Police have charged a teenager following a housebreaking in the Duddingston area of the city.
The break-in happened around 4.15pm on Thursday 21st June at an address in Northfield Drive.
The 19-year-old man is due to appear in court at a later date and a report has been sent to the Procurator Fiscal
Hibs’ on-loan midfielder Emerson Hyndman insists that he is not looking to be a ready made replacement for John McGinn who moved to Aston Villa earlier this week.
Head Coach Neil Lennon was quick to sign the Bournemouth midfielder who experienced the Scottish game during a loan spell with Rangers where he was named young player of the year despite only being with the club for half a season.
The Texas born player was thrown into the action immediately starting on the bench against Molde on Thursday night’s Europa League clash.
He came on for the last 10-minutes and showed the fans enough to suggest that he will be a valuable member of the squad and almost became an instant hero with a late effort that keeper Andreas Linde did well to keep out.
Speaking after the final whistle, Hyndman said:“I am not looking to be anyone’s replacement or to get a label, I just want to go out and do the best I can for the team, whatever position I am asked to play.
“The deal happened very quickly because of the European game.
“It has been a quick transition because I haven’t even trained, so to get on the pitch was nice.
“But I am glad it got done in time and I was able to feature.“It has been tough with not much football.
“I have been in and around the Bournemouth first-team squad but it has been a grind training behind the scenes a lot of the time. There were talks last season about moving on loan again but nothing in depth.
” A club like Hibs have big ambitions. They did really well last year and that is something I was aware of because I keep up with the league.
“I saw they were doing well and when I heard of their interest I was quick to jump on it. This is a big opportunity for me.”
“There was also interest from elsewhere and I had to take that into account but I decided to stay.
“It was a tough year but I got through it and now I am looking to make the most of it.
“My last actual game was Burnley last season, which was my debut in the Premier League.
“We had a few pre-season games, four or five. I came on against Marseille and then I featured in most of them.
“Eddie (Howe) fully backs the loan because he knows I need football. He was fully with this because he understands.
“I am sure he will keep up to date with how I am doing and he will call me here and there, but right now I’m just focusing on Hibs and doing my best for them.
“You can say I haven’t played a lot of games but the training at Bournemouth is hard.
“I have been doing a lot of running behind the scenes so when I came on against Molde I felt sharp, mentally and physically.
“I saw the schedule before I came up, there are games every couple of days. It’s up to me to get my fitness up and I’m sure that will come naturally.
“It is a similar situation as to when I came up to Rangers. I came off the bench there and then got 90 minutes in the next game.
“It is all about keeping your mind fresh knowing it is going to be a challenge. I just take each game as it comes.”
Marie
Assembly Front Room
1300 hrs
FOR this reviewer, the Edinburgh Fringe is all about hidden gems. Marie by the House of Mirth theatre company is exactly that.
A one woman play, performed by a very impressive Sarah MacGillivray, it centres on a Scottish actress as she travels to London in search of work.
The play manages to balance the humorous with the surreal. Not easy when you are trying to paint a picture of a London pub that has a tribute night featuring historical characters.
The central character is drawn to Mary Queen of Scots. The character, for want of a better term, speaks to her.
Sarah MacGillivray is able to make each character believable and have depth. This was such a tight script that zipped along as it took you towards its finale.
There may have been a small audience but Sarah drew every single audience member in.
We would implore you to take a chance on this lunchtime performance at the Assembly Front Room on George Street. Hey, it even has air conditioning.
Brasserie Prince by Alain Roux at the Balmoral
Isn’t it grand when you walk into a space and think, “Ah! The memories…”? The Balmoral used to have a rather nice restaurant called Hadrian’s on its North Bridge side. It was trying to be The Ivy in that you could get a posh burger or Eggs Benedict at 8pm, but there was something very ‘hotel restaurant’ about it. Not its fault, it was a hotel restaurant, after all.
My favourite thing about Hadrian’s was that it had blinds that went half the way up the windows and in its heyday I was dating a guy who was both a bit of a lush and an owner of two glove puppets: Sooty and Donkey. After a boozy lunch or whisky breakfast, one of our favourite pastimes was to give the diners of Hadrian’s a little puppet show. Out the posh tourist cameras would come and swift the staff trotted to pull the blinds high and spoil everyone’s fun. How amusing we thought ourselves to be…
Anyway, Hadrian’s is no more. RIP, spoil sports. The new incarnation is the regally named Brasserie Prince By Alain Roux… Alain, in case you’re wondering, is the son of Michel Roux OBE, the hotter of the Roux Brothers, who used to be on the telly for those old enough to
remember.
Walking into Brasserie Prince’s dining room I’m happy. It all looks so comfortable. I’ve dined in the best international restaurants, bistros, truck stops and ghastly New Town Dinner parties and one thing’s for sure, the cost of dinner is not directly proportional to
how comfortable your bottom will be whilst eating it. Why do restaurants or New Town types own ‘Scandi Style’ tables and chairs. Fine dining whilst sitting on primary school furniture from Stockholm? I’ll pass, thanks. But oh, baby! Prince is comfy… Soft, squidgy and I want to spend all night here.
We’re ushered very pleasantly to our table by the Maitre’ d who has possibly the most unusual accent I’ve ever heard. I’m convinced he’s Finnish. Every restaurant has to represent a bit of Scandi, surely? Turns out he’s from Scarborough. He’s lovely and charming and suggests we start with a glass of champers. Full of good ideas, these seaside town boys!
The sommelier, who appears to be French (but could be from Blackpool for all I’d know), delivers the champers and puts down some tasty bread and French butter. He makes a point the butter is “French!”, not some ‘slightly salted’ rubbish I buy from Lidl. He then, somewhat reluctantly, gets a ramekin and fills it with olive oil. “Greek” he informs us. And with an indulgent, ‘Geniuses will have their quirks’, shrug: “The olive grove owner is a dear friend of Monsieur Roux.” I say to my companion, “Delightful olive oil but not quite as good as Andalucian.” I used to live in Stockbridge, so like to think I have an experienced palate on these matters. Still it warms my heart that Alain is nice to his pals.
The butter though… By the udder of Marie Claire, or whatever dairy cow delivered that milk, it was heavenly.
Brasserie Prince has an open ‘raw bar’ where chefs in little booths carve various marinated seafood, charcuterie and oysters are regularly shucked. And when my oysters arrived, plump, ridiculously fresh and expertly freed from their shells, ready for me to knock ’em down, I thought: I am in heaven right here. It was a hot night and I’d only have been happier if I’d worn my kaftan.
My dining companion had Scallop a la Parisienne and waxed lyrical about how fine and tasty they were. In fact she was more enthusiastic about her starter than her recent hair cut (short back and sides with a quiff, if you’re wondering). I managed to pinch a taste and yes, yes, yes! Creamy sauce and juicy, lovely morsels of juicy, sweet little scallops. I’d have stolen more but it was all gone. The shorter the hair the faster the fork…
Mains swiftly follow. I have a half Lobster Thermidor with delightfully zingy sugar snap peas. The Lobster is perfectly cooked and seasoned, some chefs go too heavy on the dill but not here. I slightly regretted not ordering a side of chips though. Haircut has Veal en Blanquette and it’s trad French comfort food. Melt in the mouth and really quite sublime.
