Fancy a trip over the bridges to Fife and the stunning views of the Bay Hotel in Kinghorn?

If so, you will find the popular Horizons Restaurant. Head Chef James Mckay shares one of their favourite desserts – In fact it’s everyone’s favourite, Sticky Toffee Pudding – a right autumn warmer! But just in case you can’t make it then here is his recipe!

STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

Ingredients to serve 6:

115g chopped dates

175g butter

175g soft brown sugar

60ml single cream

30ml lemon juice

2 eggs beaten

115g self raising flour

Method:

Grease a baking tray and add chopped dates

Heat 50g of the butter with 50g of the sugar, cream and 15ml of the lemon juice in a small pan, stirring until smooth. Pour half the mixture into the baking tray with the dates.

Beat the remainder of the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the eggs, fold in the flour and the remaining lemon juice and spoon into the tray.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 35/40 minutes at 180c.

Just before serving, gently warm through the other half of the mixture that was not added to the tray to make a sauce, plate up the pudding, and pour the sauce over it.

Chef’s tip – serve with some crème chantilly for added richness.

Details of the Bay Hotel and their restaurants here.

Tia Weledji to play Pro Basketball for Scots’ side

Caledonia Pride are pleased to announce the signing of Princeton Tiger and Cameroon International Tia Weledji to Scotland’s female professional basketball team for the 2018-19 season. Weledji marks the organisation’s 10th signing of the off-season with Sunday’s home-opener against Newcastle on course to sell out.

Weledji brings a wealth of basketball experience to Caledonia Pride having captained Princeton last season where she averaged 45% from the field and 81% from the charity stripe as the Division 1 side went on to qualify for the NCAA tournament with an impressive 24-6 record.

Tia also represented Cameroon at the 2017 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket tournament where the team finished 8th and commenting on today’s announcement, Head Coach Bart Sengers said:

“With Tia, we are bringing in an exciting team player. Having led Princeton last year, I am confident she will add some experience to the team and will be able to step up for us in difficult and tough situations. She can play multiple positions, has a great midrange game as well as the ability to post up. I am looking forward to her joining the team in practice tonight and raising the level of the team.”

Fans can still secure tickets to see the new-look Pride team in action HERE, but with less than 50 tickets now available, we would advise booking soon to avoid disappointment.

The City of Edinburgh Council today outlined details of how a transient visitor levy, or ‘tourist tax’, could look if it were introduced in the Capital.

Subject to councillors’ approval on Tuesday (2 October), a formal public consultation will be launched on key aspects on the draft scheme, which has been developed following detailed research, a series of informal round-table meetings with industry stakeholders and an in-depth survey of residents and visitors.

The draft proposal suggests a charge of either 2% or £2 per room per night, chargeable all year round on all forms of accommodation, including short-term lets, but capped at seven nights.

Respondents will be asked for their views on whether the charge should be a percentage of room cost or a flat fee per night, on the size of the charge, what types of accommodation should be covered, whether it should be seasonal or all-year-round and whether it should be capped.

The Council has been clear that it sees the purpose of this fund as being to invest in and manage the consequences of the future success of tourism within the city and respondents will be asked for their view on priorities for how the additional money would be spent.

Thanks to the engagement to date, particularly with industry, a set of key principles has emerged, seen as important to securing collective support for an Edinburgh scheme:

•Fair to all – industry, residents and tourists

•Simple to understand and run

•Administratively efficient and difficult to avoid

•Raise additional income and be transparently invested

•Have transparent governance and accountability

Council Leader, Adam McVey, said: “These draft proposals will form the basis for wider public consultation with all of our stakeholders and, importantly, with the residents of this city. It is another important step in our engagement strategy and on our journey towards securing a TVL for Edinburgh.

“Our work over the summer has focused on key stakeholders, particularly those in the hospitality trade, and we are continuing to engage with them on the details of what an Edinburgh scheme could reasonably look like and options for implementing it.

“Public consultation will allow for a wider and transparent debate over important details with everyone who has a view and we believe this approach is an important component of gaining trust and support for the scheme.

“We continue to believe that a TVL is in the best interests of our residents, our tourism industry and those who visit us, and we fully expect the robust, professional approach we are taking to achieve a positive result for the Capital.”

Independent research, commissioned by Marketing Edinburgh, found that a small nightly charge would not deter visitors from coming to the Capital – consistent with the experience of other cities – and that Edinburgh residents are supportive of the idea.

The proposals also found favour with Scotland’s other local authorities, with all 32 backing calls for the powers necessary to implement a TVL.

Depute Leader, Cllr. Cammy Day, said: “I strongly believe that it’s time for a TVL in Edinburgh. The survey results published earlier this month back up our thinking that tourists wouldn’t be put off from visiting the city should one be introduced. This is consistent with the experience of other cities and dispels many of the fears voiced by some in the industry.

“Equally, I am not surprised to find strong support amongst our residents for the proposals. Part of the consultation will be to determine how the money will be spent but clearly the people of Edinburgh believe it is entirely fair to expect tourists to contribute to city maintenance, to invest in tourism, and to marketing the city so that it remains globally attractive.

“We are not wedded to one way of delivering a TVL and see this consultation as a way of co-producing a scheme that works for Edinburgh. We are very much listening to everyone involved around what they believe is fair, what is simple and what will work.”

Assuming approval by the Council’s Corporate Policy and Strategy Committee on 2 October, the consultation would be expected to commence in late October and be complete by the end of the year.

Spectacular New Portrait of Scots F1 Driver at the National Galleries of Scotland

Susie Wolff MBE has been captured in a striking new portrait, which goes on display at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery this week. Wolff, who retired from F1 driving in 2015 and is currently Team Principal of Venturi Formula E racing team in Monaco, is also the founder of Dare to be Different, a high-profile initiative that helps to inspire and develop women who work in, or want to work in, the motor sport arena.

This highly unusual portrait sculpture, which has been created by Scottish artist Angela Palmer, recreates in crystal glass one of the personalised racing helmets worn by Susie Wolff during her career in F1.

Formula 1 race helmets are tailor-made to exacting design specifications to provide the maximum physical protection for individual drivers. To create the portrait, Angela Palmer worked with a team of master glass blowers in Stourbridge near Birmingham (a world-famous centre for glass manufacturing), who made a mould of Wolff’s helmet in brass. Molten lead crystal glass, at a temperature of 1400°c, was then mouth-blown into the mould, forcing the crystal into every detailed crevice. The final stage in the process revealed a beautiful and delicate object whose fragility reminds us of the vulnerability (and bravery) of drivers like Susie, as they take extraordinary risks in pursuit of ever-faster speeds.

Susie Wolff’s achievements in motor racing together, with her significant initiative to drive female talent in sport and beyond are an inspiration for today’s generation of girls and young women. She was born in Oban in 1982, and grew up in the west coast town, where her parents owned a motorcycle dealership. From a young age Wolff raced karts, and in 2001 she began her professional motor racing career in the Formula Renault UK Championship, where she gained three podium finishes and was twice nominated for British Young Driver of the Year Award. After a brief spell in Formula 3, Wolff made her name with the Mercedes-Benz DTM Team (the German Touring Car Championship) between 2006 and 2012. In 2012 she moved into Formula 1, having being signed by Williams. She entered as a team development driver, holding the position for two seasons before being promoted to a test driver for the 2015 season. At the 2014 British Grand Prix, she made history by becoming the first woman to take part in an F1 race weekend in twenty-two years. In November 2015 Wolff retired from all motor sports and in 2016 launched her own initiative called Dare To Be Different, in collaboration with the UK motor sport governing body, the Motor Sports Association. She is currently an expert analyst for Channel 4’s F1 coverage and in June 2018 Susie was appointed as Team Principal of the Monaco-based Venturi Formula E racing team.

