May 2014

BEACH

MAY 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Aberdeen  International  Youth  

Festival  Beach  Ballroom  Big  Band  

Supper  

Wednesday,  July  30  2014  

Blackburn  with  Darwen  Music  Service  Big  Band  swing  into  

town.  

“One  of  the  UK’s  top  young  Big  Band  

groups”  

 Tickets  available  from  April  from  Aberdeen  Box  Office  

Visit:  www.aiyf.org  

Many  other  AIYF  shows  available  during  the  festival  running  from  July  25  –  August  2  

Including  dance,  theatre,  jazz,  choirs,  orchestras  and  world  music  

 

Scotland’s  Platform  for  Youth  Arts  

Contents

Page 4 - Fittie Beach HutsBeach takes a trip down to the colourful Fittie beach huts

Page 12 - Inversencky CafeWe catch up with owner of one of the beaches most famous cafes

Page 17 - Humans of Aberdeen BeachInspirational words from some beach characters

Page 18 - Amadeus NightclubThe infamous nightclub is due to be tunred into a furniture store soon . we got in before the bulldozers

Page 32 - Return to the glory daysWith a more competitive team in the city we look at the days of Aberdeen FC training on the sands

Page 27 - Beach WildlifeAberdeens urban dolphins pose for a picture and we make ammends with Aberdeens devil gulls

Life’s A BeachHello and welcome to Beach. We have plenty in store for you this issue. Our team have been getting stuck in and finding out all of the latest info on the beautiful Aberdeen Beach. We share some of the interesting history and memories shared by the weird and wonderful people who live and visit. We even caught up with the wrestling cook from the Inversnecky. We have some exclusive images that will take you back in time to when the Beetles played at the Ballroom. We also take a sneak peak at the plans for the old Amadeus Nightclub and explore the beach’s secret town.We hope you enjoy the issue! Let us know what you would like to see in next months issue by visiting our Facebook page - Beach Magazine. Take care, and remember - life’s a beach! Yasmin WorrallEditor

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Walking into F i t t ie g ives you the impression that

you have just stepped off of the beach and back in

t ime. Nest led between the crashing sea waves and the busy harbour,

the o ld f ishing town st i l l holds the character ist ics and charm that created i t

years before.

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FITTIE is found in the area of Aberdeen known formally as Footdee. The quaint and picturesque homes are laid out in a grid design, connected by a series of small lanes only suitable for pedestrians. A church can also be spotted somewhere in the distance, tucked away between the rows of houses. Although, despite the attractive dwellings and the intriguing twisting streets, your eye is immediately drawn to a rather unusual set of buildings within Fittie. Running parallel to each row of houses and completely unique in their appearance are old fishing beach huts.

The majority of these huts now serve the purpose of being garden sheds for residents. But, they are so much more than just an outdoor storage space. Their owners have managed to create a beautiful and attractive feature within their small and closed off area of Aberdeen. It really is easy to see why these huts attract, not only tourists, but also residents of the city.

Taking your first steps into Fittie itself you’d be forgiven for thinking it looks like any other area of the city.If anything, upon first impression a lot of people may actually feel sorry for residents of the area, as looking straight ahead you are greeted with the unsightly view of the harbour and the towering structures within it. But, turning off the short road just seconds from the beach, still stomping sand from your shoes, you turn a corner and reach the first pedestrian lane and your mind quickly forgets about the harbour just a short distance away.

The first glimpse of the Church tower can be seen sticking out over the tops of the beach

huts, casting a long shadow over the huts and across the path.

On the left, there appears to be a small square garden next to the first hut in the row. A table and two chairs sit in the middle of the patch of grass, surrounded by a variety of ornaments and bird feeders. It is unclear whether this table and the chairs would actually be used or if they are there just for aesthetic purposes. This pretty and neat little space is not particularly unique or unusual for a garden,

Fittie’s this all aboot?

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By Emily Smith

Rather surprisingly, a number of residents also leave their front doors open, letting in the warm spring air. In this day and age, leaving your front door open in the middle of a city would surely be a welcoming sign to a thief. But in Fittie, it does not appear to be a worry to anyone.

