04/05/2017 Timeline

On tonight's Timeline: We'll hear from the outgoing

commissioner for children on whether there are enough

safeguards in place for Scotland's young people.

Andy Cook you cook all your meals for the weekend just one evening?

MasterChef winner Gary Maclean tells us he thinks you should.

we'll hear from Colin Campbell of Inverness on his plans

We'll also step inside one of Scotland's grandest hidden

And I've spoken to James Cosmo ahead of the release

Let us offer a prayer of thanks to the Lord. And his wonderful gift.

More from James Cosmo later. It's a question politicians

and the public have been discussing for many years -

should we have the right to end our own lives at a

time of our choice? On the 15th of June,

Colin Campbell from Inverness will end his own life

at clinic in Switzerland. He spoke to our correspondent

Jackie O'Brien. This is my sell now. I don't go

anywhere so I am now a condemned man. Looking at you, you are full of

energy, only 56, a lot of people think you have a lot of life left to

live. Why did you decide to make this data? It was actually the

clinic, they say, Wendy want this process to happen? It is left open

to you. These are doctors and they have got to be satisfied they have

sufficient medical evidence and they have interviewed you and they are

satisfied you are making a decision that you have presented that it is

in your best interest. The doctors are not involved. If you go

somewhere, you have to activate the process yourself. Nobody is

involved. Quite rightly, it would be murder and that is why whatever

country it is, the law is very strict. I am just one of many people

who have got a horrible medical condition and they would rather be

dead because there is no hope for them. Really what I am hoping for is

just to broaden the debate occurs it is circular. It will not go away.

How are you prepared mentally as the date to end your life approaches? It

seems like a long time away. People are saying to me, it seems imminent.

To me it does not seem that at all. Your question would be more valid if

it was the day before. Because of my MS, I do not know how quickly it

will deteriorate and there is that dread. I am dependent on a

wheelchair so I cannot be sure I will physically be able to be there

on the 15th. But as I say, if you were interviewing me on the 14th, I

would say this is an occasion of celebration. How people should be

looking at this, Colin is one out with this illness and his death will

give him relief. I'm joined now by Professor

Scott Murray, who is the Chair of Primary Palliative Care

at St Columba's Hospice. Colin feels his death will give him

release. He is one out, what can you say to him? That's a difficult

situation and the main issue is that it would have been great if he had

some more support earlier on in the bonus to prevent such distress

developing. The issue of early palliative care at the early

diagnosis of the illness, it would have been good to chat with him and

make a plan so he feels he has a choice to do various things not just

at the end of life. He feels he is happy with his decision, he has made

his choice and he wants to make it while he is well and in control of

his faculties. He is quite distressed to be in this situation

and if earlier on he had support to think about not just the physical

things but the anxiety he has about the future, the social aspects of

things and the questions about the meaning and purpose of life, to go

through these things, because many people who do not have cancer and

are dying of other illnesses have not had the opportunity to explore

these aspects as much and that is something we need to address. Our

viewers have been getting in touch about this. We can see what Malcolm

has to say. He says: Do you respect that some people want

the right to choose? Their time is very important in all aspects of

life. Sometimes towards someone might be quite depressed and it

would be hard to know if they would feel different later on. How do

people prepare for a good death? A good death is from the diagnosis of

a life-threatening illness, it is good to get support in these

different I mention sand to make a plan because if there is a plan in

place, it is more likely they will get the choices they wish. Do you

think people with progressive illnesses are aware of the

palliative care options? I don't think they are. I would be

interested to ask Colin, but most do not consider palliative care as an

option which is a shame. It has been developed for cancer services, but

most people in Scotland who died two days of non-cancer things often do

not have the support and that is possibly why most considered this in

the end. Is this a conversation we are not having enough or early

enough? Absolutely. Before people are ill, we should be talking about

death and dying and the options available. There should be a public

discourse so we can learn how people might, if someone gets an illness

like this, what is it like so they can learn about it and make a plan,

try to avoid the things they want to avoid and do things, a bucket list.