Angela Palmer is a graduate of the Royal College of Art in London and the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art at Oxford University. Her sculptures are in permanent collections of museums and institutions around the world including the National Galleries of Scotland, the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, the Royal College of Physicians, London and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington in the US. Palmer is fascinated by complex forms, and her interests range from human anatomy to engineering. She has explored different materials and craftsmanship to map and represent character and structure, and her recent work has responded to the beautiful forms found within engines, and in particular Formula 1, which is the laboratory for the most technologically advanced, and highest performing, car engines in the world. The artist was given unprecedented access to engineering data from which she created a recent series of sculptures.

Christopher Baker, Director of European and Scottish Art and Portraiture, said: “The Scottish driver Susie Wolff has excelled in the world of motor racing and as an advocate for female talent in sport, and we are delighted that she is now represented in the collection of the National Galleries of Scotland in such a fascinating, thought-provoking and unconventional way. This crystal glass racing helmet, based on one of Wolff’s own, and so carefully crafted through the expertise of Angela Palmer and her collaborators, represents a fascinating form of suggestive representation. It is intimate, elegant and intriguing – a sculpture which both refers to the subject’s outstanding success, and moves beyond the boundaries of conventional portraiture”.

Susie Wolff said: “I have the deepest admiration for Angela Palmer and her work so having my helmet as her subject has been a true honour for me. I think the sculpture is stunning and very striking, it’s the most incredible combination of strength with fragility. Seeing the completed piece makes me feel enormously proud and I’m very grateful to Angela for her time and her talent. Just as sport can, art has the capacity to cross so many boundaries like education, race and religion. I’m delighted to see both sport and art combined in such a brilliant and personal piece of work”.

Angela Palmer said: “I met my fellow Scot Susie Wolff, and was immediately struck by the strength of her character and her routine acceptance of the risks as a Formula 1 test driver. She was as gifted and fearless as her male counterparts; her goal was not to be the best female driver in the world, but to be the best driver in the world. This was a difficult proposition for many observers who struggled to overcome their prejudice in this male dominated environment. Interestingly, Susie’s helmet played a significant role in bestowing her equal status as a driver: once her helmet was on, no-one knew if she was male or female. The helmet gave her anonymity, and rendered the gender issue irrelevant. I became equally fascinated by that most potent ingredient which attracts so much of the sport’s following – the acute and heightened sense of risk as drivers slice between each other at over 350km/h with only millimetres to spare. I chose crystal for its fragility, to echo the vulnerable membrane of the skull.”

A police investigation is underway after bones were found in the grounds of student halls of residence at Pollock Halls, off Holyrood Park Road, at about 14:50 yesterday afternoon.

At this time it is not known whether the bones are human remains.

The area has been cordoned off to allow for a forensic examination of the scene.

A Police Scotland spokesman said the items would undergo further examination and inquiries were ongoing.

Civil Service Strollers in partnership with the SFA, Edinburgh Council and McDonalds have launched a brand new football partnership centre offering FREE football coaching for kids.

The thirty-week initiative which is funded by McDonalds will offer 40 local kids from the north of the city the opportunity to take part in weekly football activities.

The sessions will run on a Saturday morning at Civil’s home ground on Marine Drive between 11-12pm each Saturday.

Civil’s youth section head coach, Nazmi Okan, explains, “This is great addition to the youth setup here at Civil.

“The new partnership will see us bring in 40 kids each Saturday morning for an hour’s free football coaching.

“The sessions will be delivered by fully qualified SFA coaches.

“They are open to any kids born in 2012 and it doesn’t matter if they have never kicked a ball before.

“The sessions will be a really fun way to learn about football in a safe positive environment.”

If you would like any further information on these sessions, you can contact Civil on youth@csstrollers.com

Police are appealing for witnesses following a serious disturbance which took place around 9pm last night in the Union Drive area of Whitburn.

During the incident three men sustained serious injuries, including wounds to the abdomen, head and neck.

Two men, aged 39 and 34, have been arrested in connection with the incident but inquiries are continuing to establish the full circumstances.

Detective Inspector Paul Batten said: “Although two arrests have been made, we are appealing for witnesses to help us trace anyone involved, or who may have been injured.

“This was a serious disturbance that resulted in injuries that could have been life threatening. We would also like anyone who may have seen anything before, during or after the incident to get in touch with the Police.

“I would like to reassure the public that we are following a positive line of inquiry, however, anyone with information should contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident 4284 of 26 September, or make a report anonymously via the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Two of the Scotland Women’s squad who made history by qualifying for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup believe  that Scottish Government funding will make all the difference to the team, as they prepare to travel to France for their inaugural appearance on the game’s biggest stage.

Hibs’ goalkeeper Jenna Fife and Glasgow City’s Leanne Crichton were part of head coach Shelley Kerr’s 23-strong squad for the victory over Albania earlier this month with that result securing the team’s passage to France next summer.

First Minister and SWNT patron Nicola Sturgeon announced the £80,000 bursary at Hampden Park  which will allow the squad’s non-professional players to train full-time in preparation for the tournament as of January 2019.

“It’s fantastic for the team,” said Crichton.

“We can’t thank the Scottish Government enough for all their support. The support they gave us in the lead-up to UEFA Euro 2017 certainly helped us in our preparations, and a lot of the girls benefitted from that.

“It’s not easy at times to balance work and football, and the support will certainly help us out once again.”

Festival Theatre 31 March  2019

Strictly Come Dancing’s very own Janette Manrara and Aljaž Škorjanec have confirmed they will be heading back out on tour in 2019 with their brand new show Remembering The Movies. 

Following on from their two hugely successful Remembering Fred shows, which celebrated Fred Astaire, they are celebrating a remarkable, unique and star-studded rollercoaster ride through some of the most successful, memorable and Oscar-winning films of all time. 

From the Golden Age of Hollywood through to the modern mega musical, audiences will enjoy tributes to Audrey Hepburn, Saturday Night Fever, Gene Kelly, The Greatest Showman, Marilyn Monroe, La La Land, James Bond, Cabaret and many more. 

Strap yourself in, hold on tight and allow yourself to fall in love all over again with the classic movie songs and dance routines as Strictly Come Dancing’s favourite couple celebrate the history of the movies with dazzling choreography, imaginative sets, spectacular backdrops and a huge multimedia LED screen. 

Supported by an incredible cast of live singers and dancers, this amazing new show will guarantee to have you Remembering The Movies. 

Janette Manrara said: “If you loved Remembering Fred then get ready for what we hope will be another remarkable show. Remembering The Movies is a brand new show that will feature a host of great songs and dances from the movies that we all know and love. Instead of celebrating just one legend in Fred Astaire, we will be celebrating classic movies and Hollywood stars that stretch from the Golden Age right up to modern-day blockbusters.” 

Aljaž Škorjanec said, “We will still have a huge LED screen and wonderful stage and set design, but this time we will have an even larger cast of some of the UK’s finest dancers. We are really excited to bring this show to the stage.” 

Tickets here

Police are appealing for help to find a 35-year-old man missing from his home.

Kuljit Pall was last seen leaving Restalrig Terrace in Edinburgh at 7.30pm on Sunday.

Concern is growing for Mr Pall who is 6ft and has a thin chinstrap beard.

He was last seen wearing a burgundy jacket with blue cuffs, dark jeans and trainers.

Inspector Kevin Smith said: “It is extremely out of character for Kuljit not to return home or let anyone know where he is going and as such, we are keen to locate him as soon as possible and ensure he is alright.