Wandering around the old town leaves you with a true feeling of tranquillity and contentment as you look upon the old huts which for the most part have been lovingly tended to. It is hard to tell whether the whole community got together and decided to transform these huts into what has now become a popular attraction. Or, if one person with a passion for ornaments, gargoyles and vibrant colours just kicked off the trend. Despite all of the huts having something in common, such as bright paint or numerous ornaments scattered about, they are all unique and will reflect the personality of the owner. For example, there is the hut which has ornamental wildlife hiding behind bushes and shrubs and then there is the hut which has an old stove sitting outside, stocked with firewood and with a kettle sitting on top.

These huts are the heart of Fittie and not one resident can be seen peering through their curtains objecting to strangers wandering past their windows, snapping pictures of their home, garden and hut. With their radios sitting on the window sill, their front doors wide open and children playing in the quiet streets, it really does feel like the town is miles away from the hustle and bustle of Aberdeen. It is only when reaching the other side of the small town and walking towards the beach you see the beach front and the big wheel of the carnival behind a few sets of washing lines, you remember that you are still in Aberdeen.

however, placed at the start of a row of quirky beach huts and in the middle of the thoroughfare of Fittie, this unassuming garden, immediately becomes one of interest and intrigue.

Moving down the lane, and moving slowly so that you can absorb the atmosphere and truly experience a town that would not look out of place many generations ago, the faint buzz of people chatting can be heard through the walls and their open windows.

Aberdeen’s secret village

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Let’s do the Timewarp Again

IT welcomed worldwide stars to Aberdeen. Opened in May 1929, thousands of Scottish revellers packed out the Beach Ballroom each week to listen to acts such as the Beatles and Pink Floyd.The 84-year-old art deco building is home to one of Scotland’s finest dance floors, which floats on fixed steel springs.The Beach Ballroom regularly plays host to music and dance events, conferences, weddings and British Masters Boxing bouts.The venue has played host to the Aker Bilk, Herman’s Hermits, Kinks, Cream, Frankie Vaughan, Sandie Shaw and countless others.A new book has been released to celebrate the history of the iconic landmark.The 172-page volume is bursting with reminiscences from the 20s through the decades to the present day “Strictly

Come Dancing” revival.

Speaking to Beach, Ray Douglas, council manager for education, culture and sport, said: “The whole idea of the book was the get people to record their memories so it became like a social history book really.“We were overwhelmed by the response, hence the reason it’s taken us three years – we had to do it in our spare time.“The ballroom was 80 years old in 2009 and we had an exhibition called Dancing by the Sea.“It traced the history of the Beach Ballroom and then we had the idea of putting out an appeal to ask people to give us their memories. We had so many visitors telling us it was the place where they’d met their boyfriend or girlfriend we thought: Why not do a book?”

We Take A look back at The Glory Days of The Beach Ballroom

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By Andy McLaren

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““It’s the Laird of Inversnecky here,

Aye you ken me well,With ma cast of characters frae

places that are nearly real,Cold today! Aye! That’s why

we’re by the seaside, Everybody come to Aberdeen

beach pavilion,Every single night is fun!”

THE Inversnecky cafe is an Aberdeen insti-tution. It has sat on the beach front for over a century, serving generations their Sunday fry-ups and summer ice-creams. The cafe is named after the Laird of Inversnecky, a char-acter from one of Aberdonian comedian Harry Gordon’s songs.In the summer, the café heaves with custom. During the winter though, especially in bad weather, the café can be quiet. There are cus-tomers that can be relied on to turn up, day after day, to have their usual. The regulars keep the café going, until the throngs appear again next summer.

