A holiday flat owner has lost their appeal to keep operating despite claims less than one in five apartments in their block are residential homes.

TM Lettings, who run the short term holiday flat in North Berwick’s Royal Apartments, were refused a  certificate of lawfulness to continue renting it out by East Lothian planners.

And their appeal to the council’s Local Review Body was this week thrown out after councillors said just one residential home in the Station Road block raised concerns about the impact of the holiday business.

The applicants had argued that only six of the 34 units in the block were residential with the balance second homes, a number of which were used as short term rentals.

However at a meeting of the review body, Councillor Colin Yorkston questioned how many had to be permanent homes for their loss of amenity to be considered.

He asked fellow councillors: “Is it okay for one person to lose their amenity or does it have to be two or three?

Refusing to support the appeal, Councillor Yorkston said: “For me it is a residential property. If it had been built and the whole block had been for short term holiday let I wouldn’t have an issue with it.

“If I had bought a flat and found out a holiday let was next door or just below me I would not be impressed.”

His views were backed by Councillor Kenny McLeod at the meeting however fellow review body member Councillor Donna Collins said she had sympathy for the holiday let owners saying: “It has been there for seven years and we have not had any police reports.

“I think comings and goings are the same as any other household and it has been there for seven years.”

However meeting chairperson Councillor Liz Allan backed the officers decision to refuse the certificate, which would have allowed the owners to carry on operating without applying for a change of use to a holiday let through the council’s planning process.

She said: “I am very conflicted. On the one hand it has been a short term let for seven years but I am also very mindful that we do have a shortage of one and two bedroom flats, particularly in places like North Berwick and we do have a crisis of housing.

“Getting the balance right is difficult but in this case I support the officers.”

The review body rejected appeal by three votes to one with Councillor Collins support it.

By Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter

A dedicated volunteer, a forerunner in women’s sailing, and a talented race official are just some of the ways in which Margaret Tait of Port Edgar Yacht Club has been described.

To recognise Margaret’s long standing and wide-ranging contribution to Scottish boating, RYA Scotland (the governing body for sailing), presented her with their Impact Award.

Since becoming a member at Port Edgar Yacht Club 40 years ago, Margaret has honed her race management skills, becoming an invaluable member of various race committees over the years.

Reflecting on how her journey at Port Edgar began, Margaret said: “I joined the club 40 years ago this year, and I find the sailing fraternity really quite special.

Margaret, who still competes as well as organising events, received her award at the 707 UK National Championship prizegiving at Port Edgar

Reflecting on the occasion she said: “I suppose I was a bit stunned. I do it because I love it I don’t do it for recognition, but it’s nice to be recognised too and I hope it does inspire others to follow along.”

At the start of her journey within sailing, Margaret often found herself the only woman in various settings. Rather than considering this a deterrent, Margaret made it her mission to inspire more women and girls to take up the sport. 

Having successfully done this in several instances, perhaps no impact has been as personal to Margaret as the influence she has had on her granddaughter Abby’s journey in sailing. 

Now a dinghy and power instructor, Abby is a valuable presence at both Dalgety Bay Sailing Club and Port Edgar.

Abby said: “My Gran likes to tell me that when she was younger there weren’t many female roles in what she was going into, and she was one of the only ones that would crew on these boats.

“It’s nice to see so many more females coming into these roles, for example myself who’s now a sailing instructor, who’s now a power instructor. It’s amazing to see how it’s all changed, and it’s amazing to see her forerunning.”

Anyone inspired by Margaret’s story can find out more about Port Edgar Yacht Club online.

Des Loughney the Secretary of the Edinburgh Trade Union Council (ETUC) made this deputation to the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board on Friday morning.

The EIJB had proposed making cuts of £4.5 million to their budget. This was wholly made up of payments to 60+ third sector organisations who carry out some of the vital work for people who need help whether they are young or old, disabled or sick. The list of bodies whose funding was put at risk is below. The EIJB is meeting on Friday to discuss ways of avoiding the cuts at this time.

Mr Loughney said: “I would like to thank the Board for agreeing to hear our deputation which will comment on items 7.1 and 7.2 on your agenda. There are three people on our deputation myself, Des Loughney, Secretary of Edinburgh TUC, Kathy Jenkins, a delegate to Edinburgh TUC and Liz Taylor, a delegate to Edinburgh TUC, who also works for a third sector social care provider.

“Given the time limits we will each make a few points and will call on the Board to reject the flawed Report that represents item 7.2. We hope that you will ask officials to think again.

“The first point I wish to make is that the financial context in which the Report was drafted has changed within the last two days. We are informed by the Chancellor that:

“there will be an £1.5bn in extra spending for the Scottish government this year and an extra £3.4bn in the year leading up to the Holyrood election in 2026.” 

“It is expected that some of these monies will be spent on services that are overseen by the EIJB.

“My second point is that I believe The Scottish Government (and the City Council) expect the EIJB to manage change properly in a way that is consistent with Scottish Government policies.

“These imply that before there is any major change there is consultation with the public, third sector providers, users and carer’s both paid and unpaid. There is supposed to be every attempt to avoid compulsory redundancies by consultation with the relevant trade unions. It the Report were to go ahead it is estimated that 150 people, who are skilled and experienced workers, will be paid off. There is no consideration given in the Report to the implications of disposing of such a skilled workforce.

A cost benefit analysis of such an action is a lot more complex than the Report makes out.”

LIST OF AFFECTED ORGANISATIONS

The first list is of organisations which get other funding from the EIJB.

1. Autism Initiatives: £76,594
2. Care for Carers: £66,967
3. Caring In Craigmillar: £89,921
4. Edinburgh Headway Group: £42,775
5. Edinburgh Leisure: £129,892
6. Eric Liddell Centre: £24,052
7. Hillcrest Futures: £87,588
8. Health In Mind: £12,053
9. Libertus Services: £138,348
10. Lothian Centre for Inclusive Living (LCIL): £18,788
11. Queensferry Churches Care in the Community: £41,072
12. Rowan Alba Limited: £46,742
13. The Broomhouse Centre The Beacon Club: £50,807
14. The Open Door Senior Men’s Group: £5,586
15. VOCAL: £48,766
16. Waverley Care: £177,754
17. CHAI: £313,901
18. Citizens Advice Edinburgh: £313,897
19. Granton Information Centre Consortium: £313,904

The groups below do not receive any other funding from EIJB. These providers account for around 2% of the total third sector spend. And the report states that EIJB do not know “what other sources of funding these organisations receive from outside the EIJB”.

1. ACE IT: £57,683
2. Art In Healthcare – Room for Art: £64,890
3. Bethany Christian Trust: £48,035
4. Bridgend Farmhouse: £23,155
5. Calton Welfare Services: £15,185
6. Changeworks: £52,189
7. Community One Stop Shop: £21,321
8. Community Renewal Trust: £45,482
9. Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland: £31,518
10. Cyrenians: £74,970
11. Drake Music Scotland: £16,686
12. Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust: £111,634
13. Edinburgh Community Food: £160,426
14. Edinburgh Community Health Forum: £49,763
15. Edinburgh Garden Partners: £23,968
16. Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre: £68,807
17. FAIR Ltd: £87,984
18. Feniks: £72,864
19. Fresh Start: £81,742
20. Health All Round: £185,548
21. Home-Start Edinburgh West and South West: £23,090
22. LGBT Health and Wellbeing: £91,310
23. MECOPP Jump Start: £29,149
24. MECOPP BME Carer Support: £60,062
25. Multi-Cultural Family Base: £15,563
26. Murrayfield Dementia Project: £50,814
27. Pilmeny Development Project: £68,504
28. Pilton Equalities Project Mental Health: £83,128
29. Pilton Equalities Project Day Care Services: £81,270
30. Portobello Monday Centre: £4,128
31. Portobello Older People’s Project: £14,620
32. Positive Help: £45,576
33. Scottish Huntington’s Association: £31,158
34. Sikh Sanjog: £22,612
35. South Edinburgh Amenities Group SEAG: £65,725
36. Support in Mind Scotland: £22,255
37. The Broomhouse Centre (Vintage Vibes Consortium): £71,629
38. B Healthy together (The Broomhouse Health Strategy Group): £52,800
39. The Dove Centre: £124,020
40. The Health Agency, Wester Hailes: £170,287
41. The Living Memory Association: £22,864
42. The Ripple Project: £87,703
43. The Welcoming Association: £14,219
44. Venture Scotland: £45,994

The exhibition at the City Art Centre which opens in November will show works by 13 Scottish and international artists on a pop culture theme.

Some of the artists have not exhibited their work in Scotland previously and each one engaged with popular culture with influences such as music, film, fashion, literature, social media and celebrity. The exhibition will use familiar language to delve into these themes.

Co-curated by artists Euan Gray and Witte Wartena, POP LIFE is a travelling exhibition previously showcased in Sweden and the Netherlands a couple of years ago. This iteration has been tailored to include Scottish artists and underscores the enduring allure of the human form as a reflection of identity and societal norms, drawing inspiration from art history, socio-political movements, and cultural shifts over the past six decades.

Visitors can look forward to works by renowned and early-career artists including Marcel van Eeden, Euan Gray, Paul McDevitt, Charlotte Schleiffert, Sandra Vásquez de la Horra, Witte Wartena, David Shrigley, Andrew Cranston, Laura Bruce, Marc Brandenburg, Donald Urquhart, Jamie Fitzpatrick, and Fiona Michie – all of whom draw inspiration from the imagery and messages of pop culture.

Marc Brandenburg has transformed a room of the gallery with UV light, to explore unseen sides of Tiergarten Park in Berlin, whilst Laura Bruce accompanies her drawn tributes to country music icons with vocal renditions of their biggest hits. Edinburgh-based artist Jamie Fitzpatrick is showing his large-scale drawings alongside a new monumental sculpture, looking critically and who in society is publicly memorialised. Internationally renowned artist David Shrigley will present 16 brand new drawings, showcasing his absurd and humorous work.

Culture and Communities Convener, Val Walker said: “I’m delighted that the City Art Centre can showcase this fantastic iteration of the POP LIFE exhibition featuring the works of 13 exciting artists. I’m especially proud that it will mark the first time some of these artists have displayed in Scotland, and that we will be presenting works created especially for the exhibition.

“I’m sure visitors will be captivated by these pieces and engage with the ever-changing dynamics of art within society.”

Curator Euan Gray, said: “In an era dominated by computer generated images, AI and 3D printing, this exhibition offers us a wonderful opportunity to champion the enduring appeal of traditional drawing. We can wholeheartedly embrace the language of pop culture and promote a remarkable group of Scottish and international artists for whom the human form remains an essential motif.”

In Scotland we always watch with amazement as our fiscal masters in London shake the magic money tree from time to time.

And then we wonder how much of the golden leaves will fall our way.  So it is with the Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ budget statement on Wednesday when she announced big increases in capital spending and big tax rises to pay for increases in day-to-day spending on public services.

The Scottish Government’s share of the new money for infrastructure (£610m), will help pay for some of the school, health, housing and road projects which have been postponed in previous budgets.  The rest of the £1.5bn this year and £3.4bn next year will go into the NHS and council spending, and help to fill the gap left by the public sector pay increases given to end the summer of discontent. 

Exactly how the money is spent is left to The Scottish Government, under the devolution system, and we will learn what our chancellor Shona Robison has decided in her budget next month.  We will also learn whether she will increase taxes to pay for any extra spending in Scotland. 

