second test flight this morning.
“All crew are safe and well and there are no injuries.”
The helium-filled aircraft had its first test flight from the airfield on August 17 taking to the skies for the first time.
Aftermath of the Airlander 10 crash on Cardington Airfield, Bedford. Photo: Glyn Dobbs
Christened the ‘Martha Gwyn’, the vast aircraft measures 302ft long and is around 50ft longer than the biggest passenger jets.
Engineers have spent three years working on the Airlander 10, which is filled with 1.3million cubic feet of helium - enough to fill 15 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
It was first developed for the US government as a long-endurance surveillance aircraft but it fell foul of defence cutbacks.
The huge aircraft will be able to stay airborne at heights of up to 20,000ft with a 10-tonne cargo for two weeks at a time at speeds of up to 90mph.
Airlander 10 outside
HAV hopes to be building 10 Airlanders a year by 2021.
HAV were contacted for comment.

£25million Airlander hits telegraph pole on second flight


The world’s largest aircraft was damaged this morning after hitting a telegraph pole during its second test flight.


Conner Penning secured his first Beadlow Manor Junior club championship edging out last year’s champion Luke Charalambous in a sudden death play off.
Both players, along with the rest of the field endured some of the toughest playing conditions of the summer with unseasonally strong winds and the occasional very heavy shower.
Penning and Charalambous both posted scores of 83 on Day 1 with Annabel Pitts returning 85 along with Sean Foster. The second day was almost as windy but all players seemed to cope better and playing in the same group Penning and Charalambous returned excellent four over par rounds of 77, with Pitts battling to an 83 and Foster 84.
The first play off hole saw both players push their drives into trouble each requiring a penalty drop, but good recoveries gave both juniors the opportunity to putt to secure a par. Charalambous left his longer putt agonisingly short, only for Penning to roll a tricky 12 foot downhill putt into the hole.
The handicap competition was also a close affair with Foster (hcp 13) compiling an aggregate of 143 which saw him take the nett title from Jack Munson (hcp 18) who followed his nett score of 74 on Day 1 with a 71 on Day 2. Scoring was better on Day 2 with Lee Houghton (hcp 16) and Matt Potter (hco 25) each returning the best rounds of nett 69s.


Conner Penning secured his first Beadlow Manor Junior club championship edging out last year’s champion Luke Charalambous in a sudden death play off.


A TV company is on the hunt for separated families and parents across the UK, to take part in a new Channel 5 series.
The show, with the working title of The Modern Family, wants to talk to people who would like help resolving any issues they feel are getting in the way of co-parenting, or getting on with an ex-partner for the sake of their children.
Separation affects around a quarter of children in the UK, with the common belief being that being brought up by both parents after separation, where safe and possible, is in the best interests of a child.
“Breaking up with a spouse or partner is one of life’s biggest upheavals,” said a spokesperson for producers Pulse Films. “The difficult part is getting to the stage where separated parents are still able to do things for the sake of the child, like arrange a joint birthday party, or attend a parents’ evening together.”
So the team at Pulse want to film with separated mums and dads who may have moved on to other relationships, and are keen to sort out the issues with their ex for the sake of the children.
Francine Kaye, relationship expert, family mediator and author of Divorce Doctor said: “Kids don’t divorce, parents do. Paradoxically couples need to understand each other more during and after separation, than they did when they were together - in order to parent effectively.”
Working under the guidance of a trained therapist, anyone who has children with an ex and has difficulty with the complicated relationships this has created, can get more information by texting ‘FAMILY’ or call: 07983 640463 / 07555 242 993, by emailing: modernfamily@pulsefilms.co.uk, or by calling Janette Hodds or Lyttanya Shannon on 0207 426 5700.


A TV company is on the hunt for separated families and parents across the UK, to take part in a new Channel 5 series.


Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the classic tale of Holly Golightly so memorably played by Audrey Hepburn in the iconic film, has been given a new lease of life as a stage play with music, starring Georgia May Foote.
Georgia was runner up in last year’s Strictly Come Dancing and her television credits include Coronation Street, This Is England ‘86 and Grange Hill.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s is her professional stage debut.
She said: “I am so excited that for my first theatre role I will be playing such an iconic character. I cannot wait to join the cast. It’s a wonderful adaptation of an incredible story and I’m really thrilled to be part of it.”
Based on Truman Capote’s classic novella, the story is set in 1943 New York. Fred, a young writer from Louisiana, meets Holly Golighty, a charming, vivacious and utterly elusive good time girl.
Everyone falls in love with Holly, including Fred. But Fred is poor and Holly’s other suitors include a playboy millionaire and the future president of Brazil. As war rages in Europe, Holly begins to fall in love with Fred - just as her past catches up with her.
The story has been adapted for the stage by award winning playwright Richard Greenberg and contains memorable songs from the era as well as original music by Grant Olding.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s is sure to capture the hearts of audiences and sparkle like a diamond in a Tiffany’s window.
The show is on at Milton Keynes Theatre at 7.30pm from Monday September 19 through to Saturday 24 with additional 2.30pm matinees on the Wednesday and Saturday.
Tickets cost from £16.50 and are available online at www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes or call the box office on 0844 871 7652.

Corrie star Georgia May Foote sparkles at Milton Keynes


Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the classic tale of Holly Golightly so memorably played by Audrey Hepburn in the iconic film, has been given a new lease of life as a stage play with music, starring Georgia May Foote.


Call it divine intervention but I’m sure Saint Herbert is watching over me as I pass my first bushcraft test at one of Britain’s most heavenly destinations.
Faced with having to boil water on a magical island without the aid of matches or a lighter, my prayers are answered by the former monk when the tiny pieces of bark from a silver birch tree crackle and then burst into flames with little more than a flick of flint on steel.
Chris gets a helping hand making a fire.
Saint Herbert must have performed a similar task every day when he lived as a hermit on this island in the middle of Derwent Water, Cumbria, back in 687 AD.
He would have caught fish in the crystal-clear waters, poured himself a drink and then sat back in wonder at the beauty of his surroundings, the four highest mountains in the Lake District rising out of the deep blue lake in majestic splendour.
More than 1,300 years on, it’s my turn to feast on the views, and I feel blessed to be there on such an enchanting summer’s day.
A tree-laden haven for wildlife, St Herbert’s Island features heavily in the remake of Arthur Ransome’s classic children’s tale Swallows And Amazons, which is expected to be one of the blockbuster films of the summer.
The nostalgic big-screen adaptation follows the adventures of the four Walker siblings - John, Susan, Roger and Titty (controversially renamed Tatty for political correctness) - on holiday with their mother in the Lakes while their father is at sea with the Royal Navy.
They are given permission to sail their boat Swallow for a camping trip to Wild Cat Island, when their father responds to their eager request with a telegram, saying: “Better drowned than duffers if not duffers won’t drown.” But after encountering rival sailors the Amazons (sisters Nancy and Peggy Blackett), they engage in warfare.
Eventually, though, the children join forces to aid the Blacketts’ uncle James Turner (or Captain Flint) who is caught up in murky dealings with Russian spies.
In a nod to Ransome’s shady past - he was kept on file by MI5 as a suspected spy - the plot takes an altogether more sinister turn, with plenty of subterfuge and high-speed chases.
The scenes were shot at Derwent Water, Windermere and Coniston Water, plus parts of North Yorkshire and Scotland.
Along with my wife, Carole, I’m introduced to the joys of sailing and bushcraft by Graham Little, a friendly, weathered Cumbrian from the Keswick Canoe And Bushcraft Group, who has the patience of a saint.
He pushes our canoe out on to the flat, calm water and gently guides us around the lake, offering tips for technique, interspersed with observations about the bountiful wildlife.
We pass Derwent Island, once owned by the eccentric Joseph Pocklington who, in the late 1700s, used to hold a regatta once a year and challenge the townspeople of Keswick to attack the island whilst he shot at them with his cannons.
Sailing across Derwent Water brings back memories of my own childhood. Like Ransome and the fictional Walker children’s father, my dad, Graham, had a spirit of adventure that sometimes got my brother, Stephen, and I into trouble.
On one memorable holiday when I was still in short trousers, he bought a small, second-hand RIB boat and a rattling outboard motor, and took us out into a big, sweeping bay down on the south coast.
It was only when the boat started filling up with icy water that it dawned on him that perhaps he should have bought some life jackets as well.
Fortunately, we made it back to shore before the boat completely submerged, only to be met with a fearful dressing-down from my mum and grandfather, for putting my brother and I at risk.
The base for our weekend trip to the Lakes is the delightful Borrowdale Gates Hotel, a five-minute journey from the market town of Keswick.
Ransome would often make the short walk from Keswick to Friars Crag, a small headland that the renowned poet and art critic John Ruskin once said offered one of the three best views in Europe. It’s named after the monks who sailed over to St. Herbert’s Island to visit the saint and, when the sun breaks through the clouds, the scene is achingly beautiful.
Afterwards, we head south for an hour along one of the most picturesque roads in Britain to Coniston Water, the third largest lake in Cumbria at five miles long.
I’m here to savour the delights of the restored Victorian Steam Yacht Gondola, which has been picking up tourism attraction awards for its luxurious interior and knowledgeable staff.
It was the gondola that gave Ransome the idea for Captain Flint’s houseboat in Swallows And Amazons, and extracts from the novel regularly feature in a fascinating commentary, as the passenger boat makes its way around the lake.
In fact, Coniston’s Ruskin Museum has a black and white postcard of the gondola that Ransome sent to his illustrator, with changes to the outline to show how he wanted the houseboat to look.
After a cuppa at the aptly named Swallows And Amazons Tearoom, on the east side of Coniston lake, we start making our way home, but not before a stop to savour the view of Peel Island (the inspiration for Wild Cat Island).
A fifty-something New Zealand tourist and fan of Ransome’s writing is taking photographs alongside me, and reveals he’s always wanted to see the strip of land for himself “because the guy was a genius”.
As I bid my farewell, it dawns on me there is probably no greater example of the power and reach of the old rascal’s work.
Just like Peel Island, Swallows And Amazons is likely to be enjoyed for generations to come by people throughout the world.
TRAVEL FACTS
Chris Wiltshire from the Press Association was a guest of Cumbria Tourism and Visit England. To plan your own Swallows And Amazons adventure holiday, visit www.visitengland.com/swallowsandamazons and www.golakes.co.uk
Doubles at the Borrowdale Gates Hotel (www.borrowdale-gates.com; 01768 777 204) start from £95 per night half board.
Half-day sessions with Keswick Canoe And Bushcraft (www.keswickcanoeandbushcraft.co.uk) start from £25pp.


