Hearts highly impressive start to their return to top flight football – winning their first four Ladbrokes Premiership games to sit proudly at the top of the league – has evoked memories for some of the George Burley era (if three months can be classed an era) when Hearts won their opening eight Premier League fixtures of season 2005/06. With new recruits such as Edgaras Jankauskas, Takis Fyssas and the ebullient Rudi Skacel, Hearts looked like they would offer a serious challenge to Celtic and Rangers for the league championship. But then manager Burley was sensationally dismissed by then owner Vladimir Romanov and the fall-out had a damaging effect on Hearts title hopes. The Maroons did finish second in the league and lifted the Scottish Cup at the end of the season but there will forever be a feeling of what might have been had Burley been allowed to finish the job he started in such spectacular fashion.

Hearts present Head Coach, Robbie Neilson, was an integral part of that 2005/06 squad. However, the former full back is quick to dismiss comparison between the present day table toppers and the side who so impressed the country a decade ago. As Neilson pointed out, Burley’s side contained a Uefa Champions League winner (Jankauskas) a European Championship winner (Fyssas) and Czech Republic stars Skacel and Michal Pospisil among a whole raft of foreign imports. At that time Hearts weren’t averse to spending the cash via UBIG the Lithuanian bank who bank-rolled Romanov’s over-grand designs for the team from Gorgie. When UBIG hit the financial buffers a couple of years ago, Hearts faced calamity and the club’s very existence was at stake.

Hearts have paid the price for such financial extravagance with administration, a ban on signing players and a 15 point deduction imposed on the club meaning Hearts had to spend a season in the second tier of Scottish football for the first time in over thirty years. Securing financial stability thanks to new owner Ann Budge, the football know-how of former player and manager Craig Levein and the hard-working and rapidly developing coaching skills of Robbie Neilson, Hearts coasted to the SPFL Championship last season, fending off what little resistance the likes of Rangers and city rivals Hibernian could throw at them.

Any promoted side will look at avoiding relegation back to whence they came as the immediate target and, to lapse into cliché mode, anything else is a bonus. Given they had two tricky away trips – to Dundee and Ross County, who both finished last season strongly – in their opening fixtures, few people outside Gorgie believed Hearts would be at the top of the Premiership after the first four games. But sitting there they are, hence the comparisons with the side who made a similar start to a season exactly ten years ago.

For those of us who recall the yo-yo years of the late 1970s/early 1980s, perhaps a more accurate comparison is with the last Hearts team who won promotion to the top-flight of Scottish football – Alex MacDonald and Sandy Jardine’s team of season 1983/84.

Hearts won promotion along with St. Johnstone in the spring of 1983 and then, like now, optimism had returned to Tynecastle. There are other similarities between 1983 and 2015. In 1981, Hearts had been saved from financial oblivion by an Edinburgh businessman, Wallace Mercer. Mercer restructured the club and appointed MacDonald and Jardine as his management team. To help develop the club’s promising youngsters such as John Robertson, Gary Mackay and David Bowman, MacDonald and Jardine brought in players with Premier Division experience such as Willie Johnston, Stewart McLaren and Jimmy Bone. They passed on their experience and know-how to the Tynecastle young guns and Hearts began their return to the Premier Division (as it was then) with five straight wins – including winning difficult fixtures at Dens Park and St. Mirren. Hearts sat joint top of the league with Celtic and champions Dundee United before reality kicked in and points were inevitably dropped. Nonetheless, Hearts ended the season in fifth place in the Premier Division – enough to secure a place in the Uefa Cup the following season.

Thirty-two years later, Hearts have again returned to Scottish football’s top flight. Again, they have won their opening fixtures and, again sit top of the league in the early weeks of the season. Experienced players such as Neil Alexander, Morgaro Gomis and Prince Buaben have helped youngsters such as Sam Nicholson, Billy King and Callum Paterson not only secure promotion but ensure a brilliant start to life back in the top league. Talk of this team challenging Celtic for the league title are unrealistic but there’s no reason why Hearts can’t match or even better the fifth place finish of 1984. Fourth place should be sufficient to secure European football for next term and, on the early evidence at least, this is something not beyond Robbie Neilson’s side.

Given where Hearts were just fifteen months ago there has been spectacular progress made in Gorgie. Ann Budge said when she took over that there was a two year plan to get the club back to the Premiership. Not only are Hearts there a year ahead of schedule, they are setting the Premiership alight – just as they did in 1983/84. Like three decades ago, attendances are up (although, in truth, they never really dipped even with a season in the second tier) Nearly 14,000 season ticket holders is testament to the club’s resurgence and the supporters belief that the good times are back again. There will be setbacks in the weeks and months ahead but the club is so strong now that these setbacks will be overcome.

Hearts are back, beating vibrantly once more. And Scottish football is all the richer for it.

For those people of my generation who grew up in the 1970s, 2015 has been a sad year. So many ‘weel-kent’ faces from that era have passed away this year. The likes of Patrick Macnee – John Steed of The Avengers – Irish singer Val Doonican, Liverpool’s Cilla Black and Stephen Lewis aka Inspector Blake of hit comedy series On the Buses, have all taken their leave in recent weeks.

So when I saw another favourite of mine from four decades ago – comedy actor Rodney Bewes – was appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this month, I simply had to go and see him live.

Bewes and his co-star James Bolam played Bob and Terry in the hit television comedy series The Likely Lads in the 1960s and its 1970s follow-up Whatever Happened to The Likely Lads. Bewes and Bolam played a couple of loveable Geordie ‘characters’ who kept the nation amused with their antics for more than a decade.

While Bolam has a string of television credits to his name in the intervening years, most recently in the BBC series New Tricks, one may be forgiven for asking whatever happened to his pal Rodney Bewes? Well, during his one hour show at Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms in George Street, Bewes – now 78 – is happy to tell his adoring public what he has been up to. He has been heavily involved in the theatre in a variety of shows including A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Funny Money, The Odd Couple, Three Men in a Boat and The Diary of a Nobody.

Bewes told the story of how he got the part in Whatever Happened to The Likely Lads thanks to his part in the film Billy Liar where he played alongside his good friend Tom Courtenay in the early 1960s. He also regaled the story of a working-class boy from the North who washed-up by night to fund studying at RADA. In his own words, Bewes describes his laddish behaviour in swinging London with some of the biggest stars of the day.

Bewes entertained those in attendance at the Assembly Rooms with tales of his career and, while he may have ‘struggled with new technology’ (a cd player that played the theme tune to Whatever Happened to The Likely Lads at the beginning of his show) and had to refer to his notes a couple of times, the glint in his eye displayed a sharp sense of humour that hasn’t diminished over the years.

After the show he gladly signed photographs and chatted with those who had seen his show – something not all of today’s ‘stars’ can claim.

The show will appeal to those who still remember Whatever Happened to The Likely Lads (the programme is still being shown on the UK Gold channel) although perhaps not so much to those who have never seen the show. But it’s a splendid hour nonetheless.

Rodney Bewes – Whatever Happened to The Likely Lad?

Edinburgh Reporter Review: ***

Ticket Information Here

Lots of films on this week – with settings as diverse as Ireland, Korea, Harlem and Oz, plus art, gardening, books, crafts, music – and Genghis Khan…  Have fun!

Please check details with all venues before setting off; we don’t want you to have a wasted journey.

MONDAY 17TH AUGUST 2015

Grassmarket Community Cinema: Dark Days (15): when he relocated from London to Manhattan, Marc Singer discovered that some of the city’s homeless people were living in abandoned tunnels. He met and became friends with a group living in The Freedom Tunnel community stretching north from Penn Station past Harlem. Singer had never made a film before; he saw Dark Days’ production as a means of gaining better accommodation for the residents of the tunnel. The film’s crew consisted of the subjects themselves, who rigged up makeshift lighting and steadicam dollies and learned to use a 16mm camera with Kodak film. The post-production took years, as both financial difficulties and Singer’s insistence on creative control to protect the tunnel’s residents caused many delays.  The film features music by DJ Shadow and was edited by Melissa Neidich. 7pm, Grassmarket Community Project, 86 Candlemaker Row. All welcome; free – donations to the Project also very welcome. The cafe will be open – please use it!

For Crying Out Loud: exclusive screenings for parents and carers and their babies under 12 months. Baby changing, bottle-warming and buggy parking facilities are available. Today’s film is Thebe (15) (in Arabic with English subtitles): a coming-of-age adventure set in 1916, in the desolate yet beautiful landscapes of the Hijaz region. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4.50/£3.50 per adult (maximum 2 adults per baby) and may be obtained from the Box Office in person or by calling 0131 228 6382.

Blackwell’s Edinburgh Adult Book Group: join the group for lively, friendly book chatter about a wide range of books – fiction, non-fiction, classic, contemporary, prizewinners, cult heroes – anything you fancy! Currently reading Ian McEwan’s The Children Act. September’s book will be Nadeem Aslam’s The Wasted Vigil. 6pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. If you would like to join the group (it’s free), please email your name and address to events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk.

Artist Rooms: Roy Lichtenstein Curator’s Tour. Lucy Askew, Senior Curator at the Gallery of Modern Art, leads a tour of this exhibition. 12.45-1.30pm, First Floor, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. Free and unticketed.

Escher Drop-in Sessions: visit the Escher exhibition at Modern TWO then cross over the road to the Bothy at Modern ONE and work with artist Campbell Sandilands to make some artwork inspired by what you have seen. 2-4pm, The Bothy, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. Free and unticketed. Also at same times on 18th, 19th, 20th & 21st August.

Edinburgh Book Fringe: daily events – all of them free (donations appreciated) – for two weeks at Word Power Books, Edinburgh’s independent radical bookshop. Today: Keith Venables, Convenor of the Independent Working Class Education Network, discusses A Manifesto for Independent Working Class Education, which asks what we can learn from the historic struggles of workers who demanded an education that suited their needs. ‘An historic account of the struggles and the spark for a debate about the way forward’. 1pm, Word Power Books, West Nicolson Street. All welcome! No booking required, but arrive promptly as space is limited.

Curated by…. a season of films hand-picked by invited Festival regulars. Each screening will feature an in-person introduction by the curator, revealing their passion for the film and their reasons for choosing it. Today: Camille Sullivan presents The Wizard of Oz (U). 9pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online.

Picturehouses Culture Shock: bringing you the best in cult and genre films. Today’s film is Top Gun (12A), which takes a look at the danger and excitement that awaits every pilot at the Navy’s prestigious fighter weapons school. Tom Cruise stars. 9pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online; prices vary.

Leith Central Community Council Meeting: 7pm, Shore Room, Leith Community Education Centre, 12a Newkirkgate. All welcome.

Sofi’s Cult Movie Mondays: popular classics on the silver screen in Sofi’s cosy darkened back room. Free popcorn! Tonight’s film is Inside Llewyn Davis (15). Struggling New York City folk singer Llewyn Davis embarks on an odyssey that takes him from the streets of 1961 Greenwich Village to a Chicago Club, where awaits the music mogul who could give him the big break he needs. 8pm, Sofi’s, Henderson Street.

TUESDAY 18TH AUGUST 2015

St Mary’s Cathedral Tours: free tours of Scotland’s largest cathedral, a renowned masterpiece of Victorian Gothic architecture, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott. 10am today and every Tuesday in August, St Mary’s Cathedral (meet inside West Door), Palmerston Place. Free. Also at 2.15pm each Friday in August.

Wester Hailes Edible Estates: Food Group. A new group open to anyone living in Wester Hailes, where you can learn about healthy eating, find out how to use the vegetables being grown in the community garden, share your own recipes and cooking tips, and improve your cooking and budgeting skills. 5-6.45pm today and every Tuesday, Clovenstone Community Centre, 54 Clovenstone Park. For more information or to register, please contact Stephanie at Edinburgh Community Food on 0131 467 7326 or email sscott@edinburghcommunityfood.org.uk.

Cutting Up Picasso: Cubism and Lee Miller’s Collage. Dr Patricia Allmer, Chancellor’s Fellow, Edinburgh College of Art, will explore Lee Miller’s collage, made in response to Picasso’s portraits of her, of other women surrealists, and of wider historical and art networks in which both artists were involved. 12.45-1.30pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed. Lee Miller and Picasso continues at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery until 6th September 2015.

Edinburgh Art Festival: Luke Collins Presents Film Club: an evening of screenings curated by the Project Manager for the artists’ moving image agency LUX Scotland, shown in conjunction with Platform: 2015. 7-9.30am, Festival Hub, 9 Blair Street. Free but booking is required and may be made via eventbrite here.

Craigentinny and Meadowbank Community Council AGM: come and talk about local issues with others from the area. Craigentinny Community Centre, Loaning Road. Please contact Giacomo Modica at modicag@hotmail.co.uk for time and details. All local residents very welcome!

Edinburgh Book Fringe: daily events – all of them free (donations appreciated) – for two weeks at Word Power Books, Edinburgh’s independent radical bookshop. Today: Unscripted – actor and Eggheads star CJ de Mooi  discusses his shocking early life and his new autobiography CJ: My Journey from the Streets to the Screens. 1pm, Word Power Books, West Nicolson Street. All welcome! No booking required, but arrive promptly as space is limited.

Edinburgh Book Fringe: daily events – all of them free (donations appreciated) – for two weeks at Word Power Books, Edinburgh’s independent radical bookshop. Tonight: award-winning poet, critic, editor, writer and translator Bashabi Fraser launches her latest collection of poems Letters to My Mother: And Other Mothers. 6.30pm, Word Power Books, West Nicolson Street. All welcome! No booking required, but arrive promptly as space is limited.

