Challenge: Dundee Stars 3, Edinburgh Capitals 2

Dundee Stars earned revenge over Scottish rivals Edinburgh Capitals last but they were made to work for the welcome win.

Omar Pacha’s team, who were beaten 3-2 after penalty shots in the first challenge clash at Murrayfield on Sunday, were always in front at Dundee Ice Arena in the return.

They led 1-0 and then were pegged back to 1-1 by the end of the first session.

Stars went 2-1 ahead and then opened up a two-goal advantage at 3-1 by the end of the second period over Dmitri Khristich’s squad.

Determined Capitals battled back into the game and scored with less than five minutes left through Sergei Banashkov.

Then the visitors claimed they had levelled with three seconds left but the officials were quick to rule it out.

Capitals, however, will be pleased with the performance of one of their newest signings.

Marek Tvrdon slotted into the line-up for the first time and the 24-year-old forward from Slovakia, who was drafted by National Hockey League sides, Detroit Red Wings, in 2011, scored Capitals first goal.

He assisted in the second having joined from HK Nitra in the Slovak Extraliga and the competitive match-up will have boosted both sides ahead of this weekend’s inaugural Scottish Elite Cup at Murrayfield.

Stars face Fife Flyers in one semi-final (2pm) on Saturday while Capitals square-up to Braehead Clan (5.30pm). Tickets are still available.

Workington Comets have recently had a poor run of form but are led by Edinburgh Monarchs legend Craig Cook.

The Cumbrian was crowned British Champion for the first time this season and he may become a full-time Grand Prix rider next season after an excellent performance in the GP Challenge in Russia.

Cook is backed by Ty Proctor and Thomas Jorgensen with former Glasgow Tigers rider James Sarjeant also listed.

Monarchs then face a challenge from high-flying Ipswich Witches who currently sit second in the SGB Championship and are guaranteed a play-off spot.

Injuries have hampered their recent progress with Cameron Heeps and former Monarchs racer Justin Sedgmen currently sidelined.

Danny King and another former Moanrchs star, Rory Schlein, spearhead and Witches will be keen to avenge Monarchs win on their home track earlier in the season.

Captain Sam Masters returns after injury and this, coupled with the recent return of Mark Riss, means the Monarchs will go into the double header with their named 1-7 for the first time since mid June.

Co-promoter Alex Harkess said: “Some of our riders are now returning from injury and maybe we will see what we have been looking for a full seven-man performance.

“This has been the aim all year but, for one reason or another, it has not really happened.”

Tapes go up at 7pm for the first match against Workington we then expect around a 20 minute gap between the two matches as the track is prepared.

The supporter’s bus will leave Edinburgh half an hour earlier also.

Hearts players and coaching staff made their mark on the international stage this week as another set of World Cup qualifiers were concluded.
Tynecastle captain Christophe Berra opened the scoring for Scotland in their 2-0 win over Malta at Hampden on Monday evening, a result which keeps the Scots hopes of reaching the play-off stages very much alive.

On the same night, Hearts defender Aaron Hughes won his 107th cap for Northern Ireland, helping his country to an impressive 2-0 win over the Czech Republic – a result which all but secures Northern Ireland’s place in the play-offs. Fellow Jambo Kyle Lafferty came on as a second half substitute in the same game. Northern Ireland, of course, have Hearts Assistant Head Coach Austin MacPhee on their coaching staff.

Meanwhile, Hearts defender John Souttar played in the Scotland Under 21 team which secured an impressive 2-0 win against the Netherlands in their European Championship qualifier in Paisley on Tuesday evening.

The World Hickory Golf Open comes to East Lothian for the first time from October 2 to 7.

Over 120 hickory golf aficionados have entered this year from 16 nations including Switzerland, Denmark, Germany, France and The United States.

This year’s event is appropriate as the founder and organiser Lionel Freedman, who lived in East Lothian, died earlier this year.

Practice is at Luffness, The Open is at Kilspindie followed by a fun event at Craigielaw ahead of a three-cornered Ryder Cup-format event at Musselburgh Old Course.

Sandy Lyle is unable to defend the title but former British Lions captain Gavin Hastings will be there as well as professionals Andrew Marshall and Zack Saltman.

www.worldhickoryopen.com

The Scottish SPCA is appealing for members of the public in Edinburgh to offer cats a new home.

Last year the charity’s Edinburgh Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Balerno rehomed 174 cats and currently has more than 40 in its care.

Centre Assistant Manager Kenny Sharpe said, “Sadly, there has been an increase in the number of abused, abandoned and injured cats coming in recently.