Call it divine intervention but I’m sure Saint Herbert is watching over me as I pass my first bushcraft test at one of Britain’s most heavenly destinations.


Minding your manners, avoiding emotional Facebook rants and knowing what cutlery to use are the modern day signs of class, according to new research.
A study of 2,000 Britons for fashion brand Peter Hahn identified the markers that separate the classy from the hoi polloi and they also include not showing too much cleavage, holding the door for others and speaking more than one language.
So how classy are you? Take our quiz to find out.


Minding your manners, avoiding emotional Facebook rants and knowing what cutlery to use are the modern day signs of class, according to new research.


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Five of the best waterside cottages to stay in Scotland


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A nine-year-old girl with cerebral palsy and diabetes will walk 5km - the furthest she has ever attempted - to raise awareness of her conditions.
Eilidh Kane is about to make the walk of her life to help those who, like her and her four-year sister, Grace, have type 1 diabetes.
The Kane family hope to raise awareness of diabetes.
The 5km One Walk for JDRF, the type 1 diabetes research charity takes place on Sunday September 11 at the Strathclyde Country Park and it will the furthest Eilidh has ever attempted, because as well as living with the constant finger pricks and carb counting that goes with managing her type 1 diabetes, Eilidh has cerebral palsy which leaves the right side of her body weak.
Dad, Paul, calls her “my trouper”.
He says: “Life can get tough for Eilidh but she battles through. To her twin sister, Iona, she is a hero. Four-year old Grace, who also has type 1, looks out for her. And for my wife Joan and me, she is the main reason why finding the cure to type 1 diabetes sooner rather than later is so important.
READ MORE - Cure for type 1 diabetes closer after stem cell transplant
Eilidh, Iona and Grace with Tara the dog. Picture: contributed.
“The One Walk is a great event and we are all looking forward to it – especially Eilidh. At times during the walk I suspect that Joan and I will take turns in giving her a piggy back, but Eilidh will make it to the finish.”
The Kane’s family story is heart-wrenching.
Diagnosed with right-sided hemiplegic cerebral palsy at nine months, Eilidh was then diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of five. The timing couldn’t have been worse. Eilidh and her twin sister Iona were about to start school and baby Grace had just arrived.
READ MORE - Mum raises funds for diabetes after son is diagnosed
In Paul’s own words, his world ‘shrank’ around him:
“The brick walls went up and no-one was getting in – I had come to terms with the fact that no-one was ever going to be able or even willing to look after my girls and they were never going to go anywhere without one of us. And this life continued, with the constant worry, the never ending checking of blood sugars, through finger prick tests - which because of her condition Eilidh finds it extremely difficult to do herself - and the continuous lack of sleep.”
Then in January this year, Grace was also diagnosed with type 1. Because of their experience with Eilidh, Paul and Joan knew what to do and were able to get Grace home from hospital quickly.
But it was Grace’s diagnosis and her ability to manage her condition compared to her sister that really brought it home to Paul just how difficult it is for Eilidh and why the Kanes are fundraising for JDRF.
Giving Back: Engaging with Scotland’s charity sector
He added: “Seeing Grace, now age four, able to do her own blood sugar tests and essentially being almost self-sufficient when it comes to testing; and then seeing the constant effort Eilidh has to endure - struggling to do her own blood sugars and even operate her insulin pump - because her hemiplegia, makes me want more for my children.”
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Nine-year-old girl with diabetes wants to raise awareness


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The Gary Locke renaissance at Raith Rovers – the Lockiessance, if you like – continued to gather pace despite the club losing their 100 per cent record and dropping from the top of the table at the conclusion of this come-from-behind draw at Tannadice.
While Hibs look a comfortable bet for the second tier title after registering their fourth straight win, with each passing week the Kirkcaldy side are asserting themselves as genuine contenders for promotion, which they showed by matching Dundee United, the consensus pick to finish runner-up, on their own turf.
When Locke took over the manager’s hotseat at Starks Park in the summer, the news was met with an indifferent response from Raith fans. An aspect of his management, which helped foster a feeling of distrust at the appointment, was a tendency for his previous sides (Hearts and Kilmarnock) to endure a skelping in games where things weren’t going their way, during which Locke would stand muted on the sidelines, powerless to stop the bleeding.
This encounter looked to be heading for similar misfortune, but instead of allowing the contest to get out of hand,
Locke reacted with a tactical switch that helped bring his team back into the match. And while they may have won the point thanks to a pair of outrageous efforts from Jordan Thompson and Kevin McHattie, there’s no doubting they were the stronger of the two sides after going 2-0 down.
“It was a great fightback. We can forget about the first 25 minutes, but once we got that out of the way I thought we played really well,” said Locke. “We made a wee tactical change and I had a real go at the boys at half-time, which was deserved, but I felt we dominated the second half.”
Raith began the game in a straight forward 4-4-2 system, though their early performance was as flat as their formation.
Dundee United by contrast were vibrant, inventive and charged at their opponents with real purpose. One such attack saw Cammy Smith break into the area and go down under the challenge of McHattie. However, Craig Thomson interpreted it as a dive, and booked Smith for the action, much to United’s incredulity.
A short-time later Simon Murray forced Conor Brennan into a front post save before Willo Flood saw his follow-up effort blocked by McHattie.
There would be no stopping Flood when the ball next dropped for him, as he took aim and found the bottom corner with a rasping effort from 20 yards. The veteran midfielder then played a massive part United’s second, showing great tenacity to win a loose ball ahead of Declan McManus a couple of yards inside the box and drawing a clumsy foul from the Raith forward. Smith tucked away the penalty to put United in cruise control.
While Locke’s change was a major factor in the visitors coming back into the game – as the away side went to a midfield three with Lewis Vaughan and Bobby Barr flanking McManus – there was a sense United’s players thought the game was won as they failed to maintain their early intensity.
In the end they were undone by a pair of world class efforts. Thompson, on loan from Rangers, ran on to a dropping ball at the right side of the United penalty area and lashed it into the top corner at the near post with a stunning first-time, left-footed volley. As special a goal as it was, it was possibly eclipsed by McHattie’s equaliser with 18 minutes remaining. Controlling a lay-off from McManus, the left-back took aim and found the far top corner with a thunderous effort from 25 yards.

