Compston’s duty of silence at an end as TV finale is most watched show
From our archives
5 years ago
LINE Of Duty actor Martin Compston has said he was relieved to be able to use social media freely again after the series five finale was broadcast last night. The Greenock-born star, who plays DS Steve Arnott in the gripping BBC1 drama, said he loved “all the mad theories” that came in from fans. He said: “It’s a shame, because some of them are spot on, but you can’t like it or favourite it or anything because you’d give it away, but it’s one of the joys of the show. Everyone loves being an amateur sleuth.” Compston, who said he was a “wee bit” shocked at the success of the show, added that social media was to thank for the show’s sizeable audience, which has made the fifth series of Line Of Duty the most-watched programme of 2019 so far.
10 years ago
CHANNEL Tunnel operator Eurotunnel today celebrates the 20th anniversary of the opening of the undersea link between Britain and continental Europe. A reception and an exhibition on the history of the Folkestone to Coquelles link will be held at Eurotunnel’s terminal in northern France. Formed of twin railway tunnels and a service tunnel 100 metres below sea level, it is considered to be the 20th century’s most important construction project. The 31-mile tunnel has become a key part of Britain’s infrastructure after the Queen and France’s thenpresident Francois Mitterrand inaugurated it on May 6, 1994. 25 years ago
FOR nearly 300 years, a Scottish Parliament has looked as remote as the stars in the sky. Today, Scots have the chance to reach for them by putting a historic and caring triple X on ballot papers that will make an indelible mark on the future of us all. Voters have a galaxy of parties and candidates to choose from. They will fill out two ballot papers for the Scottish Parliament, with the second vote being counted under a PR system, and a third for the local council elections. So-called “Super Thursday” will provide the biggest midterm test of a government in the annals of politics not just in Scotland but in the elections for the Welsh Assembly.
50 years ago STRATHCLYDE Region presents the biggest challenge to the reform of local government in Scotland. Not only is it the largest of the new authorities, with half the country’s population, but it is beset with the vast problems that the regional concept was designed to overcome. Indeed, the only reason for the creation of such a large region, stretching from beyond Oban to Ballantrae, and from Tobermory to Biggar, was that the area it embraces could not be realistically subdivided and still yield the opportunities for vital strategic planning of industry. 100 years ago
GREAT interest has been shown by art collectors and others in the exhibition of drawings by Eugene Boudin that Messrs Taylor and Brown (Limited), Glasgow, have at present on view in their galleries at 136 St Vincent Street, Glasgow. The brilliant charm of Boudin’s paintings has long been recognised in this country as well as in his native land of France, and admirers of his paintings will find much to attract them in this collection of drawings, which may be described variously as sketches, studies, or designs, more or less preparatory to his finished works.