“We have a mix of indoor and outdoor cats who would all love to go to a loving new home. What we need to do now is find them the right owners.

“It’s very important to match a person to an animal that will suit their home and lifestyle so we’d welcome anyone who is interested in rehoming a rescue cat to come along for a chat with a member of staff.”

The Centre is open to the public 10am until 4pm everyday (closed Tuesday).

A selection of the cats available for rehoming at the Centre is available to view at scottishspca.org/rehoming.

If you are interested in supporting the Scottish SPCA or would like to make a donation, visit scottishspca.org or telephone 03000 999 999.

Photos by Scottish SPCA

Aaron Summers has urged Glasgow fans to stick by the team and insisted that Tigers are still in the Championship title race.

The Glasgow club let slip a 12-point lead to go down at home to top side Sheffield Tigers on Saturday but skipper Summers and his team-mates fought back to take a point at Peterborough Panthers 24-hours later.

Tigers now they have three home meetings in seven days facing Workington on Thursday (tapes-up 7.30pm), Scunthorpe Scorpions on Saturday (tapes-up 7pm) and Ipswich Witches.

Australian-born Summers admitted: “Our confidence took a hit on Saturday.

“Everyone realised we shouldn’t have lost and we wanted to show what we could do at Peterborough.”

The former Edinburgh Monarchs racer added: “I don’t see any reason why we won’t still be challenging for the title.

“Our play-off spot is fairly secure so I’d encourage the fans to give us a chance and support us.

The team is doing better than in previous years and it affects us when we’re criticised.

“We’ve just had a bit of a glitch and with the right backing from the fans we can get back to our best.”

Glasgow go into the Workington and Scunthorpe matches without Dan Bewley, who is sidelined with a hip injury, Tom Perry, who has arm and rib injuries, and Nike Lunna who is awaiting further assessments on injuries sustained in Sweden last week.

Tigers will use Edinburgh Monarchs racer Josh Pickering against Workington and Ipswich rider Kyle Newman against Scunthorpe as guests for Lunna with rider replacement operating for Bewley.

World Cup Climbing comes to Edinburgh

EICA:Ratho, Hosts to the IFSC World Cup and Paraclimbing Cup from 23-24 September at Edinburgh’s International Climbing Arena at Ratho, are reporting huge demand for tickets.

Tickets for Sunday’s finals and weekend tickets are now sold out but there are still a limited number of tickets for Saturday’s qualifications rounds. Spectators are encouraged to buy the remaining tickets now to see some of the best climbers and paraclimbers in the world compete.

Over the weekend over 77 climbers are already registered to compete across all categories – Lead and Speed, with climbers from Austria, Italy and Slovenia still to enter their teams; all strong nations in both categories. In the Paraclimbing Cup, registration is now closed with 63 climbers taking part in one of 9 climbing categories. Thirteen climbers are from the UK and will Scotsman, Keith Lynch.

Sport climbing will make its debut at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 after being approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as part of a package of five sports, all selected for their key focus on youth, which is at the heart of the Games’ vision for Tokyo 2020.

Lindsay Renwick, Head of Customer Operations at Edinburgh Leisure said: “We’re delighted with response to ticket sales for the Climbing World Cup at Ratho, where you’ll be able to witness the world’s best climbers and paraclimbers. There’s obviously some keen interest ahead of sport climbing debuting at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 so if you don’t want to miss out on the action, we encourage you to snap up the last tickets for Saturday’s qualifiers.”

Stuart Turner, Head of EventScotland, said: “We’re delighted tickets have sold out for Sunday for this month’s IFSC World Cup and Paraclimbing World Cup with only a limited number left for Saturday’s session. This is an exciting time for the sport and Ratho is the perfect stage for people to see climbing first-hand ahead of its debut at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

“The combination of both world-class facilities and climbers promises an adrenaline packed weekend of action so I recommend you get in now if you want to secure one of the final tickets still available.”

Organised by EICA:Ratho, in conjunction with the British Mountaineering Council, and with support from Edinburgh Leisure, City of Edinburgh Council and EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate, this is the first time the IFSC World Cup has been held in Edinburgh since 2003 and the first time a Paraclimbing Cup has been held in Scotland.

Caledonia Pride, Scotland’s only professional women’s basketball team, have confirmed the re-singing of American centre Tricia Oakes.

She was Pride’s leading rebounder last year and she will bolster an already strong roster.

Oakes impressed in her rookie Women’s British Basketball League (WBBL) season averaging 11 rebounds and two blocks a game which earned her ranked second and first in the league respectively.

