70 Years of Independence Celebrated on Calton Hill

Over 100 Indian performers gathered in Edinburgh for the Festivals this year including the Indian Naval Band and Teamwork Arts’ Bollywood Extravaganza, Aditya Roy, Yuki Ellias, Shilpika Bordoloi,and spokesperson Sharupa Dutta.

And, as part of the UK-India Year of Culture 2017, India@Edinburgh brought to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo a slice of the country’s iconic cultural traditions as well as its contemporary performing arts scene, including Bollywood dancers, theatre, martial arts and comedy. Of all the seasons and events programmed by Teamwork Arts for the Year of Culture, India@Edinburgh had the distinction of happening on and around the anniversary day of the independence of India on the 15th of August, which makes this season a truly special celebration of India’s rich and unique history.

To mark this occasion a small performance and a family picture with all the Indian performers who are part of this season, including the legendary Indian Naval Band and a magnificent group of Bollywood style dancers took place on Calton Hill.

Sanjoy Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, said “2017 is a year of great significance for the arts world – 70 years of the Edinburgh festivals and 70 years since the world’s largest democracy, India, attained independence from the British Crown. To commemorate the second of these anniversaries, which falls on August 15, an ambitious cultural exchange programme is being hosted in both countries to celebrate diversity, youth and innovation throughout 2017.”

From tomorrow 16 August 2017, the extent of the 20mph zones across the city extends even further with the third phase covering north west and west Edinburgh.

This will include Belford Road where the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art this morning hosted a photo call with children from Murrayfield Nursery, Transport Convener Lesley Macinnes and Police Scotland helping to promote the message.

There are now signs and road markings all over the Phase 3 area although the speed limit on some strategic roads such as Calder Road, Maybury Road, Queensferry Road and Lanark Road will have 30 mph restrictions.

The 20 mph zones will be extended to the northwest and south west of Edinburgh from tomorrow. What do you think? Have drivers slowed down? pic.twitter.com/NaqBAtsBW3

— Edinburgh Reporter (@EdinReporter) August 15, 2017

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Councillor Macinnes told The Edinburgh Reporter :”This is Phase 3 of the rollout across the city and it is taking us into the north-west and the west of the city.”

Asked if she believes people are learning to drive more slowly on the city’s streets, the Transport Convener said she did. She continued : “I do believe they are. We are seeing very high levels of compliance, and very high levels of satisfaction with it. We know that people across Edinburgh in general are supportive of this, because it provides us with an entirely different environment.

As to whether the police are having some success in enforcing the new lower speed limits Councillor Macinnes believes they are. She concluded : “I think they are, but we also recognise the fact that this is a transition period and people are just getting used to it. So there is a combination of fines being levied, people being stopped and some warnings being given.”

According to a recent survey carried out in Edinburgh around 70% of the 50,000 interviewed said that they back the lower speed limits.

800 Warnings 26 tickets

Police continue to enforce all speed limits across the city and have handed out nearly 800 warnings and 26 tickets since the scheme was introduced. In addition they have reported five drivers to the Procurator Fiscal.

We asked Superintendent Mark Rennie as to whether the scheme is working in Edinburgh. He said : “Yes I think it is. I think it’s really important. Today we are at this launch for a significant proportion of the city, the north west and the south west of the city.

“We are here with young children who we would classify as vulnerable road users. The purpose of the 20mph limit is to slow traffic down to slow speeds down because we know that when you do that you reduce casualties.

“We have charged a number of people in respect of the 20mph limits but that is a part of our overall enforcement programme.

“Part of what we do is about education and part of it is what we are doing here today to show the importance of the 20mph limit. Every day our officers are out across the city doing road checks, and often those road checks are about areas where people and local residents have told us they feel there is a problem.

“So we will go out and look at these problems whether that is with regards to higher limits of 40 mph, 30mph or the 20mph limits. But especially with regard to the 20mph limits where we think there is an element of vulnerability around the road users. And today we had these vulnerable road users here at our launch. That for me is what it’s all about.”

Do you think that people in Edinburgh are aware enough of the 20mph zones. Yes I think they are. I think there has been a really positive campaign from the council and Police Scotland to highlight the zones. Obviously as it expands right across the city, and we are close to having the whole city covered now, then that will become the norm. People will understand where those zones are and how to drive according to the speed limits.

Our officers from Road Policing are out every single day looking at road behaviour, looking at that positive message around prevention in terms of accident hotspots, in terms of areas where we know there’s vulnerable road users.Importantly we also have our community officers out each day responding to complaints from residents and concerned local groups about speeding traffic, dangerous parking and other issues to do with road safety.

“It’s based on where the problems are and certainly in terms of residents when we receive multiple complaints and concerns, or concerns raised by local schools or other officials then we will look at these problems in a proportionate way of course.”

Police Scotland have confirmed that Hibs Head Coach  Neil Lennon did not commit a crime when he celebrated a goal during his team’s 3-2 win against Rangers at Ibrox Stadium on Saturday.

A number of Rangers’ supporters complained about what they perceived as “inflammatory” actions but after consultation with the procurator fiscal, no charges will be preferred.

A separate inquiry is under way into threats made against Lennon following the game on social media.

A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “After discussion with the procurator fiscal we established that no criminality took place. No further action will be taken.”

The Scottish SPCA is seeking the owner of a black cat who was found on West Granton Road.

Scotland’s animal welfare charity was called out to attend to the cat on Friday (11 August).

Edinburgh Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre Manager Diane Aitchison said, “Terry, as he’s been named by staff, came to us with a bad head wound. “He’s been seen by the vets and is recovering well.

“We’re hopeful that we can reunite him with his owners as we’re sure he must be missed.”

Anyone who recognises Terry is being urged to contact the Scottish SPCA’s animal helpline on 03000 999 999.

Photo courtesy of Scottish SPCA

Hibs’ Colts face Elgin City in the Irn-Bru Cup tonight at Ainslie Park with tickets now available at the ground on the evening of the game.

Tickets for the First Round tie between the two sides are priced at £12 for adults and £6 for concessions.

Assistant Coach Grant Murray believes that it will be a good test for the Development Squad players coming up against an Elgin side who will be hungry to advance to the next round of the competition.

Murray told the Hibernian Media: “We spoke to Ben about how his game against Elgin went. We really respect Elgin and we had someone having a look at them at the weekend as well.

“I think for our lads it will be a big test for them, and a good test for them as well. To be involved in such a competitive this early in the season is great.

“Most of them will be involved in development games unless they are in the first-team and the youth cup is also slightly different.

“They are coming up against players that have maybe played at a higher level and they are used to playing full-time and part-time professionally, and like any other team, they’ll be wanting to get through to the next round.”

Youngster Ben Stirling was involved in Hibs’ pre-season match away to Berwick Rangers and has played twice for Cowdenbeath this season since joining the Central Park club on loan – including away to Elgin.

He told the Hibernian Media: “We’re confident going into the game because we feel there isn’t much pressure on us as we’re playing against a professional league side.

“For us, there’s nothing to be scared of. It will be a different game compared to a development game, but everyone in the dressing room is looking forward to the challenge.