It is helping someone to have a sense of resilience and wanting to

continue on. Hopefully we have started the conversation tonight.

Thank you for coming in. If you've been affected

by what we've just been dicussing, and would like details

of organisations which offer advice and support, you can go online

to bbc.co.uk/actionline - The Leith Theatre in Edinburgh has

been closed for nearly 30 years, despite the best efforts of a Trust

which is trying to This month, it's throwing its doors

open for the Hidden Door festival. The last performance was 1989 and it

was closed due to the lack of usage. They closed it. It is hidden away

and not visible from the street, so when you talk to the people about

the Leith Theatre, they do not know there is this brilliant auditorium

that has laid empty. There will be 160 performances at Hidden Door from

theatre performances, young emerging artist, live music sets, national

icons. We are particularly focused on bringing in new and emerging

talent, stuff we feel is really exciting and will make a difference

to the cultural landscape of Scotland and the artists, they see

this place and they instantly fall in love with it. They love it and

they understand that it needs to be brought back to life. I am joining

pieces of driftwood that I have collected from around Scotland to

make a linear sculpture that will cross the room. In the same way as

Hidden Door see rooms in a theatre you would not normally see, it is

really interesting so I will be exhibiting in one of those rooms. It

is really exciting. I have lived in Leith for 15 years. It was something

lacking in Edinburgh. It is a beautiful old building. When we were

asked, we were not thinking of doing any gigs and when they said it was

Leith Theatre, I said OK. It is somewhere I have always wanted to

play. It is in a fair state of disrepair and why isn't someone

using this? We have been asking about playing there for a long time

and finally the opportunity has come. The keyword behind the project

is persevere which is the motto of Leith. The building has persevered

through many changes and precious and threats. We have got here at

last and this great future ahead. The time is right for the Leith

Theatre. A splendid looking theatre. One of the key roles

of the children's commissioner Another is to make sure children

always have someone they can trust There is a children's

commissioner for every part Our commissioner here in Scotland

was first established in 2004. The commissioner is supposed

to protect children's rights - so that's everyone in Scotland under

18, and young people in care Tam Baillie has been the second

commissioner for Scotland - he's due to step down at the end

of this month having been Welcome to the studio. Is it better

growing up in Scotland today as a young person than it was ten, 20

years ago? It is a mixed picture. Some things have improved, so one of

the main things that has improved is people no longer ask whether why we

should ask the views of children and young people. It is about how we ask

the views of children and that is from Cabinet secretaries write the

way down. Some things have remained the same so the levels of child

poverty, which is the most corrosive impact on children's rights,

well-being and about the same as they were ten years ago. And yes we

do something about that, we will continue to spend disproportionate

amounts of time, money and effort to try and familiar some of the impact

of that and some things have got worse. We are rightly concerned

about the mental health of children and young people. The international

comparisons Scotland's children at age 11, children do well but by 15,

they do not do so well compelled to their peers internationally. There

is a particular dip in terms of the well-being of young females and I

think the reasons are quite clearly known. If you look at research, it

is not that clear about the kind of things that working terms of mental

health. There may be something in terms of this being the first

generation that live in a digital age and parents don't know the best

way of handling the youngsters's engagement with digital media. You

need to ask parents of children in primary school who will be badgering

them about iPhones. There are so many issues you have to cover and I

notice that you said one of the biggest regrets worse there is not a

ban on smacking in Scotland. Why do you feel strongly on that issue?

Legislation in Scotland: it's justifiable assault. We produced

research which demonstrated clearly where there are bands on hitting

children there is less incidents of physical abuse in those countries.

