Muriel Spark 100 will mark the centenary of Dame Muriel Spark one of Scotland’s best loved and most internationally respected writers. The year long programme of events is led by Creative Scotland and the National Library of Scotland in collaboration with a host of partner individuals, groups and organisations,.

You can find more details on the new centenary website, murielspark100.com

There will be new funds for artists and groups to develop and present new work as part of the centenary year and Muriel Spark 100 organisers want anyone with plans to mark the centenary, to get in touch with them.

All 22 of Spark’s novels will be republished by Polygon, with an imprint of Birlinn ltd (from Nov ‘17); the unveiling of Spark’s extraordinary archive at a landmark National Library of Scotland exhibition (Dec ‘17-May ‘18);  leading Scottish writers Ali Smith, Val McDermid, Janice Galloway, Kate Clanchy and Louise Welsh reflecting on Spark’s career in a new BBC Radio 3 series (Jan ‘18); an international conference bringing together fans and academics to explore all aspects of Spark’s writing (Jan/Feb ‘18); Edinburgh Spy Week’s spotlight on the ways in which espionage, secrecy and spying play out in her work (Apr ’18) and a specially commissioned BBC Scotland/BBC4 documentary about the author’s life and work (early ‘18).

Dame Muriel’s great friend, Penelope Jardine, said: “Muriel’s contribution to Scottish Letters is one of manifest originality, brevity of wit, with the musical composition and rhythms of a poet.  Something unforgettable sui generis.”

The initiative has been welcomed by Scotland’s Culture Secretary, Fiona Hyslop: “I’m really excited about the forthcoming celebration of Muriel Spark 100. Dame Muriel Spark was one of Scotland’s literary giants and, to this day, her work continues to inspire generations of readers and writers and resonates with audiences across the country and beyond.

“I commend Creative Scotland, the National Library of Scotland and all the other partners involved for delivering such an engaging and varied programme of activity and I am looking forward to attending some of these events next year.”

Many plans are still being progressed.  From book and film festivals, literary and art education institutions to libraries, galleries, museums – big and small – unique collaborations are being forged and new perspectives are being developed in response to Spark’s life and work.

As details are confirmed they will be announced through the website,  , and posted through the following channels: @MurielSpark100 / #murielspark100 / facebook.com/murielspark100

Muriel Spark 100 chair and Creative Scotland head of Literature, Publishing and Languages, Jenny Niven, said: “The centenary of Dame Muriel Spark’s birth is both a landmark moment and an unparalleled opportunity to permanently influence the way in which this leading figure of Scotland’s cultural history features in the public imagination.

“There is so much to explore in Ms Spark’s work, from her incisive commentary, to her startling poetry, to her ability to effortlessly weave folk tradition with biting satire. It’s a particularly interesting time too to consider her legacy, as a Scottish writer who was fiercely international in her approach and who broke through a great many barriers in her career.

“It’s testament to her range and relevance that so many Scottish organisations will engage with her work and legacy throughout 2018 and we are looking forward enormously to this varied and unusual programme.

“Creating space for contemporary writers and artists to reflect on Muriel Spark’s influence on them is also very important to this project and we hope to see some really exciting and ambitious proposals through the small grants fund in her name.”

National Librarian, Dr John Scally, said: “The opportunity to celebrate the life and work of Dame Muriel Spark is as exciting a prospect as opening one of her books for the very first time.

“She is one of Scotland’s finest ever writers and her reputation extends far beyond these shores. It is fitting therefore that the National Library of Scotland and Creative Scotland are marking the centenary of her birth with Muriel Spark 100 – a year-long programme of activity that promises to be lively, varied and engaging.”

Small Grants Scheme

Awards of up to £1,500 are available to support people and projects across a range of art forms. The deadline for proposals is Monday 4 December 2017, with selected projects being announced in early 2018.  Further details, funding guidelines and application form are available on Creative Scotland’s website here:  www.creativescotland.com/murielspark100fund

More ways to join in…

For those looking to develop events or who would like to mark the centenary in some way – from exhibitions to readings, talks to screenings – contact Muriel Spark 100 Project Coordinator Sabrina Leruste at s.leruste@nls.uk who can offer advice on promoting events as part of the Muriel Spark 100 programme and making connections with relevant counterparts.

Photo by Neil Hanna

Increased health and social care services to be brought by renamed, £12.1M Health Centre

North West Edinburgh Partnership Centre will now be known as Pennywell All Care Centre following an open renaming competition with local High School, Craigroyston Community.

Dylan Stone, an S2 pupil from Craigroyston Community High School, suggested the new name for the joint development between NHS Lothian and the City of Edinburgh Council. The name was chosen by the Project Board from a shortlist of over ten names.

Earlier today, Dylan joined his family, school teachers and representatives from each of the services moving into the new centre, and announced the new name of the centre.

Overwhelmed by the being the spotlight, Dylan said; “I’m thrilled to see my name choice on the sign up in front of the new centre. My school is just round the corner and can see it from the school gates.

He said: “Having all the services under one roof is a great idea and that’s why I wanted to include the word ‘all’ in the name.”

Councillor Ricky Henderson, Chair of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board, said: “Involving local pupils in the renaming of the centre has been a great way to highlight the importance of community services.

“It’s a great name for the new centre as it has a positive all inclusive ring to it and will serve the new Centre well for many years to come.

“Pennywell All Care Centre will bring together health and social care services in one place providing valuable support for patients and service users in the local community.

“This is another example of an effective partnership approach, good for people and good for improving health in Edinburgh.”

North Berwick is the only town near Edinburgh which features in the Britain in Bloom awards. It won Gold in the Coastal category for its fabulous floral displays which brighten up the town, displaying an exceptionally high standard.

Scotland won more discretionary awards than anywhere else in the UK. Aberdeen won Gold in the Champion of Champions category with a discretionary award for its parks and green spaces.

As ever Forres won in the Town category. If you have ever visited you will know that the flowers and plants which decorate the town are outstanding.

RHS judges visited the 78 finalists over the summer to assess each group against three key criteria: community participation, environmental responsibility and horticultural achievement.

Depending on the standard reached, a Gold, Silver Gilt, Silver or Bronze medal is awarded, with a winner in each category and discretionary awards for achieving excellence in particular fields.

Between them, this year’s Britain in Bloom finalists planted over a million trees, bulbs and other plants, transforming villages, towns and cities into green havens that lift people’s spirits and improve their wellbeing.

The gardening campaign involves about 300,000 local volunteers who work year-round to make a difference in our towns and cities.

Roger Burnett, Chair of the RHS Britain in Bloom judges, said: “It’s a huge honour to witness how Britain in Bloom brings people together and the lengths that groups go to to make their communities clean, green and beautiful. We saw an incredible diversity of different planting schemes, including wildflower meadows for wildlife, community food growing and plants chosen to cope with our changing climate.

“This year, the standard was as high as ever but what really stood out was the creativity and ingenuity that groups showed in tackling the specific challenges of their particular areas, whether that be lack of funding, local social issues or tricky site conditions.”

Britain in Bloom is now in its 53^rd year and, for the first time, a new BBC Two series following the quintessentially British competition is set to air in spring 2018.

It was four years ago that Edinburgh won a gold Britain in Bloom award.

The council is  launching the Annual Review of Major Events in Parks for the season 2016 – 2017.

Feedback from this review will help the council to identify any problems or issues which arose and also highlight the benefits of these events.

They say that information gathered will allow them to deal with any concerns by adapting management arrangements in future years.

The Parks, Greenspace and Cemeteries Service would welcome your views and feedback, the link below will take you directly to the consultation through which any comments or suggestions can be made.

This consultation will close on Wednesday 22 November 2017 and the results reported to the Transport and Environment Committee in March 2018.

https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/sfc/parks-events-review-2016-17

On Friday 10 November Museum Lates is back with a Jacobite theme marking the end of the Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland which has been running all summer.