Dundee United 2 - 0 Raith Rovers 2: Locke change key to draw


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A COLD case investigation has been launched into the murder of 14-year-old schoolgirl Caroline Glachan in Dunbartonshire.
Her mother Margaret McKeich made an emotional appeal at a police news conference saying she wanted answers to “who and why?”
The youngster was found dead on the banks of the River Leven on 25 August, 1996, about a mile from her home in Renton.
Police Scotland is now re-examining evidence from the initial investigation.
READ MORE: Fresh appeal over murdered schoolgirl
Mrs McKeich, speaking at the news conference in Bonhill, close to where her daughter was killed, said: “I’ve been here before and it’s 20 years down the line. What can I say that I haven’t said before? What can I do that I’ve not done before?
“It’s things like this but I’m a wee bit more hopeful than I’ve been for a long time.
“I also believe the public have a part to play in this as well and I’d urge anybody to come forward just to give me that peace, just to let Caroline rest in peace and to give me closure because there are two questions I need to answer - who and why?”
No one has ever been arrested over Caroline’s death.
Mrs McKeich believes her daughter knew her killer and urged anyone who might have information about the murder to “take a look back, and have a think back, and take a look in the mirror and look to your conscience.
“Twenty years has passed and it’s a fair amount of time, but for me it’s just yesterday.
“I think 20 years is long enough. Just let this year be the last year, the last time.”
The appeal was held as Police Scotland’s Homicide Governance and Review team begins a fresh review into Caroline’s death.
Forensic scientists are re-examining more than 300 items collected on the River Leven towpath.
READ MORE: Mother’s plea to find killer of daughter
Police have also re-appealed for help in tracing a man in a hooded top who was seen standing about 30 yards from Caroline as she walked along Dillichip Loan on the night of her murder.
Someone fitting the man’s description was spotted about 30 minutes later running down the main street of Alexandria in West Dunbartonshire with another male.
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Caroline Glachan’s mother appeals for help in finding her killer


Almost half of Scotland’s tourism businesses expect their costs to increase as a result of the Brexit vote, according to the first major survey of the sector.
One in five say they are “unconfident” about the prospects for the next 12 months in the wake of the EU referendum result.
Some 15 per cent of those surveyed by the Scottish Tourism Alliance, the main industry lobby group, said they were planning to put investment plans on hold.
And 12 per cent of businesses polled say they have suffered cancellations since the Brexit decision.
Among the main concerns were the possible damage to Scotland’s reputation as a holiday destination, uncertainty over the free movement of workers, the impact of Brexit on the UK economy and future exchange rates as major areas of concern.
The findings, which also highlighted the prospect of another Scottish independence referendum as another reason for industry uncertainty, have already been presented to Scottish Tourism Secretary Fiona Hyslop.
Marc Crothall, chief executive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, said the current situation had given rise to “feelings of great uncertainty” within the industry. He highlighted a finding that 57 per cent of respondents felt confident about the prospects for the next year.
More than 400 accommodation providers, visitor attractions, food and drink operators and event organisers took part in the organisation’s biggest survey, which was conducted throughout last month.
More businesses have reported a boost in bookings rather than a slump since the Brexit poll. And 18 per cent said they were planning to increase investment.
Crothall said: “We were keen to gauge industry feeling during the aftermath of what has been one of the most turbulent political periods in recent years.
“One very clear message came back to us – Scotland’s tourism industry has an inspiring level of confidence. When describing the opportunities, amongst the most frequently used phrases were ‘pound exchange rate’, ‘more visitors’ and ‘removal of EU VAT regulations’.
“The feelings of optimism and determination are evident; however, there is no doubt that the situation we’re living with at the moment has given rise to feelings of great uncertainty.
“Concern around free movement of workers and a second independence referendum were high on the agenda for most respondents, in addition to the uncertainty around the economy, all of which have far-reaching implications for Scotland’s tourism industry.”
A spokesman for national tourism agency VisitScotland said: “It is reassuring to see that bookings remain on a similar level, or have increased, while the majority of businesses report that investment plans are largely unaffected by the result of the EU referendum.
“It is still too early to know the full impact of Brexit and we will continue to work closely with our partners and stakeholders.”

Brexit setback for Scots tourism as businesses fear increase in costs


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A Scottish engineer has developed a hi-tech tool that could have major safety benefits for the renewables, transport and construction sectors.
It allows the user to gauge the risk of glint and glare from solar farms or highly reflective buildings, which can have potentially serious implications for the likes of drivers and pilots.
Although solar panels are designed to absorb as much light as possible and not to reflect it, glint and glare can be produced as a direct reflection of the sun.
Both can interfere with road, rail and air transport, as well as impacting on nearby homes and businesses.
Incidents like the melting of cars in a London street, caused when the sun’s rays were deflected by the glass-clad “Walkie-Talkie” skyscraper, could also be avoided by using the technology.
Civil engineer Michael McGhee, director of the Glasgow-headquartered consultancy firm Neo Environmental, designed the ground-breaking computer model, which charts the precise location of the sun at any time in any place around the world.
He said: “Once you’ve got the direction of reflection you can compare it to where local receptors are – like roads, airports and houses – to gauge the magnitude of impact, or if there’s going to be an impact at all.
“The model will work for anywhere in the world – you would put in the longitude and latitude of your solar farm and the model will predict the sun’s location in relation to it.”
The technology was designed for use in the planning stages of large-scale solar farms, though it has many potential applications.
McGhee said: “This could be anything from planting a hedge or some trees to screen a house to changing the angle of panels or rearranging arrays.”
The tool has an important safety function, but McGhee has also dreamed up some less serious uses. “It could be developed into an app for mobile phones. You could use it to do things like find out which bars with beer gardens should be basking in sunshine or in the shade at any particular time of the day.
“For anything where you’re looking at the impact of the sun or its reflections – photographers could use it to predict the lighting at viewpoints.
Scotland has 248 megawatts of installed solar power capacity, with other schemes awaiting construction. Development has stalled as a result of recent UK government cuts in support for the technology.

Scots engineer designs hi-tech tool to reduce sun’s glare


A new tartan will be launched tomorrow to honour veterans of the Arctic convoys.
The tartan, woven after consultation with the veterans, incorporates “colours of dread, death and destruction but colours too of bravery, hope and survival.”
It will be unveiled by Andrey Pritsepov, the Russian Consul-General in Scotland, at a ceremony on board the Royal Yacht Britannia to honour the Arctic convoy veterans.
Brian Wilton, design consultant for the Scottish Tartans Authority, who created the tartan, said: “White represents ice flows, wind-whipped wave-tops, snow and ice-encrusted superstructures and today the classic white berets of the surviving veterans. Grey is for the sea and the sky, for allied battleships and the ever-threatening German U-boats. Black is for line upon line of German bombers and their devastating cargoes, whilst silver is the most chilling sight of all, the bubbles in the wake of an oncoming torpedo.”
It also contains the red in the White Ensign of the escorting Royal Navy vessels; the red of the merchantmen’s flag, the Red Duster, and the red in the Russian national flag. There are also echoes of MacLeod and MacKenzie tartans from Loch Ewe, the convoy departure point.