The player said: “We’re hard at work in pre-season to build on last season and we aim to make a real splash in the WBBL.

Pride beat Platges De Mataro 62-61 in a pre-season clash in Spain, and coach Bart Sengers expects Oakes to be a key member of the squad which starts its WBBL campaign against last year’s champions, Nottingham Wildcats, at Edinburgh University on Saturday October 7.

The ScotRail Alliance is giving away £1 million worth of free off-peak tickets to some of Scotland’s top destinations.

The giveaway is both a thanks to customers and an opportunity to showcase the huge variety of places that the rail network covers.

These FREE OFF-PEAK DAY RETURN rail tickets are available to claim online, on a first-come-first-served basis, from 10am on 6 September until the offer closes on 15 September. Those who get free tickets must use them between 18 September and 30 November.

This leisure ticket giveaway follows a season ticket ‘thank you’ offer earlier this year, when the ScotRail Alliance and Transport Scotland jointly funded a week’s free travel for monthly and annual season ticket holders.

The ScotRail Alliance’s Managing Director Alex Hynes said: “We’re in the middle of building the best railway Scotland has ever had and this leisure travel offer is part of getting customers involved. Scotland’s rail network offers some spectacular scenery and we’d love as many customers as possible to get out there and enjoy it.

“These tickets are a way of giving some of our customers a free means to do so. We expect high demand, so my advice is claim your tickets early and enjoy the journey!”

Humza Yousaf, Minister for Transport and the Islands said: “I am delighted to see the ScotRail Alliance deliver this leisure ticket giveaway as part of our ongoing efforts to recognise and reward passengers for their custom and patience while we invest £5 billion to help transform Scotland’s railways. This builds on the free week for regular travellers earlier this year following the essential works at Queen Street Tunnel and Winchburgh, which was a testing experience.

“Our ambitious programme will bring enhanced station facilities and services with new, longer, faster, greener electric trains, alongside intercity trains connecting our cities. This should encourage more people out of their cars, bringing with that environmental and health benefits.”

Fife Flyers coach Todd Dutiaume believes the Scottish Elite Cup can be a staple part of the fixtures calendar in years to come.

The Kirkcaldy men face Dundee Stars in Saturday’s semi-final at Murrayfield in Edinburgh.

The other semi-final features Braehead Clan against Edinburgh Capitals with the action starting at 2pm.

Dutiaume said: “I hope the tournament becomes a staple in the fixtures calendar and it’s a great pre-season opener to get all four sets of fans together.

“We can showcase this league and it also gives a taster of what to expect over the upcoming season.

“It’s also useful to give the guys a chance to hone themselves ahead of the season so it’s one I hope will be successful for everyone involved.”

Glasgow Tigers have been reduced to a four-man team after reserve Tom Perry suffered injuries that are likely to see him face a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

The Englishman crashed during a guest appearance for King’s Lynn at Wolverhampton Wolves in the Premiership on Monday night.

He broke two ribs and tore the tendons in his left arm and with Tigers already having Nike Lunna and Dan Bewley out through injury, they will be forced to rely heavily on guests during a busy spell of three home matches in seven days, starting on Thursday at home to Workington Comets (tapes-up 7.30pm).

Perry said: “We got caught up going into the first bend and I ended up with all the bikes on top of me.

“My left arm is numb from the elbow down, and it’s the ribs on my right side that I’ve broken, so I’ve been hit on both sides.

“The doctor says I probably won’t get the full use of my arm back any time soon but I’ll just need to wait and see what happens.”

Stewart Dickson will now weigh up his options over how to fill in the gaps ahead of the SGB Championship playoffs, which start later this month.

There is no indication on whether Perry or Lunna will return this season and Tigers could be forced to race for the title with the help of stand-ins and rider replacement.

Three business meetings hosted by Midlothian and East Lothian Chamber could help boost your business.

An HR Essential Workshop is on Tuesday 12 September between 9.30am and 1pm to help you achieve the best out of people.

The event, at Mousldale House, 24D Milton Road East, Edinburgh RH15 2PP is also designed to assist you navigate the minefield of employment regulation. That is a key challenge in growing a business.

This workshop is targeted to those directly involved in managing people in businesses, business owners/directors and line managers.

A joint chambers lunch between Midlothian and East Lothian and West Lothian Chambers in on Thursday 21 September from noon to 2pm.

The venue is Dalhousie Castle and to help you make the most of the networking opportunity be prepared to move to another table between courses.