For those looking to dance the night away, Museum Lates plans a ceilidh to remember. Experts and novices alike will be invited to dust off their do-si-dos and swing their partners to and fro as traditional tunes played by The Jacobites ceilidh band reverberate around the iconic Grand Gallery. The ever-popular silent disco will return to the Imagine gallery providing the opportunity to dance like no-one’s watching and sing like nobody’s listening.

Traditional will meet contemporary when headliners RnB pop duo Bossy Love take to the stage with their outlandish style. The event will be hosted by Museum Lates favourite Vic Galloway who will also be providing a selection of floorfillers to bring the night to a close.

The ceilidh is just one of the many Scottish-themed activities taking place throughout the evening to mark the final weekend of the Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites exhibition, which closes on Sunday 12 November. Event-goers can pledge their allegiance to the Jacobite cause at craft stations by making a cockade to add a flourish to any Friday night outfit, or they can channel their inner Jacobite with costumed capers at the photo booth and secret Jacobite symbols temporary tattoos.

Outlander fans can create their own film scene with the Edinburgh Sketcher, staff from our curatorial team will be on hand to tackle fake news Jacobite style and Hawthornden Court will reflect the grandeur of the European Jacobite courts.

No Museum Lates would be complete without pop-up bars and food stalls. Stop off at the gin bar in the Entrance Hall, sip prosecco in the Grand Gallery and sample street food to keep energy levels up for the evening’s eclectic entertainment.

Late-goers will have the rare opportunity to explore the National Museum of Scotland at night. Combo ticket-holders can also delve into the complex and layered story of the Jacobites in the five-star exhibition, Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites.

Tickets are on sale now at www.nms.ac.uk/lates or call 0300 123 6789. Strictly 18+. The live music programme is curated by media partner, The List.

Tickets for the Museum Late only are priced £12 (£10 concessions and National Museums Scotland members), combined tickets for the Late plus admission to the exhibition, Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites are £20 (£18 for members/concessions).

Museum Late: Jacobites

Friday 10 November 2017, 7pm–10.30pm

National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh

#nmslates

www.nms.ac.uk/lates

Photo Neil Hanna Photography
www.neilhannaphotography.co.uk
07702 246823

NEW ALBUM OUT TODAY😍 Salem is available in CD / LP / DIGITAL … https://t.co/EOyU9zKnW6 HMx pic.twitter.com/r26TIIPVJh

— HolyMoly&theCrackers (@HolyMolyHQ) July 14, 2017

Tell us about your new album Salem…

After our first album (First Avenue) and its lovely nostalgic naivety, we got pretty dark with Salem. As a band we’ve always been into the magical and mysterious. Especially the dark theatrical craziness of New Orleans culture, the city where death and the spirit world are celebrated in the most spectacular way: witchcraft, voodoo, Day of the Dead, Mardi Gras, jazz funerals, the ghost stories of the bayou.

When I realised that we’d be tracking the drums above a 12^th Century family tomb I told Tommy, our drummer, to play the drums loud enough to wake the dead. The album is infused with a real gothic vibe. 

You’ve been hailed for your festival performances and live shows, what can we expect from your upcoming Edinburgh show? 

We’ve worked hard for this tour, and done a heavy year of gigs, so we’re tight at the moment. When we’re tight we have fun because we can concentrate more on the performance that the music. It will be a fast, loud, high energy performance and we expect the audience to keep up with us. There – I’ve laid down the challenge …

What is the best gig you’ve ever played as a band? 

Maybe Glastonbury. We started and maybe there were 50 people watching us in a 1000 capacity tent. I closed my eyes for the duration of the song. I opened them and the tent was full and jumping! I turned around to the rest of the band and we all looked at each other. It was probably that moment when I was like – shit, this works. 

Have you been to Edinburgh before – if so what memories do you have of playing here before? 

Oh yes we’ve been before. We cut our teeth as a band (and friends) busking the Royal Mile and Grass Market at the Fringe in 2012. I lost my falsetto and top register and never got it back! I like to call it Tom Waits chic. We’ve been many times since then – performing at Henry Cellar’s, Voodoo Rooms and Sneaky Petes. The city holds a lot of good memories for us, and a lot of lost memories too.

I blame it on the whisky.

The Lord Provost of Edinburgh is to write to the state leader of Burma calling for a peaceful resolution to the Rohingya crisis.

At a meeting of the Full Council on Thursday elected members agreed unanimously to the Lord Provost’s request to publicly condemn the crisis and express the people of Edinburgh’s demands for the violence to end.

Writing exclusively for the Edinburgh Reporter, the Lord Provost said: “Attacks in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, by the Myanmar armed forces under the command of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, have forced hundreds of thousands of Burmese Muslims to flee from their towns and villages. Many have found refuge in Bangladesh, but most are living in temporary shelters without adequate access to food and water, having left their homes, jobs, and communities behind. The horrific images we have seen and stories we have heard of the terror, fear, and violence these innocent families are enduring are truly heart-breaking.

“Burma is a country with longstanding connections with Scotland, where many Scots served in the Second World War, and I want the people of Burma to know that Edinburgh stands with the victims of this crisis. That is why I raised a Motion at a meeting of the Full Council this week and why I will be writing to Myanmar’s State Councillor, echoing the calls for ceasefire from Amnesty International and the many aid agencies who are helping tirelessly on the ground.

“Many people in Scotland do not realise that the leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is no stranger to the City of Edinburgh or to this Council. In 2005, while she was under house arrest, the City of Edinburgh Council awarded her ‘in absentia’ in the presence of her son and the Director of Amnesty International with the highest Honour we can give – the Freedom of the City. A magnolia tree was planted in her honour in Princes Street Gardens and a street party rally was held in Parliament Square by Amnesty International, the Burma Educational Scholarship Trust, and the Scottish Refugee Council.

“For while Aung Sang Suu Kyi is widely criticised internationally for her current handling of what has now become a humanitarian aid crisis, she was presented with the Freedom of the City 12 years ago for her long history of fighting for Burmese equalities. In making this award, the Council took an active decision to raise public awareness about the continuing human rights abuses in Burma. To revoke it would be to turn our back on our original aims.

“We instead ask Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, as a recipient of the Freedom of the City of Edinburgh, to use her influence and moral courage to intervene to stop the violence, to allow UN and international scrutiny and mediation to commence immediately, and to ensure a safe, democratic, and peaceful solution for the people of the region.”

Amnesty International’s Scotland Programme Director, Kate Nevens, told us: “Aung San Suu Kyi has repeatedly denied the true extent of the horrors being suffered by people across Myanmar’s Rakhine State, despite overwhelming evidence that security forces are engaged in a campaign of ethnic cleansing.

“Rohingya eyewitnesses inside Rakhine State, and refugees in Banglades, told our researchers on the ground in the region about the security forces’ systematic approach to ethnic cleansing: Soldiers, police, and vigilante groups sometimes encircle a village and fire into the air before entering, but often just storm in and start firing in all directions, with people fleeing in panic. As surviving villagers desperately try to leave the area, security forces torch houses using petrol or shoulder-fired rocket launchers.

“These indiscriminate attacks, have forced more than 530,000 Rohingya to flee northern Rakhine State and seek asylum in Bangladesh, where they squat in rice fields or live in appalling conditions in makeshift camps. We will continue to call on the Myanmar government to end the violent attacks and other human rights violations against the Rohingya.”

Many organisations are supporting those in need on the ground. If you would like to show your support, please add your voice to Amnesty International’s growing list of calls for an end to violence

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions/stop-violence-against-rohingya-myanmar

or you may donate to support Amnesty’s work to protect human rights in Burma and around the world https://www.amnesty.org.uk/campaign/myanmar-rohingya-crisis-appeal-action-takers-part1.

Photos from Myanmar courtesy of Mary Durkacz. 