The best part of the evening was meeting restaurant manager Hubert (silent T), who comes from the Loire Valley but now lives in Alloa. Yes really. Happily Hubert isn’t a victim of a dodgy 1980s twin-towning scheme but simply loves the Ochil Hills. Hubert chose our
wine and pretty much excelled himself. If I had one criticism it would be that the wine list has no tasting notes, which seems to be becoming ‘a thing’ in the fine dining world. However if you’re not sure its best to ask and the friendliness of this restaurant is a good place to start.
The Chef’s Vanilla Mille-Feuille seemed the perfect dessert for us, and here they wheel it out on a trolley with all the reverence of a state funeral. Executed by what appears to be a giant Samurai sword, it was a skilled balance of texture, with a silky perfectly sweet custard. You can’t teach the French much about pastry.
Brasserie Prince is a great addition to the ever expanding Edinburgh restaurant scene. It has what you might call a reliable menu in that you could take a bunch of chums there and everyone would fine something they really wanted to eat. It’s my favourite kind of menu
but it has to be terrifically cooked and there’s no doubt that’s the modus operandi here.
The staff are delightful and you absolutely get the vibe they want their diners to enjoy themselves. Its the sort of place you’d take someone completely out of your league on a high-end first date. And with the very French ‘half way up the window’ curtains I might even give Sooty and Donkey another outing next time.
Brasserie Prince at The Balmoral
1 Princes Street
EH2 2EQ
0131 557 5000
brasserieprince@roccofortehotels.com
Award-winning Archie Maddocks presents an hour of biting, provocative, unflinchingly funny comedy where he explores his deepest and darkest thoughts, exposes his flaws and interrogates his personal connection to Grenfell Tower. Fresh from a stint in the BBC Writersroom, having previously toured South Africa and Europe, this ‘super cool, super smart storyteller’ (Bruce Dessau, BeyondTheJoke.co.uk and Evening Standard) hilariously explores life, love and loss with a candid authenticity, marking him out as a ‘real highlight’ (BBC Introducing).
Having come across Archie Maddocks for the first time last August, I added him to my list of shows to look for this time round. I’m glad he did because this was a great way to spend an hour. For a start, I have never laughed so much at the use of the word amateur in my life. He appreciated that more than my fellow audience members though. He also revealed the most disgusting thing to do to a banana that I’ve ever heard about. Maddocks also covers slightly less glib issues, such as how comfortable or not he is with his body, wiping your bottom and diet preferences. He also talks about his relationships with the two most important women in his life – his mother and girlfriend – but without resorting to lazy and tired clichés. Well done that man.
The show also gives you an insight into growing up in north-west London, specifically St John’s Wood, in the Eighties and Nineties. That struck a chord as I’m Paddington born and bred, the neighbouring area, albeit form an earliest decade. I know the area well but moved away as he was becoming a teen so it’s interesting seeing it through his eyes. However, you do not need to have any knowledge of London to enjoy hearing about these experiences or indeed the show as a whole. Archie is a solid, funny young comedian and I thoroughly enjoyed his show and the section on Grenfell Tower was moving and hard to hear at times. Everything he said about the tragedy rings true and reflects what happened and is still happening to the residents of the block and surrounding area.
I do have a couple of (minor) complaints though. I think he needs to show more confidence in his material and drop the opening five minutes. For somebody of his talent to still do a ‘Who are you & what do you do?’ section seems a waste, although he does at least incorporate the answers throughout the show. Maddocks is a good comedian but needs to ditch this habit if he wants to move up a notch. He’s more than capable of doing that and I hope to see next August that he has. I’d also have liked the final section to have lasted longer, although it might have thrown off the balance of the show. Either way, you should take the time to see Matchstick and Archie Maddocks confirmed that he is a talented comedian worth keeping an eye on.
This show is also in part a fund-raiser for the Grenfell Tower campaign. You can also do that directly via the Grenfell Tower Leaseholders Association or the Justice4Grenfell community-led coalition. Please do, these people deserve justice.
In the midst of all the frenzy that is the Old Town in August, St Andrew’s and St George’s West Church on George Street never fails to provide a space of calm. Its festival talks are something I have come to look forward to, and The Power of Music on Thursday was certainly no exception. In a simple Desert Island Discs format, writer and librettist Bernard MacLaverty was invited by opera singer Andrea Baker to choose five pieces of music that have personal resonance for him. MacLaverty is such a warm, engaging person, and Baker such a good chair, that the following hour felt more like a chat with two particularly genial old friends.
MacLaverty has written books, short stories, radio and TV plays, screenplays and libretti. His novel Grace Notes was shortlisted for the 1997 Booker Prize, and Justine Jordan, writing in The Guardian, called Midwinter Break ‘quietly brilliant’. Does he come across then as a Famous Author with a high opinion of himself? No he most certainly does not – he’s quick to tell us he was no great shakes at school, and his talk is littered with comments like ‘oh that’s showing off isn’t it?’ and ‘oh shut up Bernard!’.
MacLaverty begins with a reading from what he calls a ‘very short story’, Christmas Junket, in which a young couple carry a bowl of milk pudding across town on the underground. His description of the wobbling junket is hilarious. As in all good short stories, very little – and yet an awful lot – happens. The careful transporting of the junket becomes a metaphor;
‘Neither of them wants to spill the precious joy of what it is to be young and loved at Christmas and going out to eat with friends.’
It may be Christmas but religion, says MacLaverty, isn’t the only thing of value in life. And having grown up in Belfast in the 1950s, he knows a thing or two about religion.
A wonderful childhood memory follows, one of hearing Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony (Symphony No. 8 in B minor) drifting up to his bedroom as his father played his shellac records down below. Despite this MacLaverty did not know much about classical music in those days; his first love was jazz. The 1960 film Jazz On A Summer’s Day, a documentary about the Newport Jazz Festival, entranced him;
‘Armstrong, Teagarden, Guiffre… I was in awe.’
A cutaway scene in the film of a man smoking as he plays the cello (‘so cool!’) sent MacLaverty on a mission to identify the music; it was Bach Cello Suite No. 1 in G major. The only recording he could find was by Pablo Casals, and today this is his first piece of music. He and Baker settle back on their chairs, and you can see that they are enjoying every minute (I once read that Radio 3 presenters are the only ones at the BBC who listen to everything they play).
MacLaverty was fascinated by the story of Casals discovering the sheet music in a second-hand shop, long after the Suites had fallen out of fashion, and practising them for years until he felt ready to present them to the public.
‘I’ve always liked stories.’
In his teenage years in Belfast MacLaverty and his friends formed a skiffle group. They also formed a bond that would last a lifetime. Each member of the group had a different enthusiasm – opera, literature, jazz; MacLaverty was introduced to Dostoyevsky (The Idiot – the ijeet! – I loved it; before that all I’d been reading was Jennings’), Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and Handel. A master of the art of evoking a scene from small details, MacLaverty describes a friend’s aunts sitting round the fire, chain-smoking as they listen to Radio 3, or, at another friend’s house, hearing a recording of Enrico Caruso on a Dansette record player. They were an educated lot, these friends – one became a publisher, another a painter, another a priest. – and MacLaverty hasn’t done too badly for himself either.
Beethoven Piano Trio No 7 in B Flat Major is his second piece of music;
‘Only later did I realise that Beethoven teases you, and leaves you wanting more. It’s like writing a story and waiting for something to happen.’
MacLaverty’s third choice arises from a television play he based on his story My Dear Palestrina, in which Eleanor Bron is Miss Schwartz, a piano teacher. ‘I was in awe of her; she was beautiful and talented, and she played Schubert Impromptu in G flat major.’
More recently, with Irish composer Gareth Williams, MacLaverty has written libretti; The King’s Conjecture, about King James IV and his barbarous attempts to find out where language comes from, and The Elephant Angel, the true story of Belfast’s first female zookeeper, who took a baby elephant home every night to protect it from wartime bombing. As an opera singer, Baker is curious to know what it was like working with a composer for the first time.
‘It was wonderful.’
And you can imagine that Williams would say much the same, for what else could it be to work with such a clever, entertaining, good-natured man?
MacLaverty’s fourth piece is Shostakovich’s Symphony No 10 in E minor, but it is fifth that seems to bring both him and Brown most joy. Mahler is, says Brown, an excellent bridge between writing and music. For years MacLaverty had no idea what was happening on stage because he had never seen an opera, nor did he speak foreign languages, but;
‘The music transcended that, the voice was like another instrument.’
He first heard Lorraine Hunt Lieberson singing on the radio when he was cooking;
‘I didn’t move for seven minutes, spoon in hand. Oh but that’s showing off.’
Another picture drawn, another image of the glorious power of music.
And with that, after enthusiastic applause from this well satisfied audience, MacLaverty is away to sign books and chat – except that for him the chat is surely going to take first place. After all, he wouldn’t want to be showing off.
This was an enormously enjoyable afternoon, and I do hope St Andrew’s and St George’s West Church continues its programme in similar vein in 2020 (after all, Desert Island Discs has lasted 76 years…)
Bernard MacLaverty is published by Random House Books.
Andrea Baker is appearing in Sing Sistah Sing! from 19 to 26 August at the Assembly Rooms, 54 George Street (Venue 20).
Part 2 of L-E-V Dance Company’s ‘Love Cycle’
Sharon Eyal is one of the most exciting choreographic talents to emerge in recent years. Working with multimedia designer Gai Behar, she formed L-E-V Dance Company, creating work that is stark, uncompromising and fiercely beautiful, powerful in its expression of emotion and obsession.
L-E-V Dance Company’s Love Cycle is formed of two complementary but standalone shows at this year’s International Festival.
Love Chapter 2 is L-E-V Dance Company’s most recent work, premiered in 2017. It is a dark, provocative piece of startling intensity, one that begins where love breaks down and stares unflinchingly at isolation and loneliness. Using powerful gestures and captivating imagery, it explores the connections between all of us – and what we are left with when they break down.
Presented separately, its companion piece OCD Love, is an intensely kinetic dance piece that collides together frenzied passion and obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is inspired by slam poet Neil Hilborn’s brutally funny OCD, which describes a woman charmed then exasperated by the inescapable obsessions of her partner. Pitting a single female dancer against a corps of males, OCD Love dissects her torn sympathies – as she strives for freedom from them yet depends on their control.
Pushed relentlessly forward by the pulsating techno beats of DJ Ori Lichtik, these two shows by L-E-V Dance Company are uninhibited, provocative and exhilarating, like no dance works you’ve seen before. They ask: is there anything more unexplainable than love?
Love Chapter 2 is on at The King’s Theatre.
Further details and tickets from https://www.eif.co.uk/whats-on/2018/love2
Spooky fun for all the family….
A spellbinding spectacle for children from seven years old and their families, Hocus Pocus weaves together dance, theatre, visual art and bewitching lighting to tell a wondrous story of how bravery and confidence can overcome darkness and fear.
A spider’s web; a warrior in chainmail; a mysterious creature from the deep: all emerge from a magical window of light – to tell the story of two young men and their dream-like adventures together.
With just two dancers, masks, costumes and bizarre objects, Hocus Pocus conveys a universal tale of courage and wisdom, through miraculous stage images and a sumptuous musical score based around Grieg’s evocative Peer Gynt suites.
Hocus Pocus is created by Lausanne-based choreographer Philippe Saire, creator of more than 30 stage works. It is a bewitching creation of sensation and imagination.
‘Hocus Pocus’ is on at The Studio.
Further information and tickets from https://www.eif.co.uk/whats-on/2018/hocuspocus
AN EDINBURGH man has been chosen from thousands of proud glasses wearers as a finalist for Specsavers’ Spectacle Wearer of the Year.
Emojefe Doghudje, aged 27 from Corstorphine could follow in the footsteps of last year’s Award winner, Love Island hunk Alex Miller, winning £10,000 and the chance to mingle with the stars at the annual Spectacle Wearer of the Year Awards.
Specsavers, Corstorphine Edinburgh.
Picture by Stewart Attwood
Glasses wearers across the UK and Republic of Ireland have been showing off their specs style by sharing their selfies online throughout the spring and summer.
The security officer was invited to visit his local Specsavers store in Edinburgh to receive a bottle of champagne, a certificate and a £125 glasses voucher.
He took the opportunity to try Specsavers’ innovative Framestyler technology to help choose a new pair of specs, ahead of the next round of judging.
Specsavers, Corstorphine Edinburgh.
Picture by Stewart Attwood
Emojefe says: ‘I was so surprised and delighted to be nominated because my partner, unbeknownst to me, had entered me into the competition.
‘Winning would mean so much to me, to be recognise for something that I have been self-conscious about in the past would be great. I would use the money to finally put down a deposit on a house and to pay for my parent’s healthcare back in Nigeria.’
Adam Gordon, store director at Specsavers Corstorphine says: ‘This is the first time we’ve had a regional finalist from Corstorphine so all the staff wish Emojefe the very best of luck – it would be fantastic to have a finalist representing Edinburgh at the awards.’
The awards were launched by Steps star Claire Richards earlier this year. If he triumphs in his age category, Emojefe will meet Claire and rub shoulders with many other celebs at the glitzy awards ceremony at London’s 8 Northumberland Avenue in October.
There are five age categories – 16-24; 25-34; 35-44; 45-59 and over 60, plus a Facebook favourite voted for by the public. All age category winners will win a VIP makeover, with one overall winner taking home the ultimate accolade in specs wearing.
Police have issued a CCTV appeal in an effort to trace a man who assaulted two people in Fountainbridge on May 27.
A woman was walking in the area when she was approached and assaulted by a man just after midnight. Another man who came to the woman’s aid was also assaulted and suffered a serious facial injury.
The suspect then made off towards the Slateford area.
Detectives believe the man captured on the CCTV footage can assist with their inquiries.
Detective Constable Kevin Walls said: “This was a violent and unprovoked assault on one woman and a man who came to her assistance and we are pursuing various lines of inquiry to trace the suspect.
“The man pictured may be able to assist with the investigation and anyone who can help us identify him should contact police immediately.
“In addition, anyone with any other information relevant to this inquiry should also get in touch.”
Those with information can contact Corstorphine CID via 101.
Hibs’ teenage defender Ryan Porteous insists that Hibs will travel to Norway next week with a positive attitude despite failing to score in last night’s 0-0 draw at Easter Road.
Hibs were the better team throughout and but for the goalkeeping of Molde skipper Andreas Linde, they could have won comfortably.
At the other end Porteous and fellow defenders Efe Ambrose and Paul Hanlon dealt with everything that the Norwegians threw at them, keeping their second successive clean sheet.
