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Photo of a beatles sculpture for Blog Post on Global Beatles Day

Global Beatles Day

25/06/2023 / / 0 Comments

Global Beatles Day

June 25th

Good morning, Good morning, Twist and shout! it’s the 25th of June. So grab your magical mystery tour ticket to ride, because it’s Global Beatles Day. Furthermore, there’s not a blue meanie insight. So whether you’re a beautiful dreamer or day tripper. Take a swift step back in musical time to find out more about Global Beatles Day.

Can you dig it?

This unofficial holiday is an opportunity for people from all around the world to come together and celebrate the lasting impact the Beatles have had on music history, pop culture and the lives of generations of music lovers. The Band is regarded as the most influential group of all time, a leader of the era’s youth and social movements and influenced the counterculture of the 1960s.

Their experimentation with recording techniques and musical styles resulted in popular music being accepted as an art form. They revolutionised numerous areas of the music industry through pioneering recording techniques, songwriting and artistic presentation. So, if you’re a fan, or you’ve never heard of the Beatles, now’s the perfect time to delve into their work.

The back story: A beginning almost like it was Yesterday:

In 1956 the Band came to the attention of Brian Epstein, a local Liverpool record store manager. He saw their talent and potential for mass appeal. It wasn’t long before the world would be introduced to the Beatles, and the frenzy-based mania they would cause, which UK press aptly went on to call Beatlemania. But first, the band needed a recording deal, which was secured with Parlophone, a subsidiary of the giant EMI group of music labels.

Do you want to know a secret?

Once signed with Parlophone, George Martin became the band’s producer. He was referred to as the fifth Beatle, because of his in-depth involvement with each of the Beatle’s original Albums. Also, he suggested firing drummer Pete Best, who’d been part of the group since 1960. Subsequently replacing him with Ringo Starr, who was a more seasoned drummer.

The boys were also fondly referred to as the Fab 4: Though Lennon and McCartney had been performing together since 1957, with various individuals and changing band names from Quarry Men to the Silver Beatles. Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison recorded together for the first time in 1962.

I’ve got a feeling:

Try to act naturally, but the fans just couldn’t, the mayhem the band caused just by being present here, there and everywhere brought with it an unprecedented level of chaos. The band first appeared on British Television in 1963 and Brain Epstein’s hunch about the band’s mass appeal was correct. Additionally, their songs, popularity and influence made them the centre of attention and admiration for the hopes and dreams of a generation, that came of age in the 60s, and had something to say.

Getting better

A year later they took the states by storm, appearing on American Television and flying high in pop culture. The level of their popularity is encapsulated in the Beatles film A Hard Day’s Night

Here Comes The Sun:

Notably, June 25, 1967, was seen as the pinnacle of “The Summer of Love”, and saw the first-ever live global satellite television link to 26 countries worldwide, broadcasting the BBC’s Our World programme to an audience of 400 million viewers. With none other than the Beatles attending to perform “All you need is Love”. It was for this very reason the first Global Beatles Day was celebrated on June 25th 2009, by Beatles fan Faith Cohen. Faith referred to the idea as “a thank you or love letter to The Beatles”. This idea proved to be a popular means by which fans worldwide, old and new, continue to connect and celebrate the musical legacy of the Beatles.

Goodbye, the end:

I guess all things must pass, and this is where I must leave you. The band formally broke up in 1970. The group members did go on to have solo hits and collaborate with other artists. But don’t let this stop you, because, like many people worldwide, you can listen to the Beatles anytime at all. There’s a wealth of information out there on the band and its members.

If you’re a student or lecturer check out bob (Box of Broadcasts) to watch some of the Beatle’s films or documentaries like:

  • A Hard Day’s night
  • Help!
  • Magical Mystery Tour
  • The Yellow Submarine
Just for fun

If you had to pick 3 of your favourite Beatles songs which, would they be?

Having read the blog, did you spot The Beatles song titles hidden in the text, what are they? and how many are there?

By Mo Almas

——

Thinking about studying a music course, why not look at what Napier University has to offer in Music study

Read more on our blog with articles like:

Image SOurce: Photo by Fedor on Unsplash

image of The Kelpies sculpture at Falkirk for blog post International Faerie Day

International Faerie Day

24/06/2023 / / 0 Comments

International Faerie Day: A Scottish History

So, before we go any further. One thing…don’t call them Faeries! For they most certainly do not like it. Fair folk is fine but remember to show the utmost respect as they enjoy playing tricks on humans and take very badly to perceived slights. Though there is the odd kind faerie, most of them are mischievous at best, and terrifying at worst.

