Sir Geoff Palmer, KT, OBE
A memorial service will be held at St Giles’ Cathedral on Friday to remember Professor Sir Geoff Palmer who died earlier this year.
The Cathedral was the venue for his ordination as a Knight of the Order of the Thistle, Scotland’s highest order of chivalry only last year.
Sir Geoff was a true pioneer, revolutionising brewing with his barley abrasion process, adopted widely across the UK, being appointed Scotland’s first Black professor in 1989 and being knighted by HM Queen Elizabeth II for services to human rights, science, and charity. Most of all he was a very nice man who did a lot of good outside his own career path.
The Cathedral is expected to be packed with an invited audience of those who wish to honour Sir Geoff’s life and legacy in attendance.
Professor Sir Geoff Palmer. Photo taken at BLM protest Holyrood Park 7 June 2020 Photo: Martin P. McAdam www.martinmcadam.com
STV redundancies
STV announced its financial results on 25 September along with around 60 redundancies among the savings of £3 million per annum. In May this year the broadcaster had announced its long term business strategy aiming to double the revenue to £200 million. This plan features a new commercial radio station, presented and produced from Scotland. But in July the company issued a profits warning after which the share price collapsed.
The plan is to replace the current news programme for North and central with one news programme broadcast from Glasgow and covering both areas.
STV holds 15 regional broadcasting licences issued by Ofcom which require a broadcast of “high quality news programmes able to compete effectively with other television news programmes” elsewhere in the UK. At least 125 of these hours must be shown in Peak Viewing Times.
There are quotas on regional news programming and the local news at 6pm.
All of this would have to be changed to allow redundancies to follow.
On Thursday senior executives from STV appeared at The Scottish Parliament to give evidence to the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee and it turned out to be a bit of a grilling. STV’s CEO Rufus Radcliffe, and MD of the Audience division Bobby Hain, gave evidence.
The broadcaster was told it has mishandled its finances after the announcement of redundancies. It was also mentioned in the committee that one of the senior management dialled into the virtual meeting about the cuts from a holiday villa.
Rufus Radcliffe said: “Blockquote open As a commercial public service broadcaster, the challenges we face are significant, driven by changing viewer behaviour and tough macro-economic conditions. These challenges are not unique to STV, but they require a pragmatic response if we are to remain competitive.
“To protect STV’s long-term prospects and continue our contribution to Scotland’s economy and culture, we must restructure, streamline operations and accelerate digital transformation — while staying deeply committed to regional news and our public service values.
“Our plan is carefully designed to protect regional journalism, because it is not financially sustainable in its current form, and we are confident that we will deliver more stories to more people, wherever and however they want to consume it.
“The changes we have proposed across the business are grounded in our determination to secure STV’s future amid rapidly changing viewer habits. The biggest threat to our business would be to ignore what our viewers are doing and make no changes at all.”
Nick McGowan-Lowe, the National Union of Journalists national organiser for Scotland described the plan to axe the Aberdeen programme as an act of “cultural vandalism”.
Rufus Radcliffe, Chief Executive Officer, STV (Right) and Bobby Hain, Managing Director of Audience, News, Regulation and Audio, STV (Left) appear before the Scottish Parliament’s Constitution Europe External Affairs and Culture Committee earlier today. 9 October 2025. Pic-Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament
Rufus Radcliffe, Chief Executive Officer, STV appears before the Scottish Parliament’s Constitution Europe External Affairs and Culture Committee earlier today. 9 October 2025. Pic-Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament
Susanna Orr Holland has a three octave voice
Susanna Orr Holland is an “experimental world folk singer-songwriter”. For her second album she has woven a strong collection of stirring songs and sublime arrangements. She engages with today’s big challenges such as migration, climate change, a family story of Irish civil war as well as more personal experiences of loneliness, joy and inter-connection using her three octave voice to full effect.
Edinburgh-based Susanna’s unique style is rooted in the ballad tradition but influenced by Indian and Persian vocal techniques. Her heartfelt song-writing weaves polyphony and harmony with a dynamic mix of instruments from Chris Lyons creating a rich tapestry of changing moods and landscapes. This is a voice which soars into the heart and forges marvel where sorrow and darkness merge with tenderness and wildness.
Accompanying herself on guitar and Indian harmonium, she will be playing with some of Edinburgh’s most talented musicians in an accomplished line up with the multi-instrumentalist Chris Lyons on bayan accordion, oud and double bass (Blue Giant Orkestar), the inspired Tom Adams on violin (Orkestra del Sol) and creative Tim Lane on drums (Hidden Orkestra). In this unique concert, Susanna and activist Chris Booth will create space for the audience to react, whether with humour, grief or ritual to her songs.
Susanna said: “I pour my own emotions into my songs about issues that touch me I hope that they can help other’s do that and move us all to more understanding and action.
“A big theme is connection – we are all connected, these issues are all connected, but many people feel unconnected and alone when confronting them. We’re going to try to impact this in our gig and hopefully create a shared sense of momentum.”
She will launch her album The Return of the Swallows at a gig on 21 November from 7.30-9.30pm at The Scottish Storytelling Centre,43-45 High Street, EH1 1SR
EXPOS3D
Artist Trevor Jones launches EXPOS3D, a groundbreaking immersive exhibition that fuses painting, sculpture, stained glass, artificial intelligence and cutting-edge technology.
For one week only – from 12 to 18 October – the historic Custom House, Edinburgh will be transformed into a living system of interactive artworks, augmented reality and AI-driven installations. At its centre is LOGOS, an all-seeing artificial intelligence that challenges audiences to reconsider how we live, think, and rebel in the age of technology.
EXPOS3D explores three defining tensions of our time:
- Surveillance: the omnipresent gaze of technology that monitors, predicts, and controls
- Faith: the shift from religious and cultural traditions toward new digital dependencies
- Rebellion: the human instinct to resist, to question, and to reclaim freedom in the face of control
The result is a multi-sensory exhibition where visitors do not simply observe, but become participants in shaping their own digital world.
Trevor Jones said: “This is not an attack on tradition. It’s an observation of how much our world has changed. Where once people turned to God for answers, we now turn to machines. As the roots of faith weaken, we must confront what has been lost, what has been gained, and what it means for our future.”
- Dates: 12–18 October 2025
- Venue: Custom House, 65–67 Commercial Street, Edinburgh
- Opening Hours: Daily, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM (1-hour slots, subject to availability)
- Tickets: Free but ticketed via Eventbrite
Halloween tours
This Halloween, Mercat Tours the walking tour company – invites visitors to step into the city’s dark past as it celebrates 40 years of storytelling.
Guided by Master Storytellers and enriched with spine-tingling, multi-sensory detail, tours lead from ghostly graveyards and shadowy Old Town closes to the flickering candlelight of the Blair Street Underground Vaults. Haunting tales of witches, notorious characters, restless spirits and true crimes unfold across a special Halloween programme – from family-friendly adventures to adults-only ghost walks designed to chill even the bravest. Highlights include powerful stories of Edinburgh’s witches and late-night descents into the Blair Street Vaults, where true accounts of murder, treachery and the supernatural are told in unforgettable style.
The Mercat Tours Unveils the Witches: Trial & Truth Halloween Edition takes place 25, 26, 30 and 31 October, and last for 90 minutes. Over 18s only (contains mature themes). Bookings are now open at mercattours.com. Spaces are limited and demand is high. Adult ticket price from £29.
Resident offer: On Saturday 25 October, residents of Edinburgh with an EH postcode can book free tickets using the code Celebrate40Oct. Proof of address is required. Tickets must be booked in advance and availability is limited.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
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