Five things you need to know today

Transport & Environment Committee

Good Friday Racing at Musselburgh cancelled 

Cooking Up a Story

People’s Panel now on display at The Scottish Parliament

#SparkSomethingGood – tea party inspired by the 50s!

The Transport & Environment Committee meet this morning to discuss setting up Car Free Sunday on 25 September 2016. This is to encompass four residential streets in what are now to be known as the four localities across Edinburgh. (This is linked to the council’s transformation programme. All council services are to be divided by geography rather than department)

The idea is to allow locals to hold street parties or organise play streets. It could be one or more streets which is affected, or whole areas of the city, but in the first place the council wants suggestions on one street in each area. The council will then put the arrangements in place. The idea is to encourage car users to leave their cars at home, but more than that to allow people to use their streets to have a bit of fun.

Watch out for our tweets and reports from this morning’s Transport Committee.

Sad news from Musselburgh Racecourse who have had to take a very difficult decision to cancel their Good Friday race meeting.

The East Lothian course has ruled that new ground laid last summer as part of a re-cambering project on the winning post bend is too soft and could cause problems if racing was to go ahead on March 25.

While the rest of the country is due to bask in warm Spring temperatures, Musselburgh is this week expected to be blanketed in fog, slowing up the drying of the new ground.

The wettest winter on record and an earlier than normal Easter weekend are also contributory factors, said Musselburgh Racecourse general manager Bill Farnworth.

He said: “We are desperately disappointed at having to make this call but following a trial gallop of four horses around the track, we feel the new ground is just too soft to race at this time.

“The re-cambering work completed last July, was very successful and went better than was planned but we have since had the wettest winter I can recall. The ground needs to dry out and tighten up but unfortunately while the rest of the country will enjoy warm Spring weather in the week ahead, we are due to be blanketed by low cloud, fog and lower temperatures.

“We could have taken a gamble but felt the risk of having to abandon nearer the race meeting or possibly on the day itself if we had rain, was just too high. It goes without saying that we are deeply disappointed but given the circumstances feel that it is the right decision.”

Farnsworth added that the option of using the National Hunt track had been considered but it was felt that with a record 650 horses racing at Musselburgh during the winter season that this was not viable.

“Plan B was to move to the jumps track but with more than 600 horses having raced on soft ground over the winter we didn’t feel that this was an option at this time.”

 

Cooking up a Story’ at Wester Hailes Library:

Broomhouse Health Strategy Group are paying a special visit to Wester Hailes Library to hold a ‘Cooking up a Story’ session.

This free event is on Tuesday 15th March 2016, 1.00pm – 2.30pm at the library.
Come along for stories, songs & cooking (making smoothies!) with your wee ones.

To book your place, or for more information contact Broomhouse Health Strategy Group on 0131 467 7678 or info@healthstrategygroup.org.uk.

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When the Great Tapestry of Scotland was put on show at Holyrood some time back, over 100,000 people visited to see it.  Now another panel has been created.

The panel was embroidered by around 10,000 people from across Scotland.

The Presiding Officer, Rt Hon Tricia Marwick MSP, said:

“With the participation of people in communities from Glenrothes to Glasgow and Lerwick to Largs, the Great Tapestry is a truly engaging celebration of Scotland’s history, culture and politics. The People’s Panel will serve as a permanent reminder of the involvement of both the Parliament and the many people from across Scotland in its creation.

“I’ll long remember the queues of people who flocked to see the Great Tapestry during both of its showings here. The People’s Panel not only celebrates key moments in Scotland’s story, but it also celebrates the unique relationship between the Tapestry, the people and the Parliament.”

Andrew Crummy is the artist behind the tapestry who collaborated with historian Alastair Moffat. They both attended an unveiling ceremony with the Presiding Officer at Holyrood last week along with some of the many stitchers.

Andrew Crummy said: “It was an honour to design this panel and a joy to see so many thousands of people adding a stitch. I’ve met many people who were thrilled to have added a stitch and to have had the opportunity to contribute to a small piece of history.”

Alastair Moffat, said:  “The Great Tapestry of Scotland is unique – a history of Scotland made by thousands of Scots. The stitchers gave more than 100,000 hours to create 162 panels – and it is only fitting that people from all over the world, those who have seen the tapestry, should have a chance to contribute and stitch another piece of our story.”

You can see the People’s Panel in the Main Hall at Holyrood which is free to enter. The Great Tapestry of Scotland itself will be on display at Scotland’s Jute Museum at Verdant Works, Dundee 19 March – 1 May 2016.

A vintage tea-party taking inspiration from the decade that brought the world poodle skirts, television sets and the rise and fame of Elvis took place in Edinburgh last weekend as part of an M&S initiative to encourage people to volunteer and Spark Something Good in their local community.

M&S stores across Edinburgh called upon people to join around 100 M&S employees in a week of volunteering for their Spark Something Good campaign that has positively impacted 24 projects at the heart of the local community.

Jessie Carmichael, 85 from Edinburgh said: “Events like these are what keep you young at heart. They’re a great way of meeting new people and give you something to look forward to.”

Edinburgh was the first city in Scotland to host an M&S Spark Something Good event, following the successful launch of the initiative in London last summer. The campaign aims to inspire and motivate M&S employees and customers around the country to grab a shovel, pick up a paintbrush and take action for social good – donating time to their local communities to improve lives. It will see 24 projects take place across 24 cities in the UK and Ireland over the course of 24 months.

Jenny McPartlin, Store Manager at M&S Princes Street, said: “In what has been a busy week of inspiring people to volunteer, it was lovely to see locals come together to create a memorable day out for members of Edinburgh’s older community.

“The Royal Voluntary Service is such a worthy cause and this event, with the help of M&S volunteers and Heart of Midlothian Football Club, is just one way we can support its efforts in helping our city’s older people stay active and independent.”

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