Cambridge, Session 1

Cambridge
15 July —
5 August 2015
A Chat With The Staff
This is my second year as part of
the ISSOS family, and my first as a
teacher having been a counselor in
St Andrews last year.
The word family isn’t used lightly; since finishing the
session last year I’ve had so much contact with the other
St Andrews teachers and counselors and we’ve met for
ISSOS events on several occasions. We’ve become part of
a company that cares about maintaining friendships, and I
think that’s pretty special. I really did have the summer of a
lifetime in St Andrews, and I wanted to return to ISSOS as
an academic teacher to have a positive impact in this area
of the students’ lives. Cambridge fit well with my schedule,
so I signed up for round 2 and have had a real blast whilst
being here.
The Story of ISSOS
J! M"#,
ISSOS was started with one very clear
mission: To create a safe place for people
to learn and grow. In 2005, ISSOS was
established by Jen Munro, a St Andrews
University Graduate, who after working
as a summer camp counselor in North
Carolina, realised there was a gap in
the market to provide students from
all over the world, with a balanced
summer program.
“We work together,
we play together,
we live and grow together,
we are the ISSOS
International Family.”
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essay structure/writing; all of which are relevant regardless
of academic preference. To summarise, I’ve tried to
structure a course which encourages the students to take
ownership of their knowledge, to always seek proper
justification for their facts and to grow in confidence when
communicating that knowledge to others.
Parallel to my academic life is my sporting life, which I
hold in equally high regard. I cherish the opportunity
to live in a balanced way and love almost all genre of
sport. This outlook is particularly well aligned with that of
ISSOS, where partaking in sport with both the students
and the other staff is strongly encouraged. I want to keep
coming back to ISSOS as both academics and sports
are recognised and practiced with equal importance.
My personality fits this mould and it’s wonderful to see
the students develop in both areas over a three week
period. Truly I can say that both summer periods I’ve been
involved with ISSOS, I’ve had an amazing experience.
”I love the clan events. Th
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so fun and they get everyb
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involved. I can’t wait to co
me
back to ISSOS next year!“
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St Andrews was the obvious choice for the first summer school
due to its safe location and historical setting. The first session
of ISSOS took place in 2006, with 50 students. In 2011, with
growing demand, ISSOS Cambridge was launched. Students
have always been at the heart of everything ISSOS does and
we have listened to feedback from students and parents to
develop all aspects of the company, fast becoming recognised
as one of the top International summer schools.
ISSOS has grown significantly since 2005, attracting students
from over 60 nationalities and catering to over 460 students.
Every year, students and staff talk of ISSOS as being a family,
and that’s what we’re looking to develop and maintain: an
international family where friendships span the world.
ISSOS is a values-led company and has a core set of
values that run through everything we do. One of our most
important assets is our people and we endeavor to find the
best people to work with us every year. ISSOS has exciting
plans for expansion, and will open a third summer school
at the prestigious Yale University in 2016. As we grow, we
are committed to offering the highest level of service and
quality product. It is imperative that whilst doing this, we have
fun, making sure everyone associated with ISSOS, has The
Experience of a Lifetime. ecause the
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2
3
A Chat With The Staff / We Love ISSOS
Our Story
Throughout the year I’m studying for my PhD in
astrophysics at Edinburgh University. I’m probably
learning more new things every day than I was during
my undergraduate, which seems like a crazy reflection
when I remember the number of hours spent in the
library. I say this because I think I’m always developing
the tools to become a more efficient learner. Every time
I say to myself ‘I wish someone had told me that sooner’,
I’m filled with a combination of regret, for not knowing
before, and happiness for having the chance to apply
the new knowledge in the future. I wanted to teach the
Pre-IB course to share with ISSOS students the most
useful pieces of advice that I’ve picked up throughout my
academic journey so far. In doing so, I seek to equip them
with extremely useful skills to take with them throughout
the IB course and beyond. Throughout the teaching we’ve
focused on the theory of knowledge, research skills,
presentations, time management, idea generation and
O&n T'(r, P) IB T*+,
“We’ve become
part of a company
that cares about
maintaining
friendships, and
I think that’s
pretty special.”
