WORLD FLOWER SHOW COMES TO EDINBURGH

FLEURS de Villes, the world-renowned floral show behind international blockbuster exhibitions in cities including Sydney, New York, Chicago, Miami and Toronto, has announced the fifteen Edinburgh florists who will star in the UK premiere - in Edinburgh - of its major new exhibition; Fleurs de Villes VOYAGE, along with the fifteen countries being celebrated. They are:

Scotland X KDM Event Styling & Floral Design 

Canada X Petals Flowers

United States X Flowers by Kerry

Australia X Sugarbush Flower Studio

Holland X Nikki’s Fleurs

France X Papaver

Madagascar X Flowers by Minty

China X Simpsons Florist

Japan X Quate & Co

Türkiye X Feather Grass Florals

Peru X Charmed Floristree

Argentina X Flowers for All Occasions

South Africa X Ribbons & Rose

Nepal X Petals by the Shore

India X Gillytree Studio

 

In a coup for the city, and for Scotland, the experiential flower show sensation – known as the “floral disrupters” of the floral world – has announced Edinburgh as the host city for the UK premiere of VOYAGE, which opens this month. Theshowbizlion.Com has seen a preview of the show and it’s something else. 

Now, fifteen of Edinburgh’s stars of the flower world, each of whom have been paired with an iconic country, will be bringing the exhibition’s theme of travel to life in an unmissable globe-spanning floral spectacle. 

This major new show will be staged at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh for ten days, opening to the public on Friday the 15th of September and running until Sunday the 24th of September, 2023.

The fifteen Edinburgh florist extraordinaires will take inspiration from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s awe-inspiring botanical collections, with each talented florist creating fresh floral mannequins celebrating the cultures, people and heritage of the country they have been partnered with. 

 

Visitors will be taken on a fresh floral journey of discovery to experience the vibrant bazaars of Türkiye, marvel at a floral Lone Piper from the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, catch a glimpse of a captivating geisha from Kyoto, Japan, and many more displays at this feast of cultural storytelling - bringing the world to Scotland through flowers like never before.

 

Set within the magnificent grounds of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh; one of the finest botanic gardens in the world, and located just a mile from the city centre, Fleurs de Villes VOYAGEwill be staged inside a beautiful marquee at the heart of the Edinburgh Garden. 

Visitors can admire a striking floral Tesla Model Y before entering the marquee to experience Fleurs de Villes’ signature famous floral mannequins, watch floral demonstrations, and enjoy refreshments from the Moët & Chandon Impérial Champagne and Glenmorangie whisky bars. 

 

The exhibition continues in the adjacent historic Inverleith House where visitors can ‘voyage’ through rainforest, safari and Paris-inspired rooms bursting with blooms, and stop by the Edinburgh Gin ‘filled with wonder’ room to sample a floral gin cocktail. Book here: fleursdevilles.com/edinburgh

 

Enhancing the VOYAGE experience further, visitors can participate in botanical-themed workshops (full schedule here) where they can make floral crowns, tablescapes and bouquets with top local florists, create a Van Gogh-inspired masterpiece, enter a thrilling world of flora and fiction with renowned author of The Fair Botanists, Sara Sheridan, enjoy a sensory scent experience with Scotland’s first fragrance house, or indulge in a botanical gin tasting. Workshops can be purchased as an ‘add-on’ experience when booking VOYAGE exhibition tickets at fleursdevilles.com/Edinburgh.

 

Karen Marshall, Co-founder of Fleurs de Villes said:

 

“We are thrilled to be bringing the UK premiere of VOYAGE to Edinburgh. The iconic Royal Botanic Garden is the perfect stage to showcase Edinburgh’s world-class floral talent, and to bring the global cultural storytelling of VOYAGE to life in flowers like never before through these fifteen Edinburgh florists and fifteen countries. We have been so inspired by the stories shared by fans, florists, and partners in every city Fleurs de Villes has visited across the globe these last few years, and cannot wait to welcome visitors to Edinburgh for what will be a truly unmissable experience.”

 

Kari Coghill, Director of Innovation Projects at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, added:

 

“As admirers of Fleurs de Villes, we are excited to be able to work together to host VOYAGE at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. This beautiful showcase of floral artistry and craftsmanship is a natural fit for the Garden, and we can’t wait for visitors to experience these stunning displays at Inverleith House, located at the heart of the Edinburgh Garden and our magnificent Living Collections.”