Porteous played in the middle of a three man defence, replacing Darren McGregor who has fluid on his knee and many fans voted him their man of the match.
After the game, the highly rated youngster told Cliff Pike of Hibernian TV: “some of the guys heads were down in the dressing room but the gaffer (Neil Lennon) said ‘get the heads up because you performed really well.
“We could and possibly should have won the game but that’s football. we limited them to very little chances and I don’t think Roscoe (Ross Laidlaw) had much to do other than with the ball at his feet.
“We dealt with their set plays really well but ultimately we would have liked to get the goal and take the lead over there but we have stopped them getting an away goal and that’s an advantage for us.
“We know the capabilities that our forwards have and now that we have Emerson (Hyndman) in that only adds to the quality.
“If we can get him for then maybe he can play a part in the game like he did today. You saw flashes of him when he played Oli (Shaw) through and he had a great chance at the end.
“With Dave’s (Gray) header, I was away celebrating and so was he but their keeper made a great save so credit to him.
“We were putting great balls into the box and Flo (Kamberi) was in a great position as well but the ball just didn’t fall to him and they were putting bodies on the line as well so it just wasn’t our night.
“We will take a positive attitude over there and we have something to pay for.
“It makes my job easier playing alongside two model pros like Efe (Ambrose) and Paul (Hanlon).
“Playing against Scottish opposition is one thing but getting that experience against a top level European side is only going be good for your development. Now that I am trying to push on and get into the first team that can only help.
“I’ve always said that I just want to be ready for when the gaffer needs me and over the last couple of games I have showed that I am capable.
“We now have to focus on the St Johnstone game on Sunday and that will be a tough one over there.”
Chiaroscuro: A Kindertransport Story
Central Hall Studio
Sir Nicholas Winton, who died in 2015 aged 106, organised the rescue of 669 mostly Jewish children from Prague on the eve of the Second World War. They were destined for Nazi concentration camps so he saved them from almost certain death and kept quiet about his efforts for almost 50 years.
In Patty MacMullen’s warm and affectionate tribute, set in 1939 in Czechoslovakia and Germany and reaching out to England in 1988, historical drama is mixed with fiction to tell the story of 11 children on a “kindertransport” train who owed their lives to him.
The bespectacled London stockbroker, given a thick mop of grey hair, is played with a clipped English accent by Carson Petocz in this production by Hill Country Christian School of Austin, Texas, as part of the American high school theatre festival.
Winton’s Jewish origins are referred to in passing. He was born Nicholas Wertheim in Hampstead, northwest London to Jewish parents who had moved from Germany in 1907 and converted to Christianity, the faith into which he was baptised. The family name was changed in 1938.
Among the imagined “kinder” he helped, Jefferson Lind shines as the optimistic, long-trousered Alfons, looking after his slightly irritating younger brother Otto (Jackson Lind) and adored by the girls in the group, while Hunter Masters is admirably angry as the loner Paul.
It’s been a busy week for best selling local Scottish crime fiction writer Ed James. Kill with Kindness, the fifth ‘Fenchurch’ novel has been released and the new ‘Cullen’ book Heroes and Villains is on pre-order and will be available on kindle on 3rd November.
In Kill with Kindness, A sadistic killer, an infamous victim and a crime that gets darker and darker.
The body of a young woman is found in a London hotel room, the victim of a suspected poisoning. Called in to investigate, DI Simon Fenchurch soon discovers the case is far more sinister than he could have imagined.
He should have recognised the woman at once—a teacher at a local school, her scandalous affair with a pupil has been splashed across the tabloids. As Fenchurch interrogates those closest to her, a web of suspicious connections begins to emerge.
Meanwhile Fenchurch’s own life is still in turmoil: his family fragmented, his baby son in intensive care, and his mentor replaced by an unsympathetic new boss. The streets of London are in chaos too, with a spate of acid attacks on seemingly random victims.
Struggling to hold on to hope on both fronts, Fenchurch faces the toughest few days of his career. Can he keep his family safe and catch whoever is behind the murder before more lives are lost?
In Heroes and Villains, DS Scott Cullen of Police Scotland’s Edinburgh MIT closes in on a long-time adversary. Dean Vardy, Edinburgh’s latest drug kingpin, and notorious rapist. Every time they close in on him, he gets off, aided and abetted by his lawyer, Campbell McLintock. But this time Vardy goes too far.
Or does he? After a witness dies, Cullen is soon desperately trying to hold the case together, with Vardy’s conviction dangling by a thread. Will McLintock get Vardy off yet again?
But soon, Cullen and his team are facing a different threat. A brutal vigilante, doling out frontier justice and obeying no laws. Can Cullen catch a killer who could be one of their own?
The prolific writer is also finishing off the first book in a new series set in Seattle. The FBI thriller should be released in February 2019 with sequels out in May and August of that year.
Mark Morris Dance Group in Pepperland
Festival Theatre Edinburgh
Fri 5 & Sat 6 April 2019 at 8pm, plus Sat matinee at 2.30pm
Good Morning, Good Morning Good Morning! It may be a Long and Winding Road until next April, so get Fixin’ that hole in your diary. And listen, do you want to know a secret? This will really be Something to Twist & Shout about.
For dance and Beatles fans alike, this captivating dance work inspired by The Beatles’ revolutionary Sgt. Pepper’s album was first commissioned by the City of Liverpool. Mark Morris created Pepperland to pay homage to The Beatles, the album and its landmark anniversary. Its world premiere performances kicked off Liverpool’s Sgt. Pepper at 50 Festival in May 2017 and received critical and audience acclaim for both its dance and music.
Pepperland is legendary choreographer Mark Morris’ unique tribute to the 50th anniversary of the release of the iconic LP. Hailed as the first-ever ‘art rock’ album and widely regarded as the best rock and roll album of all time, it spent 27 weeks at number one on the UK Albums Chart and 15 weeks at number one in the USA. It won four Grammy Awards in 1968, including Album of the Year, the first rock LP to receive the honour.
Mark Morris is renowned as an intensely musical choreographer and is undeviating in his devotion to music. The New York Times said Morris is the “most successful and influential choreographer alive and indisputably the most musical”. Since founding MMDG in 1980, he has created almost 150 works for the company, many of which are widely considered masterpieces.
Pepperland features an original score by composer Ethan Iverson, inspired by some of the album’s most enduring hits: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band; With a Little Help From My Friends; A Day in the Life; When I’m Sixty-Four; Within You Without You; and Penny Lane. Iverson’s fresh arrangements of the original tracks will be performed live by MMDG Music Ensemble – Pepperland‘s unique chamber music group – and is interspersed with six original Pepper-inspired pieces that complement Morris’ profound understanding of classical music styles of allegro, scherzo, adagio, and the blues.
http://capitaltheatres.com/whats-on/festival-theatre-events?page=5
We met PC Shaun Baker the other day on George Street and noticed that he had a wee passenger on board. This is a Trauma Teddy who will swing into action whenever needed.
The Trauma Teddy is provided by police officers whenever children perhaps need to be distracted in any upsetting circumstances. They help police officers to build a relationship with children and turn the experience into a more positive one. The initiative began in Dundee and is now spreading across Scotland.
We discovered that there is a pattern for all you keen handicraft people to knit or crochet more teddies.
