Five things you need to know today
Robbery – 100 days – Queen’s Baton Relay – Morningside Library – Raise the Baton concert
Thieves on Friday made off with an estimated £1m of jewellery from Hamilton & Inches shop on George Street.
Police in Edinburgh issued a further appeal for information following the high-value armed robbery.
Three men dressed in dark clothing entered the Hamilton and Inches shop on George Street at around 11.30am and threatened staff with various bladed weapons.
The trio then smashed a number of display cabinets before making off with a significant quantity of jewellery.
All of the suspects were then seen entering a white BMW car, which was recovered a short time later in Gloucester Lane.
The men abandoned the vehicle before getting into a medium to large sized dark-coloured car that was last seen heading towards Stockbridge.
Anyone who can assist officers with their ongoing investigation is asked to contact police immediately.
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Today marks 100 days before the Independence Referendum on 18 September 2014.
We have published a couple of articles about the referendum in our Scottish Independence Referendum section today. If you have a burning desire to write an essay on the referendum then please submit your article here.
We asked some local politicians for their views. Malcolm Chisholm MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith said:-“I hope people will vote no but I also hope we will have a civilised debate over the next 100 days and that friends won’t fall out over it.”
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This week the Queen’s Baton comes to Edinburgh.
The arrival of the baton in Scotland on its journey to the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games will be marked by a sports-themed family fun day at Heriot-Watt University on Saturday, June 14.
The Edinburgh leg of the relay will begin on Saturday morning at 9:50am when the Lord Provost and Lord Lieutenant Donald Wilson and Professor Steve Chapman, Principal of the University, will welcome the arrival of the baton.
The University’s Edinburgh Campus has been chosen as the starting point for the Edinburgh events as it is the site of the forthcoming National Performance Centre for Sport (NPCS), which it won in a competitive selection process in September 2012.
To celebrate the event, a free carnival of family sports activity has been organised by South-West Edinburgh Community Sport Hub, and will showcase a number of local clubs through taster sessions and demonstrations to visitors. On offer will be ‘come and try’ sessions for bowls, table tennis, golf, rugby, weightlifting, gymnastics and dance. Heriot-Watt students and staff will hold sessions for football, tennis and Gaelic football as well as fitness routines and conduct campus walks for those wishing to explore the University.
Food stalls and children’s fun play activities will also add to the enjoyment on the day while there will also be information stands on site promoting a wide range of local services and activities.
The baton relay will take place from 10am to 10.35am on the University Avenue from the West Gait and people will be able to watch and cheer on the batonbearers. There will be nine batonbearers on this leg of the journey including Andrew Frost, a Team Scotland athlete who competes in hammer throw as well as local schoolchildren from the Currie and Balerno area.
The winners of two primary school competitions encouraging students to design and make their own batons and their Glasgow 2014 poster will also be announced on the day, with the best entries displayed near the information stalls.
Catriona McAllister, Heriot-Watt’s Head of Sport and Exercise and Director of the NPCS said, “The arrival of the baton in Scotland is a signal that Scotland’s summer of sport is well and truly under way. With so many schoolchildren and others learning all they can about the Commonwealth Games and taking on so many activities related to the baton, this is a great opportunity to provide a fun way to welcome it here at Heriot-Watt, which is now set to become Scotland’s national sporting centre.”
The Lord Provost Donald Wilson said, “It is fantastic that the Edinburgh leg of the Queen’s Baton Relay begins at Heriot-Watt, home to Scotland’s National Performance Centre for Sport. There are some fantastic family and community activities on offer at Heriot-Watt, and it is a great way to send the baton on its way around the capital.”
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Community Connecting supports older people to find out what services, activities and groups are available in their local area. They are running a drop-in information group in Morningside Library every Wednesday morning.
The purpose of the group is to provide a social space for people over 65 to meet and have a cup of tea and a chat and at the same time find out what’s on in the area.
If you would like to find out more please call Alison or Jools on 0131 225 8508 or email cc@health-in-mind.org.uk
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To signal the start of the relay celebrations in Edinburgh, a Gala Classical Concert will be held at the Usher Hall on the evening of Friday 13 June 2014. Entitled Edinburgh Raises The Baton, the concert features the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Edinburgh Royal Choral Union, and the acclaimed pianist Stephen Hough.
Tickets for the Edinburgh Raises the Baton gala classical concert are also available from the Usher Hall box office 0131 228 1155 and website