Pilmeny Development Project to meet the Lord Provost on Tuesday
Pilmeny Development Project is one of the third sector organisations which is threatened with a cut to funding by the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board.
The charity has taken matters into their own hands and has gathered 850 signatures from local people who do not want any cuts to the Project.
Later today a petition will be handed over to the Rt Hon Lord Provost, Robert Aldridge at the City Chambers.
Watch our video here to find out the kind of work the organisation does.
Second hand bookshop opens in Charlotte Square
Some of Edinburgh’s literary talent celebrated the launch of a new second-hand book shop at the Georgian House in the heart of the capital on World Book Day.
The launch of Below Stairs Books by the National Trust for Scotland included authors Sara Sheridan, Michelle Sloan, and Caroline Young who attended an evening soirée to show their support for the new venture at 7 Charlotte Square.
The conservation charity developed the new shop in the atmospheric servant’s quarters of the grand Georgian New Town House, showing its commitment to sustainability, giving pre-loved books a new chapter of life and supporting the timeless tradition of storytelling.
Claire Grant, National Trust for Scotland Operations Manager for its Edinburgh cluster, said: “We’re delighted with the launch of our new second-hand book shop, Below Stairs Books, and had a great time welcoming our guests to a special evening to celebrate the opening on World Book Day.
“The Georgian House has a rich history at the heart of Edinburgh’s literary and cultural heritage and has witnessed centuries of stories, secrets, and connections to Scotland’s literary past. From surprising ties to celebrated authors including Robert Louis Stevenson and J.M. Barrie, to its role in Edinburgh’s historical fabric, the house is steeped in tales waiting to be discovered.
“Our guests joined us for a celebration of literature, history, and sustainability in one of Edinburgh’s most iconic settings, where they were able to explore the house and its fascinating literary pedigree and browse our curated collection of second-hand books.”
The new shop, Below Stairs Books, is open daily to the public between 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Further information about the Georgian House and other National Trust for Scotland places to visit can be found on nts.org.uk
Rare Cancers Bill – Second Reading this week
The second reading of a Private Member’s Bill proposed by Edinburgh South West MP, Dr Scott Arthur, will take place on Friday 14 March in Westminster.
The bill was presented to Parliament on Wednesday 16 October 2024 through the ballot procedure. is inspired by his father-in-law, who sadly died of a glioblastoma in 2018, only six months after being diagnosed.
The aim of this bill is to incentivise research and investment into the treatment of rare cancers, like glioblastoma and many other types of brain tumours. The Brain Tumour Charity, only one of many charities involved, has explained how they support the passage of the bill:
“The Brain Tumour Charity has worked with Scott’s office throughout this process and have fed in our comments on its contents on behalf of the brain tumour community, as one of the rare cancers potentially covered by the bill. This has been alongside charities in the brain tumour and wider rare cancers space, including Brain Tumour Research, Pancreatic Cancer UK and partners in the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce.
“The contents of the bill will make it easier for patients to be easily contacted about research, including clinical trials, by creating a registry service for patients with rare cancers and the public as well as improving access to the patient population for researchers.
“It will also ensure there is adequate oversight of research delivery for rare cancers, by appointing a named person in each nation throughout the UK to provide leadership and advice for the delivery of rare cancer research.
Lastly it will trigger a review of orphan drugs legislation and place a duty on the government to assess whether these regulations are continuing to effectively incentivise the development of drugs for rare conditions (‘orphan drugs’) with severe patient impact and high unmet clinical need.”
The Writing will be on the wall
Or at least it will be once the result of the public vote is known.
The Scottish Parliament is asking everyone to vote on which piece of poetry should be added to The Canongate Wall.
To mark the 20th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament building, there will be three new quotations added to the Canongate Wall, which runs along the outside of the Parliament, along The Royal Mile.
These new quotations will be provided by Liz Lochhead, Jackie Kay, and Kathleen Jamie. All three have been the Scots Makar, or National Poet for Scotland.
The Scottish Poetry Library has helped and a selection of their poems has been shortlisted – and now it is up to the public to decide
Cast your vote before midnight on Thursday 13 March. The winning quotes will be announced by 21 March.
https://twitter.com/ScotParl/status/1897969597778624658
Borders Art Fair is on this week
From scenes of once-busy harbours to fine silverware decorated with delicate depictions of birds and animals, this week’s Borders Art Fair (BAF) offers the chance to enjoy a wide variety of high-quality visual art and craft.
Among more than 70 exhibitors are Kelso artist – and previously the town’s dentist – Stuart Norman and members of the Marchmont Silversmithing Workshop, based at Marchmont House near Kelso, including Katie Watson.
As a school leaver Stuart was offered places at dental school and art college. He chose the former for his first career and for the past decade has built a second career as a professional artist.
The small fishing ports of the east coast are among his favourite subjects, but he also enjoys roaming the countryside and painting pictures of remote bothies.
The fair takes place from Friday 14 to Sunday 16 March at the Borders Events Centre, Kelso, Scottish Borders www.bordersartfair.com
Photography for Borders Art Fair from: Colin Hattersley Photography
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