Budgets reveal the real colour of a government, red or blue, high-tax or low-tax, big-state or small state.  Rachel Reeves’ first Labour budget for 14 years is more radical than most people expected. Taxes go up by £40bn, taking them to the highest level since 1948 (38 per cent of national income) matching most European countries. She has cleverly re-written the fiscal rules to allow her to borrow another £32bn. And she has begun to tax business and the wealthy, with increases in employers’ National Insurance contributions, and changes to inheritance tax, pension rules and capital gains tax.  

We are now waiting to see if Shona Robison will follow Labour’s lead, even within the limited powers she has.  She could increase the rate of income tax, or change the thresholds. She could abandon the SNP’s freeze, or limits, on local council tax. She could target welfare payments, as she had already done on the winter fuel payment.

In any event, all this is a world away from the Conservatives’ ideology of the small-state. We have truly changed direction.  And the wonder is that neither the contenders for the UK Conservative leadership nor the new leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Russel Findlay, seem to realise it.  They are plodding on with “austerity” which, from this week, has become an out-dated ideology.

While all this high finance was going on, one of the Scottish government’s flagship projects, a National Care Service, sunk into a peat bog of opposition and practical difficulties. The Green Party has joined local councils and the trade unions in opposing it, which means the plan won’t get through parliament. At least in its full form, though the government continues to insist it can rescue some of its features.

The idea was ambitious, to create a National Care Service to run in parallel with the National Health Service.  It would solve the NHS “bed blocking” problem and is vital for meeting the needs of an ageing population.  The trouble is there was no parallel tax system to fund it, such as National Insurance, so it was simply a nationalisation of the services already provided by local authorities. To which, of course, they objected, since it would take away a large slice of their responsibilities and their funding. Social work and care services make up about a third of their spending.  

The answer should be to introduce a retirement levy to pay for care in old age, thus spreading the risk we all face of having to move into a nursing home or needing care in our own home. But new taxes are not popular, especially on older people, and politicians generally lack the courage to take a lead.  

Alex Salmond was an exception when it comes to Scottish independence. We’ve been thinking again about his life and legacy, as he was buried this week in his home village of Strichen in Aberdeenshire. Tributes were paid to him in the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday. The current first minister John Swinney said he’d left an indelible mark on public life. The Conservative leader Russell Findlay said Alex Salmond’s influence had shaped our society.  Certainly the idea of independence is never far from our minds.  

But to put our current struggles in perspective, consider life at it was lived on the Isle of Skye 2,000 years ago.  Recent research by archaeologists at a site overlooking Loch Eynort on the west coast have found a large, double-walled Iron Age fort at the centre of a busy community growing barley, rearing cattle and sheep and building an impressive fort to provide for their own defence.

Using aerial photography and laser scanning, they have identified Kraiknish Dun on land belonging to the state-owned forestry agency Forestry and Land Scotland. It’s now been designated a monument of national importance, reminding us of our past civilisations, and the possibility that we too might be buried in the undergrowth and forgotten in 2,000 years’ time, or less, and that some future archaeologists will be trying to work out how we lived and paid for public services.

Detectives are continuing enquiries into the serious assault of a 26-year-old woman in Dalkeith and are re-appealing for information and people to come forward.

The incident happened between 5.30pm and 6pm on Friday, 4 October 2024 when a woman was approached by a man who attacked her on a path within a wooded area on Abbey Road, Dalkeith.

Officers have established there were several people in the area around the time of the incident who have yet to speak to police.

Detective Inspector Diane Barr said: “We would like to thank the local community for their assistance so far and ask those that were in the area on that day that have still to speak to the police to come forward, even if you believe you have nothing to report, your information could prove vital.”

The injured woman was taken to hospital but has since been released.

The man is described as white, in his late 30s with stubble. He was wearing black trousers, a black waterproof jacket and had a dog lead around his neck, but it is not believed he had a dog with him.

Officers continue to examine CCTV footage from in and around the area for any small detail which could assist the investigation. Enquiries are continuing and an increased police presence remains in the area.

The online portal remains in place for anyone who has any information. https://mipp.police.uk/operations/SCOT24S09-PO1

Alternatively, contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting reference number 3107 of 4 October or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Police in Edinburgh are continuing with their inquiries to identify those involved in disorder that took place across various parts of the city on Halloween evening.

Local officers, supported by specialist colleagues from Operation Moonbeam, responded to the Hay Avenue area of Edinburgh, where groups of youths were involved in a range of offences involving fireworks.

While in attendance, police vehicles were also attacked with fireworks and other projectiles, including bricks.

A police officer was injured after the window of the vehicle she was within was struck by a brick, causing the window to smash.

Further incidents of fireworks related disorder were also responded at Moredunvale Road, Southhouse Road and Captains Road as well as West Pilton Park, where a number of busses were targeted.

A 14-year-old male has been arrested and charged in connection with fireworks offences. Further enquiries are ongoing to identify those involved in the disorder.

Following intelligence relating to planned disorder, a warrant was executed at an address in Magdalene Gardens during the afternoon of Thursday, 31 October. A quantity of fireworks and two cans of petrol were recovered from inside. Enquiries into this recovery are ongoing.

Chief Superintendent David Robertson, commander for Edinburgh Division said: “The disorder witnessed this evening was carried out by a minority of individuals intent on causing fear and alarm within their communities and subjecting emergency service workers to horrific levels of violence and aggression.

“Thankfully, local policing teams were bolstered with specialist colleagues, who helped bring these incidents to a safe conclusion and investigations are underway to identify everyone who was involved.

“I want to make it clear to anyone who thinks they will evade justice because they weren’t apprehended this evening, they are very much mistaken. You will be identified during our inquiries, and you will be held to account for your actions.

“Our local policing teams will continue to be supported by Operation Moonbeam resources over the next week to ensure any further incidents of disorder or fireworks-related criminality are appropriately dealt with.”

Anyone with information is asked to come forward and enquiries are continuing to identify those responsible.

The public are thanked for their assistance and support during our response.

Police vehicles were targeted with fireworks and bricks after responding to disorder in Niddrie last night. 

Niddrie is one of four Edinburgh areas brought under a new Firework Control Zone, making it a criminal offence for fireworks to be set off between November 1-10 unless licensed through the local authority. 

Road closures were put in place and officers asked locals to avoid the area.

Officers remain in the area,

A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “We are responding to reports of disorder involving fireworks in the Hay Avenue area of Edinburgh.  

“A number of people have targeted police vehicles and public transport providers with fireworks and missiles, including bricks. 

“A road closure has been put in place at the junction of Niddrie Mains Road and Duddingston Park South, and the junction of Niddrie Mains Road and Greendykes Road 

“Local officers are being supported by public order colleagues to bring the matter under control. Please avoid the area.” 

Elsewhere Northeast Community Officers along with Special Constables from the Northeast Support Team went on patrol tonight with Lothian Buses focusing on anti-social behaviour which impacts our transport network.  

In total, eight police officers were on the ground conducting high visibility patrols throughout the Leith and Craigmillar areas of Edinburgh.  

This close partnership working will continue over the bonfire period. 

A further statement issued earlier this morning added: “Officers remain in the Hay Avenue area of Edinburgh following earlier reports of disorder. 

“All roads have now reopened.” 

Groups opposing cuts gathering at council this morning

A meeting of the EIJB being held this morning at the City Chambers is likely to be lively with many deputations all asking to state their opposition to the cuts of £4.5 million to 60+ third sector bodies which the board proposed only last Friday.

Read our article here where we set out what that would mean for some of the organisations.

Remember Diwali is on Sunday

Edinburgh Diwali takes place on Sunday in the city centre with a parade beginning from St Andrew Square at 1pm

The 2024 Diwali celebration on Sunday, 3 November, will mark Edinburgh Diwali’s 10th anniversary. To commemorate this milestone, Edinburgh Diwali held a special reception in the Scottish Parliament’s Holyrood Room on 30 October, kindly sponsored by Foysol Choudhury MSP, who welcomed attendees.

Distinguished guests included First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney, Leader of the Scottish Labour Party, Anas Sarwar MSP, Minister for Equality Kaukab Stewart  MSP, Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP, Neil Bibby MSP, and the Indian Consul General in Edinburgh, Mr Siddharth Malik.

The event brought together more than 100 guests, including representatives from community organisations, councillors, and long-time supporters of Edinburgh Diwali.

Dancers from Ahalya Dance Academy and Dance Ihayami showcased traditional and fusion performances, adding to the festive atmosphere.

Rajnish Singh, President of Edinburgh Diwali, extended a warm welcome and expressed gratitude to the sponsor, speakers, performers, attendees, photographers, decorators, and The Scottish Parliament events team on behalf of the Edinburgh Diwali Committee. Guests enjoyed an evening of celebration with refreshments.

Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “Hosting cultural events in the Scottish Parliament, at the heart of Scottish democracy, serves as a powerful reminder that: Culture Matters.”

“It matters to Our Communities—by celebrating religious freedoms and cultural expression, strengthening community bonds, and promoting cooperation and unity within our diverse society.”

“It matters for Cross-Cultural understanding—encouraging us to engage with each other’s faiths, cultural practices, and customs, helping combat prejudice and fostering a more tolerant society.”

Thirty under 30

The Young Women’s Movement, Scotland’s national organisation for young women’s leadership and rights, has today announced this year’s 30 Under 30 – a list of young women and girls in Scotland who are leading change and excelling in their fields. The final awards will be made at an event on Friday evening.

The 30 Under 30 campaign is celebrating young women and girls’ impact in Scotland across a wide range of experiences. This year’s list includes young women and girls from age 13 to 30, from Shetland to Dumfries and Galloway, who are celebrated for their campaigning, community work, leadership and excellence in arts, sports, and leadership.

This year’s list includes six people from Edinburgh:

·       Alanis McQuillen, a Scottish Parliament staffer who has advocated for better visibility and participation of women in Parliament

·       Alice Cruickshank, a BBC journalist and producer whose content focuses on empowering and connecting with young people

·       Alyssa Faulkner, a campaigner for better medical access, care and awareness for people living with diabetes

·       Beth Davidson, 27-year-old CEO of mental health charity ‘Feeling Strong’

·       Gemma Smith, advocate for rights and opportunities for care-experienced people

·       Khadea Santi, an artist who led a Youth Art Takeover at the Fruitmarket and whose work explores diaspora, identity and memory.

Jenni Snell, CEO of The Young Women’s Movement, said: “It’s a privilege to celebrate these inspiring and tenacious young women and girls, who are creating change in their communities, lives and across society in myriad ways. We know that this is a particularly challenging time for young women and girls in Scotland, as they are disproportionately affected by poor access to healthcare, the cost-of-living crisis, and a rise in misogynistic rhetoric. Reading this year’s nominations for 30 Under 30 and seeing the impact that young women and girls are having despite this was a moving experience, and we are delighted to celebrate their successes and courage for the ninth year.”

The full 30 Under 30 list can be viewed on The Young Women’s Movement’s website

The Old Edinburgh Club – grants available

The Old Edinburgh Club, the city’s history society, is offering small grants for projects and research which expand what we know about the city and bring our history to life. 

The Club’s President, Edward Duvall said, “We are delighted to invite proposals which may feature original research or improved access to historical resources. Or they could present existing knowledge to interest new audiences or involve Edinburgh residents in other ways.” 