The café’s in two parts, one original granite Victorian half, and a later extension. The tearoom sits in the original half, fifteen tables, no number 13. The walls are clad in wood, all painted in the same green gloss, matching the green uniform polo shirts. The newer half, added when Aberdeen beach in summer was booming with custom, houses the kitchen, stores, and the cage.The cage is the booth at the front, with the ice-cream freezer and fridge packed with cans of juice. Nobody wants to be locked in the

cage on one of Aberdeen’s three or foursummer days. Queues stretch down the prom-enade and the white goods kick out suffocat-ing heat from over-use.At nine o’clock the first customers are in, squeezing past the gigantic ice-cream cone in the doorway, taking sand in onto the tiled floor on their hiking boots. Table 1 is the best table. The table for two sits in the picture window. Today though the view out to the north sea is not up to much, the haar is in. The first pair to sit at the table are an elderly couple in matching beige water-proofs. Two pots of tea and a round of toast are ordered.“I remember when it looked like that you know,” the old man says. He’s pointing to the framed photograph sitting on the wooden counter top at the till, black and white from 1928. A man in a white coat stands outside the Inversnecky Cafe, jars of old fashioned sweeties in the window and fields either side, stretching back to the now disused railway at Shore Porters. The Inversnecky was opened in 1908 by the Vicca family, and is managed by Martin Vicca, 104 years later.

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By Yvonne Taylor

The waitress slouches slightly and her smile becomes fixed, as the old man reminisces about when the café used to make its own Ice-cream. There’s a chap on the window, and one wait-ress listlessly sidles up to the other and groans: “Bill’s here.”The word ‘Bill’ is scrawled on an order and dispatched to drinks and kitchen. The staff all know what that means. Bill has a child size burger in a sesame bun with fried on-ions finely chopped, with no cutlery just two paper napkins, and tomato sauce, although not the big bottle as he struggles to lift it. On drinks it’s a fight over who doesn’t have to make Bill’s pedantic order. He has a half shot in a mug, the mug half filled with warm milk, a small jug of cold milk, a small jug of hot milk, and a half glass of luke warm wa-ter, no ice, for his dispersible pain-killers. Bill only ever sits at table seven. He claims he likes the radiator for his hip. Seven is positioned perfectly to trap the waiting staff serving in the tearoom into listening to his

rants on tax, benefit cheats, the price ofcheese or various other complaints. He has had the most illustrious career, telling some of his time in the merchant navy, others of when he was a fireman, and of course how he cur-rently sits on the board at RBS. Bill is an authority on everything, from the cost of an MOT to modern art.

The Daily Express is missing. Bill walks up and down the tearoom until he sees it folded on another customers table. He sits down at seven, paper in hand, and begins his coffee routine. When a waitress passes he asks for the scissors. He wants to cut a coupon for discounted toothpaste out the paper. By 4 o’clock there is one table in the tearoom occupied. A man sits by himself, skyping someone enthusiastically waving at him. The staff eye him, hoping he leaves so they can finish up and get home early. An hour later, paper pay packets are handed out and tips split. The cleaning is complete and the shutters are pulled down on another day at the café.

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We Caught Up With The Lady Who Says and Sees It All

“I was offered the manager’s job at the Inversnecky around five years ago. I was basically in the role anyway so I thought I would take the money and title!

“The café has been going for over 100 years. It all first started as a stand selling ice-cream on the beach. The Viccas family owned it back then and the same family still own it now. We have a lot of regulars who have been visiting for over 30 years. “People have become so rude and complain so much more. We often have customers coming in asking for duck eggs! What do they think this is? A Michelin star restaurant?

“We have had Westlife in for their lunch and JK Rowling. The characters in from Still Game have also visited the cafe. I once played a prank on the staff and told them that this random man was a character from Still Game. The staff gathered round him asking him questions about the show. The poor man didn’t have a clue what they were talking about!”

“People have become so rude and complain so much more”

Wendy Murray has been working at the Inversnecky cafe for over twenty years and is now the manageress.

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By Yasmin Worrall

Bacon Bodyslam By Yasmin Worrall

Scott isn’t your ordinary cafe cook! Scott Leggat aka Scotty Swift has been shaping up to be a wrestler since the age of ten. From watching Saturday afternoon wrestling with his granny as a child, Scott has been in training ever since. He remembers watching the wrestlers who were like superheroes in his eyes. Last year, Scotty Swift and others from Wrestlezone had the honour of bringing wrestling back to the Beach Ballroom for the first time in nearly three decades. Scott described it as not only a wrestling event but a city event, with the Lord Provost and city councillors in attendance. Scotty will perform again on the 10th of May at the Beach Ballroom. He promises it will be a night you won’t forget!

