Episode 3 On the Road 2014


Episode 3

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2014 is an extraordinary year for Scotland.

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So much is happening across the length and breadth of the country.

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And it's not all about politics and sport.

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We're here with a brand-new series.

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A journey to discover the events worth celebrating.

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And the stories behind them.

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Everything from theatre to comedy.

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Great music AND festivals!

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Activities we can all get involved in.

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Birdie.

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We're exploring what's happening inside our buildings.

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And what's going on in your street.

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We'll tell you about the quirky...

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..and the exciting.

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We'll delve into Scotland's tastiest food and drink.

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And meet the people creating these

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incredible experiences for all of us.

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So plan your summer with us.

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Join us as we head On The Road 2014.

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CAR HORN BEEPS AND ENGINE REVS

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On our route tonight...I'm in Edinburgh to conjure up some fun

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at the International Magic Festival.

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-Is it quite safe?

-Safe? Yeah, perfectly.

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Martel's in Orkney, uncovering the incredible story behind the

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island's stunning Italian Chapel.

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That's...exceptionally moving.

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And find out why on earth I'm scoffing ice cream,

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all in the name of the Commonwealth Games.

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-There you go, sir.

-What great service!

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But first, we volunteered DJ Ally McCrae to sign up for

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a big event this coming weekend.

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This week is the 700 year anniversary of the

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Battle of Bannockburn, one of the most significant events

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in Scottish History.

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The great battle will be commemorated

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this weekend in Bannockburn near Stirling with a two-day event -

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Bannockburn Live.

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There'll be traditional and contemporary music,

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food and drink stalls, historical workshops

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and most importantly, dramatic re-enactments of the battle itself.

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Ally went along to get a preview of the preparations

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and a taste of the action.

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Everybody loves the idea of being the hero,

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but as exciting as that sounds,

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it's another thing altogether to actually put on

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an authentic battle from seven centuries ago.

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It takes a lot of passion,

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serious knowledge, and I'm kind of hoping, some really cool weapons!

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Putting the blood and guts into the battle performances will be

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100 members of Clanranald, a living history and re-enactment group.

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They've done TV, they've done movies,

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now they'll be joined by hundreds of other historical re-enactors

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from across Europe and America to create a spectacular live event.

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Clanranald are passionate about history and have

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been bringing the past to life for 19 years.

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They've even built their own medieval village

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called Duncarron a few miles away from the battlefield.

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How many people have we got working on the site today?

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-Probably about 70.

-About 70? Amazing.

-70 volunteers.

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We've got joiners, bank clerks, plumbers, financiers -

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people from all walks of life.

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Anyone can join a group, although the beards are a must.

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It helps to have a beard, it gets you work. My beard's...

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-It's fantastic!

-..been on a few jobs.

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We've worked on films like

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Gladiator, Robin Hood, King Arthur...

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People like Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe and folk

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give us a shout, and I could be in the back garden cutting the grass

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and I get a phone call.

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"Charlie, I need 40, 50 of your guys, and you of course."

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-Uh-huh.

-And off we go.

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The group have weekly combat training sessions, and they've been

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practising hard for over a year

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for their performance at Bannockburn Live.

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THEY CHANT

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So you're going to have a new recruit in the ranks today.

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-I hear, aye.

-Where do we start?

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Well, first we need to get you into the proper kit.

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You mean the skinny jeans aren't OK?

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Nah, you'll no last five minutes in those.

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'Right, time to get some kit off and some clobber on.'

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See, I've got the physique for it!

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'Starting with the woollen under garments, then the

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'padded gambeson jacket.'

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-These were filled with either straw or goose down...

-Straw?

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It would soak up some of the impact.

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-Imagine it would soak up some of the blood as well.

-Yes.

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'Next, the chain mail, which weighs in at 2st.'

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You could do yourself a serious injury putting this on.

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'Then, the all-important weapons - a handy dagger and a sword.'

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That's got a good bit of weight in it.

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That's a hand and a half, basically, it's not quite a two-hander.

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'But the Scots also had another secret weapon,

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'and it swung the battle for them.'

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-The schiltron...

-Wow.

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-..is a large body of men all moving together in one unit.

-Right.

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-With...

-With those.

-Wow.

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Basically a massive hedge of sharp-tipped spears.

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The schiltron formation created an impenetrable wall of spears

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that on the day defeated the English cavalry.

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It was one of the clever tactics used by

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Robert the Bruce to win - despite being totally outnumbered

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three-to-one by King Edward's army.

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700 years later, and Clanranald are

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bringing the battle to life once more -

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although not all 48 hours of it.

