Edinburgh Guarantee
Royal High School
Magic Festival
Farm to Fork
Leave more time when travelling to and from Edinburgh Airport
More school leavers than ever in Edinburgh are moving into work, education, or training, thanks to the strong partnership that has developed between the public and private sectors through the Edinburgh Guarantee.
[tweet_box design=”default”]Figures published by the Scottish Government show that the success rate of school leavers in Edinburgh achieving and sustaining a positive destination are at the highest rate ever.[/tweet_box]The figure is up 10 per cent since the Edinburgh Guarantee began four years ago and is now at 93.1 per cent. The Capital is now the best performing city in Scotland and is 12th out of all local authority areas, which puts us well above the national average.
The statistics show that more school leavers in Edinburgh are getting into jobs compared to September 2013 with over one in four of school leavers in employment at the snapshot taken in March. Just over 40% are getting into and sustaining places in Higher Education while over a quarter of school leavers opt for Further Education.
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The Royal High School Preservation Trust (RHSPT) is to host the first public exhibition of its plans to move St Mary’s Music School into the iconic Thomas Hamilton buildings on Carlton Hill.
The exhibition, which takes place at Canongate Kirk on Thursday 18th June, will set out how the RHSPT will fund the conservation of the former Royal High School and how it will adapt the buildings to give the music school the greater performance and teaching space it desperately needs to fulfill its ambitions as an internationally recognised centre for young musical talent.
The exhibition will also stray from the conventional format for such consultation events, by including performances from students at the music school.
William Gray Muir, Chairman of the RHSPT said:
“Backed by philanthropic funds, we are in a unique position to bring new life to the Old Royal High School by restoring it to its original purpose. We want to see St Mary’s Music School move to the site where it can enjoy a new, inspiring and internationally prestigious home. With the extra space it needs to expand and which the High School could provide, it can also open its doors to greater numbers of talented Scottish children.
“What makes the project particularly exciting is the chance to create three significant new performance spaces of unrivalled character within the city. This will bring together the schools exceptional pupils, musicians of international standing and an audience drawn from the citizens of Edinburgh and beyond.”
He added:
“I would encourage local residents to come to the exhibition on 18th June. Students from the music school will be performing in the impressive surroundings of Canongate Kirk and we will have a number of people available to discuss the history of both schools and the opportunities our plans present.”
Ken Taylor, Headteacher for St Mary’s Music School, added:
“This is an incredibly exciting prospect for the School. We have been growing steadily to the point where we are bursting at the seams and need to increase our performance and teaching space. The opportunity to move into the former Royal High School Buildings not only allows us to fulfill our ambitions to expand, but will also serve to give Scotland’s only independent music school a greater and more prestigious international standing.”
The RHSPT Public Exhibition takes place on Thursday 18th June, between 5pm and 8pm, at the Canongate Kirk, 153 Canongate, Edinburgh, Midlothian EH8 8BN.
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This summer from 26 June magic comes to Edinburgh. See the top magical performers live on stage at the Magic Village at Summerhall. There are six theatre spaces on one site over 8 days with 30 performers including Paul Wilson, Will Houstoun, Ali Cook, Richard Wiseman, Colin Cloud, Mark Elsdon, Rob Jagerhorn + many more.
“There’s nothing quite like seeing magic live, close up, with no screens, Hollywood effects or fancy TV editing getting in the way of something beautifully impossible. So Awake in Wonder at the Edinburgh International Magic Festival from 26th June till 4th July.”
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City centre workers are to be given a chance to enjoy lunch featuring the best produce local farmers can offer – prepared by some of the Capital’s most celebrated chefs.
Farm to Fork is an event which will take place at St Andrew Square Garden on Tuesday, June 23rd from 11am till 4pm to mark the 15th birthday this month of the renowned and award-winning Edinburgh Farmers Market.
On offer will be delicious lunches prepared with inspiring ingredients straight from the market, prepared by top city chefs Neil Forbes (of Café St Honore), Mark Greenaway (of Restaurant Mark Greenaway); Victor and Carina Contini (from Continis) and Dale Mailley and Edward Murray (from The Gardener’s Cottage).
A mini-market will also be a big part of the day, with select producers offering fresh baked goods, organic meats, artisan chocolates and more. Live music will also be a feature of the day.
Roddy Smith, Chief Executive of event and Farmers Market organisers Essential Edinburgh, said: “It is tremendous to mark the 15th birthday of the market and also Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink with this celebration of the abundance of top quality local produce and the fantastic talent we have in our city chefs.
“Edinburgh Farmers’ Market continues to be one of the very best markets anywhere in the UK, with a whole raft of awards that testify to its quality, diversity, and even the stunning setting at Castle Terrace under the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle. It is the only farmers market in Scotland to take place on a weekly basis in one location, every Saturday.
“Thousands of people go to the Farmers Market and many of our city’s best chefs source high quality ingredients at the market. This event sees some chefs showcase the ingredients to be found at the Market in an imaginative and fun way that will allow city centre workers to enjoy a very keenly priced and deliciously appetising lunch. We hope everyone enjoys the day.”
In addition, a special expanded Farmers’ Market is planned for Saturday, June 27th to mark the 15th birthday.
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As the 2015 Royal Highland Show gets underway, Edinburgh Airport is calling on passengers planning on flying this weekend to be prepared and allow extra time to get to the airport.
With the busy summer schedule now underway and almost 160,000 passengers expected to travel through over the next four days, Edinburgh Airport is working closely with Show partners to ensure airport operations continue unaffected.
Around 180,000 people are expected to visit the showground between today until Sunday, meaning roads around the airport will be much busier than usual. Traffic management is already underway with signage up to guide show-goers safely to the Royal Highland Centre.
Adding to potential travel disruption are ongoing roadworks at the Gogar roundabout. In addition to this, railway works on the Winchburgh Tunnel could mean more people choose to drive to the Show. Those travelling to the airport over the next four days are advised to check local travel bulletins before leaving and allow extra time.
For those travelling from the city centre, the airport is encouraging the use of the tram and for those coming from the west, the Citylink Air service runs every 30 minutes between Buchannan Street in Glasgow and Edinburgh Airport.
David Wilson, Chief Operating Officer at Edinburgh Airport, said: “The Royal Highland Show is always a hugely popular event and we work closely with organisers, RHASS and external partners to ensure the event and our airport operations continue as normal.
“With an event of this size, roads around the airport will be busier and this will have an impact on travel time to and from the airport. We’re asking passengers to be prepared for a longer journey and allow extra time to travel.
“It’s important that we maintain safe operations at the airport and we’ll be in regular contact with Police Scotland and colleagues at the Royal Highland Centre throughout the event. We’ll also be posting frequent updates on Twitter using #RHStravel.”
Being prepared for security is also important to remember. All passengers flying should ensure liquids, gels and pastes are 100ml or less and presented in a clear plastic re-sealable bag. More information on how to be prepared for security can be found on the airport’s website edinburghairport.com/prepare
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