“We believe he is currently travelling in his green Volkswagen Golf with registration number T580 KRT and so anyone who has seen this vehicle since Sunday, or who know where we can find Kuljit should contact police immediately.

“I would also ask that Kuljit get in touch with his family, friends, or with police to confirm that he is safe.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact 101.

Fife Flyers have been taking part in a five-match warm-up schedule for the Elite League against teams from Europe and North America.

One of the Flyers’ main supporters and sponsors, The Bay Hotel at Pettycur in Kinghorn, has hosted the teams including Canadian college side Manitoba Bisons, Danish combine Aalborg Pirates and German duo Eispiraten Crimmitschau and Tölzer Löwen.

Milton Keynes Lightning, who joined the Elite League last year, come north  to play Dundee Stars on the 26^th October, the Glasgow Clan on the 27^th, and the Fife Flyers on the 28^th.  They will also stay at the Bay Hotel on the 2^nd and 3^rd January, when they play The Fife Flyers.

Sponsorship and support of the Flyers by the Wallace family, owners of the Bay Hotel and Leisure Complex, has been on-going for 20 years, with brothers Alan and Tommy Wallace, and their father Thomas, all big fans of the game. Their support has taken various forms, including rink side advertising, sponsorship of specific matches and fixtures, and individual player support. When the Bay Hotel was opened ten years ago, it became the brand that supported the Flyers.  This season, the Hotel is also sponsoring the Flyers versus Glasgow Clan Game at the end of the season. 

Flyers star Danick Gauthier is to be individually sponsored by The Bay Hotel for a second season.  Players have also been given access to the hotel’s leisure and gym facilities.

Alan Wallace from The Bay Hotel said: “We‘re always happy to help out the Flyers, and make our sponsorship and support count in a number of practical ways. It’s exciting to have visiting teams comes to Fife and to stay with us here. We are a showcase for this part of Fife, and we know that the players always enjoy their visit here with us, and of course, playing some competitive matches against the Flyers and the other Scottish teams. We also wish Danick well for another season, and are happy to continue our support for him.

Commercial Manager for the Flyers, Carol Johnstone said : “We really appreciate the support we have had from the Bay Hotel & Pettycur Leisure Complex over these many years. They are a major sponsor, having upped their level of financial support for the Fife Flyers.

“And it’s not just been financial support – Alan Wallace and his family are regular supporters at the games, right down to Mr Wallace’s granddaughter Abby who carried out a puck drop a few seasons ago to start a game.

“They really get behind the Flyers 100 per cent per cent, and help us out in many ways. We know visiting teams are in safe hands when they stay at The Bay Hotel. Their support is exactly what the club needs, consistent, long term support from a well known local business, it is our lifeblood as we gear up for another season.”

Police officers in Scotland are to receive an immediate 6.5% pay increase in recognition of the essential work they do in keeping people safe.

The award will be backdated to 1 September 2018 and applies until 31 March 2021.

The pay award, part of a strategic investment in policing, will see all officers below the rank of Assistant Chief Constable receive an immediate and substantial increase in their salary. The deal will represent an additional £125 million in officer wages over the period and is consistent with efforts to bring the police budget back into financial balance.

The award will see a salary increase of £2,300 for a mid-point Constable and the equivalent of an additional £6,000 in pay over the next 31 months.

In addition to an immediate pay award, the agreement will also address issues of inequality and anomalies in relation to pay progression. It also contains a commitment to resolve working practices in relation to court and night shift, and offers financial stability and certainty over the period.

The agreement follows constructive dialogue through the Police Negotiating Board (PNB) with the Staff Side which is made up of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents (ASPS), Scottish Police Federation (SPF) and the Scottish Chief Police Officers Staff Association (SCPOSA). The Official Side of the PNB includes the Scottish Police Authority (SPA), Police Scotland and the Scottish Government.

Funding to underpin this multi-year investment in the police workforce has been developed in partnership between the SPA, Police Scotland and Scottish Government during the negotiations, and the final agreement reached is affordable within the anticipated financial settlements now expected between central government and policing over the 31 month period covered by the award.

Welcoming the agreement, Susan Deacon, Chair of the Scottish Police Authority said, “I am pleased that through constructive dialogue we have reached agreement on an investment in pay that recognises the significant and valuable work that our police officers do in keeping the people of Scotland safe.

“Police officers represent a substantial portion of the police workforce and budget. This deal over a 31-month period provides both individuals and policing with certainty as we plan and implement the further transformation of policing to meet the needs of a changing Scotland.

“I am also mindful of the importance of the work which is underway with the Trade Unions to modernise pay, reward and conditions of all police staff. I am delighted that positive progress is also being made in this area.”

Chief Constable Iain Livingstone said, “The pay award represents a significant and deserved outcome for police officers.

“I’m also pleased that progress is being made in negotiations on harmonising pay and reward for police staff.

“Every single day, our hard-working officers and staff are keeping people safe and demonstrating the highest levels of leadership and public service.

“They’ve done this consistently since the creation of Police Scotland, clearly showing that they are our most valued asset, so it’s only right that their dedication and commitment is recognised appropriately.”

Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Humza Yousaf said, “This strong deal for Scotland’s police officers is an important recognition of the vital work they do to support safer, stronger communities. It also reflects the positive relations between police officers and employers in Scotland where we have retained collective pay bargaining. The Scottish Government has worked closely with the SPA and Police Scotland to finalise this two-and-a-half year deal which puts more cash into officers’ pockets while giving them and their families’ certainty.

“The progress made towards securing a milestone agreement on police staff pay and reward harmonisation is also very welcome. I am grateful to all those involved in the negotiations, as well as the commitment of all police staff and officers who are working to ensure Scotland’s police service is amongst the best in the world.”

The full details of the agreement are detailed in a PNB Circular which will be published by the Scottish Government in the coming days.

A pay award for Police Staff was agreed in April 2018 covering the period from September 2017 – March 2019. Positive progress is being made to reach agreement with the Trade Unions on a package aimed at harmonising pay, and terms and conditions, for police staff.

The SPA and Police Scotland approved a 3-year financial plan in May 2018 and remain committed, and on-track, to achieving financial balance by the beginning financial year 2020-21.

The search is on to fill over 100 full and part-time Christmas jobs at one of Scotland’s largest shopping centres, The Centre Livingston at a Recruitment Fair in the mall on Thursday 27^th September from 4pm till 8pm.

The seasonal vacancies at The Centre, which boasts over 155 stores including Debenhams, M&S, New Look, Primark and a wide variety of places to eat including Nando’s, Wagamama and ASK Italian, include sales assistants, retail managers and catering staff.

Patrick Robbertze, Centre Director at The Centre, Livingston, said: “We are really looking forward to our Recruitment Fair where our retailers will be on the look-out to fill a wide variety of over 100 full and part-time seasonal roles within the mall.

“It is a great opportunity for people who are looking for work in the run up to Christmas as they will be able to speak to our retailers face-to-face to find out everything they need to know about the positions available and register their interest on the day.”

The Centre, which is expecting a record number of shoppers this Christmas from across the country, will also be running a competition at the Recruitment Fair for one lucky jobseeker to win £100 Gift Card to spend on a new wardrobe for work. 

The Model, Peggy Macrae, a striking and important portrait by the Scottish Colourist artist Francis Cadell (1883-1937), is the lead item in Bonhams Scottish Art sale in Edinburgh on Wednesday October 10. It is estimated at £150,000-200,000.

