Musician, sculptor, writer and charity founder all honoured

Musician Edwyn Collins and Kelpies creator Andy Scott are being honoured at an Open University degree ceremony in Edinburgh.

Writer Ruth Wishart and Maria Macnamara, founder of the charity Smalls for All, will also receive awards along with hundreds of new OU graduates at the Usher Hall.

Almost three-quarters of OU students are in work, a fifth have declared a disability and a similar proportion do not have traditional entrance qualifications.

Musician, producer and Orange Juice founder Edwyn Collins is adding Doctor of the University to his musical honours.

He said: “For someone whom my son calls a ‘college dropout’, it’s quite something.

“The OU gives everyone the possibility of a second chance, the possibility to change your life. And I’ve learnt how vital to a human being that can be.”

Andy Scott said: “My father studied with the Open University but sadly circumstances overtook him and he never got to complete the course. I like to think he’d be very proud of this award.”

Ruth Wishart added: “The lack of a degree was always a regret.

“Then, in my fifties, I took the plunge and signed up to an OU humanities course. Getting that degree, having that second chance, was absolutely wonderful.” Dundead, Dundee’s horror film festival and regular screening programme based at DCA, is celebrating All Hallow’s Eve with a hellish line-up of retro films.

The spooktacular schedule of scary films begins tonight and runs throughout the weekend.

Caley Mcgillvary, communications officer, Jessica Reid, head of communications, and communications assistant Helen Macdonald getting in the spirit of things. Picture: