Garden of Remembrance – Investment in women’s prisons – Edinburgh Castle best of all – Dance Film Festival – Jobs at Edinburgh’s Christmas
The Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh The Rt Hon Donald Wilson will be laying a wreath during a service at 11:00am this morning in the Garden of Remembrance, which opens today.
A serving Army Cadets officer and a Falklands veteran and will join the Lord Provost at a special ceremony in Princes Street Gardens tomorrow organised by the Royal British Legion Scotland to mark the start of Remembrance week.
Regimental associations and veterans’ organisations will raise their standards to parade with the Royal British Legion Scotland standard bearers for the first time at the special ceremony in Princes Street Gardens East, adjoining the Scott Monument, which starts at 11.00am.
Serving military personnel including a representative from 3 Rifles, the resident Battalion in Edinburgh, Minister for Veterans Keith Brown MSP, representing the First Minister, and the heads of the Navy, Army and Royal Air Force will lay wreaths at the ceremony as they join veterans and families to pay tribute to loved ones and brave service men and women who have served in our Armed Forces.
Fife veteran David Cruickshanks, from Glenrothes, will be a guest at the ceremony. The 49 year old served in the Falklands for the duration of the conflict and is going back for the first time this week ahead of Remembrance Day on 11 November.
David said:-“There was so much loss of life in the Falklands. I have had this incredible life that others were denied fighting for my freedom. It’s so important to remember those that have paid the ultimate price with their life.”
Standard bearers representing the regimental associations and other veterans’ organisations will parade along with the Royal British Legion Scotland at the Garden for the first time in the last 30 years of the ceremony’s history.
Army Cadet Officer and Standard Bearer Captain Margaret Brown, 56, from Forfar, will join thirty Standard bearers at the ceremony. Margaret is the only woman to have won the Royal British Legion Scotland annual standard bearing competition.
Margaret said, “As an ex-service person myself I am so aware of the debt that we all owe for that sacrifices made both past and present by our military personnel. It is an honour for me to be here today to show my gratitude and support.”
Members of the public can make a donation for poppies, crosses and other remembrance symbols at the Garden. Crosses can be planted in memory of a loved one at areas of the garden dedicated to Navy, Army, and Royal Air Force units and organisations along with dedicated areas for charities that support the veterans’ community.
All funds raised will contribute to the Scottish Poppy Appeal, run by veterans’ charity Poppyscotland, which provides vital year-round support to veterans and their families across Scotland.
Adjacent to the Garden, on the west side of the Scott Monument, is Poppyscotland’s Field of Remembrance. Over 10,000 crosses will be planted in the Field, each one sent to Poppyscotland from supporters across the country. Some crosses will display heartfelt remembrance tributes for lost loved ones while others will bear simple messages of support for our Armed Forces. There will also be a special Afghanistan plot which will feature photographs of every individual who has been killed in action during continuing operations.
Royal British Legion Scotland branches and members acting as Scottish Poppy Appeal area organisers and volunteers combined to raise a third of the Appeal total in 2012. Kevin Gray MM, Chief Executive Officer of the Royal British Legion Scotland said,
“It’s very important to help keep alive the memory of those who lost their lives in the defence of our country. And this year as we approach the centenary of World War I we are reminded of all those who lost their life in that conflict and every one since then over the last hundred years.
“The Royal British Legion Scotland is committed to supporting remembrance through organising events, working with schools and helping preserve war memorials and in addition we are committed and dedicated to provide an army of Legion volunteers throughout Scotland who work tirelessly to raise funds for vital causes like the Scottish Poppy Appeal.”
“We are determined in our attempts to raise as much as we can for the Scottish Poppy Appeal again this year. Huge thanks to those Legionnaires who have dedicated their time to raise over a third of the total last year.
Guests attending the Garden ceremony and members of the public will also be able to plant crosses and other remembrance symbols, and write their own messages of remembrance and support at the Poppyscotland Field of Remembrance.
***
A range of projects across Scotland are to share in £3 million to help women offenders turn their lives around.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill announced the funding ahead of updating Parliament tomorrow about progress made towards the recommendations of the Commission on Women Offenders.
The money will support the creation or expansion of community justice centres for women offenders in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee, as well as seven other projects to support women offenders elsewhere in Scotland.
In Edinburgh, the successful Willow project is being expanded to increase the range of activities and to support women at an earlier stage in their involvement with criminal justice services than before.
A new Women’s Justice Centre is being set up in Glasgow to enable offenders to engage with a range of support services, working in partnership with existing services, including the 218 Centre. In Aberdeen, the city’s services for women offenders will be moving into a new dedicated centre. And in Dundee, the women offenders team will be expanded to enhance their work on early intervention and to develop their advice and guidance on mental health, housing, employment and finance.
Seven further projects across Scotland have been given funding to develop and improve their work with women offenders, in line with the recommendations of the Angiolini commission. Each will deliver expanded or improved services and guidance to women offenders, responding to the commission’s recommendations in ways that match local need, whether in urban or rural areas.
Mr MacAskill will also tell Parliament that good progress has been made towards meeting the recommendations of the commission since it reported 18 months ago.
He said: “I am extremely pleased with the progress we have made, together with our partners, in meeting the recommendations of the Commission on Women Offenders.
“The funding I am announcing today will help transform services for women so that we can help them break the cycle of reoffending and start making a positive contribution to society.
“The commission recognised that women offenders have very different needs to those of their male counterparts and require very specific support. We have set about meeting those needs to provide a better future for women offenders, their families and communities.
“We are not complacent, however – there is still a considerable amount still to do to help women avoid the vicious circle of reoffending and imprisonment and lead meaningful and productive lives.”