Green MSPs and councillors reacted angrily to a proposal by the council to close the City of Edinburgh Music School following the Finance & Resources Committee earlier today.

But is it under threat of closure?

In the draft budget proposals which were laid before the Finance and Resources Committee earlier today there is simply one line stating that the saving by creating a citywide Equity and Excellence Music Service would save the council £363,000 under the theme of Service Transformation.

There was a lot of comment by members of the committee that these one line themes were not helpful and needed fleshed out. The Finance Convener, Councillor Alasdair Rankin, repeatedly said that the details would come out as the consultation launched on Monday.

But following the defeat of the administration’s motion based on these one line themes at today’s meeting, that consultation will no longer start on Monday and it will be delayed. The budget meeting for February 2018 is already set in the diary and is the date when the council sets its budget for the next year.

It appears that someone who was privy to an internal council briefing document dated 13 October 2017 delivered a copy to the Lothians Green Party MSP Andy Wightman. You can read that on Andy Wightman’s website here and it is clear that closure is very much in the minds of the council. Nothing about closure was mentioned in the papers for today’s committee meeting.

When pupils and parents of the City of Edinburgh Music School got wind of a possible closure however, they protested appropriately :

Students of the City of Edinburgh Music School protest over council budget proposals which would close the Music School pic.twitter.com/okLHzvwndY

— Claire MacBride (@ClaireMacBride1) October 27, 2017

Mr Wightman said that while he recognises the “serious funding challenges” facing the council, he could see no sense in the proposal from an “educational point of view”.

At the committee meeting today the Finance Convener called in a council officer to speak to the matter of the music school. It appears that there are 60 pupils and it costs the council £452,000 so the cost to the council is an additional £7,500 on top of the £6,500 it costs to educate each pupil anyway.

It must be made clear that these are pupils who have real musical ability and who have passed an audition to get into the music school where they get tuition first of all in classes and then on a one to one as they progress through the school.

Conservative Councillor Iain Whyte commented at today’s meeting : “We are back to the original problem that we have a line in the report with a sum of money beside it but no detail.

Claire Miller, a Green councillor and member of the council’s finance committee, says parents and pupils must have their say before any final decision.

Lothian MSP Andy Wightman said: “I am utterly opposed to this proposal. It makes no sense from an educational point of view and represents a substantial cut in music tuition across the city. I recognise that local government is facing serious funding challenges and that is why, at Holyrood, I am arguing for more resource and for greater fiscal autonomy for councils.

“Closing one of Scotland’s national centres of excellence in the arts is indefensible and I will work with our team of Green councillors to do everything I can to make sure parents’ and pupils’ voices are heard before any decisions are taken.”

Green member of Edinburgh’s finance committee Cllr Claire Miller supported today’s decision by the committee to delay the budget consultation by 11 days.

Councillor Miller said: “The council administration was seeking approval to consult on £21m of potential budget cuts with only a bare single line describing each cut and leaving it unclear what the actual cut was.  That’s close to asking opposition members to sign off a blank cheque and is no way to run public services. By delaying 11 days, the full detail can be available before the consultation is signed off.”

Miller added: “It is unacceptable for families whose worlds have been turned upside by discovering overnight that their school may disappear.  It is crucial that parents’ and pupils’ voices are heard before any decisions are taken.”

So we have to ask why the apparent lack of transparency? We attended a briefing at the City Chambers earlier this week when this was barely mentioned. Instead there was much discussion of the possible £1million savings in the Chief Executive’s department by leaving vacant posts vacant, improving the way the council recover unpaid council tax and business rates, increasing the council’s income by using its assets (buildings etc) better. Oh and then there was the £25 a year charge (per household) to pick up garden waste. That rather pales in comparison with this.

Given the number of parents who attended the City Chambers today to protest (even during the meeting from the public gallery) it seems that this may well be something that the council have to consider again.

And we all might have to look more carefully at the details behind the council’s budget proposals, making it all the more important that we all have our say or #playyourpart when the consultation is eventually launched.

The next Finance & Resources committee meeting is on 7 November 2017 when we imagine there will be deputations from parents and pupils at the Music School. Much as there was today.

Former pupil Callum Thomson has tried quite hard on Twitter today to put forward some facts of his own about the City of Edinburgh Music School and its pupils :

Such ignorance in that doc of what CoEMS does. It’s not just for Edinburgh kids! I travelled in from E Lothian, classmates from Fife and D&G

— Callum Thomson (@2lsnop) October 27, 2017

Dispersing (less) £ around Edinburgh will provide worse teaching for only local kids. And end the ‘community’ of musicians that is CoEMS

— Callum Thomson (@2lsnop) October 27, 2017

SGB Championship: Glasgow Tigers 43, Workington Comets 47

Glasgow Tigers bid to finish a disappointing season on a high note ended in disappointment.

They lost 47-43 at home to Workington Comets with former Glasgow rider Ben Barker using his track knowledge to top score for the visitors with 13 points.

Richard Lawson was best for Glasgow with 12 points.

The home side led 21-15 after six races but Comets fought back and stunned Tigers with a 5-1 in Heat 11 thanks to Barker and Mason Campton.

They closed the match out with four straight 3-3 scorelines.

A film raising the issue of polio nationally is on general release on the eve of Post Polio Syndrome (PPS) Day on Thursday,

The British Polio Fellowship seeks to raise the profile of the plight faced by an estimated 120,000 people in the UK who live with PPS.

It’s a neurological condition for which there is no cure.

Ted Hill, chief executive officer of the charity, said: “The launch of Breathe is perfect timing for this year’s PPS Day,

“Over 6,000 Scots are directly affected by PPS and a film can get polio back in the public mind.”

The fifth annual PPS Day begins with an event in the Garden Lobby at the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood at 5.30pm.

Speakers include Alex Neil MSP and Dr Graham Cope and a speaker from the Scottish Post Polio Network.

Ten iconic venues across Scotland will be floodlit in British Polio blue and green in solidarity with the 120,000 people in the UK living with PPS.

Venues include Edinburgh Castle, Inverness Castle, Glasgow Cathedral, the Falkirk Wheel and The Kelpies in Grangemouth.

Mr Hill added: “Breathe is an important reminder of the personal devastation caused by polio and that the battle to beat the legacy of this disease is far from over in the shape of PPS.

“We hope to educate people of this significant and important national and global health issue.”

For further information about the British Polio Fellowship visit www.britishpolio.org.uk or call 0800 043 1935.

For more on PPS Day 2017: https://britishpolio.org.uk/pps-day-2017/

Ten-time world darts champion Trina Gulliver took on all comers as she toured Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory.

Warwickshire-based Trina is in Scotland as part of a six-strong team of professionals taking part in two charity exhibition events to help raise money for Poppyscotland.

On Saturday, Trina joins stars of the oche. Darryl Fitton, Tony O’Shea, Gary Robson, Deta Hedman and former world champion Andy Fordham at an exhibition event in Ardrossan.

Another event is in Bathgate on Sunday in a bid to raise close to £10,000 to help fund Poppyscotland’s life-changing support to the Armed Forces community Scotland.

Gordon Michie, Poppyscotland’s head of fundraising, said: “Last year’s event in Bathgate was brilliant and raised vital funds for the charity.

“So, to have two events in 2017 highlights how much people love their darts and how they are prepared to go the extra mile to support Poppyscotland.”

Kirknewton now has a newly elected community council following a procedure which has taken since February to complete.

The ballot papers for the full postal ballot were sent out on 5 October and the count took place last night 26 October 2017.

In the previous election only 25% of the electorate voted. This time there was a 24.2% turnout.