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This time, with a series of 30-minute performances

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across the weekend.

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These guys are so authentic

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even helping out with the rehearsals looks risky.

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Right, what I want to know is how you recreate such an epic

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and bloody battle, and one in which a lot of people

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met some right grizzly ends.

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The answer? Clever choreography and tricks of the trade

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that avoid real bloodshed.

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So I'd say to you, "Come at an overhead," which is

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basically coming over at my head like this, and I would block.

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-So you react now...

-Ugh!

-Boom! See?

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-I've got you here.

-ALLY LAUGHS

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And I push your own weapon into you.

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Or if I wanted it to look like I was doing it,

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-I would put it here and go...bang.

-Agh!

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-Aye.

-OK? Something as simple as that.

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I don't think I'm going to be able to get back up here.

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'Perhaps I'll be safer at the back of the schiltron.

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'At least I'm the right height for that.'

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In many ways, I feel like my whole life

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has been leading up to this moment. Bring it on!

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-Schiltron arm!

-ALL: Huh!

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-Schiltron!

-ALL ROAR

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The schiltron will be just one element of a display

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recreating the battle that will be taking place at

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Bannockburn Live, this Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th June

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I think I love this! A life in battle for me.

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That's it, I'm away. Tell my mum I love her!

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There are three battle performances on both days of Bannockburn Live,

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or if you fancy having a go at wielding a sword yourself,

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then there are lots of re-enactment groups across Scotland.

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For more information, check our website...

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This month, the streets of Edinburgh will be filled with mystery...

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deception...

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and intrigue.

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MUSIC: "A Kind Of A Magic" by Queen

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Because the International Magic Festival is coming to

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Edinburgh for the fifth year running...

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..attracting 40 top magicians from all over the globe -

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everywhere from America to South Korea.

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They may be pros, but I bet they don't know

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my phone-in-the-balloon trick.

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Ahhh - it's in! And that's magic.

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We all like a bit of magic,

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even if it's from a complete novice like me,

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AND I got a new phone into the bargain.

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MUSIC: "Magic" by Pilot

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At this year's festival, you'll see the best of the best acts

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amazing audiences with their new and inventive shows.

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Magic has come a long way since the day of TV variety acts.

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It's no longer about knife-throwing or cutting

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your glamorous assistant in half.

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Nowadays, it's big-name illusionists

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like David Blaine and street tricksters that wow the crowds.

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FAMILY: Oh-ho!

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The city is the perfect place to host the festival,

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as it's no stranger to grand illusionists.

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Edinburgh is actually the final resting place of

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a true magic legend - The Great Lafayette.

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The illusions of this Victorian master were

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so popular you had to book ten years in advance to see him.

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Sadly, in 1911, whilst performing in Edinburgh, Lafayette was

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tragically killed in a fire,

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when one of his own tricks went badly wrong.

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His funeral was a testament to his talent and huge following,

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with 250,000 people turning up for the procession.

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His stunning illusions may have died

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with him,

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but the legacy lives on.

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Next week's festival will see thousands turn out once again,

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to enjoy today's great magicians, at ten venues across the city.

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Perhaps one of the most appropriate is here -

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the Camera Obscura and World of Illusions.

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The perfect place to meet Kevin McMahon, the magician who

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conjured up the idea of bringing magic to Edinburgh.

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Kevin? Kevin? Kevin?

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'When I finally tracked him down, I asked him

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'why he set up the magic festival.'

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The festival came because we thought,

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"Nothing else out there exists,"

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so we've developed it, and over the last five years we're really

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lucky to have worked with a lot of different people.

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And you're in the Magic Circle, yeah? How did you get into it?

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I started when I was 25, which is quite late at the game.

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I was a physicist at that point,

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and I had the opportunity to go on a reality TV programme.

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I had to learn to be a magician in four weeks.

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And it was at the end of the four weeks that

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I decided to stop doing physics and start doing magic,

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which was a real surprise to my mum especially, and my family.

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They're over it now.

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Today, Kevin's as passionate about magic

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as when he first discovered it.

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Now, the secret is when you think the ball is in one place,

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it's actually in...

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the other.

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That goes in the pocket, this goes under,

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BUT - doesn't explain how...the kiwi fruit!

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LAUGHTER

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And if you like the kiwi, you're going to love...the lemon!

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And if you like the lemon, you'll go crazy for the banana!

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No, I'm only joking.

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Magic's always been popular -

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I would say these days it's become even more popular, in fashion

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and zeitgeist than it has been maybe 10, 20 years ago.

