- New trains for Edinburgh to Glasgow route
- Racing at Musselburgh
- Swim teacher training sessions
- Film event at Summerhall
- World Community Arts Day
If you are at Edinburgh Waverley anytime from now till 4 March you can see what the inside of the new electric trains which will replace the diesel ones on the main Edinburgh to Glasgow line will look like. The Transport Minister Derek Mackay and Scotrail CEO Phil Verster can be seen in the photo above in the model train.
The Class 385 trains will be introduced here from Autumn 2017 and you have the chance to sit in a full size model train to see how you like it. There will be better accessibility, better wifi and power points at every seat.
Transport Minister, Derek Mackay, said: “These brand new 100mph electric trains are being custom made for Scotland’s railways. They will be larger, faster and greener and will allow passengers to travel in greater comfort than ever before when they are rolled out across central belt routes later next year. Once fully in service, there will be more ScotRail trains on the network than ever before.
“They will enable ScotRail to deliver its franchise contractual commitments to significantly increase capacity on the main Edinburgh-Glasgow route by providing much more seating on peak services from late 2017.
“This is another part of the Scottish Government’s £5 billion investment in the rail network, which includes £475 million to enhance rolling stock, ensuring that rail capacity and the on train environment keeps pace with the increasing public demand for services. I would encourage anyone close to Edinburgh Waverley station to come and see what their new trains will be like.”
Here is a promotional video by Hitachi who will build them at Newton Wycliffe:
SCOOPIT
The next race meeting at Musselburgh Racecourse is on Wednesday 17 February 2016. The first race over jumps will start at 1.40 but the gates open at 11.30am so that you can get yourself a bite to eat beforehand.
You can buy tickets online here or of course you could enter our competition to win tickets for the next race meeting on Good Friday 25 March over here.
Edinburgh Leisure can help you to find out more about how to become a swim teacher.
They are holding an Open Evening on Thursday 25th February 2016 from 5.30 pm – 6.30 pm at Portobello Swim Centre to meet the team and learn more about the swim programme.
A spokesman said: “There’s something magical about a good swim teacher. A person who can take men, women, children and people with additional support needs … and transform them into swimmers. At Edinburgh Leisure, we’re always on the look out for more of these ‘Very Important People’ – swim teachers who are passionate about their teaching and who view swimming as an essential life skill.
“Our Aquatics and Learn to Swim teams are friendly and approachable and know how to make learning to swim fun. If you have a passion for swimming and want to find out more about the courses we offer which include UKCC Level 1 & 2 teaching aquatics, RLSS National Pool Lifeguard qualification, a range of RLSS first aid courses and RLSS Trainer Assessor course, then it would be great meet you.”
To book a place contact Reception at Portobello Swim Centre on 0131 669 6888 / Portobello Swim Centre 57 The Promenade, Portobello, EH15 2BS
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Summerhall has grown to become a major venue on the arts scene and at the end of the month they are holding a film event organised by the Baltic Film Society.
The film which will be shown is called Four White Shirts:
Protagonist Cēzars Kalniņs, lead singer in rock band The Optimists, faces difficulties after complaints to the authorities about his inappropriate lyrics. The film was banned by the Soviet Latvian authorities until 1986, but by then the songs had already gained cult status, and a legendary music venue in Riga is named after the film. The screening will also include a Q&A session afterwards.
28 February 2016 at Summerhall starting at 18:00. Tickets available here.
Next Wednesday 17 February is World Community Arts Day which began right here in Edinburgh.
Their mantra is “ART AS A CATALYST FOR CARING AND SHARING” SO what can you do to join in?
On the World Community Arts Day website they explain:
“All we ask of you on that day is to do an arts project, however small or big. Be creative about an issue that you believe promotes “caring and sharing”. Song, dance, theatre, draw, paint, write, make, poem, photograph, lecture, walk, tour, talk, art class anyway that you feel you are creative!”
Craigmillar is a major participant in World Community Arts Day mainly thanks to Helen Crummy, author, local historian and co-founder of The Craigmillar Festival.
Mrs Crummy was told by the school when she asked for music lessons for her son: “It takes us all our time to teach these children the three Rs far less music.”
Undaunted she gathered mothers together and together they put on a festival with music, drama, art and dance. The Craigmillar Festival Society had many members; every resident was a member by default. What happened then was that the arts festival led to social action and social change. They put on community musicals often directed by professionals such as Kenny Ireland and Bill Paterson. The musicals managed to merge satire with culture and often had a message for those in power!
The Society approached the EEC and got a five year grant to keep it going. Eventually the Society employed hundreds of people in the area. Council funding was withdrawn and the Society folded, but it is clear that it still has a part to play in the east of the city.
The annual World Community Arts Day brings many groups together online across the world from New Mexico USA to Australia, showing that the world over it is the arts which can be the pivotal feature in deprived areas.
In 2010 Helen Crummy co-wrote the booklet about the Craigmillar Art, Culture and Heritage Trail highlighting buildings in the area from Newhailes House, to the Balfour Fountain past Craigmillar Arts Centre, the monument to Andrew Gilbert Wauchope at the former Niddrie Mill School and onwards to the Robin Chapel.
It is a fascinating read and shows the White House before its renovation to become the hub of the area that it now is. (with great food!)
The late Mrs Crummy’s son Andrew Crummy is now an artist who devised the Great Tapestry of Scotland along with Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith, historian Alistair Moffat. Dorie Wilkie coordinated around 1000 stitchers to ensure the tapestry came to life as envisaged.
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I have nothing but the greatest respect for Helen Crummy who I had the pleasure to meet at the arts centre she founded while Anchor for the first Craigmillar Youth Challenge, a police led initiative from 1994; expected to attract around 40 teenagers, we finally involved around 200 daily. Like her own experience the Challenge helped teach me that you get the best out of people only what you are prepared to put in, though many may surprise you with latent, undiscovered potential often out of all proportion to their often jaded everyday lives. By chance, and entirely unconnected with Craigmillar and his late mother, I came to know Andrew also through a very minor contribution to the Great Tapestry of Scotland, and I am proud now to list him among my friends.
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