The 18 new community councillors out of a possible 27 who stood for election are :

• Martyn Lee Blainey
• Susan Mary Campbell
• John Cunningham
• Victor Garrad
• Neill Gwynne
• Fiona Halliday
• Patricia Steward Hastings
• Hugh Hunter Gordon
• Angel Jones Lynch
• Francis John Lynch
• Sian Wynne Markx
• Kirsty McKeown
• Stewart James McKenna
• Mary Anne Hamilton Pinkerton
• John Sives
• John Thomas
• Ian Watt
• Tammy Wood

The inaugural meeting will take place on 14 November 2017 in the Green Room.

If you are interested in getting involved with the community council or attending meetings then you can find out more here.

Image courtesy of Kirknewton News

The deadline for applications for the Shell International’s enterprise support programme for UK low-carbon businesses is Monday, 6 November (5pm).

Successful applicants will be shortlisted for two regional finals in Aberdeen and Cambridge in early 2018.

There they will pitch their businesses to a panel of experts and investors from the low-carbon sector.

Each event will put forward three finalists, each being awarded equity-free funding of £40,000.

These six regional winners will then go forward to the national final in London where one business will be crowned the national winner and receive additional funding of £110,000.

Almost 84 per cent of supported companies remain in operation five years after starting-up in contrast to a national average of about 45 per cent.

To find out more, visit www.shellspringboard.org

The Elite League have removed Simon Kirkham as Head of the Department of Player Safety (DOPS) with immediate effect.

The shock news follows confirmation that the Department of Player Safety have banned Sheffield Steelers’ Colton Fretter for six games. Sheffield visit Fife Flyers on Saturday.

The sentence has been upped from one game after an independent review of an incident in last Sundays game between Sheffield and Belfast Giants.

It also involved Belfast Giants star Spiro Goulakos who is now suspended for two games instead of three. Giants visit Braehead on Saturday and Edinburgh on Sunday.

Lyle Seitz, a former National Hockey League linesman, was used along with members of the Player Safety Committee (PSC).

Seitz along with the PSC have agreed to assist the league in the interim until the board meet on November 8 for an emergency session to discuss DOPS and refereeing.

A police investigation is underway to trace a dog owner after a woman was seriously injured from being thrown off her horse and into a tree on a woodland trek in Gore Glen, Gorebridge, at around 1.30pm yesterday afternoon.

Two horse-riders were approached by a dog which ran towards the horses causing them to bolt resulting in one of the riders being thrown.

She was seriously injured following the fall and was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where she is still receiving treatment.

Enquiries are ongoing to trace the dog’s owner and anyone with information is asked to come forward.

The dog walker is described as a white female, about 40, 5ft 6in, of slim build and with long pink or red hair.

Her dog is described as being white and possibly a greyhound.

Sergeant Stuart Aitchison said: “The horses have been distressed by the dog who continued to chase one of the horses after the rider was dismounted.

“I would appeal for anyone who witnessed the incident, or who recognises the description of the suspect and her dog, to contact police immediately.”

Biz East Lothian is the title of a major networking initiative in East Lothian in November.

Over 100 businesses are expected to attend the final Biz East Lothian coffee morning of the year on Friday, November 17.

It’s a bigger event than usual to mark National Business Week and a number of East Lothian Council departments will be there.

A spokesman said this was an ideal opportunity to meet the council and to hear from three local businesses about their stories and plans for the future.

Eskmills Venue in Musselburgh will host the event from 8.30am and it is informal.

The spokesman added: “Everyone will be warmly welcomed so please come along, bring guests and business cards/flyers.”

Booking is essential via Eventbrite on https://bizeastlothiannovember17.eventbrite.com

A 23-year-old man and a 24-year-old man have been arrested and charged  after police recovered a gun and drugs worth £128,000 in a series of raids on houses in Longstone Terrace Stenhouse Street West, and Stenhouse Mill Crescent yesterday.

They are due to appear in court on Friday.

Detective Inspector Kevin Harkins said: “The recovery of these drugs, cash and a firearm reiterates our commitment to tackling serious organised crime and sends a clear message to those involved that we will not tolerate their illegal activities in Edinburgh.

“These arrests are an excellent example of an intelligence-led police operation supported by information provided by the public in Edinburgh who do not want organised criminals ruining their communities.

“I urge anyone who has information about those involved in organised crime, or regarding drugs, firearms or cash that has no obvious or egitimate source, to please contact us on 101 or make an anonymous report to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Police are renewing their appeal for information following the death of Darran Everett in Musselburgh.

Darran was sadly found deceased in the town’s harbour just before 6pm on Friday 13th October. Officers are investigating his death, which is being treated as unexplained, and are further appealing for anyone who may have seen him prior to this to come forward.

Detective Inspector Graham Garvie of the Lothians and Scottish Borders CID is leading the investigation and said: “The last sighting of Darran was at 6pm exactly two weeks ago, on Thursday 12th October at a property in Burns Wynd in Musselburgh. As well as wanting to hear from anyone who may have seen him after that time, we are also looking to establish where he spent the night that night and the Wednesday night beforehand.

“Darran was wearing a black hooded Mckenzie jacket with a red logo, navy jogging bottoms and blue sand shoes with a white sole when he was last seen – he was 5′ 7” tall, of slim build and had short brown hair.

“A week ago I appealed for information on Darran’s whereabouts before his death, and the response was disappointing – I would urge anyone who may have seen him or has any information that can help us to piece together his last movements and help his family understand what happened, to please contact police.”

Anyone with information should contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident 3061 of Friday 13th October, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

With three games remaining, Hearts 56 have increased their lead at the top of the inaugural Scottish Walking Football league to two points over Gala Fairydean Rovers.

The Edinburgh side beat Stirling 2-0 in the opening game of Wednesday’s session then drew 2-2 with Ayr United before being awarded all three points when Fife Wanderers were unable to field a team.

Second placed Gala Fairydean Rovers won two games but lost 5-4 in a nine goal thriller against Greater Glasgow United.

Hearts 98 won all three games and narrowed the gap at the top.

League games are played at Ravenscraig Sports Centre in Motherwell and ten teams from throughout Scotland take part.

The matches last 18 minutes each and three games are played during each session.

The competition is open to men and women aged over 50 and so far has proved to be a huge success with some fantastic football on display.

The final round of fixtures take place on Wednesday 22nd November.

Hearts 56 have 40 points whilst Gala Fairydean Rovers have 38 and Hearts 98 are on 37 points.

All three teams face each other on the final day which adds to the excitement.

The full results from Wednesday’s session are as follows.

Game 13

Tulibody Community FC 2 v 1 NL

Stenhousemuir 1 v 8 Hearts 98

Stirling 0 v 2 Hearts 56

Ayr United 1 v 0 Glasgow Sport

Fife Wanderers 0 v 2 Galafairydean Rovers

Game 14

Galafairydean Rovers 5 v 1 Tulibody Community FC

Glasgow Sport 2 v 0 Fife Wanderers

Hearts 56 2 v 2 Ayr United

Hearts 98 2 v 1 Stirling

NL 2 v 1 Stenhousemuir

Game 15

Tulibody Community FC 1 v 2 Stenhousemuir

Stirling 5 v 0 NL

Ayr United 1 v 4 Hearts 98

Fife Wanderers 0 v 2 Hearts 56

Galafairydean Rovers 4 v 5 Glasgow Sport

With only two months to go before Hogmanay Underbelly have announced the full list of musicians and bands who will play at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay.

Rag’n’Bone Man is the headline act at the Concert in the Gardens, and now today we find out that he will be supported by Declan McKenna and Nina Nesbitt.

From his stellar launch onto the UK’s music scene in 2015 when he saw a major label fight to sign him, to his US radio hit Brazil. 2017 saw the release of Declan McKenna’s hotly anticipated debut album What Do You Think About the Car? Which midweeked at 4 in the UK album charts, and cracking appearances on Later with Jools Holland and packed out tents at Glastonbury and Lollapalooza festivals, Declan is one of the hottest young talents in the world and often referred to as the ‘voice of a generation’ with his eloquent, social conscious lyrics.