New tartan launched to honour Arctic convoy veterans


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REINDEER are pictured enjoying a hot day in the sun in the Highlands.
A herd of reindeer kept cool on a shrunken snow patch in the Cairngorms.
Reindeer in the Cairngorms. Picture: SWNS
Gary Hodgson, of Tarmachan Mountaineering, took the images when temperatures were reaching 19C.
The animals are members of a herd managed by the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre near Aviemore.
Mr Hodgson took his photographs during a fortnight of fine, sunny weather across large areas of the Highlands.
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Reindeer enjoy the Cairngorms snow in summer weather


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7 Scots who have played club football in Germany


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AN estimated 900,000 rail journeys each year in Scotland are made by people who deliberately avoid paying their fare, according to a train operator.
ScotRail revealed the figure as it launched a crackdown on fare dodgers.
Its new Buy Before You Board campaign is aimed at encouraging customers to purchase their tickets before getting on the train.
Phil Campbell, ScotRail’s head of revenue protection, said: “We provide a service and it’s only fair that everyone pays the correct fare for the service they use.”
READ MORE: ScotRail fare dodgers pay £30 penalty under new crackdown
The company said a recent ticket-monitoring exercise revealed that 132 people had travelled without a ticket on 10 services they examined.
Some 450 flexible journey tickets were found to be used incorrectly during four days of monitoring at Glasgow Queen Street station.
Elsewhere, at Glasgow Central station, 19 customers declared a shorter journey than the one they had actually travelled during one morning peak-time focus on the East Kilbride and Barrhead lines. That dodge is the most common form of fraudulent travel, according to the train operator.
ScotRail is taking action to tackle premeditated fare fraud, saying its surveys show that honest passengers are frustrated by fare dodging.
Other analysis suggests customers are fed-up with long queues in peak times at major stations.
The firm said it has invested in ticket vending machines at 26 new sites and is upgrading the machines at a further 100 sites to help customers buy their tickets in advance.
There are now 260 machines across the network, with 20 more to be installed by the end of the year.
READ MORE: Rail operators call for trees to be cut amid damage to trains
Mr Campbell added: “We’ve invested heavily in facilities to make it much easier for our customers to buy tickets in advance. This means that staff on trains have more time to help customers with travel or other queries.
“Buying before boarding will result in much shorter queues to get through the gates at busy destination stations such as Glasgow Central.”
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Fare dodgers ‘avoid paying on 900,000 rail journeys a year’


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Theresa May has asserted her authority to push ahead with Brexit by ruling out a second EU referendum, an early election, or any parliament vote to authorise the triggering of Article 50.
Downing Street moved to quash speculation that the UK’s exit from the EU could be blocked or delayed, and sent a strong signal that the Prime Minister would not call a snap election to seek a new mandate ahead of Brexit negotiations. Mrs May’s cabinet will today gather at the Prime Minister’s country retreat at Chequers with ministers under instructions to set out the “opportunities” presented by Brexit in each of their portfolios.
Labour leadership challenger Owen Smith had led calls for a second referendum to give the public a say on negotiations with the EU, and pledged that if he defeats Jeremy Corbyn, he would block Article 50 in the House of Commons unless the government offers another vote or calls a general election.
A Number 10 spokesman insisted there was “no legal obligation” to hold a parliamentary vote authorising the start of the formal EU exit process, but pledged that “parliament will have its say” on the UK’s future outside the EU.
The comments suggest that parliament may only hold a debate on Article 50 after Mrs May has fired the starting gun on the UK’s exit.
A legal bid to prevent the government from triggering Article 50 without the prior authorisation of Parliament is due to be heard in the High Court in October.
Mrs May’s spokesman told reporters: “We have been very clear, Parliament will have its say. Triggering Article 50 won’t happen before the end of the year.
“When Parliament will have a say will be something that will be resolved over the coming months.
“Parliament will be involved, it will have a say, opinions will be aired, but I would just say that the referendum bill was passed by a majority of six to one in the Commons and that the PM has been clear that the will of the people who voted to leave the EU must be respected.”
The spokesman pointed out that Mr Smith was “not the leader of the Labour party”, adding: “Brexit does mean Brexit. The will of the people must be respected and it must be implemented. The Prime Minister has also been clear that there must be no attempts for us to remain inside the EU, no attempts to rejoin it through a back-door mechanism and no second referendum.”
Mr Smith accused Mrs May of “running scared” of a parliamentary vote on Article 50 and seeking to avoid scrutiny.
Ahead of today’s cabinet meeting, he pointed out that ministers on both sides of the EU referendum campaign previously supported holding a second vote once the terms of the UK’s exit were confirmed, including Boris Johnson, David Davis and Jeremy Hunt.
The SNP claimed the government was “making it up as they go along” and demanded Mrs May’s cabinet emerge from their meeting with a blueprint for Brexit.
“It is over two months since the result of the Brexit referendum and ministers are only now being asked to come up with their ideas about how it might work at a ‘country house away day’,” said Europe spokesman Stephen Gethins.
“The Tories got us into this mess – we need them to deliver a clear plan and answers to all the questions still unanswered.”
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Theresa May: No vote for MPs on triggering Article 50


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Whether it’s a full-blown scandal or a fuss about nothing depends on your perspective.
That’s how the summer silly season works. “Traingate” probably falls into that category, as does the furore over help-to-buy (HTB) Isas.
Certain commentators were frothing at the mouth with outrage last week when it emerged that the products are somewhat flawed.
There is an issue with them, that’s true. The pledge that came with the accounts was that the cash saved into them would get a 25 per cent government top-up, providing savers with up to £3,000 towards a deposit.
But the small print stipulates that the top-up can’t be used for the initial 10 per cent deposit payable to the seller on exchange of contract. Instead it’s added when the sale completes, the idea being that savers can’t walk away from the sale and instead pocket the cash.
That’s clearly not ideal, but the HTB bonus is still more than useful in that it’s factored in when the lender is working out how much you can borrow.
The HTB issue is no scandal. It’s just rubbish communication about products, something consumers of financial services are all too familiar with. First-time buyers aren’t being prevented from getting on the housing ladder by a glitch in a product.
The obstacle they face is a dysfunctional housing market. Both the Scottish and UK governments are failing miserably when it comes to housebuilding and the chronic lack of supply is driving up both house prices and rents.
Decent first-time buyer properties in Edinburgh, for example, are selling at prices well above the valuation within days of going on the market. One seller told me recently that she’d had more than 50 viewings within five days of putting her flat on the market. There were 18 bids, the successful one paying £45,000 above the £185,000 asking price.
First-time buyers, also seeing rents increasing at a rate far outstripping wage inflation, don’t stand a chance unless they have affluent relatives willing to chip in. No wonder Shelter Scotland has warned Scotland “risks creating a ‘generational gulf’ between the housing haves and have-nots”.
But policymaking is based on the housing market of 20 years ago, when most first-time buyers simply rented until they’d saved enough for a deposit. After seven years of rock-bottom interest rates, stagnating pay and rising rents, it’s no longer that straightforward.
“Private renters consistently spend a higher proportion of their incomes on housing than any other tenure group,” according to the Resolution Foundation.
Government home ownership schemes are largely ineffective and often counter-productive (pushing house prices up). They rely on large savings pots at a time when it’s virtually impossible even for renters on mid-to-high incomes to put money aside. Most private renters wanting to buy a home are struggling to save more than £100 a month once rent, bills and other costs were accounted for, according to recent Shelter research.
It doesn’t matter whether HTB and other initiatives are flawed or deceptive. That’s just a distraction. The real scandal is the ongoing shortage of affordable homes to buy and to let and which neither Holyrood nor Westminster has much appetite for tackling.

