The Edinburgh Reporter October 2023

8 NEWS

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

FOLLOWING THE devastating 6.8 Mw

earthquake in Morocco which has resulted in at

least 3,000 people dead and more than 5,

injured, a Scotswoman who lives there has asked

us to pass on the message: "Please come and visit

Morocco. Do not take us off your travel list."

Alice Morrison is Edinburgh-born and a

former pupil at St Denis and Cranley. She is a

modern day Indiana Jones who lives in the High

Atlas Mountains in Morocco near to where the

earthquake struck.

I spoke to her on the phone one evening when

she had just got home and was very hungry.

After foolishly asking if we could do a video call

• to which she answered - "It's dark", the
  situation became a little easier to comprehend -
  but not entirely. It is difficult to understand the
  reality of living in a remote area, devastated by
  earthquake where there is now no power -
  unless of course you are actually there.
  Alice explained she had just spent a few days
  cycling and travelling around the area to see for
  herself what had happened. She had only just got
  back to the tiny village where she lives to her
  home where she was going to sleep in her own

bed for only the second time since the ‘quake.

She said: "Many Scots have come to Morocco,

and I think they find that they enjoy it, that they

can understand the place. The Atlas Mountains

where I live have great similarities to The

Highlands. I would say the sense of humour of

the Moroccan people is very similar to the Scots.

So don't take us off your travel list - there are

direct flights from Edinburgh. Please come and

visit, please come as tourists. The Moroccans

love tourists and they love guests.

"This is a terrible time for them but the

infrastructure is still here. The help is getting out

and what they will really need to rebuild is of

course a vibrant economy. And tourism is a

really, really important part of that. I live in a

tiny village but it's a hiking centre and all my

friends are guides and they want people to come.

"So don't take Morocco off your list. Don't

cancel your trips. Please do come. I think that's

that is the message that certainly my Moroccan

friends would like me to give.”

While help is indeed getting through,

Alice acknowledged it is hard.

Thankfully no-one in her family compound in

Imlil was injured or killed, but everyone had to

evacuate at one point, including a 100-year-old

blind man who is part of the family. No

buildings in the compound were demolished,

but almost all have cracks in them. The first

night was spent in her car in the car park with a

cool bag on her head to keep warm. Alice said:

"Some of the men went for blankets and water.

In this society the Berber men care for the

women and I felt very cared for."

She continued: "If you imagine the Highlands,

and the very small crofting communities spread

all around them it is the logistics of getting to

those communities that is the difficulty.

"I have walked right across these mountains

and some places are a two day walk from the

nearest road. And they are tiny. They may only

have three families in what we might call a

hamlet. And we don't know what has happened

to them. Google satellite maps is a brilliant

help and we have had helicopters coming and

and flying over, but I think in these small villages

it's not that there aren't enough people and

enough aid and enough help. It's just that

getting to them is so difficult. I hope that will

happen now."

Alice suggested if anyone is making donations

then look for the British Moroccan Society

which has a GoFundMe page.

Moroccan message

Edinburgh-born adventurer tells Scots to come and visit

1ST

In 1560, the Dean of Guild

accounts recorded the sale of the

jewels of the Collegiate Kirk of St

Giles for well over £850. And in1568,

the Bannatyne Manuscript, the most

extensive collection of early Scottish

poetry in existence, was published

by George Bannatyne, an Edinburgh

merchant. In 1763, the contract to

construct the North Bridge was

signed. And in 1788, Deacon William

Brodie was executed for theft.

4TH

In 1989, a gas explosion rocked

the heart of the city on Guthrie

Street causing two deaths.

11TH

In 1511, King James IV’s “Great

Michael” was launched from

Newhaven Harbour. And in 1593,

whilst riding to a meeting

concerning the laws of Scotland,

King James VI met the

excommunicated (catholic) Lords.

The full list of all the notable events

in October can be read on The

Edinburgh Reporter website.

theedinburghreporter.co.uk

Looking back in time...

Compiled by Jerry Ozaniec, Membership Secretary of the

Old Edinburgh Club. E: [email protected]

By STEPHEN RAFFERTY

THE EDINBURGH Reporter has been

praised for its coverage of failed sandwich

chain Bross Bagels which continues to

trade after its assets were sold off by owner

Larah Bross for just £18,000 while creditors

due up to £1 million are unlikely to

be repaid.

The story generated thousands of online

comments, with one reader saying:

“Thanks for giving local journalism a shot

in the arm, great reporting and a brilliant

read”, while another added: “Cracking

old school journalism from Edinburgh

Reporter, many other papers should

take note.”

On 15 August we reported Bross Bagels

Ltd had petitioned Edinburgh Sheriff Court

to be placed in liquidation with liabilities of

around £1.2 million, more than half of

which was due to HM Revenue & Customs.

On 17 August we revealed Larah Bross had

been axed as a shortlisted finalist in The

Scottish Women’s Awards.

LIQUIDATORS

Then on 6 September we reported that

Interpath Ltd had been appointed interim

liquidators with specialists Alistair

McAlinden and Blair Nimmo responsible

for winding down the company.

On 8 September we reported that the

interim liquidators were probing the

transfer of assets from Bross Bagels to

Larah Bross’s recently registered business

Hot Mama Bagels Ltd just days before

Interpath had been appointed.

Hundreds of readers were angry and

bemused that it was possible for the new

business to continue trading in the former

Bross Bagels units, using the same

branding and merchandise.

Following publication of the liquidators’

interim report, we revealed on 21

September that the assets were transferred

for just £18,000 which included the kitchen

equipment, stock, consumables and

intellectual property of Bross Bagels Ltd.

Larah Bross has blamed the Covid-

pandemic, rising energy bills and the cost

of living crisis as factors in the demise of

the business. She claimed the assets and IP

of Bross Bagels were sold to Hot Mama

Bagels in order to save 60 jobs.

Reader response

to Bross Bagels

Alice Morrison