Five things you need to know today
Commemorative Plaques – Leith Central Community Council – Wester Hailes and the Festival – Paralympics – Book Festival and new writing
Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, has announced the launch of the Commemorative Plaque Scheme.
This scheme will celebrate the life and achievements of significant historic figures, through the erection of a plaque on their home where they lived, or the building that was particularly synonymous with their achievements.
People are invited to submit their nominations for the historic figures they would like to put forward by filling in an application form on Historic Scotland’s website – www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/commemorativeplaques – with up to 1,000 words on two questions explaining why their chosen person is appropriate for a Commemorative Plaque.
There will be a maximum of 12 plaques awarded each year. These will be decided by an independent academic panel which is still to be announced.
Ms Hyslop said: “We are launching the Commemorative Plaque Scheme in the Year of Creative Scotland 2012 and are seeking nominations for historic figures in the arts and creative fields.
“The Commemorative Plaques will celebrate the achievements of people who lived in Scotland, the links between the person and a building which will also highlight the social and human element of local architecture.
“The form of a building can say a great deal about the character of the particular person who lived or worked there; it can confirm assumptions or, in other cases, come as a complete surprise, casting a new aspect on the individual concerned.
“An annual theme will be formally announced each year which will guide people to consider nominations within specific industries.”
The closing date for completed submissions is 12 October 2012.
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Leith Central Community Council meet tonight. When they met in May they heard about a police initiative to stop cyclists using the pavements, which their blog says is against the law. We look forward to hearing what they will be talking about tonight. No doubt some of the discussion will be about the proposed council investment in Leith Walk’s infrastructure such as the London Road Clock and the Pigeons.
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The great blog From There to Here tells us about the effect of the Festival on those living in Wester Hailes in 1986, and reports that WHALE Arts are due to celebrate their twentieth anniversary this year….and if you don’t know what Whale Arts is then you need to read about it on the blog too!
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The Olympic Rings on The Mound, which we think have become a bit of a fixture for many locals over recent weeks, have been taken down and are being replaced by the sign of the Paralympic Games, the Agitos. (If you want to know what they will look like then click here!) We wondered what had happened when we saw the rings being dismantled over the weekend, but some of our Twitterati reminded us that the original planning application had been for two things, the rings and then the Paralympic Games symbol. The Paralympic Flame is also doing the rounds of capital cities and it will be welcomed here in Edinburgh next Sunday 26 August 2012 at Meadowbank Sports Centre. The doors open at 6 pm and the entertainment will be provided by none other than Newcastle’s own Joe McElderry.
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The Edinburgh International Book Festival enters its second week today. Even if you have not been able to make it along to the sometimes sunny and other times wet and puddly (is there such a word?) Charlotte Square, then you can enjoy some of the new writing commissioned by the Book Festival on the theme of ‘Elsewhere’ which you can read on their website. There are short stories and essays by some famed writers and some audio for you to enjoy too. The Reporter snapped today’s photo at the Book Festival.