Peggy Macrae was an artist’s model much in demand in pre-First World War Edinburgh. Her striking looks and instinctive feel for presentation – the angle of a hat, the tilt of an eyebrow – were in great demand. She posed so naturally, that painters commissioned to execute portraits of fashionable society women would sometimes, secretly, use Peggy to model the clothes.

Bonhams Head of Scottish Art, Chris Brickley said: ”Peggy Macrae was well aware of her worth and selected carefully the artists with whom she worked. She was a particular favourite of the Scottish Colourists, and Francis Cadell captured all her qualities of independence and spirit in his 1911 portrait.  She gazes from the canvas with serene confidence and just a hint of mischief in her eyes.”

Soon after the portrait was painted, Peggy Macrae married and emigrated to America.

Other highlights of the sale include:

• Spring, Iona by Francis Cadell, estimate £50,000-70,000.  The painter first visited the island in 1912 and spent many working summers there in the 1920s often accompanied by his friend and fellow Colourist Samuel Peploe.
• The Soko, Tangiers by Arthur Melville (1855-1904), estimate: £20,000-30,000; and Spanish Street, nightby the same artist, estimate: £15,000-20,000. Melville was a frequent visitor to Spain and North Africa in the 1890s and these trips provided inspiration for some of his most vibrant work. Melville was a friend of Cadell’s father and encouraged the young painter to study at the Académie Julian in Paris, as he himself had done at the beginning of his career.

The Scottish Book Trust has a list of walks and trails which relate to books and authors.

Here they share some with us which are specifically connected to Edinburgh. They have more from elsewhere in Scotland on their website

Stevenson Way, Mull to Edinburgh

Distance: 370km/230 miles | Time: a long time | Official Website

David Balfour’s journey back to Edinburgh in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Kidnapped is one of the most thrilling and breathless adventures in Scottish literature. The Stevenson Way recreates it and certainly isn’t for the faint of heart or delicate of foot. Called Scotland’s Wilderness Walk, the trail cuts across the heart of Scotland and is centred around real historic events, like Stevenson’s novel. It is trail for experienced walkers only, and, realistically, it needs to be broken up into parts with very little in the way of accommodation on many parts of the route.

 Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh

Distance: Various | Time: Allow 1-3 hours | Potential route (Walk Highlands)

It is oft said Edinburgh’s very own extinct volcano derives its name from Arthurian legend. Described by Robert Louis Stevenson as, “a hill for magnitude, a mountain in virtue of its bold design”, there is a mystical feel to the place – and no visit to Edinburgh is complete without a walk up its rocky paths. From certain angles, Arthur’s Seat can look like a resting lion in the heart of Edinburgh but for visitors, it is easy to tame. Enhance your enjoyment of your hike by reading James Hogg’s 1824 classic gothic horror The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner, in which two feuding brothers see things in a fog at the top of the hill. Arthur’s Seat also features in David Nicholl’s bestseller One Day, Jules Verne’s The Underground City, and many Rebus novels from Ian Rankin.

Heart of Midlothian 4 Motherwell 2
Betfred Cup Quarter Final – Wednesday 26th September 2018 – Tynecastle Park

After the famine against Livingston in the Ladbrokes Premiership on Saturday, Hearts supporters were treated to a veritable feast of goals on Wednesday evening as the Maroons progressed to the semi-finals of the Betfred Cup after a thrilling 4-2 victory over last season’s finalists Motherwell.

It was a terrific game of football under the Tynecastle lights and huge credit must go to both teams for producing such a spectacle. It was as good a game I’ve seen at Tynecastle for some time.

Hearts manager Craig Levein made a couple of changes from the team that disappointed against Livingston on Saturday. Cup-tied Craig Wighton was replaced by Arnaud Djoum and 19-year-old Callumn Morrison replaced Ben Garuccio.

Determined to make amends for Saturday’s lacklustre display, Hearts came flying out of the traps and Steven Naismith and Peter Haring both had headers cleared off the line.

Despite this it was the visitors who went ahead in the 12th minute when Hearts defender Jimmy Dunne was adjudged by referee Willie Collum – a man who does like the sound of his own whistle – to have used his hand to block Donnelly’s header. It looked more like ball to hand rather than hand to ball but Main duly despatched the resultant penalty kick and Motherwell were ahead.

Hearts deservedly equalised ten minutes before half-time when fine work from Arnaud Djoum led Callumn Morrison to deliver a teasing cross which was headed on by Steven Naismith for Steven MacLean to prod home.

Half-time: Hearts 1 Motherwell 1

Hearts began the second half in determined fashion and went ahead in the 64th minute. Captain John Souttar, up lending the attack a hand, fired in an effort across the goal which was turned in by Peter Haring. Tynecastle rocked as Hearts sensed victory was theirs.

However, with ten minutes left Motherwell produced a superb equaliser when Bowman raced on to a long ball forward and fired a brilliant volley beyond the helpless Bobby Zlamal. 2-2 and it looked like we were heading for extra-time.

But, with just a couple of minutes left, Craig Levein’s side went in front again. A brilliant run by the hugely impressive Michael Smith saw the Northern Irishman feed Olly Lee. The Englishman drove the ball past the despairing arms of Well keeper Carson and into the net and Tynecastle erupted. Hearts surely had one foot in the semi-final.

They had both feet in the last four a minute later when, frantically defending a Motherwell attack, Hearts countered with a brilliant pass from Olly Lee allowing Steven Naismith to run through on goal. The Scotland striker stroked the ball past Carson to end the scoring at 4-2 for Hearts.

The Hearts players and support were jubilant as referee Collum blew his whistle moments later. It had been a magnificent game of football, a superb advert for the game in Scotland. It was just a pity that BT Sport chose to ignore it such is their devotion to Celtic and Rangers. But, like the Hibernian-Aberdeen game on Tuesday evening, Wednesday’s tie at Tynecastle was superb entertainment. There is more, so much more to Scottish football than Celtic and Rangers.

Talking of which – Hearts semi-final opponents in the Betfred Cup will be Celtic. With Celtic and Rangers both in Europa League action the week before the semi-finals, both last four ties will need to be played on Sunday 28th October – with the possibility of one of them being played at BT Murrayfield…

Hearts: Zlamal, Smith, Dunne, Souttar, Haring, Lee (Bozanic, 92′), Djoum, Mitchell, Naismith, MacLean (Amankwaa, 92′), Morrison (Dikamona, 85′).

Motherwell: Carson, Tait, McHugh, Aldred, Cadden, Campbell (Johnson, 75′), Main, Bowman, Grimshaw, Bigirmana (Frear, 64′), Donnelly.

Referee: Willie Collum

Attendance: 14,377

Top man: Michael Smith – quite superb

The stories of four females who had previously served sentences at HMPYOI Polmont
have been brought to life through a powerful new short film.

Directed by Paul Gray, programme leader for BA (Hons) Film at Edinburgh Napier
University, On The Outside is the result of an innovative partnership
between Paul, Fife College and Scottish Prison Service (SPS).

Over the course of three months, Paul worked with women within the facility – both
in groups and individually – to encourage them to find their voice and share
their story.

Using various means of creativity – including speech, song and spoken word –
participants were able to reflect on their life so far, the decisions they made
alongside looking forward to what the future may hold.

On The Outside – which involves four actors sharing the stories of four of the women Paul worked with – is set completely in a car and follows a journey over the course of a day.

Filmed over five days in Edinburgh and South Queensferry earlier this year, the script
is taken from Paul’s dialogue with the women within Polmont and touches on who
the women are and how they ended up in prison. The film was produced by Nasreen
Saraei, a recent graduate from Edinburgh Napier’s BA (Hons) Film course.

The film also features a song and a piece of spoken word created through his
sessions within the facility. The song was recorded and performed for the film
by music student Matthew Cowan and acting graduate Sarah Dingwall, from
Edinburgh Napier.