 

Tickets to Fleurs de Villes VOYAGE are on sale now and can be purchased at fleursdevilles.com/edinburgh

 

Tickets are priced at £22.50 for adults, £18.50 for seniors and RBGE members, and £10.50 for ages 4-17. A family discount (2 adults & 2 kids) is priced at £55. 

 

The Fleurs de Villes VOYAGE global tour will travel through the US, Canada and UK in 2023, stopping in cities including Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Boston and New York.

 

DOUGRAY SCOTT SON IS A CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK

His Glenrothes Fife born dad is best known for his roles in Mission: Impossible II, Desperate Housewives, and My Week with Marilyn, and now Gabriel Trevis Scott is going to star alongside him - in the latest series of Irvine Welsh’s hit book to TV adaptation Crime. 

 Twenty five year old Gabriel will play the nephew of Dougray’s much tormented character Lothian and Borders detective inspector Ray Lennox who attempts to recover from a mental breakdown induced by stress, cocaine and alcohol abuse and a child murder case in Edinburgh  in the series which made its debut in 2021.

And Gabriel’s role of Fraser, who is described by Dougray as ‘a young man searching for his identity’, will be one of his biggest yet following previous parts in House of the Dragon as Jerrel Bracken and His Dark Materials as Father Heyst. 

Gabriel, whose mother is Dougray’s former wife Sarah Trevis, is twin brother to his sister Eden and shares the same smouldering looks as his 57 year old father.

He is brother to Dougray’s son Milo who the actor adopted with his new wife actress Claire Forlani. 

 Like his dad who studied from 1984 to 1987, where he received the Most Promising Drama Student Award, Gabriel who was born in Hammersmith, West London, also attended Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, and graduated there in 2020. 

During his time at drama school he worked as a Stunt fighter and horse-rider on an action film The Lady of Heaven. 

Before going to RWCMD, he also attended courses at the National Youth Theatre of GB and Drama Centre, London and according to his IMDB profile, Gabriel also worked at a Refugee camp teaching children English and basic computer skills as well as learning basic Thai to become a trained Elephant Handler.

Dougray, who appeared at Edinburgh Television Festival to talk about the new season of ITVX show Crime alongside actress Joanna Vanderham and writer Irvine Welsh was clearly proud of his sons’s achievements as he talked about him during a Q and A. 

And he was keen to dispel any talk of nepotism around his casting. 

After watching a clip how his son in action, he told the audience: “My son Gabriel - he was great. He was great. He won the role against a lot of people. He played my nephew and went through that whole process.”

“He was terrific and brought a great sense of vulnerability to that character.  

He added: “He plays a kid, a young man who is growing up and searching for identity, which is very sort of relevant to today. 

“We live in a time now where quite rightly and wonderfully we are all starting to be allowed to breathe as human beings in a sense and call ourselves whoever we want to be and this character is going through that and who is he? Am I this or that? I don’t know who I am  and that sense of confusion or struggle and he brought something quite genuine and authentic to the character. He did a fantastic job.”

Asked what his son would say about acting with him he joked: “He would say I’m a f***ing... I know I am. I’m not. I’m not. I’m not.”

Dougray divorced Gabriel and Eden’s mother Sarah in 2005 and she was given full custody of the twins, something which Dougray was vocal about at the time which led to antagonism between the two. 

He previously said that he never tried to tell his children what to do in life while they were growing up.

He revealed that they grew up very close and supported one another, but there was also a lot of fight between them.

Keen to let them make their own mistakes he said: "When I felt I needed to step in and take a tough line, I did, but I was reluctant to do that because I never wanted to be an overbearing parent," he said, hoping he managed to find that balance he had planned.”

The new season’s story, which will feature a transgender character and is based on the novel The Long Knives, will see Lennox lead an investigation into a case about “vengeance, identity and social justice.”

Dougray, who  won an Emmy for his role in series one, said: “The second series delves deeper into his background, his relationship with his family and his abuse as a child."The resonance and rawness of the character unfolds even greater. It is an examination of how grown men cope with that.”

Irvine Welsh who reckons season two is a superior piece of television to season one and hopes to build on its success, said Gabriel had unsurprisingly ‘great chemistry’ with his real life dad during the making of the series.