ISSOS News
Variety Show
Profile of a
Returning Student
James Parker
by Kami Cooper
“I’ll remember walking
out of the doors of
ISSOS and feeling
different about myself”
On a beautiful evening in the middle of Queens College, the students
and staff of ISSOS 2015 gathered to bring laughter, celebration and
near tears at this years variety show. The ISSOS family burned strong,
when the nerves kicked in, or when one stumbled over their lines, we
merely cheered louder and sang those lines for them. It is fair to say we
were very impressed with the talent at this years variety show, we had
a collection of highly talented students, pianists, dancers, singers and
dramatic performances, not to mention our staff joining in on several
acts - most noticeably the world famous ‘Chubby Bunny Competition’
and ‘The After Eight Game’. Counselor
Fashion Show
Iain Phillips, Kelvin Counselor
2015 saw another memorable counselor fashion show at ISSOS
Cambridge. The counselors, under this year’s theme of ‘superheroes’,
sported an array of costumes which had been thought up and
assembled by their respective students. The show kicked off with an
interesting performance from Batman, with Scott Frew sounding more
like Bruce Forsythe than Bruce Wayne. Who else could follow Batman
but Robin, with Robbie MacQuarrie looking a little too comfortable
in his green tights. Laura Wakeford scuttled on and off the stage as
Black Widow and next up was a show stopping performance from Cat
woman (Jenny Drummond). Joining these superhero’s on stage was
also; Gary ‘the Flash’ Halcrow, Mr Incredible, The Irish Green Lantern,
The Hulkette and of course and appearance from Superman to name
but a few.
How many years have you attended ISSOS?
What are you favourite memories of ISSOS?
This is my third summer at ISSOS.
On the first day of my ISSOS experience, I was scared, nervous
and worried about how I would interact with other people. I soon
discovered that the people at ISSOS care more about your personality
than your appearance. Thinking back to my first days and to how I am
now, I know that ISSOS has taught me to be more passionate about
the things I love, I have grown in confidence and have made so many
friends. I have so many favourite memories, one of which is from ISSOS
Cambridge where I was awarded the ‘ISSOS Citizenship Award’ along
with Sam Lawrence.
Why did you choose to come
back to ISSOS this year?
I have experienced ISSOS quite a few times now but I enjoy each
experience even more than the time before. ISSOS is a place that changes
people and it changed me a lot, that’s why I wanted to come back.
What will you always remember about ISSOS?
I’ll always remember how I was when I was 13, nervous and shy, to how
I am today and all of the things I’ve achieved as a result of attending
ISSOS. I’ll remember walking out of the doors of ISSOS and feeling
different about myself.
This queued the start of the always-entertaining teachers’ acts. The
teachers had prepared costumes and acts for the counselors, with all
acts thoroughly thought through… Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Taylor
Swift faced off in a lip-sync battle before KISS performed a rock medley.
Wrong Direction then butchered ‘That’s What Makes You Beautiful’ and
Eminem, Drake, Lil Wayne and Wiz Khalifa rounded off the show with a
rap battle.
The night ended with the winner being crowned, it was Jenny
Drummod who took the prize for ‘cat woman’, due in no small part to
her routine involving drinking a full bottle of milk, impressive!
4
5
Profile of a Returning Student
ISSOS News
The boys of Clan Stewart brought the house down with their painted
six packs and a cheerleading performance to be proud of. Isabelle
pulled at the heartstrings with her rendition of Everybody Hurts by
REM and then there was Owen with his guitar in hand (is there anything
this man cant do?) and Olivia who sang with soul, the talent was
certainly in full flow all night. Bring on next year!
Clan News
Highland Games
One of the many unique aspects of ISSOS is our
Clans. Staying true to our Scottish roots ISSOS
invites students into one of four clans; MacDonald,
MacGregor, Wallace or Stewart. This is done at the
Clan Calling, on one of the first evenings at ISSOS.
Once assigned to a clan, students remain as part
of that clan for their time at ISSOS, even when they
return the following year, they will always be in the
same clan as will their brothers or sisters if they too,
come to ISSOS.
