Police have arrested and charged a 22-year-old man in connection with a road traffic collision involving a car and a pedestrian on Sunday 27 September on the Grassmarket.
He appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today
A group of talented young people have made their virtual mark at the National Museum of Scotland. The group had taken part in a four week long programme called Gallery 37 over the summer which was run by community arts charity Impact Arts. The young people explored their ideas of heritage and identity alongside 8 leading artists. In response to the exhibition, they created a multi-arts performance which was performed for the public at a celebration event in the Gallery also attended by Tommy Sheppard MP.
To ensure the programme has a lasting legacy, the young people were involved in the creation of an augmented reality (AR) trail. Visitors to the museum will be encouraged to download an app that allows them to scan 4 pieces of artwork in the ‘Scotland: A Changing Nation’ gallery which will take them to a video of young people singing and performing with a special animation.
Lisa Edwards, Programme Manager, Impact Arts explained: “Augmented reality is a method of overlaying digital content in a physical space and as our young people had drawn inspiration from the Scotland: A Changing Nation exhibit we chose this as the base for our Gallery 37 AR experience.
“Young people identified one item that they drew some form of inspiration from and we used these items as the triggers for our AR experience. Throughout the program we captured video and photographs and using our AR trail this content can be viewed both online and within the actual space that inspired the work.
“We’re delighted that a number of young people who attended G37 are continuing to work with Impact Arts and National Museums Scotland on Monday afternoons until the end of November in partnership with the national museum, working on a heritage based visual arts project.”
Visitors can download the app and pick up a booklet at the Museum’s reception to experience the Gallery 37 Augmented Reality Trail for themselves. Stephen Allen, Head of Learning and Programmes at National Museums Scotland, said:
“We’re delighted to continue our successful partnership with Impact Arts, working with young people to engage with our collections and to develop their own creative responses to the stories that they represent.”
Lucy Casot, Head of HLF Scotland, said: “We are enthusiastic about giving young people the chance to learn about heritage. Thanks to National Lottery players our Young Roots programme helps them to bring fresh ideas and energy to the task. The Gallery 37 Edinburgh project is an excellent example of how they can get involved, take decisions, develop new skills and interests, connect with their communities and have fun.”
HARDIES ENSURES TIGERLILY RE-OPENS ON TIME AFTER REFUBISHMENT
The ground floor refurbishment of one of Edinburgh’s upmarket bars has now been completed. Hardies Property & Construction Consultants have recently returned to one of their most eye-catching and luxurious projects in the Capital of late – the hotel, restaurant, bar and nightclub that is Tigerlily.
From 2004-06 Hardies were Project Managers, Quantity Surveyors and CDM Co-ordinators on the ambitious £7.2 million project for Montpeliers (Edinbugh) Ltd to create what has become one of the City’s most popular destinations for drinking, dining, dancing and simply being seen. Architectural Technician work was also carried out by Hardies who have fourteen offices across Scotland and their Head Office in the Capital at East London Street.
In September 2015 work started on a £500k refurbishment of the ground floor bars, restaurants and kitchens at Tigerlily. With an extremely tight on-site construction period of only ten days, Hardies once again fulfilled the roles of Project Manager, Quantity Surveyor and Architectural Technicians. This time they also performed the role of Health & Safety Advisors.
Commenting on the project, Derek Ferrier, Managing Partner of Hardies Property & Construction Consultants said: “It was extremely heartening for us to be asked to return to such as prestigious project after originally being involved in 2005-2006 when Tigerlily was first opened. The venue has been so popular, we looked upon the brief for the refurbishment as if we had a large, luxurious house and had been holding a large party every night for nearly nine years!”
“ You want to ensure that you are still offering a decadent, luxurious interior with cutting edge style but you want to achieve this as quickly and as smoothly as you can so that your guests are not inconvenienced and can continue to enjoy Tigerlily, “ added Derek.
“The work which has been done has given a fantastic looking finish, and we excel at working to a tight timescale. Ten days on site is an extremely tight turnaround time but we achieved our objectives.”
Derek concluded: “With Tigerlily occupying a listed Georgian Townhouse, it will always be important to retain the character of this type of exception building. I think this is one of the reasons why the venue has been so admired over the years. The blend of old and new was managed so effectively back in 2006, and has been achieved once again in 2015.”
Mr Ferrier paid tribute to the designers on the project, Jim Hamilton Design. “An exceptional ambience has been achieved through the imaginative use of materials and lighting,” he said. “We wish to congratulate the design team. We hope to work together again at some point in the future.”
Hardies celebrated their 100th anniversary in 2013 and serves clients in both the private and public sectors with a complete operation in property and construction development, including property valuation, building and quantity surveying and project management. The firm also handles the leasing and sale of commercial and industrial buildings; H&S Principal Designer and the provision of Energy Performance Certificates. Altogether, Hardies employs over 100 members of staff, professionally qualified in various disciplines.
In Edinburgh Hardies can be found at London House, East London Street and can be contacted on 0131 557 9300.
Further details www.hardies.co.uk.
Patrick Harvie, Scottish Green MSP for Glasgow, questioned the responsible Minister at Topical Questions at Holyrood today and raised with him concerns about the Scottish Government’s consultation on civil partnerships.
The consultation says that ministers are “not persuaded” to extend civil partnerships to opposite-sex couples.
Responding to Mr Harvie, Community Empowerment Minister Marco Biagi made reference to perceived low demand for the move but said the government would fully consider consultation responses.
Patrick Harvie MSP said:”For over a decade I have said that civil partnerships should be available to all couples. Given the clear support across Parliament for equal marriage, I am surprised and disappointed at the position ministers are taking.
“Mixed-sex couples should have the choice of co-habiting, entering a civil partnership or getting married. I would urge people to respond to the consultation and I hope that the Scottish Government will keep an open mind to the principle of giving all couples the same legal rights, regardless of their sexuality or genders.”
Caring in the City is an exciting new event for carers hosted by VOCAL – Voice of Carers Across Lothian.
Family members and friends who are supporting someone are invited to pop in for a chat, visit the information fair and workshops between 10am-4pm on the 12th of October at Boroughmuir rugby club.
Carers look after people for a variety of reasons and help them to live safely and well. Problems arise as a result of illness, disability, frailty or old age but VOCAL is able to help.
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For more information visit http://www.carersevents.co.uk or call 0131 622 6666
Submitted by Jane Greenacre
Hibs’ next two games could go a long way to determining where the club finishes in the Championship.
With Rangers taking a commanding lead, Hibs face their main rivals, both away from home and six points would potentially see the club make inroads into that lead and also open up a gap between them and the chasing pack.
With that in mind, a large travelling support would help achieve this goal and the club have announced ticket details.
Hibs take on Queen of the South this Saturday in Dumfries, and supporters have the option of purchasing seated tickets for the Rosefield Salvage Stand or in the Terregles Street Terracing, which is all standing. Full pricing details, and information on how to purchase, are as follows:
Ticket Prices: Stand & Terracing
Adult – £16
Concession – £9 (over 65/full-time student with a valid matriculation card/16 years and over
Under 16 – £5
Please note a booking fee of £1.50 per ticket by telephone only, applicable to adults and concessions will be charged. No booking fees for booking online
To Purchase Tickets: Tickets can be purchased, online at www.eticketing.co.uk/hibernianfc or in person during opening times at the Ticket Office. Alternatively by telephoning the call centre on 0844 844 1875 option 1.
All concession tickets are limited.
Disabled Supporters:
There are Wheelchair tickets and ambulant available (these are limited). Please contact the Disabled Supporters’ Helpline directly on 0131 656 7066/0844 844 1875 option 2, visit the Ticket Office in person or e-mail disabledtickets@hiberninafc.co.uk
To qualify for a carer ticket you must be in receipt of Higher Rate DLA and proof must be shown.
Tickets for the rearranged Ladbrokes Championship match with Falkirk on Tuesday 20 October (kick off 7.45pm) will go on general sale from 10am on Tuesday 29th September.
Five points will be awarded for supporters purchasing tickets from the club for this fixture. Please note that Hibs would still recommend that supporters allocate tickets per client reference number to ensure everyone receives the loyalty points they are due. Due to the sizeable allocation for tickets Hibs have decided to put tickets on general sale without the need for loyalty points prirority windows. For matches where demand is expected to exceed supply the club will continue to use the loyalty scheme to stagger ticket sales.
Tickets can be purchased, online at www.eticketing.co.uk/hibernianfc or in person during opening times at the Ticket Office. Alternatively by telephoning the call centre on 0844 844 1875 option 1.
Ticket Prices:
North Stand
Adult – £18
Concession – £12 (Over 65 /Full-time student/Ambulant Disabled & Carers if needed proof must be shown
Under 18 – £6
Under 12 – F.O.C
For all concessions proof must be shown
A booking fee of £1.50 per ticket by telephone only, applicable to adults and concessions will be charged. No booking fees for booking online
Wheelchair supporters:
There are Wheelchair tickets available which are free of charge. Please contact the Disabled Supporters’ Helpline directly on 0131 656 7066/0844 844 1875 option 2, visit the Ticket Office in person or e-mail disabledtickets@hiberninafc.co.uk
The council expressed its wish to enter into cooperative arrangements for a variety of services some time back. The coop which is being launched today is more than that however as it will use buildings in the city to produce solar energy.
The energy generated by the installations will help to make future cost savings while reducing the capital’s carbon emissions by an estimated 855 tonnes a year. Buildings that are chosen to participate will benefit from cheaper electricity from the solar panels, resulting in substantial savings. Any surplus energy will be sold to the National Grid and profits made by the project will be reinvested locally through a newly-created Community Benefit Fund.
You can sign up here to register your interest.
The Edinburgh Community Solar Cooperative launches today:
“After 5 years of trying to deliver a range of urban community renewable energy projects the Edinburgh Community Energy Co-operative, the predecessor of ECSC, decided to re-think its priorities and strategy. The directors decided that a large scale solar photovoltaic (PV) project on Edinburgh roofs would offer the best chance of delivering a viable co-operative energy project within the city. Edinburgh is low on the league tables of installed PV of any city in the UK and it is perceived that this is because many people live in tenement flats, with no access to the roof. ECSC will offer Edinburgh residents the chance to collectively own solar panels, do something positive about climate change and benefit financially while at the same time helping Edinburgh to become a cleaner, greener city. With Government incentives for community ownership, project scale and recent reductions in the cost of panels, roof mounted solar PV arrays are now a viable business model.”
The Edinburgh Reporter has teamed up with Specsavers, sponsor of the GUINNESS PRO12 match officials, to offer readers the chance to win tickets to see Edinburgh Rugby’s game against Ospreys this Friday – October 2 – at 6.00pm at Murrayfield.
Four tickets can be won by one lucky winner but entries close on Thursday 1 October at 12 noon.
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Specsavers has stores across Edinburgh and the surrounding areas – Shandwick Place, Cameron Toll, Fort Kinnaird, Morningside, Musselburgh, North Bridge, The Gyle and Leith and Dalkeith
Terms and conditions:
The winning entry will be selected by the editor. There is no cash or prize alternative. Tickets will be sent out recorded delivery to arrive on Friday morning, so entrants MUST provide a daytime telephone number, as well as full address and postcode. Entries close on Thursday 1 October 2015.
Leith School of Art Foundation Course Open Day. The Foundation Course is unique in Scotland; with four full days in the studio and one day working on personal projects each week, it’s an intensive year, pushing students to pursue their talents in an immersive creative environment. The School has an extremely high success rate in helping students gain places on degree courses in Scotland, England and overseas, in Fine Art, Fashion, Film, Illustration, and a range more. Tour the School, see students and tutors in action, and ask questions. If you’d like a tutor to review your portfolio during the Open Day, please make an appointment in advance. 10am-3pm (drop-in), Leith School of Art, 25 North Junction Street.
Spanish Rhymetime – Sesiones de rimas en espanol. Here is a message from Sonia: Hola a todos!, Informaros que nuestra Spanish Rhymetime tendra lugar el martes dia 29 de septiembre, como es habitual en Portobello Library. Espero que disfrutarais mucho de el verano, y que empezarais el otonho con alegria!!! Con muchas ganas de veros y continuar cantando canciones tradicionales espanholas. Un saludo.) For children aged 0-4 and their parents and carers (Spanish speaking and non-Spanish speaking welcome). 10.30am, Portobello Library, 14 Rosefield Avenue.
Cameo Silver Screen: if you are over 60, join the Silver Screen Club (it’s free to join – ask at the Box Office) and get tickets for just £5, plus free tea, coffee and biscuits, at these special weekly screenings. Today’s films are Just Jim (15) showing at 12.40pm, Life (15) showing at 2.40pm, 45 Years (15) showing at 1.40 and 4.05pm, Everest 2D (12A) showing at 1.30pm and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (12A) showing at 3.55pm. Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online. Non-members are also welcome at these screenings but will be charged standard ticket prices.
The Connected Baby: are human beings really able to connect at birth? That is the question explored in this documentary film, co-produced by developmental psychologist Dr. Suzanne Zeedyk and filmmaker Jonathan Robertson. ‘Long before we have the capability to tell stories in words of our own, we are co-creating them in interactions with others’. 7pm, Netherbow Theatre, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Free but tickets are required and may be obtained from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 556 9579 or online here.
Bailey’s Stardust: Curator’s Talk. Christopher Baker, Director, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, discusses the Bailey’s Stardust exhibition, surveying Bailey’s remarkable, meteoric career which was launched in the 1960s and embraces the intersecting arenas of photography, fashion, portraiture and reportage. 12.45-1.30pm, Hawthornden Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed. Bailey’s Stardust continues at the Scottish National Gallery until 18th October 2015.
Dolly, Art and Metadata Games: an introduction to the University of Edinburgh Library’s collections. Staff from Edinburgh University Library will take you on an online guided tour of its collections, featuring highlights from the Art Collection and an introduction to the Wellcome Trust-funded project Towards Dolly: Edinburgh, Roslin and the Birth of Modern Genetics. Hear about new initiatives to open up the Library’s digital collections and get a chance to try out the new metadata image tagging game. 6.30pm, George Washington Browne Room, Central Library, George IV Bridge. Free but booking is required and may be made via eventbrite here.
Leith Folk Club: Wendy Weatherby + support Liz Jones. Wendy has worked and recorded with many top Scottish musicians including Hamish Moore, Billy Jackson, The Pearlfishers, Michael Marra and Phil Cunningham and has two solo albums to her credit. 7.30pm, Victoria Park House Hotel, 221 Ferry Road. Tickets cost £7 and may be reserved by completing the online form here or texting the club’s dedicated booking line on 07502 024 852. Reserved tickets must be collected by 7.30pm on the night.
Perspectives: a new series of three autumn lectures – hear a new perspective and challenge your thinking on three fascinating subjects. Tonight John Mason MSP looks at Faith & Politics – maintaining integrity in a political world. 7.30pm, Palmerston Place Church, Palmerston Place. All welcome; free. The next talk will be on 27th October, when Robin Taylor will discuss Death – The Last Taboo; talking about the subject that people don’t talk about.
Hey! Student! Welcome Reception: a chance for students to meet, have a drink, and find out about The Fruitmarket Gallery and the current Phyllida Barlow exhibition, set. 6-8pm, The Fruitmarket Gallery, 45 Market Street. Free but please reserve your place via eventbrite here.
I Dream of Painting: new work by Ian Healy and Derek McGuire, two contemporary painters who deal with the figure in paint, working on the boundary of the abstract and representational divides. 12 noon-6pm, Tuesday to Sunday, Patriothall Gallery, 1D Patriothall, off Hamilton Place. Ends 7th October 2015.
Vibrational Healing and Essential Scents: a demonstration by Katya Campbell. 6.30pm, Newington Library, Fountainhall Road. Please book your free place by calling the library on 0131 529 5536.
Future Options for Primary Schools in South Edinburgh: the number of children in South Edinburgh’s primary schools is now higher than it has been for 30 years. Local schools are under pressure to find space for all of their pupils. The biggest problem is at South Morningside Primary where pupils are split across three sites, but this consultation looks at options that could ease problems at schools in the wider area. A summary paper with general information about each of the options, plus more detailed information in the full consultation paper, can be accessed via Edinburgh City Council’s website here. Tonight’s meeting is the last of four being held during the consultation period. 6.30-8.30pm, St Peter’s RC School, 10 Falcon Road.
Grassmarket Community Project: International Guitar Night! Bringing together the world’s foremost acoustic guitarists to perform their latest original compositions and exchange musical ideas in a concert setting. For this show IGN founder Brian Gore is joined by three of Europe’s finest acoustic guitarists: Gypsy Jazz legend Lulo Reinhardt, contemporary fingerstyle innovator Mike Dawes and multi-genre showman Andre Krengel. 8pm, Grassmarket Community Project, 86 Candlemaker Row. Tickets cost £14/£12 (transaction fee applies) and may be purchased via Brown Paper Tickets here. The cafe will be open – please use it!
Royal Bank redevelopment proposals
Golden Spurtle
Winter Charity Ball
Volunteer Fair
Santa Run 2015
The Royal Bank is proposing to move out of the large building at the foot of Dundas Street and move the staff who work there to Gogarburn.
If you wish to comment on the plans to redevelop the area into a residential led mixed use development then you have till this Friday to have your say on the pre-application consultation.
Although you have missed the first drop in event where the plans were being displayed you can read more on the New Town and Broughton Community Council website here.
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Are you entering the Golden Spurtle on 10 October?If you’re also from Edinburgh then we would like to hear from you! It is a porridge making competition held in Carrbridge and John Boa from Edinburgh won it three years in a row but missed out last year when a surgeon from Aberdeen lifted the title.
The World Porridge Making Championship title will be awarded to the competitor producing the best traditional porridge, made from oatmeal (pinhead, course, medium or fine).
The traditional porridge must be made with untreated oatmeal and not with oat flakes and with only water and salt. The judges will be strict on these rules.
Each competitor is required to produce at least 1 pint [500ml] of porridge which is to be divided into 3 portions for the judges to taste.
Judging of the porridge will be made on the consistency, taste and colour of the porridge.
A further award will be made for the best speciality porridge made with oatmeal [pinhead, course, medium or fine] which can have other ingredients added. This porridge should be made and presented at the same time as the traditional porridge.
For the speciality porridge, the blending and harmony of the porridge with the other ingredients will be the criteria used.
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Next week you have the opportunity of signing up as a volunteer to any number of organisations who will have their wares on display at St Paul’s and St George’s Episcopal Church on the corner of Broughton Street and York Place.
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Calling all Santas! It’s time to get into the festive mood and put your running shoes on – and all for a good cause. On your marks, get set, Ho Ho Ho!
Once more, Scotland’s fundraising Santa’s and Santa’s Little Helpers will run, walk and stroll around West Prices Street Gardens on Sunday 13th December 2015, which is spread over a short 2.5km circuit.
The Edinburgh Santa Fun Run & Walk is a great way to get into the Christmas Spirit whilst you enjoy time with family, friends and work colleagues; you can even bring the family dog, to help us continue granting the very special Wishes for children who are living with a life threatening illness throughout Scotland. What’s more, you don’t have to be a runner to take part; it’s all for FUN!
Sign up here for a daily email from The Edinburgh Reporter !
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Australian singer-songwriter Josef Salvat will begin a six-date UK tour next month to promote his new single ‘Open Season’, out on 16 October.
Salvat played to substantial crowds at this year’s Latitude Festival and also at the Secret Garden Party,and he has gained momentum since with 4.6 million Spotify streams. ‘Open Season’ has become an online favourite because of the singer’s soaring popularity.
After touring the major European festivals at the end of the summer, Salvat’s UK tour will include Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Brighton, London and Edinburgh’s Electric Circus on 13 October.
The London-based musician first captured the public’s attention with his version of Sia’s ballad ‘Diamonds’ which Rihanna has performed in the past. Sia herself called Salvat’s version “beautiful”.
Tickets for his Edinburgh date can be purchased here.
Hibernian Ladies will compete in the 2016 UEFA Women’s Champions League after a 2-1 victory over Celtic on Sunday
The result ensured the club will finish no lower than second in the Scottish Women’s Premier League, ending a nine-year absence from Europe’s elite competition and is just reward for a magnificent campaign.
Goals from Emma Brownlie and Kirsty Smith scored the goals that secured the victory at Albyn Park Broxburn yesterday.
After the game manager Chris Roberts told the club website: “We’re all absolutely delighted. It’s a huge achievement and something we’ll all look forward to next year. The girls deserve it after flying the flag for the club so proudly all season.
“The girls deserve the exposure this will bring and hopefully it will raise our profile and help push us onto the next level because ultimately we want to make the team professional.
“The girls train like full-time players, even though the game itself is amateur, so hopefully it will give the team a platform to showcase their obvious talent and raise our support.
“Whilst we’re all naturally delighted to have qualified, it’s not something that we can allow ourselves to celebrate too much because to do that would be to accept second place, which is a consolation prize.
“There is still so much to play for in the league and Scottish Cup, and we have ambitions of winning both, so we cannot afford to lose focus now.
“It’s a good result after a tough week because so many of the girls were involved with the National squads.
“The girls, particularly those involved with the Scotland U19s, were very tired, so this was a very tough fixture for them to return to.
“Celtic sat in and defended fantastically; they were compact and had a few chances on the counter-attack.
“That meant that we had to be patient – which we were – and we got there in the end. The girls really worked their socks off.
“We had so much of the ball and missed quite a few chances, which was a bit frustrating. We were so dominant in the second half and must’ve had 15-20 shots at goal.
“We have a really driven group of players who’ve set themselves very high standards and it was their sheer determination that saw us eventually breakdown Celtic and get the points we deserved.”
Hibernian: Fife, Williamson, Smith, Hunter, Brownlie, Robertson, Arthurs, Richards, Harrison, Tweedie (Cornet 75’), Arnot. Substitutes not used: Johnstone.
Hibernian are in action again this weekend when the face Glasgow City in a crucial Scottish Women’s Premier League encounter that could go a long way to determining the destination of the league title. The match at Albyn Park, Broxburn gets underway at 2pm on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Hibernian Development and Hibs Girls U15’s were both victorious at the weekend, defeating Queen’s Park 3-1 and Spartans White 7-0 respectively. The U17s fixture against Forfar Farmington was postponed.
Her extraordinary ability to simultaneously seduce both traditional folk purists and a more mainstream audience has seen her rise to the very top of her genre where, in addition to her countless fans, she continues to be celebrated by some of the biggest names in music including the likes of Ed Sheeran, Alison Krauss, Sam Smith, Ellie Goulding, Timothy B Schmit (the Eagles), Robert Plant and Paul Brady.
Unsurprisingly, Cara is in constant demand and has performed all over the world. She is always surrounded by the finest players on the scene and can often be found collaborating with a host of others. In addition to touring with her acclaimed band, Cara will be spending a portion of 2015 touring as a trio which will offer her legions of fans a far more exclusive and informal experience as she hopes to cast a spell over a range of venues. Describing how performing in smaller places affects her, Cara muses… “Being in an intimate venue is where I feel most comfortable. Don’t get me wrong, It’s a thrill to perform on big stages but I absolutely love the moments when I can drift away from the audience and totally lose myself in a song…there’s nothing like it.” Whatever the venue or occasion she never fails to leave audiences captivated by her angelic voice and enchanting personality and if you’ve never seen her sing live before then you really are missing out.
Dillon first made waves in 2001 when her eponymous solo album released on Rough Trade went on to scoop two BBC Folk Awards among a hoard of other accolades. Two further successful albums, also on Rough Trade showered her with countless more awards and acclaim, but it was her forth album ‘Hill Of Thieves’ released on her own label, Charcoal Records, that eclipsed them all by winning BBC Folk Album Of The Year in 2010. ‘A Thousand Hearts’ looks set to do the same and has sat firmly at the top of the Celtic Chart since it’s release in May 2014.
Show starts 7.30pm. Tickets £18. telephone 01316682019
For more information and the latest news, please visit www.cardillon.co.uk
Edinburgh tradesmen Andy Shaw and Chris Wright have been shortlisted for creating one of the five best landscaping jobs in Scotland in a competition run by Travis Perkins fronted by TV star Melinda Messenger.
Andy and Chris, who run Capital Gardening Services Ltd, were selected from the hundreds of entries that flooded in from customers across the region keen to give a high 5 to the people who transformed their outdoor space into something special.
The winner of the Grand Final will be invited to meet Melinda Messenger along with a panel of experts from the Travis Perkins landscaping team at a VIP lunch at Kensington Roof Gardens, London before jetting off on a city break for two.
Andy and Chris impressed the judges with their entry which showcased and impressive multi-level garden using different materials.
47 year-old Andy said: “It’s a terrific honour to be shortlisted as one of the top 5 jobs in the region. Jobs like these are a real labour of love and it’s a great feeling when you know you’re making a difference for the customer.
“Making the final of the Travis Perkins High 5 contest is a badge of honour for my business – now I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Melinda Messenger is impressed too!”
Melinda, the UK’s much loved presenter of TV’s Cowboy Builders, says: “Travis Perkins put the shout out to find the country’s best landscaping jobs and we’ve all been blown away by the quality of entries that have come in.
“From garden transformations to driveways and public spaces, British landscapers are coming up with creative and beautiful solutions for their clients. Now we have the finalists, the really hard work will be picking a winner!”
The winner of the very best landscaping job in Scotland will be announced at the end of September.
Submitted by Lubomir Durisin
Police are appealing for witnesses after a teenager was seriously assaulted in Edinburgh City Centre during the early hours of Sunday morning
The incident happened at around 3:15am when an 18-year-old man sustained significant injuries to his arm following an altercation on Rose Street.
The male had been at a nightclub on George Street with friends when an argument broke out with another man who had not been part of the group.
A short time later the men were seen running down Hanover Street before turning onto Rose Street at which point the suspect attacked the male resulting in serious injury to his right arm.
He was last seen heading along Rose Street in the direction of St Andrews Square before being lost from sight.
Paramedics were called to the scene where they treated the injured male before transferring him to hospital.
Police are now asking anyone who was in the area of Rose Street or George Street around the time of this incident and who can help identify the suspect to come forward.
He is described as white, in his 20’s, around 5ft 8ins tall, with a slim build, shaved head and wore a red cardigan, blue polo shirt and blue jeans.
Detective Constable Graham McIlwraith of Police Scotland said: “A thorough investigation is now underway and we are pursing a number of lines of inquiry.
“However, I encourage anyone who witnessed this incident or who can help identify the male attacker to please come forward immediately.
“The victim could have, quite easily, sustained more serious injuries.and those with relevant information are asked to call police on 101 or, alternatively the charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
Hibs will face Dundee United at Easter Road in the Scottish League Cup quarter-final – a repeat of the game at this stage last season, with the fixture to be played on 27/28 October.
Hibs defeated Montrose, Stranraer and Aberdeen to reach this stage and Head Coach Alan Stubbs said that he was happy with the draw and sees it as a good opportunity for his side to measure their progress.
After the draw, Stubbs told the club website: “We obviously watched the draw with great interest and there was a feeling of déjà vu when Dundee United followed us out of the pot. But it is a good draw for us.
“The draw was always going to be difficult, every team is there on merit – so it was never going to be an easy tie. It will be a good test for us, but also for Dundee United as we showed we are capable of beating teams from the top-flight, both last season and again in this one.
“Easter Road is our home and it is difficult for teams to come here and leave with a win. That is because we are a good footballing side and are capable of beating anyone at home.”
Elsewhere, neighbours Hearts face holders Celtic at Tynecastle whilst John Hughes’ Inverness Caledonian Thistle face Ross County and Morton are at home to St Johnstone.
Our list covers the period 28 September – 4 October 2015. If you have an event coming up then do tell us about it.
Festivals; just when you think they’re all over, along come another lot. SMHAFF, Luminate, Spanish Film Festival, Balerno Music Festival, World Justice Festival, Portobello Book Festival and Midlothian Science Festival are all staging events this week, so whatever your interests there’ll be plenty to keep you busy. Some very worthwhile charity events would appreciate your support too – from the Grassmarket Project to Mary’s Meals, Serenity Cafe, Cal-Aid and the Samaritans. Finally, don’t forget – it’s Dugs in Pubs this Saturday! Have a good week, and please do remember to check the details of all events with the organisers before setting out.
MONDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER 2015
Cut and Paste: a new exhibition of collages by Leonard Adams, Ingrid Nilsson, Catharine Jones, Emma Sutherland and Linda Lincoln. 9am-5pm Wednesday to Sunday (closed Monday and Tuesday), Bon Papillon, 15 Howe Street. Ends mid-October.
Lauriston Castle: National Trust for Scotland Case Studies. An assessment of the Trust’s walled gardens by Robert Grant, National Trust for Scotland Head of Gardens & Designed Lanscapes. Mr Grant has designed several new heritage gardens, including the model 17th century garden at Culross Palace, Fife and the Garden of Scottish Cultivated Fruits at Fyvie Castle, Aberdeenshire. He has also redesigned the South Walled Garden at Culzean Castle, Ayrshire and has project-managed several historical garden restorations. In 1991 he won a Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medal for a model parterre garden based on the NTS Pitmedden Garden, Aberdeenshire and for four years he wrote a weekly gardening column for Scotland on Sunday newspaper. 10.30am, Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South. Tickets cost £8 and must be booked in advance via the Usher Hall Box Office, Lothian Road, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here.
Cameo Toddler Time: short screenings exclusively for pre-school children and their parents and carers. Today’s film is Toot The Tiny Tug Boat Programme 6 (U): life on the high seas is a whirl of fun and adventure when you’re a little boat with big ideas. 11am, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets cost £3 per child (accompanying adults free) and may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online here.
For Crying Out Loud: exclusive screenings for parents/carers (maximum of two adults per baby) and their babies under 12 months old. Baby changing, bottle-warming and buggy parking facilities are available. Today’s film is La Famille Belier (12A) (in French, French Sign Language and Spanish, with English subtitles): 16-year-old Paula Bélier is the only hearing member of her dairy-farming family, and acts as interpreter for her deaf parents on a daily basis. But on joining a school choir, Paula’s hitherto unknown talent for singing is discovered. As she devotes herself more and more to training her voice and decides to prepare for a prestigious Radio France Choir audition, the bonds between Paula and her previously close-knit family begin to fray. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4.50/£3.50 (babies admitted free) and may be purchased from the Filmhouse box office in person or by calling 0131 228 2688.
In Focus: William Turnbull. Art historian and curator Bill Hare (University of Edinburgh) will talk about the William Turnbull display, using the words of the artist as a guide. Dundee-born Turnbull was a major figure in post-war sculpture and painting; some of his works are shown as part of the 20th Century: Masterpieces of Scottish and European Art display on the second floor of the gallery. 12.45-1.15pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. No booking required: free and unticketed.
Portobello Community Council: agenda items include the Baileyfield development, a possible Christmas event and an SES Plan/MIR update. 7.30pm, Portobello Baptist Church Hall, 185 Portobello High Street. All welcome.
Sofi’s Cult Movies: popular classics on the silver screen in the cosy, darkened back room. Free popcorn! Tonight’s film is Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums (15): Royal Tenenbaum and his wife Etheline had three children and then they separated. 
All three children are extraordinary — all geniuses. Virtually all memory of the brilliance of the young Tenenbaums was subsequently erased by two decades of betrayal, failure, and disaster. Most of this was generally considered to be their father’s fault. The Royal Tenenbaums is the story of the family’s sudden, unexpected reunion one recent winter. 8pm, Sofi’s, 65 Henderson Street. Free.