He exclusively told theshowbizlion.com: “Gabriel well he just auditioned and he was absolutely fabulous and the benefit is that he is Dougays son but has to play his nephew in it and obviously he looks like his nephew because he looks like his son. And he was brilliant just an incredible actor and he brought a lot of sensitivity and a lot of feeling to quite a challenging role. The chemistry with him and Dougray was fabulous and he just really gave it an extra dimension so hats off to Gabriel.”

BROCKMANS ORANGE KISS COMES TO GLASGOW’S MALO

GLASGOW revellers are getting the chance to enjoy award-winning super-premium Brockmans Gin new tipple Orange Kiss at Malo. 

The showbizlion.Com has had the opportunity to try out the new drink and it features the flavours of Triple sec and fresh Valencia orange deliciously crafted with traditional gin botanicals.

Right in time for the summer, Brockmans Orange Kiss Gin's delicate citrus flavour profile perfectly captures those balmy sunset occasions shared with friends and loved ones. 

The well-balanced flavoured gin makes Orange Kiss perfect for sipping neat, in refreshing long drinks and creating creative twists on classic cocktails - making Orange Kiss the ideal gin for the spring/summer season.

Brockmans, renowned for being the Properly Improper Gin, typically uses a bold and daring blend of

traditional gin botanicals with more unusual and non-traditional ingredients. Brockmans Orange Kiss

uses Valencia Oranges and Triple sec, with juniper and coriander seeds to provide its balanced gin

foundation. 

Cassia bark and Angelica root provide an earthy and perfumed complexity and the addition

of almond oil contributes to the smooth finish.

Brockmans Orange Kiss Perfect Serve cocktail is a twist on the classic spritz, an opulent long serve which

blends Brockmans Orange Kiss, sparkling wine, pink grapefruit soda and a dash of red aperitif to create a

distinctive and refreshing cocktail to enjoy in the sunshine.

Brockmans Orange Kiss’ striking glass bottle is tinted with a translucent deep red-to-orange gradient

from top to bottom. The design harmonises with the current Brockmans Gin range by showcasing

Brockmans’ distinctive crosshatch on the body and signature initial debossed on the bottleneck.

Here’s three ways to enjoy the brand new concoction this summer. 

Orange Kiss Perfect Serve

50ml Brockmans Orange Kiss

50ml Sparkling Wine or Prosecco

100ml Pink Grapefruit Soda

10ml Red aperitif liqueur

Build in a wine or highball glass over ice cubes, stir gently to

combine and garnish with a slice of orange

Orange Kiss & Tonic

50ml Brockmans Orange Kiss

150ml Premium unflavoured tonic water

Build in a copa or highball glass over ice cubes, stir gently to combine and garnish with a slice of orange,

and optionally, a sprig of thyme

Orange Kiss Margarita

20ml Brockmans Orange Kiss

30ml Premium Tequila

25 ml Lime juice

15ml Sugar syrup

Shake vigorously and fine strain in a cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lime

Orange Kiss Collins

50ml Brockmans Orange Kiss

25 ml Lemon juice

15ml Sugar syrup

Top with soda water

Build in a highball glass over ice cubes, stir gently to combine and garnish with a slice of orange

70cl | 40% ABV | RRP £34.00

PULP’S JARVIS COCKER VISITS COLLABORATOR BANKSY’S EXHIBITION IN GLASGOW

 


PULP legend Jarvis Cocker visited The Banksy exhibition the day after headlining the stage at TRNSMT festival.

Jarvis who was a true entertainer at the fest, said Glasgow was the furthest north he had been and even got the crowd singing happy birthday to Ringo Starr to wish him a happy 83rd as he performed a set of classic hits. 

The Common People hitmaker, who theshowbizlion.Com last met after an appearance in Glasgow at SWG3 to perform a dance floor meditation in 2018, where he got the audience including our chief lioness to lie on the backs on their backs on the floor, was also in a relaxed mood, following his big stage appearance.

Jarvis, who even threw some fudge at the crowd to celebrate World Chocolate Day during his set in Glasgow Green, arrived back at his hotel around midnight.

He told theshowbizlion.com that he was enjoying himself during his time here and was planning to attend the Banksy exhibition in the city centre’s  Gallery of Modern Art within the next few hours.