For Paul, giving the women a voice alongside having a chance to reflect on their
time in Polmont was one of the main drivers for the film.

He said: “Edinburgh Napier has a successful working relationship with SPS and Fife
College at Polmont and this film project led on from the success of previous
projects with students from BA (Hons) Photography and BA (Hons) Television, and
also builds on a long standing education partnership between SPS and Edinburgh
Napier’s English programmes.

“I have always been interested in films that explore true stories and true
accounts and working with the women from Polmont allowed me to do this.

“The idea was to allow the women to find their voice and communicate through the use
of storytelling. During the sessions with them, I showed them clips of films
and gave them introductions to certain aspects of filmmaking. The discussions
that followed helped peak the participants’ creativity and they were able to
share their stories with me through a range of means including spoken word and
song.

“The script itself is very much written from dialogue recorded during the sessions,
with the actors taking on the individual patterns of dialogue and the
underlying meaning. The initial premise for the whole project was to empower
the women to be authors of their own representation and I hope that the film
does this.

“The women commented that it was a positive experience and that they felt that
sharing their stories was worthwhile. At the final meet up they all expressed
how keen they were to see the final film. From a filmmaking point of view, the
collaborative process of working with real people who are portrayed by actors
was very interesting. While I am the director of the film, I don’t consider
myself the author – I was shaping it so that the participants’ stories were told
in the most honest way possible.”

The film – which was shown in private to the women for the first time last week –
sees Edinburgh Napier Acting for Stage and Screen graduate Sarah Dingwall take
on the role of Abigail.

Sarah said: “I really enjoyed playing the part of Abigail. I found the role
challenging because I wanted to do justice to the real Abigail’s story by
researching and understanding as much as I could about her personality and
background.

“Every part has its own difficulties within it, this one especially. Abigail’s story
is dark and troubling and to try to understand what she has been through was
very difficult.

“It was an absolute pleasure to be a part of this film. The whole cast and crew were wonderful to work with and made the experience extremely enjoyable.”

by Brian Donaldson

Is there anything Phill Jupitus hasn’t done? A DJ on BBC 6 Music, team captain on Never Mind The Buzzcocks, poet who supported Billy Bragg in the 1980s, TV and film actor, improv player, and musical star of Hairspray and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, he’s now returning to the live arena for a new stand-up tour in which he gets to be two people. 

“I have a lot of material to choose from for this tour,” says Phill about his pun-loving stand-up, poetry and music show, Juplicity. “The thing that really works for me is that I support myself as Porky The Poet, so he goes out and does 40 minutes to start the evening. Because of Buzzcocks and other jobs I was given, I let Porky and the poetry slide but after about a decade I came back to it and wrote new poems, often just chucking stuff out on Facebook for mates to read. Combined with the old poems, and factoring in chit-chat between them, I had about an hour of material.”

With Porky’s poetry supporting the straight stand-up, he’s also got a proven track record of live music behind him from his time with the all-star Idiot Bastard Band. “The songs for this tour are now solid; all that comes from the time I was in the band with Neil Innes and Ade Edmondson. Because I’ve spent time away from touring stand-up, you get better at doing it by building the source material. For the autumn tour I’ll do two hours a night: 40 minutes poetry, quarter of an hour of songs, and the rest is stand-up.”

In terms of the stand-up element, Juplicity will draw on his own life, one that Phill describes merrily as both ‘chaotic’ and ‘flaky’. “Sean Lock has a phrase, which was both inspiring and worrying, about comedians mining our own personalities for material and then in your head negotiating how much you keep back. Initially there was some resistance to me discussing things on stage about my family. One of my daughters, Molly, married her American girlfriend and emigrated there, so what you get is a starting point: gay marriage is a trope that’s very much in vogue at the minute and dovetails with what’s happening in the world with Trump and so on. As a comedian you are a person in a society within the world; all you have to do is look at things and shift your camera angle. All comedians can do is put a wider lens on a situation so that it resonates with people.”

As with many acts who take to the road for a lengthy period, the show that is conceived at the beginning might not exactly replicate the one which exists by the end. “What happens on the tour becomes added to the tour,” Phill insists. “It snowballs as it rolls down the hill of the dates. I wish I had the discipline of my comedy brothers and sisters and say ‘it’s about this!’ By the end, who knows, it could be about my love of the bridge work of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Still, that would do well in Bristol.” 

One of the trials for a comedian on the road is that endless turnaround of doing a gig, eating late, heading for the hotel, travelling the following day to the next town and repeating the process potentially for months. Phill Jupitus has worked out new routines which work better for him.

“I’ve changed the tour pattern in that I now eat before the shows. I used to have lunch on the day of a show because for years I told myself that I liked the energy of being hungry: turns out, no I don’t, because you’re actually irritable. So before a show now, I have a proper knife and fork dinner, and it makes me feel like a new guy on stage. The other thing I try to do, depending on the actual geography, is travel to the next town after a gig, so I’ll wake up where I’m playing that night. Again, it’s a very different energy to what you’re doing because you’re in situ which also gives you stuff to talk about in the first ten minutes of the show. And wherever I am, I look for art galleries and museums, I’ve got a thing about record shops, bookshops, and second-hand tat shops where I might be able to find old badges. Everywhere I go, I try to find those five things.” 

When Phill started off on his path in entertainment, he probably never thought he’d find himself on a stage, in lots of make-up, belting out a show tune. But that’s one of the paths he’s landed on, with large-scale touring productions such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Spamalot and Hairspray now nestling on his CV. 

“My agent phoned up and said, ‘there’s a casting director in the West End who wants to talk to you about being Count Fosco in The Woman In White’. I was like, ‘what! I don’t sing!’ ‘Well, they think you do’. Turns out they’d seen me do the intros round on Buzzcocks and felt I could hold a tune. So I took some training and auditioned and they said, ‘maybe not this time, but do you want to be Wilbur in Hairspray?’ I went to see it and even though I’m watching Mel Smith as Wilbur thinking, ‘yeah I could do that’, I kept looking at Michael Ball as Edna and thinking, ‘that looks like a lot of fun’.” 

As fate would have it, he was offered the part of Edna instead. “I was thrown into it, three months in a dress, wig and lipstick. I’d just come out of 6 Music and felt a bit adrift: ‘do I want to do stand-up again or this or that’, and then Hairspray comes along and then Spamalot comes along. As a stand-up, you don’t think, ‘this is it now’: there are always other options. That’s why there’s a little resentment about stand-ups because we’re so adaptable.”  

It’s hard to know exactly what’s down the next road for the ever-adaptable Mr Jupitus, but for now he’s enjoying the cut, thrust and edge-of-the-seat jeopardy that only live comedy can truly provide. “I think I’ve found a way of monetising a social dysfunction. I’ve always maintained that there’s something slightly wrong with arts and crafts types putting themselves in the most confrontational situation, which is standing in front of strangers and trying to get them onside.” Whether he’s dressed as a woman in a musical, performing poetry or doing personal stand-up, Phill Jupitus is keeping everyone on his side.

Phill Jupitus is appearing at Pleasance on 4 November with his show Juplicity. 

A police investigation is underway after a nine-year-old boy was seriously injured following a collision with a car in Easter Drylaw Place shortly before 8.50am this morning.

The youngster is understood to have been walking to school when he was struck by a Volkswagen Polo. He has been taken to hospital with a serious head injury which is not believed to be life-threatening.

A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Police in Edinburgh were called to Easter Drylaw Place at around 8.50am on Wednesday following a report of a collision between a Volkswagen Polo and a pedestrian.

