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Business association looking for some tasty questions
This year's 'Question Time Linlithgow' will take place at 8pm on Wednesday 29 September at Taste Delicatessen.
Amongst the panellists lined up is award-winning political journalist, publisher and former broadcaster Lesley Riddoch.
Other panellists are Steven Sweeney, Financial Director at Campbell's Prime Meat, and Councillor Peter Johnston - the Leader of West Lothian Council. The remaining place on the panel is reserved for a senior representative from the banking industry.
The panellists will face questions from members and guests of the Linlithgow Business Association (LBA), and, as in the broadcast version, they will have no prior knowledge of the questions.
LBA Chairman, David Tait, said: "This is another strong line up, and we have a quartet of excellent panellist. I'm absolutely sure we'll have another full house for Question Time."
Moderating the event will be Simon Walton, from the LBA. "It's always been a lively evening," said Simon, "this time promises to be even more so."
Lithca's Got Talent gets folk festival underway
The 12th Linlithgow Folk festival will get underway on Wednesday, September 8, with a grand opening concert - Lithca's Got Talent - at 8pm in the town's Masonic Hall.
The concert will bring together the splendid team of performers that are the Linlithgow Folk Festival Association and friends.
They are regularly seen in action at the annual Matt McGinn Nights and monthly sessions and are now coming together for a grand concert to kick off this year's festival.
The opening night concert will launch the biggest-ever folk festival programme in Linlithgow. Events taking place from 8 to 12 September will include concerts, an outdoor ceilidh at the Vennel, an open stage for budding performers, musical cruises and sessions at the Canal Centre, Bluegrass music performances at the Masonic hall and sessions in local pubs.
There will also be children's' events and free outdoor performances by a variety of musicians on the Nora Devine stage at the Cross and the Pedal for Scotland stage in the Peel. There are 20 free events included in the programme.
The headline concert on Saturday September 11, in the Linlithgow Academy Theatre, will feature Old Blind Dogs - one of Scotland's top traditional Folk bands.
Full details of the Linlithgow Folk Festival programme can be found on the 12-page festival programme, available at outlets throughout West Lothian, and at www.linlithgowfolk.com (new window)
Car rally promises to be a classic
The first Linlithgow Classic Cars Day takes place on Sunday, 5 September.
Up to 60 invited classic cars are expected on the day on the day from various car clubs.
Cars are expected to include Ferraris, Morgans, Porsches, Triumphs, Rovers, Austin Healeys, Aston Martin, SunbeamS, MGs, Westfields, Jaguars and Jeeps.
Most of the cars date back to the early 1950s but there are also some older ones including the World War II Jeeps, and some more modern supercars.
Cars assemble at the Park Bistro at 9.30am and the road run around West Lothian takes place from 10.30am to 12 noon.
Cars will then assemble at Linlithgow Palace car park at 12.30pm for a public display.
Linlithgow Classic Cars can be found at the Farmers Market at Linlithgow Cross on the last Saturday of every month.
The group collects for charity at its events and donates the money raised to Linlithgow Young People's Project (LYPP).
Area winners announced in gardening competition
Judging of West Lothian Council's annual Gardens' Competition has been completed for this year and the area winners selected.
The winners for the Linlithgow area are: 1 - Mr and Mrs Montgomery, 20 Clark Avenue, Linlithgow. 2 - Mr Dave du Feu, 2 Greenpark Cottages, Linlithgow. 3 - Michal and Malcolm Muszynski, 6 Willowdean, Bridgend.
The winners of the best flower garden, best vegetable garden, best Livingston garden, Oatridge College Award and the West Lothian Gardener of the Year title will be announced at the prize giving ceremony on Friday 5 November at the Low Port Centre in Linlithgow.
10k event in aid of Cancer Research
The Hopetoun House 10K event takes place on Sunday 17 October.
The event is in aid of Cancer Research UK.
