The 76th Oldmeldrum Sports & Highland Games

I was delighted to be asked to officially open this event at Oldmeldrum as this again was something new for me. It was also a great honour as I saw the list of stars from all over the country who had opened the event in the past. This year the event was supporting UCAN which of course I have supported a lot this year.

The only unfortunate thing was that the games coincided with a photo shoot I was already booked for mid afternoon. Although I would have loved to have stayed much longer and enjoy the delights of this event, I sadly couldn’t. The evening’s entertainment sounded like fun too in the form of a marquis disco.

However regardless of my hectic schedule, I was treated to a wonderful meal at Lochter Fisheries with fantastic company again, this time my thanks in particular to Murray Duguid and Jim Davidson.

We were then driven up to the games in a vintage car used in Doctor Findlay’s Casebook and it was soon time for me to perform my Official Opening.

The weather had not been good all morning but by this time there were breaks in the sky and the sun eventually showed its face.

Led in by the massed pipe bands was a sound to behold and we did the circuit a couple to times waving to everyone whilst being filmed.

After a few speeches it was then my turn to open the event. Then I could relax!
I was photographed with the Heavy Events men. Boy I looked so small next to the ripple of so many muscles. These men are HUGE! Oldmeldrum Sports and Highland Games was a fantastic event with so much to see, samba drummers, falconry, highland dancing, tossing the caber, puppet shows, fun fair rides and stalls and of course the marathon. The floats competition was wonderful, let on by tractors with children’s groups all dressed up to different themes. Such a lot of work went into making those and they all deserved a prize.

Two of my cousins arrived as they live near and Broghan {age 9} took great delight in coming round the event with me and being photographed. It all added to a special day for me and was featured in many local newspapers.

I was very impressed with the amount of organising that went in to making this much a special day for Oldmeldrum and can quite see why this is the 76th event. Sadly I had to be whisked away just as the road marathon started to attend my next appointment. Hopefully I will get the chance to spend more time there next year.

Beauty and the Beast

This was a very unusual photo shoot – to be photographed with a very heavily pregnant Highland Cow called Heather!

La’Orr Boutique had arranged this so I could model a new tartan corset and skirt emblazoned with embroidered thistles. The corset was made in the Saltire Tartan and was to be the first of its kind.

I have never stood next to such a big animal and there were a few photos of me with a very scared look on my face, especially when the rest of the herd approached. Some of these can be viewed in the new edition of Dedicated 2 Weddings magazine.

Tom Dodson of Caledonian Photography was on hand this time. He is a dab hand at taking animal photographs and covers a lot of the gymkhanas in the area. www.caledonianphotography.com  

Helen Taylor who owns the farm was a perfect host and a mean photographer too. She has an amazing website about the flora and fauna of the area and this too is well worth a look www.windyhills.org

All in all although a very busy day, it was one I will not forget.
Heather had a bull calf a week later!

Granite City Limos

Next up was a photo shoot for Granite City Limos, something I had promised Jim {the owner} for some time. He takes me around for quite a lot of my promotions around the area. www.granitecitylimos.co.uk

It also came at a great time to get promotional photographs of the two fantastic gowns I wore at Miss Commonwealth International 2006. Picked up in the stretched limo we headed down to pick up the photographer, Graham Millar of Quartz Photography www.quartzphotography.com and we headed around Aberdeen to encapsulate the beautiful Granite City.

It was quite bemusing for spectators to see a beauty queen in full evening dress on a Sunday afternoon and I was met by waves form passers by and tooting of car horns.
Happy with those shoots it was then back to the photo studio for more still shots.

Everyone happy, it was then home to enjoy the rest of the sunny day and have a barbecue.

Queen of the Commonwealth

Last weekend I travelled to London for the three day Miss Commonwealth International event.

I was very honoured to be crowned Miss Commonwealth Charity International 2006 AND Miss Commonwealth Scotland.

Joined by over 100 women from all over the world from as far afield as New Zealand, Africa, Canada and The Caribbean it was wonderful to see so many different cultures. 
My favourite part of the event was the National Costume, although the Dressed to Kill eveningwear was a close second.

From Rio carnival costumes to African warriors it was a fantastic array of colour.
I wore the famous Saltire Gown which shot to fame at NY Tartan Day Dressed to Kilt on loan from a company I now front, Thistle & Broom.