The programme is open to local history and heritage organisations, schools and colleges and to individual researchers who may be independent or in the education sector. It builds on a successful round of grant awards made in 2023.

Project grants may be awarded of up to £3,500 and individual research grants of up to £500. A wide range of activities could be supported including publications, websites, events, exhibitions, podcasts and videos, subject guides and trails. Projects may involve making records more accessible, for example, through cataloguing and conservation and promoting their use.

Edward explained, “The programme has been made possible by the generosity of the late Jean Guild who was a senior librarian with the University of Edinburgh. We are enormously grateful to her, as we look forward to receiving lots of imaginative  and exciting proposals.”   

“Funds are limited, so we won’t be able to support everything. The more interesting the better. We want to enable activities that might not happen otherwise, will have an impact and bring lasting benefits.” 

Further details will be found at www.oldedinburghclub.org.uk/grants, including information on our first Jean Guild Grant awards. Please send any enquiries to grants@oldedinburghclub.org.uk

At The National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, EH1 1JF
Open 10.00am – 5.00pm daily

Exhibitions & displays

Game On
Until 3 Nov 2024 
Special Exhibition Gallery, Level 3

Get set for Game On – the largest interactive exhibition of the history and the culture of video games. Game On, an exhibition conceived and curated by Barbican Immersive, examines the creative and technological advances that have established a new medium and artform. From Sonic the Hedgehog to Mario, explore gaming’s rich history through over 100 playable games from the last five decades.

Find our more nms.ac.uk/game-on

Cold War Scotland
Until 26 Jan 2025 
10:00 – 17:00 
Special Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3 
Free

Scotland’s unique geography and topography provided a useful base for Allied military preparations and research during the Cold War, a 40-year nuclear stand-off between the USA and the Soviet Union following the end of the Second World War. Cold War Scotland is an output of Materialising the Cold War, a collaborative research project between National Museums Scotland and the University of Stirling. The project explores how the Cold War heritage is represented and how museums can adapt to tell this story in future. The exhibition will explore both the visible and invisible legacies of the war in Scotland.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/ColdWarScotland

Theravada Buddhism
Until 12 Jan 2025 
Gallery 3, Level 1 
Free

A thought-provoking display charts the history and influence of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition across the world, including its role in Scotland today. The display includes a Buddha on loan from The Dhammapadipa Temple in Edinburgh. The Buddha was designed and made in Thailand in 2013, then later gifted to Temple where it is now used in their garden meditation room.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/theravadabuddhism

Events

National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Open 10:00–17:00 daily

Magic Carpet Minis
Block 3 (6, 13 & 20 Nov) 
10:30–11:15 or 14:00–14:45 
£15.00 per child for block of 3 
£13.50 per Member child for block of 3

Magic Carpet Minis introduces you and your little one to some of the wonderful galleries, objects and themes in the museum in a fun and gentle way. Taking place in different spaces around the museum, you will explore subjects such as the Natural World, Space, World Cultures and Scottish History through songs, stories, rhymes, actions, objects and sensory play.

Book now nms.ac.uk/events/magic-carpet-minis

Friday Friends
8 & 22 November 
Selected Friday afternoons 
14:00 – 16:00 
Free, pre-booking required

Our Friday Friends programme offers a welcoming space for visually impaired and D/deaf children and their families. The groups meet monthly and explore the themes of the museum through objects, music, art and activities.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/events/friday-friends

Creative Workshop: An Introduction to Drawing Scottish Wildlife
9 Nov 
11:00-16:00 
£50, £44 Members & Concession 
Booking required

This informal creative workshop will focus on better understanding and engaging with Scottish wildlife. Learn how to create various textures and marks to depict the animal world, using tone and contrast to achieve a three-dimensional effect with pencils. The focus will be on using creativity to improve your understanding of and appreciation for the animals being drawn, rather than depicting an accurate likeness.

Book now nms.ac.uk/events/creative-workshop-an-introduction-to-drawing-scottish-wildlife

The Sunday Sketch
17 Nov 
14:00-16:00 
£15, £13 Members & Conc. 
Book required

Join artist Sheena Russell to take a new look at our collections and be guided through a range of drawing activities within the museum’s galleries. In this session, we will be drawing the artworks in the Art of Living and Traditions in Sculpture galleries on level 5 of the National Museum of Scotland. Learn how to capture the varied qualities of faces and figures sculpted in clay, marble, plaster, terracotta and wood.

Book now nms.ac.uk/events/the-sunday-sketch

Annual Open Evening
20 Nov 
18:00 
Free, booking required

Join National Museums Scotland Chair, Ian Russell, and Director, Dr Chris Breward, for a review of the year highlighting the extensive range of activity that has taken place across the organisation in 2024.

Curator Dr Adrian Maldonado will also present Unwrapping the Galloway Hoard, which gives a fascinating update on the latest conservation and research discoveries from this Viking-age hoard.

Book now nms.ac.uk/events/annual-open-evening

Curiosity Club: Animals in the Dark
23 Nov 
10:30

Inspired by some of the museum’s most exciting collections, our Curiosity Clubs are a chance for kids to explore the museum without their adult helpers through games, activities, and gallery visits.

Book now nms.ac.uk/events/curiosity-club

Drawn Together at the Museum
27 – 29 Dec 
10:30-16:30 
Grand Gallery, Level 1 
Free, drop-in

Escape to the museum during the holidays and enjoy sketching around our galleries. Join us for this calming, creative activity in the heart of the busy holiday season. Meet our artist-in-residence then pick up a pencil and paper and explore the galleries.

Read more nms.ac.uk/events/drawn-together-at-the-museum

Sprogmanay
1 Jan 2025 
14:00-17:00 
Grand Gallery, Level 1 
Free, drop in

Shimmy, sparkle, and sing your way into the New Year as Sprogmanay returns for 2025. Join us for an afternoon of fun for children of all ages with a programme of live music, dancing, and performances. You can also explore our galleries packed with inspiring objects and stories.

Read more nms.ac.uk/events/sprogmanay

BONUS

And as a bonus here is our November paper out today. Click on the image below.

Please do subscribe to have your own copy delivered – or buy us a croissant to help us keep going… Thank you if you do.

Samhuinn Fire Parade took place in Edinburgh on Thursday night organised by Beltane Fire Society in Holyrood Park.

This is Edinburgh’s annual Halloween celebration which brings the Celtic New Year to a modern audience.

The event is hosted by the Beltane Fire Society and is one of the city’s winter festivals featuring otherworldly creatures and a fiery display of storytelling.

The performance is brought to life by fire dancing, acrobatics, wild drumming and vibrant costumes. Volunteer performers ultimately decide the ‘fate’ of each king or queen in the festival.

The epic battle between the Summer and Winter Queens unfolded as The Cailleach prepared for the transition into winter. The festival took place at Holyrood Park in the centre of the city to watch the festivities, and brought together communities to welcome in the colder months. Despite the ever-growing wind, the flames still burned and set the park alight.

Jenny Bloom, Chair of Beltane Fire Society, said: “For thousands of witnesses, and our community of hundreds of dedicated volunteers, last night’s Samhuinn Fire Festival joyfully marked the change of the seasons. It’s never easy to say goodbye to the summer – but what better way to welcome the Scottish Winter than a night of crashing drums and clashing swords!”

Following five months of matches involving 30 non course owning golf clubs this year’s Sivewright Quaich winners are Buckstone, for a fourth time.

Buckstone, represented in the Lothians’ Golf Association sanctioned competition by, left to right, J Dunn, J Notman, M Sykes, captain, and M Hunter have now appeared in seven finals over the past 15 years.

On this latest occasion they defeated Stewart’s Melville FP with Buckstone secretary John Dunn, a member of the winning line-up, reporting that the final was played “in very good spirits on a well presented Prestonfield course.”

https://www.lothiansgolfassociation.org.uk/history_of_sivewright_quaich

There are many things to remember this month – from the birth of Naomi Aitchison (unbelievably in 1897) to HM The Queen opening the extension to the National Museum of Scotland in 1988.

• Compiled by Jerry Ozaniec, Membership Secretary of the Old Edinburgh Club, membership@oldedinburghclub.org.uk 

There have been reports of disorder, damage to buses, and attacks on police vehicles with fireworks and bricks in the Hay Avenue area of Niddrie on Halloween.

Police in Edinburgh have advised that roads have all now reopened and police officers remain in the area.

The Fireworks Control Zones (FCZ) which the council put in place comes into effect on 1 November. The measure lasts until 10 November and gives the council power to ban the use of fireworks in four areas of the city – Balerno, Niddrie, Calton Hill and Seafield.

Cllr Cammy Day, Council Leader, said: “I am shocked and saddened to hear of the mindless violence and disorder taking place in areas across the city tonight, especially during what should have been a night of fun and celebration. This is a time for families and young people to come together and enjoy Halloween in a safe environment, so it’s incomprehensible to me that anyone would choose to cause such disruption, fear and alarm in our communities – particularly with hooligans deliberately targeting buses and police vehicles. I would appeal to anyone who can help identify those responsible to contact police as soon as possible so they can be dealt with appropriately through the justice system.

“”I’d like to reassure residents that we will continue to work closely with Police Scotland, particularly in the run up to Bonfire Night, and will be meeting again first thing tomorrow morning to discuss next steps.

“”I want to pay tribute to our dedicated emergency services for the fantastic job they do doing to keep us all safe – not only now, but all year round – and to our fantastic bus drivers, who keep the city moving.

“Nobody should face violence at work, and we will continue to do everything we can to ensure their safety.”

Lothian reported the disorder and changes to its services on Twitter:

To make a complaint about antisocial behaviour with fireworks

Call Police Scotland on 101 to make a complaint about antisocial behaviour related to fireworks. They will use this information to identify what needs to be looked into. They will also link in with the council’s Family and Household Support Teams in regard to any antisocial behaviour. Contact local teams as below for more information.

South West Team
Call 0131 469 5150
Email southwestFHS@edinburgh.gov.uk

South East Team
Call 0131 529 5123
Email southeastFHS@edinburgh.gov.uk

North West Team
Call 0131 529 5014
Email northwestFHS@edinburgh.gov.uk

North East Team
Call 0131 529 7168
Email northeastFHS@edinburgh.gov.uk

The Edinburgh Integration Joint Board is heading into what could be a lively meeting on Friday.

It was only on Friday of last week (at 4pm) that the papers for this week’s meeting were published on the council website. It was a good time to hide bad news – and it was potentially bad news for 60+ organisations which were warned they would have all of their funding cut on 90 days’ notice.

The report to be discussed on Friday was penned by Pat Togher, the Chief Officer of EIJB who is returning soon to a similar £180,000 or so a year post in Glasgow after only 12 months in his current position.

The board has been asked to hear verbal deputations in relation to agenda items in which the cuts were proposed from several organisations affected:

Further deputations will be heard from the voluntary sector representatives of the Adult Support and Protection Committee, the Edinburgh Trade Union Council, EVOC, Citizens Advice Edinburgh (CAE) , Community Help and Advice Initiative (CHAI) and Granton Information Centre (GIC).

The Edinburgh South West MP and former councillor, Dr Scott Arthur, has also written a letter to the board. In it he urges the board to reconsider, saying that his key concerns include lack of consultation, inaccurate information, a vague alternative proposal (the Public Social Partnership) and the severe consequences of funding cuts as well as job losses (which he estimates at around 200 in the sector).

