Alex Cole-Hamilton has taken over the office of the former MP Mike Crockart on St John’s Road. I had interviewed Mr Crockart there just ahead of the General Election so I had a sense of déja vu, but there were not just as many staff in the office this time round.

This is a feet on the ground lean campaign which is being run by the Liberal Democrats, who are getting round the doors as much as they can.

And their Edinburgh Western candidate thinks it is working.

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The Edinburgh Reporter #SP16 Alex Cole-Hamilton Edinburgh Western from Phyllis Stephen on Vimeo.

Cole-Hamilton works with children’s charity, Aberlour, and he has been a candidate in the past, but the LibDems are in the doldrums at this point in the election campaign.  All the polls suggest that there will be an SNP whitewash in this seat despite any fallout from the faint scandal which still surrounds the Westminster representative Michelle Thomson, who has been suspended from the party amid allegations about her property dealings.

It was Thomson who established the SNP office right next door to this one, but it is Tony Giugliano who is occupying it at the moment, and running a fierce campaign to retain the seat for the SNP. Giuliano is the SNP candidate in place of former MSP, Colin Keir who left Holyrood in March 2016.

Cole-Hamilton has worked for the last 15 years in the children’s charity sector, working with some of the most vulnerable children and families in Scottish society. He says that he sees day in and day out the kind of social problems that the Scottish Parliament has still failed to adequately deal with in his view. He assured The Edinburgh Reporter that as an MSP he would be up to the job: “I see the potential solutions and think that if all of us just come together to take tough decisions it would actually change the lives of hundreds of thousands of Scots who are still living in poverty, without affordable housing and really struggling with a range of social issues.”

At the last Scottish Parliamentary election he stood in the Central constituency. He explained: “This is the constituency where my three small children will grow up. I’ve been living here for the best part of five years now and we’ve settled here in the community of Blackhall. It’s home to me and I have a lot of love for this constituency. I had my first job here, so I know what makes it tick. I see the problems that local residents have to deal with, because I have to deal with them every day. That gives me the motivation to really want to represent Edinburgh Western in the Scottish Parliament.

“There are a range of problems here. For example due to the ever-expanding nature of the city, there are constantly new planning applications for housing developments in the western expansion of the city. This puts unnecessary pressure and burden both on congestion, on local amenities like schools and doctors’ surgeries. We have just recently learned that two of Edinburgh’s arterial routes, Queensferry Road and St John’s Road, are two of Scotland’s most polluted streets in the country.

“These are all issues that exercise the minds of local residents and will form priorities that I will bring to the fore if I am elected to the Scottish Parliament.

“I have launched a five point action plan to tackle pollution in the city, particularly in St John’s Road. That means weekly spot checks on emissions to find any vehicles operating outwith legal limits, a complete moratorium on house building in the west of the city so that no additional pressure is put on these arterial routes.

“I want to see a massive investment in active travel, in the cycle path network and encouraging people out of cars. I want to see a faster roll-out of electric buses, and I would like to encourage a much greener approach to travel in the city.  And the fifth point would be to reduce congestion in St John’s Road by introducing an airport bus lane along the A90 corridor. This would kill two problems at once. There is still a problem in Corstorphine with car dumping by commuters and holidaymakers who leave their cars this side of the city to take advantage of the Aircoach on St John’s Road. It would also reduce congestion as people would be using the alternative route to the airport along Queensferry Road.

” The Lib Dems have announced a flagship policy of an extra 1p on all tax bands to reverse the swingeing cuts on education that we have seen under this SNP government.  We recognise that education makes a country great. It’s a great leveller, and is the silver bullet. We are prepared to say that everybody should make that little contribution to put Scottish education right up in the highest echelons of global success. We believe the successes of the LibDems at Westminster in terms of increasing the income tax threshold have made it a more progressive proposition than it would have been. We would not have done this ten years ago, but because the poorest families are not paying income tax at all now we can afford to do this and it makes it a far more progressive policy.”

When asked about the legacy of the Conservative/LibDem coalition and also the legacy of a poor result in the General Elction 2015, Cole-Hamilton was nonetheless pretty positive.

“People recognise the damage that we have suffered as a result of being in coalition, but there is definitely a sense that people have got past that. People are a little surprised but very happy to see a Liberal Democrat candidate at their doors, but it reminds them that this is the kind of local service we stand for. Night after night I get people who did not vote LibDem at the General Election, but are reminded through the fact that we have delivered fourteen leaflets across the constituency with local news, local issues and taking action on the issues that matter to them, that in us they get a local champion.

“Things are changing and the mood has definitely improved. It gives us great heart and great encouragement for a really strong result here.”

Expanding on this Cole-Hamilton explained that two things point to that being more than a possibility:

“The fact that I get actual case work every day shows that people are already turning to me as if I am their elected representative and can help them. The second thing is the belief on the doorstep which makes me think I have a really good chance of taking this seat back for the Liberal Democrats.”

Today is the last day for Hibs’ supporters hoping to take advantage of the discounted price on a 2016-17 Season Ticket in the Early Bird period.

Season Ticket prices for the next campaign will remain at the same levels as 2015-16, and will not change at the end of the season, with prices for children starting at £25 in the Famous Five Lower.

Additional savings will be made by those who purchase during the Early Bird period, with supporters also being able to take advantage of the 11 month payment plan, which has proven to be popular  in the past.

Fans can visit lifewithhibs.com for more information on the Season Ticket packages, plus the added benefits of being a Season Ticket holder

Yet again the capital’s airport has announced best ever figures.

In March 927,200 people passed through Edinburgh Airport which is the busiest March ever. International passengers make up a large part of this which have risen to 493,200 this year from 358,450 in 2015. (Our photo shows The Chief Commercial Officer, Marwan Koleilat of Qatar Airways being greeted by Gordon Dewar the CEO of Edinburgh Airport on the occasion of the inaugural flight in 2014 )

Welcoming March’s passenger figures Gordon Dewar, Edinburgh Airport’s Chief Executive, said:

“These record breaking passenger figures from March underline Edinburgh Airport’s growing international ambitions and are very welcome indeed.

“We have seen a massive increase of 37.6 % in the number of international passengers and this highlights the ever-increasing draw of Edinburgh as a destination. This growth not only creates new jobs but offers greater international links for this city and for all of Scotland.

“Offering greater choice is key to our success. In conjunction with our partner airlines we are continuing to offer new routes and more destinations – and passengers are responding by flying in and out of Edinburgh directly in greater numbers than ever before.

“A recent independently prepared economic impact study shows Edinburgh Airport contributes £1 billion annually to Scotland’s economy; this proves that success at Edinburgh Airport is good news for the whole country and we plan to keep offering even greater choice and delivering even more success.”

Leith Food Assembly has burst onto the Edinburgh foodie scene with an idea of bringing great local produce to customers on demand.

‘great quality food from farm to fork’

The website explains that you order from local producers large and small and then go along to Jeremiah’s Tap Room to collect your shopping while meeting up with like-minded people.

We met up with David and Stuart who are two of the three hosts. They met studying a gastronomy course at Queen Margaret University, a course which takes a holistic approach to food. They developed a passion for sustainable tasty food while studying there,  and this brought them to the food assembly model.

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The Edinburgh Reporter News Leith Food Assembly from Phyllis Stephen on Vimeo.

