Police  are appealing for witnesses following a suspicious fire at a flat which happened around 8.20pm on Thursday at an address in Magdalene Drive.

A sofa, which was within the common stair, was set alight resulting in significant damage to the close and leaving residents without electricity for a period of time.

Anyone who can assist officers with their investigation is asked to come forward.

Detective Constable Mark Gifford said: “While no one was injured during this incident, the residents were left greatly inconvenienced after losing their electricity.

“Anyone who can help us trace those responsible is asked to contact police immediately.”

Those with information can contact Police Scotland on 101 or alternatively, the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Hibs, Hearts, Spartans and Boroughmuir Thistle have players in the Scotland Women’s under-15 Squad.

Five players from Edinburgh teams were selected in Pauline Hamill’s squad for a training camp at the end of this month, namely Hibs’ Kirsty Morrison, Spartans Georgie Adderley, Boroughmuir’s  Elena Santoyo-Brown and Hearts’ pair Micheala McAlonie and Naomi Welch.

The Scotland Women’s Under-15 Squad is as follows:

Georgie Adderley (Spartans LFC)
Sophie Allison (Glasgow City FC)
Jade Baillie (Celtic FC)
Emma Craig (St Mirren Boys Club)
Morgan Cross (Central Girls Academy)
Lauren Alison Davidson (Glasgow City FC)
Rhianne Ferguson (Central Girls Academy)
Leah Fleming (Jeanfield Swifts)
Kelsey Gibson (Chelsea LFC)
Carly Girsoli (Celtic FC)
Taylor Hamill (Celtic FC)
Jemma Marriott(Glasgow City FC)
Micheala McAlonie (Hearts LFC)
Philippa McCallum (Forfar Farmington LFC)
Laura McCartney (Glasgow City FC)
Tara McGonigle (Linlithgow Rose LFC)
Kathleen McGovern (Celtic FC)
Rebecca McGowan (Raith Rovers)
Sara McWhirter (Rangers LFC)
Kirsty Morrison (Hibernian LFC)
Emily Mutch (Westdyke Thistle)
Dierdrie O’Riordan (Aberdeen LFC)
Elena Santoyo-Brown (Boroughmuir LFC)
Naomi Welch (Hearts LFC)
Kendall Welsh (Celtic FC)
Rachel Wolecki (Jeanfield Swifts)

POLICE UPDATE – The two year old Beagle was recovered safe and well in the Redbraes place area shortly before 2pm after being found by a member of the public.

Police are appealing for witnesses following the theft of a car which happened around 12.25pm today  in Willowbank Row.

A 65-year-old man was standing outside his Honda CRV when four male youths approached him.  The victim was then pushed over before one of the suspects entered the car and drove off, turning left onto Ferry Road towards Leith.

The other youths then made off on bikes and on foot.

The male who stole the vehicle is described as white, 15-16-years-old 5ft 9ins tall with dark hair. He was wearing all dark clothing with a hood up and was in possession of a backpack.

The other suspects are described only as white, male, 15-16-years-old and wearing grey clothing.

Officers are now conducting local inquiries to trace these individuals and find the car, which had the man’s beagle dog within at the time it was stolen.

Detective Sergeant Lynsey Thomson said: “Fortunately the victim was not injured during this incident, but is obviously deeply upset at the theft of his car and his pet beagle.

“We are keen to hear from anyone who was in the Willowbank Row area at on Friday afternoon and remembers seeing anything suspicious.

“I would also ask that any members of the public, who spot a Honda CRV with registration number DN06 WND, contact police immediately.

“In addition anyone who can help us identify and locate the suspects should come forward.”

Those with information can contact Police Scotland on 101 or alternatively, the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Firefighters were called to respond to a fire in a derelict building in Edinburgh’s Merchiston Road last night .

The call was received by Operations Control at 9.42pm and three appliances (including a turntable ladder) were sent from Tollcross as well as pumps from MacDonald Road, Crewe Toll and Penicuik.

On arrival crews witnessed smoke issuing from the building and firefighters in breathing apparatus used two high pressure hose reel jets to tackle the fire.

They also carried out a search of the premises and were able to confirm there was no one inside. After the area had been dampened down they used a thermal imaging camera to check for any remaining hot spots.

The last appliance left the scene at 2.53am this morning (25 September 2015).

SFRS believes the fire was started deliberately and the incident is being investigated by Police Scotland.

Hibs’ Head Coach Alan Stubbs insists that his players will be taking nothing for granted when they face St Mirren at Easter Road on Saturday.

The Saints who are managed by former Hibs’ skipper Ian Murray currently sit in eighth place in the Championship after a slow start during which they have won only five points from seven games, but Stubbs insists that his team will face a tough task.

Speaking to Hibs TV he said: “It’s important to keep up our performances and the reason we get results is due to the performances.

“That’s five straight wins now, no goals conceded, and the team deserve a lot of credit for that.

“But we’re not going to dwell on that, because football has a habit of catching you by surprise when you’re resting on your laurels.

“Wednesday night was a fantastic result but it has gone and we move onto Saturday now. It will be a tough game but one that we will be ready for and one that we will be looking to take three points from.

“We never look further than the next game anyway. We obviously plan with games in advance but we are always focusing on the next game and that is the same with this Saturday. We will do our homework and due diligence on St Mirren.

“We have had them watched and have a decent amount of information on them. I’ve watched them, my staff have watched them and the scouts have watched them so we know what to expect. It won’t be easy, no matter what the results have been but it’s one that we are ready for.”

The Hibs’ fans who were praised by Chief Executive Leeann Dempster for their backing of the team will be happy to know that Stubbs will have the same squad available with no new injuries reported.

He continued: “From last night’s game there is no-one who has picked up any injuries or knocks so from that point of view we are delighted. there will be no fresh injury worries. The ones who weren’t involved probably won’t be ready for Saturday so we will go with the same squad of players.

Hibs’ Chief Executive Leeann Dempster has praised the supporters for their backing of the team during Wednesday’s victory over high-flying Aberdeen at Easter Road.

Magnificent goals from Jason Cummings and Dominique Malonga secured a Scottish League Cup quarter final place and Ms Dempster is hoping that the result against the table toppers will encourage lapsed fans back to the stadium for this Saturday’s game against St Mirren.

Speaking yesterday, she told the fans: “Well, last night wasn’t bad, was it?

“We’re delighted with the performance of Alan and his team in yesterday’s win. If you haven’t watched the highlights back yet they’re available on Hibs TV – I still can’t decide which goal I prefer!

“We were up against the country’s in-form team and more than matched them across the park. We scored two excellent individual goals to cap a great team performance, and the defence showed why they’ve been receiving plaudits in the press of late.

“We needed that extra bit of support to see us through the last 10 minutes and the fans delivered. It was a very special end to the match and a great one to share with everyone that was there. Thanks for your efforts last night and over the season so far.

“Saturday’s game will make it five in six matches at Easter Road, and to me it’s no coincidence that we’ve built up a bit of momentum with these home matches. We’re going for our sixth win in a row now, and ideally another good performance to match.

“Hopefully you’ll be able to make it along to Easter Road on Saturday, or tune in on Hibs TV if you can’t make it, and all going well we’ll have another reason to celebrate. If you haven’t got your ticket yet you can buy online or visit the Ticket Office.

“Enjoy the game when it comes.

“GGTTH

“Leeann”

Inside Out: Samuel Bough’s Edinburgh Castle in Context Walking Tour. Starting inside the Scottish National Gallery, historian Alastair Learmont will take a closer look at Sam Bough’s Edinburgh Castle (1860) before moving outside to look at the castle in the context of Princes Street Gardens and the Old Town. Please come dressed for the weather, and be ready and able to walk at a reasonable pace – tours walk at an easy pace, cover less than two miles of walking and are generally appropriate for all ages and fitness levels, but please use your best judgment. The tours will go on rain or shine, although in cases of severely inclement weather on the day, the tour will remain in the gallery. 12.45-1.45pm, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound . Free but advance booking is strongly recommended to avoid disappointment as tours are limited to 15 places: tickets may be obtained in person from the Information Desk in the Gardens Entrance of the Scottish National Gallery, or by calling 0131 624 6560 between 9.30am-4.30pm.

Artists Unlimited Coffee Morning: cake, coffee and chat in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. 10.30am-12.30pm, WHALE Arts, 30 Westburn Grove.  All welcome!

World’s Biggest Coffee Morning – with tombola! 11am-12.30pm, Oxgangs Library, 343 Oxgangs Road North.  All welcome. In aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. 

Make a Dragonhead Mask: for ages 7-10. 2.30-3.30pm, Charles Smith Room (upstairs), Morningside Library, 184 Morningside Road. Please contact a member of staff to book your free place or call the library on 0131 529 5654 – and please be on time as a full hour will be needed to complete the masks.

Gallery Social: Bailey’s Stardust. A relaxed and informal guided tour with refreshments, for anyone affected by dementia and their relatives, friends and supporters. 10.30am-12 noon, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound (meet at Information Desk, gardens entrance). Free but please book by contacting the Information Desk on 0131 624 6560.

The Macular Society: a speaker from the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 10.30am, Church Hall, London Road Church, corner of London Road and Easter Road. All very welcome; feel free to bring a friend  The Macular Society was formed to help those with macular degeneration to understand their situation and find resources of help and support; through the society, people can receive information about research, discover their capabilities and discuss problems and solutions with others who have macular problems. The main Edinburgh branch meets on the last Friday of every month except December, and there are also local support groups meeting regularly in Morningside, Stockbridge and Portobello. For more information contact the group leader on 0131 449 7716 or deputy leader on 0131 667 3598. Further information may also be found on the Macular Society’s website here.