Open Eye Gallery: New Exhibitions. (1) James McNaught: Looking for Fernando Rey. McNaughts’s intriguing, illustrative paintings have received worldwide acclaim; the story behind each painting in this solo exhibition is hinted at through clever, evocative titles which allow viewers to make their own connotations about the buildings, street scenes and mysterious figures. The scenes can feel familiar yet fictional and are painstakingly created with tiny brushes, demanding close inspection; (2) Andrew Restall – New Prints: a selection of single edition monotypes from the last four years of Andrew Restall’s practice, during which time frequent visits to Biggar from his home in West Linton have provided great inspiration and stimulus for his work. The prints are mainly collagraphs with occasional etching; this combination creates textured and layered compositions which play with shape and form, allowing the colour to dictate the balance in each composition; (3) Rosalind Lawless – Transition: this selection of Lawless’s work builds on her continuing investigation into the notion of space and architecture, not as a container but as the contained. The origins of this body of work come from sketches created during a residency in Reims; these drawings prompted a new way of looking and creating work, moving from the split image to isolated objects viewed vertically. 10am-6pm Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm Saturdays, Open Eye Gallery, Abercromby Place. New Prints ends on 12th October 2015; Looking for Fernando Rey and Transition continue until 14th October 2015.
City of Edinburgh Council Parking Consultation and Drop-in Event. A consultation is under way on parking in Edinburgh; the draft parking action plan sets out a range of actions and was approved by the Transport and Environment Committee on 25 August. The main actions include the extension of parking controls to cover weekends/Sundays and into the evening, the roll-out of shared use parking places and the introduction of visitor permits in the city centre. The council wants to know what you think about the proposals; there is a link to a questionnaire for you to complete on the council’s dedicated website here and a Community Drop-in Event will be held today: 2-5pm, City Chambers, 253 High Street. A further event will be held at Morningside Library on Wednesday 30th September; see listing.
Over The Rainbow: SQIFF Shorts – Different Versions of Myself (18) (all films subtitled in English to make the event more accessible for those who are deaf or hard of hearing). Scottish Queer International Film Festival (SQIFF) has handpicked a selection of the best short films from its festival (held at CCA in Glasgow last week), all addressing the theme of uncertainty and/or defiance in presenting different versions of queer selves. Several of the filmmakers will take part in a Q & A session after the screening. 6.30pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Filmhouse box office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online here; prices vary.
Leith Links Community Council: 7pm, Leith Community Centre, 12a New Kirkgate. All local residents welcome.
Folk Music Jam Session: just turn up with your instrument and show everyone what you’ve got! 7.30pm, The Old Chain Pier, Trinity Crescent.
Cameo Culture Shock: ‘the best in cult and genre films’. Tonight’s film is The Thing (18): a team of scientists in the Arctic are infiltrated by a shape-shifting alien which has the ability to replicate the appearance of the people it kills. Arguably John Carpenter’s most effective film, creating a real sense of claustrophobic paranoia through its isolated location, Ennio Morricone’s iconic score, and the distrust shown among the men as they try to work out who is still human. 9pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online here; prices vary.
Edinburgh World Justice Festival Concert: David Rovics – peace poet and troubadour from Portland, Oregon. By the early 90’s Rovics was busking in the Boston subways and by the mid-90’s he was travelling the world as a professional flat-picking rabble-rouser. These days he lives in Portland, Oregon and tours regularly on four continents, playing for audiences large and small at cafes, pubs, universities, churches, union halls and protest rallies. He has shared the stage with a veritable Who’s Who of the left in two dozen countries, and has had his music featured on Democracy Now!, BBC, Al-Jazeera and other networks. His essays are published regularly on CounterPunch and elsewhere, and the 200+ songs he makes available for free on the web have been downloaded more than a million times. ‘Most importantly, he’s really good. He will make you laugh, he will make you cry, he will make the revolution irresistible’. Plus support: Calum Baird. 8-11pm, The Canon’s Gait, 232 Canongate. Admission £10/£6.
Asylum Seekers and Refugees; Biblical Understandings and Christian Responses. Presented by Rev. Aaron Janklow, Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Edinburgh, with Professor Michael Northcott
(Professor of Ethics, New College, University of Edinburgh) responding. The Minister of the Cathedral will moderate the evening, which will also include responses from a small panel, a time for general questions, and a reception. 7pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. All welcome.
TUESDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER 2015
Leith School of Art Foundation Course Open Day. The Foundation Course is unique in Scotland; with four full days in the studio and one day working on personal projects each week, it’s an intensive year, pushing students to pursue their talents in an immersive creative environment. The School has an extremely high success rate in helping students gain places on degree courses in Scotland, England and overseas, in Fine Art, Fashion, Film, Illustration, and a range more. Tour the School, see students and tutors in action, and ask questions. If you’d like a tutor to review your portfolio during the Open Day, please make an appointment in advance. 10am-3pm (drop-in), Leith School of Art, 25 North Junction Street.
Spanish Rhymetime – Sesiones de rimas en espanol. Here is a message from Sonia: Hola a todos!, Informaros que nuestra Spanish Rhymetime tendra lugar el martes dia 29 de septiembre, como es habitual en Portobello Library. Espero que disfrutarais mucho de el verano, y que empezarais el otonho con alegria!!! Con muchas ganas de veros y continuar cantando canciones tradicionales espanholas. Un saludo.) For children aged 0-4 and their parents and carers (Spanish speaking and non-Spanish speaking welcome). 10.30am, Portobello Library, 14 Rosefield Avenue.
Cameo Silver Screen: if you are over 60, join the Silver Screen Club (it’s free to join – ask at the Box Office) and get tickets for just £5, plus free tea, coffee and biscuits, at these special weekly screenings. Today’s films are Just Jim (15) showing at 12.40pm, Life (15) showing at 2.40pm, 45 Years (15) showing at 1.40 and 4.05pm, Everest 2D (12A) showing at 1.30pm and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (12A) showing at 3.55pm. Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online. Non-members are also welcome at these screenings but will be charged standard ticket prices.
The Connected Baby: are human beings really able to connect at birth? That is the question explored in this documentary film, co-produced by developmental psychologist Dr. Suzanne Zeedyk and filmmaker Jonathan Robertson. ‘Long before we have the capability to tell stories in words of our own, we are co-creating them in interactions with others’. 7pm, Netherbow Theatre, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Free but tickets are required and may be obtained from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 556 9579 or online here.
Bailey’s Stardust: Curator’s Talk. Christopher Baker, Director, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, discusses the Bailey’s Stardust exhibition, surveying Bailey’s remarkable, meteoric career which was launched in the 1960s and embraces the intersecting arenas of photography, fashion, portraiture and reportage. 12.45-1.30pm, Hawthornden Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed. Bailey’s Stardust continues at the Scottish National Gallery until 18th October 2015.
Dolly, Art and Metadata Games: an introduction to the University of Edinburgh Library’s collections. Staff from Edinburgh University Library will take you on an online guided tour of its collections, featuring highlights from the Art Collection and an introduction to the Wellcome Trust-funded project Towards Dolly: Edinburgh, Roslin and the Birth of Modern Genetics. Hear about new initiatives to open up the Library’s digital collections and get a chance to try out the new metadata image tagging game. 6.30pm, George Washington Browne Room, Central Library, George IV Bridge. Free but booking is required and may be made via eventbrite here.
Leith Folk Club: Wendy Weatherby + support Liz Jones. Wendy has worked and recorded with many top Scottish musicians including Hamish Moore, Billy Jackson, The Pearlfishers, Michael Marra and Phil Cunningham and has two solo albums to her credit. 7.30pm, Victoria Park House Hotel, 221 Ferry Road. Tickets cost £7 and may be reserved by completing the online form here or texting the club’s dedicated booking line on 07502 024 852. Reserved tickets must be collected by 7.30pm on the night.
Perspectives: a new series of three autumn lectures – hear a new perspective and challenge your thinking on three fascinating subjects. Tonight John Mason MSP looks at Faith & Politics – maintaining integrity in a political world. 7.30pm, Palmerston Place Church, Palmerston Place. All welcome; free. The next talk will be on 27th October, when Robin Taylor will discuss Death – The Last Taboo; talking about the subject that people don’t talk about.
Hey! Student! Welcome Reception: a chance for students to meet, have a drink, and find out about The Fruitmarket Gallery and the current Phyllida Barlow exhibition, set. 6-8pm, The Fruitmarket Gallery, 45 Market Street. Free but please reserve your place via eventbrite here.
I Dream of Painting: new work by Ian Healy and Derek McGuire, two contemporary painters who deal with the figure in paint, working on the boundary of the abstract and representational divides. 12 noon-6pm, Tuesday to Sunday, Patriothall Gallery, 1D Patriothall, off Hamilton Place. Ends 7th October 2015.
Vibrational Healing and Essential Scents: a demonstration by Katya Campbell. 6.30pm, Newington Library, Fountainhall Road. Please book your free place by calling the library on 0131 529 5536.
Future Options for Primary Schools in South Edinburgh: the number of children in South Edinburgh’s primary schools is now higher than it has been for 30 years. Local schools are under pressure to find space for all of their pupils. The biggest problem is at South Morningside Primary where pupils are split across three sites, but this consultation looks at options that could ease problems at schools in the wider area. A summary paper with general information about each of the options, plus more detailed information in the full consultation paper, can be accessed via Edinburgh City Council’s website here. Tonight’s meeting is the last of four being held during the consultation period. 6.30-8.30pm, St Peter’s RC School, 10 Falcon Road.
Grassmarket Community Project: International Guitar Night! Bringing together the world’s foremost acoustic guitarists to perform their latest original compositions and exchange musical ideas in a concert setting. For this show IGN founder Brian Gore is joined by three of Europe’s finest acoustic guitarists: Gypsy Jazz legend Lulo Reinhardt, contemporary fingerstyle innovator Mike Dawes and multi-genre showman Andre Krengel. 8pm, Grassmarket Community Project, 86 Candlemaker Row. Tickets cost £14/£12 (transaction fee applies) and may be purchased via Brown Paper Tickets here. The cafe will be open – please use it!
WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2015
Serenity Cafe Waverley Fundraising Cycle: Serenity Cafe members will take part in an all-day static cycle marathon at the station to ‘go the distance for poverty’. They will cycle in 20 minute slots all day from 7am to 7pm. Come along, support the cyclists and donate to help fund the work of this very worthwhile cause. 7am-7pm, Waverley Station, EH1 1BB. Serenity Cafe (8 Jackson’s Entry, The Tun, Holyrood Road) 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.
Join A Choir – Cadenza Open Rehearsal. Cadenza, ‘one of Scotland’s finest and most exciting amateur choirs’, is recruiting singers for all voices. Directed by Jenny Sumerling, the choir performs regularly throughout Scotland and beyond, with a wide-ranging repertoire including folk, jazz and popular songs as well as Renaissance church music, major choral works and contemporary classics. Rehearsals are in Edinburgh on Wednesday evenings – come along tonight and give it a go! This is your chance to join in singing a representative selection of the choir’s repertoire and see what they’re like – with no obligation. 7.30-9.45pm, Broughton St Mary’s Church, Bellevue Crescent. A very warm welcome guaranteed; for more information please call 0131 662 8721 or visit the Cadenza website here.
Citizen Space: Edinburgh’s Parking Action Plan. A drop-in session, with council officials available to discuss proposals contained in the Draft Parking Action Plan approved by the Transport and Environment Committee on 25th August 2015. The main actions include the extension of parking controls to cover weekends/Sundays and into the evening, the roll-out of shared use parking spaces and the introduction of visitor permits in the city centre. If you have any questions about the proposed changes then come along. 10am-1pm, Morningside Library, 184 Morningside Road.
Lunchtime Concert: The Melbourne Scottish Fiddle Club, Melbourne, Australia. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.
Health All Round Project 5G: Lisa Martin. Join the retro singer for an afternoon of old time favourites – a sentimental journey back to the 1940s and 50s with The Andrews Sisters, Gracie Fields, Vera Lynn, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. Sing along to Doris Day and Connie Francis; rock and roll with Elvis and Brenda Lee. Refreshments too! 1-4pm, Prison Officers Club, 22b MacLeod St, Gorgie (wheelchair accessible). All welcome – free tickets are available from Tynecastle High School Community Wing, McLeod Street or Catriona Windle at Health All Round (0131 337 1376/catriona@healthallround.org.uk).
Kirkliston Community Centre Youth Club: with tuck shop, pool table, ping pong, karaoke, loud music and much more! It’s a social space for everyone in S1-S4 to grow and learn, make new friends and join in with old ones. 7pm, Kirkliston Community Centre, Queensferry Road. For more information please contact the centre on 0131 333 4214.
Edinburgh Active Citizenship Group: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) – Whit’s That Aw Aboot? A free public seminar with Gill Davies of Global Justice Now. 7-9pm, Edinburgh City Chambers, 253 High Street. All welcome, no booking required. For further information please call 0131 558 3545 or email ActiveCitizenshipGroup@gmail.com.
A Clearer Light: Lord Hailes and the Scottish Enlightenment. Mark McLean, Learning Officer for the National Trust for Scotland at Newhailes, discusses Sir David Dalrymple, Lord Hailes. Hailes was very much a man of his time – but ‘his time’ was no ordinary time; he was born to an important Scottish family during a period when Scotland was just emerging as one of the most influential nations in Europe, and he became influential not through great political power or enormous wealth, but rather through the power of ideas. 
Mark McLean researched and co-curated the exhibition A Clearer Light: Lord Hailes and the Scottish Enlightenment which opened at Newhailes in 2013. 10.30am, Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South. Tickets cost £8 and must be booked in advance via the Usher Hall Box Office, Lothian Road, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here.
Edinburgh University Jazz Orchestra: an open rehearsal by this excellent 17-piece student big band. 3-5pm, The Jazz Bar, 1a Chambers Street. Free. Please note this venue is strictly cash only.
Mary’s Meals Charity Auction and Raffle: 6-8pm, Virgin Money Lounge, 28 St Andrew’s Square. For more information and tickets, please contact Rosalind Mackay on 0131 669 0003 or rcm2524@yahoo.co.uk. To find out more about Mary’s Meals, read The Edinburgh Reporter’s article about founder Magnus MacFarlane-Barrows’ Edinburgh International Book Festival appearance here.
Portobello Book Festival 2015: Chiang Yee – The Silent Traveller in Edinburgh. An illustrated talk by Jim Gilchrist about the remarkable Chinese travel writer Chiang Yee. In Yee’s beautiful book about Edinburgh he describes coming to Portobello in 1943, and how his walk along the Promenade reminds him of his time on Hainan Island, off the Chinese mainland. 8-10pm, Dalriada, 77 Promenade, Portobello. Free but tickets are required and may be collected from Portobello Library, 14 Rosefield Avenue. Some tickets may be available at the venue 15 minutes before the start of the event.
OpenStreetMap Foundation UK International Development Fair: a free public event concerning all aspects of international development. Thirty five stalls will showcase the work of members of NIDOS (Network of International Development Organisations in Scotland), DFID (The Department for International Development) and other international development groups and aid agencies. The Fair has been inspired by OpenStreetMap Foundation UK’s partners within Missing Maps, an initiative formed by the American and British Red Cross organisations, Medicins Sans Frontieres and the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap team to map the most vulnerable places in the developing world so that international and local NGOs and individuals can use the maps and data to better respond to crises affecting the areas. 10am-4pm, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. Free. This event is part of State of the Map Scotland 2015, a five day conference centred around the ‘Wikipedia of Maps’. OpenStreetMap is an initiative to create and provide free geographic data, such as street maps, to anyone.