“I think we’re really capable of getting a result and seeing how far we can go in the competition.”

East Coast Buses Ltd is celebrating running buses to East Lothian for a year so they had a cake!

 
The service was launched on 14 August 2016 and was created as a rescue package following First Scotland East Ltd’s announcement that it would be ceasing operations in the area.
 
Since then, East Coast buses, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lothian Buses Ltd, has recorded over 3 million customer journeys and introduced a number of improvements and expansions to its local services.
 
These include the addition of extra buses during peak times on services 104 and 107 as well as the launch of NightHawk which provides two late night weekend services to get customers home to the County after nights out in Edinburgh.
 
In April 2017, after feedback from customers, East Coast Buses also brought in two brand new services (106 and X5) to help greater improve local links and reduce journey times.
 
Mark Heritage, General Manager, East Coast Buses said: “It’s been a busy and exciting year for us here at East Coast Buses and we’re delighted to see so many people travelling with us across our services.
 
“Originally our commitment was to help protect key bus services and jobs, however the benefits have gone much further than that. The residents, commuters and local businesses of East Lothian are able to rely on our buses as part of their daily lives and well-being and the figures show they are choosing to do so on a regular basis.
 
“We’re pleased our work to improve these services has been welcomed so positively and we look forward to continuing our role in the local community for years to come.”
 
The company marked the occasion by surprising some of its customers on their morning commute with a cupcake, while staff at the Musselburgh Garage were treated to a slice of cake on their break.

Two Edinburgh-based companies will headline a new conference that aims to bring together industry experts and academics from the worlds of food, nutrition and sports science.

Active Root and Tony Fullerton of Stoats will speak at the Cycling & Sports – Opportunities
in Food and Drink conference, which is to be held in Dundee on 22 August.

A collaboration between the Mountain Bike Centre of Scotland and hosts Abertay University, the event will be attended by Scottish food and drink producers, members of the business support industry and academic staff.

Aimed at stimulating the exchange of ideas, analysing trends and sharing expertise,
the purpose of the conference is to build partnerships across the sectors.

Active Root, a new natural ginger based sports drink company from Edinburgh, will provide an insight into their product, which was borne out of co-founder Will Townsend’s experience during the London Marathon.

Tony Fullerton of Stoats will also give a presentation, speaking about his firm’s
range of quick and easy snacks and cereals – from porridge sachets, pots, bars and boxes to oatcakes and mueslis.

Some of the businesses signed up to attend are already making cycling and sports produce, while others are considering diversifying.

Networking and speed pitching sessions will take place in addition to a series of talks
and one to one sessions.

Organiser Danny Cowe of the Mountain Bike Centre of Scotland, who will present a talk on
opportunities in the cycling industry, said there is a real chance for Scottish businesses to tap into a global market for sports and nutrition worth over $20billion.

He added: “Cycling and sports products command high price points compared to
general food stuffs and this event is an opportunity to look at how food and drink
businesses can best reach that market.

“There is a major buzz around sports nutrition and health at the moment, so producing
new or enhanced products can only benefit both industry and those participating
in sport.”

Abertay’s Dr John Babraj, whose research includes developing models to promote
cardio-metabolic health and improve sports performance, will give a talk detailing exactly what athletes require for fuel and hydration.

Dr Jonathan Wilkin, Senior Food Technologist at Food Innovation at Abertay, will
speak about business support available at the University.

Abtour of Abertay’s new £3.5m science labs, which boast Scotland’s only industry
standard Consumer Experience Lab, will also be included.

The Mountain Bike Centre of Scotland is a joint initiative headed by Edinburgh Napier University and Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland, with project partner Scottish Enterprise. The project is funded by the Scottish Funding Council and Edinburgh Napier University.

From market research to product development; knowledge transfer, testing and product
launches, the centre helps Scottish businesses in capitalising in one of the country’s fastest growing sports and to help bring Scottish mountain biking products and services to an international audience.

To find out how the Mountain Bike Centre of Scotland can assist a business, please visit www.napier.ac.uk/mtb

There are a lot of clever performers at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. If your idea of a clever performance is one of biting satire then Jonny & The Baptists is a show for you. Not so much biting satire as sinking their molars, refusing to let go and drawing blood from the curiosities of life.

Jonny and Paddy – yep, there are just the two of them – celebrate five years of silly songs and satirical anthems as the title of their show implies. The stars of BBC Radio 4’s The Now Show entertained a small but adoring audience at Edinburgh’s Summerhall with their very funny songs. In these troubled political times, it doesn’t do any harm to start off with a song about Donald Trump but the song which I related to most was the one about ‘not being a proper pub’. As someone who prefers to sup his pint of foaming ale in premises which would nowadays be classed as ‘traditional’ i.e. no children, no loud music and no trendy beer costing an arm and a leg, this song literally struck a chord with me.

But then most of Jonny & The Baptists songs struck a chord with the audience. If you enjoyed the television comedy ‘The Flight of the Conchords a few years ago, then this show is definitely for you.

Head along for an hour of merriment. You’ll be glad you did. But be quick – the lads are only on until this Saturday, 19^th August.

Venue: Roundabout@Summerhall ǀ until 19 August 2017ǀ 7.25pm (55 mins)

Tickets here

Edinburgh Reporter Review ****

Peter Michael Marino (Desperately Seeking the Exit, Late with Lance!) turns the often vilified clichés of the solo show genre on their clichéd heads.  Using an arsenal of Post-it® Notes, Pete transforms the real-life audience experiences into a comedic, vibrant, life-story that’s daring and different each time.  You get to control the content, set and sound for this improvised solo show about your tragic life.  And there’s a party!

Picking a show at the Fringe is never easy.  Sometimes you go if it’s a performer you know, have heard good press about or because somebody wants you to chum them.   Sometimes a poster or a flyer has enough in it to draw you in.  Occasionally you’ll get a performer who’s flyering and does such a good pitch that you go and see their show.  Peter Michael Marino did that to me yesterday in the street; in around 90 seconds he’d convinced me to take a chance on Show Up and I’m glad I did.

Over the course of an hour, Marino examines what the solo confessional show is about and entails.  He’s no stranger to the genre and this performance is sharp, witting and engaging.

Instead of dealing with the performer’s hang-ups, neuroses or past failings, the audience is presented with an amalgamation of the audiences’ experiences.  If anything, it proves you don’t have to be artistic to have a tragic life that can be mined for comedic results.

Despite the appearance of being an improvised show, I’d say Show Up is the result of a keen and witty mind who knows how to take different ideas, meld them together and run with the result.  I really enjoyed the show and laughed from start to end.  I was also pleased to learn that the rest of the audience is even more screwed up and scarred than me, which made me feel good inside.

Do not go and see this show if you want to sit back and have a show fed to you by a straw; this is one you’re going to have to contribute to.

However, enter it in the right spirit and you’ll be well rewarded.  Marino knows the format and how to play with it, as well as how to judge an audience.  If you think you get what you pay for at the Free Fringe, go and see Show Up and realise how wrong you are.