Deputations:

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Return on investment

Many of the written deputations strike at the comments made in the lengthy report from the EIJB that there is little return on investment for many of these projects. The report suggested that only one project – Steady Steps run by Edinburgh Leisure – could represent value for each £ spent. Other deputations ask for a more detailed outline of the Public Social Partnership model which Mr Togher suggested would replace current arrangements.

CAE, CHAI and GIC say in their deputation that around “100 people would be placed at risk of redundancy if the EIJB vote in favour of this recommendation”.

The EIJB is faced with stemming a gap of up to £60 million in their £900 million budget, and the board chose to target dozens of organisations which do a great deal of good all over the city. The groundswell of opposition among politicians and charitable groups and bodies has been growing all week.

COUNCIL LEADER – “further discussion” needed

The Council Leader, Cammy Day, told The Edinburgh Reporter: “I have met with the chief officer of the EIJB to discuss my concerns, although sadly as a result of my diary commitments I cannot attend the meeting personally.

“I am pleased to see there is a composite motion put forward today. Labour have put forward an amendment to not accept in year cuts and work with the sector to find an alternative proposal which would allow the EIJB to accept it going forward

“I totally accept that the EIJB has been chronically underfunded to the tune of around £30 million since it was first set up by the SNP government. It has never properly recovered from that – there are increasing demands for social care and the need for care packages is also increasing across the city, yet the appropriate budget is not increasing.

“Edinburgh is the lowest funded council in Scotland. I hope tomorrow that the EIJB board members will accept that this is not the right thing to proceed with, and that we can have a further discussion with EIJB members, the council and the third sector about how we move forward. I accept that there are cuts to be made because of the horrendous situation we find ourselves in.

“The UK Labour Government has just announced one of the best budgets we have seen. I hope that it will give additional monies to The Scottish Government. I will be writing to The Scottish Government tomorrow, asking them to pass on any Barnett consequentials directly to local authorities to spend without any conditions attached.”

CROSS PARTY MOTION

The composite motion proposed by a cross-party group of councillors (which can be read in the meeting papers here) is set out in full below. If this is passed then it will allow the third sector organisations a bit of breathing space.

1. Since its inception, the EIJB has operated with a massive and unsustainable financial
   deficit of £32m;
2. Third sector partners and their volunteers make an invaluable contribution to our
   communities and are pivotal in keeping our citizens safe, well and active;
3. The proposal for in-year cuts would make a minimal saving in comparison to the overall
   in-year deficit but would have devastating impact on the residents who rely on these
   services;
4. Proposals around a potential future model for funding the third sector is due to come to
   the December board meeting for discussion;
5. Both the previous strategic plan, and the proposed new strategic plan for the IJB centre
   prevention, early intervention, community resilience and protecting our most vulnerable;
6. Limited engagement has taken place with the third sector to co-produce solutions to the
   funding shortfall;
   Therefore deletes all recommendations and replaces with:
7. Agrees to retain the grants programme to at least the end of the financial year;
8. Agrees to note the report and refer it to CEC and NHSL for their consideration on how we
   can address the in-year financial deficit while protecting services and third sector
   organisations;
9. Agrees to hold discussions as soon as possible with NHS Lothian, the Council, and third
   sector organisations to consider alternative proposals for the long-term future of third-
   sector funding, mindful of the current financial position across the Scottish public sector
   and the need to meet EIJB objectives;
10. Agrees that budget discussions comply as far as possible with the Audit Scotland
    recommendation for “clear and open conversations with IJB partners, workforce, people
    who use services and other stakeholders around the difficult choices required to achieve
    financial sustainability”.

The Community Renewal Trust

The trust received £45,482 from the EIJB community grants programme. It works from two Edinburgh locations – one in Bingham and one in Muirhouse.

CEO John Halliday told The Edinburgh Reporter: “Community Renewal Trust is one of 60+ charities and community groups to be facing a 100% cut from Edinburgh’s council and NHS operated Integration Joint Board.

“This is not our organisation’s main funding, but is for a vital service based in the poorest neighbourhood in the whole of Edinburgh, intensively supporting people facing mental health and chronic pain related crises. Our particular project has avoided so many people being admitted to hospital, has reduced the amount of medication and GP appointments needed, has stopped multiple children needing to be taken into foster care, and has enabled older people to live better independently without needing a carer. 

“In our case, our charity will survive, although the same cannot be said for all those local residents we would have been supporting. Much more than our own organisation and our own local community, we are primarily worried about the huge scale of these abrupt sweeping cuts on those residents with lowest life expectancy in every ward of the city.

“The decision is rumoured to be a decision based a sudden new ideology being introduced, one rejecting thirty years of established evidence in public health, community-based health and preventive health initiatives; it is perhaps an act of rebellion against the guidance of the Chief Medical Officer, Scottish Government and also Audit Scotland’s recommendations.

“Sadly, it will also be in vain, their own internal analysis [agenda 7.2, para 18, page 86] shows that even the most unrealistically optimistic forecast of the saving from this £4.5m cut is actually less than £0.3m due to the rising cost on other health and care provision, likely associated with an immediate surge of demand for social carers, GP appointments and hospital admissions across Edinburgh.

“We are aware of at least 15 community groups and local charities which would close their whole organisation immediately and we estimate that a minimum of 108 jobs will be made redundant.”

The Health Agency Wester Hailes

The Health Agency is more than just a service provider, it acts as a community anchor organisation, helping drive forward community resilience in Health and wellbeing and provides essential health prevention work, these cuts would deal a significant blow to health prevention in the local area.

The Health Agency in Wester Hailes received £170,287 last year from this programme (which was in any case cut by 10% overall in the last financial year).

This agency is a lifeline to many who live in Edinburgh South West, providing free support to around 2,500 people experiencing health inequalities, with mental health services including counselling on offer. The organisation helps people with cancer, with long-term health conditions, offers help for those who want to learn to cook healthy food – and a food pantry helping with food insecurity.

A client of the agency said: “I just think there will be a lot more people with depression, you know, ended up with maybe a really severe depression and they wouldn’t be getting the help they needed.  They would end up just not knowing where to go for help.” 

A spokesperson for the agency said that this kind of self-directed support “makes a significant contribution to the creation of a healthier, stronger and more robust community and has proven to reduce the pressure on frontline NHS services and statutory services”.

A local GP Dr Sineaid Bradshaw Deep End Gp and member of the Primary Care Facilitation Team said: “As a GP working in Wester Hailes the services provided by the Health Agency are invaluable. We work closely in partnership with the Health agency who provide invaluable support to patients experiencing social isolation, long term health conditions, cancer, weight management issues, food insecurity and mental and emotional health challenges. I genuinely struggle to know how I would do my job without the support of the Health agency and feel incredibly concerned at the thought we could lose it. It also seems such a backward step to take money away from programmes which focus on promoting health and preventing illness. In my mind it will just incur huge costs on more expensive parts of the system e.g. secondary care.

“The Health Agency is an indispensable resource for the overstretched GPs and nurses of Wester Hailes Medical Practice and surrounding surgeries struggling to provide adequate care and support in this area of multiple deprivation. How can we begin to meet the complex needs of our diverse population without the holistic input and creative solutions of partner organisations such as The Health Agency? Collaboration with community support structures is the only meaningful way to address the social determinants of health. Disinvesting in this essential service is a false economy and reinforces the Inverse Care Law. 

“Primary care in areas of socio-economic deprivation is unsustainable without our third sector partners and this resource cannot be removed without woeful consequences.“

But above all the loss of this funding would mean a loss of £327,671 of funding from other sources.

Portobello Older People’s Project

Lawrence Marshall is treasurer of one of the bodies which could be affected if the proposed cuts go ahead.

Mr Marshall volunteers anything up to 40 hours a week for Portobello Older People’s Project (POPP) which received £14,620 from the EIJB in the last financial year. This project employs one person – an organiser who liaises with GPs who want to refer people to the group.

POPP is a lunch group for older people which meeting on two days each week. The organiser orders meals which are provided by the council from Portobello High School at a discounted rate, arranges transport from South Edinburgh Amenities Group (SEAG) to pick people up from their homes and then delivers them home again. She is assisted by a band of around 20 volunteers over the two days – two of whom have to be on the minibus during the journeys. POPP began three decades ago and Mr Marshall said it has always had funding from the council.

Mr Marshall – who was speaking to The Edinburgh Reporter in a personal capacity – said: “We reach about 20 frail elderly people in Portobello who otherwise would have to look elsewhere for company so as to avoid social isolation. We signpost people to other services – small things like small repairs to their homes. We also manage to have a couple of outings each year with the minibus – and SEAG is a charity which depends on our business so they will also be at risk.

“It would be a sin for that funding which represents 0.5% of the EIJB budget across the whole grants programme to be cancelled. We have gone through the financial crisis. We have gone through governments of different stripes and for it now to come to this is sinful. It erodes trust and respect for democratically elected councils – and we should not be in a position where elected councillors are eroding the social good in the city. We always thought we were safe because we are probably one of the lowest awards on the grant programme. But they have taken a sledgehammer and smashed the whole thing. It is not a finessed process this year.”

The meeting of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board will be held at the City Chambers at 10am.

The papers are online here and a link to the webcast where anyone may watch the meeting is here.

Edinburgh driving instructor, Alistair Allan, of Regent School of Motoring based in Pilton tore up his L Plates recently.

He is pictured here with Blake Gibson from Muirhouse celebrating his final car driving test and his retirement.

Blake (right) passed his test at the Currie Driving Test Centre on Halloween.

Alistair has taught leaner drivers for 48 years, possibly the longest serving Approved Driving Instructor in Edinburgh. He began teaching with European School of Motoring based in Meadowbank. He initially worked from the small hut sited at Morningside Station, and set up his own driving school Regent School of Motoring in 1979.

Plans to cut funding for Edinburgh charities which support vulnerable people “threaten the jobs of around 150 key workers” and stand “in stark contradiction” to council and government policies on no compulsory redundancies, Scotland’s largest trade union body has said.

The Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB), a council-NHS partnership which oversees health and social care services across the city, is forecast to overspend by £26m this year and faces a £50m deficit in 2025-26.

Bosses said shortfalls “will not be closed through efficiency savings” as they unveiled controversial proposals to end a third sector grants programme early to save £750k this year and £4.5m from next year.

If approved it would give 64 charities, which run community centres and vital preventative services for dementia sufferers, disabled people, rape victims, those facing poverty and other vulnerable groups, just 90 days to find alternative sources of funding – which many have said would be impossible.

And Roz Foyer, general secretary of Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) said communities across Edinburgh now faced “the real threat of local support services disappearing almost overnight”.

She called it “unacceptable” there had been no consultation with communities, service users, or trade unions.

“This is especially galling when these cuts threaten the jobs of around 150 key workers, which stands in stark contradiction to both Local Authority and Scottish Government policies on no compulsory redundancies.

“Organisations and volunteers work tirelessly to provide day centres, family support services and crucial mental health support, helping to reduce isolation and keep people afloat. There will be a devastating impact if Edinburgh’s Integrated Joint Board votes tomorrow to cut £4.5 million from these essential grants.

“We need the council to step in now and protect jobs and communities, not stand back and let some of our most vulnerable people suffer.”

One of the projects on the chopping block is Positive Futures, which supports people aged 50 and over across the capital to to develop and run activity groups in community based settings, with the aim of reducing social isolation.

Andrew Farr, General Manager at Libertus, which runs the service, said if they go ahead, the cuts “will affect at least 300 people aged over 50”.