Jeff Salway: Hoo-ha over help-to-buy distracts from real issue


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Two in five patients have experienced delays when leaving hospital, with almost half of them waiting for up to two hours, according to a new survey.
More than 17,000 people took part in the fifth national inpatient experience survey, which found overall satisfaction with Scotland’s health service has risen to record levels.
A total of 90 per cent of patients rated their care and treatment as good or excellent, the highest rating since the survey began in 2010.
Improvements were also noted in A&E care, ward cleanliness and the general hospital environment while satisfaction with hospital staff remained high at 91 per cent.
READ MORE: Scots councils urgently need more mental health officers
However, the lowest rated area was departure from hospital, with 78 per cent of patients having a positive experience.
The report said: “One potential explanation for the low relative rating may come from the finding that delays appear to be a problem for people: two in five (40 per cent) felt that they were delayed on the day that they left hospital, with 47 per cent experiencing delays of up to two hours.”
READ MORE: Lack of Scots asthma care causes ‘unacceptable’ death rates
The most common reason for delay was getting medication (56 per cent).
One in six (17 per cent) said they stayed in hospital longer than expected waiting for care and support to be organised, up 3 per cent.
The survey also found one in five people (20 per cent) felt that they had experienced harm or injury such as infections, bed sores, reactions to medications or falls.
Health Secretary Shona Robison said: “It is encouraging to see that satisfaction in Scotland’s hospitals continues to rise against a backdrop of increasing patient numbers.
“It’s especially pleasing to see even more people rating their overall care as good or excellent, including in areas like accident and emergency.
“These increasing levels of satisfaction show that our decisions to put the patient at the heart of everything we do in our NHS, and to increase workforce numbers to their current record levels, are delivering good results.
“We are determined to continue to push up standards. This is why we are providing financial support to all health and social care partnerships in the form of £90 million over three years, specifically to reduce delays in patients leaving hospital, plus an additional £250 million for investment in social care in 2016/17.”
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Two in five patients delayed when leaving Scottish hospitals


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Train operators have called for lineside trees to be cut back after a train window was smashed close to a baby and carriages badly scratched by overhanging branches.
The Scottish Railway Preservation Society (SRPS), which runs trips across Scotland, said the problem was affecting nearly every route it used.
SRPS Railtours commercial director Roger Haynes said: “It is getting out of hand. There needs to be a drastic move to cut back foliage anywhere near lines.”
Two windows were smashed on an Inverness-bound SRPS train near Newburgh in Fife last month.
Glass shattered near passengers, including a baby, who escaped injury.
Last year, the steam locomotive Tornado suffered some £10,000 worth of damage on a ScotRail trip from Stirling to Inverness and Brora.
Graeme Bunker, Tornado’s operations director, said: “We often get both Tornado and its support coach scratched when they go out. Some of the worst we have had is on the Fife Circle.
“The lack of attention to lineside growth also removes some of the most spectacular scenery. The problem for many lines is they are in effect ‘green tunnels’.
“Whilst understanding Network Rail has many competing priorities, it is a disappointment that lineside vegetation is not more under control.”
A spokeswoman for the Belmond Royal Scotsman luxury train, whose Scottish trips cost passengers up to £7,500, said scratched carriages were “quite a common occurrence”.
ScotRail said a “handful” of its trains had been “slightly damaged”.
Network Rail said damage claims below £10,000 were rejected as “operational expenses”.
A spokesman for the ScotRail Alliance, which includes the track body, said: “We dedicate significant resources every summer to cutting back quick-growing vegetation.
“Lineside vegetation can obscure signals, become entangled in overhead power lines and obscure drivers’ sight lines. As a consequence we have prioritised our summer clearance works at locations were they will most improve safety.
“We receive very few compensation claims for damage caused by vegetation to engines and rolling stock.”

Rail operators call for trees to be cut amid damage to trains


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Over the past 100 years the Coventry Telegraph has amassed an unrivalled library of old photographs depicting everyday life and the ever-changing street scenes in Coventry and Warwickshire.
Each day we are publishing a gallery of great old pictures that were taken on that day in history, from the First World War right up to the 21st Century, complete with original captions.
It could be a Royal or celebrity visit; the opening of a new shop or business; a school photo; action from a sports match; floods, snowdrifts and heatwaves, or maybe just a cute animal!

On This Day: Old photos taken in Coventry and Warwickshire on August 28


A selection of photos taken by the Telegraph on this day in history


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Gene Wilder, the frizzy-haired actor who brought his deft comedic touch to such unforgettable roles as the neurotic accountant in The Producers and the mad scientist of Young Frankenstein, has died. He was 83.
Wilder's nephew said on Monday that the actor and writer died late on Sunday at his home in Stamford, Connecticut, from complications from Alzheimer's disease.
Jordan Walker-Pearlman said in a statement that Wilder was diagnosed with the disease three years ago, but kept the condition private so as not to disappoint fans.
"He simply couldn't bear the idea of one less smile in the world," Mr Walker-Pearlman said.
Wilder started his acting career on the stage, but millions knew him from his work in the movies, especially his collaborations with Mel Brooks on The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. The last film - with Wilder playing a California-born descendant of the mad scientist, insisting that his name is pronounced Frahn-ken-Shteen - was co-written by Brooks and Wilder.
"Gene Wilder, one of the truly great talents of our time, is gone," Brooks wrote in a statement on Monday. "He blessed every film we did together with his special magic and he blessed my life with his friendship. He will be so missed."
File photo dated 06/06/1996 of Willy Wonka star and "comic genius" Gene Wilder, who has died aged 83. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Tuesday August 30, 2016. The Hollywood actor, known for roles in comedy classics such as Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles, has been hailed as one of the "great talents" of his generation. See PA story DEATH Wilder. Photo credit should read: John Stillwell/PA Wire
With his unkempt hair and big, buggy eyes, Wilder was a master at playing panicked characters caught up in schemes that only a madman such as Brooks could devise, whether reviving a monster in Young Frankenstein or bilking Broadway in The Producers. Brooks would call him: "God's perfect prey, the victim in all of us."
But he also knew how to keep it cool as the boozing gunslinger in Blazing Saddles or the charming candy man in the children's favourite Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory. His craziest role: the therapist having an affair with a sheep in Woody Allen's Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex.
"The greatest comedic mind of my childhood is now gone," actor Josh Gad wrote on Twitter. "£RIP £GeneWilder & thank you 4 your pure imagination. This one hits hard."
Jim Carrey tweeted: "Gene Wilder was one of the funniest and sweetest energies ever to take a human form. If there's a heaven he has a Golden Ticket."
Wilder was close friends with Richard Pryor and their contrasting personas - Wilder uptight, Pryor loose - were ideal for comedy. They co-starred in four films: Silver Streak, Stir Crazy, See No Evil, Hear No Evil and Another You. And they created several memorable scenes, particularly when Pryor provided Wilder with directions on how to "act black" as they tried to avoid police in Silver Streak.
But Wilder would insist in a 2013 interview that he was no comedian. He told interviewer Robert Osborne it was the biggest misconception about him.
"What a comic, what a funny guy, all that stuff! And I'm not. I'm really not. Except in a comedy in films," Wilder said. "But I make my wife laugh once or twice in the house, but nothing special. But when people see me in a movie and it's funny then they stop and say things to me about 'how funny you were.' But I don't think I'm that funny. I think I can be in the movies."
In 1968, Wilder received an Oscar nomination for his work in Brooks' The Producers. He played the introverted Leo Bloom, an accountant who discovers the liberating joys of greed and corruption as he and Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel) conceive a Broadway flop titled Springtime For Hitler and plan to flee with the money raised for the show's production. Matthew Broderick played Wilder's role in the 2001 Broadway stage revival of the show.
Though they collaborated on film, Wilder and Brooks met through the theatre. Wilder was in a play with Brooks' then-future wife, Anne Bancroft, who introduced the pair backstage in 1963.
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Wilder, a Milwaukee native, was born Jerome Silberman on June 11 1933. His father was a Russian emigre, his mother was of Polish descent. When he was six, Wilder's mother suffered a heart attack that left her a semi-invalid. He soon began improvising comedy skits to entertain her, the first indication of his future career.
He started taking acting classes at age 12 and continued performing and taking lesson through college. In 1961, Wilder became a member of Lee Strasberg's prestigious Actor's Studio in Manhattan.
That same year, he made both his off-Broadway and Broadway debuts. He won the Clarence Derwent Award, given to promising newcomers, for the Broadway work in Graham Greene's comedy The Complaisant Lover.
He used his new name, Gene Wilder, for the off-Broadway and Broadway roles. He lifted the first name from the character Eugene Gant in Thomas Wolfe's Look Back, Homeward Angel, while the last name was clipped from playwright Thornton Wilder. A key break came when he co-starred with Bancroft in Bertolt Brecht's Mother Courage, and met Brooks, her future husband.
"I was having trouble with one little section of the play, and he gave me tips on how to act. He said, 'That's a song and dance. He's proselytising about communism. Just skip over it, sing and dance over it, and get on to the good stuff.' And he was right," Wilder later explained.
Before starring in The Producers, he had a small role as the hostage of gangsters in the 1967 classic Bonnie and Clyde. He peaked in the mid-1970s with the twin Brooks hits Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein.
He went on to write several screenplays and direct several films. In 1982, while making the generally forgettable Hanky-Panky, he fell in love with co-star Gilda Radner. They were married in 1984, and co-starred in two Wilder-penned films: The Lady In Red and Haunted Honeymoon.
After Radner died of ovarian cancer in 1989, Wilder spent much of his time after promoting cancer research and opened a support facility for cancer patients. In 1991, he testified before Congress about the need for increased testing for cancer.
That same year, he appeared in his final film role: Another You with Pryor.
Wilder worked mostly in television in recent years, including appearances on Will & Grace - including one that earned him an Emmy Award for outstanding guest actor - and a starring role in the short-lived sitcom Something Wilder. In 2015, he was among the voices in the animated The Yo Gabba Gabba! Movie 2.
As for why he stopped appearing on the big screen, Wilder said in 2013 he was turned off by the noise and foul language in modern movies.
"I didn't want to do the kind of junk I was seeing," he said in an interview. "I didn't want to do 3D for instance. I didn't want to do ones where there's just bombing and loud and swearing, so much swearing... can't they just stop and talk instead of swearing?"
Wilder is survived by his wife, Karen, whom he married in 1991, and his daughter from a previous marriage, Katherine, from whom he was estranged.