What do a soon-to-be disgraced politician and a troubled bellhop have in common? They are both trapped in a hotel elevator, between the fourteenth floor and the basement, forcing them to face up to their darkest secrets, in this debut play from Billy Liar & Freddy Fudd Pucker.

The Free Fringe is a mixed bag.  Sometimes you get exactly what you’ve paid for, sometimes you get much more than you expected.

Clean Sheets, a debut play by two singer/songwriters, falls more towards the latter and has a lot to praise.  I’m not saying it’s perfect but I’m glad I saw it and put money in the hat at the end. Aye, they could improve it but the play has a good heart and packs an emotional punch and I would recommend you see it.  I also hope that Billy and Freddy have another go at writing a play because they have an ear for dialogue that can only improve with time and experience.  As the first step in a writing career they only stumble because they are trying to go faster.

Billy Liar is not a natural to play an ageing politician but then he has the lesser weight to carry.  That’s not to say he does it badly but the focus is more on Freddy Fudd Pucker‘s bellhop.  I would change that dynamic; the politician is deliberately unsympathetic but too much, so that he ends up more of a rule to measure the bell hop by.  Both are flawed but only the latter has managed to do his best to act with the best intentions rather than selfish ones.  For the audience to root for the bell hop he has to have more than a caricature to challenge him.  The politician shows the inexperience of the writers; having dealt with this ilk I found the character’s dialogue simplistic and naive at times.  He was too much of a cardboard cut-out to be a villain and too shallow for me to care about his fate or story.

Having said that, when the play deals with the bell hop’s background and how he reached this point in his life, the play resonates.  His narration feels frighteningly familiar and the choice the character makes is one some of us will sadly know too well.  Both players act well and their friendship serves them well in how they bounce off each other.

My biggest complaint is that they need to project their voices more; for two people who are performers I was surprised at how they didn’t make themselves heard enough at times.

They weren’t helped by the other performance in the venue, which I am very glad not to have sat through judging from what I could hear.  I know that shows involved in both the Free Festival and PBH’s Free Fringe have to make do with what is on offer but when one showing is drowning out another either the venue is wrong or the scheduling is.  That’s not these two’s fault though and I hope they have better luck during the rest of their run.

From zero experience of stand-up to the fringe in just a year… you’re having a laugh!

Mark Row and The Free Festival Presents

A1: The Long Road to Edinburgh

Did you hear the one about the teacher who decided to take a stand-up comedy show to the largest arts festival in the world, despite having no prior experience?  Well you have now – because that’s the ambitious plan of circuit newbie Mark Row, who this summer is performing at the Edinburgh Festival, and it’s really no joke!

In August last year, 36 year old Mark began his journey along ‘The Long Road to Edinburgh’ and ever since then he has been learning the craft, writing material, and packing in gigs to prepare himself for this incredible challenge.

If that wasn’t difficult enough, he has been filming the entire experience to create a documentary showing the reality of a year in the life of a brand-new comedian.  Explaining how it all began, Mark said “I had this idea that most people’s view of stand-up comedy is ‘Live at The Apollo’, and ‘Mock the Week’, and that all of the comedians have great shows every night.  I wanted to show what life is really like for new comedians on the circuit, and give a glimpse into just how tough performing live comedy at the grass roots really is”

Fortunately, he hasn’t been walking this long road alone.  Promoters Ben Robinson and Stephen Powell of ‘The Comedy Cow’ in Milton Keynes have been supporting Mark along the way, and have provided many opportunities for him to perform, putting him on stage at their regular nights at The MK Dons Stadium and even staging gigs especially for him to test out his new material. Ben was very honest about his initial thoughts saying “When Mark first told me what he was planning, I thought he was mad… having been in Edinburgh and run comedy shows, I couldn’t think of anything more terrifying; but hats off to him.”

Also keeping him on the right path, Mark has been given help and advice from some of the best in the business.  Making the documentary has given him the chance
to interview established TV comedians James Acaster, Mark Dolan and Dane
Baptiste, along with Oliver Double, the UK’s first lecturer in stand-up comedy.  Mark has really appreciated the help “Everyone has been so supportive…A lot of them have been quite honest about just how big a task this is going to be, but they all said if I get out and gig as much as possible, there is nothing to stop me succeeding” And that advice has paid off, with Mark securing spots at clubs all over the country, and winning The Comedy Gladiators competition at Riproar Comedy Club in Bristol, as well as a ‘gong shows’ for Funhouse Comedy in The Midlands and Honest Comedy in Banbury, all at his first attempt.

What began as a crazy idea, has now become a daunting reality, as Mark has confirmed his venue for the festival.  With shows every night for the full three and
a half week run at in Edinburgh, he knows that this will be a marathon not a sprint.  If you want to follow Mark’s journey all the way to Edinburgh you can keep up to date on Facebook.com/markrowcomedy, Twitter @markrow80 or Instagram @mrmarkrow.

Alternatively go to www.thecomedycow.co.uk for regular
updates and to see where you can see him performing over the coming weeks and
months.

Venue: Moriarty’s Bar, 161 Lothian
Road, Edinburgh

Tickets: Free, unticketed

Dates: 3rd-27th
August

Time: 19: 30 (45 mins)

Music (folk, film)

The fundamental essence of the Highlands’ natural wonders distilled. Could this be an upstart artisan usquebae? Not quite, but something of equal, immersive ecstasy to shiver the heart and senses.

Speaking of Scotland’s Wild Heart, narrator Ewan MacGregor said, “It’s incredibly beautiful and made me incredibly homesick. On the face of it, the Highlands look bleak and lifeless, but wildlife is thriving in this unforgiving place if you know where to look.”

Folk traditions meet orchestral grandeur in this audio-visual spectacular. A world-class ensemble led by award-winning composer Donald Shaw (Capercaillie) features the cream of Scotland’s musicians, including Patsy Reid (Fiddle), Michael McGoldrick (Flute & Pipes), Aidan O’Rourke (Fiddle), Catriona MacKay (Clarsach), Sorren MacLean (Guitars), James MacKintosh (Percussion) and the SWH String Section led by ‘Grit’ orchestrator Greg Lawson.

They will perform Shaw’s stunning soundtrack live to specially edited HD clips of the sublime Maramedia/BBC nature film ‘Scotland’s Wild Heart’, immersing you in the landscape and seasons of Scotland.

The BBC Series Highlands: Scotland’s Wild Heart was three years in the making and involved more than 500 days of filming. The films explore the changing seasons through locations that range from the splendour of the Cairngorms and dramatic northern seascapes, to the ancient Caledonian pine forests and the depths of iconic Loch Ness.

The first episode, Spring – The Season Of Extremes explored the annual muir-burn, in late March, which takes place in the Cairngorms. This inferno marks the end of winter and helps heather regenerate and sprout new shoots in readiness for the grouse season. As the flames rise, the cameras are able to capture a stunning bird of prey – an osprey – returning from its wintering grounds in West Africa. Filming it for the first time in super slow-motion, every detail of the bird’s incredible fishing behaviour is revealed in never-seen-before footage.