Interactive Jazz Masterclass with the Mike Janisch Group: come and see first hand how these master musicians put together their complex compositions, and learn how they approach ‘conventional’ modern jazz playing, improvising over chord changes and handling harmonic and rhythmic variety. 6.30-8pm, The Jazz Bar, 1a Chambers Street. £5. Please note this venue is strictly cash only.
Mike Janisch Paradigm Shift Sextet: fronted by ex-US, London-based, internationally recognised bassist Michael Janisch, the band has French pianist Cédric Henriot (also using synthesizer), sax player Paul Booth – also on flute and occasionally a lugubrious didgeridoo, London sax star Jason Yarde, and Alex Bonney, alternating between trumpet and laptop, which has a live feed from all of the acoustic instruments and the means to distort them, echo them, and to make purely electronic sounds too! All driven by ex-Edinburgh, now London-based, drummer Andrew Bain. ‘I can’t imagine a band which could give a composer more variety of timbre, pulse, pace and style … With expressive shifts of pace and of pulse, the mood transitions can be dramatic or organic, a series of surprises and sudden re-routings.’ (London Jazz News). 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, 1a Chambers Street. £8/£6. Please note this venue is strictly cash only.
THURSDAY 1ST OCTOBER 2015
Gathered Together – Cruinn Comhla: a new series of workshops to help parents from ethnic and cultural minorities who are new to Scotland to understand what happens in Scottish schools and how to get more involved in their children’s learning. The first session is today and it will focus on information about primary schools; how your child is taught in primary school, how you can support your child with homework and how to communicate with teachers and get the best out of parents’ evening. 10.30am-12.30pm, Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace. To book your free place, please email gtevents@bemis.org.uk or call 0141 548 8047. Further sessions will follow on 8th, 22nd and 29th October and 5th and 12th November 2015; you can attend all of them or just the one(s) relevant to your situation. BEMIS is the national umbrella body supporting the development of the Ethnic Minorities Voluntary Sector in Scotland. For more information about the Gathered Together project, click here.
Mothers, Daughters, Fathers, Sons – Memories of Childhood. An inter-generational oral history exhibition focusing on the heritage of Chinese and South Asian older people and their British/Scottish born family members. Through photographs and interviews, this exhibition explores childhood and memories of growing up in different countries, cultures and decades. These wonderful personal histories create ‘conversations’ and foster understanding between generations. 10am-5pm Monday to Saturday, Museum of Edinburgh, Huntly House, 142 Canongate. Organised by MECOPP (Minority Ethnic Carers of People Project) as part of Luminate – Scotland’s creative ageing festival.
Yakety Yak: sparkling Russian/English conversation over tea and cakes. Open to all – no need to book. Just turn up; you will be warmly welcomed by the group. 11am, Summerhall Cafe, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. No charge apart from any drinks and cakes you choose to purchase.
Mayfield-Salisbury Thursday Club: the new season begins with a visit from a small Musselburgh choir. 2pm, Upper Hall, Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church, 18 West Mayfield. The club meets weekly from October to May, with an attractive programme of music, slides, talks and demonstrations. New members warmly welcomed; annual membership costs £4 and there is a 50p charge for tea at each meeting. For more information please contact Florence Smith on 0131 663 1234.
Cal-Aid Edinburgh Volunteer Social Meeting. All volunteers, potential volunteers and members of other aid organisations are invited to a social meet & greet at Studio 24 this evening. The Cal-Aid lead committee will fully update all involved on current progress in fundraising, how donations are being spent and dispersed, the group’s trips to Calais, and its aims and objectives for moving forward and expanding. Anyone who wishes will have the chance to make suggestions as to how the project could grow; this is a chance to network and for everyone involved to have their say and meet one another in person. All are welcome and the group will take names and details from anyone wishing to volunteer their time, skills and efforts to Cal-Aid. Tea and biscuits will be served! 7.30-10pm, Studio 24, Calton Road. Please also see listings for details of Cal-Aid’s fundraiser, Sanctuary, on Saturday 3rd October at Studio 24.
Live Music Now: Svetlina Stoyonova and Kristina Yorgova. Svetlina (mezzo soprano) and Kristina (piano) are a young duo from Bulgaria, both currently students at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The programme today will include French and Impressionist music which links with the collection of impressionist and landscape paintings in the permanent collection. 6-6.30pm, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.
Auld Alliance Contemporary Exhibitions (AACE) 2015: nine visual artists are taking part in this two-centred Franco-Scottish show run conjointly at the Institut français and the E.D.S. Gallery. AACE exhibits the works of established French artists alongside works from young up-and-coming Scottish artists; this year the six Scottish artists, Flo Gordon, Jacob Kerray, Lauren Bowman, Matt Sloe, Megan Rea and Ross MacRae, will show their works alongside three successful 1980s graduates from Paris, Hélène Lhote, Margat and Paella Chimicos. 9.30am-6.30pm Monday to Friday, 10am-1pm Saturdays, E.D.S. Gallery, 13a Great King Street and Institut francais d’Ecosse, 13 Randolph Crescent. Ends 31st October 2015.
Get Online: if you are new to the internet, or can’t get to grips with your computing device, help is at hand! Bring your laptop/iPad/tablet along to this free 5-week course. 10.30am-12.30pm today and for the next four Thursdays, Newington Library, Fountainhall Road. Places are free but limited and must be booked by speaking to a member of staff in the library or calling 0131 529 5536.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind: a multi-art exhibition featuring diverse work from artists with experience of mental health issues. This is one of a series of exhibitions taking place across the city as part of SMHAFF – the Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival 2015: the exhibitions aim to get everyone thinking and talking about mental health, raising awareness and challenging preconceptions. 10am-8pm Monday-Wednesday, 10am-5pm Thursday-Saturday, Leith Library, 28-30 Ferry Road. Ends 31st October 2015. Further exhibitions will open later in the month at Space Artworks Gallery, Summerhall and the Edinburgh University Chaplaincy.
Spark Greyfriars Lunchtime Concert: 45 minutes of music-making from George Heriot’s School Chamber Choir. 12 noon, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. Free.
Cameo Big Scream: screenings exclusively for parents/carers and their babies under the age of one year. Today: Irrational Man (12A) – in Woody Allen’s latest film, Joaquin Phoenix plays troubled and famously hellraising philosophy professor Abe Lucas. 
10.30am, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online here.
Passion In North Edinburgh: an exhibition of rag rugging, art projection, marbling and plenty more, created by members of user-led community mental health project Living Well. Living Well provides a range of group support activities designed to build confidence, unlock creativity and help people learn new ways of dealing with stress; its services are open to anyone aged 18+ living in North Edinburgh with mental health concerns. This exhibition is part of SMHAFF – the Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival 2015. 10am-8pm Tuesday to Friday, 10am-1pm Saturdays, North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court. Ends 29th October 2015.
Reid Memorial Church Thursday Club: a series of interesting talks in a friendly, informal gathering, followed by tea, coffee and chat. Today Eric Melvin looks at The Southside of Edinburgh. 2.30pm, Small Hall, Reid Memorial Church, West Savile Terrace at Blackford Avenue. All welcome! Membership subscription is £5; members then pay 50p per meeting. Non-members pay £1 per meeting.
![Une Semaine de Bonté... où les Sept Élements Capitaux. Roman [A Week of Kindness... or The Seven Capital Elements. Novel], Max Ernst, 1934− © ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2010](http://www.theedinburghreporter.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/max-ernst.jpg)
Books in Focus: Max Ernst. The Books in Focus series looks at artists’ books held in the special collections of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Today’s session will focus on Max Ernst’s Une Semaine de Bonté. Published in 1934 by Jeanne Bucher in Paris, it was partially financed by Roland Penrose, whose close relationship with Ernst earned him a gift of two of the original collages, also now in the gallery’s collection. 11.30am-12.30pm, Reading Room, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art TWO, Belford Road. Free but booking is required as places are limited: please call 0131 624 6268 or email gmainfo@nationalgalleries.org.
Passionate About: an impressive series of painted windows exploring the theme passionate about… and inviting passers-by to consider how pursuing our passions can keep us mentally healthy. Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge. Ends 31st October 2015. This exhibition is part of SMHAFF – the Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival 2015.
Nomad Fundraiser Party: Nomad is an annual self-funded travel publication produced by students from the University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh College of Art. Live music from Blue Jester, Jambouree and Sugar, Sugar, prize draws and party fun. 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, 1a Chambers Street. £5. Please note this venue is strictly cash only.
Luminate Festival: Hip Hop-eration (12A). These New Zealander senior citizens may each be almost a century young, but for Kara (94), Maynie (95) and Terri (93), their visit to Las Vegas and the World Hip Hop Dance Championships is just the beginning of a life’s journey. Along the way we hear how these extraordinary characters contributed to New Zealand as we know it; their stories are a reminder of their history as a nation and the joy of living life to the fullest. Plus short: Directed by Tweedie. 1pm and 6.10pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Filmhouse box office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online here; prices vary. Luminate is Scotland’s Creative Ageing Festival and runs 1st-31st October 2015 at venues throughout the country. The full programme is available here.
Arts Cafe: a space for coffee, cake and passionate conversation. Come along to hear crafted stories about using our passions to improve our mental wellbeing. All very welcome. 1.30-3pm, Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge. Free: all very welcome. Part of SMHAFF – the Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival 2015. Also at same times on 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th October 2015.
The Poetry Circus: Freak Circus. A night of spoken word to celebrate the launch of the Circus’s amazing new literary magazine, Freak Circus, a ‘stunningly-beautiful new book-format literary magazine of cutting-edge writing presented in eye-popping layouts…pitching famous names alongside new voices to bring you a selection that produces goose-bumps and shivers’. 8pm, Dalriada, 77 Promenade, Portobello. Free tickets are available from Portobello Library, 14 Rosefield Avenue. Presented in association with Portobello Book Festival.
Hullabaloo and Make Noise: The 2 Bears. The Make Noise Electronic Recycling Tour arrives in Edinburgh with special guest headliners The 2 Bears. Make Noise programmes cutting edge electronic music events in some of the country’s best clubs and makes entry 100% FREE in exchange for a piece of electrical recycling. Club-goers just need to bring something to hand over at the door: a broken mobile phone, hairdryer or laptop – anything with a plug or a battery! Since it began, Make Noise has packed out clubs and recycled tonnes of electronic waste. Support from Hullabaloo residents Trendy Wendy & Steve Austin plus the Heavenly Jukebox DJs. 11pm-1am, The Bongo Club, 66 Cowgate. The Bongo Club is owned by local arts charity Out of the Blue; ‘putting the sounds of the underground and imaginative aspirations before the mighty dollar and encouraging the community to get involved and use the space to do their own thing’.
FRIDAY 2ND OCTOBER 2015
Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival starts today! Films for all tastes (‘from the foodies to the fanatics!’), primary and secondary school screenings, gastronomic evening and opening and closing events. Today’s films, both showing at Filmhouse, Lothian Road, are;
(1) at 6pm: Sinsombrero (U) (in Spanish with English subtitles). The ‘generation of ’27’ and its most relevant figures – Dalí, Buñuel, Lorca… – are well known, but alongside the men there was a very talented, creative and successful group of women who equalled their male counterparts throughout years of creative explosion and civil liberties that would transform Spain’s history forever. Gradually, however, these women were forgotten during Franco’s reign. Sinsombrero recovers their memory. This evening’s screening will be followed by The Forgotten Women of the Generation of ’27, a talk by director Tania Balló. Also showing at 12.45pm on Saturday 3rd October, when the screening will be followed by a Q&A with directors Tania Balló and Serrana Torres;
(2) at 8.15pm: The Unexpected Life/La vida inesperada (12A): (in Spanish and English with English subtitles). Juanito is a Spanish actor living in New York. His career doesn’t take off; he is getting older and carries on performing in small Spanish plays whilst working as a waiter in a Spanish deli. When he receives a visit from his apparently successful cousin, Jorge, he will have to confront his reality. Followed by a Q&A with screenwriter Elvira Lindo.
Tickets may be purchased from the Filmhouse box office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online; prices vary.
Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival Inauguration Party: a complimentary gin & tonic and tapa with your cinema ticket, courtesy of Valentia Gin and the Traverse bar. 10-11pm, Traverse Theatre, 10 Cambridge Street.
Priyanka: Limitless. Ageing in our society can often mean being ignored and seen as having nothing to give; for people ageing with severe learning disabilities this is often just more of what their whole life has been. This exhibition intends to challenge all our assumptions; the artists are using their gift of creativity to shout out loud and communicate to us all, ‘I am here, I am alive, I am special and there are no limits’. Gayfield Creative Spaces, 11 Gayfield Square. Ends 4th October 2015. Please contact venue for opening times.
Lunchtime Concert: La Honor de Miengo Choir, Spain. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.
The Autumn Herbalist: Aromatic Remedies. Social sessions inspired by the Garden, for people affected by dementia, their friends, relatives and supporters. Sessions include sensory activities and informal chat with refreshments. 10.30am-12.30pm, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. To book please call 0131 248 2981. This event is part of the Garden Social Programme October 2015 – March 2016
After School Crafts: for children aged 0-12 (children under 8 years must be accompanied by an adult). 2pm today and every Friday, Portobello Library, 14 Rosefield Avenue. All welcome: for more information please speak to a member of staff, call 0131 529 5558 or email portobello.library@edinburgh.gov.uk.
The Fine Art Society in Edinburgh – Two New Exhibitions:
(1) Norman Ackroyd – St Kilda to Muckle Flugga. Over the past 40 years, Norman Ackroyd RA (Senior Fellow, Royal College of Art) has been repeatedly drawn to some of Scotland’s most magical, remote and rugged islands. Working on site, often in challenging weather conditions, the artist makes records of the seas, the rocks, the skies and the birds. This exhibition consists of watercolours from A Shetland Notebook and etchings from 3 different bodies of work produced over the last few years. Highlights from the show include images of the mysterious Flannan Islands; Sula Sgeir – an island where gannets are still harvested for food, and the fertile North Rona with its famous early St Ronan’s church. ‘St. Kilda to Muckle Flugga is roughly the same distance as Edinburgh to London – but is a road much less travelled by’ (Norman Ackroyd).
(2) The Glasgow Boys: a select exhibition of Glasgow Boy paintings by artists central to the group and others who, inspired by the vanguard’s daring and rejection of the establishment, followed them. Inspired by the painters of the Barbizon, the Hague School and French Impressionism, these artists worked in a modern European way. The show runs concurrently with the Scottish National Gallery’s exhibition, Arthur Melville: Adventures in Colour which The Fine Art Society is supporting.
Both shows open 10am-6pm Monday to Friday, 10am-2pm Saturdays, The Fine Art Society, 6 Dundas Street. St Kilda to Muckle Flugga ends 31st October 2015, with The Glasgow Boys continuing until 14th November 2015.
Friends Electric: a magical story from Visible Fictions about a spark of connection between a human and a robot. Discover what makes you human, how our hearts can take over our brains and how our brains can do amazing things! For everyone aged 7 or over. 1.30-2.30pm, followed by a workshop at 3pm, WHALE Arts, 30 Westburn Grove. Advance booking is required: free tickets may be obtained from WHALE in person, by calling 0131 458 3267 or by emailing info@whalearts.co.uk. Glasgow-based Visible Fictions have been creating innovative and dynamic theatrical productions for young people of all ages and adults for 22 years.
Alison Turnbull: Another Green World. An exhibition of drawings and photographs by the acclaimed contemporary artist, celebrating the launch of her new publication: ‘Another Green World – Linn Botanic Gardens: Encounters with a Scottish Arcadia‘. 10am-4.45pm (closes 3.45pm November-January), Gateway Gallery, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Ends 31st January 2016.
The Last Yankee: to celebrate the centenary of Arthur Miller’s birth, Rapture Theatre presents one of the legendary writer’s last great plays. Leroy Hamilton is a descendant of one of America’s founding fathers but his modest life as a carpenter has left him estranged from his wife Patricia, who is in hospital and recovering from depression. 
