Upcycling
Coffee tasting
Take it right outside
Billy’s big win with Forth 1
Poddingtons Coffee House celebrates 1st birthday – with cake!
A major eight-week social media campaign launches today to encourage Scots to try upcycling – and discover the joys of re-use.
‘Design Doctor’ – #DesignDoc – is run by Zero Waste Scotland to encourage and inspire everyone to try upcycling and discover the joys of re-use, with expert guidance from designers – both online and in person. The campaign will culminate in a range of interactive events at the end of November.
Each week, three Scottish designers – Emily Rose Vintage and Treemendus from Glasgow and Very Vintage from Edinburgh – will completely transform one of seven items of furniture and post the details on Twitter and Facebook. The pieces destined for upcycling will be sourced from a range of second-hand stores accredited by ‘Revolve’ – a re-use quality standard for shops who sell second hand goods in Scotland. The Revolve brand is only awarded to retailers who demonstrate a high level of excellence, both in service and product – making it safe, easy and inviting for everyone to buy second-hand items.
The Design Doctor designers will demonstrate a range of techniques and tricks to give people the creative inspiration to upcycle their own pieces of furniture, thus increasing the value of their item while lowering their carbon footprint.
Follow all the #DesignDoc action on www.facebook.com/RecycleForScotland and www.twitter.com/ZeroWasteScot.
A special coffee tasting and talk is to take place on Monday 19 October at The Royal Scots Club, Edinburgh, as part of its regular series of Scottish Speaker Lunches.
The event, All About Coffee, will be hosted by Scottish Barista of the Year Catherine O’shea and after the usual delicious two course lunch, guests will be treated to a tasting of four different coffees along with an explanatory talk.
Cat is a coffee expert and professional coffee roaster and taster who has been working in the coffee industry for some years. She is currently manager of the Broughton Street branch of Artisan Roast, award winning gourmet coffee roasters that supply coffee to top cafes and restaurants throughout Scotland.
‘The Club’s Scottish Speaker Lunches have proved very popular,’ says chairman John Lloyd, ‘and last month the diners welcomed Michael Martin, project director for the new Forth crossing, who gave a fascinating lecture on the highs and lows of his position. Coffee, it seems has its place in his life, keeping his team going, so this month’s talk will resonate, I suspect!’
The hidden dangers of second-hand smoke will be brought to life in a bid to urge parents to take smoking right outside, as a national tour hits Edinburgh on Thursday 15 October 2015.
Visitors to Gambado Edinburgh will be invited into a living room which looks completely smoke-free, but then fills with computer-generated chemicals when viewed through a tablet.
Through the screen, they will also be able to see the harmful effects these chemicals can have on a child’s lung health as the second-hand smoke lingers.
The 29-date tour is part of the Take it Right Outside campaign which aims to reduce the number of children who are exposed to second-hand smoke in the home, and drive home that the only way to ensure children are protected is to never smoke in the home or the car.
Advisers will be on hand to speak to parents and grandparents, highlighting that smoking at the back door or an open window isn’t enough, as the harmful chemicals drift back into the home and move from room to room for up to five hours after the cigarette has been put out.
Statistics show that 11 per cent of children in Scotland are still being exposed to second-hand smoke in the home1. In 2014, the Scottish Government announced a new target of reducing the proportion of children exposed from 12 per cent to six per cent by 2020, which would have the potential to protect up to 50,000 children.
The campaign is targeting those who think they are doing enough to protect their children by highlighting the steps they can take to make their car and home smoke-free.
Minister for Public Health Maureen Watt said: “We want every child in Scotland to breathe clean air when they’re in the home or the car.
“This tour is an innovative way to bring to life the realities of the harm caused by second-hand smoke and the serious consequences it can have on a child’s health, particularly as many parents are unaware that it can linger and move around the home for up to five hours.
“We understand everyone’s situation is different, but there are small changes people can make to their smoking behaviour which will pay dividends in terms of protecting their children.”