“It’s a land scoured by ice and weathered by storm; rugged coast, bare mountains and water. The seasons may be harsh and the opportunities fleeting, but animals and people have found ways of succeeding here. That’s why ospreys return here every year. It’s their home – in Scotland’s wild heart.”

Much of the compelling soundtrack was written by Scottish composer Donald Shaw, with additional composition and sound-design by Simon Ashdown.

Shaw is an acclaimed Scottish musician, producer and award-winning composer. He has recorded and collaborated on over 100 albums with musicians in all styles of music, created many film and television scores, and directed large-scale live commissions.

He has toured worldwide with Capercaillie – the folk band he co-founded whilst at school in Argyll – who have gone on to sell over a million albums for their unique sound of Gaelic songs merged with contemporary soundscapes.

In the last 20 years he has recorded and performed on piano in many unique scenarios, with artists such as James Taylor, Alison Krauss, Mark Knopfler, the Halle Orchestra, Vicente Amigo, Rosanne Cash, Philip Selway (Radiohead) and legendary jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman.

1 hour 10 minutes. Suitability: U

World Premiere – Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2017 – The Queen’s Hall

August 22nd 8pm / August 23rd 7.30pm & 9.30pm

The Queen’s Hall (Venue 72)

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on#q=%22Scotland’s%20Wild%20Heart%22

Side-splitting, stiff upper-lipped hilarity from energetic duo Dan Lees and Neil Frost.  Two ultra-privileged British gents struggling to hold onto their whimsical world of cricket, tea and secret arms deals.  ‘Another much-needed chapter in our national legacy of lampooning the powers that be, building on Peter Cook, the Pythons and The Fast Show…

Eton Mess, while wonderful and beautifully performed, is not everybody’s cup of tea.  Dan Lees and Neil Frost follow in the footsteps of Monty Python, Vic and Bob, Harry Hill and the Mighty Boosh, amongst others.  At times, I could have sworn I was hearing Graham Chapman when Neil Frost delivered his lines.

The Establishment serve up their clowning with a dash of Eric and Ernie for good measure.  I’m not sure if their humour is more absurdist than surreal but it is damn good fun.  They take a none-too-subtle swipe at those who govern the UK throughout the show.  This includes poking fun at Brexiteers’ colonial wet dreams or the elite’s corruption and control of society.  While it isn’t subtle it is damn good fun.

Both performers make good use of the venue and have fun with the audience, exploring the seating as they search for game.

However, the show is not cruel, more giving the paying public a gentle poking tickle along their ribs.  In the space of an hour, they cover fox hunting, arms sales, dodgy handshakes, the financial markets and much more besides.

They do it quickly and with panache; from where I was sitting I’d say they enjoy it almost as much as the audience does.   The show is funny without falling into smugness, clever without a hint of condescension.

If you want a trip to an askew vision of the UK then I doubt you’ll do better than seeing Eton Mess.

Alastair McIntosh was born in 1955 at Leurbost on Lewis, that northern part of a Hebridean island with two names, two identities.  Forty-three years earlier, a certain Mary Anne MacLeod had been born just eight miles away in the village of Tong. The First World War had decimated the male population of the island, leaving little work and few prospects of marriage. Miss MacLeod left the island in 1930, arriving in New York one day after her 18^th birthday. In 2016 her son Donald was elected the 45^th President of the United States of America.

‘The oppressed are often left with no option but to become the oppressors.’

In conversation with Jane Fowler (BBC Scotland Editor of Speech Programmes) at St Andrew’s & St George’s West Church last week, Alastair spoke about his latest book Poacher’s Pilgrimage – An Island Journey, in which he describes his return journey to the island of his birth, and the walk he took from the far south of Harris to the northern shores of Lewis. It was a walk into history, into politics, into science, into spirituality, and into the imagination. Or, as he describes it;

‘a twelve day walk through remote and rugged terrain on the island of my childhood to explore the roots of war and alienation in our times.’

Alastair is a writer and academic known for his activism, especially in the area of land ownership reform. He was heavily involved in the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust’s 1997 purchase of the island, which took place after years of neglect of the land by absentee landlords.

In 2006 Alastair was appointed to the honorary position of Visiting Professor of Human Ecology at the University of Strathclyde; he is also an Honorary Fellow of New College. He opposed the building of a superquarry at Lingerbay on Harris, inviting the chair of Lafarge SA, the quarry company, to visit the island so that he could understand the meaning of the land to its people. He has, says Jane Fowler, an ‘outstanding ability to talk openly with those of differing points of view’.

In planning his walk Alastair especially wanted to study the chapels, or temples (the ruins of pre-Reformation buildings), the ‘healing wells’ once prevalent throughout Scotland, and the faeries., which he sees as a metaphor for the imagination, a way of engaging with the inner life. But mostly he wanted to think about war, and the resolution of war. What could be more topical?

Just before he set out, Alastair, a peace-loving Quaker, had paid his annual visit to the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, where he’s been invited for over 20 years; it was inevitable, therefore, that confllict was still on his mind as he zig-zagged across the island;

‘I grew up on an island that has been shaped by war.’

As he walked, Alastair recognised not only reminders of his own childhood (‘the kipper-scented wisps of smoke’, the wooden poles left over from old ships ‘vessels laden full of memories’) but also the signs and remnants of much earlier times. For four days he walked through an unpopulated valley between Harris and Lewis, a land of deer and eagles, the site of the ‘Loch of the Cascading Cliffs’ – and all around him he saw ancient structures and clues, the brochs and beehive dwellings, the ruins of houses.

‘When you know a place you can decode it…it is a landscape populated with stories’

In his youth Alastair worked as a stalker’s pony boy (he approves of stalking; ‘traditional stalkers love the land, and the deer’) Back then, when he asked about those abandoned houses, he was always told that the inhabitants had left to seek work. ‘Had they heck? They’d been cleared’.  As part of his research for Poacher’s Pilgrimage he worked for a week with the old stalker’s son, finding the very site from which the US President’s own maternal ancestors had been evicted. In the 1820s, he explains, all of the villages on the north-west coast of Harris were forcibly cleared by their landlords, and replaced by sheep.

The landlords needed the profits of their sheep farming to pay off gambling debts. Some of the orders for the evictions were sent from Barbados – where those very same landlords were running slave plantations; now they evicted the families whose own sons they had shipped off to fight colonial wars. (Right: The Highland emigrants’ monument, Helmsdale)

Alastair asserts that President Trump’s ability to connect with the oppressed in 21^st century America stems from his Lewis roots. In his youth, he would have mixed with emigrants from the island; he knows how to speak to the dispossessed, and perhaps more importantly to the evangelical right – and this may have won him the top job in the western world.

Of the current political situation, Alastair regards the division between North and South Korea as a remnant of the Cold War and of World War II. ‘There was a lot of unfinished business – it is our responsibility.’

What we need to do, says Alastair, is talk to one another – just as he talks with military generals in Geneva;

‘They are not warmongers – they see that war has not worked so they are willing to listen to other methods of dealing with things.’

He finds that the military are often more aware than the peace movement of the ambiguities of war. The Presbyterian churches of South Korea have called for US exercises against the North to be stopped;

‘We need to understand the minds of nations who have lost millions of people to war since the 1950s.’