So here it is – just in case you have some spare wool and time :
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Finished teddies can be handed in to any Children 1st office or participating police station, or alternatively you can post them to Children 1st, 83 Whitehouse Loan, Edinburgh, EH9 1AT.
Also, if you at the Edinburgh Festival between now and 27th August, you can hand teddies in to the Police Scotland command vehicle by the Scott Monument in Princes Street Gardens.
Once teddies have been received they will be dressed in a Children 1st t shirt and distributed to police vehicles across Scotland. The back of the t shirt features the number for Parentline, as a way to remind families that a kind and skilled listening ear is available seven days a week through our free helpline and webchat service.
If you are making or have completed a teddy please let us know through Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #TraumaTeddies.
Three young golfers from East Lothian have won the rare opportunity to compete alongside some of the biggest names in senior professional golf next month.
Mollaidh Nicholson from Kilspindie, Jack Noon from Musselburgh and Dunbar’s Andrew Scott produced top class performances in the annual East Lothian Junior Championships at Craigielaw Golf Club, where they will return to take part in the Scottish Senior Open on September 14 and 15.
The first two rounds of the Scottish Senior Open – won in 2017 by two-time Senior Major Champion Paul Broadhurst – are played in the Alliance Pro-Am format with one professional partnering one amateur.
The professionals then compete for the title on the third and final day on Sunday, September 16.
The Scottish Senior Open is being staged in East Lothian for the fourth successive year following outstanding events at Archerfield Links in 2015 and 2016 and Renaissance Club in 2017.
Mollaidh, playing off a handicap of 10, won the girls competition with a scratch 78, one better than Craigielaw’s Carys Irvine.
Meanwhile in the 36-hole boys event, four handicapper Jack finished one ahead of Andrew – also off four – with scores of 71 and 78 for a 149 aggregate.
All three juniors can now expect a superb two days of competition when the senior professionals arrive in East Lothian for the 26th edition of the £250,000 event with £37,500 for the winner.
Admission to the course is free on all three days, but car parking will be charged at £5 for a solo driver and £10 per car with two or more occupants with all proceeds going to the event’s official charity, East Lothian Foodbank.
A police investigation is underway following the death of a man who was found unconscious on West Montgomery Place in Leith, Edinburgh, at 1am this morning.
West Montgomery Place and Brunswick Road have been cordoned off by officers and the death is currently being treated as unexplained.
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Police in Edinburgh are investigating following the death of a man in the Leith area of the city.
“Emergency services were contacted at around 1am on Friday 10th August after the male was found unconscious on the street at West Montgomery Place.
“Despite the best efforts of paramedics he was pronounced dead at the scene.
“The death is currently being treated as unexplained and inquiries are continuing to establish the full circumstances surrounding this incident.”
Despite the holidays, these are testing times…….in school, on the race track and at the Festival. For those hoping to get enough good grades to go to university or to win medals at the European Championships or to impress the reviewers, it must have been an anxious week. For those of us watching from the sidelines, it’s been thrilling. Knowing for sure that I could never do any of these things, gives me a feeling of gay abandon.
On Tuesday, 135,000 school pupils got their exam results. These were National 5 exams, Highers and Advanced Highers for 15 -18 year olds. With an overall pass rate of over 75 per cent, the education secretary John Swinney said it had been “a really great achievement” for pupils, teachers and, of course, the government.
However, the further the opposition parties dug down into the figures, the more they found to criticise. The pass rate in the Highers was down from 77 per cent to 76.8 per cent, which might not look like much, but this is the third year of a fall in the figure. And there has been no improvement in the science subjects which are supposed to be specially targeted. The critics say it’s not unconnected with a £400m fall in the funding for schools over the last ten years of austerity.
The good news is that the number of Scottish pupils getting into university has risen by 4 per cent to 28,970 and the number from poor backgrounds has also improved. So I suppose all those pictures of pupils jumping in the air are justified. (Mr Swinney’s jump was less convincing – I don’t think his feet actually left the ground.)
Meanwhile testing of a different kind has been going on in Glasgow, and other venues, in the European Sports Championships. Edinburgh girl Grace Reid won a silver medal in the diving. Glasgow boy Duncan Scott won three medals in the swimming. We didn’t do so well in the cycling – which seems to be dominated by the Dutch and the Belgians. But the Scottish golfer Catriona Matthew is playing well in the golf at Gleneagles. And in the athletics in Berlin, Scottish runners Eilidh Doyle and Lynsey Sharp both got through to their finals.
There’s been some parochial debate over the disruption to normal life which the Games have inevitably brought with them. Roads have been sealed off for the cycling events. There’s been traffic hold-ups because of the rowing in Strathclyde Park. Glasgow has been hosting 4,500 athletes from 50 different countries – not to mention all their supporters and general spectators. And the question some Glaswegian have been asking is: is the inconvenience worth it, in order to put the city and the rest of Scotland on the map for large events like Games or Festivals ?
Edinburgh folk have even more reason to ask if their city has become unpleasantly over-crowded. There’s talk of a ban on new hotels being built in the city centre and further pedestrianisation of the main streets. And, more urgently, of a tourist tax to help pay for the extra services the city council needs to provide.
The prime minister joined the throng briefly on Tuesday. Theresa May was in Edinburgh to sign a “city deal” with Nicola Sturgeon and the leader of the city council Adam McVey. The UK government and Scottish government are each committing £300m towards various building projects over the next few years – including housing, transport and a new concert hall. Mrs May also announced that two of the UK’s new science centres are to be in Scotland, in Glasgow and Dundee.
Did this do anything to smooth the choppy waters between Mrs May and Ms Sturgeon over Brexit ? Clearly not. Because after a no-doubt polite private conversation on the issue, Ms Sturgeon came out saying the UK government should be developing a “plan B”, in case its negotiation with the European Union fails to win a new trade deal. And that plan B must surely be to stay in the Single Market and Customs Union, something Mrs May has repeatedly ruled out.
Finally, it’s been a testing time for red squirrels living in the woods near Shieldaig in Wester Ross. In addition to the usual threat from grey squirrels, many of them were being killed on the A896 road. Now however the conservation charity Trees for Life has installed a rope bridge over the road and their wildlife officer says his hidden camera has found that the squirrels have learnt to use it. No dead squirrels have been found on the road so far this year.
So, testing times for politicians, athletes and school leavers. Hard work and patience is required. But the red squirrels of Shieldaig know that you only have to cross a bridge when you come to it.
Neil Lennon believes that Hibs’ Europa League qualifying tie is in the balance after last night’s 0-0 draw with Molde at Easter Road.
Hibs’ keeper Ross Laidlaw didn’t have one save to make whilst his opposite number Andreas Linde performed heroics to deny Stevie Mallan, David Gray and Emerson Hydman as Hibs pressed for a goal.
This was Hibs second clean sheet in a row however and Lennon was quick to mention the contribution of youngster Ryan Porteous who is continuing to impress and the outstanding Efe Ambrose who never put a foot wrong all night.
He also paid tribute to Stevie Mallan who was unlucky not to score with several long-range efforts.
Hibs travel to Molde next week but may have to face teenage star Erling Braut Haaland, the son of former Manchester City player Alf-Inge Haaland. The striker left the team’s Edinburgh hotel at 4am on Thursday morning to fly to Austria where he signed big money deal with Salzburg.
It is understood that the clubs are in negotiation to loan the player back to Molde for the remainder of the season.
