Murdoch MacDonald tables vote of thanks
to Magdalene College Cambridge

AYRSHIRE public relations consultant Murdoch MacDonald recently returned to his alma mater - Magdalene College, Cambridge University - forty years after he graduated there.


[Pictured: Magdalene College, Cambridge University, view from the Pepys Library building. CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO VIEW / DOWNLOAD FULL-SIZE VERSION]

Murdoch was accompanied by John Quinton, chairman, and Sandy Cunningham, managing director respectively of one of his PR client companies, building contractors William Skinner & Son, based at St Quivox on the perimeter of Glasgow Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire.


[Pictured: First Court, Magdalene College, Cambridge University.]

The purpose of the visit was to present to Magdalene College a dining table to mark and celebrate the official opening of William Skinner & Son’s new Southern Office in Meldreth near Cambridge.


[Pictured: Magdalene College from the River Cam.]

Managing director of PR firm Fame Publicity Services Murdoch MacDonald said: “Forty years ago this week I was just starting my last term at Magdalene College. In spite of the passage of time, my memories of that period remain forever fresh, as it was a very special time, and one for which I am grateful to the College and to the people in it.

“So I was glad of the opportunity to mark my appreciation in a small way.

“Working in the field of public relations, one of my favourite clients in recent years has been William Skinner & Son, a company (like Magdalene) firmly rooted in traditional virtues and values, but also one that is (like Magdalene) enterprising, innovative and forward-looking.

“When Skinners asked me to come up with an idea of a way in which to mark the opening of their new Southern Office premises, I suggested that they should craft a piece of traditional furniture for Magdalene, and I hope that the result is acceptable to the Master and the Fellows.”


[Pictured at the table presentation, left to right: Reverend James Rigney, Chaplain of Magdalene College and Director of Studies in Theology and Religious Studies: William Skinner & Son chairman John Quinton and managing director Sandy Cunningham; Magdalene College Domus Bursar Peter Daybell; Master of Magdalene College Duncan Robinson; Dr Carl Watkins, Joint Director of Studies and University Lecturer in History; and Fame Publicity Services and Elite Ayrshire Business Circle managing director Murdoch MacDonald.]

William Skinner & Son’s chairman John Quinton said: “The design is a double drop leaf gate leg with tapered legs and a narrow centre section, to minimise the space needed for storage. The colour of the table is Jacobean oak and it is finished with beeswax.”

The table was crafted out of oak by traditional methods in William Skinner & Son’s joinery workshops in Ayrshire and Cambridge. It will be housed in a private dining room adjacent to the Fellows’ Combination Room at Magdalene College.

Master of Magdalene College Duncan Robinson said: “We are extremely grateful to William Skinner & Son for making a table which will, I am sure, stand the test of time, and to Murdoch for his initiative in arranging this presentation.”

Willian Skinner & Son managing director Sandy Cunningham concluded: “We are delighted to present this hand-crafted oak dining table to the Master and Fellows of Magdalene College in order to mark the opening of our new Southern Office premises near Cambridge.

“William Skinner & Son is now expanding satisfactorily on all fronts from our headquarters in Ayrshire and our new base in south-east England. We are traditional building contractors who have developed a diverse range of untraditional new skills, and we want potential clients in England and in Scotland to be aware of the comprehensive building skills and experience that we offer.”

For further information visit www.williamskinner.co.uk

William Skinner & Son
Cunningham House
Highfield
St Quivox
Ayr KA6 5HQ

SOUTHERN OFFICE:
College Farm Business Centre
North End
Meldreth, Cambridgeshire
SG8 6NT

Telephone: 0845 051 9070
Fax: 01763 262916

Contact: Sandy Cunningham
Managing Director
Tel: 01292 671188
Fax: 01292 671133
E-mail: scunningham@williamskinner.co.uk

www.magd.cam.ac.uk

www.williamskinner.co.uk

www.famepublicity.co.uk

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This article on the William Skinner & Son website: CLICK HERE

* * *

Ayrshire Scotland Business News gives
Ayrshire businesses online shop window

AYRSHIRE in Scotland boasts its own online illustrated business news service - Ayrshire Scotland Business News - which has been in full operation for a year now, and continues to go from strength to strength.


Provided by the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle and edited by Scottish PR company Fame Publicity Services proprietor Murdoch MacDonald (pictured above), Ayrshire Scotland Business News offers Ayrshire businesses both large and small a magnificent and informative shop window to the world.

Ten per cent of visitors to Ayrshire Scotland Business News come from the USA, a similar proportion from countries in the European Union, and 17% from other countries overseas. Domestic visitors come from all corners of the UK from the Highlands of Scotland to the south coast of England.