Lastly, the Midlothian and East Lothian Chamber Breakfast Club is on Thursday 28 September from 8am to 10am at the Best Western Kings Manor Hotel.

The topic under discussion is Funding Opportunities from Enterprise Investment Scheme and the guest speaker is Ian Haynes of Springfords.

He will look at the qualifying requirements for enterprise companies, the various tax reliefs available to investors and the main conditions, qualifications and restrictions, as well as sharing some tips and traps in dealing with the scheme.

Environmental groups applauded the new Programme for Government announced in Holyrood yesterday, which contains a host of ‘green’ measures.

Friends of the Earth believe such steps will improve the lives of people in Scotland through cleaner air, reduced waste, investment in green energy and ensuring the transition to a low carbon economy is fair.

Key measures announced in the PFG:
* phasing out diesel and petrol vehicles from 2032
* tackling air pollution with 4 Low Emission Zones across Scotland by 2020
* new Just Transition Commission to help Scotland move to a low-carbon economy fairly
* new National Investment Bank to fund long term, patient projects
* deposit return scheme for bottles and cans
* decision on fracking in the coming weeks

Friends of the Earth Scotland Director Dr Richard Dixon commented : “This is the greenest programme for government in the history of the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Government has put improving and protecting the environment at the heart of their legislative and policy programme. Promises here will reduce climate change emissions, save people from air pollution and help Scotland become a leading example of a low carbon country. This package is a very significant step towards a fossil-free Scotland.

“The First Minister explicitly recognised our moral responsibility to act on climate change and stated her commitment to doing Scotland’s full share of global efforts to limit warming to 1.5c. The measures announced today mean the Scottish Government should find little difficulty in further increasing ambition in the new climate act.”

Willie Mackenzie, oceans expert at Greenpeace UK, said: “Governments are waking up to the frightening scale of ocean plastic pollution and it’s brilliant to see Scotland leading the way in helping to tackle it. On Greenpeace’s recent research expedition around remote Scottish coastlines, plastic bottles and packaging were simply everywhere. A staggering 16 million plastic bottles end up in the environment every day in the UK and deposit return schemes are a great way to make sure more of them are collected and reused.

“Today’s announcement by the First Minister is a massive step in stopping plastic pollution, and the result of tireless campaigning by many groups and individuals. With businesses and an overwhelming majority of the public in favour of deposit schemes, the Scottish Government now has a mandate to implement as robust a system as possible to help reduce plastic pollution. Hopefully it won’t be too long before the rest of the UK follows suit.

“Alongside a deposit return scheme, major soft drinks companies like Coca-Cola – who backed deposit return schemes after being exposed by Greenpeace for lobbying against them – need to seriously rethink their business models. Creating over 100 billion single-use plastic bottles a year is the root of the problem. Drastically reducing their plastic footprint is the only solution. Throwaway plastic causes ocean pollution, and the sooner companies face up to that, the quicker we’ll stem the plastic tide.”

A police investigation is underway following a serious assault in Eskview Terrace, Musselburgh which happened around 12.50pm on Monday afternoon.

A 30-year-old man was attacked by an unknown man and sustained a serious head injury.

He  was taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for treatment, where he is detained in a serious condition.

At the time of the attack the man was wearing a light grey hoodie, blue jeans and black trainers with a blue trim.  He was also accompanied by two dogs.

Police were contacted and are now appealing for witnesses.

The suspect is described as a white man in his twenties, with a slim build and short dark hair.

Detective Sergeant Lynsey Thomson of Dalkeith CID said:  “This was a brutal and random attack and we are keen to establish the full circumstances of the incident.

“I would ask anyone who was in the Eskview Terrace area of Musselburgh around lunchtime on Monday, September 4, and saw anything suspicious, to get in touch with us as soon as possible.”

Police are appealing for witnesses following a number of deliberate fires in Tranent.

The first incident was reported to police at around 10 a.m. on Friday 1 September in Church Street. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service attended and quickly extinguished the fire.

A second fire then broke out at around 9.35 a.m. on Sunday 3 September at Foresters Park, when the 3G pitch was deliberately targeted.

Police Constable Jacqueline Maurer of Tranent Police Station said: “These fires caused considerable damage, posing a significant risk to the public, as well as taking a community sports pitch out of action.

“Anyone with further information or who can help us identify those involved should contact police immediately.”

Those with information can contact Tranent Police Station via 101, quoting incident number 1454 of 3 September. Alternatively, an anonymous report can be made through the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Edinburgh schoolboy Archie Goodburn won gold at The School Games National Finals at Loughborough University.