The evidence is a very strong that one of the most effective ways of

protecting children and reducing neglect is to legislate against

hitting children. It does not lead to the criminalisation of children

but it reduces the levels of physical abuse in those countries

and the evidence is very compelling. What would you say to those that

argue it is up to parents to decide how to discipline their children? We

have to make sure parents have support and bringing in legislation

against smacking or I do not actually call that smacking, it is

of violence against children,... Even when it is just a... The

evidence shows that can be the thin end of the wedge and in a society

that tolerates hitting children levels of abuse rise or higher than

in countries that do not. Some of the historic abuse is now big

breasted -- is now being do you have confidence in the enquiry -- it is

now being investigated. We have already instances where people are

dying before they have any redress or justice in terms of what happened

to as children. I think the enquiry is proceeding along a path where

they have two reach a balance between being wide enough to take

account of children who have been abused in different circumstances

but not so wide it would take forever to reach conclusions. It has

taken two years. Our children being let down? If we expanded it it would

take even longer. We always knew it would take around four years but

that is not to say this will be the only enquiry and you have the

Scottish Football Association having their own independent enquiry and

there may be a need for others as well but we must get on before too

many people die in the process. I would say, in terms of Scottish

football, that is not the only issue they have to deal with, because the

circumstances that lead to children being abused are about power

imbalances, people of unsupervised access and about silence and that is

why I welcome the willingness of people to seek the views of young

people and have confidence in what they say about their experiences.

Thank you for coming in. Children's' commissioner for how many more days?

Another nine days. It became a famous novel

by Compton Mackenzie and one of our best-loved Ealing comedies,

but now the true story of the cargo of whisky which got washed ashore

on Eriskay in the '40s The new movie of Whisky Galore

is released tomorrow and stars Scottish favourites

like Gregor Fisher and James Cosmo, I asked him how this version

compares with the original. The 1940s original was an iconic

piece of cinema history and it has a wonderful magic to it and the first

telling of Compton Mackenzie's story. But I think this revisiting

has a different slant to it, it is a wonderful script and it is just a

different telling of a classic. The classic was an Ealing comedy, does

the new film retain a sense of humour of the original? Very much

so. I think the director and writer very much wanted to recapture that

gentle, inoffensive humour that is so rear now. Was it fun to meet? It

was a lot of fun. Sadly we were not on an island, we shot in Fife which

is stunningly beautiful but not on the actual location. I gather some

of the film was shot in the north-east. How was that as a

stand-in for the Western Isles? Very well indeed. I do not think you will

notice, and we had some wonderful vocals that joined us. I think it

will look great. And you play McAllister the minister. Tell us

about your character. It is that free Church of Scotland minister who

puts a bit of a damper on things but also likes a bit of a Dram now and

then. He was an interesting character to play. A bit more sombre

than the funny characters that surround him. Let us offer thanks to

the Lord and his wonderful gift. You are also starting at the moment

in a film that has been released and which you play in lonely boxer

estranged from his son and used start alongside your own son, Ethan.

What was that like? Not really alongside, he did not play a huge

part but it was quite odd. I remember working with my father when

I first started acting and I found it very uncomfortable so when my son

was in Canada I made myself scarce and left him to it. -- was on

camera. It was charming. I do not think it is his chosen career as yet

but it was nice to be with them on something that was very important to

me. On that, why was it so important to you? It is in my 53 years of my

career it is the one piece of work I am truly proud of. It just means a

great deal to me. It was a very personal peace and was beautifully

written and I am very proud of everyone at work on it. It is just

something that means a lot to me. You have been in train spotting,

Highlander, Game Of Thrones. And this is the one thing you're proud

of? Surely there is more. When you think Braveheart and things, it is

hard to be proud of the huge production, I was a time a court in

a huge machine. He also appeared this year in celebrity Big Brother.

