Cycling for Alice
Xani Byrne is cycling in memory of his sister Alice who died from suicide in January 2022 and will arrive back in Portobello on Wednesday.
He set off from Portobello on 29 May an is cycling for 88 days around the coast. An experienced cyclist he used to be a rickshaw cyclist in Edinburgh for five years and once cycled from Edinburgh to Istanbul.
He will complete his ride on 23 August back in Edinburgh. The full route is here.
Xani said: “We never made time for it. Now it’s too late, and it’s one of my biggest regrets.
“Since Alice’s death, I’ve learned an enormous amount from others who have lost someone to suicide. On this tandem ride (88 days and about 3500 miles around the coast of mainland UK), I’ll be joined, each day, by a different person who has been affected by suicide. I want to listen to them, learn from them and share their stories. People who’ve lost someone to suicide have important things to say, and we should all listen because suicidal thoughts and feelings can happen to anyone. You never think this kind of thing will happen to you until it does.”
With this challenge, Xani is hoping to raise money and awareness for two charities doing important work to stop and support those affected by suicide, including SOBS (Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide) and Papyrus UK (Prevention of Young Suicide) and to date, has raised almost £24.5k via his JustGiving fundraising page.
Xani said: “I have attended the SOBS (Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide) groups for almost a year. I’ve learned a tremendous amount from everyone who attends – people from all walks of life who have lost someone to suicide. In my view, only people who’ve had this devastating experience can really understand what it feels like, and SOBS gives free, monthly, face-to-face support all over the UK.
“People travel great distances to attend our local group. Those that have lost someone to suicide are at greater risk of suicide themselves. The SOBS groups are lifesavers. There needs to be more of them, and the volunteers need support and training.
“Papyrus campaign train people and do everything they can to prevent youth suicide. If more people accessed their training, we would surely have a public that’s better equipped to talk to and support those with suicidal thoughts.”
When life is difficult, Samaritans are available to speak to – day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit www.samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.
At the EIF today
At the Edinburgh International Festival there are still some tickets for notable shows – such as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre at the Festival Theatre at 7.30. There are also some tickets left for Jake Bugg at The Playhouse.
It is worth checking the EIF website today to look for anything else where there is still availability.
https://www.eif.co.uk/whats-on/calendar
Fringe recommendation
Breakup Addict is an inspirational solo show that follows the deeply personal story of a woman who loses herself in love and enlists the support of a recovery program to find herself again. This “edu-taining” show explores the complex and often-overlooked topic of love addiction, approaching it from several different angles, and inspiring audiences to look at their own patterns in relationships, so that they may find freedom and healing.
Paige Wilhide in Breakup Addict, tells the journey of a woman who hits rock bottom after having two simultaneous crash-and-burn relationships with unavailable men. She starts attending 12-step meetings for love addiction, only to uncover some much deeper trauma that she has to face while rebuilding her relationship to herself. This is a comeback story for anybody who has ever been crushed under the weight of heartbreak. Playing over twenty different characters, Paige brings a comedic twist to some dark and taboo topics as she brilliantly depicts the ever-humiliating journey of a love addict.
Dates: 2 – 27 August 2022
Show: Breakup Addict
Venue: Gilded Balloon: Billiard Room
Address: Teviot Raw House, 13 Bristo Square EH8 9AJ
Time: 4.30pm
Price: £8.50 preview, £12.50 (11.50) off peak and £12.50 (11.50) peak
Box office: www.gildedballoon.co.uk / 0131 622 6555
For your September diary
The Edinburgh Riding of the Marches will take place on 10 September in a canter back to the Royal Mile after a three year gap – and this year the Rt Hon Lord Provost, the Provost Consort and the Council Leader will all be on horseback.
This is a reenactment of the ancient custom of marching the boundaries, a symbolic tradition of inspecting the Common Land of Edinburgh which dates back to at least 1579.
The practice was revived in 1946 when a special Riding of the Marches celebrated peace following the end of the last war in Europe. Around 70 riders took part and were met with crowds “reaching Royal dimensions” upon their return to the High Street.
Our August issue
Our August newspaper has been out since 1 August, and we are about to begin working on the September paper.
Our cover story is about Mademoiselle Macaron Rachel Hanretty, with a strapline to our exclusive story about Alex Cole-Hamilton, the leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats.
Inside there is a feature by George Mair who is writing for us for the first time this month – and loads of sport from both Nigel Duncan and Bill Lothian.
If you would like to receive a copy just a wee bit ahead of everyone else then please subscribe by clicking on the image below. It helps us with the overheads of producing a paper and also ensures that we can keep all of our news output free for all.
(And do read about Rachel and the Barbie story here)
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