The Stewart’s Melville College pupil won the boys 200m butterfly with a brilliant swim to cross the line clear of his rivals.

He also bagged a pair of relay silver medals to cap off a brilliant meet.

Goodburn said: “I’ve just started the season so to be just six seconds outside my personal best from last year I’m pretty happy.”

Now he aims to qualify for the European Juniors at the British Open in April.”

Previous competitors include Paralympic champions Hannah Cockroft, Ellie Simmonds and Jonnie Peacock, Olympic champion Adam Peaty, and GB sprinters Adam Gemili and Dina Asher-Smith.

The four-day event is supported by National Lottery funding from Sport England and delivered by the Youth Sport Trust.

Workington Comets and high-flying Ipswich Witches arrive at Armadale on Friday for a double-header.

Comets, who are eighth in the ten-strong league, will have former Monarchs skipper Craig Cook in their line-up.

And Witches, who are second top of the SGB Championship, have named Danny King and former Monarchs favourite, Rory Schlein, in their squad.

Monarchs bosses remind fans that the gates will open at 6.15pm – 15 minutes earlier than usual – and the 30 heats of racing start at 7pm.

Meanwhile, Edinburgh Monarchs racer Mark Riss top scored with 11 points for Premiership side Wolverhampton Wolves as they beat King’s Lynn 48-24.

And Berwick Bandits No 1 Nick Morris was best with 12 points for Swindon Robins in their 52-38 defeat at Wolverhampton.

Omar Pacha looks to Wednesday’s challenge clash with Edinburgh Capitals at Dundee Ice Arena as another chance for his young squad to develop as a unit.

The former Manchester Storm playcaller will still be short of three key players – Chris Lawrence, Patrick Lee and Marc-Olivier Mimar – because of visa hold-ups.

But he liked what he saw in Saturday penalty shot success over Belfast Giants and the penalty shots defeat at Edinburgh Capitals.

Pacha said: “On Wednesday, we’re looking make further progress.”

Dmitri Khristich, Capitals coach, said Sunday was a good win against a tough Dundee team and the players held it together to come out on the right side. The face-off on Tayside is at 7.30pm.

A reminder that Scotland’s four Elite League teams take part in the inaugural Scottish Elite Cup this weekend at Murrayfield.

Edinburgh play Braehead Clan in one semi-final while Dundee Stars face Fife Flyers in the other on Saturday with the action starting at 2pm.

The third and fourth place play-off is followed by the final on Sunday. The action starts at 3pm.

A woman was seriously injured after falling from a bridge onto the carriageway at the Calder junction of the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass around 4pm yesterday afternoon.

The woman was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where she is in a serious condition.

The road was closed in both direction causing delays for drivers during the rush hour.

An investigation into the circumstances is underway.

A police spokesman said: “We were called to the A720 Edinburgh city bypass at around 4pm on Monday after a female fell from an overpass at Calder junction onto the carriageway.

“The road was closed while emergency services attended and the woman was taken to hospital where she is in a serious condition.

Pauline Hamill will take charge of Scotland Women’s Under-19s for the first time in Croatia for two matches against the hosts in Zagreb.

Hamill takes over from Gareth Evans who led the team in the recent European Championships in Northern Ireland where they narrowly missed out on qualification to the semi-finals.

Following the two games against Croatia, they will then travel to Hungary for the Euro Qualifying round where they will play three matches against the hosts, Armenia and Turkey in October.

Scotland Women’s Under-19 squad:

Goalkeepers

Erin Clachers (Glasgow City)

Jordyn Elliott (Rangers)

Defenders

Ellis Dalgliesh (Durham Wildcats)

Michaela McAlonie (Spartans)

Shane McCabe (Central Girls Academy)

Erin McCafferty (Dundee United)

Bethany McPherson (Aberdeen)

Shannon-Leigh Nagle (Hibernian)

Ellis Notley (Hibernian)

Midfielders

Brogan Hay (Glasgow City)

Ellis Kane (Central Girls Academy)

Samantha Kerr (Glasgow City)

Kaela McDonald-Nguah (Celtic)*

Shannon McGregor (Aberdeen)

Amy Muir (Rangers)

Jamie Lee-Napier (Celtic)

Tegan Reynolds (Spartans)

Forwards

Nicole Cairney (Celtic)

Lauren Davidson (Rangers)

Megan Robb (Dundee United)

*On loan at Spartans

Women’s Under-19 International Challenge Matches

Croatia v Scotland

Tuesday, 12 September 2017, kick-off 3pm (UK tine)

Sunday, 17 September 2017, kick-off 10am (UK time)

FC Sesvete, Zagreb, Croatia

Caledonia Pride have confirmed that six home-bred players have committed to Scotland’s only female professional basketball team for this season.