Edinburgh’s own singer-songwriter Nina Nesbitt came to prominence in 2013 with her single Stay Out. This year she’s back with a refreshed, matured sound. Producing her own tracks and signed to the Cooking Vinyl label, Nina has recently released The Moments I’m Missing and The Best You Had and was recently announced as BBC Radio 1’s Artist of the Day. She’s supported Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber on tour and her instantly recognisable voice and cool electronic sound has seen her described as one of the most exciting pop artists releasing music this year.

There are three stages ready to rock the anticipated 60,000 revellers in the capital into 2018. Here are the details!

WAVERLEY STAGE

Pop legends The Human League will no doubt go down well playing  their well-known songs Don’t You Want Me and Mirror Man will also play some of their newer music.

Sacred Paws won Scottish Album of the Year with their debut album Strike a Match in early 2017. Their music proves popular on BBC 6 Music.

Niteworks from the Isle of Skye fuse folk and modern club music.

 EAST END STAGE

Treacherous Orchestra won Album of the Year at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards and this eleven-strong band will have you dancing in the streets.

Barns Courtney topped Spotify with Fire and Glitter and Gold. He has been the support act for The Who, The Libertines and Blur. This year he released his debut album The Attractions of Youth.

Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5 will be an unexpected addition but they sound like a lot of fun. They describe their sound as ‘what happens if Primal Scream and Happy Mondays had children genetically fused with the DNA of Frank Zappa, Bob Marley, James Brown, George Clinton and Neil Diamond’.

CASTLE STREET STAGE

Headlining the DJ Stage is Huey Morgan the front man of Fun Loving’ Criminals.

Hosts for the evening are The Mac Twins who are the official DJs for Love Island playing live on ITV 2 every Sunday night.

Ceilidh under the Castle with Edinburgh Gin

Scottish ceilidh with three of Scotland’s finest bands to try out your Strip the Willow, Canadian Barn Dances and Eightsome Reels.

The Occasionals, Heilan Crew and Kipper Ceilidh will take turns at keeping you up on your feet.

Street Party

Scotland welcomes the world through its Front Door this Hogmanay to its brand new, re-booted Street Party, where from 7.00pm to 1.00am, an animated and carnival atmosphere will occupy the full length of the Princes Street arena.

The Party is put back in the Street with bands, DJs, street dancers, flash mobs and acrobatics on stages up and down the street, making it the best, most vibrant party anywhere in the world that night. There will be communal moments to bring everyone together in a massive celebration, and singular moments surprising people up and down the arena.

Every party needs a host and Sanjeev Kohli (Still Game, BBC) is the first Hogmanay host, entertaining and guiding the crowds throughout the arena.

Ringing in the New Year, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay sees the longest, biggest and best fireworks display for years – all set to music and once again launched from Edinburgh Castle.

Charlie Wood and Ed Bartlam, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, said: “we’re thrilled to announce the full music line-up for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay which we’re immensely proud of.  Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is the UK’s, if not the world’s, best New Year celebration and this diverse line up of up and coming talent such as Declan and Barns, current superstars, like Rag‘n’Bone Man, and pop legend the Human League really demonstrates that.  We’re also delighted to have Scottish acts showcased on every stage at Scotland’s New Year festival.”

Underbelly has engaged an internationally renowned creative team of sound, light, audio visual and production designers to produce celebrations on the 31^st December. The team is led by Martin Green, one of the UK’s leading live event producers, Head of Ceremonies for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and currently the CEO and Director of Hull UK City of Culture 2017.

Further details of the Street Party entertainment taking place across the arena will be announced later this year. 

Tickets are on sale now via edinburghshogmanay.com

The life of ‘Lady’ Geraldine Elliott feels like a work of fiction with every combination of heartache and achievement.

The creator of Edinburgh’s Doll Hospital has experienced more than most do in a lifetime and her latest album, ‘Little Miss Blue’ contains songs like ‘Only a Heartbeat Away’, ‘Defying Gravity’ and ‘Guaranteed to Break your Heart’, which have created a series of what many may see as cathartic anthems from her life.

It epitomises the strength of a woman who went from being profoundly deaf as a child, to discovering sound
after an operation in her early twenties that ignited her love of music in a way no one who has always been able to hear could possibly imagine.

Add to that an abusive and violent marriage, followed by the creation of two hugely successful enterprises, one relating to jewellery and the other a legendary ‘hospital’ for ‘injured’ dolls, and you are just about starting to get a true understanding as to why you will be hearing a great deal about Lady Geraldine and her new album over the next twelve months.

If Lady Geraldine was a blues singer you would fully understand where her inspirations came from, with a life full of sadness, struggle and adversity, followed by success. She is a woman who should be an inspiration to others
across the country, and the world – women who are told they cannot achieve anything, women who are bullied and assaulted – but as Geraldine has shown through pure female spirit, it is possible to spread your wings and take on
anything.

Geraldine grew up in Bristol, learning very little as a child from standard education due in no small part to her being totally misunderstood as a pupil and thus being placed at the back of the class. It was assumed she was just
not able to learn easily instead of understanding that she was profoundly deaf.

Life didn’t get any easier for Geraldine during her teenage years, although she proved to herself that she could learn fast by becoming adept at lip reading. At the age of sixteen, with her mother now pregnant, she was encouraged to get married and entered a relationship with a man four years older, who, after their wedding day, immediately started with physical and mental abuse. This continued unabated for the duration of their short relationship, until she could take no more, packed her bags, escaped to the  safety of a rented room and divorced him.

During her early twenties a life-changing opportunity presented itself and Geraldine was given the chance to have a major operation to sort out her profound deafness by reconstructing her inner ear and implanting an ear
drum. The result was immediate and truly awe inspiring, introducing her not only to the wonders of music which she had only previously encountered by attending her mother’s local concerts during the time when she was deaf, but
also the strange experience of truly hearing for the first time, epitomised by her breakfast of cornflakes which to her was so loud she had to wear ear defenders to eat them. These ear defenders subsequently became part of her
life for a short time after until she acclimatised to her new, loud world.

Whilst coming to terms with her new found, sound filled world, Geraldine once again married and this time travelled the world drawing on experiences for her music, but also starting to paint and discovering her artistic nature which for so long had been submerged in a life of turmoil.

Although again sadly this relationship did not work out, she settled in Scotland and soon became a successful business woman being written about in the media with her innovative ‘Edinburgh Dolls Hospital’ which became something of a
national phenomenon.  Subsequently, this led Geraldine in a new path when a legendary producer and songwriter literally walked into her life via her dolls hospital. They got chatting and it became clear that there was a natural affinity and his background with the likes of Wet, Wet, Wet through to Big Country, touched an emotional chord with her, and now they are working on her latest songs for Little Miss Blue.

Now having created her music project, whilst also building a hugely successful jewellery business at the same time, Geraldine is starting a new chapter in her life that will see her releasing music, shooting videos, and in turn, maybe by getting her lifetime experiences out to the public, it will give people who have suffered tough times through health issues or marital issues, the strength to achieve what they have never thought possible.

Scotland’s national orchestra the RSNO are putting the finishing touches to a programme of music for their fundraising concert at the Usher Hall on 10 November 2017. The Remembrance Day concert will help raise funds for the Armed Forces charity Poppyscotland.

The Shostakovich Twelve will feature a premiere of a work by Guildhall School of Music and Drama doctoral student and emerging British composer Daniel Kidane.  The vigorous nature of the piece – entitled Zulu – which is characterised by ever-present percussion and an unwavering drive, reflects the essence of the Zulu people.

Daniel said: “I’m very much looking forward to further collaborating with the RSNO and hearing my piece come to life in their 2017/18 season. Zulus marked their bravery and militaristic prowess in battles with invaders such as the Boer Commando and the British Empire and it is fitting that these brave warriors will take centre stage during an occasion where will be doing our bit to help our brave veterans via donations to Poppyscotland.”