A Day of Prayer and Action for Refugees. St John’s Church has for many years fought hard to raise awareness of the refugee crisis and the need for action. Many people feel confused, fearful, upset and uncertain as to how they should act in the face of the many refugee crises the world is now facing. The church will be open for communal and individual prayer and for community organising to respond to the urgent needs of refugees and migrants. 8am-10pm, St John’s Church, Princes Street. All welcome.

The Wild Wild West: a walk along the shore of Harperrig, the largest reservoir in the Pentlands Regional Park, then up the second highest point in West Lothian, West Cairn Hill. A strenuous 6 mile walk, suitable for ages 16+; sturdy footwear and waterproofs will be required. 10am-2pm, Harperrig Car Park, Pentland Hills Regional Park. Booking is essential and may be made by contacting Pentland Hills Regional Park HQ, Hermitage of Braid, 69a Braid Road (0131 529 2401/pentlandhills@edinburgh.gov.uk). Free but donations appreciated.

Take One Action! Film Festival: ‘connecting people, world-class cinema and creative action for a better world’. Twelve days of screenings and discussions, in Edinburgh and Glasgow, on issues as diverse as environmental activism, LGBT rights in African countries, cycling, the value (or not) of university degrees, the Arab Spring, literacy, the global financial system, food chains and much more. Today’s film is Democrats (15) (in English and Shona with English subtitles), a gripping political thriller offering an incisive warts-and-all snapshot of a nascent democracy. Shot over three years, with remarkable access to the corridors of power in Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe, Democrats focuses on two political opponents tasked with drafting a new constitution. Mangwana, a blustery cynic unashamedly buoyed by the might of ruling party ZANU-PF, stands in stark contrast to the cautious Mwonzora, from the barely tolerated Movement for Democratic Change. Director Camilla Nielsson charts the two men’s complex relationship as they travel throughout the country during a nationwide consultation process marred from the outset by corruption and intimidation. Yet as meetings descend into violent clashes and Mwonzora faces imprisonment, Democrats captures unmistakable progress towards more democratic rule – and serves as a vivid illustration of our common struggle for dignity. Presented in association with NIDOS. 8.30pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Filmhouse box office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online; prices vary. Director Camilla Nielsson and community outreach worker Twimukye Macline Mushaka will join this screening.

Bit-Phalanx Music (in association with The Fruitmarket Gallery) presents: Coppe + Barbara Morgenstern + Special Guest Christ. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of her own label, Mango + Sweetrice Records, Japanese electronic singer-songwriter and music producer Coppe returns to Edinburgh to mark the occasion and showcase her new album ‘20rpm‘. Acclaimed Berlin-based pianst, singer, producer and composer Barbara Morgenstern, will be visiting Edinburgh for the first time in her 18 year career for a full set highlighting her brand new collaborations album ‘Doppelstern‘, whilst returning to Edinburgh once again with Coppe is producer Chris Horne, aka Christ.  6.30pm pre-gig reception (with access to current exhibition), Fruitmarket Gallery, 45 Market Street, followed by performance at Old St Paul’s Episcopal Church, 63 Jeffrey Street (opposite the gallery). Tickets cost £8 + transaction fee (£10 on door, sta) and may be purchased via eventbrite here.

Scottish Borders Folk Tales: James Spence launches his collection of folk tales from the Scottish Borders, rich in stories tall and true, ancient and recent, dark and funny, powerful and fantastical. Richly illustrated and enlivened by the rhythmic Scots language of the region, these well-loved and magical stories are retold in a lively and engaging style by James, who will also perform at the launch. 6pm, Storytelling Court,  Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Free and unticketed.

Serenity Cafe Club Night: Pass the Mic. Hosted by Fran Cawkwell and Stevie Paget. 7pm-late, Serenity Cafe, 8 Jackson’s Entry, The Tun, Holyrood Road. Admission £5/£4. Serenity Cafe is Scotland’s first recovery cafe, run by people in recovery for people in recovery, and public customers who want good quality, good value food in a relaxed space. It also offers a wide range of activities for members. All events are drink and drugs free.

Passion: a Postcard Exhibition.  All works are for sale at £15 each. Open preview tonight 6-8pm, then 11am-5pm Tuesday to Saturday (closed Sundays and Mondays), The Gallery on the Corner, 34 Northumberland Street. Ends 30th October 2015. Part of Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival 2015.

Tabla Alba Presents An Evening of Dhrupad Music: a rare opportunity to hear the oldest existing form of Hindustani Classical music, performed here in Scotland by Pelva Naik (vocal), Baha’uddin Dagar (Rudra Veena) and Vijay Kanguktar (Pakhawaj). 7pm, Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge. Tickets cost £10 and may be pre-booked by calling 0141 357 2175 or emailing deepchandi108@gmail.com. Tabla Alba has been promoting Indian Classical music in Scotland for over ten years.

Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh Campus Open Day: an opportunity to meet some current students and staff and hear about the student experience at Heriot-Watt University. Lots of information about courses, accommodation, finance, student support, careers and more; some activities will be available on a drop-in basis but booking is essential for academic talks and tours, as places are limited. For full information and a link to the university’s eventbrite booking page, click here. 10am-4pm, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Campus, EH14 4AS. There will be a second open day on 31st October 2015.

Chick Lyall Quartet: the pianist/composer brings in his great 4-piece, playing some of Chick’s originals mixed with some jazz standards, and featuring established jazz names Colin Steele (trumpet), Tom Lyne (bass) and, just back from touring in New Zealand, Glasgow drummer Stuart Brown. 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. £5/£4 on the door: please note this venue is cash only.

Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group Presents Ayotzinapa: Chronicle of a State Crime/cronica de un crimen de Estado (in Spanish with English subtitles). On the night of September 26, 2014, in the city of Iguala, in Guerrero, Mexico, more than a 100 young students of the Escuela Normal Rural of Ayotzinapa, were attacked by police forces, resulting in 3 students dying, more than 20 injured, and 43 kidnapped by the police. The Mexican military is also implicated in this crime. Within a few days tens of thousands of voices, especially young voices, echoed through streets and avenues across Mexico and the world, demanding the safe return of the ‘disappeared’ students, and denouncing this act as a Crime of State – although it remains unpunished to this day. In their testimony and the commentary of other witnesses and experts, two student survivors of the Iguala massacre reconstruct the climate of impunity, corruption, and criminality that exists, not only in the state of Guerrero but in the entire country. This is one of a programme of events organized for the first anniversary of the disappearance of Ayotzinapa’s students. 7pm, The Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh, 17 West Montgomery Place. Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group will hold a demonstration on The Mound to raise awareness about this issue and the wider problem of corruption, violence and state impunity in Mexico 11am-12.30pm, tomorrow – Saturday 26th September.

Balerno Music Festival: the eighth Balerno Music Festival has a packed programme of concerts, films, cabaret, workshops, children’s events, folk music sessions, the Festival Busk and a jazz party. Tonight’s event is A Night At The Shows with Balerno Theatre Company: a celebration of wonderful songs from the company’s upcoming pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk plus well known favourites. 7.30pm, Balerno Parish Church, 2 Main Street, Balerno. Tickets cost £5/£3 and may be purchased from Balerno Parish Church Office (9am-12 noon, Monday to Friday), Balerno Farmers’ Market, by post or online; for full booking information click here. The festival ends on 11th October 2015.

Guid Crack: Tales of Whisky – Edinburgh’s monthly storytelling night. Through decades of storytelling Stuart McHardy has developed an affy drouth (great thirst) that can only be properly slaked with whisky; a night celebrating Scotland’s long love affair with the ‘cratur’ – as Burns wrote, ‘Freedom and whisky gang the gither’. Accompanied young adults welcome. 7.30pm, The Waverley Bar (upstairs), 3-5 St Mary’s Street. Entry by suggested donation of £3.

LGBT Film Nights: Bi Visibility Day Special. After a community consultation last quarter, the monthly film nights are being replaced with a series of quarterly events that will include a film screening, guest speaker and time for discussion afterwards. This quarter, to celebrate Bi Visibility Day (23rd Sept), LGBT Health and Bi and Beyond Edinburgh present Appropriate Behaviour (15) and a speaker from SQIFF (Scottish Queer International Film Festival). Refreshments will be available. However you identify, come along and be proudly bi, or show support and solidarity for your bisexual friends. 6.30-9.30pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. Please book online here or by contacting Jules on 0131 523 1104/jules@lgbthealth.org.uk. SQIFF 2015 will take place in Glasgow 24th-27th September 2015.

Das Contras: tightly arranged original funk/soul/reggae stylings from this 7-piece fronted by singer/guitarist and song-writer Sher Watson, with 3-horn trumpet, sax, trombone brass section. Plus Funk DJ. 12 midnight (entry from 11.30pm)-3am, The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. £5/£4 on the door: please note this venue is cash only.

Soulacoaster: a night of live music with Edinburgh’s 12 piece soul band; classic hits made famous by legends such as the Blues Brothers, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and The Commitments. Over 18s only. 7.30pm, Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street. Admission £7.