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You could say the stars are aligning for magic now,

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people are really getting into it,

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and I hope that's what we're delivering with Magic Fest.

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You can watch more of Kevin and his fellow magicians at work

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all during the festival, which starts this Friday 27th June

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and runs until 4th July.

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-This is a new trick for the festival?

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

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-Is it quite safe?

-Safe? Yeah, perfectly!

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If you fancy learning a few tricks to impress

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family and friends, there are also workshops

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and magic masterclasses running throughout the festival.

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Kevin? Kevin!

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It's all right. I got his watch.

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CELTIC MUSIC

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Orkney...a land of ancient remains

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scattered islands...

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and...Italian architecture?

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RECORD SCRATCHES

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OPERATIC MUSIC

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Actually, yes.

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This unusual chapel, which attracts more than 100,000 visitors a year,

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and is about to turn 70, is what's brought me

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to Lamb Holm in Orkney.

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Its story begins with World War II,

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when Scapa Flow was the location of

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Britain's most important naval base.

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Though just a month into the conflict, a German U-boat managed

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the unthinkable - breaching its defences

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and torpedoing the HMS Royal Oak.

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More than 800 sailors were killed,

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and as a result, Churchill ordered defensive barriers to be built,

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work that was carried out by Italian prisoners of war.

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The prisoners began the two years of back-breaking labour to construct

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these massive causeways to defend Scapa Flow against further attacks.

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Because of their incredible efforts, the POWs were eventually seen

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as part of the community, and in 1943, after Italy surrendered,

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they were allowed to build a chapel here on Lamb Holm,

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south of Kirkwall.

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Finished in 1944, it encapsulates the story of Orkney's war.

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But much more than that, this tin tabernacle is a monument

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to peace and reconciliation

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So I've come to meet John Muir, one of the people responsible

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for its preservation.

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What are your memories of the Italian POWs?

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They had football teams, they played the local teams,

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put on shows...they did mix into the community very well.

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The prisoners also proved to be incredibly resourceful,

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building the entire chapel out of two Nissen huts

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and using scavenged materials to create everything else.

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Though from the corned beef tins and scrap metal that

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form its decorative pieces, to the altar crafted

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from an actual ship wreck, the end result is...breathtaking.

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Oh, wow...

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'It's testament to the vision of Domenico Chiocchetti, who rallied

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'his fellow inmates to create this tribute to peace and goodwill.'

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Before he went off to war, his mother gave him

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a little prayer card which he carried in his pocket all his time.

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The picture on that prayer card is

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the basis of the Madonna and child painting above the altar.

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Chiocchetti was so dedicated he even stayed on AFTER the other

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prisoners were released, in order to finish his work,

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but he wasn't the only one to leave his mark.

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There is a story that goes with the wrought-iron screen -

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the man who made it fell in love,

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but had a wife in Italy and she didn't just quite approve, you know?

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But when he left Orkney,

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he left his heart and you can see his heart in the floor there

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where the gates come together.

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My goodness, that's exceptionally moving.

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-You're not going to cry, are you?

-I might cry, yeah.

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Though perhaps the last word should go to Chiocchetti who said,

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in an open letter to people of Orkney,

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"The chapel is yours, to love and preserve. I take with me to Italy

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"the remembrance of your kindness."

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To me, it's a story of the human spirit,

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and our ability to forgive, and find the best in each other.

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While the chapel is celebrating 70 years since its completion,

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that's just one of the reasons to visit Orkney.

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Another is the St Magnus Festival.

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Hear the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

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this Wednesday, live from this event on Radio 3.

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For more information on this or any of tonight's stories,

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see our website:

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Stay with us as I head to Tarbert and the new Viking Festival -

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another celebration to add to a town re-inventing itself

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as the festival destination of the West Coast.

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The pride here is absolutely palpable.

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And Fred goes global at the Glasgow Mela -

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the biggest multicultural festival in Scotland.

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Very colourful, very active,

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and I think it's going to get even busier as the day goes on.

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But first, this...

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The Queen's Baton Relay. It's travelled 70 nations,

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almost 120,000 miles

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and on June 14th, it entered its final strait,

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sailing up the River Tweed,

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and crossing the Coldstream Bridge into Scotland.

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And naturally that's a party I didn't want to miss.

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I think it's fair to say that the Baton has finally arrived!

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CHEERING

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Though it has a pretty intense schedule -

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a 40-day tour, requiring around 4,000 baton-bearers,

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as it passes through more than 400 of our villages,

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towns and cities.

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Ten days into its journey, the Relay has so far crossed the Lothians,

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the Borders and much of southwest Scotland.

