Bridge 8 Hub
At the National Museum of Scotland
Dragon Boat Challenge
Drumbrae Employment Fair
Upcycling this Saturday
Our chums at Bridge 8 Hub have had good news this week:
“We have been granted planning consent from Edinburgh Council to build Edinburgh’s First Canal Based Outdoor Activity Hub!”
Bridge 8 Hub is run by Sean Barry out at Wester Hailes where he offers courses in everything from canoeing to archery right by the Union Canal.
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This week marks the last chance to see Indian Encounters at the National Museum of Scotland.
The exhibition, which finishes this Sunday (1 March) showcases a newly commissioned painting, Casualty of War: A Portrait of Maharaja Duleep Singh, by renowned contemporary British artists The Singh Twins. Alongside the commission, beautifully crafted 19th century jewellery and intricate Indian miniature style paintings from the 18th century, which once represented the wealth and status of their owners Maharaja Duleep Singh and Captain Archibald Swinton, are displayed.
Indian Encounters explores British-Indian relations through the lives of these two men who had very different experiences of British rule in India.
The Scot, Archibald Swinton, served in the East India Company’s army at the beginning of its military expansion. During his time in Bengal, Swinton collected traditional Indian miniature paintings, a selection of which is on display in the exhibition.
Duleep Singh became the first resident Sikh in Britain after he, at the young age of 10, had to surrender the Sikh Punjab and all his treasures to the East India Company. During his exile in Britain, he was a favourite of Queen Victoria who often invited him to Buckingham Palace when he was a young man and later became the godmother to several of his children. For a time he lived in Scotland where he became affectionately known as the Black Prince of Perthshire. The exhibition displays treasures and jewellery once worn by him.
Duleep Singh’s jewellery and personal belongings have been reinterpreted by The Singh Twins in Casualty of War, a painting commissioned by National Museums Scotland, with financial support from British Council Scotland.
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The Dragon Boat Regatta organised by Leith Rotary, Ocean Terminal, Barnardos, and the Retail Trust, has become one of the most exciting and colourful events in the calendar.
The call now goes out to teams to enter and gather sponsorship money for the event.
The Regatta will be held on 7 June 2015 at Ocean Terminal and organisers are hoping that this year’s response will exceed our spectacular record of 28 teams who helped to raise over £50,000 for local and national charities.
Cron MacKay, from Leith Rotary said,
‘This is a huge event for Leith, one of the most fun ways of raising money that we can think of. It’s always been popular with the participants and with the hundreds of spectators and supporters who crowd the harbour to cheer on their team.
‘We’re also delighted to be bringing together the partners in the event – Ocean Terminal, the Retail Trust and Barnardos. We are very grateful for their support and enthusiasm for the Regatta.
‘We know that the community won’t let us down and that more teams than ever will take to the water in June. We know that the spectators will have as much fun as the participants. And we also know that dozens of good causes all across the country will benefit from the huge spirt of generosity that surrounds this event.’
Michelle McLeod Deputy Centre Manager at Ocean Terminal added,
‘The Dragonboat Regatta is one of our biggest days of the year at Ocean Terminal. We’re delighted to be working with our partners on this huge fund-raising spectacle. Race-Day creates an excitement that you have to experience. Whether you are out on the water or enjoying the onshore entertainments it’s a fabulous day out for everyone. We hope that this year even more teams will want to be part of the action. Time to get paddling!’
Application forms are available at www.leithdragonboats.com
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Drumbrae Library Hub will host an employment fair on Tuesday 3rd March aimed at those looking for work, wanting to improve their skill set or seeking advice on volunteering opportunities. Put it in your diary now!
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South West Neighbourhood are organising a free event this Saturday:
Come to our free event on Saturday 7 March in Gorgie Dalry Parish Church, 12.30pm to 4.30 pm where you can donate unwanted items, such as clothes, books and small household objects, and swap them for free from other people’s donations. (We won’t be able to accept electrical items, broken items or mattresses). Or come along to one of the workshops to pick up some new skills and tips:
• Computer repair workshop – an expert technician from Remade in Edinburgh will be on hand to diagnose and fix problems with laptops, tablets or phones. Bring along your laptop for a health check. From 12.30pm to 4.30 pm.
• Sewing workshop – an expert crafter from Remade in Edinburgh will demonstrate sewing machine basics – how to thread, adjust the stitch size, sample simple stitches, and give you the opportunity to try it out. From 12.30pm to 4.30 pm.
• Furniture upcycling demonstration – an expert from Upcycled World will show you how to use various techniques to give furniture a new lease of life. From 1.30 pm to 3.30pm.
The event will be at Gorgie Dalry Parish Church, 190 -192 Gorgie Road, Edinburgh, EH11 2NX on Saturday 7 March from 12.30pm to 4.30 pm.
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
