Five things you need to know today
The Pride Bridge
The refurbishment of the Pride Bridge will be considered at today’s planning meeting. Officers have recommended granting planning permission to fully replace the deck of the bridge as a local LGBTQ+ community landmark, create an amphitheatre, paved surfacing areas, seating areas and planting.
The bridge is owned by the council and some of the works to the bridge can be carried out under the Permitted Development exception, but the “extras” need permission. Council officers say these works will improve the appearance of the public open space which will have community benefits.
The bridge is the 18th century Lindsay Road Bridge and the site includes a section of the Hawthornvale Path. Although it was closed to motor traffic in 1998, it had been used as a walking and wheeling link between Lindsay Road and North Fort Street carrying pedestrians and cyclists over the Hawthornvale Path part of the North Edinburgh Path Network.
Latterly the area was informally adopted by locals who used it as an outdoor community space and in August 2021, a local artist painted the bridge in rainbow colours. It was then closed to all due to worries about the structural integrity of the bridge itself.
Councillors announced £232,700 from the Sustrans Places for Everyone Fund to set the refurbishment project rolling. Part of the project will be rainbow coloured bollards as a traffic calming measure.
Watch the meeting here either live or as a recording on the council webcast.
Learn how to do it yourself
SW20 Tool Library Branch are running an introductory workshop to DIY on Saturday. Book now.
Ukraine Forever! concert
This year’s concert at Usher Hall will commemorate the three year anniversary since the Russian invasion.
Confirmed artists for UKRAINE FOREVER! include:
OLD BLIND DOGS – an electrifying live experience, OBD have produced 15 studio albums, touring regularly across Europe and the USA
ELZARA BATALOVA – Crimean singing sensation & Ukrainian TV star, with her band – JONNY HARDIE, ROBIN ABBOT, DEREK URQUHART & ANDY THORBURN
JAMES ROBERTSON – one of Scotland’s greatest novelists reads a specially-written new story
CULTURE CODE ORCHESTRA – led, by Bohdan Ilnitsky, musicians from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland take us on a journey through Ukrainian musical history
KVITY UKRAINI – the life-affirming Flowers of Ukraine dance troupe brings joy to us all!
THE FIRELIGHT TRIO – breath taking European music on fiddle, nyckelharpa & accordion from GAVIN MARWICK, RUTH MORRIS & PHIL ALEXANDER
OKSANA MAVRODII – Ukrainian Opera star with the voice of an angel
JEN STOUT – Jen’s brave reporting from Ukraine has produced the best-selling NIGHT TRAIN TO ODESA
KARINA CHERVAKOVA – soulful singer at the heart of Edinburgh’s Ukrainian community
SOLO WAY – sublime harmonies from Glasgow’s all-women Ukrainian choir
Hosted by KSENIA KOZIIEVSKA & MATTHEW ZAJAC
6pm on 25 February at The Usher Hall. Tickets here.
Waves and Words
Get along to Typewronger Books where there will be an Ocean Poetry evening on 27 January.
Dive into an evening of ocean-inspired poetry with SeaVoice Magazine and Typewronger Books on Monday 27th at 7pm for a captivating event celebrating the power, mystery, and beauty of the sea through spoken word and verse.
Highlighting poetry published in @seavoice.online as well as local creatives @alyciap_ @anthonyezekiel2021 @roshnigallagher & @morvern.studios , this collaboration brings together voices that resonate with the ebb and flow of our oceans—poets who explore the themes of conservation, awe, and connection with the marine world.
Retrofitting at Cables Wynd and Linksview House
Retrofitting 20th-century modernist buildings offers an opportunity to consider how change can be accommodated
as part of an evolving identity.
Drawing on her collaboration with Collective Architecture and ongoing research on colour, Professor Fiona McLachlan, University of Edinburgh, will discuss the development of a colour strategy for two A-listed Brutalist housing blocks in Leith and the role of painting as a tool for discussion and collaborative practice. Book below.