5 million North Koreans died in the Korean War. Recalling the Iraq War, Alastair asserts that at least three-fifths of the senior military believed it was illegal, but also felt they had to obey their democratically elected Prime Minister. (‘What do they feel now?’)

Similarly, although he is a Quaker, Alastair is keen to talk to those of other religious persuasions. Entering a Free Church on a Sunday, he heard a ‘mindblowing’ sermon on Joab, then was invited to the manse, where theology was debated for hours ‘over a very good lunch.’ The Calvinism introduced by the old Highland landlords may not be to Alastair’s taste, but he meets people on their own terms, saying that modern Calvinism has become the way that spirituality is experienced in the islands;

‘Go into a Free Church, see the real heart of the people.’

Communion – not only with the past, but with our contemporaries – lies at the heart of Alastair McIntosh’s message. He ends his talk with a sonorous reading from part of Sorley MacLean’s Hallaig , translated from the original Gaelic by the poet (right);

‘the dead have been seen alive…..and their beauty is a film on my heart.’

This unusual hour made me think a great deal about the history of the Western Isles; things I half knew fell into place, or rather, found a new place as Alastair brought them together. It also made me look at the Free Church in a new light.

Alastair may be a little eccentric – his own website quotes The Scottish Landowners’ Federation as saying ‘Nobody takes Alastair McIntosh seriously’ – but he is also one of those rare individuals who just keep on ploughing their own furrow, firm in their beliefs but also wide open to others. Alastair McIntosh; a passionate peace-maker for a troubled world.

Alastair McIntosh’s Poacher’s Pilgrimage: An Island Journey is published by Birlinn Limited.

Alastair will be the speaker on BBC Radio 4’s Thought for the Day on 31 August 2017.

Following recent media reports about Police Scotland answering calls for the Metropolitan Police and the Police Service of Northern Ireland Nelson Telfer, ACC Service and Protection has issued a statement explaining how the service works.

He said: “Some of you may have seen reports in the media over the past couple of days about Police Scotland answering calls from the Metropolitan Police Service and the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

“We wanted to take this opportunity to explain what happens within our service centres (call handling centres) and how we assist the public when they are in need.

You can also see some of our tweets about this over on twitter @policescotland using #CallHandling.

“Every Police Force (and other Emergency Authority) has an arrangement in place where we can assist each other if emergency calls are not answered within a certain time. This is called the Public Emergency Call Service (PECS) Code of Practice and has been in place for a number of years now. This code of practice is purely for 999 calls and not for non-emergency 101 calls.

“Before we became a single force in 2013, each individual force across Scotland had similar arrangements in place. Now that we are Police Scotland and one of the largest forces in the UK, we are requested on occasion to assist and support our colleagues and the public in other Force areas. ”

This happens rarely and only at times of exceptional demand – this could include at times of adverse weather or major incidents for example the recent terrorist attacks in Manchester and London. We are proud to support other forces at these times and should there be a requirement then they would support us.

“The 999 service across the UK is the responsibility of BT in conjunction with Emergency Authorities. This process is in place to support 999 call handling across the country. The process is initiated through a request from BT to assist another force and we will only do so if we have the capacity to do so.

“Here in Police Scotland, the Duty Officer, who has responsibility for C3 Division, including call handling, will decide if Police Scotland has capacity to assist in supporting the request for a short period of time.

“If the Police Scotland Service Centre is busy and dealing with calls from the public in Scotland then this request may be declined. We have declined this request in the past as our priority will always be answering calls from the public across Scotland.

“If we can help we will help. We will always assist the public when they are in need and provide assistance with their emergency calls. Where we do take 999 calls from other areas, we do not allocate officers to go to these calls. We take the initial call, provide assistance at first point of contact and then make that Force aware of the details. Responsibility for dealing with the call at this point lies with the force for that area.

“Police Scotland Contact Command and Control Division (C3) has undergone a significant level of change and improvement in the past 3 years. We have more call handling staff than ever before and every one of them do a fantastic job, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week helping the public. They speak to the public who are at crisis point, who are victims of and have witnessed crimes and need assistance, guidance and support.’

The City of Edinburgh Council’s cultural venues collective has appointed James Bruce as programme development manager. The position which is based at the Usher Hall also covers city landmarks the Assembly Rooms, Ross Bandstand and Church Hill Theatre.

The role will focus on the curation of top events across four of the capital’s most high profile venues, with the diverse portfolio catering for a broad range of performances, with capacity for ten to 2,300 attendees.

James brings more than 10 years of experience in the music entertainment sector, having helped deliver over 250 events per year in his previous role as senior promoter at PCL Presents.

Having previously held roles at London-based artist-ticketing platform CrowdSurge/Songkick and Coca-Cola during the Olympic Torch Relay celebrations, James has led major label album releases, worldwide arena tour announcements and the production of 55,000 capacity concerts.

Currently furthering his education with a FutureLearn course in Digital Economy at The Open University, James joins the team at a crucial time as the Assembly Rooms celebrates its 230^thanniversary and another year at the heart of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Karl Chapman, service manager of the City of Edinburgh Council’s Cultural Venues, comments: “James will help us to develop fantastic concerts and events across a colourful range of music genres. He has a proven track record of delivering innovative, successful events and understands what it takes to work with and for a diverse range of artists, promoters, tour managers and agents.  We are delighted to have him on board and excited for the months and years ahead.”

This appointment also follows the Usher Hall’s grading earlier this year as Scotland’s only 5* concert hall for the sixth year in a row. The award from Scotland’s national tourism body, VisitScotland, recognises the venue’s exceptional facilities, acoustics and customer service provided by staff.

James Bruce comments: “This is an exciting time for the Cultural Venues which are entertaining festival audiences 70 years on from the very first Festival concert at the Usher Hall in 1947.

“I’m looking forward to delivering the type of five star experiences and programmes the venues’ concert-goers have come to expect and love, while bringing in new artists and events.”

Rhythm & Blues legend Movin’ Melvin Brown is back at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for the world premiere of a show dedicated to Rock ’n’ Roll king Chuck Berry

A Fringe favourite, Brown is a flamboyant wizard of song and tap who has been seen widely on BBC TV, was the featured artist at Oprah Winfrey’s birthday party for Maya Angelou and has earned critical acclaim from reviewers.

In channelling the late, great Chuck Berry he has created a show that truly moves – even by his own high-octane standards. The result is an amazing mix of classic songs like Sweet Little Sixteen, Memphis, C’est la Vie, Johnny B Goode mixed with dance routines of the kind that have won Brown a faithful following worldwide.

Brown says: “Chuck Berry changed music for ever. I grew up with his sounds all around me, he made a huge difference to my life and millions of others. If anyone deserves the title of King of Rock ’n’ Roll it’s him. This is a chance to have fun celebrating his music.”

Brown’s single Love Stormy Weather is currently in the UK soul charts and will soon be available on a 45 vinyl with his previously unreleased Crying for Your Love on the B side.

