Students take on historic team in Dundee’s University Challenge

As part of the University of Dundee’s 50th Anniversary celebrations, Dundee’s historic University Challenge champions from the 1980s will return to campus to take on the students set to represent the University in next years’ television series.

The 1983 side became the second only Scottish team to win the competition, a record that hasn’t been added to since. They will once again flex their mental muscles when they return to campus for the University’s 50th Anniversary celebrations this Saturday, 20th May.

Three of the 1983 team, James A. Smith (Economics and Politics), Graeme Davidson (Law) and Peter Burt (Zoology) will be joined by Tom McGhee (English) a member of the Dundee team who finished runners up in 1978. See photo (left).  Donald Kennedy, the fourth member of the 1983 team now lives in Australia and is unable to join his old colleagues.

They will face the newly formed student team of 2017 – Ian Bertram (Medicine), Mason Mcilreavy (Medicine), Iain Brodie (Philosophy, Psychology and Film student) and Rory McDowell (History) and reserve Greg Armstrong (Medicine).

Rory said, “It will be wonderful to take on the team that are technically the reigning Scottish Champions! However, if you look at Dundee’s rankings in the University league tables since the 1980s, we have been on the up – so I say out with the old and in with the new.”

The showdown takes place between 3.45pm – 5pm in the Dalhousie Building and will be chaired by Fordyce Davidson, Academic Director of International College Dundee and Professor of Mathematics at the University.

Professor Davidson said, “As a Dundee graduate who turns 50 in the same year as the University, it will be a great honour to see the old boys pitched against the students – the majority of whom were not even born when the competitors won in 1983.

“It begs the question, are the young genuinely smarter than their predecessors?   We will find out on the 20th May. Perhaps beating the champions could set the new generation on their way to Paxman.”

To book your seat click here.


Action taken to cut smell problem from Riverside composting site

In the past few years, I have received numerous complaints from residents who live to the immediate north of the Riverside recycling centre and composting operation about the extent of the bad smell coming from the operation from time to time.

I have raised these concerns on numerous occasions with the City Council’s environment staff and undertook a site visit at their request to see the composting operation.   The council promised an environmental audit  to hopefully tackle the issue to minimise any further smell issues and I have received the following update from the City Council in the past few days :

Just an update to let you know that we had our PAS 100 audit of the 14 week process a few weeks ago and we shall shortly receive our new accreditation. 

Site staff have been making PAS 100 compliant 14 week compost for some weeks now and all material through the site will be made to this standard. We aren’t able to dispatch this until we receive our certification. The 26 week process will be rendered obsolete.

We have generally found we now only require to turn windrows once during sanitisation and once during stabilisation.  Previously we would have turned windrows twice/three times during both sanitisation and stabilisation and once during maturation. This has reduced the need for turning from 6/7 turns down to 1/2.

Furthermore we have also been trialling shredding more frequently to avoid waste sitting longer on site than required. Again this has proven successful. 
We continue to have our annual bio-aerosol survey carried out and look at our control measures that we have in place. We received our latest report last month.

Finally we received our results of SEPA’s compliance scheme for each of our licensed waste management sites relating to environmental performance for 2016. As our regulator this information is made publicly available on SEPA’s website.  I am pleased to report that all waste management sites including Riverside once again have been rated excellent (SEPA assess the licence holder as fully compliant with the licence conditions).

I hope this re-enforces our efforts to minimise any environmental issues from the site.

I am hoping that this marks a real improvement in the situation going forward although I would ask residents to contact me should they have any issues regarding any smell nuisance from the site in the coming months.


Weekly Road Report – West End Ward

DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL – WEEKLY ROAD REPORT

REPORT FOR WEST END WARD WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY 15 MAY 2017

Riverside Esplanade/Riverside Drive (Tay Road Bridge off ramp to 75m along Riverside Drive) – westbound nearside lane closure for 27 weeks to facilitate V&A construction works.

SSE Glenagnes Cable Renewal – Lochee Road lane restrictions and closures on Blinshall Street, Fleuchar Street and Scott Street for 10 weeks.

Riverside Approach (Roseangle/Magdalen Yard Road to Riverside Drive) – closed for one week for carriageway resurfacing works.

Perth Road (at Farington Street) – temporary traffic lights from Friday 12 to Monday 15 May for BT manhole repairs.

West Marketgait (Hawkhill to Ward Road) – northbound closure on Sunday 21 May for crane operation.

Forthcoming Roadworks

Roseangle (Perth Road to Seabraes Court) – closed from Monday 22 May for 5 working days for SGN service connection works. 


Temporary Traffic Order – Roseangle

From the City Council :

THE ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 : SECTION 14(1)

THE DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL AS TRAFFIC AUTHORITY being satisfied that traffic on the road should be prohibited by reason of SGN service connection works being carried out HEREBY PROHIBIT the driving of any vehicle in Roseangle (between Perth Road and Seabraes Court), Dundee.

This notice comes into effect on Monday 22 May 2017 for 5 working days.

Pedestrian thoroughfare will be maintained.

Alternative routes are available via Perth Road / Windsor Street / Magdalen Yard Road.

For further information contact 433082.

Mike P Galloway
Executive Director of City Development
Dundee City Council


Botanic Garden Annual Plant Sale

The Friends of the University of Dundee Botanic Garden Annual Plant Sale in the Garden, in conjunction with Garden Power of Plants day, is on Sunday 21st May.    

It will take place from 11am to 2pm – times to be confirmed (check the Friends’ blog here for updates on the timing).

Contributions of plants and offers of help will be very welcome (contact fudbg.committee@gmail.com or telephone 350990).