City Link 2015: the City Link Festival is an international event celebrating culture and urban life between cities through symposiums, artist exchange, workshops, study trips, city walks, performances and social bonding, inspiration and co-creation, City Link started in 2012 as a co-creation project between cultural communities in Copenhagen and Hamburg. Until 2014, the network primarily consisted of people from these two cities, but the City Link Festival in Hamburg in September 2014 kick-started City Link as a global network connecting people, projects and communities throughout the world. This year the festival’s theme is democratic renewal; it will bring together people from Edinburgh and Copenhagen with ideas that could link cities, discuss local initiatives, inspire each other and investigate possibilities of co-creating cities across Europe. Today’s events – more follow on 26th and 27th September – are:

democratic renewal: City Link symposium. A day-long symposium comprising a morning of talks at Summerhall + one activity of your choice (in various city locations) in the afternoon. For full details please click here. Talks: 9am (registration from 8.30am)-12 noon, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall, afternoon activities 2-4pm, locations vary. Tickets cost £10/£5 and may be booked via the Summerhall website;

This Space Could Be…. an interactive public engagement project that invited users of the Foot of Leith Walk to share their thoughts, desires and ideas for the local public space. TSCB arranged a number of small interventions and consultation events in the space of New Kirkgate; in playful and democratic ways, people of Leith were asked to say what they think the space could be… The findings of the research have been gathered in ‘The report on conditions and potential of space at the Foot of the Leith Walk and New Kirkgate and design recommendations based on innovative ‘on the spot’ public consultations’. Now some of the thoughts gathered in the report will be temporarily turned into something tangible; for the few days of the festival an installation will appear in the Foot of the Walk area. Pop in to the Foot of Leith Walk, look around, ask questions, share stories and comment on the This Space Could Be Facebook page here. From 1pm, New Kirkgate, Leith. Ends 4pm Sunday 27th September.

Jura Music Festival: your first opportunity to get out of Edinburgh this weekend is a well-established favourite for lovers of traditional music. The 22nd Isle of Jura Music Festival (‘6000 deer, 200 people, one festival’) offers ceilidhs and concerts, featuring Finlay MacDonald, Chris Stout, Jenn Butterworth, Manran, Kathleen MacInnes & The Urban Teuchters, Pete Smoke & The Roaches, Skipinnish and the Norrie MacIver Trio. Jura can be reached by ferry or plane; for full information, tickets and accommodation options (including camping), see the festival website here. Isle of Jura, Argyll & Bute, PA60 7XU. Ends 28th September 2015

Council delays decision on redundancies 

RNIB Glow in the Dark

Doors Open Event today

Battle of Britain service

Cockenzie chimneys to be demolished tomorrow

The council’s Finance Committee decided yesterday not to adopt the advice of their officers on privatising Facilities Management Services to make substantial savings. They opted instead to retain the service in-house, although it may mean less money is saved in the short term, and more jobs could be lost.

Read more here

***

In the next 15 minutes, someone in the UK will be told “you are losing your sight.” RNIB is here for everyone affected by sight loss, for practical and emotional support, and to help more blind and partially sighted people to face the future with confidence.

RNIB is holding the Glow Neon 3km Fun Run on 31st October at 7pm at Meadowbank Sports Centre.

Participants can run, dance, hop, skip or walk their way around a 3km track covered in glowing neon paint to raise money for RNIB. Live DJs and cannons filled with luminous glow water create the party feeling at our Glow Neon Fun Run. Glow is open to everyone aged ten and above and is fully accessible to people with sight loss.

Help us raise money to make every day better for everyone affected by sight loss.

For more information and tickets, go to rnib.org.uk/glow or see https://www.facebook.com/events/699643393514015/ or Twitter #GlowNeon
***

As part of the Cockburn Association week of events leading up to Doors Open Day tomorrow there will be a talk today (Friday) between 1-3:00pm at RCAHMS 16 Bernard Terrace EH8 9NX which will tell the story of the Royal Botanic Cottage.

Here is the full programme of events which are taking place tomorrow and Sunday. Where will you go?

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We do hope you have had a look at the photos which our John Preece took yesterday at St Giles’ Cathedral at the service to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

If not click here!

***

The chimneys and the turbine hall at Cockenzie will be demolished tomorrow at 12 noon. There are many road restrictions in place but do tell us if you get anywhere near and get any good photos or video!

The controlled explosive demolition is planned to take place at 12 noon tomorrow Saturday 26th September. Immediately following the chimney demolition, a second controlled explosion will be initiated to bring down the turbine hall structure. The demolition will be undertaken by Brown and Mason, who have successfully managed similar projects for ScottishPower in recent years at Inverkip Power Station and Methil Power Station.

An exclusion zone will be in place from 9am to ensure that the demolition can be carried out safely. The safety restrictions will cover the Greenhills, sections of Edinburgh Road and the John Muir Way, as well as extending in to the Firth of Forth. Traffic restrictions will also be in place in the vicinity of the power station from 7am. Edinburgh Road will be closed from Appin Drive to East Lorimer Place. A section of Whin Park housing estate and the West Harbour area will also be closed. Diversionary routes will be signposted. All restrictions will be lifted shortly after the demolition has taken place.

It is anticipated that viewing locations in the immediate vicinity of the power station will be very limited. Police Scotland, ScottishPower and East Lothian Council have all recommended that people who would like to watch the demolition take the time to plan their position in advance.

George Camps, ScottishPower Project Manager, said: “The demolition of the chimney stacks and the turbine hall requires careful planning. Even though the structures will be brought to the ground in a matter of seconds, months of preparations are needed to make sure that everything goes according to plan. We have also been working closely with Police Scotland and East Lothian Council to put sensible safety precautions in place. The chimney stacks are visible for many miles and we would encourage anyone wishing to view the demolition to plan their location in advance and to be aware of the temporary safety restrictions that are in place.”

Inspector Andy Harborow said: “The iconic Cockenzie chimneys have been standing tall within the local community for almost fifty years and we anticipate many members of the public will turn out for their demolition.

“To preserve the safety of those in attendance, we have been working alongside our partners at East Lothian Council and Scottish Power to identify and create a suitable exclusion zone for the demolition.

“No vantage points or parking spaces have been allocated to view this event and so anyone visiting the area is asked to be considerate to the local community and try to minimise any disruption.”

East Lothian Council Leader, Willie Innes, said: “The demolition of the chimneys will be a visible and final signal of the end of Cockenzie Power Station which has been a presence in the life of many local residents. I know for some people the demolition will bring mixed feelings but the local communities are already focussed on helping to plan the future of the site and are excited about the new opportunities that may be offered here.”

The twin chimney stacks are both 149 metres tall, and were constructed in time for the coal station opening in 1967. The turbine hall structure is predominantly made of steel, and measures 220 metres in length, 41 metres in width and 31 metres in height. Cockenzie Power Station generated more than 150 Terawatt Hours (TWh) of electricity in its lifetime, enough to power the average annual electricity needs of more than 1 million homes every year during its 45 years of operation.

The ‘button press’ on the day of the event, which will initiate the demolition of both chimneys, will be carried out by East Lothian resident Donald McCulloch, the winner of a charity raffle that was organised by Longniddry & District Rotary Club. The sales of the tickets have raised over £7,800, with proceeds being distributed evenly between the Prestonpans community, Cockenzie & Port Seton community, Longniddry & District Rotary Club, and ScottishPower’s partner charity, Cancer Research UK.

Here is an aerial video which Scottish Power have produced by way of historical record:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eMpykb9nsY]

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Dear All

Four pupils from Portobello High School will be tracing the footsteps of pupils from a hundred years ago when they set off in October for the beaches and battlefields of Gallipoli. This is part of an exciting international initiative organised by the Gallipoli Centenary Education Project involving pupils from schools in those countries that sent troops there.  More here: Portobello and the Great War

New Group for young writers aged 16-25, in collaboration with Out of the Blue.  You’ll get advice on how to write, edit, design and publish your own material,.  The big launch is at 6pm on Wednesday 7 October here: Craigmillar Library  And hopefully, we’ll be fostering the young writers of the future for this great initiative: Craigmillar Chronicle on Line

The fabulous Craigmillar Library is looking for feedback on the services they offer in order to improve and ensure they are providing the best for people who use the Library or might in future.  See here:  Customer Survey

There will be a folk concert in St Mark’s Episcopal Church off Portobello High Street (opposite top of Bellfield Street) on Wednesday 7 October.  Details here:  Folk Concert

A date for your diary: ‘Spooktastic’ Fundraiser for The Thistle Foundation – a Quiz Night on Friday 6 November, 7 for 7.30pm at Hearts Supporters Club, Craigmillar Castle Avenue (just opposite Thistle Entrance) .  More here: Quiz Night

Portobello Community Council meets Monday 28 September at 7:30 pm in Portobello Baptist Church Hall, 185 Portobello High Street. All welcome to attend.  Agenda and more information here: Portobello Community Council

If you (or your son/daughter) are out in uptown Edinburgh on Friday or Saturday nights and find you or other in your company need some help in a crisis, the Edinburgh Safezone Bus is there for you in Cathedral Lane opposite the Omni Centre and the Playhouse, between 10pm and 4am.  Or you can call the bus staff on 07920 70 65 68.  More here: Safezone Bus  The Edinburgh Bus is a fabulous example of everyone working together to keep people safe. This film highlights the huge benefits of this kind of partnership working. buff.ly/1Of0H30

More on collaboration with the Third Sector here: Compact Quarterly Newsletter  Sign up to getting it quarterly Here

There is still time for you to comment on the Lothians, Borders, Edinburgh and Southern Fife region-wide SESplan Main Issues Report which is about how we might develop the City Region over the coming decades: Press release from SESplan

More about planning issues in the City of Edinburgh’s regular planning blog.  Link here: Planning Edinburgh

The Co-op have a £750,000 fund from the plastic bag charge to help local projects.  Here’s how to apply:  Co-op Local Fund Application

Seeking funding to continue your project? Click here:  Big Lottery

To keep children safer, vehicular traffic is being banned around six Edinburgh primary schools at drop-off and pick-up times. The council-run pilot scheme is intended to keep moving traffic away from streets outside the schools for an hour at the beginning and end of each day for at least 18 months. An exclusion zone for cars is now set up outside Duddingston and St John’s RC primary schools as part of phase 1 and Towerbank will be part of phase 2 in the New Year. More here: School Streets

A Scottish Parliament Committee wants your views on parking on pavements and double parking. Watch their video to find out more: Double Parking Video

This weekend it’s “Goodbye to Cockenzie power station, a cathedral to coal”: Guardian Article  I will be away for a short break until Monday afternoon, so will miss this great demolition spectacle which we could clearly see from Portobello beach!  Quite a loss.