The idea behind a food assembly is that if enough people order the products then producers can be persuaded to bring the produce to them. The food then travels an average of about 28 miles to the distribution point, meaning that you get what you order, the producer has to bring only enough to satisfy orders and you get to chat to the people who make your food.

Some of the producers include :

The Bearded Baker

Fruitful Woods

Williams and Johnson Coffee

Kitsch All Natural Soda

Feast

The Health and Beauty Juicery

Mara Seaweed

Breadshare Bakery

Supernature Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oils

Edinburgh Cyrenians Farm

Jacobite Apiaries

Whitmuir Farm

Dollop & Scoff

Hugh Grierson Organic

Peelham Farm

SnapShot Gmbh, the hotel data and analytics company, has planned a series of roadshows to demonstrate SnapShot Analytics to hoteliers and they are coming to Edinburgh this week.

In the coming months, teams of experts from SnapShot GmbH will conduct a series of briefings on hotel analytics and hotel data usage in key cities in Germany, Austria, the UK, and Belgium.

The company will also demonstrate the full capabilities of its flagship product, SnapShot Analytics, and will offer a series of one-on-one demo sessions.

Dr. Stefan Tweraser, CEO said: “The presentation part will give valuable insights on how hotels are impacted by big data and how they can use it to benefit their operation. Hoteliers will then have the chance to experience the functionalities and benefits of SnapShot Analytics first-hand in one-on-one demo sessions. “

SnapShot Analytics, the highly anticipated, flagship product of the company, is a cloud-based hotel analytics tool that presents a comprehensive overview of a specific’s hotel data on a powerful yet intuitive dashboard.

The product was publicly introduced for the first time at ITB Berlin 2016, the global travel’s industry leading trade show, where it was received with great interest by hoteliers and data experts. The upcoming roadshows are part of SnapShot GmbH’s strategy of growth, and aim to raise awareness among hoteliers on the key features and benefits of SnapShot Analytics, a new, essential tool for any hotel management team.

Dr Tweraser continued: “Access to SnapShot Analytics offers new, previously unavailable ways for hotel management teams to unlock new potential for any hotel.”

SnapShot will be in Edinburgh on 12 April 12^th, Vienna and Glasgow on April 13^th, Liverpool on May 11^th, Manchester and Brussels on May 12^th and in Hamburg on May 24^th.

• Edinburgh School closures
• First Minister’s Tax return
• Telferton Allotments 
• Murrayfield Community Council
• Scottish Parliamentary Elections 2016 – calling all candidates

The council decided late on Friday that 17 schools either built or refurbished in a 2003 PPP1 deal would not open this morning after the Easter holidays, leaving around 7,500 pupils with nowhere to go today.

The council explained on Friday that this resulted from a revelation that the company which runs the buildings under the deal could not confirm their safety, despite assurances earlier last week that the buildings were safe.

The council published FAQs on their website to try and help explain the problem they now have.

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Detailed surveys are now being carried out on all buildings before they will be reopened.

Read more here. 

As a result of queries during last week about the Prime Minister’s tax affairs, the First Minister has published her tax return online in common with all the leaders of the main political parties in Scotland. It shows that she along with other Scottish Ministers claim their salary at 2008/09 levels and that she has paid over £30,000 in tax. She has also given an assurance that she will publish her return annually.

This is Ms Sturgeon’s tax return for 2014/15:

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The SNP said that First Minister’s only income is the salary she receives as an MSP and First Minister.

Nicola Sturgeon pays tax on her full salary entitlement but only draws her salary at its 2008/09 level – the balance is automatically paid to the Scottish Government for use in general public spending.

As a result, in 2014/15 the First Minister paid around £3,000 into the Scottish Government consolidated fund.

Since the start of the voluntary pay freeze on 1 April 2009, Scottish Ministers have made an additional £250,000 available for public spending from their own pay packets.

Within that total, the First Minister and her predecessor have forgone some £20,000 over the same period.

The council will later this week recommend that an application to build houses on a historic allotment site should be refused.

The planning committee will hear a report from officers which recommends refusal. There were 278 objections and an online petition from the allotment holders with 3032 signatures was also submitted.

A spokesperson for the Craigentinny and Telferton Allotments said: “We believe the plans are misleading; they suggest the developer will create new allotments, whereas, for the last 90 years, the site has been in continual use as allotments, worked and managed by the local community.

“The developer is trying to give the impression that they will be gifting allotments to the City of Edinburgh, but in actuality they are proposing a loss of over 50% of the site.

“Our use of the site as allotments has been recognised by the City of Edinburgh Council, who awarded the site a Certificate of Lawful Use last September.

“The developer has suggested the site is not well managed, however the allotments are maintained to a very similar standard to that of Edinburgh Council allotments.

“Craigentinny & Telferton Allotments have been accepted on to the Scotland’s Gardens Open Day scheme, and when they inspected the site they found it to be charming and attractive.”

Murrayfield Community Council will meet next week. The draft minutes of their last meeting are here

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The Edinburgh Reporter has some further interviews today with candidates for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections 2016. If you are one then please get in touch soon to organise an interview!

Send an email to editor@theedinburghreporter.co.uk

If you are reading this article in print and would like to visit The Edinburgh Reporter website then simply scan the QR code here with a smartphone or tablet.

The Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council and senior education officials have met with directors of the Edinburgh School Partnership (ESP) this afternoon (Sunday 10 April) to receive an update on the programme of detailed structural surveys which is underway on the PPP1 schools.

More detailed structural surveys, arranged by ESP, continued over the weekend and will carry on over the course of the next week, with updated information being confirmed as early as possible in respect of each school.

As a result of the surveys on Friday last week (April 8) the Howdenhall Secure Unit stayed operational as only the gym area that was identified as needing remedial work.

The surveys are now focussing on secondary schools as a priority, with S4, S5 and S6 pupils preparing for exams in the coming weeks. The affected secondary schools are Gracemount, Craigmount, Firrhill, Drummond and Royal High.

It is hoped a clear picture on the secondary schools, including alternative arrangements if required, will be available by Tuesday.

The Council’s Chief Executive has been in regular contact with the Scottish Government, which has offered support with providing additional structural engineers to complete the work, as well as general support with contingency arrangements.

The Council is working to ensure that pupils from Oxgangs Primary, St Peter’s Primary and Braidburn Schools can continue to use alternative contingency arrangements that were put in place prior to the Easter break.

It is anticipated that this will take place from Tuesday (April 12) subject to the necessary transport arrangements being put in place. The Council will update parents of these schools, directly on Monday.

Alternative arrangements for other schools are being actively looked into and the Council will update parents via the Council website (www.edinburgh.gov.uk/schoolclosures) and via the Council Twitter @Edinburgh_CC on a daily basis.

The Council has received several offers of support from other partner organisations across the city, including Edinburgh University, offering support to put contingency arrangements in place.

Chief Executive Andrew Kerr said: “I today sought assurances from Edinburgh Schools Partnership that their ongoing programme of inspections would give us the confidence to reopen our schools. I have offered to help them secure the necessary resources to complete this as quickly as possible.

“I also reminded them of their contractual and financial obligations and want to assure Edinburgh residents that they will not be left footing the bill.

“The safety of children and our staff is our main priority and I’m simply not willing to compromise on this. I fully recognise the significant inconvenience to parents caused by these closures but I am sure they will understand why we had to take these steps.

“Officers are continuing to work on contingency arrangements and we will provide regular updates to parents and carers as and when further information becomes available.

“I am extremely grateful to those partner organisations who have come forward with offers of assistance and accommodation.”

Police are appealing for witnesses following a hate crime in Princes Street on Saturday afternoon.

At around 5:10pm a man was heard making several offensive remarks including racial abuse towards passing members of the public as he stood outside the H&M store between Frederick Street and Hanover Street.

Local officers are now appealing for anyone who witnessed this incident to come forward.

Sergeant Grant McCulloch of the Divisional Violence Reduction Unit based in Leith police station said: “It is completely unacceptable for innocent members of the public to feel targeted or unsafe.

“From our inquiries it would appear that this individual was not provoked yet chose to shout offensive comments at a number of people including children.

“I want to hear from anyone who remembers this man and in particular a young family that were subjected to racial abuse.

“Tackling hate crime is a priority for Police Scotland and I would urge anyone who has been a victim or witness of this to speak to a local officer, contact Police Scotland on 101 or make an anonymous report through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Hibs’ Captain David Gray insisted that the artificial surface was not to blame for his side’s defeat away to Alloa Athletic yesterday.

The result was Alloa’s first home win of the season and dents Hibs hopes of finishing second although that still remains within the players own hands.

The right back also revealed that the players will be training today (Sunday) in preparation for Tuesday’s game against Falkirk at Easter Road and he is confident that the players have the ability to win all the remaining games this season and gain promotion to the top flight via the play offs.

Speaking to Hibs TV immediately after the game, he said: “I think it was the decision making, we can’t use the pitch as an excuse at all – it’s the same for both teams. We’ve got enough quality in the dressing room.

“There can be no excuses, we’ve been here often enough and we all knew what we were expecting. sometimes we need to adapt to the surface but we just didn’t perform on the day, it wasn’t good enough.

“The only positive we can take is that we have a game on Tuesday which is a massive ‘must win game. It would have been worse f we had a whole week to stew on today’s result.

“We will be in tomorrow (Sunday) and get everything on the table and be ready for Tuesday.

“We need to win every game now. Falkirk have been there all season. They are not going away, we know that, but I know from looking around the dressing room that we have enough quality to win all the games until the end of the season.”

Burgeoning Edinburgh art gallery Urbane will proudly host the first European exhibition of a new suite of work by internationally renowned photographic artist, Freddy Fabris this month.

The Renaissance Series by Chicago-based photographer Fabris quite literally portrays the mechanics of art. That is to say the works depict auto repair workers in poses from famous Renaissance artists including Michelangelo and Rembrandt.

All at once, the images are clever, innovative and pin sharp. Fabris has taken mechanics in oily overalls and produced remarkable parodies of instantly recognisable works of art. These include The Last Supper by Phillippe de Champaigne and Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam.

Owners of Urbane Art Gallery – which opened only two years ago – are Tracey and Archie Roxburgh who ’hand-pick’ contemporary works from around the world to reflect an edgy and expansive aesthetic.

’Naturally, we are thrilled to be able to bring work of such significance to Europe,’ says Tracey. ’It is a great honour that such a respected artist has selected Urbane for this important exhibition.’

Urbane’s owners are dedicated to bringing both emerging talent and established artists to a wider audience.

With the eight-part Fabris exhibition (opening times below), Urbane has moved deftly into a new league in the crowded and highly-competitive international art market.

Urbane Art Gallery 25-27 Jeffrey St, EH11DH

April 9-30 from 11:00am to 5:00pm
Submitted by Tracey Roxburgh

For a festival that has so much excitement behind it and a great deal of support in terms of numbers, at its press launch, there was a clear lack of understanding as to the purpose of this event. With a line-up of performers who appeared to be from last year’s bill, it was not entirely obvious what an evening of spoken word and song actually contributes to the festival which will hit our radar late May, early June.

Beginning with spoken word by poets who don’t appear comfortable, let alone confident performing this press launch seems somewhat amateur. Monotonal and with an urgent pace, highlighting nerves, there was a distinctly student-run feel to this event.

Rachel Plummer who was up for the Scottish New Writers Awards 2016 for her poetry was next on the bill. Receiving very little respect from the chattering audience, she appeared awkwardly unable to peak with her performance, which is disgustingly shameful, as the imagery within her poetry about the dark and hidden depths of Edinburgh’s under layer is pervasive.

Following on from the spoken word, the audience was subjected to an artist intently looking at his laptop and twisting knobs whilst occasionally looking shifty.

To highlight that he is not in fact playing YouTube and muting explicit videos, it would be worth his time to reconsider this stage presence, even if it was just something as simple as the angle he performs.

Urvanovic, a band ranging wide in talent and instrument but actually lacked any degree of tightness. Attempting some kind of Explosions in the Sky/Sigur Ros-influenced sound the vocals lacked the poetic oomph, which was more apparent after the set list of spoken word flair.  It was reminiscent of Iceland Airwaves with the obscure Scandinavian sound (except with the head nods to Snow Patrol). Some clichés appear to have spawned from their lead singer, Gary Lightbody, as the lead vocalist glances to the venue lights, pensive whilst his badly-written ballads persisted.

Following in the same vein, the second band within this night’s programme, Exit The Theatre, were implementing some rather unnerving side-stepping choreography whilst on stage. With more verve than the last they succeed more in grabbing the audience’s attention away from their chat, whilst yet also having the presence of any band that we all knew from our days of hitting the open mic session at our local public bar.

Woodenbox had the edge, if there was to be a band that held it together nicely. Somewhat of a country Franz Ferdinand with trumpet, these boys, sporting some beards, woollen hats, and low-hanging jeans, screaming both hipster and yet Australian, were actually an enjoyable listen, albeit not to my personal taste.

With some further spoken word and a “hidden cinema” well sign-posted, there was a notion from some that more was expected at this event intended to launch their programme for later in the year.

With little mention from performers, or compere about the themes or art installations we can look forward to, as far as a press launch goes, it was disappointing.

However, judging from previous years, it will be pretty much guaranteed that the festival itself will in fact bode well with residents. The sheer number of people attending this event was indicative of this.

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Police are appealing for witnesses after a man was assaulted and robbed in Craigour Avenue at around 3am on Saturday 9th April.

The man, who is in his 20’s, had been walking in Craigour Avenue near its junction with Moredun Park Road heading north when an unknown male and female approached him from behind.

They then attacked him causing injuries to his head and body.

The victim fell to the ground and the suspects then stole his mobile phone and wallet before making off on foot in an unknown direction

The injured man made his way to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and was treated for facial injuries. He has since been discharged.

Police are now carrying out various lines of inquiries in an effort to trace the suspects and want to hear from anyone who can help identify them.

The male is described as white, around 20-25 years old,  between 5ft 1ins – 5ft 5ins tall , slim build with short dirty blonde hair.

The female suspect is described as white, around 5ft 1ins – 5ft 3ins tall, slim build, shoulder length dark hair and wearing blue jeans.

Detective Constable Gavin Watson who is based at Gayfield said: “Our inquiries are at an early stage however anyone who was in the Craigour area around 3am on Saturday, April 9, and who saw anything suspicious should contact police immediately.

“Similarly anyone who recognises the description of the suspects or who can assist in locating them should also come forward.”

Those with information can contact police on 101 or the charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Hibs’ Head Coach Alan Stubbs has admitted that his team did not deserve an ‘awful lot’ from yesterday’s game against Alloa Athletic.

Many thought that last Tuesday’s victory over Livingston at Easter Road could be a turning point after a series of poor results, particularly with the ‘feel good’ factor following Martin Boyle’s wonder goal, however once again, Hibs have lost a game they were expected to win.

The result leaves Hibs six points behind second placed Falkirk, whom they meet on Tuesday night, with two games in hand, although one of these games is against champions Rangers.

After the game a disappointed Stubbs told Cliff Pike of Hibs TV: ” We didn’t look comfortable on the pitch, simple as that.

“There were too many disappointing decisions with the ball. We didn’t move the ball the way we should have done and to be honest we didn’t deserve an awful lot from the game.

“We wanted to run with it when we wanted to be passing it. We just made too many wrong decisions when we were in possession of the ball. When we weren’t in possession we didn’t work hard enough to win it back.

“Basically we didn’t work their keeper enough.

“I’ve seen replays of the goal again and it’s not conclusive so how the linesman can give it at that speed is very surprising but recently we have had quite a few decisions go against us and it has cost us and today is another one.

“We have another game on Tuesday against Falkirk which we look forward to and the fact that its a big game is a help to them and the players have to respond.”

A controversial goal from Michael Duffy’s gave relegated Alloa Athletic a 1-0 win over Hibs at the Indodrill Stadium this afternoon.

Once again Hibs dominated possession but were unable to break through the Wasps’ defence and the result dents  the Easter Road side’s hopes of a second place finish in the Championship.

Head coach Alan Stubbs made three changes to the starting XI that beat Livingston in midweek. Niklas Gunnarsson replaced Darren McGregor in defence whilst Fraser Fyvie returned from injury to replace Kevin Thomson and James Keatings took over from the injured Farid El Alagui.

Both sides had early chances and both Jason Cummings and Keatings had efforts before Liam Henderson set up Anthony Stokes at the back post but his header went just wide.

It was the home side however who took the lead just before half time when a Duffy strike hit the underside of the bar, and was deemed to have crossed the line by the assistant referee on the far side.

Hibs fought back in the second half and Fyvie went close with a deflected effort and a David Gray header from a Henderson cross went past the post.

Both Stokes and substitute Martin Boyle went close as Hibs piled on the pressure but Alloa were able to hit on the break and it took  a great save from Mark Oxley prevented Duffy adding a second.

Mitch Megginson also went close with a drilled strike but despite Hibs late domination they were unable to create any worthwhile chances and Alloa held on to secure the three points.

Hibs fans leaving the stadium had another shock when news came through that Falkirk had scored a late winner over St Mirren, leaving them six points clear although Hibs have two games in hand.

The pair meet at Easter Road on Tuesday night in a game that could go a long way to deciding who finishes second.

Alloa Athletic: Gallacher (D. Crawford, 25), McAusland, Hill, Hamilton, Marr, Duffy, Holmes, Caddis, Falnnigan, Megginson, R. Crawford (McManus, 75). Unused substitutes: Ferns, Layne, Finnie, Hynd.

Hibernian: Oxley, Gray, Gunnarsson, Hanlon, Stevenson, Fyvie, Henderson, McGinn, Keatings (Boyle, 62), Stokes, Cummings (Dagnall, 75). Unused substitutes: Virtanen, Bartley, Handling, McGregor, Thomson.

Referee: Bobby Madden

Education Secretary Angela Constance said:
“The safety of children, young people and staff in our schools is paramount, and I recognise the concern of parents. I am reassured by the prompt action taken by Edinburgh City Council.
“While this is primarily an issue for the council, the First Minister and I have spoken to the council leadership this afternoon and offered the Scottish Government’s full support to keep disruption to children’s education at an absolute minimum.
“The First Minister will today chair a meeting of the Scottish Government’s resilience committee to ensure that everything possible is being done to help.
“It is too early to assess any wider implications for schools in other parts of Scotland. However, Scottish Government officials have written to all local authorities this weekend to ask them to carry out any necessary checks on their own estate as soon as possible. We understand that all of the affected buildings in Edinburgh were completed over ten years ago. We will ensure that, as more information about the nature of the issue in Edinburgh is established, this is passed on to other local authorities to assist them in this process.”

The daffodils are still blooming, telling us that despite Easter being over, we are only at the beginning of spring. Like young lambs, the weather is skipping along, cheerful but unreliable. The same as our election campaign.

But before we get on to politics, I have to report a truly shocking murder. On 24^th March, a well-loved Glasgow shop-keeper, Asad Shah, was killed outside his convenience store in Shawlands.  A man from Bradford was quickly arrested and this week he claimed responsibility for the murder and said he’d done it because Mr Shah had “disrespected the messenger of Islam, the Prophet Muhammad.”

In a long statement, read by his solicitor outside the court, Tanveer Ahmed said: “If I had not done this, others would and there would have been more killing and violence in the world.” Mr Shah’s “disrespect” apparently consisted of being a member of a liberal Islamic sect and issuing a notice on Facebook wishing his customers “a very happy Easter and especially to my beloved Christian nation.”

Now it’s true that Mr Ahmed from Bradford may only be claiming to have carried out the killing. The police have yet to present their evidence in court. It may also be true that he is a one-off madman. But then so were the killers of Fusilier Lee Rigby in London.  And what causes a man from Bradford to become so obsessed about “disrespect” for the Prophet Muhammad that he travels to Glasgow to kill – or claim to kill – a quiet, well-respected man innocently wishing his neighbours a Happy Easter.  The evil of jihadism is obviously alive in some parts of Britain and it has just visited Scotland.

Not much wonder people are put off religion. This week we learned that 52 per cent of Scots told the latest Social Attitudes Survey they were not religious.  That’s up from 40 per cent in 1999.  The Church of Scotland was the biggest loser with membership falling from 35 per cent of the population in 1999 to just 20 per cent today.

Out on the election trail, there’s still no sign that the SNP are going to lose their majority in the Scottish Parliament on May 5^th.  Nicola Sturgeon still has the aura of Joan of Arc leading her forces to victory.  However, the latest opinion poll, by TNS, puts the SNP at 56 per cent support, down 4 per cent on last time and in the second-vote regional poll, it is down 8 per cent at 47 per cent.  It’s not Labour who are gaining, surprisingly, but the smaller parties – the Tories, the Greens and the Liberal Democrats.

Ms Sturgeon has run into trouble over her dealings with China. First it emerged that she’d signed a deal last month with two Chinese construction companies who are contemplating up to £10billion worth of investment in Scottish infrastructure projects.  Then it turned out that one of the companies involved had a bribery scandal hanging over it. Ms Sturgeon explained that no specific project had yet been agreed and “due diligence” investigations would be carried out at that stage.

Meanwhile Labour’s Kezia Dugdale was fending off allegations that she had changed course on her rebate for low-income tax payers and that she was willing to contemplate Scottish independence if Britain withdrew from the European Union.

There was a happy distraction mid-week when the Edinburgh Festival director, the chirpy Irishman Fergus Linehan announced details of this summer’s programme. He’s stirred some lighter ingredients into the mix this year with star appearances from actor Alan Cumming and comedian Barry Humphries. There’s also to be more contemporary music and Scottish music.  He’s continuing last year’s experiment with a spectacular opening ceremony, this time with a sound and light show around the 350m year old rock on which Edinburgh Castle sits. It’s to be called “Deep Time” and will explore the geology of the rock and the first man to explain its origin James Hutton.

There was further light relief when Rangers finally made it back into the Premier League with a 1-0 victory over Dumbarton on Tuesday night. It’s taken them four years and £30m to struggle back up through the divisions since they were sent back to square one for their oh-so-clever tax avoidance scheme. Their redemption is all the more remarkable when you remember the boardroom shenanigans and legal black holes the club fell into on the way.

And so with a spring in our step we tip-toe through the daffodils towards the next exciting or alarming week of Scottish history.

17 schools will remain closed on Monday after the Easter holidays. All schools were included in the 2003 PPPI deal, and were either built or refurbished at that time.

The closures come after works to repair major storm damage to Oxgangs Primary School revealed potential problems.

The City of Edinburgh Council have a page here which they say they will update with alternative plans for all the children involved. Detailed structural surveys will be carried out this week and the council says that some schools may open earlier as these are completed.

Council Leader Andrew Burns told the BBC this morning that he had no option but to close the schools as he only learned of the problems late on Friday.  Read more here

You can also follow the council’s Twitter account for further updates

Please be aware that all PPP1 schools will be closed on Monday. For full info FAQ’s and updates https://t.co/P5J7i6xndX

— Edinburgh Council (@Edinburgh_CC) April 8, 2016

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The premises that will be initially closed from Monday are as follows:

Schools: Braidburn, Broomhouse Primary, Castleview Primary, Craigour Park Primary, Craigmount High, Craigroyston Primary, Drummond Community High, Firrhill High, Forthview Primary, Gracemount High, Oxgangs Primary School, Pirniehill Primary, Rowanfield, Royal High, St David’s Primary, St Joseph’s Primary and St Peters RC Primary.

Other: Goodtrees Neighbourhood Centre and Howdenhall Secure Unit

Paul Hanlon believes that his lay-off through injury could prove beneficial for himself  and the team in the run in to the end of the season.

The dependable defender picked up an injury and was forced to watch from the stand as his team mates  struggled to pick up points against teams they were expected to beat and this has resulted in Rangers winning the Championship much earlier than many thought they would.

The run coupled with postponements due to international fixtures meant that Falkirk have overtaken Hibs in the table and now sit three points ahead although Hibs do have two games in hand.

The pair meet next Tuesday in a fixture which could go a long way in establishing who finishes in second place.

Speaking to Hibs TV, he said: “ I’m really looking forward to the Alloa game and obviously we have a bit of confidence back after the win against Livingston in midweek.

“We went too long without winning a game so it was good to get back to winning ways and it was a great way to do it with Martin’s goal.

“Alloa’s relegation might mean that they are able to play with a bit more freedom  than they did before but that could work in our favour as well if they come out and try and play a bit. there could be spaces for us to exploit and I’m sure that the manager and coaching staff are working on that.

“It was hard being injured. I’m not one that enjoys having to watch games, I need to be involved as much as I can. I worked really hard with the physios and feel as I have come back stronger for the rest of the season.

“The international break gave me some more time to get ready and I knew that if I did well in training the manager might put me back into the squad. Fonts (Liam Fontaine) picked up an injury which may have helped me get straight back into the team. It’s now up to me to play well and keep my place.

“It’s gonna be tough, but it’s what we want to be involved in and you want to play in as many games as you can and as many big games as you can. From now until they are all going to be big games.

“Maybe in the long run the few weeks that I had out might work in my favour and I feel fresh going in towards the end of the season. We’ve got players coming back that will make a big difference for us as well.”

Photo by John Preece

• 17 schools to remain closed
• Scottish Parliamentary Elections 2016
• The Scottish Sale next week at Bonhams
• Community Council for Northfield and Willowbrae?
• New Town Community Cinema

17 Edinburgh schools will remain closed on Monday after the Easter holidays.

Remedial works taking place yesterday at Oxgangs Primary School uncovered new issues relating to the school’s construction and ESP’s technical experts were unable to give council officers sufficient guarantees that Oxgangs and other PPP1 schools are safe to open on Monday.

Read more here. 

Sign up here for a daily email from The Edinburgh Reporter

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Today Scottish Labour Leader Kezia Dugdale will be joined by the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn MP at a town hall event at Portobello Town Hall.

They will talk about Labour’s plans to use the powers of the Scottish Parliament to stop the cuts and invest in the future.

On Tuesday there is a hustings in Murrayfield:

MURRAYFIELD PARISH CHURCH and MURRAYFIELD COMMUNITY COUNCIL

invite you to a

SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT ELECTION HUSTINGS

in

MURRAYFIELD PARISH CHURCH HALL,

2b Ormidale Terrace, Edinburgh EH12 6EQ

on

TUESDAY, 12 APRIL 2016 at 7.30pm

Chair: Rev Keith Graham

Participating candidates:

Alison Johnstone        Scottish Green Party

Hannah Bettsworth    Liberal Democrats

Sarah Boyack               Labour Party

TBC                                Conservative Party

Alison Dickie                Scottish National Party

There are some lovely things on sale at Bonhams annual Scottish sale which takes place on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.

Scottish Colourist paintings by Hunter and Peploe are featured alongside an early 18th century cooking pot used by Bonnie Prince Charlie and a 36 bore pistol which is said to have belonged to James Boswell.

Read more here.

The community council in the Northfield and Willowbrae area disbanded last November and now some of those involved want to ensure that a new one is set up later in the year.

The only way this will happen is by making a petition to the council by the middle of May. There is a petition here which at least 20 residents who are registered on the electoral roll must sign for it to be considered by the Petitions Committee.

The petition is here.

The New Town Community Cinema has a final film in two weeks’ time on 22 April. This time in the season of city films they will show Taxi Tehran.

This is a great opportunity for you to support a community effort to maintain an important building in the city centre. But take cushions with you!

Buy your tickets here.

If you are reading this article in print and would like to visit The Edinburgh Reporter website then simply scan the QR code here with a smartphone or tablet.

Heart of Midlothian Football Club have released the following press statement regarding their plans to redevelop Tynecastle Stadium. It take the form of Frequently Asked Questions:

Planning & Stadium Plans

Has planning permission been submitted to the City of Edinburgh Council?

We submitted a pre application notice to the City of Edinburgh Council on Monday 21st March 2016. This triggers a public consultation period which is legally bound to last a minimum of 8 weeks but could be longer. A full planning application will be submitted at the end of this consultation period.

Will we be able to see plans for the stadium anywhere?

We intend to show a number of the visuals for the stadium during the aforementioned public consultation period and full plans will be revealed at the time of the full planning submission.

Will our new stadium be equipped to allow us to play European football?

Yes it will comply with UEFA standards.

Time-line & Design

When will the stadium works begin and when will they complete?

Works are scheduled to begin in April on the Undercroft area (situated below the Wheatfield Stand) and subject to planning permission, work on the new stand is then scheduled to commence no later than November with a view to being available for use, early in season 2017/18. Fit-out work is then expected to continue throughout season 2017/18.

Will the build impact on any matches at Tynecastle?

We do not anticipate having to move any domestic fixtures away from Tynecastle.

What sort of disruption, can we expect?

It is hoped that the disruption will be minimal. Car parking will be affected for the period of the entire build and fan access may be slightly varied during the Main Stand build but it shouldn’t have a huge impact.

Will there be better facilities at the stadium to encourage supporters to arrive at the ground earlier?

We are certainly working on an improved and more varied offering for fans at the stadium in general.

Will the support pillars be removed in the main stand and I will have a better view?

There will be no restricted views on sale in the new stand and no pillars.

Are there any plans for electronic scoreboards or big screens?

Yes, the club are currently looking at the options for two screens.

Are there any plans to fill in the corners of the stands?

No. This is not viable given the structure of the existing stands.

What will the capacity be after the completion of the new stand?

Capacity will rise to over 20,000 seats

Funding

How will the new stadium be funded?

It is anticipated that the full funding plan will be announced within the next three months and in advance of the full planning application being submitted.

Ticket Office & Club Store

Where will the new Ticket Office & Clubstore be?

In the short term, they will be situated in the completed Undercroft below the Wheatfield Stand but will relocate into the new Main Stand on its completion.

Temporary/Permanent Structures in the Wheatfield Stand

I understand the ticket office, FIFA standard changing rooms/facilities, Clubstore and administration offices will be moved to the Wheatfield Stand. How do I get there?

Access will initially be via Wheatfield Street.

What will happen to this space once the Main Stand is complete?

The changing rooms and football facilities will remain there permanently and the ticket office and Clubstore will be converted into other category of spaces for the fans and the community.

Will the first team be using the artificial pitch to train on during the week?

Only in exceptional circumstances, if at all. The artificial pitch is scheduled to only be used for youth and ladies football and community based projects.

Seating & Ticketing

I am a season ticket holder in the Main Stand, will I be able to sit here once the stand is built?

Existing Main Stand season ticket holders will be given first priority on the new seating within the new stand. If possible, we will attempt to keep blocks of friends together, if that is desirable to them.

Are there any plans to improve disabled facilities in the stadium?

There will be additional facilities for the disabled in the new stand.

Is there going to be a safe-standing area developed?

There are no plans for a safe standing area within the development.

How will the build plans affect my season ticket for 2016/17 and 2017/18…will the season ticket be valid for less than a full season?

It is anticipated that season tickets for any season will be fully inclusive as per the terms of any other season.

Is there any information available on the ticket prices in the new Main Stand?

Ticket prices will be outlined closer to the opening of the new, completed stadium.

Wheatfield, Roseburn and Gorgie Stands

Will anything be done to develop the existing stands?

We are looking at various ideas re the upgrading and reinvigoration of the three existing stands. This is likely to include improved toilet facilities and kiosk facilities.

Will the away fans still be in the Roseburn Stand?

Yes they will. 

Hospitality & Conference and Banqueting

If I am a regular in the Willie Bauld Suite/Gorgie Suite/John Robertson Lounge or Bobby Walker Suite for match day hospitality. Where will I go now?

Details of the new suites and the different tiers of entertainment on offer in the new stand will be released during the period of the build. All four are anticipated to be open during the entirety of season 2016/17.

What will happen with the Gorgie Suite?

The Gorgie Suite has proven to be hugely popular over the last couple of seasons and we intend to keep it that way as we move forward with the new development.

Will I be able to use the new facilities on non-match days?

Yes, within our Tynecastle Events brand, we will be able to offer some really unique spaces and competitive packages within the conference and events world; and indeed community space/use.

HMFC Museum and Stadium Tours

Will the work affect the Stadium Tours?

There will be some changes to the tours as work progresses and the club will probably increase the number of tours available for what will become our last year in the historic Main Stand.

Will the museum remain in the Gorgie Stand?

Yes the new club museum will continue to be situated in the Gorgie Stand. 

Heart of Midlothian 2 Aberdeen 1

Ladbrokes SPFL Premiership, Friday 8 April 2016 – Tynecastle

Having recovered sufficiently from the gastroenteritis bug which laid so many of their players low at the beginning of the week, Hearts ended the week by seeing their hopes of clinching second place in the Ladbrokes Premiership boosted when they defeated Aberdeen in a pulsating Ladbrokes Premiership match at Tynecastle on Friday evening.

Two goals from Juanma turned the game around after the Dons took an early lead to give Hearts an important victory – and all but bury Aberdeen’s hopes of winning the league title.

Hearts Head Coach Robbie Neilson made just one change from the team that performed well but got no reward at Celtic Park last Saturday – and this was an enforced one with Blazej Augustyn returning to the defence in place of the suspended Juwon Oshaniwa.

The full house signs were out again at Tynecastle despite it being an unusual Friday evening kick-off. And the majority of the crowd were almost on their feet after just three minutes when Sam Nicholson’s shot on goal trundled just wide. Sixty seconds later, however, calamity for Hearts.

Aberdeen looked dangerous coming forward and so it proved in just the fourth minute when Shinnie’s cross into the Hearts penalty box was poked into the net by Church with Hearts keeper Neil Alexander and defender Augustyn not covering themselves in glory.

It was all Aberdeen in the first twenty minutes. McGinn shot wide when it seemed easier to score before the same player was thwarted by Alexander. The Dons looked like they could score every time they came forward with the Hearts defence looking none too sure of themselves.

Hearts were looking like a team who hadn’t shaken off that virus which forced the postponement of their game with Inverness Caledonian Thistle last Tuesday night. However, Blazej Augustyn had a header well saved by Brown.

Gradually, Hearts hauled themselves back into the game as Aberdeen’s early incessant pace began to wear off. The Dons seemed intent on adopting a physical approach and Taylor could count himself fortunate not to be booked for a lunge on Jamie Walker. Hearts captain Alim Ozturk’s subsequent 25 yard free-kick was pushed over the bar by the Dons keeper.

In the 33^rd minute, Hearts were level. Skipper Ozturk ambled forward and from 20 yards fired in an effort which Brown could only push away. Hearts Spanish striker Juanma was the only player to react and he drilled the ball into the net to draw parity.

Juanma had another chance just before half-time when he collected a pass from Sam Nicholson before turning and firing his shot on goal just over the crossbar.

The visitors suffered a blow just before the interval when Jack had to be stretchered off injured.

Half-time Hearts 1 Aberdeen 1

After a brief flurry from the visitors at the start of the second half, Hearts threatened again when Juanma fired in a cross which fell for Prince Buaben but the former Dundee United player’s effort on goal was deflected.

From the corner that followed, Hearts Igor Rossi blasted in a shot that smashed against the crossbar as the home support roared their encouragement.

After an hour, the home fans really did have something to cheer when Hearts took the lead. Brilliant play by Jamie Walker saw the youngster deliver a sublime cross towards Juanma and the unmarked hitman nodded the ball home and set off to celebrate with players and fans alike.

The game should have been all over moments later. Buoyed by the turn of events, Hearts swarmed forward with the on-form Juanma dancing past three Aberdeen defenders before setting up Jamie Walker. However, the young Scot’s effort on goal was wide and the Dons breathed again.

It was Walker again who combined with Sam Nicholson before his low shot was saved by Brown.

The Dons thought they had equalised towards the end but McGinn side-footed his effort wide much to the delight of the Hearts support.

The game ended soon after and the Maroon Army bellowed ‘Aberdeen  – we’re coming for you!’ as they saw their side move to within nine points of the Dons in the Ladbrokes Premiership. Victory in Inverness next Tuesday will see this reduce to six – with Hearts and Aberdeen still to play each other again before the end of the season.

Hearts: Alexander, Souttar, Ozturk, Augustyn, Rossi, Kitchen, Djoum, Buaben (Pallardo, 79′), Nicholson, Walker (McGhee, 83′), Juanma.

Aberdeen: Brown, Logan, Shinnie, Taylor (Considine, 80′), Reynolds, McLean, McGinn, Hayes, Church, Jack (Flood, 43′), Storie (C. Smith, 75′).

Referee: Steven McLean

Att: 16,995

Top man: Juanma – the Spaniard was immense. Which begs the question – why can’t he play like that every week?

The council leader Andrew Burns has hit out angrily about the 17 schools which will not open on Monday following the Easter break, to allow for inspections of the buildings.

Council Leader Cllr Andrew Burns said: “Edinburgh Schools Partnership have today been unable to give the Council sufficient guarantee that the schools and other premises are safe to open on Monday.

“Clearly we have every right to expect these schools to have been built to a good standard and in accordance with industry practice. We now know this isn’t the case. ESP have let the Council down but more importantly they have the let children, parents and staff of this city down.

“We have today alerted the Scottish Government to our concerns.

“The safety of children and our staff is our top priority and we’re simply not willing  to take any risks. As such we have no option but to close these schools and Goodtrees Neighbourhood Centre.

“We fully recognise the significant inconvenience to parents caused by these closures. However I am sure everyone will understand why we have taken these steps.

“We will keep parents and carers updated over the coming week as more information becomes available.”

The council has decided to close all PPP1 schools following advice from Edinburgh Schools Partnership which is the body charged with the responsibility for building, managing and operating the estate on the council’s behalf.

Works taking place at Oxgangs Primary School have revealed some issues about the construction of the school. Technical experts were unable to give council officers guarantees about the schools being safe to open on Monday, despite previous assurances that all schools would open after the Easter holidays. They have sent a letter to Andrew Burns to apologise.

Andy Wightman, Scottish Green MSP candidate for Lothian, said:  “This is absolutely staggering. As of Monday thousands of children and young people are going to be thrown into confusion and their families into deep anxiety because the private consortium which built and runs those ‘PPP’ schools cannot guarantee pupil safety.

“It’s well known that Edinburgh has a school repair problem, but it was believed to be in those schools which were decades old. It is an utter disgrace to discover that new schools are beset by the same problems, as a result of shoddy workmanship.

“A full scale inquiry is needed into this fiasco, first and foremost for the schools immediately affected, but also, more generally for this whole set of arrangements for building and maintaining public buildings.”

Miles Briggs, Scottish Conservative MSP candidate for Lothian said:

“Parents across Edinburgh will be deeply concerned that the council, are unable to give assurances that school buildings are safe for pupils. Safety must always be paramount

“The total lack of transparency regarding the safety of these new school buildings is unacceptable and the list of question increases each day.

“It is vital that we see the release of all the school reports and information, especially given that the council issued building warrants and completion certificates for each school.

“I believe it is time for the Cabinet Secretary for Education to step in to take control of the situation and provide parents with answers regarding how we have reached this unacceptable situation.

“Edinburgh City Council is now facing a schools building crisis.”

Scotland will face host nation Azerbaijan in this summer’s UEFA European Under-17 Championships.

Scot Gemmill’s team will also face Portugal and Belgium after being drawn into Group A at this morning’s ceremony in Baku.

This will be Scotland’s third consecutive appearance at the finals, after reaching the semi-finals in Malta in 2014 and the group stages in Bulgaria last year.

Gemmill said: “It’s an interesting draw for us, especially having drawn Azerbaijan.

“I don’t know anything about their team at the moment, but as the hosts, I know they will be highly motivated.”

The group winners and runners-up both will advance to the last eight and Gemmill believes his team have every chance of progressing beyond the group stages.

He said: “I don’t think there is any one favourite for the group – all the teams have a chance of making the quarter-finals and that will be our primary goal.

“We reached the semi-finals of this competition back in 2014 so know that anything is possible.

“This is a great opportunity for our players to test themselves against the best in their age group and it will be a fantastic challenge for them.”

The draw
Group A: Azerbaijan (hosts), Portugal, Belgium, Scotland
Group B: Ukraine, Germany, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Group C: France (holders), Denmark, England, Sweden
Group D: Italy, Serbia, Netherlands, Spain

Calendar (exact schedule and Eurosport coverage tbc)?
Group stage: 5/6, 8/9, 11/12 May (Baku Olympic Stadium, Qarabag Stadium, 8km Stadium, Dalga Arena)?

Quarter-finals: 14/15 May (8km Stadium, Dalga Arena)?

Semi-finals: 18 May (Baku Olympic Stadium)?

Final: 21 May (Baku Olympic Stadium)

The annual Scottish sale takes place at Bonhams 22 Queen Street next week. 

Many lovely things adorn the sale rooms at Bonhams on Queen Street at the moment including exceptional Scottish Colourists paintings, and rather unusually Bonnie Prince Charlie’s cooking pot used at Glenmoriston in 1746. Although this has a plaque on it to say that it had been in royal usage, we were curious about its provenance. We were told it was owned by Alexander MacDonald, one of the Seven Men of Glenmoriston who guarded the prince during his flight after Culloden.

Henry Baggott of Bonhams explained how he really knew that this was the very pot used by the prince. He told The Edinburgh Reporter: “When Prince Charlie was defeated at Culloden, he retreated and managed to escape to Glenmoriston where he was protected by the ‘Seven Men of Glenmoriston’.

“These local patriots looked after him and they hid him in a cave. These men are all identifiable and one of these men owned the pot. It was in his family for many years and went from there into the ownership of the Grant family. It has never been sold before. It has always been in private hands since it was used by Bonnie Prince Charlie.”

[vimeo 162087630 w=500 h=281]

The Edinburgh Reporter News – Bonhams Scottish Sale from Phyllis Stephen on Vimeo.

Chris Brickley of Bonhams who is Head of Pictures for Bonhams in Scotland told us about the array of pictures which are going under the hammer next week. He said: “You can’t legislate what is in any sale but this time we have a fantastic selection of Colourists. There are several works by S. J. Peploe who is one of Scotland’s best and most collectable artists. We have a classic early still life painted when he came back from Paris when he had been exhibiting influence of other post impressionists like Cezanne and Van Gogh, but very much doing his own thing. He is a very considered, meticulous painter in contrast to Hunter.

“There is also  a fantastic Leslie Hunter, spontaneous still life here which is instinctive and fluid.

“They are very different artists, but both were reintroducing this still life theme, which partly explains why the Colourists are so popular worldwide. They are accessible, modern,  colourful and cheerful.

“Otherwise we have some classic Peploes like Paris Plage from the north of France, Cassis in the warmer south where he went in 1913.  And there is a work featuring Iona Abbey too which is classic theme for Colourists. It is a very important place of spiritual interest in Scotland; all of these are great subjects.”

Bonham expect the painting of Cassis rooftops to sell for somewhere between £80,000 and £120,000. It was painted on a working trip to the South of France which was a favourite spot for the Colourists who were attracted by the light and vivid colours of the area.

Bonhams will be selling about 100 paintings on Tuesday in the Scottish Sale.

We asked Mr Brickley which one he would like to hang on his living room wall. He confessed that the painting of Cassis was the one which attracted his interest most. “It captures the warmth of the south very well.”

There are many other items on sale including a fabulous range of sporrans and a 36-bore pistol which may have been owned by James Boswell and which is expected to fetch about £7,000.  More details about the Bonhams Scottish Sale here.

A man responsible for a number of sexual offences in the East of Edinburgh has been jailed at the High Court in Edinburgh today.

Craig McGlynn was sentenced to seven years in prison for offences including indecent assault on five victims aged between 10 and 16.

The assaults all took place between 1997 and 2008 and were reported to police several years later.

As a result of extensive inquiries by Edinburgh’s Public Protection Unit, 46-year-old McGlynn was detained and subsequently charged in August 2014.

Detective Chief Inspector Alwyn Bell who leads the Edinburgh Public Protection Unit said: “Craig McGlynn preyed on a number of young victims over nearly a decade and had it not been for the bravery of these individuals in coming forward, his crimes may have gone unanswered for.

“This sentence is testament to the courage all his victims demonstrated in coming forward and reinforces the commitment of both Police Scotland and the Crown Office to identifying sexual crime offenders and removing them from our communities.

“My sincere thanks go out to all of those who reported their abuse at the hands of McGlynn and to the PPU detectives involved in this case for all their painstaking work throughout.

“The public can rest assured that all reports of sexual crime will be handled with the utmost sensitivity and professionalism and investigated thoroughly.

“I would encourage any victims of abuse or sexual assault who have not yet reported the matter to police to contact us on 101 or make an anonymous call to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

John Doolan knows the problems associated with playing Alloa Athletic away from home but he insists that there will be no excuses and he insists that Hibs are heading to Central Scotland looking to bring back the three points.

The Wasps play on artificial turf and have recently narrowed the pitch but Doolan is unconcerned about what the opposition do.

The Hibs’ Coach also provided an update on the injury situation.

Speaking to Hibs TV, he said: “It was a good win (against Livingston) especially finishing with a great strike from Martin Boyle and I don’t think I’ll see a better one than that. the lads were buzzing.

“It was massive to get the three points and now the focus on going to Alloa. We know what Alloa is like and what the pitch is like so there will be no excuses. We have to go there, get the three points and move on to the next game.

“They have narrowed the pitch to suit them and they have every right to do that, but as I’ve said there will be no excuses we just have to go there and get the three points.

“Obviously wins help and they breed confidence, but we’ll do what we do and get them going again, get them organised and set them up.

“They know the job at hand. They know what to expect when we go to these places, so we’ll get it done. It’s easy enough to get them going again and after a win it’s a lot easier.

“Marvin (Bartley) missed out on Tuesday because he had a bang on his head and couldn’t train the day before which ruled him out but he is back in the squad.  Fraser (Fyvie) has trained this morning and he was on the bench on Tuesday which is another plus for us. Dylan (McGeouch) is doing well but I couldn’t put a finger on when he will be back but it will definitely be before the end of the season.

“Fraser’s return is massive. It gives us another option on the way we play and whether we change our formation.”

The Hibernian Development Squad beat Rangers 2-0 at Ainslie Park yesterday, extending their winning run to four games.

Two goals from youngster Jordan Sinclair secured the victory, the first coming in the 29th minute following a cross from Aaron Dunsmore and the second coming five minutes before half time from the penalty spot.

Afterwards Hibernian’s U20 Development Coach told the club website: “I think that’s probably the best team performance of the season. Rangers have a lot of talented players and also had a lot of possession, but we limited them to just one clear-cut chance.”

“It was a bit more even in the first half in terms of possession and we created a few chances ourselves, there was a lot of good play down the right-hand side.”

“In the second half we stuck to our guns and everybody worked really hard as they should. The lads are happy with the clean sheet, but it wasn’t just the back four, I thought everybody in front of them worked hard as well.”

“It’s great for the boys, as I say all along, it’s lovely to win but it’s not the be all and end all in development football. But it’s fabulous for them.”

Hibernian Development Squad: Brennan, Dunsmore, McGregor, Waugh, Mackie; Watson, Smith, Stirling (Scott, 70), Sinclair (Gullan, 81); Handling (Peters, 58); Shaw. Subs not used: Brown,

Police are appealing for witnesses following a serious assault which took place around 3am this morning near to Whistlebinkies public house on North Bridge.

A man in his 30’s was approached by an unknown male as he walked towards North Bridge having left the pub only moments earlier.

The suspect then struck the male to the head before making off on the Royal Mile heading east.

The victim sustained injuries to his head and was taken by ambulance to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh where he remains in a serious but stable condition.

Police are carrying out inquiries into the matter are ongoing and officers want to hear from anyone who witnessed the attack or who saw the suspect.

He is described as white, 5ft 10ins tall, in his mid 30’s with a medium build and has a bald head. At the time of the attack he wore a light coloured jacket, black t-shirt and jeans.

Detective Sergeant Paul Greig who is based out of Gayfield, said: “This would appear to have been a completely unprovoked attack that unfortunately resulted in an innocent man being seriously assaulted.

“The victim had been enjoying a night out when the suspect approached him and attacked him for no obvious reason.

“Our inquiries into this matter are ongoing and I today appeal to anyone who recognises the description of the attacker or who may have been in the area of North Bridge during the early hours of Friday to come forward immediately.”

Those with information relevant to the police investigation are asked to call 101 or the charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Police are appealing for information after a man was assaulted and robbed while walking his dog in Tranent on Saturday 2nd April.

The incident happened around 12.30pm in the Blindwells area close to Meadowmill when the man was attacked by a group of men.

The man sustained a facial injury in the assault but he was able to make his way to the roadway near to Mid Road, Prestonpans where he managed to flag down a passing motorist.

Officers are now keen to speak to anyone who saw the incident, the man walking with his black lurcher dog or a group of males with dogs.

The dog was initially missing after the incident but has since been reunited with his owner.

Detective Constable Kenny McKenzie from Dalkeith Police Station said: “This assault left a man with a facial injury and I am keen to trace those responsible.

“I would like to hear from anyone who was in the area around noon on Saturday or who saw any suspicious vehicles parked in the area.”

Anyone with information can contact officers on 101 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Police are appealing for information following a theft on the A71 which took place  between 9pm on Wednesday and 7am yesterday, just east of the Dalmahoy Hotel.

This is currently the site of roadworks and is controlled by temporary traffic lights.

Entry was forced to a container at the site and road maintenance equipment, such as breakers and compactors, collectively worth a five-figure sum were stolen.

Sergeant George Richardson of Wester Hailes said: “This theft would have required more than one person and the use of a large vehicle to remove items of this size and weight. We’re asking anyone who may have driven past the site during this time and saw any suspicious behaviour to come forward.

“We’d also urge anyone with information about the whereabouts of the stolen equipment to get in touch. If you purchase stolen items, knowingly or otherwise, they can be seized and returned to their rightful owner meaning a financial loss to yourself.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.