1 . Volunteering

Volunteers are the heart of Scottish Mountain Rescue, which was founded in 1965. Our 25 Member Teams are made up entirely of volunteers (around 850 of them in total). Mountain Rescue volunteers are people drawn from all walks of life. They together provide tens of thousands of hours of service to the country saving many lives each year. They are ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

What it takes to join a Mountain Rescue Team:

·Experienced hill walker or mountaineer

·Have a full mountain kit with suitable mountaineering clothing and personal equipment

·Under 75 years old

·Knowledge of basic first aid, a first aid certificate would be preferable

·Have a reasonable level of fitness

·Live in or close to the geographical area that the team you wish to join covers

·Have made a commitment to remain in the area of the team that you wish to join for a reasonable period

How to join

Please find your local team and use the map to locate your nearest team. Please contact the team to find out if they are currently recruiting (招募) and to find out more about their joining criteria (标准).

Our roles are flexible and can fit in with your schedule, whether you want to contribute regularly or occasionally. Please check the News pages for details of current recruiting or contact us at info@scottishmountainrescue.org to find out more about volunteering for Scottish Mountain Rescue.

If you think we could do better please contact Elsie Riley, by calling our office on 01479 861370 or email elsie@scottishmountainrescue.org and we will deal with your complaint quickly.

2 . Best cheap family vacation in the US

No other place on earth is like Yellowstone National Park. With challenging hikes into the backcuntry as well as disabled-accessible (可到达的) wooden boardwalks, the wonders of Yellowstone re for everyone. Bring a tent and get here early to take advantage of the affordable campgrounds, seven of which are first-come, first-served and five require reservations, all with fire pits for barbecues.

Hunter Mountain is an all-year-round destination. During the summer, there are paths to hike, trails to mountain bike along, nearby streams to play in and so much open space. During the winter, it’s one of a few locations on the east coast that offers really good skiing and snowboarding runs.

Seek fun in the sun in Destin, Florida, known for its fishing spots, white sand beaches and being less expensive than other popular destinations in the stale. Family-friendly activities include boating, snorkeling, parasailing or just strolling along the Destin Harbor Boardwalk. Use the money you saved for a sunset ride on &glass-bottom boat or a high-speed racer.

To really impress your kids, head to Sequoia Canyon National Park where they can meet General Grant, the second largest tree in the world. The park also boasts 240 caves, parts of the Kings River, and the towering Moro Rock. Sequoia National Park also has some of the darkest skies in the country, making it one of the best places to observe the night sky.

3 . Check out what’s coming soon, and what’s in development. Playbill will update these listings when new information is made available.

THE COLLABORATION at Samuel J. Friedman Theatre

The play tells a true story in New York. Fifty-six-year-old Warhol’s star is falling. Jean is the new wonder-kid taking the art world by storm. When Jean agrees to work together with Warhol on a new exhibition, it soon becomes the talk of the city. The two artists set foot on a shared journey, both artistic and deeply personal, which redraws both their worlds.

ALMOST FAMOUS at Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre

Based on the 2,000 film of the same name, the musical features Pulitzer winner Kitt and a book by Crowe, who earned an Oscar award for penning the original film based on his own teenage experience. The coming-of-age story tracks a 15-year-old music fan named William who follows the emerging band Stillwater on tour.

THE PIANO LESSON at Ethel Barrymnore Theatre

The play is the fourth in Wilson’s Century Cycle, which digs into the Black experience in every decade of the 20th century. Set in Pittsburgh’s Hill District in 1936, it centers around a brother and a sister involved in a battle over a piano carved with the faces of their ancestors.

KIMBERLY AKIMBO at Booth Theatre

Kim is a bright and funny high school girl, who happens to look like a 72-year-old lady. And yet her aging disease may be the least of her problems. Forced to deal with family secrets, and possible crime charges, Kim is determined to explore happiness in a world where not even time is on her side.

4 . Unusual Libraries Around the World

There are 2.7 million libraries spreading across the globe, and while there are many beautiful ones, there are also a number of unique ones.

The Haskell Free Library and Opera House, a special library spanning two countries, is stationed on the border between Canada and the United States and serves people from both countries. The main entrance is on the American side, but the majority of collection of the books are in Canada. There’s even an official American-Canada borderline running right across the library’s floor.

Praised by many as a library of the future, the Deichman Bjørvika, city of Oslo’s new main library, has one hundred unread and unpublished texts. They are stored in a specially designed room lined with wood from the forest, making the library the world’s most secretive one. It witnesses different authors add their works to the collection that will not be available for reading until 2114.

