Fire in Hanover Street – Leith Library is 80! – School files stolen – Guilty pleas for Meadows robbers – Just not cricket
Around 60 firefighters attended a large fire at premises on Hanover Street in the centre of Edinburgh yesterday afternoon. The traffic was diverted and the road closed for some time. Even at midnight last night there was still an appliance on standby in Rose Street part of which was also closed off.
LBFRS reported:-“The call came in just after 3pm, and it is unknown at this time the exact location of where the fire started in the four storey building, or what started it.
Eleven fire appliances and 60 firefighters, plus support vehicles, were on scene at the height of the fire. Crews worked hard to control the blaze, and prevent fire spread into nearby buildings. At 6pm there were six fire engines in attendance.
The fire spread into an extension to the rear of the building and there was suspected firespread through hidden voids to offices and residential properties two storeys above.
No persons are reported to be involved or injured in the incident. The adjacent buildings were evacuated.
Investigations are ongoing into the cause of the fire.”
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On 20 July 1932, the Leith Library and New Town Hall was officially opened, fulfilling a promise made by the City Council when the burgh of Leith was amalgamated into the Capital.
In July 2012, the City of Edinburgh Council is celebrating 80 years of Leith Library by showcasing the wide range of services which are now provided in the one location and celebrating the strength of community and shared history.
Councillor Richard Lewis, Culture and Leisure Convener, said: “Leith Library has evolved a lot over its 80-year lifetime and this is a great opportunity to celebrate the wide range of different services on offer there. With a busy programme of events offering something to interest and engage residents of all ages, we’re looking forward to making this an anniversary to remember.
“Broadening the range of services provided by our libraries is a key Capital Coalition commitment and Leith Library is a good example of this ‘one stop shop’ approach. If you haven’t already explored what’s on offer at Leith Library, pop along to one of the anniversary events and find out!”
There have been many changes to the Leith Library site over the years. As well as including the Thomas Morton Hall and a refurbished library, it now incorporates a Registrar’s Office, a City Centre/Leith Neighbourhood Office for Council enquiries and a Civil Ceremony/Wedding Suite.
Looking to the future, the Leith Theatre Trust is finalising plans for a five-year licence to develop the theatre building (previously the New Town Hall) as a cultural hub and breathe new life into the facility.
1pm Leith Time Bank – come together and share your skills in this new initiative.
From 1pm Big Birthday celebrations!
Transporting the library back to the 1930s, with music and reminiscence from readers who remember the grand opening. Craft event for children making our birthday cards. Photographs for Leith Library through the ages particularly 1930s to 1950s. Display of library artefacts and documents.
As it happens we are going to Leith Library this morning when the Coat of Arms will be bestowed on the Leith Neighbourhood Partnership. More later.
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Confidential files have been stolen from a teacher’s house apparently relating to pupils at Broughton High School, Forthview Primary School and Granton Primary Schools, The Edinburgh Evening News reports.
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A man and woman who used an imitation gun to rob members of the public in Edinburgh pled guilty yesterday.
At Edinburgh High Court , Steven McGregor (25), and Megan Preston (24), pled guilty to numerous robberies that took place in the Meadows area of the Capital in the early hours of Thursday, 29 March 2012.
The pair used an imitation gun to threaten groups of people walking through the Meadows, before robbing them. A number of people were assaulted in the various incidents that took place.
Both individuals were eventually foiled by a member of the public who grabbed the imitation weapon, and the pair fled. They were detained by police a short time later, in nearby Buccleuch Street.
Detective Chief Inspector Gary Cunningham, from Lothian and Borders Police, said:
“This was a terrifying ordeal for many of the individuals affected, who were innocently going about their business only to be confronted by the pair, and in some cases assaulted as well as robbed.
“It was thanks to the brave actions of a member of the public that the pair were disarmed, and officers were able to make a swift arrest.
“Thankfully incidents of this nature are rare in Edinburgh, and in recent months Operation Arable, an initiative aimed at tackling acquisitive crime and muggings in the Capital, has achieved success in identifying and arresting offenders involved in such criminality.
“We will continue to focus on preventing such crimes through a range of activity, including pro-active patrolling and the targeting of known offenders.”
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The one day international between Scotland and England due to be played in August has already been cancelled due to the weather and the condition of the pitch. So is there now a case for Cricket Scotland to have a new facility at the site of the old Moray House campus at Cramond? Interesting thoughts in the article in The Scotsman.
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