It’s estimated that second-hand smoke exposure in UK children each year causes over 20,000 cases of lower respiratory tract infection, 120,000 cases of middle ear disease, at least 22,000 new cases of wheeze and asthma, 600 cases of bacterial meningitis, and 40 sudden infant deaths – one in five of all cot deaths2.
Irene Johnstone, Head of British Lung Foundation Scotland, said: “Everybody knows that cigarette smoke is harmful. What we don’t all know is that more than 85 per cent of smoke is invisible and has no smell. Parents want to do the right thing to protect their children, but not enough people know just how dangerous second-hand smoke is, or that it can hang around a room invisibly for up to five hours.
“We have to change that so we can protect the next generation from the harmful effects.”
For help and advice on how to take smoking right outside, visit www.rightoutside.org
East Lothian joiner Billy Paxton scooped the £10,000 top prize in Forth 1’s “Cash Call Extra” competition last week.
Billy, from Tranent, received the unexpected call from Boogie In The Morning breakfast show presenter Arlene Stuart to let him know he was the lucky winner of Forth 1’s £10,000 jackpot.
The good times kept rolling when Arlene and drive time presenter Mark Martin met Billy at sponsor Eastern Western’s showroom in Newbridge to hand over the prize. The cheque presentation took place in the company of some of Eastern Western’s flashiest cars, perhaps providing some inspiration for Billy on how to spend his winnings.
Billy said: “I’m over the moon – I can’t believe I won £10,000! I’m still in shock to be honest. I nearly didn’t answer my phone as the call came when I was getting ready for work. All I can say is I’m really glad I did! When I heard Arlene’s voice on the other end of the line I was gobsmacked. I’ve never won anything before so I’ve been jumping for joy.
“It was brilliant meeting Arlene and Mark, I’m a huge Forth 1 fan and I’ve been listening to the show for years. I tune into Boogie In The Morning every morning on my commute to work, the mixture of banter and top tunes sets me up for the day ahead.”
Family man Billy has already decided his wife will get half of his winnings while much of the rest of his windfall will no doubt be spent on his five kids.
Arlene said: “I was delighted to make that special Cash Call to Billy who seemed genuinely stunned by his great win. Every Cash Call winner came from Edinburgh, the Lothians or Fife and that is what makes our big promotions so special to be involved in.”
Keep up with all the latest competitions, gossip, music and news on Forth 1
Poddingtons Coffee House at Straiton is celebrating its first year in business with a birthday party for its customers today.
The busy Straiton café, which is owned and run by Gavin Dove since October 2014, has already been recognised in two major Food and Drink Awards during its first twelve months of trading. In June, Poddingtons was a runner up for ‘Best place for a coffee’ in the Midlothian Food & Drink Awards, and then in September the coffee house again claimed the runner up spot in the Edinburgh Evening News Café of the Year award.
Today, Poddingtons will feature birthday cake, free samples of a selection of their tray bakes and new donut range, as well as offering customers a chance to win a free coffee every day for a month.
Gavin said, “We wanted to hold a special celebration to thank our customers for their support during our first year.”
A dream nine years in the making, Gavin opened Poddingtons with the aim of championing the finest produce from in and around Edinburgh. Partnering with award-winning suppliers, Poddingtons features a specially developed exclusive blend of coffee from Mr Eion Coffee Roaster in Stockbridge and tea from the Wee Tea Company in Dunfermline, as well as hot chocolate made with milk, dark or white chocolate buttons from the Chocolate Tree. Savoury bites include Union of Genius soup and stromboli from the Breadwinner Bakery, while sweet treats are made by Pasticceria Margiotta and Grace and Co.
Gavin said, “This first year has been about shaping Poddingtons into a café that really feels like a home from home for all our customers. Our purpose is to deliver a great coffee experience, delicious handmade food and a warm welcome for all.”
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