Gordon Michie, Poppyscotland’s Head of Fundraising, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with RSNO to promote this wonderful World War One-inspired performance and mark the end of the 2017 Poppy Appeal and the beginning of our centenary year.

“There will be a bucket collection after the performance and we would encourage concert-goers to give what they can to remember those who have served our country and so we can go on supporting members of the Armed Forces community in Scotland by providing tailored funding and assistance.”

Shostakovich’s Twelfth Symphony is all about history on a blockbuster scale – the definitive musical retelling of the Bolshevik Revolution. But before that red dawn, a glance back at a more romantic age, as guest conductor Cristian Macelaru welcomes the newly-crowned winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Yekwon Sunwoo, in Rachmaninov’s dramatic Third Concerto.

To book tickets for the Usher Hall concert, in Edinburgh on Friday 10^th November at 7:30pm, please call the Box Office on 0131 228 1155, or book online here. There are a number of ticket prices (£41, £31, £23, £18, £12.50) and under-16s can attend for free. For those under the age of 26, mature students and the unemployed, there are £6 tickets available, while disabled patrons are entitled to 50 per cent off the ticket price.

A charity shop in Edinburgh is due to re-open after a major makeover, with the help of local councillor and regular customer Susan Rae.

Staff and volunteers at the Barnardo’s Scotland shop  at 26 Crighton Place, one of the oldest  of the charity’s shops, will be joined by local Councillor Susan Rae to cut the ribbon to unveil the new-look shop at 10.00am this morning 27 October 2017.

Julie Duncan, Store Manager, said: “She hopes the improvements to the shop will help them raise more money for the charity’s services in the city which provide support for children and young people with disabilities, and their families and young people leaving care.

The Crighton Place shop has been open since 1983, serving the community of Leith and the city for over three decades.  Janice is encouraging both existing and new customers to drop in and bag some bargains, she added:

“Our shop is well known for good quality and quirky clothes, we would also very much appreciate donations including, shoes, bags and accessories.  You can be assured we’ll find a good home for them and the proceeds will help support our work in the local community.”

Barnardo’s Scotland relies on the income generated from their shops to help support their work. All money raised in their shops goes towards community-based services with children, young people and families in the local area.  Barnardo’s Scotland has over 100 shops across Scotland, to find your local shop visit their website at www.barnardos.org.uk/shops.

At the Scottish National Portrait Gallery you will from this weekend be able to see the results of a research project conducted by National Galleries of Scotland and the Courtauld Institute of Art. A portrait of a woman believed to be Mary Queen of Scots has been discovered underneath another 16th century portrait.

The ghostly image of a woman which looks very similar to other portraits of Mary was found with X-ray photography when researchers were examining a portrait of Sir John Maitland, 1st Lord Maitland of Thirlestane, which is attributed to Adrian Vanson (died c.1604-1610).

Conservator Dr Caroline Rae was examining a number of works by Vanson and Adam de Colone two Netherlands artists who worked here in Scotland during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Dr Rae is the Courtauld Institute of Art’s Caroline Villers Research Fellow and the institute collaborated with NGS on this project.

Vanson’s portrait of Sir John Maitland (1589), the Lord Chancellor of Scotland, is part of the National Trust collection and usually hangs at the Trust’s 17^th century historic property Ham House, near London. The results of this collaborative research project, which set out to explore the respective artistic techniques of Vanson and de Colone, will be revealed in a new display which opens at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery tomorrow.

Dr Rae discovered the concealed portrait while conducting a technical examination using X-radiography (X-ray), a technique that can penetrate through paint layers but which is stopped by pigments containing heavy metals such as lead white (a white pigment that was commonly used throughout Europe at the time). The X-radiograph revealed the presence of lead white depicting a woman’s face and the outline of her dress and hat beneath the upper layers of paint.

Dr Rae was able to trace the outline of a woman, whose appearance indicates she is likely to be Mary, Queen of Scots, based on distinct similarities to other depictions of the controversial queen made during her lifetime, and in particular during her later years. The face of the sitter for instance shows a strong resemblance to two miniatures by the famous English miniaturist Nicholas Hilliard (1547-1619), kept in the Royal Collection and the V&A Museum collection. Other clues, like the sitter’s pose with her head tilted to the side and her hand at her waist with her fingers positioned as if holding something, the wired cap and square-necked gown, also accord with other portraits of Mary, including a work hanging at Blair Castle, Perthshire.

Mary Stuart, often called Mary, Queen of Scots was a controversial figure in history. Forced to abdicate the throne in 1567 due to the suggestion she was implicated in her husband’s murder, then imprisoned by Elizabeth I from 1568, Mary was executed in England in 1587 – two years before the inscribed date on the overlying portrait of Sir John Maitland. Mary’s recent execution may be a reason why her portrait was covered over or abandoned by the artist.

Despite the fascination with which Mary, Queen of Scots was regarded both during her own lifetime and since, there are relatively few authentic portraits of her, and in particular few images from her life in Scotland.

Dr Caroline Rae said: “Technical examination of works of art, in conjunction with art historical and documentary research, forms the pillars of technical art history. Using technical art history, it is possible to illuminate artists’ materials and techniques for the first time in centuries, to discern copies and forgeries and to explore questions of authorship and workshop practice. The discovery of this hidden portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots is an exciting revelation, not only as it adds to our knowledge of 16^th century Marian portraiture and patterns of commission at the time, but as it aids in illuminating our understanding of Adrian Vanson, a Netherlandish émigré artist who came to Jacobean Scotland to seek a new life and quickly ascended to the status of Crown painter.”

David Taylor, Curator of Pictures and Sculpture at the National Trust, commented: “Vanson’s portrait of Sir John Maitland is an important picture in the National Trust collection, and the remarkable discovery of the unfinished portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots adds an exciting hidden dimension to it. It shows that portraits of the queen were being copied and presumably displayed in Scotland around the time of her execution, a highly contentious and potentially dangerous thing to be seen doing.”

Christopher Baker, Director of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, added: “This fascinating discovery has been made thanks to an innovative collaboration undertaken by the National Galleries of Scotland, the Courtauld Institute of Art and the National Trust. The shadowy presence of the Queen beneath a painting of Scotland’s Lord Chancellor could not have been detected without Dr Rae’s technical expertise. The analysis of this intriguing picture forms a key part of a broader project, which we hope will raise awareness of such important research for many visitors to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.”

Art and Analysis: Two Netherlandish Painters working in Jacobean Scotland
28 October 2017 – 26 January 2020
SCOTTISH NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
1 Queen Street
Edinburgh EH2 1JD
Telephone 0131 624 6200 | Admission FREE
#ArtandAnalysis

Specialist property adviser, Christie & Co has sold Murrayfield Nursery in Edinburgh.

Murrayfield Nursery, a 90 place purpose built nursery was sold to Mini Rainbows (Murrayfield) Limited. Located in Murrayfield this longstanding nursery has always been recognised to be at the forefront of childcare and early year’s education and was established by Maureen Murray 20 years ago.

The Care Inspectorate has recognised this commitment to excellence and has, on numerous occasions showcased the nursery, supporting pilots and new ideas.

The successful buyers Mini Rainbows are a new entrant to the Scottish market, and are delighted to continue the great work established by Maureen and her team.

Jasvinder Randhawa of Mini Rainbows said : “Our aim is to provide an extension of the safe, warm, loving and exciting environment given to children at home and by doing so, give confidence to parents or guardians leaving their child in our care.”

Former owner Maureen Murray is retiring to spend more time with her family. She said : “I had a very clear idea about the buyer I hoped to find. Martin from Christie & Co understood the unique nature of my setting and the specific terms that were crucial to me. Martin introduced me to the buyers and the deal exceeded all expectations, he handled all aspects of the sale in an extremely professional manner and gave reassurance, support and advice throughout the process.”