He said stopping funding to early intervention schemes would only result in the EIJB spending more on its core services in the long run – a concern echoed by many others urging the board to scrap the proposals.

“The loss of peer support, interaction and professionally led early intervention will inevitably lead to an increase in our vulnerable population of older people becoming more reliant on statutory services now and in the future,” Mr Farr said.

“The potential closure of our Positive Futures over 50’s service and our volunteer service additionally losing 42 volunteers not only increases risks to our Day Services for older people, which will no longer receive the additional social and practical input from our volunteers, but also reduces our financial stability.

“This is due to our premises increasing their reliability on the already reducing contract with the EHSCP, following a 10% in year contract reduction, followed by additional year on year 10% reductions in funding from 2025 onwards.

“A significant number of people would be without our support, leading to social isolation for a significantly higher number of people with social and psychological needs. Service provision would need to be absorbed by adding further pressure within statutory services, including hospital admissions and readmissions,  due to the increase in demand resulting from the loss of this preventative service.”

Councillors, who sit on the EIJB alongside representatives from the NHS, the third sector and service users, will table a cross-party amendment calling for the funding to be continued until at least March as originally planned, at the meeting on Friday, November 1.

Charities and volunteers “make an invaluable contribution to our communities and pivotal in keeping our citizens safe,” the the amendment states, adding plans for a potential future model for funding for the third sector is due to go before the board in December.

They will propose referring the report to both Edinburgh Council and NHS Lothian committees “for their consideration on how we can address the in-year financial deficit while protecting services”.

The SNP said they will support dipping into council reserves to plug the in-year gap, however council leader Cammy Day said this was for “emergencies and one-offs”.

Speaking to the LDRS, Cllr Day added: “We would consider all options but we need something that will support them longer-term.

“There’s no point fixing the initial £750k and not having a proposal for the £4.5m going forward.

“If the IJB are saying some of these projects are not delivering what they need to deliver for them then there needs to be a discussion about whether it’s appropriate to be funded by the IJB or should they be funded elsewhere, be that the council, be that the government or NHS.”

Meanwhile Edinburgh South West MP, Scott Arthur, urged the board to “pause and reconsider”.

In a letter to EIJB chief officer Pat Togher, he warned the cost-cutting measures “risks devastating consequences including reduced service provision, job losses and a detrimental impact on the health and well-being of communities”.

He highlighted an additional £3.4 billion extra for Scotland announced in the UK Government’s budget this week and said: “The Scottish Government now has the opportunity to use this additional funding for public services where it is most needed, including the front line health and social services provided by the EIJB and its third sector partners.”

In his report Mr Togher, who is preparing to leave the organisation to lead Glasgow’s health and social care service, said the EIJB was at risk of being “unable to meet its fundamental responsibilities”.

In March a budget gap of £60m was reported and despite achieving  “substantial savings” since then, significant shortfalls remain.

And with a further £50m in cuts needed to balance the books in 2025-26, Mr Togher said the gaps “will not be closed through efficiency savings or improved grip and control alone” and cash currently invested in the grants programme “would be better spent on other priorities”.

He admitted there were “likely to be adverse consequences for some individuals,” however added this disadvantage was “outweighed by the benefits that would be felt by the most vulnerable members of society for whom there is a legal duty to provide services”.

An impact assessment found the services provided by the 64 charities are accessed by around 55,500 people across Edinburgh. It said the cut could mean organisations “will close or that specific services will be discontinued due to the funding loss” alongside increased referrals for health and social care assessments and higher levels of loneliness and social isolation.

Commenting, Mr Togher said: “Projects were awarded funding for three years in 2019 which was subsequently extended in 2022 due to continued disruption from Covid and are due to end in March 2025.

“The EIJB were required to close a £60m financial gap this year and are currently preparing for similar savings 25/26.

“We must make the necessary decisions to protect our core legal duties and protect our most vulnerable  – such as providing care homes,  applying adult protection/ mental health legislation and preventing further drug related deaths in the city. It is in this context that we must decide on how we now prioritise spend when faced with the gravity of the savings imposed and ensure longer term sustainability.

“We have a duty to spend public money carefully and we will therefore bring forward proposals to achieve the best for the citizens of Edinburgh through working with our third sector partners to ensure clear, measurable outcomes which improves health and social care in Edinburgh.”

By Donald Turvill Local Democracy Reporter

Police have charged a 51-year-old man in connection with a fatal road crash that took place in Loanhead on Tuesday, 19 December, 2023.

The crash took place on Nivensknowe Road where an 88-year-old man was struck by a Honda Civic car. He was taken to hospital where he died as a result of his injuries on Saturday, 23 December, 2023.

The 51-year-old driver of the car has been charged in connection with a road traffic offence.

A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

Police in West Lothian today launched the six-day Operation Torsion to tackle anti-social behaviour in the run up to Bonfire Night. 

It is backed up by the national police operation which also drafts in extra officers trained to tackle public disorder. 

A senior fire officer warned that those bent on causing mayhem would not be deterred by new rules introduced. 

There are no Firework Control Zones in West Lothian, but some are being tried in Scottish cities  

Asked earlier this week at a meeting of the Armadale and Blackridge Local Area Committee if the new Firework Control Zone legislation would be effective. Station Commander Jim Robertson said: “My own personal view. I hope it proves a positive thing.” 

  But he added: “ I think there is unfortunately an element within communities that, regardless of what’s in place, will continue to do what they do. At the end of the day it is serious anti-social behaviour. 

“It’s not just setting off fireworks.  It’s using fireworks as weapons. It’s setting fires to lure emergency services and then attacking them. I don’t think that will change.  There’s always a certain element that will make it a free for all on the night, and before.” 

 Mr Robertson said the anti-social  behaviour and violence had grown in recent years with fire crews facing increased violence in weeks running up to Bonfire Night rather than just a day or two either side of the events.  

He said police and fire crews relied on intelligence from, and the support of, local communities to prevent anti-social behaviour and dangerous fire-setting 

Police have already charged a teenager in Blackburn in connection with firework related anti-social behaviour. 

A police spokesperson said on Tuesday: “A 14-year-old male from the Blackburn area has been charged with setting off fireworks in the direction of crew from the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service as well as threatening and abusive behaviour towards a member of the public. 

“Police Scotland would like to thank members of the Blackburn community for their continued support in these matters.” 

At a meeting of the council’s Community Safety Board yesterday councillors heard from both the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland about the work that has already taken place and operational changes planned for the weekend. 

Speaking for the fire service Steve Oliver said: “Where resources permit SFRS and Police Scotland will undertake joint patrols on 5 November to reduce demand on operational personnel. The patrols will have direct links into SFRS Control to receive and pass on incident details.” 

Both local and national police operations provide extra officers and support for fire crews at what has become one of the busiest and most hazardous times of the year for the emergency services. 

For the local police, Partnerships Superintendent Jocelyn Thomson told the Community Safety Board: “We have a policing plan in place Operation Torsion which puts additional resources on duty right through to the fifth who can assist in responding to anti-social behaviour.  

“They are backed up by the national Operation Moonbeam and public order officers. So we have them in place right the way through the weekend to provide that additional confidence.” 

Firework Control Zones which ban all fireworks except for the smallest hand-held sparklers or organised displays in designated areas have not been introduced   in West Lothian.  Community groups can request them, and information is being prepared for the council’s website. The council will consider them for the future. 

 In Edinburgh control zones have been set up in Balerno, Calton Hill, Niddrie, and Seafield. The zones will be in effect from November 1–10 and setting off fireworks during this time is a criminal offence. The zones were established to: reduce anti-social behaviour, minimise the impact on animals and vulnerable people and also support a cultural shift in how fireworks are used.  

The organised firework displays in West Lothian are:- 

 Friday 1st Nov West Calder and Harburn CDT Fair 4.30pm, Fireworks at 7pm. 
 Tuesday 5th Nov Blackridge, Land at Bedlormie Drive 3pm-9pm 
 Tuesday 5th Nov Deer Park Golf and Country Club 6pm Fireworks at 7.30pm 
 Tuesday 5th Nov Calderwood Estate, East Calder 6pm-9pm 
 Saturday 9th Nov Linlithgow Rugby Club 6.30pm Fireworks at 7.30pm 

By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter 

Councillors have rejected plans to build a car wash just two minutes from the centre of Bathgate. 

 Applicants had asked the Local Review Body to reconsider their proposal to establish   a site on open ground next to the Simpson Hotel in the town’s Whitburn Road. 

However local member Willie Boyle said a new facility would add traffic to an already busy stretch of road which is lined with fast food restaurants and is only a few hundred yards from the Steelyard in the centre of town. 

There are also three containers used as food vendors parked on the site.  

Planners had overturned proposals put forward in March by Karen Wales of Irvine in Ayrshire when she had applied for permission for the formation of a car wash including two storage containers, boundary fencing and parking on the vacant site at 69 Whitburn, next door to what was the former Bathgate Social Work HQ. 

 The empty lot is just south of the town centre next to the Lidl car park. It too is currently used as an informal car park. It sits opposite McDonald’s and also has three food vans at the rear of the site. 

Agents for Mrs Wales said in their appeal documents that the site “benefits from substantial vehicular traffic, making it ideal for redevelopment. The development seeks to enhance the local commercial landscape by offering a convenient service for residents and visitors while leveraging the proximity to major retailers like Lidl, Aldi, Morrison’s, McDonald’s, and Home Bargains, which indicates strong commercial viability.” 

Planners said the development would have: “a significant adverse impact on the visual amenity of the street-scape in terms of design”. 

They also noted that the applicants had not submitted either flood risk or drainage risk assessments. 

The site already has planning consent for the building of an ice cream parlour. 

Planning officers could not answer whether the food vendors had permission to be on the site but confirmed that were not affected by the car wash plans. 

Councillor Boyle told the meeting: “I have concerns about the application regarding the traffic flow in this area. This is not people coming to park to use a service. This is a service for their cars so it’s designed to attract vehicle movement. 

“I’m not sure given the traffic flows at peak times, especially in this area, could support this and there’s no traffic management study in the papers. 

 “There’s also no consideration as to how the three fast food units will be serviced if they become part of the site as well.”  

He moved to support the original decision made by a planning officer to refuse the application. 

 Chairing the meeting, Councillor  Danny Logue said he had similar concerns about the lack of detail in the appeal document including “sweeping statements” made about water and drainage. “It says ‘yes there’s a plan’, but there’s no plan. There doesn’t seem to be anything concrete in the application”, he added. 

Councillor Tom Conn seconded councillor Boyle and added “The fact that the applicant has not not submitted a flood risk and drainage risk assessment I don’t think is helpful to the application itself because that information has not been provided.  I think the appointed person’s position should be upheld. 

By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter 

Neil Critchley takes Hearts to St Johnstone on Saturday with the new head coach looking for the players to show their quality and to bounce back after what he termed “massive frustration” at letting slip a 1-0 lead to skid to a 2-1 defeat to Kilmarnock at Tynecastle on Wednesday.

The home reverse sees Hearts looking up at the rest in the 12-strong William Hill Premiership and the scoreline hurt even more as the new head coach felt that for the first 58 minutes the Men in Maroon dominated play.

Indeed, the first half numbers showed that the home side enjoyed 71 per cent of possession, had four shots to one against, had six corners to one in reply and completed 301 passes against 122 by the opposition.

Alan Forrest broke the deadlock after 44 minutes and Critchley said: “We scored a really good goal and the frustration is more about the goals we conceded, that is what cost us the game.”