Humans of Aberdeen Beach

We asked walkers and workers for the quote they live their life by.

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Am

adeu

s

Amadeus was once Scotland’s largest nightclub. having being closed 13 years, Beach went to see what was

left of the super-club.By Mark Ranken and Andy McLaren

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AMADEUS Nightclub was once Aberdeen’s premier spot for revellers.

But since it’s closure in 2003 the building has fallen into serious disrepair.

With plans in place to turn the former club into shops, Beach thought it would be interesting to have a look inside the building, before it’s too late.

The club opened in 1997 and had a capacity of 2,100 people making it the biggest club in Scotland, whilst also boasting 5 bars and a moving dance floor.

Stars of the time such as Billy Piper, Timmy Mallet and Hunter from the TV show Gladia-tors visited the club’s VIP lounge which cost £500 to become a member.

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IN our pictures you can see what is left of the previous state-of-the-art club.A chequered history will mar the memories of Amadeus, closing two weeks earlier than intended after a mass brawl broke out on the final evening in business. Heavy-handed bouncers led to the super-club getting an unwanted reputation across Scot-land.The prestige clientele, who spent large amounts of money for memberships, dimin-ished into cheap student nights and shuttle busses to and from student halls.Plans have now been approved to create a new retail outlet at the Beach Boulevard site.The Amadeus and Riva Bingo complex on the Aberdeen beach front will now be turned into a DIY and furniture store after propos-als were put forward by retail company The Range.But concerns were raised about the proposal and

how it would affect the beach front’s identi-ty.Speaking to Beach, Joan Mackie, chairwom-an of Seaton, Linksfield and Pittodrie Com-munity Council, said a retail unit would not fit in with the tourist hotpot. She said: “I’m not in favour of having a DIY store at the beach because I think it could be turned into something better.“The site has the potential to reopen as a nightclub as it would be benefit the nightlife within the beach area of the city.“I cannot believe a site of this size can sit idle for so long because it has so much potential.“The plan to create a new furniture store in the area must be changed in my opinion.“The beach has a variety of restaurants which is why a furniture store will look total-ly out of place.“Hopefully the developers will change their proposals because I really don’t think this will work.”

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LITTER including “rubber teeth” is threatening the safety of beach users, an environmental charity warned today. A total of 10,174 items of rubbish – nearly a third of Scotland’s total –were recovered from North-east beaches during a massive clean-up operation.Aberdeen beach had the highest level of any stretch of coast in Scotland, with volunteers collecting 36 bags containing 2,845 separate bits of junk.In Moray 1,728 pieces of debris were found and in Angus 7,626.Scottish beach cleaners picked up 36,379 piec-es of litter on 45 beaches during the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) exercise.Speaking to Beach, Barbara West, chairwoman of MCS Aberdeen, said: “These findings are simply disgraceful and are threatening the safe-ty of beach visitors both human and animal.“It’s simply being dumped and dropped, coming in from the sea, or being blown from the land.” The amount of litter picked up across Scotland dropped by 3%. Items found included wartime scaffolding poles, a toilet flush handle, a bath plug, high heels from shoes, and rubber teeth.Gear from commercial and recreational fish-ers – line, nets, weights, floats – accounted for nearly a tenth of the litter.Around 7% had been dropped, lost or thrown overboard from small boats to massive cargo ships. The same proportion of trash was “sewage related debris” – dumped down the toilet – like nappies and cotton bud sticks.About 40% of rubbish were classed as “bits and bobs” which were hard to identify by volunteers because they may have been in the sea for decades.

teeth?Who took out their rubber

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By Andy McLaren

OVERLOOKING the sands and shore of Aber-deen Beach resides one of the city’s biggest attractions. Boasting a range of rides, games and children’s play areas, Codona’s amuse-ment park and the entertainment centre, Sunset Boulevard, really does bring the fun to Aberdeen’s Fun Beach.It can take a moment for your eyes to ad-just to the darkness of Sunset Boulevard and while stumbling forward in the gloom, jungle sounds thunder all around. When vision is restored, it becomes apparent that the intriguing sounds are coming from the crazy golf course, aptly named, The Congo Adventure Golf. It makes for a rather im-pressive sight with the crashing waterfall and numerous twists and turns around rocks and shrubbery. Walking up a few steps and moving further into the building, the jungle ambiance is replaced with loud music and a consecutive sequence of a thud, rumble and then a crash.