News stories and accompanying images are published online within minutes of receipt, and are rapidly picked up by Google and other search engines.

Moreover, a significant proportion of visitors come to Ayrshire Scotland Business News via the major search engines, using very specific search terms which indicate that they have a strong interest in doing business with Ayrshire companies.

The front page of Ayrshire Scotland Business News contains the six latest business news stories from Ayrshire in a rolling news format. After they drop off the front page, all articles are archived indefinitely on their own unique web page, where they are easily accessible by using the site search facility in the top left hand corner of every page.

All Ayrshire business sectors are featured in the archived material, from aerospace through biotechnology to renewable energy and zero-carbon housing.

Ayrshire Scotland Business News editor Murdoch MacDonald said: “Rooted in Ayrshire and rooting for Ayrshire, Ayrshire Scotland Business News is where Ayrshire business news breaks first.

“Companies that use our pages to report their news know that it is the most effective means of advertising their products and services to their target marketplaces, whether those are in Ayrshire, Scotland as a whole, elsewhere in the UK, or anywhere in the world.

“A mention of a company in Ayrshire Scotland Business News is enough for the world to beat a path to that company’s door.

“And visiting Ayrshire Scotland Business News is also a good way for Ayrshire ex-pats to keep in touch with all that is going on in Ayrshire today.”

Murdoch MacDonald has been in the public relations industry and a freelance journalist and broadcaster in Scotland for 35 years. He now runs Ayrshire’s top PR consultancy Fame Publicity Services.

Wherever you are in the world, no other public relations consultancy, PR firm or publicity company can offer you a better or more cost-effective worldwide news distribution service, combined with search engine optimisation techniques that will drive customers and qualified sales leads to your company’s website.

www.famepublicity.co.uk

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* * “

Who needs Trinity Mirror when you’ve got Fame?

TRINITY MIRROR’S local weekly Ayrshire newspapers the Ayrshire Post, Kilmarnock Standard and Irvine Herald have further reduced their business coverage, taken what little remains in-house, and dispensed with the services of former freelance business editor Murdoch MacDonald.

However, Ayr-based Murdoch is unlikely to find himself under-employed.

Already the proprietor of an innovative PR business Fame Publicity Services, last year Murdoch helped to set up the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle, an association of some of the top local companies.

And the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle has stepped into the breach left by Trinity Mirror by providing up-to-the-minute comprehensive news and feature coverage for Ayrshire businesses on its website Ayrshire Scotland Business News, which Murdoch edits.


And if that wasn’t enough, a book written by Murdoch and his wife Lilian (pictured above has recently been adopted by a major American university, the Alliant International based in California, as a set text for its doctoral psychology students. “Phoenix in a Bottle”, available from the publishers Melrose Books and on Amazon, is an account of Murdoch and Lilian’s struggle with and recovery from alcoholism.


Dr. Gary W. Lawson (pictured above) is Professor of Psychology at Alliant International University. He says: “I adopted ‘Phoenix in a Bottle’ because the dilemma this couple struggled with and the questions they ask themselves are like so many others I have encountered in 35 years of clinical experience treating addictions.


“However, nowhere in addiction literature have I seen these issues examined and explained as well as Lilian and Murdoch do in “Phoenix in a Bottle”.

“I also recommend ‘Phoenix in a Bottle’ to many of my patients as well.”

Now Lilian and Murdoch are kept busy answering e-mails from Professor Lawson’s pupils in California wanting to know more about the couple’s challenge to conventional wisdom about alcoholism.

And 61 year old Murdoch, once called “the grandfather of the PR profession in Scotland” can’t find enough hours in the day.

Who needs Trinity Mirror when you’ve got Fame?

Murdoch MacDonald
E-mail: Murdoch@famepublicity.co.uk
www.FamePublicity.co.uk
www.AlcoholicsCanDrinkSafelyAgain.com

"Phoenix in a Bottle" is obtainable from the publishers Melrose Books and from Amazon.

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Lilian and Murdoch's website:

www.AlcoholicsCanDrinkSafelyAgain.com

Fame Publicity Services: www.famepublicity.co.uk

* * *

Successful Inaugural Meeting For
The Elite Ayrshire Business Circle

THE Inaugural Meeting of the The Elite Ayrshire Business Circle took place this week at the Clydesdale Bank Financial Solutions Centre in Alloway Street, Ayr.