The English-born coach told Hearts TV that when you are 1-0 up at home you are in the ascendancy, and he felt his men had a couple of chances after the break to score. They failed to make the opportunities count.

Critchley said: “We were under no pressure, quite comfortable. Craig (Gordon) did not have much to do but, in the space of five minutes, we find ourselves from being in a good position to being in a poor position and chasing the game.”

For the first goal after 58 minutes, Critchley said his men failed to deal with a long kick. Killie skipper Kyle Vassell tussled with Jambos defender, Frankie Kent, then Matty Kennedy, following up, put the ball in the back of the net, far too easily.

The second goal arrived for Vassel five minutes later following a long throw in and it brought relief to the player who had not found the net against Tromso on August 8 in the Conference League qualifiers.

Critchley said: “You have got to get the details right, you do not stay in front of a man at the near post, he gets first contact, second contact and we get outmuscled inside the penalty area.

“We have got to be much stronger and stand up to those moments, better than we have done in recent games, and I was disappointed with our response after that.”

Hearts, in fact, had 30 minutes to rectify the deficit but failed and disappointed Critchley said: “There was more than enough time to get back into the game but lost our way a little bit.”

The fed-up gaffer added: “We huffed and puffed, lacked some intelligence and some quality and did not really look as if we would get that equaliser which is hugely disappointing.”

It was the first time that the former Blackpool boss has suffered a defeat since he arrived in the Capital and points are now a must on Saturday at Perth. St Johnstone are ninth with ten points from 11 starts and also come into the clash on a downer having lost 3-1 at St Mirren in midweek.

Eying Saturday, he said: “We will find out a lot about the group in the next few days and you always learn a little more in defeat. I’ve seen the good side when we are winning now we will see what it is like when we lose a game.

“We have to go to St Johnstone on Saturday and show what we are as a group, show some character and I am looking forward to the next few days.”

PICTURE: Neil Critchley on the touchline at Easter Road by Ian Jacobs

A rural village designed by one of Scotland’s greatest Victorian architects is to welcome its first new home in 140 years.

Midlothian councillors have granted permission for a new house to be built on the edge of Crichton, near Pathhead, despite concerns about its ‘modern’ design.

A meeting of the council’s planning committee this week heard the village, which was designed by Robert Rowand Anderson in the late 19th century, has not had any new homes added to it since then although a number of the cottages have had some extension work.

Applicant Martin Street was given the go ahead to build a new four-bedroom house on the Old Joiners Shop address in the village.

Local ward councillor Peter Smaill raised concerns about the impact of the new property on the historic village whose cottages are Category B listed.

And he urged fellow elected members to add a condition to the plans that the ‘corrugated metal’ proposed for its roof is replaced with more traditional materials.

Councillor Smaill told the meeting: “Crichton is very special in that there has not been a new house there in 140 years so it is very important we get this right.

“I don’t think the use of corrugated metal is appropriate here, the entire village is slated. When we looked at the very successful small increase in the frontage of cottages there  it was slated and I think it would be better to ask for a slated roof here to provide a consistent approach.”

He added: “This village was designed by the greatest Victorian architect Robert Rowand Anderson who created Iona Cathedral, the dome of Edinburgh University, the medical faculty there.

“We have just two representatives in Midlothian – this wonderful development and the church at Glencorse.”

However responding to Mr Smaill’r request for a slate roof on the new home, fellow ward councillor Stewart McKenzie said: “Midlothian is not a museum and after 140 years I think it is time to build another house at Crichton”.

The committee agreed by majority to approve the planning application without a condition calling on a slate roof.

By Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter

The CEO of human rights charity, Enable, Theresa Shearer, was awarded an honorary doctorate by Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) this week.

She was awarded the degree during a graduation ceremony for students from the ENU School of Health and Social Care earlier this week. Ms Shearer’s inspirational development of public policy, human rights advocacy and her efforts to build sustainable employment and deliver human rights driven health and social care were all mentioned.

Professor Jill Stavert, from ENU’s School of Health & Social Care said: “There are so many examples of Theresa’s achievements and her enormous contribution to improving the lives of people with learning disabilities.

“As CEO of Enable Scotland – a charity which supports the human rights of people with learning disabilities – Theresa leads 2,500 staff in supporting 13,000 people to live independently in their community.

“But her influence goes far beyond this role. Theresa’s contribution to executive leadership is recognised nationally and internationally, demonstrating her passion for social care workforce development and empowering young people to realise their potential.”Ms Shearer said: “It is a real honour to receive an honorary doctorate from Edinburgh Napier University, an institution which lives by the values of diversity, equity and inclusion that have inspired and driven me throughout my career.

“From researching the interplay between disability and inclusion, to training and developing the next generation of health and social care professionals, and acting to widen access to university for disabled people as a partner in the Breaking Barriers programme, Edinburgh Napier University is a shining example to organisations and businesses across sectors.

“To be recognised for my contribution to the charity and social care sectors is truly a privilege, and I hope this will emphasise the critical contribution that these sectors make to our economy and society, now and in the future.”

In recent years Enable has partnered with Edinburgh Napier University to establish the Breaking Barriers programme. In conjunction with professional services firm EY, it supports young people with learning disabilities make the transition to university and higher education through a combination of study and work placements.

Fittingly, the latest cohort of Breaking Barriers students received their qualifications during the same ceremony where Theresa was presented with her degree.

The Sun passes through two constellations in November, there are three meteor showers, we see the last supermoon of 2024 and Uranus comes closest to Earth and provides the best view of the Ice Giant all year.

The Sun leaves Libra (The Scales) on 22 November at 8.40 pm and enters Scorpius
(The Scorpion). However, the Sun does not dwell in this constellation but leaves
Scorpius (The Scorpion) and enters Ophiuchus (The Serpent Bearer) on 29 November
at 9:04 am which was reconnected to the ecliptic zodiac by the IAU one hundred
years ago. Daylight shortens from 09:11 (9.181 hours) on 1 November to 07:26
(7.434 hours) on 30 November so we gain 1 hour and 45 minutes of night time
by month’s end.

The new Moon appears on 1 November at 12:47 pm in Libra (The Scales) beginning
a new Lunar (synodic) month which will last 29 days, 17 hours and 34 minutes.
The first quarter of the new cycle shows up on 9 November at 5:55 am in Capricornus
(The Sea Goat). Lunar perigee (closest to Earth) on 14 November at 11:24 am finds
the Moon some 360,122 km away from Earth—around 24,278 km closer than
average—subtending an angle of 33.2 arc-minutes. The full Beaver Moon makes an
appearance on 15 November at 9:29 pm in Aries (The Ram). November’s full Moon is
also the last supermoon of the calendar year. The Moon enters last quarter on 23
November at 1:28 am in Leo (The Lion). Lunar apogee (furthest from Earth) that
occurs on 26 November at 12:03 pm and takes the Moon to 405,281 km away from
Earth—around 20,881 km further than average—subtending an angle of 29.5
arc-minutes. The Moon encounters Pollux in Gemini (The Twins) in the wee hours
of 20 November and Regulus in Leo (The Lion) around midnight on 23 November.

For the inferior planets: Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation on 16
November. Although it gets 83 million km closer to Earth, it fades from -0.35
magnitudes to +1.89 magnitudes as the illuminated side turns away from us.
Setting so closely after the Sun, it is lost in the Sun’s twilit glare. Venus,
however, remains an evening planet, for an hour or so after sunset, and gets 30
million km closer to Earth brightening from -4.0 to -4.2 magnitudes. She
crosses the boundary from Ophiuchus (The Serpent Bearer) into Sagittarius (The
Archer) on 8 November.

Mars is the bobby-dazzler in November in Cancer (The Crab). Mars gets 32
million km closer and brightens from +0.1 magnitudes to -0.5 (gaining 75% in
brightness), rising earlier as the month progresses. The Red Planet lies
2.3 degrees east of the waning gibbous Moon on 20 November at 10:28 pm.

Jupiter and Uranus are visible all night, all month long. Jupiter never leaves
Taurus (The Bull) but comes 27 million km closer to Earth and brightens to -2.8
magnitudes. Uranus, the Ice Giant, is also in Taurus (The Bull) and will be
4.2 degrees south of the full Moon on 15 November but, as always, requires
binoculars or a telescope to see it at +5.6 magnitudes. It is worth setting up
your preferred ocular device, though, as it will be closest to the Earth at 2.8
billion km on 16 November and at opposition on 17 November at 2:45 am. This
will be the best view all year.

Saturn, in Aquarius (The Water Bearer), recedes by 70 million ending at +0.95
magnitudes. The Ringed Planet conjuncts with the waxing gibbous Moon on 10
November in the late evening hours but will be occulted after it sets. It
returns to a direct orbit mid-month and, in the latter half of the month, we
lose Saturn completely. Neptune, the blue giant and windiest planet, remains in
Pisces (The Fishes) and will be 0.6 degrees north of the
waxing gibbous Moon on 12 November at 1:56 am.

The Southern Taurid meteor shower is radiant from one of the Bull’s hooves near
the star ‘Tau o-1’ on the map provided. These meteors peak on the night of
5–6 November and ‘Tau o-1’ rises around 1 hour after Sunset so the shower
should be viewable all night. The ZHR is low but the waxing crescent Moon is
only 10% illuminated. The Northern Taurids, radiant from near M45 (The
Pleiades), peak a week later but the 78% waxing gibbous Moon will spoil the
show. The parent comet is 2P/Encke, co-discovered by Mechain and Messier in
1786, is named after the astronomer who first calculated the body’s orbit.

Alas, the 94% illuminated Moon, very close to full, will also severely degrade
observation of the Leonids, radiant from Leo (The Lion). They peak on 16–17
November and the parent comet is 55P/Tempel-Tuttle discovered in 1865.

There are no bright comets during November visible from Edinburgh and Lothian.

T CrB, the Blaze Star, continues to elude astronomers as an active recurrent
nova. It is still expected to brighten 10,000-fold but predictions as to when
are uncertain. We can still see Corona Borealis (The Northern Crown) in the
November sky for 3–4 hours after Sunset.

At the time of our sky map, some constellations visible are Cassiopeia (The
Seated Queen) at zenith, Ursa Major (The Great Bear) in the north, Orion (The
Hunter) in the east, Cygnus (The Swan) in the west, and Cetus (The Sea Monster)
in the south. The ecliptic hosts Cancer (the Crab), Gemini (The Twins), Taurus
(The Bull), Aries (The Ram), Pisces (The Fishes), Aquarius (The Water Bearer)
and Capricornus (The Sea Goat).

The Summer Triangle’—Vega in Lyra (The Lyre), Altair in Aquila (The Eagle)
and Deneb in Cygnus (The Swan)—sets in the west. Circumpolar
constellations—always above the horizon—include Cepheus (The King),
Camelopardalis (The Giraffe), Draco (The Dragon) and Ursa Minor (The Lesser
Bear).

Hedgehogs have moved a step closer to extinction following a significant population decline.

Once a common sight across Europe, the West European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) has declined in numbers by more than 30% in the past decade.

The conservation status of the species has been officially updated from Least Concern to Near Threatened on the nternational Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List.

Key factors driving the decline of Britain’s only spiny mammal include habitat fragmentation from urbanisation and agricultural expansion, vehicle collisions, pesticide use and garden mismanagement.

Conservationists warned that urgent action is needed to prevent further deterioration.