The clans are an integral and very important part of the ISSOS experience,
they exist to promote good sportsmanship, communication, healthy
competition and help to bond students from all different nationalities and
ages as well as build confidence.
Clans compete over the three weeks in a variety of competitions including;
Danish Long Ball, Mini Olympics, Urban Orienteering, Dodge Ball, Sandcastle
Building and many more activities, in order to gain points for their Clan.
The final day of ISSOS brings together the
four clans who take part in the ISSOS Highland
Games, a day of healthy competition, good
sportsmanship and a lot of clan spirit. The whole
summer school takes part and the event is
umpired skillfully, by the Munro Clan.
MacGregor take the trophy!
MACGREGOR 1585
1515
MACDONALD
Going into the competition in first place were the MacGregor Clan with a
strong lead over the other three clans who were hovering closely in their
points. This meant that the competition for the day was incredibly stiff and
all the clans were ready to play hard to win the coveted Clan Cup.
stewart
WALLACE
Each clan was separated into divisions, Braveheart, Freedom, Highland
and Nessie. The four divisions all took part in both a selection of mini
games and the infamous Danish Longball and some relay races. All clans
worked tirelessly, pushing themselves to their athletic best and getting
involved in all that was thrown at them.
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Clan Spirit Shield
Awarded to the
Stewart Clan!
After the scores were finally tallied, all students attended the closing
dinner to hear the announcement of the Clan Cup Winner. The Spirit
Shield was also given out to the Clan who had expressed the greatest
amount of sportsmanship and had provided lively chants at each clan
event over the previous three weeks. In the end, the Clan Cup was
awarded to the MacGregor and the Spirit Shield to Stewart.
Highland Games
Individual
Spirit Shield!
Sarah Shulkin
Clan News
The Munro clan – the impartial clan made up of the teachers, head counselors
and Program Director, oversees all the games, ensuring the games are played
fairly. Clan events culminate in the final days of ISSOS with the Highland
Games where one clan wins the coveted Clan Cup.
“Clan events take pride of place
at ISSOS and promote and create
friendships and memories that
last a lifetime.
!
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Academics
Journalism
It’s been another great summer here in my
journalism class at ISSOS, Cambridge (my
fourth year teaching the course and my sixth
with ISSOS overall).
Just like my other summers, this course is
all about doing journalism. After a couple of
introductory days, students were allowed to
roam free and work like journalists: they were
given styles of writing (profile pieces, news
pieces, ISSOS articles and audio stories) but
it was up to them to find topics, interview
subjects and meet deadlines. At the end of
the course students should’ve turned in four
articles to me, which are available to be read
on our blog.
Jeremy Shulkin
We had 23 students representing nearly a
dozen different countries, many for whom
English was their second or third language.
Still, they produced some excellent work.
There are articles about local fashion, about
the demanding game of capture the flag, the
characters in the local market, an investigation
into e-cigarettes, and of course plenty of
ISSOS news.
Please take a few minutes to read through the
students’ work. You’ll see why I was so proud
of all they accomplished this summer.
Dragon’s Den
Final Night Debate
The final night debate was the culmination
of several weeks of hard work in the debate
class. Held in the chamber of the prestigious
Cambridge Union, it was an exciting event
which offered an opportunity for students
from other academic classes to see what
debating was really all about. Founded in
1 15, the Union had played host to countless
debates involving a wide variety of politicians
and celebrities ranging from Winston
Churchill to Ian McKellen. Following in their
footsteps the eight best speakers from the
debate class met over the dispatch boxes to
argue whether, within the world of Batman,
Commissioner Gordon should have used the
‘bat signal’ to summon Batman as a vigilante
to fight against Gotham’s criminals. Joining
them from the debate class were two ‘team
leaders’ who had helped the two teams on
each side of the debate prepare, as well as a
chairperson, a time keeper and four student
judges who aided the debating teachers in
choosing a winner.
After the main debate had concluded, and the
judges left to deliberate, the Chair conducted
a floor debate where students in the audience
raised interesting and thoughtful points about
the motion. After the panel of judges returned,
Alessio and Sarah, the second opposition
team, were declared the winners. The night
finished with Filippo Besozzi being awarded
the Debating Prize for his hard working and
commitment throughout the course.