Scotland and Faerie History

In Scotland, Fairies are traditionally called Seelie or Unseelie from the word ‘seilie’ in Scots, which means Happy or Lucky (source). Also known by the fair folk, elevs, good people and many other names. In Gaelic they were called Daoine Sith meaning ‘people of peace’ (not because they were peaceful mind, but as an act of fearful respect).[1] In Gaidhealtachd, the Scots Gaelic oral storytelling tradition they were called the “still folk” or “silently moving people,” spelt SITH and pronounced SHEE [2].

We have mentions of them throughout the last 1000 years of recorded history, which is pretty incredible. Some of our earliest sources are from poems like Thomas the Rhymer, Tam Lin and The Elfin Knight.

Protection

Throughout Scottish History, there are many records of Faeries being blamed for people’s misfortune, from crops failing and cream curdling to lost children.

To protect themselves superstitions grew around how to protect oneself. Wearing rowan berries or decorating your home with them was one. Carrying Iron was another. There were also the acts of Saining or maistir. Saining involves the burning pine cones or metal-imbued water being sprinkled over a new mother and her child. Maistir, a rather more unpleasant choice involved stale urine. This was placed on windows and doors to keep out Faeries…and everyone else probably [3].

It was believed that every source of water from a well to a loch had its own Faerie protector. One must appease these protectors with gifts and respect. This is perhaps why we find so many precious items from the past in them.

Famous Scottish Fair Folk

Apart from Nessie, is any other creature more famous in Scotland now than The Kelpies? The stunning sculptures pay homage to a terrifying creature, half man, half horse. Said to trick the unwary into rides on his back, only to drag them into the water and drown them. Gulp!

The sad tales of Selkies are another well-spun story. Beautiful creatures who take on human form when they remove their seal-like skin. Humans would fall in love with them and trap them by hiding their skins. Preventing the Selkies from returning to their homes. These tales always end in heartbreak when the Selkie finally frees itself and returns to the water where it belongs.

A lesser-known being (I only heard about them when researching this article!) is the Scottish Faerie Vampire. Baobhan Sith. Known to devour their male victims and take their hearts [4].

Not that they were all bad! Wee sprites and Brownies would favour children and help them out in times of peril. The well-known Ghillie Dhu or Gille Dubh was thought to be a kindly sort, devoted to children.

Places to visit

One of the best places for Faerie fun in Scotland is the Isle of Skye. With its well-known Fairy Pools and  Fairy Glen. Take a brave dip in a pool and see who you might meet! or wander the glen just as dusk falls and keep your eyes open.

Although not actual Kelpies thank goodness, Scotland’s stunning sculptural artwork of them is well worth a visit. Also, whenever you are on the coast keep your eyes peeled for both Selkies and Kelpies, but don’t get too close.

No matter where you are in the Scottish countryside, you will find faerie circles hidden in woods or mystical glens to wander through. Just keep your wits about you or you could disappear into the faerie court for 100 years in the blink of an eye!

By Juliet Kinsey

Library Resources

Read more about the subject of Faeries on Librarysearch.napier.ac.uk.

How about this article by Moir Marquis, Otherworld Here: On the Ecological Possibilities of Faeries

or this book: The Virtue of Temperance in the Faerie Queene

To learn about all things fairytale and Celtic, read The Golden Bough.

Why not learn more about History in our blog post on May Day?

References

[1]Henderson, L. & Cowan, E.J., 2001. Scottish fairy belief: a history, East Linton: Tuckwell Press

[2] & [3] https://www.guide-collective.com/gc-magazine/fairies-the-still-folk-of-scotland

[4] https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15583075.scottish-myths-legends-vampire-fairies-shape-shifting-selkies-loch-ness-monster/

Sources

https://www.scotland.com/blog/faeries-in-scottish-folklore/

https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/stories/fairy-belief-fairy-tales-scotland

https://www.guide-collective.com/gc-magazine/fairies-the-still-folk-of-scotland

https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15583075.scottish-myths-legends-vampire-fairies-shape-shifting-selkies-loch-ness-monster/

https://www.nordicvisitor.com/blog/mythical-scotland-exploring-the-legends/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghillie_Dhu

 

Can music improve your wellbeing and health? Blog post Image of headphones

World Music Day 2023 🎵

21/06/2023 / / 0 Comments

World Music Day 2023: Fête de la Musique

Is there anything better than when your favourite song comes on? Whatever grey clouds are there, good music brings a little bit of sunshine. And that’s what World Music Day 2023 🎵 is all about.  An annual celebration that occurs every 21st of June, originating in France.