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, he has been at the heart of the black music scene since he started stealing hearts with his dancing aged five. He had a doo-wop group as a
teenager, when Cincinnati was the hub of black music, and has appeared with the
likes of James Brown, BB King, The Isley Brothers, Little Stevie Wonder and
many more.

While in Edinburgh Brown will be running Tap Into Health workshops, his programme to promote health, fitness and wellbeing through dance. It’s something he’s dedicated to because it’s fun and effective – ideal for all ages and those who can’t afford plush gyms.

Tickets here

Listings details

·
Music (cabaret)

·       Venue: Assembly
Roxy (Central), 2 Roxburgh Pl, Edinburgh EH8 9SU (Venue 139)

·
Dates: 7 to 27 August. No show
Mon 21 August.

·
Time: 16:25. Duration: 70 minutes

·
Tickets:  9-10, 14-17,
22-24 August £15 (£14); 7-8,
11-13, 18-20, 25-27 August  £16 (£15)

·       Box office: assemblyfestival.com, 0131
623 3030 or Assembly box offices at Assembly Hall and Assembly Roxy, Assembly
George Square and Assembly Checkpoint

Web: MovinMelvin.com, assemblyfestival.com,
TapDanceintohealth.com @MovinMelvin Facebook: /MovinMelvinBrown

Cheering, laughing crowds once flocked to see the hunger
artist, but now he sits alone in his cage forgotten by everyone but his former manager.

In years gone by audiences had gorged themselves on the sight of a man refusing food for 40 days and 40 nights. Comic in the darkest ways, this new adaptation Kafka’s short story heads to the Edinburgh

A Hunger Artist is a powerful piece of physical theatre mixed with elements of puppetry. It starts with seemingly whimsical nostalgia for a lost art form but rapidly transforms into a troubling trip into the nature of memory, art and spectatorship. It raises equally uncomfortable questions about the fate of live theatre. There is also a disquieting sense that the forces, frailties and human fascinations Kafka was highlighting in 1922 were linked to the rise of fascism
then and of far right populism today.

Jonathan Levin, the Lecoq-trained performer who plays all the roles, says: “There’s something poignant in the memory of a lost art form and how audiences simply stopped caring. The hunger artist ends up being replaced by a panther. Could this be what’s happening to live theatre today? There’s nowhere better to ask than at the Edinburgh Fringe which feels like the home of theatre and is a microcosm of the whole world of performing arts.”

Josh Luxenberg, who adapted the story for the stage in
collaboration with Levin and director Joshua William Gelb, says it is a full and fast-moving audience experience: “We squeeze all the possibilities out of every moment and idea. It’s a solo show where there is so much going on, with
so many transformations and so many other people on stage, that it never feels
like a solo show.”

Tickets here  

• Venue: Zoo (Venue 124) 140, Pleasance, EH8 9RR

•       Dates:
4 to 28 August

•       Time:
17:45

•       Duration: 70
minutes

•       Guidance:
None

•       Tickets:  £9 to £11

•       Box
office: 0131 662 6892

•       Group: Sinking Ship Productions

During the festival last year the number of complaints about waste on the streets, particularly in the city centre rose markedly.

Now the council says that the number of calls to them about waste and cleansing have gone down by over a quarter compared to the same time last year.

Matters such as fly-tipping, litter, communal bins and dog fouling are included in these statistics but a new plan which was agreed in autumn 2016 is beginning to have an effect. There are more staff in place to deal with rubbish and there is more engagement on social media too.

The council also claims that the Our Edinburgh campaign which aims to make residents more aware of how they can get rid of their big bulky items has begun to work.

Cllr Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “As ever, we want to ensure Edinburgh is as clean and tidy as possible for both residents and visitors and, thanks to our hard-working staff, this is a really positive start to one of the city’s busiest times of the year. It is also clear evidence that measures such as increased staffing and the Our Edinburghcampaign are working well.

“We hope to be able to continue to manage this demand, however, we rely on the public doing their share too. We would encourage people to always take care when disposing of their rubbish to help make the Capital as beautiful as we all know it is.”

Improvements in place this summer

• More than 40 additional staff will provide 24-7 street cleansing support over the busy summer months, joining the existing team of 90 working across the city’s Old and New Town.

• Additional bin collection resources, as well as more frequent collections, during the busy months.
• Day time ‘barrow beat’ staff, who are responsible for cleaning around 180km of streets, will be assisted by a night services crew, on hand to service litter bins and trade waste near pubs, clubs and fast food shops.
• Dedicated Environmental Wardens will patrol the area, focusing on particularly busy periods, to discourage litter-dropping and fly-tipping, working alongside the Waste Compliance Team to enforce again any trade waste infringements by businesses.

• In the Grassmarket, specially-appointed Ambassadors will also monitor waste and cleansing in the area, while providing advice and guidance to visitors.

• The public will be encouraged to do their part too, with a series of comedy-themed posters, online videos, ‘bin me’ stickers for takeaway packaging and popular ‘ballot’ cigarette bins designed to encourage responsible rubbish disposal, as part of the ongoing Our Edinburgh campaign.

Find out more about reporting litter on the Council website.

An easyJet flight from Edinburgh to Venice was forced to land in Manchester this afternoon due to a “technical issue.”

The flight took off from Edinburgh Airport at 2.36pm and was due to land in Venice around 6.10pm.

An emergency was declared shortly after 3pm.

A spokeswoman said: “EasyJet can confirm that flight EZY3386 from Edinburgh to Venice on 14 August diverted to Manchester due to a possible technical issue with the aircraft.

“The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority.

“We would like to apologise to passengers for the inconvenience.”

A police investigation is underway after an 82-year-old woman fell on a number 38A First Bus when the vehicle braked suddenly in Linlithgow High Street around 4.25pm on Saturday afternoon.

The passenger was taken by the Scottish Ambulance Service to St John’s Hospital, Livingston, for treatment, however she sadly passed away around 9pm that evening.

The death is currently being treated as non-suspicious and a report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.

Following a review of CCTV on the bus, officers are now appealing for witnesses.

Inspector Richard Latto of Lothians and Scottish Borders’ Road Policing Unit said:  “This is a tragic collision and our thoughts are with the lady’s family at this sad time.

“We are eager to establish to dull circumstances of this incident and would ask anyone who was on the 38A bus in Linlithgow High Street, or who saw the incident from street, to get in touch with us as soon as possible.”

The £500m M8, M73 and M74 motorway improvements project has been officially opened, saving motorists up to 20 minutes on journey times.

The project, including the new seven mile stretch of the M8 motorway, aims to tackle congestion problems in central Scotland and is the first part of a combined £1.7b investment by Transport Scotland in the roads network.

New analysis by Transport Scotland shows journey times are significantly improved, with vehicles now travelling along the M8 at an average speed of almost 70mph even during the busiest periods.

The journey time savings have been assessed as contributing more than £1bn to Scotland’s economy, improving the connections for businesses between Edinburgh and Glasgow and beyond.

Improved road safety through the reduction of traffic on local roads is set to result in a predicted reduction of more than 100 accidents per year, and accident savings of more than £118m over a 30-year period.

Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister, said: “This new length of motorway has completed the M8 link between Glasgow and Edinburgh and Scotland’s previously most congested junction.

“The M8 is a vital link in the central belt and this newly-completed section will help connect people to business, leisure and education opportunities and also creates a better environment for companies to do business.”

She added: “With the completion of this project and three others others – the Queensferry crossing, the first section of the A9 dualling and the Aberdeen by-pass – by next spring, more than 250km of new roads will have been completed in the last 10 years representing a total investment in construction of £2.81 billion.”

Vittoria Group who specialise in Italian food all over the city have struck a deal with Arnold Clark Vehicle Management (ACVM) to provide 11 new Fiat 500 cars for their La Favourite Delivered service.

ACVM will supply the first three vehicles this month with eight more following in September. There will be a service and maintenance contract running alongside to ensure the cars are kept on the road.

Calum Ewart, ACVM Corporate Sales Director said: ‘We’re delighted to form this partnership with such a high profile brand. This fleet of small, brightly coloured vehicles is one of the most distinct fleets that we manage and demonstrates the versatility we offer our customers. These three cars are just the beginning, and now that we’ve proved we can deliver an outstanding deal, we hope this will be a long and successful relationship.’

The family company, Vittoria Group, was established in 1970, and now has a number of Italian restaurants throughout the city. The company currently operates 30 vehicles across its four La Favorita Delivered branches with three cars based at their Portobello location and nine each at their other sites in Morningside, Blackhall and Leith. The cars are a vital part of the business, delivering authentic Italian food to customers throughout the city.

Vittoria Group Chairman, Tony Crolla said: ‘As one of the UK’s leading Italian restaurant groups, we’re absolutely thrilled to welcome a new partnership with Arnold Clark. Across Edinburgh and the Lothians we currently have a 30 strong fleet of cars that service our La Favorita Delivered brand and as part of a phased renewal and expansion of our existing fleet with Scotland’s leading car dealership, Arnold Clark, we are delighted that 11 new cars will be supplied and on the road from September 2017.’

The distinct yellow Fiat 500s have become a familiar sight on the Edinburgh roads and the newly delivered vehicles will feature the same branding provided by vehicle graphic experts Fleet Grafix.

Bike & Go have been operating in Edinburgh for four years now and they are now producing a guide revealing Edinburgh’s most unusual bike rides. These have been suggested by the cyclists who discovered them to mark the fourth birthday.

The #MyFavBikeRide Guide will celebrate the best ‘off the beaten track’ places to cycle in Scotland and England – the two countries in which Bike & Go operates – aiming to  encourage those who rarely use a bike to get back on two wheels this summer.

You are asked to tell them about your own favourite routes which are not obvious from other cycle maps so it could be a tour of your best coffee shops or an alternative history bike ride. It just needs to be as fun and as quirky as possible.

The suggestions will then be compiled into an online guide which will be made available on the Bike & Go website.

David O’ Leary, director of Bike & Go, said: “In the four years that Bike & Go has been operating, our bikes have been used for thousands of bike rides by cyclists of all levels.

“Conversations with our users have revealed that many people like going for a casual bike ride, but need new ideas as to where to cycle to.

“We know there are many seasoned cyclists out there who have a wealth of experience that can be shared with those who perhaps don’t cycle quite as often. We’re appealing to them to suggest some interesting and fun bike ride ideas that will let cyclists experience the local area from a different viewpoint, while still enjoying all the benefits that cycling can bring.”

Bike & Go offers bike hire facilities from almost 70 participating train stations across the UK including at Haymarket with more locations opening this year.

To hire a Bike & Go bike, users must register their card details online, which they can do via smart phones, tablets, or at home, and pay the annual £10 subscription fee. They will then receive a user number via email which will allow immediate bike hire at just £3.80 per 24 hours whilst they wait for their Bike & Go membership card. Bikes can then be returned to any participating train station.

To suggest a bike ride, tweet @UKBikeandGo using the hashtag #MyFavBikeRide. Alternatively, email your suggestion to info@bikeandgo.co.uk by Sunday August 20. All suitable entries will be compiled into the online guide.

Venue: EICC (Venue 150) ǀ until 27 August 2017ǀ 6.00pm, 7.45pm and 9.30pm (80 mins)

Tickets here

Edinburgh Reporter Review ****

The Scottish Government is ready to start sending out baby boxes to all newborn babies due from tomorrow. They claim that the policy which has already been trialled in Scotland since earlier in the year, and which  follows a model used in Finland where the baby box has been used for 70 years, will tackle inequality and promote health.

Registration for delivery of the baby boxes from this month opened in June this year, and the boxes will either be sent to a home or other preferred address.

We were invited along to an industrial unit in Edinburgh where the boxes are already being packed ready for distribution. As the scheme opens tomorrow there are a lot of baby boxes to be delivered at first, although the speed of delivery is then expected to ease. From January next year the boxes will be delivered about a month ahead of the due delivery date for each baby.

Along with the advice leaflets we were advised that the boxes contain 48 items designed to make life for new parents a little easier, and also to give the baby somewhere to sleep. The box has a mattress in the bottom and with the bedding supplied it can be used as a replacement for a Moses basket. Each box has been packed with all of the essential items for babies up to six months old which the new parent might need to ‘give them the best start in life’. There is also space on the lid for the baby’s name and birth details, and they have deliberately been produced in black and white so that they can be used for colouring in.

The exterior of the baby box was designed by Edinburgh Napier graphic design student Leanne Young. It features Highland cows, squirrels and the Loch Ness Monster.

Baby boxes will be delivered to all babies due to be born in Scotland from and after tomorrow We saw the first ones being packed pic.twitter.com/agRLkZkfjB

— Edinburgh Reporter (@EdinReporter) August 14, 2017

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Mark McDonald Minister for Childcare and Early Years, himself a father of two young children, was enthusiastic about the scheme. “It’s fantastic to see this policy coming to fruition ahead of the national rollout. It’s great to be here at the distribution centre meeting some of the staff and seeing some of the boxes being put together.

We asked how much the scheme is costing The Scottish Government and the  Minister answered that each box costs £160 which works out at an annual budget of around £8.8million. We queried whether that was in line with projections made earlier in the year and the Minister explained : “The boxes in the pilot scheme actually were more expensive as a unit cost because there was a smaller number of boxes, so we have actually been able to realise quite a significant economy of scale in terms of the national rollout compared to the boxes in the pilot scheme.

“One of the things that we have done as a result of the pilot scheme is looked at what we’re offering within the box and revised some of our offering in terms of the items contained within it based on feedback from parents.”

Asked about the difference that these boxes will make to the lives of newborn babies Mr McDonald said : “Ultimately this is about ensuring that all children in Scotland regardless of the circumstances they are born into have the very best start in life.

“That is essentially what we are doing here. We are providing a box of essential items which will be of great benefit to parents and to their children. We think that is something that is a very worthwhile use of public money.”

