Cockenzie demolition
M&S World’s Biggest Coffee Morning
Get involved with Chronicle Online
Edinburgh children eat lobster
Victorian Selfies!
The end of an era in East Lothian yesterday when the iconic twin chimney stacks and the turbine hall (on the right of the photo) were demolished.
Over 160kg of nitro glycerine based explosives were used in the demolition of the chimney stacks, where there were approximately 1500 charge holes drilled in each chimney. The explosives were designed to blow out the base of the chimneys so they fell towards each other. Both chimneys were demolished simultaneously where they impacted about 140m in the air. The 220m long turbine hall was demolished by 120kg of explosives, which were attached to 19 major box columns that were removed progressively within 1 second.
The initiation system was fully backed up with double detonators and connectors throughout where separate back up firing lines were run to each chimney. Overall 4,000 metres of shock tube was employed in the demolition project.
The button, to initiate the demolition was pushed at 12pm by East Lothian resident, Donald McCulloch, the winner of a charity raffle that was organised by Longniddry & District Rotary Club.
Hugh Finlay, ScottishPower Generation Director, said: “The demolition team have been working towards this day for two years, and it was fantastic to see all of our detailed preparations and calculations culminate in such a dramatic event. Comprehensive planning and consultation ensured the event could be managed safely. I would like to thank our partners in this project East Lothian Council and Police Scotland and our contractors Brown and Mason”.
Originally operational in the summer of 1967, Cockenzie was officially opened on the 24th May 1968 by the Secretary of State for Scotland, The Rt. Hon. William Ross. The Power Station generated more than 150 Terawatt Hours (TWh) of electricity in its lifetime, enough to power the average annual electricity needs of more than 1 million homes every year during its 45 years of operation. In total, it is estimated that more than 10,000 people have been employed at Cockenzie, during construction and operation, with many thousands of other jobs supported in the wider supply chain and local area.
When Cockenzie opened in 1967, it was the largest power station in Scotland and Britain was still 2 years away from natural gas being used in electricity generation. Coal accounted for approximately 72% of the fuel input used for electricity generation in Britain, compared to approximately 20.5% in 2014.
In an average year the station would receive approximately 800 train loads of coal, meaning that up to 36,000 freight trains stopped at Cockenzie’s coal handling plant to make deliveries over the lifetime of the station. The last delivery took place at 3pm on Saturday 9th March.
Designed by Sir Robert Matthew (who also designed Edinburgh Airport and the Royal Commonwealth Pool), and famous for its distinctive twin chimney stacks, the station was built with a generating capacity of 1,200MW, comprising four identical units, each capable of generating 300MW. Due to strategic investment and high levels of maintenance, the station comfortably outlived its original estimates of a 25-30 year life cycle.
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M&S’ store in Edinburgh has raised £3,200 after a successful month-long fundraising campaign for Macmillan’s 25th anniversary World’s Biggest Coffee Morning.
Shoppers were out in force to support the cause, joining an estimated five million people across the UK who also participated in coffee mornings for Macmillan. As well as serving huge amounts of coffee and cake, employees at M&S Gyle also dressed up as characters from popular 1950’s film, Grease. Customers were entertained by local musicians including a trumpet player whilst two classic cars were on-show outside of the store.
The Edinburgh store was part of a nationwide fundraising drive by M&S, in its sixth year of supporting Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning. During this time, M&S has raised over £4million for Macmillan, helping to fund more specialist Macmillan services in local communities across the UK. It is hoped that this year will be the most successful event yet, beating the collective £25million total raised last year.
Store Café manager, Joanna Reid, at M&S Gyle, said: “We would like to say a huge thank you to all our customers for helping us to make this year’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning a huge success! With it being the event’s 25th anniversary, this year had added significance, so we are delighted to have raised such a fantastic amount for what is an incredibly impressive and worthy charity.
“We will be continuing to raise funds until the end of September, so if you didn’t make it along to our coffee morning event on Friday, there is still an opportunity to pop in and treat yourself to a coffee and cake to help towards our final fundraising total.”
Fundraising efforts for the coffee morning have been underway at M&S since the start of September, and will continue until the end of the month. Throughout this time, 10 percent of the proceeds from Macmillan Coffee Morning products sold in the Foodhall – including a delicious Macmillan Victoria Sandwich, M&S’ famous Colin the Caterpillar Cake and a limited edition World’s Biggest Coffee Morning 25th Anniversary Biscuit Tin – will go to the charity.
All M&S Cafés have also been donating 5p from every cup of coffee and slice of cake sold, and will continue to do so until the end of the month. Two bespoke Coffee Morning badges, designed by renowned British designer Sophie Conran, and which feature her own recipes, are also available from Cafés and Foodhalls for a suggested donation of £2.
Furthermore, an array of stylish, limited edition home products – including a bone china mug, tea towels and an apron – are available in selected M&S homeware departments, with 10 percent of each sale going to Macmillan.
Chloe Gallagher, Senior Partnership Manager at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “Each year we are astounded by the nation’s efforts in getting behind the coffee morning and this year our expectations have been exceeded yet again. I would like to personally thank every single person who has helped make this year another great success, by visiting their local M&S or hosting their own coffee morning.
“The event was a storming success, and we are hoping to have raised more than ever before. I have no doubt that thanks to M&S’ support, we’ll be able to fund even more essential professional posts. Cancer can be the loneliest place, but together M&S and Macmillan ensure that more people in the UK have the support they need in their own community, meaning that no one has to face cancer alone.”
For more information about Macmillan Cancer Support’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning please visit www.coffee.macmillan.org.uk.
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Many parents across Edinburgh, and the rest of the UK, will be all too familiar with fussy eaters at mealtimes. However, according to a new survey the days of plates left untouched may soon be a distant memory.
Research unveiled by Seafish, the industry authority on seafood, has shown that Edinburgh children between the ages of seven and eleven are becoming far more adventurous when it comes to fish consumption, with a surprising 40% having tried crab, 33% sampling squid, while one in five has even eaten lobster.
Cod is still the most commonly eaten fish by kids, while other favourites follow close behind, with 80% eating tuna, haddock 73.3% and salmon 60%.
However, while the statistics for adventurous eating have been praised, the total levels of fish consumed per week may require some improvement. Currently, only 24.3% of seven to 11-year-olds across the UK eat two pieces of fish per week – the recommended minimum.
The research also highlighted that almost 30% of children in the UK have never partaken in the traditional British pastime of eating fish and chips at the seaside.
The survey has been released in conjunction with the launch of a student chef-led pilot education programme, which aims to teach children about the variety of seafood available and how it gets from the ocean to our tables. It is hoped that the initiative will encourage children to eat a greater variety of fish more often, as well as inspire the Chefs of tomorrow.
For more information on the Seafish education programme and unique recipe ideas, fish fans are being encouraged to visit the Fish is The Dish website.
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Keep an eye on the National Museums Scotland Facebook page to find out how you can get involved in their Victorian Selfie competition which begins on 30 September. You are promised ‘fantastic prizes’!
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