Abi Gazzard, Programme Officer at IUCN SSC Small Mammal Specialist Group, said: “The change to the Western European hedgehog’s status comes after careful review of local, regional and national-level surveys from across its range. Unfortunately, evidence points towards a worrying and widespread downward trend.

“There is still a chance to halt the decline of the Western European hedgehog, and we must aim to prevent any further worsening of status.”

Found throughout mainland Britain and Ireland, hedgehogs have also been introduced to Orkney, Shetland, the Isle of Man, and some of the Channel Islands.

An indicator species of a healthy environment, as they feed on a variety of soil invertebrates, conservationists warn that a decline in hedgehogs indicates a decline in the health of the ecosystem as a whole.

Hope Nothhelfer, of the Mammal Society, said: “This decline will likely come as no surprise to the average person. When hedgehogs come up in conversation, it’s not long before someone says that they just don’t see them anymore.

“The hope is that as hedgehogs become more and more like a distant memory from our childhoods, we will respond with action that will bring these memories back to life.”

The Mammal Society says people in urban and rural areas can help the species by employing wildlife-friendly garden management practices. These include leaving small gaps in fences to allow hedgehog movement, reducing pesticide use, and providing food and shelter by creating log piles or hedgehog houses.

Dylan Allman, Youth Ambassador at the Mammal Society and Hedgehog Champion at Hedgehog Aware, said: “Everyone can take simple steps to make an impact in reversing the steep decline in hedgehog numbers, such as providing a shallow dish of water, creating a hedgehog highway, and checking for nests before strimming.

“Collective small actions encourage young people to engage with wildlife, leading to a better overall understanding of supporting biodiversity.”

Edinburgh charities teetering on a financial cliff edge could be offered a temporary lifeline as they face having their funding cut with just 90 days notice.

Health and social care chiefs proposed ending a third sector grants programme early in a bid to plug budget gaps, in plans which have been met with opposition since being published last week.

Edinburgh Council leader Cammy Day said his Labour group “does not like” the proposals and would explore options to ensure funding could continue until at least the end of the financial year in March as planned.

However it remains unclear if the 64 projects which combat loneliness, social isolation, poverty and other health issues across the capital will continue to be funded beyond then, as many fear they could be forced to close their doors on some of the city’s most vulnerable people.

It comes as the council-NHS Lothian partnership which oversees the city’s health and social care services, known as the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB), faces a £50m deficit.

£4.5m a year would be saved by cutting the grants programme. But the decision to slash support for organisations specialising in early intervention and preventative care would cost local authorities more in the long run as requests for care home places and care packages would increase as a result, charities have warned.

Councillor Day said: “They’re in a really difficult position where if they don’t make some of these difficult decisions they may well be breaching statutory duties, so they’ve got to do something.

“Of course, these are really unpopular proposals and the Labour group does not like them.”

He said Labour councillors would not accept the report, which is going before the EIJB on Friday, November 1, and instead refer it to the council and NHS Lothian “to see if there’s anything they can do to help with the in-year cut of £750,000 and urgently get the voluntary sector’s representatives around the table to work with the IJB and its partners to come up with an alternative solution and proposal for the year going forward”.

SNP councillors will propose using reserves to stop the in-year cut in response to the “urgent risk of closure facing many valuable third-sector organisations”.

They will also seek discussions to “consider alternative proposals for the long-term future of the grants programme, and how to sustain funding for locally based organisations delivering services in their communities”.

Cllr Day said: “We tend to dip into reserves for emergencies and one-offs.

“So I suppose what we’re asking is can the council, can the NHS put anything on the table or could the IJB look at something alternative as well.

“We would consider all options but we need something that will support them longer-term.

“There’s no point fixing the initial £750k and not having a proposal for the £4.5m going forward.

“If the IJB are saying some of these projects are not delivering what they need to deliver for them then there needs to be a discussion about whether it’s appropriate to be funded by the IJB or should they be funded elsewhere, be that the council, be that the government or NHS.”

He added: “We can’t keep bailing out things that cost the city because the government’s not funding them. But none of us want to see these great projects across the city go overnight, so we need to have a sensible discussion about how we work with over the coming months to make sure there’s a long-term solution for them.”

East Synergy Group, a partnership of third sector organisations operating in the greater Craigmillar area, estimated the cuts could “cause around 100 job losses and take away services to around 40,000 Edinburgh residents”.

Edinburgh Community Health Forum called for an immediate halt to funding cuts announced by IJB.

Stephanie-Anne Harris, strategic development manager, said: “This drastic cut threatens the very fabric of our community support systems and undermines our collective commitment to health and wellbeing in Edinburgh.

“This disinvestment will lead to the closure of numerous charities and an increased reliance on statutory services, including the NHS and Council.”

EIJB chief officer Pat Togher,  who will soon leave the role to lead Glasgow’s IJB, said the proposed changes to grants “represent less than 3% of our overall spend from the EIJB to the third sector with the remaining savings consumed by the Health and Social Care Partnership”.

He said: “Projects were awarded funding for three years in 2019 which was subsequently extended in 2022 due to continued disruption from Covid and are due to end in March 2025.

“The EIJB were required to close a £60m financial gap this year and are currently preparing for similar savings 25/26.

“We must make the necessary decisions to protect our core legal duties and protect our most vulnerable  – such as providing care homes,  applying adult protection/ mental health legislation and preventing further drug related deaths in the city. It is in this context that we must decide on how we now prioritise spend when faced with the gravity of the savings imposed and ensure longer term sustainability.

“We have a duty to spend public money carefully and we will therefore bring forward proposals to achieve the best for the citizens of Edinburgh through working with our third sector partners to ensure clear, measurable outcomes which improves health and social care in Edinburgh.”

By Donald Turvill Local Democracy Reporter

Police are appealing for the assistance of the public to trace 30-year-old Emily Owens, who is missing from Livingston.

Emily also goes by the name Megan McFallon. She was last seen around 5.45pm on Wednesday, 30 October, 2024 in the Howden area of Livingston.

She is 5 ft 2 ins in height with closely shaved hair. When she was last seen she was wearing a black tracksuit with graffiti-style writing on the back.

Emily is also known to frequent the Edinburgh and Glasgow areas and officers are liaising with police colleagues in those areas too.

Inspector Geraldine Josey said: “We are extremely concerned for Emily’s wellbeing. Searches and enquiries are ongoing to trace her as soon as possible to ensure that she is safe and well.

“We urge anyone who has seen Emily or who has any information regarding her whereabouts to contact 101 quoting reference number 3273 of 30 October.”

Neil Cuthbert is standing in the 2024 by-election in Colinton/Fairmilehead as Scottish Conservative candidate.

As a chartered PR practitioner, he has been involved in public affairs and public policy for around 25 years, and previously he worked in the civil service and the Food and Drink Federation. In 2013 he co-founded a business called PA Cooperative Ltd and both established and grew the organisation.

Asked why he stood at the last local government election he was frank and said: “I stood in the election in 2022 because I felt it was the right time to do so in terms of making a contribution to the area and paying back to the city. And I think that in 2022 we had a positive message in Colinton/Fairmilehead. We already have a Conservative councillor, Jason Rust, who’s been here for a long time.

“What I find going round the doorsteps, is that there’s a strong recognition for that, and there’s a feeling that if we have more conservative councillors representing not just this area, but the whole city and the council, then we can have more of an impact.”

In this ward where Labour’s Scott Arthur stood down as a councillor on his election to Westminster, Mr Cuthbert feels the issues are much the same as in 2022 when the Conservatives attracted almost 10% of the first preference votes.

Mr Cuthbert continued: “Roads and pavements come up all the time, something that is almost a constant when we speak to people. But one of the changes from 2022 is that there has been some money spent, and people are able to see the difference it makes. So I think they want, they want to see more of it.

“I think there is a recognition that the council priorities have changed, and part of that is because of there has been a change of administration, and I think a greater voice for the Conservatives, but people want to see more.”

Challenged on this as the Conservative group became smaller in 2022 than previously he explained that “it is all about influencing”.

He said: “That’s the way politics works. it’s all about what goes on at the City Chambers. And Edinburgh has got a reasonably unique situation in that we’ve got a minority administration, but it relies on support of other parties. So the other parties have a voice, and they’re able to put forward their priorities.”

As for his personal background and why he would make a good councillor he stressed his local connections. He said: “I’ve lived in Edinburgh since 1997 and I’ve always actually lived in South Edinburgh. I’ve always lived in the EH10 postcode.

“I wanted to get involved, because I think you get to the stage where you don’t want to complain about things that are happening, you want to make a positive difference. And I can see how, how the council has certain priorities. I don’t think the priorities necessarily reflect the people of this area adequately. So I’d like to see more of that.”

Mr Cuthbert raised the matter of VAT being imposed on school fees which is being introduced in January 2025 by the UK Government. While there is enough headroom for any additional pupils who move from private schools to those run by the council, he is adamant that the effects will be felt in Edinburgh where a fifth of pupils attend independent schools.

He said: “I think there’s a feeling that it might mean that fewer pupils go to private schools, that would put pressure on the existing local authority schools. And as I say, these are concerns that are expressed on the doorstep.

“And I can appreciate where people are coming from. I live locally. You know, I live in fair mile head. I think I might be so far, and I’ve not seen all the candidates, but I think I might be the only candidate who’s actually in farewellhead. And, you know, I do have that experience of knowing what it’s like. I mean, this area is, you know, “

“Edinburgh is a very diverse city, and we’ve got areas of the city like Cramond which are at sea level, and we’ve got areas here which are quite high up. So in the winter, we tend to got a lot more snow than other areas. We need to prioritise the different areas of the city for the needs that they have. And I think since I’ve moved here, I found that it’s not necessarily reflecting the lived experience in this area.”

There are 12 candidates standing in the by-election which will be held on 14 November. Their names are published here.

A ceremony to present Eric Liddell Recognition Awards will take place in Edinburgh on Fridayattended by HRH the Princess Royal.

Among the recipients will be Edinburgh AC’s husband-and-wife duo John and Anne Scott, successfully nominated by Scottish Athletics in a citation which states:

“John and Anne are a dynamic duo, embodying the spirit of dedication and selflessness in the world of athletics. As husband and wife, they have spent decades coaching, inspiring, and mentoring athletes of all levels. Their passion for sports goes beyond just training; it’s a deep commitment to fostering growth, both on and off the field. Week after week, they pour their time, energy, and knowledge into their athletes, ensuring each individual reaches their full potential.

“Their approach to coaching is holistic, understanding that success in athletics is not just about physical prowess but also about mental strength, discipline, and character development. John and Anne’s unwavering support and encouragement have helped countless athletes achieve their goals, often surpassing their own expectations. They are more than just coaches; they are mentors, role models, and pillars of the community.

“What sets John and Anne apart is their selflessness. They have never sought recognition or accolades, though they are undoubtedly deserving of them. Instead, they focus on the success and well-being of their athletes, often going above and beyond what is expected of a coach. Whether it’s staying late to provide extra guidance, attending personal events to support their athletes, or offering life advice during tough times, John and Anne are always there.

“Their legacy is not just in the victories and medals their athletes have won, but in the lives they have touched and the positive impact they have made. Together, John and Anne have created a lasting legacy in the world of athletics, proving that true success comes from selfless dedication to others. They are, without a doubt, a dynamic duo whose influence will be felt for generations to come.”