My Dressed to kill eveningwear was a specially commissioned stunning purple silk with a huge Spirit of Scotland tartan train joined at the front with a Celtic Amethyst clasp designed and made by Lisa Orr of La’Orr Boutique.

I was interviewed by Sky TV and many subsidiary television companies who were filming the prestigious event about my role a Miss Commonwealth Scotland
I met some lovely girls and some amazing people including Nelson Mandella’s grandson.

I have even been invited to Malaysia as a special guest to attend their biggest Asian pageant Miss Malaysiaindian Global and visit the children of the Massai Warriors.
I have to thank my sponsors D2Marketing for making it possible to attend the event and Ben Moss, the official photographer on the night www.fleetingimages.co.uk.
More info also available on www.aboutaberdeen.com

Television Advert is here!

Barclays of Perth a large Scottish furniture company were so pleased with the last television advertisements I featured in that they asked me back a few weeks ago to film more.

It is lovely to get the chance of something a bit different from a photo shoot, although I never tire of those, but it’s always nice to experience other challenges.

We had a great day filming in Perth and it was brilliant to see that there are at least two different adverts running in the Grampian area at the moment.

Usually on mid morning, around lunchtime, then at prime time either just before Emmerdale, between Emmerdale and Corrie or just after.

Keep a look out. The adverts are also used in magazines and newspapers.

Northsound 1
Live with Greigsy & Pete!

Just before I headed off to Miss Commonwealth International, Greigsy bet Pete on Northsound 1 that Pete couldn’t get me into the studio for the Greigsy at Breakfast Show.

No sooner had I heard this when I received the call to ask if this was possible.
Northsound sponsored me when I first took the Miss Aberdeen title for Miss Commonwealth UK which seems an age away. Naturally the rest of my International success is history and I feel indebted to Northsound for their support.

What fun we had doing a rendition of Mr Northsound 1 2006. From recitals of poetry and baking me cakes I had to judge which of the boys best suited the bill of a Beauty Queen or rather KING! Naturally I had to declare it a draw.

Duly crowned, sashes on and photos taken, I gave the boys a brief incite into beauty pageant life.

From the response I received after the show from listeners I think this particular show had been a great success and I would return to Northsound anytime.
Photos on  http://www.flickr.com/photos/jules36

August 2006

Sorry this is better late than never, but when you read on you will understand that things have been even more hectic than the norm. Not that it’s ever normal for me…………………

August is on the whole a quieter time with the summer holidays and all events tend to slow down a bit.

Official Opening of the David Lloyd Sports Centre

I was very fortunate to be invited to attend the official opening of this fantastic sports centre in Aberdeen.
Meeting up with former acquaintances like football legend Willie Miller and my good friend Peter Mitchell from the Press & Journal, it was a friendly and relaxed occasion where we enjoyed a tour round this amazing centre as well as food and drink in the wonderful sunshine.
I keep promising myself that I will join this centre but commitments have made this rather difficult of late. Well that’s my excuse…………………….

Dedicated 2 Weddings Magazine

Once again I featured heavily in this magazine on the run up to my impending wedding to Mark in October.
The magazine featured articles about the Emmerdale wedding dress I modelled which was auctioned for the UCAN charity I have supported this year.
I also featured in several advertisements for the wedding company I front, La’Orr Boutique, as well as the storyline about the run up to the wedding and my wedding organiser, Sherida Bain’s support……………………..
Much more to follow as a lot is a closely guarded secret for the next magazine…………………………………………………………..

News of the World

A storyline featured in this national tabloid about my win at Miss Commonwealth International and how I had been invited to Africa to visit the Masai warriors and help them build a school for the children.
If only it was that easy…………………
I have met Jenifer Matui on several occasions at Miss Commonwealth International events. She is Mrs Commonwealth Africa and is desperately trying to raise money for the tribe’s children in the village where she comes from. This is a very political and difficult task and many of the Miss Commonwealth girls are trying to raise awareness about the abstract poverty these villagers face.

Adverts, adverts, adverts…………………….

New advertisements appeared throughout the North and North East where I modelled for the Banff Wedding Exhibition organised by La’Orr Boutique.