We questioned whether there should perhaps be some form of means testing for eligibility, but the Minister was adamant that would not be a good idea. He explained : “I think when  you get into the realms of means testing, you get into the realms of additional cost, so there is a question over whether you would actually save money in any case. No child chooses the circumstances they are born into so I don’t think it’s right at the very beginning of that child’s life for us to say they should not receive this box of essential items.

Dr Catherine Calderwood the Chief Medical Officer did not quote any specific scientific research about the use of the boxes, but told us that she believes they are crucial to children’s development. She said : “We know that sharing a bed with a parent is a risk of cot death so this box provides somewhere else for the baby to sleep that is safe. What we are going to do is evaluate that sleeping space and to look at our Scottish cot death rates to see if this box makes an impact.

“It has been used in Finland for 70 years, but has not been universally rolled out in other countries. Scotland is a first for rolling out the baby box with the intention of evaluating its impact.

“This is a gift from Scottish Government. It contains clothes and equipment, books, toys, a changing mat and very importantly, offers a safe place for babies to sleep.

“What we heard from our families who had the boxes as part of the pilot was that it really made a difference to them, they really valued some of the clothing and equipment. Importantly they hadn’t thought about where the baby was going to sleep, and the safe sleeping messages that come both in the box and on the lid, and the provision of the box with a mattress sheet and the blanket made them think about safe sleeping for their babies before the baby was born.”

Coffee lovers are being urged to put Saturday 14 October in their diaries when the Edinburgh Coffee Festival will take over the Corn Exchange to bring together 3,000 coffee lovers, 40 speciality coffee and tea exhibitors and some of the best coffee cocktails, food and cake around.

The event comes as the city’s speciality coffee scene continues to out-pace the majority of cities in the UK.

More high quality shops open up to more customers with ever-more discerning coffee and tea palates.

Edinburgh is one of the top three cities in the UK outside of London for specialty coffee and, right across Scotland, more consumers are taking their foodie fascination toward coffee.

Event organiser Martin Dare said: “Customers are getting choosier about their coffee. While we’re still loyal to our local coffee shop, we’re venturing further to try new shops, different brewing methods and meeting up with like-minded coffee lovers.

“We’re in our third year now and the Edinburgh Coffee Festival brings everyone together under one roof to talk to roasters and baristas, taste loads of different coffees and get to know the great coffee scene we have.”

Berwick boss Gary Havelock has been quick to praise his men for their entertaining 47-46 win over Peterborough Panthers.

The former world champion said: “It might only have been a one point win, but what a win that was.”

The riders, added the team manager, dug deep and Havelock said the passing was fantastic.

He also praised Jack Parkinson-Blackburn who suffered hand and back injuries in a heavy fall. Havelock said he showed what a class rider he is before that.

The former rider also revealed that skipper Kevin Doolan was lucky as his throttle jammed at full revs down the home straight.

The riders behind him, Havelock said, did well to miss the experienced Aussie as he skidded into the first bend – minus his bike.

Meanwhile, Glasgow Tigers’ team manager Stewart Dickson said his top three riders looked good in their 53-39 home win over Edinburgh Monarchs.

He was pleased with the win but admitted that there were some wayward predictions ahead of the derby.

Dickson always thought a 12 or 14-point margin was what it was going to be and it was the manner of the win which pleased him.

Glasgow are currently third in the table with 55 points from 23 fixtures with Edinburgh fourth on 54 points from 26 outings.

Sheffield lead the race for the championship with 61 points from 25 matches.

The perfect holiday read whatever your holiday destination is. If you have some suggestions then do tell us in the comments section below.

The Architect’s Apprentice – Elif Shafak; Tells the story of a young boy and his elephant as they navigate the treacherous political landscape of 16th century Istanbul, rising in the ranks and finding love. A sun-drenched historical novel full of intrigue, mysticism and romance, populated by larger-than-life characters, The Architect’s Apprentice balances precariously on the line between realism and fantasy. Your heart will race and it will break.

http://bookshop.blackwell.co.uk/bookshop/product/The-Architects-Apprentice-by-Elif-Shafak/9780241970942

The Girl Before – J P Delaney; The Girl Before follows the stories of Emma and Jane, two women with dark pasts and curiously similar stories. A story of murder, manipulation and control unfolds around enigmatic architect Edward Monkford, the unifying thread between their parallel journeys. Engaging and complex, with multilayered characters and an unpredictable plot, The Girl Before will keep you guessing until the very last page. The perfect read while relaxing by the pool.

http://bookshop.blackwell.co.uk/bookshop/product/The-Girl-Before-by-JP-Delaney/9781786480293

Goblin – Ever Dundas; This is a book about journeys, through time and space. Follow Goblin, the main character, as she grows from a traumatised child into a tough, defiant woman with hidden hurts. Goblin’s journey takes her through a world war, a circus, through war-torn Europe and sunny, indolent Venice. Read this while moving, on a plane, a train or a boat.

http://bookshop.blackwell.co.uk/bookshop/product/Goblin-by-Ever-Dundas/9781911332299

White Teeth – Zadie Smith; White Teeth is an ironic and irreverent tale of quiet desperation. Beautifully crafted, it follows a multigenerational cast of characters from decade to decade. At times tragedy, at times comedy of errors, White Teeth touches on race, isolation, love and loneliness, and the pain of breaking away from the stories written by our parents. Hike up a mountain with or read it sitting in a forest glade.

http://bookshop.blackwell.co.uk/bookshop/product/White-Teeth-by-Zadie-Smith/9780140276336

Essex Serpent – Sarah Perry; The Essex Serpent has been hailed as a modern classic, and for good reason. It’s an esoteric, whimsical book that joins the ranks of generations of Victorian and Gothic novels from Doyle to Shelley, all the while defying the very traditions these books have set down. The Essex Serpent follows the story of amateur naturalist and unconventional woman Cora Seaborne, as she tracks the legendary Serpent through the wilds of Essex. The perfect book to read as you sit in an overgrown garden, or while tramping through the heath.

http://bookshop.blackwell.co.uk/bookshop/product/The-Essex-Serpent-by-Sarah-Perry/9781781255452

You can celebrate World Lizard Day today by paying a visit to one of RZSS Edinburgh Zoo’s smallest inhabitants.

There you will see the Natal dwarf chameleon which is only 11 cm long when fully grown and is renowned for its camouflage abilities; however, this teeny weeny creative can really be seen in the Zoo’s newest indoor attraction, Wee Beasties.

This brand new, interactive exhibit near Penguins Rock gives visitors the opportunity to get closer than ever before to some of the Zoo’s smallest residents, from reptiles to amphibians, insects to molluscs. The new attraction will also host educational sessions and live animal-handling demonstrations, highlighting the important role even the smallest species play in our natural world – and the great impact they have on our lives.

Many of the species housed in the exhibit are threatened with extinction in various different parts of the globe, including the Natal dwarf chameleon. Endemic to KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, the species is classified as near threatened on the IUCN Red List, with much of its natural habitat coming under pressure from high intensity farming and wood plantations.

For more information visit – http://www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/animals-and-attractions/main-attractions/wee-beasties/

Until 31 August, adults can get into the Zoo for child prices (one adult for every full paying child) by saying “big kids” at the admissions desk.