Best wishes for a great weekend, when it comes – whatever you’re doing.

Maureen

Councillor Maureen Child | Labour Elected Member | Portobello/Craigmillar (Ward 17) | City of Edinburgh Council | City Chambers | High Street | Edinburgh | EH1 1YJ | Tel 0131 529 3268 | Mobile 07718 666 481| Twitter @MaureenChild1

Edinburgh’s Lady Provost will brave a cold night at the Zoo in September in a bid to raise thousands of pounds for local causes, and The Edinburgh Reporter is among the 250 people braving the cold (and now wet!) conditions.

On a crusade to raise awareness of homelessness in the city, the Lady Provost Elaine Brand has challenged local businesses and individuals to join her as she swaps her bed for a sleeping bag and experiences a night with the nocturnal sounds of the RZSS Edinburgh Zoo’s animal inhabitants.

‘The Lady Provost’s Sleep Out at Edinburgh Zoo’ will raise vital funds for Four Square and the Rock Trust to help young people get off the streets and into work. Already, over 150 people have signed up to take part including teams from Edinburgh companies, members of the British Army and Lord Provost Donald Wilson.

The Lady Provost said she wants people to “open their eyes” to what it is like for young homeless people during the colder months but admits the challenge will be nothing compared to the struggle faced by those who sleep rough every night.

She said: “In spite of Edinburgh’s continued growth as a successful and affluent city, homelessness remains a pressing issue. Nobody can truly experience the struggle of homelessness based on one night in the cold, but I hope our eyes can be opened to what it is like to spend a night outside. We’ll be sleeping out in September when the nights get longer and the temperature drops – I hope this shock to the system will emphasise just how difficult this year’s colder months will be for our young homeless people.

The Lord Provost Donald Wilson added: “Elaine is determined to raise awareness of youth homelessness in Edinburgh and this event is an attempt to raise as much money as possible for Four Square and the Rock Trust. These charities are very close to her heart and I hope we can help to make a big difference.”

Edinburgh Zoo, owned by the charity the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), is home to more than 1,000 endangered animals and is one of Europe’s leading centres of conservation. The sleep out will take place outside the Zoo’s historic Mansion House, close to the popular Penguins Rock and Lemur Walkthrough.

Chris West, Chief Executive of RZSS, said: “We are delighted to support worthy causes of this nature. We wish every success to all those involved in raising awareness of homelessness in Edinburgh.”

While the number of people presenting to the City of Edinburgh Council as rough sleepers is the lowest of any Scottish city – having reduced by almost 15 per cent over the last five years – almost 4,000* people were assessed as homeless in the Capital last year. A quarter of those are aged 24 or younger.

The Rock Trust Chief Executive Kate Polson said: “We support approximately 400 young people from across Edinburgh and the Lothians every year, which shows that youth homelessness is a real problem. For the majority of people who become homeless, the main reason behind it is family breakdown or problems at school. It can really happen to anyone. This event will help raise awareness of the hardships faced by those forced to sleep rough and the Lady Provost and all the participants are helping to highlight the devastating issue of youth homelessness.”

Four Square Chief Executive Heather Arni said: “Every night in Edinburgh we provide a safe haven for 40 young people aged 16-24 in two hostels and 18 training flats. But simply giving them a roof over their head is not enough. We give them skills to fend for themselves, lik cooking, budgeting and the chance to take a training course or volunteer. The Zoo sleep out facilitated by the Lady Provost and RZSS Edinburgh Zoo will enable both charities to continue their work.”

‘The Lady Provost’s Sleep Out at Edinburgh Zoo’ will take place overnight on Thursday 24 September.

Show your support on social media #ZooSleepOut and by making a donation:www.virginmoneygiving.com/SleepOutAtEdinburghZoo

Hailing from Aberdeen, now living in Edinburgh, Steve Christie treats us to the second in his instalments of D.I. Buchanan, and the high-paced crime set in his preceding city. Cold Shot follows the careers of insular alcoholic Detective Buchanan and his partner as they formulaically uncover the motives behind the homicides of an elderly, yet vengeful mastermind. Despite wonderfully unpicking the seams of the city, Aberdeen, with acute accuracy, this Scottish crime novel does not quite achieve the twisting narrative it clearly sets out to.

The main character, who is quickly striking people off his list as being connected to the death of one very close to him, is not interrogated to any degree. His disdain for narcotics is not even consistent as he finds some on one person from his list, which he then uses to increase his strength and agility, which seems a contrived addition to the plot

Exploring drug use, corruption, conspiracy, family bonds, degeneration of health and meticulously planned revenge, it is rich in plot. As with many crime novels, however, the characters seem somewhat two-dimensional and are not developed as much as I would like to see. Clearly with formidable traits, it would be a richer read and one would  get a deeper sense of the protagonist.

Unfortunately the female characters are also highly clichéd within this genre, expected to work harder to subsequently clear themselves of the derision in which they are introduced into the novel. With a couple of typos and flimsy character development this unfortunately was not to my taste. However, it is a well-executed piece of storytelling with the underbelly of the Granite City effectively threading through the narrative.

Cold Shot by Steve Christie is published by Ringwood Publishing. 

On the council papers presented today there was Plan A to outsource the Facilities Management services to make savings, and there was Plan B to keep the service in-house and which still aims to make some savings.

The Finance and Resources Committee met this morning amid last-minute politically-based motions put on the table by the Capital Coalition which reaffirmed the council’s stance against privatisation of services.

The Deputy Chief Executive set out the risks in both plans to the committee, including the number of redundancies which will be required if outsourcing is not adopted. It has already been announced that compulsory redundancies will now be required, but the decision on how many redundancies there will be has been deferred to the end of October after a consultation period with staff and unions.

It is the council’s stated aim to find as many redundancies as possible on a voluntary basis, but it seems clear that the council is probably veering towards a U-turn on its flagship policy of not making people leave their jobs to make savings.

Over the last three to four years over £100 million of savings have already been made, but now more needs to be shaved off council spending.

Conservative councillor Allan Jackson said that the council was not good at delivering some of the services it tries to, and it would be a good idea to put some things like waste management out to private contractors. He suggested that few local businesses actually use the council’s own waste management service rather than engaging a private contractor, and he took this as an example of something that the council does not do very well.

Despite the fact that the report before the committee recommended outsourcing of Facilities Management and asked for Plan A to be implemented, along with full details of the savings that would produce, this suggestion was thrown out by a majority decision of the committee. Instead the council will carry on with tweaks in their property portfolio and service delivery to make the necessary savings of £126m over the next four years.

The administration have always been against outsourcing in principle and the terms of the motion which the SNP and Labour Groups produced this morning made that abundantly clear saying that as far as outsourcing was concerned it was ‘explicitly rejected’.

This means that rather than contracting an outside company to deliver the Facilities Management service, the council will now adopt Plan B which according to the council report will need additional spending of around £5.4million to cover additional investment and redundancy costs.

The report suggested that there will be less in the way of annual savings under Plan B. Outside consultants Deloitte said that the savings by 2024/25 will be about £2.7million per annum, but these will be realised later and are not guaranteed.

If the council had adopted Plan A (also called the Enterprise Wide Strategic Partner Model) the savings would have been about £6.1million, although a couple of councillors admitted that there are risks in setting up a contract with an outside provider too.

The ongoing overspend on management of the council’s properties is in the order of £9million per year and this will most likely increase.

Across the whole report before the committee Plan A was given five stars by council officers on the basis that it scored ‘significantly better’ than the other possibilities on the table. In particular the officers explained that it would deliver more than two and a half times the annual financial benefits of any other option on the table.

So why was it rejected so roundly? It appears that the Capital Coalition will now adopt these new proposals for delivering these services in-house with specialised support. The budget will now be set on a four-year framework as agreed this morning and this will now form the basis of the Council’s annual public engagement exercise, which will start next Monday.

Councillor Alasdair Rankin, Finance Convener, said: “This is the start of a long process. There were some important decisions made today and we have agreed the framework for achieving the savings needed over the next four years.

“With greater demand for our services and our overall budget remaining the same we need to take action to ensure we safeguard frontline services for the people of Edinburgh.

“We are very clear about the scale of the financial challenge that the Council is facing we will work tirelessly to ensure that the services we provide are the ones which people need and want. The decisions taken today are the next step to achieving this.”

UNISON Edinburgh made a considered and much watered-down deputation to the committee today based on the promise from the administration that the Facility Management services will not be outsourced. They claimed that there is a lot of confusion among staff at the moment owing to conflicting suggestions from the council, and also that the staff who remain after any redundancies will be put under increased strain.

Union spokesman Gerry Stovin said that the promises made under Plan A are not realistic. The contracts would be complex and there are many pitfalls which were glossed over in the council report. He suggested that the savings could be made without compulsory redundancies at all and now that the position is better outlined they will have more meaningful discussions. Mr Stovin also explained that most of their members are against privatisation and want to remain council employees.