Bernat Klein: A Life in Colour – Curator’s Tour. The Gallery’s Exhibitions Curator Kate Grenyer tours the current exhibition and gives an insight into the works and life of the colour theorist, artist and textile designer Bernat Klein. 5-6pm, Dovecot Studios, Infirmary Street. Free but booking is required and may be made via eventbrite here.

Curated by…. a season of films hand-picked by invited Festival regulars. Each screening will feature an in-person introduction by the curator, revealing their passion for the film and their reasons for choosing it. Today: Ian Rankin presents Rear Window (PG), Hitchock’s simple but brilliant classic, in which James Stewart bears witness to everyone’s dirty laundry across the courtyard. 9pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online.

Edinburgh Art Festival – Spotlight Tours of Scottish Art: People, Places, Ideas. Guided tours of the City Art Centre’s Scottish Art collection, focusing on people, places and ideas. 11am or 3pm, (meet at reception) City Art Centre, 2 Market Street. No booking required, free – suggested donation £2. Also at same times on Thursday 20th August and Saturday 22nd August 2015.

Ragged University: Genghis Khan/Independent Working Class Education. The first of this evening’s talks is Singing the Law and Riding the City: The Rule of Genghis Khan, by Donald Carrick, who will examine Khan’s reforms and conquests to engage with notions of good and evil in a historical context. How can we apply modern morality to the past? And if we can, do we apply the same standards to the present and the future? After a break for food and conversation, the second talk will be A World to Win: Learning from the Past, Making the Future, by Kenneth Venables, who will look at the rich history of working class people deciding for themselves what kind of education – and what kind of life – they want. Going back before the Plebs League (1909), people have always learned from the struggle, but not often won. Why is this? Were the obstacles insurmountable? The talk will also consider the Match Women’s Strike (1888), the Grunwick Strike (1978), and things happening today. 7.30-10pm, Leith Beer Company, 58 The Shore. Free, no need to book – just turn up; please bring an item of food to share if you can.

Francophone African Literature with Alain Mabanckou and Gustave Akakpo. Internationally acclaimed Congo-Brazzaville novelist Mabanckou and award-winning Togolese author Akakpo will discuss francophone African literature and theatre. The talk (in English) will be chaired by Lucie Campos, head of the book department at the Institut francais du Royaume-uni. 3-4.30pm, Institut francais d’Ecosse, Randolph Crescent. Free but booking is essential and may be made by calling 0131 225 5366 or via eventbrite here. Alain Mabanckou will appear at the Edinburgh International Book Festival with Etgar Keret on 18th August 2015. Gustave Akakpo’s play Skins and Hoods/Cie du Veilleur will be performed in English at 2pm at the Institut francais d’Ecosse every day 7th-31st August (except 17th & 24th) as part of Edinburgh Fringe Festival: for more information and to book, click here.

LGBT Language Cafe: a groundbreaking new project offering four facilitated sessions for LGBT people whose first language is not English. Each session will offer games and activities to help you improve your spoken English and the opportunity to meet other people in a safe and supportive environment. 6.30-8pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information and to book your free place please contact Jules on 0131 523 1104 or jules@lgbthealth.org.uk – or just turn up on the night.

Edinburgh Art Festival: Fine Lines. A talk and tour with Christina Jansen, Director and Curator of The Scottish Gallery; Christina will give a short talk and a guided tour around the gallery’s festival exhibition Fine Lines, an international showcase of artists reflecting innovation and design in the applied arts. 4pm, The Scottish Gallery, 16 Dundas Street. Free but booking is essential and may be made by calling the gallery on 0131 558 1200.

WEDNESDAY 19TH AUGUST 2015

Celebrity Organ Recital: celebrated international recitalist Adriano Falcioni (Perugia Cathedral) will play Howells Rhapsody No 3 in C Sharp Minor, Guilmant Marcia funebre et chant seraphique, GF Handel Organ Concerto in F HWV 295, JS Bach Prelude and Fugue in E Minor BWV 548, Mendelssohn Sonata V in D Op 65 and Jongen Sonata Heroica Op 94. 8pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Tickets cost £8/£5 (students)/accompanied children free, and are available from the Cathedral shop (0131 226 0673), from the Fringe Festival Box Office by calling 0131 226 0000, online here or on the door (sta).

Edinburgh Book Fringe: daily events – all of them free (donations appreciated) – for two weeks at Word Power Books, Edinburgh’s independent radical bookshop. Today: North Uist poet Pauline Prior-Pitt, Chrys Salt MBE and the poetry of Tessa Ransford (founder of the Scottish Poetry Library), chosen by her friends.  1pm, Word Power Books, West Nicolson Street. All welcome! No booking required, but arrive promptly as space is limited.

Chatterbooks: if you are aged 8-12 and enjoy books and reading, come along to Chatterbooks to meet new friends, chat about books and join in games and competitions. 3.45-4.45pm, Fountainbridge Library, 137 Dundee Street. All welcome! For more information please ask at the counter, call 0131 529 5617 or contact Mohammed.boussabou@edinburgh.gov.uk. The next meeting will be on 16th September 2015.

Four Hands, One Piano – A Lunchtime Concert: Les Shankland and Morley Whitehead perform works by Mozart, Bach, Walton, Haydn, Rachmaninoff and Handel. 1.10pm, Morningside Parish Church, Braid Road/Cluny Gardens. Free: a retiring collection will be taken for the church’s music scholarship fund.

Made in Prague: the New Czech Cinema UK Tour 2015. The biennial UK showcase of contemporary Czech cinema is back for the fifth time, with five titles capturing the country’s dramatic past and its influence on contemporary life and culture. Today’s film is Fair Play (15) (In Czech with English subtitles), Andrea Sedlackova’s intimate study of a young female athlete caught in a web of state-sponsored doping. 6.10pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be obtained from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 6382 or online: prices vary.

Guided Tour of the National Library: a tour of the building and an introduction to the Library’s collections and history. 10.30m, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Booking is essential and may be made by calling 0131 623 3734 or online here.

Stockbridge and Inverleith Community Council Meeting: 7pm, Stockbridge Church, Saxe Coburg Street. All members of the community welcome!

The Green Screen Presents The Vanishing of the Bees (U): filmed across the US, in Australia, Europe and Asia, this documentary examines the alarming disappearance of honey bees and the greater meaning this holds for the relationship of mankind and Mother Earth. As scientists puzzle over the cause of Colony Collapse Disorder, organic beekeepers indicate alternative reasons for this tragic loss; conflicting opinions abound, yet after years of research a definitive answer to this harrowing mystery still has not been found. The film will be followed by a discussion. 8.30pm, The Skylark, 241 Portobello High Street. The Green Screen is organised by Porty and Craigmillar Greens.

‘Lifting the Lid’ Exhibition Tours: Manuscripts Curator Olive Geddes leads a tour of Lifting the Lid: 400 Years of food and drink in Scotland, an exhibition that uses the Library’s rich collections to explore Scotland’s changing relationship with food and drink, the diversity of Scotland’s larder and some of the myths and traditions of the Scottish diet. 11am-12 noon, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Booking is essential and may be made by calling 0131 623 3734 or online here. Also at same time on 26th August 2015.

Curated by…. a season of films hand-picked by invited Festival regulars. Each screening will feature an in-person introduction by the curator, revealing their passion for the film and their reasons for choosing it. Today: Phill Jupitus presents Brazil (15), Terry Gilliam’s dystopian masterpiece, in which Jonathan Pryce plays the small man up against a gargantuan, faceless bureaucracy. 9pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online.

Edinburgh Festival Voluntary Guides Association: Morbid Curiosities. A look inside the Surgeons’ Hall Museum, with Iain McIntyre. Since its foundation in 1697, visitors to Surgeons’ Hall Museum have ranged from those wishing to learn about the human body or the history of surgery to those simply curious to see the morbid displays. The museum will reopen after a multi-million pound upgrade in September 2015. 7pm for 7.30pm, City Chambers, 253 High Street. Free; all welcome.

Bi & Beyond Edinburgh: a fortnightly social gathering for people who identify as bisexual or non-monosexual. With organised social activities and refreshments provided, whatever your label or lack of label, we welcome you. 7-9pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information please contact biandbeyondedinburgh@gmail.com.

THURSDAY 20TH AUGUST 2015

Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents Writers at the Fringe: every Thursday throughout the Fringe, Blackwell’s invites a selection of Scottish performers to give a taste of their work. New and unpublished works of literary art stand alongside established novelists, with any and all genres free to be expressed, from poetry to cutting-edge drama, folk music, contemporary fiction and all that is found between. Tonight’s line-up is Peter Ranscombe, Michael F Russel, Jim Crumley, Vicki Jarrett and Chris Dolan. 5.45pm for 6pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free tickets may be obtained from the shop’s front desk, by calling 0131 622 8229, emailing events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk, via eventbrite here or from the Fringe Box Office here.

Aquillos Ensemble: the Ensemble returns to present a selection of movements from Picasso Pictures by Raymond Warren, plus Danzi’s Wind Quintet in B Major and Zemlinksy’s Humoreske. 6-6.30pm, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.

LGBT Disability Social Circle: a social group for people with learning difficulties or disabilities to meet other people, have fun and discuss sexuality and gender identity. Today: afternoon tea and games. 2-4pm, Lifecare Centre, 2 Cheyne Street, Stockbridge. For more information please contact George Burrows on 0131 652 3281 or george@lgbthealth.org.uk.

Phill Jupitus Sketch Comic in Conversation: each Thursday evening during the festivals, Phill Jupitus will be in conversation with a special guest – a passionate, personal and irreverent look at art, a chat about what Phill has seen in the galleries this week, and possibly some sketching! The guests’ identities will be announced nearer the time. 7-8pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.

Edinburgh Art Festival – Spotlight Tours of Scottish Art: People, Places, Ideas. Guided tours of the City Art Centre’s Scottish Art collection, focusing on people, places and ideas. 11am or 3pm, (meet at reception) City Art Centre, 2 Market Street. No booking required, free – suggested donation £2. Also at same times on Saturday 22nd August 2015.

Edinburgh Book Fringe: daily events – all of them free (donations appreciated) – for two weeks at Word Power Books, Edinburgh’s independent radical bookshop. Today: MacGillvray (Kirsten Norrie) and Carly Brown read their poetry. 1pm, Word Power Books, West Nicolson Street. All welcome! No booking required, but arrive promptly as space is limited.

POUT Fest Tour: POUT started life four years ago as an LGBT film festival from independent film distributor Peccadillo Pictures, created as a response to audience demands for more queer-oriented cinema on the big screen. After the overwhelming success of the London POUT Fests, Peccadillo have decided to take POUT on the road via an ongoing touring festival of selected films. Today’s film is A Girl at My Door (Dohee-ya) (In Korean with English subtitles): Young-nam was a top graduate of the Korean police academy, but has been transferred to a post at a small seaside village owing to ‘misconduct’. On her first patrol she encounters the mysterious Dohee, a morose young girl excluded by the community. Compelled to protect her from her family, Young-nam lets Dohee move in with her; all is well with this unconventional arrangement, until their fairytale existence takes an unexpected turn. 6.10pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be obtained from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 6382 or online: prices vary. The next POUT film will be 52 Tuesdays, showing on 21st and 22nd August.

FRIDAY 21ST AUGUST 2015

Run for Me – Dance for Me – Think of Me: a fun, action-packed weekend to celebrate the life of the late Louise Duncan, Minister of Balerno Church, and to raise funds for the charity that did so much for her in her last months, Marie Curie Cancer Care. As part of the weekend, Balerno Village Screen will tonight show Young @ Heart (PG), the true story  of the final weeks of rehearsal for the Young At Heart Chorus in Northampton, MA, whose average age is 81. The Chorus’s repertoire is unexpected – it includes songs by James Brown and Sonic Youth – and they have toured Europe and sung for royalty, but this account focuses on learning new songs for a concert in their home town, a concert which succeeds despite several heart-breaking events. 6.15pm, St Joseph’s Hall, (next to) Balerno Church, Balerno. Free tickets may be reserved via eventbrite here or collected from The Mill Cafe or Balerno Post Office. Balerno Village Screen is a community cinema offering free admission and funded by donations.

In Basho’s Footsteps: Streams and Mountains. Poet Pablo F Velcarce and artist Anya Gleizer hiked 2,000 km across Japan’s wilderness in the footsteps of Matsuo Basho, the ancient haiku poet. Through contact with local artists, Zen monks and nature itself, the two artists came closer to the state of mind and awareness that Basho deemed necessary to make art. This exhibition shows the art inspired by the adventure: painting, poetry, installations, video and performance that echo the spirit of the journey.  11am-5pm, Coburg House Studios, 15 Coburg Street. Ends 25th August 2015.

St Mary’s Cathedral Tours: free tours of Scotland’s largest cathedral, a renowned masterpiece of Victorian Gothic architecture, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott. 2.15pm today and every Friday in August, St Mary’s Cathedral (meet inside West Door), Palmerston Place. Free. Also at 10am each Tuesday in August.

Phill Jupitus: Sketch Comic at the Scottish National Gallery. The legendary stand-up, poet and sketchman returns for another three weeks of digital drawing, chat and mirth. Each morning Phill will select and sketch (on an iPad) a favourite of his from the gallery collection. Come and watch, chat with Phill and join in on your own iPad or sketchbook – make and share your own sketches. Phill’s work will be posted on Facebook and Twitter each day and you are encouraged to post yours too. Phill will be at a different gallery each week;  for the final week he moves to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Wednesday will be a special Sketch Comic for Kids sessions, but grown-ups are still welcome to come along. On Thursday evenings Phill will host a special in-conversation event with a different special guest each time – see listing. 10am-12 noon today and every day until 27th August, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Belford Road. Free and unticketed.