Quietly sitting on an isolated (孤零零的) stretch of beach of Qinhuangdao in northern China, the Seashore Library has been called the world’s loneliest library. People have to walk across the sand to reach the doors. The building is designed to promote people’s connection with ocean, so the main reading room features a layered design to ensure that everyone has a good view of the sea.

Bíbliotheca Alexandrina is considered as a revival (复兴) of an ancient library in the Alex-andria 2,300 years ago or so. Characterized by its circular, tilting form, the building spans 160 meters in diameter (直径) and reaches up to 32 meters in height, while also diving some 12 meters into the ground.

6 . As one of the best travel agencies, we highly recommend China as your travel destination. This ancient and modern country has diverse natural beauty and splendid culture. Here are three most beautiful places in China that you should visit with us!

Guilin & Yangshuo—China’s Most Beautiful Karst Landscape (喀斯特地形)

When looking for natural beauty, Yangshuo comes first in Chinese minds for its karst hills and rivers, which have inspired many poets and artists. Taking a 3-hour family-friendly hike is a good way to enjoy the Li River’s beauty. We can take you to less-crowded sites to get away from the touristy parts of Yangshuo and enjoy the painting-like scenes in peace.

The Yellow Mountains and Villages Nearby

The Yellow Mountains have their classic “four natural wondersn: peculiar pines (奇松), oddly-shaped rocks, seas of clouds, and hot springs. The villages around the Yellow Mountains are considered among the most beautiful villages in China. Hongcun, a set for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, was one of them. We offer tour guidance of walking or biking among these ancient villages. You may as well stay in a typical Hui-style hotel.

Zhangye’s Danxia Landscape — Rainbow Mountains

In China’s remote northwest, Zhangye is deeply loved by photographers due to its Danxia landscape, which is vividly named u Rainbow Mountains When the sun shines on the mountains, their colors look like an oil painting when the sun shines on the mountains, their colors look like an oil painting when the vast rocks are simply set against a pure blue sky. See it by yourself and you will fall in love with it. Do remember to register for discounted accommodations!

7 . Ben Miller is a British actor, as well as a productive writer for children. Here, he shares his favorite books.

King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green

I loved reading when I was little. My parents were both English teachers, and our home was full of books. Dickens was a family favorite. But the book that really fired my imagination was King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green.

Buy King Arthur and His Knight of the Round Table here

Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith

I’m a fool for a classic, and I’m so glad I finally managed to finish Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith. Put simply, its the funniest book I’ve ever read, with text by George and illustrations by Weedon.

Buy Diary of a Nobody here

Exhalation by Ted Chiang

It’s never too late to have your life changed by a book， and it happened to me again recently when I read Ted Chiang’s collection Exhalation. Story of Your Life, one of the best in it, inspired the sci-fi alien visitation classic Arrival. I love that too, but each and every piece in Exhalation is its match in imagination.

Buy Exhalation here

Ben Miller’s new book The Night We Got Stuck in a Story is available now.

* This post contains some links, so we may earn a small amount of money when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.

9 . Here are some performances to put on in London in March, 2023:

10 . Branding events of China Daily

Since its launch in 1981, China Daily has grown to become the nation’s leading English-language newspaper. With a combined print, online and mobile readership of more than 350 million, it serves a vital role in telling the world about China, providing valuable insight into the world’s second-largest economy. A series of branding events are conducted by China Daily to improve public diplomacy (外交) and international communication.

Vision China Lectures

A series of talks are organized by China Daily in which leading political and business figures are invited to speak and interact live with domestic and foreign audiences. The Vision China lectures focus on major issues facing China and the world, explore what China’s story means for the world, and how Chinese wisdom can help the world.

China Watch Think Tank Forum

Elites, including opinion leaders, politicians and businesspersons with expertise (专业知识) on China, discuss topics on developments and the future of China and the world in China Watch Think Tank Forum.

Asia Leadership Roundtable

The China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable provides a platform for high-level dialogue and communication among leaders and social elites in the fields of politics, business and academia in Asia.

“21st Century Cup” National English Speaking Competition

The competition is the most famous English-speaking competition in China. It is the qualifying round for students who wish to represent China in the International Public Speaking Competition in London.

TESOL China Assembly

Organized by China Daily in partnership with TESOL International Association (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages), the TESOL China Assembly is a high-level international English Language Teaching (ELT) event in China. It aims to promote scholarship and cross-cultural understanding among English educators in China, and to enhance dialogue between China’s ELT professionals with their peers worldwide.

For more details, click here.