Confession of an uptown girl

C. Duncan Rice, Aberdeen University's principal, wanted an explanation when he discovered that Lori Manders, director of external affairs, would not be attending an important senior management meeting. But Professor Rice, a keen supporter of the arts and a member of the board of Scottish Opera, was understanding when Ms Manders explained that she was going to London for a concert. Perhaps he might have been less sympathetic had she admitted that the artists she was travelling 600 miles to hear were boy band Westlife.