Five things you need to know today

Plain old Fred

Drumbrae Hub welcomes hundreds on first day

Scotland the World Over

New Canal Strategy

Tian Tian is feeling better!

Grange resident Fred Goodwin, who has become the face of the RBS collapse, has been stripped of his knighthood and appears to be seeking refuge in Switzerland according to those who know, i.e. the Twitterati…. Here is just a sample of what people have been saying about him…

http://storify.com/edinreporter/fred-tweeted.js[View the story “Fred tweeted” on Storify]

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The newest public library in the United Kingdom welcomed its first book lovers yesterday.

The public opening of the Drumbrae Library Hub in West Edinburgh brought to fruition more than two decades of campaigning among local people for a library in their area.

But this striking new building is not just a magnet for avid readers – as a Hub, it is designed to work as a ‘one-stop shop’, offering a range of services such as adult day care, a cafe and the opportunity to report local issues, pay Council bills and so on. It is also the new home to the Council’s West Neighbourhood Office and the Drumbrae and Gyle Police Safer Neighbourhood Team.

Council Leader Jenny Dawe said: “This is a very special day for the local community, who have waited many decades to see their dreams of a local library realised. I am extremely proud to have been able to deliver the library together with many additional services and facilities that will benefit local residents. I am certain that the Drumbrae Library Hub will quickly become the focal point for the area.”

One of the first people to experience the new facility at first hand was Katie Campbell, from Clermiston. An HR executive and mother-of-two, she brought her own mother and her two young children, Rory (3) and Isla (1) for their first look inside.

Katie said: “My family has been watching the development of the new library with excitement. We are so lucky to have this wonderful new resource at the end of our street, I am grateful for such a large investment in Drumbrae.

“We have lived in Clermiston for nearly four years, and one of the things we love is the sense of community. Our neighbours are a mixture of older people who have lived here since the houses were built, and young families like us. I think we will all find the Drumbrae Library Hub a valuable asset to our community.”

Supt David Carradice of Lothian and Borders Police said: “This new facility will enable us to locate the officers from our Drumbrae and Gyle Safer Neighbourhood Team in the heart of the community which they serve. We are delighted that it gives us the opportunity to work even more closely with our partners for the benefit of the public.

“This is not an operational police station but officers will be based there, will be able to respond to incidents in the area from there and deal with many of the issues that members of the public turn to us for assistance with.”

The opening day at Drumbrae Library Hub gave people the chance to take guided tours of their new local facility. Refreshments were provided throughout the day, while music was provided thanks to a special guest appearance by hotly tipped Queensferry band Bwani Junction.

The Drumbrae Library Hub was delivered by the hub South East Scotland Limited (hubCo) and built by Morrison Construction.

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An amazing film made by Scots and Scots at heart in 32 countries around the globe is set to receive its worldwide premiere today.

‘Scotland The World Over’ will be unveiled by Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop ahead of a debate in the Scottish Parliament on the Year of Creative Scotland 2012 at Holyrood this morning.

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The council launched its new plans for what will happen on the canals in Edinburgh over the next few years. You can read more about it here.  

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Edinburgh Zoo’s giant panda Tian Tian enjoyed a roll in the hay for the first time this week.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFm3WIFGiAU]

Tian Tian discovered the latest addition to her enclosure this week, when a bundle of hay was added – providing another place for her to get comfy while eating some of her favorite foodstuff, bamboo.

Tian Tian was quick to investigate – the magic moment showing Tian Tian enjoying the hay has been captured on camera for all to see and enjoy . The video clip shows Tian Tian roly poly-ing and playing in the hay.

Alison MacLean, panda keeper at Edinburgh Zoo said “We thought the addition of hay to her enclosure would go down well with Tian Tian – as it was all new smells for her! The fact we managed to capture the moment on camera is great and it makes for fun viewing. It really brought out the more playful side of her character – she loved it. She was throwing it around her enclosure, rolling around in it, rubbing her head in it and generally just thoroughly enjoying herself – it was brilliant to see her have so much fun with the hay!

If you are interested in hearing the whole story about the pandas then get along to the Central Library on 23 February when Ian Valentine from Edinburgh Zoo will be giving a talk on the subject.