condemned
Animal rights groups have condemned Glasgow University for its part in a five-year research programme involving painful experimentation on live animals. The University‘s Department of Neuropathology has recently renewed its connection with the University of Pennsylvania’s Head Injury Clinical Research Center, despite the public outcry that surrounded the project in the mid-1980s.
According to Les Ward. director ol Edinburgh-based Advocates for Animals, Glasgow‘s contribution to the programme will involve stretching the optic nerves of over 600 guinea-pigs and examining the brains of rats and mini-pigs that have been made to suffer massive head injuries, often through the now notorious Penn II apparatus. The Penn 11 uses a steel helmet and pneumatic ram to thrust the animals’ heads sharply upwards at an angle of 60 degrees with a force of 1000 G.
A few years ago the Unversity of Pennsylvania was fined, and funding to the Head Injury Center halted when a video was discovered showing researchers experimenting on semi-conscious baboons. removing the Penn II helmets with hammers and screwdrivers and smoking while operating on open skulls. Throughout this period, Glasgow University defended the
Glasgow animal experiments
4‘! A lab baboon sullers under Penn II head injury apparatus
Center’s work, but has denied that it will have anything to do with the new mini-pigs project, although a proposal for such was included in a research application made by the University of Pennsylvania to the American authorities. A Glasgow University spokesman went on to say that the experiments being carried out on guinea-pigs were done under full anaesthetic and Home Office supervision.
‘Even ifit is not involved with the mini-pigs,’ said Ward, ‘Glasgow University is contributing to two integral parts of the project. It is a shame that an institution with a great name for its work with human head injuries should be involved with this programme, particularly with a Center that is known for the way it mistreats animals. Our universities are referred to as centres of excellence. Glasgow, as long as it
continues its collaboration, has no right to call itself anything other than a university with a department with no shame.’
Advocates for Animals is encouraging people to write to the Principal of Glasgow University and to their MPs, asking them to put pressure on the Home Secretary. Further information, leaflets and packs are available from Advocates for Animals, 10 Queensferry Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4PG. (Alan Morrison)
:— Euro Lectures
Despite the dive oi the pound and rapidly withering prospects tor the Maastrlchttreaty, Edinburgh’s build-up to the European summit in December continues unabated. Besides the arts programme and business events, Lothian Regional Council has sponsored a series at lourteen ‘Town and Gown’ public lectures to contribute to the current debate and discussion on European unity.
‘Although the occasion is the British Presidency oi the European Community, the lectures are not narrowly locused on the EC,‘ according
4 The List 9: 22 October 1992
to ProlessorWiliiam Patterson, director at the Edinburgh University’s Europa Institute. ‘They address a wider locus which the EC itsell has to address.‘ Prol Patterson will be giving the inaugural lecture on 20 October, suitably entitled ‘Europe since 1989: a new Spring . . . or Winter?
Among the other speakers are Gennady Gerasminov the lormer spokesman tor Mikhail Gorbachev, a judge irom the European Court oi Justice, and Sir Edward Heath, who was Prime Minister when the UKioined the EEC. Entrance to all lectures is tree. Details and booking torms are available by sending an SAE to LEL, Lothian Regional Council, Parliament Square, Elli 1TT. (Thom ledln)
_ New cinema
Robins Cinemas, a iamily-run, London-based company has re-opened Dunlermline’s old ‘Drient Express’ cinema just six months alter it was closed by the then owners, CAC Leisure. Renamed the ‘Roblns’, the cinema will start with the existing two screens, although the company hopes to expand to a third screen in the near luture.
Ben Freedman, Chairman ol Robins, whose great grandlather owned a cinema in Canada, said that Robins will be run as well as any multiplex, but on a smaller, more intimate scale. Penny Edwards, who will manage the cinema, said that the programming policy will initially be mainstream lirst-run tilms. When a third screen is added, she hopes to be able to otter speciality screenings oi arthouse
movies.
Robins were one at the cinema companies who expressed an interest in the Salon in Glasgow, also owned by CAC, but their approach to purchase the cinema was turned down. ‘We would have loved to have bought it,’ says Freedman, ‘it was just a question ol them being able to sell it to us.’
CAC's planning application to change the use at the Salon to a sports hall is still being considered by the Glasgow City Council. As The List went to press, the council’s chiei planning ollicer had advised the planning sub-committee to reject the application and to recommend the building be given ‘A’ listed status. However, a decision will not be made until alter a site meeting at the Salon.
While the Salon’s late is still in the balance; there are strong moves to transiorrn the Save Our Salon campaign into a trust and raise money to purchase the cinema. (Thom ledin)
:— Seven year itch
“ ‘3' d
.“
It was twenty years ago today . . . no it wasn’t, it was only seven. But to those of us who remember The Day The List Was Launched, way back in 1985, it feels more like twenty.
At the time we were convinced that you, the great Scottish public, in your hundreds of thousands, would rush out of your flats and houses, stampede down to the nearest newsagent and scoop up as many copies as you could find, both for yourselves and for your grateful friends. From that moment on, we
I thought, Scotland would never be
the same again. The masses would be freed from the drudgery of their everyday lives. New concert halls, cinemas, theatres, galleries and bookshops would open across the land. Scottish writers, musicians, artists and actors would at last receive recognition without having to make the great trek to the south. Glasgow would become the cultural capital of Europe (not even a gleam in Pat Lally’s eye at that stage) and, who knows, Scotland might even win the World Cup.
Well, it didn’t quite work out like that. At least not straight away. Of the 15 ,000 copies we printed of the first few issues, 11,000 had to be recycled. The wholesalers said it wouldn’t last, the shops didn’t want to stock it, the advertisers stayed away while the bank managers and accountants kept themselves busy prophesying doom.
Now seven years on, with a growing circulation, 63 ,000 regular readers, take-over attempts from predatory newspaper groups rebuffed, and profits rolling (well, beginning to roll) in, we are starting to enjoy ourselves. The main celebrations of the first seven years of The List will be timed to coincide with our 200th issue in May. More details of that later, for the moment we will continue to make sure that, as always, We've Got it Covered.
V GLIPPINGS
I Aberdeen Allemallve Festival: A host of music and comedy stars will be shining alongside the Northern Lights when the 10th Aberdeen Alternative Festival kicks off on 15 October. Highlight of the programme is the already sold-out collaboration between Van Morrison and former James Brown sax sideman Maceo Parker, although other luminaries include Loudon Wainwright III, Gil Scott-Heron,
Michael Marra and Aly Bain. On the comedy front, Fringe regulars Jack Dee, Bruce Morton, Jo Brand and the omnipresent Stu Who? travel northwards, as do The Humpff Family, That Swing Thang, The Pearlfishers and two groups from the Granite City’s twin town of Bulawayo. With audiences of over 16,000 last year, the Festival is fast becoming one of Scotland’s major art events.