Charity sweet heads to No 10
Award-winning charity fundraiser Jill Arthur could have just the answer to sweeten the long-awaited Brexit deal - Scottish tablet.
The Dunblane 79-year-old is sending some of her sweet treat which has helped raise more than £45,000 for a host of charities - to No10 Downing Street.
Jill was recently honoured for her charity work at the Stirling Provost’s Awards - for which she made tablet for 200 guests.
And she has also found a fan in Stirling MP Stephen Kerr, who is planning to take some along to No10 in the coming weeks.
While as diabetic PM Theresa May will sadly be unable to enjoy it, there is likely to be no shortage of takers ready to have a taste.
Mr Kerr said: “Tablet lovers like myself know a great tablet when they taste it. She makes such a good job of it I’m tempted to take some to Brussels to sweeten the deal. As it is, I hope the Cabinet members will enjoy this little taste of a traditional Scottish sweet.”
Jill, who pays for the all ingredients herself, started selling the Scottish sugary treat to make money for good causes around eight years ago.
Since then she has racked up donations for a host of beneficiaries including Strathcarron Hospice, Macmillan Cancer Support, CHAS, cancer charities, Erskine Hospital, RNIB, Help for Heroes, Combat Stress and mental health charities.
She first started making tablet more than 50 years ago - and if it were to make it to Brussels it wouldn’t be the first time it worked its charms overseas or with VIPs.
An accomplished bridge player, who has played for Scotland, she became as well known for her confectionery as for her card-playing skills when she and her late husband Jimmie played the game across the world.
Jill even met ‘Dr Zhivago’ star and renowned player Omar Sharif on her travels, and she and her bridge partner Sheila Macdonald were chosen as members of the first ever Scottish Ladies Team at the 11th World Bridge Teams Olympiad in Maastricht The Netherlands in 2000 where they were narrowly beaten by eventual winners the USA. As always endeavouring to provide her famous tablet and shortbread for the players, however, it received a special mention in the Maastricht Olympiad’s newsletter.
Royalty have even had a chance to sample Jill’s handiwork. A few years ago she presented a bag of tablet to HRH The Princess Royal, Princess Anne during one of her visits to Strathcarron Hospice.
Jill added: “Lots of places such as Bologna, Woodwinters and the Westlands Hotel have helped by taking in donations for my tablet. I usually ask for £1 a bag but people are very generous and have been known to leave anything from £2 to £20. Tesco are very helpful with ingredients as well. Harry Turnbull of Stirling Stone and The Green Gates Curry House are also really supportive. Without people like these I wouldn’t have been able to raise so much money for these charities.”
I’m tempted to take some to Brussels to sweeten the deal