The Commission on Women Offenders, headed by former Lord Advocate Dame Elish Angiolini, examined how the Scottish Government, in partnership with agencies like the Scottish Prison Service, could improve opportunities for women offenders.
To help meet the recommendations of the commission, the Scottish Government is also supporting mentoring schemes for female offenders, as well as working with the Scottish Prison Service to develop HMP Inverclyde as a ‘custom made’ national prison for women offenders, a new regional unit for women in Edinburgh and a unit for women at the new HMP Grampian. The existing facility at Cornton Vale is also being upgraded while the new facilities are developed.
***
Edinburgh Castle has won top UK Heritage Attraction for the third year running!
Edinburgh Castle has been voted the top UK Heritage Attraction in the prestigious 2013 British Travel Awards, the largest awards programme in the UK. The announcement was made at an industry event in London on 31 October.
The iconic historic attraction was also awarded the accolade of Top UK Heritage Attraction in 2011 and 2012 and this year was the only Scottish attraction to be short-listed. It is Scotland’s number one paid-for tourist attraction and attracts more than 1.2 million visitors a year.
Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs said: “To win this prestigious award three times in a row confirms that Edinburgh Castle’s fascinating history, dramatic location and panoramic views have an enduring appeal for visitors of all ages both in the UK and around the world.
“Situated on top of an extinct volcano, the castle also provides an unrivalled backdrop for events such as the Edinburgh Military Tattoo and spectacular fireworks at the end of the Edinburgh International Festival and at Hogmanay.”
Mike Cantlay, Chairman of Visit Scotland, said: “What a fantastic achievement in what has been a truly exceptional year for Edinburgh Castle. With bumper visitor figures and continued accolades from visitors and industry alike, the Castle continues to be the jewel in Scotland’s tourism crown.”
British Travel Awards’ chief executive Lorraine Barnes Burton added: “This year more than one million votes were cast by consumers to determine the winners of the coveted British Travel Awards – making it the largest awards programme in the UK; to win is truly an accolade.
“The travelling public regard the British Travel Awards winners logo as the benchmark for excellence when it comes to finding out who really are the best travel companies and Edinburgh Castle is to be congratulated on their achievement in an awards programme which garners the opinions of the nation – these finalists and winners really are the best in travel.”
***
DANCE:FILM 13 returns with a programme celebrating and exploring dance and film in all its forms.
From Monday 4 November to Saturday 9 November, a series of films including world, UK and Scottish premieres, as well as installations, workshops and events will take place across Edinburgh along with a brand new online programme strand.
DANCE:FILM director Steph Wright says “I’m delighted that DANCE:FILM can return for 2013. It’s been a bumpy ride with difficult funding decisions this year but we will always endeavour to bring amazing examples of dance films to as many people as possible in Edinburgh and beyond. It’s an exciting programme and I can’t wait to see audiences enjoying it as much as we do!”
Opening with the timeless Hollywood classic, Follow The Fleet features the unforgettable Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers duet, Let’s Face the Music and Dance; one of the many highlights of a wonderful score from the great Irving Berlin. On Saturday 9 November, budding Freds and Gingers can learn some of their moves in the Let’s Face the Music and Dance American Smooth dance workshop.
Tuesday’s double bill of documentaries focuses on dance pioneers. Peter Darrell: Scotland’s Dance Pioneer, an insightful story about the founder of Scottish Ballet, is paired with Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance, a look at the revolutionary Joffrey Ballet company.
After a break on Wednesday, the programme continues on Thursday with the Scottish Premiere of an extraordinary film from award winning choreographer Siobhan Davies and filmmaker David Hinton. Made entirely out of archive photographs and footage from the earliest days of the moving image, All This Can Happen is an experience not to be missed.
DANCE:FILM Shorts will be an evening at Inspace, presenting a diverse programme of short dance films from around the world ranging from the experimental to the ambitiously cinematic. Three programmes will be punctuated by breaks for exploring some of the screen installations on display.
On Friday, audiences will be treated to the first UK theatrical screening of Dance of the Dragon, a Korean/Singaporean drama of love and dreams in the world of ballroom dancing and martial arts.
DANCE:FILM 13’s programme closes on Saturday 9 November. A pair of dance documentaries explores the creative process of dance production. Movement One follows producer and composer Jon Arpino and Emmy-nominated choreographer Teddy Forance as they create a new piece for film in eight days. The accompanying film, ponydance: the movie features comedy dance company Ponydance who are no strangers to Edinburgh Fringe audiences so expect to be amused.
In true DANCE:FILM tradition, the closing film is yet another cheesy 80s dance film classic. This time it is Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo. To get in the mood for screening, keen dancers of all levels are welcome to join Boogaloo workshop earlier in the afternoon that day.
For the first time, an online programme of films will run alongside the theatrical programme. DANCE:FILM Bites is facilitated by the Distrify online platform and audiences the world over will get to sample a select series of mini programmes for only £2.49.
***
There are several types of job available with Edinburgh’s Christmas which you will find on their website. Everything from bar staff to ice rink staff. (brrrr!)
Here is what you need to know if you fancy yourself as Torvill or Dean….
The ice rink team are responsible for getting patrons onto and off of the ice safely, troubleshooting, making sure timed slots start on time, ushering and being friendly to all members of the public. You’ll meet lots of people and therefore must be a strong communicator. Rink staff are the eyes and ears of the ice rink. They patrol all areas to make sure audiences are getting around and ensure the rink is clean and running smoothly. As well as this, you are there to answer any questions that the public may have. You should be friendly, confident, good with people and able to organise large numbers of people. There’s no sitting at desks involved in the job so you should be good on your feet, have a confident manner and big voice, and be willing to scramble to action at a moments’ notice. Skating experience is an advantage.
Dates of work: 13 November 2013 – 13 January 2014 inclusive.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