After the final whistle Lennon said: “It was a good game. The only disappointment is we do not take the lead over there with us, but we got a clean sheet and played maturely.
“We were unlucky. Their keeper made a few saves and they knew how to take the sting out of the game. There wasn’t a lot in it.
“We have to score over there, but Molde have to score too, and while 0-0 can be a positive or a negative, we look like a team that can score.
“Can we score over there? I’m confident we can. I don’t see why we can’t score.
“The game was in the balance and we looked like the team most likely to score.
“There were some really good individual performances out there. “I thought Mallan was outstanding, he was so unlucky not score with a tremendous effort off the bar. Ambrose and Porteous were too.
“But from where we are in terms of being at the start of the season we are still in the tie, so I’m pleased.
“We will need to defend well and pick our moments, but I don’t want us to go over there and defend.
“Molde will have more of the ball over there.
“Their rotation of the ball is good. We looked like we flagged a bit at the end but that is understandable given the difference in match games between the teams.
“We’ll be a week fitter. We’ve scored in Greece and we did it in Brondby. We’ll have to defend well and pick our moments.
“We’re novices at this level but we handled the game very maturely. We just lacked that little bit of oomph.
“We could have done a bit more in the final third at times but I’m not disappointed at all.”
“He’s (Emerson Hyndman) got creativity. He picks the right pass and he was unlucky not to win us the game, and that was all in 15 minutes.
“Adam Bogdan may be fit for Sunday but will definitely be available for next week. Darren McGregor will be out for a couple of weeks.”
“We are inching forward to where we want to be. We’re in the hunt for two new players and we will see what happens over the coming days.”
Hibs face St Johnstone on Sunday in Perth.
‘I’ve got two choices; work in a shop for the rest of my life, or have a baby.’
Brenda is sixteen. No-one in her family has ever been to university. As she says;
‘It belongs to them. It’s their place.’
Brenda’s sister Amy is eighteen. She doesn’t want a baby, and she doesn’t want to work in Morrisons. She wants to go to university. She wants an education.
In Brenda’s Got A Baby, writer Molly Rumford explores the choices, or lack of choices, for working class women today. Despite endless political talk about greater access to higher education, the vast majority of university students still come from middle-class backgrounds. Why is this, and can – and should – things change? Brenda’s Got A Baby avoids stereotypes and instead allows women to speak for themselves. What they say (as opposed to what we might think they’re going to say) is extremely interesting.
The play, which is based on interviews with working class young women, many of them mothers, is set mainly in Amy and Brenda’s family living room. Brenda has her life planned out; her boyfriend Alex is going to look after her and the inevitable baby, so she won’t need to worry, or to work. Amy meanwhile is waiting to find out if she has a place at university; her offer arrives at exactly the same moment that Brenda discovers she’s pregnant.
How the girls’ lives pan out is shown in a series of scenes set over the next three years, interspersed with recorded interviews with young mums. We might expect Brenda’s life to spiral downhill as Amy’s star rises, but in fact both girls face many challenges. Brenda has no money, Alex (who is never seen) can’t get a proper job, and she is still living with her own Mum long after the birth of baby Tommy. Although teenage motherhood is commonplace in their community, Brenda’s friends are busy leading their own lives. She is jealous of their ability to go on nights out and wishes she had enough cash to buy Tommy presents, but despite it all she loves her baby;
‘My only real friend is Mum, but I’ve got you and you’re worth it.’
From the stroppy, selfish teenager we see in the opening scenes, insisting on getting into her dance kit even though she’s vastly pregnant, Brenda gradually develops into a capable, responsible adult, who somehow makes ends meet and starts to plan her future. Once Tommy is two she can access 15 hours of free childcare, and although she will need back-up from her Mum, she starts to look for jobs, eventually finding employment in a supermarket. She is clearly happy with her life;
‘This is what I wanted. This is what I have achieved.’
She still doesn’t want to go to university (indeed, when she visits Amy at hers, she hates it, and it is she who calls out male sexual harassment in a college bar, while Amy says ‘that’s just what happens’.) Actress Leah Hand skilfully demonstrates Brenda’s growing maturity as, purely thanks to her own determination and persistence, the balance starts to tip in her favour.
Amy meanwhile finds that getting into university is just the start of her problems. The excellent Katie Mahon ably conveys Amy’s frustrations and fears. Fellow students laugh at her accent and think she’s thick. She lacks confidence in her academic abilities and feels she has to work twice as hard as anyone else to keep her head above water. She enjoys a good social life, but still feels she doesn’t really fit in – yet when she goes home, she doesn’t fit in there either. Her old friends aren’t interested in her university life; all they want to know if when she’s going to get a boyfriend and a baby. She is caught between two classes. And on graduation she struggles just as much as Brenda to find a job. Few doors have been opened for her.
Brenda’s Got A Baby shows us that, for working class girls, there is no easy answer. The play sweeps away prejudices about young mums, not only in the way that Brenda takes control and makes a success of her life on her own terms, but also through its recorded material. The girls interviewed are not ‘scroungers’, neither are they stupid. They are frank about their shock at finding themselves pregnant, they explain how difficult it is to claim Universal Credit, to manage on just £80 a week and to find a job that fits in with 15 hours of state childcare, but they never complain. Instead they are unrelentingly cheerful, grateful for any extra support they get from their families (but understanding of their Mums’ need to have their own lives), working as hard as they can, and determined to make a better future for their children;
‘I will only get out of my parents’ class if I get out of it financially; I’d be the bridge to my children being middle class.’
‘It’s really life changing…this is life from now on.’
For all their bickering, Amy and Brenda are ultimately very caring towards one another. They find it hard to understand one another’s life choices, but by the end of the play they have accepted their differences and grown even closer.
Brenda’s Got A Baby succeeds in telling a good story while at the same time highlighting some of the issues faced by working class girls. Mahon, Hand and Rumford, all from council estates themselves, have not only researched the stories of working class women, they’ve followed this up by establishing a local parent support group. Their theatre company Bloomin’ Buds, aims to increase access to opportunity and to the arts for people from lower and working class backgournds.
Brenda’s Got A Baby is at theSpace on North Bridge (Venue 36 – NB this is now on the first floor of the Hilton Hotel) until 25 August (no show on 12 and 19 August). Tickets are available from the Fringe Box Offices or online here.
To find out more about Bloomin’ Buds Theatre Company visit www.bloominbudstheatrecompany.com
The Song of Lunch starring Robert Bathurst and Rebecca Johnson, directed by Jason Morell, is a visual and auditory delight.
It is a lyrical verse tragi-comedy deftly created by Christopher Reid which follows Bathurst’s stream of consciousness as he goes to lunch to recapture the heart of a now married woman.
The play is stunning, due to the symbiosis of a deeply intelligent script and an exceptionally classy performance by both actors.
The staging is profoundly beautiful, as the characters’ actions and surroundings are mirrored through animation. Props are limited to two wooden chairs which allows the setting to transcend physical boundaries and represent different realities; switching between the mind of the man and the restaurant itself. The set-up is simplistic but elegant, allowing the audience to fully immerse themselves in the thoughts of the actors.
Both actors do more than just give life to the script, they create another world. Bathurst and Johnson are able to manipulate the poetry to create smooth but impassioned and convincing performances. It is clear that the use of a pared back stage is to great effect in placing the focus on the language. Bathurst effectively strings the audience along with him; it is difficult to not be enamoured with his woeful tale because it is delivered so sympathetically.