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Though it's not just the Queen's Baton people are coming to see -

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this 40-day event is also showcasing countless performers.

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GLASS PLINKS LIKE XYLOPHONE

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Which brings me to a rehearsal of what's possibly

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the most unusual act of them all.

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ALL: # Start your engines, what is it you're having?

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# Queue up for your chocolate. #

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It's called the Pokey Hat,

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staged by a small children's theatre company with big ambitions.

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Puppets performing a play might be the last thing you expect

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from an ice cream van, but that's actually what's going on

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around Scotland over the course of the summer.

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Aw, come on, gie it big licks for me!

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# Ya, la, la, la, laaaa... #

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So, Clare, what is the play all about?

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It's all quite nostalgic, all based on people's memories

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and associations with ice cream.

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ALL: # La, la, la, la la-la-la-la-la

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# La, la, la, la, laaa... #

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And what are the audience going to take away with them?

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I think people will get a wee flavour of Glasgow, really,

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and what the East End is like and what Glasgow humour's all about.

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ALL # Fill your boots and have another scoop

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# A trip to the ice cream... #

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Over the next two weeks,

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as the Queen's Baton continues its journey across Scotland,

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the Pokey Hat will joining the Relay at Dundee and Perth,

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with plenty of ice creams for everyone.

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For more information on the journey to Glasgow, see our website:

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There you go, sir.

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-Thank you for great service. Cheers!

-Thank you!

-It's on the house.

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On Scotland's West Coast sits not only an enchanting fishing village,

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but the location of eight different festivals,

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as here in Tarbert, on the banks of Loch Fyne,

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you can indulge an interest in everything from food, music and film

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through to traditional boat-building, which,

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by the way, is something else this rather happening spot is famous for.

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In fact, that's what inspired the building of this -

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a 50ft Viking longboat

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which, in turn, has inspired festival number nine!

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When she's launched she'll start the final countdown

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to Tarbert's first ever Viking Festival,

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and I'm here to help her get in that water.

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After all, in the 1,000 or so years this village has been

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a welcome port to travellers, it has indeed seen everyone

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from Robert the Bruce to - you got it - the Vikings.

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'And, in true Viking spirit, the idea of building the longboat,

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'and creating the latest festival, came about over a few beers.'

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It looks amazing. Hard to believe this was a back-of-a-beer-mat idea.

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-That's right.

-It is.

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Started in a pub with a bunch of guys on a Friday night

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and look what happened.

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What have you loved most about building the boat?

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I think...seeing it grow from nothing, really, you know,

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and getting larger every day you're working on it.

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'All up, it's taken six months to build, but soon it will be

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'the proud centrepiece of the five-day Viking Festival.'

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You must have had a master plan that you worked from.

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-There.

-All in my head.

-All in your head?

-All in my head, yeah.

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'Once, Tarbert was all about fishing and boat-building,

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'but after these industries went into decline,

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'tourism became a valuable asset.

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'Mind you, those old skills now seem to be making a comeback.'

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Oh, wow.

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'Just ask Willie Leitch, who comes from a long line of sail-makers,

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'and is happily providing one for the longboat.'

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Wow, that's absolutely enormous.

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It's the size of a small flat. How big is that?

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258 square feet.

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For today...24 square metres.

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'Using local craftsman links the community today

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'back to its distant past, something Jill Kirkwood,

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'of the Glasgow Viking Society, is hugely excited about.'

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The public are going to be able to see Viking raids

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as they would have happened.

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Axe-wielding, swords, everything?

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Yeah, all the weapons that they would have had at the time.

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The men trained very, very hard for the combat displays,

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and none of the fighting is choreographed. It's all freestyle.

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If you're brave enough, come up to the warriors, have a look

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at the weapons and armour - it's a fantastic opportunity.

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'With just a few of days to go, the whole town is behind the event -

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'getting the final preparations and costumes ready...'

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HE YELLS

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'..and it's all hands on deck as well to get the boat in the water.

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'First job - the 22ft mast.'

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Just dinnae drop it.

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'Then the all-important figure head.'

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She looks beautiful, really just makes the boat.

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'Then just time to christen the launch

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'with some good old Viking beer.'

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CHEERING

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'So, if marauding Vikings are your thing, the festival

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'starts this Wednesday and runs until Sunday 29th June.

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'And don't forget, Tarbert has eight other festivals you can

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'take part in - everything from seafood through to yacht-racing.'

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The pride here is absolutely palpable and the passion's contagious,

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and doesn't she look pretty?