Edinburgh Book Fringe: daily events – all of them free (donations appreciated) – for two weeks at Word Power Books, Edinburgh’s independent radical bookshop. Today: author and former Scotsman journalist Peter Ranscombe discusses his novel Hare, in which he imagines what might have happened to the mass murderer after he turned King’s evidence against William Burke and was set free. In Peter Ranscombe’s story, Hare flees to Boston, only to become caught up in a murderous plot, set against the backdrop of the American Civil War. 1pm, Word Power Books, West Nicolson Street. All welcome! No booking required, but arrive promptly as space is limited.

POUT Fest Tour: POUT started life four years ago as an LGBT film festival from independent film distributor Peccadillo Pictures, created as a response to audience demands for more queer-oriented cinema on the big screen. After the overwhelming success of the London POUT Fests, Peccadillo have decided to take POUT on the road via an ongoing touring festival of selected films. Today’s film is 52 Tuesdays (15): teenager Billie thinks she knows everything about her mother Jane, but she is surprised when she learns of Jane’s plans to transition, and further upset when she learns that her parents have decided that she will live with her father for a year. All she has left to cling to is her chance to see her mother every Tuesday afternoon. ‘An emotionally charged story of desire, responsibility and trasnformation’. 8.15pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be obtained from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 6382 or online: prices vary. Also showing at 1.10pm and 8.30pm on Saturday 22nd August. The final film in this series will be Soft Lad, showing on 2nd September 2015.

Edinburgh Art Festival: GARAGE Presents Skatgobs, The Y Bend and special guests. Skatgobs is the visceral vocal improv trio of Phil Minton, Dylan Nyoukis and Luke Poot; ‘channelling and contorting the voice into enveloping textures and contours that can be subtly crepuscular one moment and howlingly nightmarish the next, all three are peerless vocal performers’. 7-9pm, GARAGE, Northumberland Street North West Lane. GARAGE is a DIY not-for-profit art space hosting live events throughout August.

SATURDAY 22ND AUGUST 2015

Greengage Arts: a hands-on craft workshop, inspired by nature. 1-4pm, Real Life Science Studio, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. £3 per person, payable on the door – no booking required. Also at same times on Sunday 23rd August 2015.

Run for Me – Dance for Me – Think of Me: a fun, action-packed weekend to celebrate the life of the late Louise Duncan, Minister of Balerno Church, and to raise funds for the charity that did so much for her in her last months, Marie Curie Cancer Care. Today there will be a coffee morning with delicious home baking to enjoy with your coffee or tea, or to buy to take home. 10am-1pm, St Joseph’s Hall, (next to) Balerno Church, Balerno. All welcome, no tickets required, just come along. All proceeds will go to Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Tiger Tales: stories and craft for children aged 4-8 years. 3-4pm, Fountainbridge Library, 137 Dundee Street. All welcome! The next session will be on 12th September 2015.

Juniper Green Farmers’ Market: stalls with an extensive range of products, including breads, cakes, cheeses, fish, meat, pies, preserves, coffee, Fair Trade goods, hot snacks and drinks. The market also offers local residents the chance to meet with their local councillors, community councillors, MP and MSP. 9am-1pm today and every fourth Saturday of the month, Juniper Green Village Hall, 1A Juniper Park Road. Organised by Juniper Green Community Council.

Summer Storytime: Blown Away. Come on an unexpected journey with the fearless Penguin Blue in ‘the most captivating picture book debut of the year’ by Rob Biddulph – then join in arts and activities related to the story. 3pm, Waterstones, 83 George Street.

Summer Storytime: Roald Dahl. Listen to stories by one of the greatest children’s authors, then join in related arts and activities. 12 noon, Waterstones West End, 128 Princes Street.

Summer Storytime: Come and listen to David McKee’s Elmer, then join in related arts and activities. Waterstones, Ocean Terminal, Ocean Drive. Please contact shop on 0131 554 7732 for times.

Edinburgh Art Festival – Spotlight Tours of Scottish Art: People, Places, Ideas. Guided tours of the City Art Centre’s Scottish Art collection, focusing on people, places and ideas. 11am or 3pm, (meet at reception) City Art Centre, 2 Market Street. No booking required, free – suggested donation £2.

Edinburgh Book Fringe: daily events – all of them free (donations appreciated) – for two weeks at Word Power Books, Edinburgh’s independent radical bookshop. Today: Harry Giles, Marion McCready and Jennifer Williams, three poets whose work moves between life, war and death, read from their new anthology Our Real Red Selves. 1pm, Word Power Books, West Nicolson Street. All welcome! No booking required, but arrive promptly as space is limited.

Curated by…. a season of films hand-picked by invited Festival regulars. Each screening will feature an in-person introduction by the curator, revealing their passion for the film and their reasons for choosing it. Today: David Forsyth, Senior Curator of Scottish History and Archaeology at the National Museum of Scotland, presents Braveheart (15) and challenges the notion that this is one of the most historically accurate depictions of events surrounding a Scottish hero ever committed to celluloid.  9pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online.

The Fed Peasants: folky jazz originals from the Edinburgh-based band. 9pm, The Skylark, 241-243 Portobello High Street.

SUNDAY 23RD AUGUST 2015

Storytelling: Scottish Superheroes. The Portrait Gallery is home to heroes and heroines – the original Scottish Superheroes. Come and enjoy some superhuman adventures with the Ancient Avengers in this participative family storytelling event with Ron and Fergus of Macastory. 2pm or 3pm (45 minute sessions), Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free and unticketed.

Fanfare: a city-wide event harnessing the enormous forces of Scotland’s community of brass bands by working with the Scottish Brass Band Association to present a day of free performances for everyone to enjoy. The brass band – the first of which was formed in Scotland in the early 1800s – was, and still is, an art form that is from, of and for local communities. Throughout the day audiences across the city will be able to share the joy and passion of a live brass band – everyone will be listening to the same piece of music at the same time in at least twelve different locations. 12 noon, 3pm and 5pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road; Graham’s Garden, Bridge Road; Balerno, Currie Kirk, Kirkgate; Spylaw Public Park, Bridge Road; Union Canal – by  Re-Union Barge (note: no access to barge); Saughton Park Rose Garden, Balgreen Road; Water of Leith Visitor Centre, Lanark Road; Roseburn Park, Riversdale Crescent, St Bernard’s Well, (between Deanhaugh St and the Dean Bridge) Stockbridge, Royal Botanic Garden (outside Inverleith House, Arboretum Road), The Shore, Leith (outside Malmaison) and St Mark’s Park, Warriston Road. Free and unticketed.

Celebrity Organ Recitals: Donald Hunt, Assistant Director of Music, St Mary’s Cathedral. 4.45pm, St Mary’s Cathedral, Palmerston Place. Free: retiring collection.

Edinburgh Book Fringe: daily events – all of them free (donations appreciated) – for two weeks at Word Power Books, Edinburgh’s independent radical bookshop. Today: Richard Gunn, Penny Cole and others discuss How Assemblies Can Inspire Real Democracy. Assemblies for Democracy are taking shape across the UK; Richard Gunn, RC Smith and Adrian Wilding have recently published Assemblies for Democracy: A Theoretical Framework, whilst Penny Cole is involved in facilitating the development of Assemblies. Discussion will be about the theory and practice of moving democracy on. 1pm, Word Power Books, West Nicolson Street. All welcome! No booking required, but arrive promptly as space is limited.

Picturehouse Vintage Sundays: classic films back on the big screen. Today: Casablanca (U), in which Humphrey Bogart plays Rick Blaine, a cynical but good-hearted American whose cafe is the gathering place for everyone from the French police to black marketeers and the Nazis. When his long lost love Isla (Ingrid Bergman) appears with her Resistance leader husband, Rick is pulled into a love triangle and a web of political intrigue. 1pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online.

Filmhouse Junior: screenings for a younger audience. Today’s film is The Secret of Kells (PG): in a remote medieval outpost of Ireland, young Brendan embarks on a new life of adventure when a celebrated master illuminator arrives from foreign lands carrying a book brimming with secret wisdom and powers….  Directed by Tomm Moore, whose new film is Song of the Sea. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4 per person, big or small, and may be obtained from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 6382 or online.

Garden Sculpture Tours: join Alexander ‘Twig’ Champion for a meditative tour around the Garden’s outdoor sculptures, including the works of John Chamberlain. The tour explores both Chamberlain’s outdoor works, installed as part of the summer exhibition in Inverleith House, and the Garden’s collection of outdoor sculptures, including major works by Ian Hamilton Finlay, Andy Goldsworthy, Barbara Hepworth and Alan Johnston. 2-3pm, meet at Inverleith House reception, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Free, all welcome, no booking required. Also at same time on 6th & 20th September.

The Greg Proops Film Club: a new podcast covering old and new movies. Comedian Greg Proops invites listeners to sit down and watch some of his favourite films with him. At these screenings, Greg will give 30 minute live introductions, which will be recorded for the podcast; after the film join him in the foyer, where he will be signing copies of his new publication, Smartest Book in the World. Today’s film is Bullitt (15) starring Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn and Jacqueline Bissett. 8pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be obtained from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 6382 or online: prices vary. The other film in this series will be Young Frankenstein, showing on 28th August 2015.

Edinburgh College of Art Masters Show Closing Concert: a concert of freshly made audiovisual performances by Masters students in Sound Design and Digital Composition and Performance. Daniel McGurty, Dara Etefaghi, Juan Jose Ripalda, Gaby Yanez, Simon Young, Jack Walker and Anne-Sophie Mongeau will perform their work. 7pm, Wee Red Bar, Edinburgh College of Art, Lauriston Place. Free and open to all.

St John’s Festival Pulpits: Scottish political leaders come to St John’s to explain what motivates them. The five main parties in Scotland will be represented, each one speaking after St John’s Festival Evensong on Sundays throughout August. Tonight’s speaker is Sarah Boyack MSP, Shadow Cabinet Minister for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment, Scottish Labour Party. 7pm (approx – after evensong service, which begins at 6pm), St John’s Episcopal Church, Princes Street. All welcome, free. Next Sunday’s speaker will be Alison Johnstone MSP, Scottish Green Party.

Andrea Carlson: a night of romantic, witty, speakeasy jazz. 9pm, The Old Chain Pier, Trinity Crescent.

St Giles’ At Six: The Scottish Vocal Ensemble: Ego sum: I am.  Music by Arvo Part, Phillipe Rogier and Ivo Antognini. 6pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free; retiring collection.

Hibs’ fans worried that the loss of Scott Allan would be a major blow to the hopes of promotion were breathing easier last night after watching  Liam Henderson make his debut from the substitutes bench midway though the second half.

The teenager, who almost joined Hibs on loan in January quickly won the approval of the supporters with his tough tackling and skilful touch as Hibs held on for a 1-0 win against Morton.

After the game, the youngster told how he is looking forward to playing regularly in the first team and helping the club to promotion.

He said: “I spoke to the manager, John and John Kennedy and they were all for me coming.

“I’m glad to be here.  Hibs have wanted me on loan since January but Celtic wanted me to stay then. Hibs are massive and shouldn’t be in the Championship so hopefully I can help them go up.

“Rangers  are next up and these are the kind of games you want to play in. It should be quite a match.

“My aim is to play regularly and pick up experience. It was tough breaking them down but I always felt the goal would come.”

Alan Stubbs also expressed his delight at having secured the services of the highly rated youngster. He said: Liam’s a very talented footballer and one who has the potential to go to the very top.”

Police are appealing for witnesses following an assault and robbery which  happened around 6am today  near the Boswall Place exit on the walkway behind Morrisons that runs from Crewe Road North to Pilton Drive when a 57-year-old man was approached and assaulted by six youths, who subsequently stole his phone.

The Scottish Ambulance Service treated the victim at the scene for minor facial injuries.

The first suspect is described as a white male, around 5ft tall, 14-years-old, with a skinny build. He had short dark hair and was wearing a black tracksuit.

The second and third suspects are described as white males, 15-16 years old, around 5ft 5inches in height with skinny builds. They were dressed all in black and one of them was in possession of a bicycle.

The remaining three suspects are all described as white males, 17-18 years old, around 5ft 9inches tall with skinny builds. All were wearing grey cotton tracksuits.

The group were last seen heading in the direction the Crewe Road.

Detective Constable Chris Harding said: “This was an unprovoked and cowardly attack on a lone man as he went about his daily business and we’re urging anyone with information which can help with our enquiries to come forward.

“In particular, we’re eager to trace two cyclists who were in the area at the time of the incident and who may be able to assist us in identifying the suspects.”

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

Filmhouse Junior: screenings for a younger audience. Today: LIAF – For Ages 7+ (PG). A programme of 10 short films from the London International Animation Festival, specially chosen for children over 7 years. This international showcase includes Effie Pappa’s McLaren Award-winning My Stuffed Granny and the delightful Rabbit and Deer. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4 per person, big or small, and may be obtained from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 6382 or online.

Making Well: Pace: Walking By Design. A series of walks and exhibitions offering new routes linking Edinburgh’s green spaces and creative initiatives. Today the first of a series of Walks By Design in and around central Edinburgh; 60 minute strolls to explore the beauty and creativity of contemporary Edinburgh, creating a map and mapping creativity. 2pm, Gayfield Creative Spaces, 11 Gayfield Square. Free. Also at same time on Sundays 23rd and 30th August. The Pace Exhibition runs at Gayfield until 31st August 2015; for more information see Gayfield’s website here.