These are the sounds of bowling balls hurtling down the alley before (hopefully) knocking down the pins. When laying your eyes on this vast area, containing no less than 26 ten pin bowling lanes, it is rather daunting. Huge television screens are set over the ends of each lane. Further screens hang overhead, displaying the scoreboard. Despite thousands of lights flashing in all directions, the room remains fairly dimly lit, perhaps to give a more relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. With food and drink arriving at the tables situated just in front of the bowling lanes, it is easy to see how the hours could quickly pass by in here.After weaving through the groups of people in the bowling area, you will make it to the middle of Sunset Boulevard. Immediately you find yourself surrounded by the bright and flashing bulbs of dozens of machines all vying for attention.

Come to theAmusment for your

Bemusement

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By Emily Smith

THE countless tunes, voices and jingles leave visitors wondering where to look first. In par-ticular, the sound of the Deal or No Deal game blasts out the all too familiar tune around the room. On one side of the room, huge silver claws sit poised over large stuffed toys and oversized bars of chocolate. The dancing lights of the other “play to win” games reflect off of the windows of the claw machines. All around there are screams of joy and excitement as the machines spit out ticket after ticket. The length of each strip is determined by how successful the user of the game was. Children quickly grab their tickets and run to the area of the arcade where they can exchange their tickets for priz-es. With beaming smiles, they wait to see what their tickets can get them.Walking through the maze of games leads you to the end of Sunset Boulevard and to the crashing sound of coins as they are shoved out of machines. Simply known as “the 2p machines”, they consist of a sliding platform covered in coins,

mostly 2ps, or higher sums in the area for over 18’s only. You insert more coins in the hopes of pushing the money out and into your waiting pocket. These machines in particular attract visitors of all ages, all throwing away their loose coppers until they run out. However, running out of money doesn’t stop keen gamblers, as they quickly rush up to the machine which exchanges money for 2p’s. Having re-filled their plastic tubs, they return to the machine, almost always the same one, and continue to play.From the thundering sounds of the Congo golf course to the clattering money machines, Sunset Boulevard is well –prepared for enter-taining visitors of all ages. With a few options of places to eat, a children’s adventure course and more than enough games, it provides the perfect answer for entertaining both resi-dents of Aberdeen and visitors to the city, time and time again.

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By Yvonne TaylorABERDEEN has the highest population of gulls in the whole country. There is an estimated 3500 pairs of gulls across the city.It is the herring gull that is familiar at the beachfront. These birds usually feed on fish and other sea creatures. However gulls will take any opportunity to reach food, often meaning that bin bags are ripped open and those enjoying a meal outside or an ice cream on a sunny day find that they are under attack. In 2008 the City Council invested a large sum in trying to combat the problems that gulls were causing to Aberdeen’s residents and visitors. This came following reports of aggressive gulls, damage to property, and some of gulls stealing food. More bird spikes and netting designed to put the birds off nesting were installed. However, six years on, the same familiar grumbles about these “rats with wings” can still be heard. Herring gulls are a protected species. It is illegal in Scotland to intentionally or recklessly kill gulls or to cause damage to nests. It is also illegal to prevent a bird from returning to its nest.. Do we need to find ways to live more harmoniously with these birds who choose to share our city? Yes we should be able to take a stroll along the beach with a mint choc-chip cone minus the fear of an aggressive mugger appearing from the sky. And yes it would be nice to lie in on a weekend without ear-piercing dawn squawks interrupting. A lot of the complaints that people make about seagulls however could be resolved by humans playing them at their own game. For example Castlehill and Pittodrie Community Council have moved to install anti-gull bins along the beachfront and have approached businesses including Burger King for support. This project is still in its infancy. In Alaska you wouldn’t leave a steak on your front door step, because you might attract a polar bear. In Aberdeen it’s probably a good idea to put your half eaten burger in the bin afterwards, or a gull hanging about might grab him or herself lunch, effort free. These birds, however annoying they might be, deserve a bit of respect. They may not be beauties. They may not sing melodious birdsong. But they stand up to the rain and the snow and the gales and the haar, and have come out on top. If we make it more difficult for them, they are hardy enough to get on with it.