[Photo by Derek McCabe 01292 611578. Larger image: CLICK HERE]

Clydesdale Bank Financial Solutions Centre managing partner Willie Mackie welcomed members to a buffet breakfast, before outlining the range of business banking services available from the Clydesdale, and the conference and meeting facilities provided to customers and non-customers alike at the recently revamped and refurbished Financial Solutions Centre.

Elite Ayrshire Business Circle executive chairman Norman Geddes then thanked Willie Mackie for his hospitality in hosting the meeting, and went on to summarise the aims and purposes of the newly formed Business Circle, namely to significantly raise the business profile of individual member companies both at home and abroad, as well as increasing awareness of Ayrshire in general as a worthwhile place in which to do business.

Norman then proceeded to invite members to give a brief introduction to their own businesses, including latest news and developments.

The meeting was generally agreed to have been a success.

Willie Mackie commented: “The energy and enthusiasm shown by the Circle members was very infectious. It was great to hear of so many success stories and how many of the members were looking to move their businesses forward.”

Norman Geddes concluded: “The contributions from members highlighted the dynamic business community which exists within Ayrshire. We look forward to working together to promote the interests of all members.”

The Elite Ayrshire Business Circle is a newly formed association of some of the top companies in Ayrshire.

Its purpose is to publicise its members, and to celebrate and promote the rich diversity of industry, commerce and business services available within the county boundaries of Ayrshire.

Members include the Clydesdale Bank, Ayr Racecourse and the Western House Hotel, and member company activities include building and construction, architectural practice, estate agency and land management, commercial property investment, chartered accountancy, insurance broking, legal services, golf club management, marketing services and brand creation, web design and public relations consultancy.

To find out more, and to apply to join The Elite Ayrshire Business Circle, e-mail: eliteayrshire@gmail.com

The next meeting of The Elite Ayrshire Business Circle will take place on 14 November 2007 at Ayr Racecourse. It will feature a presentation on Marketing by Stephen Cosh, managing director of Ayrshire creative agency Paligap.

Issued by Fame Publicity Services.
Telephone 01292 281498.
www.AyrshireBusinessNews.com
www.famepublicity.co.uk

Fame Publicity gets business stories
speedy top search engine ranking

TOP public relations consultancy Fame Publicity Services says it can get clients’ business news stories onto the top page of leading search engines in double quick time - often in a couple of hours.

Murdoch MacDonald set up Fame Publicity in 2003 having spent 30 years in the public relations profession, and he has been dubbed by one leading newspaper as the grandfather of the PR industry in Scotland.

Murdoch claims that the days of companies having to wait for their latest news to appear in newspapers or trade magazines are over. “In our 24-hour news culture, businesses want instant results, and this is what Fame Publicity can give them.

“In Scotland, outside Edinburgh and Glasgow, even successful businesses can find it difficult to get the press publicity that their achievements deserve and need - if success is to breed success, then that success requires to be reported and broadcast as widely and as quickly as possible.

“That is why here at Fame Publicity we have begun to turn the emphasis of our activities away from the traditional media and towards the Internet. We still issue and distribute conventional press releases on behalf of our clients, but the bulk of our effort goes into getting them instant exposure online.”

This doesn’t mean posting the business news story on the company’s own website, which is unlikely to have any significant effect. What Fame Publicity does is to use well tried and tested techniques to get the story on the top page of Google and other major search engines, where it cannot fail to be seen by the company’s potential customers.

And speed is of the essence. Fame Publicity aims to achieve the desired results within 24 hours, often in a couple of hours.

Not surprisingly, Murdoch MacDonald is unwilling to divulge exactly what these techniques are. There is no magic formula, he says. The armoury of techniques has been gradually and painstakingly assembled over a number of years, and will continue to develop in parallel with the sophistication of search engines and the Internet itself.

The cost is not excessive, even compared with conventional PR aimed at the traditional media. Fame is currently offering its Internet-oriented service plus distribution to the traditional media for £295 (US$595), less than other PR companies charge for putting out press releases just to press, TV and radio.

Murdoch MacDonald has been in the public relations industry and a freelance journalist and broadcaster for more than thirty years, working for clients including Royal Bank of Scotland, Standard Life, Scottish Amicable, Scottish Provident, John Menzies, Kwik-Fit, Highland Regional Council, Barratt Homes and Scottish & Universal Newspapers, part of the Trinity Mirror Group.

A graduate of Magdalene College, University of Cambridge, Murdoch is no newcomer either to the allied professions of freelance journalism and broadcasting.

At the start of his career, for 18 months he produced, edited and presented a family finance radio programme called £s, Pence and Sense for Radio Forth, the independent local radio station serving Edinburgh and East Central Scotland, and also made contributions of a similar nature to BBC Radio Scotland.