Older But No Wiser: CODA’s 25th Birthday! Live music spread over three days to celebrate the specialist music shop’s anniversary; today performances by Karine Polwart, Kirsty Law, Chris Stout, Iain Morrison, Wendy Weatherby and Dean Owens, with a reading by Ian Rankin. Coda, 12 Bank Street. Please contact shop for times. All welcome!

Edinburgh Book Fringe: daily events – all of them free (donations appreciated) for two weeks at Word Power Books, Edinburgh’s independent radical bookshop. Today: theatre director and performer Morna Burdon performs Bonnie Fechters: Songs and Stories of Hope and Resistance, inspiring stories and songs about women’s activism and struggle, from the jute mills of Dundee to the world-wide witch killings and the Vietnam war. 1pm, Word Power Books, West Nicolson Street. All welcome! No booking required, but arrive promptly as space is limited.

Foam, Foil and Form Workshop: explore the materials and techniques used by the artist in these drop-in art workshops inspired by the sculptures of John Chamberlain. Experiment with colour and form by making miniature foam sculptures, sculpt with foil or create through collage – take your work home! For ages 4+; please note that children must be accompanied by an adult. 2-4pm, Real Life Science Studio, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Free: no booking required.

Celebrity Organ Recitals: Steven Grahl, Director of Music, Peterborough Cathedral. 4.45pm, St Mary’s Cathedral, Palmerston Place. Free: retiring collection.

Linlithgow Union Canal Society Fun Day: featuring the great Cardboard Boat Race! Plus short canal trips available all afternoon, a free ferry from one side of the canal basin to the other and lots of stalls – including the Art Club, charities, face-painting and Punch & Judy. There will be musical entertainment from Linlithgow Folk Festival Association and the International Rescue Corps will give a water safety demonstration. Light refreshments available in the tea room, plus barbecue and ice cream. 1pm, Linlithgow Canal Centre, Manse Road, Linlithgow.

Picturehouse Vintage Sundays: classic films back on the big screen. Today: A Clockwork Orange (18) Stanley Kubrick’s future-shook vision of Anthony Burgess’s novel, starring Malcolm McDowell. 1pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online.

Festival of Politics 2015: a three-day programme of exhibitions, debates and films, featuring respected figures from the worlds of media, politics, academia and the arts. Exhibitions on display throughout the weekend look at the Anti-Apartheid movement, cartoonists’ interpretations of the independence debate (The Auld Acquaintance), sounds created by different areas of the Parliament and its inhabitants (Democratic Resonance 2013-2015), plus Michael Peto Photography – Politics in Focus, and the 2015 World Press Photography Awards.  Free live music and performances in the Festival Cafe Bar (open today 10.30am-6.30pm), which will be serving drinks and Scottish delicacies. 10am-9.30pm, The Scottish Parliament, Holyrood. Ends 9.30pm, Sunday 16th August 2015. For more information, details of all debates and films, and to book tickets, see the festival’s website here: ticket prices vary – all exhibitions are free, and the World Press Awards and Michael Peto exhibitions will remain open until 22nd August 2015 (10am-5pm Monday to Saturday only).

Hedwig and the Angry Inch: Sing-along Screening (15) (In English and German with English subtitles). John Cameron Mitchell’s outrageous cult classic is the story of a struggling rock singer and her search for stardom and love. After reluctantly submitting to a sex change operation to marry an American GI and escape East Germany, Hedwig finds herself divorced and living in a Kansas trailer park.. but when she encounters young Tommy Gnosis, she falls hard again, only for Tommy to dump her, steal her songs and become a rock superstar. Through a series of flashbacks, animations and eminently singable tunes, Hedwig – backed by her pan-Slavic band, The Angry Inch – tells her tragic life story. 8.30pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be obtained from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 6382 or online: prices vary.

St John’s Festival Pulpits: Scottish political leaders come to St John’s to explain what motivates them. The five main parties in Scotland will be represented, each one speaking after St John’s Festival Evensong on Sundays throughout August. Tonight’s speaker is Ruth Davidson MSP, Leader, Scottish Conservatives. 7pm (approx – after evensong service, which begins at 6pm), St John’s Episcopal Church, Princes Street. All welcome, free. Next Sunday’s speaker will be Sarah Boyack MSP, Shadow Cabinet Minister for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment, Scottish Labour Party.

The Incredible Amy Hawthorn: funk/soul/jazz from the West Lothian singer/songwriter. 8pm, The Old Chain Pier, Trinity Crescent.

St Giles’ At Six: Jamie Lang (piano) plays music by Liszt, JS Bach, Mendelssohn, Debussy and Gershwin. 6pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free; retiring collection.

Lothian Buses

Fringe Tip of the Day

Adult Education – time to sign up!

Leith Walk By-Election

Works beginning on Dreghorn flyover

// The 2014 accounts just issued by Transport for Edinburgh which runs both buses and trams show that the dividend to be paid to the City of Edinburgh Council will be £5.5m.

More passengers travelled on bus services than ever before and the company’s income rose by £3m as a result.

On the trams three million passengers used the new service resulting in revenue of £6.4m which the company says is 3% more than expected. Over the first year there were 4.92 million passengers on board which is 370,000 more than anticipated before the service began operating. All of the positive numbers will result in the city council paying less subsidy to the Trams for 2014. It was expected that the subsidy would be £0.6m but it has been reduced to £0.45m.

Lothian Buses also operate Edinburgh Bus Tours who have carried about half a million passengers over the period.

The negatives lie in the detail behind the figures in the comment from Jim McFarlane who refers obliquely to the boardroom battles which have raged during the last twelve months. CEO Ian Craig has remained in post though other board members have come and gone. Mr McFarlane Chair and General Manager of Lothian Buses, said: “2014 was a challenging yet successful year and we’re pleased to report very high levels of performance. For our people this should be a justifiable source of pride. As a company we are going through a period of change and we have committed to growth and further success. Our priority is to keep our focus firmly on the needs of our passengers so that we can continue providing excellent public transport for everyone who wants to get around Edinburgh and the Lothians.”

In February this year the council agreed to appoint an independent consultant to investigate what had actually happened at board level. This report was forthcoming by May but did not find any wrongdoing on the part of the council (CEC) in the whole boardroom saga.

To quote the summary in the report: “With the exception of the matters set out above, we have seen no evidence of any active involvement of CEC in the day to day running of Lothian Buses or in its management or governance processes. We have been advised by interviewees that CEC had an observer on the Board and limited contact with Lothian Buses in advance of the management difficulties which surfaced.

“It could be argued that, under the terms of the Shareholder Agreement, CEC should have had no involvement whatsoever in the Grievance process which Lothian Buses followed, other than responding to a formal request for consent from the Former Chairperson. However we consider that this was unrealistic in the circumstances, given the seriousness of the issue.”

***

Our Fringe tip today is to go to North Berwick – trains leave from Waverley and head for Fringe by the Sea. Today is the last day you can

The Dark Jokes: A band that are now an ambitious unit, making an honest collision of modern psychedelia, indie and…

Posted by Fringe by the Sea on Sunday, 9 August 2015

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Time to think of the long winter nights when you might sign up for an evening class or two! Here is the full list.

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If you live in the Leith Walk Ward then you only have another week or so to register to vote in the by-election next month.

By Tuesday 25 August you must register to vote or apply for a postal vote.

Contact the Electoral Registration Office or phone 0131 344 2500.

***

A package of structural refurbishment works to the A720 90 Dreghorn Spur Overbridge will take place from tomorrow for up to six weeks.

The works will entail re-waterproofing and resurfacing of the structure and the installation of new expansion joints. The works are considered essential in order to maintain road user safety and for the continued efficient operation of the structure.

It is necessary to close the bridge for the duration of these works, which should be completed within six weeks, weather permitting.

A clearly signed diversion will be in operation throughout the works. Traffic will be diverted to and from the Dreghorn Spur Overbridge to the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass (Lothianburn Junction), via the B701.

There will be no access for traffic wishing to cross the structure, or use the A720 westbound off-slip and on-slip, although both the eastbound off-slip and on-slip will remain fully operational during the works.

These works have been planned in consultation with Police Scotland and Edinburgh City Council.

Around 10,000 vehicles use this section of the trunk road network each day, and this investment, with a value of approximately £270,000 will ensure motorists experience greater journey time reliability, continued safety and comfort.

Real-time journey information can be obtained by visiting www.trafficscotland.org

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Ross County 1 Heart of Midlothian 2

Ladbrokes SPFL Premiership, Saturday 15 August 2015, The Global Energy Stadium

Hearts impressive start to the season continued when they maintained their 100% winning record with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Ross County in Dingwall on Saturday.

Head Coach Robbie Neilson made two changes to the team who defeated Motherwell at Tynecastle on Wednesday with Jamie Walker and Juanma restored to the starting line-up – the Spaniard passing a late fitness test – at the expense of Billy King and Gavin Reilly, the goalscorers from midweek who found themselves on the substitutes bench.

The home side made a strong start and after just four minutes, Gardyne produced a fine save from Neil Alexander in the Hearts goal. Alexander was called upon again as he saved from Boyce and the early indications were that it was going to be a long afternoon for the Maroons in Dingwall. It was an impression that didn’t last long.

In the tenth minute Osman Sow set off on a powerful run down the right wing. The big Swede brushed past a couple of challenges before firing in a shot past Fox to give the visitors the lead.

Just four minutes later it was 2-0. Jamie Walker’s corner found Callum Paterson and his effort on goal was helped on by captain Alim Ozturk and the huge travelling support were celebrating again.

Hearts were in control now although the dangerous Gardyne produced another save from Alexander. Seven minutes before the break, County did pull a goal back when Rossi fouled Irvine in the penalty box and Boyce converted the resultant spot-kick.

Half-time Ross County 1 Hearts 2

As you might expect, County upped the pressure somewhat in the second half and Hearts had to defend stoutly although Callum Paterson came close again with a header.

With 20 minutes left, great work from Jamie Walker set up Gavin Reilly but the midweek hero fired his close range effort over the bar much to the consternation of those in white and maroon.

It was a miss Hearts almost rued as Boyce’s overhead kick went far too close for comfort.

Juanma had a chance late on for Hearts but his long-range shot went wide.

In the end, Hearts held on for a fourth straight victory in the Ladbrokes SPFL Premiership, their most impressive start to a top flight campaign since George Burley’s Rudi Skacel inspired side exactly a decade ago. Neilson has stated that comparisons between the two teams are pointless but the start made to the league campaign by his newly-promoted side is highly impressive and Hearts remain clear at the top of the table.

Thankfully, it seems the side have retained their winning mentality from last season and winning at Dens Park and in Dingwall is no mean feat.

We all know what happened to George Burley when his Hearts side of 2005 raced to the top of the league. Robbie Neilson can relax – Vladmir Romanov has long left the building!

Ross County: Fox, Robertson, Curran, Davies, Irvine, Foster (Reckford, 66′), De Vita (Dingwall, 61′), Boyce, McShane (Quinn, 56′), Gardyne, Fraser.

Hearts: Alexander, Paterson, Ozturk, Rossi, Oshaniwa, Sow (Reilly, 57′), Buaben (McGhee, 53′), Gomis, Nicholson (King, 68′), Walker, Juanma.

Referee: Bobby Madden

Att: 4,806

Top man: Neil Alexander

Hibs celebrated their 140th anniversary with a 1-0 win over Morton but the main talking point after the game was the performance of referee Craig Charleston who denied Hibs three clear penalties and wrongly booked Martin Boyle for diving after the striker had been scythed down in the penalty box.

After a hectic few days which finally saw Scott Allan leaving the club for Celtic, Hibs’ Head Coach Alan Stubbs made three changes to the starting XI that lost to Dumbarton last Saturday.

New signing John McGinn replaced Allan in midfield, Dan Carmichael took over from Sam Stanton in midfield and  and Martin Boyle replaced Jason Cummings

Liam Henderson, who joined the club on a year-long loan from Celtic as part of the Allan deal had to be content with a place on the bench.

Morton arrived in confident mood after last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Falkirk and there was a familiar face in the dug out with ex Hibs’ manager Jim Duffy in charge.

Hibs started brightly but in the first six minutes, the referee had missed a blatant penalty when Marvin Bartley was brought down inside the area, missed a handball that would have been more appropriate in a basketball game and ignored a Morton player who threw the ball away to prevent a quick free kick.

After that his performance got worse and in the 35th minute he booked Boyle for diving when everyone in the stadium saw the contact. He added to the fans’ anger by then ticking off Stubbs for complaining.

David Gray then had a point blank header saved by keeper Derek Gaston then had another header cleared off the line as Hibs pressed for an opener.

Morton looked dangerous on the break and Mark Oxley twice produced good saves to keep the scores level.

At half time when the players were leaving the field, the Morton fans sang ‘there’s only one Craig Charleston’ indicating that they knew that they would have been behind but for the referee.

McGinn went close with a thurderbolt from 30 yards in the 53rd minute then Paul Hanlon fired over from six yards.

With the fans starting to get nervous, Jason Cummings replaced Bartley and scored within 30 seconds of coming on. Man of the match Fraser Fyvie picked up the ball in midfield before slotting an inch perfect through ball into the path of Gray. The skipper send a low cross into the danger area and Cummings was on hand to side foot the ball into the net.

Cummings almost added a second moments later but his header from a Lewis Stevenson cross was well saved.

In the 65th minute, referee Charleston denied Hibs another penalty when Cummings was barged in the back to the fury of the fans.