Let’s be

Friends

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IN between offshore supply boats dolphins can be seen at the mouth of Aberdeen Harbour. Aberdeen has become known as one of the best spots to watch wild dolphins in the country.The bottlenose dolphins that feed and play in the mouth of the harbour are at home in the cold waters, with populations of bottlenose dolphins living as far north as Cromarty on the east coast. Jumping and dancing in the waves the dolphins are an amazing sight. Those out for a walk along the beach stop transfixed to watch the pod leap out of the water. There is definitely enough food to go around, with lots of feeding and foraging behaviour being spotted.Mhari Cowan from the RSPB said: “You would

almost think you were watching a display, a show, but they don’t know you’re watching. You just feel an overwhelming sense of privilege to witness it.”Aberdeen’s urban dolphins are becoming better known, with BBC’s Winterwatch recently taking a trip out to capture the animals on film. Coming into summer many people park up at the Footdee end of Aberdeen beach to try and catch a glimpse of the creatures. There have even been sightings by members of the public of dolphin birth in the harbour. It is hoped that being able to spot bottlenose dolphins from the comfort of a beach café’s window table, barely any distance from the city centre, will be a growing tourist attraction for Aberdeen.

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Golf Is Coming Home Aberdeen is known for its granite walls, oil and obscene wealth. However it is the arrival of the Scottish open this July which will mean the city will be firmly back in the golfing spotlight- this

time for all the right reasons.

By Rachel TreasurerEVER since Donald Trump brought his own spectacular golf course across the Atlantic, the relationship between Aberdeen and the old sport has been controversial at best. The Trump circus upset many of the locals and has left some associating the pleasant pass time with destruction, annoyance and hassle.With many divided over the elite “trump international” it appears that the old links course situated on the shore has been forgotten. The Scottish open is here to bring Royal Aberdeen back.Royal Aberdeen Golf Club is rich with history. Holding the Walker cup in 2011 it has played host to many golfing greats, including Rory Mcilroy, Luke Donald and Aberdeen’s own golfing hero Paul Lawrie. Founded in 1780 it is one of the oldest golf courses in Scotland, managing to attract thousands of visitors in the summer. With signature holes like the “nine bunkered 8th” the course is a deliciously tricky yet fun mix, while still staying very spectator friendly.

This was perhaps the downfall of the previous tournament hosts. For the pastthree years Castle Stuart golf club, in the highlands, has been home to the Scottish open. The complete opposite of Royal Aberdeen, the club only opened in 2009 meaning it is one of Scotland’s newest golf courses. So why the sudden change of direction? Castle Stuart was modern, fun and complete with an exciting layout which had three different platforms. Beautiful to look at, but for those fans that were maybe of the older generation,constantly having to climb often very slippy muddy hills was neither practical nor safe. The open layout of Royal Aberdeen could be a stereotypical breath of fresh air for the tournament. Rory Mcilroy wasted no time confirming his participation in the tournament with Lee Westwood and last years champion Phil Michelson following suit. Whilst its predecessors did attract several big names, Royal Aberdeen will have a field which will definitely outclass previous years. As for its ability to live up to the hype- lets just hope at least the weather is on side!

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THE days of Sir Alex Ferguson and a European conquering football team taking part in training sessions on the Aberdeen sand are long gone. But the beach was the scene at the start of Aberdeen Football Club’s mini revival at the hands of Derek McInnes. After suffering for years of mediocrity, McInnes has managed to turn the fortunes of the club right around. Producing the clubs first trophy in 19 years, looking set to finish second in the league, and a semi-final to get to a first Scottish cup final in 14 years all produced in one season. The beach has played a role in all of it.

Pre-season training, which saw many of the new players brought into the club by McInnes learn the Aberdeen style of play, took place at the beach. Five-a-side games and the gruelling hill runs took place on the sand, with the grass pitch close by being home to the more technical drills. Thirty one years have passed since Aberdeen triumphed over Real Madrid in the European Cup Winners Cup Final, and going back to the old ways has seen McInnes deliver Aberdeen’s most successful season in decades.

