Edinburgh councillor blogs – Maureen Child

Maureen_Child_17_200x200 by Councillor Maureen Child who represents Portobello/Craigmillar Ward.

Dear All

Portobello Market is on Saturday 4 June. Gates open at Brighton Park, Brighton Place, Portobello, 9.30am, and we run until 1.30pm. For a full list of the traders attending see the PEDAL website: http://www.pedal-porty.org.uk/food/portobello-market/stallholders-for-portobello-market-saturday-4-june/

When visiting the market, there is an open invitation to drop in to St John’s Church next door, which will be open till 1.30pm. Light a candle, say a prayer or simply come in to see the inside of one of Portobello’s iconic buildings. A Twende Pamoja Trust fundraising quality label clothes sale in their Hall too (more about Twende Pamoja later!). All are welcome.

The current old Duddingston Road Portobello High School building is open to the public today (Friday) and tomorrow, Saturday 4 June, in celebration of the old 9 storey building before the school is relocated. Come along from 1 – 4 pm today and 10 – 4pm Saturday and see the school as it stands now. Lots of memorabilia and photos. Don’t miss this opportunity to visit. There’s fantastic stuff to buy as a keepsake and ALL profits go back into the school. See you all later if you can make it. Saturday includes a basketball competition among teams of former pupils in the gym hall. Worth watching!

You know the failed utility reinstatement on Milton Road where the metal plates go ‘Ker-dunk!’ when you drive across them? It has taken a lot of nagging by the Council’s local roads officer, but – finally – I am told this work will be complete by the 20 June. There will be approximately six days of traffic management from 12 June. Sub-contractor McNicholas have been instructed by Scottish Power to relocate the cable in the verge and reinstate the carriageway.

Bridgend Farm AGM and Open Day. Come along on Sunday June 5 for their usual drop-in, with tile engraving and bench restoration from 11-3, ‘birdsong and guided walk’ at 12 in Craigmillar park, a BIG lunch at 2, and the AGM from 3 – 430. There will also be tours of the farmhouse, updates on the Bothy Build and the farmhouse renovation, as well as your chance to join the committee. Two weeks later we have our Bio-Blitz day, feast and celebration as part of the Power of Food Festival, which should be a great party. We hope you can make it to one of those events or any of the usual Sunday drop-in’s from 11-3.

Congratulations to Towerbank Primary School, winners of the Edinburgh Schools Interscholastic Athletics Competition held at Meadowbank on Monday 30 May. The team of P6 and P7 pupils came home with the Best Overall School award from the competition.

Do you have a landscape photo that captures your favourite things about Edinburgh in the sunshine? Deadline is June 13. The winner will be announced and the image duly accredited. More here: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/blog/newsblog/post/1014/calling-all-budding-photographers

It’s the Year of the Dad and they are doing a survey of Dads and Grandads/Papas/Grandpas asking about their experiences of sharing the care of children. http://www.yearofthedad.org/dads_grandads_survey_blog

I was delighted to be invited to hear more about Twende Pamoja’s fabulous work with children from all primary schools in the Portobello cluster and find out about their Global Vision for the world and their part in it. Our young people are totally inspirational and the Lord Provost Donald Wilson, parents and all invited guests had a really great time. Their Primary School Pupil Council Conference on Wednesday in Portobello Town Hall finished with the launch of their ‘Peace on Earth’ Programme. All 670 Primary 5 and Primary 6 pupils have just completed the 90-minute Global Vision Workshops last week and over the last 5 years the workshops have been delivered to over 15,000 young people in Scotland and Tanzania. What an achievement! The children’s statements have been distilled into one set. More about Twende Pamoja here:www.twendepamoja.org.uk

Save the date: June 19 at 7pm – The cast of Tribe Porty Youth Theatre’s High School Group and the fantastic dancers of Lothian Dance Academy will be performing a preview of MARY POPPINS! Tickets are only £3 and can be purchased at the door on the night at Bellfield Street Church. It will be a great night for the for the whole family to enjoy. Doors will open at 6:30pm for tea/coffee/home baking. Looking forward to seeing you all there. It’s going to be………Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!!!

This is Dementia Awareness Week and you can help cure the stigma of dementia by doing six little things. It’s just about understanding a bit more about dementia and the small things you can do to help people with the condition. Find out more here: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/dementiastigma

The Garden Globe community growing project at the Jack Kane Centre is always looking for more volunteers to help us grow the garden. So if you have a few hours to spare then why don’t you help us grow produce for the wider community or pop in to the drop-in on Fridays at 1pm?

We don’t have to own a car in Edinburgh to use one when we really need to, least of all in Portobello. There is an easy car-sharing option that quite a few of us use. Having your own car, rusting and losing value on the street, or in the garage for about 97% of its working life doesn’t always make much economic sense and servicing its needs takes up valuable space in everybody’s life. There are three cars parked in central Portobello that you can sign up to use on a self drive basis for those necessary short trips when walking or cycling, bus or train just won’t work for you. The cars are parked on street in Windsor Place, Rosefield Place and Portobello High Street. And there is one in Craigmillar at the side of the East Local Office. Find out more: https://www.enterprisecarclub.co.uk/locations/scotland/

Have a great weekend!

Best wishes

Maureen

P.S. Don’t forget! – if you can and want to – please do sponsor my Forth Rail Bridge charity abseil in aid of the fabulous caring Thistle Foundation who help people find the strength and inspiration to do things they may never have dreamt they could do. I take the plunge, vertigo or no vertigo, just one week on Sunday!

Click here: https://thistlefoundation.everydayhero.com/uk/maureen-abseil Thank you so much to everyone who has sponsored and encouraged me so far, raising nearly £1500 to date.