'Truly great talent' Gene Wilder dies at 83 after series of unforgettable roles


Movie superstar was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease three years ago but kept condition private to not disappoint fans


The owners of a chicken shop have been fined after hygiene inspectors found food stored on the floor, dirty kitchen surfaces and no soap in the sink.
When Coventry council’s food safety officers visited Stoney Fried Chicken, in Stoney Stanton Road, Foleshill, in January they found that it hasn’t been properly cleaned and some parts of the shop were encrusted with grease and food debris.
They also discovered that food was being stored on the floor in the outside store room, the only aprons available were so dirty that they couldn’t be used, dirty cloths were used for cleaning and there was no soap or towels at the hand wash basin.
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Everything you need to know today in Coventry and Warwickshire


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On This Day: Old photos taken in Coventry and Warwickshire on August 27


On This Day: Old photos taken in Coventry and Warwickshire on August 29


Until now, the Optima has only been available as a saloon. And no way has it been selling as well in Europe as it would be if there were an estate version on offer too.
The answer? Build an estate version. That’s what Kia has now done, and the company reckons it’s going to account for about 65% of Optima sales goign forward.
It’s called the Sportswagon, and it looks funky enough to warrant the title, but its style doesn’t come at the expense of practicality. There’s plenty of space in all the seats, as well as the load bay – 552 litres at worst, and a highly praiseworthy 1686 in full tip-run mode.
So it gets the family-hack basics right, and it feels as if it’s built to survive. The materials it’s trimmed out in are tough, even if they look about as exciting as… well, the materials in the Optima saloon.
Similarly, though, Kia remains as generous as ever with kit. Whichever model you buy, it’ll have nav as standard, and once you get to the top of the range the list will include cooled seats and an electric tailgate, as well as a raft of cutting-edge safety gear.
Something else you get with every model, however, is the familiar 1.7 CRDi engine. This is less noisy than it used to be, but it’s still short on refinement in general. You need to keep it on boost to maintain progress, too, which is easier said than done as output falls away alarmingly if you let it drop below the 1750rpm at which the full 251lb ft of torque arrives.
That problem goes away if you buy an Optima with the DCT auto box, which knows exactly when to kick down. This is unavailable on the entry-level 2 model, however; it’s optional on the mid-range 3, and standard on the top-spec GT-Line S.
On that subject, the Sportswagon range starts at £22,295 and climbs to £30,595.
So your money buys you a big, usable estate whose engine isn’t very nice. Aside from that it seems as pleasing to drive as you’ve a right to expect, with adequate performance and well controlled body movement to go with lasting grip and accurate if hardly electrifying steering.
That seems to add up to a wagon with the right stuff and a bit more on top. It seems to make most sense if you stick with the lower-priced models, however. The price of the top-spec version means it has some extremely talented opponents to knock down, but at the bottom of the range there’s not an awful lot else that can give you so much practicality for your money.
Kia Optima Sportswagon
On sale Autumn 2016; Price £22,295-£30,595; Engine 4 cyls, 1685cc, diesel; Power 139bhp at 4000rpm; Torque 251lb ft at 1750-2500rpm; Gearbox 6-spd manual; Kerb weight 1620kg; 0-60mph 9.8sec; Top speed 124mph; Economy 64.2mpg (combined); CO2 rating/tax band 113g/km, 19%


Kia adds an estate version to its Optima range – with slick looks and winning practicality but an engine that still can’t match the best


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A Transit police officer is being hailed as a hero after he pulled a man from railway tracks ahead of an oncoming train in New Jersey.
The officer, Victor Ortiz, followed the man who he saw getting off a train at Secaucus Junction as the man jumped on to the tracks.
Mr Ortiz said the man knelt down on to the tracks as a train was about half a mile away and kept saying "I just want to die".
He grabbed the man and was eventually able to pull him off the tracks just as the train was coming into the station.
NJ Transit officials say they could not be more proud of Mr Ortiz and hoped the incident reminds people what police officers do every day.

Man pulled from train tracks with seconds to spare captured on CCTV


A Transit police officer is being hailed as a hero after he pulled a man from railway tracks ahead of an oncoming train in New Jersey.


Logo in the Apple store in Regents Street, London, as the company is facing a multibillion-euro tax bill after a European Union investigation into state aid it received in Ireland
The European Commission has ordered Ireland to recoup 13 billion euro (£11.1 billion) from tech giant Apple over a sweetheart tax deal.
A three-year investigation by Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager found the arrangements dating back to the early 1990s were illegal under state aid rules.
She said it allowed Apple to pay substantially less tax than other businesses - 1% on its European profits in 2003 and 0.0005% in 2014.
The Republic's tax inspectors have been told to recover the unpaid billions.
"Member states cannot give tax benefits to selected companies - this is illegal under EU state aid rules," the commissioner said.
"The Commission's investigation concluded that Ireland granted illegal tax benefits to Apple, which enabled it to pay substantially less tax than other businesses over many years."
Ms Vestager found two tax rulings issued by Ireland to Apple which she said substantially and artificially lowered the tax paid by the multinational maker of iPhones and iPads.
She said the arrangements to establish the taxable profits for two Irish incorporated companies of the Apple group - Apple Sales International and Apple Operations Europe - did not correspond to economic reality.
The commissioner said almost all sales profits recorded by the two companies were internally attributed to a "head office" which only existed on paper and could not have generated such profits.
Her inquiry found the profits were not subject to tax anywhere.
Ireland's Finance Minister Michael Noonan said he profoundly disagreed with the verdict.
His office said the Republic does not do "deals" with taxpayers.
"Our tax system is founded on the strict application of the law ... without exception," Mr Noonan said.
The minister said he would seek Government support to challenge the commissioner's findings in the European courts.
"This is necessary to defend the integrity of our tax system, to provide tax certainty to business, and to challenge the encroachment of EU state aid rules into the sovereign member state competence of taxation," he said.
"It is important that we send a strong message that Ireland remains an attractive and stable location of choice for long-term substantive investment."