Over the course of a single day, Leroy and Patricia attempt to come to terms with their situation and take a tentative step towards reconciliation. Depicting the devastating consequences of failing to live up to the American Dream, The Last Yankee is humorous and ultimately uplifting, classic Miller. 7.30-9pm, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets cost £10/£8 and may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 560 1580 or online here. Also at 3pm and 7.30pm on Saturday 3rd October. Part of SMHAFF – the Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival 2015.
Nuf Said: with a unique sound ranging from funk to jazz, soul, hip hop, R&B and more, this UK-touring, NYC-based electric 5-piece is fronted by vocals and sax and has performed across the US as well as China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, 1a Chambers Street. £5/£4. Please note this venue is strictly cash only.
World War One Propaganda. At the outbreak of the war, the Government introduced censorship of newspapers under the Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) 1914 and also established the War Propaganda Bureau. In this talk Yvonne McEwen will address the means by which the Government carried out the control of information and the public’s response to the restrictions. Yvonne is Project Director of Scotland’s War Project, which is a partnership of the University of Edinburgh, the National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh City Libraries, the Scottish Military Research Group and 20 Councils throughout Scotland. She is also an Honorary Fellow in the Centre for the Study of Modern Conflict at the University of Edinburgh. 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.
Midlothian Science Festival starts today! A packed programme of events – many of them free – for all ages, including bats, bees, bubble shows, the science of the paranormal, book readings, jellyfish, drawing workshops, dancing sessions, a brewing tour, cycling, stargazing, medieval medicine, the famous Science Alive Gala Day, Park In The Dark, and lots more – don’t miss the science of cakes and Build A Biscuit City! For full details and to download the festival programme, click here. Events take place at venues throughout the area and the festival runs until 17th October 2015.
Portobello Book Festival 2015: On The Trail of John Muir. Drawing inspiration from local hero John Muir’s ability to capture a sense of place, storyteller Beth Cross explores stories and memories that convey this. 12.30-1.30pm, Portobello Library (upstairs), 14 Rosefield Avenue. Free but tickets are required and may be collected from the library in advance. Some tickets may be available 15 minutes before the start of the event.
Balerno Village Screen: Whiplash (15) A young and talented drummer attending a prestigious music academy finds himself under the wing of the most respected professor at the school, one who does not hold back on abuse towards his students. The two form an odd relationship as the student wants to achieve greatness and the professor pushes him to do so. This screening forms part of the 2015 Balerno Music Festival; pre-film entertainment will be provided by dark folk band Holm who will be playing from 7pm, so please come early if you would like to hear their performance. 7.30pm, Ogston Hall, Balerno Parish Church, Main Street, Balerno. Free tickets are available from the Mill Cafe and Balerno Post Office or via eventbrite here. Balerno Village Screen is a community cinema, free to attend and funded by donations. If you can no longer attend after booking, please cancel your ticket to allow someone else to see the film.
Sea Bass Kid + Mickey 9s: Edinburgh band Sea Bass Kid launch their second album Like The Fish, showcasing their original take on reggae, blues, ska and funk, ‘bringing honest music back to honest people with their energetic and memorable live shows’. Supported by Glaswegians Mickey 9s (The Party Manifesto). Over 18s only. Doors open 7pm, The Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street. Tickets cost £7 (booking fee applies) and are available from Tickets Scotland here.
Lindsey Black + Alex Cornish + DJ Dolphin Boy: Edinburgh singer Lindsey launches her debut single, The Wonder of You, a re-recording from her acclaimed album, Raise A Storm, ‘…the sound of a pure Edinburgh talent: sinuous, singular melodies and soulful serenity, couched in the finest playing and clearest production’ (Eliza Carthy). Dunbar singer Alex Cornish has home-produced four critically acclaimed albums, ‘a voice to stand comparison to Thom Yorke’ (The Scotsman on Sunday), ‘..a beautiful album that has Mercury Music Prize nomination written all over it’ (The Sunday Times). Dolphin Boy is a well loved figure in festival circles and a well known face behind the decks at parties in odd and far-flung places. For over 18s only. 7.30pm, The Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street. Tickets cost £5 (booking fee applies) and are available from Skiddle here.
RNT in association with Dead Sheep Comedy Present Scott Gibson: Life After Death. Gibson’s debut show, which sold out with rave reviews at this year’s Glasgow International Comedy Festival, explores the life-changing experience that put him on the path to comedy. It’s a story of pain, love, laughter and Blackpool. ‘Gibson mixes a conversational style with his own unique brand of dark humour, confidently leading his audience down a path few dare to tread’. For over 18s only. 8pm, Netherbow Theatre, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £10/£8 and may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 556 9579 or online here.
Changeling: a new exhibition of art and fashion illustration by Leith-based artist Ruth Marnie (aka Goat-boots). Launch 7pm tonight with nibbles and bubbly, then during usual opening hours, Sofi’s Bar, 65 Henderson Street. Ends 5th November 2015.
Portobello Book Festival 2015: Opening Event – Inheritance. Join host David Francis for the festival’s grand opening event, which includes performances of original and established writing in all shapes and forms. Special guest author and songwriter Doug Johnstone will be joined by local actress Sybil Bacica, The Blue Moon Travellers and the Lothian B-us Male Voice Choir. Refreshments will be available! 8-10.30pm, Portobello Library, 14 Rosefield Avenue. Free but tickets are required and may be collected from the library in advance. Some tickets may be available 15 minutes before the start of the event.
Poor Things + Min Diesel + Andrew R Burns & The Tropicanas: indie rock, ‘mindie-rock’ and lo-fi dream-pop from Glasgow, Perth, Aberdeen and Livingston. 7pm, Henry’s Cellar Bar, 16a Morrison Street.
Substance 9th Birthday: Mono Junk (live) + Residents. A rare live show from legendary Finnish Renaissance man Kimmo Rapatti aka Mono Junk. Rapatti helped pioneer raw, minimalistic techno from 1992 alongside Robert Hood, Daniel Bell and Basic Channel, going on to produce a diverse range of machine music across a number of styles, aliases and groups and recently making a storming comeback, with lots of new material in the pipeline. Substance opens its doors to all for a wide ranging night of classic and cutting edge dance music. 11pm-3am, The Bongo Club, 66 Cowgate. Admission £7/£6. The Bongo Club is owned by local arts charity Out of the Blue; ‘putting the sounds of the underground and imaginative aspirations before the mighty dollar and encouraging the community to get involved and use the space to do their own thing’.
Alex Kolkowski and Grey Area. Aleks is a sound artist, violinist and composer with a special interest in early sound recording and reproduction technology; he was the first ever sound artist-in-residence at the Science Museum, London. He will perform Christian Wolff – For 1,2 or 3 People (1964), Aleks Kolkowski and Sean Williams – Test-Tone Battle, and group improvisation featuring Grey Area. 8pm, Reid Concert Hall, University of Edinburgh, Bristo Square. Free and unticketed.
SATURDAY 3RD OCTOBER 2015
Sofi’s Dug Day: a fun way to socialise your pup while you enjoy a weekend drink. Meet other local dogs and owners! 12 noon-5pm today and the first Saturday of every month, Sofi’s, 65 Henderson Street.
Tiger Tales: stories and crafts for children aged 4-8. 3-4pm, Fountainbridge Library, 137 Dundee Street. Free.
Monkey Drama: an adventure of the imagination, using drama, props, music and role-play to help children explore their worlds creatively. They might be pirates, animals, superheroes, dinosaurs, astronauts… with Monkey Drama the possibilities are endless! Each child will also receive a certificate to show what they have learned, imagined and explored. For ages 2-5. 10.30am or 11.45 am (45 minute sessions), Storytelling Court, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £6 and may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 556 9579 or online here.
The Balerno Music Festival continues today at various venues around the village, with a Young Musicians’ Concert, Fun Time Harmonies workshop, a Children’s Concert with Big Pete and the Richard Dennis Concert featuring The Tourie Band. For details and tickets please visit the festival’s website here.
Lunchtime Concert: Michael Walton (violin) and Jennifer Redmond (piano) play works by Beethoven and Tartini. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.
Money For Positive Change Conference: chaired by Rev Sally Foster Fulton, Convener of the Church and Society Council of the Church of Scotland, this conference, organised by the Church’s Society, Religion and Technology Project as part of Good Money Week, features an address from Tessa Tennant, green investment pioneer. The Project hopes to provide you with an opportunity to consider how your faith, values and finances interact, and how you, and your church, can make positive decisions about how your money is used in the future; delegates are encouraged to participate in the workshops sessions and the Q&A panel discussion.Workshops topics: Financial capability skills for young people (Iona Bain), The Good Money App (John Preston), Ethical Money Churches (Sabrina Groschel), Divestment (Adrian Shaw) and Community Shares Scotland (Kelly McIntyre). A buffet lunch will be provided. 9.30am-1.30pm, St Andrew’s and St George’s West Church, 13 George Street. Free but please register via eventbrite here. Sponsored by Triodos Bank and ethicalfutures IFA. Good Money Week is an annual campaign in October to let people know that they have sustainable and ethical options in their financial decisions.
Lunchtime Organ Recital: St Cuthbert’s Director of Music Jeremy Cull plays Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition. 12.30-1.15pm, St Cuthbert’s Church, 5 Lothian Road. Free: retiring collection.
Scottish Waterways Trust Wildflower Survey: volunteer to become a ‘citizen scientist’ and help the Trust discover more about the plants growing on the canalside in Edinburgh. Join this free wildflower survey, develop your plant ID skills, make new friends and have fun. Surveys are led by Anna Canning of Floramedica. 10.30am-1pm, Water of Leith Visitor Centre, 24 Lanark Road. For more information please contact Anna on 07790 885969 or email anna.canning@blueyonder.co.uk.
Portobello Book Festival 2015: lots of bookish events today – sessions with Dolinda McLellan, Peter Ranscombe, RL McKinney, Grahame Howard, Stref (aka Stephen White) and Fin Cramb, Jo MacFarlane, Allan Beveridge, Max Scratchmann, Margaret Halliday,Catherine Simpson, Lucy Ribchester, Archie Foley, photographer Peter E Ross, restaurateur Carina Contini, Val McDermid, Catriona Child and James Spence, plus workshops in Book Folding and Writing & Yoga and a Book Quiz. Various venues around Portobello. All events are free but tickets are required and may be collected from Portobello Library, 14 Rosefield Avenue in advance. Some tickets may be available at venues 15 minutes before the start of some events. The festival continues tomorrow. To see the full programme, with details of all venues, click here.
Many Mountains To Climb: Christian Aid’s 70th Anniversary Conference. Christian Aid partners from Bolivia, South Africa and India will be attending and speaking about their work, exploring the charity’s fight against the injustices of poverty along with directors from CA’a international and humanitarian teams, with an emphasis on gender, climate change and land. Refreshments will be provided. 10am-4.30pm, City of Edinburgh Methodist Church, 25 Nicolson Square. The conference is free, but places are limited and registration is essential; please email Amy Menzies, Christian Aid Scotland events officer, at amenzies@christian-aid.org or call her on 0141 241 6138, with the following information: (1) your full name and address, or at least your town; (2) the church or Christian Aid Group you are associated with, if any; (3) the number of people in your party, if known.
Christian Aid 70th Anniversary Ceilidh: a ceilidh to celebrate the completion of the charity’s 70 Munro Challenge and the 70th anniversary of Christian Aid. Kindly hosted by the Centre for Theology and Public Issues, with music generously provided by the Fabulous Shire Boys. 7.30pm, Rainy Hall, New College, University of Edinburgh. Suggested donation on the door £7. Spaces are limited, so please register with wyoung@christian-aid.org to make sure your name is on the list.
The Vintage Kilo Sale: over 5 tonnes of quality mixed vintage fashion and accessories. Dresses, denim, menswear, jackets, jeans, jumpers, blouses, shirts, shorts, tees and more. Stock will be replenished throughout the day. £15 per kilo. Earlybird entry 11am-12 noon – £3, general entry 12 noon-4pm – £1.50, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street.
Fun Palaces are coming to Wester Hailes! An annual, free, nationwide celebration of arts and culture, driven by localism, innovation and engagement. Celebrating the life and work of Joan Littlewood, and in particular the vision she shared with Cedric Price for the creation of a ‘Fun Palace’ – a space where arts and sciences meet – Fun Palaces sees makers across the country create their own pop-up version of a Fun Palace. Free activities for children, young people and families in Wester Hailes, with scientists from Edinburgh Napier University and WHALE artists. 12 noon-4pm, WHALE Arts, 30 Westburn Grove. Also at same times on Sunday 4th October. No booking required, just come along!
A View of Fife and Beyond By Two Generations: an exhibition of work by Deborah Phillips and the late Douglas Phillips, with a solo exhibition of ceramics by Helen Foster. Preview (with wine and strawberries) 11am-1pm today, then 11am-5pm Tuesday to Saturday, The Leith Gallery, 65 The Shore. Ends 31st October 2015.
Apple Festival: is the early ripening of apples this year a taste of things to come and should we be planning to use new varieties? Come to the Botanics to celebrate apples with displays of fruit, opportunities to taste unusual varieties and a chance to get your apples identified. 12 noon-4pm, Real Life Science Studio, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Also at same times on Sunday 4th October 2015.
Edinburgh Napier University Undergraduate Open Day: an opportunity for you and your family and friends to visit, chat with academic staff and students and get all the information you need about any aspect of studying at Edinburgh Napier, with presentations and activities on student life, UCAS, accommodation, SAAS, studying abroad, the transition process for those coming to Napier from college, and much more – plus a session for parents. The Open Day will take place 9.30am-3pm across all three campuses; Sighthill (Sighthill Court), Merchiston (Colinton Road) and Craiglockhart (Glenlockhart Road) – please check Napier’s website here to find out which site offers your subject(s). Registration is required; click here.
From Steam to Diesel: photographs of railway workers in and around Edinburgh in the 1950s and 60s. Local historian Archie Foley and photographer Peter E Ross talk about their new publication, a unique photographic record made during the 1950s and 1960s by an engine driver recording the changes on the railway as diesel replaced steam. 2pm, Portobello High School Library, 10 Duddingston Road. Free but tickets are required and may be collected from Portobello Library, 14 Rosefield Avenue in advance. Some tickets may be available at the venue 15 minutes before the start of the event. Part of Portobello Book Festival 2015.
Changing Our Unequal World: Edinburgh World Justice Festival Conference. Exhibition, book sale, stalls, workshops, keynote speaker, panel discussion with Sarah Boyack MSP, Cllr Lewis Ritchie (chair), Professor Tim Hayward, Alberto Paloni (University of Glasgow), Anuj Kapilashrami (University of Edinburgh) and Pinar Aksu, breakout sessions on The refugee crisis, causes and responses (Refugee Survival Trust), Climate justice, to Paris and beyond (Friends of the Earth), Trade rules and TTIP (Global Justice Now), Land rights and investment treaties (Lorenzo Cotula, IIED), Better economics – better planet (Jubilee Scotland), Minerals and oil justice (War On Want) and Gender and rights in Central America (Mo Hume University of Glasgow) and more. 11am-5pm, St Thomas of Aquin’s School, Chalmers Street. Free but donations are invited and registration should be made via eventbrite here.
Cityscapes: celebrate The Big Draw at the Museum of Edinburgh. Bragela Hornal invites you to try out some unusual drawing techniques and create a visionary cityscape. 10am-12 noon or 1-3pm, Museum of Edinburgh, Huntly House, 142 Canongate. Tickets cost £4 and must be booked in advance via the Usher Hall Box Office, Lothian Road, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here.