Martin Daw, Director at Christie & Co who brokered the sale added : “This market leading sale is the result of a well managed and well timed, confidential marketing process. A select shortlist of operators were approached and a change in market appetite presented an opportunity to run a very competitive process. This resulted in offers being received well ahead of the guide price and a multiple of EBITDA ahead of any market evidence in Scotland. The sale highlights a very buoyant and active Scottish market where buyers will bid competitively for good opportunities.

“The recent announcement of the abolition of business rates for nurseries in Scotland as of April 2018 was welcome news and creates another opportunity for businesses to budget for the planned increase to 30hrs by 2020.”

A lot has changed in the century since Dr Findlay and Dr Cameron and dear sensible Janet ran their GP practice in Tannochbrae.  Medical science has leapt forward, the NHS has been invented and we’ve all grown older. And the combination of all these has brought us to this week’s episode in the continuing saga that is the health service in Scotland.

The Auditor General Caroline Gardner has studied the charts at the end of the nation’s bed and concluded that there’s been no improvement in our overall health in the last year. Seven out of the eight NHS waiting time targets have been missed, GP services are chronically understaffed, and there’s been little progress in the decade-long ambition to shift health care out of hospitals and into local clinics and patients’ own homes.

And this is despite record spending on the NHS, £13bn or 43 per cent of the entire Scottish government budget. The Auditor General says the NHS is facing the double whammy of rising costs (faster than general inflation) and an aging population putting extra demands on the health service.  She says there is no simple solution but health care just has to be delivered differently in the future.

In reply, the SNP government says it is putting £500m into the integration of health and social care. It’s introducing a “realistic medicine” regime, reducing over-treatment and over-investigation. And it is has increased its spending on GP services.

But spending on GPs and community care is still only 11 per cent of the NHS budget, which is hardly the promised revolution in the way health services are delivered.  The dreadful truth, as I see it, is that politicians of all parties are frightened to close down our expensive local hospitals because it is unpopular.  It is also expensive in the short run because hospitals cannot be closed until local GP practices, nursing homes and home-care services are up and running and ready to take the burden of an aging population.

As you can imagine there was much beating about this medical bush in the Scottish Parliament this week. But MSPs also found time to embed their ban on fracking for shale oil. Not content with implementing the ban as a matter of policy – which could be changed, for instance by a Tory minister – they made it part of the National Planning Framework which can only be changed by a full vote of parliament.

MSPs have also been digesting the latest calculations of the effect Brexit may have on the Scottish economy. The London School of Economics says Scotland will be £30bn poorer if the UK leaves the European Union without a negotiated deal.   Glasgow, for instance, it says, would lose 5.5 per cent of its annual income, Edinburgh 6 per cent and Aberdeen 7 per cent.

Aberdeen, incidentally, is trying desperately to become more than an oil town.  This week it took another step towards becoming a “hydrogen city”.  The local council has issued its first licence for a hydrogen fuelled taxi to begin operating. It’s already the first city in Europe to introduce hydrogen powered buses.

Our criminal justice system took a knock this week when a prisoner serving a sentence for murdering a woman walking her dog was let out on home leave in Dundee only to attack another woman walking her dog. She suffered dreadful injuries when 31 year-old Robert McKintosh attacked her with a knife and a dumbbell. In court, he pleaded guilty to attempted murder and the judge said it was one of worst cases of violence he had ever had to deal with. The prison service insisted they carried out a rigorous assessment before McKintosh was granted home leave.

The Royal Bank of Scotland, once one of our great institutions, also took a knock this week, the latest in a series of humiliations.  The Financial Conduct Authority is to carry out further investigations into how the bank dealt with small businesses who ran into difficulty as a result of the banking crash in 2008 and the subsequent recession.

This week the FCA issued an interim report which found there was a failure to support small businesses and the suspicion is that RBS charged struggling firms unfairly high interest rates and offered to buy up assets at knock down prices.  The head of the bank Ross McEwan sought to reassure customers by saying: “The culture, structure and way RBS operates today have all changed fundamentally since the period under review. We have made significant changes to deal with the issues of the past, so that the bank can better support SME customers in financial difficulty whilst also protecting the bank’s capital.”

Despite that, the news this morning is that RBS is in profit. The bank reported a profit before tax of £871 million and an attributable profit of £392 million for Q3 2017, the third successive quarter of profit, and an attributable profit of £1,331 million for the year to date.

Finally, as I go to press, all European eyes are on the conflict between Catalonia and the Spanish state. Are there any parallels with Scotland and the UK ?  We are different places of course and our last rebellion was 270 years ago, not 70 years ago.  But with nationalism and regionalism becoming stronger forces across Europe, the Spanish crisis is a test case.  How it turns out and how the European Union responds to it, may well have a bearing on how the SNP government here proceeds with its campaign for independence.

For now though, Nicola Sturgeon has Brexit and the health service to worry about. Oh, and also her official First Minister’s residence in Edinburgh, Bute House.  Apparently, the plaster has been falling off the ceiling in the 18^th century building.  Luckily no one has been hurt and Ms Sturgeon herself has been moved into a nearby hotel.  Let’s hope the plaster disaster is not an omen for other things falling apart.

Thor: Ragnarok
Direction: Taika Waititi
Screenplay: Eric Pearson
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Mark Ruffalo
Jeff Goldblum, Anthony Hopkins, Tessa Thompson, Benedict Cumberbatch
Length: 130 minutes
Rating: PG 13

Thor: Ragnarok is the third film in the Thor franchise and the seventeenth instalment of the unstoppable Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise and shared universe of Marvel Comics’ superheroes. Since 2008, the MCU has been the undisputed market leader for the superhero genre in the film industry in 21st century achieving consistent critical and commercial success. Unadjusted for inflation, it is the highest grossing film franchise in history, collecting over £12.6 billion at the worldwide box office for its sixteen films so far, with another seven in various stages of development to be released over the next three years.

Marvel Television has nine series currently airing originally in the United States, with another commissioned and a further four in development in both live action and animation. Marvel Entertainment was acquired by The Walt Disney Company for £4 billion in 2009 when a shared universe of blockbuster films was an unfamiliar concept in the film industry. With the release of Marvel’s The Avengers in 2012, which featured multiple superhero characters based on Marvel Comics, and the continued unprecedented multimedia triumph of the MCU since then, other major Hollywood film studios are now creating their own film universes instead of one blockbuster based on one property at a time.

However, none of them have come close to challenging the all-conquering MCU. Yet.

With a production budget of $180 million, this film could be the most expensive comedy ever made that also happens to be a superhero production. While the action movie genre can be frequently bloated with uninteresting characters, drowned in special effects and depressingly heavy in tone, this doesn’t apply here. On such a scale as this, the improvisational humour is refreshingly welcome. All the main characters engage in the over the top fun, bantering and bickering, which is what this film is all about.

Most surprisingly, there is a plot as well. A lot happens in this film of two hours. In summary, Thor (Hemsworth) is imprisoned by the giant fire demon Surtur, who tells him of the prophecy that he will destroy Asgard in the impending Ragnarok, before escaping. On returning to Asgard, Thor’s home, he discovers his ally/enemy adopted brother Loki (Hiddleston) has removed Odin, King of Asgard (Hopkins), Thor’s father, from the throne and taken his place in disguise. With help from Doctor Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme (Cumberbatch), they both locate Odin in Norway just before his death which releases Hela, Goddess of Death (Blanchett), from her imprisonment by Odin.

When attempting to return to Asgard, Thor and Loki are overpowered by Hela, who takes over Asgard, and end up on Sakaar, a planet controlled by the Grandmaster (Goldblum) from which there is seemingly no escape. After fighting the Incredible Hulk/Bruce Banner (Ruffalo) in a gladiatorial Conquest of Champions, Thor manages to forge an alliance with him again to escape Sakaar with Banner, Loki and Valkyrie (Thompson), one of the Grandmaster’s law enforcers and former Asgardian warrior, has defected to help them stop Hela and save Asgard and the universe. And that is only half the film.