Amanda Kerr, Edinburgh UNISON branch secretary said: “Following concerted UNISON pressure, we welcome this re-think and the dropping of privatisation plans. We also welcome the delay on redundancies, however we still have a long way to go and we will be building for a  lobby of the next Finance and Resources Committee on 29 October.”

The possibility of outsourcing this part of the council’s services was first examined in 2010 in some detail. At that point it was proposed that all property and facilities management operations were handed over to MITIE under the Alternative Business Model generally favoured by the Conservative Group and the previous administration, but the idea was rejected then. The council decided to retain these services in-house and ploughed forward with a scheme to drive cost efficiency and improve customer service.

That scheme has not been a complete success in terms of reducing spending and UNISON commented that part of the problem was down to computer systems not being put in place as promised. It appears that there will have to be a lot of work done within the council to ensure that any new plans actually deliver the savings required.

The Royal Air Forces Association, the charity that supports the RAF family, held a service at St Giles’ Cathedral today, Thursday 24 September, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.  A few of ‘the few’ Second World War veterans attended the service along with current and ex-service personnel. His Royal Highness The Duke of York also attended.

The charity’s Secretary General, Nick Bunting, said: “This year marks a major milestone in the history of the Royal Air Force and sadly one of the last opportunities we will have to include those who were part of the Battle of Britain. We will be honouring people who played a part or were around during the battle: whether they were pilots, ground crew, filterers, plotters, Royal Observer Corps, ambulance drivers, barrage balloon operators or children, not to mention the many other trades who gave so much to defend our freedom.”

For more information on the Association visit www.rafa.org.uk

Hibs’ Head Coach Alan Stubbs has already savoured the 2-0 win over table topping Aberdeen at Easter Road last night and his mind is now on Saturday’s forthcoming game against Ian Murray’s St Mirren.

Few outside Easter Road had given Hibs any chance against the high-flying Dons who only three days previously had easily disposed of Hearts at Tynecastle, but Stubbs was confident that he had the players to cause an upset, and so it proved.

A neutral with no knowledge of Scottish football would have found it impossible to tell which of the teams was from the lower division, such was the performance of the Hibs’ players.

After the game Stubbs told the packed press room:  “It’s a great result for us, there is no denying it. The players can get excited about it but I’m sad and I’m already thinking about St Mirren.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7nbCs1pyzE&w=854&h=480]

“It is very satisfying, I thought it was two teams cancelling each other out in the first half and in the second half it opened up.

“I didn’t feel we played that well in the first half, I thought we took time to believe in ourselves and were rushed in possession.

“I spoke to them about being brave at half-time and I thought we were more positive in the second half.

“They were both fantastic goals. It’s taken a great strike to break the deadlock from Jason and Dom’s is the icing on the cake.

“This will certainly help but there was a belief in the dressing room beforehand, I think it took us 45 minutes to realise that belief at times.”

Green Finance spokesperson Gavin Corbett laments the revival of proposals to privatise management of council facilities.

It’s about haggis, isn’t it?

Five years ago, before I became a councillor, the city council was on the cusp of handing over the running of schools, community centres, offices, depots and so on to the private sector.  The preferred provider was MITIE.

At the eleventh hour, the council stepped back from the brink and decided to proceed with an internal improvement programme which sought to address some pretty significant service weaknesses.

By all accounts the internal improvement programme has not had its troubles to seek. Costs are higher than expected and there remains a backlog of repairs and improvements to public buildings.

So something needs to be done.

Is that “something” the transfer of the running of public buildings to the private sector?  Mega-consultants Deloitte seem to think so, having been commissioned by the council to look at options for an asset and property management strategy.  Having reviewed the options, surprise, surprise, it has concluded that engaging an “enterprise wide strategic partner“ should be the preferred option.  That is privatisation to you and me.

That means that the running of offices, depots, schools, libraries, community centres would be handed to the private sector. While the building themselves would remain in public ownership the building-related staff – that is janitors, cleaners, receptionists, caretakers etc – would be transferred to private providers, such as the aforementioned MITIE.

Having read the business case in full I believe that this recommendation is deeply flawed and rests on assumptions for cost-savings that would be difficult to realise and damaging for services.

However, for now, I want to pick out just one area, that of customer service.  We want our public buildings to be accessible and welcoming places.  Take schools, for example.  We want our schools to be community assets 7 days a week, from 8am to 10pm.  I spoke to one parent council chair at a school, which, as a PPP school, already has MITIE as the service provider.  She was utterly scathing about how poor the service has been. She spoke of endless bureacracy to get a simple let, of taking months to negotiate a school event, of having to fill out a form to move a table from one room to the next, of never being able to speak to anyone in the company who could make a decision.  Asked to compare the customer service of another non-PPP school with the the PPP school, she gave the former 9 out of 10, the latter 2 out of 10.

And haggis is a problem. The school hosted a Burns Supper for which the parents had to go to herculean lengths to get the haggis sorted. In Scotland. At a Burns supper.

Maybe she’s just been plain unlucky but, for her, in customer service terms, private companies running schools has been a shocking deterioration.

What is the answer? It is staring us in the face, as usual.  If the running of public buildings as a public service still has a way to go in relation to improvements, then let’s commit to those improvements, support the staff, provide real leadership, co-source some of the change, if need be.

But let’s banish the shadow of privatisaton for good.

At 10am this morning the bandages come off and the Surgeon’s Hall Museum will reopen to the public.

“Marvel at the specimens in our collections as they tell the history of medicine from 1505 to the present day. ”

Professor Sue Black, Professor of Anatomy and Forensic Anthropology, Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification at the University of Dundee, and acclaimed author Val McDermid will welcome visitors to the Museums with a keynote introductory lecture in the new Anatomy Theatre.

The Edinburgh Sketcher will be in the museum all day sketching what he sees.

Tickets here. The Museum is open 7 days a week.  Admission is £6 for adults, £3.50 for concessions. Please see their events page for more information on the relaunch events.

Sleeping out at the Zoo

Calling all artists! – exhibition space available this Saturday

Edinburgh gets funding to overcome barriers into work

Council finances under scrutiny

Chronicle Calling – news website for Craigmillar and East Edinburgh

Please do pray to the good weather gods to make sure it is a fine dry night tonight! The Edinburgh Reporter has agreed to join The Lady Provost and a few others (about 250!)  to sleep out at the Zoo……

Madness I know but it is all for a good cause to highlight the problems which homeless people in the city face on a daily and nightly basis.  Read more here and if you feel inclined you can donate to the fundraising effort here which has already raised over £15,000 of the target of £50,000.

We will be reporting directly from the Zoo tonight probably using Audioboom, perhaps Periscope if there is enough light, or some written articles that will be published here – but all done very quietly as we don’t want to waken the pandas….

***

Scottish Historic Buildings Trust is a conservation charity which is working on a project to restore Custom House on Commercial Street in Leith, which has been closed to the public for over 30 years. If you are an artist you could have your work shown there this weekend!

“As part of Edinburgh’s Doors Open initiative this weekend the building will be open on Sunday between 10am and 4pm.  There are a number of spaces that artists could exhibit their work if it was of any interest and we would take a small commission of any works sold.  These monies would then go into the restoration fund for the building or other buildings in Edinburgh.   We hope to welcome somewhere between 1500 and 2000 people.”

All enquiries can be sent to Gail Raselli directly info@shbt.org.uk

***

City of Edinburgh Council is one of 16 local authorities to share in a £43 million fund to help more Scots into work.

£3,562,328 will go to the city to help people overcome barriers to getting into work including long-term unemployment, following confirmation of Scotland’s share of the first stream of funding released under the Employability Strategic Interventions (SIs) as part of the European Social Fund (ESF) programme for 2014 – 2020.

Fair Work Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said:

“While the overall economic picture for Scotland remains generally very positive, particularly when compared to where we were at the peak of the recession, there remains work to be done.

“We must maintain momentum and ensure that every power at our disposal is used to grow the economy, increase employment, lower unemployment and remove barriers to the jobs market.

“We are committed to supporting people in their efforts to find viable, quality employment. To do that, we have to work hard with partners to remove the barriers people can face in trying to enter the labour market.

“This strand of European Social Funding is designed to do exactly that and I am very pleased to be able to confirm £3,562,328 for City of Edinburgh Council. Alongside action to boost employment and growth around the country, I hope to see further positive results stemming from this vital investment.”

***

The council’s Finance and Resources Committee meets at 10am this morning for what promises to be a fairly stormy meeting with a lot of discussion around the level of savings the council now faces in the next four years. It is expected that there will be some deputations to the meeting and some protesters outside the City Chambers.

***

The council gave funding of £50,000 to various news organisations in the city to help fund news models which would incorporate some training. The last of the three projects to get underway is The Chronicle Online at Craigmillar which received £13,500 of the funding.

This will carry news from Craigmillar and the rest of Eastern Edinburgh and you can get involved beginning on 2 October 2015 at The White House at 1:00pm.  No experience is necessary, just bring your stories!

Sign up here for a daily email from The Edinburgh Reporter !
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Meet the Glasshouse Staff: come and find out more about the Botanics’ stunning collection of plants from the people who care for them. Each month meet a different member of the indoor horticulture team in one of the ten glasshouses, each with different specialist knowledge. 1-2pm, Glasshouse, Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row. Free with Glasshouse entry (£5/£4, children under 16 and essential carers free).

Rannagan Na Chloinne – Gaelic Songs and Rhymes! For young children and their parents and carers. For more information please call in to the library or call 0131 529 5595. 10.30am, Blackhall Library, Hillhouse Road. Next session: 22nd October 2015.