How would you persuaded to do that? To be honest, there was a very large

check involved and I sometimes think why did I do that but in retrospect

I am very glad I did. I learned quite a lot about myself and other

people and I think it was amazing I lasted 32 days without killing

anyone! It was an experience most people cannot imagine having, being

stuck in a room with some strange sort of people. For that length of

time. With no outside stimulus at all, no reading material, notebooks,

no TV, nothing, you were just stuck there. Thank you for to us. And he

got beaten by Jedward! Is cooking in bulk, one day

of the week, the solution Professional Masterchef winner

Gary Maclean thinks so. We went along to one of his classes

at City of Glasgow College to see him put his theory

to the test. Garay gave us a Haggis neeps and

tatties, better than I think I have ever had. You have done a

sensational bush and you have mailed the flag of Scotland well and truly

to the mast. I want you to test the letter. It

makes me feel like I am under someone very famous, it makes me

feel special to be one of his students. When I cook at home I am

not cooking Masterchef food, I am doing casseroles and curries.

Fundamentally, what my Gran made, I am just bringing it back home and

cooking fresh food. I think the main way to cook at home, whether you

have a big family or not, is to plan. If you open the fridge door

when you come home from work and see what is for dinner you have failed

and you will not eat healthily because by the time you start

cooking it will be 9pm before you have dinner. I can understand why

people go for the convenience option but I want to convince people

cooking all your meals for the week on one night is relatively quite

easy and the whole family can eat much better throughout the week if

you do it. If you can get it all done at once you are using less

energy, you are using you them for many things at the same time and

also cutting back on the time and the clean-up and cooking fresh food.

I do not think the cooking is the hard part, you do need some sort of

skill and knowledge but the hard part is getting out that routine and

finding the time in the week to dedicate that to what you eat.

I would be happy to try cooking all my meals because when you have

things sitting and you are stirring you can taste as you go. Real

texture as well. Looking at the food I have seen today, it is

outstanding, there is no way I would buy anything convenience of frozen

again. It is fantastic to see how much Gary has achieved in such a

short space of time, I think I could do that on a Sunday afternoon. I

think there is big savings to be made because you by and cook in bulk

so even when you used your oven and things like that you are saving a

lot. That was very impressive, I do not

think I can work that fast. Of course, Gary is a professional so we

want to test his theory. We asked two brave members

of the Scottish Women's Institutes, which runs several cookery courses,

to give it a go. Lindsey Finnie and Catherine

O'Halloran are here. Welcome. Now, Gary managed for

recipes in one hour, how did you get on, Catherine, first of all. I took

a bit longer, admittedly. It was two and a half hours, but in between

that there was a bit of a blunder and I put the wrong item on the

shopping list which my husband got so I had to go to the shop. About

two and hours with two of us cooking. Lindsay? Three hours and

three dishes. I did not make it to the magic for but I was making my

own chicken stock which delayed me. That is showing off, isn't it? The

whole experience was quite enjoyable and something I have not done in

quite a while. We can see you and packing the ingredients with a child

running around. How was that because Gary is on his special kitchen but

you have real life too contends with. Yes, real life gets in the way

but when you make the time and decide to plan to do it at the time

you have got eight slots, you can mitigate against that. For me, and

evening is the best time. I don't have time at the weekend as a busy

working mums are fitting in things with family and you do not have time

to devote to seeing you take the kids and I will set you in the

kitchen for three hours so it is a collaborative effort and that is

what we both felt, doing it in the evening with your husband or partner

was the way to do it. If you choose to cook in bulk do you have to be

careful what you choose because some things free is better than others. I

was surprised at the use of beans because I think Gary soaked beans

overnight and I did a short cut and got tens. I would have done that.

Exactly. But I wonder if it would disintegrate but we will see. But

all of those would have been perfect. They are just in the fridge

because my family will hoover them up. I quite often do a chilly

Bolognese at the weekend. But this is something you would carry on

with? Absolutely. The meat element was interested because I do not

usually cook with so much meat so to bring in more vegetables would be

interesting. In the meantime, if there's

something you Want us to follow up, it's easy to get in touch on

social media or by emailing And we'll see you next Thursday,

when we'll introduce you to the Perthshire supergran

who gets about by micro-scooter.