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This is the fabulous Glasgow Mela.

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Forming a central part of the Culture 2014 Programme

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for the Commonwealth Games,

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the festival is designed to bring together and celebrate

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the many different cultures across Scotland.

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And getting its first outing for 15 years

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is the revamped Kelvingrove Bandstand.

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Well, as you can see, it's really busy, we've just got here,

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we've seen some street performers...

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..people on stilts...

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very colourful...

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very active...

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..and I think it's going to get even busier as they day goes on.

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Last year this multicultural event brought an incredible 35,000 people

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to Kelvingrove Park in Glasgow's West End.

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This year, despite a wee bit of rain, it's looking just as popular.

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-We're having a really good day.

-Very nice, we love them.

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The cooperation and the atmosphere they have here.

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And the man making sure it all runs like clockwork is Harminder Berman.

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He's been involved since the festival began 24 years ago,

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when it was just a South Asian event.

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Now it's grown to embrace the many communities that thrive in the city.

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I love what I do. I think it just gives me the opportunity

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to share the kind of cultural heritage that is present in Scotland,

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and Glasgow in particular.

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The word "mela" in Sanskrit means to meet or gather.

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I can't think of a more appropriate name

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for this all-embracing cultural feast.

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It brings people together, it connects people together,

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and it provides opportunities for those small groups who would not get

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a platform to perform.

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'And besides,

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'what's not to like about two days of entertainment

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'from every corner of the globe...

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'..a little retail therapy...'

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I've only got a fiver, what can you do for me?

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Well, I normally don't do cushions as well as cushion covers.

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Right, so I'm getting the cushion thrown in?

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-And a cover.

-And a cover, for £5.

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'..and the national dishes of more than dozen different countries.

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'My pick - some delicious bhelpuri - street food from Bombay.

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'Rachna's going to show me how it's done.'

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-Get a cone.

-Yes.

-You fill it up with the puffed rice.

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And you get some of the puris, crush them in.

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I like your... Look, you've done this before.

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Then we're going to put the three sauces - red chilli...

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It's going all over.

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-Red chilli.

-And some chaap masala.

-You do that.

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-A sprinkling...

-Nice.

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-I can't wait to tuck into this, thank you so much.

-Thank you, Fred.

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I would pay you but my hands are dirty, can't put my hands...

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Can't get my pound out.

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'And that's a trick I might use again.'

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Aw, man.

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Even though I say it myself - absolutely perfect,

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just what you need on a day like this.

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'Nothing reflects the fusion of cultures better than this group -

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'the Desi Bravehearts...'

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Girls, can I come in?

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'..who are best described as Bollywood-meets-highland-dancing.'

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Where did the name come from, Desi Bravehearts?

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"Desi" means, basically, Asian.

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That's an Indian word but because we're based in Scotland,

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but have an Asian culture, as well, so different backgrounds.

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That's why we're called Desi Braveheart.

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'It's not just that the members are Scottish, Indian,

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'Chinese, Greek, German and... well, you get the picture.

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'But they also come from all walks of life.'

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What do you do for a living?

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-I'm a student, I study chemical engineering.

-OK, and you?

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I study neuroscience and I'm working in Parkinson's research.

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Neuroscience, good on you.

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Well, have a look in there, see if you can find anything.

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THEY LAUGH

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While the Desi Bravehearts are a definite highlight,

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it's also a big weekend for the Kelvingrove Bandstand itself.

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After lying in disrepair for years,

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it's enjoying it's first public performance with the festival -

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looking buffed up and beautiful after it's £2m refurbishment.

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BOLLYWOOD MUSIC PLAYS

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CHEERING

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What does it mean to have performed at Mela again?

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It's a big thing for us, because Desi Bravehearts is Glasgow,

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and to perform in Glasgow, it's kind of home.

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Well done, to the performance, well done. Brilliant.

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The Glasgow Mela returns in June 2015,

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but if you missed it this year, its Edinburgh counterpart

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runs from August 29th to 31st.

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Or why not visit Kelvingrove Bandstand

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and enjoy it's great summer programme,

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including myself on the 28th of July?

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While we won't be here next week, join us again on Monday 7th July

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at 7:30pm, when Martel discovers what gifts are fit for a queen.

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I'd love to know what the Queen thought of that one.

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Comedienne Susan Calman is let loose in a secret nuclear bunker.

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I'm in charge now.

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Yes, very reassuring.

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And In Balado, DJ Ally McCrae finds out what it takes

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to put on Scotland's biggest festival - T in the Park.

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It's a phenomenal amount of work and effort.

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