Architectural Society of Scotland Public Meeting: to consider the society’s opposition to the proposed hotel development at the former Royal High School. Find out what you can do if you wish to oppose this application. 6pm, Sanctuary, St Andrew’s & St George’s West Church, 13 George Street.

Cameo Big Scream: screenings exclusively for parents/carers and their babies under the age of one year. Today’s film is Everest 2D (12A), a gripping drama based on a disastrous 1996 expedition when eight climbers lost their lives attempting an ascent on the mountain. 10.30am, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online here.

Women Getting Together – Making A Difference: a follow-up to the conference in June organised by the Women’s International Group. Today’s event will be looking at what the idea of home means, what community action has achieved in the past to support victims of racism, and how we can take action to ensure people are made safe and welcome in our communities. Come and join in the discussion, see films and enjoy a free lunch – all women welcome, creche available (please book creche in advance). 10am-12.30pm, Royston Wardieburn Community Centre, Pilton Drive North. For more information, for transport or to book a creche place please call Lynn on 0131 552 5700 or Rachel on 07891 525 663.

Edinburgh’s World Heritage: the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. In this talk David Hicks, Edinburgh World Heritage Communications Manager with responsibility for promoting awareness and understanding of the city’s World Heritage Site, will explain why the city has this status and how Edinburgh World Heritage works to conserve, promote and enhance the Old and New Towns. 10.30am, Museum of Edinburgh, Huntly House, 142 Canongate. Tickets cost £5/£3.50 and must be booked in advance via the Usher Hall Box Office, Lothian Road, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here.

Italian Women Writers: Gender and Everyday Life in Fiction and Journalism, 1870-1910. Katharine Mitchell, Lecturer in Italian (University of Strathclyde), discusses her book with Italian writer and journalist Caterina Soffici. Italian Women Writers looks at the work of three of the most significant women authors of Post-Unification Italy: La Marchesa Colombi, Neera and Matilde Serao. These writers, whose works had been largely forgotten for much of the last century only to be rediscovered by the Italian feminist movement of the 1970s, were widely read and received considerable critical acclaim in their day. In their realist fiction and journalism, they documented and brought to light the ways in which women participated in everyday life in the newly independent Italy, and how their experiences differed profoundly from those of men. 6pm, Italian Cultural Institute, 82 Nicolson Street.

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LGBT Age: What You Need To Know – Lingoflamingo. A tailored and playful foreign language workshop with an LGBT twist – crack open a suitcase-load of tips and tricks to increase concentration and improve memory and communication. 2-4pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. Booking is preferred; please call 0131 523 1100. LGBT Age is a project run by LGBT Health and Wellbeing for LGBT people aged 50 and over in Greater Glasgow, Edinburgh and the Lothians. The project aims to promote health and wellbeing and create social opportunities by offering a befriending service, social programme and information sessions. For more information please call 0141 271 2330 or email lgbtage@lgbthealth.org.uk.

Scrum Down Scotland: a workshop to mark the 2015 Rugby World Cup.  See a selection of the many items on Scottish rugby held in the National Library’s collections; subjects covered include the Calcutta Cup, the Five Nations, club rugby, women’s rugby and great Scottish players. Among the highlights is ‘The rugby football internationals roll of honour’, which includes biographies and portraits of the Scottish rugby players who died in the First World War. 2.30-3.30pm, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Booking is required and may be made by calling 0131 623 3734 or online here.

The Scotland-Russia Forum: Student Welcome Party. Students from Russia and its neighbours, students studying Russian or interested in the history, culture and politics of the area are all invited to meet each other at the Forum’s Student Welcome Party. 6.30-8.30pm, Cafe, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Please RSVP to Jenny Carr on 07846 917 627 or email info@scotlandrussiaforum.org to enable the organisers to cater for all.

My Favourite Tree in the Garden: RBGE’s tree expert William Hinchliffe will give a talk about the five most popular trees in the Garden, chosen by the public in a recent poll. He will give an insight into the history, care and botany of the trees and of the current tree collecting programme. 7.30pm, Lecture Theatre, Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row. Admission £6 (members £5): no booking required.

Blackwells Presents An Evening with Margaret Attwood: on the publication date of her new novel, The Heart Goes Last, the award-winning author of more than forty books (The Handmaid’s Tale, Alias Grace, The Blind Assassin) will be in conversation with author and literary critic Stuart Kelly. 7pm, Assembly Rooms, George Street. Tickets cost £10 (or £24 with a copy of the book) and may be purchased from Blackwell’s front desk, by calling 0131 622 8229 or via eventbrite here.

CAESURA #33: since 2012 CAESURA has been exploring the recesses of poetics, language and sound with a series of stripped-back events that include experimental writing and avant garde miscellany, in intimate performances by innovative artists from across the UK and beyond. This first event after the summer break features a quintet of poets: Michael Farrell, Gavin Selerie, Frances Presley, Jane Goldman and Iain Morrison. 6.30pm, Saltire Society, 9 Fountain Close, 22 High Street. Tickets cost £5/£4 and may be booked via eventbrite here. For more information about this event please contact the Scottish Poetry Library on 0131 557 2876.

Take One Action! Film Festival: ‘connecting people, world-class cinema and creative action for a better world’. Twelve days of screenings and discussions, in Edinburgh and Glasgow, on issues as diverse as environmental activism, LGBT rights in African countries, cycling, the value (or not) of university degrees, the Arab Spring, literacy, the global financial system, food chains and much more. Today’s film is The Divide (15): a moving and urgent account of how inequality impacts our societies, inspired by best-seller The Spirit Level. As Britain today faces yet another round of harsh austerity measures while rising wealth is concentrated in ever fewer hands, what is the true cost of inequality? Director Katharine Round presents moving, personal stories from across the income spectrum. From the carer on a zero-hour contract to the ambitious Wall Street psychologist who aspires to the affluent lifestyle of the burnt-out traders he supports, The Divide successfully articulates how the rising gap between rich and poor negatively impacts people from the bottom to the top of society. Plus short: Hotel 22. Presented in association with Oxfam. 6pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Filmhouse box office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online; prices vary. The director, Katharine Round, and Marco Biagi MSP will join today’s screening. The films will be shown again at 1pm on Friday 25th September.

The King Lot: the critically acclaimed West Lothian-based melodic rock band plays a home turf headline show before heading out on tour. Supported by Welsh rockers Fireroad and heavy rock band Mason Hill. Over 18s only. 7pm, Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street. Tickets cost £10 (booking fee applies) and are available in advance from Skiddle here.

Ragged University: Evolving for Girls + Power, People and Progress: How We Make Decisions About What We Want for the City and its Communities. In the first of this evening’s talks, Doreen Soutar looks at theories of sexual selection, as mooted in Charles Darwin’s The Descent of Man: ‘This book and the theories it contained were pretty much ignored by mate selection theorists for over a hundred and thirty years. However, since the turn of the 21st century it has been making a come-back. This could be seen as a good move for feminists….’ After a break for food and discusson, Ewan Aitken will suggest that ‘our conflict ridden culture means that much of what passes for public debate is destroyed by point scoring and a serious inability to disagree with condemnation. I see the third sector as a place of hope and change but it too needs to think about how it models that new way of living and working’. 7pm, The Counting House, West Nicolson Street. All welcome; free, but please bring some food to put on the table if you are able to do so. ‘Knowledge is power, but only when it is shared’.

City Link 2015: City Link Festival starts today! An international event celebrating culture and urban life between cities through symposiums, artist exchange, workshops, study trips, city walks, performances and social bonding, inspiration and co-creation, City Link started in 2012 as a co-creation project between cultural communities in Copenhagen and Hamburg. Until 2014, the network primarily consisted of people from those cities, but the City Link Festival in Hamburg in September 2014 kick-started City Link as a global network connecting people, projects and communities throughout the world. This year the festival’s theme is democratic renewal; it will bring together people from Edinburgh and Copenhagen with ideas that could link cities, discuss local initiatives, inspire each other and investigate possibilities of co-creating cities across Europe. The festival opens today with the following events – more follow on 25th, 26th and 27th September:

Hold Me Dear: Four Cities, Four (Extra) Ordinary Places. A co-created gallery and exhibition of stories and photographs of Edinburgh, Copenhagen, Istanbul and Hamburg. Curated by HERE + NOW, the exhibition provides a unique and exciting opportunity for people to share the places that matter most to them, building up a very personal insight into a residents’ view of their Edinburgh – the places that matter personally to local people ­beyond the usual tourist landmarks. From 9am, Rodney Street Tunnel. There will be a launch event at 12 noon on Sunday 27th September – see listing. Ends 20th October 2015;

Classic Copenhagen: Copehagen Street Art. Danish urbanist and photographer Sandra Høj gives her insight in to Copenhagen’s street art scene with a unique collection of photographs. 10am-5pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street. Ends 26th September 2015.

Polar Twins: the launch of an exhibition by five Danish and Scottish artists, whose work is part of a six month cultural exchange between Copenhagen and Edinburgh. Curated by Miriam Wistreich and Morvern Cunningham, the exhibition also features as the closing event for this year’s LeithLate festival. Launch 6-9pm tonight, exhibition 12 noon-6pm daily, The Biscuit Factory, Anderson Place. Free: all welcome. Ends 27th September 2015.

Opening Doors: The Urban Revolution in Denmark. The non-profit organisation Givrum.nu involves Danish civil society, the public sector and businesses in neighbourhood development; by literally opening the doors to empty buildings, GivRum allows cultural projects and creative businesses to thrive. Via their City Link Festival initiative GivRum hopes to share best practice with cities around the world. Come to hear Jesper Koefoed-Melson, Director of GivRum, and Sara Melson, City Link Project Manager, explain more, and take part in a discussion on whether this trend could make its way to Scotland. 6-8pm, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Free but booking is required via eventbrite here.

Guilty As Sin: get up and dance, or just relax and sing along! 9pm, Old Chain Pier, Trinity Crescent.

New data published today reveals that the Lothian Pension Fund has £237 million invested in fossil fuels according to Friends of the Earth. The fund provides pensions for council workers and related organisations in Edinburgh, East and West Lothian, and Midlothian.

The data will also show that across the UK local government pensions invest £14 billion in oil, gas and coal.

International action on climate change will leave these fossil fuel investments worthless, creating a ‘carbon bubble’ which would be deeply damaging to any funds exposed to them.  Fossil fuels companies have also fared poorly in financial terms in recent years.

Dave Watson, Head of Bargaining and Campaigns at UNISON Scotland, represents many fund members nationally.

He said: “Local authorities have a duty to cut carbon emissions under Scotland’s Climate Change Act. This, together with the growing financial risk, is a major factor Scottish local authority pension funds need to consider when making investments in the fossil fuel and similar industries.
“Divesting from fossil fuels is the prudent way for councils to meet both their fiduciary duty to members and their public law duties.”

The research, carried out by Friends of the Earth Scotland, volunteers and partners shows that 4.7% of the Lothian Pension Fund is exposed to fossil fuels, second only to the Strathclyde local government fund in Scotland.

Investments include a £20 million stake in Shell, £12 million in BP, and £28 million in coal companies.

Cllr Chas Booth, City of Edinburgh Councillor, proposed a motion for the Lothian Pension Fund to investigate fossil fuel divestment.

He said: “Public pensions locked in to fossil fuel funds are financing dangerous climate change, and are a threat to the pensions of millions of public sector workers.

“Like many local authorities, Edinburgh Council has a strong commitment to cutting our greenhouse gas emissions, but we need to convert those fine words into action.”

Campaigners believe that this pension money should be invested in projects that would benefit the wider community and still provide a secure return on investment such as renewable energy or social housing. In February the Strathclyde Pension Fund announced a £10 million investment in smaller-scale renewables and in 2014 the Falkirk fund invested £30 million in social housing.

Maggie Anderson, Lothian Pension Fund member said: “The only thing that makes sense is to invest in renewables. We need to look to the future, not kill it by persisting with what belongs in the past. That’s what I would hope for from my pension fund, especially in Scotland which has so many natural resources of renewable energy.”

Cllr Jim Orr, Edinburgh City Council Pensions Committee said: “There is a growing recognition that pensions and other long term investments often support patterns of unsustainable and hugely damaging fossil fuel consumption.

“What we need is for more stakeholders, particularly individual pension scheme members, to make their voices heard so that there is pressure for investment strategies to reflect their wishes.”

Ric Lander, Friends of the Earth Scotland divestment campaigner said: “Communities around the world are calling for an end the environmental destruction that comes with coal mining, fracking and deep sea drilling.  Our pensions shouldn’t be fuelling this damage: we should be redirecting this money to socially useful projects such housing and clean energy.

“Across Scotland folk from churches, unions, universities and local communities are starting to question why so much of their money is invested with so little accountability.  It’s time for investors to listen the call to invest in our future.”

Scottish organisations which have begun divesting from fossil fuels include the United Reform Church, University of Edinburgh and University of Glasgow. The California Public Employees’ Retirement System and the Norway Pension Fund have also divested.

On Tuesday Fossil Free campaign supporter Leonardo Di Caprio announced in New York that his charitable foundation would join $2.6 trillion (£1.7 tn) of other funds who have divested from fossil fuels to date.

ODEON Fort Kinnaird is offering guests a unique opportunity to watch the new hotly anticipated Ridley Scott sci-fi space blockbuster The Martian, starring Matt Damon, one week before its official release at 5.45pm on 24^th September.

In a ground-breaking first for the ODEON cinema group, all of the drama from Leicester Square will be screened live to cinemas across Europe. Guests will be able to see all of the live interviews with stars and celebrities at the premiere.

The Martian is officially released in the UK on Wednesday 30^th September.

Tickets for the screening are selling fast, and available to book now from the ODEON website.

ODEON Fort Kinnaird has been specially selected to host the red carpet screening, in addition to a handful of other cinemas across the continent.

Ant Robinson, General Manager of ODEON Fort Kinnaird, said: “It is so exciting to bring such an exclusive screening to guests here in Edinburgh. Film premieres are usually something reserved for central London residents, and that’s if you’re lucky enough to get hold of a ticket! It’s the first time we’ve been able to host anything of this kind, and it’s shaping up to be a unique night for our guests.”

Two superbly taken goals by Jason Cummings and Dominique Malonga secured a sensational victory for Hibs over table topping Aberdeen at Easter Road earlier this evening.

Head Coach Alan Stubbs made two changes from the side that defeated Livingston at the weekend to accommodate a change in formations from 4-4-2 to 3-5-2.  Martin Boyle and Darren McGregor replaced Marvin Bartley and Malonga who were both listed as substitutes.

Aberdeen who easily beat Hearts on Sunday at Tynecastle brought back top scorer Adam Rooney to play alongside David Goodwillie ip front. Ash Taylor also replaced Paul Quinn and Willo Flood returned to the starting line up for the Dons who had won their previous seven league games,

Hibs started brightly and Liam Henderson’s long ball caused confusion in then ‘Dons defence when goalkeeper Danny Ward’s clearance struck Taylor and rebounded toward his goal but Andrew Considine was on hand to clear the danger.

Aberdeen almost grabbed the opening goal in the 11th minute when   Goodwillie beat the  offside trap only for his shot across goal to be cleared by Paul Hanlon.

Derek McInnes’ side then picked up two injuries in quick succession and both Willo Flood and Graeme Shinne had to leave the field.

Both sides created chances in an end to end first period however neither could provide the breakthrough.

Aberdeen started the second half brightly and should have taken the lead in the 47th minute when Nall McGinn fired in a superb cross that substitute Peter Pawlett headed over from close range. The striker claimed to have been pushed however he found no sympathy from the Hibs’ fans who remembered his retrospective ban for diving after winning a penalty against their favourites at Pittodrie.

Dan Carmichael replaced the impressive Henderson as both clubs went for the victory. Cummings had the fans on their feet with a 50 yard run before being crowded out by the Dons’ defenders.

Hibs eventually grabbed the lead in the 82nd minute when Cummings managed to chest the ball down before firing s sensational shot past  Ward from the edge of the area, sparking jubilant scenes from three sides of the stadium.

Six minutes later Hibs secured the win when Malonga collected the ball in his own half before running 70 yards beating three Aberdeen  challenges and side footing the ball into the corner of the net beyond Ward.

At the final whistle the players left the field to a standing ovation with ‘Sunshine on Leith’ blaring from the public address system.

Hibernian: Oxley, Gray, Henderson (Carmichael 61’), Hanlon, Fontaine, McGeouch, Stevenson, Boyle (Bartley 89’), McGinn, McGregor, Cummings Malonga 84’).  Substitutes not used: Reguero, Stanton, Dunsmore, Martin.

Aberdeen: Ward, Logan, Shinnie (McLaughlin 25’), Considine, Taylor, McLean, Flood (Pawlett 17’), Rooney, McGinn, Goodwillie (Parker 86’), Jack. Substitutes not used: Brown, Smith, Robson, Quinn.

Referee: Steven McLean.

Attendance: 11,092.

Kilmarnock 2 Heart of Midlothian 3

Scottish League Cup Third Round, Wednesday 23 September 2015 – Rugby Park

Hearts brought their losing streak to an end in dramatic fashion in deepest Ayrshire when they defeated Kilmarnock 3-2 to progress to the quarter finals of the Scottish League Cup.

Robbie Neilson’s men fell behind to an early goal when Magennis put Killie ahead in the 13^th minute and the Hearts defence again looked uncertain.

After a lucklustre first half, Hearts equalised with 15 minutes to go through captain Alim Ozturk – only for Gary Locke’s team to go back in front six minutes later through Magennis who netted his second goal of the tie.

Hearts refused to accept defeat, however, and turned the tie on its head in a dramatic final two minutes. Juanma and Sam Nicholson were the heroes to stun the home side and put Hearts into the quarter finals.

Kilmarnock: Ridgers, O’Hara, Ashcroft, Balatoni, Findlay, Hamill, Slater, Higginbotham, Kiltie, Obadeyi, Magennis.

Hearts: Alexander, Paterson, Ozturk, Augustyn, Rossi, Gomis, Buaben, Nicholson, Swanson King, Sow.

Referee: Craig Thomson

Att: 3,249

Top Man: Sam Nicholson

On the Hearts substitute bench was new signing Arnaud Djoum who has joined the Maroons until January.

The 26-year-old Belgian midfielder has spent the last week training with Hearts, having been a free agent since departing Polish side Lech Poznan in the summer.

Arnaud’, formerly of Dutch side Roda JC, was also with Turkish side Akhisar Belediyespor.

Robbie Neilson told the official Hearts website: “I’m pleased to get Arnaud in. He’s came in and he’s a good player with a good pedigree. He fitted in well with the group and he’ll be a great asset to us.

He’s on a deal until January so we can take a look at him and then see about extending it further, but I’m pleased to get him in the door.”

The Edinburgh Reporter met up with Kevin Finlay from Kids in the Street recently at the ‘graduation ceremony’ being held in the White House in Craigmillar. People from local groups were presented with their certificates to show they are now trained to use the twelve defibrillators which have been purchased and distributed to organisations in the area.

Craigmillar Castle Regeneration Group (CCRG)  asked builders involved in local developments to sink funds into a community chest for use in the local area. Chair of CCRG Norrie Davies thought it would be a good idea to get some defibrillators for the wide variety of organisations and venues in Craigmillar.

The move followed a tragedy last Christmas when teenager Jamie Skinner died following a cardiac arrest on a city football pitch, and since then there has been a focus on obtaining the life-saving equipment and training locals to use it across the city.

We attended earlier this month when those who attended the training course were being awarded their certificates and the defibrillators themselves were being handed out.

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The Edinburgh Reporter NEWS from Phyllis Stephen on Vimeo.

Chartered Forester, James Ogilvie (58) is one of only 40 Brits to make it to the top of the Seven Summits – the highest mountains on the world’s seven continents.

The Edinburgh local has travelled far and wide across the globe over the past 20 years in a bid to complete the life-long challenge, whilst raising thousands of pounds for Tree Aid.

The charity tackles poverty, protects Africa’s dry lands and helps poor communities to become self-reliant by using the potential of trees to reverse environmental decline.

James has been Head of Social and Planning Policy at Forestry Commission Scotland for 36 years and a Director at Central Scotland Green Network Trust (CSGNT) since 2014. The outdoor explorer is now celebrating his climbing achievements with the release of a new book, ‘Getting High – a world at my feet’.

James’ impressive climbs has seen him conquer Everest in Asia, Aconcagua in South America, McKinley in North America, Kilimanjaro in Africa, Elbrus in Europe, Kosciuszko in Australia and most recently, Mount Vinson in Antarctica.

Whilst always maintaining an active lifestyle with a love for the outdoors, James stumbled into high altitude climbing almost by accident some 20 years ago, after an unplanned ascent on Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain at 19,341ft.

Next on the list was South America’s mighty Aconcagua at 22,838 ft and then Mount McKinley at 20,320 ft. With three of the Seven Summits under his belt, James decided to attempt the almighty mountaineering challenge and complete all seven summits.

Everest was up next, the Earth’s highest mountain at 29,029 ft which has attracted mountaineers for centuries, and despite the icy conditions, altitude sickness and the infamous death zone, it remains James’ favourite summit.

The Everest expedition took a total of 10 weeks but thanks to a great team of people around him, James managed to summit on 22nd May 2007.
Spacing the climbing expeditions 3 to 4 years apart due to cost, James maintained his training and fitness levels through his love for hill walking. To this day, James has managed to work his way around most of Scotland’s Munros and has ascended 250 out of 282. He also cycles to work most days and has completed the Great North Run many times.

After each climbing expedition James wrote an account of each summit and so when it came to putting his book together he had most of the content written up already. James Ogilvie’s book, ‘Getting High – a world at my feet’ is out now and all profits made will go to Tree Aid.

Speaking of his mighty challenge, James said: “Completing all Seven Summits became a life-long ambition of mine and doing it all for such an amazing charity so close to my heart made the climbing expeditions all the more worthwhile. Although Tree Aid is a relatively small charity, it makes such a positive difference to some of the poorest communities in Africa.

“The Seven Summits are regarded by many as the crown jewels of mountaineering and I’m so proud that I’m one of the few to accomplish the challenge. What’s next for me? I would like to complete all of the Scottish Munros which is a worthy accomplishment to aim for.”

Keith Geddes, Chair of CSGNT, said: “James is an excellent example of why choosing a healthy and active lifestyle can reap benefits and bring a great sense of achievement in other areas of life.

“The £50,000 which James has raised for Tree Aid over the years is phenomenal and his passion for the outdoors and the environment is an inspiration to us all.”

CSGNT aims to improve the social, physical, cultural and environmental health and well-being of central Scotland, as well as assisting the area to meet the challenge of climate change.

James Ogilvie’s book, ‘Getting High – a world at my feet’ is available to purchase from publisher, Twinlaw and Amazon.

Submitted by Lesley Ogilvy

Work will begin on the long-awaited skatepark in Drylaw this week.

The new £200,000 skatepark in Easter Drylaw Park is the result of a collaborative project between the Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust and local community organisations, to develop, fund and deliver a new skatepark in Easter Drylaw Park in North Edinburgh. The project was initiated by young people from the local community and was then taken forward via consultation and first stage funding for the development of a feasibility study, by the Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, closely supported by the local community council, Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership and sportscotland

The inspiration for this project came from the citywide skate park created in Saughton Park which has shown how successful a skatepark can be, and which has led to calls for a more local and convenient facility in the north of the city.  The new facility has received funding from Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership and the City of Edinburgh Council and secured £100,000 match funding from the Scottish Government’s Legacy 2014 Active Places Fund. The skatepark will have tips, rails, ledges, flat banks, and a half pipe for use by skateboarders, inline skaters and BMX bikers.

The Greenspace Trust (ELGT) has overseen the project management of the skatepark since planning permission was granted in early 2013, and has taken the lead in developing and securing funding to ensure the delivery of the project for the community.   The final elements of funding were secured by ELGT in 2015 and the construction put out to tender in the summer. With the final design elements agreed, and necessary planning conditions met, such as drainage, work can now start.

Half of the costs of the skatepark are being met by an award from the Legacy 2014 Active Places Fund. The £10million Legacy 2014 Active Places Fund has enabled communities across Scotland to benefit from the Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow, by providing more and better opportunities to be active.

Sarah Robertson, Project Manager from sportscotland, said “The new Drylaw skatepark is a fantastic example of what can be achieved by various organisations investing resources and working together and we are delighted to have invested £100,000 from the Legacy 2014 Active Places Fund”.

“Together with our partners, sportscotland are committed to building and supporting the development of a world-class sporting system at all levels, and this project will provide a great facility which will be available for the whole of the community to use”.

“This skatepark is an excellent asset for the local community and I hope that it will encourage the people of Drylaw, and further afield, to become more active”.

The match funding is from Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership and City of Edinburgh Council -Culture and Sport. The new skatepark helps deliver the Neighbourhood Partnership’s key priorities of engaging young people, increased opportunities for physical activity and encouraging better use of green spaces.

City of Edinburgh Council Transport Convener and chair of the skatepark working group, Councillor Lesley Hinds, said “I am pleased the Drylaw Skate Park work has started.  It has been a long road to get to this point and credit is due to the young people and local organisations who have worked tirelessly to make sure this project happened”

Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust (ELGT) works across Edinburgh and the Lothians to create, improve and promote parks and greenspaces, and to provide opportunities for communities to be more active for leisure and travel. Ross Woodside, ELGT’s Projects Manager, said “we are pleased that the much-anticipated skatepark has reached the construction stage.  We are confident that it will be a well-used local asset and make real contribution to more sporting opportunities in the area.”

The park is being designed and built by Freestyle Skateparks, the UK’s oldest and largest skatepark design-and-build company. Construction is scheduled to last around ten weeks.

The Edinburgh Reporter visited Fox Covert Early Years Centre this morning to see the transformed surroundings now available to nursery school children in the area. This is a purpose built nursery in the grounds of the Fox Covert Primary School and it is a lovely space both indoors and outdoors.

Early years staff and council designers have worked together to provide a nurturing and natural environment. Research has shown that young children respond positively to natural colours and materials and this has influenced the design of the new nurseries.

The one thing that struck us most was that the council have commissioned the Grassmarket Project to build some lovely durable wooden furniture and play things like cookers and washing machines. As ever the craftsman at the project have created something beautiful out of wood, some of which has come from the council’s parks. North Lanarkshire Industries have supplied the natural fabrics for upholstered items throughout the building.

It is a new building designed for ease of use and has sliding doors to provide views and natural light while allowing the children to go and play outdoors in the garden very easily too.

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The Edinburgh Reporter NEWS Fox Covert Nursery from Phyllis Stephen on Vimeo.

As explained in May this year the council has plans to extend its nursery provision across the city with £4.2m of further investment. This includes replacing facilities at Ferryhill Primary School and Tynecastle Nursery which will both have more room for pupils, and a permanent replacement nursery at Leith Primary School and improvements to Blackhall Nursery. In total 10 nurseries will be replaced or extended.

A previous investment of £5.7m was spent on

With a rising birth rate and continuing rising rolls in Edinburgh, the council has been busy planning the expansion of the buildings which it owns to meet the growing demand for nursery places.

The Children and Young People’s Act (2014) also increased the number of hours of early learning and childcare to 600 hours for all 3 and 4 year olds and introduced nursery places for eligible 2 year olds for the first time.

Taking this into account and looking across the city to identify areas of need, the first phase of new build nurseries are ready to open in August 2015 in Duddingston, Wardie and Fox Covert. Future new builds are planned for 2016.

With ‘playzones’ for Arts & Crafts, Home Corner, Construction & Blocks, Arts & Crafts, Messy Play, Kitchen & Snacks, Outdoor Play with emphasis on large sliding doors providing views to nature, natural light and easy circulation for children to encourage outdoor play.

Mp

rrison Construction built the new school on behalf of Hub South East Scotland, the Council’s Development Partner.

Hibs have advised all supporters who are planning to attend the game to arrive at the stadium in plenty of time, as the roadworks could cause delays as you reach the Easter Road area.

There are ongoing roadworks in the vicinity of Easter Road Stadium, meaning that delays on the way to the ground could be experienced.

There are works underway at the southern point of Easter Road, leading to Abbey Mount. This has resulted in a three-way traffic management system being put in place at the junction where Easter Road meets London Road. Coming from Abbey Mount, there are traffic diversions in place leading down Montrose Terrace, before turning left onto London Road.

Roadworks are also underway at the junction where Easter Road and Gordon Street meet. Three-way traffic controls are also in place in the area, causing minor delays.