Apple ordered to pay Ireland 13 billion euros after EU ruling on tax deal


Three-year investigation found tech giant paid substantially less tax than other businesses


Latest news on the deals, the firms and the people driving the world’s toughest and fastest financial markets.

EI Bank slips in sukuk ahead of busy market


Emirates Islamic Bank (EI Bank) slipped into the market on Tuesday ahead of plenty of expected supply to raise $250m with a tap of its dollar sukuk due 2021.


T2 looks attractive as HSBC reaffirms holdco health


HSBC found strong demand for an eight year senior bond from its holding company on Tuesday, mirroring UBS’s recent reopener and revealing a potential opportunity for banks’ looking to issue more deeply subordinated debt.


It was a clean sweep for EFG Bank in Asiamoney’s Private Banking Poll, cementing a strong run that has seen in dominate in multiple categories over the past three years. Shruti Chaturvedi reports.
HSBC swept the Asiamoney Cash Management Poll in 2016, topping all six regional voting categories, across financial institutions and corporates. Deutsche Bank and Citi also had an impressive showing, as cash management bankers strive to turn the challenges arising from increased regulation and macro-economic volatility into an opportunity to provide more intuitive services and advice.
This year our Cash Management Poll surveyed participants on some of the key topics impacting the industry. Around 3,000 responses were received from corporates and financial institutions with those polled giving their views on tax breaks, non-bank financial companies and the renminbi.
The period under review has proved one of the most trying for the region’s financial institutions as global problems combine with financial stresses in domestic markets. Amid this turmoil, the best banks have once again proved their ability to outperform. We present Asia's Best Domestic Banks.

Yestar, Nonghyup hit the road for new deals


China’s Yestar International Holdings Company and South Korea’s Nonghyup Bank have kicked off investor meetings for their respective bond offerings.


German chemical company Evonik hit the reopened European investment grade corporate bond market at pace on Tuesday as it sought financing for its €3.5bn acquisition of US industrial gas provider Air Products’ speciality and coating additives business.


Decisive trade from QNB reopens GCC bonds


Qatar National Bank (QNB) hit the screens with the first benchmark trade from the Gulf Cooperation Council after the summer break on Wednesday, taking orders in excess of $2.4bn by 10am.


Following an internal restructuring, Credit Suisse has asked covered bond holders for their consent to amend the definition of an issuer event of default (EoD).


Dubai’s Emaar Properties has picked banks for its first trade since 2014, a senior unsecured sukuk.


Primary markets have burst into life in CEEMEA with the Middle East the focus this week. Several mandates and a new deal from Qatar National Bank (QNB) have hit the screens.


Coca-Cola pushes down low on 20 year as September surge begins


Coca-Cola came for euros on Tuesday with a 20 year bond that was priced aggressively, as a slug of borrowers took aim at the market.


RLB Oberosterreich takes covered bonds on the road


Latest news on the deals, the firms and the people driving the world’s toughest and fastest financial markets.

Raiffeisenlandesbank Oberosterreich has mandated joint leads for its first benchmark euro covered bond.


Nordea goes tight as tier two returns to euros


Nordea raised €1bn of new tier two funding on Wednesday, securing tight pricing in an asset class that has remained largely untouched in euros since the UK’s EU referendum.


Blockchain firm Symbiont hires bank veteran as president


Symbiont, a startup technology firm specialising in smart contracts and distributed ledgers for financial markets, has named a former Morgan Stanley senior banker as president and chairman of its board of directors.


It was a clean sweep for EFG Bank in Asiamoney’s Private Banking Poll, cementing a strong run that has seen in dominate in multiple categories over the past three years. Shruti Chaturvedi reports.
HSBC swept the Asiamoney Cash Management Poll in 2016, topping all six regional voting categories, across financial institutions and corporates. Deutsche Bank and Citi also had an impressive showing, as cash management bankers strive to turn the challenges arising from increased regulation and macro-economic volatility into an opportunity to provide more intuitive services and advice.
This year our Cash Management Poll surveyed participants on some of the key topics impacting the industry. Around 3,000 responses were received from corporates and financial institutions with those polled giving their views on tax breaks, non-bank financial companies and the renminbi.
The period under review has proved one of the most trying for the region’s financial institutions as global problems combine with financial stresses in domestic markets. Amid this turmoil, the best banks have once again proved their ability to outperform. We present Asia's Best Domestic Banks.

Chongqing Western jumps on LGFV bandwagon


Chongqing Western Modern Logistics Industry Zone Development Construction raised $500m from bond investors on Tuesday, with generous initial price guidance allowing the issuer to tighten by as much as 30bp.


Kuwait's Burgan Bank will re-engage with investors this week after first setting up an EMTN programme for a senior dollar bond in July.


ING boosts Korea presence with new securities branch


ING Bank has obtained a securities branch license from the Financial Services Commission of South Korea, giving it the ability to broker debt capital market and alternative investment deals for clients.


Crédit Agricole names new country head for Hong Kong


Crédit Agricole has strengthened its Hong Kong operation with the appointment of a new senior country officer.


Baoxin exits with bigger $750m borrowing


Baoxin Auto Group has hiked the size of its latest borrowing to $750m from $550m, after its acquisition by China Grand Auto made the deal more appealing, according to bankers.


JP Morgan has lost Singapore-based Chetan Singh to UK insurer Aviva, where he will lead mergers and acquisitions globally.


Latest news on the deals, the firms and the people driving the world’s toughest and fastest financial markets.

Issuance alternatives holding back middle market CLOs


Middle market CLO volume has been down year over year compared to 2015, with sources saying that middle market managers are exploring alternatives to traditional CLO issuance.


China XD Plastics winds up $180m loan with seven


Nasdaq-listed China XD Plastics Co has signed a $180m two year financing after a senior syndication phase that lasted a month.


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If you are new to GlobalCapital or you already subscribe to some of our channels you can still easily extend your access.
Take a trial to the entire site or subscribe online to see all our capital markets news, opinion and data sets.
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HSBC: Shenzhen Connect to ignite A-share foreign ownership


HSBC’s head of Hong Kong/China equity research Steven Sun said in a media briefing on Monday that the impending launch of the Shenzhen Hong Kong Stock Connect scheme is likely to trigger a huge increase in the foreign ownership of Chinese stocks.


CLO managers ramp up deal volume into fall


CLO managers are beginning to ramp up issuance activity ahead of an expected market escalation in September, with three issuers bringing new offerings this week.


It was a clean sweep for EFG Bank in Asiamoney’s Private Banking Poll, cementing a strong run that has seen in dominate in multiple categories over the past three years. Shruti Chaturvedi reports.
HSBC swept the Asiamoney Cash Management Poll in 2016, topping all six regional voting categories, across financial institutions and corporates. Deutsche Bank and Citi also had an impressive showing, as cash management bankers strive to turn the challenges arising from increased regulation and macro-economic volatility into an opportunity to provide more intuitive services and advice.
This year our Cash Management Poll surveyed participants on some of the key topics impacting the industry. Around 3,000 responses were received from corporates and financial institutions with those polled giving their views on tax breaks, non-bank financial companies and the renminbi.
The period under review has proved one of the most trying for the region’s financial institutions as global problems combine with financial stresses in domestic markets. Amid this turmoil, the best banks have once again proved their ability to outperform. We present Asia's Best Domestic Banks.

Trio hired for $322m NBCC sale as QSR seeks IPO


The Indian government has picked three banks to work on its 15% sell down in construction firm NBCC, according to sources.


RiverNorth fund, new SoFi deal light up MPL sector


Investment manager RiverNorth Capital Management has received approval for a $1bn closed end fund that will invest in marketplace loan assets. Meanwhile, SoFi is readying the latest ABS offering from its unsecured consumer lending program.


NPL specialist Pillarstone appoints COO as ambitions grow


KKR-backed Pillarstone, the non-performing loan acquisition and advisory company, has picked a chief operating officer after starting operations last year.


Latest news on the deals, the firms and the people driving the world’s toughest and fastest financial markets.


The loan for Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), which is expected to grow beyond its initial target of $750m, is due to be signed on Wednesday.