This is a performance which is really impressive. The language and staging are exquisitely choreographed. By the end, one wishes they could turn back time and watch it all over again!
Pleasance Forth until 27th
This Monday 13 August, the second instalment of Underbelly’s Big Brain Tumour Benefit, will take place at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the 950 capacity McEwan Hall.
This year’s show is hosted by comedian and Scottish national treasure Susan Calman (did someone say Strictly Come Dancing?!), current host of BBC Two’s The Mash Report Nish Kumar, comedian, actor and reality star Joel Dommett, The Unbelievable Truth regular, Irish comedian and actor David O’Doherty, and Funny Women competition and Dave’s Funniest Joke of the Fringe award winner and soon-to-be Celebrity Masterchef contestant Zoe Lyons!
The special charity show was created by Underbelly in 2017 following the diagnosis of an aggressive form of brain cancer for the 5 year old son of Underbelly Co-Founder, Ed Bartlam.
Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer for children and adults under 40 and increased funding for research is desperately needed. Around 500 children and young people in the UK are diagnosed each year but diagnosis times of childhood brain tumours are longer in the UK than in many other countries. The Brain Tumour Charity’s HeadSmart campaign aims to reduce brain tumour and brain cancer diagnosis times to four weeks or less.
To date, Underbelly has raised nearly £30,000 for the Brain Tumour Charity, including £18,000 at last year’s Fringe benefit.
Tickets on sale at underbellyedinburgh.co.uk
Edinburgh Trams said today that the company topped a business benchmarking survey for customer satisfaction.
The Institute of Customer Service surveyed more than 500 customers and awarded the organisation a score of 87.9 – more than 15 points above the transport industry average and 10 points higher than the multi-sector average.
Edinburgh Trams is running against the trend of decreasing customer satisfaction across the UK with a score more than two points higher than the same survey carried out in 2017.
Dean Anderson, Customer Experience Manager at Edinburgh Trams, commented: “We’re absolutely thrilled with the results as they recognise the commitment to customer service we have as the operator of the tramway. The survey also allows us to compare our standards not only within the industry but across all sectors including well respected brands such as Amazon, John Lewis and Next.”
The Institute of Customer Service, an independent body for customer service professionals, helps organisations compare their performance against others through its respected Business Benchmarking process.
As well as considering overall satisfaction, the survey also asked customer how likely they would be to promote Edinburgh Trams. The survey found that almost 73 per cent of customer would compared to transport sector average of just 3.5 per cent.
With a ‘Customer Effort’ rating of 2.4 – whereby a lower score reflects less effort required by a customer to use a particular service – Edinburgh Trams compared very favourably with the wider industry, which had an average score of 5.
The report also contained feedback from customers, and words such as quick, efficient, reliable, clean and friendly all featured prominently in responses. More than 50 customers also made comments about their hopes of taking trams to Newhaven.
Matt Forde’s Brexit through the Gift Shop is a necessary indulgence for those who are Brexit averse. Forde brilliantly caricatures dominant political figures on the global stage allowing his audience to find rare comfort in an uncertain age. It is a set which is very much aware of its political and social context. His performance is constructed from a variety of impressions, satirical observations and quick wittedness and packaged into an easily digestible format.
His style is conversational yet remains politically astute and relevant. Forde’s central strength is his impressionist tangents in which figures from both the left and right are undermined. Politicians such as Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Jeremy Corbyn were a particular focus of his derision.
Theresa May, of course, is also unable to escape. Notable is his ability to involve all of the UK in his deconstruction. Observations about the Northern Irish and Scottish governments were shrewd and intensely comical. His ability to recreate Trump was a real highlight; his caricature involving not only the voice but aura and manner. Observations about the American presidency were successful as standalone pieces but also effectively supported his desire to obliterate the Brexit vision.
Forde clearly has a hold over the room. He is easy to listen to and as engaging in his oratory as he is politically engaged. It is not difficult to see why the show has garnered such support; mocking figures from both sides of the political spectrum, he remains balanced with a sense of honesty which keeps him in tune with his audience. If you love political satire, then this show comes highly recommended.
During this year’s Fringe, your’ doorstep could be transformed into a stage.
Deliveroo orders will be manned in the Scottish capital by actors who will perform a Shakespearean inspired monologue – written by Scotland-based actor Adam Butler – HAM-let’s To Eat or Not to Eat.
© Mikael Buck / Deliveroo
Simply by writing #EdinburghBinge within the notes of your order, diners are in with a chance of receiving a personal performance of the specially commissioned play – at no extra cost.
The production will be performed by the Bedlam Theatre Company – an entirely student run theatre in the centre of Edinburgh. Any tips given to the actors will go towards supporting the group in putting on over 40 shows a year.
An excerpt from To Eat or Not to Eat:* “It’s just too much to bear, / To grunt and sweat under a hungry mouth, / But then the dread I fear with bated breath, / The undiscovered offer, 2 for 1 / No extra topping charge, puzzles the will / And makes us rather bear those bills we have / Than fly to others that we know not of?”
Joe Groves at Deliveroo said: “Edinburgh is known for its sell out shows across the city during Fringe and we don’t want anyone to miss out. Immersive dining is so popular, we thought why can’t we deliver drama as well as mouth-watering meals to enhance the dining experience for our customers.”
The World Press Photo Exhibition showcases more than 100 of the most compelling and powerful examples of photojournalism taken over the course of 2017. The free exhibition is on display until Saturday 25 August 2018.
The images depict stories from a range of categories including contemporary issues, sport, spot news, people, the environment and nature. This year’s overall winner is Venezuelan photo-journalist Ronaldo Schemidt and his image of a man catching fire during a violent clash with riot police at a protest in Caracas.
The travelling photography exhibition aims to connect the world to the stories that matter and has been on display in 100 cities across the world, most recently in Tokyo Japan.
Deputy Presiding Officer, Christine Grahame MSP said: “The Scottish Parliament is pleased to once again welcome one of the world’s best collections of press photography.
“Not only does the exhibition showcase some of the major breaking news events and international stories that we all know and recognise, but it also importantly shines a light on lesser-known issues all around the world.
“As we’re the only location in the UK currently hosting the World Press Photo Exhibition 2018, I would encourage everyone to make the most of this outstanding exhibition and take in the world’s photojournalism at its best.”
World Press Photo Exhibitions Manager and Curator, Carla Vlaun, said:
“The World Press Photo Foundation’s mission is to connect the world to the stories that matter. In this year’s exhibition, you will see quality photojournalism showcasing events
and topics around the world – from the political and social crisis in Venezuela to elephant sanctuaries in Northern Kenya.
“This year the World Press Photo contest included the environment as a category for the first time, in response to photojournalists increasingly telling the story of human impact on the environment. We hope this new category provides photojournalists with a platform to visualize the many challenges the world faces.”
n
The World
Press Photo Exhibition 2018 will be on display until Saturday 25 August at The Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Parliament is the only parliament in the world to host the exhibition.
This year 73,000 images were submitted by 4,500 photographers from 125 countries. To find out more about the contest, and see the full list of nominees, please visit www.worldpressphoto.org.
Find out more
about World Press Photo Exhibition 2018.
Find out more about the Scottish Parliament.