Henderson replaced Carmichael and quickly won the approval of the supporters with his skill and determination.

With six minutes remaining Sam Stanton replaced Boyle and despite a late scare, Hibs held on for the three points.

Hibernian: Oxley, Gray, Hanlon, Fontaine, Stevenson, Bartley,Fyvie, McGinn, Boyle, Malonga, Carmichael. Subs Reguero, Henderson, Stanton, Harris, Cummings, Dunsmore, Martin.

Morton:Gaston, Kilday, Lamie, Miller, Forbes, Johnstone, MacDonald, McCluskey, Pepper,Russell, Gasparotto Subs: Adam, scullion, Barr, Sabajo, Cairnie, Orr, Stevenson

Attendance 8928

Referee Craig Chareston.

It’s that time of the year again when TER’s photographer, John Preece, wends his way to Charlotte Square Gardens to catch some of the participating authors. Today’s selection includes Man Booker Prize Nominee, Marilynne Robinson. The festival is open daily from today (15th) until the 31st August.

Former Hibs’ striker Gareth Evans yesterday announced his Scotland Women’s Under-19 squad for the upcoming matches against the Republic of Ireland in County Kerry and County Clare.

Four Hibernian Ladies players, Chelsea Cornet, Abigail Harrison, Cailin Michie and Liz Tweedie have been included in the squad.

Scotland will play their Irish opposition on Tuesday 18th August in Tannavalla and two days later in Tulla as the team prepare for their upcoming European Championship first round qualifiers against Austria, Ukraine and Albania in Austria next month. The following players have been selected to attend the above matches:

Carla Boyce              Glasgow City FC
Chantelle Brown        Rangers LFC
Sarah Clelland          Glasgow City FC
Chelsea Cornet         Hibernian LFC
Cassie Cowper          Aberdeen LFC
Erin Cuthbert            Glasgow City FC
Rebecca Flaherty       Aberdeen LFC
Amy Gallacher           Forfar Farmington LFC
Laura Hamilton          Celtic FC
Kirsty Hanson            Liverpool LFC
Abigail Harrison         Hibernian LFC
Carla Jackson            Spartans LFC
Rachel McLauchlan     Aberdeen LFC
Cailin Michie              Hibernian LFC
Georgie Rafferty        Glasgow City FC
Hayley Sinclair          Rangers LFC
Lia Tweedie              Hibernian LFC
Courtney Whyte       Glasgow City FC

Police  are reminding the public of their responsibilities when utilising drones.

On Thursday, one such device was spotted flying closely to the Forth Rail Bridge and was witnessed by numerous members of the public.

Officers are now keen to highlight the existing legislation around the use of drones and the potential risks if they are flown in and around crowded or built-up areas.

Chief Inspector Stevie Dolan said: “While the use of drones is becoming more popular for members of the public to film and photograph scenic areas or places of interest it is essential that they are utilised responsibly so as not to cause alarm or injury to other members of the public.

“I would advise that drone operators familiarise themselves with all the appropriate legislation so as to ensure they adhere to existing aviation laws and regulations.”

Hibs midfielder Scott Allan has joined Celtic on a four-year deal.

The 23-year-old began his career with Dundee United before moving to West Bromwich Albion in 2012. After two years with the English club, he returned to Scotland, joining Hibs last year.

Celtic supporters will be able to welcome Allan to Parkhead when he is officially unveiled at the home of the Champions just before the 3pm kick-off at this Saturday’s Premiership game against Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

He joins formed Hibs’ players Scott Brown and Leigh Griffiths at the club.

Talented midfielder Liam Henderson has joined Hibs on a year long loan as part of the deal.

Speaking  to the official Celtic website, Scott said: “I am absolutely delighted to sign for Celtic, such a fantastic club. It is such an honour to be given this opportunity and I can’t wait to get started and play my part in bringing success to Celtic and our supporters.

“There are so many exciting challenges ahead for us now in Scotland and in Europe and I am looking forward to being part of all that lies ahead. I know a number of players well at the club already, so it will be great to team up with these lads again as well as all my other new team-mates, and I know we will work hard together to bring more good times to our fans.

“I know the high-quality of players at the club and I know it will be a big personal challenge for me but it’s one I’m ready for and one I am relishing.

“I would like to thank the many fans who have already welcomed me to the club. I really appreciate this support.”

Celtic manager Ronny Deila said: “We’re really pleased to welcome Scott to Celtic. He’s a player of huge potential and someone who is hungry for success, a young player who can have a big future at our club.”

Everyone at Celtic is delighted that Scott has joined the club and wishes him every success for the future.

Celtic and Scotland Under 19 midfielder Liam Henderson has joined Hibs on a one-year loan deal with Scott Allan moving in the opposite direction to join Celtic for an undisclosed fee.

Henderson is highly thought of at Parkhead and recently signed a three year contract with the hoops, but the first season will be spent at Easter Road.

Speaking to hibernianfc.co.uk, Head Coach Alan Stubbs said: “Liam is one of the best and most talented young players in Scotland.

“He’s a good, modern midfielder who can score goals, and he has played first team football for both Celtic and Rosenborg. He’s an exciting player I rate really highly and I am delighted that he is coming.

“While we were prepared to allow Scott to run down his contract and play his part in an important season for us, this opportunity provides a really good outcome for everyone.

“Scott gets a move as he wanted, while we bring in a high quality player who is motivated to join us as we push for promotion.

“I’d like to say I am delighted with the support I’ve had from Rod, Leeann and the Board, and I’d also like to record that Scott has been a pleasure to work with. We wish him all the best for the future.”

Chief Executive Leeann Dempster said: “Scott goes with our best wishes. Alan is happy with the outcome. We have brought in a talented player on a loan for this vital season, plus a fee which will help us strengthen the squad for the challenging and exciting season that lies ahead.”

Sketching Lauriston Castle with The Edinburgh Sketcher. In this sketching tour you will have the chance to learn speed sketching skills and time-saving solutions, enabling you to capture the world around you in ink and watercolour – make delightful drawings and be inspired to carry on at home! 10am-12 noon or 1-3pm, Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South. £20 per person: advance booking must be made via the Usher Hall Box Office, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here.

Edinburgh Book Fringe: daily events – all of them free (donations appreciated) for two weeks at Word Power Books, Edinburgh’s independent radical bookshop. Today: What The Frock! Comedy discuss The What The Frock! Book of Funny Women. Host and long time What The Frock! Comedy collaborator Kate Smurthwaite will welcome other comedians and contributors (line-up tbc), who will talk about the funny women they love most and answer your questions about the role of women in comedy. 1pm, Word Power Books, West Nicolson Street. All welcome! No booking required, but arrive promptly as space is limited.

Morningside Farmers’ Market: fresh, local, seasonal goods direct from the producers. Meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, cheeses, baking, breads, preserves, confectionery, condiments, crafts, gourmet dog treats and more. Refreshments available throughout the market and from The Merlin. ‘Keep the pounds within the local economy!’ 9.30am-3.30pm, The Merlin (rear car park), 168 Morningside Road.

Festival of Politics 2015: a three-day programme of exhibitions, debates and films, featuring respected figures from the worlds of media, politics, academia and the arts. Exhibitions on display throughout the weekend look at the Anti-Apartheid movement, cartoonists’ interpretations of the independence debate (The Auld Acquaintance), sounds created by different areas of the Parliament and its inhabitants (Democratic Resonance 2013-2015), plus Michael Peto Photography – Politics in Focus, and the 2015 World Press Photography Awards. Today the Festival Youth Cafe will offer free workshops in vlogging, performance poetry, film-making and cartooning, and a session with acclaimed author Cathy McPhail. Today and on Sunday there will be free live music and performances in the Festival Cafe Bar (open today 10.30am-6.30pm), which will be serving drinks and Scottish delicacies. 10.30am-9.30pm, The Scottish Parliament, Holyrood. For more information, details of all debates and films, and to book tickets, see the festival’s website here: ticket prices vary – all exhibitions are free, and the World Press Awards and Michael Peto exhibitions will remain open until 22nd August 2015 (10am-5pm Monday to Saturday only).

Edinburgh Art Festival – Spotlight Tours of Scottish Art: People, Places, Ideas. Guided tours of the City Art Centre’s Scottish Art collection, focusing on people, places and ideas. 11am or 3pm, (meet at reception) City Art Centre, 2 Market Street. No booking required, free – suggested donation £2.

Older But No Wiser: CODA’s 25th Birthday! Live music spread over three days to celebrate the specialist music shop’s anniversary; today performances by Emily Smith, Blue Rose Code, Catriona McKay, Aiden O’Rourke and Graeme Stephen. Coda, 12 Bank Street. Please contact shop for times. All welcome! Further events will take place on 16th August – see listing.

LGBT T-time in Edinburgh: an informal monthly social gathering open to all transgender people, their friends, families and supporters – come along for tea, coffee and a chat in a relaxed environment. Today’s optional event (from 2pm) is Gender Info Session Revisited: a presentation of the Q & A from an event held with NHS Lothian Gender Clinic in April. 1-4pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information please contact Jules on 0131 523 1104 or jules@lgbthealth.org.uk.

Head-to-Head Sculpture City Walking Tours. A National Galleries of Scotland walking tour taking a fresh look at Edinburgh’s sculptural and architectural gems – hear the stories behind the city’s imposing figure sculptures and monuments. Please come dressed for the weather and be prepared to walk at a pace, as the tour will cover a large area of the city. 2-3.30pm, meet at main entrance, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. £10/£8: please book in advance as places are limited to 15 per tour – tickets are available from the gallery’s Information Desk or by calling 0131 624 6560.

Edinburgh College of Art Masters Degree Show: a showcase of work by 130 postgraduate students from the Reid School of Music, School of Art, School of Design and the Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 11am-5pm (with late opening to 8pm on 19th and 20th August), Edinburgh College of Art, Lauriston Place and West Port. Ends 23rd August 2015. Part of Edinburgh Art Festival.

Thomas the Tank Engine Activity Day: come and enjoy model railway building and colouring with Thomas! 12 noon, Waterstones West End, 128 Princes Street.

Summer Storytime: Come and listen to some stories by the brilliant children’s author Julia Donaldson, then join in related arts and activities. 12 noon, Waterstones, Cameron Toll Centre, 6 Lady Road.

Summer Storytime: Five Minutes’ Peace. Listen to Jill Murphy’s wonderfully-observed and hilarious tale of Mrs Large and her children – then join in arts and activities related to the story. 3pm, Waterstones, 83 George Street.

Einstein’s Wardrobe: Steven McDonald (vocals/ukulele/keyboards/percussion), Gillian Hunter (vocals) and David Salvona (guitar, bass, ukulele). 9pm, The Skylark, 241-243 Portobello High Street.

Edinburgh International Book Festival

Fringe tip of the day

Tattoo photos

Football

Doors Open Day

The Edinburgh International Book Festival opens its doors at 9.30 this morning. As always there are too many events to go to and much to see and do, but the good thing is that entry to the garden is free! This means that you can just sit and watch the world go by even if you don’t manage to get tickets for any of the events.

This year if you miss it all then you may be able to catch up by watching the live-streaming of some events on the BBC. One of the events which will be live-streamed is the talk to be given by American civil rights activist Jesse Jackson and the chat between crime writer Val McDermid and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Later today Kirsty Wark will chair a special Edinburgh International Book Festival event at the BBC venue at Potterrow in Edinburgh, which will also be live-streamed.  Wark will be joined by leading Scottish authors Maggie O’Farrell, Jackie Kay and poet Rachel McCrum.

Here are some highlights for today

11.45am           Marilynne Robinson with Lennie Goodings   The multi-award winning essayist and writer is regarded as one of America’s greatest living writer and for her first appearance in Charlotte Square Gardens presents a talk entitled The Restless Reader.

1.30pm             Antony Beevor  The acclaimed historian turns his attention to the greatest battle of the second world war in Western Europe – the Ardennes offensive launched in December 1944.

2.00pm             Cedric Villani  Dubbed a ‘rock star’ mathematician, the French winner of the Field Medal (the maths equivalent of the Nobel Prize) has a gift for revealing the beauty and magic of mathematics at the highest level.

2.15pm             Ali Smith – The PEN / H G Wells Lecture One of the most playful, joyfully experimental novelists working in the world today presents the second annual H G Wells Lecture.

5.00pm             Jackie Kay, Maggie O’Farrell & Sarah Waters with Lennie Goodings  The Female Gaze – three of Britain’s best loved contemporary writers discuss their favourite Virago Modern Classics author.

6.45pm             S J Watson    The Midlands-born author opens up a shadowy world of identity, lies and secrets with his follow-up psychological thriller Second Life.

8.15pm             David Mitchell The Bone Clocks is Mitchell’s most accomplished novel to date and he joins us to discuss his work.

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Our tip of the day is to go and see a play!

Most men who went away to fight in World War I wrote letters home – but what if you had no family? Around 250 boys – for they were boys – left the Aberlour Orphanage for France and Belgium; 62 never returned.

Playwright James Urquhart has drawn upon the boys’ surviving letters to create Letters From Aberlour, a moving play about the importance of the orphanage in their lives and the strong family ties they felt to one another. The orphanage was founded in 1875, with the ethos that every child had the ability and right to grow up and flourish in society; the letters show how much the boys longed to return to Aberlour, the only home many of them had ever known. We have seen an excerpt from the play, and it is gripping.

Letters From Aberlour is performed by New Strides Theatre as part of the Just Festival at Central Hall (Venue 295a), Tollcross.

Tickets are available from the Fringe website here or on the door.

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If you have been to the Tattoo this year then you will already know that it is an outstanding show.