All six players have already gained Women’s British Basketball League (WBBL) with Pride last season.

Sharp-shooting Sarah Thomson will be joined by Beth Mackie, Kirsten Simpson, Hannah Peacock, Hilary Wood and Hannah Robb.

Thomson is pleased to have a core of Scots players returning to the programme.

She said: “I am super excited for the season to get started again, especially with how much we progressed in our first season in the WBBL.

“Each game at home is amazing for myself and the other home grown players.

“We have a really good chance to grow the game here and we can’t wait to get started in October.”

Pride will be in home-court action at their season opener on Saturday, October 7 when they take on defending champions, Nottingham Wildcats.

Friday night’s 3-0 win over Lithuania continued Scotland’s rejuvenation as they set their sights on Slovakia who lie within touching distance, four points ahead.

A year ago Scotland defeated Malta 5-1 as the World Cup qualification campaign began and since then the team has had two wins, two losses and two draws.

A home fixture tonight is a must win match for the Scots if they are to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

Barry Bannan is out of the squad through injury and has returned south. Also not included is Darren Fletcher who didn’t travel to Lithuania with a knee injury.

Manager Gordon Strachan said: “We have dragged ourselves out a bad place.

“We could only have done that if we believed in each other and enjoyed working with each other.

“I have a great pride in what I do and I enjoy working with these guys. It’s good to see them going away feeling positive after a game.

“Like most club sides, you get a bad spell and I think we’ve dealt with it like a club side; we’ve got over it and recovered as a group.

“I think we already know how difficult it is going to be to break Malta down. They are well coached and they take great pride in playing for their country. Even when they go a goal down they have pride in what they do and they make it very hard for you.”

“If we went with the same side I don’t think anyone would complain.

“If we do change, we must keep the same intensity, the same ability to run with the ball and without the ball. “

Captain Scott Brown said: “We know what we’ve done in the past, we’ve beat the good teams and when everyone expects us to win a game at home as favourites, we’ve kind of struggled.

“We have a very good squad, you look at the bench and there are players who can come on and change games, score goals, create chances and hold the ball up for us as well.

“We’ve gone to Lithuania, dominated possession, chances, and scored three great goals. We were fantastic with the ball, we managed to keep possession and create chances.

“Patience is huge for us, the way we play, keeping the ball and tiring the opponent out.

“Leigh Griffiths up front just now is fantastic, he’s holding the ball in, creating chances for others, running unselfishly off the ball. We’ve got Stuart Armstrong and James (McArthur) running in behind as well.

“It’s about patience and creating chances. Here’s hoping the fans get behind us.”

David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas muses on the nature of boundaries – namely, the boundaries between noise and sound. The novel suggests that all boundaries are conventions, that one may cross “if only one can first conceive of doing so”. It doesn’t seem beyond the realm of possibility that Mitchell had this thought in mind when he and the acclaimed conductor and pianist David Greilsammer collaborated for their latest project: an evening of the piano sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti and John Cage, interspersed with Mitchell’s writing, performed in the atmospheric setting of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral.

One of the best aspects of the evening was this breaking down of the boundaries – and the 300-odd years – that lie between Scarlatti and Cage. By juxtaposing the Baroque and the controversially avant-garde, Greilsammer illustrated not how these two composers are different, but how they are the same.

Greilsammer’s considered interpretation of the Scarlatti spoke delicacy but not sentimentality; his performance of Cage was transcendent. Cage’s refusal to adhere to traditional form (and traditional tuning of the piano) shares an affinity with Scarlatti’s exploration of sonata form, burgeoning as it was in his time from the earlier binary form.

The boundaries between Scarlatti and Cage are conventions, as (Mitchell suggests) are those between noise and music. A sort of dynamic tension and circularity is created by Greilsammer in the acoustic of St Mary’s that reveals the influence of Baroque counterpoint on Cage’s work, and the vision in Scarlatti’s sonatas.

It is a shame, therefore, that it was the acoustic of St Mary’s that ultimately let this concert down. Mitchell’s readings were thought-provoking and varied – but from where we were seated, they were also largely inaudible. Having given the issue some thought and having seen what others had to say about the concert on social media, I feel I cannot properly review Mitchell’s contribution.