Written and performed by Paige Jennifer Barr and directed by Kira Simring. Presented by Nancy Manocherian’s the cell
Cancer killed her husband, she had her first one-night stand & now she’s marrying a British accountant. When life gives you lemons, screw it, learn to play ukulele!
In her new solo show Death, Dating and I Do, New York comedicactor Paige Jennifer Barr will have you crying with laughter in a hilariously dark journey through her husband’s long battle with cancer, her shocking re-entry into dating as a young naive widow, and finding the other love of her life by accident.
She’s the power house who got JJ Abrams to send her husband the new Star Trek movie six months before it came out (days before he died); the delicate soul that had to Google the phrases ‘Netflix and chill’ & ‘dick slapping’ to find out what they meant. Even if you have not experienced epic loss, you can identify with this sweetly optimistic, quirky, funny lady, who finds herself overwhelmed and often in way over her head. Re-entering the dating pool after two decades is not for the faint-hearted and this observational comedy takes a fresh look at the bizarreness of dating in the internet age (and porn apps?). This solo show is simply funny and heartfelt, complete with original music played on her ukulele.
Just bring tissues… and an appreciation for dating apps
Paige Jennifer Barr is an accomplished actor, sketch performer, writer and casting director living in Manhattan. She has performed at The Upright Citizen’s Brigade theatre, The PIT, The Laugh Factory, The Broadway Comedy Club, and on countless other iconic New York stages. Following a successful preview in New York at Nancy Manchurian’s the cell, Paige brings Death, Dating and I Do to Edinburgh.
Venue: theSpace on the Mile (theatre 2)
Dates: 14–18 August 2018
Time: 11:15 am
Ticket prices: £7.00 / concessions £4.00
Venues box office: 0131 510 2382 / boxoffice.onthemile@thespaceuk.com
Fringe box office: 0131 226 0000 / www.edfringe.com
Suitable for 16+
The Leith Walk Police Box is available for rent for pop up ventures. Here’s their schedule for August and September.
Saturdays 1030 – 1 Edinburgh tool library – join up, borrow tools
Saturday 11th August – 11 – 3 Beats & Bakes – Cake sale fundraiser in aid of Brain Tumour charity. Contact connelly7nick@gmail.com to donate or bake for this event.
Sunday 12th August 11-4 Bambu Living Sustainably – cutting down on single use plastic by refilling containers for household products and foodstuffs
Saturday 25th August (Last Sat of the month) 2 – 5 Invisible Edinburgh Street Barber, QMU podiatry services, Socks for the Streets supporting those experiencing homelessness.
Saturday and Sunday 2 – 5 – 15th & 16th Sept, 22nd and 23rd Sept – Take One Action Film Festival 2018. Films can change the world.
Saturday 29th September (Last Sat of the month) 2 – 5 Invisible Edinburgh Street Barber, QMU podiatry services, Socks for the Streets supporting those experiencing homelessness.
Unofficial Edinburgh Fringe Comedy Dog Show will take place on Sunday 12 August at 2pm on The Meadows (between Jawbone Walk and Middle Meadow Walk)
Hibs’ Europa League quest continued with a 0-0 draw against Norwegian side Molde at Easter Road tonight.
The hosts dominated possession and created a number of good chances but were unable to break down the Molde defence during a pulsating 90 minutes of non-stop action.
Neil Lennon made two changes to the starting XI that beat Motherwell in the opening league game of the season on Sunday. Ross Laidlaw replaced the injured Adam Bogdan whilst Vykintas Slivka took over from John McGinn who signed for Aston Villa yesterday.
New on-loan midfielder Emerson Hyndman was listed amongst the substitutes.
Molde were without their star striker, 18-year-old Erling Braut Haaland, son of Alfe Inge who left the team hotel at 4am to travel to Salzburg where he signed for a reported fee of £6m although it is understood that he may be loaned back to Molde for the remainder of the season and could possibly be available or the return leg next week.
Lennon took his place in the dug-out for the first time this season and the Hibs’ fans created a fantastic atmosphere as the game kicked off in the sunshine on Leith.
Hibs started strongly and Efe Ambrose set up Slivka but his shot was blocked for a corner. In the fourth minute Stevie Mallan fired a powerful volley just over the bar then two minutes later another long-range effort rebounded off the crossbar with the Molde goalkeeper Andreas Linde stranded.
The keeper was called into action moments later and did well to save from Slivka as Hibs continued to press forward.
The visitors looked dangerous whenever they attacked however and Paul Hanlon did well to cut out a low cross into the danger area.
Florian Kamberi then did well to latch onto a long ball from David Gray before cutting in from the right wing but his cross/shot went wide of the far post.
In the 20th minute Ambrose took off on one of his customary dribbles before sliding the ball to Mallan who unleashed a tremendous 25-yard drive which Linde did well to save.
Martin Boyle then had the fans on their feet with a great run down the right but his cross was headed clear,
Hibs had a scare in the 24th minute when Ambrose landed heavily on his shoulder after winning a header in the middle of the park. The defender required treatment but was able to continue.
Lewis Stevenson did well to bock a shot from Etzaz Hussain before Mallan produced a sensational piece of skill to make room for a shot which Linde just managed to tip over the bar.
Mallan earned a round of applause for a wonderful 60 yard Crossfield pass to Stevenson then just before the break, Ryan Porteous did well to supply Gray but the full-backs cross was cleared.
The visitors had he better of the early part of he second half and Porteous was booked for pulling Magnus Wolff Eikram’s jersey. Hussain joined him in the book after chopping down Slivka as tackles flew in thick and fast.
Boyle came within inches of giving Hibs the lead but his toe-poke from Slivka’s through ball flew just past the post.
Stevenson then sent a great cross into the box which Stian Gregersen sliced over his own crossbar.
From the resultant corner Gray sent a powerful header toward the bottom corner but Linde produced a world cass save to deny the Hibs’ captain.
At the other end Porteous did well to intercept a cross from the left before finding Mallan with a long pass. The midfielder found Kamberi but the striker’s effort was blocked.
Gregersen was lucky to escape a red-card for chopping down Stevenson but the referee decided that a yellow was sufficient punishment.
In the 66th minute, Kamberi nodded the ball into the path of Boyle but his shot was blocked.
Boyle then claimed fo a penalty after being bundled over by Vegard Forren but the referee was correct to ignore his pleas.
With 12-minutes remaining, Lennon replaced Marvin Bartley and Kamberi with Hyndman and Oli Shaw as Hibs looked to find a goal.
In time added on Stevenson won the ball in midfield and found Hyndman who set up Shaw but the youngster’s back post cross evaded everyone.
In the final minute Mallan’s cross was headed into the path of Hyndman by Gray but the midfielder’s fierce half volley was well saved and he game ended goalless.
Both teams left the field to a standing ovation from the fans and the second leg takes place in Molde next Thursday.
Hibs: Laidlaw, Gray, Hanlon, Bartley, Slivka, Boyle, Mallan, Stevenson, Kamberi, Ambrose, Porteous Subs: Dabrowski, Whittaker, MacLaren, Swanson, Hyndman, Shaw, F.Murray
Molde: Linde, Gabrielsen. Forren, Gregersen, Wolff Eikrem, Sarr, Strand,Hussain, Hestad, Chima, Haugen Subs: Ranmark, SSewankambo, Mostrom, James, Remmer, Cibicki, Brustad
Referee Adam Farkas (Hungary)
Attendance 16,399
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