Even if you have been then you might be interested in this exhibition of photos on display at the Central Library until 29 August.

“The photos by Martin Scott Powell are dramatic, thought-provoking and stunningly beautiful.  They capture the spirit of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo with its fantastic performers to its world-beating backdrop of Edinburgh Castle.”

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A mobile sports pitch is to make an appearance in Edinburgh communities experiencing antisocial behaviour, thanks to a grant fromKids In The Street.

The sum of over £9,000 will give young people the chance to take part in weekly football coaching sessions and the opportunity to play football with other young people in their area.

Susan Law, Kids In The Street, Administrator, said: “This grant will make a massive difference to us. It also means that we will be able to build on our junior world cup and double the numbers from last year and have more teams competing for the Kids In The Street World Cup 2015!”

Common Wheel, picks up a grant of £8,669 to engage with dementia sufferers in six care homes across Glasgow.  Storytelling, music and dance will be used to connect with and bring joy to the lives of those affected by dementia.

Emma Razi, Common Wheel, Project Manager, said:  “We have worked hard to build a network of people in Glasgow with dementia and a love of the arts, in particular music. Now, thanks to this grant, we have the opportunity to share something really special with them. Our ‘Festival of Joy’ will bring storytelling, dance, music, singing and visual arts into care homes across the city. Without projects like this, people living in residential care can miss out on access to this kind of activity. We’re really looking forward to getting started.”

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Doors Open Day in Edinburgh takes place on 26 September 2015 and you would be well advised to get yourselves organised now! This year we definitely want to go through the Lothian Buses ‘bus wash’ at Annandale Street Bus Depot. What would you like to see?

There are details of the Lothian Buses Doors Open Day here and you will see that through their support for the charity Fresh Start they would like you to bring along some items to help. They will use these to make up starter packs for homeless people moving into a house.

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‘You were oppressed: I am free’

Apartheid is history; the youth of South Africa want to get on with their lives – but should they abandon all their traditional values? What is freedom if you are still bound by tribal differences? And is it OK to waste your life just because you can?

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhJKD8lQqGU?feature=oembed&w=696&h=392]

In After Freedom; New Rhythms of Soweto, tribal and urban dance and music are brought together to bridge the gap between different cultures. This is a show alive with rhythm; from the very first moment, when a solo drummer runs onto the stage to be joined by the rest of the cast in pounding street dance and song, the audience is caught up in the powerful vitality of a new generation.

The story opens in rural Natal-Quthu, home to Sphiwe and his mother. With a minimal set – just two chairs and a screen become everything from a living room to a dance hall – the actors excel at improvisation; Sphiwe’s mother grinds corn and Sphiwe eats his meal in true high-speed teenage manner. But Natal-Quthu is a dangerous place, ruled by the gun; Sphiwe’s mother fears for her son (her singing of Lord, Please Look After My Son is both heartfelt and moving) and wants him to go to Johannesburg to stay with his older brother. When she is killed by a bunch of local hoodlums, he is left with no choice.

The only thing Sphiwe is interested in is dance – he doesn’t want to go back to school; his brother, a part well played by an actor who knows how to convey the concerns of a man landed with the care of a rebellious sibling, sees Sphiwe wasting the chances that he never had – ‘Brother of mine…things in life are not for free’. Sphiwe soon gets fed up with watching TV all day (especially when all he can find is Barney is a Dinosaur – one of the many humorous moments in the play), and before long he’s out in Soweto, getting involved with street dancers and fast-paced culture, meeting people good and bad, going off the rails, and discovering that few of us are perfect. Will he be lost to the bad side of city life? Or will he – as his streetwise girlfriend Zizpoh advises – get a grip and follow his dreams?

In the course of the story the cast make good use of many opportunities to show us their moves; their energy is as phenomenal as their happiness is infectious – they clearly love to dance; it transports them from the tough hardships of Soweto life to a world of hope and opportunity. These people are also wonderful musicians, Sphiwe’s brother’s singing of the ancient tribal tunes he loved at school contrasting beautifully with the more modern songs of the city streets. The outstanding drummer – who is not above a bit of comedy himself – really gets the beat going and the audience clapping.

If there is a criticism to be made of After Freedom, it is that at times the story seems underdeveloped and slightly superfluous to the show; it is, however, Sphiwe’s journey that points up the way in which young urban culture can overcome old divisions and shape the lives of a generation striving to make its way in a precarious new world. Freedom is only freedom if those who struggled to win it can find a way to go forward in harmony.

After Freedom’s Creative Director is Morgan Njobo, member of Simply Soweto Encha, a highly successful a cappella touring group (see The Edinburgh Reporter’s review of Simply Soweto Encha’s 2014 Just Festival appearance here). After Freedom is a project organised as part of South African Seasons UK, a partnership between the Department of Arts & Culture, South Africa and the British Council; it is supported by the British High Commission in Pretoria, Just Festival, Edinburgh College, Edinburgh Lighting and Sound School, Simply Soweto Encha, 20/20 Vision and the Scottish Episcopal Church. 

After Freedom is at the excellent Central Hall, Tollcross until 31st August 2015 (no show on 23rd August); please check Just Festival website here for times and prices. Tickets are available from the venue (Box Office opens 1pm), via eventbrite here or from the Fringe Box Office here.

Scotland’s Stellar Quines are delighted to announce that The Deliverance, the final play in Jennifer Tremblay’s powerful and evocative trilogy, translated by Shelley Tepperman and starring Maureen Beattie, has been awarded a Scotsman Fringe First for best new writing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

In a unique move by The Scotsman they have presented one of their prestigious Fringe First Awards to every one of a trilogy of plays; The List in 2012, The Carousel in 2014 and The Deliverance in 2015, all written by the Quebec playwright Jennifer Tremblay, produced by Stellar Quines and starring Maureen Beattie.

Muriel Romanes Artistic Director of Stellar Quines and Director of The Jennifer Tremblay Trilogy said: “The List, The Carousel and The Deliverance have all been created by the same talented team.  The three Fringe First Awards are a well-deserved recognition of their consistent commitment to quality and a very special shared experience. They are also down to the magnificence of Maureen Beattie, the extraordinary, poetic writing of Jennifer Tremblay and Shelly Tepperman’s exquisite translation.”

The three plays, being performed together for the first time in one programme at Assembly Roxy at this year’s Fringe, follow the journey of a woman on a path of discovery about her past, her family and herself.  They are deeply moving, shocking and poignant in equal measure and demand intense performances from the solo cast member, the acclaimed actress Maureen Beattie.

The trilogy has maintained a consistent high quality in production and design, retaining its creative team – set and costume design by Scottish artist and playwright John Byrne, lighting from Jeanine Byrne, sound by Philip Pinsky and direction by Stellar Quines Artistic Director, Muriel Romanes.

Full listings information for all performances of The Jennifer Tremblay Trilogy can be found below. Maureen Beattie will perform all three plays in one day on 17 August 2015 – The List: 1220 / The Carousel: 1400 / The Deliverance: 1540.

The trilogy of plays has been chosen to be part of the Made in Scotland Showcase 2015 – http://www.madeinscotlandshowcase.com.

Police in Edinburgh are embarking on a partnership initiative with NHS Lothian to improve engagement with members of the public living with mental health issues.

The Edinburgh Community Triage Service is a pilot service, which launches today (Friday) and over each weekend throughout the next 12 months will allow officers access to trained professionals who can provide valuable advice on how to deal with a range of matters concerning mental health.

Based on models successfully established in other areas of the UK, mental health nurses working as part of the Mental Health Assessment Service (MHAS) will be available for a 12 months pilot.

The aim of the service is to provide police responding to incidents with local health service information to ensure individuals in mental health crisis are assessed as quickly and appropriately as possible.

Members of the public will benefit greatly from the scheme with those in need of specialist services being appropriately signposted to the agencies that can best assist them.

In addition, this approach will help reduce the stigma associated with a police detention or escort to a psychiatric facility.

Superintendent Liz McAinsh said: “This scheme gives our officers access to dedicated professionals whose knowledge of mental health considerations is invaluable.

“The initiative has been shown to work well elsewhere and I expect officers and local communities in Edinburgh to benefit immensely from its use.

“ During this pilot any officer attending an incident involving someone with mental health issues will have improved access to fully-trained mental health nurses who will advise on the most appropriate course of action.

“This will allow us to provide a higher quality of service to those in need of specialist assistance.”

Kathleen Stewart, Nurse Consultant, NHS Lothian, said: “The Edinburgh Community Triage Service is designed to ensure individuals in mental health crisis who come to the attention of the police in the community are seen as quickly and as appropriately as possible.

“It is hoped that this new way of working will also help reduce the stigma and criminalisation associated with detention in custody or police escort to a psychiatric hospital for assessment.”

Police are appealing for witnesses after a man was robbed at knifepoint in Sciennes Road around 2am this morning.

The 26-year-old was walking along the road when three male youths approached and all presented knifes before robbing the victim of the contents of his bag.

Inquiries are ongoing to trace those responsible and anyone who can assist officers with their investigation is asked to come forward.

The suspects are all described as being between 16 and 18-years-old with skinny builds and wearing black hooded tops with the hoods pulled up and covering the lower half of faces.

Detective Inspector John Kavanagh said: “The victim wasn’t injured during this incident, but was understandably shaken and upset at the theft of his belongings.

“Anyone who remembers seeing any suspicious activity in or around Sciennes Road in the early hours of Friday morning should contact police immediately.

“Similarly, anyone with information that can help us identify the suspects is also asked to get in touch.”

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

Six people have been arrested and charged in connection with a number of robberies, which have taken place in Edinburgh city centre over the past week.

In the early hours of Sunday 9th August, three incidents were reported in Blackfriars Street, Market Street and Montrose Terrace.

Three men aged 38, 22 and 20 were all attacked and robbed of their personal belongings during these offences.

As a result of police inquiries, three males aged 15, 22 and 24 were subsequently arrested and will appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday 17th August.

Officers had also been investigating another three robberies, which took place in Restalrig Road, Drumsheugh Gardens and Harrison Park between Wednesday 12th and Thursday 13th August.

Police established these incidents were linked and three further men aged 16, 18 and 21 have all now been arrested and will also appear in court on Monday.

Detective Inspector Grant Johnston said: “Each of these offences resulted in the victims either being threatened or assaulted and robbed of their property.

“As a result of speedy inquiries carried out by a team of officers six men are now in custody and I would like to thank the public for their assistance.

“We will continue to investigate any incident of this nature as a priority to quickly bring the offenders to justice”

Now even if you can’t get along to Charlotte Square you may be able to keep up with what’s happening there.

In a collaboration with BBC Arts, ten events from the 2015 Book Festival will be live-streamed and available on demand by BBC Arts Online in August reaching audiences far beyond Charlotte Square Gardens.  Live-streamed events include some of the Book Festival’s flagship sessions, including a talk by the American civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson, a conversation between the Diamond Dagger winning crime writer Val McDermid and Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and an introduction to Scots comedian Limmy’s new book.

As part of BBC Arts Online ‘Books at the BBC’ strand audio from an additional 10 events will be made available for audiences across the UK to listen to on the site throughout August. This series of audio events will feature some of the many international authors speaking at the Book Festival, including Israel’s Etgar Keret, Republic of Congo’s Alain Mabanckou, Denmark’s Dorthe Nors and Mexico’s Gabriel Orozco as well as a selection of the 56 debut novelists including Bill Clegg, Claire Fuller and Chigozie Obioma who has been nominated for the 2015 Man Booker Prize.

On Saturday 15 August, Kirsty Wark will chair a special Edinburgh International Book Festival event at the BBC venue at Potterrow in Edinburgh, which will also be live-streamed.  Wark will be joined by leading Scottish authors Maggie O’Farrell, Jackie Kay and poet Rachel McCrum.

Nick Barley, Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, said “We are delighted to be working with BBC Arts again this year.   We live-streamed George R R Martin’s talk in 2014 which received a fantastic response and are very much looking forward to enabling so many of our outstanding speakers to reach an audience outside Charlotte Square Gardens.”

Peter Maniura, Head of Digital Development, BBC Arts, said “Through this year’s greatly expanded collaboration with the Edinburgh International Book Festival audiences nationally and internationally will get a chance to sample some of the wonderful events and contributors at this wide-ranging and always stimulating festival.”

Live-Streamed Events:

Alan Johnson                                                   Friday 21 August 6.45pm – 7.45pm

George The Poet                                              Friday 21 August 8.15pm – 9.15pm

Howard Jacobson                                             Saturday 22 August 11.45am – 12.45pm

A C Grayling                                                    Saturday 22 August 3.15pm – 4.15pm

Reverend Jesse Jackson                                  Saturday 22 August 8.15pm – 9.15pm

Limmy                                                            Saturday 22 August 9.45pm – 10.45pm

Michael Frayn                                                 Wednesday 26 August 3.15pm – 4.15pm

Liz Lochhead                                                  Wednesday 26 August 5.00pm – 6.00pm

Val McDermid with Nicola Sturgeon                  Wednesday 26 August 6.45pm – 7.45pm

Richard Coles                                                 Wednesday 26 August 8.15pm – 9.15pm

All events from the 2015 Edinburgh International Book Festival to be live-streamed on BBC Arts can be watched via http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts.   Selected sessions will be available to view for 30 days on BBC iPlayer.  The BBC Arts sessions in conjunction with Edinburgh International Book Festival are part of the BBC’s substantial output coming from the Edinburgh Festivals over the next three weeks, much of it coming from their Potterrow venue,

The Edinburgh International Book Festival runs from Saturday 15 to Monday 31 August in Charlotte Square Gardens in the heart of Edinburgh.  Entry to the gardens is free, and tickets and full programme information can be found at www.edbookfest.co.uk.

