Model takes biscuit and singer’s vow of silence

SHINTY PLAYERS IN LIFE-SAVING DRAMA

A pair of quick-thinking shinty players helped to save the life of a referee after he suffered a cardiac arrest during a game in the Highlands.

Steven Maclachlan collapsed early in the first half of the MacTavish Cup tie between Caberfeidh and Kinlochshiel in Strathpeffer, but the latter side’s captain, Conor Cormack, and his team-mate Keith Macrae, who are both firefighters, immediately responded and used a defibrillator from the clubhouse, in conjunction with CPR, to resuscitate Mr Maclachlan. The match official was subsequently taken by ambulance to hospital where he was said to be recovering well.

EMPIRE STATE SHORTBREAD

A replica Empire State Building made from Walker’s Shortbread will go on display for Tartan Week in New York.

The Manhattan festival celebrates ScottishAmerican heritage, with more than 1,500 bagpipers, Highland dancers, clan members and Scottish-themed dogs due to take part in the Tartan Day parade today.

The shortbread replica has been constructed from 527 finger biscuits provided by Walker’s.

The firm, based in Aberlour on Speyside, sells around 50 million pieces of shortbread across the US per year.

CHIEF EXEC SETS SAIL

His tenure has been shrouded in controversy, so there was little surprise when it was announced that Robbie Drummond, pictured, has stepped down as chief executive of west coast ferry operator CalMac.

The publicly-owned company said the departure of the 54-year-old had followed a review of its executive leadership as it faces “challenging years ahead”. CalMac has experienced a litany of problems caused by breakdowns affecting vessels in its ageing fleet, and delays to new ferries.

Mr Drummond’s resignation came the week after David Tydeman, the chief executive of Ferguson Marine, which is building the two delayed ferries for CalMac, was sacked.

PUTTING SMUGGLER IN PICTURE

An Inverness forensic artist has created a new image of former North Sea oil diver turned drug smuggler Julian Chisholm, aka Mr X, who vanished in mysterious circumstances more than 30 years ago. Hew Morrison, a forensic artist, who trained at Dundee University, was inspired to create the reconstruction of Chisholm after listening to The Press and Journal’s true crime podcast Hunting Mr X.

Mr Morrison said he hoped the image – which ages Chisholm based on an original mugshot – would lead to the fugitive finally facing justice for his crimes.

MAIL CHIEFS EYE REDUCED SERVICE

Royal Mail has proposed cutting second-class letter deliveries to every other weekday while insisting that it wants to keep its six-day-a-week service for first-class letters as part of plans to reform the beleaguered company.

The news came after regulator Ofcom suggested that Royal Mail could reduce the number of delivery days from six to as few as three a week for all letters. The firm has struggled in recent years, leading to heavy financial losses. It made the announcement on the same day the price of stamps rose to £1.35 for standard first-class post and 85p for second-class.

LULU KEEPS QUIET

Scottish pop singer Lulu is about to embark on her swansong, but thinks it’s best to keep her mouth shut in the morning. The 75-year-old star’s farewell tour is called “Champagne for Lulu”, after a famous line uttered by Jennifer Saunders’ character Eddie in an episode of Absolutely Fabulous.

The Glaswegian, who has shows in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham and London this month, has revealed she takes her performances very seriously, and plans to rest her voice until the afternoon. She told the BBC: “I don’t speak before 12 noon and I’m very disciplined.”

BILLIONAIRES ON RISE

It won’t come as any comfort to those toiling with the cost-of-living crisis, but there are more billionaires than ever before in history. The world has 2,781 people with fortunes exceeding $1bn (£800m), an increase of 141 on 2023, according to Forbes’ annual ranking of the world’s richest people – and pop star Taylor Swift is among those who have made the list. The 34-year-old reached the milestone with an estimated $1.1bn fortune following her recordbreaking Eras tour and concert film.