The 25th May 1847 saw the birth of John Alexander Dowie, the Scots-born religious leader. Dowie, a highly controversial but charismatic faith healer, founded the Christian Catholic Church at Zion, Illinois, where around 5,000 followers created a unique community and followed his teaching.

This included a belief in the power of prayer in the healing of disease: Zion existed without any doctors or pharmacists. Smoking, drinking and the eating of pork were banned. Dowie, the self-proclaimed apostle Elijah the Restorer, was expelled from the Church in 1905 after he had become increasingly eccentric, and the community fell into financial ruin. He died a year later.

On 25 May 1967, Celtic become the first British football club to win the European Cup.

The Glasgow side, managed by Jock Stein, picked up the trophy by defeating Inter Milan 2-1 in Lisbon. After falling behind to a first half penalty, Celtic fought back through goals from Tommy Gemmell and Stevie Chalmers. The winning team was made up of eleven Scots, all born within a thirty mile radius of Glasgow.

Today's recipe: this modest dish of lemon potatoes and asparagus delivers a double whammy of seasonal treats.