St Bride’s Family Cinema: see your favourite films for free! Juice and choc ices available in the interval for 50p. Today’s film is Toy Story 2 (U). Please note: all children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Subtitles are available on request. 10.30am-12.30pm, St Bride’s Centre, Orwell Terrace, Dalry. Next week’s film will be The Smurfs (U). All welcome.
Portrait Gallery Thematic Tours: Perspectives of Scotland and Slavery. Historian Alastair Learmont draws on portraiture, sculpture and photographs in the Gallery’s collection to consider Scotland’s associations with slavery in the Caribbean. These tours are part of Black History Month 2015. 2-2.45pm or 3-3.45pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. No booking required: free, unticketed.
Sanctuary: a night of live music, spoken word and unity to raise funds for CalAid Edinburgh. Bands, DJs and poets will be appearing at Studio 24 in support of those stuck in Calais who are in need of medical aid and essential items; Studio 24 has very kindly offered its venue and staff time for free, and will also be donating profits from the bar to the cause. Over 14s welcome till 11pm, then over 18s only for the rest of the night. 7.30pm-3am, Studio 24, Calton Road. Tickets cost £7/£5 (booking fee applies) and may be purchased via eventbrite here.
Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival: films for all tastes (‘from the foodies to the fanatics!’), primary and secondary school screenings, gastronomic evening and opening and closing events. Today’s films, all showing at Filmhouse, Lothian Road, are;
(1) at 12.45pm: Sinsombrero (U) (see Thursday’s listing);
(2) at 2.45pm: Loreak/Flowers (PG) (in Basque with English subtitles). The tale of three women and three ordinary lives changed by nothing more than some flowers – flowers that make each one feel emotions they’d thought were long gone.. Plus short: Samina. Followed by a Q&A with director of Loreak José Mari Goenaga;
(3) at 5.45pm, Ocho apellidos vascos/Spanish Affair (12A) (in Spanish and Basque with English subtitles). Rafa, Andalusian to the bone, has never had to put a foot out of his beloved Seville to get the things he loves most in life: sherry, hair gel and women. That is until the day when his life gets turned upside down after his charm and romantic advances are rejected by a Basque girl called Amaia;
(4) 80 Egunean/80 Days (U) (in Basque with English subtitles). Where is the thin line that separates friendship from desire? Axun is in a hospital taking care of her daughter’s ex-husband, seriously injured in a car accident. To her surprise, the woman who takes care of the other patient in the same room turns out to be Maite, her best friend when they were teenagers and who is now openly lesbian. They have not seen each other for more than 50 years but that close relationship seems to be still alive. Tonight’s screening will be followed by a Q&A with director José Mari Goenaga. Also showing at 6pm on Monday 5th October, when the screening will be followed by a Q & A session with Professor Nuria Capdevila (University of Exeter).
Tickets may be purchased from the Filmhouse box office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online; prices vary.
Men With Coconuts: the Scottish musical comedy troupe presents ninety minutes of improvised games and scenes, culminating in an entirely improvised Broadway-style musical. Based in Edinburgh, Men With Coconuts are actors, singers and physical comedians accompanied by a virtuoso pianist. ‘Unplanned, unscripted and unbelievable!’ 8pm, Netherbow Theatre, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £10/£8 and may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 556 9579 or online here.
Postcards from The Line: an annual exhibition of small unframed pieces of work from a wide variety of artists from all over Scotland and beyond, with over 30 artists contributing 200+ pieces in all media, from photography to pencil drawing, linocut, collage and much more. Artists participating include Ruth Nicol, Ruth Brownlee, Angela Lawrence, Scott Taylor, Nikki Monaghan and Rhona Fairgrieve. 10am-5pm Tuesday to Friday, 9am-5pm Saturdays, 1-4pm Sundays, The Line Gallery, 238 High Street, Linlithgow. Ends 27th October 2015.
The Skylark Presents The Woods: the music of Scottish singer-songwriter Johnny McFadzean. ‘A haunting voice that lays the soul bare, words that strip back the everyday to expose its raw beauty, these songs hook your ear around corners you didn’t see coming’. 9pm, The Skylark, 241-243 Portobello High Street.
Teresa Gordon: A Sense of Belonging. Teresa’s paintings explore her sense of place in both the east and west of Scotland, and the environments of Edinburgh and Portpatrick between which she divides her time. Preview today 2.30pm, then 11am-5pm daily, Coburg House Studios, 15 Coburg Street. Ends 9th October 2015.
The Meadows Chamber Orchestra: Vaughan Williams Symphony No 5 in D Major, Findlay Spence Perpetuum Mobile (Premiere of the winning work in this year’s MCO Composers’ Competition) and Sibelius Symphony No 5 in E flat major Op82. Conductor: Steven King MBE, SCO violinist and Director of Music, Heriot-Watt University. 7.45pm, Inverleith St Serf’s Church, 280 Ferry Road. Tickets cost £11/£9 (concessions)/£5 (students)/£1 (children) and may be purchased from The Queen’s Hall Box Office, Clerk Street, in person, by calling 0131 668 2019 or online here, or from orchestra members, or on the door (sta).
Of One and Many: a solo exhibition by artist and filmmaker Lin Li, originally from Hong Kong but now based in Glasgow. 10.30am-6pm (10am-3pm on 8th October), Gayfield Creative Spaces, 11 Gayfield Square. Ends 8th October 2015. For screenings of Lin Li’s film, Above Us, the Sky, see below.
Above Us, the Sky: a film by Lin Li about Brian Quail, a retired teacher in Glasgow who has campaigned for nuclear disarmament for decades. A portrait of Brian around his identity as a peace activist, through extracts of his conversations with Lin considering the meaning of his actions and what constitutes peace, footage of his direct action and of his home. Whilst focusing on an individual and his peace activism, the film touches on topics which have wider significance, such as the issue of nuclear disarmament, an individual citizen’s responsibility and ability in influencing state policies, and the question of what it means to be human. 2.30 or 6pm, Gayfield Creative Spaces, 11 Gayfield Square. Free reservations may be made via eventbrite here (please note there is a separate eventbrite page for each screening).
Linda Park: the texture of light. Linda Park’s work focuses on audacious interpretations of landscape, showcasing her ability to suggest the mysteries that lie beneath the bare stone and turf of the scenes she paints. This latest collection of Linda’s work is also about the almost limitless spectrum of light and colour in which those landscapes are not so much bathed as drenched. 10am-5pm Monday to Friday, 12 noon-5pm Saturdays, Doubtfire Gallery, 3 South East Circus Place.
The Open Door Presents The Amazing Adventures of Fred and Rita Daniels: this month Fred and Rita will give two illustrated talks about their adventures in Tibet, Lebanon and Syria. Tonight: Tibet – The Abode of the God Kings; a spiritual and cultural journey through life in Tibet, against the backdrop of the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas, crossing the Brahmaputra River and seeing monasteries and the Dalai Lama’s palace before dropping down onto the Friendship Highway via a series of steep switchbacks to the subtropical landscape of the Nepali border. 7.30pm, Centenary Hall, Greenbank Church, Braidburn Terrace. The second talk will be about Lebanon and Syria and will take place on Saturday October 24th. Admission: £10 per person for one talk or £15 for both – price includes refreshments and early booking is advised. Tickets are available from The Open Door, 420 Morningside Road (tel: 0131 447 9757).
LGBT: Edinburgh Trans Women. A support group aimed at transsexual women at any stage of transition, women who are transgender and live as women full-time or part-time or for those who are questioning their gender identity. We look forward to meeting you and prefer you to email us the first time you want to visit; this helps with security and helps us get ready to welcome you. 7.30-9.30pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information please contact info@edinburghtranswomen.org.
Edinburgh Society of Musicians: Gusztáv Fenyő (piano) plays Beethoven ‘Hammerklavier’ Sonata. 7.30pm, Edinburgh Society of Musicians, 3 Belford Road. Free. The Edinburgh Society of Musicians has been promoting practical music-making in Edinburgh since 1887; chamber music recitals are given every Saturday evening from early October until the end of June. The Society attracts a variety of performers, from students in search of experience to accomplished amateurs and professionals, well known Scottish or international musicians; if you would like to perform for the Society, please contact John Bryden at jobryd2@aol.com and include your telephone number.
Samaritans Ceilidh with Ceilidh Caleerie: a fundraising ceilidh for Edinburgh & The Lothians Samaritans. 7.30 (dancing from 8)-11.30pm, St Bride’s Centre, Orwell Place. Tickets cost £10 and are available from Caroline Gillespie on 07752 869 088 or email mrsgillespie7@gmail.com.
Hanne Darboven: Requiem + The Moon Has Risen. To mark the closing of the Hanne Darboven exhibition at Talbot Rice Gallery, Thomas Dahl (Director of Music and Principal Organist at St. Peter’s, Hamburg) will perform a live accompaniment to singular video The Moon Has Risen (1983), and a rare recital of Darboven’s Requiem. The Moon Has Risen is a rare and expansive reflection on the artist’s relationship to image-making, and is shown alongside live musical punctuations drawn from Handel’s Fireworks Music, diegetic sound from the amusement fair, and Darboven’s own sound compositions. 7pm, St Mary’s Cathedral, Palmerston Place. Free but booking is required and may be made via eventbrite here. This event is a collaboration between Talbot Rice Gallery, Goethe-Institut Glasgow, and LUX Scotland.
Naked Aye Art: Shapes That Shift Desire. A multi-arts exhibition with visual arts at its centre – a group show with works by Scotland-based artists, engaging and playing with the creative and subversive energies of desire connected to the human figure. Shapes That Shift Desire includes paintings and performance, installations, drawings, sculpture, photography and more. Opening event tonight, featuring live performances and installation, 7pm, Third Floor, St Margaret’s House, 151 London Road, followed by after-party in The Safari Lounge, Cadzow Place; please contact venue for exhibition opening hours thereafter. There will be further events related to the exhibition on 9th, 10th, 14th and 16th October and the exhibition ends on 18th October 2015.
Debashish Sanyal and Vijay Kangutkar: a rare opportunity to hear the highest quality North Indian classical music in Edinburgh. 7.30pm, Reid Concert Hall, University of Edinburgh, Bristo Square. Tickets cost £10 (students £5); please contact alejandrocooper1@hotmail.com.
Vegas! The 18th Birthday Party: an evening of cocktails and cool, showgirls and swing, roulette and romance. Scotland’s sensational swing combo The Loveboat Five invite you aboard the ultimate luxury musical cruise, plus the Princess of British Burlesque Kitty Bang Bang, Scotland’s sultry chanteuse Savannah Duvall, DJs Frankie Sumatra, Bugsy Seagull, Sam Jose, Nuno Endo, and Nikki Nevada and the Vegas Showgirls. For over 18s only. 8.30pm, The Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street. Tickets cost £6.95 (booking fee applies) and are available here.
Resurrection (Stone Roses Tribute): over a dozen years since their last gigs, this widely acclaimed Stone Roses tribute act is back on the road. With support from Edinburgh bands Snide Rhythms and Frantic Chant. 7pm, The Bongo Club, 66 Cowgate. Tickets cost £7 in advance from The Bongo Club, Ripping Records and Tickets Scotland, £9 on the door (sta). The Bongo Club is owned by local arts charity Out of the Blue; ‘putting the sounds of the underground and imaginative aspirations before the mighty dollar and encouraging the community to get involved and use the space to do their own thing’.
What’s The Noise: live local talent. Rock & roll from The Jacarandas and The Oooh La Las, shoegaze and post-punk from Kitch, plus singer/songwriter/guitarist Lewis Kennedy. For ages 14+. 7-10pm, Cabaret Voltaire, Blair Street. Tickets cost £6 and are available from all performers or from Tickets Scotland (transaction fee applies) here.
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SUNDAY 4TH OCTOBER 2015
In the Lauriston Castle Kitchen with Mrs Mash: join Mrs Mash the Storytelling Cook for stories, songs, games and food fun for all the family. Hear tales in the kitchen, make some homemade butter and add your own creative input to some very special fairy cakes … 10.30am-12.30pm, Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South. Tickets cost £6 per person and must be booked in advance via the Usher Hall Box Office, Lothian Road, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here. Please note that these sessions are intended for families working together: at least one paying adult must accompany your child, and no child should be booked into a session alone.
Filmhouse Junior: screenings for a younger audience. Today’s film is Inside Out (U) – the latest film from Disney-Pixar. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4 per person, big or small, and may be purchased from the Filmhouse box office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online here.
Space for Reflection: Living with Environmental Challenge. Organised by the Environmental Physics Group of the Institute of Physics, this exhibition will look at the use of satellite imagery to reflect upon man’s impact on the earth, considered in the light of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 5th Assessment Report, as well as presenting stunning earth images, and digital artistic interpretations. Today’s launch event will include a preview of the exhibition plus the opportunity to try your hand at analysing some images and to hear from scientists working in the field of environmental satellite imagery, with a talk by postgraduate student Xu Teo at 2.30pm. 11am-3pm today, then during normal opening hours, Penicuik Community Arts, West Street Arts Centre, 2-4 West Street, Penicuik. Free. The exhibition, which is part of the Midlothian Science Festival, will be open until the end of October.
The Balerno Music Festival continues today, when Purves Puppets present Pips and Panda and the Magic Egg. Pips and Panda are camping on the beach and Panda has built a big sand castle. They are about to have their tea when something odd happens and they notice something strange up in the sky. Find out what happens next! Please note all children must be accompanied by an adult. 2-4pm, St Joseph’s Hall, Balerno Parish Church. Tickets cost £7 (adult), £5 (child) or £15 (group of 3). For full details and tickets please visit the festival’s website here. The final part of this year’s festival will take place 6th-11th October; full details may be found on the website.
Greenpeace Edinburgh Eco Fair: come along to the Eco Fair and discover Edinburgh’s green companies and services. Stroll among over 25 stalls of planet-friendly gifts, treats and food – including East Coast Organics, RSPB, Creative Carbon Scotland, Remade in Edinburgh, Stop Climate Chaos, New Caledonian Woodlands, Tiphereth Camphill Edinburgh and Green Gift Company – plus crafts for children, all gathered under one roof. The Drill Hall Cafe will be open for delicious food and drink. 10am-4pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street. Admission free.
Portobello Book Festival 2015: lots more bookish events today – sessions with Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones, Glasgow Women’s Library, Paul Burgess, Jim Crumley, Kay Sexton, Dennis Canavan, Fiona Ritchie, Sanjeev Singh Kohli and Billy Kay. Various venues around Portobello. All events are free but tickets are required and may be collected from Portobello Library, 14 Rosefield Avenue in advance. Some tickets may be available at venues 15 minutes before the start of some events. To see the full programme, with details of all venues, click here.
Gen Verde – Upfront and Unplugged: a concert of contemporary acoustic music to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Action of Churches Together in Scotland. Gen Verde is the international music group of the Folocare Movement. 6pm, Stockbridge Parish Church, Saxe Coburg Street. Tickets £7 on the door.
Fresh Fruit: Art Taster Workshops. Fresh Fruit is a programme of workshops designed with and for young people and based on current exhibitions. These drawing and sculpture workshops are led by trained young people and artist Louise Fraser. For ages 11-15. No experience is required. 4-6pm, The Fruitmarket Gallery, 45 Market Street. Free: to reserve your place please text or phone Caitlin on 07527 927 916 or 0131 226 8186 or email caitlin@fruitmarket.co.uk. For more information visit the Fresh Fruit blog here.
Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival: films for all tastes (‘from the foodies to the fanatics!’), primary and secondary school screenings, gastronomic evening and opening and closing events. Today’s films, all showing at Filmhouse, Lothian Road, are;
(1) at 1.05pm: 5 Days to Dance/5 Dias para bailar (U) (in Spanish with English subtitles). A fascinating insight into two choreographers, Wilfried Van Poppel and Amaya Lubeigt. Based in Germany, they travel to Spain to run a dance workshop with Spanish children. The challenge: to turn a class of self-conscious teenagers into dancers with a performance on stage at the end. Also showing at 6pm on Thursday 8th October. Plus short: The Violinist;
(2) at 3pm: My Dearest Senorita/Mi querida senorita (PG) (in Spanish with English subtitles). Adela is a spinster in her forties who lives alone. She is aware that she is not a normal woman as she needs to shave every day and is attracted to her maid. This was the first Spanish film to talk about sexual orientation, which was a taboo subject during Franco’s regime. Followed by a talk, How Could This Film Pass Censorship? by Professor Nuria Capdevila (University of Exeter);
(3) at 5.45pm, Living is Easy with Eyes Closed/Vivir es facile con los ojos cerrados (15) (in Spanish and Basque with English subtitles). This tale, inspired by true events, takes place in 1966. As John Lennon heads to Almeria to work on Richard Lester’s anti-war film: How I Won the War. Antonio, an English teacher, decides to set out and meet him. On the way he meets two runaways and the three share an adventure that becomes the expression of a country desperate for a better future in the beautiful and backward Almeria of the ’60s. Also showing at 5.45pm on Friday 10th October. Today’s screening will be followed by a Q& A session with Dr Antonio Sánchez (University of Stirling);
(4) at 8pm: Magical Girl (18) (in Spanish with English subtitles). Alicia is an ailing child who dreams of the dress in the Japanese series Magical Girl Yukiko. She soon becomes trapped in a net of obscure blackmailing where instincts and reason spar with one another in a tragic struggle. Today’s screening will be followed by a Q&A session with director Dr Antonio Sánchez (University of Stirling). Also showing at 8.30pm on Friday 9th October.
Tickets may be purchased from the Filmhouse box office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online; prices vary.
St John’s Open Rehearsal and Choral Evensong: if you might like to join this fantastic choir, come along this evening and give it a try. A high level of commitment and good sight-reading ability is essential – but they also have a great social life! 5pm, St John’s Episcopal Church, Princes Street. For more information, use the contact form on the choir’s own website here.
St Giles’ at Six: Organ Recital. Thomas Nipp Liechtenstein, Rheinberger Entrata, Intermezzo, Tema variato Op 167, Buxtehude Praeludium in E minor, Nipp Alma redemptoris mater, Schmidt Prelude and Fugue in D, JL Krebs Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele and Nipp Ave maris stella. 6pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free: retiring collection.
Sofi’s Nocturnes: an open stage every Sunday evening, hosted by Matt Norris and Arno Blok. Unplugged and intimate, all acts welcome – music, spoken-word or anything else – and a free drink for performing! 8-10pm, Sofi’s, 65 Henderson Street.
Sarah Jones in Concert: Sarah Jones shares stories of her life as a vicar near Gloucester and as a transwoman. A passionate singer/songwriter, Sarah has performed with her collection of guitars in folk clubs all over the UK. 7.30pm, Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge. Tickets cost £8/£5 on the door. For more information please call 0131 220 1677. Part of SMHAFF – the Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival 2015.
Nitekirk: a monthly, creative drop-in experience of church. A time of reflection, gentle music, candlelight and, throughout the sanctuary, places of optional activity such as poetry, art and prayers. Come and go as you like, join in as much or as little as you wish. The theme this month is The Changing Seasons. 5-8pm, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. All welcome. ‘A place of welcome, a space for stillness, a pause on your journey, an open door’.
Cut and Paste: a new exhibition of collages by Leonard Adams, Ingrid Nilsson, Catharine Jones, Emma Sutherland and Linda Lincoln. 9am-5pm Wednesday to Sunday (closed Monday and Tuesday), Bon Papillon, 15 Howe Street. Ends mid-October.
Lauriston Castle: National Trust for Scotland Case Studies. An assessment of the Trust’s walled gardens by Robert Grant, National Trust for Scotland Head of Gardens & Designed Lanscapes. Mr Grant has designed several new heritage gardens, including the model 17th century garden at Culross Palace, Fife and the Garden of Scottish Cultivated Fruits at Fyvie Castle, Aberdeenshire. He has also redesigned the South Walled Garden at Culzean Castle, Ayrshire and has project-managed several historical garden restorations. In 1991 he won a Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medal for a model parterre garden based on the NTS Pitmedden Garden, Aberdeenshire and for four years he wrote a weekly gardening column for Scotland on Sunday newspaper. 10.30am, Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South. Tickets cost £8 and must be booked in advance via the Usher Hall Box Office, Lothian Road, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here.
Cameo Toddler Time: short screenings exclusively for pre-school children and their parents and carers. Today’s film is Toot The Tiny Tug Boat Programme 6 (U): life on the high seas is a whirl of fun and adventure when you’re a little boat with big ideas. 11am, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets cost £3 per child (accompanying adults free) and may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online here.
For Crying Out Loud: exclusive screenings for parents/carers (maximum of two adults per baby) and their babies under 12 months old. Baby changing, bottle-warming and buggy parking facilities are available. Today’s film is La Famille Belier (12A) (in French, French Sign Language and Spanish, with English subtitles): 16-year-old Paula Bélier is the only hearing member of her dairy-farming family, and acts as interpreter for her deaf parents on a daily basis. But on joining a school choir, Paula’s hitherto unknown talent for singing is discovered. As she devotes herself more and more to training her voice and decides to prepare for a prestigious Radio France Choir audition, the bonds between Paula and her previously close-knit family begin to fray. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4.50/£3.50 (babies admitted free) and may be purchased from the Filmhouse box office in person or by calling 0131 228 2688.
In Focus: William Turnbull. Art historian and curator Bill Hare (University of Edinburgh) will talk about the William Turnbull display, using the words of the artist as a guide. Dundee-born Turnbull was a major figure in post-war sculpture and painting; some of his works are shown as part of the 20th Century: Masterpieces of Scottish and European Art display on the second floor of the gallery. 12.45-1.15pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. No booking required: free and unticketed.
Portobello Community Council: agenda items include the Baileyfield development, a possible Christmas event and an SES Plan/MIR update. 7.30pm, Portobello Baptist Church Hall, 185 Portobello High Street. All welcome.
Sofi’s Cult Movies: popular classics on the silver screen in the cosy, darkened back room. Free popcorn! Tonight’s film is Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums (15): Royal Tenenbaum and his wife Etheline had three children and then they separated. All three children are extraordinary — all geniuses. Virtually all memory of the brilliance of the young Tenenbaums was subsequently erased by two decades of betrayal, failure, and disaster. Most of this was generally considered to be their father’s fault. The Royal Tenenbaums is the story of the family’s sudden, unexpected reunion one recent winter. 8pm, Sofi’s, 65 Henderson Street. Free.
Open Eye Gallery: New Exhibitions. (1) James McNaught: Looking for Fernando Rey. McNaughts’s intriguing, illustrative paintings have received worldwide acclaim; the story behind each painting in this solo exhibition is hinted at through clever, evocative titles which allow viewers to make their own connotations about the buildings, street scenes and mysterious figures. The scenes can feel familiar yet fictional and are painstakingly created with tiny brushes, demanding close inspection; (2) Andrew Restall – New Prints: a selection of single edition monotypes from the last four years of Andrew Restall’s practice, during which time frequent visits to Biggar from his home in West Linton have provided great inspiration and stimulus for his work. The prints are mainly collagraphs with occasional etching; this combination creates textured and layered compositions which play with shape and form, allowing the colour to dictate the balance in each composition; (3) Rosalind Lawless – Transition: this selection of Lawless’s work builds on her continuing investigation into the notion of space and architecture, not as a container but as the contained. The origins of this body of work come from sketches created during a residency in Reims; these drawings prompted a new way of looking and creating work, moving from the split image to isolated objects viewed vertically. 10am-6pm Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm Saturdays, Open Eye Gallery, Abercromby Place. New Prints ends on 12th October 2015; Looking for Fernando Rey and Transition continue until 14th October 2015.
City of Edinburgh Council Parking Consultation and Drop-in Event. A consultation is under way on parking in Edinburgh; the draft parking action plan sets out a range of actions and was approved by the Transport and Environment Committee on 25 August. The main actions include the extension of parking controls to cover weekends/Sundays and into the evening, the roll-out of shared use parking places and the introduction of visitor permits in the city centre. The council wants to know what you think about the proposals; there is a link to a questionnaire for you to complete on the council’s dedicated website here and a Community Drop-in Event will be held today: 2-5pm, City Chambers, 253 High Street. A further event will be held at Morningside Library on Wednesday 30th September; see listing.
Over The Rainbow: SQIFF Shorts – Different Versions of Myself (18) (all films subtitled in English to make the event more accessible for those who are deaf or hard of hearing). Scottish Queer International Film Festival (SQIFF) has handpicked a selection of the best short films from its festival (held at CCA in Glasgow last week), all addressing the theme of uncertainty and/or defiance in presenting different versions of queer selves. Several of the filmmakers will take part in a Q & A session after the screening. 6.30pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Filmhouse box office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online here; prices vary.
Leith Links Community Council: 7pm, Leith Community Centre, 12a New Kirkgate. All local residents welcome.
Folk Music Jam Session: just turn up with your instrument and show everyone what you’ve got! 7.30pm, The Old Chain Pier, Trinity Crescent.
Cameo Culture Shock: ‘the best in cult and genre films’. Tonight’s film is The Thing (18): a team of scientists in the Arctic are infiltrated by a shape-shifting alien which has the ability to replicate the appearance of the people it kills. Arguably John Carpenter’s most effective film, creating a real sense of claustrophobic paranoia through its isolated location, Ennio Morricone’s iconic score, and the distrust shown among the men as they try to work out who is still human. 9pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online here; prices vary.
Edinburgh World Justice Festival Concert: David Rovics – peace poet and troubadour from Portland, Oregon. By the early 90’s Rovics was busking in the Boston subways and by the mid-90’s he was travelling the world as a professional flat-picking rabble-rouser. These days he lives in Portland, Oregon and tours regularly on four continents, playing for audiences large and small at cafes, pubs, universities, churches, union halls and protest rallies. He has shared the stage with a veritable Who’s Who of the left in two dozen countries, and has had his music featured on Democracy Now!, BBC, Al-Jazeera and other networks. His essays are published regularly on CounterPunch and elsewhere, and the 200+ songs he makes available for free on the web have been downloaded more than a million times. ‘Most importantly, he’s really good. He will make you laugh, he will make you cry, he will make the revolution irresistible’. Plus support: Calum Baird. 8-11pm, The Canon’s Gait, 232 Canongate. Admission £10/£6.
Asylum Seekers and Refugees; Biblical Understandings and Christian Responses. Presented by Rev. Aaron Janklow, Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Edinburgh, with Professor Michael Northcott (Professor of Ethics, New College, University of Edinburgh) responding. The Minister of the Cathedral will moderate the evening, which will also include responses from a small panel, a time for general questions, and a reception. 7pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. All welcome.
Police are following a positive line of enquiry following a ‘hit and run’ collision last night in the Grassmarket which left a man in critical condition.
The victim, who is in his 50s, was struck by a red car which failed to stop at around 9.45pm .
Detective Chief Inspector Michelle Johnson said: “The car drove off towards West Port and Lothian Road and I want to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time and may have seen the collision or the red car afterwards.
“Officers are carrying out enquiries in the Grassmarket, which remains closed to traffic.”
The Grassmarket was closed on the southside between Victoria Street and West Port with diversions in place.
Anyone with information about this incident should call Police Scotland (Gayfield CID) on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111
An annual memorial service for police officers who have died while on duty was held yesterday at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre
A congregation of 1,200 people including families and colleagues attended the event where candles were lit for officers from throughout the UK.
A wreath was laid to commemorate the victims of the Clutha helicopter tragedy and Mark Nelis whose wife Kirsty died in the crash gave a reading at the ceremony.
Scottish Police Federation chairman Brian Docherty read out the names of officers who have died on duty in the last year.
Sergeant Joe Holness, who founded the commemoration, said: “This special day gives us the opportunity to come together as a nation to remember our loved ones, friends and colleagues who have made the ultimate sacrifice whilst protecting the communities they served.
“It is an honourable day and a poignant reminder of the dangerous nature of policing.”
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I am honoured to have been asked to make the opening remarks of welcome at this year’s National Police Memorial Day Service.
“Each day, right across the country, police officers make an incredible contribution to our communities and we recognise and value the incredible bravery they display as they undertake their duties, often in extremely dangerous situations.
“Today’s service will give us all the opportunity to remember and honour those officers who have given their lives while in the line of duty.
“We will never forget their courage, and my thoughts are very much with families, friends and colleagues of those who have died.
Tickets are on sale now for the tribute bands to the Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees – the Cureheads and Lizzie and the Banshees. Go along and have some fun in October at the Voodoo Rooms.
JoLoMo at Holyrood
The Bike Station
Win afternoon tea at One Square
Glow Fun Run 2015
Pick your own Pumpkins
The Scottish artist John Lowrie Morrison donated four of his paintings to The Scottish Parliament earlier this week.
The artworks were unveiled by The Scottish Parliament’s Presiding Officer in the Parliament’s Members’ Room which receives thousands of visitors every year.
The Scottish Parliament’s Presiding Officer, the Rt Hon Tricia Marwick said: “It is my great honour to unveil this very generous gift, painted specially for the Scottish Parliament by one of Scotland’s most successful and best loved contemporary artists. Jolomo’s paintings vibrate with intense colour and perfectly express the changing effect of light and weather on our land.”
The Presiding Officer continued: “His appeal is immense, taking in everyone from international celebrities to Scots who recognise his vivid depiction of their local landscape. This gift means many more visitors to the Scottish Parliament can enjoy Jolomo’s work for years to come.”
John Lowrie Morrison commented: “I am gifting these four paintings to The Scottish Parliament as a gift to the Scottish people for their great support of my work over the past 40 years. This gift was first proposed nearly 10 years ago, and it is a wonderful honour that it has been accepted, and that many visitors to the Parliament will be able to enjoy my work. I chose the paintings to express something of the fantastic colours of Scotland on both the West and East coasts.”
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Autumn is a good time to clear out the garage ahead of the winter months when you might use it to store the car. If you find that you have some bikes which have been outgrown or are in need of a bit of TLC then think Bike Station.
“As Scotland’s largest bike recycling charity, we take any and all unwanted bikes, no matter their age or condition.
Every bike we get helps support our work promoting cycling, providing training and offering volunteering and other opportunities. By selling secondhand bikes it also helps individuals who may not have otherwise afforded a bike the opportunity to get cycling.
We also take any unwanted parts and accessories, such as old locks (with a key/combination!), lights, bike panniers, trailers, etc. The only things we cannot take are old bike helmets.
As our van drivers operate on a volunteer basis, it is always preferable if you can bring your unwanted to your local Bike Station, but if you can’t manage this please use the form below to donate a bike to us.”
Contact the Bike Station through their website here.
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Enter our latest competition here to win afternoon tea for you and a friend.
The lovely people at One Square have devised a new Orchard Afternoon Tea menu and you can read all about it here.
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The GLOW fun run, organised by sight loss charity RNIB Scotland, is taking place on Saturday evening, October 31. Taking place after dark, the 3k run is inspired by the colourful full moon parties of Thailand.
Emma Baldry, the charity’s fundraiser, said: “We’re really excited about hosting another RNIB Glow Run in Edinburgh this year. Last year was a huge success. We had families, clubs, work colleagues and others taking part. It’s such a fun and colourful event, for a great cause and we’re hoping this year’s will be even bigger and better!
“As the run is only 3k long, it’s suitable for anyone and an excellent starting point for people who want to get fit. Alternatively, people can just it a fun part of their weekend. All the money raised will go towards supporting RNIB’s work with blind and partially sighted people min Scotland.”
The Glow Run is open to anyone over the age of 10 and is fully accessible to blind and partially sighted participants. Guide runners are available to support any blind or partially sighted people.