Citi has lost its head of Asia Pacific debt syndicate in Hong Kong, with Duncan Phillips jumping ship to financial services technology firm Ipreo.


Luthman steps down as Liontrust UK equities co-head


Jan Luthman, co-head of equities and a partner at UK asset manager Liontrust, is retiring after nearly 30 years in the investments industry.


Ecom Agroindustrial to seek new lenders in $500m refinancing


Swiss based commodity trader Ecom Agroindustrial will reach out to existing and new lenders in its $500m loan refinancing.


High yield names soar with Road King, Haikou Meilan


Two Chinese high yield names made their mark on Tuesday, with Road King Infrastructure bagging $500m and Haikou Meilan International Airport netting $200m from its first G3 bond offering.


EDL Gen on track for dollar debut as books open


It was a clean sweep for EFG Bank in Asiamoney’s Private Banking Poll, cementing a strong run that has seen in dominate in multiple categories over the past three years. Shruti Chaturvedi reports.
HSBC swept the Asiamoney Cash Management Poll in 2016, topping all six regional voting categories, across financial institutions and corporates. Deutsche Bank and Citi also had an impressive showing, as cash management bankers strive to turn the challenges arising from increased regulation and macro-economic volatility into an opportunity to provide more intuitive services and advice.
This year our Cash Management Poll surveyed participants on some of the key topics impacting the industry. Around 3,000 responses were received from corporates and financial institutions with those polled giving their views on tax breaks, non-bank financial companies and the renminbi.
The period under review has proved one of the most trying for the region’s financial institutions as global problems combine with financial stresses in domestic markets. Amid this turmoil, the best banks have once again proved their ability to outperform. We present Asia's Best Domestic Banks.

Electricite du Laos Generation Public Company (EDL Gen) has started building books for a $300m bond it is looking to price in Thailand on September 2. The deal is progressing well, attracting interest from a wide array of investors including high net worth individuals.


Bank of Queensland to consider covered bonds


The universe of active covered bond issuers is set to further expand with the Bank of Queensland hiring leads to explore options for a potential covered bond structure.


Want full access to GlobalCapital?
If you are new to GlobalCapital or you already subscribe to some of our channels you can still easily extend your access.
Take a trial to the entire site or subscribe online to see all our capital markets news, opinion and data sets.
Don't miss out!

NorthStar prices SLABS offering to strong demand


NorthStar Education Finance (NEF) priced a $90m private student loan refinancing offering to strong demand from investors, after a four year departure from the securitization market.


Latest news on the deals, the firms and the people driving the world’s toughest and fastest financial markets.

HSBC picks new private bank investment services head


HSBC Private Bank in the US has chosen a former EMEA DCM head at the group to lead its investment services and product solutions.


Royal Industries seeks additional $95m after default


Royal Industries Indonesia, which failed to pay the first principal instalment of a loan borrowed in June 2015, has asked banks for additional funds to help resolve its liquidity problem.


Reverse enquiry prompts Cabei’s Rmb700m Formosa return


The Central American Bank for Economic Integration (Cabei) ventured into Taiwan’s Formosa bond market for the third consecutive year, raising Rmb700m ($105m) from a reverse-enquiry driven offering.


The outlook for euro-denominated primary covered bond volumes may be revised lower over the course of this year as cheap dollar senior unsecured funding and negative euro yields hinder prospects.


Morgan Stanley founds two new multi-asset funds


Morgan Stanley Investment Management, the asset management division of Morgan Stanley, has launched two new multi-asset global funds, the Global Balanced Fund and the Global Balanced Defensive Fund.


Municipality Finance will sell its debut green bond in dollars, rather than in euros as it previously intended, in order to secure cheaper funding.


Alex Ovechkin got hitched.
The Washington Capitals superstar on Sunday tweeted a photo of two hands with wedding bands displayed on the appropriate fingers
The photo is accompanied by a caption, which, when translated from Russian, reads "This is happiness."
Ovechkin, engaged to Russian model Nastya Shubskaya for roughly a year, will play in the World Cup of Hockey next month for Russia.
The wedding was reportedly small and private.
After the international tournament wraps up in Toronto, the 30-year-old goal-scoring machine will start his 12th NHL season.

NHLer Ovechkin, model Shubskaya announce marriage


BERLIN — Swiss media are reporting that a wingsuit flyer who fatally crashed in the Alps on Friday was broadcasting live on Facebook when the accident happened.
A video posted online shows a man readying his wingsuit before pocketing his phone and taking off. After a few moments, a shout can be heard and the sound of impact.
The video couldn’t immediately be verified.
The Zurich daily Blick reports that followers watching the video reacted with horror. Some sent messages asking that he “write or say something.”
Bern cantonal police said the body of a 28-year-old Italian citizen was recovered near Kandersteg, a popular BASE jumping location. Police spokeswoman Jolanda Egger declined Saturday to confirm the man’s identity, citing privacy rules. She said the cause of the accident was still being investigated.

Wingsuit flyer’s death live-streamed on Facebook: Report


Swiss media are reporting that a wingsuit flyer who fatally crashed in the Alps on Friday was broadcasting live on Facebook when the accident happened.


OTTAWA - Canada’s political and journalism elites — and by any definition of those elites, I’m one of them — were hugely disappointed in the UK “Brexit” referendum.
In my view, the United Kingdom and Europe will be worse off without the UK in the EU.
I would have voted “remain” had I the chance.
The Brexit vote outcome, from my “elite” viewpoint, will be a disaster.
But now, many Canadian “elites” are citing the Brexit outcome as a good reason we ought not to let everyday Canadians have a say, through a direct referendum, on proposed changes to the way we elect our local member of Parliament.
On this point, I may have to turn in my “Elite Membership” club card.
My belief that voters are always right may be naive but surely it is a bedrock assumption of our democracy that voters should have a chance to pass judgement via a clear question in a referendum on any proposal to change the way they are governed.
Changes to the way we elect MPs will change the way we are governed.
Nonetheless, the instinct of both Liberals and New Democrats at this point is to ignore voters and listen to elites.
“The outcomes of referenda are often highly volatile and unpredictable, often involve a lot of emotionalism and outright lies,” an American university professor recently told a parliamentary committee studying this issue. “The recent Brexit referendum shows how much damage a referendum can do. It’s been a disaster for the whole world.”
So because the Brexit vote didn’t turn out the way you wanted, Canadian voters shouldn’t be asked their opinion on electoral reform? What nonsense.
It’s nonsense, I’m afraid to report, repeated by former NDP leader Ed Broadbent Monday at the same parliamentary committee. Once upon a time he liked referenda on these issues. Now he doesn’t.
There are, I should point out, no specific proposals from the Trudeau government for change.
There was only a vague commitment from the Liberals in last fall’s election that the way we’ve been doing it for nearly 150 years — a 150 years during which Canada has been held up as a global model of a peaceful, tolerant, multicultural, officially bilingual, prosperous democracy — is not the way we should do it going forward.
And though they’ve been in power for nearly a year, you cannot pin down any Liberal — least of all, Democratic Reform Minister Maryam Monsef — to explain just what kind of system the Liberals would like to see replace the first-past-the-post system we’ve had since day one.
Monsef, incidentally, was in Iqaluit Monday morning, holding the first of what will be a month-long cross-country string of “electoral reform community dialogues.”
In a picture tweeted by her staff from the Iqaluit event, I counted 16 people in the room. Sixteen.
A modest — to put it mildly — turnout for some of these meetings does not invalidate the initiative.
The Trudeau government’s mania for consultations may seem odd but it is a welcome change from the “closed-shop” approach of the Harper government.
That said, these electoral reform town halls, or parliamentary committee hearings, are a complement to, not a substitute for, a clearly worded referendum before a major change is made to our voting system.
And if Liberals and New Democrats are confident that Canadians will accept proposed changes, they should have no fear of the outcome.

National vote needed to change election system


OTTAWA - Canada’s political and journalism elites — and by any definition of those elites, I’m one of them — were hugely disappointed in the UK “Brexit” referendum.