New pigeon netting is due to go back on Brighton Place/Southfield Place Bridge to keep the pesky pooping pigeons away after Network Rail have inspected the bridge and make sure they don’t have to go in and run any new netting.  That is due to happen mid August and the Council can replace their damaged netting soon after – if all goes according to plan….

This weekend, make your bicycle more secure. Sunday 16 August, the local police will be on Portobello Promenade 11am – 1pm for – Bike Marking

Next weekend is the last Scottish Beach Volleyball event of the year in Portobello, of course – where else?!

Proposals for development of housing, a park and new primary school at Edmonstone Estate Public Exhibition – Tuesday 18^thAugust, 3.30pm to 7.30pm, Hays Business Centre, Hays Avenue Proposals have been put forward by Sheratan Ltd to deliver housing, a new primary school and parkland at Edmonstone Estate, situated at Little France.  The land is in the Green Belt.  The Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) that came to Committee on Wednesday – mysteriously – did not mention a new Primary School.  At Committee alongside the PAN for this development was a PAN from the Council in conjunction with Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust (ELGT) for parkland, no houses.  At Committee, I asked for the two ‘competing’ developments to be considered alongside each other and – if possible – some consultation to be parallel as well.  We should also know more about how each project is to be achieved financially.  Craigmillar Community Council should also be offered support to help consult as widely as possible with the community. It will be of interest more widely in East Edinburgh and beyond, no doubt.  Links to the two PANs are here: Sheraton Ltd http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/download/meetings/id/47797/item_95_-_old_dalkeith_road_-_15_03214_pan and the Council/ELGT application: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/download/meetings/id/47795/item_94_-_old_dalkeith_road_-_15_03231_pan

Usefully, Portobello Community Council have put up on their website a summary of Planning Applications and Decisions for week commencing 10 August 2015.  Click here: Portobello Community Council

On behalf of the Council, Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust (ELGT) is gathering ideas, suggestions and thoughts about the design and layout of the new park on the site of the current Portobello High School and will be built alongside a new St John’s Primary School. and will running consultation sessions across the Portobello & Craigmillar and the Craigentinny & Duddingston Neighbourhood Partnership areas. They aim to reach as wide a cross section of the community as possible, and to gather all the thoughts and ideas of what the new park might look like and contain. Some of these events and activities are already planned, but you would like to arrange an event, or for ELGT to attend a community event or meeting, please do not hesitate get in touch.  As we go along, we will be promoting the events that we will be attending, and how everyone can get involved.  We will be sending out periodic emails, but you can also follow us on Twitter, on Facebook and by signing up to follow the website so that you are automatically notified of new content and news.

The new park’s website is: http://newparkforeh15.com/

The Twitter account is: @EH15_NewPark

The Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/newparkEH15?ref=hl

No matter how people take part, ELGT will ensure that every suggestion and idea is logged and taken on board – there will be a chance to look at some draft final designs and have your say before a final design is chosen. Hopefully it will be a busy few months – please do not hesitate to contact us, especially with regards ensuring that as many people as possible have the opportunity to take part. Any feedback is gladly received.

The John Muir Trust has a fab new website. Click here.

The latest Clean Up Scotland newsletter is available here: www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/media/782617/Clean-Up-Scotland-Newsletter-July-2015.pdf. If you have any stories or pictures which you would like to feature in their next newsletter please do not hesitate to send them in.

Porty Youth Theatre have taken their show to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and got a good review.  See here: Alice in Wonderland Review

Portobello resident and jazz musician, Dick Lee is also performing in the Fringe Festival including four shows at Venue 67, Valvona and Crolla’s Little Theatre at 19 Elm Row. Tickets are available from the Fringe Box Office and also Valvona and Crolla’s Box Office (0131 556 7800). More here: http://www.dicklee.org.uk/

The Big Beach Busk takes place next weekend.  Details here: Big Beach Busk  You can get a poster from Skylark on Porty High Street and help spread the word.

You can find out how castles were built in a fringe event next weekend run by Historic Scotland at Craigmillar Castle, a whole day of activities on 29 August: Craigmillar Castle Event

Consultation on revised Developer Contributions and Affordable Housing Guidance  The Second Proposed Local Development Plan (LDP June 2014) sets out a new approach to developer contributions and the delivery of infrastructure linked closely with the second proposed Action Programme (Updated May 2105). The Action Programme sets out the infrastructure, including education, transport, and greenspace actions, required to help mitigate the impact of strategic and planned growth and to deliver the proposals identified within the Plan.  Policies Del1 (Developer Contributions) and Del2 (Retrospective Developer Contributions) of the Second Proposed Plan require developer contributions from any development if:

1. It will have a net impact on infrastructure capacity; and
2. It is necessary to mitigate that impact by providing additional capacity or otherwise improving existing infrastructure.

To support this new approach, planning guidance on how the Council collects Developer Contributions and the approach to Affordable Housing has been updated.

A questionnaire has been provided on the Consultation Hub – here, to guide you through the proposed changes.

Responses to this consultation should be provided by Friday 25 September 2015.

If you have any queries regarding the consultation or the guidance please contact Kate Hopper on 0131 529 6232 or via email kate.hopper@edinburgh.gov.uk

The Scottish Government is consulting on how our coastlines should be managed.  Scotland’s first National Marine Plan provides a framework for sustainable management of our valuable marine resource, ensuring that we all continue to benefit from it in future. Marine Scotland, the directorate of Scottish Government with responsibility for integrated management of Scotland’s seas, has identified a lack of essential information about how people use the sea for recreation and tourism. This survey aims to change that. See here: Marine Recreation and Tourism Survey

There will be a training event on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) 2016 Roadshow across Scotland and we have one in The White House, Craigmillar.  More here : SIMD16 Event

A plug for our wonderful Portobello Citizens Advice Bureau 8a&b, Bath Street, EH15 1EY Telephone: 0131 669 9503  Please note that we cannot guarantee to see everyone at drop in sessions so we operate the sessions on a first come, first served basis.  Please arrive as early as possible for the drop in sessions on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, as we fill up very quickly and may not be able to see you. Opening Hours Monday 9.30 – 16.30 (Appointment Only) Tuesday 9.30 – 12.30 (Drop In) 12.30 – 16.30 (Appointment Only) Wednesday 9.30 – 16.30 (Appointment Only) 18.30 – 19.30 (Evening session is on alternate weeks) Thursday 9.30 – 12.30 (Drop In)  12.30 – 16.30 (Appointment Only) Friday 9.30 – 16.30 (Appointment Only).  More here:  CAB Info

Are you living in Edinburgh and are struggling financially? Or maybe someone you know?  The Edinburgh Trust might be able to help you.

Fifteen days to go and almost half way there with crowd funding bat boxes with the Friends of Figgate Park.  Bats are cute, they eat insects like midges, and they need good places to roost and raise their young.  Bat Box Fund

The Council recently updated the website so you can also find your bin days, request a replacement bin, request a special uplift and find more information on waste and recycling services. You can also Pay, Report and Request services on the website whenever, and wherever, you are. This makes the Council more accessible to you, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  They have made it easier for you to get in touch, to respond to requests faster. If it is an emergency, then please contact 0131 529 3030.  You might be asked for your date of birth, which some find strange and intrusive. You don’t have to give it, but here’s the explanation I have for why they are asking:  “The reason we’re asking for customers date of birth is to help us establish a unique identifier which will allow us to link customers records across the various customer databases we hold. This helps us build a single view of the customer which will help the customer view their own information on line and help us offer an improved service to the customer as our Customer Service Advisers (CSA) will see a complete picture of the customers interactions with us. In the future it will also allow us to develop proactive services that will be tailored to that customers needs and circumstances. If the customer registers for our on line services through MyGovAccount, this type of information is gathered during registration and there is no need to ask for it again on future on line contacts as they will be given a user id and password which serves as their unique identifier. Our CSA’s work to a script (below) and explain to the customer why we are asking for the information, they also explain that it is not compulsory for the customer to provide their d.o.b. if they do not wish to do so. ”The City of Edinburgh Council is adding new features to its website which will allow citizens to access their records online. In order to do this we require you to provide us with additional information such as your date of birth. Providing this information is optional and in doing so will enable will enable you to interact electronically with the council”

A preview of the  Art Walk Porty 3-6 September Programme

Have a good weekend.  I’m off to the Big Summer Bash at the Jack Kane Centre and the opening of the fabulous Garden Globe Project at 1pm – the community garden there.  Rain, rain, – GO AWAY!

Best wishes

Maureen

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

Edinburgh Art Festival Curators’ Tours – Kwang Young Chun: Aggregations. Dovecot Gallery’s Exhibition Curator Kate Grenyer tours the Aggregations exhibition and talks about the inspiration behind the Korean artist’s mulberry paper assemblages. 11am, Dovecot Studios, Infirmary Street. Free and unticketed.

Edinburgh Book Fringe starts today! Daily events – all of them free (donations appreciated) for two weeks at Word Power Books, Edinburgh’s independent radical bookshop. For tonight’s opening event campaigning comedian Mark Thomas discusses 100 Acts of Minor Dissent, his brilliant account of one year spent living provocatively. 7.30pm, Word Power Books, West Nicolson Street. All welcome! No booking required, but arrive promptly as space is limited.

Record Breakers End of Challenge Parties! Come along and celebrate your reading over the summer. 11.30am for 5-8 years, 2.30pm for 9-12 years, Corstorphine Library, Kirk Loan. Booking is essential as places are limited: please contact the library on 0131 529 5506 or call in in advance and speak to the staff.

Ritzfrolic: an evening of poetry and discussion inspired by the sculptures of the late John Chamberlain and his use of puns, wordplay and poetic language in the naming of his works. Inverleith House and the Scottish Poetry Library present an evening of poetry and discussion with poet and Reader in English Literature (University of Glasgow), Jane Goldman and Alistair Rider, Lecturer in Modern Art (University of St Andrew’s). 6.30-9pm, Inverleith House, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Tickets cost £5/£4 (transaction fee applies) and may be obtained via eventbrite here. The RBGE’s exhibition of John Chamberlain’s sculptures continues until 5th October 2015.

North Edinburgh Arts: KITES! Come along to NEA’s workshop at the park and find out how to transform plastic bags into kites – and fly them! For all ages. 1-3pm, West Pilton Park, West Pilton Avenue. All welcome – for more information please contact NEA on 0131 315 2151. If you have any spare plastic bags, please drop them off at NEA reception in advance.

Festival of Politics 2015: a three-day programme of exhibitions, debates and films, featuring respected figures from the worlds of media, politics, academia and the arts. Exhibitions on display throughout the weekend look at the Anti-Apartheid movement, cartoonists’ interpretations of the independence debate (The Auld Acquaintance), sounds created by different areas of the Parliament and its inhabitants (Democratic Resonance 2013-2015), plus Michael Peto Photography – Politics in Focus, and the 2015 World Press Photography Awards. On Saturday the Festival Youth Cafe will offer free workshops in vlogging, performance poetry, film-making and cartooning, and a session with acclaimed author Cathy McPhail. On both Saturday and Sunday there will be free live music and performances in the Festival Cafe Bar, which will be serving drinks and Scottish delicacies. Today’s debates are Scotland and Slavery, What does your Commonwealth do for You? and The Democratic Challenge, and today’s film is 12 Years A Slave (15). Starts 4.30pm today, The Scottish Parliament, Holyrood; ends 9.30pm, Sunday 16th August 2015. For more information, details of all debates and films, and to book tickets, see the festival’s website here: ticket prices vary – all exhibitions are free, and the World Press Awards and Michael Peto exhibitions will remain open until 22nd August 2015 (10am-5pm Monday to Saturday only).

Edinburgh Art Festival Explorers Free Summer Art Workshops: for children in the age group P1-P4. 10.30am-4.30pm, Central Library, George IV Bridge. Booking is required and may be made by emailing alchemyarts@gmail.com or calling 07853 872 073.

St Mary’s Cathedral Tours: free tours of Scotland’s largest cathedral, a renowned masterpiece of Victorian Gothic architecture, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott. 2.15pm today and every Friday in August, St Mary’s Cathedral (meet inside West Door), Palmerston Place. Free. Also at 10am each Tuesday in August.

Riccio Gallery: Michael P Young, Diane Young and Rhona Petrie. A new exhibition of paintings and jewellery. Preview tonight 7-9pm, then 10am-4pm Monday to Saturday, Riccio Gallery, 17 South Street, Dalkeith. Ends 9th September 2015.

Maps for Family and Local History: find out how maps can help you with your research. Learn about the range of historical maps held by the National Library of Scotland and the information they provide; a tour of the Maps Reading Room will be included. 2pm, Maps Reading Room, 159 Causewayside. Booking is essential and may be made by calling 0131 623 3734 or online here. For more information about this workshop please email maps@nls.uk.

Blackwell’s Edinburgh and Mariscat Press Present Jackie Kay: the launch of a new pamphlet by one of Scotland’s most loved poets. Jackie Kay was born and brought up in Scotland; she writes poetry and fiction for adults and children. Jackie’s first poetry collection The Adoption Papers won the Forward Prize, a Saltire Award and a Scottish Arts Council Book Award, and she has won numerous awards for her writing since, including the MBE in 2006. 6.30pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free tickets may be obtained from the shop’s front desk, by calling 0131 622 8222, emailing events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk or via eventbrite here.