“A nine-year-old boy has been taken to the Sick Kids Hospital with a serious head injury and enquiries are ongoing.”

Five men responsible for Bonfire Night disorder in the North East of Edinburgh last year were convicted at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday.

Lewis Park, Dylan Martins, Dylan McArdle, Connor Murray and Liam Willis all pled guilty to being involved in the incidents, which occurred within the Craigentinny area on November 5th 2017.

Officers responded to numerous calls  in relation to vehicles being set alight, fireworks being thrown and property being damaged. A police officer responding to an incident was also injured.

On the evening of Bonfire Night, officers made four arrests and following an indepth investigation, enforcement activity was carried out within Leith, Drylaw and Craigentinny on Friday 15th December 2017, resulting in seven men being charged.

Park (20), Martins (18), McArdle (19), Murray (18) and Willis (19) will all be sentenced In November.

Chief Superintendent Gareth Blair, Divisional Commander for Edinburgh, said: “The level of disorder and destruction our communities in North West and North East Edinburgh had to endure last Bonfire Night was completely unacceptable to me and the public who stood up and assisted us in finding the evidence to identify and convict those responsible. I would therefore like to thank them for their ongoing support.

“These five individuals played a significant role in the incidents last year, and I want their convictions to send a very clear message to those thinking of carrying out similar offences this year, that such actions will not be tolerated.

“Lessons have been learned since 2017 and planning for this year is at an advanced stage in terms of resourcing and working alongside key partners.

“We will have increased resourcing at our disposal allowing us to robustly respond to incidents and keep the public and emergency services personnel safe.”

There are many good reasons why a baby box is a good idea, and now the Scottish Government has been handing them out to newborns and their parents for a year. 

But we wonder if you know about this particular item included in the box? The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) has devised a music app. The ASTAR app is available for new parents to begin their music journey with their new baby.

Astar is Gaelic for journey and the RSNO hope that babies will enjoy music throughout their lives, and that parents enjoy singing and clapping along with the tracks available on the app.

They suggest putting it on in the background as you go about your daily routine, feeding, bathing and putting your baby to sleep. They also encourage new parents to hum along and play with the baby in time to the music.

Finally they say that ‘a love of music will not only give your child a lifetime of pleasure, it may also encourage them to participate in music, sing or learn an instrument and this has been proven to have huge benefits for children and young people.’

The RSNO Astar app is available for iOS and Android

Police have today released an image of a male that officers urgently require to trace in order to assist their investigations into a serious assault.

Ian Hutchison, aged 16, is known to have links to the Southside area of Edinburgh, but may have travelled elsewhere in Scotland. He is described as white, 6ft, slim build with medium length brown hair.

Detective Inspector Clark Martin said: “We are asking anyone who may have seen Ian Hutchison recently, or those with information which may be able to assist with our ongoing investigation, to get in touch as soon as possible.”

Members of the public are asked not approach Ian Hutchison but should contact police as a matter of urgency if they have any information.

Anyone with information about Ian Hutchison’s whereabouts should contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting reference 753 of 1st September, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Intelligent, empathic and reassuringly faithful, Christine Mary Dunford’s authorititive adaptation of Lisa Genova’s novel exploring the horrific impact of Alzheimer’s disease brings two dynamically innovative and energised re-appropriations of time and character constructs.

Director, David Grindley runs with this with wily economy, intelligence and vibrancy. Though following Genova’s sequential narrative where the author’s point of view becomes disturbingly fractured as, Professor of Cognitive Psychology and Linguistics, Alice’s condition worsens, Dunford goes much further.

We have literally a binary Alice manifested through two separate characters – Alice (Sharon Small) and Herself (Eva Pope) a dramatic conceit that both propels and defines this excellent production. Time is given compelling immediacy presented as a projection-screen two year monthly countdown as original symptoms, diagnosis and aggressive deterioration reach the present day. This is further emphasised by a calculated ninety-minute no interval running time. (Wendy Mitchel, author of Somebody I Used to Know acted as consultant. Herself, a fifty-eight year old, diagnosed with young-onset dementia.)

The doppelgänger protagonists share a conspiratorial dialogue, Herself the guiding calm and rational pivot who struggles to keep Alice from spinning off into the incremental nightmare of her synaptic shredding vortices. But she can be fickle and damning as when hiding Alice’s memory life-raft mobile-phone with her list of reminders, names and panic-rescue numbers in the freezer. ‘I wish I had cancer,’ says Alice. ‘Something I could fight back as myself.’ There is the ambiguous computer-file Butterfly.

Alice, resigned to the terminal consequences of the disease, leaves instructions for her near-future eviscerated self to take an overdose of sleeping pills. She had shrewdly insisted the doctor increase their prescription way back. In the novel it is an epiphanic moment of compelling pathos and intensity where the reader is immersed a conspiratorial, ambiguous Go on Alice!/No Alice! moral dilemma. As was this production’s staging – albeit eliciting some nervous laughter of release when husband John innocently interrupts her.

Sharon Small’s performance has a humane nobility.

The flailing outrage at being stripped of her dignity is utterly convincing rendering the flintiest of hearts to putty.  Eva Pope as Herself, part Jungian Self/Shadow, sometime Jiminy Cricket, part Mr Hyde, Caliban or Mephistopheles plays a feline-fluid lithe and fascinating familiar. Jonathan Fensom’s set-design is a strictly structured mind-map of essential familiarity for Alice. All the more terrible when one day she can’t find the bathroom. ‘How can I be locked in my own house?’ The symbolism is a deep as the hideous imaginary chasm that opens up across her lobby floor.

Alice’s husband John (Martin Marquez), faces a fundamental career decision. If Alice were  fully cognisant – surely she would have wanted what was best for him? Son, Thomas (Mark Armstrong) and daughter, Lydia (Ruth Ollman) eventually embraced the gravity of their mother’s situation more so than dad does and familial sparks fly spectacularly.

Her intellectual, emotional psyche being lacerated by the shrapnel of exploding synaptic connections can she still remain Alice? A neuro/theological conundrum provokes the question, can malignant electro/chemical brain destroy the soul? Both Theatre Re’s The Nature forgetting and Florian Zellor’s The Father explore similar dilemma.

This opening night’s performance has special poignancy following the morning’s News that Cambridge University research scientists ‘are on the brink of finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.  Within six years there could be a drug that attacks the toxic proteins called oligomers that destroy memory. A poignant serendipity indeed one that lends hope that every member of tonight’s audience and those after will be allowed to remember Still Alice long in to healthy old age.

Would that she could have.

The council hope to announce during Challenge Poverty Week that it will appoint Dr Jim McCormick as the chair of the new Edinburgh Poverty Commission.

Dr McCormick is the Associate Director at Joseph Rowntree Foundation which is an independent organisation working to inspire social change. He is regarded as an expert researcher working to address poverty in the UK, and has a track record of working with the Government, public sector agencies and the voluntary sector on practical solutions.

Councillor Cammy Day who is also Depute Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council will be vice-chair and the group is to work on ways of defining actions and responses to reduce poverty and inequality in Edinburgh.

They will take a strategic overview of the scale and nature of poverty in the capital and will pay particular attention to those who have experienced poverty firsthand. They will work alongside charities like EVOC and Cyrenians.

Cllr Day and Dr McCormick will then recruit around ten commission members from business, third sector. and government.

The commission will meet formally four times a year with final publication of their recommendations by December 2019.

The decision to form the Edinburgh Poverty Commission was taken in June this year.

The Council Leader and Deputy Leader of The City of Edinburgh Council are unapologetic about the amount of emphasis that is placed on Transient Visitor Levy or Tourist tax.