Jarvis said: ”I haven’t seen Banksy yet, but I will do tomorrow.” He also signed a fans CD before heading indoors.

Jarvis and Banksy are believed to be good friends with Jarvis, even contributing a special musical composition for Banksy’s Walled Off hotel in Bethlehem. 

This article has appeared in the Daily Record

From Scotland with love theshowbizlion.Com

LOONY DOOK MAKES A SPLASH FOR 2023

THE annual Loony Dook saw hundreds of revellers make a splash in the Firth of Forth at South Queensferry to welcome in the New Year. 
Thousands watched on as daredevils as young as eleven years old and well into their sixties ran into the water to celebrate the start of 2023. 
The event has taken place on the record since 1986 when three locals felt it was an appropriate hangover cure, but some claim it began even before then.
Although not ‘officially’ part of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay programme this year, that didn’t stop people from having a dunk, taking it right back to its roots and making it as busy as ever. 
With chill-inducing temperatures at four degrees (which felt like two), the local RNLI were on guard to ensure there were no casualties on the day. 
One of the volunteers from the twenty strong lifeboat crew said: “The waters are really cold so there is the possibility of cold water shock, so our advice to people is to walk in nice and slowly. Some people last five minutes but experienced swimmers can last for twenty minutes sometimes.”
“There’s always pretty spectacular costumes from a bathtub one year to someone dressed as a Forth Bridge.”
People dressed in pink tutus, rugby outfits, Santa hats, in kilts, as a penguin and even a bottle of gin as they took to the water, some even armed with a bottle of Buckfast. 
Siobhan Lees, who dooked in a bikini eleven years ago, said: “My eleven year old daughter Ava Seagroat is doing it with her friend Ella who is also eleven and goes to the local primary school. She is just crazy and loves it and I’ve got cups of herbal tea for her. She goes wild swimming all the time. It’s a great start to the year and fab for the community.”
All participants enjoyed free cake from local bakers.

GLASGOW ODDS ON FAVOURITE FOR EUROVISION

Glasgow is the odds-on favourite to stage the Eurovision Song Contest next year after the final shortlist of potential host cities was whittled down to two this week.

The 67^th edition will be held in the United Kingdom after the European Broadcasting Union confirmed 2022 winners Ukraine would not be able to host the event on safety grounds.

The search for a host city had already been trimmed to seven after this year’s runners-up were given the nod to step in and Glasgow has now been backed down to 4/9 from 2/1 with BoyleSports to stage the event, with Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle and Sheffield all out of contention.

Liverpool was a 10/1 shot when betting opened and remains the underdog despite shortening into 13/8 and receiving the backing of Labour leader Keir Starmer when he hosted the party’s conference in the city this week.

Lawrence Lyons, spokesperson for BoyleSports said: “Glasgow has been the favourite to host Eurovision from the minute we knew it was heading to the UK, so it’s no surprise to see it backed into odds-on now it’s in the final two. Liverpool has been gambled at prices as big as 10/1, so we’re hoping the betting is on the money because that would be a bad result for us now.”

CONNECT MUSIC FESTIVAL WILL RETURN AND HERE’S WHY

CONNECT FESTIVAL managed to stand out from the crowd for its first ever appearance and prove it was no ordinary music festival. 

By mixing up the best in live music; from grassroot headliners, to up-and-comers, with everything from comedy and spoken word at the Speakeasy, culinary sensation, immaculate vibes in the ‘X Lounge’, to therapeutic treatments from leading experts in the field of Yoga, sound therapy and breathwork it proved to be a unique experience that theshowbizlion.com looks forward to attending next year. 

The Connect Event Team were ecstatic at the response, with Event Manager, Katt Lingard saying: “After many months of planning, we’re so glad to have finally relaunched Connect Festival and what an incredible comeback weekend we’ve had. With a fantastic line-up of over 80 artists across six stages and thousands of incredible fans every day - it’s been special”. 

“We’ve created something truly unique at the Royal Highland Centre site. Connect is about music, discovery, experiences and memories - showcasing an eclectic line up of comedy, spoken word, wellness and grassroots talent in a dazzling collection of intimate settings. It was just as special for the artists as it was for the fans, with some of the most positive feedback we've ever heard from across the line up.