The first ever World Music Day took place in Paris in 1982, organised by the Minister of Culture for France. Its objective was to promote music by encouraging amateur and professional musicians to perform in the streets and organising free concerts to make more music accessible. Since it first began, over 130 countries have taken part in celebrations, as well as over 1000 cities worldwide.

Why not try out some World music events right here in Edinburgh this summer! Check out what’s on here.

Resources for World Music Day 2023 🎵

The library has a wide range of musical databases that celebrate musical talent which you can find at our LibGuides

Or search for the vast amount of music scores and CDs available through LibrarySearch 

And of course, our Spotify account!

SO why not spend this day wrapped up in music? Listen to all your favourite songs and dance like no one is watching!

By Maya Green

Find out more about what the Library has to offer over the summer here.

Photo by C D-X on Unsplash

Bike Week 2023: On yer bike! cyclist on bike

Bike Week 2023

05/06/2023 / / 0 Comments

Bike Week 2023

No disrespect to Giovanni Fontana. I’m sure he meant well, but that bike he designed way back in 1418 really wasn’t practical.  For a start, it had 4 wheels and its gears were connected by rope. Still, he was on to something, and a mere 400 years later German baron, Karl von Drais, invented what is regarded as the first modern bicycle – or the steerable running machine as he called it. So what if it didn’t have pedals and the rider had to push it along the ground with his feet? It was the big bang of cycling – the realisation that mechanized personal transportation was a thing, and that thing was here to stay.

Not long afterwards the first pedal-driven bicycle with rear wheel drive was invented by a Scotsman – yay! He was either Kirkpatrick MacMillan or Thomas McCall. It’s been disputed since the 1860s – and that’s when cycling really started to, erm, motor.

Today, of course, bike technology is so advanced that there is a type and model for every type of cyclist, whether you’re into racing, mountain-biking, recreational weekend tootling, getting to work or just nipping down to the shops. And of course, cycling is not just a convenient way to get around, it’s healthy and good for the environment too.

According to charity, Cycling UK, British cyclists notched up 5.03 billion miles in 2020, and the trend is going up by an average of 3 billion every year.  We’re still lagging well behind our European neighbours, though.  Out of 28 countries surveyed, the UK came 25th for cycling.  So let’s all get saddled up and bump up those statistics.

Bike Week 2023

This month national Bike Week takes place from the 5th to the 11th of June. To see how you can get involved, see here:

Bike Week 2023 | Cycling UK

And for more local information, check out: Edinburgh Festival of Cycling | Cycling UK

We at Edinburgh Napier are keen to promote safe cycling in and around the city.  To see what resources are available and how we can encourage you to get on your bike, please see here:

Cycling (napier.ac.uk)

By Lesley McRobb

Exercise is a great way to practise self-care and get fit. For more ideas why not check out some of the books here.

banner image for A Quick Guide to Using Boolean: Top 5 Tricks

A Quick Guide to Using Boolean: Top 5 Tricks

29/05/2023 / / 0 Comments

A Quick Guide to Using Boolean: Top 5 Tricks

Improve your search results with Boolean search operators.

Introduction to Boolean

First off, what the heck is Boolean you may be asking? Boolean search operators are simple terms like AND, OR and NOT or modifiers like quotation marks “”, parentheses () or an asterix*. You use these in conjunction with your search terms to help narrow down your search.

Most search engines, databases and of course library catalogues allow you to use these when looking for books or articles.

Top Tip 1: AND

This makes sure that your search results include all the words you need.

e.g. Zombies AND Aliens

It will remove any results that do not contain all these terms.

Top Tip 2: NOT

This is a great option for editing out results when searching.

e.g. Apocalypse AND Zombies NOT Aliens

Top Tip 3: Quotation marks “”

Quotation marks are one of my favourite search modifiers. Use them to make sure you have an exact match returned. This can be handy for a book or article title if you know exactly what you are looking for.

e.g. “Brave new world”

Top Tip 4: Asterix *

This little “star” is better known as a wildcard and is a pro tip for those who struggle with spelling or want to find results with a variation of the keyword.

e.g. If you use it with say the word Develop* it will return results including “development,” “developer,” and “developing.”