As someone who has herself spent many hours either performing or in the audience in the Cathedral, I am well aware how fickle the acoustics of the building can be. This seems an even greater shame given that what I could hear of the readings was quite brilliant. A personal favourite was the monologue on Scarlatti’s inspiration to write his first piano sonata:

​“Why did I write it? What choice did I have? No one else heard it.”

There were flashes of razor-sharp humour and pathos too in the tale of the ‘meanderer’, a critic doomed to the most unusual of fates after a run-in with an author whose work he lambasted.

Scarlatti and Cage may well have been excellent; indeed, at moments it was one of the most original concerts I have enjoyed in recent years. That is was hampered by technical difficulties is a genuine pity. Those who were in better areas of the building with better sound quality almost certainly enjoyed an engrossing and moving evening in which boundaries in music and the spoken word were evinced as the conventions that, perhaps, they are.

Saturday 26th August, 2017
St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral
Edinburgh Book Festival

Today the official opening of the Queensferry Crossing took place at both sides of the already iconic structure.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today accompanied Her Majesty The Queen, and the Lord Provost the Rt Hon Frank Ross was in attendance with his complete retinue of the Lady Provost and the Depute Lord Provost.

Joined by the Lady Provost and Depute Lord Provost today for the major Royal opening of the new #QueensferryCrossing pic.twitter.com/AkbluC1y9m

— LordProvostEdinburgh (@LordProvostEdin) September 4, 2017

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

The bridge has taken six years to build, involving more than 15,000 people, at a cost of £1.35 billion – and the cost was £245 million under the original budget.

Following a ribbon cutting ceremony on the south side of the bridge, undertaken by Her Majesty, The Queen was accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh in her official car to an event on the north side where she unveiled a plaque officially declaring the Queensferry Crossing open.

This was followed a traditional folk performance by singer Karine Polwart, and the recital of a specially commissioned poem by Scotland’s Makar, Jackie Kay.

Showcasing a wide range of Scottish talent, there were also performances by, among others, KT Tunstall and King Creosote.

The Red Arrows performed two flypasts above the bridge – going from south to north and also east to west across all three bridges while a flotilla comprising around ninety craft sailed below.

Speaking at the event, the First Minister said: “This crossing is the tallest bridge in the UK. It has required 150,000 tonnes of concrete, 23,000 miles of steel cabling and 19 million hours of labour.

“But, far more important than those statistics are the benefits this bridge will bring. It will improve journey times, and bring benefits to families and businesses – not just in Fife and the Lothians, but across Scotland.

“It is already attracting global attention. Together, the three Forth bridges will bring people from around the world to admire their ingenuity and their beauty.

“It is an honour to have Her Majesty The Queen opening the new bridge for Scotland’s communities, just as she she opened the Forth Road Bridge, linking Fife and the Lothians.”

Looks like all the Conservative councillors made sure they got their goody bags after the official opening! Wonder what was inside……

Edinburgh Conservative Councillors @on_lothianbuses taking us back from official opening #QueensferryCrossing @maxmitchell91 @Mr_Mark_Brown pic.twitter.com/cQjT9VBAp3

— Susan Webber (@SJWebber_PHW) September 4, 2017

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Photos courtesy of The Scottish Government

Police have confirmed the identity of a teenager who died during a road collision on Regent Road on Sunday 3rd September.

He was 17-year-old Abdul Sajjad from Edinburgh.

In a statement released through Police Scotland, Abdul’s family said: “Abdul was a beloved son, brother and friend.

“He was an independent man who worked hard and dreamed big, putting others in front of himself and always making others smile.

“As a family we will now come together to grieve for Abdul and would ask that the media respect our privacy at this time.”

Inquiries into the full circumstances surrounding this collision are continuing and anyone with information is asked to contact police immediately.

Those with information can contact the Road Policing Unit at Fettes via 101 and quote incident number 4045 of the 3rd September.

National Domestic Abuse Advocates have recently visited the Edinburgh Area Control Room and Service Centre to gain an understanding of the work undertaken by C3 Division.

Detective Superintendent Gordon McCreadie, Police Scotland’s national lead for Domestic Abuse, worked with C3 Division to invite representatives from organisations such as ASSIST, Scottish Women’s Aid – including representatives from the Women’s Aid network such as Shakti and Hemat Gryffe – and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal’s Service (COPFS), to gain an understanding of how our highly trained staff identify victims of domestic abuse and vulnerability.

Their visit followed the journey of a call, from first point of contact in the Service Centre seeing how a call is assessed and graded, before moving on to the ACR to see how an incident is resourced and controlled.