Academic Reviews
Academic Reviews
Check out our blog at:
www.issoscambridgejournalism.wordpress.com
It was the penultimate competition for the
Business and Entrepreneurship Students, the
moment when each group presented their
business ideas and plans to five very important
and famous judges. Teachers Jeremy Shulkin
and Joe Khalayleh, ISSOS PA Sarah Millican,
Program Director Murray Hamilton and
ISSOS Founder Jen Munro, all sat as Dragons,
attempting to decide which business would be
the best for them to invest their millions in.
Five groups took to the stage, showcasing
their businesses, presenting their ideas,
financials and marketing plans. They answered
quick-fired questions from both the dragons
and the audience with ease.
Teams covered a wide range of business
ideas from Apps that could tell you all about
rainforest animals, to offering a new way to
charge smart phones, right through to fashion
based businesses.
Each team showcased immense creativity,
brilliant presentation skills and team work, with
all teams receiving investment from at least one
of the dragons and in some cases up to two of
the dragons invested in the same business.
All in all, it was a great event with positive
feedback from both staff and students, with
many being impressed by the high level of
business ideas and the ability the students had
to communicate their ideas to the Dragons. It
may be possible that we witnessed the next
Richard Branson or Coco Channel!
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Electives
Outdoor Leadership
Having an elective with sailing, raft building
and punting down the river Cam means
that students are lining up to take Outdoor
Leadership.
Students not only have fun but gain huge
benefits from trying new activities, working in
different teams and having the opportunity
to improve in everything that they do. This is
then transferred into everyday success and
I firmly believe that each student on the
outdoor leadership elective has the potential
to go on and achieve great things by pushing
themselves to try more, do more and excel in
what they really love in life.
For some, outdoor leadership has opened
up a world of new adventures, for others
it has challenged the way they look at the
world but for all, it has been fun, exciting and
challenging. It has been a huge privilege to
help to develop the class through this
excellent elective.
OR
OUTDEO
HIP
S
R
D
LEA RD
AWA ERS
WINN
Sauveur Pere
Rayanne Fawaz
Lynn Mourat
Theatre Review
From the first class I instil in the students the
importance of working together as a company.
The students I see at ISSOS have very different
levels in both theatre and in English. I want
them to feel supported not just by me but by
the whole class. Creating theatre work totally
relies on trust and respect. Performing in a
language you are still learning is very brave. I
like to use a very physical style of theatre which
is great with large groups and is very creative.
RE
THEARTD
AWA ERS
WINN
Photography
Adele Lynch
We also work on dramatic scenes and a lot
of comedy, which is a perfect way to bond
the class. It’s very important to me that my
students have fun as well as push themselves.
This year we have created a vibrant piece of
theatre, which focuses on a life of teenagers
from the wrong side of the tracks. It takes us
on a whirlwind journey into the tough realities
of their daily lives and their dreams and hopes
for a brighter future. Each student played their
role to perfection and has given 100 . The
students have produced a piece of work they
should be very proud of and have made my
ISSOS 2015 experience truly wonderful.
The ISSOS photography elective took place in
the astonishing grounds of Queens’ College.
Three professional photography lecturers
taught a range of levels from beginners
to intermediate and advanced, to suit the
students preferred level of photography.
The classes took off in full flight, initially
exploring the bustling city of Cambridge
through the eye of the lens, capturing the
architecture, people of the street and the
nature framing the City.
The result of the students’ work was
astounding from all levels of photography
classes, revealing their creative inner talents.
As well as trekking around the City, all of our
aspiring photography students had an exciting
opportunity to work in our professional
photography studio. This was an experience
to explore a new aspect of photography
other than on location. Photography students
learnt how to use the equipment in the
studio, working together and taking control to
produce professional level photographs.
Students work over the three weeks to discover
what it is about photography they love and
the story they want to tell through their lens.
Each student chooses a genre or topic and
produces a personal project based on the skills
they had learnt before and during ISSOS.
Working hard, students researched, studied
and captured moments in time to then select
and combine images, which were printed to
produce a professional photography project.