Top Tip 5: Parentheses ()

This is where you can start to get fancy! Use parentheses to group together keywords and control the order they will be searched for.

e.g. (Alien OR Zombie) AND Apocalypse

Now there is another Boolean operator OR (seen above helping out the zombie and alien search) which didn’t make the top 5 but is definitely top 6. Use OR to allow results using multiple keywords.

e.g. (Aliens OR Zombies OR Kittens) AND Apocalypse.

Combining Terms

The best thing about Boolean is it allows you to combine all these operators to make highly specific searches saving you time and effort trawling through pages of results.

e.g. (Aliens OR Zombies) AND Apocalypse AND “Tuesday Morning” Start*

LibrarySearch

Our LibrarySearch Library catalogue helps you to get started with this. Simply click on “Advanced Search” and you will see options to use Boolean operators.

Screenshot of Librarysearch Boolean search operators

So why not give them a go today!

By Juliet Kinsey

Read more study tips in our article on preparing for exams.

 

Celebrating Edward de Bono image and quote saying "If you wait for opportunities to occur, you will miss them"

Celebrating Edward de Bono

19/05/2023 / / 1 Comment

Celebrating Edward de Bono

To celebrate Edward de Bono’s birthday on the 19th May here is a short post about his life.

Who is Edward de Bono?

Edward de Bono was a Maltese/British businessman, born on this day in 1933. He made it his mission to teach his thinking methods to governments and businesses around the world. He wrote 84 books that have been translated into 46 languages, but he’s perhaps best known for his “six thinking hats”.  These six hats – or different aspects of thinking – are colour coded to denote control, creativity, feelings, positivity, caution and factual information.

De Bono believed that by learning how to use these different ways of thinking, we can all become more effective and work with greater collaboration and communication in our personal and professional lives. It was his passion to prove that creative and effective thinking can be taught and learned using structures and systematic techniques.

While his business methods became hugely influential, de Bono was not without his detractors. Some academic critics say his ideas weren’t tested and don’t stand up to scrutiny when they are.

Lateral Thinking

When Edward de Bono coined the term “lateral thinking” in 1967, he wasn’t inventing a new concept. Instead, it was just a different way of looking at an old one.  De Bono took his inspiration from the behaviour of self-organizing information systems and insisted that the best thinking didn’t have to be linear, sequential or logical, but could also move sideways. The term lateral thinking became so popular that it soon entered the Oxford English Dictionary.

Why not make up your own mind? We have his full range of titles which you’ll find by logging into LibrarySearch.

Check out: Teach yourself to think, Simplicity or The happiness purpose to begin opening your mind.

To mark his birthday, I’m going to dip into one or two of his books. I’m new to this thinking lark, so I’m going to start off with the basics:

By Lesley McRobb

Read more on our blog by Lesley like International Haiku Poetry Day

limerick image

National Limerick Day

12/05/2023 / / 0 Comments

National Limerick Day

National Limerick Day celebrates Limericks. A limerick is a short, often humorous, and sometimes rude poem consisting of five lines. The first, second and fifth lines should rhyme with each other, and the third and fourth lines should rhyme with each other. The first line usually introduces a person and place, and the place name will be at the end of the line eg.

There was a Young Lady of Dorking,
Who bought a large bonnet for walking;
But its colour and size,
So bedazzled her eyes,
That she very soon went back to Dorking.

This establishes the rhyme scheme for the second and fifth lines. Due to their short and simple structure limericks are a popular form among amateur poets.

Although the word “limerick” is a reference to the Irish city and county, it may be derived from a form of nonsense verse parlour game which included the line “Will/won’t you come up to Limerick” and it is believed that limericks actually originated in England.

Edward Lear

They were popularized by Edward Lear in his books A Book of Nonsense (1846) and More Nonsense Pictures, Rhymes, Botany, etc (1872). He wrote 212 limericks which would accompany an absurd illustration on the same subject. Amongst the most famous of these is the opening poem from A Book of Nonsense:

https://napier.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/44NAP_INST/n96pef/alma9923649263602111

Feeling inspired? Why not try writing your own limerick, you might be interested in reading more about them. You can use LibrarySearch to access several e-books and articles. And if you are interested in poetry there are over 1,500 poetry books at Merchiston campus library and thousands more e-books available online. You can also read Edward Lear’s work online here.

