Paddington Bear
Edinburgh is one of 23 locations taking part in Paddington Visits, a trail which will see the special statues appearing in cities, towns, and beauty spots all over the UK and Ireland.
People have gathered in St Andrew Square Garden to meet the newest resident: a meticulously crafted and painted statue sporting the wise bear’s signature red hat, blue duffle coat, and, naturally, a marmalade sandwich in paw.
The film Paddington in Peru opens on 8 November.
Emily Campbell Johnston, Senior Manager Marketing & Communications for Essential
Edinburgh said: “We are delighted that Edinburgh is part of Paddington Visits and encourage
fans of all ages to head into the city centre and visit their favourite bear, share his bench for a little while and grab a special selfie in the beautiful surroundings of St Andrew Square Garden –
marmalade sandwiches are optional!”
Solar Ceilidh
Porty Energy are behind the Solar Ceilidh which is taking place on 12 October at Bellfield.
Tickets are still available.
Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival
The Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival (ESFF) welcomes film fans from all over Scotland to its 11th edition. The festival offers a packed programme of cinema screenings, guest appearances and cultural events, featuring a total of 15 films, including seven debut features from Spain and Latin America and offering a snapshot of the best brand-new Spanish-language cinema for 2024. All the new features are Scottish premieres, with most having their only screening in the UK during the festival.
The festival runs until 26 October and the full programme is here or click on the image below.
Summerhall
The future of the Edinburgh Short Film Festival has been thrown into doubt by the goings on with HMRC at Summerhall. The organisers are waiting to hear the outcome of Robert McDowell’s negotiations with HMRC over alleged unpaid corporation tax. A spokeseperson for Summerhall Management Limited, the company at the centre of the tax row, said: “Some events will be cancelled, and the team are working on a case by case basis with those affected behind the scenes. Our website will be kept as up to date as possible to keep customers informed and we thank everyone for bearing with us as we work under these prescribed conditions.“
The poetry festival Push The Boat Out is also conducting a watching brief on what happens at the arts venue – which was marketed for sale with a closing date for offers in September, but there has been no news of a successful bidder. The festival is supposed to take place next month, but PTBO say they are unable to sell tickets through Summerhall – leading to speculation that the venue’s bank accounts have been seized in connection with the alleged debt.
The People’s Story
The council voted last week to close the museum, but the Culture Secretary, Angus Robertson – who is the constituency MSP for the Royal Mile where the museum is situated – has criticised the move by the council.
The museum was closed prior to the meeting of the council. Activist, Jim Slaven, who delivered a stinging deputation at the Culture and Communities meeting is keeping his Twitter timeline up to date with those who support his calls for the museum to be reopened.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