It costs £10 to register. Additionally adults are asked to raise a minimum of £25 sponsorship and children £10. Visit www.rnib.org.uk/glow to find out more and register.
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Is it too early to talk about pumpkins? Well it is better than talking about reindeer that’s for sure. Here is one suggestion from the nice people at Craigie’s.
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Yesterday was an exciting day of football in the William Hill Scottish Cup, with 77 goals scored in the 17 ties.
It was a particularly good day for the three Edinburgh based sides with Lothian Thistle beating Kelty Hearts 3-0 whilst Spartans beat Coldstream 5-1 at Ainslie Park and Edinburgh University emerged victorious over Strathspey Thistle 2-1 away from home.
The results are as follows:
Banks O’Dee 2-3 Cove Rangers
BSC Glasgow 2-2 Auchinleck Talbot
Strathspey Thistle 1-2 Edinburgh University
Lothian Thistle 3-0 Kelty Hearts
Preston Athletic 2-3 Fort William
Lossiemouth 1-4 Forres Mechanics
Keith 1-5 Inverurie Loco Works
Spartans 5-1 Coldstream
Hawick Royal Albert 0-3 Huntly
Deveronvale 0-5 Clachnacuddin
Threave Rovers 1-3 University of Stirling
Gala Fairydean Rovers 0-2 Linlithgow Rose
Nairn County 5-1 Selkirk
Buckie Thistle 7-0 Rothes
Fraserburgh 3-2 Dalbeattie Star
Wick Academy 2-2 Whitehill Welfare
Formartine United 3-1 Gretna 2008
A consultation into the best ways of increasing supporter involvement in football clubs has been launched.
The Scottish Government is launching the exercise to inform potential future legislation to protect the rights of football fans. The consultation, which will run until 15 January 2016, seeks to gather the views of supporters and other stakeholders involved in the game.
Respondents will be asked to consider a number of different options that could be included in future legislation. These include a right to influence the way the club is run, to govern the club or to bid for ownership when it comes up for sale. The final option is to introduce a right to buy, where fans would have a right to buy their football club.
The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament in June 2015. As part of the final legislation, the Scottish Government gave an undertaking to consult on a range of different options to enhance supporter involvement in football clubs.
Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health, said: “I believe that football clubs are stronger when supporters are involved in the way they are run. The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that fans have the chance to be involved wherever possible.
“It’s important to increase supporter involvement, but we also need to consider the long term stability of our clubs. We must make sure that whichever option we pursue does not result in any unintended consequences.
“This consultation is about gathering a wide range of views so we can decide the best way to achieve this. I want to hear from fans, supporters’ organisations, players and the clubs themselves – anyone who cares about this great game.”
Background:
The consultation paper can be downloaded from the Scottish Government website here:
Police are appealing for witnesses following a serious assault which happened around 2.30pm under the Red footbridge near to the Crew Toll roundabout on Ferry Road.
A 54-year-old man was approached by another man who assaulted him following a brief altercation.
The victim suffered facial injuries in the incident and was taken to St Johns Hospital, Livingston.
The suspect is described as white, of medium build and aged around 30 years old.
He was wearing a grey jumper, dark grey trousers, dark coloured walking shoes and a blue jacket tied around his waist.
He had a Husky type dog on a lead and was last seen walking off in the direction of Ferry Road Gardens.
Officers are now urging anyone who can assist with their inquiries to come forward.
Detective Constable Douglas Mogg said: “This was a brutal and unprovoked attack on a cyclist who was using a marked cycle path and it has left the victim injured and badly shaken.”
“We are keen to hear from anyone who saw a man meeting this description around this time or who can supply this man’s identity and they are asked to contact Police on the 101 number or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
Hibs’ Head Coach Alan Stubbs was disappointed in his players performance against St Mirren at Easter Road yesterday and believes that the victory over Aberdeen in midweek may have taken something out of them.
Despite that however, he insisted that Hibs created enough chances to win the game but a lack of sharpness in front of goal prevented the club moving into second place in the Championship.
Hibs now sit eight points behind Rangers who face Morton this afternoon.
Speaking immediately after the game Stubbs said: “We had chances to win the game but we never took them. After their goal Ox (Mark Oxley) has just had one save to make.
“I think when you are at home and you have a team that comes and sets their stall out, it’s a huge plus for them when they score the first goal because it gives them something to hang on to.
“That was the case today and from our point of view there just wasn’t enough zip in our play. The result through the week has taken a bit out of them but it’s still not an excuse. We still should have enough out on the pitch to get a result but the first goal was a big factor in the reason why we never got a win today.
“We didn’t create clear chances and we were just flat in general. You do get a hangover after a big result and I spoke to the players about that but it wasn’t to be.
“That’s the normal when most teams come here. we have to find a way to break them down, but we move on. Ian (Murray) will be delighted with his point but obviously we are looking for three points not one.
A law student from Edinburgh has celebrated her 21st birthday in Japan during a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity learning about the country, its culture and commerce.
With a passionate interest in Japan, Caroline Marshall won the prestigious Thomas Blake Glover Aberdeen Asset Scholarship which is administered by the Japan Society of Scotland and says it has helped her bridge the gap between east and west and given her a greater understanding – and admiration – of the nation.
As scholarship winner she received a six-week fully-funded intensive language study course at the International Christian University (ICU), Tokyo.
A former pupil of Trinity High School and Stonelaw High School, both Rutherglen, Glasgow, Caroline is about to begin her fourth year studying law at the University of Edinburgh and hopes to pursue a career in international commercial law.
Spending the summer studying in Japan has fuelled her desire to consider following a career path that takes her to Japan.
Caroline says: “I was the only Scottish person at ICU and I am also the only European girl, so I feel my responsibilities as a representative have been multiplied many times.
“However, this is not a negative thing – I came on this journey to meet new people from other countries who could teach me about their own cultures whilst sharing with me a love of everything Japanese. That’s exactly what I’ve found and I can’t imagine gaining this kind of experience anywhere else.
“The programme is designed to teach a year of university level Japanese in six weeks. While this sounds daunting, it’s been an exciting and unique opportunity. I’m glad to have come here with some knowledge of the spoken language, as it’s made the transition a little easier and has allowed me to focus on learning how to write.
“Attending classes are only part of the experience. ICU runs a cultural programme alongside the course, meaning that students are given the opportunity to experience many traditional Japanese activities or places with Japanese students to guide us.”
Caroline’s love of Japan developed after learning about the country at primary school aged just 10. She became a fan of the Japanese tradition of the Takarazuka Forum Theatre, a distinguished all-female acting school, and attended Japanese classes in Edinburgh.
Aside from classes and studying, Caroline has visited many places and experienced many different cultural experiences, including attending the National Theatre of Japan to watch a Kabuki performance and has tried ikebana, the art of Japanese flower arrangement and experiencing zazen meditation at a Buddhist temple.
While there have been many amazing things to do, some of her favourite experiences were the simple everyday things, like shopping, and she has been struck by the high level of respect shown to customers and the sheer volume and range of items available in shops.
Caroline added: “I had never been to this side of the world before, and I always hoped that one day I would have the opportunity to practice commercial law internationally and to further my study of Japanese, perhaps going on to work there.
“These are all big dreams, which I thought I would never have the chance to make a reality until Aberdeen Asset Management and the Japan Society of Scotland offered me this chance. I’ve really made the most of this wonderful opportunity. I’ve learned so many things and met so many people that I will carry with me beyond my time in Japan and for that I feel very fortunate.
“I feel that taking part in a small project in primary school over ten years ago changed the course of my life completely. Through this scholarship, Aberdeen Asset Management and the Japan Society of Scotland have created a milestone in my life that I feel has already set me on a new and exciting path.”
More about the scholarship can be found at www.facebook.com/GloverScholarship, www.twitter.com/gloverscholar and www.japansocietyofscotland.org.uk/
PHOTO Neil Hanna Photography
www.neilhannaphotography.co.uk
07702 246823
Notwithstanding the fact that plans to revamp the Royal High School into a luxury hotel are at an advanced stage, and the developer has a legal arrangement with the council, moves are still being made to retain the building as a school. The Royal High School Preservation Trust (RHSPT) has declared its intention to move St Mary’s Music School into the famous neoclassical Thomas Hamilton buildings on Calton Hill.
Backed by the philanthropic Dunard Fund, the Trust has made a formal legal offer to buy the iconic buildings and appointed renowned architect Richard Murphy OBE to develop designs to restore the site as a school, alongside conservation architects Simpson & Brown.
With overwhelming community support for its initial plans following two public consultation events, the Trust now intends to submit a detailed and fully funded application to the City of Edinburgh Council as soon as possible.
Making the announcement alongside Dr Kenneth Taylor, headteacher of St Mary’s Music School, William Gray Muir, the Chairman of the Trust, confirmed that a bid to purchase the Old Royal High School for £1.5m had been made, exceeding the value currently put on the buildings by the City of Edinburgh Council. This is a small part of a substantial funding pledge which has been made to the Trust to underwrite the cost of a conservation and conversion that respects the buildings’ original character, historic significance and location to secure their long-term future.
The project would represent one of the single largest philanthropic arts gifts in modern Scottish history.
A council spokesperson said: “The Royal High School is not on the market as the council has a legal agreement with Duddingston House Properties to lease it to them. The site is now subject to a planning application for a hotel, which has been submitted to the council and will be considered in due course.”
Gray Muir said: “The Old Royal High School buildings are crucial to the character of Edinburgh and part of the architectural heritage that attracts people to this wonderful city. The Trust was set up specifically to conserve and protect this masterpiece for the long-term and what better way than to restore it to its original purpose as a school?
“St Mary’s Music School needs a new home and if we are successful, not only will this move ensure the School will have more teaching and performance space but as a new venue and destination for talented musicians it will also create opportunity to add to Edinburgh’s cultural economy.”
Pic Peter Devlin
Responses received as a result of a pre-application public consultation process so far suggest a very high degree of public and community support for the RHSPT’s proposal. 100% of respondents surveyed to date agreed that they welcomed the RHSPT’s proposal to locate St Mary’s Music School in the old Royal High School building. 99% of respondents supported the proposed design concept and layout, while 97% thought the RHSPT’s proposals will improve provision of public performance space for concerts and events in Edinburgh.
He added: “We are delighted to have persuaded Richard Murphy to take on this project. Richard’s architectural practice is vastly experienced in both arts and education buildings and is the ideal partner for such an important project.
“The community response that our proposals have so far received has been phenomenal, with almost 100% of people surveyed at two public events telling us that they support the Trust’s vision for the old Royal High School. We will continue to consult as part of this process and plan to present an update on our designs within weeks.”
Richard Murphy Architects have expressed delight to have been appointed by The Royal High School Preservation Trust to design a new home for the St Mary’s Music School on the site of the former Royal High School.
Richard Murphy’s reputation for sensitively combining new and old has been founded on his own continuing academic explorations into the work of the Venetian architect Carlo Scarpa as well as on a number of significant completed projects. The conversions of the category A listed Tolbooth in Stirling, the Eastgate theatre in Peebles and the John Muir Birthplace Centre in Dunbar are just three examples. Forthcoming is the conversion of the category A Donaldson’s School, the placing of new apartments in the grounds, the radical extension to the listed Carnegie library to form a new arts and heritage centre in the heart of Dunfermline’s historic core, and a new foyer and studio theatre to the historic auditorium of Perth theatre. Just complete is the placing of a golf museum cafe on a prominent site adjacent to the R and A clubhouse in St Andrews.
The consistently high standards of the practice’s varied work have been recognised by the RIBA who have awarded the practice no less than twenty of their awards, more than any other Scottish practice.
Richard Murphy commented: “This is a wonderful site, an exceptionally important building and a delightful client and brief; what architect could not relish such a prospect? We look forward to working closely with the Trust, the School and the rest of the design team.”
Simpson & Brown has advised on the conservation of some of Scotland’s most prominent historic buildings including the National Portrait Gallery, Register House, Old College Quad and the National Galleries – which could be considered, along with the Royal High School, as part of the character of Edinburgh as the Athens of the North. Simpson & Brown often work in collaboration with other architects to understand the history and significance of architectural heritage.
John Sanders, partner at Simpson & Brown said: “We have enjoyed working together with Richard Murphy on previous projects and the Royal High School project is a wonderful opportunity to combine creativity with scholarship.”
Dr Kenneth Taylor, headteacher of St Mary’s Music School said: “This is an exciting and wonderful opportunity for us to further develop Scotland’s only independent specialist music school. Moving to the former Royal High School building would provide us with the performance and rehearsal space we aspire to and would enable us to broaden and extend the outreach activities we currently offer to the wider community.”
Win “Orchard Afternoon Tea” for two at One Square
One Square, in partnership with The Edinburgh Reporter, is giving one lucky reader and their guest an opportunity to win Orchard Afternoon Tea at One Square between the end of the competition on 9 October and 15 November 2015. Just answer the question below to be in with a chance!
As the leaves turn a coppery glow this autumn, One Square is bringing the fruity flavours of an Orchard to the heart of the city with a unique Orchard Afternoon Tea.
The traditional fruit harvest season has inspired One Square’s talented Pastry team who are renowned for creating an inventive afternoon tea, with a twist. The Orchard Afternoon Tea combines fruit with savoury delicacies including orange poached Loch Duart salmon with burnt clementines on rye, and slow cooked Gressingham duck & sweet cherry compote on toasted thyme brioche.
For those who enjoy the sweeter delights of afternoon tea, guests will savour an apple sorbet lollipop made with locally-brewed Thistly Cross Cider, along with a toffee apple cream slice. The ubiquitous scone has not been forgotten with a traditional plain variety mixed in with kirsch soaked cherry, served with Devonshire clotted cream and blackcurrant jam.
To wash it down, One Square’s bar team has created a choice of two fruity gin cocktails including an Orchard Mimosa with ginger and fresh orange, topped with Thistly Cross Elderflower Cider. While the Secret Garden features lime juice, elderflower and strawberries, topped with Thistly Cross Strawberry Cider.
To enter the competition simply answer this question by 5:00pm on 9 October 2015
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Orchard Afternoon Tea – Full Menu:
ASSORTED SANDWICHES & SAVOURIES
Orange poached Scottish salmon with burnt clementines on rye
Honey & Calvados baked ham with Cox’s apple and celeriac remoulade in a Viennese roll
Slow cooked duck & sweet cherry compote on toasted thyme brioche
Pear and stilton tart with walnut crumble
FRESHLY MADE SCONES
Mull cheddar & wholegrain mustard, kirsch soaked cherry and a traditional plain scone served with unsalted butter, Devonshire clotted cream and blackcurrant jam
A SELECTION OF FINE CAKES & PASTRIES
Warm mini quince and sultana pie
Toffee apple cream slice
Pear and dark chocolate crisp pecan sandwich
Apricot fool
Apple sorbet lollipop
Fig tart tatin with vanilla sweet cream
Walnut and cherry loaf
Terms and Conditions:
Leicester-based singer-songwriter Hannah Boleyn will release her new album The Boleyn Affair on 2 October on the Tudor Gate Records label, and will play one Scottish show at Edinburgh’s Electric Circus on 19 October to promote it.
Boleyn’s new soulful album was produced and mixed by Ash Howes, of Ellie Goulding and Kylie Minogue fame, and tells stories of love, loss and emotion.
The debut single ‘When You’re Gone’ has already been played on Radio 2, and is one of the many songs on the album that is inspired by split-ups with lovers. ‘Tough Love’, however, focuses on her love-hate relationship with the music industry, and the struggles of getting recognition.
Boleyn draws her songwriting influences from Amy Winehouse, Lana Del Rey and Shirley Bassey, to create her unique style of pop.
She has toured the country supporting The Overtones, The Saturdays, Tinie Tempah, James Morrison, Joan Armatrading and UB40.
Tickets can be purchased from the Electric Circus website.
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