Subsequently he was the roving reporter in a six-part series of a television financial advice programme called Moneywise, produced and networked throughout the UK by Scottish Television.

For several years, he also wrote his own regular monthly by-lined full-page article for Business Scotland magazine, at that time the best-known and most prestigious business periodical in Scotland. He took over the feature page previously written by Magnus Magnusson, who went on to present Mastermind on BBC Television.

Fame Publicity Services
E-mail: Murdoch@famepublicity.co.uk
Web: www.famepublicity.co.uk
www.AyrshireBusinessNews.com

Independent Ayrshire optician David Bonellie
appoints Fame Publicity Services to conduct PR

Independent Ayrshire optician David Bonellie with branches in Stewarton, Irvine and Largs has appointed Fame Publicity Services to conduct the company's public relations activities.

Always determined to offer his clients the best of care, David recently acquired new state-of-the art cameras for his three high street practices to help ensure patients’ eyes can be regularly monitored without any inconvenience or discomfort.

Digital imaging can capture and record photographs of the interior of the eye without the need to insert drops beforehand.

The procedure is quick, easy, comfortable and accurate. This in turn leads to optical and other health disorders being diagnosed sooner than might otherwise have been the case.

GPs and hospital ophthalmologists find the photographs sent by the optician to be extremely useful, as they provide a huge clinical advantage when consulting with patients.

David Bonellie Opticians also ensure that they are always in step with current fashions with the latest designer frames from the likes of Ray-Ban, Adidas, Moschino and Silhouette always in stock.

ABOUT FAME PUBLICITY SERVICES

In 2003, public relations consultant and freelance journalist Murdoch MacDonald set up a new PR firm in Ayrshire, Scotland called Fame Publicity Services.

Fame Publicity Services is targeting companies of all sizes throughout Scotland, as Murdoch believes that there is a huge gap in the market for publicising the country’s industry and commerce in the national, international and trade media, and especially the Internet.

Clients include Frazer Coogans Solicitors, the Accident & Injury Claims Centre, building contractors William Skinner & Son, finance broker First Independent Finance Limited, Culzean Autoclassica, Culzean Horse Trials, and Fairfield House Hotel.

Murdoch says: "No other public relations consultancy, PR firm or publicity company can offer you a better or more cost-effective worldwide news distribution service, combined with search engine optimisation that will drive customers to your door. No matter where you are in the world, contact us now to see how we can use stories about your business to obtain unrivalled international media coverage, and at the same time dramatically increase your visibility on the Internet."

Murdoch MacDonald has been in the public relations industry and a freelance journalist and broadcaster for more than thirty years, working for clients including Royal Bank of Scotland, Standard Life, Scottish Amicable, Scottish Provident, John Menzies, Kwik-Fit, Highland Regional Council, Barratt Homes and Scottish & Universal Newspapers, part of the Trinity Mirror Group. He has been dubbed in the press as the grandfather of the PR profession in Scotland.

A graduate of Magdalene College, University of Cambridge, Murdoch is no newcomer either to the allied professions of freelance journalism and broadcasting.

At the start of his career, for 18 months he produced, edited and presented a family finance radio programme called £s, Pence and Sense for Radio Forth, the independent local radio station serving Edinburgh and East Central Scotland, and also made contributions of a similar nature to BBC Radio Scotland.

Subsequently he was the roving reporter in a six-part series of a television financial advice programme called Moneywise, produced and networked throughout the UK by Scottish Television.

For several years, he also wrote his own regular monthly by-lined full-page article for Business Scotland magazine, at that time the best-known and most prestigious business periodical in Scotland. He took over the feature page previously written by Magnus Magnusson, who went on to higher things with Mastermind on BBC Television.

Murdoch is currently Business Editor of a local weekly newspaper in Ayrshire.

www.famepublicity.co.uk

Building contractors William Skinner & Son's
latest tree house featured on "Working Lunch"

Fame Publicity client William Skinner & Son building contractors recently constructed a magnificent tree house for De Vere Venues, the UK's market leader in the provision of dedicated residential training and conference venues. Full story CLICK HERE.

The William Skinner tree house was featured in BBC2’s television programme “Working Lunch” on Friday 15 June 2007. To find out more about tree houses visit www.williamskinner.co.uk or telephone 0845 051 9060. If your company would also like to maximise its media coverage, visit www.famepublicity.co.uk or telephone Murdoch MacDonald of Fame Publicity on 01292 281498 NOW! Out of hours mobile: 07833 667322.

See also: Ayrshire Business News on www.AyrshireBusinessNews.com
and Fame Publicity Services on www.famepublicity.co.uk