Each photography students’ project was
proudly exhibited in the fine grounds of
Queens’ College for everyone at ISSOS to view.
The outcome of the exhibition was outstanding
with studio photography, nature photography
and some really amazing photography of life in
and around Cambridge, each and every piece
of work from the students was phenomenal, an
experience never to be forgotten.
HY
P
A
R
G
PHOTRO
AWA EDRS
WINN
Raad Fatani
Joy Saade
Natasha Salmi
Beginners
Rachel Saade
Intermediate Filippo Besozzi
Advanced
Chloe Benko Prieur
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Photography
Elective Reviews: Outdoor Leadership, Theatre
Outdoor leadership fills the ever growing
gap between classroom based work and real
life situations, giving students the opportunity
to develop problem solving skills and risk
management while pushing their comfort
zones and spirit of adventure.
development helping to promote positive
changes in speaking, listening and
co-operation skills.
Elective Reviews: Outdoor Leadership, Theatre
Photography
This year has concentrated on giving
students the opportunity to both learn about
leadership and be tested in challenging
scenario’s where the importance of support,
communication, co-operation and group
planning are key to success or failure. With
both success and failure in the forefront of
the elective, students have learnt that to fail
is only the first attempt in learning how to
succeed in the future, drawing out new ideas
and innovative ways to approach situations.
Simon Payne
Tennis Review
The weather did not get in the way of a brilliant
session in the tennis department. With students
ready to take on the challenges of tennis and a
highly qualified coaching team, the scene was
set for an outstanding session.
Students were categorised into beginner,
intermediate and advanced groups. The
students practiced their tennis skills all in
preparation for their final tournament, which
took place on the final few days of classes. The
students all showed great improvement over
the three weeks and all coaches were pleased
with their efforts, enthusiasm and dedication.
After another successful year in the tennis
elective with students showing up the staff
and counselors with their superior skills,
we can only look forward to next year’s
session where we hope to see many new and
returning faces looking to further improve
their tennis with ISSOS.
Annabelle Ploix
Andrea Malenchini
Derek Yan
A Stepping Stone
to University
Every summer we have students who are
interested in applying to some of the UK’s
top universities and this year has been no
exception. ISSOS is proud to have amongst
its staff members, a number of graduates from
the UK’s top ten Universities who are happy
to share their experiences and memories
with interested students.
Former Student
Many students attending ISSOS have started to think about what
University they may wish to attend and throughout the year, we
receive emails and phone calls to ask our advice on which university
to apply to for specific subjects or the entry requirements for some
UK Universities.
Fencing Review
The blades move quickly as the more
experienced fencers parry. They attack and
disengage with ease, feet shuffling on the
floor expertly.
Instead, on the other side of the hall stand the
amateur fencers. They move more slowly, their
jabs and attacks unsure and less frequent. Their
feet move with indecisiveness, confusedly
trying to remember what stance to assume in
that particular situation.
When some of them attack and do a successful
‘step-launch,’ satisfied smiles light up their
faces as they remove their heavy helmet to
catch a breath.
With this in mind we decided to offer a university admissions
workshop to answer any questions students may have and talk them
through writing a personal statement. The workshop was delivered
by Eileen Penman, a professional college and university consultant
with many years experience working with some of the best schools
and universities in the world.
G
FENCRIN
S
AWA EDRS
WINN
Eileen advised students on how to apply to UK, American and
European Universities and ran a workshop on how to write a good
personal statement. The feedback from students was fantastic and
many have said they now feel more prepared and excited about
applying to university.
Hala Sheikh Ali
Amr Almoallim
Alexander Kaiser
Although ISSOS is a summer program, we do not believe that our
responsibility to students ends when the summer ends. We are
dedicated to assisting students who wish to apply to a Scottish or
UK based university or who wish to interview at a British Boarding
school. We endeavor to assist our students in any way we can.
16
17
Sofia Piermarini
I go up to a man, who is observing the
student’s moves closely. He is friendly and
introduces himself as Chris, the fencing
instructor. He told me about his lessons. He
starts with warm-up games, then moves on to
footwork warm up and finally gets on to the
technical and practical part of the lessons.
