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Rebecca Baird

Rebecca Baird

The Courier

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REBECCA BAIRD: Could Lochee High Street be the answer to Keiller Centre dilemma?

As the Keiller Centre faces closure and Lochee High Street gets even quieter, Rebecca wonders if there's a way to solve two problems at once.

27.07.2025 10

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: Key change Dundee arts scene can make to debunk ‘not-for-us’ museum myth

Ordinary working people in Dundee can feel like art isn't for them. Rebecca questions if the opening hours of arts institutions are part of that...

20.07.2025 8

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: Perth pup Vilo stole our hearts this week – and proved the power of a good story

The story of beloved family pet Vilo being rescued from the remains of a burnt-out building captivated readers, and delighted The Courier's newsroom.

06.07.2025 4

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: Dundee and Perth firefighters deserve better than dangerous cuts

As Perth fire crews are 'close to breaking point', Balmossie Fire station in Dundee is being slated for closure.

29.06.2025 10

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: Does Dundee really need Uber – or just better taxi services?

As Uber claims to be active in Dundee, Rebecca Baird considers the long-term impact of the ride-hailing service on the city.

22.06.2025 10

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: Outdated Ninewells parking system putting wheelchair users in danger is unacceptable

Fiona Cummings highlighted the "near misses" wheelchair users experience when trying to get a ticket for the free hospital car park.

15.06.2025 7

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: Rise of natural burials in Dundee puts my favourite taboo topic on the table

As more and more people search for eco-friendly alternatively to traditional cemeteries, Rebecca contemplates the appeals of a natural burial.

08.06.2025 10

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: LiveHouse’s major Yungblud coup shows what an asset it can be to Dundee

The pop-punk sensation will be the first major act to take to the LiveHouse stage this summer.

01.06.2025 10

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: Perthshire beauty spot trashing is reminder good weather brings out worst in some

As Perthshire residents rally to protect Loch of Clunie from badly behaved visitors, Rebecca Baird wonders why the sun seems to bring out such shady...

25.05.2025 10

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: Dundee student’s concerns about AI reliance should be taken seriously

Young people are worried about their ability to think for themselves. Everyone else should be too.

04.05.2025 20

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: Here’s to heroes refusing to let Dundee’s pets go on suffering ‘unintentional neglect’

A new Scottish SPCA initiative is addressing 'unintentional neglect' across Dundee.

13.04.2025 10

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: What I learned meeting our readers in Dundee

An event at The Courier's headquarters on Meadowside provided fertile ground for thoughtful discussion.

06.04.2025 10

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: Why St Andrews takeaway owner was right to hit back at Tripadvisor troll

Cheesy Toast Shack owners Kate Carter-Larg and Sam Larg silenced the review which went well beyond culinary complaints.

30.03.2025 20

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: Why 71 Brewing expansion is great for Dundee – and live music

The Dundee brewery has been under renovation since 2022.

16.03.2025 20

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: Does ScotRail actually care about lives of Dundee passengers?

The rail operator did not pledge any action to address the dangerous gap between the train and the platform.

09.03.2025 10

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: For an 8% council tax hike, I want to see Dundee sparkling

As Dundee City Council announce a range of budget proposals, Rebecca is one of many Dundonians facing higher council tax.

02.03.2025 10

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: If Stirling autism service is axed, self-diagnosis must be accepted without question

Adults seeking a formal autism diagnosis in NHS Forth Valley will no longer be able to get one. Where does that leave them?

23.02.2025 6

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: Dundee University reinstating pantry shows people power can’t be denied

The university confirmed this week that funding has been secured to restart the campus pantry.

16.02.2025 10

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: DCA just got £4m boost – here’s why council should give it even more cash

The future of Dundee Contemporary Arts was secured this week by a £3.95 million Creative Scotland grant, but it's not out of the woods yet.

03.02.2025 4

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: Dundee University helped me build my life – but I wouldn’t look for one there in 2025

The university this week announced it would cut support for free breakfasts and a food pantry set up for struggling students.

20.01.2025 3

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: Dundee deserves progress – so why has Keiller Centre news left me hollow?

It’s been less than two years since I wrote the following words in this very paper: “Something needs to be done about the Keiller Centre.” Since...

15.12.2024 40

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: I’m on a mission to find Dundee’s favourite ‘weather word’ after McManus visit

Nothing could have prepared me for the vocabulary I’d encounter at Dundee’s South Road Tesco. I worked there for three years as a student, and...

01.12.2024 7

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: For years I didn’t know my Dundee neighbours – then I lost my cat

I’ve lived in Dundee nearly 10 years now, and consider it my adopted home. But even though I’ve stayed in my current flat for three years, I...

24.11.2024 5

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: Future of Dundee is jam, journalism and Jupiter

Dundee’s reputation in science circles is taking off this week – literally. I was so excited to see that parts designed, made and tested in Dundee...

27.10.2024 4

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: Stonehaven is ideal getaway spot just an hour from Dundee – but prepare for stairs

The wind in Stonehaven is different. Don’t ask me how, but somehow the sensation of being whipped in the face by a bitter seaside blast is better...

20.10.2024 10

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: I said goodbye to my garden hedgehog – then I put him in the bin

It would be ridiculous to have a funeral for a wild hedgehog. Right? This is what I’m asking myself as I stand in the grass, boots on over bedsocks...

13.10.2024 3

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: Will Young was right to leave Dundee stage – would you stand and be heckled at work?

I’m no Will Young fan, but the singer had the opportunity to do the funniest thing possible at his Dundee gig this week and bless him, he took it....

04.10.2024 3

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: Dundee Design Festival wasn’t what I expected – it was better

I have a confession to make: I don’t think I get ‘design’. Having lived, worked and studied in Dundee for the best part of a decade, it seems like...

27.09.2024 3

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: Why ‘use it or lose it’ plea from indie music venues isn’t working

If I was to rank my top three favourite feelings, the thud of a bass rumbling through my shoes and rattling my ribcage would be up there. It would...

22.09.2024 7

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: Sleeping separately from your partner isn’t strange – so why does it still feel strange to say?

The sneaky thing about stigma is that often, it doesn’t show itself in what’s said outright. More often than not, stigma lies in what we don’t...

04.08.2024 2

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: Campers cancelling Perthshire stays due to bad weather are forgetting one important fact

When I was 17, I worked in possibly the most depressing place known to man – a Thomas Cook complaints call centre. Day in, day out for one...

28.07.2024 2

The Courier

Rebecca Baird

REBECCA BAIRD: Modern dating reality behind cheat-catching Dundee Facebook group

There’s no worse feeling than knowing that someone you love is lying to you. Except maybe the feeling of knowing it and not being able to prove it....

21.07.2024 3

The Courier

Rebecca Baird