With Iron Man and Captain America both receiving three instalments, this third film is, therefore, likely to be the last in the Thor franchise. But most importantly, Thor: Ragnarok is the best of the three. Explosive action sequences and surreal comedic dialogue are covered by a mirage of kaleidoscopic colour and thundering rock music score which pays a perfect tribute to the Thor, God of Thunder himself. Thor: Ragnarok finishes this franchise in a stylistic and dynamic blaze of glory.

Third time lucky.

“I’m not a queen or a monster. I’m the Goddess of Death!”

Thor: Ragnarok is in cinemas now.
8/10

Six months ago Lothian added more services to Fort Kinnaird by changing the number 18 and 49. Now the company has reported that there has been a fifty per cent rise in the number of people using the services to get to the retail park.

The number 18 runs every half hour between Fort Kinnaird, Royal Infirmary Edinburgh through Little France and Greendykes Road. The number 49 reaches to Leith, Lochend, Portobello and Fort Kinnaird and runs every 20 minutes.

The addition of early morning and evening services on the number 30 route helps both customers and staff meaning that there is now a 24 hour service to Fort Kinnaird from Musselburgh and the city centre.

Liam Smith, Centre Director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “The increased bus services to Fort Kinnaird have been very well-received by our customers and staff.

“The routes have allowed more people to access our leading selection of stores and restaurants, as well as our cinema.

“As the Christmas season approaches, catching the bus is a fantastic option for people doing their shopping and enjoying evenings out.”

To celebrate, Lothian will be running a competition later this week on its Facebook page for a fantastic prize package that includes; £100 to spend at Fort Kinnaird, a meal at Chiquitos and a family cinema pass.

To enter CLICK HERE

Keith Finlay, Business Development Manager at Lothian, said: “As a business we recognised earlier this year that there was significant demand for smarter bus links to Fort Kinnaird. Development and growth at the shopping centre is ongoing and we are absolutely delighted that these new links appear to be popular with customers.”

For more information on all bus timetables, please click on the website www.lothianbuses.co.uk

My parents had a record of the hits from Oklahoma! On the sleeve caricatures of Laurey and Curly danced through that corn as high as an elephant’s eye, a bright golden haze on every meadow. But while Oklahoma! is a musical full of light-hearted fun, it also has scenes of intense emotion and sadness, and a dramatic development that sets it apart from the big production numbers of the inter-war years. Edinburgh Gilbert & Sullivan Society’s powerful and nuanced production, showing at the Church Hill Theatre this week, tells this story of love, lust and loneliness.

The curtain rises on a typical homestead of the early 1900s in ‘the territory’, newly settled country yet to be admitted to the Union of the USA. EDGAS’s sets are always clever, and here the inclusion of an iconic water-pumping windmill places us firmly in the land of cows, corn and cowgirls.

Laurey (Annabel Hamid) lives on the farm with her tough-as-old-boots Aunt Eller (Samantha Currie); their hired hand Jud (the outstanding Michael McFarlane) stays in the smokehouse. Laurey’s would-be beau Curly McLain (Craig Young) wants to take her to the ‘box social’ – a bizarre event at which men bid for picnic hamper meals prepared by the girls, the winner getting to eat the meal with the girl who cooked it.

Oscar Hammerstein uses this seemingly innocuous arrangement as the pivot around which the plot revolves.

From the outset it is clear that Craig Young knows how to sing; a worthy successor to Howard Keel (whose Curly took London by storm at the Theatre Royal in 1947), Young has a magnificent voice complemented by great stage presence, and his Oh, what a beautiful mornin’ is a stunning opener.

He’s a young man in a new land, life is full of possibilities for him, and for America. Laurey shoots him down over and over again in her attempts not to look too keen, but he just keeps bouncing back; he’s the kind of person who’d either cheer you up or drive you to distraction (The Simpsons’ Ned Flanders does occasionally come to mind…).

Curly isn’t the only man with a mission; his friend Will (Colin Povey) has just come back from the Kansas City Fair, having won $50 to ‘buy’ Ado Annie (Leah Kincer, resplendent in yellow ribbons and bows), the girl of his dreams.

The hapless Will and the hopeless Ado Annie are a comic duo made in heaven – Annie can’t decide between Will and the ‘exotic’ Persian pedlar Ali Hakim (an hilarious performance by Peter Tomassi, whose East End spiv, complete with shiny suit and red sweater, would give Del Boy a run for his money).

Annie’s father, gun-toting farmer Andrew Carnes (David McBain) is a wily old fox who just wants her married off to the highest bidder.

Kincer is perfect as Annie – ditzy but good natured, unable to stop herself falling for boys (I cain’t say no) but never unkind to anyone (‘With or without the mistletoe/I’m in a holiday mood’).

Povey really shines in the dance numbers – as ever, well choreographed by Janice Bruce – his ‘ragtime and two step’ in Kansas City, a great ensemble number with lots of visual jokes, being especially impressive and very funny.

So everything’s rolling merrily along for everyone…apart from Jud. A failure with women, a loser in life, Jud wants one thing – and that thing is Laurey. He’s determined to take her to the social – something that Laurey stupidly facilitates by giving Curly the brush-off – and he’ll win her basket – and her love – by any means he can.

Jud could easily be played as a creepy thug, but Michael McFarlane does so much more with the role; in a thoughtful and moving performance he shows us the misery and despair of this outcast, unloved man.

Curly’s visit to Jud’s porn-bedecked smokehouse is the setting for one of the show’s best songs Pore Jud is Daid, in which Curly suggests that Jud could commit suicide, and draws a verbal picture of his funeral.

McFarlane is a fabulous singer; the two men almost chant the words of this sad eulogy, and the device of swapping verse and chorus between them works to heighten our sense of foreboding and doom. Does Curly care about Jud’s fate? It’s hard to tell.

On the face of it he’s maybe not the nice person we thought he was – he wants Jud out of the way at any price. As the music reaches a crescendo Jud breaks down and sobs, and we feel for this damaged, desperate fellow human being.

The ‘dream sequence’, as it is known, brings the first act to a close.

In theory it depicts Laurey’s struggles as she tries to decide whether to marry Curly or Jud. The sequence is perhaps designed as a dark echo of Ado Annie’s dilemma with Will and Ali, but there is no real possibility of Laurey loving Jud, a man whose obsessive ways apparently terrify her.

Instead, we are given further insight into Jud’s tortured soul when the female chorus members, now dressed as strippers, one by one refuse his advances and run away.  Although some of the girls do look a little stretched by the can-can number, it’s a joy to watch the beautiful dancing of EDGAS newcomer Debbie McConnell, who plays Laurey in this scene only.

Act Two opens at the box social, with an energetic version of Farmers and Cowboys that soon descends into a brawl.

Unfortunately some of the actors’ voices are a little drowned out by the (otherwise excellent) orchestra at this point, but their dancing is nonetheless impressive, and after the entertaining reappearance of Ali Hakim, Will and Ado Annie’s relationship problems are finally – and with great hilarity – ironed out.

The orchestra once again threatens slightly to overwhelm Will and Annie’s duet All Er Nuthin’, but Povey and Kincer’s uproarious dancing makes up for that, and before long the entire cast, led by Curly, is giving a rousing rendition of Oklahoma! that ‘Brand new state (that’s) gonna treat you great!’

In many musicals that would be the end. In this one it isn’t, but you’ll have to go and see it yourself to find out what happens next. You’ll go home singing, but you may also go home thinking, about success and failure, and why some people are lucky in life and others just aren’t.

Oklahoma! is at the Church Hill Theatre, Morningside Road until Saturday 28 October. Shows start at 7.30pm, with an extra matinée performance at 2.30pm on Saturday. Tickets here (or on the door, subject to availability).

All cast photos © Rona MacAulay.