Full council meets today – Budget consultation – Santa visits Royal Commonwealth Pool – Christmas Tree Festival – Ballet
The full council meets today for the last time in 2013. You can watch the meeting live on the council webcast.
Today the non-executive directors of Transport for Edinburgh will be approved. The names put forward are Ann Faulds (who will also be the future chair of Lothian Buses), Anthony Depledge and Dr Steve Cassidy. Three other non-executive directors will be on the board till July 2015. They are Donald MacLeod, John Martin and Marjory Rodger. It was agreed in August that some of the new members of the board would require transport experience.
Mr Depledge is also a non-executive director of Translink Group, operating Ulsterbus, Metro and Northern Ireland Railways. Dr Cassidy appears to have experience in the ticketing sphere. He is also a director of Edinburgh-based company MMM, and according to their website:-“Dr Cassidy has a particular expertise in applying technology to support transport, urban policy and eGovernment objectives. He has completed many high profile projects in ticketing and smart card related media, as well as in the design and evaluation of travel information technologies and policies.”
Ann Faulds is a partner with capital law firm Dundas & Wilson and specialises in Government and Public Sector, Planning and Transport.
These appointments mean that the board of TFE which will run the trams and buses in Edinburgh will be complete.
A non-executive director is usually someone who is not otherwise employed by the company and who sits on the board to scrutinise the performance of the board and the senior management. We noticed recently that the CEO of Johnston Press (which owns The Scotsman and Edinburgh Evening News newspapers) Ashley Highfield, is a non-executive director on the board of William Hill and the British Film Institute.
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The City of Edinburgh Council would like to hear your views on how to save and spend money in 2014/15 and for the next 3 years.
See the links below for an overview of priorities and services and a link to the consultation which ends on 20 December.
- A link to the video which people are encouraged to watch before taking part in the budget conversation:http://www.budget.edinburgh.gov.uk/
- A link to the consultation itself www.edinburgh.gov.uk/budget
Next week Santa will be at Clambers at the Royal Commonwealth Pool.
Rock around the Christmas Tree with Santa at Clambers Christmas Disco on Thursday 19th December 2013. More details here.
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The enchanting Edinburgh Christmas Tree Festival, hosted at St Andrew’s and St George’s Church, is returning for its fourth year in support of chosen charities: The Sunflower Garden, Edinburgh Clothing Store and Cash4Kids.
Entry is free for all, however donations of any amount are welcomed. A great day out for all the family filled with beautiful trees and Christmas music. Visitors welcome Mon-Sat, 11:00-16:00 until 28 December.
More details here.
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Tonight at Cineworld you can watch Covent Garden ballet – live!
Peter Wright’s dazzling production of Tchaikovsky’s magical festive ballet returns to Covent Garden, and you can watch it live at Cineworld.
Tchaikovsky’s enduringly popular Christmas ballet unfolds in two fabulous acts. Act one opens on Christmas Eve. Mysterious magician Herr Drosselmeyer gives young Clara a nutcracker doll. This sets in motion a train of events that leads to a midnight battle between an army of toy soldiers and the evil Mouse King, backed by his rodent hordes.
It ends with a magnificent pas de deux in which Clara and Herr Drosselmeyer’s nephew Hans-Peter celebrate the nutcracker’s victory before being enveloped in a magical snowstorm. In Act two, the duo are whisked off to the Land of the Sweets. Here they meet the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince, who entertain them with a series of wonderful dances. First staged at Covent Garden back in 1984, Peter Wright’s sumptuous and colourful version returns to the original 1892 Royal Ballet production for its inspiration. This performance is being streamed live to many cinemas across the country, including Cineworld at Fountainpark.
Booking details here.
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