Training facilities have always been a problem for the Football club, with players not signing for Aberdeen as they don’t have their own training ground.

Aberdeen’s class of 83 didn’t complain when they were being battered by the North Sea wind, and expected to play world class football when the sea water was up to their ankles. Alex Ferguson installed a winning mentality to his team, and a five-a-side game in the snow on the sand meant as much to his players as the final of the clubs finest hour. Strachan, Miller, Leighton, McLeish, Black, Hewitt. The Aberdeen squad from the Cup Winners Cup final had 315 Scotland caps between 16 players. Those European champions did all their match preparation at the beach, a short walk from Pittodrie stadium.

Now, McInnes has installed the same mentali-ty to his players. It’s little wonder that the club has delivered its first trophy in close to twenty years, and are firm favourites to complete the double by securing the Scottish Cup to go in the trophy cabinet alongside the League cup. Players didn’t mind at training on the difficult surface, as McInnes made it clear if they can control a pass on the beach, they would have no problem doing it in a game. Becoming European champions again is out of the question for Aberdeen, but by sticking to the basics and utilising the beach sand, McInnes would hope to sustain Aberdeen as one of the strongest teams in the country.

From Fittie to Footie!

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By Liam Duncan

Captain Jax

Rachel- WALKING through the doors, met by an array of choice, I was instantly excit-ed! Each fantastically designed treat came with its own burst of colour, unlike the rest. Opting for the most unusual “blue marsh-mallow” flavour I am dismayed to say I regretted my decision! The equivalent to a mouthful of pure sugar- I think I really am a vanilla girl at heart.

Yvonne- AT first glance you’d think that Captain Jax is the place to go for ice cream at the beach. There’s a massive selection with everything on offer from Irn Bru sor-bet and blue marshmallow to the more tra-ditional chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. I opted for a Scottish tablet scoop to satisfy my sweet tooth. I was disappointed with my choice. The sweet chunks in the ice cream were not like any tablet I’d ever eaten, much more like toffee. The ice cream was powdery and tasted like chemicals. Defi-nitely not the best.

Inversnecky CaféRachel- LIVING in Scotland, there are several things instilled into the core diet of a Scotsman- Haggis, Irn Bru and of course Rizzas Ice cream. That is what makes Inversnecky café a winner! Several traditional Rizzas ice cream flavours to choose from- what true Scotsman (or woman!) could possibly be disappointed! I am of course no exception- the chocolate chip was divine!

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Ice Cream Wars

We sent our reporters Rachel Treasurer and Yvonne Taylor

to sample some of the best ice cream the beach has to offer

Yvonne- I LOVED my cone from the ‘Snecky. Although it might not be as classy as the ice cream next door, it’s really good (and one of the cheapest on the promenade). They’ve updated their selection over the past couple of years, and now chocolate dipped cones are available too, alongside classics like oysters and chocolate sliders. The ice cream is from Rizzas of Huntly, and the café stocks all the usuals you would expect. I don’t think my mint choc chip cone could have been beaten.

Pavillion

Rachel- “The Pavillion”- even the name sounds expensive! A pleasant relief from the difficult decision I had to make at Cap-tian Jax, I decided to play it safe with a vanilla. With a generous scoop loaded onto a chocolate cone I did not leave disappoint-ed! The true star of the beach boulevard!

Yvonne- THE Pavillion stocks some of the higher end ice cream to be found along the beach. It has a huge selection of cones and toppings to add and the scoops could not be described as stingy. I got a huge scoop of strawberry in a chocolate dipped cone. Although it may be slightly pricier than its neighbours, you’re paying for the quality. My ice cream had real strawberry pieces through it.

Ice Cream Wars

We sent our reporters Rachel Treasurer and Yvonne Taylor

to sample some of the best ice cream the beach has to offer

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Editor - Yasmin Worrall

Sub Editor - Rachel Treasurer

Design Editor - Mark Ranken

Image Editor - Emily Smith

Advertisements - Kirstie Marshall

Features Editor - Yvonne Taylor

Sports Editor - Liam Duncan

Production Editor - Andy McLaren