By Vivienne Hamilton

 

Read more articles on unusual days such as May the Fourth and World sleep day

Wild Animals of Scotland Update. Image of an Osprey

Wild Animals of Scotland Update

06/04/2023 / / 0 Comments

Wild Animals of Scotland Update

Ospreys in 2023

Here is a wee wild animals of Scotland update. For those of you who have followed Scotland’s osprey visitors in previous years, we have some great news! NC0 and her mate LM12 have returned to Loch of the Lowes and have been getting the nest ready and it looks like there’s one egg so far. The webcam is live so you can follow the birds and hopefully their young over the summer months.

 

Not to be outdone by his Perthshire cousins Louis has returned to the Loch Arkaig nest in record time and is busy fishing and looking out for his mate Dorcha.

Hopefully, there will be plenty to see on the webcams over the summer!

Wildcats

Furthermore, in very exciting news the first-ever Scottish wildcat release has been approved. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) will oversee the trial release of these endangered wildcats into the Cairngorms National Park. These beautiful creatures have become almost extinct. Years of habitat loss, persecution and hybridisation with domestic cats have brought the Scottish wildcat population to the brink of extinction. (source). Hopefully, this plan will help to save these “Highland Tigers”.

Beavers

In addition, another animal that was successfully introduced was the Scottish beaver back in 2009 and things are going well with a growing population. Similarily to the Wildcats this began as a trial and has now seen the beaver population reach over one thousand.

Managing Ecosystems

The reintroduction and conservation of Wildlife, however, is a complicated matter, with many factors involved. You can read more on these subjects using Librarysearch.co.uk 

Read more on the Ospreys in earlier articles on them like this one: The Ospreys have returned

By Vivienne Hamilton

 

Photo by Jongsun Lee on Unsplash

Stress Awareness Month promotional image

Stress Awareness Month

04/04/2023 / / 0 Comments

  Stress awareness month

April is stress awareness month, its aim is to remind us of the importance of taking time to pause and understand what the purpose of stress is, our triggers, how it affects us physically and mentally, and the impact it has in our day-to-day lives. 

It began in April 1992 in response to the rising crisis that stress has caused in our society. It is designed to open up conversations about stress in our lives and remove some of the stigmas around talking about stress.

This Year

The month also allows us to look at the methods that can be applied to help us deal with stress and become more resilient. Furthermore, it asks us to take a holistic approach to stress looking at not only our minds but the health of our bodies also.

The 30 Day Challenge

This year Stress.org.uk is challenging people to pick one action each for their Physical, Mental and Emotional Well-being to carry out every day. This is based on the idea that it takes 30 days to create a new habit. For instance, Why not try taking the stairs instead of the lift, eat one extra vegetable with Dinner or make a little time each day to meditate. Check out their website for more ideas.

University Resources

Look out for various activities and events that may be happening in your workplace or online. You can visit your staff Internet’s Health & Wellbeing page to see what services are available.

For students, visit your University’s Wellbeing page, and see what they offer. This may include signposting you to other organizations.

Additionally, Students at Edinburgh Napier University can access the Student Wellbeing, Support and Inclusion page using the following link: Wellbeing Support and Inclusion

Or perhaps you would like to look at the various resources our library offers, by visiting the Libguide’s Wellbeing Collection page.

Why not check out our Virtual Relaxation Space for a wide range of activities to relax with.

 

Above all, The most important thing to take away is, you are not alone and there is help available.

Information related to stress can also be found on the NHS website and there is support available from many sources through the University Webpages.

 

Sharing ideas:

What do you do to relieve stress, let us know in the comments? 

 

How to reduce stress:

Meditation

Breathing Exercises

Go for walks in nature

Spend time with loved ones

Exercise

Playing games

 

By Mo Almas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clocks going forward 2023 blog post banner of analogue alarm clock

Clocks going forward 2023

24/03/2023 / / 0 Comments

Clocks going forward 2023

It’s now springtime. Days and nights are getting longer and it will soon be time to put the clocks forward as daylight saving time or British Summer Time (BST) begins. Don’t be late for work or that important meet-up with friends. Remember that the clocks go forward in the UK at 01:00 on Sunday, March 26 2023. If you would like to learn more about daylight saving time, click on the link below:

https://www.timeanddate.com/time/dst/

Make the most of the longer summer nights by getting out and about in the fresh air. Exercise is good for both physical and mental health. Read how extra daylight is good for our health by following the link below:

https://www.southwales.ac.uk/news/news-2022/daylight-savings-how-an-hour-of-extra-sunlight-can-benefit-your-mental-health/

By Vivienne Hamilton

Image by Photo by Abdul A on Unsplash

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