During their tour, they had the opportunity to talk to Service Advisors and Controllers, asking questions and gaining an understanding of how calls are prioritised and allocated, as well as how staff identify vulnerability and risk.

Chief Superintendent Roddy Newbigging, Divisional Commander C3 Division, said: “We were pleased to welcome our partners from domestic abuse support services, giving them an opportunity to understand the sorts of incidents we deal with and how our staff are trained to support those who call us.

“This visit also give us an opportunity to understand the issues and concerns our partners have and allowed us to address them directly.”

Mhairi McGowan from ASSIST, an independent domestic abuse advocacy service said, “Our visit to the Edinburgh Area Control Room and Service Centre was very worthwhile and provided all of us with an opportunity to speak to staff, ask questions and understand the role staff within these facilities play in supporting vulnerable members of our community when they contact the police.

“I’d like to thank Police Scotland for organising the visit and staff within Contact, Command and Control Division for giving their valuable time to facilitate our tour.”

Police have appealed for witnesses after the 17-year-old male driver of a Ford Fiesta died following a collision with a parked Citroen Relay van around 9.25pm on Sunday night on Regent Road.

A 21-year-old male passenger remains in the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary with serious injuries whilst a 15-year-old boy who was also in the car was released after treatment.

Police Scotland’s Sergeant Fraser Wood said: “Tragically, this incident has resulted in a young man losing his life and our thoughts are with his family at this time.

“We are still working to establish the full circumstances of the collision and anyone who was on Regent Road at the time and witnessed what happened should contact police immediately.

“Similarly, if you have any other information relevant to this inquiry then please get in touch.”

A leading global information technology company launches its newest digital pod in Edinburgh allowing it to offer digital services at close proximity to its UK and European customers.

The UK Minister of State for Trade and Investment Greg Hands will open Wipro’s new space with representatives from Edinburgh City Council, clients and analysts also present later this afternoon.

The Edinburgh Pod is purpose-built for Wipro’s digital strategy, design and engineering teams to work in a collaborative and adaptive workspace, along with clients. Digital pods allow teams to work with the necessary autonomy to facilitate speed, continually evaluating progress with user research and technical performance data.

Wipro has 15 other digital and design pods across the globe including London, New York, Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Madrid, Mountain View, Munich, Sydney, Tel Aviv, Bangalore and Tokyo. Wipro has been making investments in emerging digital trends and technologies to accelerate and future-proof the digital transformation road-map of its clients. 

International Trade Minister, Greg Hands said ahead of the opening :  “This investment from Wipro into the new Edinburgh Pod stands as a testament to the world-leading innovation and digital expertise that the UK has on offer, and will result in the creation of jobs. I am delighted to be in Edinburgh today to mark the opening of this state-of-the-art facility and to celebrate yet another vote of confidence in the strength of Scottish industry.”

Rajan Kohli, Senior Vice President & Global Head, Wipro Digital said, “The Edinburgh Pod is a significant milestone in our growth journey, bringing us closer to our clients in Scotland and further building upon our footprint to serve clients in the United Kingdom and Europe.

“The facility allows us to incubate and co-create innovative and disruptive ideas alongside our clients, and work with them to develop high velocity digital engineering approaches. This method of engagement enables clients to rapidly experiment with new ideas, develop insights and scale these experiments to win in their markets.”

SGB Premiership: Peterborough Panthers 35, Glasgow Tigers 31 (match abandoned after Heat 11 but the result stands)

Aaron Summers top scored for Glasgow Tigers with eight points but Glasgow Tigers poor away form continued with a defeat at Peterborough Panthers.

Simon Lambert was Panthers best with eight points but the match was abandoned after 11 races because of rain. The 35-31 result stands

Challenge: Edinburgh Capitals 3, Dundee Stars 2 (after penalty shots). Challenge Cup: Manchester Storm 4, Braehead Clan 1; Fife Flyers 1, Herlev Eagles 4.

Edinburgh Capitals fans celebrated after edging Dundee Stars 3-2 on penalty shots.

Russian left-wing Igor Valeev scored the game-winner, the 36-year-old former St Louis Blues draft pick slotting home to provide Capitals with a confidence-booster.

At Kirkcaldy, Fife Flyers lost 4-1 to Danish side Herlev Eagles with Canadian Liam Heelis providing their only joy. The Fifers won the first game of the double-header 3-1 on Saturday.

Braehead Clan suffered a 4-1 defeat at Manchester Storm in the Challenge Cup. Jacob Doty netted Clan’s only goal. The reverse came only 24-hours after beating Storm 7-5 in Glasgow.