Five things you need to know today

Pedestrian dies – More flights from Edinburgh – Scottish Poetry Library get another present – Splashback is a year old – Wine and Port tasting tonight!

The BBC report that an 81 year-old woman was hit by a car as she crossed the road outside the Western General yesterday afternoon, and that she died at the scene.
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6 new routes at Edinburgh and 2 new routes at Glasgow Prestwick, which will deliver a combined total of over 3m passengers at both Edinburgh and Glasgow Prestwick airports have been announced by Ryanair.
The company cut its winter 2012 schedule at Edinburgh following the breakdown of cost negotiations with the previous owners of Edinburgh, BAA. After reaching agreement with Edinburgh Airport’s new owners, Global Infrastructure Partners, Ryanair will now grow again at Edinburgh as follows:
  • 38 routes (up 11%).
  • 6 new routes to/from Bologna, Beziers, Cagliari, Corfu, Katowice & Santander
  • Increased frequencies on 5 other routes
  • From 232 to 246 weekly flights (up 5%).
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‘DO NOT OPEN UNTIL 7 DECEMBER’ reads a box found at the Scottish Poetry Library last week. Following the excitement surrounding Book Week Scotland’s Treasure Hunt for five new book sculptures, a fresh discovery at the Scottish Poetry Library reveals a further chapter in this compelling story. The mystery sculptor has one more gift to give and strict instructions on when the present can be opened.
The countdown is on, the SPL will unveil the new work on Friday 7 December. This falls on the second to last day of the GiftED exhibition, and the middle day of The Big Give Christmas Campaign. Through the GiftED exhibition’s tour across Scotland and the thrilling treasure hunt as part of Book Week Scotland the anonymous sculptor has shown us all about giving this year.
On 6, 7 and 8 December, you can help the Scottish Poetry Library by taking part in The Big Give Christmas Campaign. The Big Give Christmas Challenge is a competition for a pot of matched-funding released each day. If you donate online during The Big Give Christmas Challenge, your donation could be doubled – for example, £25 could net £25 more for the Library.

 

The SPL’s website will have a direct link with a ‘donate now’ button to The Big Give on the 6, 7 and 8 December. So, this Christmas, as you buy for gifts for family and friends, don’t leave out that most faithful of companions. Join the sculptor in a spirit of giving, and give poetry a present by donating on 6, 7 and 8 December. 

 

Details of the unveiling of the latest sculpture will be revealed to fans and followers of the Scottish Poetry Library later in the week so keep an eye on their twitter stream @byleaveswelive and facebook page www.facebook.com/scottishpoetrylibrary for more details.

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Around 60 Edinburgh residents, including many children, gathered at Out of the Blue Drill Hall on Sunday 2 December 2012 to mark the first birthday of Splashback, the campaign to re-open Edinburgh’s popular leisure pool, Leith Waterworld.

With a bouncing castle, balloons and a big birthday cake, the party was a chance for supporters to celebrate the achievements of the last year, and catch up on recent developments and progress. The party also saw the launch of Save Leith Waterworld wristbands, as well as the unveiling of architect’s visuals showing how the interior (dry) spaces could be reconfigured to accommodate an improved soft play and a cafe.

On 30 November 2011, over 50 Edinburgh residents gathered for the first time to express their concern at the then planned closure of the facility, the impact this would have on children and families in Leith and across Edinburgh, and to discuss what could be done. One year on, the campaign is still going strong, and progress is being made towards saving the pool.

Recent progress by the campaign group includes:
  • Proving through its research that Leith Waterworld was unique in terms of what it offered children, families and disabled people across Edinburgh and the Lothians
  • Undertaking a survey (with 850 responses) which exposed the negative impact of the closure on family swimming, and demonstrated that residents of Leith, Edinburgh and beyond would welcome improved facilities at a re-opened Waterworld
  • Submitting a bid to run the facility in partnership with the Council
  • Securing funding and working with Council officials and external experts to further develop the business case for re-opening.

Campaigner Ida Maspero said: “We’re celebrating one year of campaigning for Waterworld, and we’re all surprised that we’re still here! When the campaign started up on 30 November last year, none of us were expecting to still be fighting the closure a year later. But we have moved on, and  we’re optimistic that,through possible community buy-out, we can secure the future of Edinburgh’s only fun pool for the families of the capital. We are making good progress in partnership with officers from City of Edinburgh Council towards negotiating a future for Waterworld as a community-focused social enterprise.”

Campaigner Johnny Gailey added: “We are currently working with officials of CEC’s Economic Development Unit to prepare the way for submitting a fully-fledged business plan to Councillors for consideration on 31 January 2013. Whilst we also have the help of social enterprise support services and independent experts in compiling this business plan, more support is always welcome. We’d like to share our positive progress with the community on Sunday and encourage supporters to come forward with skills and expertise, and hear of ways of how they can contribute to the campaign.”

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Le Di-Vi Wine Bar at Randolph Place part of La P’tite Folie restaurant in Edinburgh is holding a whisky and port tasting tonight at 7pm with Adrian Laird Craig from Wood Winters.

Adrian will talk about different aspects of whisky and different areas and this is what you will be tasting:-

8 WHISKIES, YOUNG AND AGED WITH DIFFERENT FINISH ON OFFER TO TASTE.

2 PORTS FROM THE HOUSE OF WIESE KHRON, A 10 YEARS TAWNY AND A 2001 VINTAGE.

 10% DISCOUNT will be offered at WOOD WINTERS’S SHOP ON NEWINGTON ROAD.

SO MAYBE JUST WAIT UNTIL THE TASTING BEFORE DECIDING WHICH WHISKY OR PORT TO BUY FOR CHRISTMAS AND THE NEW YEAR.

TASTING £15.00 PER PERSON, SOME CHEESE NIBBLES WILL BE SERVED WITH THE PORT.

Le Di Vin is the Wine Bar  beside La P’tite Folie restaurant. It provides an elegant setting for a light meal or where you can learn and experiment as most are sold by the glass. The venue offers a few intimate corners and a magnificent mezzanine floor where you can enjoy platters of cheese, charcuterie, smoked fish, terrines, and salads with complementing wine.

To book tickets or for further details  please contact Le Di Vin Wine Bar direct –  0131 538 1815  www.ledivin.co.uk