They explain that it was in their separate manifestos before last year’s local elections. They are convinced it will help the city deal with tourists now and maintain the city’s attraction for future visitors. They are confident that it will be introduced within the period of their administration, by 2022.

DRAFTING THE BUSINESS CASE

In continuing with the process around TVL, the council wants to consult with the public and then draft a business case for Edinburgh from which they hope to persuade the government to move forward. This would contain some detail as to how the tax would be collected, which they say must be simple and efficient.

A decision will be taken at next week’s Corporate Policy and Strategy Committee, and if agreed the public consultation would start at the end of October and run to the end of the year.

The draft scheme proposes charging either £2 or 2% a night on each tourist room, in any kind of accommodation all year round. The charge would be capped at seven nights.

The council has already consulted with tourism related business, and now it wants to speak with the public to get more views on the scheme. Marketing Edinburgh commissioned independent research this year which found that a small nightly charge would not put visitors off coming to Edinburgh, and that people living here support the introduction of such a tax.

A set of key principles has emerged from previous discussions particularly with industry, seen as important to securing collective support for an Edinburgh scheme:

• Fair to all – industry, residents and tourists
• Simple to understand and run
• Administratively efficient and difficult to avoid
• Raise additional income and be transparently invested
• Have transparent governance and accountability

The problem is that it is not in the Scottish Government’s programme for government, and it will need legislation of some sort to introduce the tax on tourists. Whether that is express primary legislation or an addition to a piece of existing legislation is not important in itself, but it has to be introduced by Holyrood first.

There are 32 councils in the country, all of whom support the introduction of a tax. The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) called upon Holyrood earlier this summer to implement legislation which any of their member councils could then use to raise local taxes.

In June COSLA’s President Councillor Alison Evison said : “My job as the President of COSLA is to strengthen local democracy and local choice.

“Local government is a sphere not a tier of government in Scotland. The devolution of powers has been the political hot potato of the last few weeks and it is right that we enter this debate in a mature, thought through manner.

“Our ask of the Scottish Government today would be – devolve to local government the powers it needs to deliver services and build the local economy; give us the chance to empower public services and create opportunities for Scotland to flourish.

“The tourism industry should not be alarmed by this move. A Transient Visitor Tax (TVT) will be a tax on visitors and not on businesses.”

The Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council was invited along with leaders of Aberdeen and Highland Councils, and Gail McGregor from COSLA to address the Culture Tourism, Europe and External Affairs Committee at Holyrood in early September.

Council Leader, Adam McVey, said: “These draft proposals will form the basis for wider public consultation with all of our stakeholders and, importantly, with the residents of this city. It is another important step in our engagement strategy and on our journey towards securing a TVL for Edinburgh.

“Our work over the summer has focused on key stakeholders, particularly those in the hospitality trade, and we are continuing to engage with them on the details of what an Edinburgh scheme could reasonably look like and options for implementing it.

“Public consultation will allow for a wider and transparent debate over important details with everyone who has a view and we believe this approach is an important component of gaining trust and support for the scheme.

“We continue to believe that a TVL is in the best interests of our residents, our tourism industry and those who visit us, and we fully expect the robust, professional approach we are taking to achieve a positive result for the Capital.”

Depute Leader, Cllr Cammy Day, said: “I strongly believe that it’s time for a TVL in Edinburgh. The survey results published earlier this month back up our thinking that tourists wouldn’t be put off from visiting the city should one be introduced. This is consistent with the experience of other cities and dispels many of the fears voiced by some in the industry.

“Equally, I am not surprised to find strong support amongst our residents for the proposals. Part of the consultation will be to determine how the money will be spent but clearly the people of Edinburgh believe it is entirely fair to expect tourists to contribute to city maintenance, to invest in tourism, and to marketing the city so that it remains globally attractive.

“We are not wedded to one way of delivering a TVL and see this consultation as a way of co-producing a scheme that works for Edinburgh. We are very much listening to everyone involved around what they believe is fair, what is simple and what will work.”

Over 60s at an Edinburgh retirement housing development have taken a step back into the past and shared their memories from the 1950s for a locally produced memory book.

Tenants from Bield’s Gordon Court make up half of those who have contributed stories to the memory book, created by the Leith based Citadel Arts Group, as 10 tenants have had their stories included.

The 83-page book, titled ‘Remembering the Fifties: A Book of Living Memories’, contains a variety of stories from local people’s lives in the 1950s. Contributors have included a range of events from their pasts, including memories of going out dancing, the food they most enjoyed and stories of family life.

The book launch will be held on 27th September at Gordon Court, with Abbeyhill Primary School pupils being invited to present their interpretations of the stories, to those who experienced them first hand.

All those who contributed to the memory book have been invited to attend the launch and will receive a copy of the book on the day.

Liz Hare, Director of the Citadel Arts Group, said: “It was a lovely project, we met some great people whilst doing it.

“This was our first time working with Bield on a project and I hope it won’t be the last – it really was a lovely development. The staff were really supportive and friendly, they made the memory sessions with the tenants go so smoothly.

“This was our first time focusing on a specific era, and we thought the 50s was a very interesting time to focus on, with it being a post-war time period and things like national service still being in place, and it has ended up being our largest book yet.

“As everyone was different ages at the time, everything was talked about by those sharing stories, with some recalling the music of the era, some speaking about family memories and others talking about popular jobs of the time, or their first experiences of the dating world.”

Tenants who participated in the stories thoroughly enjoyed the process and were more than happy to share memories from their past for the book.

Gordon Court tenant, Cathy Williamson, said: “It was great to re-live the happy times of the fifties, I really enjoyed all the shared memories.”

Pupils from Abbeyhill Primary School were given a sneak peak of the book ahead of the launch, and have prepared their own interpretations of its stories, in the form of pictures and drawings, as well as short plays produced by the children. The class will present their responses to the stories at the launch.

Citadel Arts Group have produced multiple memory books with people from Leith about various different topics, from ex-whalers to those who worked on Leith docks to a focus on the old Leith Hospital.

The arts group often produces plays based on the stories they are told and are currently in the creating one based on this most recent 50s themed book.

Liz added: “Laure Paterson is working on a play about all these stories. It’s going to be called ‘Moonshine on Leith’.

“We take the plays into local schools and retirement housing to present them. So this one will most likely be shown to the pupils at Abbeyhill. We’ll take the play to Gordon Court as well, to let those involved see our interpretation of their memories.

“The play is the next stage of the production – the book really isn’t the end of the story.”

Visit the Citadel Arts Group website at www.citadelartsgroup.co.uk to find out more about ordering a copy of ‘Remembering the Fifties: A Book of Living Memories’.

Gordon Court is a Bield development for those aged 60 and over who want to be able to retain their independence while having help on hand when needed.

Bield has been providing high-quality housing and related services for older people in Scotland for more than 40 years.

To find out more about Bield and its developments Click here 

It was a scene doubtless replicated across the country. November 1976. A spotty-faced 14-year-old finally plucks up the courage to strut across the school disco dance floor and ask the attractive girl he’s had his eye on for some time if she would like to dance. The song isn’t one of the numerous glam-rock numbers prevalent at that time. It’s a soulful, passionate number which resonates as much today as it did 42 years ago. Love and Affection, by Joan Armatrading would become one of those songs etched in the 14-year-old’s mind for the rest of his life.

I should know. For I was that boy soldier. So, when one of the greatest singer/songwriters this country has ever produced announced she would be performing at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall on Tuesday I was determined to see her live. I had waited more than four decades for this opportunity – and I wasn’t going to miss out.

