On 12 June 1843 Sir David Gill, Scottish astronomer, was born.

Gill was noted for his measurements of solar and stellar parallaxes, which accurately revealed the distances of the Sun and other stars to Earth. He was also a pioneer in the use of photography to map the heavens.

On 12 June 2001 Thomas Wilson, the Scottish composer, died.

His works include the three-act opera, Confessions of a Justified Sinner, which was commissioned by Scottish Opera. The libretto, by John Currie, is based upon James Hogg's 1825 novel of the same name.

Today's recipe: the asparagus season is short; grab some now to add to this pea and parsley broth.