Rome in Fact and Fantasy: Dr James Lawson (University of Edinburgh) discusses artists’ depictions – and conjurings up – of the eternal city, focusing on David Roberts’ Sunset from the Convent of Sant’ Onofrio on the Janiculum (1856). 12.45-1.30pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.

Phill Jupitus: Sketch Comic at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. The legendary stand-up, poet and sketchman returns for another three weeks of digital drawing, chat and mirth. Each morning Phill will select and sketch (on an iPad) a favourite of his from the gallery collection. Come and watch, chat with Phill and join in on your own iPad or sketchbook – make and share your own sketches. Phill’s work will be posted on Facebook and Twitter each day and you are encouraged to post yours too. Phill will be at a different gallery each week; today he moves to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Wednesdays will be special Sketch Comic for Kids sessions, but grown-ups are still welcome to come along. On Thursday evenings Phill will host a special in-conversation event with a different special guest each time – see listing. 10am-12 noon today and every day until 20th August, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free and unticketed.

Relics, Curiosities and Councillors: how Edinburgh got its museums. Nico Tyack delves into the depths of the City Corporation’s archives to uncover how Edinburgh got its own museum, funded by the people for the people. Expect outraged citizens, mysterious goings-on behind closed doors, magnaminous councillors and a sharpened blade or two, all set against the backdrop of glorious Huntly House. For adults. 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, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here.

Michael Branagh: a new art exhibition. Launch tonight with refreshments, 7.30pm, Sofi’s, Henderson Street, then during usual opening hours.

Tram inquiry

Fringe tip of the Day

Royal Scottish Country Dance Society

Grafton Community Gardeners AGM

Colony of Artists 2015

If you’re not doing anything else next week you could go to the Preliminary Hearing of the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry at Waverleygate. Lord Hardie is conducting the hearing and this procedural hearing will deal with the arrangements to be made over coming months.

The proceedings will be filmed for television, but there is space for some members of the public to get a seat in the hearing room.

The council will be asked at next week’s meeting on Thursday to approve spending about £2m on the inquiry, but it will not revive the dormant company tie Ltd which used to run the tram project. The council was asked by the Inquiry to consider reviving the company so that it could be what is called a ‘core participant’ in the inquiry. But the council has decided not to do this as it would increase the cost significantly.

Councillor Lesley Hinds said : “Lord Hardie could call the former employees of tie to the inquiry anyway.”

***

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwZwzYSH-Fs]

We saw The Buzztones as we walked – or struggled – along Potterow on Wednesday afternoon; a group of grown men (as they like to call themselves…) singing a capella. Now Potterow on a sunny afternoon in mid-festival is not exactly a place to be heard; you can hardly move for people thrusting flyers in your face – in fact, you can hardly move at all.

These guys did something impressive; they stopped people in their tracks – I wasn’t the only one who took time to stand and enjoy their brilliant performance. They call themselves ‘London’s premier vocal showmen’ and you know what? They probably are.

Their show is called Buzzology , it involves lots of singing, laughs and ‘a twist of mediocre banter’, and it’s on at The Gilded Balloon, Teviot Square at 4pm every day until 21st August. It’s for ages 14+. Tickets cost £11/£10 and are available from the Fringe website here.

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The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society’s children’s classes starts again on 27 August. Full details here of how to enrol your child.

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The 2015 Colony of Artists takes place over the weekend of 12-13 September, long after the Festival madness has come to an end.

This will be the tenth year that the annual exhibition has taken place at Abbeyhill Colonies.  There are more than 30 artists in 20 venues who all open their front doors to the public to show off whatever their art is.

Here is the full programme

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By Craig Todd

HAVING to wait 10 minutes due to a technical issue was not ideal, nor was having no sound.

Yet, James Smallman did a terrific job as host to entertain the crowd, whilst Lloyd Griffith and Charlie Baker amused fans by revealing they barely play video games.

From the modern day Xboxes and Playstations to the Atari and Sega Mega Drive, this is a show that will be loved by different gaming generations.

Smallman set three challenges: a face-off in Pole Riders, which competitors must score points by using their pole vaults to guide a ball into their opponent’s goal.

The second was to complete the first level of Sonic the Hedgehog as quick as possible, bringing laughs as Griffith died after 4 seconds.

The final challenge is a duel on Street Fighter Two, with Griffith infuriating a fuming Baker by using Blanka’s electric shock powers.

Fun and quirky, audience interaction was key, as Smallman talked to the crowd about their most difficult games and the innocence of childhood whilst playing Grand Theft Auto with his daughter.

The crowd humming the Tetris theme and Song 2 by Blur were notable mentions, whilst a fan was delighted to beat Griffith in Street Fighter Two.

The show will be unpredictable and chaotic as various comedians attempt the different challenges each day.

Tickets here

by Craig Todd

Those who know of Janey Godley’s work knew what they would get.

Foul-mouthed, rude and abrasive, fans loved what she had to say ranging from her views of Michelle Mone to the personal stories of being a gangster’s wife.

“This is the first free show I’ve done,” she said, whilst firing friendly expletives to late arrivals, due to the poor air conditioning in the Counting House.

“I wish she was my mother,” someone commented as she roared the crowd into fits of laughter about her husband’s honesty due to his Asperger’s.

Sexually abused as a child by her uncle, her mother was murdered by her violent boyfriend and Godley herself having previously been charged with gun possession, this story is haunting and unique.

Despite the shock of her mother’s murder, she gets laughs as she tells of creating an illusion of robbery in the Carlton Pub in Glasgow, involving four teenagers high on LSD, a Gregory’s Girl actor and Strathclyde Police, causing chaos just because “she was bored on a Tuesday.”

It gets even better when she relates the tale of one therapy session and the therapist’s attempts to get her to come back.

This is one of the stand-out shows the Fringe has to offer and one of the least publicised – mark this in your diary.

Tickets here. 

Enjoy children’s shows at Boxsmall Market’s ShowBox

Boxsmall Market will be hosting previews of Edinburgh Festival Fringe children’s shows at its ShowBox where families will get a look at the family-friendly acts performing at the Fringe. The shows are being managed by Mix ‘N’ Pick Theatre and will run throughout the day, every day during August.

For just £4, guests will receive all day entry and unlimited kids’ shows, bouncy snake, games, and there will be free toy prizes for everyone to enjoy. ShowBox previews of Fringe acts include: Brush, Grossed Out Game Show, Mrs McMoon’s Tea Party and Colours & Opera Mouse.

Boxsmall Market, at Princes Mall Roof Terrace, is an architecturally designed market made up of a series of contemporary cubic micro-stores, showcasing the very best of Scottish products from delicious local food to cutting- edge design, clothing and crafts.

Shona Donaldson, festival director, says: “We are pleased to add extra shows to our line-up by welcoming Fringe performers at Boxsmall. Visiting Boxsmall is a fantastic day out for all the family, where guests can dine out, shop in the Market, let the kids play in the children’s area, and now they can even catch a Fringe show too.”

-Ends-

Submitted by Stacey Dent

‘We have achieved a great duty in these critical times…we have been the first to revive the spirit of our country and give it a national existence’ (Thomas Muir, 1798)

‘We unite behind a declaration of self-evident truth…We want a Scotland that’s greener, that’s fairer and more prosperous. We realise that the power of an independent Scotland is necessary to achieve these ends’ (Alex Salmond, 2012)

Over two hundred years separate these statements; each speaker sought in his own way to bring reform to Scotland.

On 24th August 2015, Alex Salmond, MP for Gordon, MSP for Aberdeenshire East and former First Minister, will give the inaugural Thomas Muir Memorial Lecture to celebrate the life of the radical agitator and democratic hero, Thomas Muir the Younger of Huntershill. At the age of 26, Muir led a movement demanding the vote for the ordinary men of Scotland.

‘He sought, like all great men, to attain the unattainable, knowing that the alternative is to bear the unbearable’ (Oliver Brown).

In 1785, having expelled himself from Glasgow University after supporting the loser (Professor John Anderson, who later founded the forerunner of Strathclyde University) in an argument with the Faculty of Advocates, Thomas Muir became a lawyer in Edinburgh.

Within three years of passing his Bar examinations, Muir was acting for the congregation of his home parish of Cadder in a dispute with local landlords over the selection of a new minister; he became known as a man of principle, challenging the many laws he considered to be biased against the poor. In 1792 he was instrumental in setting up a nationwide network of reform clubs, the Scottish Association of the Friends of the People, in support of emancipation and the principles of the French Revolution; he also sympathised and corresponded with the United Irishmen, the Irish nationalist movement of the time.

By 1793 Muir had been arrested and tried on trumped up charges of sedition, thrown out of the Faculty and sentenced by Lord Braxfield (of ‘Let them bring me prisoners and I will find them law‘ fame) to fourteen years’ transportation; he arrived in Sydney in 1794, one of Australia’s first political prisoners.

Muir eventually escaped to California but was shipped back to Europe by the Spanish; during the journey his ship was engaged in battle with the British and he suffered severe facial injuries from flying shrapnel. He was released (and banished) by the Spanish and finally ended up in France, where he died in 1799.

In 1982 a young Alex Salmond was expelled from the Scottish Nationalist Party for being a leading light in the left wing 79 Group. He was readmitted a month later, elected MP for Banff and Buchan in 1987 and leader of the SNP in 1990. He was a vocal opponent of Tony Blair’s decisions to back NATO bombing in Serbia in 1999 and the invasion of Iraq in 2003. He became First Minister of Scotland in 2007 and called the 2014 Referendum on Scottish Independence. Resigning as SNP leader in November 2014, he was elected as MP for Gordon in 2015, winning 48% of the vote. He is the author of The Dream Shall Never Die: 100 Days That Changed Scotland Forever. 

The Friends of Thomas Muir are commemorating the 250th anniversary of Muir’s birth with a series of events throughout Scotland. The anniversary has already featured on STV and BBC Radio, and in the coming months there will be further events in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Bishopbriggs, Cadder, Kirkintilloch and Alloway. On 24th August, prior to the Thomas Muir Lecture, Murray Armstrong, former Guardian journalist and author of The Liberty Tree, an historical novel about Muir’s life and struggles, will talk about Muir’s legacy as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Book Festival.

A re-examination and partial re-enactment of Muir’s trial in Parliament House, a Scottish National Portrait Gallery tour of works relating to him, an exhibition at the Central Library, a reception at the Scottish Parliament and a Democracy 250 Walk from the Political Martyrs’ Memorial in Old Calton Burial Ground to Holyrood have also been organised; details may be found at www.thomasmuir.co.uk.

The Thomas Muir Memorial Lecture will take place on Monday 24 August 2015 (7pm for 7.30pm) at St Mary’s Cathedral, Palmerston Place. Tickets are available from the Cathedral Office (0131 225 6293) or from the organisers, Word Power Books (0131 662 9112); a suggested donation of at least £5 per ticket is requested. Murray Armstrong will speak at Word Power Books at 1pm on 24th August: this event is free (donations appreciated) and no booking is required.

Additional information about Thomas Muir gratefully sourced from Thomas Muir of Huntershill 1765-1799 (c) Michael Donnelly 1975.

It is very hot in Studio 5 of C venues: C Nova.

‘Anyone who falls asleep, I forgive them…this is going to turn into a mass striptease in 5 minutes’.

Well luckily it doesn’t, as Lynn Ruth Miller is beautifully attired in white floaty dress, white shoes and pink top. She is – as she is happy to tell us – 81 years old, ‘the oldest stand-up comedian performing on either side of the Atlantic’, a multi-award winner who only began her comedy career ten years ago. She used to live in California but last year – yes, just last year – she moved to Brighton. She’s a writer and singer too. Tonight she’s here to talk about fear and how to deal with it.

In Get A Grip, Miller tells us about some of the things that have scared her during her long and colourful life – and how she came to terms with them. Overarching almost every anecdote is the presence of Mrs Miller senior, a sad, fearful, highly critical woman who frequently threatened to send her daughter ‘back to the Indians where you’ll have to live in a teepee and eat corn all day.’

‘She was not my friend’

– a poignant understatement if ever there was one. Not surprising, really,  that Lynn Ruth grew up feeling insecure and worthless, terrified of authority figures, unable to stand up to bullies, desperate to please.

Another misery memoir then? Well yes – and no.

Lynn Ruth illustrates her hang-ups with stories, and for every heartbreaking tale there is a snappy one-liner – from childhood road trips through the pre-Martin Luther King South to issues with college roommates in Michigan, encounters with the police (who used to be her friends – now she’s not so sure…).

Then it moves to the West Coast and life in trailer-park Texas. This whirlwind tour of selected episodes from eight decades well – if not always happily – lived is as entertaining as it is touching. There are even family photos, brought along to prove it’s all true – when she can put her hand on them. ‘I can’t find that one so you’ll just have to imagine’. Lynn Ruth is nothing if not resourceful, in performance as in life; she’s been everything from a teacher to a a call handler for what she thought was a dating service. (It wasn’t). And despite all the grief she’s come out stronger;

‘I realised I didn’t need anyone to validate me – not even my mother’.

There are a few wobbly bits in this show; Lynn Ruth does occasionally forget where she’s going with a story – but then who doesn’t? (under 30s need not reply…), the room is much too hot, even on a typical Edinburgh August afternoon, and the noise from the foyer outside is a tad distracting.

Despite all that, this feisty woman holds our attention and stays firmly on the sharp side of schmaltz; Lynn Ruth Miller’s definitely Got A Grip.

Lynne Ruth Miller: Get A Grip is at Venue 145, C venues – C Nova, India Buildings, Victoria Street, at 6pm daily until 31st August. Tickets are available via the Edinburgh Festival Fringe website here.