I spoke to Sabrina, an amateur fencer, who told
me I’ve had so much fun in his lessons. We
learnt a lot and I really like Chris, he’s so kind.
Sabrina started out as a beginner here at ISSOS,
so I asked her whether she felt in the least
threatened by the more expert fencers. “Not
at all. Actually, they’re really helpful, they help
beginners like me with their knowledge. Also, it’s
nice to challenge an experienced opponent: it
makes everything more interesting!”
I then move on to Eleanor, a teenager who
told me she’d already studied fencing for two
years in Germany before coming here. She
told me “I think that what keeps the lessons
really interesting is helping the other students
and interacting with them. Plus, I really like
the instructor, Chris. I think he’s really good at
teaching us what we need to know.”
Finally, I asked Chris one last question. All his
students valued him, but what did he think of
them? “This lot are one of the best classes I’ve
ever had.” He states with affection.
Fencing
“I believe that by attending this workshop,
it has given me an advantage over other
candidates, because of the excellent
advise we received from the university
applications expert. All in all, ISSOS does
not only improve you as a student,
but also a person, by broadening our
mental horizons.”
Elective Reviews: Tennis
A Stepping Stone to University
S
TENNRID
AWA ERS
WINN
ISSOS at Yale
ISSOS is excited to be opening a 3rd campus at Yale
University in the USA for summer 2016. ISSOS have had
plans to open in the U.S for a number of years but have
waited to find the right location to make sure that ISSOS
USA is as safe and exciting as St Andrews and Cambridge
and offers the same ‘Experience of a Lifetime’ that we are
dedicated to providing to all students.
Since announcing ISSOS, Yale we have been asked a
number of questions as to why we chose Yale and what
ISSOS, Yale will be like. We’ve answered some of the
most frequently asked questions, below.
Why did you Choose Yale?
What Academics and Electives will be offered?
We chose Yale for a number of reasons: It is safe, prestigious and
absolutely stunning.
The Academics will be: English Language, Debate, Youth Leadership,
Pre-IB, Business and Entrepreneurship
Safety is our biggest tick box when choosing a location, it has to be
a beautiful campus where students have freedom and enjoy the
surroundings and Yale offers all of that.
The Electives: Tennis, Theatre, Film, Photography and Outdoor Leadership
Also, many ISSOS students are interested in attending an American
University and every year parents call us for recommendations for
American summer schools so that their son or daughter can experience
the U.S. We decided it was time for ISSOS to provide that experience in
one of the best universities in the world.
There will be a mixture of old and new staff, there will be a lot of British
staff and some American staff. Jen Munro will be heading to Yale as the
Program Director and we have a few incredible returning staff from both St
Andrews and Cambridge who will be at Yale as teachers, counselors and
head counselors.
Who will the staff be?
Tell us more about Yale University?
Yale is one of the worlds best known Universities and has been deemed
to be the most beautiful University campus in the USA. Some of the
world’s most public figures have attended Yale including: Bill Clinton,
Hilary Clinton, Meryl Streep, Oliver Stone, Claire Danes and Jodie Foster
to name but a few.
Only in location, we are very determined that ISSOS, Yale will be the
same as the other two campuses; we will have a lot of the same staff,
a combination of our most popular academics and electives, evening
programs will be the same and of course we will be introducing our
Scottish Clans to America.
ISSOS is ISSOS no matter where we go and we will be sure to stay true to
our Scottish roots and everything that makes ISSOS special.
Join t
he
ISSOS
family
Yale! at
1 July
Augus—
2016 t
18
Yale is located in New Haven, Connecticut
and is the perfect setting for ISSOS.
o e o
e a
a
2016 applications now open.
See the ISSOS website for more details.
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Prio students unti
Alumniem er 20th
No
19
ISSOS at Yale
Will ISSOS, Yale be different to ISSOS,
Cambridge or St Andrews?
et s stay in tou h
Cambridge
15 July — 5 August 2015
Search ‘ISSOS’ on:
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Email: [email protected]
www.issos.com
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Glasgow G2 5TF, Scotland, UK