Armatrading’s current UK tour is just about a sell-out everywhere and little wonder. The three-time Grammy Award nominee, who has also been nominated twice for a Brit Award for Best Female Artist has performed at the very top since the early 1970s when she first appeared on the legendary John Peel Show on BBC Radio One. She has a stunning repertoire of nearly 20 studios albums as well as several live albums and compilations.

The expectant Edinburgh audience filled the Usher Hall nearly to capacity eager to hear the great singer perform her established hits as well as newer songs from her recently released album Not Too Far Away. Armatrading didn’t disappoint.

She began by devoting the first half of her show to her new album. She displayed her renowned dry sense of humour by stating she didn’t have a support act singing songs the audience hadn’t heard of. She wanted them to hear some of her songs they hadn’t heard of.

I’ve been a huge fan of Joan Armatrading for more than 40 years and it’s become something of a trademark that some of her songs can take two or three hearings until they’re fully appreciated. However, there are some from Not Too Far Away – such as the recent single I Like It When We’re Together, Cover My Eyes as well as the title song which grab your attention immediately.

After a 20-minute interval it was time for Armatrading to give the fans what they had come to hear – some of her classic hits. She started off with Down to Zero and, among others featured Travel So Far, True Love, All the Way From America and Rosie. After Drop the Pilot, Joan sauntered off the stage saying ‘goodnight’ with an impish grin on her face. She knew, and the audience knew there was no way she was getting away without singing her most famous song.

With rapturous applause ringing around the Usher Hall, Armatrading came back on for her two-song encore. The powerful and emotional The Weakness in Me brought a lump to the throat before the inevitable Love and Affection nearly brought the near full house down.

Moments later, she left the stage to a hugely deserved standing ovation. For more than 40 years Joan Armatrading has been wowing audiences all over the world with her brilliant vocals and song writing skills. As was proved at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall on Tuesday evening Love and Affection are Not Too Far Away from this fabulous legendary performer.

The National Galleries of Scotland are expanding with a new public space linking the galleries to Princes Street Gardens and a new coffee shop by Christmas.

There will be new displays throughout the gallery as a result of research with visitors.

The good news is that the gallery will remain open throughout the building phase, although the Playfair Steps will be closed throughout. The Mound precinct will be open apart from early 2019 and will be available as the site for the Christmas market.

This will create a new setting in the heart of Edinburgh’s World Heritage site for the world’s greatest collection of Scottish art hung in a new suite of galleries.

You will now be able to walk  in through a new main entrance formed in Princes Street Gardens into a newly created light-filled space.  The gallery curators are creating new displays drawn from the Scottish and international collection throughout the entire Gallery. Stories about figures such as Allan Ramsay, Gavin Hamilton and Sir David Wilkie will be told in a more modern and appealing way.

The plans drawn up by Hoskins Architects envisage a series of large windows, running the length of the new gardens-level façade, which will fill the galleries with light and colour, and offer spectacular views over one of the most celebrated cityscapes in the world. Extensive new landscaping in the gardens will radically improve access to this much-loved part of the city, and the project will also create a larger shop, brand new café and more accessible restaurant.

The £22 million project will be paid for in part by contributions from The National Lottery Heritage Lottery Fund (£4.94 million) and The Scottish Government (£5.5 million). When we reported the news two years ago the project was estimated at £16.8 million so the price has gone up in the meantime.

Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop, said: “This exciting project will further enhance our nation’s profile and raise the international profile of our world-class galleries, ensuring that visitors in Scotland and from all over the world can enjoy our arts and cultural heritage. I am very pleased that the Scottish Government will contribute £5.5 million towards ensuring that the Scottish National Gallery gives the national collection of Scottish artworks the prominence and public access it deserves.”

Sir John Leighton, Director-General of the National Galleries of Scotland, said: “This is a hugely exciting time for us, as we see our ambitious plans for the Scottish National Gallery getting underway. We will create the perfect showcase for the nation’s extraordinary collection of Scottish art, giving it room to breathe and showing it off with real pride to the world.

“This ambitious project will completely transform the experience of our visitors, creating a National Gallery that is even more open, engaging and inviting with new presentations of Scotland’s art in a setting that will be truly world-class. All will be welcome whether to come in and immerse themselves in the highly romantic paintings of the Scottish Highlands, to take part in a family day or just to linger, enjoy the views and maybe pick up one of our sketch pads.”

Gareth Evans has been appointed as Hibs’ Head of Youth.

The 51-year-old, who is a former player and Reserve Team Coach, will oversee the under-13s to under-16s age groups within the Hibernian Academy as part of his new role.

He was a popular player at the club after being signed by Alex Miller and helped Hibs to a memorable Skol/League Cup triumph in 1991.

He played over 300 games for Hibs, scoring 38 goals following his moved from Rotherham United.

Evans is looking to use his experience working as the manager of Scotland Women’s under-19s side and as assistant to Scot Gemmill with the Scotland Men’s under-17s to good use in his new role.

Speaking to Hibs TV he said: “It’s nice to be back and I class this as my home now. It’s my third time back at the club, coming back in as the Head of Youth this time.

“The role will see me looking after the under-13s up to the under-16s and trying to get as many players through to the under-18 squad as possible, and then hopefully going on to play for the reserves and then the first team.

“There’s a little bit more management involved with me managing the coaches between the 13s and the 16s, helping them along to hopefully improve the players.

“I like to see young players improve. I’ve been doing a lot of work with the Scottish FA for the four years that I worked there.

“I worked with the under-19s girls and managed to get them to eighth in Europe and 13 players playing in the A squad. They were improved by having programmes put in place to make them better both physically and technically as footballers.

“I was also working with Scot Gemmill with the boy’s under-17s and we had great success getting to the semi finals of the European Championships in 2014.

“I am looking to implement the same strategies that we had there with the younger players here at Hibs to hopefully progress them.”

Many of Liam Miller’s old Manchester United team-mates are in Cork today to pay tribute to the Republic of Ireland international who passed away earlier this year aged just 36.

The popular midfielder played for a number of teams including Celtic, Manchester United, Leeds United, Sunderland, Queens Park Rangers and Cork City but he played more games for Hibs than any other team.

Signed from QPR by John Hughes, Liam played 76 games for the club, scoring seven times. He made his debut away to Hamilton Academical on 13 September 2009 and helped the team qualify for the UEFA Cup with a fourth place finish.

Organisers are encouraging fans to come early to Páirc Uí Chaoimh for the tribute match and the gates open at 12.45pm with pre-match entertainment ahead of the 3pm kickoff.

A gala dinner at City Hall will start with a drinks reception at 6.45pm with an auction for concert tickets, luxury breaks, matchday experiences, and memorabilia signed by football stars including Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, John Giles, and Rory McIlroy likely to raise a considerable amount.

Bidders can register online via galabid.com/liam or through SMS by texting “liam” followed by your full name to 086 1800308.

The online auction will conclude tonight at 10.30pm.

Sir Alex Ferguson who continues to recover from a brain haemorrhage suffered last May, expressed “considerable disappointment” he will not be in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, writing in the match programme.

“Liam Miller’s legacy as a human being was that he was totally liked by everyone for his quiet, endearing nature.

“When I went to the Celtic v Anderlecht Champions League tie in Glasgow in November 2003, it was to watch the Belgian defender Vincent Kompany, however, my attention soon gravitated to Celtic’s energetic young midfielder, slight of stature but with an assured, calm way about him.

“What I witnessed was a player with a tremendous set of midfield fundamentals — his movement off the ball, his penetration of the Anderlecht midfield. I came away smitten by his performance, not least the timing of his runs. Leaving Parkhead I was totally determined to get Liam Miller to Manchester United.”