“We’re so grateful to fans for their passion and commitment to live music, allowing us to bring Connect Festival back in 2023. We’re already thinking of ways to make it even better and I’d like to thank the artists, the fans and everyone who has worked extremely hard behind the scenes to make this festival happen. I can’t wait for next year already.”

Here’s the top ten moments from this year:  

THE SMALL, MAGICAL ONES

“I love these ones, the small, magical ones when we’re in each other’s laps”, Jessie Buckley proclaimed at the Tiny Changes X Gardeners Cottage, an intimate crowd, Jessie beamed with the kind of joy only a Scottish audience can induce as she broke into a cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Just Like A Woman’, accompanied by Bernard Butler of Suede fame, the stars truly aligned as this duo created soul bearing folk magic. 

TAKE A DIP

For those early morning Connect campers brave enough, cold water therapy got their day started off right, albeit chilly. Immersing themselves neck deep in a 6ft long steel ice bath, revellers reconnected with themselves. 

TRANSFUSION 

With afternoon showers pouring, TAAHLIAH made her way to the Unknown Pleasures tent. A leading figure in Glasgow and Berlin’s underground LGBT+ dance scenes’, she harnessed raw, electronica and sickly sweet hyper-pop beats to dazzle the crowd; who took no notice of the drizzle as they partied into the afternoon. 

IT WON’T BE LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME 

Walking out to thunderous bass and roaring cheers, The Twilight Sad, lead singer James Graham’s signature twangy Glaswegian vocals permeated into the very heart of The Grand Parade crowd on Friday night. Accompanied by Frightened Rabbit drummer Grant Hutchinson, they dedicated their cover of ‘Keep Yourself Warm’ to anyone struggling with mental health. 

TAKE A SEAT AT THE CHEF’S TABLE 

Chef Barry Bryson invited Connect fans to a special pop-up dining experience, as he masterfully took restaurant concepts and fine dining triumph to an event level - pairing classic Scottish flavours with contemporary flare - for those who enjoy the finer things, it was not to be missed as he served up apple smoked sea trout, fish cakes and locally produced strawberries and milk chocolate. 

“OH GOOD LORD”

The modest Speakeasy tent was spilling out on Sunday afternoon as comedian Troy Hawke made his debut. Strutting on stage, he was adorned in a purple silk smoking jacket, saying “Something you’ll notice about me is that I have the ability to blend in seamlessly to my environment”, admiring his attire he grins - the crowd hanging onto every word of his uniquely bonkers routine. 

PRIORITISE PLEASURE 

“You have been f*****g lovely Connect”, screamed pop sensation Self Esteem. Recently shortlisted for the prestigious Mercury Prize for her acclaimed album ‘Prioritise Pleasure’, she cut across the main stage with razor sharp precision, infusing edgy choreography with powerhouse vocals and tongue in cheek lyrics - there may just be a new Pop Queen on the horizon. 

FIND YOUR INNER ZEN 

When not singing along to your favourite band, or discovering an up-and-comer sure to make their way to your playlist, Connect fans were transported into a journey of calm and personal wellness as leading expert Cat Boyle, brought her expertise, offering vinyasa yoga at the Rest & Be Thankful tent. 

CRAWLER

Celebrated post-punk legends, IDLES served a searing, white hot energy on Connect’s opening night. In colossal fashion, the band brought their brutal post-hardcore sound and, shaking with energy, lead singer Joe Talbot commanded The Grand Parade as revellers descended into a glorious chaos of sound. 

A TINY CHANGE, ONE BIG MOMENT 

Mid-day struck and the cryptic announcement was out, ‘Secret Set Added - 7:45pm at the Tiny Changes x Gardener’s Cottage’. Rumours swirled as alt.rock heroes, The National took to the intimate stage for a performance of cult classic’ About Today’ and ‘This Isn’t Helping’. With roaring applause, The National’s Aaron Dressner said “It’s a pleasure to support Tiny Changes… this charity is amazing and any awareness we can raise for mental health, we want to do that because we all struggle with it.” What a way to see out Connect 2022. 

LET’S RECONNECT SUMMER 2023 

Connect Festival will return in 2023 from 25th-27th August. Pre-sale is available to past buyers and those on the Connect mailing list from 9am Wednesday 31st August and general sale will commence 9am Friday 2nd September. Tickets available to purchase via WWW.CONNECTFEST.COM