Entry is £19.50, which includes a free run 10k T-shirt to wear on the day.
You can enter at www.run10k.org (new window)
Palace remains a top attraction
Visitor numbers are on the up in West Lothian.
Figures released by STEAM (Scottish Tourism Economic Activity Monitor) show that 1.2 million tourists brought £147.65 million into West Lothian last year, a six per cent increase on the previous 12 months.
The two top attractions in West Lothian are Almond Valley Heritage Centre, Livingston, and Linlithgow Palace, which saw an 18.45 per cent and 27.35 per cent increase in tourist numbers respectively.
The figures show that 118,640 fun seekers visited Almond Valley Heritage Centre, in Livingston whilst 61,143 made their way to the historic Linlithgow Palace.
Tourism group launches its own currency
A tourism group operating in Linlithgow has come up with a novel way of attracting visitors.
Scotland's Heartland, which is made up of businesses in the Linlithgow and Falkirk area, has launched its very own currency.
Included in a short break for two, the £75 worth of vouchers can be used in exchange for a number of activities in the area, including hiring mountain bikes, trips on the canal and rounds of golf.
And any unused vouchers will be transformed into cash and given to the Waterways Trust Scotland, a charity that helps disadvantaged children, and the Strathcarron Hospice, near Falkirk.
Local businesses involved include Houston House in Uphall, Kingsfield Golf centre, Linlithgow Union Canal Society and voluntary group Pride and Passion, Linlithgow.
Ronnie Bamberry, chairman of Scotland's Heartland, said: Falkirk and Linlithgow have huge potential and we want to encourage as many people as possible to come here to enjoy the very best the area has to offer."
Ronnie is pictured with Tourism Minister Jim Mather and Councillor Martyn Day.
Going to great heights for charity appeal
It's looking for volunteers to take part in a charity abseil at the shopping centre in aid of, charity of the year, Bosom Buds of Scotland, run by Mags and Kate Fenwick, from Linlithgow.
The 70ft abseil from the roof of The Centre will take place on Saturday 11 September, from 10am - 7pm to raise funds for the West Lothian-based cancer charity.
Volunteers from the charity and from the management team at The Centre and a team of nurses from St John's Oncology unit, as well as Miss West Lothian contestants, have already come forward to offer their support.
But there is room for as many as 750 people to take part during the course of the day.
Jennifer Bruce, Marketing Manager at The Centre, said: "Our charity abseil is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the shopping centre from a totally different perspective."
Bosom Buds of Scotland was registered in November and is run by Mags and Kate, and a committee of friends based around West Lothian. Kate (24) was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009 and regularly attended St John's Oncology Unit in Livingston for her treatment.
- For more information on the abseil event, log onto www.shopthecentre.co.uk (new window) or www.bosombudsofscotland.org (new window)
Sign of the times in Linlithgow
Linlithgow is to become Scotland's first deaf-aware town.
The project has been developed by Donaldson's, Scotland national school for deaf children, which is located in the town.
People involved with tourists attractions and those shops and businesses dealing with the public will learn basic sign language.
Visitors get on their bikes
With so much to see in the historic town, Kingsfield Golf Centre is now offering mountain bike hire.
One man who knows the benefit of taking in the town's tourist attraction by bike rather than car is Ronnie Bamberry.
For he's just taken advantage of the hire scheme to get on a bike for the first time in 35 years.
Website that's hub of the local community
A community website has a single point of access to everything that Linlithgow has to offer.
Linlithgow Web www.linlithgow.com (new window) was developed by Pride and Passion Linlithgow, part of a national initiative.
It is essentially a 'portal' that links to many other websites containing details about Linlithgow.
Linlithgow Web is managed and maintained by local people who care about the town and who want visitors to get the most out of their visit and locals to get the most out of their town.
You can contact Pride and Passion Linlithgow either through the website, or by contacting the secretary, Ken Richardson, at 07770-266379.