John Scott said: “Myself and Anne are absolutely honoured to have received an Eric Liddell Recognition Award having been nominated by Edinburgh Athletics Club. We feel incredibly privileged to be able to coach such impressive individuals, and all that we want is to see them succeed. Eric Liddell is a huge inspiration in the local area and we are proud to mentor those inspired by his legacy. To be recognised alongside such great people who have done so much is incredible and we are proud that we can have a positive impact on the lives of those that we work with.”

Throughout 2024, The Eric Liddell 100 has worked with key partners to honour some of Scotland’s most outstanding individuals in athletics, sports and community work, who have demonstrated The Eric Liddell 100 core values: passion, compassion, and integrity.

In partnership with Scottish Athletics, Scottish Rugby, Scottish Disability Sport, Youthlink Scotland and The Eric Liddell Community, 100 individuals have been awarded with ‘Eric Liddell Recognition Awards’.

The awards provide a final opportunity to mark a special centenary year – it was in 1924 that Liddell won the 400 metres at the Paris Olympics after switching from his preferred distance to avoid competing n a Sunday – providing a platform to share Eric Liddell’s story and legacy to a new generation.

Organisers say: “As 2024 comes to an end, the work to secure Eric Liddell’s legacy will continue in future years.”

The People’s Story museum has been temporarily closed due to “staffing pressures”, but the council will continue the discussion at a meeting of the full council next Thursday.

The council’s decision to close the venue was set against a backdrop of budget pressures in the Museums and Galleries service, and a forecast that the move would reduce the department overspend by anything up to £200,000. The council had approved a recruitment freeze at the beginning of this financial year. The organisation employs 35 full time equivalent Visitor and Monument Assistants, but five are absent due to long term sickness. The initial proposal had been to close the museum until Spring 2025, but the Labour administration restricted the temporary closure until a new report could be written by officers for the December 2024 meeting.

The committee also asked officers to try and display parts of the museum collection at the Museum of Edinburgh and local libraries on a temporary basis. Elected members also asked for a financial report to be considered by the Finance and Resources committee in November.

Cllr Finlay McFarlane asked for the matter to be brought before the whole council in November for further discussion. He said: “The SNP Group are clear that the Labour-led administration must re-open and secure the future of The People’s Story in its current premises as a priority. It is utterly unacceptable that Edinburgh’s only working-class history museum and all the stories it contains remains closed while civic Edinburgh toasts its 900^thyear celebrations.

“Labour should be moving heaven and earth to find a solution that re-opens the doors, rebuilds the damaged relationships with working class communities in the city and explores the great many offers of support and ideas for renewal. We also expect Labour to be crystal clear that under their administration The People’s Story will remain in the Canongate Tolbooth as a city centre standalone museum for the public good.”

Culture and Communities Convener, Cllr Val Walker said after taking the meeting: “We are totally committed to re-opening The People’s Story museum, but we recognise that there are challenges to overcome. 

“We have listened to and read the statements from our passionate community, and part of our role as councillors means that we sometimes need to make hard decisions. 

“No one wants to see the People’s Story museum closed, but the situation that we were faced with was that officers were having to react in an unplanned way to not having enough staff to safely open every museum, so closures were happening in an unplanned way.

“This temporary closure of the People’s Story has been put in place and it is an absolute commitment from me that at the December committee meeting we will be looking at the ways in which we can re-open that museum – not in April but in December.”

The council has identified that it has an overspend of £26.741 million in this financial year and the Museums and Galleries service is forecasting an overspend of £0.467 million. This figure is made up of employee costs and a shortfall on projected income of around £0.140 million (primarily from income at the Scott and Nelson monuments – but the latter has been closed until recently).

Commercial concerns

Conservative councillor, Phil Doggart, is not convinced that council officers will recommend taking a commercial stance on the matter – which he thinks is essential. He explained to The Edinburgh Reporter that he does not have the same allegiance to any one museum building such as The People’s Story. Instead, he would like a report from officers in December which examines a sustainable route forward for all the buildings which the council owns and which are used by Museums and Galleries Edinburgh.

Cllr Doggart said: “I think the idea that there would be the same number of city museums kept open is fantasy land. We need to consolidate the number of buildings that we’ve got, and a lot of them are in a very small area. There is absolutely no reason that we can’t make better use of the space that we’ve got, that we drive some commercial activity that would certainly help finance the museums. And I’m just not talking about The People’s Story, I’m talking about all of them. We need to actually recognise how we can get more money out of the facilities.

“And I know there are some restrictions, but there are things that we should be looking at. I think officers should be coming up with a range of ideas that would allow the council to maintain the same number of exhibits, albeit possibly reconfigured in a different way.

“But there’s absolutely no reason, with a little bit of ingenuity, looking at examples of museums globally, as to how they have managed to survive and a lot of cases flourish, that we should be looking to do that. So I’m keen to see what officers come up with and be imaginative and I will be having conversations with council officers to look at the options.

“Hard decisions need to be taken.There’s too much sentiment attached to bricks and mortar, but not enough sentiment attached to the service has been provided. And now we are heading towards the budget. Ever since I was elected in 2017 all I have heard is “estate rationalisation”. Estate rationalisation has to be done. We can’t afford the current buildings, we don’t need the current buildings, but nothing is ever done.”

CULTURE MINISTER “SADDENED” BY CLOSURE

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, asked the Culture Minister and MSP for Central Edinburgh, Angus Robertson, what discussions minister have had with the council about the closure during ministerial questions at Holyrood.

Mr Robertson said: “I am saddened to hear about the temporary closure of the People’s Story museum, which tells the important history of the lives of ordinary working people in Edinburgh, and I hope that it reopens as a priority.

“I also recognise the challenges that Scotland’s museums face, which is why we are continuing to support the sector with £2.7 million of funds in 2024-25 to Museums Galleries Scotland, Scotland’s national museums and galleries development body. I urge the City of Edinburgh Council to continue discussions with key stakeholders, including Museums Galleries Scotland, to see whether there is a way forward.”

On being pressed to visit the museum when it reopens, Mr Robertson said: “It has caused absolute consternation that the closure was announced before any consultation—frankly, it is shocking that a Labour-led council should do such a thing. I take the opportunity to pay tribute to the community campaigners—especially Jim Slaven and the city centre ward Scottish National Party councillor, Finlay McFarlane—who have been strongly making the case against the temporary closure by the Labour-led City of Edinburgh Council. Especially in this 900th anniversary year of Edinburgh, the People’s Story and its important working-class history must be open to the public. That must be a priority.”

LOCAL SUPPORT FOR KEEPING MUSEUM OPEN

Jim Slaven is a local resident, tour guide and expert on Scottish culture, politics and history. He is also someone who has taken on the council before when standing up for the rights of local people. (He led the campaign group to have the 35 bus route reinstated for Dumbiedykes and was active during Covid delivering essentials to people in need). Mr Slaven told The Edinburgh Reporter that it is essential the doors are reopened while any meaningful discussion takes place. He is also firmly of the view that a new structure is essential for the museum to run sustainably.

He told us that within just a few weeks he had brought together a coalition which supports the reopening of the museum. He has involved trade unions, other community organisations, University of Edinburgh academics, top historians, musicians and writers. He said “This campaign represents the best of Edinburgh. The people closing it are the worst of Edinburgh.”

He explained that notwithstanding his main demand, there is some ongoing contact with the council about the working class museum. He said: “We believe this building must stay in public hands, so the new structure must involve the elected representatives. We don’t want this building taken out of council control and passed to one of their dodgy charities. We want it staying in council control, with new people coming into the board with new ideas, to get to that point, to having that positive discussion about the future.

“We’ve been very clear that council has to reopen the doors. We need to create a positive backdrop for these discussions to take place. People have been very, very clear with me. They want to invest in a working class Museum in Edinburgh. They want to make it a world leader, but they will not do that until the political problems that the council are resolved, until the doors are open.”

Jim explained that he has spoken to several people who may wish to invest in the museum, and that there are parallels here with museums such as The Tenement Museum in New York which sets the scene of a century of New York history, recreating the homes of immigrants and refugees for an authentic look at the past.

Committee meeting

Jim presented a deputation to the Culture and Communities committee when he said: “I am not here to be confrontational, but this is an emotive issue. People feel strongly about the closure of the People’s Story in such a sudden manner. I want my contribution to be constructive and find a positive outcome. The report is not a good report. It identifies a financial problem, mentions staffing issues, health and safety, Covid and suicides at the Scott Monument get more than one mention. Then the solution is to close the People’s Story? That doesn’t work.

”I would ask councillors to reject the report and its recommendation.”

The Dumbiedykes local told the committee that even if it had been a “good report” he would still oppose the closure. He said: “It is a vital part of this city’s social fabric. I have been to every housing scheme speaking to people and not one of them thought closing that museum was a good idea. That museum telling the working class history of this city with stories of workers and communities is a vital part of people in these area feeling like they belong to the city – like this is their home city. To close it would be an act of social vandalism.”

Local ward councillor Joanna Mowat questioned the way in which the report was written. She also said that there is no justification in the report for closing the museum when contrasted with the scaling back of activity at the museum in Queensferry which is also mentioned.

She said: “I am concerned that there seemed to be an imbalance in the treatment of the two museums that were scheduled for changes in their opening hours: the Queensferry Museum and The People’s Story. With my ward councillor hat on, what I couldn’t understand was why there was a justification given about the Queensferry Museum being closed and the arrangements going forward, yet there was no justification for People’s Story. It’s one sentence in the report that “we’re going to close”. The implicit inference in the report, is that this is about staffing issues, and there’s been difficulty staffing things, but it’s not made explicit. I don’t think it’s a particularly good report, because I think councillors should have more clarity of information than exists in it.

“This is a really important place that binds the community of Edinburgh back to its roots, to the history of the city. People’s Story was created with a narrative at its heart. So it’s really important that actually, we don’t just split this off, that we think about how this all works together, because it is an important part of a story that quite often cities don’t bother to tell. I can think of a couple of other cities that do it really well, and they’re cities that actually I’m very fond of, and I’m proud they told that story. I’m proud we tell that story, and we should continue to do so.”

Cllr Finlay McFarlane asked for the decision of the committee to close the museum to be referred to the next full council meeting on 7 November for further discussion. The papers and a link to the webcast for that meeting are published here.

Hibs goalkeeper Joe Bursik insists the players can take the positives from a solid defensive display in Dingwall. 

Hibs drew 0-0 in the Highlands last night as both defenses came out on top at the Global Energy Stadium. 

Hibs dominated possession, particularly in the second-half  but lacked a cutting-edge in the final third and in the end, had to settle for a point which sees them leapfrog Hearts at the foot of the table. 

Speaking to Hibs TV after the match, Bursik said: “It is a frustrating one, in these sort of games you want to go up the road and get the job done – no matter how you do it. 

“But we kept a clean sheet, so we need to take the positive from that and build from it. 

“There were periods in the game where we had them penned in and we could’ve scored but and the point and move on.” 

Bursik made a key save in the first-half to deny Jordan White from close-range to keep the score goalless. 

“It was a quick reaction, I was happy to make an impact – particularly to do it before half-time to keep it 0-0,” Joe continued. 

“We’ve drawn the last two games, so we are going in the right direction – hopefully, we can start turning these into wins but it’s fine margins at the moment. 

“We’ve got to be happy with the clean sheet and we need to keep building from there. 

“Everyone is desperate to win and it will happen, once it does, we can start building momentum.”