Edinburgh Festival Fireworks 2011

Virgin Money Fireworks

Airport drop off charges increased

Edinburgh Art Festival closes today

Football and cricket news

Forth Bridge 50 years on

 

The Virgin Money Fireworks Concert brings Edinburgh’s summer festival season to a spectacular conclusion, celebrating courage, heroism and struggles for freedom through stirring, uplifting music and a breathtaking fireworks display specially choreographed by international fireworks artists Pyrovision.

Alongside the majesty of Wagner’s ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ from Die Walküre and Debussy’s rousing March Écossaise, the concert takes in the stormy passions of Beethoven’s Egmont Overture and the memorable ‘War March of the Priests’ from Mendelssohn’s Athalie.

Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, written to celebrate Russia’s deliverance from Napoleon’s invading armies, brings the evening to an electrifying conclusion, accompanied by a glittering display of pyrotechnics from the Edinburgh Castle ramparts.

You can buy tickets for Priority Entry and standard Princes Street Gardens here. The Ross Theatre is already sold out.

Scottish Chamber Orchestra will play the music.

Garry Walker Conductor

Wagner Ride of the Valkyries
Beethoven Egmont Overture
Mendelssohn War March of the Priests from Athalie
Debussy Marche Écossaise
Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture

If you get any good photos of the fireworks display then do add them to our fireworks storyboard here on EdinburghReportage!

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edinburgh-airport---dropoff-mapMap courtesy of Edinburgh Airport

Edinburgh Airport is changing its terminal drop-off area to cope with increased passenger numbers, enhance service and to simplify use for drivers.

The changes, which have been taking place through the summer, have involved reconfigurations to the drop-off area  to cut down on queues, maintain the availability of blue badge spaces and encourage better traffic flow.

A new separate pick-up zone, situated next to the drop-off area, has been created in response to passenger feedback. A separate entrance and exit to the pick-up zone will make it easier for vehicles to come and go without having to drive towards the terminal around the main airport approach road.

In addition, the time bands on charges have been changed to encourage drivers not to stay and alleviate congestion in the drop-off area. From 01 September, drivers who spend between five and 10 minutes in the drop-off area will be charged £3. The £1 charge remains for the vast majority of drivers who pass through in five minutes or less.

The free drop-off area in the airport’s long stay car park will continue to be available for those who don’t wish to pay the £1 charge. Blue badge holders will be unaffected by the new charging regime.

In June, 87% of the passengers that used the drop-off area passed through in 3.5 minutes.

Edinburgh Airport is continually talking to its passengers and has made these changes following valuable feedback from customers who have said that taxis using the drop-off zone to wait for pick- ups are causing a lot of congestion.

Richard Townsend, Head of Retail and Property at Edinburgh Airport, said: “At Edinburgh Airport we work hard to make sure that we’re developing our services and facilities to meet the expectations of our passengers and airlines.

“These changes are necessary to make sure that, as our airport continues to grow, we offer our customers a convenient, efficient pick-up and drop-off experience.

“A free drop-off zone will still be available but the one million vehicles which use the drop-off area on a yearly basis show that people still want to use this facility.”

 More information available on the Edinburgh Airport website

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The Edinburgh Art Festival finishes today, but before it does you may just have time to catch some of the brilliant exhibitions which are dotted across the city.

Today at the Royal Scottish Academy building there will be FREE discussion-led tours of the GENERATION exhibition focusing on key themes and artists between 11am and 1pm.

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Hearts won yesterday to continue their unbroken run since the beginning of the season by an amazing 4 goals to 1 against Falkirk at Tynecastle. Mike Smith was there to capture all the action for you. Match report here.

Meanwhile Hibs continued their poor start to the season according to John Hislop with his match report on their defeat by Alloa Athletic here.

Today Heriot’s U-18 cricket team have qualified for the finals day in Linlithgow for the second year running.

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This week marks 50 years since Her Majesty the Queen opened the Forth Road Bridge on 4 September 1964.

Tonight the BBC will show a programme devoted to the construction of the bridge and this is a trailer:

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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.